Episode 56: Townsperson A Participates in the Elven Summer Festival (Part 2)

Elves stood waiting for us at the end of our escape route, smirking as they hefted fruit in their hands.

"T-this way!"

I grabbed Ana’s hand again and bolted, but no matter which way we turned, more Elves were already there to cut us off. We ran in circles until, inevitably, we were backed into a corner against a wall.

Dammit.

I managed to divert the occasional projectile with Wind Magic or catch them by hand—sometimes I just had to use my own body as a shield—but it was clear they were just playing with us. More than anything, though, that smirking pervert of a Spirit was starting to get on my nerves.

"Oh, so close, Allen-san. Truly, you've shown us quite the passionate display," he jeered.

"But we aren't going to let you reach the goal that easily!" another added.

"Yeah! Not when the rest of us don't even have girlfriends!"

By this point, it was nothing more than a series of grievances born of petty jealousy. I tried to ignore them and focus entirely on protecting Ana, but since I was under strict orders not to break anything, I couldn't use anything flashy with my 【Alchemy】.

"Well then, Allen-san, why don't you give up on the girl and spend the next ten years being a lonely bachelor right along with us?"

"Heh, serves you right!"

With that, the Elves began raining down a barrage of fruit.

"Pfft! Ah-ha-ha!"

The smirking pervert stood right in front of me, pointing and laughing derisively.

Dammit! Is this it? Is it all over?

No, not yet. Even if I went down, I had to at least protect Ana.

"Lady Ana, excuse me!"

I pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her as I dropped to the ground, using my back as a shield against the incoming fruit.

"A-Allen? What are you—"

"If I can just hold out until time runs out, I can keep you safe, Lady Ana."

"Allen?! ...Ugh, don't be ridiculous! O Mana, root of all creation! Heed my command, become ice, and take form! Ice Coffin!"

The moment Ana activated her Ice Magic, a literal coffin of ice manifested, completely enveloping the two of us. Naturally, being made of ice, the interior was freezing.

"What do you mean, 'hold out until time runs out'?" she scolded. "There's no point if you get yourself beaten to a pulp in the process!"

"But... Lady Ana..."

"Just 'Ana' is fine. Her Majesty the Queen told me that status in the human world doesn't matter here in the Elven Village. So, um... what I mean is... at least while we're in this village..."

Her voice, initially sharp and talkative, trailed off until it was barely a whisper. As her volume dropped, her expression shifted from anger to one of deep, radiating embarrassment.

"Lady Ana... I mean, Ana. Does that mean...?"

"...Yes."

Locked inside that frozen coffin, we gazed into each other’s eyes, completely forgetting that a crowd of Elves and Spirits was watching from the other side.

Knock. Knock.

The sound of someone rapping on the ice snapped us back to reality. We looked up to see the Queen peeking in at us with a troubled expression. The surrounding Elves had already stopped throwing fruit.

"Ah. U-um, Ana..."

"A-Allen. Right."

Ana looked away shyly and deactivated the spell.

The moment the ice vanished, Sherilralra-san, who was standing nearby, whipped a piece of fruit at us. I didn't miss the movement. Twisting my body to shield Ana, I took the hit directly to the face. The juice of some mysterious red fruit splattered across my skin, its sticky, sweet scent filling my nose and obscuring my vision.

A moment later, a gong sounded, signaling the end of the ritual.

"Sherilralra-san?" I wiped my eyes.

"Hmph. You did well to stay on guard until the very end," she said with a knowing smile.

"Allen... I'm sorry," Ana said softly. "I let my guard down."

"Don't be. It was my fault for getting distracted. But I kept my promise—I protected you."

At my words, Ana let out a small laugh and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, my Knight."

Still sticky and covered in fruit juice, we managed to keep Ana’s flower crown intact and reunited with the other participants in the Central Plaza. Most of them were in a similar state of disarray.

It appeared that two of the four participating pairs had failed to protect the women. However, they didn't seem particularly depressed about it; instead, they were encouraging each other to try harder next time. It felt less like a solemn ritual and more like students at a sports meet promising to win the next tournament. I suppose when your lifespan is measured in centuries, your perception of time is fundamentally different.

The ritual continued for the two successful pairs. Each woman handed her flower crown to her partner, then kissed him on the forehead. The man, in turn, kissed the crown before placing it back on the woman’s head and sealing the deal with a kiss on the lips—a deep one, at that. As they did, the surrounding Spirits showered them with sparkling light.

"Whoa, that's incredible."

"T-t-they're actually k-k-kissing...?"

Being the only one who could see the Spirits, my reaction was one of awe, while Ana seemed mostly stunned by the public display of affection.

"Ana, if you're uncomfortable with going that far, we can just... well, pretend to kiss..."

She shot me a glare and lifted her foot as if she were about to stomp on my toes. I was only trying to be considerate. Talk about unreasonable.

Finally, it was our turn.

I knelt before Ana. She handed the flower crown to me, and I closed my eyes as she leaned down. I felt a soft, gentle chu as she pressed her lips to my forehead. Standing back up, I kissed the crown and placed it carefully on her head.

"Are you sure about this?" I whispered.

"Don't be tedious," she replied, though her face was beet red. "You're a man—steel your resolve."

"Right."

Ana closed her eyes and tilted her face up, pouting her lips slightly. I leaned in and gently pressed my lips against hers. They were soft, pink, and tasted of the sweet, unknown fruit juice that covered us both.

I deepened the kiss, my tongue tentatively grazing her teeth. Ana responded in kind, her tongue shyly intertwining with mine. Our first kiss was incredibly sweet, framed by the scent of red fruit and the ethereal glow of the Spirits.

The Spirits showered us with a cascade of light. When we finally parted, Ana looked up at me with flushed cheeks and dazed eyes. Then, she blinked and looked around in realization.

"W-what is this light?"

"They say it's the Spirit's Blessing."

"This is it...?"

She looked on, entranced by the fantastical scene. That was when the pervert approached us.

"Anastasia, daughter of Elizaveta and Gerhardt."

Wait, what? The guy was actually using a dignified tone.

"And you are?" Ana asked.

"I am Law the Light Spirit, and one who is linked to Loringas the Unselfish Great Sage."

Unselfish? Him? This guy, who looked like a walking manifestation of a pervert's libido? And he had the nerve to say that about himself with a straight face?

"To Lord Loringas? Oh, Lord Loringas!"

I was confused by Ana's sudden reverence until I remembered that this pervert had been Elizaveta-san’s magic teacher. Sigh.

"Anastasia, I have witnessed your resolve and your love," the Spirit continued, speaking in a theatrical, formal register that felt completely staged. "I shall grant you my holy blessing."

He placed a hand on Ana's head, and her entire body was suddenly enveloped in a soft, warm radiance. I, meanwhile, watched the whole display with dead eyes.

"As long as you do not lose that love, the souls of Law the Light Spirit and Loringas shall always protect you. Anastasia, I leave Allen in your care."

"Oh, Lord Law! Lord Loringas! Yes! I understand! Thank you so much!"

Ana was so moved she was actually crying. Spirits swarmed around her in a celebratory dance, filling the air with shimmering, crystalline light. It was a beautiful, legendary sight, but I could only watch it with a very complicated set of feelings.