A cold wind carried the stillness before battle. Bell stood silently at one side of the clearing, watching Anakitty and the others not far away.
The girls had gathered together and were quietly discussing tactics.
After a short while, the participants in the mock battle, led by Anakitty, began to move.
Line headed to the very rear of the formation, clearly taking up an extremely important position.
Elfy stood slightly ahead and to her right, gripping an old-fashioned wand of an extremely retro design with both hands.
Farther forward was Alicia, fully equipped with a small straight sword, a one-handed wand, and a longbow and quiver on her back. Judging from her sheer variety of equipment alone, she was definitely not an opponent to take lightly.
The girls adopted a winding, serpent-like formation, ensuring a clear field of vision while keeping themselves from being caught in their companions' Magic.
At the head of the serpent stood Anakitty, one-handed sword in hand. Unlike most Cat People, she had not gone all in on agility. A small shield hung at her waist, and her steady bearing gave the impression that breaking past her would be difficult.
Bell knew very little about the combat abilities of these girls. Even Alicia, whom he had traveled with, had never had the chance to show him her Magic. As he watched their movements, he considered how he should break through their formation.
Her emerald-green hair dancing in the wind, Riveria stood beside the clearing, waiting for Anakitty and the others to finish taking their positions.
While Bell was thinking through his approach, the girls spoke first.
"Doesn't it feel like everyone's a little unmotivated? Line thinks so too, right?"
Elfy asked casually.
"No… If I can help, I'll do my best…"
Line answered timidly.
Perhaps out of consideration for her feelings toward Bete, Riveria's wager had not included Line.
However, before they started, Riveria had asked the boy what he thought, and his answer had been an exceptionally straightforward acceptance of the challenge. Line could feel it. Bell Cranel was looking forward to this mock battle. Whether he wanted to gain [Excelia] or simply get a feel for combat again, Line had to answer that fighting spirit.
"Eh. I don't think Alicia feels that way at all. She'd love to lose the mock battle so the White Rabbit Boy can call her by her nickname."
Elfy casually swung her wand.
Even with the battle about to begin, she still kept her usual cheerful attitude.
"Huh? I would never think that."
Alicia's expression visibly wavered.
Because of her embarrassing outburst earlier, she still had not fully recovered. If she had to answer Elfy's question honestly, Alicia's response would definitely be vague. After what happened with the Sacred Tree, she really did have a good impression of the boy.
On top of that, Alicia had seen the boy eat her Love Fruit. She found herself paying attention to Bell every day without even realizing it. It might not necessarily become romance, but if this opportunity let her grow closer to him, that alone would make her happy.
"Elfy, don't cut down everyone's fighting spirit."
Anakitty spoke up to warn her.
Although she had said victory was assured, judging by his performance in the War Game and the rumors surrounding the Arrow of Orion, Bell Cranel was not someone they could defeat easily.
Otherwise, Riveria and the others would never have taken such a liking to the young man, letting him come and go from Twilight Manor and even taking him along on an expedition under the name of a solo quest.
"I just think going out for a meal is only something Aki wants, right? She'll definitely drink again and start going nya~ nya~."
Elfy pointed out how uneven the wager was.
To her, going out for a meal simply was not that appealing.
"D-don't talk nonsense. Elfy, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Anakitty actually panicked for a moment, which was rare for her.
She was quite embarrassed by the Cat People's speech habits, so she had changed how she spoke and worked hard to hide that trait. She had not expected Elfy to expose it right in front of the boy.
"Since it's a bet, why not make the stakes a little bigger? Like… I've got it! The winner gets a kiss from Riveria-sama. How's that? That would definitely get everyone fired up, right?"
A bright, delighted smile spread across Elfy's face.
"Huh?! Using Riveria-sama's sacred kiss as the wager? Absolutely not!"
Alicia immediately shot her down.
"See? Alicia's definitely fired up~"
"That's anger! You idiot!"
"Alicia-san actually called someone an idiot…? P-please stop arguing…"
"Elfy, are you here to cause trouble? Rein it in a little."
Laughter, questions, attempts to mediate, complaints…
The girls' voices rose and fell like silver bells.
The battle had not even begun, yet Loki Familia's serpentine formation had already become fragile.
"…"
Bell stood there politely, waiting for his opponents to get themselves ready.
Aside from the noisy girls, the breathtakingly beautiful Elf princess also entered the boy's field of vision.
"Mm…"
Riveria sensed the boy's gaze, and a brief blush swept across her face.
She believed in Bell Cranel. She was certain he would win this mock battle.
And because of that absolute trust, a fleeting fantasy came to her. The moment Elfy mentioned the wager, Riveria instinctively imagined herself kissing the victor.
The person in that vision, of course, was the boy who stirred her heart.
Her cherry lips pressed lightly against his, parting in a tiny, petal-like curve. As their breaths mingled, her damp lips took on the boy's scent.
The image flashed through her mind, and Riveria unconsciously licked her lips.
Whether by luck or misfortune, Bell happened to see it.
When Riveria noticed the boy's gaze, burning embarrassment instantly flooded her cheeks.
Both of them were clever enough to sense the other's affection. That tiny motion of licking her lips was enough to reveal Riveria's fantasy.
Ignoring the noisy girls, she brushed back the emerald-green hair beside her ear and let the breeze cool the heat on her face. Then she turned her beautiful face toward the boy and gave him a glare that looked almost like a complaint.
The blush gradually faded, and Riveria silently regained her composure.
She slowly took a step forward and spoke with dignity. "Elfy, stop fooling around. If you want that kind of wager, then if you lose, Bell Cranel will kiss you."
"Mm… that doesn't sound so bad?"
Elfy accepted Riveria's joke with a laugh.
"You'll definitely be executed…"
Anakitty muttered under her breath.
"…"
A shadow passed across Riveria's face.
She had always been good at handling Elfy before, so why did she feel so helpless whenever Bell was beside her?
Was this the effect of falling in love?
Riveria did not think about it any further and said, "Enough. No more talking. The mock battle begins now."
Before her voice had even faded, an arrow tore through the air, flying straight toward Bell.
***
...
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (70 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.
***