kscans

Chapter 91 - First Fight, Witnessed by a Fairy?

The moment they arrived at the tower, Leonhard beat her to the punch.

"You’re pushing yourself a little too hard. You’re the only one who can do alchemy, so please rest."

"I, I’m fine!"

When she got an idea, she couldn't help but try it out. She wanted to challenge herself with both the cracker-type device and the pelt processing, pushing as far as she could.

...And yet, when Leonhard stared at her like that, her excitement instantly deflated.

"...I understand. Then, I’ll take a good break after working for an hour."

"No. One hour of work, one hour of rest."

"A, at least thirty minutes! We won’t make it in time at that rate!"

"Your magic will run dry if you don’t rest. You’re not just making them, you’re delivering items that can be used safely, right? We don’t have time to test prototypes this time around. That’s why delivering perfect, high-quality items is what you always do, right?"

"Ugh..." She was speechless. He was right.

She timidly looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Hey! When did you learn that trick?" He pinched her cheek, pulling it gently, then drew her into his chest.

"I’m worried about you. Your master pushed herself too hard because she thought she was the only one who could do it, right? Darius still regrets it. ...You have me now. And I can see that you’re overdoing it. So please, put yourself first."

His words resonated in her heart. What Leonhard-san said was right. And it was true that lately, Darius-san’s profile looked pained.

Maybe I was rushing, too.

She felt dejected.

"...First, I’ll rest."

She said this and tried to wrap her arms around his back for a tight hug, but...

"I can’t let you get tired." He slipped away, putting distance between them.

...Eh?

What was that, an instantaneous hug followed by an incomplete combustion move. What do you mean there’s not even a lingering scent!?

Grrr.... How cruel. Way too cruel!!

—

Leonhard began checking the shelves beside her. The materials were neatly arranged by attribute. There were even notes with the date and part of the monster, making it incredibly easy for a novice to understand.

"Fire attribute... around here, I guess."

He opened a shelf, then closed it, opened another, then closed it. Everything from a Salamander’s tail to what looked like spice berries from a plant was lined up.

"What color is the fire-attribute powder? Black?"

"Black or red."

...Wait, her voice sounds a bit cold. Did she dislike being forced to rest that much?

I’m holding back, too...! I want to touch Mireille, but I’m enduring it all...!

He felt a little irritated. The result was silence. A heavy atmosphere.

As if she couldn’t bear it anymore, Mireille said.

"I’m going to the spring outside to get some magic water."

"Then I’ll go."

"Please leave me alone!!"

She shot him down completely. But it was outside, and the sun had already set.

"I’ll be sure to keep my distance from you... I’m going with you." As he said that, the air grew even colder.

...Wait? Was that a mistake? But I can’t just let her go alone at night....

In the end, he trudged along behind her. In silence, of course.

When they reached the spring, only the sound of the water seemed to echo loudly. If yesterday’s Light Fairy had shown up, he could have used it to start a conversation, but at times like these, there was nothing.

I, who was walking behind her at a set distance as she filled the jar with water.

Unable to bear it any longer, Leonhard opened his mouth.

"Look, I’m sorry I made you angry. I’m sorry I couldn’t leave you alone, I just... I’m sorry. I only wanted you to rest. I’ll sleep on the fourth floor tonight. You can have some time to yourself and rest slowly—"

That’s what he had intended to convey. But Mireille took the water she had just drawn, and threw it at me.

"I’ve had enough!!"

She shouted, and then stormed back to the tower.

Left behind were an empty jar and a soaking wet me.

...What is this.

I know I made her angry. But did she want to be alone that badly? Or, did saying "rest" hurt her pride as an alchemist?

...I don’t know why.

He picked up the fallen jar and headed back to the spring. And there, the Light Fairy that hadn’t been there before came fluttering over.

"You’re late," he couldn’t help but sigh.

For a rare Light Fairy to appear three days in a row would normally be a miraculous event. But for him right now, the fact that the only one he had to consult about his love life was that rare Light Fairy was just too sad.

Of course, there was no reply. Just a fluffy, glowing thing.

"Hey, why do you think I made her so angry..."

His monologue was drowned out by the sound of the water. He gazed at the Light Fairy before him.

"Did you know? You’re apparently a very rare being."

It’s a fairy, not a monster. So it doesn’t have a magic core. But, if a light-attribute monster was just as beautiful and ephemeral.

...I still don't think I could kill a light-attribute monster to take its magic core. Especially since it's not even attacking.

In the end, the only option was to extract the light attribute from the Moonshadow Wolf magic cores they already had. No matter how noble his intentions, only Mireille could do it.

When he thought about it that way... he was ultimately pushing the burden onto her, too.

"I guess I’ll apologize one more time. ...Do you think she’ll forgive me?"

The Light Fairy just floated there, fluffy and aimless. It gave him no answer.

"Ignoring me, huh. You’re a tough one..."

He laughed with a sigh and filled the jar with water. The gloom in his chest had yet to clear.