Operation: Refreshing Date

While Argo and his companions were deep in conversation in the Blue Tower's flower garden, Neon and Shinshia had secretly slipped away and were walking together through the streets. The city felt remarkably peaceful. Seeing merchants sitting along the roads running their stalls and citizens wandering about while deciding what to eat that day, it was clear the inquisitors were holding themselves back.

"Honestly, I thought they'd string up black mage corpses along the streets like in the Holy Kingdom. At least they kept it inside the Blue Tower. That's something."

"It's a long-term calculation. Better to endure a little and secure the nation's cooperation than to turn the whole city into a wasteland overnight."

Neon nodded at Shinshia's words. She was right. Any group that only chased immediate gains wouldn't last long. The Tribunal understood this well, so once they'd achieved their main objectives, they usually refrained ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from stoking more fear than necessary. Of course, since the Blue Tower was directly tied to the traitors, they allowed no exceptions there.

In any case, the people of the city moved about in a relatively peaceful atmosphere, and Neon and Shinshia blended into the crowd as they walked.

"So, why did you call me out?"

"We've run into each other several times lately, but we haven't really talked properly, have we?"

"That's true."

"Since it's been so long since we met like this, I figured we could catch up on old stories and what's been happening lately."

It wasn't a bad idea. After leaving the Blue Tower, the only time he'd seen Shinshia had been at the academy, but even then their conversation had been interrupted by their former boss, Rhinoceros. And after arriving at the Blue Tower, the snake incident had kept them too busy for any real talk.

This was the first time since running away after becoming a black mage that he was enjoying a leisurely conversation with her. During his days with the Flame of Doom, he hadn't dared approach the Blue Tower, and after becoming an official black mage he'd been too occupied settling into life in the North to even consider it.

Glancing at his childhood friend after all this time, Neon spoke.

"How have you been?"

"I've been busy. Grandfather and the elders have been teaching me magic."

"Knowing their personalities, you must have been put through the wringer."

As the next candidate for Tower Master, she'd clearly learned a great deal. He could easily picture how Shinshia had studied. She'd always grown tired quickly of the magic she was forced to learn as a child, so the elders had probably coaxed her along. After all, she had always been more interested in minor spells than combat magic.

When he smiled faintly at her, Shinshia turned the question back on him.

"What about you? How have you been?"

"Me? I've been busy too. The monsters in the North react very sensitively to dark magic power."

"Sensitive? Why?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure myself."

If things had been more relaxed, he would have set up a lab to look into it. But he was still too busy trying to establish himself and adapt to have that kind of leisure. More than that, the monsters reacted so violently that any experiment would have required people strong enough to keep them from rampaging. A Bronze-rank adventurer's income made that difficult to arrange.

Now that Argo had the Water Realm, they could set up a proper lab there, but back then it had been impossible.

"Still, I was lucky. There's an enormous magic library in the city where my companions and I are staying."

"A magic library?"

"It's a place that organizes and displays the continent's various magic systems. It records the unique magical traditions that developed independently in each region, even the shamanistic systems of the Eastern Continent."

"Really?"

Shinshia's eyes sparkled at Neon's explanation. The magic library was a system unique to the North. It was an unfamiliar concept in the Central region, so her interest was only natural. Eyes bright, she asked more about the North.

"What kind of place is it?"

"A beautiful place. And at the same time, a dangerous one."

"What do you mean?"

"The nature there is incredibly beautiful. Thanks to the high-ranking monsters' ability to dominate nature, the environment in the North has become more stunning than most places. But the monsters also make it a dangerous land."

Walking the streets with Shinshia, he recalled the past. The memory of heading to the North without knowing anything and being chased for months by a young Nepentula. The memories of rolling in the dirt against monsters again and again to survive after striking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a deal with Argo. The memory of reaching the 5th-circle, treated as high-ranking power in the magic tower, only to struggle even harder than before. The memories of raiding ruins, subjugating high-ranking monsters, and throwing himself into expeditions beyond the front lines.

Recalling it all, Neon wore an expression where countless emotions tangled together and muttered.

"The North... really is a dangerous place."

"Yeah. It sounds incredibly dangerous."

Looking at Neon's indescribable face, Shinshia nodded. She'd heard the North was dangerous, but she hadn't realized it was bad enough to make Neon speak that way.

As Neon explained what he'd gone through in the North, Shinshia listened quietly beside him. To a girl who had once thought the Blue Tower and the academy were the entire world, the stories of the North were fresh and mysterious. Just listening made her heart race with the urge to go there herself.

Calming her pounding heart, Shinshia stole a glance at Neon. Even from the stories alone, she could tell how much he had suffered. Just how harsh must his life have been for his skin to end up like that? To her eyes, his fair, glossy skin—gained from consuming spiritual medicine on expeditions beyond the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠front lines—looked worn and tired from a difficult life.

It was the first time since the day he had fled the outdoor testing ground that she had looked at his face so closely.

"Is there something on my face?"

"Ah, um? It's nothing."

She brushed off his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠puzzled question with a vague answer.

It was a shame, but she couldn't stay in the North long. As the next Tower Master candidate, she had much to learn and needed to grow familiar with the duties of the position. Besides, she was still an academy student.

In her heart she wanted to set off on adventures with Neon, but reality would not grant that wish.

Swallowing her regret and walking beside him, Neon suddenly muttered in a low voice.

"It's a shame, though."

"What is?"

"We've met again like this—it's fate. It would be fun to go on an adventure together with the others."

"W-what?"

Her cheeks flushed bright red. While Shinshia herself didn't understand why she was blushing, Neon smiled as old memories surfaced.

"We made a promise while reading fairy tales together, remember? That we'd go on an adventure we'd never forget."

"Yes, we did. We read the fairy tales of the Blue Fanged Wolf Vergo and dreamed of adventure."

"It might be hard right now, but when the chance comes later, let's go on that adventure together."

"Is this a promise too?"

"Yes, it's a promise."

When Neon held out his pinky finger, she shyly linked hers with his. The childhood promise came back to her, and Shinshia fell into her own memories.

Neon laughed brightly and said something absurd.

"Argo, Adela, and Beatrice would enjoy it too."

"...They're coming as well?"

"Of course! Adventures are always more fun when everyone goes together."

"...I see."

His final remark ruined the moment, and her smile stiffened slightly. She wanted to punch that annoying face, but held back. A journey with everyone might truly be enjoyable, just as Neon said. Besides, other than being childhood friends, there was nothing between them.

Still, after everything they'd been through and finally reuniting, couldn't the two of them go alone? Grumbling to herself, she overtook Neon and walked ahead.

"That damn bast...!"

"Hmm?"

A faint curse reached his ear. He scanned the surroundings, but aside from the noisy chatter of passersby, nothing stood out.

"Must have been my imagination?"

"Did you hear something strange?"

"No, I guess I misheard."

He shook his head at Neon's question. The voice had been too small, and the odds that the curse had been aimed at them were practically zero. He decided it was just a nearby argument and let it go. Right now, time spent with his childhood friend after so long was far more precious than worrying about something like that.

But precious time always passed too quickly.

"Shall we head back soon?"

"Eh? Why?"

"It's already been two hours. The others are probably waiting. We can't stay off by ourselves forever."

"Y-yeah..."

When Neon suggested returning, Shinshia felt a pang in her chest. They'd only just met after so long, yet they already had to go back. She was also surprised that two whole hours had slipped by. There was nothing wrong with what he'd said, so she swallowed her disappointment and turned toward the Blue Tower.

"Let's head back to the Blue Tower now... Whoa!"

"Neon?!"

The shadow at Neon's feet suddenly twitched, and he fell in spectacular fashion. The moment he stood back up, he looked around in a panic.

"Are you okay? Just now, the shadow around your ankle..."

"I-I'm fine! And that shadow thing was probably just your imagination!"

"Your nose is bleeding!"

"This much doesn't even count as an injury in the North! I'm perfectly fine!"

Wiping his nose roughly, Neon stood and quickly scanned the area before pointing at a dessert shop.

"Ah, never mind. My head suddenly feels dizzy. How about we rest at that shop over there before we go back?"

"A dessert shop? I'd like that, but our friends are waiting at the Blue Tower."

"It's fine. They'll understand."

With an awkward smile, Neon changed direction and headed for the dessert shop. Shinshia followed with a puzzled look, but the fact that she could spend a little more time with him lifted her spirits. Perhaps it was because this was a reunion with her childhood friend after so long. Unconsciously, a smile spread across her face as she entered the dessert shop.

And the ones who had watched the entire scene from beginning to end now emerged from every direction. From building rooftops, from alleyways, from fissures connected to the Water Realm—they gathered with serious expressions and put their heads together.

"Neon's in rough shape. He's even worse than I was when I learned romance from novels."

"That guy was always hopeless, and Shinshia's got problems too. She still hasn't properly recognized her own feelings."

"It's more serious than I thought. I expected it from Neon, but I didn't think Shinshia wouldn't realize her emotions either."

"Is that the issue right now? At this rate they'll never figure it out until they're old and gray."

After whispering among themselves in words only they understood, they reached a single conclusion. They'd originally planned to hide in a corner and snack on popcorn, but for the peace of the world, they would act for these two today.