Elves Love Only Once
"And save your mana. Why've you been using skills since earlier?"
Rohan said it with a grin, but Clara, nestled in Sion's embrace, could clearly feel the other girl's heart pounding thump! thump! like it was about to burst.
They were pressed so close together, after all.
Sion wasn't using a scrap of mana.
'N-No way... Sion unnie...?'
Clara lifted her head from Sion's chest, pushing aside the soft breasts blocking her view to gaze up.
And when she saw Sion's expression...
Clara knew it in an instant.
That wasn't some skill. It was a face so blatantly smitten with love, it could star in a manual—or a manga or anime, no problem.
'...'
Clara's thoughts ground to a halt. Her mind went blank.
Sion escaping her melancholy and tasting true freedom was a joyful, welcome thing. But this situation? It was choking the life out of Clara.
She'd vaguely anticipated someday... but had a rival appeared? One so overwhelmingly powerful she couldn't even glimpse a shred of victory?
And the girl recalled it then.
A certain book she'd read while sitting in the Flower Lily Bookstore.
'W-What if that book was true...?'
The reason pureblood elves had numbers so perilously low compared to other races—verging on extinction—was because a ridiculous, myth-like condition was real.
Elves fall in love with someone outside their family only once in their lifetime.
Absolutely just once. If they never find that person, it's common for them to die without ever knowing love.
It was an innate trait of pureblood elves.
Some even called it a curse bestowed by the Creator alongside their beauty.
And on top of that.
One of the elves' peculiar quirks: they take an eternally long time to open their hearts to others. It was written in bold letters in that bookstore book Clara had read.
Even if they do open up, it usually ends at friendship. Romantic affection toward the opposite sex is exceedingly rare.
As mentioned, it demands the long lifespan granted only to long-lived species, so elves mostly pair off with other elves.
But.
There are always exceptions in the world.
If an extraordinary opposite sex pierces that needle's-eye gap and an elf develops feelings... those emotions never change for life. That's what the text said.
'If it doesn't work out, they often pine away and d-die...'
Clara shuddered, recalling the book's uneasy final lines, and turned her head.
She looked at Rohan standing right behind her.
Their eyes met, and he smiled like always. Then he reached out, gently brushing her bangs into place.
"You too, Clara. Just focus on living happily. Got it?"
"O-Oppa..."
By now, Clara no longer wondered why Rohan doted on her like this.
The girl was too busy savoring this sweet moment.
Wasn't her own heart racing just as wildly as Sion's?
Blushing furiously, she returned her gaze forward—and locked eyes with Sion.
"“...”"
Sion saw it in the girl pressed against her: emotions mirroring her own.
Which left her looking blankly puzzled.
Was it because she hadn't had a normal life or education?
To Clara, Sion seemed utterly unaware of her own feelings. Her eyes brimmed with the question: What the heck is this?
Clara chewed her lip, conflicted, then hid her face.
She hugged Sion tightly, burying her head.
"...Rohan."
"Yeah?"
Sion gently stroked the head of the girl in her arms, her voice soft.
She looked just like a doting big sister cradling her little one.
"You said before you'd target monsters and criminals."
"Right."
"That it's what you're preparing for with Clara. And the condition was that, once my promise with you is fulfilled, you'd help me at least once?"
Rohan nodded, peering down at the girl in Sion's arms.
Watching him gaze at Clara like she was some precious little life form, a fond smile on his face...
Sion felt an odd heat rising in her chest.
"Yeah. But if there's something you want to do, Sion, no need to get tied down. Don't worry about it."
"I figured you'd say that. Knowing your personality, Clara's here of her own free will, right?"
That question wasn't for Rohan to butt into.
The silently obedient Clara was answer enough.
"Rohan. May I ask one more thing?"
"Shoot."
"Does the category of criminals you're targeting include those involved in this incident?"
"Obviously."
Sion organized her thoughts to keep her words from tangling.
She chose her sentences carefully, then murmured softly, eyes slightly downcast.
"Rohan. You'll definitely catch them. I believe it without a doubt."
"Sounds like you believe in me more than I do myself. Thanks."
Just those simple words of gratitude nearly made Sion pull down her goggles to hide her eyes.
Her heartbeat was so loud, she feared it might echo outside.
"...But I can't just lie back and wait, knowing what's coming."
"Hm?"
Rohan listened attentively.
Sion flicked out her tongue just a bit, wetting her dry lips from the tension.
"If it's okay... I-I want to... move with you too."
She'd prepared to say it the moment the situation arose. But voicing it now felt impossibly hard.
For once, Sion stammered as she conveyed her intent.
Rohan blinked in surprise, then beamed.
"Someone whose hands and feet sync perfectly with mine? I'd welcome you with open arms. What do you think, Clara?"
The girl in her arms peeked out, shoulders shaking, face full of bewilderment.
"O-Oppa isn't the boss...?"
"Still gotta hear your take."
Clara looked at Sion, who still held her close.
Gentle eyes like family. Lips urging her to speak freely.
In that brief instant.
Dozens of thoughts flashed through Clara's mind.
And she arrived at the ideal answer.
"I like Sion unnie..."
It was sincere. Compared to wanting to stick with Rohan alone, it was neck-and-neck—she couldn't decide easily.
But Clara knew.
Setting aside personal greed, if she truly cared for Rohan, this was the right path.
"Thank you. I like you too, Clara."
Sion hugged the slender girl even tighter.
The moment she'd dreamed of was within arm's reach. Realizing it, Sion let a deep smile curve her lips.
Reward acquired.
Rohan dismissed the alert window and hurried his preparations.
He had to get back to Academy City on time, after all.
He retrieved the car hidden near the ruins' entrance and popped the trunk.
Then he scattered the criminals' stolen haul everywhere in the building: flares from the arms dealer, explosives, incendiary fluids, guns, ammo, and more.
Even on final check, nothing caught his eye that Sion or Clara might want.
"Sion. Got all your important stuff? Double-check, just in case."
"Understood."
Sion headed to her room without protest at Rohan's words.
She took in the bare space—nothing worth packing anyway—then confirmed the small items in her vest pockets.
Back at his side, Rohan continued.
"There's probably plenty of valuable stuff inside. The elder's robe is trashed now, but his staff and such are all jeweled."
"Taking it all?"
Rohan shook his head at Sion's question. Just the silver coins from elder Levin Maxwell—Judah's silver—would suffice.
Not that he didn't feel tempted. Selling it all would set him up for life.
But greed blinded people.
Once this place vanished, how much attention Reverse Praise Society would pay Sion was unknown.
They might dismiss it as a failure like Abyss City and shift focus elsewhere.
But he didn't want to leave any traces.
'Item sales get traced easy—even without Reverse Praise Society.'
With that, Rohan stepped outside.
He grabbed a cluster munition grenade—bundled rods—and led the two away.
Sion and Clara distanced themselves from the building.
Rohan nodded, deeming it far enough, and checked the time.
"It's dawn... Yeah, I can head straight to workout when we get back. You two crash at my dorm."
With a powerful shoulder toss, he hurled the grenade.
Watching it spin toward the explosive-laden building.
Rohan recited his plans leisurely.
"To celebrate Sion joining, I'll treat you girls to something delicious tonight. Let's all go eat."
Before the two could reply, the grenade hit its mark.
And a deafening roar shattered the air.
BOOM──!!! KABOOOM──!!!
The ramshackle building shuddered from the blast, then collapsed utterly.
Vast flames roared up, engulfing the rubble.
Satisfied with the firepower, Rohan turned without regret and strode ahead.
"Let's go. Dust's kicking up."
"Unnie...! Hurry!"
Sion looked at the two waiting for her.
She couldn't hide her smile.