Childhood Memories
The northernmost reaches of the Empire. Snow-capped mountains that pierced the sky and massive walls. A land where monsters frequently raided villages and knights fought endless battles. Spring had finally arrived in Priouli Territory. The snow that blanketed the ground had melted, and the biting winds had softened into a gentle, warm breeze.
Seven-year-old Luan Priulri was enjoying the rare spring weather, playing in the garden. Beside him was Isis Priulri.
“Nuna! Look at this! A butterfly!”
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
The ice-flower butterfly with its striking blue wings was a rare insect that could only be seen for one month each year. They were gazing at it in fascination when voices drifted over from behind.
“Hahaha! Your jokes have gotten better.”
“Have they? It’s been a while since I’ve heard such things.”
A group of adults appeared, led by a man in his early thirties with black hair and silver eyes—Ian Priouli, the head of the Priouli family. Behind him stood a young couple.
“Luan, Isis. Have you been playing well?”
“Yes, Father! Who are these people?”
Luan clung to Ian’s leg, looking up at the couple with a mix of wariness and curiosity. Then he noticed a girl about his age hiding behind them. Her silver hair shone like fresh snow over the mountains, and her blue eyes reminded him of a cold winter lake. Luan thought she looked like the fairies from the great forest he had only read about in storybooks.
“You look like a fairy.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them. The girl turned her head away with a cold expression. Just as he was shrinking back from her sharp reaction—
“Haha! Luan, you must like Skadia. That’s good. Come now, Skadia. You should say thank you.”
The gentle-looking man who had been watching intervened, urging Skadia forward. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke softly.
“Thank you.”
“N-no! I was just being honest. I’m Luan Priulri. What’s your name?”
“…Skadia Maryland.”
Even her name was pretty. Luan couldn’t take his eyes off her. In the remote north, far from the capital, there wasn’t much interaction with other nobles. The children around here were all commoners, and without proper care, none of them had particularly striking appearances. Until now, Luan had thought Isis was the most beautiful girl in the world. Meeting Skadia, whose looks rivaled hers, felt like the sky itself had opened up. His heart pounded uncontrollably.
While Luan stood there dazed, Skadia finished introducing herself to Isis as well. Ian patted Luan’s head.
“Luan. I’ll be talking with our guests for a bit. Play with Skadia while I’m gone. Can you do that?”
“Yes! I can!”
“Good. I’m counting on you. Isis, isn’t it time for your training? Let’s walk together partway.”
“Yes, Father.”
Once the adults and Isis left, only Luan and Skadia remained in the garden. Luan approached the bench where Skadia sat staring blankly at the flowers.
“S-Skadia. Aren’t the flowers pretty? You can only see them for one month a year! Isn’t that amazing?”
“…Not really. I’ve seen plenty of these before.”
The Maryland County was in the west, the Empire’s largest breadbasket with vast plains where flowers grew everywhere. Her indifferent reply left Luan fidgeting. After some thought, he pointed to the side.
“Th-then what about that? Isn’t that boring too?”
A butterfly rested on a flower, its wings shimmering with colorful patterns like ice crystals whenever they fluttered. Curiosity flickered in Skadia’s eyes.
“I’ve never seen a butterfly like that before. It’s strange.”
“Right? They say you can only see them here! Want me to catch one for you?”
“No.”
Luan, who had been excited, pouted at the immediate rejection. But he should have heard the rest. Skadia stood up from the bench and continued.
“I’ll catch it myself.”
“Huh? Ah! W-wait a second!”
The ice-flower butterfly had adapted to the north. In this harsh land, where even spring was colder than winter in the south, survival meant it had unique traits. When it sensed danger, it released the cold energy stored in its wings. Luan’s earlier offer to catch one had been nothing but bravado. He reached out to stop her, but Skadia moved with surprising agility.
“Got it!”
The moment her small hand grabbed the butterfly, a burst of cold exploded outward. Poof! The blast wasn’t powerful, but it was cold enough to give a child frostbite. Luan rushed over in alarm.
“Skadia! Are you okay?”
His worry was unnecessary. Having trained in ice magic since childhood, Skadia’s resistance to cold far exceeded that of ordinary people. She ignored Luan’s concern, focusing instead on the butterfly trapped in her hands.
“I’ll take it home.”
A small smile spread across her lips. Because her face had been so doll-like and expressionless before, the change felt even more striking. Luan found himself murmuring without thinking.
“Pretty…”
Once again, his mouth had moved on its own. At this point, it was starting to look deliberate. Hearing his voice, Skadia turned to look at him. Her expression had already returned to normal. Her blue eyes gleamed with mischief.
“Do you like me?”
“H-huh?”
“I asked if you like me.”
“Y-yeah. I-I like you.”
“Then show me where there are more butterflies. If you find a lot, I’ll give you a kiss.”
Luan’s eyes widened like saucers at the offer. Even at his age, he knew kisses were something special.
“R-really?”
“Yes. So hurry up.”
“Okay! Follow me!”
With his motivation fully restored, Luan shouted and led the way, scouring the garden. Skadia followed behind, smiling to herself.
Idiot.
Everyone had different standards for “a lot.” She planned to claim whatever number he found was too small and avoid the kiss. But life rarely went according to plan. After they found five butterflies, a variable appeared.
“Luan. Skadia. Did you two get along well?”
“Yes, Father! We were catching butterflies with Skadia.”
Luan proudly held out the collection box he had brought midway. Ian peered inside and let out a thoughtful hum.
“Hmm… These are ice-flower butterflies. It seems the rumors about Skadia’s extraordinary magical talent were true. Impressive.”
Ian, who had been tilting his head in confusion, recalled what the Maryland couple had told him and nodded to himself. Skadia bowed her head modestly.
“You flatter me.”
“How admirable. You did well too, Luan.”
Ian gave both of them equal praise. Luan beamed under the head pat and boasted.
“Hehe! Skadia said she’d kiss me if I helped her catch lots of butterflies! That’s why I worked so hard.”
“…Is that so? You two must have gotten quite close.”
Ian glanced at his friend, Count Ainz Maryland, as if seeking his opinion. Ainz turned to Skadia.
“Skadia, is this true?”
“Huh? Well…”
Skadia understood. Depending on how she answered, many things could change. If she lied, she could avoid kissing Luan, but it might cause complications. If she told the truth, she would have to keep her promise. She made her decision quickly.
“It’s true.”
“I see. Five butterflies is quite a lot. What do you think?”
“…It’s enough.”
“Good. Then keep your promise.”
“Yes…”
Count Ainz was unusually firm. As Skadia’s father, he knew his daughter’s personality well. It hadn’t been difficult to see that his clever child had no intention of keeping her word. Unable to disobey her father, Skadia approached Luan.
“Thank you for helping me catch the butterflies.”
Peck!
She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek along with her thanks, wanting to get it over with. Her soft pink lips touched the boy’s smooth skin and pulled away. Luan’s face flushed bright red.
“U-uh, uuu…”
After letting out a strange series of sounds, Luan hung his head. Count Ainz chuckled warmly.
“Hahaha! Look at him, all embarrassed. Skadia, how about you?”
“…I’m fine. It was just lips touching a cheek, after all.”
“Really? Hahaha!”
Despite her words, Skadia’s ears had turned red. No matter how mature she acted, she was still just a seven-year-old child. With her mental age hovering awkwardly around puberty, the embarrassment was even worse. Seeing his daughter’s rare cute side, Count Ainz laughed heartily. He looked at his friend.
“Haha. Hey, Ian. I think we can go ahead with that promise we made ten years ago. What do you say?”
“…Let’s wait and see a bit longer. They’re still just children.”
“Still as stubborn as ever. Very well, we’ll do it your way. We’ll visit more often from now on.”
After that, the two met quite frequently. Though it was never more than five times a year, they grew closer with each meeting. By the time three years had passed, they were laughing together without any reservations. And before that year ended, the day finally came.
“With this, I hereby announce the engagement between Luan Priulri and Skadia Maryland.”
Applause filled the hall at the priest’s declaration. Luan looked at Skadia and said,
“From now on, I’ll protect you no matter what!”
“But you’re weak, Luan.”
“E-even so! I can get stronger if I try.”
“No. I have more talent. The gap will only grow wider.”
“Tch…”
Luan’s confidence drained away at Skadia’s cold assessment. Just as his head was about to droop, her hands cupped his cheeks.
“That’s why I’ll protect you.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll protect you, Luan. I’ll become much stronger than I am now so no one can ever bully you.”
“Skadia…”
“In exchange, you have to like only me for the rest of your life. Got it?”
“Yeah!”
They exchanged smiles. Without a doubt, the Skadia he saw at that moment was more radiant and beautiful than anyone else.
*
Shhhk—
I woke from the dream and turned my head toward the window, gazing at the academy’s scenery with a sigh.
“Why did I have to dream about that today of all days?”
The timing was painfully ironic. I sat up and reflected on the scene I had just witnessed. The two of them had gotten along so well that comparing it to now felt meaningless. Luan Priulri had been full of passion, and Skadia had smiled often. If not for the events that followed, they would probably still be together. And if that had been the case, maybe I would never have possessed this body in the first place.
Shaking my head to dismiss the impossible what-if, I got out of bed.
“Hoo… I should go train.”
It was currently 5 a.m. Since I was supposed to meet at the carriage at 8, there was still plenty of time. Sleep wouldn’t come, and sitting around lost in thought would only bring unpleasant memories. It was far better to push my body to its limits. After a quick wash, I left the room.