Chapter 423
Chapter 423
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 423
Chapter Title: Blossoming Confessions
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"Hey, let go of my arm already?"
"If I let go, you'll bolt straight to the fortress, won't you? What are you even planning to do there?"
"Hey, what kind of romance nonsense is this on a battlefield? If you've got time to waste on something totally useless, you could..."
"Ehehe, seriously."
Kalt clung stubbornly to Lania's arm.
"Everyone our age is dating. What's it to us if we butt in? People who are meant to be together end up together no matter what."
"I'm young too. As a fellow youth..."
"You're not young—you're someone who wants to be young."
Lania's eyes widened in fury.
She whipped around, her face flushed with injustice, lips trembling. Kalt swallowed dryly, wondering if he'd gone too far.
"Hey, Kalt."
"...Yes, Senior?"
"What the hell is youth anyway? How do you even enjoy it?"
It was... an incredibly, incredibly tough question to answer.
The words You're already doomed if you're asking that rose in his throat, but Kalt barely managed to choke them back.
"Life is such bullshit..."
Lania let out a long sigh and trudged onward, not toward Crempelia Fortress, but deeper into the canyon. Watching her back, Kalt felt an inexplicable bitterness.
"Senior, we're still pretty young, though..."
"Shut up and get to work."
2.
Creeeak, thud.
The office door closed with a soft sound.
Leaning against it, Natida swallowed hard. It was a side of her Rak had never seen before—a different vibe entirely. He blinked at her, but she avoided his gaze.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"J-Just... give me a second. Please."
She twisted a lock of her hair around her finger, staring obliquely at the floor. Her ears were bright red.
What's going on with her?
She'd never acted like this. Rak tilted his head, puzzled. After a moment, Natida finally, very slowly opened her mouth.
"Um, Rak?"
"Yes."
"How do I look?"
It was a totally out-of-left-field question.
Rak blinked and asked back.
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon, you can tell. I dressed up a bit different from usual. What do you think?"
"You look beautiful. I thought you were someone else at first."
"...Really?"
His frank words, tossed out without a second thought.
Natida ducked her head lower. Muttering softly to herself, she took a deep breath, steeling herself.
Clack.
She looked up and walked toward Rak. With each step, her skirt swayed, her brown hair shimmering.
"Rak."
He sat in the office chair.
Standing across the desk, she looked down at him. He looked up at her. Close enough to touch. Natida swallowed and spoke.
"We've known each other for over a hundred days now."
"Yes."
"I feel like we know each other pretty well by this point."
She said.
"What do you think of me?"
What did he think of her?
Rak rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Their first meeting was three months ago—the saintess who showed up out of nowhere in the North. What had his first impression been?
...Not easy.
He still couldn't forget her puffing on cigarettes and beating up priests. It had been so shocking.
"My first impression was... unique."
"...Can't deny that."
"I thought, What kind of person is this? But then, if it's Professor, sending someone like you makes sense. He's got his own quirks, so he must have his reasons..."
Still, Rak continued.
"Things are different now."
"...How so?"
"I think you're a good person. A cool person. Hearing about your past over drinks last time... it only reinforced that."
The stories she'd shared while drinking.
How she'd lived in the church.
And how satisfied she was with her life now. Listening had given Rak a deeper understanding of her. Despite that life, her desire to remain a good person had earned his respect.
"Besides."
"I owe you. In the North, and in this battle. You protected my last shred of pride up there, and this time..."
Rak met her eyes squarely.
"I could protect it because of you. Nothing lost against that beast. I'm grateful. Truly."
Rak chuckled softly.
"You're a good person. Unique traits and all."
A faint smile.
Meeting that smile, Natida slowly closed her eyes. She'd seen it in her dreams—by the campfire, Rak's smile.
"Looks like I like you."
It overlapped with the future Rak's smile... and the one looking up at her now. In that moment, she couldn't help but laugh. What was all this?
Suits me? Yeah, right.
An embarrassing, awkward atmosphere.
It felt foreign to her. Playing games of push and pull wasn't her style. She shivered briefly and exhaled deeply.
"Haa..."
Why had she come here?
To fulfill the wish her future self had kept putting off. It was her wish now, too.
She liked Rak.
If he confessed, she'd accept without hesitation. Her future self had felt the same... thrilled by his clumsy confession at the campfire.
She knew her future self had held back her joy, responding calmly. And regretted it to the end.
If only it had been more fairy-tale-like.
Beaming, laughing in response.
Grabbing his collar and kissing him outright.
Her future self had replayed that moment endlessly, vowing to confess first if she survived. But no second chance came.
That small regret lingered as obsession. She might not feel everything her future self did, but these fragments were real.
"Rak."
Natida bowed her head.
"Remember what I told you last time?"
Even if it was influenced by the dream—even a fleeting illusion—it didn't matter. She'd liked him before the dream.
So this is what it feels like.
Her heart pounded fiercely.
Natida smiled.
"In the dream, you confessed to me. You remember that, right?"
"Yes, I do."
"And that it happened in some future?"
"I've learned that, yes."
"Good enough."
A future that had already happened.
It ended tragically, but that was erased now. Having avoided tragedy, Natida made her choice.
"So."
She reached out.
"This time, I'll confess."
Her slender fingers gripped his collar tightly. Rak's eyes widened as she yanked him close, pressing her face to his.
A brief silence.
Eternal seconds passed. Then Natida pushed his collar back. She exhaled shakily, a mischievous smile on her lips as she looked at him.
"I'll hear your answer later. You won't think this was a joke, right?"
She whispered.
"It was my first kiss. If you take it as a joke, I might actually cry."
With that, she spun on her heel and left the office. Creeeak, thud. Rak blinked blankly at the closing door. He touched his lips.
...He'd seen the future with superhuman senses.
Yet he hadn't pushed her away. Shock? Or an unexpected move? He blinked for a long while, looking stunned.
Even Rak, clueless about romance,
knew what this meant.
"...Hoo."
He exhaled.
A new emotion. Warriors' tales filled his mind.
"Young master, if a woman lands a hit on you like that, never let her go. Heart pounding hard? You're done for."
"What are you doing?"
"Grab her already."
Exactly.
Rak stood.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Creeeak, thud.
Right after closing the door, Natida slid down, knees buckling as she collapsed. Leaning against the door, she buried her face in her knees.
Ears bright red. Face flushed.
She touched her lips and let out a short groan. Too bold? No, he needed that to get it. But was this right?
...What if he rejects me?
What if? Keep going till he doesn't.
She laughed. At her own thoughts. Her pounding heart. Feeling such emotions.
Novels she'd read after leaving the church.
Those blue-and-pink tales of youth. She felt like the protagonist, ruffling her hair messily.
I'm crazy.
So what?
She'd never been sane. As she finally stood to leave, the office door opened behind her.
Thud.
Presence at her back.
Looking up, Rak loomed over her. Their eyes met; her lips parted slightly. As she stammered incoherently, he reached out.
"Can I give you my answer now?"
3.
Nearly half a day investigating the Sword Tomb, and Lania and Kalt returned to Crempelia. The intel from the tomb was no light matter.
"This complicates things."
"Yeah. We should talk to Rak. Looks like..."
Sighing heavily, they headed straight for his office. Walking the fortress halls, Lania tilted her head.
"Hey, Kalt."
"Yes, Senior?"
"I feel kinda shitty for no reason. Why?"
"Dunno. Me too."
An irritating funk they couldn't place.
Feeling inexplicably annoyed, they reached Rak's door—slightly ajar. Lania pushed it wide.
"Rak, about the Beast King..."
Her face hardened instantly upon entering. Kalt, behind her, stiffened too.
"Oh, Lady Lania. You're here?"
Rak sat in his chair.
Natida hugged him from behind, arm around his neck, beaming with bliss. Lania felt a dizzy spell.
"You two... what the...?"
"Lady Lania!"
Natida shouted, more excited than ever.
"We're dating starting tod—"
Lania's hand shot up instinctively. Kalt grabbed her wrist just in time, shaking his head. As she opened her mouth to yell, he clamped it shut.
Then dragged her out.
"Rak? Congrats for now."
Kalt smiled wryly.
"We'll talk later."
Creeeak, thud.
The door shut heavily.