A Farewell Kiss and a Jeweled Promise
Undine could not make sense of the scene unfolding before her. Why on earth was Rionne crying, and why was Enoch the one comforting her?
“E-Enoooook…!”
“It’s okay, Rionne.”
“I-I can’t let Enoch go…!”
What in the world was she even looking at? The absurdity of it made her mutter without thinking.
[Wait… it’s not like he’s leaving forever. Are you sending him off to get married or something?]
She was the one who told him to leave, yet here she was, sobbing. Why was she acting like this? Seriously.
“M-married…? No! Enoch is going to live with Nuna forever!”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not lying, right…?”
“Of course not.”
“You really mean it? You won’t forget later? For real?”
“You’re the one who better not forget, Rionne.”
“Okay!”
The spirit clamped a hand over her mouth. What kind of ridiculous spectacle was this? It was so pathetic she could barely stand to watch.
[Sigh… Anyway, what Rionne is saying is that there’s nothing left for you to gain by staying here. So even though it’s a little earlier than planned, it’s time for you to head out into the world.]
“Y-yeah… that’s right.”
[Agh, this idiot is hopeless!]
Enoch shoved the irritated Undine aside and asked,
“Still, I could stay a little longer, right?”
[That idiot says she really won’t be able to let you go if you do!]
“Hmm.”
Enoch nodded. That sounded believable.
“So? You want me to leave today all of a sudden?”
The answer came not from Undine, but from Rionne.
“N-no! Not today! Tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah… It’s the last day, so we should have a farewell party too…”
[She’ll probably end up not letting you go again.]
“S-shut up!”
Rionne’s lips poked out in a pout as she buried her face in Enoch’s chest and sniffled.
‘How does her mental age seem to regress the longer time passes?’
At this rate, she might start smearing poop on the walls soon. Undine was seriously worried. But that was one thing, and this was another.
[Anyway, that means we’re having a party today! Which also means we’re opening another bottle of the Dragon’s Breath we couldn’t finish last time, right?]
At the sight of Undine looking so delighted, Rionne shot her a sharp glare.
“…You’re not getting any.”
[W-what…!?]
The spirit despaired.
The farewell party for Enoch ended rather simply. It was because Rionne, drunk after just one glass of Dragon’s Breath, had latched onto him. The amount was far below her usual tolerance, but since it was a day she wanted to get drunk, that was that. It was the complete opposite of the time they had drunk together before. The now-grown Enoch remained perfectly fine after three glasses and took care of Rionne with practiced ease.
[Ehehe, the rest is all mine!]
Enoch watched Undine secretly hide the remaining alcohol from Rionne, then gently stroked the hair of the elf who had fallen asleep with her head on his lap.
‘Tomorrow…’
He would be leaving this beloved nest. He had known the day would come eventually, but now that it was right in front of him, his feelings were strangely complicated.
“Haa…”
When he lifted his head, he saw the sky where the fading sunset was being swallowed by darkness. From the hazy memory of the first time they drank together, their positions had clearly been reversed. He had been the one sleeping on Rionne’s lap. Now Rionne was the one sleeping on his.
How much time had really passed for things to change this much? Before he met Rionne, he could never have imagined moments like these.
[What are you getting all sentimental about?]
Undine, who had finally succeeded in hiding the liquor bottle, flew over with a flutter and landed on top of Enoch’s head. It was Eri’s designated spot, but since Eri had passed out drunk and was sprawled on the grass, it didn’t really matter.
“Nothing. It just doesn’t feel real.”
[Leaving this place?]
“That too. And Rionne as well.”
Swoosh— Enoch’s fingers brushed through her hair, and Rionne’s lips moved. She was even sleep-talking. The mumbled words sounded like “Enoooook… don’t go…” and he let out a small chuckle.
[L-look at her…! Sigh… When is she ever going to grow up? Wait, no. She’s thrown away all the maturity she ever had. That idiot.]
“What’s wrong with that? She’s cute.”
[Yeah, cute… Wait, what?]
Undine jerked her head up. On Enoch’s face as he looked at Rionne was a relaxed, languid smile. For some reason it looked far more mature than usual, so the spirit narrowed her eyes.
[You… You’re still doing that?]
“Doing what?”
Enoch chuckled and raised a single finger. Kiiiing—! A small halo spun above it.
“Sort and return to place.”
With that simple chant, the messy yard littered with traces of the party was cleaned up in an instant. It was still crude compared to Rionne’s magic, but it clearly surpassed the level of magic Enoch usually displayed.
[You really are an insane little brat.]
“I was desperate.”
[Desperate, my ass.]
Undine snorted, but Enoch ignored her and stood up. He tried to carry Rionne, but she kept wriggling and burrowing deeper into his arms. The squirming felt so endearing that he looked down at her.
“Mmm…”
“…I can’t exactly do anything about this.”
Enoch clicked his tongue and headed inside the house. From behind came Undine’s horrified voice.
[Y-you can’t take advantage of a drunk girl!? That’s a real crime!]
“Shut up.”
As if he would do something that crazy. After all the effort he had put in, he wasn’t about to ruin his image over a momentary temptation.
“Hehe… Enoooook…”
……Or maybe he would. It was possible.
Fortunately, Enoch’s self-control was immense. When he opened his slightly tired eyes, Rionne, who had been lying beside him, was nowhere to be seen. The faint sound of a kitchen knife chopping reached his ears. After washing up quickly and sitting at the table, Rionne laid out a lavish breakfast in front of him.
“Eat a lot, Enoch.”
Rionne’s eyes were a little red. Had she been crying again? It made his heart ache. After they sat facing each other and finished their meal in small bites, he packed his bags simply. Clothes, daily necessities, and the white mask he had bought before. Since he wasn’t leaving forever, he didn’t have that much luggage. Even so, Rionne looked at the slightly emptier room with a bittersweet expression.
“…Enoch, can you wait a moment?”
Rionne, who had gone somewhere, returned holding a single sword. It wasn’t the one she usually used, but it showed clear signs of use, as if it had belonged to someone else.
“It’s the sword I used in the past.”
Rionne personally fastened the sword to Enoch’s waist.
“It’s a sword of the Estor family, so if you’re ever in danger, make sure to show them this emblem. It should provide some insurance.”
“Okay.”
“And…”
Snip— Rionne cut off the tip of her own hair. When a surprised Enoch stared at her, she skillfully twisted it and shaped it into a single ring. It was a beautiful ring that looked as if it had been woven from golden thread.
“Make sure you wear this too. If you ever need help from an elf, this will be useful. …Though being from the Estor family might make it a bit ambiguous.”
The sight of Rionne, shoulders slumped, fussing over him with one thing after another was enough to make anyone’s heart hurt. However, the spirit who was not human had a slightly different opinion.
[She’s really putting on a show. What is she going to do when she sees him again in a month?]
Of course, neither the elf nor the human, lost in their own melancholic atmosphere, heard her.
When Rionne tapped Enoch’s shoulder, he bent his knees slightly. She kissed his forehead as it came down to her eye level. Unlike usual, the kiss felt refreshingly cool, as if a breeze had lingered there.
“It’s a High Elf’s blessing. It’s nothing special, but…”
Any elf would recognize it, and it would also help a little in his relationship with spirits.
“And lastly…”
Rionne’s forest-green eyes gazed at Enoch’s pitch-black ones as if trying to melt into them. Her trembling lips pressed tightly together before she carefully opened them, as if making a firm resolution.
“Enoch.”
“Yeah.”
“Enoch Estor.”
“…Yeah?”
Enoch’s eyes widened into perfect circles. Rionne held back her shaky breath and smiled gently.
“Never forget that I am behind you. That the Sword Queen, Rionne Estor, stands with you. No matter when, no matter where you are, Nuna will always be on your side.”
Her smile was somehow both tearful and joyful. Enoch’s eyes trembled, unable to settle on any one emotion. Seeing that, Rionne’s smile grew a little deeper.
“Don’t ever go around getting beaten. If it gets too hard, make sure you call for Nuna. Got it? Even if you end up fighting the emperor, Nuna will come running in an instant.”
“…Yeah.”
“Then… Hup!?”
Enoch’s face suddenly drew close. Rionne’s eyes flew wide open in surprise. The breath she had been taking caught in her throat, leaving her short of air. While she was still trying to process what was happening, Enoch, without hesitation, closed the gap.
Soft contact. Rionne’s eyes stayed wide open as her mouth flapped wordlessly.
“I’ll be back.”
“Y-yeah…”
The cheek where Enoch’s lips had touched. Rionne, who had thought for a split second that he was going to kiss her on the lips, turned bright red. Why hadn’t she dodged? The unanswerable question simply floated around inside the elf’s head.
After saying goodbye to the Forest’s Owner as well, Enoch left. Rionne and Undine sat on the roof, watching him go.
[What a sneaky little brat.]
“H-huh?”
[Never mind. He’s waving. Wave back at least.]
“O-okay…!”
Watching her contractor wave with a dazed expression, the spirit let out a huff.
‘It really won’t be long now.’
Putting that aside, there was one thing she wanted to ask.
[By the way, why did you hide the effect of that ring?]
At the end of mortality, on the verge of immortality. The ring an elf who had reached a great realm had created from her own body was no ordinary object. From what Undine could tell, the miracles contained within the ring were clearly protection and summoning. In simple terms, if Enoch was in danger, it would protect him and simultaneously send a signal to Rionne.
“N-no, it’s just… I didn’t want him to rely on me too much…”
That wasn’t all of them. There were three miracles dwelling in the ring. The last one was a territory marker. Though fainter than the other two, her trace was clearly embedded in it. A clear intention of he’s mine, so don’t touch him had seeped into it. And of all places, why had she deliberately made him wear it on the left ring finger—the finger that, among humans, symbolized that someone was taken?
“That’s… just in case any dangerous people approach him… I-I didn’t mean anything weird by it…”
Watching the elf babble on and on, the spirit gave a bright smile.
[Bullshit.]