The Noble Hero
"Frey, do you remember?"
"What."
"The entrance to this forest. Do you remember it?"
Following behind Clana, the entrance to a dense forest filled with towering trees greeted me. I stared blankly at it for a moment before nodding quietly, and Clana broke into a radiant smile.
"Really? I knew it."
"I've been here before, so of course I remember."
I replied curtly to her, and she answered in a soft, low voice.
"But it's a memory we share."
Her words left me momentarily speechless, and Clana spread her arms wide.
"This entire forest is filled with memories of you and me. Isn't it?"
"...Who knows."
"Say it is."
I tried to keep up my gruff demeanor, but Clana pleaded with desperate eyes.
"Fine, whatever."
I muttered dismissively, and she began to smile.
"So, where do we find the sunflower? You know how rare they are."
"...We'll find it if we look hard enough, right?"
I tossed the question her way, then made a dumbfounded face at her response.
"You call that an answer..."
"We're all grown up now, so we won't get lost like last time. So... let's search until sunrise."
"One more time: there's no guarantee we'll find it."
"No, we will find it."
Clana finished with eyes full of conviction, staring right at me.
"I have a feeling I know where it is."
With that, she turned and started walking ahead.
"Sigh."
I let out an involuntary sigh watching her go. She was putting on a brave front, but now not just her hands—her whole body was trembling. The strong liquor I'd forced down her throat to numb the impending moment clearly hadn't helped.
Of course it wouldn't. What she was about to do was tantamount to suicide... No amount of alcohol could make someone carry that out calmly.
I knew that all too well from my previous loops.
"Clana."
"...Yes?"
Calling out to her as those thoughts crossed my mind, I took in her state and muttered inwardly.
What a sight.
Her eyes were shaking, her lips swollen, her body still quivering. And above all, despite the drinks, her face wasn't flushed—it was growing paler by the second.
"Clana, what's wrong?"
"W-what do you mean?"
I asked casually, as if nothing was amiss, and she startled, firing back a question.
"You feeling sick?"
"Ah, well... that is..."
I pressed her again, stepping closer as she stammered.
"...Eek!"
I quietly took her hand.
"L-let go. I said let go!"
"...Anyone would think I'm attacking you."
"Let go right now!!"
She yelled and tried to wrench free, but I gripped her hand tighter, meeting her eyes.
"Ah, ahh..."
She gave up struggling and began clawing at her own hair with her free hand.
She's desperately holding on, huh?
I tried triggering her change to bring up the penalty window before it fully took hold, but her mental resistance seemed to be at full strength.
"No... please... nooo..."
She looked on the verge of breaking, eyes bloodshot from the strain. Clana really was something else.
"What're you doing, Clana? We need to find that flower."
"Wh-why are you holding my hand?"
She asked in evident panic.
"It was shaking."
".....Ah."
I answered simply, and she stared at me with a blank expression.
"Ahhh, aaah. No."
"Clana?"
"J-just a little longer. Just until I get the flower. Please."
"Clana!"
"...Not yet. I don't want to change yet."
I focused my Star Mana on my ears to catch her panicked mutterings, then sighed inwardly.
At this rate, forcing the memories won't work either.
Guess I'd have to resort to the last option...
"Eek!"
Lost in thought while holding her hand, I was suddenly dragged into a sprint as Clana bolted forward.
"Wh-Clana! What the hell..."
"Hurry, we have to hurry..."
Branches scratched her, rocks nearly tripped her, but she just clutched my hand and kept running.
"Ahhh!"
"...Ugh."
But a particularly ugly rock finally caught her foot, sending her tumbling.
"S-sorry... Huh?"
"Oww..."
Good thing I was holding her hand, or I might not have caught her in time. Imagine if the precious princess got scarred.
"Ah....."
As that thought crossed my mind, I looked down at Clana in my arms with a gentle smile.
"So, where is it?"
"Wh-what?"
"You found it already, right? The sunflower."
She quietly buried her face in my chest and pointed ahead with her hand.
"...Th-there."
"Alright, let's go."
I started toward the direction she indicated, cradling her.
"Y-you?"
"Stay still."
Her ankle was sprained from the fall, so I carried her slowly.
"Fr...ey."
She whispered my name in a trembling voice from my arms, but I didn't look down. What good would it do at this point, on the way to the end?
I just walked on silently.
"...Found it."
After walking and walking some more, I spotted the sunflower blooming from a crack in the rock.
Growing right through stone... Fitting for Clana, in more ways than one.
Approaching carefully so as not to damage it, I plucked the flower.
A few seconds of silence passed.
"Got it."
The sunflower in my grasp began emitting golden light in all directions.
"Ahh..."
Clana let out a dazed sound watching it, and I smiled before offering it to her.
"Let's make up, Clana."
Then Clana...
"Hic."
...unleashed all the emotions she'd been holding back.
"Waaaahhh..."
I gently stroked her back as she sobbed, gazing quietly at the sky.
"...Ha."
The dense canopy hid the moon and stars from view.
Shaaaa...
The only thing enveloping us was the golden glow from the flower.
"Frey, I have a favor to ask."
"...What."
In that mystical atmosphere, I glanced at her tearfully, and she made her request.
"...Just once, kiss me."
"What?"
I blinked in surprise, and she whispered softly.
"I wanted deeper communion originally, but... no time."
"......."
"It's shameless, but please... Mmph."
As she averted her eyes shyly, I pressed my lips to hers. Moments later, her tongue brushed my lips.
"Mmph? Mm..."
Apparently a first even across loops, she fumbled, just licking my lips clumsily for a while. Then...
Slurp.
She finally slipped her tongue through the parted seam.
"Slurp, slurrrp."
Her arms around mine. Her legs around mine. Our tongues entwined.
Soon collapsing to the ground fully entangled, we shared warmth and saliva, lost in the moment.
"Pha..."
After a long while, we parted, a string of saliva connecting our lips before snapping.
"I love you, Frey."
Clutching the sunflower tightly, she smiled happily and tucked it into her hair.
"Then now..."
She steeled herself to speak, but I cut her off swiftly.
"You're going to turn into a canary?"
"Wha!?"
Startled, she began trembling as she stammered.
"What do you..."
"That won't do."
"...Waaaahhh!!!"
Without giving her a chance to respond, I channeled Star Magic into the canary I'd been holding.
Canary Destruction
"Gaaah... Wh-what are you... doing..?"
Writhing in agony, Clana mustered her last strength to question me.
"You think I'd let you live as a canary?"
"N-no."
I smirked at her, and she began screaming in terror, body shaking violently.
"Nooooooo!!!"
I couldn't make out her words over the focus on the canary, but her volume suggested it hurt—a lot.
But no choice. To stop her plan of possessing the canary upon regaining memories...
I had to destroy the medium: the canary itself.
"Stop... please stop..."
"Sorry, Clana. Does it hurt?"
"N-not that... you..."
After writhing under me for ages, as the canary crumbled to golden particles in my hand and scattered skyward...
"You're in dan—"
She passed out mid-sentence.
"Phew."
I sighed in relief watching her, then glanced at the overgrown bush that had been nagging me.
"Then now..."
"Time to come out, right?"
.
.
.
.
.
Rustle.
Frey spoke in a cold voice, and the thick bushes shook slightly.
"Frey."
"Irina."
Irina emerged calmly, calling his name, and Frey responded in kind.
"Why are you tailing me?"
"...I was worried something might happen. The secret mastermind's still out there."
"Sure. Then why hide that Kania came too?"
"......!"
Shock flashed across Irina's face at his words.
"...Hello, Young Master."
Moments later, Kania crawled out from behind the brush, and Frey chuckled.
"You two fought, didn't you?"
"N-no, we didn't."
"Liar."
Their hair was disheveled, cheeks and bodies marked with small scratches—clear signs of a scuffle.
"Frey, you have that magic circle I gave you last time? Use it now."
"...Now?"
"Yes, right now."
Penalty Transfer Circle
"...Eek!"
As soon as he spoke, Kania unleashed black magic power in all directions.
Deployed
Whoosh!
"Hup...!"
Irina followed suit.
Inferno Burst
BOOM!!
Kania's black magic clashed with Irina's flames, exploding violently. Frey watched calmly and pulled a scroll from his pocket.
'I'll take Young Master's penalties in his place. I've been sucking his life force like a mosquito, so half my lifespan is the least I can offer.'
'I'll take Frey's penalties. I'm the one who developed the spell, and I cursed him with the death curse—naturally, I can offer half my life.'
"Girls."
Frey eyed the two glaring at each other, growling via telepathy.
Penalty Transfer Failed
"It's no use."
He tore the scroll Irina had given him weeks ago.
"F-Frey!!!"
"Young Master!!!!"
Panicked, Irina and Kania rushed toward him, but he just smiled.
"You thought I wouldn't notice?"
"H-how...!"
"...Serena taught me magic circle analysis herself. You think I missed this?"
He gazed at the two charging women, then quietly closed his eyes.
Penalty has occurred!
"...Why does everyone love sacrificing themselves so much."
For once, the penalty message felt welcome to Frey.