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Confession 

Satou here. I’ve always been strangely popular with younger girls, but I’ve never successfully confessed to an older woman. The girlfriend I had for a while was around my same age. Am I fated to be unappealing to older women or what? 

“I’m back…” 

“Welcome home. Are you hurt? Take your coat off and lie down.” 

Obediently, I handed Arisa my robe and threw myself onto the living room sofa. 

After my emotional reunion with Miss Aaze, I’d used “Flashrunning” to zip around the entire planet and help the other clans with their jellyfish extermination. 

Despite defeating a grand total of over seventy thousand jellyfish, my level hadn’t gone up from 310. 

My EXP gauge did squeak up a little, but after all that, it was no more than 5 percent higher than before. 

As far as I could tell, the cryptid category the jellyfish belonged to was worth less EXP than the monster category, so two thousand of them yielded about the same amount of experience as a single giant monster fish. 

The jellyfish didn’t even have cores. 

All of the clans’ high elves had summoned massively powerful pseudo-spirits to do battle with the jellyfish. 

They probably could have handled things without me, albeit with more damage to the World Trees and possible injuries to the elves. 

Images of the pseudo-spirits like the Beliunan clan’s golden Garuda and the Biloanan clan’s fiery Ifrit floated through my mind as I drifted off to sleep. 

Something about traveling around the entire world on foot really took it out of a person. 

“Are you all ready?” 

“Yes. This is a bit embarrassing, though.” 

At the shrine maiden Lua’s behest, I was aboard a palanquin for a parade. 

It had been five days since the extermination of the jellies, and I was the guest of honor at the elves’ festival to celebrate our success. 

I’d initially refused the parade, but I gave in to Aaze’s pleading request. 

“Heeerooo, we’re liiifting the paaalanquiiin.” 

“Sure, thanks.” 

The palanquin was being carried by trolls, who were around the size of small giants with bluish-black skin. They had a bit of a drawl, though not as much as the forest giants. 

“So cool!” 

“You look very amazing, sir!” 

“Yes, that is quite a handsome look, master.” 

“Master, you look wonderful, I commend. Requesting matching armor.” 

I waved at the beastfolk girls and Nana as they gazed at me with sparkling eyes. 

For the parade, I was wearing blue Holy Armor, said to have been left behind by the hero Daisaku. 

Without the Hero title, it was just heavy. Once I switched to the right title, though, it moved automatically to match my movements, making it feel so light that it was like I was wearing nothing at all. 

“I dunno. I think a white robe suits him more than armor.” 

“Do you? What about his adorable apron look, though?” 

I rolled my eyes and ignored Arisa and Lulu’s slightly off-topic discussion, then looked around at the other people who were assembling in the plaza. 

Just about every elf in the Bolenan Forest was here today—aside from the ones asleep in sleep tanks, of course. 

On top of that, there was the usual array of brownies and winged fairies, plus spriggans, leprechauns, silky, trolls, and all kinds of other fairies. The chieftains of a few beastfolk villages hidden along the border of the Bolenan Forest were also present. To celebrate the festival, everyone was dressed to the nines. 

Many of the winged fairies were drifting around above the parade, tossing flower petals down on my head. 

“Satou!” 

Turning around, I saw Goya standing next to the palanquin. 

“Thanks!” 

I guess he wanted to thank me for saving his life out in the void. 

“Approval!” 

Of what? 

I tilted my head, and Goya gave me one of his classic Are you an idiot? looks. 

How am I supposed to understand if you only use one or two words at a time? 

“Mia. Engagement. Consent!” Goya shouted. 

No, no. We’re not actually engaged; that’s just Mia’s little joke… I wanted to explain this misunderstanding, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. I’d have to resolve this later. 

Finally, I saw Aaze standing on a stage in the center of the plaza. 

Instead of her usual shrine maiden garb, she was wearing a fancy dress with a high collar that made her look like the queen of the fairies. 

Her composed expression was beautiful, too. Maybe she would take a photo with me later. 

“Children of Bolenan, please listen. Though I kept it a secret from you all, I can now tell you that our mother the World Tree was under attack by creatures known as Evil Jellies. But as of yesterday, we have finished exterminating them.” 

Aaze spoke in a clear voice as she explained the situation to the elves in the plaza. It sounded like she might have scripted this speech. 

“…And the human who saved the World Tree is none other than Nanashi the Hero! Please give him a round of applause!” 

I was so busy admiring Aaze that I almost missed my introduction. A little belatedly, I waved at the crowd as they clapped. 

Once the applause died down, seven pillars of light appeared on the platform. 

“Wh-what?!” 

Judging by Aaze’s shocked reaction, this wasn’t part of the plan. 

Eventually, the pillars of light resolved into the forms of the high elves from the other clans, the ones we’d spoken with during the Holytree Council meetings. 

They appeared to be in the flesh this time, not just projections. 

“The Holytrees left their own World Trees…?” My “Keen Hearing” skill picked up a murmur of disbelief from Lua. This seemed to be a rare occasion even for the long-lived elves. 

The chatter in the plaza fell silent, and most of the other races besides the elves dropped to their knees. While the elves didn’t prostrate themselves in the same way, they did sit in careful postures. 

“Apologies, Aaze. It was rude of us to visit without informing you first.” 

Miss Luze of the Baleonan clan seemed to be representing the high elves today. 

There had been male high elves in the council meetings, but today it was all women. 

“B-but why?” Aaze asked. 

“Nanashi the Hero saved all eight World Trees, not just Bolenan’s. Thus, we felt that all of us should present our thanks.” 

“It pains us to break tradition, but we left the others to mind the World Trees and hurried straight here,” another high elf explained. 

“Hero Nanashi, we of the Biloanan clan acknowledge you as a friend and ally. You are welcome to visit us at any time. We look forward to comparing your flame techniques with those of our clan.” 

The redheaded high elf who otherwise looked just like Aaze shook my hand with an eager grin. 

“Hero Nanashi, we of the Bulainan clan also acknowledge you as a friend. We admire your intellect over your strength, and we await your visitation so that we might research together.” 

A high elf with unusual emerald hair smiled wisely and laid her slender hand atop mine. 

The other high elves gave similar words of thanks and placed their hands on the pile. 

Then, last but not least… 

“Hero Nanashi! We of the Beliunan clan thank you for resolving our errors! We vow to work together with all the clans to fulfill any request you may have at any time. Ask of us anything you wish.” 

The aqua-haired high elf from the Beliunan clan seemed to have water droplets in her hair as she wrapped both her hands around mine, tears in her eyes. 

“““We acknowledge Nanashi the Hero as the ninth Holytree.””” 

—Wait, what? 

“““Please grant him a blessing.””” 

The other high elves except Aaze all spoke in unison, then each of them placed a kiss of blessing on the forehead of my mask. 

Kind of embarrassing, to be honest. 

>Title Acquired: Sage 

>Title Acquired: Holytree 

>Title Acquired: Savior of the Elves 

>Title Acquired: Friend of the High Elves 

>Title Acquired: Savior of the High Elves 

Huh? I thought Holytree was a sort of nickname or role for the high elves, not a title. 

“““Ahhhhhh!””” Aaze shrieked, as did a few other voices, like Arisa and Lulu, from elsewhere in the plaza. 

For some reason, Aaze even had tears in her eyes. 

“…Th-the Ladies Holytree gave him a kiss of the covenant?” There was a murmur from some of the elves in the crowd. 

I’d been told early on that a kiss on the forehead was some kind of sacred act, so maybe the high elves doing it to a human was particularly shocking. 

“What’s wrong, Aaze? Will you not grant him one as well?” The high elf from Biloanan raised an eyebrow. 

“W-wehhh… I… I can’t…” Aaze turned bright red and shook her head rapidly. 

Darn. I would’ve liked a kiss from her, too, to be honest. 

“Hero Nanashi, this is a gift of our thanks. Please accept it.” 

The high elves used the Space Magic spell Garage to produce some large blue crystals. 

According to the AR, each of them contained about a ton of Holytree Stone. 

“You are free to use these however you wish. We look forward to your decision.” 

They probably wanted me to use them to take care of the Bolenan clan’s shortage of Holytree Stones, then. Maybe there was some special reason they couldn’t just do it directly. 

“Farewell, Hero Nanashi.” 

“Let’s meet again sometime!” 

With that, the high elves disappeared into the same pillars of light from whence they’d come. 

I guess I never told them my “real” name was Satou. 

If I ever went to visit their Holy Trees, maybe I would show them my real face and tell them my name. 

Turning around, I saw that Aaze was glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. 

“Miss Aaze, you can use these to restore the light ships to their original number.” 

“Hmm? But those are for you, remember?” 

I thought she’d been looking at me because she couldn’t admit that she wanted the Holytree crystal wood, but I guess I was wrong. 

“I could never use all of this by myself. I’d be happy if you use them to rebuild the light ships and any left over to restore the World Tree.” 

I already had plenty of bluecoins, so I didn’t have much use for Holytree Stone anyway. 

“You were kind enough to freely share so much of the Bolenan clan’s wisdom with me. Please allow me to give you this small repayment.” 

“Satou…” Aaze trailed off and gave me a grateful hug. 

In the distance, I could hear a declaration of “Guilty” from Arisa and Mia. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the elder elves give a signal to the band, starting the festivities off in Aaze’s place. 

“When did you seduce all those other high elves, darn it?” 

“Cheater.” 

Arisa and Mia grabbed my arms accusingly. 

Lulu, who was running a crepe stand for the festival, looked a little displeased as well. 

Meanwhile, Nana was helping Lulu, and the beastfolk girls were hard at work at their grilled meat skewer stand, befriending the people of Bolenan with their usual charm. 

The people of the forest didn’t seem to discriminate against races or even Arisa’s lilac hair or Lulu’s Japanese features. It might not be bad to settle here after my sightseeing trip was over. 

“Is something wrong, Miss Aaze?” 

Aaze had been glancing at me for a while now. She was acting so much like a teen girl who wanted her senpai to notice her that I couldn’t help my rising hopes. 

That was probably just my ego getting the best of me, but I thought most guys would feel the same way. 

“S-Satou, come with me.” Aaze grabbed my hand and stood up, looking frazzled. 

“Certainly, if that’s what you wish.” 

I nodded and stood up with her, but then I felt a tug at my sleeve. 

Looking down, I found Arisa and Mia hanging on to me. Don’t go! was written all over their faces. 

“I’ll be back soon,” I assured them with a smile, pulling my arm away. 

Then I took Aaze’s hand, and she teleported us to the World Tree. 

“This, uh, isn’t what I think it is, is it…?” 

We’d arrived in Aaze’s room inside the World Tree. 

I was listening to the sound of water through the door. 

Aaze was taking a shower in the bathroom. 

Just to be safe, I used the Everyday Magic spells Soft Wash and Dry to clean myself off, too. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Would you like to take a shower, too?” 

The sound of water ceased, and Aaze reappeared in a bathrobe. 

“Erm, that’s all right, thank you. I used Everyday Magic already.” 

“…I see. All right, then.” 

Intentionally or not, Aaze struck me as coquettish as she took my hand and led me into a dark room. 

“Wh-what is this place?” 

Pale lights flickered in the room, which was not quite what I’d expected. 

“This is the high elves’ memory archive. You’re the first human ever to see it, Satou.” 

I was honored, if perhaps a little disappointed for other reasons. 

I suppose I only had myself to blame for having impure expectations. 

“… ? Connect Memory Kiokuko Setsuzoku.” 

Aaze removed the bathrobe and spoke a password, and blue light enveloped her body. 

When the dance of the mystical light settled, she slowly opened her eyes. 

They looked deep and clear, like the elder elves before. 

“Satou, I’m sorry if my normal self gave you the wrong impression.” 

Her “normal self”? 

Did she have multiple personalities like an old literary character or something? 

Was she giving up her old self to become a new one or that kind of thing? 

“Do you have a different personality from the Miss Aaze I know?” 

“No, I’m still me. Right now, I’m connected to the archiver of the World Tree’s memory archive, but my self is always one and the same.” 

She explained that her normal self retained detailed memories of only the past few hundred years, with just a vague index of her older experiences. 

Still, she sounded a little different than usual to me. 

“We change along with time, you see. When I am connected to all my old memories, I cannot help but become quieter and more introspective.” 

In this state, I could actually believe that Aaze was a demi-goddess. I decided to refer to this version of her as Goddess Aaze. 

“Fair enough.” Goddess Aaze smiled. 

“Wait, can you read my mind now, too?” 

“Just a little, yes. While in this room, the surfaces of our consciousnesses connect, so I can more or less follow any clear statements that you form in your mind.” 

I see. I’d better not think anything perverted, then. 

“That would be appreciated, yes. I have lived a long time indeed, but I am as yet an unmarried maiden.” 

The normal Aaze would never make that kind of joke. 

It was as if there really were two of her. 

“So may I ask why you have brought me here?” 

Surely it wasn’t just because I’d given them a lot of Holytree Stones. 

Goddess Aaze drew up her nude body, straightening her posture. 

“Indeed. There is something I wish to ask you.” She paused for a moment, then looked into my eyes. “Satou, who exactly are you?” 

Her question was so abrupt that I wasn’t sure how to answer. 

“Many heroes are unusual, but you are on a different level entirely. Why, I believe you are far stronger even than the great demon lord who revolted against the gods for some twenty thousand years, the one known as the ‘evil god’…” 

My easy extermination of the jellyfish attacking the World Trees must have aroused her suspicions. 

I didn’t want to scare her even further, so I decided not to mention that I hadn’t really been using my full power there. 

“…If you were a god yourself, perhaps it would make sense. But you are not a god, are you?” 

I shook my head and asked why she would think that. 

“Gods and their disciples cannot be Analyzed. Only demi-gods, like the dragon god or us high elves who have endless lives but are of the earth, or those with fixed life spans like fairies and humans.” 

Hmm. I’d better be careful if I ever ran into someone I couldn’t Analyze, then. 

I hadn’t been sure whether the elves had a fixed life span until now. 

“But your power is not all that is unique about you. Your absorption of knowledge is far faster than ordinary, as well. It’s as if you are relearning something you already knew; you learn one tenet and immediately seem to grasp ten. My normal self was simply excited about this, but within all my memories and even the database of the other high elves’, there has never been another like you.” 

That was probably because my INT was insanely high; plus I had knowledge from my old world. 

“Of course, I am well aware that you mean no harm toward the children of Bolenan or me. But as the Holytree who protects Bolenan, I have no choice but to ask you: Who are you really?” 

Hmm. I guess I’d better answer honestly. 

“It’s a bit of a long story. I come from another world, from the same place as the heroes…” 

I went on to explain everything. 

Even things I hadn’t told Arisa and the others, like how I’d brought down the dragon god. 

Part of it was because I thought that with her millions of years’ worth of knowledge, she might know why I had been brought to this world; more than that, though, I was afraid to keep it a secret while we were connected like this and incur her distrust or dislike. 

“…The dragon god?” 

“I’m afraid so. Though this may be a poor excuse, I didn’t know the power of the Meteor Shower at the time, nor that the dragon god was within range along with the army of lizardfolk.” 

“You have nothing to be ashamed of. Dragons revere those who can pose a challenge to them, even more so those who are strong enough to defeat them. I’m sure the dragon god would praise you for your victory, not resent you.” 

I remembered the black dragon Hei Long and his obsession with battle. 

Maybe all dragons had a similar thought process to his. 

“Besides, the dragon god is indestructible. Within a hundred years, it will surely be revived, body and all. Then it will most likely be able to revive the other dragons with the same power.” 

I guess they didn’t call the dragon god the strongest for nothing. Even its miracles were on another level. 

“Though the dragon god hates to lose, so I expect you will find yourself challenged to a rematch.” 

Geh, really? I’m pretty sure I only won because it wasn’t expecting that attack… 

“Well, I hope that happens before my life span runs out.” 

I used my “Poker Face” skill to try to impress Goddess Aaze with my bluff, even though I knew it was impossible. 

She smiled in response, kindly accepting my statement at face value. 

“I do not know why you were brought to this world. However, since you have Unique Skills, I believe it is likely that you are under the divine protection of a god. We have no way of discerning which one, but I’m sure they will contact you themselves eventually.” 

For some reason, those words evoked a flashback in my mind. 

Maybe the image of that girl with the multicolored hair was a message from the god who had brought me to this parallel world. 

The mood had gotten a bit heavy, so I tried to lighten it by telling the story of my travels, from meeting my friends to battling the whales, in as entertaining a way as I could. 

“Sightseeing, you say…? That sounds quite fun.” 

“Would you like to come with me? You’d be more than welcome to join us, Miss Aaze.” 

Goddess Aaze’s voice held notes of longing and loneliness, so I made the offer before I could stop myself. 

Since we were connected here, she was probably already well aware of my growing romantic and physical feelings for her. 

“I’m sorry, Satou.” 

Her words of rejection pierced my heart more deeply than I’d expected. “N-no, there’s no need to apologize.” 

I managed to keep up appearances, but the tumultuous emotions churning in my heart threatened to spill out of my mouth all at once. 

“Satou, I am the final Holytree of Bolenan. It is my duty to protect the World Tree and the children of Bolenan. Thus, I cannot return your feelings.” 

Goddess Aaze held my head against her chest. 

I wanted to wrap my arms around her slim body, but I managed to keep myself under control with logic and restraint. 

“Besides, we high elves are the brides of ‘the god who could not wed.’ For a being with a fixed life span to lay a hand on any of us would be to invite the wrath of that god. And so, this is all I can do…” 

Goddess Aaze laid a gentle kiss on my forehead and slowly released me from her embrace. 

“…Satou, I will keep this and the secrets you told me locked away in my personal memory archive. The other high elves will be unable to see them, and my normal self will not have access to them, so worry not,” she promised. 

The kiss would be kept a secret from the normal Aaze, too, it seemed. 

“If we don’t cut the connection to the memory archive soon, it will have a negative effect on your body… So let us meet again. Or is that strange to say? At any rate, please treat my normal self as you usually would.” 

With that, the mystic light surrounding Goddess Aaze disappeared. 

Once the connection was severed, the regular Aaze got embarrassed that I had seen her naked and avoided me for a while. Just as Goddess Aaze had promised, she didn’t seem to remember our conversation. 

Thus, my confession of love was over before it could even begin. But the more obstacles it faced, the stronger love would grow. 

If I could find a way to wake the other high elves safely, and if I could do something about the so-called wrath of some god or other, I decided I would confess to her again, properly this time. 

Until then, I would just have to settle for trying to be something more than friends but less than lovers. 

 

It had been a month since the festival. 

Our days in the Bolenan Forest were almost at an end. 

If I were to describe each one, you could probably fill a whole novel with it. 

“Satou, the observational satellite golem Kakashi MK 7 is working wonderfully. I’d like to improve the precision of its telescopic lens a little more, but first…” 

“Enough already, Keze of the Bulainan clan! The plans for the jellyfish investigation deep space golem are complete. We shall send along our blueprints for peer review at once.” 

“Honestly, Saaze of the Beliunan clan. Can’t you wait your turn?” 

We were developing units for detecting jellyfish as early as possible and for investigating the cause of the jellyfish outbreak. 

I had intended to help them out until the units were complete, but since they’d come so far already, they should be fine without me from here on in. 

So as the two high elves taunted each other in friendly competition, I looked over the plans they’d sent. 

“Ah, Mr. Satou, the light ship rebuilding is going smoothly as well. Bolenan’s light ships should be restored to their usual number within half a year.” Jia the gardener happened to be passing by. “Oh, and could you stop by later, please? Kiya said he had a question about the coaxial skypower engine you made.” 

“All right. I’m supposed to learn how to make divine gold at the transmutation workshop today, so I’ll come by after that.” 

“Good idea. Kiya can go on for a while.” 

She wasn’t wrong, but I owed a lot to Kiya from the magic-tool studio, since he’d helped me remodel the magic ship I planned to use to get to Labyrinth City. 

“Master, preparations are complete, I report.” 

“All right. Calm down a little, please.” 

Standing in front of the cultivation tanks in the underground research lab, Nana flung her clothes off eagerly, so I politely handed her a towel. 

Despite her lack of expression, her excitement was palpable. She must have really been looking forward to this. 

“Master Satou, the tank has been fully supplied with liquid.” 

“Thank you, Gillil. Ready to go, Nana?” 

“Yes, master! The new me will be of even more use, I pledge!” 

Nana was raring to go, so I used Magic Hand to lift her and gently lower her into the light-green liquid in the tank. 

It was the kind of liquid you often saw in sci-fi, which supplied oxygen directly to the lungs. 

I had tested it out myself once and found that while it was a little rough going in and out, actually being inside the liquid was fine. 

“Gillil, the partitioning screen, please.” 

Nana was completely exposed as she floated in the tank, so I had Gillil set up a screen to hide her naked body. 

I’d already calibrated the device the day before, so I was able to install the new Foundation functions for Nana right away. 

Within a few days, the upgrade process would be complete, and she could show off her new abilities to everyone at our elf teachers’ training ground. 

As I imagined that future, I kept an eye on Nana’s vitals displayed on the cultivation tank’s monitor. 

I’d made sure the settings were perfect, but I wouldn’t want to let anything happen to Nana, just in case. 

“…Planting seeds, you say?” 

“Yes, it’s a request from the treants.” 

The day after Nana’s upgrades were completed, Aaze came to visit the tree house. 

She handed me the golden fruits of the treants. 

“I’d like you to plant them in places with lots of water and not too much miasma, whether it’s wetlands, an island, or wherever it may be. If possible, near a mana source would be ideal.” 

If I planted the seeds near a source, she said I was welcome to keep the fruits themselves. The fruits were said to be delicious, as well as useful for making advanced potions. 

“I’d be happy to, if you’re willing to entrust this to me.” 

“Thank you, Satou.” 

Smiling, Aaze opened her Space Magic Garage spell and produced nearly a thousand of the fruits. 

“You can plant five to ten of them in the same area.” 

In other words, I was supposed to find at least a hundred different sources. 

“All right. I’ll do my very best.” I put a hand to my chest. 

Surprisingly, there was no exclamation of “Guilty!” from Mia. Maybe she was getting sentimental, since we’d be parting soon? 

Our sailing ship and the small airship were completely ready to go, so I should spend the rest of the time before our departure with Mia. 

“…Going.” 

“No.” 

“You can’t, Mia. I forbid it. The labyrinth is dangerous. None of the children who went with Yuya and Shiya ever came back—not one! I can’t allow it; I won’t!” 

When I went to visit Mia at her family’s home, I overheard this conversation from outside. 

Mia seemed to want to go with us to the labyrinth, but her parents wouldn’t allow it. 

Of course not… I doubted any parents would want to send their child to such a dangerous place. 

“Satou.” 

Mia came flying out the door and leaped into my arms. 

I greeted her worried-looking parents and left to spend the day with her. 

“…Wanna come.” 

“Your parents would worry. Only adults are allowed to do whatever they want.” 

She probably wouldn’t like hearing that, since I was an adult myself, but I couldn’t approve of her going against her parents’ wishes. In my opinion, you had to be mentally and emotionally independent before you could make all your own decisions. 

“Mm. Fine.” 

To my surprise, Mia relented. 

There was no conflict or bitterness in her tone. In her heart, she must have already known my answer. 

For the next few days before our departure, we played from morning till night, exploring every inch of the Bolenan Forest as if it were our personal garden. 

The horses and runosaurs were peevish from being cooped up for so long, so we took them out hunting in a huge field. 

At one point, we went to see a herd of unicorns, and I think Mia’s hornless unicorn mount fell in love with one of the females. 

Eventually, our happy times in the elf village came to an end… 

“The breeze feels nice out here. Is that our ship?” 

“It sure is.” 

Arisa held her fluttering hair in place as she looked up at the ship docked at the pier. 

This was a finfolk port town at the edge of the Bolenan Forest. 

We’d said good-bye to the elves in the plaza near our tree house, so it was just us, Mia’s family, and Aaze and Lua. 

“Something’s strange, sir.” 

“Weird smeeell?” 

Pochi and Tama pinched their noses. They had probably never smelled the ocean before. 

Arisa explained to them that it was the smell of the tide. The water around here seemed warm, so maybe I could let them swim in the ocean sometime. 

Liza and Nana were carrying our luggage onto the ship, while Lulu worked on the deck. 

Before long, Mia came tottering up to me. 

“Good-bye for now, Mia. Be nice to your parents.” 

“Mm. Satou.” 

Mia brushed the hair away from her forehead, silently pressuring me to kiss her there. 

Since a kiss on the forehead was supposed to be sacred and all, maybe this was meant to be a promise to reunite? 

I didn’t see any harm in doing it as a farewell, so I leaned down and kissed her forehead so lightly I barely even brushed her skin. 

“Goodness, Mia. What an expert tactician you are.” 

“Mm. Yep.” 

Mia grinned and made a victory sign at her parents. 

“Coming.” 

Sorry, what? 

“Coming!” For the first time in a while, Mia summoned up a few long sentences. “Satou of the Shiga Kingdom, I am pleased that you have accepted the ritual of betrothal. I, Misanaria Bolenan, promise to be as your wing until the day that death doth separate you from me.” 

Wait a minute. Did I just get tricked? 

“My, how wonderful. I’m so thrilled. Mr. Satou, please take good care of Mia, all right?” 

“Protect.” 

I got tricked, all right. 

Mia’s mother explained that a kiss on the forehead was “sacred” in more ways than one. 

In particular, a kiss on the forehead between a man and a woman who were not related was a proposal when done by one party, and the agreement was sealed if the other party did the same in return. 

So that was why Mia kept saying I was her fiancé. 

Mia’s parents were understanding when I explained that I didn’t know about this particular custom, but Mia herself simply covered her ears and pretended not to hear anything. 

Her pigtails smacking against me hurt a little. 

…Hang on. 

If that was the case, did that mean I had proposed to Aaze when we first met? 

At the time, I’d thought she was just being emotionally unstable, but now her reaction might make sense. 

In that case, when Goddess Aaze kissed me on the forehead in return… 

I turned to look at Aaze and found that she was puffing up her cheeks grumpily and looking the other way. 

A smile threatened to take over my expression, so I used “Poker Face” to ward it off. 

Before we set sail, I reconfirmed with Mia’s parents that they were truly all right with her accompanying us. They explained that betrothal or no, Bolenan considered anyone who had exchanged forehead kisses an adult, so they were willing to abide by Mia’s wishes. 

“All right. I promise to take good care of her, then.” 

“Oh yes. I have complete faith in you!” 

“Mm. Trust.” 

Mia’s parents took my hands and nodded. 

“Laya. Lia.” Mia called out her parents’ names and clung to them. 

I stepped away to let them do their farewells in private, instead walking over to Aaze. 

“I suppose this is farewell. I’ll come back to visit, all right?” 

“Yes, please do. The Bolenan clan will always welcome you.” 

Aaze and I shook hands. 

“Mr. Satou…” Lua threw her arms around me in a parting embrace. 

That was a surprise. I didn’t think we were that close. 

She soon revealed her reasons. “Thank you for not taking away Lady Aaze. She is the final Holytree of Bolenan—our heart and soul…” 

I was sure no one else was able to hear her tearfully whisper in my ear. 

That explained why she always showed up to put a stop to it whenever Aaze and I were getting too close, then. 

“Please come back anytime. We’ll keep your tree house ready for your use.” 

I nodded at the tearful shrine maiden. 

Our farewells could have gone on forever, but Mia had pulled away from her parents and was clinging to my waist, so I took this as a sign to board the ship. 

Besides, with the elves’ permission, I’d put a Return seal slate in the tree house where we’d been staying, so I could come back anytime. 

It would be hard to figure out a stopping point on this leg of our journey, but surely we would pass some islands or land masses. 

We waved to the people who’d gathered to say good-bye, and I spread the ship’s sails with Magic Hand. Then, using Air Control, I created wind to carry the ship away. 

“““Satou!””” 

Looking back at the source of the voices, I saw that the elves we’d parted with back at the tree house had come to see us off. 

Countless winged fairies called out to Nana and the other girls, drawing farewell signs out of light in the air. 

…I appreciated it, but after this dramatic parting, it would make it difficult to just pop back with Return. 

My party and I all waved until we couldn’t see the figures on the shore anymore. 

“We’ve lost sight of them,” Arisa murmured. 

“Mm. Soon.” 

Mia’s eyes were red from tears. 

She probably meant that we could come back to visit again soon. 

“Satou.” 

Mia flew into my arms, so I caught her gently as I gazed out at the horizon. 

Thus, our long stay in the Bolenan Forest came to an end, and the wind in our sails began our journey to Labyrinth City. 





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