Chapter 91

It has been a week since Kuna woke up.

My body has improved somewhat, and I can use magic a little bit again.

I'm far from being at full strength, but I can fight to some extent.

Fortunately, there hasn't been another attack by the Holy Knights.

We set off for Elsie.

We are now in a carriage, which we hired for comfort. Thanks to this, the three of us can relax in the carriage.

The concern about the risk of being held back at the knight school seems to be barely manageable.

Thanks to Senior Yurii's help, the time I spent resting at the sword ceremony was counted as a public absence, and we will enter summer break in two weeks.

The assignments for the time I was absent will be sent to Elsie in a bundle, and it seems there will be no problem if I submit them after the summer break.

The summer break at the knight academy is not just a break but a period of intense training in the underground labyrinth. Students use this period to go on long expeditions that they can't do during the regular school year. We, the "Tail of the Magic Sword," will become stronger in Elsie instead of going on a long expedition.

"Kuna, did something happen with Soji? The way you interact with him seems completely different from before."

Anne looks at Kuna with a squint.

"No, nothing like that. I haven't changed at all."

She says this with her mouth, but her actions don't match.

After all, she is much closer to me. So close that we almost touch, and she smiles brightly. Sometimes, when she grins, she presses her cheeks with both hands, turns red, and shakes her head.

Moreover, she occasionally rubs her proud tail against my back.

All of these are things that were unimaginable before.

"Suspicious. Did you finally realize your feelings for Soji after he saved your life?"

"What!? Anne, what are you talking about? That's absolutely not true."

Kuna stammers.

"Really? I think it's quite possible. Kuna has liked Soji for a long time. It's obvious."

As expected, Anne knows Kuna well.

Kuna asked me not to tell Anne about our relationship. She must be concerned because we are a party of three.

But she is quite careless in other ways.

"That's not true. Besides, my type is……"

Kuna desperately makes awkward excuses.

Even so, she is cute.

I am enjoying my tea while watching Kuna.

"You're not going to admit it, huh? ...But, it's fine. I'll do what I have to do. So, Soji, what do you think about polygamy?"

"Wha—"

I accidentally spit out my tea at Anne's sudden question.

"What's with the sudden question?"

"From what I've seen, it feels like you and Kuna have crossed a line. Even I, who is a good friend, have some resistance to seeing you with someone I like. I hope you have the capacity to love both Kuna and me."

Anne says this with a serious face.

I am breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Your mouth is dirty, Soji-kun."

Kuna diligently wipes my mouth.

Since the day I saved Kuna, she has been taking care of me.

She rewraps my bandages every morning and wipes my body.

For someone suffering from burns and miasma burns, this is very helpful.

"Hey, Soji-kun, Anne is waiting for your answer."

Kuna smiles at me.

But her eyes are not smiling.

I remember the words Kuna said on the day she was saved.

◇

.

"You will definitely cheat. It's certain. You have some weird traits from your father. Your eyes are those of a cheater. And you'll make excuses like, 'I don't want to make girls cry' or 'That girl can't do without me' to justify your cheating."

Kuna continued when I was speechless at her harsh words.

"But, I fell in love with you knowing this. I'm prepared to cry on my pillow later... So, if it's Anne, I'll forgive you. She's my important friend who liked you before I did... But if you go too far—"

I can't forget Kuna's expression at that moment.

Indeed, she was smiling. She was smiling.

"I'll cut it off♪"

Kuna didn't specify what she would cut off, but I understood the general meaning.

◇

"Anne, I don't want to do anything that will make the people I like cry."

"Right, so if Soji gets the approval of the people he likes, there's no problem. I understand. I'll start by laying the groundwork."

"…O-Okay."

"Even if it's just the children, I'd be happy if you could take care of them... I can't let the Oukurel bloodline die out. But I don't want to do it with anyone other than Soji. So, if the person Soji likes doesn't approve, I'd be happy if we could have a physical relationship in secret."

For a moment, I thought she was joking, but her eyes were serious.

I need to seriously consider this.

"Anne, it's not right for a girl to say such things."

"Yes, I know it's improper, but it's important."

Kuna raises her voice, and Anne smiles wryly.

"Soji, when I finish laying the groundwork, I want you to tell me how you feel. Forget everything else and answer purely how you feel about me."

With that, Anne looks out the carriage window, probably thinking that if she pushes further, it might create a rift in our party.

My feelings... If Kuna weren't here, would I have happily accepted Anne's feelings? I should think about it.

Kuna continues to rub her tail against me.

I remember hearing in the game that fire foxes have a habit of rubbing their tails against someone they like.

Their tails emit a scentless pheromone that only their kind can detect, and by rubbing their tails, they claim the person as their own.

It makes me a little happy. I want to rub something on Kuna to claim her as mine, but what should I use?

◇

The carriage continued to travel, camping for about two days along the way.

The carriage began to climb a mountain. The road, cut through the forest, is well-paved and comfortable.

Elsie, despite being in an inconvenient location, is advanced in technology and has many specialties. Many people come and go, so they have invested in properly paving the roads, and we often pass other carriages.

"The air is so clean."

"It's a familiar smell."

The two of them say this, sticking their heads out of the carriage and holding their hair.

"Elsie, it's supposed to be an amazing place."

Elsie has both good and bad rumors, but the bad ones are probably out of jealousy.

"It looks ordinary, though. It feels like an old village surrounded by forests. But it's surrounded by a more solid wall than a poor fortress, and there's an ironworks and a large paper mill in the village. They also raise silkworms and produce silk. And the most distinctive feature is the glasshouses. They grow vegetables in fields covered with glass. You know, it's called greenhouse cultivation, and it makes vegetables grow really well, and you can eat out-of-season vegetables!"

"...Where is it ordinary? It's crazy."

Indeed, Elsie is very unbalanced.

It's a peaceful mountain village, but it's dotted with ultra-advanced technology.

"Soji, isn't that an elf?"

"Indeed, it's an elf. They are well-liked by wind mana."

An elf was running through the forest.

He held a small crossbow, had chestnut hair, and long ears. We are getting closer to Elsie, which is centered around elves and fire foxes.

"Oh, that's Rorek."

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, he's the son of my father's close friend. He seems to like me, and when I was in Elsie, he often chased me around."

"...Of course, he's here. A pest."

"Pest? Rorek is a person."

"No, never mind."

Kuna said Rorek is the most popular in Elsie. It's probably not an exaggeration.

As the daughter of the leader Cyril, with this appearance and a good personality, it would be strange if she weren't popular.

"Oh, Soji-kun, we're almost there. Just turn the corner and go straight."

The carriage turns the corner, and an open area appears.

"It's Elsie!"

The scene that spreads out is a country ruled by the world's strongest magician, Cyril, with a population of less than a thousand but overwhelming military and technological power, surrounded by walls that can easily defend against cannons... Its name is Elsie.

A new chapter begins! This chapter will unravel all the foreshadowing built up so far, reveal the truth about the world, and explain why Kuna had to die, among other things. It's packed with content.