Chapter 8

"Phew! A, Airis, calm down...!"

Tio somehow managed to extricate himself from Airis's chest.

Since his face had been suddenly pressed against her chest, his expression was embarrassed, and his cheeks were tinged pink.

"Oh... That expression is so cute, Master Tio...♡"

Seeing Tio's expression, Airis let out a sweet, melting voice.

Then, she gently hugged Tio and started to stroke his head as if caressing him.

"Hmm...!"

The soft embrace, the gentle strokes, and the indescribably sweet scent emanating from Airis made Tio let out a relieved sigh.

"......♡"

At Tio's incredibly adorable voice and expression, Airis let out a soundless sigh.

◆

"Th-That's embarrassing..."

"Hehe... I was happy to be pampered? Master Tio's expression was so cute..."

While walking down the main street of the city, Tio and Airis exchanged such words.

Due to Airis's motherly embrace and her petting technique, Tio had ended up being completely pampered by her.

Now, he was feeling increasingly embarrassed.

On the other hand, Airis had a dreamy expression on her face.

Even though it was by chance, the fact that her physical contact was not only not rejected but also welcomed made her incredibly happy.

People passing by were looking at the two of them.

A lovely boy who could be mistaken for a girl and an older, stunningly beautiful elf girl...

It was only natural that they would attract attention as they walked hand in hand with a good atmosphere.

Airis wanted to walk with her arm linked with Tio's, but...

Since Tio said he was embarrassed and asked her to let it go, she was holding back for now.

"Ah, here we are, Master Tio."

"This is quite a stylish place."

The two stopped in front of a certain shop.

It was a charming restaurant with outdoor seating.

It was evening—

They had decided to have a light celebration while having dinner, since they had just formed a party.

"Welcome. Is it just the two of you?"

A waitress in a uniform greeted them immediately.

Despite arriving early, most of the seats were already taken.

The only available ones were outside, so the two were led to those.

The outdoor setting was quite nice.

The candles on the table and the orange lights of the lanterns hanging outside created a magical atmosphere.

The lighting highlighted Airis's silver-blonde hair and ice-blue eyes, making her look even more beautiful.

"...? Master Tio, is there something on my face?"

"A, ah, sorry! I just couldn't help it because you're so beautiful..."

"Beautiful...? That's embarrassing..."

Suddenly being complimented on her appearance, Airis blushed and looked down.

While she was very forward with Tio, she seemed to have little tolerance for being complimented herself.

When the two had settled in, another waitress came to take their order.

While taking their order, she kept glancing at them alternately.

Though she had a serious expression, her lips were slightly relaxed.

She was probably thinking something like this:

—Wow! A cute young boy and a beautiful girl!

...But, regardless of what the waitress was thinking.

Soon, drinks were brought to Tio and Airis.

The drinks were a white wine made from the city's famous white grapes.

Tio usually didn't drink much, but since this was a celebration for forming the party, he decided to have a little.

There were no laws regarding drinking age in this country, so there was no problem.

"Then..."

"To celebrate the formation of our party..."

"Cheers!"

Tio and Airis lightly clinked their glasses together.

Indeed, as a local specialty, it had a wonderful aroma.

The taste was smooth and easy to drink, and even Tio, who didn't usually drink, could easily enjoy it.

"By the way... Master Tio, may I ask you something?"

"What is it, Airis?"

"What was the power you used to save me? What exactly was it?"

As expected, she was curious about that.

A skill to summon a black magic spear was something she had never seen or heard of before.

Moreover, it had taken down an A-rank monster, the Lesser Dragon, with a single strike, so it was only natural that she would be curious.

"That's a special skill that only black mages possess. Using a special method, black mages can become stronger. Well, I discovered this method after being expelled from the hero's party..."

"I see. So, you changed your class from a knight to a black mage after being expelled."

Airis nodded in understanding.

Then she continued.

"Master Tio, is there anyone else who knows about this special method?"

"No, I think I'm the only one who knows."

"Then, please don't tell anyone else. If it becomes known that such power can be obtained through a special method, there will be people who will misuse it."

"Of course. I understand that."

Tio answered Airis.

Indeed, the probability of someone awakening to the black mage class was extremely low.

Most importantly, the condition of using the EX skill "Black Drain" 666 times with full mana...

If one used it even once without full mana, the condition would not be met, making it extremely difficult for any black mage in the world to obtain the EX skill.

"Ah, the food has arrived."

While they were talking, the food was brought to them.

There was soup, salad, and meat dishes, all beautifully arranged.

They decided to put the serious talk aside and enjoy the delicious food, spending a pleasant time together.

[To the Readers]

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