Chapter 80

Tiara Roses and the others had returned from their trip, and after a while, a rumor began to circulate. It suggested that because the king was bedridden, Aquasteed should ascend the throne. While they had anticipated such rumors, it was still unsettling to hear them.

"Tiara, you're frowning."

"Ah! No, that's not good, I mustn't..."

She placed her hand on her cheek and tried to smooth out the wrinkles. Seeing this, Aquasteed chuckled, which made Tiara Roses realize her mistake and blush even more.

—Oh no, I did something embarrassing!

Her ears turned red, and then she heard a cough. The source was Elliot.

—Right, this is Aquasteed's office!

Embarrassed at being caught by Elliot, Tiara Roses felt like she wanted to disappear into a hole. She was currently helping Aquasteed in his office. The task wasn't particularly difficult; it involved reading through letters from the citizens, assessing whether their requests were feasible, impossible, or needed further consideration.

"Hmm, the next letter... 'I'm happy that more cafes are serving cakes.' I'm happy too."

She sorted such letters into the "other" category. Watching her, Aquasteed found her efforts endearing.

"Indeed, that is good news."

"Yes, after all, food is a basic human need. The higher the satisfaction in food, clothing, and shelter, the better."

Tiara Roses wanted the citizens to be even more content.

While checking letters was usually Elliot's job, Tiara was helping because she wanted to hear the citizens' voices. Other tasks included reports on public facilities needing repair, security concerns, and more. Understanding the citizens' thoughts about the kingdom made this work very rewarding.

As the three of them, Tiara Roses, Aquasteed, and Elliot, were working, a strong light suddenly shone through the window.

"Wh-What!?"

Surprised, they looked towards the window, but the cause wasn't immediately clear. Perhaps a knight was practicing magic, or maybe an incident had occurred. Elliot quickly checked outside, the garden, and the town, and finally looked up—his mouth dropped open.

"Elliot?"

Noticing Elliot's unusual reaction, Tiara Roses and Aquasteed spoke in unison. Looking up, they saw a glowing ring floating in the sky, shimmering with light particles.

"I'd like to go check it out, but it's impossible to reach that high. I'll have the knights patrol the castle and the town to ensure there are no abnormalities."

"Alright, thank you."

Even though Elliot was an excellent aide, it was impractical to investigate a ring floating high in the sky. Tiara Roses stared at it, wondering what was happening. According to the history of Marine Forest she had studied, there was no precedent for this.

—Could it be a game event?

However, she hadn't heard about this from Akari or Olivia, and the strategy guide she found at the villa didn't mention a glowing ring in the sky. This suggested an irregular development, like when Ferres and Liliage appeared. In the original game, the plan was to defeat the monster Liliage and reach the ending, but Liliage had been saved.

Perhaps there was a new game route.

◇ ◇ ◇

Days passed without identifying the cause of the glowing ring. The knights' investigations revealed no specific damage or affected areas. When they asked the fairies, they responded with a warm, "It's a pretty ring!" Everyone began to think it wasn't harmful.

A crown appeared to bless the next king, Aquasteed! No one knew who said it first, but the rumor spread quickly, and the town buzzed with the idea that the ring was a blessing for Aquasteed's ascension.

"Rumors are troublesome."

"That's just how much Aquasteed is supported. However, it's difficult to accept it openly with the king still present..."

Aquasteed sighed and leaned his head on Tiara Roses' shoulder. They were in a carriage heading to the central square, where a report said the symbol on the fountain was glowing. They hoped to find clues about the ring.

"These past few days have been busy, and I've missed you, Tiara..."

"Aquasteed..."

She smiled at his affectionate tone. Tiara leaned into Aquasteed, and the warmth from his shoulder was comforting, making her want to stay like this forever.

"Do you feel the same, Tiara?"

"!"

Aquasteed chuckled mischievously, playing with her honey-pink hair. He kissed her temple, eyes, and cheeks, finally landing on her soft, pale pink lips.

"Mm..."

"Or is it enough?"

After the kiss, she was close to Aquasteed's golden eyes, her heart racing. "Enough" was a difficult concept; no matter how much she was satisfied by Aquasteed, her greedy self would always want more.

They were close enough for another kiss, and since they were alone, Tiara wrapped her arms around Aquasteed's neck and kissed him gently. He embraced her tenderly, and they shared several kisses.

"...Ah, ugh, that was long, Aquasteed."

"Was it?"

By the time they finished, Tiara was leaning against Aquasteed, exhausted. He seemed unfazed, typical of the main character in the game. They arrived at the square, where the fountain's symbol was reported to be glowing.

To prevent any incidents, the area was cordoned off, and only Elliot and Tarmo were allowed to join the investigation. A guard stood at the entrance to the restricted area.

They went straight to the fountain and the glowing symbol. The usually bustling square was empty and felt desolate. The fountain, with statues of forest, sea, and sky fairies, symbolized the town's blessing.

"Ah, the symbol is really glowing..."

—Hmm?

"It seems to be related to the ring."

The symbol was at the base of the fairy statues, usually hidden by water. Tiara recognized it immediately.

—It's the game's logo!

She remembered that this square was the starting point mentioned in Olivia's strategy guide.

—So, this is definitely a game event?

This square, with the game's logo, was where players and characters often met for dates and where many events occurred. Despite the seriousness, she felt excited about the possibility of an event.

"Elliot, turn off the fountain's water."

"Yes, sir!"

Aquasteed gave the order, and Elliot switched off the fountain. The symbol became clearer, and they noticed an additional message.

—Japanese!?

Tiara, standing behind Aquasteed, held her breath. The others probably thought it was a pattern or design. She slowly approached and read the message.

"Pray with the rings of the forest, sea, sky, and star king, without anyone knowing."

Tiara had three of the king's rings. Aquasteed wore the ring of the sky fairy king. She didn't know what would happen if she collected all of them, but it seemed necessary to proceed. She could ask Aquasteed for help, but there was a rule that she couldn't reveal the information.

"The symbol is glowing, but we can't determine its meaning. This is likely related to the ring, but it's unprecedented..."

"We should record this and return."

"..."

Elliot recorded the symbol's shape and glow, while Aquasteed stood still, deep in thought.

"Aquasteed..."

"Don't worry, everything is fine."

He smiled reassuringly.

"..."

Tiara sensed that Aquasteed was hiding something. She had spent years close to him and could read his expressions. When he was in deep thought, his blinking decreased, indicating he had reached a conclusion. Conversely, when he was anxious, his blinking increased. Currently, Aquasteed seemed calm.

—What is he thinking?

"Aquasteed, is there anything I can do? I might be able to help."

"Thank you, Tiara. But for now... no, it's fine."

"...?"

His response confirmed that he knew something about the square. "For now" suggested he was aware of an upcoming event.

—Is it something he can't tell Elliot or me?

Or was it related to the Japanese message? Tiara's mind was filled with questions.

Even after Elliot finished recording and they returned, Tiara's concerns remained. The Japanese message particularly bothered her. She wondered if Aquasteed was struggling because he couldn't read Japanese and didn't know what to do. If that was the case, her course of action was clear.