A year quietly slipped by.
Ritter held nothing back.
Almost everything he had learned was poured into the girl's mind.
And the girl was a genius.
Perhaps she had sensed that their separation was approaching.
Ritter noticed that the little girl beside him had changed a great deal.
She was no longer the silent, hollow-eyed girl who only knew how to clutch his clothes.
She was no longer numb.
She had started smiling.
She had even begun imitating Ritter's slightly shameless tone of voice.
And the more she learned from him, the more shameless she became herself.
Before, Ritter could clearly feel her absolute dependence on him.
Not extreme dependence.
Absolute dependence.
But now, she was gradually becoming more like him.
She still clung to him, of course.
But within that dependence, there was now a deliberate attempt at independence.
It was almost as if she were trying to tell him,
Look. I can take care of myself.
You can leave without worrying.
What a...
Stupid little girl.
"Captain."
One day, she imitated Ritter's usual lazy tone and poked him.
"Hey, hey, hey, Captain. That 'Illusion' you taught me yesterday? I think I can use it now."
She sounded incredibly smug.
"Easy peasy."
Ritter did not even turn his head.
"Oh? If I remember correctly, it took you an entire month to learn it."
The girl puffed out her cheeks and stared at him.
"Captain, please don't say things that damage team unity."
"Ha-ha. Fine. Then how about our vice-captain gives me a demonstration?"
The next second, he felt someone lightly tap his shoulder.
Ritter turned around.
A "girl" was standing in the distance, making a face at him.
The real girl had silently appeared on his other side.
Her ice-blue eyes sparkled with the smug satisfaction of a successful prank.
"Tch."
Ritter raised an eyebrow.
He reached out and pinched her slightly chubby cheek.
"Not bad, little one."
"You've already learned how to fool your captain?"
The girl pouted as he pinched her cheek.
"Mmph... I saw it, so it's mine..."
Ritter froze.
His fingers pressed a little harder.
"I've said so many profound and stylish things, and that's what you chose to remember?"
If it gets lost, then let it get lost.
Ritter immediately burst out laughing.
He vigorously ruffled her hair.
"You little brat! So you've been waiting for me to say that!"
"The little one's personality is really getting good!"
Finally, the energy-link system was completely stabilized.
Everything was ready.
Deep within the ruins, a transparent "cabinet" stood quietly.
It had been constructed from pure energy and was lined with soft padding inside.
Ritter led the girl to the hibernation chamber.
For once, the atmosphere was unusually quiet.
Ritter gently picked her up and placed her inside.
His movements were softer than ever before.
He carefully brushed the ice-blue strands of hair from her forehead.
His voice was also gentler than usual.
"Get some sleep, little one."
"When you wake up, we'll meet again in the future."
He paused.
"However, because of the rules of time and space, my memories of this place might become blurry after I return to the future."
"I might even forget what you look like."
"But I believe..."
He looked into her ice-blue eyes.
"Whether I remember you or not, the moment you appear in front of me, you'll still become my vice-captain."
"That is our promise."
"Of course, by then, it'll depend on your own ability."
"You'll have to earn the recognition of my crew without taking the back door."
"But I believe in you."
"Don't I?"
Vite listened quietly.
She did not immediately turn red-eyed like she had a year ago.
Instead, the corners of her lips still carried the shallow, mischievous smile she had developed after becoming more cheerful.
"Mm."
She answered softly.
Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she tilted her head and asked with a bright smile,
"Captain, what is your full name?"
"I've never known."
Ritter was momentarily stunned by the sudden question.
It was somewhat like Gild Tesoro.
People who knew him well simply called him Tesoro.
Likewise, everyone had always called Ritter simply Ritter.
So Vite had always felt that he should have some kind of name before it.
Ritter answered,
"Ritter."
"That's my whole name."
"Ritter is my surname, and the other part is my given name."
"I'm not from the Blue Sea, so names are structured a little differently where I come from."
"Ritter..."
"Ritter is the surname..."
Vite softly repeated it.
Her eyes curved into beautiful crescents.
She looked incredibly happy.
She remembered occasionally hearing the older women on Blubell Island chatting.
They had once said...
Vite raised her face.
Her smile became brilliant.
Ritter immediately sensed that the little brat was planning something.
Sure enough, her next words proved him right.
"Then from now on, I'll be Vite too!"
Ritter found her sudden declaration a little strange.
But it was just a name.
Naturally, he had no reason to object.
In fact, he thought it suited her rather well.
He nodded.
"Vite?"
"Not bad."
He then began explaining all the precautions she needed to take during hibernation.
How to draw in her energy.
How to put her consciousness into a deep sleep.
He kept rambling on and on.
But if Ritter had compared his current behavior to the past...
Those feelings had already gone beyond what one would feel for family.
Vite simply listened quietly.
Her ice-blue eyes never left him.
They were filled with tiny fragments of light.
And a kind of tenderness Ritter had never seriously examined before.
Just as Ritter leaned over to perform one final check on the energy interface...
Something unexpected happened!
Vite suddenly reached out.
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down with all her strength!
Ritter had never expected her to do something like this.
Or rather, he had never once guarded against the girl.
The little brat spent almost half of every day curled up in his arms.
He had long since become completely used to her.
Caught off guard, Ritter was pulled down.
The next second...
A cool, soft sensation pressed against his lips.
Light.
Brief.
Ritter's mind went completely blank for a moment.
By the time he reacted, Vite had already released his collar and lay back down.
Her cheeks were bright red.
But her eyes were unusually clear and determined.
There was a shy, triumphant glint in them.
And an unbelievable amount of seriousness.
She stared directly at Ritter's stunned face.
"I'll come find you."
Her voice was not loud.
But every word struck directly against Ritter's heart.
"My darling."
Before Ritter could respond, she reached out herself and pressed the button on the inside of the chamber.
"Bzzzz..."
The transparent chamber cover slowly closed.
Soft light began to shine.
The inside was completely sealed off from the outside world.
Vite smiled at him one last time.
Then she slowly closed her eyes.
Ritter stood frozen in place.
The cool sensation on his lips, carrying the faintest hint of sweetness, seemed to linger.
His first kiss was gone?
Someone bring out the fireworks!
Ritter had lived for almost sixty years, and he had finally lost his first kiss?!
Ritter: Damn, that's such a filthy way to put it.
He stared blankly at the girl's peaceful sleeping face inside the chamber.
Only after a delay did his heart begin pounding violently.
So that was it...
Those dependent hugs.
Those quiet "good mornings" when she woke up.
The silent companionship.
The way she had desperately tried to become stronger so he would not worry about leaving her behind...
Without him realizing it, those feelings had quietly grown into something else.
Something he had never seriously considered.
Something that had already taken root deep within him.
In her eyes...
In her entire world...
There had only ever been him.
"This little brat..."
Ritter subconsciously touched his lips.
He muttered the words under his breath.
Yet there was not the slightest trace of anger in his voice.
Instead, there was a complicated emotion he himself had not yet noticed.
A faint tremor.
And a hint of sweetness.
Ritter looked at the sleeping Vite.
In the end, he merely shook his head.
"Fine..."
"I'll be waiting."
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