Chapter 18: Aesc the Savior.
[And by five-thirty in the evening, the two of you smoothly returned to the foot of the mountain.]
[This climb to the summit consumed a great deal of your stamina, and your stomach had already begun to protest halfway through the journey.]
[Aesc seized this opportunity, eagerly showing you her well-practiced outdoor cooking skills.]
[She lit a campfire, used ingredients gathered along the way and a large pot to cook you a pot of stew that was both delicious and light, hoping you could finish it all.]
["I'm fine, but you absolutely must not eat food made by other Witch, it's very likely to be dangerous." She warned seriously.]
[You seriously asked back, "But aren't you a Savior now?"]
["Mm... that answer of yours is really cheating."]
[After hearing your counter-question, Aesc revealed a helpless smile mixed with both happiness and sadness.]
[Just like that, time passed, and the sky gradually grew dark...]
The sun slowly sank beyond the horizon, leaving only a faint streak of golden light.
The scorching midday sunlight had now turned into a warm, gentle glow, like the color of ripe grain. The forest beside you rustled softly, carrying a soothing and warm rhythm.
Aesc tied up her hair, fastening her ponytail high, revealing the smooth, fair nape of her neck. That appearance made her look both youthful and distinctly more mature.
The campfire burned brightly, the golden twilight shone down, and large handfuls of fallen leaves scattered wildly in the west wind.
At dusk, the young Eikou and Aesc sat together on the ground. The earth, covered in dry leaves, still retained the warmth of the sun.
"How does my cooking taste?"
Aesc propped her cheeks with both hands, putting on a calm front, but her eyes were full of anticipation as she looked at him.
"Very delicious."
Eikou set down the empty bowl in his hand and smiled as he answered.
"Ha ha, that's great then."
She smiled shyly, showing her teeth. "I was worried it wouldn't suit your taste. Since I don't like greasy food and meat, I deliberately made it rather light. I always had the feeling that even though you look very scholarly, you're actually the type who likes to eat heartily and loves meat and fish."
"That's true, but I like the stew you made even more!"
"Hehe..."
She bashfully touched the tip of her nose, then her tone suddenly became serious.
"Eikou, from now on you have to eat healthily, don't just randomly eat fast food. Otherwise your figure will be ruined, and your skin will get worse too. Most importantly, eating that kind of bad food will make you lose your will and spirit to move forward! I think eating fast food is behavior that does not meet the standards!"
"I… I'll try my best to do that."
Eikou nodded honestly.
Perhaps realizing that her words were a bit too strict, she quickly showed an embarrassed smile.
"Ha ha… sorry, did I talk too much? It seems like this isn't a topic that should be brought up on a date."
She nervously touched her cheek. "I've read scenes like this in books, things like going on a date with the person you like, but when you actually do it, it really is too hard. Forget it, I'm really not good at this."
"It's fine, I'm the same as you."
Eikou said gently, lightly taking hold of her slender, cool, slightly trembling hand.
A warm breeze softly blew past.
That breeze gently lifted Aesc's soft blond hair, brushed past the cute blue ribbon on her braid, and carried with it the heat of summer, making her small face slightly flush red.
"Umu… it seems my earlier thought really wasn't an illusion after all."
After quite a long while, she softly spoke.
"What thought?"
"The feeling that you're very easy to bully… Ehem, I mean you're a bit lacking in vigilance. When I'm beside you, I can't help but have thoughts like [Uwaa~ I can't take it anymore, how about turning you into a gemstone and wearing you on me all the time]. As expected, I really want to do that to you."
"Don't seriously say such terrifying thoughts out loud, at the Savior stage you already have such strong yandere vibes?!"
"Ha ha ha."
Seeing his somewhat flustered reaction, Aesc burst into cheerful laughter.
She looked toward the end of the horizon, where the setting sun left behind only a faint trace of twilight.
Aesc fell silent for a moment.
"I really like this kind of atmosphere," she said calmly. "Sitting in front of a campfire as night is about to fall, chatting with someone close, laughter, noise, warmth — all of these are things I love."
"As long as you're happy."
"Umu umu, there's still a little time left, allow me to say one last thing to you."
She looked into his dark eyes and spoke softly.
"The version of me when I was still young, that is, during the time of the Rain Witch, should have already told you this. We were able to observe what happens to you, parallel possibilities, or even futures that might come to pass. But unfortunately, my current Spirit Origin has been covered by blood and has gradually lost that ability, so I can no longer clearly see what your future will be like."
"So what I want to say is this: no matter whether you become worse in the future or still keep this gentleness, it's all fine. Just live as someone who remains steadfast in their own thoughts."
A high and gentle wind blew past, a ray of light falling upon her small, gentle face. In her eyes, there seemed to be something brilliant and dazzling.
"Just like me. No matter how far I may fall in the future, my goal has never changed — that is, to create a Utopia without conflict. Only this is the radiant milestone that Aesc the Savior has held onto until the very end."
As she said this, she paused slightly, revealing a bright smile mixed with sadness, yet without any regret.
"Alright, I'll stop here."
"So, are you satisfied with my date today? Have you engraved my appearance at this moment deeply into your memory? This is what I tried my best to show you — a moment that I once experienced, once loved deeply, but have forever lost."
A complex and intense emotion suddenly flooded Eikou's heart, countless words pressing up to his lips.
There were too many things he wanted to say, too many things he wanted to do for her — to comfort the girl before him, to encourage her, or to shed tears for her sake.
But the Savior Aesc before him was, after all, only an illusion, a record upon the Throne of Heroes, and also a youthful dream once held by the Queen of Fairy Kingdom.
The only thing he could do was offer her his respect and his blessing.
"Mm… I will never forget you."
Eikou looked at the blond girl before him and said so.
"That's good then, I will never forget you either."
Savior Aesc received an answer that satisfied her, smiled, and then lightly nodded.
"Time is almost up, we should also set off toward the next stop. Besides, there's one very important thing I still want to say to you…"
The blond girl shyly pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
"I like you."