Rain fell in silvery threads from a leaden sky, draping the whole town in a soft, misty veil.
Their commission was in Oak City, in the kingdom's northeast. It was a bit of a trek from here, but by train or a magic car it would take less than half a day.
Except—
"Are we… walking there?"
Outside the town, Roland looked over the emerald fields and the tall, dense forest beyond and couldn't help asking.
Even if they didn't take a train, surely a carriage… was something they could rent, right?
"Since it's your first time going out on a job, you should properly experience the journey itself…"
Levy scooted a little closer to dodge a drifting sprinkle, explaining at an easy pace.
"If we take the train, sure, we'd get there by afternoon—but the whole travel vibe would be gone!"
Her tone shifted, and she muttered under her breath.
And for a 'disperse the bandits' kind of job, with Roland's power it'd be over in minutes.
If they left in the morning and came back that night… what's the difference from not going at all?
"I see…"
Roland nodded in understanding.
This woman had clearly tossed the job out of her head and was thinking only about the trip to come.
Not that he minded—if the third task was what he suspected, he might be able to finish it tonight.
…
The rain soon stopped. Bright sunlight poured through the thinning mist and spilled across a nearby lake as blue and clear as glass.
It was already afternoon. Thanks to Taiyō Mahō (Sun Magic), Roland felt no fatigue at all—but Levy wasn't so lucky.
A bookish girl at heart, after six straight hours of hiking she was panting for breath.
She bent forward, her cute face flushed from exertion. Sweat pasted a few blue strands to her pale cheeks.
"I… I can't walk anymore. Can we rest a bit, please?"
Feeling her legs go wobbly, Levy hugged his arm, pitifully pleading.
She suddenly regretted her decision at the start.
This wasn't some light and sweet little trip—she'd just made trouble for herself!
"…"
Seeing her so woebegone and adorable, Roland fought down the twitch at the corner of his lips and turned to the lake.
He remembered he had a fishing task, too.
"Let's stop here for today. The scenery's nice anyway."
"Okay—"
Levy leaned against him and drew out the syllable, answering weakly.
They hadn't even made it halfway. It'd take at least another day on foot to reach Oak City.
Right… tomorrow they should rent a carriage.
She decided secretly.
"Dora…"
Sensing they'd stopped, Dora poked its head out from the travel pack behind them, rubbing sleepy eyes.
Seeing Dora awake, Roland pinched his chin and told it to use Sumoru Raito (Small Light) to pop into the guild and bring back a table and a couple of chairs.
"Dora, Dora." Dora nodded.
Then, to Levy's surprise, Dora pulled a Dokodemo Doa (Anywhere Door) from its pocket, opened it, and jumped straight in—
But didn't come out the other side…
"Is that… a magic tool too?"
"Nope, that's a science tool," Roland said, gently toweling her damp hair. "The ability is basically: it can go anywhere in the world."
"Amazing—that's basically a super powerful space magic!?"
This world had science as well, so Levy caught on quickly, but she still found it hard to believe.
It was hard to imagine a bunch of metal parts forming a tool with such a marvelous power.
While the girl stood dazed, Roland opened the travel pack and sorted through the contents.
As expected, there was only one tent.
At that moment, her thoughts were written all over her face.
"Ah, that's—"
Noticing his pensive expression, Levy guiltily averted her gaze and laughed dryly.
"Sorry, I forgot to bring the other tent…"
"I see. Then I guess I'll be sleeping outside tonight."
Seeing her expression, Roland sighed lightly.
"W-wait, actually… if we, um, squeeze in just a little, it should be fine."
Blurting it out, Levy's cheeks turned rosy. She slowly lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer until it was barely a whisper.
Why did she feel like she'd gone from hunter to prey?
But—this shy Levy-san was very cute.
Looking at the bashful girl before him, Roland took a deep breath and slowly leaned down toward her.
"…"
As if sensing what was coming, Levy placed both hands over her chest and gently closed her eyes. Her cherry-pink lips parted the tiniest bit, a faint breath escaping.
"Mmm—"
With a soft sound, her heartbeat quickened and blood seemed to boil in her veins. Her usually clear mind went blank, even a little dizzy.
All she could do was respond to him, passively.
They'd already been through this once, and yet she still couldn't help but sink into it again.
Opening her misty eyes, Levy steadied her increasingly quick breaths and, with a clumsy, very green tenderness, answered him back.
"How does it… feel…?"
As a gleam of silver thread broke in midair, Levy looped her arms around his neck. His reflection filled her amber eyes as she asked in a soft voice.
"Very cute."
Roland smiled, brushing the tousled strands at her temple back behind her ear.
"You know that's not what I'm asking…" Levy narrowed her eyes and grumbled, "And why are you so skilled at this, anyway!"
"Don't overthink it. You stole my first kiss."
"..."
It was true—but saying it out loud felt… weird somehow.
(End of Chapter)
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