章節 22: Chapter Twenty-one: A Day With You
On the way to the monastery, many wide eyes were turned toward a particular pair. The two walked side by side, not exchanging any words. Yet, there was a certain sweet air around them.
Amethely, their saint, was as elegant and graceful as usual. Her soft smile caused hearts to skip and their chests to tingle with warmth. Although it was common to see her wander the streets and talk to the vendors, people often tried not to bother her.
If she wasn't in the monastery, she was off duty, and nobody wanted to trouble her by walking up to her during her free time. Those who tried were often turned away warmly by her, or a nearby guard had to intervene.
The worst case was when she'd just become a saint two years ago when many would openly propose to her. Some persisted and tried to touch her, but when they realized they were on the ground, restrained with hands behind their backs, they realized there was a reason she didn't have guards around her.
She would apologize for restraining them but at the same time gently scold them for trying to invade personal space suddenly and for being persistent after being turned down.
So, when they saw her with a youthful black-haired foreigner, their eyes practically jumped out of their sockets. His expression lacked any expression. His eyes were slightly on the cold side despite being a warm golden color.
Just like the saint, he walked with poise, matching her pace. And while there weren't many words exchanged between him and the saint, their eyes couldn't have been more obvious.
Occasionally, Amethely glanced at Alum, when he noticed, he flashed her a warm smile. Naturally, a soft smile surfaced on her face as well. From outside, the two looked like a couple. They exchanged shy glances and soft smiles.
However, back in the park, the two were flustered messes. Amethely had composed herself after taking a few deep breaths, and Alum was already calm; it would remain that way as long as Amethely didn't unintentionally stir his heart. He glanced at her and calmly spoke.
"You're a lot calmer now."
A faint blush appeared on Amethely's face. She smiled a little and closed her eyes. "Nn, I am," she giggled lightly. "You know, I am like this usually." At her own statement, she leaned her head to the side, blinking innocently with a smile.
Alum remained silent for a moment. Of course, he knew how calm and collected she usually was. He didn't need to spend a lot of time with her to know that—and at the banquet, he knew based on how she interacted with the other guests.
"I'll be honest," he chuckled softly. "I never saw you as a saint—but I can see it now," he teased.
"Mhm," Amethely pouted, narrowing her eyes subtly. "That's true… To you, I must've been a strange girl you happened to meet at a park. But I'm glad."
"You're glad?" Alum replied, almost inexpressive.
"Nn. To you, I wasn't a saint but a girl." Amethely covered her mouth slightly and giggled. "Ehe~hehe. It was like fate," she added.
"…Fate, huh? Sure. But a girl, you say?"
"—Huh?" Amethely stopped, her eyes widened in surprise. "S-so… I was just weird—o-or did you think I was a boy?" she inquired, her lips pressed together as her eyes shook.
"It was a joke," Alum replied nonchalantly.
Amethely's eyes narrowed. "Meanie," she said, turning the other way. "It's really difficult to tell. You're not the most expressive I've met," she protested.
"Pfft… I suppose I'm often told that. Hence, I sometimes jest."
Amethely glanced his way. "Huh? To see others perplexed?" she inquired with a complicated look.
"Yeah," Alum calmly shrugged.
"…That's bad taste—you really are a meanie. Hmhp." Amethely softly huffed, turning her head yet stealing glances from the corner of her eyes.
Mm, they really are sisters—Chely reacts similarly whenever Noel teases her.
"That was a jest as well—I think you're very, p-pretty," Alum flashed her a smile, his eyes gentle—ugh… I stumbled… How come I'm able to compliment others so easily, but words get stuck in my throat as soon as it's her?"
"Wh-why you… Meanie!" she rebuked, hitting his arm lightly in protest. "B-but… thank you—and you're co-cool, too… I guess," she uttered.
"…" Alum blushed a little.
"…" But so was Amethely.
At this point, the passerby knew of their banter. They couldn't help but chuckle as they'd never seen their saint this expressive. In their eyes, Amethely was a warm and gentle saint. She was elegant and graceful, so they felt compelled to support their budding connection.
But at the same time, it was odd that Amethely's other suitors didn't approach them actively. Instead, they seemed to be frozen in place, presumably from shock.
However, little did they know Alum used his residual powers to root them in place. Even though his telekinetic abilities were far weaker than they once were, it was enough for those fools. After all, he was once a proud esper. It was perhaps a little petty. Nevertheless, he glared at them coldly—don't bother, his eyes said.
"Al? What's wrong?" Amethely tilted her head—he did something to them, but what exactly? She wondered, glancing toward the few stunned individuals.
Alum scratched his cheek, still wearing his inexpressive demeanor. "Nothing," he replied calmly, raising his shoulder slightly.
…
..
When they arrived at the monastery, Amethely smiled at the gatekeepers and informed them of something as they welcomed her back. They also greeted Alum. But as Amethely walked through the gates, she noticed that Alum had stopped, and the guards looked equally perplexed.
"Al?"
Alum glanced at her and the guards. "I apologize. I need to call my guards," he replied softly.
"I see. But I've already informed the gatekeepers," she smiled warmly. "Though, I presume it would be best to summon then," she giggled lightly.
The guards looked at one another, nodding before speaking up. "Please, go ahead," they said.
"Thank you," Alum bowed slightly, resting a hand on his chest.
He then raised his arm, put up two fingers, then five, then three—a gesture to call his shadow guards. A few seconds passed, and two beastmen in military uniforms appeared. They looked relieved, he called, because behind the gates were sacred grounds.
"Thank you for summoning us."
"Thank you for your service. I will be spending the rest of my day with Saint Amethely," Alum said calmly, glancing at Amethely, who smiled brightly at his words.
The shadow guards nodded. "Understood," the replied, bowing.
Although they acted politely, they couldn't look at either Alum or Amethely—both were weighted down by guilt for having witnessed their tender moments.
The gatekeepers noticed their strange behavior. Although they didn't know what happened, they sympathized.
"Will you two also enter?"
One of the gatekeepers in lime-white heavy armor asked, his hand resting on the pommel of the enormous sword with intricate golden patterns standing upright. The soldiers placed their clenched fists on their hearts and their other palms flat behind their backs.
"Yes, we are to watch over Mister Alum—a direct order from The Head Command."
"Understood. Please be mindful and let The Primordial Light guide you," the gatekeeper replied, placing a flat right palm on his chest and bowing slightly. "You too, Mister Alum, we wish for a wonderful visit."
"Thank you."
After exchanging formalities, Alum walked up to Amethely with the guards slightly behind them.
"I've never seen you so polite before, hehe," Amethely teased, closing her eyes as she walked with hands behind her back.
"On the offense, are we?"
Amethely stuck out her tongue playfully yet shyly.
"Well, I wanted to tease you too."
Alum glanced at her from the side. "Really?" he inquired. He then shrugged. "Of course, I can be polite and adhere to protocol. Still, you're rather lively."
"Hmph," Amethely huffed, pouting as she leaned forward and glanced his way. "They've seen my most embarrassing moments already. Besides, it's not like I'm hiding anything." She then turned to the guards. "Right?" she inquired, blushing a little.
As if blasted with a beam of celestial light, the guards gulped. "Yes, it is, as Lady Saint says. Although she is widely known for her elegance and grace, at times also clumsy and awk—I mean, mostly of the time, warm and caring." The guard stopped himself as his married co-worker pinched his back.
"See…" Amethely averted her gaze from both Alum and the guards, almost wanting to cry—she, in fact, did shed a tear inwardly.
Amused, Alum covered his mouth slightly with his fist. "Sure," he chuckled.
"Meanie…"
"…"
"…"
As they continued to make their way to the public building, sisters and paladins passed by, they greeted them, welcoming Alum and the guards. They eventually entered the colossal building ahead. There were other visitors. Some came to pray or tour around as there were many artworks and texts from ancient times. But some of them had come to see Amethely herself, although from a distance.
The inside was spacious, supported by rounded lime-white pillars with runes carved into them; the floor was also engraved with similar runes. The texture was mat and non-reflective and surprisingly, no echo. It was more quiet but serene.
Colorful, illuminating trees had grown, vines and leaves cradle the pillars. White giant birds chirped, flying between their nests and the outside world. Not only that, there was no actual ceiling. The transparent barrier would pulsate each time the birds with different colored tail feathers in and out.
"Those birds…"
Sensing Alum's curious murmurs, Amethely's chest clenched, seeing his childlike wonder. "Luschna," she called one of the birds down.
The bird twice their height came down, tilting its head side to side while curiously looking at them. Its amethyst tail feathers rustled, and sparks of purple light formed different geometric shapes.
"Al, you're curious, right? Want to pat her?" Amethely adorably inquired with a smug look on her face.
"Is that alright?"
"Nn, her feathers are smooth and soft," Amethely replied as she looked into Luschna's eyes while patting her.
"Prii~" the bird chirped, closing its eyes while leaning into Amethely's touch.
"…" The two guards were sweating profusely.
Alum might've accelerated his knowledge far above his peers about this world, but most of that knowledge was more related to the military and society as a whole. But Alum didn't have their common sense, so he walked up next to Amethely and gently placed his hand on the bowing bird's head.
"Prii~Piir~" it nuzzled against his palm.
"It's cute," Alum commented, smiling warmly as he stroked it gently.
Amethely giggled as she glanced at him, seeing as his eyes twinkled in delight. "She is, isn't she?" she replied.
"Mm, she is."
"…"
Even though it wasn't stated anywhere, it was widely known that one did not casually pet Divine Glint Birds. Even the staff and public were awed by the sigh—these birds wouldn't let anyone but paladins, clerics, or sisters touch them, yet a wanderer did.
..
After the tour of the public places within the monastery, the guards were told to rest since they didn't need to guard Alum since he'd be entering the main building further in. Just like the military, The Kilenloth Order quarter was like a small city.
But instead of people in military uniforms, there were clerics in robes, paladins in light/heavy armor, and sisters in long modest dresses—similar to what Amethely was wearing.
The area was filled with lush, well-kept flora around the lime-white roads. Small creatures occasionally ran onto the road to cross to the other side. Flowing water rushed as they walked on the bridge until they eventually arrived at the old monastery, where visitors seldom enter.
"Am I really allowed in here?"
Amethely giggled when she heard his inquiry. "It's a little late to ask, don't you think?" she returned the question playfully.
"Perhaps," Alum chuckled. "Now what?" he asked.
"Hm~ you'll spend the day with me?" Amethely tilted her head, poking her cheek as she smiled.
"Well… yeah," Alum replied—how cute isn't she? His heart throbbed, troubled by how unfairly adorable she was being.
"Well, I'm free in the mornings, but it's lunch soon—hey, Al, are you hungry?"
"A little, why?"
"I usually train a little with the paladins after lunch. W-will you join me?" Amethely asked, tugging his sleeve.
"Why wouldn't I? I'm here to spend time with you—so, whatever you're doing, I'll do it too," Alum answered. He averted his gaze and scratched his cheek, which was hot to the touch.
"R-really?" Amethely's eyes widened, and a bright smile tugged on her rosy face.
"Really—"
At that moment, Alum didn't know what he was getting himself into.
..
A while later, Alum found himself drenched in sweat with a deadpan face, holding back the need to gasp for air. Never did he expect to be wearing a light-fabric white hoodie with pinkish-purple trims and sweatpants made to match.
Amethely, who ran beside him, wore the same clothes and blushed since Alum had borrowed one of her many adjustable sets of sportswear.
The paladins running with them were equally tired and perplexed by the sight—the wanderer who joined them on their exercise was dying just as much as they were, while their saint blushed without showing a sign of fatigue, not even looking ahead as she kept glancing at the wanderer.
But as soon as they didn't look at one another, the wanderer displayed the face of a corpse. Then again, the trainee paladins were in the same boat. Some of them were on the verge of collapse, and others had their eyes spinning while gasping for air.
How did I get here? Alum wondered. His muscles were burning, and he was sore all over again—it was like his lungs were about to pop, too!
And it all started around lunch. Everyone was curious about Alum and had surrounded him and Amethely, mostly asking about Alum's world as they didn't want to intrude on their budding relationship except to ask how they met. Of course, not every detail was spilled.
After that, the trainee paladins went to get changed. Amethely also lent him her sportswear.
"It suits you!" Amethely expressed shyly as she clapped her hands together.
Alum blushed a little at her compliment—it smells nice like her… his mind swirled.
But seeing how Alum sniffed the collar a little, she got self-conscious and hid behind her hands. "P-please don't sniff," she let out a small whimper.
"Oh… um, sorry. But it smells nice."
Amethely peeked out through her fingers. "Really?" she asked shyly.
"Mm, really."
"…"
"…"
"E-ehehe~ is that so?" She laughed sheepishly while burying her face in her palm.
I want to die, Alum thought while gently smiling—he, too, wanted to hide.
"Al, can you tie my hair for me?" Amethely requested shyly.
"Sure."
As he heaved a deep sigh, he tied her hair with the silk red ribbon. He had conflicted feelings about it. On one hand, he was glad she kept it. On the other hand, it almost seemed like something insignificant to keep—but Amethely seemed to really like it, so he refrained from mentioning anything.
They then headed out to the vacant grounds when he finished tying her hair into a braided ponytail. The trainees were already there, standing in formation. In front of them was Amethely and another paladin named Civalt.
Civalt, the paladin with snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes covered in silver armor with a white cloak accented by ice-blue seams—hinting at his days as a Frost Knight in the north. Despite his middle-aged look, Civalt was quite old, ninety-eight, to be precise.
"Today, Lady Saint will just us again—but we also have a special guest!" Civalt voiced, his tone stern yet caring. "We will be joined by Mister Alum, a wanderer affiliated with the military—thus, behave!"
The paladins shouted. "Yes, Sir!" then turned toward Alum and Amethely, bowing their heads with a hand on their chest.
Then, Alum received an amulet with a blue spherical crystal on it—he saw Amethely put it on, and the paladins did the same. Although he didn't know what it was, he soon found out.
As he put the amulet around his neck, his whole body became significantly heavier, and his mana flow was practically gone from his muscle—if the orange amulet regulated mana, then the blue cut it off altogether while acting as weights.
"…"
Alum silently glanced at Amethely, who smiled happily—she'd be jogging with her crush. But he already knew how this was going to end, so… the best thing to do was to grit his teeth and prepare for the worst.
..
Occasionally, Amethely would glance at Alum while jogging, matching his pace. She couldn't help but look his way. From the way his soft-looking hair fluttered in the wind and the way sweat from his forehead ran down his cheek to his chin and neck—she couldn't help it.
At that moment, she distanced herself a little—she realized how sweaty she was, too, but Alum unconsciously kept their distance the same.
I wanna be close—nooo, I don't! I sweat and probably smell—no, wait. I do wanna be close—urhgh??! I don't knooow!
Later, after they entered the forest path, her mind became clearer. The scent of nature and the fresh air kept her from looking at the person she was absolutely infatuated with. Then, they reached an open area where they'd begin sparring.
Of course, the five paladins that often challenged Amethely also did so today. But today was special—Alum was joining them today, so she had to show him her cool side—except.
"Al… um, why are you with them…?"
On the other side, beside the five paladins, was Alum, who was finally able to breathe after removing the amulet.
"Well…" he scratched his cheek and looked at the others. "I'm a trainee, too?" He was but in the military.
"…"
"…"
Just like that, Amethely drew her practice sword. She couldn't shake off the feeling she was being set up by someone. They also seemed to know Alum was her weakness and that she wouldn't want to hurt him, even in a spar.
Meanwhile, Alum surrounded himself with the five paladins—Isa, the spear wielder; Solfie, the light mage; Voltz, the shadow mage; Mekkhan, the archer; and finally, Sharan, the vanguard.
"How does she usually fight?" Alum inquired calmly.
"Well…" Sharan sighed. "Lady Saint is overwhelmingly powerful, so even when we strategize and coordinate our attacks, she improvises…"
"Yeah, and she's a Blademaster. I can barely hold her for a second in close combat," Isa hung her head.
"I know the feeling…" Sharan sighed yet again.
"Her spatial awareness is also…" Mekkhan paused—he was about to say monstrous, but he couldn't say that since she was a saint, not a monster. "Is also unmatched by us…" he managed to finish the sentence.
"And we can't really restrain her either…" Voltz added.
Solfie tugged his sleeve. "Voltz… we try again…" she said.
Although Solfie was rather inexpressive, the other four found her endearing. Voltz patted her head as she leaned on his chest.
"Okay, we'll keep trying."
"You guys make me jealous…" Isa groaned.
Instantly, the two became flustered. Mekkhan joined in on the teasing, too. "Yeah, what Isa said. Get a room, you two!" he exclaimed
"…You're all so immature," Sharan exasperated while facepalming.
"And that's why you're the vanguard!" the others exclaimed cheerfully.
"Pfft…" Alum couldn't help but chuckle at their banter. "I see, then. May I make a suggestion?" he raised his voice slightly.
The five turned to Alum and heard him out—
"You're kidding, right?!" they all exclaimed—you do like-like her, right?! They shouted in their minds after hearing his absurd idea.
Alum tilted his head. "No, I'm serious," he bluntly replied.
Thus, they reluctantly agreed. The plan was to cover for him—simple enough. But what came after was…
As they finished the planning, they turned toward Amethely, who'd been hugging her knees and drawing circles on the ground, pouting—it was an effective strategy, they thought; they were left speechless at the pitiful sight.
But when she stood back up and readied herself, adjusting her sportswear, looking elegant with a sword stance.
"…"
Ever since Amethely declared she fell in love, they couldn't fully get used to her duality—clumsy yet graceful. Either way, they got into formation, guarding Alum.
They're on the defensive side today, Amethely thought to herself.
But soon, her eyes widened as Alum released a massive burst of condensed mana, indicating a large-scale instantaneous spell or elemental manipulation if enough mana was gathered—her instinct told her to knock him out as soon as possible.
In a split moment, she dashed toward Alum but was halted by Solfie and Voltz's barriers. She clenched her teeth and tackled through each barrier. Her speed decreased only by a little.
—Yeah, I figured there was a reason I never saw her with guards… but even with a broken mana foundation, isn't this too much?
That's right. Alum was aware Amethely couldn't use mana in her current state, but he couldn't help but gulp as she rapidly closed the distance—she was far stronger than he anticipated.
Meanwhile, as the barriers slowed Amethely's movements, charged lightning arrows soared her way. She dodged each with ease—last time, she had no choice but to direct the arrows away from her, but it led to her practice sword cracking.
Isa sighed and dashed toward the saint. She had no choice but to engage with Amethely as she was getting too close; this time, Sharan couldn't back her up. If Amethely decided to ignore them, then their backline would suffer.
Although all paladins are inherently adept in melee combat, some just prefer spellcasting or archery. So if she got to them—she'd rip them apart.
—Cling!
Isa's divine spear clashed with the practice blade—she was forced to block. Her whole body was so heavy from the strike she had to muster all her strength while gritting her teeth—even with [Mana Reinforce], Amethely's blow was almost too heavy.
But then, Amethely changed her grip, slid her sword—shiiiiiink, adjusting it as she had the flat side running along her arm, jumping over Isa. As Isa spun to turn toward Amethely, she received a powerful kick in the abdomen, sending her flying. She'd momentarily stunned the others with her absurd acrobatics. Even Alum's eyes widened—wow… she's so cool… he thought.
"Ugh—" Isa gasped as she tumbled on the ground.
"H-hey! Mister Alum, it isn't the time to be falling in love again!" Solfie exclaimed, shaking him. But as she did, she felt a shiver down her spine.
"Is it just me, or did she increase her speed?" Voltz gulped.
"…"
But then, the sky turned dark—above them was a massive block of ice covering the entire barrier they were sparring inside.
"—Huh?" The paladins were stunned. "Th-that wasn't the plan! You were supposed to cover the entire field with water!" they exclaimed.
"I am, but I also had to improvise," Alum calmly said.
"…"
At that moment, Voltz panicked and pulled Isa inside their barrier through [Shadow Path] as the giant block of ice descended.
Amethely, who'd finally reached them, stood outside of Sharan [Reinforced Bastion], Voltz, and Solfie's powerful [Light & Shadow Barrier]. Her eyes shook as they met Alum's gaze. Hit with a pang of guilt. Alum averted his eyes—he couldn't bear the guilt because it looked like she was saying, 'Please let me in,' as if she was a lost puppy.
However, she wasn't going to admit defeat—she clenched her sword and took a deep breath, looking up at the descending ice block—shhiiing! Without hesitation, she'd jumped toward the heavy ice block and sliced it, then followed it up with a powerful kick to shatter it all—only for water to spill out of the giant cube—as it turned out, it wasn't entirely solid.
"…"
Amethely instantly turned to Alum; glistering shards of ice shone behind her beautifully alongside blue, glowing water. However, her eyes were blank and devoid of light. Slowly, her cheeks puffed. Yet again, Alum averted his gaze, his chest ridden with guilt.
—SPLAAASH!!!
After it all crashed down, the sparring field was filled with water. Alum and the others floated to the surface unscathed as they stood silently on a platform made of ice. There was foam from Isa's mouth as she was lying unconscious on Mekkhan's lap. Nobody said a thing. But they all thought—you're in love with Lady Saint, RIGHT!? You do like her, RIGHT?! They exclaimed inside their heads.
Meanwhile, Amethely was underwater, standing there, soaked all the way through. She looked up and saw a platform to stand on—thus, she made her way to the surface. But as she was about to get on, it melted instantly—it meant that Alum liquefied it the moment she got up.
"…"
Yet again, she allowed herself to sink to the bottom—Al, you meanie… she sulked, clenching her blade.
—On the surface. Dead silence as they glared at the wanderer, who was hugging his knees. Repeating, 'I'm sorry, Ame," over and over again as he drew circles on the ice.
"…"
But then—BOOOM! The water erupted and was cleaved in two. Thus, the others sank to the bottom with her.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票