A sea of flowers stretched on both sides. Whenever a gentle breeze swept through, carrying the floral fragrance with it, it stirred up a vibrant ripple of colors all around.
Lefiya gazed at the two figures ahead and voiced her conjecture:
"You can consider this my inner monologue, but I think... Riveria-sama has romantic feelings for Bell Cranel..."
"Lefiya, are you serious? From the War Game, the boy certainly displayed heroic qualities, but he's not only human—he's pursuing a harem..."
Making the noble Riveria-sama part of a harem?! Just imagining it made Alicia's anger flare. It wasn't just her; any sane Elf would be against such a thing. In the worst case, it might even provoke an Elf hunt. Alicia believed this could never happen unless every female elf in the world fell for the boy.
"But... if Riveria-sama really wishes for this, we would have to support her..." Ryuu responded softly, her loyalty to the High Elf unwavering. The next moment, she wore a conflicted expression.
"Hmm... not just Astraea and Syr, but even Riveria herself... Whose side should I take?"
"..."
Lefiya gave an awkward chuckle. She'd only mentioned it casually, never expecting the two beside her to be so troubled.
"Actually, it's just my intuition... You don't have to take it seriously. This is absolutely impossible. Hmm, Riveria-sama wouldn't be charmed by a permanently horny rabbit. That's right, it must be like this...?"
Lefiya's smile froze on her face. She stared at the pair ahead, blinking in disbelief. At the far end of her gaze, white and green blossoms swayed in the breeze, like Riveria and Bell, whispering softly to each other. The soft sunlight fell on them, etching the scene into the stillness. Surrounded by a sea of flowers, warmed by a gentle breeze, Bell tenderly stroked her emerald-green hair, fastening a natural hairpin adorned with blossoms beneath that godlike, peerless figure.
"?!"
Lefiya heard the sound of her reason snapping. What had she just witnessed? What had those two experienced? What had they said? She didn't know, nor did she want to know. The only thing Lefiya understood was this: she had to burn that boy!
"You... you... you... what are you doing to Riveria-sama?!!!"
Accompanied by Lefiya's furious roar, Ryuu and Alicia reacted.
"Cranel-san, you actually attacked?!"
"Bell Cranel, stop your wicked deeds immediately!!"
The three elf maidens charged forward. But in the next instant, they collapsed to the ground. Riveria retracted her wand, shielding the boy and the hairpin behind her.
"I don't recall elves, like dwarves, revelling in barbarism and violence. Lefiya, what happened?"
"Well... everyone's quite agitated because Bell Cranel committed an act of great disrespect toward you."
Lefiya stood up, looking aggrieved. Her earlier anger vanished before the princess's rebuke. If it had been mere conjecture before, after being struck down by the magic wand, Lefiya could now be certain that Riveria harbored extraordinary feelings for the youth.
"Riveria-sama... just now..."
Alicia struggled to find the words. She had heard from the Familia Goddess Loki that Riveria cherished her hair deeply.
For it was one of the tokens binding her to her dearest friend. It was said that Aina, as Riveria's maid and confidante, had always cared for the Elf Princess during their travels. She would wake her, tend to her grooming, and comb her hair. Now separated, they communicated through letters.
How many ordinary yet precious memories were woven into those jade-green strands? Alicia could only wonder. Yet Riveria allowed the youth to touch her hair—a gesture whose meaning demanded deeper contemplation.
"I understand. If you feel my earlier actions were presumptuous, there's no need to apologize. It was my request that Bell Cranel do this."
Riveria stated the lie without flinching, standing firmly by Bell's side. Truthfully, she'd been somewhat startled by the boy's boldness at first. But the instant her hair was touched, Riveria couldn't help but recall her dear friend, Aina.
The same gentle warmth. This wasn't the distant master-servant gesture, nor did it carry any off-putting reverence or formality. It transcended status, transcended adventurer rank. Bell Cranel saw Riveria as a young girl. He stroked her emerald hair gently, as if playing with a familiar friend. Thus, Riveria offered no resistance.
The image of that young Elf girl seemed to appear within her mind. She sat on a tall stool, swinging her legs while humming a tune. Her mischievous gaze drifted toward the distance, but the warmth of his touch gradually calmed her. Time returned to that unforgettable moment. Riveria stood still, allowing the boy to stroke her hair.
"Bell Cranel, I recall you grew up deep in the mountains?"
To ease the strange feeling in her heart, Riveria spoke softly.
"Yes, it was a very remote area."
Bell answered while carefully combing her hair, taking care not to snag the countless strands of emerald silk.
"So, have you traveled often since you were little?"
Riveria spoke gently, as if engaged in casual conversation. To her, the boy seemed exceptionally adept at managing travel arrangements.
"No, my schedule was packed. There was no room for travel."
Bell answered truthfully. Ever since he could remember, beyond combat training, he had been studying all manner of knowledge.
"I absolutely love traveling, you know. Before coming to Orario, I was so excited I could barely sleep."
Bell added. Riveria recalled her own somewhat embarrassing tendency to oversleep and smiled softly.
"Seems we're alike then..."
A breeze brushed her cheek, carrying the boy's refreshing scent toward her. Riveria gazed toward the distant Spirit Land and asked softly:
"If you haven't traveled often, how can you be so thoroughly prepared?"
Growing through clumsiness and bitterness—that was Riveria's journey. The youth was different. Despite lacking experience, he had already delivered a near-perfect answer.
"Riveria-san, did you know I'm pursuing the girls' smiles?"
Bell countered.
"Mhm."
Riveria had long been aware of this. Having grown accustomed to polygamy, she held no objection. What truly mattered was the mutual affection between those girls and the youth.
"If one day a girl invites me to dance, do you think I'd wait until the last minute to cram?"
Bell guided her thoughts.
"..."
Riveria froze for a moment. Only then did she grasp the true meaning behind the boy's earlier words. Learning, training, striving... The boy had already prepared everything for the journey. The source, naturally, was the passion and anticipation in his heart.
Riveria smiled faintly and said,
"Yes... The journey begins with anticipation..."
Just like herself at this very moment.