The morning sun filtered softly through the branches of the trees surrounding Axel's central plaza. Theo leaned against a stone wall, watching the citizens come and go, but his mind kept returning to the sensation of trying on his new gear.
After saying goodbye to Chris and Darkness at the blacksmith's workshop, Theo hadn't gone straight to rest. He needed to feel the weight of the new armor and the balance of the claymore in a controlled environment. He had spent a couple of hours in the clearing outside the city, performing thrusts, blocks, and footwork.
'It really is perfect' - Theo thought, recalling the feel of the mithril. He found it quite light and was confident that he could now defend himself against attacks quite well—if they even managed to hit him, as he wasn't the type to let himself get struck.
As he waited, his gaze wandered to the cobblestone ground. He never imagined, when all of this started, that he would end up as the closest thing to a front-line knight. In his most remote fantasies, he had always seen himself as a mage, someone who controlled the battlefield from a distance with devastating spells. Reality had been different—more physical and direct—though now that he possessed Intermediate Magic and a decent amount of mana thanks to his classes, he felt he was finally closing that gap he had created.
'I have enough mana to cast a few spells without worrying about running dry' - he reasoned to himself. - 'But I can't get overconfident. If I run out of energy in the middle of a battle, I'm dead. I am still, first and foremost, a sword-and-shield fighter.' - His goal was clear: to become an all-around adventurer, someone without blind spots. Mastering intermediate magic was the next logical step.
"Theo! Sorry to keep you waiting!" - Darkness's voice broke his internal monologue. Theo looked up and saw her approaching. For a moment, he fell silent. She wasn't wearing her paladin armor; she wore a simple but elegant dress that highlighted her figure in a way her metallic plate usually hid. She looked nervous, fidgeting with her hands as she drew near.
"Don't worry" - Theo replied, regaining his composure. - "You're not late. Actually, I think I arrived too early. I was lost in thought."
Theo noticed her let out a sigh of relief. She truly looked beautiful, and although he wasn't one to be easily swayed by emotions, he couldn't help but appreciate the effort she had put into her appearance for today.
And so the date began. It wasn't a festival day, which ironically made it better; the city of Axel felt more authentic, less chaotic. They walked through the main streets, stopping at fruit stalls and curiosity shops. Theo was surprised to find he could maintain a fluid conversation with her. They chatted about trivial things: the adventures they'd had, the oddities of the monsters they had faced, and some anecdotes from their childhoods, though both avoided entering into overly personal details that might break the relaxed mood.
Theo enjoyed the company. Darkness, when she wasn't in her masochistic mode or her upright knight role, was an intelligent woman with a deeply rooted sense of duty. Seeing her laugh genuinely at a sarcastic comment of his was something Theo valued more than he wanted to admit.
As the sun began to set, tinting the clouds a deep red, they headed to the restaurant Theo had reserved. It was a place slightly removed from the bustle of the adventurer taverns, situated on a terrace that offered a privileged view of the city.
Theo had requested a table in a secluded corner to ensure privacy. When they sat down and the waiter brought the wine, the atmosphere shifted. The lightness of the afternoon gave way to a deeper tension—not necessarily bad, but certainly loaded with expectations. Darkness toyed with the rim of her glass, staring at the reddish liquid. Theo watched her in silence, taking a sip of his own wine. He noticed her taking several deep breaths, as if gathering courage for something. Chris's advice about "taking advantage of the miracle" and being honest seemed to be hammering in her head.
"Theo..." - she said finally, looking up. Her blue eyes were filled with a seriousness he didn't often see outside of combat. - "I have something to tell you. Something important."
Theo set his glass on the table and leaned forward slightly, giving her his full attention.
"I'm listening."
Darkness swallowed hard. Her hands trembled slightly under the table.
"My real name... isn't Darkness" - she began, her voice somewhat shaky. - "My name is Lalatina Ford Dustiness. I am the only daughter of the House of Dustiness, one of the noble families that govern this region."
After dropping the confession, she went rigid, waiting for Theo's reaction. In this world, the gap between a commoner and a high-ranking noble was an abyss. In many cases, men would have pulled away out of intimidation or changed their treatment to become excessively servile or interested upon hearing such a thing.
Theo, however, remained imperturbable. There was no surprise on his face, no awe, no discomfort. He simply looked at her calmly.
"I already knew" - Theo said naturally.
That response left Darkness in absolute shock. Her eyes went wide and a small - "Eh?!" - escaped her lips.
"What do you mean... what do you mean you already knew?"
"It's not that hard to deduce, Lalatina" - Theo replied, using her real name for the first time, which made her shiver. - "Your high-quality armor and your way of speaking when you get serious... everything pointed to you belonging to a family with resources and connections. A normal adventurer doesn't get gear like yours just by killing a few monsters; I only had luck."
Darkness was speechless for a moment.
"Then... why didn't you say anything? Don't you care that I hid something like that from you?"
Theo shook his head and extended his hand across the table, briefly brushing her fingers.
"I don't care if you're a noble or a commoner. To me, you're still Darkness. You're the most reliable partner I've had in this world and the woman I'm trying to build something more with. Your last name doesn't change who you are when we're facing an enemy, nor does it change how I feel when I'm with you."
The blush that covered Darkness's face was instant and profound. It wasn't a blush from her strange fantasies; it was that of a woman who had just been completely accepted, with all her secrets and burdens. Her eyes moistened slightly, but she forced a smile, feeling an enormous weight lifted from her shoulders.
Theo, for his part, felt like he could die of embarrassment from what he had just said, but he held it together so as not to ruin the moment, so he only smiled while looking at Darkness, who had just taken critical damage.
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I apologize for the delay, but these last 3 days I have been busy, going from a seminar to two final exams, one of which I passed by a miracle. So I haven't had time to organize the chapter or do everything I wanted to do.
But at least I'll have this week off because it's Holy Week, so I'm going to take advantage of it to work on several chapters and at least get ahead until the next mission.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.