How did it come to this?
Since morning, I’d been summoned by Lu and made to sit in a chamber of the Grand Tower.
Inside the room, it was just the two of us—my sister Luisia, and me. Even the gods who usually hovered around the golden coin had been shooed out. In front of me was a desk, and spread across it was a map of the royal capital. Lu stood on the other side, arms crossed, her expression serious.
“…Ready, Oniichan?”
Her sky-blue eyes met mine. I felt something burning fiercely in them.
“Today’s the decisive battle. Today, the decisive battle finally comes for you, Oniichan.”
“E-eeh…? The fight with Ymir is—”
“Not that one! I mean! You’re going on a date with Solana-sama, right?!”
My face heated up instantly. It was embarrassing, standing there in front of my little sister.
“W-well, about that…”
I stammered, utterly flustered.
“I just… I don’t know if I should get too excited. Everyone else is training, preparing for the battle, and here I am, planning to stroll around the city… besides…”
I looked up at Lu.
“Y-you’re busy practicing magic too, aren’t you?”
“That’s totally fine! No problem at all! I’ve been waiting for this!”
Her eyes sparkled brighter than anything I’d ever seen.
“I’ve been planning to cheer you on with Solana-sama all this time! I was surprised it never happened before, but—”
The latter part she said almost in a whisper.
Well, Solana is a goddess after all…
“Anyway, listen up.”
Lu cleared her throat.
“This… is a map of the royal capital.”
“I know that.”
“Look at it.”
“Y-yes…”
There was no way I could say I already knew it all from my courier work. Lu’s face was serious as she pointed to the northern city gate.
“Like I told you yesterday, we start from here. The Warrior Corps’ carriage will take you!”
She made two fists and pumped them with determination. Lu really had gotten bolder since recovering from her illness… My lips twitched.
Time to make my feelings clear.
I’d told that to myself yesterday with resolve, but now a creeping doubt was settling in, like a shadow that won’t leave.
Was this really the time to be fretting over something like this?
If ‘that girl’ hadn’t spoken up, this date—at least in Lu’s terms—would never have even happened.
—Some magical rune traps had also been placed in the Odis Temple in the city.
—Could you go and check if they’re working properly, with the goddess watching over them?
That was what Safi had said.
The dwarf blacksmith had given Solana and me the perfect excuse to go into the royal capital.
…Yesterday, Safi’s profile had crossed my mind. I hadn’t realized her feelings at the time. Now, knowing she had quietly given us this push, I didn’t want to dismiss it lightly.
Maybe this really is a date.
Lu smiled brightly.
“Then, at the end, why don’t you take her to a special place?”
The image of the goddess’s composed, adult smile flashed through my mind again. My cheeks burned. I shook my head, trying to focus.
“Uh… right. We’ll leave soon, and we’ll be able to enter the city a little after noon. Solana’s curious about human food, so first, we’ll check out the market.”
I was trying to think it through properly. Even though my brain was tired from training, I pictured what kind of places would be good.
“Hehe, that’s my Oniichan!”
While Lu and I huddled over the map, chatting and planning, there was a knock at the door.
In came our mother, dressed in her priest’s robes.
“Oh my, Rion. Looks like you’re going out today.”
Mother smiled.
I was wearing my usual adventurer’s clothes with just my boots, but I wasn’t wearing gauntlets or any other armor. The only equipment I was taking was a single dagger.
She could probably tell something was different about me. And yes, I had even taken extra care to comb my hair.
“Is it really okay for me to be doing this?”
I pouted a little in front of her.
Somehow, it felt like I was just putting on a show for everyone else, and that made me a bit annoyed.
Even the gods had been smirking when I stepped out. Mia-san, on the other hand, felt far more mature. She hadn’t said a word but had helped with the chores, making sure I had time to myself.
Mother narrowed her eyes.
“Rion… what do you want to happen with Solana-sama?”
“What do you mean…?”
Being asked like that made me pause… what do I want?
The relationship between a god and her follower had always been the same since we met. Solana was the first god I’d ever known, the one who had taken me on adventures, my reliable companion, my mentor.
And now… she was more than that.
“…………”
In the mirror, I saw my own cheeks glowing like apples.
I quickly looked away.
“M-My companions are all so busy, and yet… only I get to—”
“It’s fine.”
Mother shook her head.
“Right now, you need to value your own feelings. If you can’t take care of your own heart, you won’t be able to truly care for someone else.”
She reached over and plucked a tiny speck of lint from my neck.
“Go on. If a world could collapse just because a fourteen-year-old boy went on a date with a girl, it would have already fallen long ago.”
“M-Mother!?”
Since Odin’s scheme had become clear, it seemed Mother had let go of her hesitation. Sometimes she said bold things like this.
It felt better than staying anxious, that’s for sure. Somehow, everything felt a little off-kilter. Still… maybe it really would help to go into the city for just one day, to get my thoughts in order.
Whether I’d actually get my thoughts in order, though… I had no confidence at all.
I checked my hair and collar in the mirror.
Then I turned to look at Lu and Mother.
“I-I’ll go now.”
“Yes.”
“Do your best!”
I gave a wry smile at Lu, who was even more enthusiastic than I was, and descended the tower stairs. The goddess should already be waiting in the carriage.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeneijiworks.com
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