The Flower Behind the Shield — Sefia & Naofumi's Untaken Path - Episode 3

The morning light filtered thinly through the leaves of the Ernesta Forest. Iwatani Naofumi sat before the campfire, rolling a Usapil fang he'd picked up yesterday between his palms. It was a questionable size for selling. Elhardt might buy it, but that meant another walk to the royal capital. ——Then, a sound came from inside the tent. Rustle, rustle. Thud. Followed by a voice saying "Ow!" "……You're awake?" "Good morning. I couldn't find the tent exit, so I came out face-first." Celia tumbled out of the tent, her chestnut hair covered in leaves. Her glasses were slightly bent. Her white blouse was creased from sleep, and the thick book she clutched hadn't left her hands since last night. Naofumi said nothing. A trial period, he'd called it. He'd said he'd throw her out immediately. But now, three days after Celia had arrived at the camp, he still hadn't found a reason to do it. Because she was useful——that was all. She brought observation records from the academy. She studied monster ecology. Thanks to the cold-resistant barrier she'd cast, nights had become considerably easier. It wasn't gratitude. It was a rational judgment. (So why am I preparing breakfast for two people?) Naofumi's gaze fell on the pot. Leftover medicinal herb soup from yesterday. Two bowls, lined up side by side. Before Celia came, there was only one. "Soup! Thank you so much!" "Leftovers. No need for thanks." "But I'm happy. You're surprisingly thoughtful, Naofumi." "Were you listening? I said no thanks needed." "Yes. Thank you." She wasn't listening. Naofumi watched Celia with half-closed eyes. She took the bowl without concern and began sipping the soup with careful blows, as if it were hot. The lenses of her glasses fogged slightly. Why was this woman always so peaceful? --- After eating, the two made plans for the day. Though "plans" was generous. Naofumi said "collect materials and sell them to Elhardt," and Celia said "compare with the academy records and investigate the monster distribution in this area." That was it. "If we move together, don't slow me down." "I won't. ……Probably." "Did you just say 'probably'?" "I don't have the ability to fight monsters directly, so when it comes to combat, I'm a little worried……" "You stay in the back. Just secure a position where you can chant. If you can manage that, you won't be in the way." Celia's eyes widened slightly. "……Yes. Understood." She was smiling again. Why did she make that face? He'd just given her combat instructions. Naofumi adjusted his cloak and stood. They'd circle the north side of the forest. According to the observation records, there was a swarm of Exhaust Bats there. Wing membranes sold for good prices. --- As they walked through the forest, Celia took notes constantly. The soil condition at tree roots, discoloration on leaf undersides, the water level of the stream. She moved her pen skillfully even while walking, clutching her book, occasionally stumbling but managing not to fall. "There's a lot of mushroom-type spores around here. The soil has a purplish tint mixed in." "I noticed. There's probably a nest nearby." "It's especially dangerous at night. The spore density increases, so if you inhale it, you get drowsiness and hallucinations——" Then, a sound came from overhead. Flap, flap, flap! Naofumi immediately raised his shield. Exhaust Bats——not just one. Eight, nine, maybe more. Encountering them during the day was rare. Something must have startled the swarm. "Behind!" Celia moved. The bat-type monsters dove sharply. The edge of a wing grazed Naofumi's shoulder with a leathery sensation. The fatigue toxin was injected through bites, not wing membranes. As long as he wasn't bitten, he'd be fine. He swung his shield sideways, deflecting two of them together. Both flew like walls and crashed into tree trunks. The rest scattered—— "Fast Wind Shield!" A high-speed wind formed in a cylinder, blowing away three bats approaching from Naofumi's left. Leaves spiraled, and the bats lost their bearings, spinning in circles. (Fast chanting speed.) Naofumi circled around and slammed one bat to the ground with his shield. The rest hesitated, gaining altitude. This was the opening. "Run. Continuing combat is inefficient." "But the wing membranes——" "Move!" They ran. The bat swarm pursued. Celia ran desperately, still clutching her book. When she stumbled, Naofumi reflexively grabbed her arm. He pulled her along as they ran. Once they reached the stream, the bats wouldn't follow. Water was difficult terrain for this species. After three minutes of running, they stopped before the small stream. The bats' presence faded. They didn't pursue. Naofumi steadied his breathing and looked at Celia. She was breathing hard. Her glasses were crooked again, and somehow the book was pressed tightly against her chest. She hadn't let go of it even when running. "……You protected the book just now?" "Huh? Oh, yes. It's the academy's records, so it would be a problem if I lost it." Naofumi didn't respond. When he'd grabbed her arm and pulled, he'd noticed how thin it was. A scholar's arm. Not a body built for fighting monsters. Yet she'd run without falling. (Why did I grab her arm?) He realized it only after doing it. He'd moved reflexively. She was stumbling, so he'd pulled. That was all. He couldn't afford to have a burden slow him down. There was no other reason. "Are you hurt?" "No. You pulled me, so I'm fine." "……I see." For some reason, words failed him. --- After resting by the stream, they decided to collect materials via a different route. As Celia had said, this area was a habitat for mushroom-type creatures. They collected nearly twenty caps. Elhardt would give them at least ten silver coins for them. While working, Celia continued taking notes. "Naofumi, you're really good at appraising materials. Where did you learn?" "I learned it in the last ten days." "In ten days?" "You learn when you have to sell to eat. There's no other way." Celia fell silent for a moment. "……That must have been difficult, these past days." "Don't sympathize with me." "It's not sympathy. As a fact, I think it was difficult. I'm just stating that." Naofumi continued working, placing caps into the bag. This woman often spoke that way. She disguised emotion with logic, presenting rational grounds first. A teacher's manner of speaking. (Troublesome.) She made arguments he couldn't refute. "Can I ask you something?" "Yes." "You're a royal magic instructor, right? You have an annual salary of one hundred twenty gold coins. Why throw that away to follow me?" A royal magic instructor——the position required strict examination and only eighty existed in the kingdom. The social status was equivalent to a lower noble. Knowing this, it had always bothered Naofumi. Celia thought for a moment before answering. "I haven't thrown it away. I'm on suspension, not stripped of my credentials." "It's basically the same thing." "It's similar but different. If I can prove myself properly, I can return. ——If I can show the royal examination committee that supporting you wasn't a mistake." "So you're using me to build credentials?" It was a cutting remark. He knew it was mean-spirited even as he said it. But Celia didn't get angry. "If you take it that way, then yes. But I don't think I made a wrong judgment. ——I thought that if one person moved in a situation where no one would help the Shield Hero, the world might change. That's all." Naofumi fell silent. He was the one who'd said that people driven by justice barrel forward as long as they believe they're right——that they're uncontrollable. Celia understood that criticism and was here anyway. (……Troublesome woman.) Something in his chest moved, just slightly. A thump, as if his heart had skipped. It was probably nothing. "If you want credentials, then don't slow me down even more." "I won't. ……Probably." "Stop saying it that way." Celia laughed softly. A small laugh spread through the forest. Light filtered through the leaves, the stream water gleamed. Somewhere, a bird sang. Naofumi couldn't understand why she could laugh in a place like this. But, just for a moment——just for a moment, he thought it wasn't so bad. He only thought it. Nothing more, nothing less. --- On the way back, the two walked side by side through the forest. The bags were full of materials they'd collected. Twenty mushroom caps, and no wing membranes since they'd escaped. But the harvest wasn't bad. "Tomorrow, I'm going to the royal capital. I want to retrieve the academy's records." "I'm going to see Elhardt too. We'll move together." Only after saying it did he realize the words "move together" had come out naturally. Without thinking. Without conditions or trial periods or any of that. (……Well, we're heading the same direction anyway.) Celia said nothing. She simply answered "Yes" and returned to reading her book. Reading while walking. Whether skillful or clumsy, he couldn't quite tell. Back at camp, they prepared the fire. Somehow, without anyone deciding, the roles had split naturally——one split firewood, one started the fire. In three days, it had become routine. The fire caught, and the night forest grew brighter. Celia began preparing the pot. Tonight it wouldn't be medicinal herb soup, but dried vegetables they'd bought from the village. "Naofumi, can I ask you something?" "What?" "Earlier, by the stream——you pulled my arm, didn't you?" "I couldn't afford to have you become a burden." "……Right." Celia smiled slightly and stirred the pot. Naofumi found himself watching her profile. Her chestnut hair turned orange in the firelight. Behind her glasses, her eyes blinked slowly. (Why am I looking at her face?) He turned his gaze back to the fire. His chest felt unsettled again. The same feeling from earlier. He couldn't dismiss it as coincidence, which made it all the more troublesome. It wasn't that he trusted her. It was a trial period. Tomorrow they'd go to the capital again, sell materials, and Celia would retrieve records. That was all it should be. The night wind blew, and the fire swayed. In the pot, the dried vegetables softened with a gentle sound.

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Episode 3

Name: The Flower Behind the Shield — Sefia & Naofumi's Untaken Path
Author: Novelia

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