"Alright. Now I’m going to try this strange fruit," Rasie said.
She took one of the crystal fruits and bit into it. The hard skin cracked with a loud snap.
Rasie’s pupils dilated instantly. She went silent. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
A cool liquid flooded her mouth. It tasted intensely sweet, followed by a surprising tang of sourness. The sensation flowed down her throat, delivering a refreshing feeling that spread throughout her body.
Zaefal leaned forward slightly. "Rasie? Are you okay?"
Rasie snapped out of her daze. She coughed lightly. "Ahem."
Her face turned serious. She stared at the fruit in her hand with a furrowed brow.
"This fruit is dangerous. It tastes terrible. You guys shouldn’t eat it," Rasie said. Her hand slowly moved, trying to take Fyar’s fruit which was lying on a root.
"D-dangerous? Are you sure, Rasie?" Illya covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide.
Slap.
Fyar swatted Rasie’s hand away just as it was about to touch his fruit.
"Why were you eating it so eagerly if it tastes bad?" Fyar stared at Rasie with narrowed eyes.
"B-basically it’s terrible! I ate it to save you guys!" Rasie answered quickly, not daring to look Fyar in the eye.
Fyar turned to Zaefal. "Zaefal said earlier it was tasty."
"H-he lied," Rasie answered briefly.
Fyar still stared at Rasie suspiciously. With a quick movement, he grabbed his fruit and bit into it.
The flesh of the fruit was soft and finely fibrous. A sweetness like ripe mango exploded on his tongue, mixed with the sourness of lime. Refreshing. The fruit juice moistened his dry throat.
Fyar swallowed the fruit.
"You’re lying, bastard. Greedy woman," Fyar teased flatly.
"Tch," Rasie hissed. She went back to eating the rest of her fruit quickly.
"How is it, Fyar?" Illya asked.
Fyar gave Illya a thumbs up. "Delicious. Don’t worry my love."
Zaefal just shook his head watching their antics. "You guys are... so relaxed."
They finished the rest of the roasted mushrooms and fruit in silence. The hunger slowly faded, replaced by drowsiness and fullness.
Fyar leaned his back against the hard mushroom wall again. He watched Zaefal, who was clearing away the leftover twigs.
"By the way, Zaefal. I didn’t expect you to be able to cook. Were you taught?" Fyar asked.
Zaefal chewed the rest of his mushroom. "Something like that. I taught myself."
"Oh yeah," Fyar remembered something. "By the way, what do you do in your spare time? I’m a little curious."
Fyar tilted his head. "Training? Studying? Being paranoid? I’ve never seen you enjoy life."
Zaefal laughed lightly. "So that’s how you see it. Damn it."
He sighed deeply, his eyes staring at the blue flames. "Hmm... when I’m free..."
Zaefal was silent for a long time. His brow furrowed, trying to remember activities other than missions and swords.
Don’t tell me this guy has no free time? No, no, that’s impossible, Fyar muttered inwardly.
After a moment of silence, Zaefal spoke again. "Nothing. I just train, read books, or daydream about the future."
Fyar nodded slowly with a stiff smile. How pathetic.
"Y-you’re amazing," Fyar said.
"Hahh, poor you, Zaefal. You don’t have a life, do you," Rasie said while shaking her head, her mouth still full of fruit.
Illya and Fyar glared at Rasie in unison.
This bastard has no filter when she talks, Fyar thought.
"C-cool, Zaefal. You’re diligent. Yes, diligent. Right, Lady Cyhas?" Illya said with an awkward smile.
Cyhas nodded quickly.
"Tch, what’s wrong with you guys," Rasie hissed, seeing Illya and Fyar’s strange reactions.
Fyar shook his head. He turned back to Zaefal, trying to change the topic so it wouldn’t be too depressing.
"By the way. Since Rasie mentioned romance earlier, I’m curious about the romance in you, Zaefal."
Zaefal stopped cleaning his hands.
"Yes. I’m a little curious too," Illya said.
"Me too! Me too!" Rasie chimed in enthusiastically. She leaned forward.
Zaefal seemed a bit surprised by his comrades’ enthusiasm. He looked at their faces one by one.
"You guys. Discussing something like this in a situation like this," Zaefal said. He shook his head slowly, but a faint smile appeared on his lips.
But well... at least this can reduce their stress right now. Maybe they’re looking for strange topics to forget what just happened, Zaefal muttered inwardly.
He then let out a long sigh. His shoulders dropped, looking more relaxed than before.
"Alright."
Zaefal stared at the mossy ground near his feet. The smile on his lips grew wider and warmer.
"I have someone I love right now," he said softly.
"Oh?!" Rasie’s eyes widened. "Who?! Who?! How come I didn’t know!"
Fyar stopped chewing. His eyes widened as he stared at Zaefal. Illya and Cyhas also moved closer, listening seriously.
Zaefal continued, his voice calm and gentle. Far different from the firm tone he usually used when giving orders.
"She is an Elf."
Rasie’s eyes rounded perfectly.
"She saved me. And I saved her. She is a gentle woman... attentive... fierce... and really likes to treat me like a child. She often spoils me."
Zaefal paused for a moment. His gaze drifted far away, piercing through the mushroom wall in front of them.
"Sometimes she... is very clingy with me. When I have trouble sleeping, she likes to sing calm songs."
"She is a woman who is foolish enough because... she didn’t give up on me..."
"I was mesmerized by her selfish nature..."
Zaefal’s voice began to tremble slightly.
"Her name is Seraphina..."
"I-I-I truly love her."
A single tear fell on Zaefal’s dirty cheek. He didn’t wipe it away.
The silence in the alcove felt heavy but warm.
"Where is she now?" Fyar asked curiously.
Zaefal lifted his face. He smiled broadly at his party.
"She... is in a place that is... far away. Very far away. But..."
Zaefal stared at the blue fire.
"You will meet her one day."
" You will definitely meet her one day... "
"I look forward to it," Illya said softly.
This is the first time I’ve seen Zaefal with an expression like that... well whoever that woman is... it seems she means so much to him... Fyar muttered inwardly.
"She seems like a good woman," Fyar said.
"True, true. And I’m a little surprised you like girls," Rasie blurted out.
"What do you mean?!" Zaefal laughed lightly while wiping his tears.
"After all, you just train, read, think about missions. Huuu, I was worried your life would be like that forever," Rasie answered, waving her hand.
Zaefal is quite romantic too. Thank goodness. Especially an Elf, Fyar muttered inwardly. He felt relieved seeing the human side of their leader.
Fyar then turned to the side. He saw Illya staring at the dancing blue flames.
"What about you, Illya?" Fyar asked.
Illya smiled wryly. She hugged her knees tightly.
"Boring, Fyar. Very boring."
She played with the hem of her dirty and torn dress.
"Before... before meeting you guys... I spent all day just learning etiquette, attending fake tea parties, and smiling at people who actually wanted to bring down my family."
Illya turned to Rasie, who was still chewing fruit.
"Actually... I’m the same as you, Rasie."
"Heeh?" Rasie raised an eyebrow, her mouth full.
"At night, I often snuck into the library. I read adventure and romance novels..."
Illya’s cheeks began to redden under the firelight.
"I imagined... what it would feel like to be free. What it would feel like to have genuine friends. What it would feel like to fall in love without being arranged."
She stared at Fyar intently. Her green-gold eyes reflected the firelight.
"A-and well... sometimes I-I imagine what I would do i-if I had a boyfriend because of those novels..."
Illya paused for a moment, recalling her old routine.
"Besides reading novels... I usually like to learn gardening or cooking..."
"Or... sleeping..."
Hearing that, Fyar laughed lightly. "You’re funny."
"F-funny?!" Illya’s face turned even redder. She hid her face in her knees.
"But Illya, I’m a little curious about that noble world," Rasie said. She narrowed her eyes. "Are there many cases of cheating or scandals there?"
Illya lifted her head and nodded quickly. "W-well... sometimes I accidentally overhear conversations like that... they really are depraved."
Illya then looked at Rasie with a curious gaze. "What would you do if you were a noble, Rasie?"
Rasie grinned widely. Her white teeth were clearly visible. "I’m glad you asked."
"I would, um, hold a fighting tournament with my family’s money and... buy as many books as possible..."
Rasie paused, tapping her chin with her index finger.
The smile on Rasie’s face grew wider and wilder.
"Or hmm or... buy as much equipment as possible... spread all the scandals I know to the public and blackmail those who oppose me!"
I’m grateful you’re not a noble, Rasie, Fyar criticized inwardly.
"E-eh... q-quite wild... yeah..." Illya said stiffly.
"What are you actually talking about, Rasie," Zaefal said, shaking his head slowly.
Cyhas chuckled, finding Rasie’s imagination amusing. The atmosphere in the alcove became a little warmer.