Chapter 48
As we left the infirmary, I said to Maron,
“I need to stop by home for a bit. Want to meet in front of the academy’s main gate in an hour?”
“Y-yes, I’d love to…!”
And an hour later.
“Liam-kun…!”
“…Why are you hiding?”
“I thought it’d be a hassle if the other girls caught us…!”
“Don’t make such a fuss. Let’s go.”
We walked through downtown together. Our feet moved side by side over the stone-paved road.
“Hehe… Going on a quest together, just the two of us, makes me feel like an adventurer.”
“That’s a classic term.”
These days, there are plenty of games that twist their terminology for no good reason.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing. Never mind.”
We headed out through the city’s western gate, and a vast field stretched out before us.
“Do monsters show up around here, too?”
“They do, but they’re probably only slime-level monsters. I don’t think even goblins appear here.”
In the original, was this the first field the player ever ended up in?
“We’re supposed to gather ten bellflower petals… Ah, there they are!”
The quest Professor Mella gave me was really just a formality so she could reward me.
It only took a little wandering around to collect ten petals.
【Side Quest - 〈Herb Gathering〉 objective completed!】
Objective: Gather Bellflower Petals (10/10)
Return to the requester (Mella Tonishika) to complete the quest!
Now I could go back to Professor Mella and receive my reward right away.
‘A modest allowance and five Medium-Grade Healing Potions.’
I didn’t really need the allowance. The living expenses House Everchess sent me were more than enough.
Still, it felt nice.
“So… shall we head back now?”
Maron fidgeted nervously.
“We could, but we’re out together for the first time in a while. Want to spend some time together before we go?”
Maron’s eyes sparkled.
Maron’s irises changed from an ordinary brown to a bright orange.
“W-we can really do that!?”
“Of course. Just a second, though. This spot’s not ideal…”
We moved somewhere not immediately visible from the gate and spread a picnic blanket on the ground.
“Ah… If I’d known, I would’ve made us some sandwiches…”
“We can eat when we get back.”
I lay down on the blanket first.
The blue sky filled my view.
“Want to lie down too?”
“!”
Maron lay down, too.
The blanket was spacious, but she lay close beside me.
And.
Just.
The two of us.
We lay side by side, looking up at the sky together.
It was just a peaceful moment.
“It’s been a while since it was just you and me, Maron.”
“It has… Other girls always show up, after all.”
“They do. I’d like to spend more time with each of you, too.”
Actually, the quickest way to earn Praise Points was to keep one girl around and shower her with compliments.
But lately, that had been impossible.
Even if I tried to be alone with one girl on academy grounds, another would show up before long.
That made it hard to shower her with compliments.
Strangely, even though I thought I was being fair and taking turns, they’d end up fighting anyway.
‘This is a good opportunity.’
I could spend some time alone with Maron here and keep praising her until I reached 50,000 points. That would get me my first four-star skill.
‘Though that won’t be the end of it.’
Buying skills was only one step toward getting stronger.
I’d have to keep getting stronger from here on out. Not just me, but the people at the academy, too.
We’d have to fight the Cult of the Abyss, our main enemy in the story.
And to complete the Fate Quests, we’d need to find the other Fate Holders and explore the rest of the empire and the wider world.
And the Temple of the Water God, Seia, that I saw last time. I definitely had to clear that, too…
‘And then…’
I felt someone staring at me, so I looked to the side and met Maron’s eyes.
It seemed she’d been watching me the whole time I was lost in thought.
“…What is it?”
“You’re just so handsome.”
Maron giggled.
“I actually met you once before, Liam-kun.”
“How long ago?”
“Maybe… two or three years ago?”
That was long before I possessed this body.
“Honestly, I didn’t think you were handsome at all back then. Isn’t that strange? Your eyes, nose, and mouth all look exactly the same as they did then, but…”
Maron reached out a finger and touched my face.
My eyes, nose, and mouth.
The sweet, soft scent of chestnuts.
“Back then, even though your features were decent, you just looked like a pathetic layabout. But now… I think you’re even more handsome than your features alone would suggest.”
“Really? That’s strange.”
I smiled.
“I think you’ve gotten prettier, too, compared to when I first met you.”
“Oh, come on.”
“No, really.”
“…Really?”
“Don’t get me wrong. You were pretty from the moment I met you.”
But.
“You carry your head higher now than you did back then, with more confidence. It makes your face stand out more.”
“…Liam-kun.”
【The target is happy】
<Praise Points: +1500(35400→36900)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
Maron’s heart thumped in her chest.
“…Hehe.”
She smiled.
“I really like being with you like this, Liam-kun.”
She didn’t need anything special to happen.
Just being together was enough.
‘I…’
Even though Liam-kun was a delinquent womanizer, she loved how he could also be so kind.
“…I love you more than anyone in the world.”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Was that a confession?”
“No? I was lying.”
Maron replied playfully and closed her eyes.
“Why would I like a bad man like you, Liam-kun?”
Idiot.
Hmph.
Idiot.
〈Next Praise Recommendation (LV.3)〉
【Target: Maron Clearias】
Recommended line: 「I wish Maron would confess to me」
Mood: Naturally
Target’s traits: A ■■ full of anxiety and loneliness
I’d noticed this before, but starting at LV.3, it had begun recommending lines that weren’t really ‘compliments’ at all.
‘But can I really say something like that?’
What if Maron heard that and actually confessed to me?
It wasn’t like Maron, who only saw me as a friend, would ever do that.
‘If it did happen…’
I imagined it for a moment.
Would I be troubled by it?
…I might be. I think I would be troubled.
Then.
If Maron confessed, would I turn her down?
‘…No.’
That wasn’t it.
If Maron confessed to me, I didn’t think I’d want to reject her feelings.
So.
I could take responsibility for saying this.
“I wish Maron would confess to me.”
“…”
【The target feels like she could leap for joy】
<Praise Points: +3000(36900→39900)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
“Did you just confess to me?”
“…Who knows?”
I didn’t know either.
Honestly.
Maron suddenly sighed.
“Haa… That’s just like you, Liam-kun.”
Maron thought to herself.
‘He’s definitely doing this on purpose, too.’
He didn’t want to confess first, but if she confessed, he’d humor her.
‘Hmph. As if I’d fall for that.’
Even if she confessed, nothing about her life from then on would change.
Gilliam would keep having other women around and flirting with girls wherever he went.
“Forget confessing. I just…”
Liam-kun, you idiot.
“I want to stay by your side from now on, too.”
“I’d like you to keep staying with me, too, Maron.”
For some reason,
the two of them didn’t say anything after that.
“….”
“….”
It wasn’t uncomfortable.
Just.
A man and a woman lying side by side on the grass.
Maybe it was the warm sunlight.
It felt like they could sense each other’s body heat.
The atmosphere wasn’t bad.
A gentle breeze blew by.
Gilliam’s silver hair and Maron’s brown hair swayed softly.
“Maron?”
“Yes?”
“Can I keep complimenting you?”
“…As much as you want.”
Maybe Liam-kun really did like complimenting women.
Or maybe he got a thrill out of showering a woman with compliments and watching her squirm, flustered and unsure what to do.
‘It’s definitely the latter.’
Bad delinquent.
Wicked delinquent.
‘No matter what he says, I’ll just answer, “Hmph.”’
“Being with you makes me feel at ease, Maron.”
“…Hmph.”
【The target likes it】
<Praise Points: +300(39900→40200)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
“I tell you you’re pretty all the time, but I’ll say it again. I really do think you’re very pretty.”
“…Hmph.”
【The target is delighted】
<Praise Points: +900(40200→41100)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
“You smell nice when you’re close, too. And it makes me happy that you always look for me when you’re around…”
“……H-hmph.”
【The target swells with pride】
<Praise Points: +1500(41100→42600)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
“Your hair looks lovely when it sways. It’s chestnut brown, so looking at it makes me feel really at ease.”
“H-h-hmph!”
【The target is intrigued】
<Praise Points: +900(42600→43500)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
“I say this a lot, too, but your irises keep changing color. It’s fun to watch, and they’re beautiful every time.”
“Hehehehehe.”
【The target is extremely happy】
<Praise Points: +2100(43500→45600)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
“And also… um…”
I tried to think of something else to compliment her.
But then,
the words simply slipped out naturally.
“Right. I just like being with you.”
“……”
【The target is happy】
<Praise Points: +4500(45600→50100)>
*A ×3 multiplier is applied
Ah, I did it.
My goal of 50,000 points.
“…Liam-kun.”
“Yeah?”
When I turned my head back toward her, Maron’s face was right there, close to mine.
Maron’s hair tickled my forehead.
Her pretty, pink irises were close to my eyes.
Maron’s lips were right in front of mine.
“I like being with you, too, Liam-kun.”
Maron smiled.
Shyly.
Softly.
Radiantly.
With her thumb and index finger crossed.
