*
The long-absent black pup had grown quite gallant.
“Is it just me, or has it gotten bigger?”
It looked even more like a wolf than before. Nex also tilted his head, wondering if it was strange to see my spirit.
“Could it have grown into a Holy Relic…?”
“No way. If that were the case, the spirit would show itself even in my absence.”
The little puppy that used to be as small as a chestnut had vanished somewhere. Now, it had grown to the size of a small dog.
Spirits are beings born from emotions, so I wondered if it had been influenced by my changes.
“..It still hasn’t happened, huh, Licht?”
I really wished I could just take the pup out and go around with Pina.
He was constantly clinging to her, acting all cute.
“Being honest with your own feelings is tough, Your Highness.”
With purple flames like a phoenix’s wings, Nex sighed.
Just as he was about to gently pet my spirit—
“Grrrrr…”
The pup bared its teeth and threatened Nex. It acted as if it was protecting Pina.
“Junior… man, I can’t… I shouldn’t be saying this.”
Nex sighed, knowing that even his own spirit did the same. The side effects of being honest about his feelings.
If a phoenix is something that reignites with the flame of love, then what does this spirit that’s a mix of a pomeranian and a wolf mean?
Wolf? Nah. If it’s for someone as cute as her, it must have some significance…
“Did you miss me…?”
“Not a chance!”
The moment Pina bent down to touch my spirit, the pup rolled over on its back.
“Haha, more honest than its owner, huh? Junior?”
“….”
Don’t answer that. The spirit’s face flushed with embarrassment at being called ‘sister.’
The pomeranian was sticking out its tongue and laughing. Before I knew it, the pup’s appearance had changed.
“What’s this… I can’t help but pet you now.”
Why did it get chubbier just around Pina… or did its fur just get fluffier?
It seemed like my spirit was trying extra hard to look cute for her.
The impressive wolf figure I saw earlier had vanished, and now it was just a fluffy ball rolling around.
I wondered who it resembled.
Just thinking about it suddenly made me chuckle.
“Pina, put my spirit down now.”
“..Nope.”
No matter how strong I became, wielding a sword and willing to risk my life to protect her.
In front of our Pina, I just wanted to seem cute, didn’t I?
Pina was holding the pup, and I was gently patting its little head, both of us smiling.
Nex watched that scene for a long time.
“I won’t interrupt your good time. Good luck at the sports fest, Junior.”
After unbinding the phoenix’s cradle, he bid farewell and gracefully left.
Oh right, the struggle for dominance was still going on.
I suddenly realized and lifted my head, looking for the rune that had just been in the bushes.
It was gone. The item that signified swordsmanship.
Typical player rival. No matter how much I took the ally route, their character still doesn’t change.
I frowned in frustration, feeling duped, and pondered my next move.
Since we still had Combination Moves and Spirits available. I just had to find other runes and collect them. It might take some time…
“Licht. About that swordsmanship rune… before Nex big brother grabbed it…”
That was the moment. Pina whispered to me from the side, cupping her hands to create a small breath.
“I already kept it safe.”
She said that to soothe my worries.
But her attire was a masterpiece, heavy armor.
Without any pockets or bags, where on earth did she put it, Pina?
[Lee Soo-hyun♡Pina Grancia 18% ‘NEW!!’]
I was overwhelmed as the status window popped up in front of me.
*
Pina Grancia’s keen eyes caught one peculiarity with Licht.
Every time she exposed her bare skin or acted in such an unanticipated way—
“Wait for a sec.”
His gaze would immediately lock onto her.
It was the same in the social club.
He who wouldn’t spare even a glance at the other noble ladies would fumble like a puppet with loose strings when he looked at her in a pure white dress.
“..Here.”
After briefly releasing her masterpiece, Pina—
“….”
When she pulled out the rune she had hidden in her armor, Licht couldn’t reach out his hand hastily.
“Are you not taking it..? My arm hurts…”
His neck and face went red, his eyes grew wide with shock. His gaze wobbled.
“Um, I’ll take it….”
If it had been the Licht he originally knew, he would never have given in to her demand for a choker.
Even when using Combination Moves earlier, a hug from behind would have sufficed to keep their hearts close.
That’s how Kainel and Ariel did it. So why did he insist on hugging her from the front?
It was a hug filled with ulterior motives.
“Licht, just like when we used the Combination Move earlier, can’t you hug me?”
“It’s working well with the magic right now, you know?”
Yet, it didn’t feel bad. On the contrary, spurred on by Licht’s words—
“..It feels like it’s not working. Quite sure.”
She was even willing to tell a lie that she normally hated.
The rugged strength and muscles of a man.
In contrast to that, her hands were trembling not knowing where to place themselves.
Licht’s hug wasn’t forceful, but rather considerate of her.
The dramatic punctuation came from the thunderously racing heartbeat of Licht.
As if this was the first time he was ever hugging a woman, he acted shy and clumsy.
Was there any Inrang Tribe woman who couldn’t harbor lewd thoughts about his innocent demeanor?
Pina certainly didn’t think so.
“I’d like it if you hugged me just one more time.”
Even though she cuddled up to Licht every time she slept with Yuli magic.
Fake cannot overcome the real.
“I’ll do it once the sports fest is over….”
Even speaking those words was embarrassing; he lowered his mask and covered his face.
‘..How fascinating. He’s so pure, just like I saw when I was little.’
She thought he was a sly character.
But this was Licht doing things he would never have done back then.
Such sides of him were both fascinating and new, and Pina’s strong curiosity began to stir.
Had her beauty tricks finally worked like the ones she read about in books, or was it just her perspective that had changed?
Lately, every time she saw Licht’s burn mark, she couldn’t help but think he looked handsome.
Licht was just a male friend.
No, more than that… a precious person.
He seemed way more wonderful than she had thought?
She knew she shouldn’t keep having thoughts like this. It wasn’t like she was sick or anything.
Pina held the pup to calm her slightly fluttering heart.
“Woof!”
“Stop licking… it tickles, Kkamang!”
The sprit’s ears, standing like a wolf, laid back as its tail wagged happily.
At first, it definitely looked more like a shadow wolf. But now it had completely transformed into a round full moon.
“Kkamang also… wants to be with sister?”
Pina buried her face in the pup she was holding. She even gave it a playful shake of the head.
“Heh.”
The spirit answered back as if in reply. Looking at Nex’s case, it was normal for them to communicate.
Yet, Kkamang only followed her, ignoring its owner Licht’s words.
“Uh, wait..? Kkamang..!”
At that moment, the spirit, sensing something, leaped out from Pina’s arms like a detection dog.
Bounding along with its short legs, the spirit began climbing a tree.
“Woof!”
“I think it’s up there.”
On a frail branch, the spirit was proudly showcasing a red rune it had in its mouth.
Who would’ve thought it’s a wolf spirit? Its nose indeed seems very sensitive.
Now all Kkamang had to do was safely bring the rune down.
However—
Crack— The sound of a branch breaking echoed. The tree, unable to bear its weight, shook precariously, creating a scene anyone could see was unsafe.
“Mardol! Make a foothold now!”
Licht’s spirit was trembling in a isolated situation. Though the glass hit below, Kkamang showed no intention of coming down.
Perhaps due to the transparent floor, it couldn’t realize what was underneath.
The optical illusion created by the glass seemed to frighten the spirit instead.
“..You got this. I’ll climb up, so match your breathing, Mardol.”
Licht issued a command to the spirit beside him and climbed the tree like someone going up stairs.
“Got it, Licht.”
With every step he took.
As if neither wanted to be first, their breaths matched perfectly.
As Licht stretched out his foot, a glass staircase appeared where he stepped.
“Come on, be a good pup. Come down quickly..!”
Thanks to that, before long, he reached out his hand toward the spirit.
Trembling like a leaf, the terrified spirit looked quite pitiful. It seemed fearfully timid than expected.
“Eeeek..”
Nevertheless, Kkamang still held onto the rune in its mouth. It was evident that for both, the spirit’s safety meant nothing compared to that.
At that moment, Snap! The branch completely broke.
Licht swiftly embraced the spirit, catching it.
“I… was worried. You little rascal.”
He let out a sigh of relief as he held the pomeranian snugly in his arms.
*
Pina and I found runes effortlessly by utilizing Combination Moves and Spirits.
“This makes six of them. About 60 points.”
And just as we were returning to the place where the wolf statue was to turn in the runes—
[Aah—. Can you hear me? Students joining the Solarlunavel struggle!]
A booming voice reverberated throughout the forest.
[The runes gathered so far under the wolf statue are 410 points for the Helio team!]
[And, 200 points for the Ceres team!]
It was Laplace’s voice announcing the mid-term scores.
It seemed that due to players with strong abilities gathering on the opposing team, Licht and Pina were at a disadvantage.
“Even if we bring this to the statue, it would only make 260 points…”
It was ridiculously insufficient. Was there any way out?
[Haha, but it would be a shame if there’s no thrilling comeback in a sports fest!]
Suddenly, I could hardly believe my ears at the good news.
[At the very center of the forest, there should be a rune the size of a Fox Slime!]
The runes I had been collecting until now were the size of small stones. But a rune the size of a slime? That translates to one the size of a soccer ball!
[If you bring that special rune… it would be incredible!]
[One rune could be worth 500 points!]
A massive rune that could turn the tables. With that, it felt feasible.
[So, give it your all until the end!]
As if someone was chasing after me, the broadcast ended abruptly.
“Mardol, you know what to do without me having to say it, right?”
“..Of course, Licht.”
Without needing to speak further, Pina and I exchanged glances and nodded at one another.
*
