After beginning our escape into the empire and regaining some composure, I finally had time to check on the changes that had occurred in Ravi and Lenis.
“Alvis, look at this! This is amazing!”
Ravi bounced toward me like a rabbit, eager to show off a new technique she had acquired after defeating a high-ranking member of the Black Shadow Mercenaries.
“If I gather my strength like this… and attack!”
Power began to concentrate in Ravi’s legs.
As she stretched out her smooth leg and executed a powerful spinning kick, the energy she had gathered was released in an instant, forming a shockwave almost like a sword aura.
The shockwave shot forward and split a massive tree in the distance cleanly in half.
Now able to perform a move she had likely seen in some comic, Ravi was thrilled by her newfound kicking power.
She grabbed my hand and bounced up and down excitedly.
“Did you see that? Now I have a way to attack from a distance! It seems like that battle was treated as some kind of dungeon challenge! And it’s not just my legs—I can do it with my fists too. Like this… Hyaah!”
She punched the air, producing a sharp boom as the force split the ground in the distance.
No longer just a simple martial artist, Ravi had become something akin to a Qi master.
She grinned as she sat beside me, twitching her bunny ears and linking her arms with mine.
“Alvis. In that final attack, I felt a power similar to the one you used. You helped us, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know if I was much help. I was too busy coughing up blood and crawling on the ground—at best, I just tagged along for the final blow.”
“But if you hadn’t helped, we wouldn’t have made it that far. I know it. No, before that, our whole nation would have been completely consumed by war. It’s all thanks to you.”
Ravi climbed onto my lap and wrapped her arms around me, whispering into my ear.
“Thank you, Alvis. I love you.♡”
“I love you too, Ravi. But if you start moving your hips like that on top of me in broad daylight, it’s going to be a problem. We can’t exactly go anywhere right now, either.”
“Then…”
Ravi flashed a playful smile and stuck out her tongue suggestively.
“I can use my mouth…♡”
“……”
We stayed there for about ten more minutes before heading back.
Meanwhile, Lenis was also busy testing out the new magic she had gained.
“Alvis! Look at this! I, Lenis Valentine, have finally acquired a spell worthy of my elegant nature! First, I prepare a Mana Arrow like this…”
A simple magic circle formed above her staff’s wing-like ornament, but her magic didn’t stop there.
Another red magic circle appeared above the first one—the spell for a Fireball.
As the flickering, fiery circle completed, flames condensed around the Mana Arrow, enveloping it in a blaze.
Then, Lenis fired her flaming Mana Arrow toward a massive boulder.
The fusion magic, which combined the casting speed of Mana Arrow with the power of Fireball, shattered the massive boulder in a single strike.
While any skilled mage could destroy a boulder with the right spell, the fusion magic Lenis had demonstrated was unique.
By merging two basic spells, it caused a synergistic amplification of firepower, making it highly efficient in terms of mana consumption.
Moreover, the preparation time was only slightly longer than that of a regular Mana Arrow.
Lenis, having obliterated the boulder in an instant, placed her hands on her hips and lifted her chin as if demanding immediate praise.
“Hmph! What do you think? Amazing, right? I, of all people, can now use fusion magic! Fusion magic, you see, is an advanced technique that only a truly talented few among mages can wield without adverse effects! Ever since our battle at the border, my understanding of magic has deepened, and I have achieved a great awakening—”
“Yeah, I may not be able to use magic, but I do know that fusion magic is difficult. You always focused so much on flashy spells that you neglected your fundamentals, and yet, in such a short time, you’ve managed to master fusion magic too? You really are talented. Looks like I was right to trust you to have my back.”
“…!”
My mix of honesty and flattery seemed to work wonders.
Lenis, who had been standing confidently with her chest puffed out, suddenly stammered, her face turning red as she struggled to maintain a composed smile.
“H-Hmph! Alvis, turns out you’re quite skilled at flattery, huh? Not that it’ll get you anything from me! And of course, I wouldn’t be swayed by your empty words either!”
She pointed a finger at me as if to reassert her dominance, but soon averted her gaze, awkwardly lowering her hand.
“B-But… ahem… that compliment just now wasn’t… entirely bad.”
“Oh? So you actually get embarrassed when complimented? I can give you more if you’d like.”
“N-No need! Absolutely not!”
Lenis had definitely softened toward me.
On top of that, without even realizing it, she had slipped the “Ring of the Two Crossing Moons”—the one I had given her—onto her left ring finger.
I didn’t mention it, fearing she’d overreact, but it was clear that my affection points with her had risen significantly.
Ravi was already mine, and as for the other two—Elfin and Lenis—I needed to make further progress to win them over completely.
I pondered what kind of dramatic event could bring me closer to them while preparing dinner at the campsite.
However, I soon noticed that someone was missing.
“Have you seen Elfin?”
At my question, Ravi and Lenis glanced around.
At some point, Elfin had disappeared without saying a word.
“That’s strange. She would’ve told us if she was going somewhere…”
“Should I go look for her?”
Ravi got up, but I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her back into her seat.
“No, you two go ahead and eat first. I can find her right away with my ability, so I’ll bring her back.”
Activating my Eyes of Truth, I saw Elfin’s illusionary presence moving deeper into the forest.
Following her path, I eventually found her.
Inside the dense woods, Elfin was drenched in sweat, completely focused on her training.
The problem was that this wasn’t ordinary training—it was so brutal that she was practically grinding her own body down.
Even though her mana had long been depleted, leaving her in a state of exhaustion, Elfin forcibly drew out more strength, pushing her body beyond its limits.
At this point, she didn’t even have the energy left to lift a single plant stem, yet she stubbornly continued activating her abilities.
The dagger she pulled from her waist and threw flew accurately toward the base of a tree, but because her arm had lost all strength, it failed to stick and merely fell to the ground with a dull thud.
“Elfin, what are you doing out here by yourself?”
“Hah… Hah… Training. Don’t mind me.”
“It’s dinnertime. Come eat first.”
“I’m fine. I’ll eat later. You guys go ahead without me.”
“You won’t be efficient if you’re starving. Come and eat first.”
“I said I’m fine! I’ll eat when I feel like it, so stop bothering me and just go already!”
Elfin stubbornly refused to eat, insisting on continuing her training.
At this point, she was drenched in cold sweat, and with her mana completely depleted, she wasn’t just at risk of overexertion—she was already way past that point.
Unable to break her stubbornness, I ultimately returned to the campsite first.
“What did she say?”
“She said to eat without her. Let’s just have our meal first. After we’re done, I’ll bring her food to her.”
Ravi, Lenis, and I ate together, but since neither of them knew why Elfin was refusing to eat, they occasionally cast worried glances toward the forest from where I had come.
After finishing the meal, Lenis grilled some extra meat and handed it to me.
“Alvis, I set aside the best cuts and cooked them properly, so make sure you give this to Elfin. Don’t eat it yourself.”
“Hey, I literally just ate. Do I look like some kind of pig that’d stuff myself even more?”
“Whatever. Just make sure she gets it, no distractions.”
As I accepted the meat Lenis had prepared, Ravi looked at the forest with concern and asked,
“Alvis, should I come with you?”
I hesitated for a moment.
Taking Ravi or Lenis with me to bring Elfin back?
I had a rough idea of why Elfin was so obsessively training, and I figured that bringing either of them along would probably have the opposite effect.
So I shook my head.
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Also, for now, when you talk to Elfin, try to avoid topics about combat or training. Just stick to normal, everyday conversations.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s a bit complicated. Just trust me on this and avoid those topics when talking to her. I’ll go bring her food now.”
Leaving the two at the campsite, I headed back to Elfin.
Since we had taken our time eating, quite a bit of time had passed.
Yet, when I arrived, Elfin was still training.
She was now drenched in sweat far worse than before, and due to prolonged mana exhaustion, her eyes had lost focus, and she could barely support her own body.
I placed the leaf-wrapped meat on a nearby rock and hurried over to support her.
“You’ve done enough. Stop pushing yourself.”
“Hah… Hah… Cough! No…”
“Elfin, how long are you going to keep this up? Come eat already.”
“No! I… I have to get stronger! I can’t just sit around eating like it’s nothing! So just leave me alone!”
Elfin, stubborn and defiant, refused to back down.
Her behavior was completely unlike her usual self, and I let out a deep sigh before scooping her onto my back.
“Up we go.”
“W-What?! What are you doing?! Put me down! I have to keep training! I have to… I have to…!”
“Cut the nonsense before I really get mad.”
I lowered my voice, and Elfin flinched, falling silent.
I carried her over to the rock where I had left the meat, sat her down, and handed her the freshly grilled portion Lenis had prepared.
Elfin took it without a word, staring at it.
Then, I placed a hand on her head.
“You don’t have to force yourself like this. None of us think you’re weak or useless. And the truth is—you’re not.”
Normally, she would’ve recoiled from my touch, cursed at me, and swatted my hand away.
But this time, she didn’t.
Instead, something inside her seemed to swell up.
She struggled to hold back, her breath hitching as she let out small, choked sobs.
And then, finally, she broke down.
“Hhik… Huuuh…! Waaahhh! Aaaahhh!”