Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 4 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 3===

After breakfast, we went sightseeing as planned.

Taking a stretch limo would attract too much attention after all, hence, we left the palace in a large van prepared by Helen-san instead.

Shinomiya-sensei was driving while Firill sat in the front passenger seat to provide directions.

Including Kili, the eight of us sat face to face in the spacious back of the van. Instead of the formal dresses last night, Mitsuki and the girls were wearing their school uniforms with a winter jacket on top.

The atmosphere in the van could not be described as harmonious, because of Kili.

Everyone had a stiff expression because they had to stay on guard against attackers and Kili herself. Tia was particularly nervous. Sitting between Lisa and me, she was holding our hands tightly.

"—The most popular tourist attraction in the country is Erlia Castle, but since we're going there anyway during the festival, let me take us sightseeing somewhere else."

From the front passenger seat, Firill looked back and told us.

The van was crossing a bridge over the lake while making its way towards town.

"Where are we going first?"

To slightly ease the tense atmosphere, I asked in a cheerful voice.

"...The Great Waterfall of Erlia. It's quite spectacular."

Firill made a thumbs-up and answered. She seemed quite confident.

After crossing the bridge, the van drove on a road along the lakeshore. The town seemed even more lively than yesterday, with many people packed in the streets.

"—How lively. You guys should enjoy the festivities and stop making such scary faces."

Looking out at the scenery the whole time, Kili turned her gaze back into the vehicle and spoke to the others.

"Now that would be a challenging demand. Have you forgotten your past deeds?"

However, Lisa retorted sarcastically.

"Speaking of which... Back when I was taking Tia away, I did fight you once. Although I had no intention of killing you, I apologize for injuring you."

"An injury of that sort is trivial. Rather than apologize, I would  rather have you swear you will never betray us. Because what I fear most is my comrades coming to harm."

"Sure, I will promise you that, since right now, I have no reason to harm any of you. However... Will you really be at ease just because I said so?"

Kili answered sarcastically.

"If you responded seriously to me, perhaps I might be reassured slightly... But right now, it's impossible."

"Really? What a shame. I thought I was very serious already. Looks like my seriousness was not conveyed to you."

Kili shrugged then turned her gaze towards Tia whose entire body was stiff.

"Tia, you can probably believe me, right? To this date, I have never harmed you, right?"

"That's true... But you did many awful things to Tia's loved ones."

Tia squeezed my hand and answered.

Hearing her answer, Kili swept her gaze across everyone in turn then smiled as though in resignation.

"—All of you seem to worry more about others than yourselves."

"Not merely others, but family. We worry about one another precisely because we are family."

Lisa corrected Kili.

"What strong camaraderie, I'm envious. If I made a request, may I join your circle?"

"...If that is your sincere wish, I shall consider it."

Despite glaring at Kili, Lisa gave a positive answer with a condition attached.

"You are truly nice to a fault. Given the rare opportunity I really would like to accept your benevolence, but I guess it's impossible for me, because I am definitely different from you people. Even Tia, whom I painstakingly raised, has forsaken me."

Kili sighed and turned her gaze to Tia again.

"Frankly speaking, that was quite a blow to me, you know? Because I never expected you would change allegiance in a few short days, having believed in me and obeyed me all along."

"Ah..."

Tia widened her eyes and seemed to understand something.

"Did Tia... hurt Kili's feelings?"

"Fufu—indeed, it does make me a little sad. Now that I think back... The reason why I gave you horns was perhaps to create an existence as close to mine as possible."

Kili shrugged and laughed in self-deprecation. Somehow, I got the feeling that Kili was speaking from the heart just now.

"U-Umm..."

Silent until now, Iris immediately spoke.

"I remember you—Iris-san, right? What is it?"

"Based on what you just said... Do you consider yourself a dragon like Tia-chan did before, Kili-chan?"

"K-Kili-chan?"

Kili was unsettled by Iris' way of addressing her, but she immediately concealed her feelings and continued.

"...Since I am seeking Midgard's protection, I won't call myself a dragon no matter what. But it's a fact that I am different from you all. As to what kind of person I am, please ask him, okay?"

Saying that, Kili pointed at me.

"Ask Mononobe? Why?"

Iris widened her eyes in surprise, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"Because I asked him just as I was leaving Midgard. I said: 'Who I am? If it's okay with you, can I ask you to decide?'"

I remembered Kili asking something like that in response to my question of who she was. At the time, I simply thought she was dodging the question, but her eyes gazing at me were very serious.

"Kili, you..."

"Judging from your reaction, it looks like I won't get the answer yet. Fine, whatever—I will continue to wait."

Kili spoke with disappointment then shrugged.

"...What do you mean?"

With a muddled look on her face, Iris looked alternately between me and Kili.

"She insists on withholding the truth."

Lisa remarked in irritation.

Indeed, Kili seemed to be trying to deceive us with ambiguous language... But I could also feel that—It was possible that she really had no idea what words to use to describe herself.



RUMBLE—...

We were surrounded by an astounding roaring, the sound of lake water plunging dozens of meters into a river.

"So this is the Great Waterfall of Erlia..."

Drowned out by the roaring sound, my mutters failed to reach anyone's ears.

This was an observation deck overlooking the entire waterfall. Iris and Tia were horsing around in excitement next to the railing while Ariella and Ren were using the camera functions of their portable terminals to take photos as keepsakes.

Having been confined in the palace for a while recently, Kili took a deep breath comfortably while Mitsuki and Lisa monitored her warily. Shinomiya-sensei was slightly farther away, talking to someone on the phone.

—I've seen a dam release before, but it could not compare to this.

Just as I was deeply impressed by the powerful sight of the giant waterfall, hundreds of meters wide, Firill approached me.

She was wearing a wide hat securely with a scarf covering her mouth. These efforts were probably to prevent others from recognizing her identity, but I wondered if the disguise was actually effective.

"...Mononobe-kun, how is the waterfall?"

Since it was hard for our voices to reach one another if speaking normally, Firill stood on tiptoe slightly and spoke in my ear. This sort of distance, within a breath's reach, made my heart begin to race, but I suppressed my wavering emotions then brought my lips next to Firill's ear.

"It's spectacular. Seeing so much water flow down, it makes me worry about the lake drying up."

"It won't dry up because the meltwater from the mountains flows into the lake. There is a royal cottage nearby... I like to read there a lot."

We were carrying our conversation by speaking alternately in each other's ear. Every time we spoke, our distance would shrink and Firill's voluptuous bust would touch my arm. Feeling that soft sensation through clothing, it made my heartbeat accelerate.

"You can read in such a noisy place?"

"I stop hearing unnecessary noise after I grow accustomed to it, which allows me to really focus. The feeling is kind of like a rainy day's."

"I-I suppose. With so much noise, all other sounds would get drowned out."

Although I nodded to concur with what she said, I was finding it harder and harder to feign composure.

"...What's the matter? Your face is very red, you know?"

"No, umm..."

Hearing my vague answer, Firill probably thought I failed to catch what she said. She leaned in even closer.

"Mononobe-kun, are you okay?"

She had her breasts pressed tightly against my arm, making my heart pound even faster. To tell her that she was too close, I brought my face next to Firill's ear.

"—"

However, I seemed to hear a voice, so I turned my gaze towards the waterfall.

Iris, who was next to the railing with Tia to view the waterfall, was pointing her finger at me, saying something. Although I could not hear what she was saying due to the water being too loud, her face was bright red.

Seeing her like that, I finally noticed that my current posture made me look like I was just about to kiss Firill's cheek.

Iris ran over with her face red and kept hammering her hands against my chest.

"N-No doing that in this kind of place!"

"No, you got the wrong idea!"

I shook my head and yelled.

"Mononobe, you're such a jerk! What if Mitsuki-chan sees?"

"...!"

After finding out why Iris was angry, I could not help but gasp.

"...?"

Unable to understand the situation, Firill looked incredulously at Iris' interactions with me.

"Iris, calm down. I was talking to Firill like that only because the waterfall is too loud—"

To explain the situation in detail, I brought my face next to Iris' ear.

"Eh? Y-You can't kiss me now either! Do you really... want to kiss that much?"

But she seemed to be misunderstanding my behavior again. Iris blushed all the way to her ears.

"No, like I said, that's not what's going on!"

"...No? Mononobe, you want to kiss Firill-chan... But not me?"

Iris looked at me, almost about to burst into tears.

"O-Of course not!"

Seeing me shake my head frantically in denial, Iris smiled, seemingly reassured.

"Then save it for later—You have to be patient for now, okay? So, if possible... If you don't do that to Firill-chan... I will be very happy."

After saying that in my ear, Iris shyly covered her face in her hands and fled.

S-Save it for later...?

After hearing her say that, I could not help but wonder whether I should clear up the misunderstanding.

"Mononobe-kun, what was that about?"

Firill asked with her head cocked.

"Don't mind it. Iris just got the wrong idea."

I sighed and answered. Whatever, although it was a shame... I felt bad about exploiting Iris' misunderstanding, so I decided to explain properly to her later.

Just as I made the decision mentally, my neck suddenly trembled but not from cold.

It was a gaze, sharp and murderous in intent.

"...!"

I looked back but could not see anyone.

—That's pretty quick.

I expected this long ago, but the enemy looked like they still intended to attack. If Sleipnir had already entered the Principality of Erlia, just as Kili said, then they must be the enemy.

I did not think that they would leak murderous intent so overtly as accomplished soldiers. Hence, this was probably a greeting to me, their former captain, as well as a final warning.

No mercy if you interfered—That was probably the message.

Then I could rule out the possibility that the incoming enemy was the tall man who had almost killed Kili. Because if he really was the one I predicted, he would not do anything this naive.

Looking around, I saw Kili with a tense expression, glaring in the same direction as I did.

In fact, Kili and I were probably the only ones capable of fighting Sleipnir. It seemed like the others had virtually no experience in human combat. It was possible to defeat Sleipnir through combat methods that destroyed them together with the town, but of course, such tactics were not allowed.

—Why don't Kili and I get this settled quickly, just the two of us?

Although I felt bad for the others, unless they possessed ''combat instincts'' allowing them to sense the murderous intent just now, I could not count them as potential combatants.

Even alone, Kili was capable of fighting Sleipnir, so with the addition of me, it should be enough.

Thinking that, I walked over to Kili. But along the way, I found one of my classmates staring in the direction of the killing intent.

"Ariella...?"

However, she soon shifted her gaze and went back to taking photos for Ren.

Perhaps she had sensed something without knowing it was dangerous.

Then sure enough, I could not get her involved.

Deciding that, I told only Kili my thoughts.