— Leon Greyrat —
It was the day after reuniting with Sylphy, and with breakfast made for Eris and my sisters, I quickly went over to Ariel's carriage, my intentions about wanting to continue our conversation hopefully obvious.
I was interrupted on my way by two of the attendants thanking me for saving them. One of them being the girl that had taken Ariel's place during the attack as a body double, and the other one was on the losing end of a battle with an assassin before I cut them down.
After learning that Sylphy, or rather, 'Fitz' had stayed in the princess' quarters for then night, I waited beside it until me childhood friend revealed herself, ignoring the concerned and confused stares I was getting from Ariel's group.
"Ah, good morning, Leon," Ariel said, stepping out of the carriage.
She looked over me with a gentle smile, which oddly enough, I couldn't feel the same insincerity from as I did yesterday.
Did something good happen?
Or maybe she was just a morning person.
"Morning, princess," I nodded to her.
"She's waiting inside," she said, leaving the door open for me. "But don't take too long. With or without your assistance, we do need to leave for Sharia regardless."
As she curtsied politely, she then looked up at me once more.
"Oh, and feel free to call me Ariel," she said. "After all, I am in no position to demand respect. Rather, we should be friends, no?"
"Thank you… Ariel," I nodded, passing her as I entered the carriage.
And there waiting for me, sitting on the bed as she fiddled with her hands, was Sylphy.
Right… it was time to have this conversation.
"Good morning, Sylphy," I said, closing the door behind me. "Did you sleep well?"
"Huh? Ah… yes, I did," she said before looking back down to her lap.
A silence descended upon the room.
This was… a lot more awkward than I expected.
"…Well, first, I should say I'm glad you remembered me," I said. "I meant to say it last night, but I got… interrupted."
She raised her head, looking at me with a sweet smile.
"Of course, I remembered you," she said, pulling out a necklace from her shirt.
Ah… that was the pendant I got her for her fifth birthday, right?
To think she kept it close all that time.
"I could never forget you," she said, shaking her head as she held the pendant as if it were the most important thing in the world. "I… always kept you in mind, Leon."
I was not embarrassed to say that my heart skipped a beat at her words, but I calmed myself before I acted on my emotions.
"To think you kept something like that…" I said with a smile. "It makes me very happy, Sylphy."
Oh… there was something she gave me for my tenth birthday too.
But… dammit.
"…I'm sorry about your wristband. I… left it in my room before the disaster, and then…" I frowned. "I hadn't even remembered it until now… sorry."
I felt like an ass now, especially since Sylphy had kept her gift from me so well-maintained.
I was also quite sad that I would never see that again… it was a nice present, after all.
"It's fine, Leon," Sylphy said, shaking her head fondly. "I didn't expect you to keep such a flimsy thing for this long."
Was that true?
I didn't think so…
"Maybe, but I should have," I said. "It was… important to me."
Sylphy looked at me with an expression of surprise before forming another gentle smile.
"Well, to be honest, it would probably be too small by now anyway, right?"
She then sifted through her pocket, pulling out another green band with a green gem at the end, just like the one from before.
Getting up, she walked over to me before hesitantly passing it to me.
"I… said I expected you not to have it, right?" she said, averting her eyes as her cheeks flushed lightly. "And… I was always waiting to see you again."
Ah, Sylphy… you're too sweet.
Taking the band, I brushed my thumb over it before looking at my sword.
More specifically, the bottom of the handle.
Yeah… that would be a good spot.
Tying it around the bottom, I ensured it was secure before looking back at Sylphy.
"There… now I won't lose it again," I said, smiling. "Plus, it looks cool, right?"
And this way, both Eris and Sylphy's gifts would be melded into one.
Plus, it was more secure like this.
After all, I knew more than anyone that my wrists weren't indestructible.
Thanks, Orsted.
"Yeah," she nodded, smiling happily.
Right… happily…
Did she know?
As I looked back at Sylphy's face, I couldn't help but remember reading the names of the dead back in Fittoa, making a frown form on my face.
"Sylphy… I… your parents… do you-?"
"Yeah," she said, cutting me off as she tilted her head down. "I… I know. They… didn't make it."
Seeing her forlorn face, I felt the need to hold her.
And so, I did. Taking her into my arms as I guided us to sit down on the bed.
"I'm sorry," I said.
That was all I could say.
I didn't know Laws and Anna that well, and there was nothing I could do to get them back, so… that was all I could do.
"It's… okay," she said, shuffling beside me. "I… learned of it a while ago with Princess Ariel's help."
Is that so?
So her and Ariel were acquainted for a while.
Interesting.
"I knew you were in the royal palace, but… how did that happen?" I asked. "Were you… teleported there?"
"Y-Yeah… actually…"
Sylphy then went on to explain her story since we were separated, starting with how she appeared in the sky.
That… was a terrifying thought.
But at least Sylphy knew magic, though it seemed to have taken everything for her to save herself.
That explains the hair… while I loved her green, the silver didn't look bad on her. And like this, she wouldn't be discriminated against anymore.
Anyway, she continued, explaining how she saved Ariel, and Ariel saved her in turn. How she defended the princess from assassins as her guard, and then how they decided to leave the capital, leading to our reunion.
I was… a little upset that Sylphy's life had been in danger, and was likely to be in danger in the future, but she seemed proud of her accomplishments and considered Ariel a friend worth defending, so I was able to deal with it.
"So Ariel was able to keep you safe from the nobles…" I muttered. "I'll have to thank her later."
"No need," Sylphy shook her head. "Your actions last night were enough."
She then looked down at my hand before pumping her fist in resolution and grabbing it, intertwining our fingers.
Huh… cute.
"A-Anyways, Leon," she continued, looking forward. "Where were you teleported?"
Ignoring the way the tips of her ears were turning red, I answered her, "The Demon Continent. The north of it, to be specific."
Sylphy's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to look at me.
"…That certainly explains why I didn't hear of you," she said. "That must be quite a grand story. Does your hair have something to do with it?"
"This? No, it wasn't from there," I said, fiddling with my streak of white hair. "This was just because of some troublesome guy."
I don't think Sylphy needed to know about my near-death experience with the Dragon God just yet.
"I see…" she mumbled.
Turning her gaze back down to her lap, I watched in interest as Sylphy's face went through a variety of expressions: from hopeful to fearful, then to confident before she looked back at me.
"Leon!" she said, her volume a little louder than before.
"Y-Yes?" I returned, slightly surprised by her vigour.
"Last night… you said you l-loved me, right?" she asked, tightening her grasp on my hand.
"I did," I nodded, squeezing her hand back.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before looking back at me, her gaze hesitant and uncertain.
"Then… when you said that… do you love me… as a woman?"
…Oh.
Was that not clear?
"Yes, I do," I said, smiling a bit as her eyes lit up.
But alas, I needed to break the news at the same time.
"But I also hold two others in my heart, so unfortunately, I can't be only yours."
Her expression dimmed slightly.
"And I assume… Eris is one of those?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Yes. And Roxy is the other, if you remember her," I answered.
She pouted, furrowing her eyebrow and sticking out her lower lip.
"How far have you gone then?" she asked.
…She wanted to know that?
I… guess she had the right to know.
"Well, we, uh, you know… cemented our relationship," I said, a little flustered.
Her pout deepened further, but despite her attempts to look furious, I couldn't think of the display as anything but adorable.
"Are you… angry?" I asked.
"Of course!" she said, her grip on my hand tightening once again. "I wanted to have your first time, but she went ahead of me! That… that… that meanie!"
Trying to hold in my laugh, I watched as she slowly calmed down, taking some of her frustration out on the bed as she lightly pounded the mattress with her free hand.
Releasing a sigh, she turned back to me, keeping her head down as she leaned her forehead against my shoulder.
"And? Do you… truly love me?" she said. "As a woman, that is."
"Absolutely," I said.
Not seeing any belief in her expression, I decided to be a little bold and cupped her cheek, bringing her face up to mine as I gently kissed her lips.
Huh… sweet.
She tasted like fruit.
Was that what she had for breakfast? Or was that her natural taste?
I… kind of wanted to know.
Releasing her, I opened my eyes and watched as she slowly blinked in a daze, slowly overcoming her shock at my actions as her cheeks became redder and redder.
"Does that answer your question better?" I asked in a teasing tone.
She absently nodded before suddenly shaking her head.
Taking a few deep breaths, she rested her head on my shoulders again, though not looking in my direction at all.
Was she hiding?
"…You're lucky I got used to polygamy in the royal palace," she said, her grip on my hand increasing even further. "And you better not abandon or forget about me."
"That would be impossible," I answered smoothly.
After all, I had kept her in my heart throughout our time separated.
Why would I stop loving her once I met her again?
Especially when she turned out so… cute.
While I loved her green hair, I couldn't deny that the silver fit her well, especially with how she let it stay long, resting over her shoulders and reaching her breasts…
And that wasn't even mentioning her face, with her cute ears and her button nose. It all fit perfectly with her soft, feminine features.
Sylphy… had really grown into a beauty, huh?
…Should I give her that ring now?
I know I wanted to wait until both her and I were sure about each other, but at this point, that would just be insulting to her feelings, and also my own…
Well… it should all work out, right?
And if it didn't… I would just make it so.
"Sylphy," I said seriously, prompting her to loop back up at me. "Are you fine with loving me? Only me?"
"Y-Yes? I don't plan on having anyone else, unlike a certain someone…" she said with a slight glare.
I already know how selfish I am, thank you.
"Right," I chuckled. "Then… if you're mine, I won't let you go. For your whole life."
"And that's what I want," Sylphy said with a smile before forming a difficult expression. "But… I still want to protect Ariel."
Hmm… well, after her story, I somewhat expected that.
A kind girl like Sylphy wouldn't leave her friend behind, after all.
"That's fine, but I'll be joining you," I said. "Either in helping Ariel alongside you, or taking you away if you're in too much danger."
"I… would prefer if you just helped," she said with a smile. "But thank you, Leon."
Reaching into my pocket, I then pulled out Sylphy's ring before taking her hand and placing it on her finger.
Slowly morphing the metal band to fit, I then looked up at her face.
"Good?" I asked.
"Y-Yeah," she nodded with a stunned expression. "I… really like it."
I… think it would be best to not mention how this was Eris' idea and purchase.
That could be something revealed later.
"Good," I said, releasing her hand. "With this, I plan to marry you once everything is settled, and as for the adult things… let's save that for when you're an adult."
She pouted at me, but before she could complain, I explained further, "After we arrive in Sharia and I drop my sisters off with Rudy, I'll be heading to the Begaritt Continent to save my mothers."
The new information seemed to stun her out of her discontent.
"Wait, Rudy's in Sharia?" she asked. "And more than that… your mothers are alive? How do you know?"
"The same person who told me where you were told me," I said with a smile.
"I see… so Zenith and Lilia are alive… and Paul as well, from what I heard," she said, a smile of mixed emotions forming on her face. "Your whole family is safe… I'm glad."
I knew she was truly glad, but I could also see some envy in her expression.
That made sense. After all, she had lost all of her family, while I had kept all of mine.
But there was one thing she was missing from this…
"Sylphy," I said, cupping her cheek and forcing her to look into my eyes. "Soon enough, they'll be your family too. We'll have a big one, with as many children as you want."
And hopefully, such a big family that she's never feel alone again, even if her parents were no longer with us.
Sealing my words with a short kiss, I was pleased with the smile Sylphy had as we separated from each other.
"…Okay!"
— Leon Greyrat —
Walking out of the carriage, I was immediately met with the sight of Norn and Aisha, both standing in front of me with their arms crossed and lips curled into a pout.
I had only seen them act like this a few times before, usually when I refused something like sleeping together or the odd time they wanted to buy something, but even after all this time, I couldn't help but think of it as something extremely cute.
However, I think they were going for something a bit more intimidating, so I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.
"What is it, my dear sisters?" I asked.
Their pouts deepened as they looked over at Sylphy behind me, who had donned her glasses once again, though still had a happy smile on her face.
"Is she going to be a big sister too?" Norn asked.
Ah, right.
I forgot that I hadn't told them about my… promises just yet.
After all, I didn't think I would need to confront that issue until I returned from the Begaritt Continent.
"Well, you see… you know how Eris and I are… together, right?" I asked, to which they both nodded. "Well… about that… I'm also together with Sylphy here… and another, who you don't know."
I began wincing with every word as I watched their frowns grow.
"Brother… bad," Norn said with disappointment.
Gah… that hurt me in a way worse than Orsted… ouch.
"We… we care about Big Sis Eris, you know?" Aisha said sadly. "She means a lot to us, so… don't hurt her! Or… or I'll hate you!"
The pain… it was unimaginable… who knew the greatest wound would be inflicted by the simple word 'hate'.
"Knock it off, you two," Eris said, coming over and lightly thumping their heads with her fists. "I already know that, and I'm fine with it."
Thank you, Eris!
You're my saviour!
"Really?" Aisha asked, lightly massaging her head as she looked up at her.
"Really. Leon promised to give me all the love I need, and if he doesn't…" she then looked at me, narrowing her eyes with a smirk. "…I know how to get him back under my control."
Eris… that was really arousing, but I wish you wouldn't say that in front of my sisters.
Sylphy, who had quickly realized the implications, averted her eyes with a flushed face.
"I-I'm going back to the princess!"
…Huh.
I was under the impression that her silence was part of her persona, but I guess she was too flustered to remember.
Cute.
— Leon Greyrat —
"Thank you for meeting with me this morning," Ariel said, smiling softly across from me.
"Of course," I said. "It was what we promised, after all."
"Still, I appreciate it," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear with practised ease. "So, without wasting time, I want to ask you again. Will you lend us-"
"I will," I interrupted her. "We're going to the same place, after all, so I'll defend your people throughout your journey."
That 'Luke' guy seemed annoyed at me interrupting the princess, but I easily ignored him.
He looked too much like my father for me to take him seriously.
Ariel raised her eyebrow in question. "That is quite a different answer from yesterday… I suppose something changed?"
"Obviously," I shrugged. "Before, your affairs didn't concern me, but now that my beloved is involved, that's a different story."
I saw Sylphy lower her head with a pleased smile.
I guess she was quite easy to satisfy with compliments and reminders about my love… I'd be sure to continue doing so.
"Ah, indeed, I had noticed that she seemed quite giddy after your conversation," Ariel said with a genuine smile. "And from that ring on her finger… I can assume you are serious about your affections?"
"Well, as serious as marriage can be," I answered.
Both Luke and Ariel seemed stunned at this, with the latter coughing into her fist after a few moments of silence.
"W-Well… I see, that's… good," she said, regaining her composure. "Luke. Sylphy. Can you two leave us alone for a moment?"
Sylphy nodded her head before departing, but Luke seemed hesitant.
"Don't worry," I said. "I have no plans of hurting your princess, and even if I did… you wouldn't be able to stop me."
I was not childish enough to say that I enjoyed seeing his eye twitch in annoyance at my words before he followed after Sylphy.
…Out loud, at least.
After all, he had been glaring at me ever since last night, and I was fairly certain his eye had caught Eris during her morning training, even after I cemented our relationship.
Plus, he looked like Paul, but only in the annoying ways.
Anyway, with the two of us left alone, Ariel then turned to look at me with a serious expression.
"So, can I assume your feelings towards Sylphy are genuine? And you truly intend to marry her?" she asked.
"Yes," I answered evenly. "To both questions."
She nodded, though her serious expression didn't fade.
"Then… is this the same with Eris?" she asked.
"Obviously," I answered again.
"Then is Sylphy… going to be your second wife?"
This time, her question was accompanied by a glare, her clear blue eyes digging into my very soul.
"I don't plan on having a hierarchy," I said. "They'll be equal in my heart, on paper, and everything in between."
Honestly, saying it out loud made me seem like such a lustful man.
It wasn't my fault, it was theirs for making me fall so hard.
All three of them.
"I know I can take care of them and love them, and if not, I'll simply make myself better in order to do so," I continued. "But unfortunately… I won't be able to have a ceremony until everyone is together."
Ariel tilted her head, confused.
"Everyone is together… do you mean your family?" she asked.
"No, I mean… the third one my heart belongs to…" I answered, averting my eyes slightly.
Ariel widened her eyes. "Wait… I know about Eris, but who is the third?"
Ah, this is going to be embarrassing…
"My, ah, teacher… is the third…" I said.
Ariel looked a little stunned as she leaned back into her seat.
"I… did not take you for someone who was into older women, Leon Greyrat."
"Roxy is eternally beautiful," I said quickly.
Ariel simply smirked. "I am amazed by your shamelessness. It's quite rare to see one so brazen."
"There is no need to hide such a beautiful feeling like love, no?" I said, smiling as well as I thought about my three special ladies. "Especially not for those I consider family."
Ariel stared at me for a moment, as if searching my expression for any falsehood, before releasing another sigh and leaning sideways on her bed, this time not even caring about her posture as she rested her head on her hand.
"Right… Sylphy did mention that you were like this," she said, shaking her head before levelling a heated glare my way. "But I'll warn you this once, Leon Greyrat. If you don't take care of Sylphy or keep your promise of loving her, I'll take her away from you. Even if I have to beg for the Sword God himself to cut you down."
Steeling my gaze back at her, I felt my lips curl up in a smirk.
"Right back at you. If I feel Sylphy's life is in danger, and especially for a cause with no worth, I'll take her away from you."
Our gazes clashed for a few moments before Ariel eventually relented, shaking her head with a resigned sigh.
"I'm a princess, you know? You could have your head taken off for such insolence," she said.
"Ah, my apologies, should I lick your feet as repentance?" I asked.
She licked her lips. "Don't give me any ideas…"
I flinched as my eyes shot open in surprise.
This… she really was from the royal palace, huh?
Ariel continued looking at me with lidded eyes before she suddenly laughed lightly.
"It's just a joke. Sylphy would be quite upset if I did such a thing, after all," she said, motioning for the door. "Now, I believe it is time we get going, my dear guard."
"O-Of course, Ariel…" I said, walking out the door.
I felt a little scared, as while she said she wouldn't do such a thing, that was only because Sylphy would be upset… not that she didn't want to do it.
But still… I'm glad.
It seems that Sylphy has made quite a good friend, even if she did have some… odd tastes.