In a corner of the logging yard workshop, there stands an abandoned materials warehouse that is seldom visited.
Originally built to store wooden materials from earlier productions, it has become an unused space as the logging yard expanded and moved further from the working area.
In that abandoned warehouse, the shadows of two people flicker among the discarded materials.
The owners of the shadows are a young boy and a girl, both likely still in their teens.
They are none other than Alain and Seria.
The two are alternating between sticking together and pulling apart.
And a whiny voice echoes around them.
If any outsider were to see this scene, they would certainly think it was a secret meeting between lovers.
However, Alain's expression, the actual party involved, was not that good.
His lightly dazed appearance clearly showed signs of fatigue rather than the enjoyment of a secret meeting.
This was understandable because,
"So, I'm saying... Wait, are you listening?"
"Yeah, I'm listening."
His response came nearly reflexively to Seria's question. Seeing this, Seria looked at Alain with a displeased expression, narrowing her eyes.
Swallowing hard, Alain felt a pang of anxiety as he observed her mood.
"... Hmm, whatever."
"..."
At Seria's mumble, Alain let out a sigh of relief internally, patting his chest.
It had been a month since he first met Seria.
After work, chatting in this empty warehouse had become a part of Alain's daily routine.
Amidst that routine, Alain realized that no matter what happened, he should never interject or adopt a sarcastic tone with Seria.
"Anyway, so I'm saying—"
'Is it starting again?'
Silently screaming inside, Alain desperately tried to maintain a neutral expression.
Seria's tale was not particularly grand.
It was simply some complaint shared in casual conversation.
The main topic was her dissatisfaction with Karen, a knight who was her superior and in charge of her training.
Alain recalled the image of the blonde woman he had encountered once.
She certainly had a rather stern aura.
To put it nicely, Seria had a lively and bold personality, or to put it harshly, she would rush in without understanding the situation, which clashed poorly with the stern demeanour of Karen.
"... So, she says, 'How do you expect to protect the country with that state of mind?! Do you think you can become a knight like that?!' Isn't that too much?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Alain replied with an absent-minded response while looking at Seria.
He thought that Seria, with her puffed cheeks and pouting expression, resembled a bird flapping its wings.
"... Sigh, but even so, the atmosphere these days is really bad. Honestly, it's making my stomach churn."
"What's going on?"
"Um... It feels like the gazes of people around me have become sharper. Not to mention, there are even some aunts who throw sarcastic remarks as they walk past. I have no idea what I did wrong..."
'Sarcastic remarks... Ah, indeed. Is that it?'
"... Didn't they say there would be a personnel transfer soon?"
"Hmm? ... I think I heard something like that."
"Maybe that's why. Everyone's nerves are on edge because of it."
"Is that so...?"
"Yeah, it probably is. To be blunt, this isn't exactly a pleasant workplace. It's full of dangers, and it's ridiculously far from the city. All you see is trees, trees, and more trees."
At Alain's response, Seria seemed to ponder deeply before nodding.
"Ugh, is that it? But why are they treating me like that..."
"..."
At Seria's mumble, Alain kept his mouth shut with a bitter smile.
There was no way he could say it.
That was because the green group, or the officers of the duchy alliance, were envious of her.
The green group consisted of officers dressed in green, primarily women who had failed the knight training program.
There could be various reasons for failing the knight training, but to put it simply, The main reason was that they couldn't maintain an acceptable operating time while piloting a golem.
For them, Seria, who had already been recognized for her potential and was quickly advancing through the knight training program, was undoubtedly an eyesore.
If only she had some flaws, it would be more bearable, but unfortunately, the girl before him had no noticeable flaws.
Although her assertive personality and direct emotional expressions could be overwhelming, she was not unreasonable.
In fact, she had opened up to Alain and approached him could even be considered a passing mark in terms of personality.
Moreover, she was quite attractive.
And she had talent too.
In simple terms, she was an attractive and capable person with a vibrant personality.
Such a presence would undoubtedly irk the group of officers at the logging yard, who felt trapped and couldn't even entertain the thought of marriage.
"Ugh... Even so, this will surely continue until the personnel transfer is over, right?"
"Well, I guess so."
"Honestly... At this rate, I might just collapse before returning."
With that, Seria let out a deep sigh.
It seemed she was quite troubled.
"... Didn't you say you would return to the kingdom in a month?"
"Hmm... That sounds about right. I'm not completely sure, but I should be back at least two months before the new semester begins at the military academy."
"Is that so? So, it's about a month from now..."
"Yeah. ...If I had known it would end up like this, I would have met you sooner. But then, Alain would probably be in danger in the dark forest again, wouldn't he?"
With that, Seria smiled mischievously.
Although she seemed to regret parting ways, her attitude suggested she had no particular attachments.
"..."
Alain also offered a light smile in response to Seria.
And internally, he murmured.
'... Is it time to start moving?'
A month had passed since their first meeting.
During that time, Alain believed that their relationship had reached the point where they could be called friends.
He was surprisingly startled by how quickly the walls of their relationship had crumbled.
As a result, he was cautious about being too rash and failing, and each day passed, bringing their interactions to nearly a month.
As a result, Seria comfortably shared stories about her personal life and the world around her, while Alain engaged with her stories, resulting in a convenient relationship for both.
If anything, it was closer to a close friendship than a romantic relationship.
Alain felt that there was no indication that Seria viewed him as a romantic interest.
In that case, it was necessary to proceed as planned.
With the looming variable of the personnel transfer, it was becoming increasingly difficult to predict the situation even one step ahead. The rapidly changing circumstances of the kingdom alliance officers made it uncertain whether he would have the chance to meet Seria again.
Thus, if he wanted to make a move, it had to be now.
With that determination, Alain opened his mouth.
"Hey, about that."
"Hmm? What is it?"
As Seria blinked her eyes and asked, Alain maintained his smile and said,
"... Well, it might be a bit early, but I have something I want to give you."
"Something you want to give... Oh, is it a gift?"
"Well, sort of. Just a light memento of our friendship."
At those words, Seria leaned forward with a broad smile.
"What is it? What is it? What are you going to give me?"
"... Don't get too excited. I said it's a gift, right? Revealing it would defeat the whole purpose of giving a gift."
"Ah, that makes sense!"
With that, Seria looked at Alain with sparkling eyes, filled with anticipation.
In response to her gaze, Alain said,
"Sorry, I don't have it on me right now."
"...Ah."
Alain struggled to suppress an involuntary laugh as he watched Seria's expression rapidly shift to one of disappointment.
"Ahem," lightly clearing his throat, he continued.
"Sorry, I can't risk forgetting it while I'm working. That's why I always keep it at my hut."
"Ugh... That's right."
It seemed that something had clicked for her when he mentioned a gift.
She was fidgeting, unable to concentrate on anything else but the content of the gift.
This is going to work.
Alain thought as he continued speaking.
"... Um, but giving it to you might be a bit tricky... I'm not sure when we'll meet again."
"That's okay! Don't worry! I'll come by tomorrow!"
"... I appreciate that, but to be honest, you can't guarantee we'll meet again tomorrow, can you? What if Lady Karen decides to hold special training?"
"...Ugh, that's true."
"Plus, I'm in a bit of a tough situation too. The workload at the site keeps increasing, and so do the overnight working hours. Honestly, I can't guarantee when we'll meet again."
Perhaps due to the impending personnel transfer, the officers were squeezing the workers for their worth.
As a result, the number of injuries and fatalities was increasing, but the officers were completely unconcerned. After all, for them, the workers at the logging yard were easily replaceable.
"Ugh..."
At Alain's words, Seria fell silent, letting out a groan.
In reality, over the past month, they had only managed to meet and converse on fewer than half of the days. Therefore, it was unreasonable for her to be so confident that they would meet again tomorrow.
"Hmm... Even so, I want to give it to you as soon as possible. But I can't always carry it with me..."
Hearing that, Seria seemed to be pondering how to ensure they would meet again.
Watching her, Alain suddenly said,
"Ah, that's right."
It seemed he had come up with an idea and clapped his hand.
"Seria, can you come out of your lodging tonight?"
"Tonight?"
Seria blinked in response to Alain's words.
He nodded and said,
"Yeah, since it's difficult to predict when I'll be able to give it to you, I thought I'd at least pass it to you tonight. What do you think?"
"Um... Would that be better?"
Seria cautiously nodded at Alain's words.
'Got her.' Alain thought to himself as he quickly continued.
"Then, do you remember the clearing in the forest?"
"The clearing? Oh, the one I always pass by."
Alain nodded at Seria's words.
The clearing in the forest was located between the workers' lodging and the officers' lodging.
To be precise, it was situated between the shortcut that could lead to the logging yard or the workers' lodging without passing through the central square.
The reason Alain and Seria knew that path was largely due to the old man's help.
As the old man had mentioned before, hoping that crumbs might fall, he had pointed out places where the two could meet secretly and shortcuts that could easily access the lodging or the workshop.
This empty warehouse was also one of those places. And the shortcut and the clearing between them were the same.
"Okay, then I'll bring the gift around midnight. Just come to the clearing, and I'll give it to you. How does that sound?"
Alain appeared calm on the surface as he said this.
But internally, he was quite nervous.
What if she suspected something?
What if she thought he was plotting something?
With that anxious thought, Alain awaited Seria's response.
However, unlike Alain, who was waiting anxiously for an answer,
"Sure, sounds good."
Seria agreed with a refreshing attitude.
"Then I'll come by at midnight tonight."
"...Alright. I'll be waiting."
Alain let out a sigh of relief internally in response to Seria's overly refreshing answer.
"Um... But one thing."
"...?"
"Are you not going to tell me what the gift is?"
"... If I reveal what the gift is, it won't be as fun when you receive it, right? Just keep it as a surprise for when you get it."
"Hmm... I suppose that's true..."
Even so, Seria appeared restless, clearly anxious about the contents of the gift. Alain couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, I won't disappoint you. I'm sure you'll be surprised."
"Okay, good. But don't let me down, okay?"
With a sulky look, Seria said, and Alain responded with a light laugh.
Then he murmured to himself.
When she receives the gift, she will indeed be surprised, but that surprise will certainly not be a pleasant one.