P/N let me know if there's any mistakes and I will try to fix them
far stronger prums than Lilly."
"You may be right. But strength and courage don't always come together.
You faced incredible danger and still had the will to overcome it while knowing
your own weakness. I remember what you did on the eighteenth floor. You put
your own life at risk to help others, much like the great Phiana. You are a shining
example to prums everywhere."
Lilly blushed as Finn brought his innermost thoughts to light without any
fanfare. Caught off guard by his honest praise for a moment, she shook her head
as soon as she collected her thoughts.
"You give Lilly too much credit. Lilly is not some great angelic prum. As an
adventurer, Mr. Finn surely has heard rumors of a prum with 'sticky fingers'?
One who steals items and money from other adventurers?"
"That I have."
"Lilly is that prum. She lured adventurers into traps and stole everything
valuable they carried. Yes, anyone Lilly didn't like met the same fate. So Lilly is
the worst, a horrible—"
"The fact that rumors exist in the first place means the victims lived to tell
their tale. I have looked into these incidents myself, since one of my
subordinates was involved. Every single one of the victims is alive and well."
"…"
Even after Lilly confessed to her dark past, Finn was unfazed and calmly
pointed out that she hadn't killed anyone.
Lilly looked back down into her lap.
She wanted to refute his words. She had committed so many crimes over the
years, and there were a few times she'd seriously considered taking the lives of
adventurers.
However, those adventurers had been so tenacious.
Despite losing everything, they clung to life with the persistence of
cockroaches.
That was the reason she had stayed her hand—it wasn't worth it.
The best way to get revenge was to make them suffer as much as possible.
Killing them quickly would have been too merciful and a waste, so she chose not
to go through with taking their lives.
Lilly…had been naive.
"I've lived in Orario long enough to know that stealing possessions rather
than taking lives is very tame…I'm no god. I have no right to judge you, nor am
I interested in doing so."
His words were strong, piercing like a spear. But his expression was gentle.
Finn smiled and said:
"All I see is who you are now."
"…"
"And who you are now possesses an important quality that our people have
lost."
Finn's blue eyes blinked. He looked at Lilly with admiration.
"Lilly…hasn't come home."
I whisper to myself while standing in the living room.
I looked all around the city for Lilly last night, but there was no sign of her,
so I came back to our home with my nonexistent tail between my legs.
The one shred of hope that I still had, that I repeated to myself over and over,
was that she'd be back by morning…And now the sun is up, but no Lilly.
"Did she really…go to meet Finn…?"
She said she would. And today's the day.
Welf and Mikoto are making breakfast in the kitchen…I think about it long
and hard, but I decide to go to the goddess for advice.
After climbing the stairs, I arrive at her third-floor room and knock on her
door. "Come on in," comes her voice from the other side.
"Oh, it's you, Bell. I heard from Haruhime that our supporter is gone. You
know anything about it?"
I…I don't know what to say.
She's getting ready to go to work at her part-time job at a Jyaga Maru Kun
street stand when I step inside. She hits me with that question right off the bat. I
avoid making eye contact, looking around the room for a few moments before I
divulge everything that happened last night with what I'm sure is a pitiful look
on my face.
I give her every detail, hoping for some tidbit of advice. She sighs.
A big one, too. I blink a few times.
"Bell. You—If you're trying to make her happy, you can't think so hard
before you take action."
"!"
My head snaps up to look at my goddess.
It's true. Considering all that happened to Lilly while she was with Soma
Familia, I don't want to say it's out of sympathy, but I want her to be happy.
And after Finn said that…Finn said that she would "be happy." And knowing
who he is, I'm sure he would make her happy. She'd be happier with him, a top-
tier adventurer much stronger than me.
Lilly said it herself. That the famous prum hero is much better than me, a
class act, the perfect gentleman.
…No matter what I say or do, nothing will change.
"Just to let you know, should the supporter…Lilliluka…ask to leave my
familia, I won't stop her."
"?!"
My goddess could see right into my mind—Is she actually reading my
thoughts?!
A part of me deep down believed that, as our goddess, Lady Hestia would put
an end to this whole thing if it came to that. Suffice to say, that confidence is
gone now.
"That'd be one less rival to worry about…"
My mind is going in too many directions at once to comprehend what she just
said under her breath. Then she raises her head.
"Bell. From the supporter's point of view, your inability to make a decision
either way just feels like meddling in her business. I'm pretty sure she'd say it
herself: that she'll decide how she wants to live, how she'll be happiest."
"Ah…"
"If I were in her shoes, and you were the one who came to me with that
proposal, it would be a real shock."
She looks at me kindly and says something that sounds like criticism, but it
also sounds like she's enjoying herself.
"Bell, our supporter will disappear if you don't do something. Is that what
you want?"
"I…I…"
"You know, you should be more selfish."
She smiles at me with those pure blue eyes of hers. I stand still for a moment.
My hands curl into fists a heartbeat later.
"—Please excuse me. I don't need breakfast!"
I turn away from Lady Hestia and run out of the room. I see her soft smile
after taking one last look over my shoulder. Then I'm down the stairs and out of
the manor in no time flat.
"…Haaah…Gods always have to suffer."
Hestia let out a long sigh as she watched Bell race through the front gate
from her window, knowing full well she was helping her rival.
Despite what she had said, the smile hadn't disappeared from Hestia's lips.
"Hey! Hey, Aiz! Get a load'a this! Finn's gonna get hitched!"
Aiz turned her head to face the voice and received a hug from behind.
It was at Loki Familia's home, in a narrow hallway of the residence.
The Amazonian girl Tiona ran by many doors as she raced through the
passageway toward Aiz. She had both her arms around the human girl's
shoulders in an instant and was absolutely bubbling with energy.
"Finn is…?"
"Yep, yep! I heard him talking about it with Riveria in the hallway last night!
Just happened to be at the right place at the right time!"
Aiz's golden eyes were wide open in a rare expression of surprise. At the
same time, Tiona was vigorously nodding, barely able to contain her excitement.
"And get this! Finn was wearing glasses when he left this morning—saw it
myself! He was going to meet his bride for sure! Ohhhhh, I wonder what kind of
lady he's gonna bring home?"
Tiona verbalized every thought flying through her head, causing a ruckus in
the hallway.
Aiz did her best to move with the elated Amazon who currently had her in a
bear hug. "Hmm," she said quietly, raising her chin as she thought about it. It
seemed strange to her that that prum, her general, would be discussing marriage.
She was just about to mention that when—
"—Want to clarify what you're talking about?"
A voice as cold as ice.
""Ah.""
Aiz and Tiona froze in place. They knew who the female warrior standing
behind them was without looking.
"I only received the grandiose title 'Braver' because I pressured Loki into it."
It was a corner in the Hidden Home of the Prums.
Finn and Lilly's conversation continued with the whispers of onlookers still
swirling around them.
Finn explained how he had negotiated with Loki to push for his moniker to
be "Braver" at his naming ceremony during a Denatus session. It was his way of
denying himself an escape route from his mission. He was bound and
determined to become the rallying flag of the prum race.
"I'm willing to do anything for the revival of our people. That goes for the
prums yet to be born into this world as well. And to do that…I need an heir of
my own."
Lilly sat, dumbfounded, and listened to Finn talk about the extent of his
resolve and why a fitting partner was necessary for him.
Orphaned at an early age, Lilly had struggled just to stay alive. She had no
time for faith in Phiana, nor did she know all that much about the goddess.
However, she knew that Phiana was important to prums, which was just about
how much other races knew about the prum goddess as well.
Despite that, Finn helped her understand the important role courage played in
providing a beacon of hope in place of Phiana. As well as how much he devoted
himself to it.
"…Mr. Finn, is there no woman who holds a special place in your heart?"
The question came out of Lilly's mouth before she knew it.
Everything she'd heard up to this point made her believe that Finn was
sacrificing himself for the good of his people. She couldn't help but ask. Her
question caught Finn by surprise, but he answered.
"…There is one obnoxious girl who is rather fond of me."
He paused for a moment then chuckled at himself.
"It's led to some embarrassing moments and quite a few headaches…but it
feels like something's missing when she's not around. Sometimes I wonder if
there's something wrong with me."
His lips awkwardly turned up into a forced smile, but Lilly could see the
kindness in it.
"—But I have no interest in just living a happy life. No, the moment a simply
happy life grows on me, everything I've done, every obstacle I've overcome so
far will have been for nothing."
A new wave of conviction passed over his face. Like a valiant knight
renewing his vows, Finn's blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
It was all for his people. As a fellow prum, Lilly was moved by his awe-
inspiring willingness to devote himself to that cause. She couldn't help it. She
could never possess such strong conviction, such dedication to a lofty goal as he
had to his people.
Ah—.
Seeing the way Finn lived his life inspired something within her heart.
No, made her remember. Her feelings for the boy.
That's right…
The one who had rescued her wasn't her fellow prum Finn Deimne, nor was
it one of the gods.
It was Bell.
Everyone had always ignored the muddy prum at their feet. The first person
to look her way, to really see her, was that white-haired boy.
Yes, that's right. Lilly is…
As unlikely as it was, even if Hestia ever turned away from him, Lilly would
never abandon him. Even if the world labeled him a criminal, exiling him to
some faraway place, it would be Lilly right by his side. She would continue to
support him.
The boy was barreling forward at a breakneck pace, but even still, Lilly
would travel that path with him for the rest of her life.
On that day he forgave, accepted, held, and laughed with her—she had made
her decision.
"…"
What's this? Lilly laughed to herself.
All in all, she and Finn were one and the same. It was almost like looking in
the mirror. She had something to devote her life to.
In that moment, a guaranteed happy life slipped through Lilly's fingers. The
same emotions that had caused her so much pain over the past two days would
probably strike again.
However, she had already decided: No matter what happened, she would
never leave that boy's side. It was not completely out of atonement—she simply
wanted to. Lilly would continue to support Bell.
She would devote her life to her family, much like the man in front of her was
doing.
"It really…didn't matter…"
"?"
Lilly quietly whispered under her breath. Finn tilted his head.
In negative terms, Lilly was blind; to a more neutral perspective, she was
loyal. But looking at it in the best possible way, it was unconditional love.
She, a very plain-looking girl, was competing with a goddess, among others.
A tiny part of her felt that way. But whether Aiz Wallenstein was in the running
or not, whether Bell had someone special to him or not, none of that had
mattered from the beginning.
"…Sorry, Mr. Finn."
Lilly sat up straight and looked Finn directly in the eye.
"Lilly declines your offer."
She smiled softly and bowed her head.
"Can I hear the reason?"
Finn returned her smile and asked why.
"Just like you have devoted your life to our people, Lilly, too…has devoted
her life to Bell. Lilly has made up her mind."
Lilly explained that the two of them were one and the same.
The scale of their commitments might be completely different, but their level
of determination was identical. Lilly responded with gratitude to the man who
had reminded her of something she nearly lost.
"I see," Finn said with a nod. "…Haaa…So it wasn't going to work out after
all." Finn closed his eyes and sighed, a weak smile on his lips.
"I had an inkling going in that there wasn't much hope. Even my thumb told
me this wouldn't work out…Call it my intuition."
"If that's so, why make the offer?"
Lilly was confused by his remarks. Finn, however, whose youthful
expression matched his appearance, gave her a genuine smile.
"Didn't I tell you? It was your courage that caught my eye."
"Ah…"
"From one prum to another, your courage took my breath away," he said.
"How could I not try to make a move?"
He placed his right hand over his chest, but he seemed truly happy.
It was his standard as Braver.
Just as he was trying to inspire his people, he was looking for a partner who
could inspire him.
"Well, looks like I'm back to square one."
Finn leaned back in his chair and cast his gaze thoughtfully toward the
ceiling.
It wasn't Loki Familia's general sitting across from Lilly at the table but Finn
as he truly was as a person. Seeing that made Lilly smile.
"If Lilly meets anyone special, she'll introduce you right away."
"Please do. I don't think I'm cut out for this sort of thing. I've always been
unlucky."
Finn grinned back at her.
Although she had turned down his proposal, the two were happy to at least
find someone who shared their strong feelings of devotion to a cause, and they
exchanged lighthearted smiles.
A calming air descended upon the table.
"Sir, sir! What are you doing?!"
""?""
That's when it happened.
The door was practically thrown off its hinges as every customer looked
toward the front in a mix of surprise and confusion.
Lilly and Finn were among them. And what should greet their eyes but an
extremely out-of-breath white-haired human boy.
"M-Mr. Bell?!"
Lilly reflexively jumped to her feet as the boy made a remarkably late
entrance.
His eyes opened wide the moment her voice reached his ears. Breaking
through the bar staff trying to block his path, Bell rushed over to their table.
The boy had made his way all the way to the Hidden Home of the Prums
either by his vague memories of the map on Finn's note or by wandering around
aimlessly until he found it, and he went straight to Finn. Lilly watched in
dumbfounded silence.
"Mr. Finn! Please, please don't take Lilly away!"
"Huh?" was all Lilly could say.
Finn stayed seated with a blank look on his face.
But only for a moment. Instantly piecing together what was happening, he
glanced over at Lilly and winked. A slightly evil smile appeared on his lips.
"How unfortunate—She's already accepted my offer, Bell Cranell."
Lilly was speechless. Shock was the only thing keeping her from jumping in
and asking what he meant by that.
Just wait, the prum said with his eyes, stopping Lilly in her tracks. Her
chance to get angry at him was gone.
At the same time, all the color had drained from Bell's face. But he didn't
give up.
"I still—I still want to be with Lilly! I don't want to let her go!"
The strength behind Bell's scream caught Lilly by surprise, making her blush.
A glint appeared in Finn's eyes, as if he was enjoying himself. He started
speaking again, the wicked smile still on his lips. "The two of us have already
decided to unite as one. Are you really going to trample on that?"
"Yes!"
"Well, it sounds like you have a vested interest. So then, what is she to you?"
"She's part of my familia—my family!"
"Is that all? That's hardly enough."
"…She was my first ally and is a very, very important partner!"
Finn spurred Bell into yelling his true feelings for Lilly at the top of his
lungs.
She listened to every word, her heart beating with every syllable. Heat built
up inside her, to the point that her chest was aching.
That's when she figured out his plan. He was trying to show her exactly how
much Lilly meant to the boy. It was unfair, almost dirty. Was there a way to stop
this runaway train?
This human who had forced his way onto the dining floor was now
exchanging words with Braver in the center of a crowd. Lilly was turning redder
by the second, unable to do much more than look left and right between the two.
"At long last, I found the bride I've been searching for. I won't give up on
this marriage that easily…Or will you try to take her by force? From me?"
Screech. Finn stood from the chair, looking up at Bell as he issued a
challenge.
He was Level 6, a top-tier adventurer even stronger than Ishtar Familia's
Phryne Jamil. Bell cleared his throat but didn't back down.
It was his turn to be selfish, and he would see it through to the end no matter
who stood in his way. Bell squared his shoulders and faced Finn directly.
"You've got spirit, and this could be interesting…The winner of our duel will
decide her fate!"
Braver was getting caught up in the moment and having a bit too much fun.
Forgetting his age, Finn pointed at the ruby-red-eyed boy, like he was a cocky
teenager itching for a fight.
Luan had gone completely slack-jawed as he watched it all unfold. The rest
of the prum staff and patrons gathered around the table, excited to see what
would happen next.
As for Lilly, she couldn't be blushing any harder.
Wh…What is going ooooooon?!
Bell and Finn were about to fight over her?
One of them might've been just joking around, but the other one was
completely serious. She could see it in the boy's eyes.
It was like a scene out of a fairy tale—two knights fighting for the right to
marry a young maiden, or perhaps the queen. That was her part in the story, and
it made her face burn with embarrassment.
I'm not fit for this role! I'm a servant of the castle, at the most! Or so she
silently screamed inside her head.
Looking vaguely similar to a boiling apple, Lilly watched Bell muster up
every bit of courage he possessed and Finn grin with the same twinkle in his eye.
Surrounded by the cheers of his kin, Finn declared:
"If by some chance you manage to land a hit, I will concede. However,
should I win, she will be my bride."
"Get him!" came the jeering voices of the prum onlookers. Bell slowly
nodded and took three steps back away from the corner of the dining floor before
turning to face Finn once again.
This has gone too far, Lilly thought to herself, the shame taking its toll. She
had to stop this, run in between them and—
" General?"
A cold chill swept through the bar.
"""?!"""
Lilly, Finn, Bell—all flipped around to face the terrifying, murderous aura
emanating from the front.
On the other side of the panic-stricken crowd was an Amazon shrouded in a
black miasma.
"T-Tione…How long have you been standing there?"
"General, what did you mean by that just now? Marriage…Your bride?"
Finn reeled backward. Tione hadn't been there long enough to hear the whole
thing.
There was no light in the Amazon's dead, empty eyes. Her plump, heavily
exposed breasts swayed with each heavy step she took in his direction. The floor
under her feet groaned precariously.
Her very presence overwhelmed the bar's patrons. Unable to withstand the
pressure of a top-tier adventurer, many collapsed to the floor like flies, staring at
the ceiling with drool running down their chins.
"How did you know I was here…?"
"I followed your scent."
"What are you, some kind of animal person…?"
While it might have been in jest, she was the last person Finn wanted to hear
say those words. Sweat was pouring down his face. At the same time, this
Amazon who was head over heels for the general to a frightening extent swayed
back and forth as she made her way through the tables and closer to the corner of
the bar.
As soon as Tione got within three meders of Finn, her voice exploded:
"GENERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL—!!"
"Get a hold of yourself, Tione!"
Finn darted away to get out of the charging Amazon's path. Pushing his small
body to its limits, he stayed as close to the floor as possible and dashed away
like a scared rabbit, hopping in leaps and bounds.
An ominous light came to life inside the Amazon's eyes. Going berserk, she
spun around and chased the Braver out of the bar and into the streets at
breakneck speed.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump! The last of their footsteps echoing
through the bar, a strange stillness filled the air.
Lilly, Bell, and the still-conscious prums were stunned.
"…Um, Lilly."
"!"
At a time when no one knew what to say, Bell cautiously broke the silence.
The rest of the prums lost interest, returning to their seats and massaging their
aching heads. Lilly's shoulders jumped up to her ears as she spun around to face
the boy.
Bell threw his body into a deep bow right in front of her.
"I'm sorry! Sorry I couldn't make a decision, sorry that I wasn't clear…"
"N-no! This is a misunderstanding! That was all Mr. Finn's idea…! He was
teasing you!"
"He…he was?"
"Yes! Lilly didn't accept his offer!"
Lilly desperately tried to explain what happened. Relief swelled within Bell's
heart with each passing moment.
Hand over his chest, the tension started to disappear from Bell's shoulders.
He still had a guilty look on his face, but he maintained eye contact with Lilly
and spoke as clearly as he could.
"I'm sorry—for everything. But I just…I still want you to be here with me."
Bell bared his heart to her, his cheeks taking on a slightly scarlet hue.
Lilly was much the same way, wide-eyed and blushing. Her lips slowly
spread into a smile.
"…Lilly is sorry, too. Suddenly getting angry, running away from home…"
"N-no, that was all because of me…"
"No, Mr. Bell. Lilly is at fault. She said in anger so many things she doesn't
believe about you and put you in a bad situation."
The two stood there, exchanging apologies. They looked away at the same
time, spouting even more explanations. Then they made eye contact again,
blushing in embarrassment and feeling a little awkward.
"…Shall we go home?"
"Yes!"
Bell shrugged and smiled. Lilly enthusiastically smiled back as she answered.
Bell then went to apologize to the prum staff for all the trouble he caused,
breaking into their bar, and did the same to the patrons soon after. Luan looked
up from one of them who was still passed out on the floor and yelled, "Never
show your face here again!" with all his anger. With that, Lilly and Bell left the
Hidden Home of the Prums.
A clear blue sky above their heads, the two of them passed by crowds of
demi-humans as they walked down the side streets.
"Um, also, how can I put this…?"
The two of them were almost home. They were in such a good mood that the
events of last night didn't feel real anymore, and Bell felt comfortable enough to
say what was on his mind.
Lilly looked up at him and saw him blush a little as he stumbled over his
words.
"Lilly, you're like a little sister to me."
"Mhh…"
"I-I only ever had my grandfather. No brothers, no sisters…So I didn't want
to lose one."
The boy shyly exposed the very deepest part of his heart to her. The corner of
Lilly's mouth twitched. She knew that he thought of her as nothing more than a
little sister, but hearing it still stung. She had decided to never leave his side no
matter what happened, but this was something else entirely.
Cheeks trembling as anger started to take hold once again, Lilly suddenly
thought of something and flashed a grin.
"Mr. Bell, oh Mr. Bell. Please lean in close."
"?"
Making a face fitting for an innocent little sister, she came to a stop and Bell
did the same, albeit confused. The clueless white rabbit did as he was told and
bent over at the waist so that the prum could whisper into his ear.
Lilly put her lips right next to it.
" I am older than you, Bell."
She spoke in the most adult, seductive way she knew how.
"?!"
A jolt ran down his spine as Bell stood up with a start. As he held his ear that
Lilly had spoken into, the rest of his face hung limply. It wasn't long before he
began to blush.
Lilly was looking back up at him, barely open eyes twinkling. Without
warning, a grin appeared. The innocent-little-sister smile was back.
"Now let's get home, Mr. Bell."
"…Ho-hold on a second, Lilly! Are…are you serious?!"
"Who knows?"
She walked ahead at a brisk pace. Bell desperately tried to keep up.
Lilly's robe swished as she took a peek over her shoulder and saw that the
boy was beet red and practically falling over his feet. It brought yet another
smile to her face.
I see, I see.
So thinking of her as an older sister triggered a reaction like that.
It was worth remembering.
Lilly's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she listened to the boy's
rambling behind her and smiled happily.
Holding her hands behind her back, she had a bit more spring in her step as
her footfalls echoed off the stone pavement.
The boy's pitiful voice echoed through the busy street.
The prum girl enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight, dimples forming in her
cheeks as she savored the moment.