“How About We Sleep In Tomorrow?”

After parting ways with Yarandrala and then Ruti and Tisse, Rit and I returned home.

"The festival's finally over," Rit stated a little bit forlornly.

"There will be another one next year," I reminded her.

"Will we still be together by then?"

"We will."

"And the year after?"

"Definitely."

"Eh-heh-heh." Rit smiled happily and then slipped her arms around my neck. Then

she closed her eyes and lifted her chin a bit. "Nh," she urged me on.

My heart raced a little at her adorable gesture as I leaned in and kissed her. When

our lips parted, I saw her elated smile. Enduring the sudden impulse to keep kissing

her, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a little box.

"What's that?" Rit asked.

"A present."

"For me? Can I open it now?"

I took a half step back to give her space to take the box.

"A necklace! And this is a diamond, right?!"

It was indeed. The chain was pink gold, gold alloyed with silver and copper. As the

name implied, it had a rosy gleam due to the copper.

"I got Mogrim to make the chain," I said.

"But what about the diamond?" Rit questioned.

"The truth is, during the fight with the gem beast, one of its gems got caught in my

pocket. All of the other jewels turned to lead, but when the gem beast collapsed,

Yarandrala and I were falling down the cliff, remember? Because of that, this one was

spared."

Rit took the piece of jewelry in her hand.

"Well, umm, I promised to give you an engagement ring someday. For now, this is the

best I can manage. Think of it as a down payment to show my determination to get a

ring before too long."

"So it's an engagement necklace?"

"Basically."

Rit placed the thing in my hand, and I wondered if she didn't like it.

"Put it on for me."

"Ah, ahhh. Okay. I got it."

I slipped the necklace around Rit's neck and fastened the clasp. I could feel her

breath on my neck, filling my heart with love and a ticklish embarrassment.

"How is it?" she asked.

I nodded. "It suits you well… It looks lovely."

"Ahh!" Rit leaped at me, burying her face in my chest. "You're so unfair!"

"Unfair…?"

"Saying that you'll get a ring for me later while giving a present like this! It isn't fair! I

love you!" Rit clung to me. "You better take responsibility for making me feel this

way."

"How should I do that?"

Rit moved her lips next to my ear. "…How about we sleep in tomorrow?"

A mesmerizing thrill of pleasure raced through me.

"You're no fair, either."

Somewhere along the way, I had started hugging Rit back. Awash in the warmth of

her body, I was truly grateful we were able to share this kind of happy existence.

Darkness and silence fell upon Zoltan's harbor district. The festival had ended.

Revelers had either gone home or found their way to taverns to enjoy after-parties.

"Ha, nobles are always so damn longwinded at meals." The Archmage Mistorm

leaned slightly on her walking stick as she moved along the street. "Still, the food was

good. It's hard to believe that little brat Will is governor-general now."

The young boy who was always causing his parents problems and had once told

anyone who would listen he would go to the capital and join the Bahamut Knights

was now the commander of Zoltan's army. That scrawny kid had grown into a

dignified middle-aged man. The stilted manner of speaking he'd adopted when

trying to copy the stereotypical knight had developed into a proper tenor. Yet when

Mistorm shook his hand, she could feel how large it had grown from his constant

sword practice—the vestige of a boy who'd dreamed of being a knight.

"It was a fun trip. I haven't really bothered to go out much lately since it is such a

hassle, but making the effort was worthwhile." Mistorm placed her hand on her hip.

"Agh… I've been keeping my lower body in shape, but a hike in the mountains does a

number on the hips."

Fortunately, Mistorm had a proxy to handle trading with the gem giants and zoogs,

so she would be able to get away with sitting in on a meeting or two.

"Godwin's always been a shrewd kiddo. He'll be a good fit for this kind of business."

Mistorm walked along toward the inn where she was staying, the night breeze

rustling past.

She had chosen a place in the harbor district over downtown because more people

would have recognized her there. Plus, strolling while watching the moon reflected

on the river's surface went well with basking in old memories.

Mistorm continued down the empty road by herself for a little while.

Someone's following me.

The tail had first given themselves away a short while ago.

There was only a single, small residential house nearby. There were no lights on, so

the residents were most likely out.

Mistorm discreetly formed a seal. Maintaining a spell just on the verge of activation

was her specialty, and she relied on that technique more than any other.

He's realized that I've noticed! Such murderous intent! Is he out to kill me?!

The old woman had been retired for years now. That anyone would still be after her

was a surprise. However, Mistorm was still a veteran adventurer who had honed her

skills in countless battles.

When the assassin made their move, she conjured a brilliant flash of light. If the

assailant was using a Night Vision skill, that would temporarily blind them.

The assassin remained undaunted and drew their sword without so much as

flinching.

Their eyes are closed?! A Mind's Eye skill?! This one's pretty strong!

Mistorm completed the seal with her left hand, loosing the magic she had been

maintaining.

"Thunder Blade!"

A giant, three-meter-long sword of white electricity appeared from her hand,

running the assassin through. The man collapsed to the ground singed and smoking.

"I know that's not the only one!"

Mistorm whirled, swinging her Thunder Blade at two more assailants who had been

closing in behind her. Her blade caught nothing but empty air, though.

They dodged from that close?!

The assassins had leaped into the air and were swinging their swords down at

Mistorm from above.

"Release!"

In response to the old woman's cry, the Thunder Blade swelled and exploded. A

storm of lightning bolts burst out from the sword, destroying the surroundings. The

assailants, still midplunge, were caught defenseless.

Mistorm's strength lay in her various methods of controlling her magic power. With a

single upper-tier spell, she could call upon her reserve magic for a strike or feint, as

the situation demanded. Many of her fights had been won because of the unexpected

effects she could produce.

"That's a legendary pirate for you, even if she has grown old. Took the others out,

huh?"

As the explosion of lightning died down, the final assassin landed on the ground.

"Someone who knows my past, huh?" Mistorm muttered.

This was one of the assassins who had been diving at her. He should have been

caught in the blast, too, but he showed no signs of injury.

An unpleasant sweat formed on Mistorm's forehead, but she did not have the leeway

to wipe as she held her staff at the ready.

He doesn't look too concerned. I can't say that doesn't annoy me! I still haven't fully

recovered my magic power yet. Upper-tier spells are off-limits, so what am I gonna do

now?

This assailant was a soldier with a high blessing level—someone Mistorm had never

seen in Zoltan. He was already in range to reach Mistorm with his sword, so even if

she could cast greater spells, it wasn't a great spot to be. The assassin was grinning

with the confidence of one who knew victory was assured.

"Thorn Bind!"

"What?!"

Briars entangled the man's body. Yarandrala stepped out of the darkness, glaring at

the man.

"She is a friend of mine," Mistorm remarked.

As he struggled, the assailant said, "…No one said anything about someone like you

being here…"

"Not sure what to tell you," Yarandrala replied with a shrug.

"Martial Art: Flame Escape!" A blaze engulfed the man's body, burning away the

thorny vines. "Haaaaaah!!!"

Fire erupted at the man's shout, and when the smoke from the conflagration cleared,

both he and the bodies of his defeated fellows were gone. Yarandrala considered

giving chase but decided to prioritize Mistorm instead.

"Are you all right?" the high elf asked.

"Thanks to you, yes."

The two women scanned their surroundings, but the assassins were long gone.

"Who were they?" Yarandrala questioned.

Mistorm shook her head. "I was attacked out of the blue. Never got a good enough

look to say."

"Any guesses?"

"I used to be Zoltan's mayor, but I've been retired for ages. What's the point in

coming for my head now?" Mistorm shrugged.

Hearing that, Yarandrala's well-shaped eyebrows twitched. "I'm here because I was

searching for you."

"For me?"

"Let me start by saying that I consider you a friend."

"I'm happy to hear that, but…"

"So long as it's within my power, I want to help you. I owe you for the problems I

caused before."

"That's a pretty roundabout windup. So why exactly were you looking for me?"

Mistorm pressed, her eyes locked with Yarandrala's.

The high elf did not turn away, meeting the gaze.

"Demon's Flare, the magic you used against that Meteo. That's dark magic employed

by the demon lord's army. And not by just any members of their ranks, either. Only

upper-tier demons are capable of it."

"…To think there was someone on this continent who knew of such things…,"

muttered Mistorm.

"With the war on, more and more people are becoming familiar with demonkind,"

Yarandrala cautioned.

"I'll have to watch myself," Mistorm responded with a wry smile.

Yarandrala's expression remained deadly serious as she continued. "Mistorm, you

aren't just a hero out in the countryside. There's more to you than that."

"…"

"Just who are you?"

Mistorm put her hand on her chin and sank into thought, and Yarandrala made no

effort to hurry her, waiting for the other woman to decide whether to trust her or

not.

Unlike Red and the others, who had given up their quest to enjoy a slow life,

Yarandrala was still a hero. Alone on the longest night of the year, she had chosen to

act for her friends' beloved newfound home and for this unlikely companion

shrouded in mysteries standing before her