Chapter 121: Elf Princess - Changes in the mind

Alicia watched Ryuji drinking the potion her mother gave her. She felt that his reluctance to drink was cute compared to his usual self.

'Ryuji seems to be very respectful to mothers. I can use this, hehe.'

While watching his lips touch the elixir, she felt her mouth become dry and became unsure why she started kissing him; the first time when she kissed his forehead, Alicia could swear she felt something warm and pleasant flowing into her body...

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Thus, she kept doing it as if to feel that pleasant feeling.

Even though it made her feel a little more conscious of him as a man afterwards, in the past, she joked and flirted with him about those things, but Alicia had never dated a man before and just wanted to show off and copy Sheila.

"Okay, I think I'm alright now... The pain is gone, though I'm still dirty, haha."

Ryuji laughed off his pain while standing up and performing squats as if to show he was fine. His lips curled into a smug smile.

'He's a little irritating when acting so smug...'

"Then let's go. I'll make sure to keep you safe this time." Alicia gave a slight huff while grasping her longbow, keeping two arrows between her fingers, rubbing the wooden shaft against her knuckles with a third arrow ready to draw.

"Yeah, yeah. I am the one protecting you."

Ryuji walked ahead, his movements different from before; his legs would sweep the ground as if checking for traps or anything that might give information.

At first, Alicia found his actions funny or a little wasteful...

Until he found a bear trap.

With a clang, he triggered the trap and tossed it away using the pommel of his axe, looking back at Alicia, who pulled out her tongue, feeling annoyed that he had actually found something.

'That arrogant and handsome face... so annoying.'

The dungeon felt too easy, with Ryuji, Alicia, and the other party members all thought so. Her mind flocked back to the past, with the previous tanks that their group travelled with, always complaining about her archery...

Alicia didn't understand the budding emotion that started when she first met Ryuji. Her eyes always felt drawn to him, whether in battle or idle. It was at that moment she remembered something.

"Ryuji, for the chosen tournament, you need knights to join you, right...?" Her foot sweeping across the ground while her ears lowered, she wondered about his reply, but heard his feet, the wet steps of his boots growing more distant.

In her chest, she felt devastated. Did he reject her? Or maybe he didn't need someone who could only shoot arrows...

However, before her mind could sink into more delusions and thoughts, his voice echoed through the wet, musty walls in a cheerful tone.

"If you can take a shot to attain victory but worry because I'm in the way, just call out. I will trust your aim."

Alicia walked forward, her feet dipping in the wet puddles while her mind digested his sentence. Her lips, originally a frown, slowly transformed into a smile as she heard his voice echo once again while he stood against the wall at the end of the dungeon path, leaning on a door.

"I would love for you to be a member of my party for the tournament."

"Really!?" Alicia couldn't help her excitement. This match also meant her promotion if they won. She couldn't think of anyone else but Ryuji to fight beside.

'I'm so happy... I thought he might choose much stronger knights to support him. Maybe I should have told him he could take ANY knight? No! Good job, me, now I can finally get Mother to praise me, ehehe.'

"Of course I can, don't worry. I didn't know who to ask, so you made it much easier for me."

Ryuji nodded before opening the door that led to a wide chamber. In the middle was an altar, but the thing that caught his eye first was two pillars that connected to the roof...

Because tied to those pillars were Ryo and Akari!

Akari appeared unconscious while the plump Ryo struggled. He would pull and twist his body, the white cloth that bound him not moving a bit, though his vision seemed to be covered by a black cloth. Ryuji then saw the enemy...

A group of goblins and a strange hobgoblin as their leader.

It didn't take a genius for Ryuji to understand the dungeon master's plan, nor for him to know Ryo and Akari had been kidnapped for a reason. Thus, he didn't rush in like usual, instead leaning back and turning to Alicia.

"Do you have any good ideas?"

"Kill the goblins?" Alicia looked at him while tilting her head.