CH 69

“… Fuwaa.”

Several days had passed since the announcement of the group magic mock battle, and it was already the weekend. Kanata had been sleeping since morning.

Last night, the livestream had gotten a little more attention, and he had stayed up later than usual as a result.

“Well, it’s my day off. I can spend it freely…”

However, with a vacant expression, Kanata felt like he was forgetting something.

When he thought about it carefully, Maria’s smile came to mind.

“Kanata-kun! See you tomorrow ♪.”

Maria had told him that when they left the academy yesterday.

“Her smile was so cute. What, was she looking forward to going out with me like that?”

The fact that a super beautiful girl was looking forward to going out with him was something that stirred Kanata’s heartstrings.

“…”

Kanata tilted his head in response to his unconscious mutter. Then, after staring at the clock for a few seconds, he jumped up from the bed with a start.

“Oh no… Today is the day I go out with Maria!!”

Yes, today was the day they had promised to go out together.

The promised time was 9 o’clock, and it was now 9:30, thirty minutes later than Kanata realized.

Of course, if he started getting ready now and headed to the meeting place, he would be even later.

“Alright, I’ll hurry up and go. I’ll apologize when I get there!”

Although he wasn’t sweating profusely, Kanata’s considerable sense of urgency was clearly visible.

It wasn’t enough to break a promise with a woman, but being late was also rude, and Kanata understood that.

So he quickly got ready and headed straight to Maria.

“… haa… haa… Oh, there she is.”

The meeting place was near the castle gate, where the carriage was parked. 

A beautiful woman with a well-groomed horse’s coat was there… Well, it’s certain that she’s Maria. 

When she noticed Kanata approaching, Maria waved her hand with a flutter. She didn’t seem angry, so Kanata felt relieved, but he still had to apologize properly.

“I’m sorry, Maria! I made you wait!”

“Fufu, it’s fine, Kanata-kun. I had a feeling this would happen because yesterday’s stream went on for a long time.”

“But still…”

“I said it’s fine. You came in a hurry and apologized properly. I can feel your sincerity.”

“I see…”

Although he still felt sorry, Kanata’s expression wasn’t good, but Maria smiled at him and took out a handkerchief from her pocket.

“Kanata-kun, stay still.”

“Okay…”

She wiped the sweat off his forehead. 

It was a new side of Maria he had only recently noticed. She was always kind to Kanata, but now he felt it even more.

(Her face is close… I already knew that, but she smells really good.)

Maria, wearing a hat that blocked the sun and a dress-like outfit, looked a little fresh.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

And so, Kanata and Maria left the capital using a carriage. The fact that the princess was going out with a classmate was beyond the level of a secret outing, but permission was granted for some reason. 

Kanata had also been curious when heading towards Roggin, but he couldn’t quite understand it, as the king and queen valued Maria very much.

“What a nice horse. Should I let him run free for a bit when we get there?”

Kanata had been lost in thought, but Maria’s voice brought him back to reality. 

It might be strange that it’s just the two of them holding the reins of a horse, but with magic, they could control everything around them, making it convenient.

“Kanata-kun, can I come over there?”

“Huh? Oh, sure…”

Maria, sitting across from him, happily sat next to Kanata.

They were close enough to lean their shoulders against each other, and Kanata thought once again that Maria was different from usual today.

When he glanced over at her, their eyes met, and she blushed slightly and laughed. It was an oddly itchy feeling for Kanata that he couldn’t stay calm.

“It’s really quiet when it’s just the two of us. I like this time.”

“…”

She placed her head on his shoulder.

Each of her movements had an indescribable ticklishness to them, and it was as if she was stimulating him to keep him from staying calm.

While spending time like that, they finally arrived at their destination by carriage.

“… This is it?”

“Yes, this is Spirit Lake.”

In a clearing in the forest, a huge lake in the center greeted Kanata and Maria.

It couldn’t be considered as wide as the sea, but it was quite deep, and the bottom couldn’t be seen at all, giving it a creepy feeling that there might be creatures living in the deep sea.

“It’s pretty deep, isn’t it?”

“Probably. So don’t jump in, okay?”

“I won’t.”

“Fufu ♪.”

Kanata puffed out his cheeks, saying he was not a child.

However, even though the lake was eerily deep, it had an atmosphere and beauty that brought healing. It truly lived up to its name as the Spirit Lake, apparently not named because of spirits living there, but because it would not be strange even if they did live there.

“Here, Kanata-kun, sit here.”

“Oh, thanks.”

He sat down on the sheet spread out under the shade of a big tree and looked again at the lake spreading out before him.

It was a beautiful view that could calm even the most troubled heart.

The sound of the trees swaying in the wind and the lake reflecting the sunlight like a mirror… Everything was absolutely beautiful.

“Sometimes my older brother and sister come here with me. They haven’t come recently, but I always enjoy this scene when I come here.”

“Well, I think this scene is amazing. Seriously, it’s so beautiful.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. Actually, I want to livestream here in this peaceful silence and share this scenery with many people.”

That was Kanata’s true feelings.

However, while this place is not well-known to everyone, Kanata realized it was the kind of place not too many people should come and cause a commotion, so he changed his mind about live streaming it.

“Kanata, I’ll give you a lap pillow. Aren’t you still a little sleepy?”

“Is that really okay?”

“It’s fine. Here you go ♪.”

Despite his hesitation, Kanata gratefully accepted her kindness as Maria patted her lap.

He rested his head on her lap, enjoying its softness. 

Since he was lying on his back, he could see Maria’s ample chest in front of him, which was a breathtaking view.

“Feels good?”

“Amazing.”

“I’m glad.”

He couldn’t use any other word besides ‘amazing.’ It was a powerful word that conveyed his true feelings.

Kanata lay there for a while, but he still felt a little nervous, so he didn’t feel sleepy at all. Nevertheless, his heart was calm, so he enjoyed Maria’s lap pillow while listening to her humming.

“Kanata-kun.”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you for today. For putting up with my selfishness.”

“Don’t say that. I’m the one who’s happy that you invited me here.”

“… I see.”

A beautiful girl’s invitation, and being alone with her, it’s kind of like a date.

(… A date. When I think about it again, I’m still nervous.)

As he pretended not to notice her blushing cheeks, Maria asked him another question.

“Recently, did anything happen between you and Alphana?”

“… Eh?”

“You’ve been closer to Alphana than before, and when you weren’t feeling well, Alphana took care of you, right, Kanata-kun?”

“Y-yeah…”

She hadn’t gone into detail, but perhaps Alphana had talked to Maria about it.

It wasn’t a big deal if Maria knew, but it was still embarrassing to be pointed out by her best friend.

However, why was she bringing this up now… Kanata waited for her to continue speaking.

“I have a feeling, but did Alphana confess to you?”

“…!”

“I knew it. That girl always does whatever she wants.”

She chuckled, but her earlier question had been asked with certainty.

Kanata was startled, but before he could calm his racing heart, Maria took the next step.

“Kanata-kun.”

“H-Hey!?”

Maria gently held his head and pulled him close to her chest.

Feeling the overwhelmingly soft sensation pressing against his cheeks, Kanata couldn’t find the words to say anything.

“I came here today because I wanted courage. I wanted to confess my feelings to you in the place where I have the fondest memories. I also wanted to stand in the same place as Alphana.”

Upon hearing those words, Kanata opened his eyes wide in surprise.

The warmth and elasticity pressing against his face suddenly vanished, and he was met with Maria’s gaze directly in front of him.

“I love you, Kanata-kun. Not just as Haishin-sama, but I’ve come to love you more and more as I’ve spent time with you.”

This was the second confession in this world, following the one from the Saint, and this time it was from the Princess.