"After this mission, I'll confess to him."
...
"Aluka, what are you doing? Cast your healing magic! I can barely hold on!"
"Oh, oh!"
Snapping back to reality, Aluka raised her wand and channeled a surge of magical energy into it.
"[Healing]!"
In an instant, a brilliant magic circle materialized, and a vibrant green light, radiating vitality, enveloped the man clad in fitted armor.
"Hah!"
Reinvigorated, Rod let out a shout as the bloodstained sword in his hands unleashed a sharp wave of sword energy, violently slashing at the turbulent surface of the lake.
The surface of the lake was torn apart with a mighty force, revealing a massive beast lurking in the depths below.
It was a colossal black fish, spanning at least twenty meters in length, its body covered in iron-hard scales and menacing bone spurs. Its head was armored with a thick exoskeleton, and from the crest of its skull, a single, razor-sharp horn pointed toward the heavens, exuding an eerie, unnatural beauty.
This was a Dominant-Class magical beast—the Lord of Lake Bepolar!
Even though Aluka had been an adventurer for three years and had faced countless fearsome creatures, her legs still quivered involuntarily at the sight of this terrifying behemoth.
"I really haven't got used to being an adventurer, have I?"
Amid the brief respite from casting magic, Aluka twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers, her gaze complex as she looked toward the man fighting at the forefront, locked in relentless battle with the lake lord.
Rod.
Known as "The Iron-Blood Knight."
He had become an adventurer three years ago and had soared through the ranks like a dragon ascending the skies. In a mere three years, he had reached the prestigious B-rank, marking him as a genius adventurer.
In Belland, he had already made quite the name for himself.
As for herself, Aluka, his childhood friend… She was quietly in the midst of an unrequited love.
"It's because of him that I decided to become an adventurer, but now I find myself still scared..."
"I’ve been in love with him for eight years, yet I don’t even have the courage to confess. Am I too useless?"
"Will Rod hate me for being such a coward?"
"Does he think I don't deserve standing by his side?"
"What should I even do..."
Once again, Aluka found herself lost in her little inner turmoil, wrapped in the troubles of a young girl in love.
But, alas, there's more to her troubles than that.
"Now's the time!"
Rod, having forced the lake lord above the water’s surface, issued another command.
"Use magic! Attack now!"
"Y-Yes! Alright!"
All stray thoughts were forcibly pushed out of her mind as Aluka’s three years of battle-hardened instincts kicked in. Immediately, she raised her wand and began a chant.
"Oh, Divine of Ice and Snow, I bese—"
"Explosive Magic!"
Someone else was faster than her.
Standing beside Aluka was a woman of stunning beauty, a feminine frame with particularly voluptuous proportions—and especially noticeable was her very ample chest. She must have been primed and ready, for the instant Rod gave his command, she unleashed devastatingly powerful magic without even needing to chant.
Blazing fire burst forth, dispersing the gloom cast by the thick, thunderous clouds. The intense heat instantly evaporated vast swathes of lake and pierced through the lake lord’s armor-like scales with ease.
"Well done, Tia!"
Seeing the lake lord’s defenses breached, Rod’s face lit up with delight. Without missing a beat, he seized the opportunity to drive his sword deep into the scorched, carbonized wound on the beast.
"RROOAARRRR!"
The lake lord bellowed a final defiant cry, thrashing violently as thunder roared and torrential rain poured down.
But it was clear to everyone that the lake lord, this once-dreaded Dominant-Class magical beast, had reached the end of its life. It was merely engaged in one last, futile struggle before death for Rod’s sword had struck true, piercing its heart.
From tomorrow onward, Rod—"The Iron-Blood Knight"—would undoubtedly see his reputation soar throughout all of Belland for slaying a Dominant-Class magical beast.
Yet, even at this victorious moment, Aluka couldn’t find much reason to be happy.
She cautiously glanced at the female mage named Tia and muttered under her breath,
"He praised her but said nothing to me? That's so unfair."
"Is it because I’m not good at attack magic and couldn’t contribute much in a fight like this?"
"But wasn't I your childhood sweetheart?"
"I've loved you for so long..."
Aluka took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the emotions surging within her.
"Go to hell!"
Rod dug his sword deeper, and finally, the lake lord’s struggles subsided entirely.
He pulled his blade free, letting the beast’s lifeless body sink beneath the water. The crimson blood dyed the lake a deep red, and soon, the massive fish’s corpse floated upward, belly exposed in stark white against the ominous red depths.
"It’s finally over."
Rod deactivated his levitation spell and landed atop the floating corpse. A mixture of relief and joy graced his face as he let out a sigh, muttering,
"Now that this Dominant-Class magical beast is subdued, my achievement points are more than enough to promote me to A-rank!"
An enormous boost in wealth and fame awaited him after this upgrade. This mission had been risky, but it had proved worthwhile.
"You two did an excellent job," Rod said cheerfully, his gaze lifting toward his two companions.
"The magic you cast was spot on. I owe today’s success to the both of you once again."
"N-No… It’s nothing…"
Aluka lowered her gaze to her feet, blushing shyly as she murmured,
"It’s because you’re amazing, Rod…"
—He still cares about me.
A little sweetness bubbled up in Aluka’s heart.
"Ah, you're bleeding!"
Barely had she indulged in that fleeting sweetness when she overheard Tia's concerned voice from beside her.
Flying over to Rod’s side, Tia gazed with worry at the wound on his arm—an injury sustained earlier in battle against the lake lord's spiked bones.
"Haha, it’s just a scratch, nothing to worry about," Rod said dismissively.
"It needs to be treated immediately—what if it gets infected?" Tia playfully scolded. Then, producing a dainty, fragrant handkerchief, she carefully tended to Rod’s bleeding arm.
"For someone who’s always so bold and carefree, you should be more mindful of your own body, Rod! You wouldn’t want to worry those who care about you."
Rod looked genuinely moved.
"Tia, you’re so thoughtful. It’s great to have a teammate like you…"
A faint blush crept up Tia’s cheeks.
"It’s nothing; I’m just doing what I'm supposed to. But really, having you around, Rod, always makes everything feel so much safer."
"..."
Watching the two exchange such warm sentiments, Aluka nearly snapped her wand in half from sheer frustration.
Seriously? Right in front of me, a healer, you two are playing out some scene of heartfelt camaraderie? Couldn’t you at least let me handle the wound? Isn’t that the first thing you’d think of in battle?
And you, Tia—bandaging is bandaging, but your boobs obviously just brushed against Rod's arm? Was that intentional? Are you trying to flaunt something? Huh, are you?!
"If only I had something to put that bitch down," Aluka fumed internally.
But she kept these thoughts to herself.
After all, her image in Rod’s eyes had always been that of a soft-spoken, sweet, and kindhearted girl.
And kindhearted girls… well, they shouldn’t have such wicked thoughts.
Yes, they shouldn’t.
...
Or should they? Really, shouldn’t they?
...
"Huh? Did you hear it?"
Rod suddenly looked alert, scanning the rain-drenched horizon with a frown.
But the torrential rain, combined with the steam rising thanks to the earlier explosive magic, obscured visibility, leaving everything shrouded in mist and shadows.
"Oh, don’t move! I’m not done bandaging yet."
Tia gently chided,
"You must be mistaken. The lake lord is dead, isn’t it? What else could possibly make any strange noises?"
"It’s not like two Dominant-Class magical beasts would show up at the same time," she added casually.
"If there were two, their territorial instincts would’ve made them fight amongst themselves long before we even got here."
