Through Kiana's tireless efforts, a sizable pile of large charcoal chunks had accumulated on the ground. Her hands were now pitch black, and her face bore smudges like those of a soot-covered cat. Yet her smile remained pure and radiant.
"Wow, amazing. I didn't expect there to be so much," Kiana exclaimed, marveling at the mound of charcoal.
Indeed, there was a substantial amount. Even if someone had secretly taken some, it probably wouldn't be noticeable. This thought briefly crossed Sigurd's mind before he shook his head, brushing away such pointless musings.
"Pick a few large, high-quality pieces, and let's head down the mountain. It's already getting dark."
"Huh? Just a few?"
"What else? How much can two people burn?"
"What about the rest? Just leave it here? That's such a waste…"
Kiana looked regretful but ultimately had no better solution. She reluctantly picked out a few pieces and walked toward Sigurd, intending to ask for a bag or something similar.
As she approached, Sigurd took a step back.
"Huh?"
Kiana froze for a moment.
Looking down at her own soot-covered hands, she realized her once-clean clothes and body were now dirty and smudged with black charcoal powder.
Then she glanced at Sigurd, his expression neutral, his entire appearance pristine and tidy. His cool white coat, if stained with charcoal smudges, would undoubtedly show every mark.
Kiana's eyes widened: (ಡωಡ)!!!
She grinned, flexing her fingers in the air, and with a bright smile, moved closer to Sigurd.
"We're so close already! Don't be shy—come let me hug you, Sig~~"
"…Do you think I can't tell what you're up to?"
"Ehehe, what are you saying, Sig? I have no idea what you're talking about. I just want to be close to you~~"
"Buzz off."
Sigurd's face remained stoic, but his disdain was evident in his tone.
Kiana, however, paid no attention and launched herself at him.
With a swift turn, Sigurd avoided Kiana's lunge, leaving her to crash face-first into the cave wall. The impact looked painful.
"Ahh—ow, ow, ow! My nose! Sig, that was too much!"
Kiana complained tearfully, her face now even dirtier than before.
Sigurd gave her a blatantly disgusted look.
Kiana huffed, gritting her teeth, determined to double down on her efforts.
"Ahhh!"
She launched into a second charge toward Sigurd.
Sigurd watched her calmly, his steps light and swift, deftly dodging Kiana's desperate attempts to touch him. Despite being so close, she couldn't lay a finger on him.
After tens of minutes, even the tenacious Kiana found herself bent over, hands on her knees, panting heavily.
"Wait… let's take a break," she gasped.
"Sure," Sigurd replied nonchalantly, without so much as breaking a sweat.
Kiana gritted her teeth in frustration.
"This is infuriating! How are you so agile? When we fight, it's either the swarm or the giant flames of your sword. I've never seen you use martial arts!"
"Practice more. You're just relying on your innate strength and reckless determination. Without those, you'd be outclassed. And honestly... until you've properly cleaned yourself up, don't expect to touch me."
Sigurd almost mentioned Bronya's superior martial arts skills but caught himself, remembering Kiana's prior demand not to bring her up. He smoothly changed the topic instead.
Kiana, oblivious to the shift in his tone, rubbed her nose in frustration.
"Fine! I don't believe this! I'm definitely going to catch you today!"
Reigniting her resolve, Kiana launched herself at him again.
Sigurd stood firm, his mind rapidly processing the scene: the girl's filthy, smudged appearance, her clumsy, chaotic moves, and her bright, shining eyes filled with pure joy and laughter.
What a silly girl.
With that thought, Sigurd's lips curled into a slight smile, and this time, he made no move to dodge.
Thud!
Kiana collided with Sigurd's solid chest. Her arms instinctively wrapped around him. Looking up, her soot-covered face showed pure confusion.
"Huh? I got you? Sig, why didn't you dodge?"
"Are you satisfied now?"
"Well... I am, but it doesn't feel as rewarding. It's like… you let me win."
"If you weren't smearing your hands all over my coat, I might've believed you."
Sigurd sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. Yet, despite Kiana's grimy state, he opened his arms and gently hugged her.
Kiana beamed with pride. She knew Sigurd had a mild case of germophobia, and this hug reaffirmed one thing: to Sigurd, Kiana mattered more than his fastidiousness.
<+>
Back in the small Mond Town, at the spot beneath the bridge where they first met, the area had changed.
The once-crumbling bridge was now completely collapsed, left unrepaired. Neither Sigurd nor Kiana paid it much mind—it wasn't the bridge that mattered but the memories and bond they had shared there. Beside the ruins stood a humble but sturdy mud-brick house.
Inside, freshly cleaned and wrapped in a simple white bath towel, Kiana sat on a small stool near the charcoal stove. She took a sip of warm water, a blissful expression spreading across her face.
"Ahh, so warm. This feels amazing!"
"Put some proper clothes on!" Sigurd lightly knocked her on the head, exasperated.
Kiana stuck out her tongue and gave a cheeky smile.
"No way! I'm trying to seduce you!"
"..."
"Don't stay quiet! With my great figure and flawless skin, you have no reason not to be tempted!"
"It's not about looks," Sigurd said flatly, staring at Kiana with deadpan eyes before lightly pinching her nose.
Kiana's gaze stayed on Sigurd, intense and unwavering. After a long moment, seeing him focused solely on preparing food at the stove, she finally huffed and pouted.
"Sig, you're such a dummy! Do I really need to strip completely? I'm still a girl, you know—I have to be modest!"
"Can you stop thinking about nonsense for five minutes?"
"No! Someone else has already made their move, so if I don't take the chance now, at this meaningful place... what if some vixen shows up later?!"
"Dinner's ready," Sigurd interrupted, deftly shifting the conversation as he placed a steaming bowl of savory meat porridge in front of her.
"Why porridge? With such a nice stove, I wanted barbecue!"
"No, you'll overheat."
"I'm a Valkyrie! Do you really think I'm worried about that?"
"Until we fully resolve the issues with your body, healthy eating is critical. Small harms add up over time. And when it matters most, even 'a little' could be the difference between life and death. So take care of yourself—don't make me worry."
Handing her the bowl, Sigurd gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, speaking softly.
His tone was steady, with no overt emotion, yet Kiana felt the care and affection behind his words.
"Okay," she nodded obediently, taking a sip of the porridge. Her eyes immediately lit up.
As always, Sigurd's cooking never disappointed. Even a dish she hadn't wanted, like meat porridge, was so perfectly seasoned and smooth that she felt as if she could swallow her tongue along with it.
"Delicious~~" Kiana murmured in delight, her voice slightly muffled, making Sigurd worry it might be too hot.
"Slow down. Don't burn yourself."
"I got it! Mmm, so good!"
Before long, Kiana had polished off nearly the entire pot. Leaning contentedly against Sigurd's chest, she let out a small burp.
"Hic—"
Sigurd picked up a napkin, gently wiping the corners of her mouth. Then, holding her close, he whispered:
"Get some rest. We can talk about everything else tomorrow."
"Okay… Wait! I have something for you," Kiana suddenly remembered. Reaching into the front of her towel, she pulled out two small white cloth pouches.
"Hm?"
As Sigurd took the warm pouches, his eyes flicked to where she had retrieved them, and his mouth twitched slightly.
"What is this?"
"Open it and see!" Kiana said proudly, a bright grin on her face.
Sigurd loosened the drawstring and found several pieces of blackened—charcoal!
"This is…"
"A souvenir! And a token of our love! With this, you'll always remember that Kiana loves Sig the most. So Sig must love Kiana the most too! It's a contract!"
Holding her own pouch high, Kiana laughed gleefully.
"A contract, huh?" Sigurd murmured, tightening the pouch's drawstring. He held it in his hand for a moment, as if cradling a precious treasure, before slipping it into his coat pocket.
"I'll remember. I'll keep it safe."
"Good! That's how it should be!"
Satisfied, Kiana tucked her pouch back into its mysterious warm abyss.
Sigurd's expression flickered briefly at the sight.
Silly, reckless Kiana often left him indifferent. But at this moment, the sincere and affectionate Kiana stirred something different—sweet and unfamiliar.
Meeting her gaze, Sigurd saw her heart racing, her breaths uneven.
"What… what are you staring at?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Nothing. Get some sleep."
"Hey! The mood's perfect—can't you be a little more forward?!"
"Another time."
In the end, Sigurd did nothing more.
Kiana pouted, resigned. Maybe the timing wasn't quite right, she thought. Next time! Next time, I'll make sure Sigurd can't hold back!
As they were about to get up and head to bed, a drone appeared before them, projecting Einstein's hologram.
"Sigurd, we need your—"
Einstein's words halted abruptly, her usually composed expression momentarily stiffening.
Looking at the scene—Kiana in nothing but a towel, snuggled in Sigurd's arms—it was hard to not misinterpret what was about to happen between the two youngsters.
"Am I… interrupting?" Einstein asked apologetically.
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 314: Still Just a Child[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359[3]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed