In fact, what Aesc had just gone to discuss with her adoptive parents was directly related to Shiomi.
Her adoptive mother had long said that one day Aesc would set out on her journey as a "Paradise Fairy." She had adopted her precisely because she knew Aesc would inevitably feel confused about many things in Britannia once that journey began, and so she wanted to teach her all kinds of knowledge and give her memories to carry with her.
When Shiomi suddenly appeared, freed from the ice coffin by her hands, bringing with him information from the future, Aesc felt a premonition—that perhaps the time had come for her to begin her journey as a Paradise Fairy. That was why she went to her parents to ask their opinion.
"If Tenkei is going to take me on a journey, can I go with him?"
It might have seemed strange to travel with a human she had known for barely over a month, yet her inner sense of duty as a Paradise Fairy convinced her that Shiomi had come here precisely for the sake of her journey.
Her parents, however, gave different answers.
Her father thought it would be better for Aesc to wait until she was a few years older.
Her mother, on the other hand, believed that if Aesc trusted Shiomi, she could leave with him at any time.
They debated for half the day, but no consensus was reached.
And then came this moment.
Aesc left the palace to look for Shiomi, only to hear from fairies she asked along the way, "Your human went out of the city." She didn't even bother denying the phrasing—"Tenkei isn't my human"—and chased after him all the way outside the city.
But this possessive kind of relationship was not what she wanted.
"Um, actually, I just—"
"If you're leaving, at least tell me first." Aesc clenched her fists and held them against her chest. "You didn't even have time to pack your things, did you?"
"Hm?" Shiomi blinked. "Pack my things?"
He hardly had any belongings. At most, there was his Chaldea uniform, sealed away with Magecraft and stored in the cabinet of his room. Hardly enough to warrant "packing."
"Because I've lived here since I was a child. I've seen fairies from other clans come here, but if I were to leave, I'd need to prepare properly." Aesc began counting on her fingers. "Magecraft supplies, books, clothes, money... and if we can't find a city, we'd need to prepare for camping in the wild..."
By the time she said this much, Shiomi realized his careless actions had led Aesc to a serious misunderstanding.
"I only came out for a walk, nothing more." Shiomi gently pressed her hands, still caught up in planning. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"I... I see." Aesc gradually calmed down at his words. In her rush, she had forgotten to ask clearly and instead leapt to conclusions about what the 'proper way' should be.
"Why did you think I was leaving?" Shiomi asked.
Aesc faltered, her eyes dimming. "I heard from the clan's fairies about what happened in the city."
"I just saw a human girl injured and couldn't help healing her," Shiomi said lightly. "At least I didn't break any of this place's rules."
"That's not it." Aesc shook her head. "If it were you, Tenkei, you must have noticed... there's something wrong about the relationship between fairies and humans."
"Yeah." Shiomi nodded in acknowledgment.
"My mission... the mission of a Paradise Fairy, is to 'end Britannia.'" Aesc slowly lowered her hands, stepping to Shiomi's side to look at the World Tree with him. "Sometimes I wonder if that mission also includes ending this mistaken relationship between fairies and humans."
"Maybe so," Shiomi said without committing either way.
Aesc pressed further. "Because in the stories you told me, Tenkei, the fairies had already returned to paradise. And the world prospered in a completely different way under the hands of humanity—"
That was the world Tenkei Shiomi came from.
Aesc had thought about it, and perhaps that was the true shape the world was meant to have.
"But as far as I know, only the innocent can pass into Avalon," said Shiomi.
"You're right... which means this world—Britannia—must be bearing some kind of sin," Aesc replied with a troubled look. "But I don't know what that sin is. I was simply given a mission and sent here."
The information from the ice coffin had only revealed a vague outline of the future. Perhaps it was to prevent her present self from knowing too much, from acting too much, and thus twisting history into something unpredictable.
But what was the meaning of all this? Aesc could only ponder it on her own, convinced that only by setting out on her journey, by stepping onto the soil of Britannia itself, could she ever find the full answer.
"So I thought... after seeing what you saw here, you didn't want to stay anymore," Aesc returned to the earlier subject.
She could understand that feeling. It was precisely because of who she was that she could perceive the disharmony between fairies and humans.
"No. I'm not going anywhere." Shiomi turned, gripped her shoulders, and told her firmly, word by word, "If you stay here, I'll stay here. If you set out on your journey, I'll walk beside you... unless you tell me you don't need me."
"I'd never say that!" Aesc blurted out without thinking. "Never..."
But the moment the words left her lips, confusion washed over her.
What did she mean by "need"?
Did she need his strength? His identity as a human? Or... did she simply need him?
Her chest tightened as if a small hand had clenched around her heart, leaving her breath uneasy and heavy. She couldn't untangle her feelings.
Were they born from the knowledge that this man was her future husband, or from something else entirely?
"Aesc?" Shiomi asked gently, concern in his voice.
"No, I'm fine, it's just..." Her eyes turned up to him, soft and vulnerable, but she couldn't find the words to voice the turmoil inside.
The silence stretched—only to be shattered in an instant.
A warped surge of magical energy swept over them, scattering the unspoken feelings between them.
"What is this—" Shiomi frowned, looking toward the source of the aura.
Foul mana, thick with curses, was drifting in from the direction of the coast.
Even though it was still some distance away, he could sense the ominous nature of it. Mishandled, it could bring ruin to the Rain Clan's city itself.
"It's a disaster... one of the calamities that has plagued Britannia since the dawn of creation," Aesc said tensely, staring in the same direction. "We have to warn the clan—Moss has appeared again."
"Then let's go. Together," Shiomi said.
"Mm!"
Aesc pulled back from his hands, only to clasp them again from the other side, her grip steady as she gave her resolute answer.