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Victor and Merlin walked through the streets of Eldoria. The city was calm at that hour — the sky held dark hues mixed with the glow of lanterns that danced over puddles left by the recent rain.
The air smelled of flowers and spices, and the distant sound of music echoed from a nearby tavern.
They entered a local restaurant they often visited together. The bell above the door chimed softly, announcing their arrival.
They were greeted by a young elf with silver hair who already recognized them on sight and smiled in greeting.
As always, they sat at the table by the window, where they could see the street lit by floating magical lights.
If there was one thing Victor truly appreciated about Eldoria, it was the refined dishes — the elves' care for flavor and aesthetics made every meal feel like a work of art. Merlin, on the other hand, didn't need to eat, but she did so gladly. After all, why not enjoy the pleasant things this world has to offer?
Money was no longer a problem for them.
The payment for eliminating the armor had been generous, but Victor decided to donate almost all of it to help the townsfolk — several houses had been destroyed during the fight with Niyx, and guilt still gnawed at him in silence. The donation was his way of easing the weight he still carried on his chest.
Even so, the ones who received the most recognition were Burst and Jane — after all, both belonged to the royal family of a distant kingdom. It was almost certain that the elven king and their father had exchanged letters in the past few days.
When you have noble blood, every action becomes politics, and there's no escaping it.
Eldoria and Valoria were closer than ever.
Furthermore, Bahad had also gotten involved — sending aid and, consequently, placing Eldoria in its debt. Things weren't looking great for the elves, in any sense.
"Hey, Victor," called Merlin, resting her chin on her hands and swinging her legs under the table. "Do you think Burst and Jane are doing okay?"
Victor smiled faintly. "Of course. They're really strong."
"I wish they'd come back soon. I think taking another trip, all four of us, would do us good," Merlin said cheerfully, her eyes reflecting the golden lights of the dining hall.
"Trip? Where to this time?" Victor asked, curious.
"I don't know. We've got a few places — let's see… there's the kingdom that helped Eldoria, Bahad, and… that other one next to it… uh… Aster!"
Victor's expression hardened for a brief moment at that name.
"Aster… that's what the armor said before shutting down."
Merlin frowned. "It talked to you? But what does that have to do with Aster?"
"I'm not sure," Victor replied, leaning back in his chair. "It said 'Greven' before that."
Merlin went silent for a few seconds, her gaze turning distant as the air around her seemed to vibrate faintly.
Her [Enlightened] ability activated almost instinctively, diving into her memories and stored records — but nothing came up.
"I've never heard that word before," she murmured. "What do you think it means?"
"It could be someone's name in Aster," Victor replied.
"Maybe… want to go find out?" she asked, smiling lightly.
"Fine by me. But we should wait for Burst and Jane, right?"
Victor figured they'd return within a day or two. And even then, they'd surely want to rest — so the trip would have to wait.
Still, a heavier thought lingered in the back of his mind, a problem no journey had solved yet.
"Here you go," said the waiter, setting down two steaming plates on the table.
"Thank you!" Merlin said enthusiastically.
"Thanks," Victor added.
Without hesitation, Merlin began eating, her eyes sparkling as if she were tasting food for the first time again.
"Tasting things is so good! This is delicious!"
Victor smiled, though there was a faint sadness behind that smile.
"What's wrong?" she asked, leaning forward to look at him. "You're worried about something."
"It's just…" he paused, choosing his words. "We still haven't found anything about your past, Merlin. I said I'd help you, but so far…"
Merlin swallowed what she was eating and smiled sweetly. "It's okay. I'm not in a hurry, and I don't want to pressure you either. So don't pressure yourself."
"But—" he tried to insist.
"Besides…" she interrupted softly, setting down her fork. "I don't care that much about it anymore."
She fell silent for a moment.
In her mind, flashes of recent memories appeared — laughter with Burst, conversations with Jane, peaceful days beside Victor.
Those moments had filled the emptiness of a past she couldn't remember.
"Since the day I met you, I've lived the best days of my life," she said, smiling tenderly. "As long as you're with me, I don't care who I was or not. I'm already happy being this Merlin you know."
Her cheeks turned slightly pink, as did the tips of her ears, while her gaze softened.
Victor was completely speechless. Without realizing it, his own face flushed as well.
But Merlin wasn't done. Once she started, she didn't intend to stop.
"I really like Burst and Jane too. They're always so kind to me. Oh! And I want to go back to Cirgo someday, to properly introduce myself to Serena and Sentil. And to Thom, Eliza, and Lilia too… even if I didn't talk much with them back then, because of… well, our situation."
She paused, took a deep breath, and looked down.
"I like all of them a lot… but," she leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the table, "I love you!"
Time seemed to stop.
Victor stared at her with wide eyes, frozen in place.
For a few seconds, his brain simply refused to process what he'd just heard.
"Huh?" He leaned back, confused. "Huh?!"
"I don't know how you ended up here, or who you really were before, and even if you don't remember, it doesn't change anything," she said firmly, her eyes shimmering. "You came and took me with you. You made me meet incredible people, and live things I never imagined… that's why I love who you are."
Her voice trembled slightly at the end, but her smile remained.
Before Victor could respond, the entire restaurant began clapping.
The sound echoed through the room, mixed with laughter and teasing cheers. Some even looked genuinely moved.
Victor and Merlin both turned bright red.
Merlin sat back down, trying to hide her embarrassment with a tense smile, while Victor stared blankly into space, his mind locked up.
She then broke her own rule and peeked into his thoughts — just a little.
'What do I do now?! Should I say "I love you too"? No, that'd sound weird now after I just sat there like an idiot!!!'
Silence.
'... I just want to ask for the bill and leave. But I haven't even touched my food yet…'
"Pft!" Merlin almost burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand.
After one of the most awkward moments of their lives, the two finally left the restaurant and walked home side by side in silence — a silence filled with warmth and confusion.
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The following afternoon, Jane and Burst returned — earlier than expected.
Seeing Victor and Merlin acting strangely tense, they exchanged a glance before asking:
"What happened to you two while we were gone?"
"…Nothing," Victor answered immediately.
"We're going on a trip! To Aster!" Merlin announced, as if nothing had happened.
"Already?!" Burst exclaimed, throwing his bag onto the couch. "We just got back from that hellish boat!"
"You guys can rest. I'll explain the situation later…" Victor said, looking away.
Jane eyed him closely, narrowing her gaze. "Seriously… what happened?"
"Nothing," he repeated, his face redder than he'd like.
And so, the trip to Aster was set for two days later.
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