Chapter 123: A Man of Sweet Words
She looked up at him, her gaze scrutinizing. His dark eyes were full of "sincerity," with no trace of falsehood. He looked at her with a clear, magnanimous gaze, as if he had just stated an indisputable fact. His confidence almost made her doubt her own knowledge of the world.
"...Is that so?" she said, her voice filled with a heavy skepticism. But in the end, she just sighed. "What a strange custom." She did not try to pull her hand away but let him continue to lead her. Fine, then, she thought. Let him have his way.
The "custom" was a strange one, and completely impractical for combat. As an experienced and excellent mage, she should not be indulging him. But his hand was strangely comforting, and the feeling... was not unpleasant. She had been alone for so long and was not used to such direct contact. But if it made her dearest friend happy, she would not object. Still, a sense of confusion and a subtle, unfamiliar feeling lingered in her heart. emotions she seemed to feel. Was that a good thing? She didn't know.
They came to a ruin, and in an instant, danger struck.
"Watch out! Monsters!" their voices cried out in unison.
On a collapsed pillar ahead, a dozen or so grotesque, winged creatures had been startled and were now charging towards them.
"Flying monsters! Use light arrows!"
The sight of a battle had reignited Serie's dormant warrior spirit. But when she went to cast a spell, she found that her hand was still held tightly in his. "Rhodes, let go!" she said, a hint of panic in her voice. Of all the times to be holding hands!
"Don't worry. Watch this," he said, and held on even tighter. He pulled her to the side, and they sidestepped the monster's attack. "Follow my lead, Serie," he said, a note of excitement in his voice, but with something else mixed in as well.
He led her in a series of intricate movements, and they weaved through the monsters' attacks. When one of them opened its mouth and spat a black ball of energy, he spun her around, and in the spin, she, who was now beginning to get used to his movements, unleashed a spell of her own. They moved like a pair of dancers, in perfect sync.
Dozens of light arrows shot out, with no need for aiming, and completely sealed off the monster's path. It had no time to react and was instantly turned into a porcupine, falling to the ground.
"Nice one," he said, and with a swift movement, drew Org and cleaved another lunging beast in two. To be killed by Org was not a dishonorable death for a monster. At the same time, he pulled her down into a crouch, and they dodged a sneak attack from behind. She then unleashed another spell, and the beast was killed in mid-air.
The battle continued in this strange "hand-in-hand" mode. Their long-standing tacit understanding now seemed to have transcended into a shared combat consciousness. A slight change in the pressure of his hand, and she would know what to do. Of course, the defensive spells and detection spells they had cast beforehand also helped. Otherwise, she would have never allowed him to be so reckless.
When the last of the monsters was turned to dust by her light arrows, the battle was over.
She was panting slightly. She looked at the signs of battle on the ground, and then at their still-clasped hands. Not bad, she thought. It was an interesting way to fight.
Just then, she noticed a small cut on the back of his hand, where a piece of flying stone had grazed him.
"You're injured," she said.
"It's nothing," he said with a glance, and then held up their clasped hands and smiled. "Aren't we a good team?"
She looked at his triumphant face, then at the aftermath of the battle. Her earlier doubts seemed to have been washed away by their undeniable success. The monsters had never been a real threat to them anyway, so she might as well just let him have his way. She just pursed her lips and, with a small healing spell, closed the insignificant wound on his hand. Seeing that she was not refuting him, his smile grew even wider.
That evening, they made camp by a small stream.
He was, of course, still holding her hand. He was humming a little tune and unconsciously stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Rhodes," she said suddenly, feeling the light touch of his thumb.
"Yes?"
"That... custom of your homeland," she said, pausing for a moment, as if to find the right words, "do dearest friends... also do this when they hold hands?"
His humming stopped abruptly, as did his steps. He turned to her. Her expression was calm, as if she were just asking a simple question.
"Pfft... hahaha!" he burst out laughing, not in the least bit embarrassed. He went down on one knee before her and brought her hand to his lips.
"What are you doing now?" she asked, even more confused.
"It's a kiss on the hand. A sign of respect."
"It tickles," she said, and tried to pull her hand back, but he was holding it too tightly. "You should let go now. You're holding on too tight," she said with a sigh.
"I can't," he said, and leaned in close to her ear. "Because a certain elf once said that even without a mushroom skewer, destiny would bring us together. And if that's the case, then why shouldn't I hold on a little tighter?"
The tips of her ears trembled slightly. She glared at him, a look that was more of a resigned indulgence than an actual anger. She tried to pull her hand back, but he was holding on too tightly.
"Do as you wish," she mumbled, and in the end, she stopped struggling. She even adjusted her fingers slightly, to make their hands fit a little better. "I can't get rid of you anyway, you troublesome creature," she sighed.
It was just as she had said before. Destiny had brought them together, and only death could part them now.
(End of chapter)
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