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“Ahaha… Then good luck, Sharon.”

I didn’t think twice when I entered, but now, as I’m trying to leave the Magic Building dressed like I’m going out for fun, I could feel Sharon’s eyes on me from the front desk.

Receiving Sharon’s greeting, we hurriedly stepped outside the Magic Building.

I might not know about Frecia, but honestly, I’ve already toured most of the festive streets with my friends over the past three days.

The only place I purposely avoided is the temple where Mariel is staying.

I’ve heard they’re doing something strange at the temple to commemorate the festival, so I could figure it out when I meet Mariel tomorrow.

“So, where do you want to go first? Any food you want to try, sights you want to see, or things you want to do? Just let me know. I’ll take you to the best places I know.”

“I don’t know.”

I tried to use my experiences from the last three days to guide Frecia to a nice spot, but I hit a wall right from the start.

“Hmm… then how about we just walk for now? If something catches your eye, just let me know.”

That said, I took her hand and moved toward the heart of the festival.

*

“…Um, Boss? Shouldn’t we start choosing something soon?”

How long had we been walking? I had no idea. We just walked, walked, and walked some more.

To exaggerate a bit, I felt like we made several rounds in the city where the festival was held.

“But… it’s just nice walking alone with Elysia like this.”

“Boss…!”

I didn’t expect to be moved by the words of a girl two years younger than me.

The fatigue I felt from all that walking vanished with Frecia’s one sentence.

Of course, I knew that we had gotten very close during that time, but hearing it directly felt different.

Yet, Frecia seemed unaware of how shy her words were, still holding my hand tightly and looking straight ahead.

What could I do for our precious Boss?

While glancing around, I noticed something that looked pretty good.

“Boss. This way…”

I led her by the hand, and Frecia followed me into a nearby stall.

On one wall of the stall, there were plenty of goods displayed, and on the other side stood targets.

It looked like the kind of game where you hit the targets and earn prizes based on your score.

“Wow! What a shame, buddy! Here, take this participation prize.”

It seemed there was already a customer, and the shop owner greeted us with a loud voice.

Taking a closer look, he seemed to be an academy student, but since I didn’t recognize him, he must be from another year or department.

The shop owner handed the male student a keychain as a participation prize.

The male student passed the keychain to another female student who was watching from behind.

“Sorry, I wanted to win first prize and gift it to you…”

Ugh, were they a couple? All he did was hang around with a girl instead of studying.

But today, I didn’t envy that couple. I had Frecia, a beautiful girl, beside me.

Of course, sadly, we weren’t a couple!

“Oh, look, pretty ladies have come!”

As the owner tidied up the darts that had missed the target and fallen to the floor, he noticed us and approached, holding a bunch of darts.

“As you can see, it’s three silver coins per game. The more points you score with ten darts, the better prizes you can choose. Picking the same target is fine too. If you want to give it a try, ladies?”

I paid the three silver coins I had on me and received a basket full of darts from the shop owner.

“Alright, Boss, you go first.”

“Okay.”

Following my guidance, Frecia stood at a distance from the targets and picked up a dart.

But how much could Frecia, who preferred to stay cooped up, hit if she threw it?

With a weak arm motion, the dart flew and missed the target completely, landing off to the side.

One, two, three, four… She kept throwing but only cut through the air, getting farther from the target each time.

The results were zero points.

Frecia received a keychain just like the previous male student.

If it were a regular dart game, I might have hoped the target was big enough to accidentally score something, but since each target is separate, missing one means you can’t score even the minimum.

Slightly off-kilter, and surely an effort by the owner to minimize losses.

Seeing Frecia puff out her cheek in disappointment, Gomtaengi, who was clinging to my shoulder, jumped down to comfort her.

“Hey, hey. Are you going to have a go too, miss?”

At the shop owner’s words, I paid another three silver coins and took my place where Frecia had thrown zeros.

Phew…

I took a deep breath and grabbed one of the darts from the basket.

It would’ve been better if it were a heavier throwing weapon like a dagger, but it wouldn’t be too problematic. It wasn’t meant for killing, just hitting stationary targets.

Still, I needed to get accustomed to the weight balance of the dart, so I tossed it a few times to get the feel.

After getting the hang of it, I threw the dart toward the highest and smallest target.

The trajectory of my hand swung wide, unlike how Frecia threw it.

With all my strength, the dart landed with a thud! right into the target.

The shop owner flinched for a moment at that sight, but probably thinking it was a fluke, he let out a hearty laugh and relaxed.

But, oh well. It wasn’t by chance.

Sorry about this. I’m just gonna take a little.

*

“Hehe…”

After finishing the dart game and exchanging prizes, as we stepped outside, Frecia was smiling brightly. Was she really that happy?

In Frecia’s arms was a giant bear plush, and in my arms was a similarly sized rabbit plush.

Both were first prize items from the dart game we just played.

Normally, you would only get one prize per game, but we managed to negotiate with the shop owner to grab one more if we agreed not to play again.

It was merely a negotiation, not a threat.

“Do you like your gift?”

“Yeah… this is the first time I’ve received something from Elysia.”

Is that so?

As we walked down the street, Frecia buried her happy face into the giant bear plush that she could barely hug with both arms.

Seeing her so delighted makes me wonder why I didn’t give her something earlier.

However, carrying such a large plush while navigating the crowded festival streets became quite inconvenient, so we stopped by Frecia’s room to drop off the plush before venturing out again.

This was already the third time today I had exited the Magic Building.

But this time, there seemed to be no need to be cautious of Sharon, as I noticed her chatting with a duo of investigators I had briefly seen earlier.

They looked like they were gossiping about their superior, but seeing their serious expressions, it appeared to be work-related.

Thanks to that, I didn’t have to be on guard, which was nice for me.

*

“How was it? Did you enjoy today?”

As I walked around with Frecia, who had taken an interest in the festival, the sun was already setting.

Neither I, Frecia, nor Gomtaengi and Tokki realized how quickly time had passed.

After finishing our meal at the cleanest-looking street food stall, I asked Frecia about her day while sipping the drink served as dessert.

“Yeah… it was really fun. Probably unforgettable…”

If you didn’t look closely, you could hardly tell. Her mouth barely curled up, almost as if she was smiling just a bit.

Anyone unfamiliar with Frecia might think she wasn’t too thrilled.

But if you knew how awkward Frecia was at expressing her feelings, you would understand just how happy she actually was at this moment.

Gomtaengi and Tokki, who could only watch as they didn’t eat anything, crawled up onto the table and began to jump up and down excitedly, waving their hands.

That was probably their way of showing joy.

“So… I don’t want to go back. If I go back, it’ll mean the end of walking around the festival with Elysia.”

Frecia’s smile, which had been up moments ago, now drooped, and a sad voice came out.

While I was already finishing my drink, Frecia still had a long way to go with hers, as if she was trying to delay the moment of returning.

“Boss.”

Pushing aside her empty drink glass, I gently placed my hand on hers, which was absently fiddling with the cup.

“I told you last time. I’ll always be by your side. I plan to work with you for life.”

It was a promise made a few months ago.

But it was a promise that neither of us had forgotten.

“What’s wrong with just saying the festival can end? Every year, the Celestial Festival will happen again, and I’ll always be walking through the festival streets with you. Do I look like a liar to you?”

At my question, Frecia simply shook her head in denial without saying a word.

Well… I mean, it’s technically a half-lie since I’m hiding the fact that I was originally a guy.

No, I didn’t say it out loud, so is it really a lie? Let’s categorize it as a half-lie.

“Well then, shall we get going? We still have plenty of time before today’s date ends, so we should make the most of the remaining time!”

“Yeah…”

I stood up from my seat, crouching down in front of Frecia while she remained seated.

“Elysia?”

“You must be tired from walking all day, so hurry and hop on.”

If I was tired after all that walking, Frecia, who wasn’t very trained, must be even worse.

When we went to the stall earlier, I saw Frecia discreetly massaging her legs under the table, trying to relieve the fatigue building up.

She probably didn’t want to show me how tired she was because she didn’t want to give off a vibe of wanting to return early.

If I had been the least bit oblivious, I wouldn’t have noticed.

But who am I? I am Elysia Frentz, the queen of picking up on things.

At least, if you don’t have an acting skill close to mine, it would be impossible to fool me.

“Gomtaengi, Tokki. Looks like Boss is really shy. How about you two hop on first?”

At my words, Gomtaengi and Tokki jumped down from the table and quickly scurried up onto my shoulders.

“Now, now. The best seats of all are still available, so hurry and get on.”

They couldn’t see behind me, but I could imagine them tapping my back, urging Frecia to hop on.

“Okay…”

Frecia hesitated before slowly placing her hands on my shoulders and gradually applying her weight onto my back.

Fortunately, she was wearing a long skirt that didn’t cause any issues when carrying her.

How long had it been since Frecia became my personal ride? Places like bars and taverns would remain open all night, but other shops were starting to close.

With the curfew approaching, I began to walk slowly toward the Magic Building, carrying Frecia on my back.

Feeling today coming to an end, she hugged my neck tightly with her arms.

But she knew that today wasn’t the end and that many more days were ahead, so she had no complaints.

Instead, she whispered softly into my ear.

“This is my first festival… I grew up in a poor neighborhood, and ever since I accidentally caught the Emperor’s eye and received a home as a gift at a young age, I had always stayed cooped up in there.”

This was the first I heard about Frecia’s past.

I knew she hadn’t grown up in a great environment, but I hadn’t heard about her being from a poor neighborhood before.

A poor neighborhood, huh…

Before joining the Assassin Guild, since I was young, I couldn’t remember anything, but considering I had no memories of my family, I might’ve been one of those orphans wandering around a poor neighborhood.

“To me, a festival was just a noisy marketplace. I preferred to just stay home and refine my magic. Or sleep peacefully.”

Her voice recalling the past was filled not with nostalgia but loneliness, mixed with solitude.

“But… this time it was different. I don’t know why. It’s just another boring festival every year… The only thing different this time is that I’m with Elysia… Just the thought of walking through the festival streets together made me actually look forward to it. I wanted to walk through this chaotic street with Elysia, which is no different from the marketplace.”

But the loneliness and solitude were gradually transforming into anticipation and joy.

Even with the street still bustling around us, her small voice sounded clear as if it were just me and her in this place.

“Just having Elysia by my side is changing my world. What I once knew has turned out to be things I never truly knew, and what I didn’t know is becoming clear.”

No, it’s me who was able to change because I met Frecia; through her and everyone else.

“Elysia is the first friend who’s made me dream of tomorrow after living day by day without a purpose. You’re the one who first showed me the joy of festivals.”

Hearing her voice grow quiet, maybe because she woke up too early that morning, each of her words resonated deeply in my ears and heart.

“I’m grateful that you’re my first assistant, that you’re my first apprentice, and I’m happy that you’re my first friend. And… I hope you’ll always be the one to show me things I didn’t know.”

Does our cute little Boss know just how embarrassing her confession is?

She’s probably intoxicated by the excitement of today, spilling words she wanted to say but never did due to her usual shyness.

I, too, was exhausted from walking all day, and as I listened to her soft voice, I felt the drowsiness creeping in.

So, maybe this was just the confession of someone lost in a haze of exhaustion. Come tomorrow morning, she might kick the blanket away in embarrassment.

“I’m really happy to have you by my side, Boss. I promise to walk alongside you wherever your path leads.”

“Really…?”

“Do you think I can’t be trusted? Then, if I break my promise… You can punish me with the magic special to you, Boss. A light smack on the backside wouldn’t be too bad. What do you think?”

To lighten the mood, I made a joking remark, and her voice dwindled into a giggle in the haze of drowsiness.

“Hehe… So, it’s a promise? If I don’t keep it, Elysia will smack my butt…”

“Hehe… So don’t worry and get some rest.”

Maybe she just couldn’t resist the drowsiness or perhaps it was because I had reassured her multiple times, but instead of a reply, soft breathing sounds began to escape from her.

Although Frecia, the only one who had been talking to me, had left for dreamland, I continued to walk under the night sky until we arrived back at the Magic Building.

In the morning, the Sharon working at the front desk had already switched shifts, and now another staff member was sitting there.

Not wanting to wake up the sleeping Frecia, I quietly inclined my head in greeting and headed up to her room, 707.

Creeeak, the door opening might wake Frecia, so I stepped inside cautiously.

Gently laid her down on the sofa that served as her bed, and I carefully placed Tokki, who had also fallen asleep, beside her.

The only one awake, Gomtaengi, brought over a thin blanket and covered Frecia gently.

But my eyes still couldn’t leave Frecia.

Doing this to a girl sound asleep felt like a foul play and a perverted act, but… just for today, it should be alright.

Peck.

“Good night.”

I kissed her forehead lightly, wishing her goodnight as she drifted to dreamland.

With curfew approaching, I had to hurry back before it was too late.

I stood up and turned to leave, but before I could take a step, I felt my clothes tugging back, preventing me from moving.

“Huh?”

Turning around, I saw Frecia, still half-asleep, reaching out with her hand to grab the edge of my clothes.

“Boss?”

“Can’t we… sleep together today? Like before…?”

Seeing her flushed face, I felt like my earlier act of pecking her forehead had been caught, but hearing her words revealed she still seemed to be in a dreamy state.

Even if she said “like before,” I’ve never actually slept with Frecia.

I had to return to the dorm to avoid being penalized by the dorm supervisor, but I just couldn’t bring myself to let go of Frecia’s hand.

What was holding me back wasn’t just Frecia’s little fingers.

Those green eyes looking at me dreamily, the words exchanged on the way here, the entire day we spent together felt like they were holding me back.

Yeah, how much trouble could I get for a single night out? How upset could I make my friends waiting in the room?

To avoid worrying them, I quickly scribbled a note on a piece of scrap paper, saying that I would be sleeping in Frecia’s lab today, and handed it to Gomtaengi.

“Can you take this to my friends in the room?”

The moment Gomtaengi took the note, it saluted me with a silly motion and wobbled out the door.

Once I confirmed that Gomtaengi had left, I squeezed in beside Frecia on the sofa.

But even though the sofa was relatively large, it was still only a sofa, and it wasn’t spacious enough for two girls to lie side by side comfortably.

Whether she was aware that I was halfway over the couch or just lost in drowsiness, Frecia nestled into my arms.

Yeah. If I wanted to stay on the sofa, I had no choice but to embrace her. It was unavoidable.

I hugged Frecia as if I was cradling a toy like back in school days when Linne had played her tricks.

I knew I would regret this in the morning, feeling embarrassed about crossing that line yet again. Maybe it would become another black history of mine.

But feeling embarrassed was something for my future self to deal with; it wasn’t something for me to worry about at the moment.

Hang in there, future me.

Good night, Boss.