Chapter 19

“Alright.”

Ariel readily accepted Selly’s suggestion. She decided to spend the day with Selly.

After all, she planned to stay in the city for a while, so spending a day like this seemed fine.

“Ta-da!”

Selly brought a bunch of desserts.

It was supposed to be a thank-you for sharing the strawberry tart, but to Ariel, it just looked like Selly wanted to eat them herself.

The popular item at Delight was the strawberry tart, but the other desserts were just as delicious.

“Ugh!”

As Ariel chewed on a blueberry muffin, Selly wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue.

There were crumbs stuck there.

“How can a girl eat so messily? Even elves aren’t so different from humans, huh.”

“……”

Ariel silently stared at Selly. She felt a bit wronged.

She wasn’t usually this messy. It was just that her mouth had become smaller after embodying the character of Ariel.

And most importantly, Selly’s mouth was also smeared with cream.

Ariel wiped Selly’s mouth with a tissue, and Selly, startled, quickly looked away.

“Ahem, ahem. Anyway.”

Selly shifted her gaze. Toward the window-side table where Kal was sitting.

“Why has Kal been staring this way since earlier? Was the rumor true?”

Ariel tilted her head.

“Rumor?”

“Yeah, the rumor that Kal proposed to an elf and got rejected! Seeing him glance this way… the elf in the rumor must be you, Ariel?”

Ariel silently gulped down her milk. She had never heard such a rumor.

More than that, she was starting to feel drowsy. The food coma was setting in.

“Hmm~ Poor Kal. He looks like he’s already head over heels for you. What about the princess then? This is quite a serious issue… Ariel?”

Muttering to herself, Selly blinked at Ariel.

“Ariel, are you…?”

Ariel had fallen asleep sitting up.

*

Unlike other noble ladies, Selly had no interest in romance.

Dressing up or pretending to be demure at social parties was her worst nightmare.

The only reason Selly attended social parties was for the food.

There was always a ton of delicious food at social parties!

While Ariel slept, Selly busily devoured the desserts.

Thanks to that, Ariel could rest peacefully for a while, and Selly only got up after completely finishing the desserts.

“Ariel, wake up. Let’s go play!”

As Selly gently shook her shoulder, Ariel slowly opened her eyes.

She couldn’t help falling asleep after eating, but she woke up immediately if someone woke her.

Of course, she was awake, but not fully conscious.

Ariel wobbled with half-closed eyes, like someone drunk.

“This way, this way. Ariel. Ugh, you’re such a baby.”

Selly diligently took care of the groggy Ariel.

Now that she looked, Ariel’s hair was completely tangled, and her clothes were a mess with buttons done wrong and sleeves rolled up.

She had rushed to Delight as soon as she woke up, so she was a complete mess.

“Is this how elves usually are?”

Selly muttered as she brushed Ariel’s hair and tied it neatly, then straightened her clothes.

“Let’s go.”

With a half-asleep face, Ariel was dragged out of Delight by Selly.

As the two left, Kal, who had been sitting at the window-side table, also got up.

There was no trace of him having eaten any dessert.

*

Selly dragged Ariel all over the city without rest.

Since Selly usually couldn’t have free time, she was determined to make the most of today.

Luckily, City Sierra was hosting several festivals, so there was plenty for Selly and Ariel to enjoy.

“Ariel, let’s try that!”

Selly pulled Ariel toward a crowd of people.

There, a burly, muscular man sat at a table, with a sign that read:

[Arm Wrestling Challenge! Feel free to try!]

The entry fee was one silver coin.

If you lasted 5 seconds against the muscular man, you’d win a Lizardman leather wallet.

If you lasted 10 seconds, you’d get premium Minotaurus meat as a prize.

“So what do you get if you win?”

Selly tilted her head as she looked at the sign. There was no mention of a prize for actually winning.

“Does he think no one can beat him? That’s some confidence.”

Selly smirked.

Sure, the man’s arm muscles were bigger than Selly’s head, but to not even consider the possibility of losing? It sparked her competitive spirit.

And that was exactly what the arm-wrestling man was aiming for.

To stimulate people’s competitive spirit and increase participation.

“Next challenger, please!”

The arm-wrestling man said arrogantly. He had just defeated a scrawny man in one second.

“Me!”

Selly stepped forward and shouted.

The man glanced at Selly and smirked.

“I don’t go easy on ladies.”

“No need to go easy. I just plan to last 10 seconds.”

Selly tossed a silver coin into the box next to the man and sat across from him.

She was quite confident.

‘After all the exercise I’ve been doing, I can’t last 10 seconds?’

The Matiel Family never skipped a day of exercise to maintain their figures.

Thanks to that, Selly’s arms were thin but quite strong.

In fact, Selly had never lost an arm-wrestling match against boys her age.

So, maybe she could last 10 seconds.

‘If I last 10 seconds, I can get the premium Minotaurus meat and share it with Ariel!’

Just thinking about premium Minotaurus meat made her mouth water.

“Start!”

The arm-wrestling began.

*

‘This can’t be…’

Selly got up from the table with a pout.

She hadn’t even lasted a second, let alone 10.

It was an obvious result.

The man’s arm was bigger than Selly’s head.

No one in the crowd expected Selly to last more than a second.

“Ugh… my premium Minotaurus meat…”

Selly trudged back to Ariel.

“Ariel, do you want to try? It’s just for fun.”

At Selly’s words, Ariel stared blankly at the arm-wrestling man.

The man looked at Ariel and smirked.

“Oh, an elf? Interesting. I’ll give you 3 seconds. If you last exactly 3 seconds, I’ll give you the premium Minotaurus meat. How about it?”

“Try it, Ariel. It’s okay if you can’t last. Here, sir, the silver.”

Selly even paid Ariel’s entry fee and pushed her forward.

Eventually, Ariel sat across from the arm-wrestling man.

The difference in their physiques was stark.

A giant man and a petite girl.

“Go, elf girl!”

“Take down that big guy!”

The crowd started cheering for Ariel.

“Alright, get ready.”

Selly had taken on the role of referee.

Ariel and the man clasped hands.

The man’s hand was so thick and large that it seemed to engulf Ariel’s.

“Start!”

At Selly’s shout, the arm-wrestling began.

“Oh, oh, oh…!”

The crowd gasped, their eyes wide.

They expected Ariel to lose in one second like Selly, but surprisingly, Ariel’s arm didn’t budge.

“1 second! 2 seconds! 3 seconds!!”

The crowd counted, and Selly jumped up and down excitedly.

“Yay! Ariel! You lasted 3 seconds!!”

Meanwhile, the arm-wrestling man’s face turned red as he strained to push Ariel’s arm down.

‘What… what’s going on…?’

Disbelief filled the man’s eyes.

‘I can’t push her down…?’

He was the champion of an arm-wrestling tournament held in the Imperial Capital, having defeated hundreds of participants to claim the trophy.

And now, he couldn’t push down the arm of a tiny girl like Ariel? It was unbelievable.

“Uraaah!”

A rough roar escaped the man’s mouth.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and veins bulged on his thick arms.

Yet, Ariel’s arm didn’t move an inch.

‘This can’t be…!’

If it were magic, it would be somewhat understandable.

There were spells that could enhance physical strength.

But the table they were sitting on was engraved with a mana-restricting magic circle.

In official arm-wrestling tournaments, magic couldn’t be used on this table.

Meaning, Ariel was holding the man’s arm down with pure strength.

“11 seconds! 12 seconds! 13 seconds!!”

They had already passed 10 seconds.

“Wow! Go, elf!”

“Go, elf!!”

The crowd was going wild.

The atmosphere was completely heated.

A petite girl was holding her own against a giant man who seemed unbeatable. It was exhilarating.

‘Damn it…!’

The man gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face. His arm was starting to lose strength.

‘Could it be… I’m losing?’

Just as the man thought that.

“Hey.”

Ariel whispered to the man.

“What do I get if I win?”