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“If you have any questions, feel free to ask anything.”

Nod, nod.

Shione nodded enthusiastically as if enchanted. From her, I could see the excitement blooming along with the deep-seated agony that lurked beneath the surface. It was clear she was quickly considering what to ask first.

With her azure eyes holding the brightness of the starry sky, she tilted her head slightly while staring right at me.

Her eyes were half-lidded.

“Really, it’s okay to ask anything?”

“Of course. I will answer as sincerely as I can, to anything I am able to.”

“Hmmm… then what should I ask first….”

A furrow appeared on Shione’s brow.

It seemed if she didn’t ask quickly, I might snatch her words away like a thief. She was frantically brainstorming, as if she couldn’t miss this golden opportunity.

“You can take your time and think things through before asking. I’ll wait patiently.”

“…Okay, thank you.”

Shione replied and without hesitation, popped a cookie into her mouth.

As if the cookie was some sort of magic. The moment she took a bite, her expression softened.

With nothing to do, I casually took a cookie or two to nibble on myself.

Fortunately, Shione’s contemplation didn’t take too long.

“Ahem… Ray, my first question.”

With a throat-clearing sound, her voice brought focus back to the daze I had been in. In my view, the girl overflowing with excitement stood at the center.

I locked eyes with her silently. That was enough. The real Q&A session was finally about to begin.

“Is the power you possess something you always had?”

“Yes. The power I wield is something I had even before I possessed this body… though it is still incomplete.”

“Incomplete?”

“Just as it sounds. After I possessed this body, my abilities became restricted. I have quite a bit of mana that I lack, and there are many spells I still cannot use.”

“So that means… the technique you used to pierce the demon isn’t even your full power.”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“Wow….”

Shione gasped, clearly taken aback. I mean, she did obliterate a demon’s upper body with a single arrow, albeit a low-level one. To Shione, who was just starting to gather magic into her arrow, I must appear as a massive wall to overcome.

“One day, Princess Shione, you will become strong like me.”

“Still, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to penetrate a demon’s body like that….”

I shook my head.

I looked straight at a slightly discouraged Shione. She did not shy away from my gaze.

“No, you can absolutely do it.”

I had confidence in that.

My main quest revolved around Shione’s revival. It might seem silly to say she’s blossoming from a foolish bear to a respectable person, but…

‘Since the quest specifically points to Shione.’

The fate of this world ultimately depends on Shione’s growth. In this cursed S-class dungeon where demons run rampant, she holds the closest key to saving this doomed world and has shown potential multiple times in my hands.

‘She will inevitably grow stronger, and fast.’

My master would soon be capable enough to handle at least low-level demons alone. In a world teeming with monsters and demons…

To survive in such a mad world and save it…

At the very least, she should have the power to crack the black horn off a low-level demon with some skill.

Shione lifted her lips into a subtle smile at my answer.

“…Thank you.”

For some reason, she looked incredibly touched.

I shrugged it off, downplaying it like it was nothing special.

“Would you like to hear more about my abilities?”

“No, let’s move on to the next question, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.”

The conversation that followed was a string of proper questions and answers.

Why was I possessed in this body? What was the world I originally lived in like? Was it like a storybook world that was different from this one?

To quench her curiosity, I earnestly provided answers.

I shared that I was a hunter who slayed monsters, and ultimately perished before being possessed, which made Shione sigh.

“Ugh… didn’t it hurt…?”

“It wasn’t a pleasant experience. My body was cold and my senses had dulled.”

“…That’s unfortunate.”

Shione’s face scrunched up at my words.

As if she were the one who died, she was trying to understand and empathize with the experiences I narrated.

Seeing her reaction made me chuckle, and I said,

“Well… I’m alive now, and thanks to that, here we are, meeting each other.”

“Ah….”

At that remark, Shione suddenly wore an enigmatic expression.

“…Maybe it was actually a blessing in disguise that you died.”

I thought she whispered quietly, but unfortunately, I caught every word. After all, we were sitting right across from each other.

I almost gave her a playful tap on the head out of annoyance, but held back.

Shione, realizing that I possessed my original memories after death. While continuing our conversation, I pondered whether telling her about the imminent doom of this world was appropriate at this moment.

However, hearing that hunters target dungeons and that those dungeons are remnants of a fallen world, I sensed a chill of uncertainty emerging in her.

I noticed her azure eyes cooling slightly, so I shelved my thoughts for a moment.

“Um, Ray—”

As she cautiously began to speak, her gaze suddenly shifted. She merely took another cookie and popped it into her mouth immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll ask about that later. For now, let’s move on to another question!”

After that, our conversation flowed smoothly.

Having learned about my profession and the source of my powers to some extent, Shione wanted to hear about my life before, about the free life I’ve led, not just about Ray, who had lived as a commoner.

She had now taken a step further to inquire about the trajectory of my life before possession, the path I had charted.

The dialogue stretched on longer than anticipated.

Shione’s questions seemed endless. I couldn’t even count how many sips of tea I had while chatting. Yet she still didn’t show any signs of fatigue and kept crafting more questions.

After my fall from grace into this world, the most painfully felt gap. Starting from gender role reversals to all sorts of tales. It was amusing until I began speaking about my experiences…

The conversation wove itself into an endless spiral.

Little by little, I started feeling a touch of annoyance and began to provide less dense responses than before.

During that time, Shione’s demeanor began to shift.

“Then… I have one last question I’d like to ask…”

Shione’s mood was bright. Her expression held the same smile, and the sunlight streaming through the window cast a gentle glow on her.

Yet, right now, it felt quite different.

“Ray… before you met me—”

Perhaps clouds had drawn closer outside, as the vitality of the sun that used to shine on Shione dimmed slightly. The brilliant yellow sunlight that had adorned her face now tilted downward, merely illuminating her cherry-like lips.

I noticed a shadow forming under her eyes. She wore a weak smile, her half-lidded azure gaze shining vividly in the dimness.

“Did you perhaps have a lady you could call a girlfriend?”

Unlike her previous, relaxed tone, Shione’s manner now bore a slight rigid accent of noble authority.

I could sense the fragments of emotion emanating from her. Jealousy. She was feeling quite a substantial envy toward the possible past love of mine.

My sharp intuition warned me to choose my words carefully. It seemed to be quite an important matter for Shione.

“You’re taking a while to answer….”

Just as I was about to open my mouth, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

Sliding her chair back, Shione stood up and gradually closed the distance between us.

Having approached me closely, she climbed onto my lap without hesitation and hugged me tight. She wrapped her arms around my neck and playfully rubbed her cheek against mine.

Her long, silvery hair had been neatly tied back but was now cascading down past her collarbone, fluttering like a breeze against me.

“Shione?”

As I called her name, Shione paused her cheek-rubbing and leaned her mouth toward my ear.

“Ray.”

Her breath tickled my ear.

“Ray belongs to me. You’re loyal only to me… my slave.”

In a whisper, Shione’s words brushed against my neck gently.

She pulled back slightly, looking into my eyes, leaving a faint mark of her claim upon me.

In her blue pupils, a significant obsession with me shimmered.

“Mmm….”

Without hesitation, she pressed her lips to mine.

Our tongues intertwined, sticky affection flooding between us.

For a fleeting moment, a small rush of warmth blossomed.

“Ha….”

Finally parting, Shione and I were connected by a delicate thread.

Shione softly, yet with a certain determination, whispered,

“I won’t give you to anyone.”

*

Bang!

A resounding explosion reverberated through the air.

The clash of aura against aura. The sound created by sword experts exchanging blows as knights dueled.

Two knights, staring daggers at each other while locked in combat.

One of them slowly relaxed his stance and lowered his sword.

“Huff… I think it’s best to end today’s spar here.”

“You’re finishing earlier than usual. Is there a reason?”

“Well, the territory is somewhat stabilized, and I’m starting to feel a bit of leisure.”

Siabel looked up at the clear sky.

It was a perfect day to step outside, train diligently, and sweat some valuable drops.

“I think it’s about time to start teaching my disciple.”

 

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