Chapter 363
Chapter 363. A Brief Moment of Peace
The sizzling summer sunlight shone down, sparkling on the serene blue surface of the lake.
A small passenger ship slowly cut through the gentle waves.
Leila leaned against the railing on the deck, enjoying the pleasant breeze. The ship’s speed was a yawn-worthy crawl compared to a dragon’s wings. Yet, at this moment, even that frustrating slowness felt endearing.
Because—
“Whoa, I got one!”
Next to Leila was Alex, holding a fishing rod. Since they set sail, he had been laughing and exclaiming, “It’s been years since I last went fishing!”
“Whoa… this one’s a big catch!!”
Excitement bubbled over as Alex struggled with the fishing rod being pulled taught.
Leila squinted against the brightness, a smile on her face as she adjusted the straw hat Alex had bought her in the previous town for sun protection.
She made sure it wouldn’t be swept away by the suddenly stronger wind—
†††
After deciding to relax for a little while, Alex and the others figured there was no need to linger in a town where they had eliminated the mafia’s infiltrators, so it was time to move on to the next destination.
However, since Leila had requested a break due to overwhelming dizziness, flying there seemed out of the question, and they decided to use the passenger ship instead.
They had financial leeway from the wealth collected from the Night Elves, so the fare wasn’t an issue. In fact, Leila and Alex had enough money to spend a few months just having fun.
(If only this could serve as a bit of a breather for us)
Leila thought as she rested her chin on her hands at the railing.
“Ugh… this one’s really tough…!”
Alex carefully pulled the rod, adjusting his strength, making sure the fishing line wouldn’t snap.
…It seemed he understood that Leila’s request for a rest was just a ruse to allow him some time off.
To be honest, if Alex wanted to prioritize eliminating the Night Elves above all else, Leila was prepared to accept that, even if it meant he might end up feeling unwell as a result.
When that time came, she thought they could take their time to rest again. Leila wanted to put fulfilling Alex’s wishes above everything else.
So yesterday’s “I want to take a break~” was, in a way, just a subtle test. If Alex had shown any signs of hesitation or inner turmoil there, Leila would have immediately dropped the joking around.
But Alex had given in.
In fact, he had surrendered rather easily.
It seemed like his decision stemmed more from concern for Leila than his own health.
—Feeling a bit happy about that, Leila genuinely wished for him to rest more, so she decided not to hold back and let him enjoy this reprieve.
“Whoa, lunch is served!!”
Finally, letting out a cheer, Alex pulled up a giant fish with a splash.
“Looks big and worth it!”
“Ah… Hero, that one is poisonous.”
“Dammit!!”
Ignoring the sympathetic warning from the sailor, Alex tore the big fish off the hook and swiftly tossed it back into the lake.
“After all that effort to catch it! Give me back my hard work and excitement!!”
As the fish hurriedly swam away, Alex grumbled but still seemed to be having fun. He looked over, feigned innocence, and shrugged, which made Leila unable to hold back her giggles.
(—I’m glad)
She had felt a bit anxious.
Even if Leila had resorted to sneaky methods to force Alex into resting, if it only caused him stress, it wouldn’t mean anything.
However, seeing Alex genuinely relaxed now seemed to indicate her worries were unfounded. He had decided to enjoy this “break” to the fullest!
That resolve, so quintessentially Alex—
Leila’s heart swelled with affection.
How long had it been since she saw Alex laugh so freely?
No—seeing him act so childlike in joy might have been for the first time.
(…I want to see more)
There was a natural desire for that.
After all, her time with Alex wasn’t all that long.
Despite the deep connection formed through the power of Kizuna, there were still aspects of him Leila couldn’t bring out.
—I want to know more. I want to see more.
About Alex, the person she was still getting to know.
Surely, he would appear more beautiful, precious, and radiant than any jewel—
“Ah, I’ve gotten too carried away. Isn’t watching me a bit boring for you, Leila?”
With a renewed focus, Alex cast his line back into the lake, suddenly looking sheepish.
“Not at all! It’s super fun just watching you!”
—Of course, what Leila was focused on wasn’t exactly fishing.
“I see. That’s good then… Leila, do you want to try it too?”
“…Hmm, maybe later. For now, I just want to enjoy watching.”
“Alright, then I’ll have to give it my all!”
Determined for the next attempt, Alex pumped himself up, humming while he began to rhythmically twitch the rod.
Watching him with a happy heart, Leila smiled brightly—
“—Oh no!!”
From the opposite end of the deck.
“The Lake Pirates are attacking!!”
The frantic shout pierced through the atmosphere.
“――――”
Alex’s previously cheerful expression turned tense, and the lighthearted atmosphere vanished. He tossed aside his fishing rod and reached for the Adamas at his waist.
“Huh?????”
And just like that, the emotions drained from Leila’s face as well.
Was there someone out there willing to disrupt this irreplaceable moment of peace???
“—I won’t allow it.”
Fiery determination ignited in her golden eyes.
—Absolutely, positively
I won’t allow it.
――――――――――――
Note: In the world of the story, dragons do not have reverse scales. But, well, you could say it feels as if we’ve touched a raw nerve! Next time, the Lake Pirates attack! What is to come…!!
