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They passed the Shebusalatus mountain range heading towards the Kingdom of Capitis. Despite Sylvia clearing the path by moving trees aside, their progress was slowed by the relentless attacks of beasts, swarming like ants.
Starting from the eastern side of the Shebusalatus range, the closer they got to the west, the more the number of beasts seemed to double. No matter how many beasts Felix and Sylvia killed at once, the members grew tired.
The day had completely disappeared, but they were stuck, unable to do anything as they fought beasts that did not differentiate between day and night.
Sylvia observed the members’ complexions, pondering how they could rest. She recalled the types of beasts that had been attacking them so far.
In her classification, there were roaches, worms, spiders, tentacled types like octopuses, and mantis types. Among these, the worm and roach types, which could move through the ground, were particularly troublesome.
“Hmm…”
Floating in the air and lost in thought, Sylvia’s eyes sparkled with an idea when she inadvertently looked below her. She flew higher to survey the surrounding trees and environment. She moved towards a densely packed area of trees she had pushed to one side. The trees were packed tightly together, leaving no space between them.
Sylvia used plant magic to make the clustered trees grow larger. She created a round wooden frame on six protruding trees, hanging like fruits on a tree. The round wooden frames began to extend.
Sylvia made an opening large enough for a person to enter and lined the inside of the round frames with vines, like a bed, enough space for two or three people to sleep.
She made the highest space for Felix and was about to make her own when she hesitated, remembering how he had insisted on sleeping by her side recently. Wondering if he would do the same tonight, she made her own space before returning to where the members were.
Felix, who had been concerned about Sylvia’s brief absence, called out to her.
“Come here, where have you been wandering alone so fearlessly?”
Even knowing the flow of her magic, he was restless without Sylvia by his side, unable to concentrate. The anxiety, undoubtedly stemming from his love for her, was intensified by their bond.
“Once things are organized, can we send the members up to those trees?”
While members with the element of wind had no issues, those with other elements couldn’t levitate themselves. Realizing her intention, Felix filled with magic and used wind magic to lift the members simultaneously.
“Whoa?”
“Ah!”
Members without the wind element were startled and screamed, but those with it remained calm.
“Where to?”
Felix asked Sylvia as they soared together. Unknowingly, Sylvia grabbed his hand and pulled him.
“Over here.”
She started stuffing the members into a pre-made circular wooden frame.
“Lord George and Lord Bernard, and Lord Allen go into this room. And Lord Ruth and Sir Karl, Lord Jordan into this room, and Lord John and…….”
Sylvia instructed as she slotted the member who possessed the wind element. Felix stood by her side, shoving the members into the circular space with just a gesture.
“Argh!”
“Your Highness!”
Their screams and shouts filled the air as the relentless wind gestures jumbled them together. Henry was no exception, entering an unfamiliar space with two of his knights.
After everyone was inserted, Sylvia began to cook in the air.
She took out what she had prepared in advance, made stew, warmed up the bread, and made a salad loaded with fruits and vegetables. She baked potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes.
The members gazed blankly at her, floating as if standing on two feet, cooking with a variety of magic and recipes.
Her teal hair shone under the soft moonlight, fluttering in the wind. Henry, seeing Felix’s natural expression by her side, recalled the first thing he said to her.
Just by his expression, he was shouting love, and he felt he had been presumptuous. Only Sylvia truly stood by Felix, protecting him more than anyone else.
He was moved by her attitude towards others. Her altruistic and caring nature was so similar to that of a queen warmly embracing her subjects.
Sylvia stacked the wooden tray full of food and delivered it with wind magic.
“Please eat it while it’s warm. It will relieve your fatigue. Oh, and make sure to wash thoroughly.”
As soon as she conveyed the message, Felix closely followed her to the next location.
“Where to now?”
“Horse!”
Sylvia quickly flew off, worried the horse might have been caught by a beast. Felix, sensing her thoughts first, prompted her.
“Put it in that large space.”
Because it was urgent, informal speech slipped out. Initially, Felix was put off by her use of formal speech, but at times like this, he found it endearing.
After taking care of the horse’s feed, Sylvia took a deep breath.
“Phew!”
She wiped the sweat beading on her forehead and flew up again. Felix, who had followed her to the highest point, admired the circular space.
There was just enough space to sleep. It was cozy and looked comfortable. He was proud that she quickly figured out the beast’s range of movement.
After washing themselves and Sylvia with water magic, they dried off with wind magic. With a light gesture, he disassembled the armor and stored it in a pocket dimension. Feeling refreshed, Felix was about to enter the empty space with Sylvia.
But Sylvia resisted, pulling back.
“My room is over here. Yours is over there.”
Looking at where her finger pointed and then quickly turning his head, Felix said with a serious expression.
“I don’t think my body will fit in here?”
Pointing at the smallest circular frame intended for Sylvia to enter alone, Felix’s finger was met with a stunned response.
“No! I sleep alone! Just me!”
Sylvia passionately argued, thumping her chest with her palms. Felix then covered her chest with his hand, asking,
“Doesn’t that hurt?”
It looked painful to him. Felix naturally grabbed her shoulder and pushed.
“We should sleep in this space if it’s the two of us.”
Sylvia couldn’t shake the feeling that he sometimes deliberately ignored her words. She had thought he was an indifferent protagonist, but now it seemed she might have to rethink that.
Such a cunning fox.
Even glaring at him with narrowed eyes did no good. Felix naturally pushed Sylvia into the space assigned as his room. Sylvia, somewhat incredulously, said in a voice full of disbelief,
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
Remembering the times she had been inexplicably swept along, Felix cheerfully pushed her inside and asked,
“What?”
Even as Sylvia glared at him, sitting back against the wall with narrowed eyes, Felix just smiled innocently.
“Ah…….”
Either he was genuinely oblivious, or he was an advanced player at this game, impossible to beat. Sylvia, filled with resignation, sighed deeply, then took out the tray and placed the food she had prepared earlier on it.
The stew with tomatoes, onions, and beef was sour and sweet, rich in flavor. Dipping bread with a baguette texture into the stew made it even tastier.
She dressed the salad, brimming with orange and grapefruit segments, lettuce, and chicory, with lemon dressing, making it refreshingly delicious. The dirt and dust from outside seemed to wash away from her throat, finally feeling cleansed.
She poured a full glass of corn tea, adding ice, and drank it refreshingly.
“Ah, it’s so delicious…….”
Watching Sylvia eat with real enjoyment, Felix asked in a soft voice,
“What about me?”
Sylvia, who had been eating mindlessly due to her hunger, choked on the orange she was chewing when she realized Felix was staring intently at her.
“Uh! Cough, cough.”
“Are you okay?”
Felix refilled her wooden cup with corn tea and held her wrist to bring the cup to her lips.
“Drink some water quickly.”
He imitated what Sylvia usually did for him when he choked.
Gulp, gulp. After drinking, she took a long breath.
“Thank you……. But there’s your portion there, why aren’t you eating?”
Felix blinked innocently in response to her question.
“Siri, you once said that, while watching fairies…….”
“I did? What did I say?”
“That just by looking at food, you felt full.”
“Did I say that?”
“Yeah, I didn’t understand it at the time…….”
“You didn’t?”
“Now I do.”
Wiping the stew from the corner of Sylvia’s mouth with his thumb and sucking it off, Felix continued,
“Just watching you eat makes me feel happy.”
His smiling face made Sylvia blush furiously. Felix took the wooden cup she was holding and drank the corn tea. He was quite thirsty, and it felt refreshing to his core.
“Do you remember when you said you’d make me happy?”
Placing the wooden cup back on the tray, Felix picked up the spoon Sylvia had been using and ate some stew. He continued talking even as he chewed.
“My grandma used to say, happiness isn’t something far away; it’s right near us.”
He dipped the bread she had left uneaten into the stew and put it in his mouth. Smiling delightfully at the delicious taste, he took a forkful of salad and chewed it happily.
“Mmm, delicious. With you by my side, Siri, I am indeed happy. Right?”
Sylvia, who had been swept up in the moment, was startled and replied,
“Oh! Well, yeah?”
He fed her the stew-soaked bread. Watching Sylvia adorably eat, Felix spoke again.
“If you weren’t by my side, I’d probably…….”
Go crazy!
“I’d become unhappy. The most unhappy person in the world.”
Absolutely unhappy. So pitifully that you might come back to me.
Chewing earnestly with her adorable lips, Sylvia looked puzzled by what she was hearing. Felix’s gaze followed her rolling eyes.
“So, to be happy, all I need is you by my side. If you’re not, then I become unhappy.”
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