Chapter 123: Date (Part 4)
Our first ride after lunch was a pedal boat.
I figured something calm would be perfect after eating—a light workout to help digest our food.
Scattered across the lake were little chick-shaped boats, making for a truly pastoral sight.
"...Pedaling this thing is harder than I expected."
I grumbled as I pushed the pedals with a creaking kiko-kiko sound.
I thought it'd be light exercise, but... this is actually hard work. Maybe they designed it to mimic the sight of a graceful waterbird paddling furiously beneath the surface.
...Wait, do chicks even swim?
『If it's that difficult, why not just use magic?』
『...Yeah, good point.』
So much for light exercise.
I took my feet off the pedals and activated my magic. Since I'd inherited the aptitude of Alicia, the Water Priestess, manipulating currents like this was second nature to me.
The waddling chick-boat gently picked up speed and glided across the lake’s surface.
I steered us to a spot where no other boats were around, then cut the magic and let the boat drift on the rippling waves.
Shifting my weight, I slid down slightly and sat back in a shallow slouch, letting all the tension drain from my body.
"...Pheww."
I let out a lazy sigh.
I must look like a total mess right now, but hey—there’s no one around to see. After drawing more attention than usual today, I’ve been tense the whole time. It’s kind of exhausting.
I rested both hands on my stomach and closed my eyes.
『Being surrounded by water really does bring a sense of peace…』
The distant noise of the amusement park reached our ears, muffled by distance.
Unlike the park, where music is constantly playing, the lake was quiet.
Gentle plunk plunk sounds echoed as waves lapped against the bottom of the boat.
Neither of us said a word—but there was no awkwardness.
I could feel Alicia's presence so close, it almost felt like we were cuddling.
And just like that, the two of us passed the time enjoying a cozy afternoon siesta.
—Now then, what should we do for fun this afternoon?
The pirate ship ride is an attraction where a giant ship-shaped structure swings back and forth like a pendulum, terrifying the passengers inside—basically a form of torture.
“Ginyaaaaaaaahhh!!”
The ship dropped toward the ground, picking up speed.
After swinging down to just above ground level, it carried that momentum into an upward arc.
As it rose, the ship gradually lost speed, eventually pausing at the apex of its swing.
I, one of the passengers, was now lying almost completely horizontal.
“Pinyaaaaaaaaahhh!!”
Now we fell backward.
It felt like my heart was about to leap out of my chest.
I truly felt like a martyr, enduring endless torment.
—And yet, amidst the agony, I made a rather trivial discovery.
When the ship stalled and that strange floating sensation kicked in, I realized something—before, that feeling always came with a certain tightening in my crotch. But now, in this body, that sensation was completely gone.
It makes sense, I guess—there’s nothing to shrink anymore. Still, if I had a choice, I’d rather have lost the fear instead.
If there's one ride that instantly comes to mind when you think “amusement park,” it’s the merry-go-round.
Right now, I’m standing in line, waiting for my turn.
『It’s such a lovely ride!』
The fairytale atmosphere was a total mismatch for the high school boy I used to be—massive “not my territory” vibes.
Even if my current appearance didn’t clash with the setting.
Unlike the “Märchen Cup” we rode in the morning, this ride had plenty of solo seats, so at least I wouldn’t stick out in a bad way. That was my only comfort.
When my turn came, the attendant led me to a large, fake white horse.
Mindful of my skirt, I climbed over the saddle and sat sideways, gripping the metal bar in front of me with both hands.
From atop the white horse, I glanced around.
The elevated view was surprisingly refreshing.
...I’m always the one being looked down on, but today, I’m the one looking down. Heh.
『Hehe, everyone looks so happy.』
While I was having shady little thoughts, Alicia seemed to be having a completely different reaction.
Prompted by her words, I looked around again—and sure enough, everyone was smiling and laughing. The amusement park, this escape from the everyday, probably helped them forget their usual worries.
The buzzer sounded, and as a gentle melody began to play, the merry-go-round started to move.
Glittering lights sparkled all around, and the white horse I was riding on began to slowly rise and fall in rhythm with the music as it traced a circle.
『It’s so lovely… It really feels like I’ve become a princess…』
Alicia murmured dreamily.
『Then I guess that makes me the prince?』
『…A prince, huh. I wouldn’t say I’ve ever admired royalty… In fact, I’d say I’m slightly uncomfortable around them.』
To Alicia, who came from a monarchy, princes weren’t just fairy tale figures.
She had once been a priestess and the representative of the church.
Even if her role was mostly symbolic and the real duties were handled by others, she still frequently attended meetings with the royal family.
Her relationship with them had generally been good, but I’d heard that the church's position—operating under its own laws within the country—was complicated, and it often brought a lot of stress.
『So please, Ikuto-san, just stay as the Hero!』
Alicia declared with no room for argument.
『From the day I received the revelation to become a priestess, I’ve been looking forward to the day I’d meet the Hero.』
『…I hope you weren’t too disappointed when that Hero turned out to be someone like me.』
『Well, Ikuto-san turned out to be waaaaay hornier than I expected, and you were constantly giving me those indecent looks during our journey. And on top of that, whenever another girl flirted with you, you'd immediately get all flustered and start drooling over them…』
All I could do was offer a strained smile at Alicia’s ruthless assessment.
So… she noticed those looks, huh.
…Makes sense. I can tell when people look at me that way now, too.
『But even so, Ikuto-san is honest, kind, serious, and gives everything your all—you were so much more wonderful than I imagined. That’s why I was never disappointed. I’m really glad you were the Hero.』
『O-oh…』
Hearing her say that so sincerely made me feel awkward.
…I’m not really used to being complimented.
『I-I’m glad too… that you were the priestess, Alicia…』
『Eh… Ah, yes…』
Then we both got embarrassed and fell silent until the merry-go-round ride ended.
『…Ehehe.』
Alicia’s bashful giggle was so adorable.
『We played so much today!』
『I think we’ve just about hit all the attractions. The only one left is…』
I traced my finger over the map on the pamphlet to confirm.
After the merry-go-round, we kept tackling the park's attractions one after another—until now, only one remained.
『…The Ferris wheel, huh.』
『W-well, if there’s anything you’d like to ride again, we can totally do that instead—』
I hurried to make the suggestion.
Because I had this feeling… that once we got on the Ferris wheel, the date would come to an end.
Even though the sun was still high in the sky and I wasn’t emotionally prepared for it.
But—
『No, let’s ride the Ferris wheel.』
Alicia’s words left me speechless for a moment.
『There’s somewhere I’d like to go with you after this, Ikuto-san. So, is it okay if we end the amusement park part of the date with the Ferris wheel?』
Relieved by what she said next, I got in line for the Ferris wheel.
—The date isn’t over just yet.
『Thank you for today, Ikuto-san… I had a wonderful time at the amusement park.』
As the Ferris wheel began to move, Alicia spoke softly.
"Yeah… I had fun too."
—Truly.
From here, the entire amusement park came into view.
The inside of the gondola was quiet, and the lively amusement park below, where we had just been laughing and running around together, now looked like a different world entirely.
『About what we were talking about earlier…』
With that preface, Alicia began speaking in a calm, gentle tone.
『Thanks to you, Ikuto-san, I came to understand just how vast the world really is.』
For much of her life, Alicia’s days had been spent going back and forth between the orphanage and the temple. She would pray and fulfill her duties at the temple, then work at the orphanage to earn the means to survive.
I’d heard parts of her background story before.
『—I thought those days would go on forever.』
In a life of repetition with little change, Alicia said that her only joy came from the bedtime stories she heard. She used to imagine herself as the characters in those tales, and her heart would soar.
『Then one day, a messenger from the temple came to the orphanage. That’s when I learned that Lady Minstia had given an oracle… and I was chosen as a candidate for the role of priestess.』
That moment marked a complete change in Alicia’s life.
As the priestess of Minstia, the water spirit deity, she began offering prayers every day at the lakeside sanctuary.
And to fulfill her mission—to one day set out on a journey with the Hero, whose arrival had been foretold, and to defeat the Demon Lord—she was given a wide range of education and training.
Etiquette, priestess rituals, magic, physical conditioning, combat training, literacy, arithmetic, world affairs, geography, traveler’s wisdom, survival skills, battle tactics—the list went on and on.
『But I never once thought it was painful. I was fortunate to have a good memory, and everything I learned was so new and fascinating to me… And I even got to read books full of all kinds of stories.』
Even so, Alicia’s movements were restricted to the temple and its surroundings. That was the price of becoming an important figure within the temple.
『I did hear stories from my self-defense instructor, who used to be an adventurer, about the countries he’d visited… but they were just knowledge, nothing more. To me, the outside world was a hazy concept with no real sense of presence.』
I remembered that when I first met Alicia, something about her had felt a little off.
She seemed detached from the world, and yet, she had an incredible depth of survival knowledge. She could adapt well in unfamiliar situations but often lacked the basics.
She could read the stars or navigate using trees in the forest, but she might misjudge the distance we could travel in a day. She knew which wild plants were edible but had no idea how to cook them properly.
…Well, that odd mismatch only lasted at the beginning.
Through our journey, Alicia corrected her knowledge with experience and filled in what she lacked. She truly became a reliable partner.
If she hadn’t been with me, I probably would’ve died along the way—starved in a ditch somewhere.
『Meeting you, Ikuto-san, is what led me to embark on this mission. From that moment on, every day was filled with surprises.』
I could clearly remember Alicia’s expressions of wonder.
Big or small, whenever she encountered something new, her eyes would sparkle with amazement.
『Everything I saw during our journey was so vivid… all of it is burned into my heart. It wasn’t all beautiful things, of course… but I still remember every sight clearly.』
Our year-long adventure across another world—together.
Steep canyons, towering mountains, the World Tree that reached the sky and the vast forest at its base, harsh deserts, floating castles high in the heavens, and the continent of eternal night cloaked in darkness.
There were joyful moments, hardships, suffering, and pain.
So many things happened—each and every one unforgettable.
――But now, looking back, everything feels nostalgic.
“...It’s beautiful.”
The gondola was nearing its highest point.
Below us sprawled the amusement park, backed by a range of mountains stretching beyond, and above, a sky so blue it felt endless.
It was a peaceful, breathtaking view.
“This world turned everything I once knew on its head. Its vastness, its science and technology, distribution systems, education, history, entertainment—every single thing has been a constant shock to me.”
I remembered how, when Alicia first came to this world, she was always wide-eyed in wonder. Curious by nature, she would eagerly ask about anything she didn’t understand.
And then—
“Thank you for indulging my whims and letting me read so many books.”
In the past nine months or so, the number of books I’d read with Alicia easily surpassed the total I read throughout middle school. We covered all sorts of genres. I like to think I’ve gotten a lot smarter because of it.
“I just wanted to say thank you again. Because you were there for me, Ikuto-san… I’ve been so incredibly happy.”
“I should be the one thanking you. No matter how tough things got, you were always there by my side. That’s what gave me the strength to keep going.”
Through all the grueling journeys and desperate battles, I’d lost count of how many times I’d nearly given up. The only reason I pushed through was because I wanted to show Alicia—who was always beside me—that I could be strong. A little pride, maybe.
“And you saved my life—more than once. I was able to make it back home to my family, to my childhood friends… all thanks to you.”
Alicia had risked her life—literally—to save mine.
No matter how many words I put together, it would never be enough. That’s how much I owed her.
And yet, I… I couldn’t give her anything back.
“Alicia, I—”
“The gondola’s almost at the bottom now, Ikuto-san.”
The words I’d begun to let slip through a door long kept shut—were gently interrupted by Alicia.
The ground was fast approaching.
It was time to return from this dreamland… to reality.
“I’ll say it again,” she said, smiling softly. “Alicia Heleny Minstia has been truly happy. I can say that with pride. And one more thing…”
I held my breath for a moment.
“—I love you, Ikuto-san.”
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