As night fully descended while we made our way down the mountain, we once again found ourselves on the nerve-wracking, narrow road back to the inn.

To prepare this time, I interwove

Silveit

along my fingertips, creating a setup that allowed me to cast magic without needing to free my hands in case of any sudden dangers. As I experimented with this new technique, born from my recent reflections, my father, seated in the front passenger seat, spoke in a low voice.

“I never thought he’d demand something so unreasonable,” he said. “Leaving a child behind… it’s unacceptable.”

Renji-san, driving carefully through the mountain road, added, “It might be his way of testing Itsuki-kun’s determination, seeing if he’s truly ready.”

“Maybe, but still… how can anyone accept leaving a child behind as payment?” my father replied, sounding both angry and perplexed.

The swordsmith’s habit of setting conditions was something we’d been prepared for, but this was beyond anything I’d expected. I’d thought his demands might be something like “only someone who’s defeated a Sixth Rank” or some other achievement-based requirement. But to ask for a person as payment…

Finally, we left the mountain path and returned to a wider, two-lane road, enveloped in the peaceful, natural darkness unique to the countryside. I undid the

Magic Suppression Lens

I’d created earlier, and in that instant, the surrounding area brightened subtly.

“…Huh?” I murmured, confused.

There were no streetlights out here, and it wasn’t the season for fireflies. Curious, I looked out the window and saw faintly glowing orbs floating up from the river running below, illuminating the entire scene as if the mountain itself were alive with light.

Then I remembered: wasn’t the hot spring water sourced from a local river?

And so, I realized the truth: it was magic. Under the sun, I hadn’t noticed, but now that night had fallen, it was visible—a river shining like a starry sky.

Just then, Aya-chan, seated across from me, noticed my reaction and asked curiously, “Itsuki-kun, what are you looking at?”

Since she couldn’t see magic, I probably looked strange, suddenly gazing out into the darkness.

“Here, I’ll show you something interesting. Look at the river,” I told her, creating another

Silveit

lens. This one did the opposite of my previous lens—it concentrated magic, making it visible by adding color.

A moment later, Aya-chan gasped in awe, “Wow… it’s beautiful.”

“Right? That’s magic flowing through the river,” I explained.

Then, on my right, I felt a firm tug. Nina-chan also seemed interested, so I created another lens for her, and she softly murmured, “…It’s beautiful.”

For a moment, both Aya-chan and Nina-chan were mesmerized, lost in the beauty of the river’s shimmering magic. Then Aya-chan whispered thoughtfully, “So… this is how the world looks to you, Itsuki-kun.”

I hesitated before replying, “…Only sometimes.”

As they marveled at the sight, I began to think practically. This magic… could I use it somehow? Renji-san had mentioned earlier that magic was infused into the water here. I’d already thought of some ways to test this, though it would have to wait until tomorrow. But as we returned to the inn, I kept pondering ways to harness that magic effectively.

Back at the inn, we were directed to the dining area, where a traditional Japanese meal awaited us.

“I’m starving, Itsuki-kun!” Aya-chan said eagerly as we walked toward the table.

“Yeah, climbing the mountain worked up an appetite,” I agreed, pulling Nina-chan along gently. Keeping her close seemed to calm her, which also reassured me.

Inside, we were shown to a tatami room where Hina and my mother were already waiting. Mom noticed me as soon as I entered and asked, “How did it go, Itsuki? Did you manage to secure a sword?”

“No… but we’ll try again,” I replied, shaking my head and sitting down.

Nina-chan sat beside me on my right, while Aya-chan took the left seat. This arrangement seemed to offer balance somehow.

The meal began with a seasonal vegetable salad and soup, followed by grilled river fish. As the dishes kept coming—mushroom rice, sautéed mountain vegetables—I glanced at Nina-chan and noticed her silently staring at her food.

“What’s wrong, Nina-chan?” I asked gently.

“…I’m not hungry,” she replied, her voice small and heavy.

Considering we’d climbed a mountain, it didn’t make sense for her not to be hungry. I glanced over at Irena-san and saw the worry etched on her face. It struck me that Nina-chan might not have had much of an appetite at home lately, either.

“They’re bringing out some meat next,” I offered, trying to pique her interest.

Almost on cue, a server arrived with the main dish: bite-sized pieces of Hida beef steak sizzling on a small tabletop grill. The sight and aroma were irresistible, and for a moment, I was reminded that Hida beef was famous in this area.

“Nina-chan, do you think you can try a little of the meat?” I asked.

“…I’m fine with just this,” she whispered.

Feeling that it wasn’t good for her to eat nothing at all, I offered her a bowl of soup.

“Can you manage some soup, then?”

“Thanks, Itsuki,” she replied, finally taking a sip from her bowl, though slowly. Seeing her struggle, I offered her my own soup as well.

No one else said anything, likely understanding that forcing her to eat wasn’t the answer here.

Then, as if to lighten the mood, Hina reached over and pointed to the small dessert on Nina-chan’s tray—a bowl of grapes.

“Nina-nee-chan! Are you gonna eat your grapes?”

“No… I can’t eat them.”

“Then I’ll have them!” Hina said eagerly, reaching over to claim Nina’s dessert.

Mom scolded her, “Hina, that’s not polite.”

“But Nina-nee-chan said it was okay!” Hina replied, pouting.

Watching the exchange, I couldn’t help but smile at the simple honesty of it all. Soon after, we finished our meal and decided to head back to our rooms.

On the way back, I felt a tug on my arm from Aya-chan, who was walking behind my father and Renji-san, who were chatting about going back to the hot springs.

As I stopped, I noticed that Aya-chan was also holding Nina-chan’s hand.

“Itsuki-kun, I want to talk to you,” Aya-chan said, looking serious.

“What’s up?”

“Come over here with me. Nina-chan too.”

Aya-chan called out to her father, “We’re going to get some juice!” and led us to a small vending machine area.

The room was a small alcove with four vending machines, a single bench, and two trash bins. Since the gift shop was still open, no one else was around. Aya-chan looked around, exhaled in relief, and turned back to us.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked.

“It’s not really me who wants to talk…” Aya-chan replied cryptically.

Suddenly, there was a crackling sound, and the air around us seemed to drop in temperature.

Aya-chan’s hair began to shift from black to a glistening silver, her eyes changing color as her familiar warmth faded into an intense, otherworldly aura.

Standing before us wasn’t Aya-chan anymore, but rather the Ice Princess in all her chilling majesty.

“It’s been a while, Itsuki,” she greeted me.

“…Ice Princess,” I replied, taken aback.

“I’ve missed you,” she said, and before I knew it, she had pulled me into a fierce embrace.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep