4-2 - Everything Going According To Plan

A week had passed since then. I’d been under house arrest in a cabin in the elven village, quite literally. There were hardly any drafts coming through the walls, but winter had already arrived, so it was still pretty cold.

“Just when I thought my life of confinement was finally over, it seems I’m destined to be locked up again.”

I sighed as I gazed at the scenery through the small window.

The settlement seemed to blend into the depths of the forest. Even so, the buildings were solidly constructed from wood. It was exactly the sort of elven village you’d expect to find in a fantasy story.

And yet, I couldn’t even explore the place because I was locked up… I felt like I’d spent more than half my life under house arrest.

No, actually, in the nearly eleven years since I’d been born, the only time I’d been free was the week we’d spent traveling and the two days I’d visited House Sphiel. Rounding that off, I’d basically spent a hundred percent of my life under house arrest. …How depressing.

While I was thinking about that, Alice’s father came to visit.

“Boy—you said your name was Leon, correct? Do you remember our agreement?”

“Of course. After one week—in other words, today—Alice gets to decide what happens to me, right?”

“Precisely. Which means today is the day you die.”

“…The day I die? There’s no way Alice would ask for something like that.”

“Hmph. Enjoy acting tough while you still can.”

And so, after that little exchange, I was taken to Alice’s house. In its warm, wooden living room, Alice was treating me to a home-cooked meal.

“—WHYYYYYYYY!?”

“Be quiet, strange man.”

“UWOOOOOOH!?”

The handsome elf rolled around on the floor after being coldly dismissed by Alice. My image of elves was being thoroughly demolished.

“Dear? If you don’t quiet down, I’ll throw you out of the room.”

“Ah! My apologies!”

A single word from Alice’s mother—his wife—was enough to make Alice’s dad, whose name I still didn’t know, behave himself.

Incidentally, Alice’s mom, whose name I also didn’t know, was none other than the clan chief we’d met earlier.

It was unexpected in one sense, but it probably explained why Alice had been so confident that the elves would cooperate if she asked them.

Still, although Alice’s mom supposedly hadn’t trusted me, she’d been surprisingly friendly during my confinement, even coming by to hear what Alice had to say.

“Leon-sama, is there something about the food you don’t like?”

“Not at all. Your cooking is delicious, Alice. If I’d known you were this good at cooking, I would’ve asked you to make something for me sooner.”

“I never had the opportunity to cook at the mansion. If you’d like, I can cook for you from now on.”

“I’d love that… Actually, Alice, you’re not a slave anymore, so you don’t have to be so formal with me, you know?”

“Are you sure that’s all right?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I felt that way from the beginning, but it would’ve been troublesome if Marie or someone else overheard us, so I had you use polite language. Now’s a good opportunity, so why don’t you just talk to me normally?”

“I see… Then, um, would it be all right if I spoke to you casually?”

“Of course. I’d prefer it.”

“Then… Leon. Um, I hope we’ll continue getting along… okay?”

“Yeah, same here, Alice.”

“…Hehe. This feels a little embarrassing.”

Alice looked adorable as she pressed both hands against her cheeks, clearly embarrassed, just as she’d said.

“UWOOOOOH! All this sickeningly sweet affection! Your father will not allow it!”

“Dear? Why don’t you go patrol the village for a while?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I have a sacred duty to make sure this boy doesn’t steal Alice away from me!”

“De-ar?”

“…Yes, I’ll go patrol the village.”

Alice’s mom was formidable. Was that what made her worthy of being the clan chief?

“Leon-kun, I’m sorry about all the noise.”

“I don’t mind, but… could I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“Is it safe to assume that I’m no longer under suspicion?”

When I’d reunited with Alice after a week, she’d told me that she was still just as fond of me as before.

But if they were concerned about something resembling Stockholm syndrome, I figured the normal reaction would be to remain suspicious, like Alice’s dad. …Well, his reaction was a bit much.

“To tell you the truth, I never suspected you in the first place.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. I suppose you’re wondering why I went through all that trouble, then?”

I certainly was, but it was frustrating to ask exactly what she wanted me to. Let’s see. If she hadn’t suspected me, why had she gone through such a troublesome process?

Thinking about it the other way around, that meant there would’ve been some problem if we hadn’t gone through it. Recalling the situation from a week earlier, I quickly realized the reason.

“It was to convince people like Alice’s father, wasn’t it?”

“Correct. I can see why Alice says you’re so dependable. Now I can entrust her to you with peace of mind.”

“…By entrust, do you mean you’re allowing me to take Alice traveling?”

“That too, but I meant that I can give her away as a bride.”

“—Pfft!?”

“M-M-M-Mom!?”

Alice shot up from her chair with a clatter and hurriedly confronted her mother.

“My, what’s got you so flustered? You two are dating, aren’t you?”

“W-w-w-what are you talking about!? Leon’s only ten years old!”

“Why would an elf worry about an age difference like that? In a few years, Leon-kun will be an adult anyway. Besides, didn’t the two of you promise to find happiness together?”

…Ah, so she’d told her mother about that. No wonder she’d gotten the wrong idea and thought we were dating.

Watching from the sidelines, I’d managed to calm down a little, but Alice, who was directly involved, was panicking with her face bright red.

“I-I told you that wasn’t what we meant!”

“I heard you. And that’s why you were disappointed, wasn’t it?”

“I never said that!”

“No, you didn’t say it. But it was written all over your face. Besides, you spent ages gushing about how kind and dependable Leon-sama is.”

“Wah, wah, wah!”

U-um. I’d really appreciate it if they didn’t have conversations like that right in front of the person they were talking about.

I had no idea how to react, so I simply watched their exchange with an awkward smile. However, the conversation soon took a turn that caught my attention.

“Besides, you’re planning to continue traveling with Leon-kun, aren’t you? In that case, I think you ought to establish an Engage bond.”

“—Mom!”

Alice suddenly raised her voice in alarm. Then, as though desperately trying to convey something, she touched her silver hair ornament.

“…Don’t tell me you haven’t told him?”

“W-well, no…”

“Honestly. Why have you kept quiet about it?”

“Um, well… You see? Once I’d kept it a secret at first… I…”

“It became difficult to bring up afterward, is that it? Good grief.”

Alice’s mom shrugged in exasperation before turning toward me.

“I imagine you’ve gathered something from that exchange, but Alice has a little secret. I’ll show you what it is now.”

“—Huh? Wait, Mom!?”

“Behave yourself.”

Alice’s mom reached toward Alice, who was trying to escape, and removed her hair ornament.

“This is Alice’s secret.”

Alice’s mom announced it with a slightly proud expression. I wondered what difference removing a hair ornament could possibly make—until I noticed the change in Alice.

Alice’s deep blue eyes were so beautiful they seemed capable of drawing you in. But her right eye had turned gold. Her irises were now different colors, a condition known as heterochromia.

“…A high elf.”

When I murmured those words, Alice flinched.

“U-um, I’m sorry I kept it a secret until now. Once I hid it at the beginning, I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you…”

“Huh? Oh… Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

Actually, I sincerely hoped she wouldn’t worry about it. After all, I was in exactly the same situation, unable to tell her that I retained memories of my previous life for much the same reason…

“You’re… not angry?”

“Of course not. Everyone has a secret or two, right? Besides, I understand how difficult it can be to bring something up once you’ve kept it hidden. I think it’s fine to talk about those things when the opportunity comes.”

I was laying the groundwork for eventually revealing my own secret.

“Leon… Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Actually, please, I’m begging you not to worry about it.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. More importantly, when you said that hair ornament was a keepsake, was that…?”

“Yeah. If someone took it away, they’d discover my identity, so I wanted them to think it was something precious to me. I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“Given the circumstances, it couldn’t be helped. Anyway, if you’re a high elf, Alice, does that mean…?”

I turned my gaze toward Alice’s mom.

“My husband and I are ordinary elves. Alice is a throwback to our ancestors. Of course, she still possesses the blessing of a high elf.”

“…Huh? But didn’t Alice have the blessing of Presence Detection? Is it possible to have two blessings?”

“It’s called being a Double. People with two blessings do exist, but they’re usually legendary heroes or people of that caliber.”

“Wow…”

A legendary high elf who also possessed two legendary blessings? Just how extraordinary was she?

On top of that, she could use spirit magic, and her knowledge was extensive enough to rival my own. She was far more overpowered than I was. I was incredibly jealous.

Normally, abilities like that were supposed to belong to a reincarnated protagonist, weren’t they?

“By the way, wasn’t the high elf blessing Knowledge Transfer?”

“Knowledge Transfer? Hmm, so that’s how humans understand it.”

Alice’s mom giggled in amusement.

“So it’s something different?”

“It’s similar. The actual blessing is Sensory Sharing.”

“…Sensory Sharing? How is it used?”

“Let’s see… During intimate moments at night, for example.”

“—M-M-M-Mom!?”

“Hehe. The fact that you’re so flustered means you’ve been thinking about things like that, haven’t you?”

“Wah, wah, wah! Th-that’s not true! It’s not, Leon!”

I did my absolute best to pretend I hadn’t heard anything.

“Joking aside, Sensory Sharing is particularly useful for passing on skills. For example, did you know that it’s difficult to learn magic on your own?”

“Um, yes. I’ve heard that learning magic is extremely difficult without someone to demonstrate it.”

“That’s right. But even with a demonstration, it’s difficult to grasp the necessary feeling yourself. Normally, mastering magic takes years. But what if you could share that feeling directly…?”

“—You could learn magic easily?”

“Exactly. Impressive, isn’t it?”

Impressive didn’t even begin to describe it. I also understood why she’d said it was similar to Knowledge Transfer.

Even if someone acquired knowledge, it wouldn’t be particularly useful unless they learned how to apply it. Sensory Sharing, on the other hand, was an ability that assisted with that mastery.

You still needed to memorize the knowledge yourself, but you could grasp the practical sensations all at once. Especially when it came to technical skills like magic, this ability would be overwhelmingly more useful.

“Can Sensory Sharing be used with anyone?”

“Unfortunately, there are restrictions. Sensory Sharing can only be used with someone you’ve formed an Engage bond with. And an Engage bond can only be formed with one person in your entire lifetime—someone you’ve chosen as your one and only partner.”

“I… see…”

“Alice has told me about your circumstances. Don’t you think forming an Engage bond would be worthwhile, especially if it would help you rescue your sister?”

I certainly wanted that ability so badly I could almost taste it. If Alice could teach me magic and other skills through Sensory Sharing, rescuing Claire-nee would suddenly become a much more realistic prospect.

But I shook my head.

“Wouldn’t that make me just like the people who tried to force Claire-nee into a political marriage? I want Alice to be happy too. That’s why I can’t ask her to form an Engage bond just because it’s convenient for me.”

Upon hearing my answer, Alice’s mom gave me a faint smile.

“You really are surprising. Your consideration for others, your mature way of thinking… Are you truly as young as you look? Alice was remarkably mature even as a child, but you’re even more so.”

“Ahaha…”

I’d lived for roughly thirty years in total. Even for an elf, she’d only been about eleven at the same point in her life, so naturally I was more mature… Well, I couldn’t exactly say that right now.

“I understand how you feel, Leon-kun. But what about Alice?”

“I… Hey, Leon. Do you remember when I suggested we go to the elven village? I said that even if I regained the ability to use magic, it would still be difficult, but that I had another idea, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember. Could it be…?”

“That’s right. I intended to form an Engage bond with you from the very beginning, Leon.”

“That… But are you sure? When you say someone you’ve chosen as your one and only partner… doesn’t that mean, well, something like that?”

I asked with the implication that it sounded rather like marriage, and Alice’s face rapidly turned crimson.

“Th-that’s fine. It’s not like people who form an Engage bond necessarily have to get married.”

“—Although most of them do end up getting married, don’t they?”

“Mom!?”

“What? It’s true, isn’t it?”

“W-well, yes, but you didn’t have to say that right now!”

Alice was adorable as she argued back, her face bright red. I’d been trying not to think about it until recently, but… Alice really did have feelings for me, didn’t she?

I’d be happy if that were true, but… I was still only ten. I wasn’t entirely confident that the affection she felt for me was romantic in the way I was imagining.

“A-anyway, it’s not the same thing as marriage. Really, really! It’s similar, but it’s different. I mean, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t that kind of meaning to it, but—no, that’s not what I mean! Anyway, you don’t have to think of it that way, okay!?”

She rattled off her explanation while clearly being far more conscious of the implications than anyone else.

Alice’s face was so red that she looked ready to run away at any moment, yet she continued desperately trying to convince me. She really was adorable.

The fact that I was thinking that way probably meant I was becoming conscious of her too.

Alice and I shared the same goal, and more importantly, I genuinely enjoyed being with her… Wait, no, no, no. Get a grip, me.

What was I doing getting swept up in the atmosphere? This was strictly about forming an Engage bond. It might sound like something romantic, but she hadn’t actually confessed her love to me. I needed to consider whether I genuinely disliked the idea of forming an Engage bond, nothing more.

…Well, if an Engage bond was about choosing a partner, I couldn’t think of a single reason to refuse. In fact, choosing Alice felt perfectly natural.

“…Just to make sure, Alice, you’re not forcing yourself to do this, are you?”

“Of course not. I do want to save Claire-sama, but the reason I decided to form an Engage bond is because the person I’d be forming it with is you, Leon.”

“…All right. Then let’s form an Engage bond. No, that’s not quite right.”

I cleared my throat, stood up from my chair, and walked over to Alice. Then I knelt on one knee and gently pressed my lips against the back of her delicate hand.

It was my way of expressing my determination to protect Alice with everything I had. Slowly, I raised my gaze to meet hers.

“I might still be a little kid right now, but I’ll become someone who can protect you soon. So, Alice, will you form an Engage bond with me?”

“………..Yes.”

Her cheeks flushed a rosy red as she smiled shyly. I would never forget how Alice looked at that moment for as long as I lived. —Of course, getting carried away with the atmosphere and later rolling around in embarrassment over what I’d done was another story entirely.