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Vol 05 Extra Chapter 4 A Story from the Past. Back When It Was Just the Two of Us

「Lucy, I’ve found some time, so let’s start your magic training,」

「Okay, I’ve just finished today’s work in the fields, so I’m good to go. Today, I’ll definitely get it right.」

Ever since the war ended, I occasionally took time to teach Lucy magic. She was diligent and had a knack for it, which made teaching her quite enjoyable.

The magic I was currently teaching her was 【Perception Expansion】, a spell I was particularly skilled at. It involved syncing one’s consciousness with the mana of the wind, allowing one to receive visual and auditory information in any space where wind existed. It was a highly versatile magic that served as the base of my combat prowess.

「Here I go, 【Perception Expansion】.」

Lucy activated the spell while looking a little unsure. Her consciousness melded with the wind’s mana, begining to spread. However…

「Ouch!」

Lucy crouched down, clutching her head. The overwhelming flow of information was too much for her brain, and she had to interrupt the magic.

「Lucy, are you okay?」

「Ugh, yeah, I’m fine, just… this is a bit tough.」

「You’re spreading your consciousness too much.」

「I know, but when I try to become one with the wind, it just keeps spreading out, like, whoosh, everywhere.」

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Lucy definitely had talent. Normally, one’s consciousness wouldn’t expand that far. Most practitioners can only manage a few meters and struggle to extend it further.

「You need to become one with the wind while maintaining the awareness that you are still here. Imagine it as if there are two of you: one that has become the wind and another that is observing from a distance.」

「Observing from a distance… Yeah, I kind of get it. I’ll give it another try.」

Lucy’s second attempt showed her talent once again. With just a single piece of advice from me, she grasped the essence of the magic. Her consciousness expanded and merged with the wind, stopping at about 30 meters. It seemed she was able to gather information efficiently within that range. I conjured a gust of wind and sent a small stone flying towards Lucy from behind. If she was properly perceiving, she should be able to dodge it.

「Kyaa!」

Lucy let out a startled scream but successfully avoided the stone from her blind spot.

「It looks like you can see properly. Let’s try to gradually increase the distance.」

「Cyril, it’s dangerous to suddenly throw stones like that!」

「It wouldn’t be training if it wasn’t a bit sudden.」

「That’s true, I guess. Okay, next, I’ll try to expand the range a little more. By the way, how far can you extend your 【Perception Expansion】, Cyril?」

「Let’s see, about 300 meters in all directions. If I focus in one direction, I can reach up to about 500 meters.」

「Ugh, the goal is a long way off.」

「If you can manage 100 meters, that’s more than enough for practical use in battle, so let’s aim for that first. Today, let’s continue until you run out of magical power.」

And so, we spent the rest of the day immersed in magical training until dusk.

◇

「Hmm, hmm, hmmm~」

Lucy was humming a tune while cooking in the kitchen.

After training, we went to bathe in the forest to wash off the sweat before returning to our home. It made me a bit sad to think that, unlike when we were little and bathed together, now Lucy insisted on bathing separately, making sure I didn’t peek.

「Cyril, just wait a bit longer. I found some delicious mushrooms on the way back from bathing, so it’s going to be a treat today. They are the rare Hitoyotake!」

Lucy seemed to be making soup. The ingredients were Hitoyotake mushrooms and dried deer meat she had gathered from the forest. Both mushrooms and deer meat made a good broth, so I was looking forward to it. As the soup started to boil, she added wheat flour diluted with water, creating thin, white membranes in the soup like wonton.

Watching Lucy cook in the kitchen like this was soothing. I guess as a man, I had a soft spot for a girl with a domestic side.

「Hey, Cyril, stop that. I’m cooking.」

I couldn’t resist and hugged Lucy from behind, making sure to wait until she turned off the fire and it was safe. I couldn’t see her face, but Lucy’s ears turned bright red. They were cute and looked absolutely delectable. I gently nibbled on her long elven ears.

「Hyau!」

Lucy’s back quivered with the surprise. She was so endearing and lovely.

「Seriously, it’s dangerous, you know.」

「Yeah, sorry. But you’re so cute, I couldn’t help myself.」

「Ugh, when you say things like that, I can’t stay mad at you.」

Lucy leaned back into me, putting her weight on my body. I tightened my embrace, thoroughly enjoying the softness and warmth of Lucy.

◇

「Today’s meal is delicious,」

「It got a bit cold because of you, though,」

Lucy replied, her face still flushed.

She’s fundamentally shy, so it would probably take a while for her to return to her usual self.

「Lucy, I’ve always longed for days like these.」

The elf village had been under the empire’s control for a very long time. We suffered from hunger as our food was taken away while living in fear of not knowing when our magic stones would be seized and we’d be killed. A normal happiness seemed so far away.

「I feel the same way. Being able to eat until I’m full, to laugh normally, and to have you by my side… I’ve always dreamed of such a life.」

And now, even if it might be fleeting, we had achieved that happiness. We had only won once, and the empire would probably attack again as soon as spring arrived. But for now, we were savoring this modest happiness.

「It would be nice if these days could last forever.」

「Yeah. I don’t want to go back to how things were before. But, as it is now, something is still missing… Once the issue with the empire is resolved, well… you said you would marry me.」

Lucy said this with a bashful smile. Her smile was so beautiful it made my heart race. Now that I was the Chief, in this precarious situation, I couldn’t just marry her. So, I had asked Lucy to wait until things with the empire were settled.

Truthfully, I wanted to be with her right now, to make her mine immediately.

「You’re right, it’s too early to be content. We need to find more happiness, and we must win. For that, will you support me, Lucy?」

「Of course, let’s work hard together.」

Naturally, our hands found each other’s. It felt a bit ticklish, somehow.

「Lucy, may I kiss you?」

「…Yes, you may. But remember, nothing more until we’re married. I promised my grandmother that, and I mean it.」

「Alright, just a kiss then.」

And so, my resolve to fight against the empire deepened even further. To continue such days and find happiness together.