Seirei Gensouki ~Konna Sekai de Deaeta Kimi ni~ (LN) - Volume 26 - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Night Rain Meeting

And so, that evening,

thanks to Latifa mustering her courage to speak to Flora, the sleepover was held as planned. The guests included Christina, Flora, Roana, Hiroaki, Kouta, Rei, Liliana, Liselotte, and Aria, just like the day before.

After dinner and chatting had ended, and bedtime had arrived—

(I was really worried about how things would turn out…)

Rio sat alone in his room on the bed, reflecting on how well everything had settled in the end. He recalled Latifa joyfully chatting with Flora and the others just a little while ago, and a smile crept onto his lips.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from outside, disrupting the calm.

"It's raining…"

Rio stood up, moved to the window, and opened the curtain to look outside. However, the heavy rain had obscured even the moonlight, making it difficult to see anything.

It had come down in buckets. Although it had been clear during the day, it was now a torrential downpour, as if a barrel had been tipped over. This somehow reminded him of the events of the day, putting him in an ennui-filled mood.

(I wonder if it will stop by morning?)

If the heavy rain continued into tomorrow, it would be better to ask Christina and the others to delay their return. As he pondered this—

"Huh?"

Rio caught a glimpse of a faint silhouette in the garden.

(…Who is that?)

In a flash, Rio enhanced his vision with physical reinforcement.

He realized he wasn't mistaken. While he couldn't identify who it was, they didn't seem to be a thief, as they were standing casually in the garden.

However, he couldn't understand why someone would be standing there. Why at this hour? More importantly, why in such heavy rain?

No, the rain had only just started, so it wasn't as if they had willingly gone outside in the downpour…

"…"

Curious, Rio decided to step outside into the garden.

◇ ◇ ◇

At bedtime.

Naturally, no one should be wandering around in the mansion's garden, except for the one person Rio had spotted earlier…

Using spirit arts of the wind, Rio created a barrier around himself to avoid getting drenched as he approached the location where he had seen the person.

And there, he discovered her. The rain poured down heavily, and even if he shouted, his voice would be drowned out.

(…Christina-sama!?)

As he closed the distance to just a few meters, Rio confirmed that the figure was indeed Christina.

However, Christina was facing away from the mansion, gazing vacantly at the sky, completely unaware of Rio's approach.

When he was just about a meter away—

"You'll catch a cold!?"

Rio called out to Christina, raising his voice.

"Lord Amakawa…"

Christina slowly turned around, looking at Rio with a dazed expression.

"What are you doing?"

Rio quickly expanded the barrier's range to protect Christina from the rain.

"I just felt like getting a bit wet…"

Christina replied, but Rio thought it was a lie. Just moments earlier, he had witnessed a figure standing in the garden right after the rain started. It seemed unlikely that she had gone outside to enjoy getting soaked.

"…"

Rio noticed that Christina's body was trembling slightly. Her clothes—no, her underwear and skin—were completely soaked.

It was winter now. Even though the Galarc Kingdom didn't experience significant temperature drops during the winter, the current temperature was around ten degrees. The perceived temperature while drenched would be even lower.

Thus, Rio decided to use spirit arts to generate warm air to warm Christina's body. But—

"That's enough."

Christina stepped out of the barrier that Rio had created.

"Why?"

Rio immediately followed her, bringing Christina back under the protective barrier.

"You just said you wanted to get wet," he pressed.

Christina averted her gaze from Rio, looking down as if guilty. Her profile appeared fragile, almost as if she could be easily toppled over with a touch. What on earth was she thinking to act like this?

"Is today's incident the reason?"

He could think of only one possible reason.

"…I was just thinking a little. Just a little, so please go back."

Christina turned her face away from Rio and replied, then began to walk away from the barrier again.

"…"

Rio thought it was absolutely a lie. He felt that if he left her alone, Christina would end up standing in the rain until she collapsed.

Then, for some reason, at that moment—

——I think it would be good to have Christina Beltrum be the first familiar besides Sora.

Lina's words flashed through Rio's mind.

(Does it have anything to do with this?)

Had Lina predicted this situation, this scene? He was curious but didn't have time to ponder it now.

From Christina's back as she walked away, a feeling of rejection seeped through—she felt she couldn't be near Rio.

"...I understand."

Rio stopped expanding the barrier and stood beside Christina. They both stood in the pouring rain, quickly becoming soaked through.

"...Huh?"

For the first time, surprise appeared on Christina's face. She instinctively halted and looked at Rio, confused as to why he had also begun to get drenched.

"It's just a little, right? Then I'll join you."

Rio said with a playful smile.

"...Why?"

Christina's gaze was drawn to Rio's profile, and she asked in a dazed manner.

"Funny coincidence, I also felt like getting wet in the rain."

Rio kept his eyes on the dark night sky, not looking at Christina. The rain continued to pour heavily, but oddly, he could hear her voice well.

"...Such a coincidence is impossible."

"It is possible. That's why it's called a coincidence."

"…"

Christina lost her words, feeling a bit overwhelmed. However, she still wore a face that showed she wanted Rio to go back. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to say it and remained silently bitter.

"This is just a casual chat, but I happened to have a conversation with my sister today."

Rio opened his mouth while still looking at the sky.

"...What kind of conversation?"

Christina also looked up at the rainy night sky, resigned to indulge in this casual chat. But—

"If you're confused or troubled, it's okay to voice your weaknesses or rely on others."

"...!"

She quickly snapped back to attention and looked at Rio's profile again. Christina's eyes were trembling with surprise and sorrow, as if she might start crying any moment. To her—

"It might be unsolicited advice, but if you don't mind, I'm here to listen."

Rio offered her kind words.

"Please don't say that…"

Christina managed to squeeze out a voice that was about to burst from the weight of her sorrow.

"Why not?"

"Because I really want to rely on you…"

"I'm talking about how it's fine to rely on me."

Rio turned his face to meet Christina's clear gaze. In response, Christina's expression visibly wavered.

"I don't have that kind of qualification…"

Christina bowed her head as if pulled down by a heavy weight.

"However, you don't need any qualifications with me."

"…Because it's you, I need qualifications. I don't want to show you my weak side. To you, only you…"

"No, no, that's not it," Christina murmured to herself while looking down, as if trying to convince herself. But—

"If that's the case, why don't we each share one weakness and rely on each other?"

Rio persisted patiently, tossing the words out lightly as if to lift the heavy burden on Christina's heart.

Finally, Christina raised her head, but—

"...Why would we do something like that?"

she asked weakly, questioning the meaning behind it.

"Because I want to."

Rio answered without hesitation, calmly.

"..."

Christina's body jumped slightly.

To her, who was holding her breath—

"Do you not want to?"

Rio peered into her face and asked.

"It's not that I don’t want to, but…"

Christina couldn't meet Rio's gaze and instinctively turned her face away. She thought his way of asking was underhanded. If it had been a question of whether she disliked it, she would have answered "yes." Then—

"Then, since I brought it up, I'll start. The person standing next to me is clearly troubled, yet you won't share it with me. When I imagine it might be due to today's troubles, I can't help but feel anxious, and I might end up standing in the rain all night. I'm really at my wit's end. So, could you please share your weaknesses with me?"

And please rely on me—Rio looked at Christina, pleading with a slightly playful tone.

"...That's unfair."

Christina protested in a voice that sounded very suffocated.

"...My sister often says the same thing. Come to think of it, she might have said it today too."

Rio scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.

"…"

Christina pouted and finally brought Rio back into her field of vision, standing close enough for their shoulders to touch. However, at that moment, Rio was looking up at the dark sky again, trying to hide his embarrassment.

—Look over here, at me...

—Please, help me...

Christina quietly moved her lips.

That was undoubtedly her weakness.

It was a genuine feeling.

She was not the noble princess who bore the future of the nation.

It was something she had sealed deep within her heart for a long time.

It was the voice of a weak, unreliable, and still young girl seeking salvation.

However, the sound of the rain was too loud, and it didn't reach Rio's ears. No, perhaps it was exactly because she was certain that the downpour would drown it out that she was able to expose such a weakness.

Even so—

"Eh?"

Maybe she felt she had said something, as Rio looked at Christina with a puzzled expression. Then—

"...Is something the matter?"

he asked cautiously. Then—

"...Is it really, okay?"

The strong hesitation that had been present in Christina's expression began to clear up. She was no longer a girl but had returned to the face of a princess. She was conveying with her gaze that it was already too late for Rio to back out.

"Yes."

Rio nodded without hesitation, indicating it was fine. Then—

"I've been troubled. I'm scared that the decision I will make for the future, which should be the best one, might not be the best at all. I'm afraid it might be wrong, and I can't seem to gather the courage... No, maybe I even wish it were wrong..."

Christina quietly revealed her weakness. It was truly her weakness and her honest feelings.

"Christina-sama is smarter than anyone else. I can hardly imagine you making a mistake, but…"

"...Thank you. Hearing that from you gives me confidence."

Christina's face lit up with genuine happiness, a smile spreading across her lips. On top of that—

"...But even so, I still can't muster the courage to solidify my conclusion. So, I know it's a bold request, but could you please give me some courage, if possible?"

she asked a bit hesitantly.

"Courage, you say?"

"Yes. When I think about the future, I find myself getting scared. So, just a little, please give me courage. That's what I want to rely on you for, Lord Amakawa."

After saying that, Christina faced Rio directly.

"Of course, that's no problem, but how can I give it to you...?"

Rio agreed, but since it was such an abstract request, he put a hand to his mouth and pondered how to respond. However—

"It's okay."

Christina stepped forward a bit toward Rio.

"Eh...?"

A light shock ran through Rio's body.

"I'll just take it for myself."

Christina hugged Rio tightly and buried her face in his chest. Their wet skin and clothes pressed together closely.

"..."

Rio was completely frozen in shock.

Despite the heavy rain falling around them, he could feel the warmth of Christina's heartbeat, pulsing fervently. He could also feel her body trembling slightly from the cold. Then—

"..."

Christina reached around to Rio's back, as if seeking human warmth, and pulled him close. Christina's soft body pressed against Rio's firm form. In that instant—

——I think it would be good to have Christina Beltrum be the first familiar besides Sora.

Lina's words echoed again in Rio's mind. However, his head was completely blank, so much so that he couldn't even process such words…

"Haah, haah…"

The sound of the torrential rain pouring down in the darkness of the night was nothing compared to the hot breaths that Christina released, which somehow reached Rio's ears more clearly.

And above all… more than the freezing cold of the rain that seemed ready to freeze him in place, Rio felt Christina's warmth, which was so close to making him burn, as if she might vanish from the world any moment.

At least for this moment, it was hard to believe that such a fragile girl, appearing so ephemeral and unreliable, was a princess shouldering the future of the nation...

"..."

Rio gently embraced the trembling, frozen body of Christina in return.