I'll Smash Everything with Passive Skills-Chapter 103: Side Story - Enixray (3)

"The day is really clear."

"...."

It's a leisurely observation. When I looked at Arwen, who had uttered those words, she quickly turned her head away with a soft sound.

Last night, a heavily intoxicated Arwen. She had collapsed onto the bed, making her bombshell proposal seem trivial.

Naturally, Veris, who prided himself on being a gentleman, wouldn't dare touch Arwen.

"One son, one daughter."

"...Ugh."

An interesting fact is that even a drunken Arwen retains her memories completely.

Just look at how her shoulders flinch at Veris's playful voice. It's clear she feels embarrassed about what she said.

"Can I really just stop by and leave?"

"Yes. Not to hold onto a fleeting connection is something my father taught me in the past."

"Right, that's true."

The two walked in silence for a while.

The royal road, Enixray.

Before it became divided like this, the last elven kingdom. It seems Arwen was a princess there.

Veris hadn't known this. It wasn't something a person would want to bring up, and Arwen hadn't insisted on discussing her past either.

Suddenly.

"Thank you for your concern. But Veris, you don't need to worry so deeply."

Arwen, who had been walking quietly, stopped in her tracks. Then she turned around and looked at Veris, speaking.

There was no trace of the sadness from yesterday afternoon or the heartache from the evening on her face.

A smile.

A bright, white smile adorned Arwen's face.

Veris felt his lips involuntarily curl upwards.

It had already been over ten years since he had spent time with Arwen.

It may sound cliché, but to borrow Arwen's words... Veris truly liked that bright smile.

A yellow flower blooming amidst terrible sorrow.

What had blossomed was no longer sorrow. It was bright happiness.

That happiness was so dazzling that just being together could evoke the illusion of warmth in his heart.

Swish.

Veris reached out his hand.

It was an action accompanied by a faint smile, without any words.

Thud!

Finally, Arwen reached out her hand and grasped his.

And so, the two walked on.

Veris made a vow. He would ensure that this lovely and adorable girl would envision a bright future, no longer filled with sorrow.

*

"Ha ha!"

An old man watched the affectionate backs of the two and smiled joyfully.

The elven girl standing next to the old man rolled her eyes. She didn't seem particularly pleased with the situation.

"Old man. Is it really that good?"

"It is indeed. That lovely princess has found her place."

"Princess?"

The elven girl, who was guiding Veris and Arwen, widened her eyes in surprise.

Thud!

The old man placed his large hand on the elven girl's head and continued speaking.

"Do you know that around the time you were born, the elven kingdom faded into the annals of history?"

"Grandfather told me whenever he had the chance. So, you're saying that woman is the princess of that elven kingdom?"

The guide, the elven girl shrugged her shoulders.

...In truth, she thought the two were quite extraordinary.

The human man had an appearance that was far from ordinary.

Not only that? He was a master who could slice through ogres living in the Great Forest without even drawing his sword from his waist.

Since the elven kingdom had perished before she was born, she didn't feel particularly sentimental about it, but she thought that such a remarkable figure would be a perfect match for the princess.

"It's the red thread. That person has found the place she belongs to by herself."

"Red thread?"

"Ha ha! Have you forgotten that this old man is skilled in astrology?"

"...Grandfather's predictions have rarely been accurate. I'm just being loyal as a granddaughter by going along with your nonsense."

"Ha ha!"

Despite his granddaughter's complaints, the old man laughed.

By now, a misty sheen had formed in his eyes.

Smirk.

But in contrast to those tears, he was smiling pleasantly as he watched the two figures gradually fade away.

"Hmm, is it going to rain?"

"Hmm? Rain? Rain, you say?"

The old man's contemplative demeanor seemed a bit odd, causing the elven girl to awkwardly avert her gaze and look at the sky.

It was a sunny day. However, dark clouds were gathering in the distance, suggesting that a heavy downpour might come when the sun set.

"Granddaughter."

"Yes?"

"It seems we still have work to do."

"...!"

The old man's cryptic whisper made the elven girl's face contort in confusion.

*

Whoosh!

The rain fell refreshingly. If Veris used mana to activate his abilities, he wouldn't get wet even while walking in the rain, but he didn't bother to do so.

"It's quite unusual."

"...That's right."

The reason was simple. They had found an inn to escape the rain.

They had come on this journey with a sense of leisure. Returning in a rush was not part of the plan.

Creak!

In the middle of the road, the door of an unexpectedly placed inn opened. The interior smelled of fresh paint, as if renovations had recently taken place.

"I really don't understand why there's an inn in a place like this."

"...."

Arwen's question. Veris immediately turned his gaze.

At the end of it stood an elven old man and a girl, awkwardly smiling and glancing over at them.

The old man, standing at the counter, looked stiff and uncomfortable.

'What is this?'

He recognized their faces. One was the old man who lived in a cabin at the edge of the Great Forest, and the other was the guide he had introduced.

"Ha, ha ha! Isn't fate quite strange?"

"Y-yes! Grandfather! Ha, ha!"

"...."

Their performance was painfully awkward. Veris let out a small sigh as he approached the counter.

"I'd like to rent a room."

"...Ah! What should we do? Unfortunately, there's only one room left!"

"Ha ha! What a coincidence. Fate has brought us together like this."

Veris was at a loss for words at the duo's collaboration.

"...."

Veris had keen hearing.

Not just a little keen; to exaggerate, he could hear conversations taking place hundreds of meters away if he focused /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ on his hearing.

And in this awkward inn, there were only the two awkwardly behaving grandparents and Veris and Arwen.

"Phew! Fine. I'll take that room."

"Ha ha! Understood."

Creak!

The old man, with a delighted expression, opened a drawer.

"...."

In that brief moment, Veris saw it. The drawer had a gaping hole in the bottom. Below it, the floor was overgrown with grass.

'No way, is this even a real building?'

At this point, he couldn't help but be suspicious.

"Come on! You must be tired, so hurry up and go upstairs to rest. You can find your room by the number on the key."

The old man and girl waved their hands as if urging them to go to their room.

Veris tilted his head but went upstairs. Arwen, perhaps feeling the same unease, kept glancing around.

And then.

Not long after, when the two arrived at the door of their assigned room and opened it, what they saw was....

"Hmm!"

Arwen awkwardly cleared her throat.

Veris shook his head in disbelief.

The assigned room looked cleaner than expected.

However, there was one problem....

There was only one room left. And there was only one bed.

"I-I don't mind!"

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What a ridiculous thought, Arwen shouted, her neck turning red. It was a high decibel voice that was rare for her. Veris awkwardly nodded.

"...Yeah, me too, well."

A man and a woman of appropriate age sleeping in the same room, even in the same bed?

If something were to happen, it would be quite a situation. However....

Even if something unexpected, or rather expected, were to happen, it wouldn't necessarily cause a problem.

"I-I'll go in first!"

Arwen let out a scream-like sound. Then she dashed into the room and quickly disappeared into the bathroom.

Crash!

What was happening in the inn's bathroom was quite noisy.

Veris slowly took a step back. He closed the room door and sat on the bed, stroking his chin.

"Hmm."

The situation was too obvious. Veris fell deep into thought.

This is, that, isn't it?

*

"Whew!"

After Arwen finished washing up and came out, Veris also entered the bathroom to wash himself.

Having reached a certain level, Veris no longer had sweat or body odor. However, washing himself in flowing water felt good.

And....

"...!"

"I can't believe this."

In the dark room, he felt a pair of bright blue eyes scanning him with a mischievous gaze.

It was obvious who the owner was. As he dried his hair with a towel, Veris slowly approached the bed.

"Gulp."

Arwen, who seemed so tense that she suddenly held her breath.

It was so cute that he couldn't help but smile.

"Arwen."

"...Yes."

"I know this sounds quite unromantic."

"...Yes."

"You know, that... right?"

"I know...."

Whether she was scared or just tense, Arwen's voice trembled strangely. The problem was that her quivering, delicate voice was igniting a fire in Veris's heart.

Whoosh!

It felt as if an effect sound was echoing, as Arwen's face began to turn bright red at an alarming rate.

Gulp.

A dry swallow escaped. It was unclear whether it was Veris or Arwen who swallowed that dry gulp.

In this strangely youthful tension.

The first to move was Veris, who had ignited the spark of desire.

Whoosh!

"Ahhh!"

Arwen's sharp scream echoed.

However.

That scream was filled not with fear or surprise, but with laughter.