Morning light filled the wide glass window, casting a spotlight on the faint blush on Syr's cheeks. No way to tell if it came from crying or from shyness.
She held the thick book in her hands and softly called the boy's name.
"So, Bell, what do you usually like to do?"
Such simple small talk felt like happiness itself to her.
"Hmm… read hero tales? My grandfather told me all kinds of adventure stories when I was little."
Bell longed for heroism. Argonaut, the first hero who inspired people in the darkness. The leader of the small band swallowed by despair and betrayal. The Sword Champion who destroyed the Evil Dragon.
Each story ended differently, and whenever he first heard them, Bell always found himself empathizing with the characters. Sometimes regret, sometimes anger, sometimes a surge of excitement.
"I want to become a real hero. One without betrayal, without tears, someone who leads everyone to a happy ending." He voiced his dream slowly.
"You can do it, Bell." Syr looked at him, eyes shining. "I can see it—that wonderful future."
"Not even a God could pull that off."
Bell smiled. "But I'll try. So from now on, no matter what happens, please don't cry anymore."
"Okay. I promise."
Syr knew he would suffer injuries like before again and again. Crying over them would only weigh him down.
"Enough about me. Syr-san, what do you usually—"
"We're dating now, aren't we? Shouldn't we start with proper forms of address?" Syr puffed her cheeks out, speaking with surprising force.
"..."
Bell paused, then corrected himself. "Syr, what do you usually like to do?"
"I like you."
"…That doesn't count as a hobby," Bell muttered.
From what he'd seen, Syr was basically the treasured princess of the tavern. Maybe she was just… this clueless about romance?
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean besides me?" he asked again.
"..."
Syr pressed her lips together, her gem-like eyes scrutinizing him as if weighing something. Then, out of nowhere, she asked:
"What do you think of Ryuu, Bell?"
"..."
Why did the topic suddenly jump to the Elf girl? And what did "what do you think" even mean? Even facing waves of terrifying monsters, Bell had never been this speechless.
Syr didn't seem to notice and kept going:
"Ryuu just looks cold most of the time, but she's actually really nice. She doesn't talk much, but in some ways, she's a lot like you."
"Yeah… Ryuu-san saved me again this morning. I didn't even get a chance to apologize before she ran off."
Bell knew that the dignified, justice-driven Elf must be hiding something to keep her identity secret while working at the tavern. With her skills, she could easily stand at the forefront of any familia.
Ryuu had helped him many times, even at the risk of exposing herself. Bell felt gratitude toward her—and, if he was honest, a tiny hint of something that crossed the line.
But talking about another girl with the one he just started dating felt completely absurd.
Syr, however, seemed completely entertained. "That just means Ryuu's shy, you know? Don't let her cold, high-and-mighty look fool you. The moment she runs into something she's not good at, she turns into a total useless mess."
"I... I see…"
Bell was overwhelmed by the human girl's energy, unable to find any chance to change the subject. And that "useless" remark—hardly an insult—only made him even more curious.
"Exactly! Bell, remember this. Next time you see Ryuu, just grab her hand so she can't run, and then—"
Syr's words grew more dangerous with each second, and she clearly wasn't joking.
"Wait, let's look at this book first."
Before things completely derailed, Bell forced the topic aside.
"Then I want you to read it to me," Syr said, her tone playfully spoiled.
"Sure—Syr?"
As he took the thick book, the girl used the moment he looked at the cover to stretch out and lie down on his lap. Like a child, she blinked her beautiful eyes, her soft gray hair spilling messily across his legs.
"Read it to me."
From that position, Syr couldn't see the pages at all, so the boy had to read everything aloud. Bell glanced at her flushed face, then opened the book with a quiet laugh. The faint scent of paper mixed with her sweet fragrance.
He looked at the suspicious title and began reading:
"Autobiography: Mirror, Mirror, I Am the Most Beautiful Magic Girl in the World! Extra: Aiming for Magic Mastery"
Bell frowned. The very first line already felt like a scam. Was this really a thank-you gift from Freya's familia? It was way too suspicious.
Syr didn't seem surprised. As if she had expected it, she lay across his lap with a hand over her lips, smiling silently.
Faced with that adorably entranced expression, Bell resisted the urge to close the book and continued:
"Modern Magic Even Goblins Understand! (Part One)"
Mixed into the common language were clusters of complicated symbols. Not sacred script—more like strange arithmetic formulas. Bell only read the parts he could make sense of.
In simple terms, it was a very questionable magic book.
"Magic is a passion. For acquired categories, this is especially important…"
Bell kept flipping through the yellowed pages. Before long, he found himself completely drawn in.
A face appeared on the paper. Like a mirror reflection, it was identical to Bell.
"What is magic to you?"
Power. The power to break through any crisis. The silver spear that pierces nightmares. The force that brings down a reckless mercenary in one blow. The light that, like that Elf girl, sweeps away waves of monsters even in despair. Not a shield that only guards, not healing that can't strike back—but the force that breaks obstacles, the breakthrough leading to happiness on the other side.
"What do you think Magic is?"
Fire. Flames of burning passion. Warmth that drives away every terror and brings smiles to girls' faces.
"What do you seek from Magic?"
I want to become a hero. A hero swift as thunder. One who prevents every tragedy. One who keeps any girl from crying. Not a tragic epic drenched in sorrow—a beautiful fairy tale where everyone laughs.
For that, I need to become faster. To move like lightning, gain the strength to change everything before despair arrives.
"...You're going to exhaust yourself, you know? You might collapse in some forgotten corner."
I know. But that's the Magic I dream of.
The boy inside the book smiled.
"Of course I'm a hero."
The next moment, he lost consciousness.
Sunlight poured in, and Syr seemed to know this would happen. She didn't wake him. Like a gentle kitten, she simply savored this brief moment of peace.