I, Viretta, Am Going to Hunt a Dragon

"Viretta."

Iola, who had buried his face in his palm, tilted his head back.

"Yes, Iola."

"Viretta."

"Yes."

"Viretta..."

Iola, calling her name three times, shut his mouth tightly.

He removed his hand from his face and quickly put on clothes, just like Viretta had done earlier.

He wore pants that were still damp and put on a jacket over them. But, seemingly wanting to dry his shirt properly, he hung it near the campfire.

With only a leather jacket over his pants, Iola looked like a rather rugged musician. He awkwardly turned his gaze away.

Although he hadn't cried, his eyes strangely appeared a bit red.

"Why are you suddenly getting dressed? It's funny to say, but your clothes are still wet."

"Seeing you again makes me feel embarrassed. I feel like I’ve neglected my appearance."

Iola, who was grooming himself for a completely different reason from Viretta, made her feel uneasy.

Was he grooming himself because he cared about how she looked?

Part of her felt like he had never viewed her as a woman until now, while the other part wondered if he was now seeing her as one.

It was a kind gesture, with no particular reason to reject it. Viretta spoke a kind word to him.

"You look charming even without your clothes."

It was a compliment meant to encourage him, but for some reason, Iola’s gaze turned lukewarm.

"So, you were boldly undressing in front of someone who might see you as a threat."

His face, which had looked shy like someone starting their first love, now bore an expression of discomfort.

Viretta, seeing Iola thinking that way—almost like a young girl who would make a comment like "You only see my appearance..."—was thrown into confusion.

But she quickly understood the reason. He was a person from Saha, where male-female relations were slightly misaligned.

Perhaps Saha men were generally distant toward women who thought highly of themselves, and cold to women who viewed themselves favorably.

"Do men get arrested for looking at women like that in Saha?"

"That would be impossible. In Filian, too, men wouldn’t get arrested for looking at women that way. They’d just get cold stares."

"I wasn’t thinking about it that way~!"

Viretta, who was about to receive such cold stares, stamped her feet.

Somehow, whenever she was involved with Iola, it seemed like she would become the villain.

He really was a man from a different culture. This might be why foreigners could be frightening.

Half of her found it playful, so she didn’t protest seriously, but if one day she were to receive a truly disdainful look from Iola, she felt like her stomach would churn.

"That would be troublesome."

"What do you mean?"

"It’s better if you look at me that way, since you’re a man."

"Why are you trying to steal my line?! It was me who fell into the lake and had my clothes removed! Even the lines!"

"I fell into the lake and had my clothes removed too."

Viretta, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, shouted, but her words were swiftly shut down.

Even though a strange atmosphere had been building, it quickly dispersed. Iola, who had been stirred by Viretta's words, was already gone.

The atmosphere became much calmer, and Iola gently took Viretta's fingertips. As if asking her to dance at a party, he carefully lifted her hand from below.

"Then, you want to break off the engagement with me even though you have no one you love?"

"Huh?"

Viretta's eyes widened. Could this be true?

She quickly opened her mouth before things got worse.

"I don’t want to be influenced by my father’s decision. I have no ill feelings toward you."

"Just like Saffron has a chance, I have one too. Then—"

Iola, who was about to say something, silently closed his mouth. He lowered his face, which carried a faint smile, and remained silent for a while.

"Then?"

Viretta, who had been waiting for his response, repeated his words. When Iola finally raised his head, he looked at Viretta silently.

"What are you thinking, Iola?"

She couldn’t ask.

Then—if someone she liked appeared, would she stop hunting dragons?

If a man in love asked her not to hunt dragons, would she stop?

Would she stop hunting dragons if her fiancé turned out to be someone she liked?

There were so many things she couldn’t ask.

Things that she was curious about but didn’t want to hear the answer to. It was the kind of story she wanted to delay from hearing.

"......"

Iola seemed aware that he was being distracted by Viretta.

But what he revered was the indomitable person who was energetically jumping around in this dangerous adventure.

If he met someone to love, or if he fell in love with his fiancée, and no longer had a reason to move forward, what would happen?

He covered the uncertain future. Instead, he looked at his fiancée, who was determined to hunt dragons no matter what.

"I was just having inappropriate thoughts for a moment."

"That would be inappropriate, but it’s something I can understand."

"I’m always happy that you look at me properly."

"Now I know you quite well too, Iola."

Yes, Viretta was truly looking at him properly.

He never brought up the really difficult topics. He only said things that he thought he could handle, or that seemed like they would work out.

She knew that if it weren’t for her, it wouldn’t be easy to hide it, and she was confident in managing her expression.

"Say it. It’s the duty of a fiancée to accept the small rudeness of her fiancé."

Iola was confident.

"I felt like kissing you."

Viretta Medlit would be pleased with his affection.

Whether she would grant that wish was another matter.

She didn’t find his feelings unpleasant. She would cautiously unwrap it like a precious gift and keep it in the corner of her heart.

And so, he opened the box.

The fact that she said she had no one she loved broke the dam that had been in Iola’s heart.

Viretta, her cheeks flushed, gently curled her fingers around Iola’s hand.

She didn’t pull away from his hand. She looked up at him and glanced sideways.

"Did you feel regret because you thought you might die?"

"No. When I laughed with you in the sky, I felt like I could go anywhere as long as I was with you."

At that time, when they were trapped in the box, cutting through the sky, even though normal people would be terrified, Viretta found joy in it.

She couldn’t say she wasn’t scared, but for a moment, Viretta and Iola both enjoyed the joy of owning the sky.

At that time, she only thought that she was loving someone she couldn’t have, and buried it deep inside her heart.

"You seem like someone who would lead and never shy away from anything."

Whether it be the dragon’s nest, the sky, or the sea below, if Viretta were with him, he felt like they could go anywhere.

Even if everyone else shunned the journey, Viretta would willingly accompany him. She would hold his hand and lead him.

He liked that.

The thought of kissing the bright, smiling Viretta made him want to kiss her.

It was the first time he had ever thought about kissing a woman. Perhaps Moslin had seen through his feelings.

Viretta, who had been staring at the ground, now looked at Iola again, her round eyes half-closed with her pretty lashes.

Her cheeks were rosy.

"You can do it. You’re still mine."

"I should remind you once again that no one can claim another."

When he spoke sincerely, Viretta could hear a sigh—one that didn’t feel unpleasant.

"According to your teachings, Iola, a documented relationship includes implicit permission for certain actions depending on the type of relationship. In the case of engagement, a kiss would be one of them."

"You learn quickly, and you apply things well. I’m glad to be teaching you."

Iola smiled as he heard the words that seemed perfectly suited to his tastes.

Viretta raised her hand slightly.

Iola grabbed her hand and gently placed his lips on hers.

It was their first kiss, but he knew enough to make it work.

If it was something physical, he was confident he could handle it. Iola supported Viretta’s waist with his other hand and slightly turned his head. His nose tilted, making it easier to breathe, and the scent from Viretta lingered at the tip of his nose.

Viretta, who had widened her eyes and was about to pull back, was caught by Iola.

Her waist and chest were pressed against Iola’s body.

Her lips were soft.

Though there was no taste, it felt like a sweet illusion.

Viretta’s trembling hands held onto Iola.

She lifted her heels slightly, stretching her chin out a little.

Iola didn’t hesitate. He tilted his head to match hers, not letting go, and enjoyed the kiss a little longer.

By the lakeside as the sun set, in front of a small campfire.

Two people who had just survived being caught by a dragon and flown through the sky.

There was no better time than their first kiss.