by Fujino Omori
“Not to change the subject, but has anything strange happened recently?”
“Strange?”
“It’s peaceful inside the wall, but it might be a good idea to keep your eyes peeled…Recently, it feels like there’s going to be trouble,” Finn says with his mouth behind the cup in his hands.
I tilt my head, wondering what he means by that. A hint of some kind, maybe? Is he referring to the recent trouble with Rakia…Ares Familia’s attack?
Well, I know that their army is basically a large group of low-level adventurers, and they’ve been fighting against several of Orario’s familias for the past few days.
Wait, wasn’t Loki Familia participating in the Guild’s mission? Weren’t they ordered to fight Rakia…? Is it okay for their leader to be here right now?
“That’s enough small talk; let me get to the point.” Finn changes the subject just as my thoughts start coming to a head.
“I would like you to introduce me to your supporter, a prum with chestnut eyes.”
“……Huh?”
It takes a few long moments for me to comprehend that. But once I do, it hits me like a ton of bricks.
My supporter—he wants to meet her and is asking me to set it up. The unexpected request leaves me breathless.
But Finn isn’t done. He goes even further.
“Well, I should be more direct. As a member of her race, I would like to offer her my hand in marriage.”
The ton of bricks just exploded.
“—E-EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!”
I jump out of my chair, almost sending it toppling to the floor.
This is no joke. My shocked voice is still echoing inside the empty café, but Finn just looks dead serious. This is by far the biggest surprise of today.
Lilly—is going to get a proposal?!
“Wh-what…what are you saying…?!”
“First off, I would like you to calm down. Then, I would like you to understand that this is not some spur-of-the-moment proposition.”
I’m on the verge of losing my mind, but Finn is absolutely calm, never stirring from his chair and asking me to relax. Those serene, incredibly blue eyes lock onto mine. Gulping down the air in my throat, I manage to regain a semblance of composure.
The elf at the back of the counter looks through his glasses as he wipes off a just-cleaned goblet at the other end of the room. Meanwhile, I sink back into my chair. I try to listen to what Finn has to say.
“For starters, you might be wondering why I would make such a proposal to a member of my race who belongs to a different familia…But first I must ask: Bell Cranell, do you know of the goddess Phiana?”
The goddess Phiana…I’ve heard of her.
She’s a fictional goddess who many prums believed in.
There once was a group of strong and proud prum knights in the Ancient Times who worshipped her.
Maybe it was because of their small size and gentle appearance, but prums were generally considered to have the least amount of potential, compared to other races like humans and demi-humans. In truth, very few prums at all have become world famous in the thousands of years of their history.
The exception was that group of knights. Accomplishing one heroic act after another, they became known as “Spears of the Battlefield.” Their glory became the pride of the prum race and also inspired deep faith in Phiana.
They were so acclaimed that even I’ve read about the exploits of those brave men and women in many of the Tales of Heroes.
—However, once the Ancient Times ended and the Divine Era began, faith in Phiana dried up in the blink of an eye.
It was all because the goddess revered by the entire prum race was not among the deities who descended to the mortal world, Gekai. Prums everywhere lost their confidence in their faith, and their lives completely fell apart. It was a decisive blow their race hasn’t recovered from even today…or so I hear.
I lightly nod at Finn, and he cuts right to the chase.
“Prums need a light they can call their own. A new hope that can fill the role that faith in Phiana once held.”
“…And that would be?”
“Just as you’re thinking. I came to Orario to live as an adventurer so I could become that hope for my people and bring them together. I wanted my name to be legendary, so other prums could have someone to aspire to.”
Finn’s ambition—no, his magnificent cause—leaves me speechless.
He’s fighting to change the fortunes of an entire race, carrying the future of all prums on his small shoulders. He arrived at the gates of Orario with the goal of becoming so famous that his very name would inspire his kin around the world.
And now he’s a top-tier adventurer—a member of the highest echelons of the Labyrinth City, at Level 6.
In Orario—a place that’s called the center of the world.
People of other races like me, even the gods and goddesses, know his name. I’d be surprised if someone didn’t. I’m sure that stories of Finn’s bravery and heroics have spread around the world and have already become a source of pride for prums everywhere.
“However—it can’t stop there.”
Finn strengthens his tone even though I can’t string any words together to respond.
“One moment of glory is insufficient to build a future for my people. The light of hope must continue to be cast on prums for years to come.”
Finn declares that his people would not know lasting prosperity if they had no hope. He doesn’t try to pad his thoughts but instead speaks clearly and directly.
“Frankly, the light needs to be passed to the next generation. And the best way to do that would be to have an heir with my blood in their veins.”
“…!!”
“A Half won’t do. The pride of our race must be a pure-blooded prum.”
Someone has to carry the torch and return their race to glory—it’s necessary to pass on the genes of a prum given the title of “Braver” to the next generation and beyond. Finn insists that those descendants have a completely prum lineage.
All the races of demi-humans can reproduce only with themselves.
While it goes without saying that spirits like fairies can’t have any offspring at all, elves, dwarves, and animal people cannot have children with one another. The exceptions would be humans, who can interbreed with demi-humans, and Amazons, who will always give birth to a female offspring of their own race.
So of course, marrying an Amazon is out of the question, as is having a human give birth to his heir—a half-prum would face tremendous difficulty being recognized as the savior of all prums.
Finn says that for the sake of his future child, he must marry another full-blooded prum.
“A-and you want…?”
“Indeed. I would like to take that girl as my bride and for her to bear my children.”
So that’s why. My face grows hot as the words flow out of his mouth.
—He’s going to ask Lilly to bear his children.
My cheeks are absolutely burning. The scale of this “favor” has gone way beyond what I was expecting, on so many levels. I feel so awkward as shock and surprise swirl in my head, turning my ears red as well.
But Finn is completely the opposite. There isn’t even a stutter in his voice, and that intense look in his eye is starting to make me desperate to find something to say, anything.
“But she’s, um, not in your familia. People in different familias can’t get married, right…?”
That’s one of the things that makes being in a familia complicated. I brought it up to see how Finn answers.
He simply says, “That’s not a problem. I have Loki’s permission. Well, I should. I agreed to join her familia under two conditions: one, that I have her cooperation in assisting my people; and two, that she not get in my way.”
Apparently, Finn was the first member of Loki Familia, and that’s how the negotiation played out.
It was an even trade-off for Loki and her first
follower.
She secured someone who had great potential for her familia, and he received the goddess’s resources for his own needs.
Even now, the conditions of their agreement are still in effect.
“Of course, I care deeply for my familia. It’s grown so much since the beginning, and I feel it’s my duty to protect them.”
To think a group as fearsome as Loki Familia had such humble beginnings. I consider that for a little bit, but he just shrugs and tells me to not get the wrong idea.
He looks so young, yet he carries all the responsibility of the leader with a smile on his face. I can tell he’s speaking the truth.
“One other thing I’d like to make clear: Even if I do have Loki’s permission, I can’t allow this personal matter to make life difficult for my familia. Should your supporter, Lilliluka Erde, refuse, or should Goddess Hestia object to my proposal, I won’t pursue her any further.” Finn is being clear to avoid starting any problems between our familias. Then he smiles dryly and adds one more thing. “And I’m not as young as I used to be. I can’t urge someone into an engagement anymore.”
“Huh…Um, I-I don’t want to be rude, but…may I ask your age?”
“Over forty by now, I suppose.”
“F-forty…?!”
“What? Don’t tell me you don’t know about the side effects of having a Status?”
Finn looks back at me with that incredibly youthful face and starts to explain, while clearly enjoying my surprise. He details how high-level adventurers gain the ability to slow the aging process.
Basically, a stronger spirit container doesn’t wear down with age, and in fact has a greater longevity than most. The effect increases every time a person levels up.
When it comes to eternal life, with the exception of the creator of the Philosopher’s Stone, mortals have yet to unlock the key to perpetual youth and true immortality. Instead, over the past thousand years, the repeated leveling up of many adventurers has displayed the possibility of conquering the aging process to the world, or so Finn says.
…If Lady Hestia were here, she’d probably say, “Leveling up brings a mortal closer to godhood.”
We gain more abilities the higher we ascend. In other words, the closer we get to the eternally youthful gods and goddesses, the more we resemble them in various ways…That’s not too hard to wrap my mind around.
Although, actually getting to where deities stand is probably impossible.
Finn ends his explanation by saying that I shouldn’t assume anything about a high-level adventurer based on their appearance. “We got off topic a little bit there, but…if you don’t have any objections, I would like your help in meeting her.”
Since circumstances prevented him from talking to Hestia or Lilly directly, he needed to make his approach through me. Now that he’s said his piece, he states his intentions one last time.
My head is still a swirling mess, but I’m calm enough to fight through it and gather my thoughts.
I wasn’t able to ask much yet because I was shaking too hard. Regaining control from sheer willpower, I manage to ask a very important question:
“Why…are you interested in Lilly?”
A simple question. There are so many prums in the world, so why did he choose Lilly? I don’t have the guts to say it, but even at his age, a top-tier adventurer like Finn could have anyone he wanted. All he had to do was make himself available, and he’d have more attention than he could handle.
And I don’t think this is a case of love at first sight.
He’s been so calm and collected ever since we arrived. There’s been no wavering in his voice. It’s—I don’t know…Finn doesn’t seem head over heels for her, and there’s no heat or excitement. It’s more like the calm of someone watching from the sidelines.
Finn closes his eyes when I ask. Then his deep-blue irises appear from behind his eyelids as he looks directly at me.
“How long ago was it, maybe two months? The day you defeated that Minotaur on the ninth floor.”
The battle against a Minotaur that wielded a greatsword; the day of my first level-up. I fought that monster with everything I had. It just so happened that Finn, Aiz, and the rest of Loki Familia were in the middle of one of their expeditions and witnessed the fight.
Lilly was the one who’d led them to me in a desperate attempt to find help.
“She was so determined to save your life that she ignored her own injuries and threw away her pride in order to convince us to help you. Seeing her do all that…It made quite an impression on me.”
Finn places his left hand on his heart as if to say that’s how he truly feels. “She’s not strong by any standards, but she showed enough bravery to rival anyone.” He narrows his eyes for emphasis on that word. “It’s true that I want a partner, but not just any partner. Right now, what my people need is bravery…I’m looking for someone who possesses this forgotten weapon of the prums to join my cause.”
Prums are considered to be the weakest of all the races.
They lack the physical capabilities of humans, they don’t possess the magical prowess of elves or the physical strength of dwarves, they haven’t developed the combat expertise of the Amazons, nor do they have the enhanced senses of animal people.
The one weapon that the race shorter than all the others did possess—was bravery.
Like the prum knights of the Ancient Times, they possessed the courage to face enemies much larger than themselves in those days from long ago. Unfortunately, that one and only advantage had disappeared with the passage of time.
And that is how Finn is planning to restore his people to their rightful place in the world: by drawing out the courage they all have buried within them. His partner needs to be someone worthy of standing next to the man the gods had named “Braver.” Someone who had a great deal of courage and could pass it on to his future child.
“So then Lilly…”
So that was the reason he wanted Lilly.
He recognized her courage because, rather than running away, she chose to try to save me. Finn had been moved by seeing her covered in blood and tears, calling out to Aiz and the other members of Loki Familia for help.
“B-but…if that’s the case, wouldn’t anyone who meets your standard be…?”
“Yes. You’re absolutely right.”
I had to remind myself to breathe before pressing further. He didn’t try to deny anything and simply nodded.
Finn doesn’t have any special feelings for Lilly herself.
“If they are worthy, and are at least a decent person, then I probably would offer my hand in marriage to anyone. The idea of having multiple partners doesn’t sound half bad.”
—My eyes fly open.
A sharp jolt shoots through my chest.
Gulp. That sounded a lot louder than I thought it would.
Open to the idea of having multiple partners…So, in other words…
A man’s dream, the one Gramps would always talk about, the pinnacle of manliness, a man’s romance…
“…A harem?”
Exactly what I fantasized about in my foolish, slightly younger days…
I can’t help but tremble as I look at the prum hero facing me across the table. My lips won’t stay still as I try to speak to him.
“I-I hear that’s nothing but trouble…”
I wait with bated breath for his next words. And then he says:
“I’m completely serious.”
Completely serious…
Looking at his bright, unclouded eyes, I realize the depth of his determination and resolve.
Finn possesses the courage to do whatever it takes to fulfill his mission without a second thought. A sudden rush of respect and admiration, one man to another, overwhelms me. I’d prostrate myself at his feet right now if there wasn’t a table in the way.
“…But of course, I wouldn’t actually do that.” Finn looks me in the eye and flashes a quick grin. Adding that he wouldn’t be able t
o help those who depend on him if he tried to maintain multiple partners, he smiles wryly to himself and closes one eye.
“I hold the rank of general now. I can’t afford to give my subordinates the wrong idea.”
“Ah…G-good point…”
I force myself to laugh and nod.
I feel so stupid for randomly thinking of this guy as a god among men for a moment.
“…I left all that behind me when I chose this path. I’ve dedicated my life to serving my people.”
He sits up straight and falls silent for a moment, his face calm once again.
He sounds like a young teenager, but his voice is steady and clear. Each word resonates in my ears.
“As I stated before, if she or Goddess Hestia rejects my offer, then that’s where this ends. On the other hand, should my offer be accepted, I will take it seriously and want to devote myself to building a strong bond with her.”
All I can do is listen to him. Finn’s face brightens with a smile. “She will live happily, that I can promise. Would you tell her all that I told you today, in my place?”
With that, he drinks the last of the tea in his cup. Getting to his feet, Finn withdraws a piece of paper from inside his vest and places it on the table. “Unfortunately, I only have time tomorrow.” He says a few more words and leaves me sitting alone with the piece of paper, a location written on it.
He pays the entire bill and waves at me one last time before leaving the café.
“…”
—If she has an answer for me, tell her to go there tomorrow.
—If she doesn’t want to answer, that’s perfectly fine. I’ll be there all day either way.
I take another look at the piece of paper. Directions are written in Koine, in really nice handwriting, along with a map to a meeting place. I look up at the ceiling after staring at the sheet for a few moments. I haven’t moved from my chair, still leaning all the way back into it.
Honestly, I don’t want to do this.
But I owe Finn, and Aiz, and really all of Loki Familia for everything they’ve done to help me. How would they react if I don’t follow through with this?
At the very least, I owe it to him to give Lilly the message. I feel like it’s my duty.