"I'm not so sure if I believe that"

Yuto patted her head, "You said monsters are invading your homeland?"

"Yes. The monsters have come so close to the capital that we can no longer travel safely outside its walls"

"How long do you think this journey will take?"

"A month at most if we start moving now, I may slow you down a bit because of my lack of mana"

"It's fine just lead the way then"

She nodded and started leading him deeper into the forest as she started talking again, "And just how are you planning to help exactly?"

"You'll see when we get there"

"You are a mysterious guy, huh?"

Yuto gave a small smirk and continued walking, he sighed, looking at her stats, especially her class.

New Hero, he shook his head and continued following, ["That could be a bit troubling if she turns against me"]

"Why'd you sigh?"

He flicked her forehead, "Keep walking"

"I'm starting to think you enjoy doing that"

"I do, never met an elf, a princess at that"

She rolled her eyes playfully before responding, "And here I thought humans would have a sense of proper respect for royalty"

"Nah, I just don't respect it"

She gasped and turned around to face him, hands on her hips and a look of mock offense on her face.

"Oh really? You're just going to show no respect to royalty, just like that?"

"Who's gonna make me bow"

She took a few steps closer, a smirk spreading across her face as she took his chin between her fingers and lifted his head toward her.

"I might have to force you to, you know"

Yuto pinned her against the tree, "Oh really"

She let out a small gasp as he pinned her against the tree, looking up at him with a shocked expression, "Y-you wouldn't dare…"

He let go and continued walking, "Come now, we have to at least make it to a safe location"

Her cheeks a tinge of red from him pinning her against the tree like that, she quickly snapped out of her daze and caught up to him, sticking close beside him as they walked.

"So miss snobby princess who thinks royalty is all that, tell me more about this elf kingdom"

She pouted at his comment, crossing her arms, "I wasn't trying to act snobby, first of all. And second, there's not much to the elven kingdom, honestly. It's built deep in the forest and is surrounded by nature. Why do you ask?"

"I'm a fool for asking"

She raised an eyebrow, a smirk slowly growing on her face, "And why is that? Feeling silly now for asking?"

"Yeah because I asked a moron"

She gasped, faking shock and offense, "I'm a moron?! How dare you!"

Before she could say more Yuto caught the arrow that almost hit her eye, "Goblins, hmm seems about 30 of them, you asked what I can do, right?"

She nodded, staring up at him with an expression of curiosity and eagerness.

"Yeah, I did. So, tell me, what exactly is your plan? Are you going to fight them all on your own?"

"That's the plan now take a look at the hero you brought"

[ Sin Art first form: Wrath ]

Yuto releases a giant slash of fire that cleaves the forest, killing all the goblins in one hit.

Freya watched in shock at the giant slash, her eyes widening as she saw the goblins disappear in an instant.

"What the...! Are you serious? Did you just... take them all out in one hit?!"

"Come along now miss moron"

"Hey! Don't call me that!"

Despite her words, she obeyed and continue to walk beside him, she tripped and he caught her, he leaned to whisper, "Careful now miss moron"

She pouted and crossed her arms, "Stop calling me that!"

He flicked her forehead, "Come now, I made us a path that should save us a week"

She let out a soft gasp again as he flicked her forehead, rubbing it with a pout on her face.

"Does flicking my forehead give you some sort of strange pleasure or something...?"

"Just what is it with you and flicking my forehead anyway...?"

"Just because, now hurry I want to walk further before it gets dark"

As the day bleeds into the night and they set up camp for the night, Freya lets out a sigh and leans back against a tree, glancing over at Yuto.

"So, what now? We just sit here for the night?"

Yuto moved the wood around the fire, "That's the plan"

Freya nodded her head and rested her head against the tree, staring up at the sky, "You got anything to talk about? Sitting here in silence is going to get boring real quick"

"Heh, you got any questions?"

She pondered his question for a moment before a smirk appeared on her face.

"I do have a question. One you might struggle with"

"Go for it"

A mischievous glint appears in her eyes, "Alright then. Tell me... why do you like flicking my forehead so much?"

"Because you're a moron"

"You're so mean, you know that? You always call me a moron, and you flick my forehead all the time. Is it really that entertaining to you?"

"It is"

She huffed and crossed her arms, scooting closer to him, "Well, I don't think it's entertaining at all. It's annoying if anything"

Despite her words, she secretly found it a little endearing how he seemed to enjoy flicking her forehead so much.

"Any other questions?"

"This one is another tough one. Are you ready?"

"Go for it"

"Alright then..."

She took a deep breath before asking her question, her smirk growing wider, "So, do you have a girlfriend?"

Mizuki comes out and wraps her arms around Yuto, "Of course he does"

Freya blinked in surprise when Mizuki appeared, wrapping her arms around him. A small pang of jealousy fills her, but she quickly pushes it away.

"I... see. So you do have a girlfriend," she let out a sigh before continuing.

"How long have you been together?"

Mizuki smirks and lifts Freya's chin, "Quiet the beauty aren't you"

"W-what? I, uh... um..."

"You can be his 2nd wife, you know," Mizuki laughs as she transforms back into a ring on Yuto's finger.

"H-his... 2nd wife?!"

"H-how long have you two been together?"

"I say around 2 years now"

"Two years? And... she's your one and only partner, correct?"

"Why?" He smirked sitting closer to her "Do you want to be my partner too?"

Her face turned red at his comment, and she quickly looked away, "W-what?! Of course not!"

Yuto patted her head, "Get some sleep, we still have another week of traveling"

She pouted as he patted her head, but she couldn't help leaning into his touch a little, "Alright, fine. I'll go to sleep"

She found a comfortable spot to lay down and get ready to sleep, though she found herself stealing glances at Yuto from time to time.

As she slept Yuto took guard. One of his skills allows him to fall asleep, sitting down, time passes, and the sun begins to rise, signaling the start of a new day.

-Early Morning-

Yuto flicked her forehead, "It's morning"

Freya was in the middle of a particularly peaceful dream when she felt a flick on her forehead, jolting her awake.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Wha...? Oh, it's morning already..."

She rubbed her forehead with a pout on her face before sitting up, her hair sticking out in odd directions.

Yuto put some things away in his storage ring before offering her help to get up, she accepted stretching and groaning tiredly.

"Ugh, I didn't sleep that well..."

She patted down her hair, trying to tidy it up a bit but failing miserably, choosing to use simple magic to fluff it up and straighten it down.

"Come now sleepy toes we have to keep moving"

"Ugh, why do we have to walk so much? Can't we take a break for a little while? I'm so tired…"

"Wow a princess abandoning her duties"

"I'm not abandoning my duties. I'm just tired and don't feel like walking so much in my tired state"

Yuto sighed, taking a knee on the ground, "Get on my back"

She blinked in surprise at the unexpected offer, her eyes widening a bit, "R-really? You'll give me a piggyback ride?"

"It's tiresome if I have to drag your body, so get on my back"

Freya couldn't help but let out a small sigh as he spoke, finding his attitude somewhat annoying, but she obliged, "Fine, I'll get on your back..."

She carefully got onto his back, clinging onto him and wrapping her arms around his neck carefully.

"Bold aren't you," Mizuki said with a chuckle.

Freya let out a small squeak of surprise as she heard Mizuki speaking, turning her head to look at her, who was floating right next to them as Yuto kept running.

"S-shut up! I'm just tired, that's all..."

She buried her face into his shoulder, hiding her reddened cheeks, embarrassed by Mizuki's comment.

Mizuki taps her nose with a small chuckle, "Yet so adorable"

Freya let out another squeak as Mizuki tapped her nose, "A-adorable? Stop it, I'm not adorable..."

She buried her face deeper into Yuto's shoulder, trying to hide her now heavily blushing face.

"Freya you good?"

She nodded her head against his shoulder, her words slightly muffled as she spoke, "Y-yeah, I'm fine... just a bit embarrassed, that's all…"

"How long till we make it?"

She lifted her head off of his shoulder, her face still red, "Well, if we keep walking at this pace, I'd say another week or so. The capital is still quite far away"

"How far is your homeland?"

"Hmm... Well, the capital is a bit deep into the territory, but if I had to guess I'd say it's a few day's travel on foot.

A carriage would get us there sooner, but walking is faster than getting a carriage"

"A carriage in the forest?"

She paused for a moment, realizing that he had a point, "Huh, I guess you're right. The forest is pretty dense, a carriage would have a hard time getting through here... Guess we're just gonna have to continue on foot then…"

Mizuki chuckled, "Cute little thing aren't you"

"S-stop calling me cute! I'm not some cute little thing, I'm royalty, okay?"

"Ah, the snobby princess is back," Yuto commented as he dodged a tree branch falling.

"I'm not being snobby, I'm just reminding you of my position. You should respect royalty, you know!"

"Guess I'm royalty as well if it means having an attitude like that"

Freya raised an eyebrow, looking at Yuto in surprise, "Huh? You're royalty too?"

"Nah, I'm just messing with you"

She groaned and pouted again, smacking his shoulder lightly, "You keep messing with me, you know that? You're so annoying, calling me snobby and a moron all the time"

"Well I'm passing the time"

"You could pass the time less annoyingly, you know? Like talking normally instead of calling me names and flicking my forehead all the time"

"Well, do you have any other suggestions?"

"Hmm... how about you start asking me questions instead? It would be better than you constantly calling me names and flicking me, that's for sure"

"Okay, how many sisters do you have?"

"I have six older sisters, including my twin. I'm the youngest of all of us"

"They single?"

She sighed at his question, a small feeling of irritation bubbling up in her chest, "No, they're not. They're all happily married, unlike someone I know"

"Man, that's just so sad!"

"Why do you care anyway? It's not like you want to date any of my sisters, do you?"

"I'm saying it's sad that you're still single"

"W-what?! I'm not sad about being single, thank you very much. I don't need a lover, I'm perfectly fine being alone"

"Man, that's even more depressing"

"Excuse me? How is that depressing? I don't need a lover, I don't need someone to hold my hand and take care of me. I'm independent and perfectly fine being alone!"

"So then why did you smile when I offered the piggyback ride?"

"I-I... That's different! I was just tired and wanted a break from walking, that's all…"

"Cute"

Freya huffed and swatted his head, her face as red as a tomato, "Stop calling me cute! And stop saying that everything I do is cute! I'm not some cute little princess, okay?!"

"So any questions you have for me?"

"Well... I guess I do have a question for you…How did you and Mizuki... end up together?"

"Hah, I thought no one would ask, well you know how humans usually awaken at 14 to 15 correct?"

"Yes, humans usually awaken around that age. Why do you ask?"

"I awakened at 17"

"Wait, you awakened at 17 years old? That's way older than usual, how is that possible?"

"Beats me, but anyways when I awaken Mizuki appeared in my room"

"Mizuki just... appeared in your room when you awoke? Just like that?"

"Yup, we made a contract, and that was that. She's been by my side for 2 years now, you jelly?"

Freya blinked in surprise at his question, her face once again heating up as she tried to deny his words, "W-what?! Me? Jelly? Pfft, of course not! Why would I be jealous?"

"You are gripping my shoulder a bit too tight"

She looked down to see that he was right, her hands gripping his shoulder quite tightly, embarrassment flooded through her as she quickly loosened her grip on his shoulder, though her face remained flushed.

"... shut up…"

"I mean, I don't mind having you as a lover"

Freya was caught off guard by Yuto's sudden statement, her face turning even redder as she tried to process his words.

"W-what?! Y-you can't just say something like that so casually!"

Mizuki chuckles, "That makes you blush?"

"S-shut up..."

She buried her face into his shoulder again, trying to hide her now furiously blushing face.

She could hardly believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Her heart started racing, and she couldn't help but feel both nervous and excited.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before finally speaking.

"W-wait... Are you serious? You want me as your lover?"

"I don't mind and neither does Mizuki"

Freya turned her head to look at Mizuki, surprised by his response, "Y-you don't mind either? But I thought you two were, you know... together…"

Mizuki chuckles, "You'll understand with time"

Mizuki ruffled her hair, "I promise you will not be disappointed if you become his"

Freya shivered as Mizuki ruffled her hair, a strange mix of embarrassment and excitement flowing through her as she tried to comprehend the situation.

She hesitates for a moment before finally responding.

"You... you promise I won't be disappointed? And you're both really okay with me joining in your relationship?"

Her heart was racing with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation as their words sank in

She couldn't believe that she was about to agree to this, but something inside her was screaming at her to take this chance.

"O-okay then... I'll do it. I'll become your lover"

Yuto stopped running, helped her down, and kneeled to kiss her hand, "I Yuto Akimitsu, promise to keep you happy and safe, till our end"

Freya blushed furiously as he took her hand and kneeled before her, her heart skipping a beat as his lips brushed against her skin, as he spoke his promise, a mixture of surprise and joy flooded through her.

She could feel her knees growing weak from such a promise.

"I... I..."

She was speechless for a moment, unable to find the right words to express what she was feeling.

Finally, she managed to respond in a shaky voice, "I... accept"

Yuto smiled as he stood up, cupping her cheek, the touch sending a shiver down her spine.

She looked into his eyes, feeling a strange sense of intimacy.

A small smile appeared on her face as she looked back at him, her cheeks already starting to turn rosy from his touch.

She reached up and placed her hand over his, her fingers intertwined as she leaned into his touch.

"Yuto…"

"What, you want a kiss?"

A small gasp escaped her lips as his question registered in her mind, Freya's heart racing even faster at the implications of the request.

Freya paused for a moment, a mix of anticipation and nervousness swirling in her gut.

But ultimately, her desire to be closer to him wins out, and she nods her head slightly.

"Y-yeah... kiss…"

She leaned in closer, their faces just inches apart. Her heart was pounding so hard she was almost sure Yuto could hear it.

Softly, tentatively, she closed the small gap between them and gently pressed her lips against his

As their lips touched, a rush of emotions washed over her. Her stomach flips, her heart feels like it might burst out of her chest, and for a moment she forgets how to breathe.

But all of those feelings are overshadowed by a strange sense of comfort and happiness, knowing that she was finally doing what she had been secretly wanting to do since she first met him.

Freya placed her hands on his shoulders as she deepened the kiss, her body pressing against his as she gave in to her impulses.

All of her inhibitions, her worries, and her fears seem to melt away in this moment, leaving only the intoxicating feeling of being close to Yuto

"Wow, kissing an elf is different," Yuto mumbled with a small chuckle.

She pulled back slightly, their lips breaking apart as she tried to catch her breath, "D-different how?"

She asked, her voice a little breathless as she looked into his eyes, still feeling the remnants of the kiss tingling on her lips.

He chuckled as he ruffled her hair, "It means, it felt good, dummy"

Her face flushes at his words, a small pout forming on her lips, "Hey, don't call me a dummy. I was just asking..."

She tried to sound indignant, but she couldn't quite suppress the smile that was starting to form on her face.

"Come now, get on my back"

Freya nodded as she climbed onto his back, her arms wrapping around his neck and her legs firmly grasping his hips, "Okay, now what?"

[ Skill: Safe Dash ]

Freya clung tighter to Yuto's back as he activated his skill. Almost instantly, the surroundings around them began to blur as he moved at an incredible speed.

The wind whipped around them, and she instinctively buried her face into his shoulder to avoid the onslaught of air.

"H-how are you moving so fast?!"

"Huh, they didn't teach you this?"

"They never taught me how to move this fast. It's... quite unnerving"

"That's surprising, so how did it feel?"

"It... it was exhilarating... but also a little scary. I've never moved so fast before, it was like the world was just a blur around me"

"The kiss dummy," Mizuki said with a chuckle.

Freya became flushed again, "O-oh... t-that... um… It felt... amazing"

"I'm glad, I was worried"

"W-why were you worried?"

"Well I never kissed an elf, a princess at that, naturally I would be worried"

A small chuckle escaped her lips, "Is that what you were worried about? That you've never kissed an elf before?"

"Is that so wrong?"

"No, I suppose not. I just hadn't expected that to be the reason you were worried. I guess most humans haven't kissed elves before, have they?"

"Doubt they even see one in their lifetime"

"That's true... Humans rarely ever encounter elves, and when they do, they usually don't have the most... positive reactions"

"Hey Freya"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Why were those groups of men following you?"

"Ah, those men... They're part of a group that operates in the area. They've been causing trouble for the villages nearby, stealing their resources and causing chaos. I was leaving the capital to find the hero, but they saw me and decided to follow me"

"Slave trading"

She nodded, her face darkening as she confirmed his suspicion, "Yes, they deal in slave trading. That's why they tried to capture me. They probably wanted to sell me off to the highest bidder"

"Well they're dead now, so sucks to be them, haha"

Freya let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah, serve them right for trying to mess with me. They won't be bothering anyone anymore, that's for sure"

"Were you scared, you know when I killed them?"

The question was out, open, it took a while but she responded, a mixture of fear and awe coursing through her as she recalled the events earlier.

"Honestly? I was terrified. I've never seen anyone be so ruthless before... I wasn't sure what you were going to do. But..."

"But then I saw the look in your eyes... the way you were protecting me, making sure I was safe... and I was more amazed than scared"

She clung a little tighter to his back as she continued speaking, "It's like... you became a completely different person. You were so strong, so powerful... I knew then that you would do anything to keep me safe"

Yuto felt his face go red, "Cough, that right?"

Freya nodded, a small smile forming on her lips as she saw the color in his cheeks, "Yes, it's true. You were like a completely different person when you were fighting them. And it was so... attractive"

Yuto stopped, seeing how late it was getting, "Um so uh let's prepare for the night," Freya looked around, noticing the darkening sky as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

"Yeah, you're right. We should probably find a place to set up camp for the night"

She climbed down from his back, adjusting her skirt and looking around for a suitable spot to rest.

The forest around them was quiet, with only the sounds of nocturnal creatures rustling nearby.

"Over there," She pointed to a small clearing nestled among the trees.

"Looks like a good spot. Flat, with no overhanging branches that might fall during the night. And it's relatively sheltered from the wind"

She started making her way toward the clearing, being careful to watch her footing in the dimming light.

[ Basic Magic: Light ]

Freya watches in awe as a soft, radiant glow appears before Yuto, illuminating the area around them in a warm, pleasant light.

The clearing becomes bathed in a gentle glow, casting away the shadows of the encroaching night.

[ Basic Magic: Tinder ]

A small fire leaves Yuto's finger as it starts up the campfire.

Freya watched as the fire ignited, a small gasp of amazement escaping her lips.

"So you gonna sleep beside me?" Yuto asked in a joking manner as he took out a sleeping bag

Freya froze, suddenly feeling a little nervous at his question. She glanced at the small fire, then at the clearing, and finally back at him.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her suddenly-racing heart, "Um... w-well... I suppose I can sleep beside you, yeah"

"Oh shit, I was joking"

A small pout settles on her face as she berates herself for being so easily flustered.

"H-hey! You can't just tease me like that! You know I take things seriously!"

"I don't mind, if you want"

"Stop messing with me! I'm serious, you can't just throw out comments like that so casually! I thought you were serious!"

"I am"

Her eyes widen in surprise as he casually confirms that he isn't teasing anymore.

She could feel her heart starting to race again, the implications of his words settling in.

"H-huh? Y-you're serious now?"

He nodded, "If you want"

Freya's heart was beating like a drum in her chest as she looked at him, trying to gauge his expression in the flickering light of the fire.

"Um... you want me to sleep next to you?"

"Mizuki gets the right side though"

Freya glanced towards Mizuki, who was lounging nearby and smiled faintly. She could see the hint of a smirk on her face as she watched their exchange.

"Right... Mizuki gets the right side, huh?"

Freya looked back at Yuto, studying his expression for a moment, there was a hint of mischief in his eyes, and a small part of her wondered if he was teasing her again.

"Are you... are you sure you're not messing with me? I don't want to wake up and find out it was all a joke"

"You became my lover, no?"

She blushed, the remainder of their earlier conversation sending a rush of warmth through her.

She could feel her heart fluttering in her chest as she nodded slowly.

"Y-yeah, I... I suppose I did become your lover"

"Great, now let's get some sleep"

She could still feel the hint of a blush on her cheeks as she followed him over to where he was lying down.

Freya settled herself down on the ground next to him, feeling the cool grass beneath her as she tried to get comfortable.

"Okay… so we're really doing this...?"

She was acutely aware of his presence beside her, his body heat just inches away from hers as she lay down.

It feels strangely intimate to be so close to him, and her heart is still beating just a little too fast for comfort.

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down as she scooted a little closer.

The air between them feels charged, almost electric as they lay shoulder-to-shoulder in the dim light of the dying fire.

"Bold aren't you"

"H-hey, I'm allowed to get close to you, right? We're lovers now, after all"

He blushed, "Y-yeah"

She smiled a little, feeling a sense of triumph as she could see the color in his cheeks.

Freya decided to scoot a little closer again, their bodies now almost touching.

"See? You're blushing too"

"You're getting closer?"

She smirked a little as she shifted even closer to him, their bodies almost flushed against each other now.

Freya could feel the heat radiating from his body, and it was doing dangerous things to her heart rate.

"Careful, I might devour you if you get too close"

Freya felt a shiver at his words, her mind instantly conjuring up images of Yuto biting and ravishing her.

Her breath hitches in her throat, and she has to take a moment to calm herself down before she can reply

"Is that a threat or a promise?"