After two more smoothly won matches, the weekend finally arrived—time for Charles and the student council members to head out to Okutama as planned.
The group traveled by van driven by Sui-jō Rai, and it took the whole morning just to reach the Okutama region.
Upon arrival, they split into two teams: Takedomi Kanata and Sui-jō Rai went to consult the local facility managers for details, while the rest... began preparing lunch.
Okutama wasn't just vast—it also had a complicated terrain, and a proper investigation would take more than just a few hours.
After all that time on the road, they had to replenish their strength before any meaningful search could begin.
…
That said, turning the operation into a camping trip—was that really okay? They even went out of their way to borrow cooking tools, and Tōka Tōka had brought a fair amount of ingredients.
Still, Charles knew refusing Tōka's offer would only trouble her further, so he simply helped with some prep work.
Knife in hand, he chopped onions, potatoes, and carrots into bite-sized pieces. While Charles wasn't much of a cook, his muscle control ensured perfect precision when slicing.
Stella, unsurprisingly, didn't come to help. In fact, keeping her away from the kitchen was help enough. The princess was famously bad at cooking—dangerously bad, in fact.
At the moment, she was playing badminton with Usamaru Renren on the open field.
Hailing from the cool and dry climate of northern Europe, Stella had always found Japan's hot and humid summers unbearable. But up here in the mountains, she finally felt comfortable—and visibly energized.
Charles appreciated her enthusiasm… or rather, was exasperated by it. She was too full of energy.
It was one thing to hit the shuttlecock like a tennis ball—but to serve with murderous force? Weren't they at risk of copyright infringement from that anime?
As Charles watched the shuttle soar through the air with a sharp whoosh, he couldn't reconcile it with the badminton he knew.
Tired of trying to make sense of the "match," Charles shifted his gaze back to the cookfire, where Tōka Tōka was working.
Surprisingly, Mikagami Utena wasn't fooling around with Renren as usual—she was actually helping with lunch.
What really caught Charles's attention was how well Tōka and Utena worked together. They moved fluidly through each task, exchanging no more than glances and quiet laughter as they cooked.
Charles had already noticed that among the student council, Kanata, Utena, and Tōka were particularly close. They addressed each other by name without any honorifics—it was clear they'd known each other for a long time.
But what held Charles's focus now was Tōka Tōka's current demeanor.
She was making a rustic curry, stirring in the vegetables Charles had just chopped.
In this moment, she was nothing like the from the tournament, nor the slightly absent-minded student council president he'd met earlier.
Stella had once said Tōka felt like a mother—but back then, that was only in reference to her role in managing the other problem children in the council.
Now, Charles could feel something deeper—her kindness, warmth, a gentle radiance that emanated from within.
Surely, Tōka carried burdens no one else could imagine. She'd grown strong for the sake of others. That was the path that had brought her here.
But it could also be the very chain holding her back from becoming something greater. To break free of fate and become a true demon, one didn't just need determination—but a firm grasp of self.
Living solely for others could easily lead to losing oneself.
Charles wasn't the kind to get overly involved in someone else's path, though. He could only silently wish this girl would overcome her own limits.
Tōka's curry turned out to be quite delicious—Charles helped himself to several bowls.
Oddly, Stella didn't have her usual appetite. It seemed she didn't care for the flavor.
After lunch, once everyone had digested a bit, Tōka assigned them into pairs for safety while exploring the mountains.
Naturally, Charles was paired with Stella. They packed their gear and set off.
The area assigned to them had steep and rugged trails, specially designed for Blade Knights in training. These weren't your average hiking paths.
To toughen the trainees, the terrain itself wasn't the only challenge—there were occasional hostile surprises along the way.
Charles caught a venomous snake lunging from a branch and flung it far into the underbrush.
This wasn't the first snake they'd encountered.
"Careful, Stella. There seem to be a lot of snakes around here. Getting bitten could be a real problem."
He heard her respond weakly behind him and turned around, surprised.
He had expected her to be charging ahead, excited about this exploration. But she had looked out of it all day.
"What's wrong? Still upset about losing to Renren earlier?" he asked.
"It's not that," she denied, but her uncertain tone betrayed her confusion. She didn't seem to know what was wrong with her either.
Charles let it slide, reminding her to stay cautious.
But some things couldn't be predicted—like the weather.
The blue sky from that morning had turned overcast, and a damp wind began to blow through the trees.
Mountain weather was always unpredictable, but this was too sudden.
What was worse was Stella's condition.
Though she insisted she was fine, Charles had been keeping an eye on her. And now, he noticed something wrong.
Despite the dropping temperature, Stella's face was flushed and glistening with sweat. She was sweating far more than usual, and she looked pale and faint.
"Stella, are you feeling okay?" he asked, stepping over to her as she leaned against a tree.
"Sorry… I've felt heavy… and nauseous… my head's spinning… Am I going to die?" she whispered weakly.
She looked more vulnerable than he had ever seen her—so helpless, almost heartbreakingly fragile.
Charles said firmly, "Don't say that. You've just caught a cold. Rest and you'll recover. But we can't stay out here—we need to get you down the mountain, fast. Can you walk?"
"No," she replied, sounding strangely certain. "I've got no strength at all."
He sighed and knelt down with his back to her. "Then I'll carry you. Looks like rain's coming—we have to hurry."
"Okay."
Without hesitation, she lay down across his back, her fever-bright face pressing close.
The moment she did, Charles felt a jolt.
Her body temperature was high to begin with—but now it was like molten stone against his back, her sweat soaking through her clothes and dampening his shirt.
Her scent filled his nose, an alluring sweetness he couldn't ignore.
For a second, his mind ran wild.
But just as quickly, the thoughts vanished.
Because he could feel her labored breathing against the back of his neck. Her fragility tugged at his heart, and all he could think about now was helping her.
Powerful Blade Knights like Stella rarely got sick—but when they did, their symptoms could be more extreme than others.
She had probably never felt this weak before. No wonder she'd asked if she was dying.
Her anxiety hadn't vanished, even knowing it was just a cold.
If I really die, I don't want to leave with regrets…
That thought brought a courage she'd never felt before.
"Charles… there's something I want to tell you," she murmured.
"I'm here," he replied, picking up the pace. "Don't worry, we'll be down soon."
"Our first meeting… was at the airport, right?"
It didn't seem like she was asking—more like reminiscing.
"I remember feeling… like we were connected somehow."
She paused before continuing.
"Then the director made us roommates… You rejected me right away, and I was so mad."
Her voice had a childlike pout to it.
"But after that, I saw your strength… and I made you my goal—someone I had to catch up to.
And before I realized it… I couldn't take my eyes off you."
Charles slowed down. Even he couldn't pretend not to understand anymore.
"And then… at the mall, when you protected me… You were really cool."
"But you—!" she snapped. "You spend more time looking at Ikki than me! Losing in love to a guy is so frustrating!"
Sweat beaded on Charles's forehead. Was she delirious from the fever? What was she saying?
Then, with all the strength she could muster, she said:
"So I'm telling you now—Charles, I like you. I like you so much it hurts.
And no matter what your answer is, my feelings won't change."
Charles froze in place.
His mind was flooded with memories of their time together.
He was a man—of course he'd felt something for a girl like Stella. But her beauty wasn't all that drew him in.
Her kindness, shown even at the cost of her own pride… her resolve, seen in how she trained until she vomited… she was a flame of a girl who'd left a deep impression on him.
Even her clumsy moments had become… endearing.
"…Stella, maybe you don't know everything about me yet," he said softly. "But if, after learning it all, you still feel the same… then we'll be a couple."
He could feel her pressing her face to his back.
A muffled voice came from behind him:
"I'm really stubborn, you know. I won't change my mind that easily.
But I'll listen—everything you have to tell me, I'll listen carefully."
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