“Ah! It’s Clara!”
Noah Frozenheart’s eyes sparkled with interest. She was clearly visible even from a distance.
At the same time, the tiger girl effortlessly weaved through the bustling crowd without bumping into anyone.
The moment Clara stood in front of her, Noah planted her feet firmly on the ground while wearing her usual cheerful smile.
“Come here!”
“Eek…!”
In an instant, Noah closed the distance and tried to hug Clara.
But Clara smoothly dodged, perfectly positioning herself behind Rohan.
After missing the first hug, Noah didn’t attempt a second pursuit.
Instead, she turned her head toward Ichinose who was approaching and excitedly called out.
“Nose! Did you see? I told you, right? She’s incredibly fast.”
“Noah… You should apologize first. Even if you’re the same gender, hugging someone without permission is a crime.”
At Ichinose’s cold response, Noah pouted her lips.
After she was urged to apologize quickly, Noah lowered her ears and tail, saying she was sorry.
Clara nodded her head, indicating it was fine, while her eyes darted around nervously.
That person… could it be…?
The woman accompanying Noah Frozenheart.
Pitch-black hime-cut hair, closed eyes, beautiful features, an elegant aura, and a petite frame even smaller than Clara herself.
All the characteristics matched.
Ichinose Yui…!
Just like Noah Frozenheart, she was a celebrity no one could fail to recognize.
But also a famous figure one couldn’t approach carelessly.
“Looks like you two are heading out for lunch?”
Rohan spoke up as he looked at Ichinose and Noah, while simultaneously gesturing to Clara, who was gripping his clothes tightly, assuring her it was okay and not to worry.
“We’re doing a collaboration at a restaurant here.”
“…Collaboration?”
Rohan raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Ichinose, with a completely serious expression, slightly opened her eyes and explained to Rohan.
“It’s for Waterdrop Friends. Do you know Woowool and Bluebee?”
“Ah!”
Rohan let out a short exclamation of realization as he recalled the characters Ichinose liked.
Sion who had been quietly listening shrugged her shoulders.
Ichinose also recognized Sion, whom she had encountered at a merchandise shop before, and gave her a nod.
“Noah isn’t interested in Waterdrop Friends… but she’s the perfect person to eat with until the merchandise I want comes out.”
A voracious appetite that Ichinose’s small stomach couldn’t handle.
Noah, perhaps feeling proud of her ability to eat well, confidently patted her flat stomach, showing off her confidence.
“Weren’t you all planning to go to that store too?”
“Not us. We were just planning to grab a quick bite nearby.”
Ichinose quietly noted the unique aura of the women standing close to Rohan.
Like Noah had said, Clara’s instantaneous movements were impressive.
Even though it was her first time hearing the name, someone with such skill naturally piqued her interest.
Whether Noah knew Ichinose’s thoughts or not, she wagged her lively tail and asked Rohan and the two girls.
“Do you want to come eat with us?”
“Noah. We reserved a table for two, so that’s not possible.”
“Huh? Really? I hate small tables!”
“It won’t be too small. But since we reserved for two, unfortunately, joining us won’t work.”
Ichinose noticed that Clara was feeling burdened by Noah.
Though she was curious and had many questions, forcing such a girl to join them wasn’t the right thing to do.
For a brief moment, the flow of conversation was interrupted.
Ichinose adjusted her sword and spoke to Rohan, who seemed to be the center of the group.
“We’ll be going now.”
“Bye-bye! Clara and the elf friend! See you next time!”
As Rohan bid farewell, saying they’d see each other in the afternoon class,
Noah waved her hand vigorously and blended into the crowd with Ichinose.
Then,
Rohan turned his attention to Sion, who had been silent.
“……..”
The girl’s gaze, fixed on Noah’s retreating figure, seemed deep in thought.
Even so, Rohan had no intention of stepping in voluntarily. Whether he acted or not, it would be fine either way.
This was something Sion needed to handle according to her own feelings.
As Noah’s figure grew further away, Sion’s inner conflict seemed to intensify. She bit her lower lip and moved her head.
When she shifted her gaze toward Rohan, it seemed she had made a decision during their brief eye contact.
She took a step forward and opened her lips, which had been sealed until now.
“Wait a moment…!”
Her soft voice stopped everyone in their tracks.
This, of course, included Ichinose and Noah whose senses were highly developed.
“Were you calling for us?”
“I’m sorry to hold you up when you must be busy…”
In response to Ichinose’s question, Sion showed the utmost politeness with her knowledge and nodded affirmatively.
“No, it’s fine. We still have some time to spare.”
The atmosphere suggested they were waiting to hear what this was about.
Sion’s gaze shifted from Ichinose to Noah, who was yawning so widely that the inside of her mouth was visible.
“Noah Frozenheart.”
“Huh? Me?”
Even though she had just referred to her as “elf friend”, Noah couldn’t help but respond formally when addressed so respectfully.
After all, this wasn’t her homeland, Tigrova.
“I am the last heir of the Testarossa name, the daughter of the late King Weber Testarossa and Queen Melisa Testarossa, Sion Testarossa.”
“Testarossa? What’s that?”
“…Testarossa?!”
Ichinose’s closed eyes opened wide.
Unlike Noah, her expression grew more astonished the more she pondered the name.
Ichinose who was well-versed in history and information couldn’t hide her confusion at the mention of the Testarossa name.
“What? Nose, do you know who she is?”
“Haah… What am I supposed to do if even Noah doesn’t know?”
It would take too long to explain right now.
Ichinose wasn’t even sure if it was appropriate to mention usurpation in front of a Testarossa, given her own origins.
Moreover, she wasn’t entirely convinced that this elf girl was truly of the Testarossa bloodline.
If all of this was true, Rohan had just become even more intriguing.
What on earth has he been up to…?
Ichinose’s golden eyes locked onto Rohan as if seeking answers, but Rohan only responded with a sly smile.
Meanwhile, the conversation between Noah and Sion continued.
“I wish to request an audience with His Majesty, the Snow Tiger Emperor.”
“You want to meet my dad?”
“Yes.”
Noah stepped closer. She closed the distance between her and Sion until their faces were almost touching and their noses almost brushing.
Sion stood still, not pulling her head back, calmly accepting Noah’s approach.
“Hmm?”
Perhaps the tiger girl, with her keen intuition, had noticed something in Sion’s eyes.
Seemingly satisfied, she lowered her head and began sniffing the scent of the elf girl’s neck.
After a while of being engrossed in her sense of smell, Noah finally raised her head.
“Alright. I’ll ask for you.”
“…Are you trusting me?”
“It’s not about trust. I’m not smart enough to understand what’s going on anyway.”
With that, Noah took out her smartphone from her pocket and immediately made a call.
The call was answered after just one ring.
“Dad! Are you busy?”
Rohan watched Noah with interest.
On the other end of that call must be the Snow Tiger Emperor, the ruler of Tigrova.
Even though Noah was his daughter, the thought of being directly connected to one of the strongest figures in the world felt strangely surreal.
“I’m about to eat with Nose! Did you have lunch yet?”
The casual exchange of greetings between father and daughter.
Rohan’s group and Ichinose quietly observed the scene.
Before getting to the main point, the small talk between father and daughter continued. Rohan pondered while digesting the information.
The Snow Tiger Emperor… Is he a doting father, just as the community speculated?
In Abyss City, the Snow Tiger Emperor was often mentioned, but players never had a route to encounter him directly.
Originally, he might have appeared in future updates, but Rohan was now in a position where he couldn’t see that happening.
Because of this, his curiosity was making his heart pound in his chest.
“I met an elf in Academy City. She said she’s Weber Testarossa’s… right?”
At Noah’s muttering, Sion quickly nodded.
“There’s a friend here who says she’s his daughter. She wants to meet you. What should I do?”
Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. Whether the Snow Tiger Emperor was saying something or not, Noah responded reflexively.
At some point, she slipped her smartphone back into her pocket. She delivered the answer Sion had been waiting for.
“You can come anytime. The sooner, the better, he says.”
“!!!”
“It’s rare for Dad to act like this.”
The Snow Tiger Emperor was clearly not someone who could be met so easily, yet the promise had been secured with almost disappointingly little effort.
Whether it was the influence of his daughter’s request or the reaction to the name “Testarossa” remained unclear.
It was something Rohan’s group could never know for certain.
“…Rohan.”
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
When Rohan gave her an encouraging smile,
Sion with her mood lifted stepped closer to him with a voice tinged with excitement.
Her chest, hidden beneath her hoodie, came perilously close to touching him.
“May I go to Tigrova today? I’ll return as quickly as possible.”
The sight of the girl seeking Rohan’s permission left Ichinose and Noah with no choice but to feel puzzled.
They couldn’t recall any elf they had ever met who had been so affectionate toward a member of the opposite sex.
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