"Gray Serpent really is sharp."
"Still... isn't mobilizing this many people a bit excessive? I only wanted to take Cecilia out for a walk. Though... I guess it has already developed into a full-blown date."
Watching Cecilia happily cradle her bouquet, Elias muttered to himself.
Everything had gone far too smoothly. So smoothly that it felt unnatural. And with Elias' counter-surveillance ability, it didn't take long for him to realize soone was playing wingman for him behind the scenes.
In fact, the mont he activated the Authority of the Herrscher of Wind, the thousand winds automatically conveyed everything happening throughout the town to him. When it ca to reconnaissance, no one could surpass a wind Herrscher capable of turning the breeze into ears and eyes.
(Mm. As expected of World Serpent's outstanding and loyal veteran employee. I'll give Gray Serpent a raise later.)
Elias felt quite pleased.
Although Gray Serpent had gone a little overboard, he certainly didn't mind having soone assist him. And truthfully, he was enjoying himself. After all, several hundred people were bustling about to support their date.
Elias couldn't help but think this was the smoothest date he had ever experienced in his life. It almost felt as if the entire world revolved around him and Cecilia.
"The flowers sll wonderful. That old lady was so kind."
Cecilia held a bouquet in her arms. At the flower shop, an elderly woman—who also happened to be a World Serpent mber—had gifted them to her under the pretense that Cecilia resembled her granddaughter.
The blooming Casa Blanca lilies stood in proud elegance, like a pure and immaculate saintess among flowers. They were strikingly similar to Elias' Lilium Sanguineum.
He picked up one and brought it to his nose, inhaling its fragrance.
"Cecilia, do you know what flower this is?"
"Hm? I'm not sure."
Cecilia shook her head in confusion.
Beyond combat, she was unfamiliar with many aspects of everyday life. Rare flowers like Casa Blanca lilies were even less within her knowledge.
Elias gently tucked the white blossom into her hair, adding a touch of sacred beauty to the innocent girl.
"It's called Casa Blanca. Also known as the White Oriental Lily. Its flower language is eternity, nobility, and undying love. It's one of my favorites. And here's a little secret—in a certain special world, it's also called... the Cecilia Flower."
"Eh? The Cecilia Flower? That na..."
Her lips parted slightly in surprise.
"That's right. Sa as you. Quite the coincidence, isn't it?"
Elias chuckled softly. In a certain world called Teyvat, the flower truly bore that na.
Back in his previous life, he had even compared images of Casa Blanca lilies and Cecilia Flowers for a long ti, confirming they looked identical.
Cecilia gently touched the white flower in her hair, finding herself liking it even more than before.
At the sa ti, she felt a quiet happiness.
Although they hadn't known each other long, she had already learned many new things from Elias.
Still, the phrase "undying love" made her feel shy. She was, after all, still a pure girl who had never even experienced her first love.
(That kind of aning feels so far away from .)
Yet her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the boy beside her.
Afterward, the two of them took a car to their next destination.
"Alright. Now it's ti for the main course," Elias announced.
"This place is—!"
Cecilia's eyes widened.
Cheerful music, fireworks bursting in the daylight, constant laughter, and a giant yellow rabbit mascot—before her stood an amusent park that looked like the entrance to a dream world.
"Back when I traveled the world with my companion, if the city we stopped in had an amusent park, it was a must-visit. And if I'm not mistaken..."
Elias held Cecilia's hand.
The mont they stepped into the Homu Amusent Park, celebratory cannons fired once again, and colorful strears rained down upon them.
"Congratulations to our two guests for becoming this park's commorative one-millionth visitors! You may enjoy all attractions and services free of charge, with no waiting in line!"
"Mm. I knew it."
Elias wasn't surprised in the slightest. He discreetly gave a thumbs-up in the direction where Gray Serpent was likely lurking, then led an eager Cecilia inside.
However, sothing unexpected happened.
Elias realized he wasn't particularly happy.
In fact, he felt almost nothing at all.
(That's strange. When I ca here with Ely or Kiana before, I had a blast. These rides are basically the sa in any amusent park. Why do I find them so dull this ti?)
It wasn't just Elias.
After trying a few attractions, Cecilia's expression also beca subtly complicated.
"Cecilia, feeling bored?"
"N-No, that's not it. It's very fun."
"Alright, alright. You're not very good at lying. Your face gives you away. For an S-rank Valkyrie, roller coasters and drop towers are pretty slow, aren't they?"
"...Well, maybe a little."
Cecilia laughed awkwardly.
Her daily training was far more intense than any roller coaster. Elias patted her shoulder in understanding. So of the rides weren't even as fast as the two of them could run.
The two of them sat calmly on the rides without the slightest reaction, which made the other passengers feel embarrassed about screaming.
The haunted house, however, proved effective against Cecilia.
In the pitch-black interior, a staff mber suddenly leapt out from behind them wearing a blood-sared zombie mask.
Cecilia was startled.
And then...
The staff mber nearly died.
An S-rank Valkyrie's full-powered punch unleashed in panic—if Elias hadn't blocked it in ti, the employee playing zombie might have turned into an actual corpse.
Still, Elias was secretly pleased.
Because the frightened Cecilia had thrown herself straight into his arms.
By the end, her legs had gone weak, and she couldn't even walk. Elias had to carry her out on his back.
"I'm sorry. I caused trouble for you again, Elias," Cecilia said apologetically.
Although she had fought many Honkai Beasts in Schicksal's virtual training space, those creatures honestly weren't that scary. At the very least, they were nowhere near as frightening as a haunted house specifically designed to terrify people.
"It's fine. For , that was a fortunate event."
Elias waved his hand, indicating that he didn't mind at all. However, since Cecilia had been genuinely shaken, the two of them decided to sit down for a while and let her recover.
Watching the couples walking hand in hand throughout the amusent park, Elias gradually understood why he had felt bored.
An amusent park had long since beco a dull place to him. After visiting so many tis, he was honestly tired of it.
The reason he had always found it fun in the past was simply because the girls he cared about had been by his side.
With Elysia, Kiana, Raiden i, Bronya, and the others accompanying him, even rides that should have felt repetitive and tireso beca enjoyable every single ti.
Because what they played never truly mattered.
What truly mattered was the happiness of spending ti together with soone he loved.
The reason he didn't feel that sa spark with Cecilia was simple—his affection for her hadn't yet reached that level. He liked her, certainly. But love? Not quite.
The sa was true for Cecilia.
She was deeply grateful to Elias and indeed filled with fondness for him, yet their relationship hadn't crossed that final threshold.
Although... on her side, the distance was no longer very far.
"Oh, I just thought of sothing you'd like," Elias suddenly said.
"Eh? Sothing I'd like?"
Cecilia blinked in surprise.
She herself wasn't even sure what she liked. In the past, her only wish had been to see the outside world.
And today, that wish had already been fulfilled—far beyond her expectations. She had been pulled along by the white-haired boy before her, experiencing one new and exciting thing after another.
So enjoyable that her smile simply wouldn't fade.
Before she realized it, new expectations had taken root in her heart.
She wanted Elias to keep pulling her along to even more places.
...
Soon, the two of them arrived at the arcade inside the amusent park.
A faint smile curved Elias' lips. The thrilling amusent rides were too mild for them, but competitive gas could still spark genuine excitent.
And Cecilia was, in fact, a gaming prodigy.
In the original storyline, the first ti she touched a video ga, she had utterly crushed a certain white-haired Kaslana. Even Otto's record in "Kallen Fantasy" had once been completely overwheld by her.
In the end, unable to win no matter how he tried, that shaless Otto had resorted to banning her account.
(Otto, you sore loser. No skill at all!)
In short, Cecilia's gaming talent might even surpass Bronya's.
And the facts quickly proved it.
"These are so fun!"
Bang!
Watching Cecilia pick up a shooting ga for the first ti and imdiately land perfect headshots for a full score, Elias let out a whistle in appreciation.
Not to be outdone, he soon matched her score. After all, he was a veteran gar himself.
Even Bronya had once conceded defeat to him, and he had broken Otto's ntality more than once in "Kallen Fantasy."
"Cecilia, how about we compete?"
"Sure! I won't lose!"
"I like the spirit. In that case, how about we add a wager? Today's thrills have been a bit lacking. A little stake might make things more exciting."
Elias spun the plastic ga pistol around his finger before gripping it again.
"I don't think gambling is very good... but as long as it's not an excessive condition, it should be fine," Cecilia said, clearly eager. "What did you have in mind?"
"Simple. If I lose, I'll agree to one reasonable request from you. And if you lose, you'll agree to one reasonable request from . Deal?"
"...Mm! I agree."
After a brief hesitation, Cecilia nodded.
"Oh? You hesitated less than I expected. Do you actually have sothing you want to do?" Elias asked with mild surprise.
"Yes. I'll tell you after I win."
Cecilia smiled.
She truly did have sothing in mind—she wanted to see the face behind Elias' mask.
To her now, the white-haired boy's appearance was the greatest unsolved mystery in the world.
"Heh. Perfect. I also have sothing I'd like you to do."
Elias cocked the toy gun, and the two of them stood side by side, aiming at the ga screen before them.
A masked young man with an extraordinary aura and a saintly girl of breathtaking beauty—such a pair quickly drew a crowd.
And the onlookers were soon left stunned.
Their skill was so overwhelming that people initially thought world champions had arrived.
That idea was quickly dismissed.
Because even world champions weren't this outrageous.
The shooting machine's endless mode allowed each player five missed targets. However, the longer one lasted, the faster and more nurous the enemies beca.
For ordinary players, lasting ten minutes was already impressive. Even world champions could manage at most thirty minutes. Human reflexes and stamina had limits.
But Elias and Cecilia were different.
One was a Planet-class MANTIS.
The other was an S-rank Valkyrie.
Their dynamic vision and stamina far exceeded normal human limits.
After more than an hour, neither of them had missed a single shot.
"This is insane! Who are they?!"
"The screen's so fast I can't even see the enemies anymore! How are they not missing?!"
"And their stamina... it feels like they could go on forever!"
"I bet on the beautiful lady! Because I'm a guy—haha! Go, miss!"
Hearing that last comnt, Elias rolled his eyes. He pointed at Cecilia, then at himself.
"Anyone looking to flirt can leave. She's with today."
"!!!"
The mont he said that, Cecilia faltered.
At their current speed, a single mistake ant everything.
Five targets flashed past in an instant.
She lost.
"Elias... what you just said... that was too sly."
"Hey, I don't care. A win's a win."
Elias blinked before breaking into a satisfied grin. Unlike Cecilia, who embarrassed easily, he had the advantage of a mask—and considerably thicker skin.
"According to our wager, you owe one request, Cecilia."
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