The next morning, I went to the Adventurers’ Guild.
I needed to pick up some mana potions before heading back to Morgause’s castle.
I’d probably need a lot of them.
With her, you never knew.
I had barely stepped through the doors when someone shouted my name.
“Nellie!”
Several heads turned toward me.
Ah.
This again.
“She’s back!”
“I knew she wouldn’t give up!”
The applause started almost immediately.
I stopped and raised one hand.
“Thank you, thank you.”
I didn’t want to show off.
But I wasn’t about to stop them either.
“You went to face the Demon Queen again yesterday, right?” someone asked.
“That’s right.”
“Thirty-two attempts!”
One adventurer raised his mug.
“One day, you’ll defeat her!”
My smile tightened a little.
Well.
They almost understood.
To the guild, my constant visits to the castle were heroic attempts to fulfill the mission I had been summoned for.
They saw perseverance.
Courage.
A heroine who refused to give up.
The truth was considerably more romantic.
“Nellie.”
I turned toward the back of the room.
Blazer was sitting in front of a cup, watching me with an expression far less impressed than everyone else’s.
What an unsupportive man.
I said goodbye to my admirers and walked over to his table.
“You could clap too.”
“I could.”
I sat down.
Blazer calmly took a drink.
“So, how did attempt thirty-two go?”
I smiled immediately.
“She blushed.”
His cup stopped halfway to his mouth.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Morgause?”
“Who else?”
Blazer set the cup down.
“Okay. That is new.”
Exactly.
I leaned forward.
“It happened right after I asked her to go out with me. She froze, and then her cheeks turned red.”
I could still see it.
So close.
So adorable.
And with enough below the neck to make keeping my eyes where they belonged considerably more difficult.
Damn it.
Just remembering it was dangerous.
“There’s that face again,” Blazer said.
I blinked.
“What face?”
“The one you make when you’re imagining things you probably shouldn’t tell me about.”
“I wasn’t imagining anything.”
Blazer raised an eyebrow.
“Almost nothing.”
That sounded more believable.
“The point is, I’m making progress.”
“The scary part is that you actually believe that.”
“And I have reasons.”
I held out one hand over the table.
A thin layer of mana wrapped around my skin.
Blazer took a moment to recognize it.
“Fire resistance?”
I smiled proudly.
“Advanced.”
Now he actually looked impressed.
“That’s not easy. How long did it take you?”
“A few weeks.”
“A few weeks?”
I puffed out my chest.
“Motivation helps.”
Blazer watched me for a moment.
“I’m guessing you developed it specifically for Morgause.”
“Naturally.”
“At least that makes sense. Her fire attacks are—”
“Now I can stay close to her much longer without worrying about getting too badly scorched.”
Blazer closed his mouth.
There it was.
That expression.
“I see.”
“Before, everything had to be rushed. A confession, an answer, and, if I was lucky, a little physical contact before the flames showed up.”
“I didn’t need that much detail.”
“Now I can take my time.”
That was much better.
Especially if I ever managed to get Morgause to corner me against a wall again.
Without the fire.
Preferably.
Though it wasn’t exactly a requirement.
Blazer sighed.
“Tell me you at least learned something meant for actual combat.”
I formed a translucent barrier between us.
He studied it.
“That’s pretty solid.”
“It can withstand several direct attacks.”
“Good.”
“And it gives me enough time to finish an entire marriage proposal.”
Blazer started laughing.
“Of course it does.”
“I don’t know what you find so funny.”
“Nothing. Keep going. I want to see how far this goes.”
Finally, some interest.
I dismissed the barrier.
“I also learned Instant Movement.”
This time, his eyebrows shot up.
“Seriously?”
A magic circle appeared beneath my feet.
The world gave a small tug.
A moment later, I was sitting beside him.
“Two months.”
Blazer stared at me.
“It took me almost half a year.”
I smiled with satisfaction.
“Love is an excellent teacher.”
“Lust.”
“That too.”
There was no point denying the obvious.
“Let me guess,” he continued. “You use it to get closer to Morgause.”
“Exactly.”
“During combat?”
“When she tries to walk away while I’m talking about our future together.”
Blazer went silent.
“That’s harassment.”
“Romantic tactical mobility.”
“You just made that up.”
“And I plan to trademark it.”
From a nearby table, I heard a few voices.
“Fire resistance?”
“She learned barriers too.”
“And teleportation.”
“She’s preparing specifically to defeat the Demon Queen.”
I smiled.
Blazer had heard them too.
He looked at me for a few seconds before laughing again.
“The best part is that, technically, they’re not wrong.”
“Exactly.”
“You built your entire skill set around Morgause.”
“I knew you’d understand eventually.”
“I’m not sure I want to understand.”
I stood up.
I’d wasted enough time.
I still had to pick up my potions.
And after that...
Attempt number thirty-three.
Blazer noticed where I was looking.
“You’re going to the castle?”
I adjusted my cape.
“I have a Demon Queen to conquer.”
I headed toward the exit.
It didn’t take long for people to notice.
“Nellie’s going again!”
“Don’t give up!”
“This time will be the one!”
I stopped in front of the doors and raised a fist.
“I’ll keep trying until I get her!”
The guild erupted into applause.
I smiled proudly and walked out.
Behind me, I heard Blazer laughing.
It was nice having friends who understood your goals.
More or less.