Valentine's wasn't as big of a deal on Critias as expected. Sure, we had a fun little fair going on at the main square, and the whole 'give chocolate to people you fancy' thing was alive and kicking, but it didn't have the over-the-top, all-permeating presence holiday season had. I half expected that all the Christmas garlands and light-strings would be replaced by ones made of pink hearts around the city center, but to my pleasant surprise, those all disappeared along with the snow. That did leave the streets a little bit bare though, but I was sure I'd get used to it soon.

That said, while the décor wasn't present, it was hard to deny that the spirit of Valentine's still lingered in the air even a couple of days after it was over and done with. Or was it just the coming of spring itself that made everyone more romantically inclined? I had no idea, and while I could've just blamed it all on the notorious Narrative, considering everything else going on at the moment, I had a feeling it had much bigger fishes to fry than to meddle in the amorous affairs of people on the island.

In fact, if there were any meddlers present, I had a feeling they were small, overly excited, and older than they looked on the surface. And no, I wasn't talking about any Cupids. Or, at least I really hoped so. With our track record, I couldn't be one hundred percent sure they didn't exist, and that filled me with oceans of trepidation.

But putting all of that aside, let's focus on the duo that prompted all of these observations. At the moment, they were walking under the bare branches hanging above the familiar twisting footpaths of the equally familiar park in the heart of Timaeus. Or rather, one of the parks, but this was the one we were all accustomed to, so I always considered it the park.

Anyhow, dressed in her usual dark pantsuit and boots, with only a beige scarf around her neck and shoulders indicating that the temperature was still close to the freezing point, Mountain Girl vigilantly glanced around her environs, eyes sharp as an eagle looking for her prey… before giving a lick to the huge ice-cream cone in her hand. Seriously, this woman…

"Is it delicious?" her companion, a certain draconic patriarch dressed much more weather-appropriately, clad in a brown winter jacket and thick pants, looked at her with undisguised amusement.

"It is," she declared, took another lick, and just looking at her made my throat sore. Seriously, if this woman started insisting on drinking hot tea and soup the moment the weather turned warm, I swear I'll stage an intervention, yin-yang energies be damned.

More importantly, the two of them were out on patrol, as per my earlier request. Since I couldn't be sure when and how some kind of crazy climax would rear its ugly head, I requested for our more 'important' combatants to be ready for any sudden onset of action. This materialized in the form of a rotating timetable, where the people in question would be on standby for about half a day before handing the baton over to the next team. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but everyone was busy with their own lives, so I couldn't expect all of them to be in constant combat readiness during every hour of every day of the week.

Still, I couldn't help but feel that some of them were slacking off more than others.

"Would Naoren-san like to have a taste?" Mountain Girl offered her half-eaten ice cone, and the man awkwardly cleared his throat.

"I… think it's too early for us to do such a thing, Lady Rinne."

"Early?" our resident monster-huntress cocked her head to the side and glanced up at the afternoon skies. "Rinne believes it's fairly late already."

"That… wasn't what I meant," Naoren responded, trying his damnedest to maintain a congenial smile, and after a few seconds of thinking, she shrugged and licked her ice cream again.

"It's Naoren-san's loss."

"In a sense…" he whispered, and she either didn't hear it or just didn't care enough to respond. After a while, he also glanced at the sky and added, in a more audible voice. "Our time spent together today is about to end. It's a shame."

"Rinne agrees," she responded between licks, and the two of them remained silent for a while. They meandered around the park, and after turning left at a branch in the footpath, Naoren posed a sudden question.

"Lady Rinne? Is there something bothering you?" He asked, causing Rinne to stare at him in surprise.

"What makes Naoren-san think so?" she asked back, sounding unusually reserved, and the man let out an amused chuckle in return.

"We have known each other for a while now, and I can tell by your expression that something's weighing on your shoulders."

"Can you?" She used her free hand to massage her face, as if expecting to find something unusual, but when she couldn't, she took a bite from her ice cream and turned a questioning glance at her companion, as if waiting for an explanation.

"Would you like to share your burdens?"

"Rinne isn't sure that's a good idea," she said a touch meekly. That was fairly uncharacteristic of her already, but then she also let out a depressed sigh and shook her head. "No. Naoren-san is already a busy man, and patrolling with Rinne must be trouble enough. Rinne doesn't wish to be a nuisance."

"Don't say that, Lady Rinne. I would never think of an opportunity to share your company as such, and as for your troubles, I would be happy to listen. You can rely on me."

Mountain Girl thought for a second and ultimately played along.

"In that case… Rinne has to confess that Rinne has been worried about a certain thing."

"I'm all ears," Naoren said, his lips parted in a confident smile and his back straight, trying to look dependable.

"The truth is, Rinne thinks that Leonard-dono might be dissatisfied with Rinne," she admitted, which caused him to raise a brow in surprise. He wasn't the only one, as I was also taken a bit aback by this development.

"How so?"

She took another bite from her ice cream and followed it up with a dejected sigh.

"Leonard-dono tasked Rinne with tracking down the minions of the underworld operating on our land, and Rinne was eager to enjoy the thrill of the hunt once again, yet… Rinne failed in her task, and Leonard-dono is surely disappointed in Rinne."

"I'm sure that's not the case, but… When you say 'minions of the underworld', what exactly are you referring to?"

"The minions of the underworld," she repeated as if the question was silly, but when the bespectacled patriarch continued to look at her funny, she finally clarified, "Beings like Brang-sama."

Naoren's eyes lit up with understanding at once, and he exclaimed, "Ah! You must mean the Fauns, then."

"Yes. The minions of the underworld. That's what Rinne already said," she grumbled, but it only caused the man to chuckle. "It's not funny."

"I'm not laughing at that, Lady Rinne. I simply… well, never mind." He shook his head, though it didn't change his amused expression at all. "So, on the topic of these 'minions'… You say you couldn't track them down?"

Mountain Girl nodded, and she was practically pouting when she explained, "Rinne used to be able to track them with just Rinne's nose, but ever since Rinne and Ichiko-san were separated, Rinne has a much harder time doing that." She paused and frowned at the man. "Naoren-san must not tell Leonard-dono about this! Leonard-dono will think Rinne is useless."

"Don't say that," he comforted her, going as far as to gently pat her on the back. "He's not the kind to do so, and I doubt he would fault you for something like this."

Stolen novel; please report.

"Rinne cannot be sure," she continued to complain, completely oblivious to how Naoren closed the distance between the two of them. "Rinne thinks it's because Rinne spent so much time among the minions of the underworld that Rinne's nose got desensationalized to their musk, and that's why Rinne can't track them well anymore."

"I don't think that was the right word, Lady Ri—"

"But!" she cut him off by pointing her almost-finished ice cream cone at his face. "Rinne cannot say that to Leonard-dono, because it will sound like Rinne is blaming someone else for Rinne's shortcomings, so Naoren-san mustn't tell him either!"

"My lips are sealed," he responded, still smiling, which made her look even less amused. "Do you not trust me?"

"Rinne trusts Naoren-san, but this is a big secret," she continued to grumble and quickly finished up her ice cream.

After that, the two of them remained silent for a while, until her eyes suddenly lit up and she turned to her companion.

"We must make things fair."

"Fair?" Naoren echoed her, and she nodded with conviction.

"Yes. Since Rinne shared her secret troubles, Naoren-san must do so as well!"

"… I can't say there is anything troubling me in particular."

Naoren's response was a touch guarded, but she barrelled on without paying it any heed.

"Truly? Not even about Naoren-san's financée?"

"My… what?"

Mountain Girl's lips widened into a knowing smirk.

"Did Naoren-san think Rinne wouldn't hear about it? Xiao-chan told Rinne that ever since the engagement with Eleanor-sama fell through, the elders of the Feilong clan have been pestering Naoren-san to choose a new partner. It must be greatly troubling Naoren-san."

"It is a little annoying, yes, but…" he started, then narrowed his eyes and asked, "Did Xiao Xiao tell you about this?"

"Certainly. Rinne never lies," she declared with a determined nod and put her hands on her hips. "So? Is Naoren-san ready to tell Rinne about his troubled love life yet?"

"… While it is certainly not a smooth affair, I would hardly call my love life troubled," he admitted with an expression that said he had a hard time deciding whether to laugh or facepalm. "As for discussing it with Lady Rinne… I believe it would be fairly counter-productive."

"Don't say that. Believe it or not, Rinne is really popular."

That immediately made the young patriarch's expression turn sharper.

"Do you mean that Celestial?"

"Hm? Is Naoren-san talking about Jaakobah-san?" Mountain Girl's brows shot up, and then immediately descended into a frown. "Don't be silly. Jaakobah-san is just a fellow retainer of Leonard-dono. Why would Naoren-san even think that?"

"If not him, then who else is there?"

Finally realizing the shift in the tone of the conversation, Rinne folded her arms and muttered a response with something that infinitely approached a pout, but wasn't quite there.

"So, maybe Rinne wasn't entirely honest just now, but Rinne was very popular. In high school. So, Rinne knows all about romance."

"Oh, so you used to be popular. That's a relief," Naoren whispered, causing the huntress to glare at him.

"It doesn't matter! Rinne was very, very popular back then, and it wasn't a long time ago." Fuming, she crossed her arms even harder (however little difference that meant). "Also, Rinne is still very popular in Blue Cherry High, you know?"

"… With the boys?"

"And the girls!" she declared proudly, only to then immediately frown. "In fact, Rinne feels she's been more popular with girls in the past too. It's strange."

"Hold on," Naoren cut in, raising a palm. "With girls?"

"Yes. Especially after Rinne played the prince in the play of the theatre club. Rinne even got lots of appreciation-chocolates that year. From the girls. More than usual."

The man's frown deepened, and his voice sounded unusually hesitant.

"Is Lady Rinne… interested in women?"

"Hm? No, of course not," she stated, her head cocked to the side with one of those 'What is this idiot even talking about?' kind of looks she used to give me in the past.

"Oh, thank goodness," Naoren breathed a sigh of relief, but it only caused her expression to harden.

"Naoren-san? You're not one of those homeopaths, are you?"

"I'm… what?"

"Homeopaths. The people who're afraid of yuri and yaoi."

The bespectacled man blinked in surprise and barely managed to hold back his chuckles.

"No, Lady Rinne, I'm not a 'homeopath'."

"Good. Rinne's been told those are bad people." She wagged a finger at the snickering man, and emphatically stated, "Naoren-san must never become a homeopath."

"Don't worry, I won't," he responded mirthfully, and after letting out a huff, the oblivious huntress put her hands on her hips again.

"Good. So, about Naoren-san's love troubles…"

"It's nothing serious," he answered, still smiling, and before Rinne could react, he stepped up to her side and carefully entwined his arm with hers. "Let's keep moving."

He pulled her along, and she didn't object, though her eyes kept jumping between his face and their linked arms.

"Why did Naoren-san do that?"

"It's getting chilly," he responded, trying to look serious but his eyes smiling.

"Rinne doesn't feel the cold."

"But I do."

Mountain Girl remained silent as they walked arm in arm, and then nodded resolutely.

"In that case, Rinne is fine with warming Naoren-san."

"Thank you."

"But," she cut in with a demanding frown. "Naoren-san still haven't told Rinne about his love troubles."

For a moment, the Feilong patriarch looked hesitant, but then a mischievous smile settled onto his face.

"To be honest with you, I've been a little troubled lately, but not so much anymore."

"How so?"

"You see, Lady Rinne, I had my eyes on a certain maiden for a while now. She's a rather charming and amusing lady, though maybe a little bit dense in matters of love. I believe I'll have to be a little more direct with her in the future, to show my interest."

"Really? Does Rinne know her?"

"In a sense," he answered with an impish smile rarely seen on his face. "She's someone with whom I've spent a lot of time as of late, and I just recently learned that she's rather popular, yet rather innocent in many ways."

"Sounds like a charming person," Rinne responded, suddenly sounding a little pensive. "Does Naoren-san truly love her?"

"Love? Maybe. I'm certainly very interested in her and enjoy her company tremendously, so I hope one day she'll return my affections on her own."

"… Rinne can't seem to think of anyone who fits that description. Is she a lady from Naoren-san's home?"

"No. In fact, she's very close to me right now."

"On this island?"

"Yes."

"… Hmmm… Rinne cannot figure it out. Can Naoren-san tell?"

Naoren shook his head and pulled her a little closer.

"I wish I could, but as I said, this lady is slightly slow when it comes to matters of the heart, and I wouldn't want to shock her too much with a sudden confession. I'm determined to quietly woo her until the time is right."

"Mm, that's good. A man must be decisive, but not hasty," she stated, looking just a little bit pensive, completely ignoring the fact that the two of them were now walking shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Is everything all right? You're sounding tense," he teased her, and Mountain Girl forcefully shook her head.

"No. Not at all. Rinne is wishing success to Naoren-san, but… Rinne also feels a little troubled by what Naoren-san said, and Rinne can't figure out why."

"You do? That's good to hear."

"Why is Rinne being troubled good to hear?" she protested, but Naoren laughed her off, causing her to outright pout at him. "This is not fair. Naoren-san not only didn't share a proper secret, but also made Rinne troubled. Rinne doesn't like it."

"In that case, how about I treat you to a fine meal as an apology after our patrol is over?"

Mountain Girl pondered for a second or two.

"Rinne would like that, but doesn't want to bother Naoren-san."

"Don't be silly, Lady Rinne," the man smiled and pulled her towards a path leading out of the park and towards a nearby restaurant. "It would be my pleasure."

And then, just as they reached the edge of the park and stepped on the sidewalk, the sound of a large motorcycle could be heard, followed by a horn. The two stopped as a large, brand-new cruiser bike rounded the corner, carrying two people clad in biker gear and wearing large helmets hiding their faces.

Once the motorcycle stopped, the driver flipped his tinted visor open, revealing Sir Arnwald's eyes.

"Good afternoon. Are we late?"

"No, Sir Knight. If anything, you're early," Naoren responded genially. In the meantime, the passenger behind Arnwald fully took off her helmet and let out an uncharacteristically delighted chuckle.

"I almost forgot how much fun this is," Morgana said, her face beaming, and while his mouth couldn't be seen, the still-helmeted man's expression said he shared the sentiment.

"It's been too long since we last had a joyride like this, hasn't it?"

"Way too long," she smiled, and tenderly caressed Arnwald's back. "Your shoulders weren't this broad back then."

"I was still a kid," the man said, sounding just a tiny bit defensive. "It's only natural."

"Are Arnwald-san and Morgana-san here to relieve us of duty?" Rinne interrupted them, and at long last, Sir Eagle also took off his helmet.

"To be honest, we were planning to ride around a bit first and break in the new girl." While saying so, he patted the motorcycle. "Alas, since we noticed you leaving the park, I thought we were late."

"No, we only wished to have an early dinner," Naoren noted. In the meantime, Morgana took notice of his arm, still linked with Rinne's, and she let out an approving hum.

"I see you've grown closer."

"I made a little progress, yes."

Naoren sounded a bit embarrassed, while Rinne was just plain confused.

"Rinne doesn't understand. We have made a lot of progress in our patrol."

"That's not what we meant," Arnwald noted, but when she only looked at him funny, the man let out a defeated chuckle and directed a sympathetic look at the Feilong patriarch. "You have your work cut out for you, Lord Naoren."

"Slow and steady wins the race," he responded resolutely, and the Knights nodded encouragingly at him.

After a few more words, the groups parted, with the two riders resuming their joyride, and the two walkers heading to a nearby restaurant, with Mountain Girl still none the wiser about the previous exchange. Or the one before that. Or… well, pretty much anything.

Sometimes, I couldn't help but wonder; if she really was something of a 'hero(ine) of her own story who entered ours', as Judy suspected, then was being dense part of the job description? Or was I just overthinking this, and she was simply being true to her weird self?

Whatever the case might've been, I silently wished Naoren luck, perseverance, and immense patience in his endeavour. By the looks of it, he needed all three of them.