When the other girls found out that Enrico had gone out with Valença and Serenya, they wasted no time taking action. As early as the following day, Rina and Aoi decided to bring their dates forward, ignoring the order that had been established. After all, it should have been Yumeha's turn next, but Serenya had already moved her own date forward.
Thus, the outing Enrico had planned ended up turning into a date with three girls at the same time.
For the occasion, he wore an entirely black kimono, both to get into the festival spirit and to make the girls feel more comfortable. After all, they were in Tsuyokuni, a territory with customs quite different from those of Sanos.
[These girls don't respect the line. Only Seraphina is waiting for her turn. Because of that, she'll be the only one who gets to be alone with you.]
'If she's putting up with all this, I need to reward her somehow.'
The three girls were also wearing traditional Tsuyokuni clothing and the gifts Enrico had given them during the previous festival, just as Valença and Serenya had done on their date with him.
Yumeha wore a black and blue kimono adorned with cherry blossoms along the edges. Her white sash contrasted with the outfit's dark colors, giving her an elegant appearance.
"Master, let's go to that place!"
"Of course. Today, you get to choose."
The four were in a city in Tsuyokuni, near the border with the other territories. That day, the city was celebrating the Festival of Spirit Lanterns, a tradition that had been held three times a year for decades.
The celebration had been established by Tsuyokuni's first emperor to commemorate the births of his three daughters, who had been born at different times of the year. For that reason, the festival took place on the dates corresponding to their births, keeping alive a tradition that had endured across generations.
[You're simply impossible. You really asked for permission to leave the academy just to bring the three of them?]
'They deserve it. The only problem is that I won't be able to show them my special place, but I can do that in the future.'
Enrico intended to dedicate the entire day to the girls. This meant giving up part of the training he had planned for after the lesson with Giulio, the knight instructor of Class S who had taken the place of the former instructor after defeating him.
Even so, Enrico didn't consider the decision a waste of time.
'His teachings about Ego Weapons will be quite useful for all the students.'
After reflecting for a few moments, he shook his head and turned his attention back to the dango Yumeha had offered him.
As he ate, he glanced at Rina beside him. She had already taken them to a temple to introduce the gods of her country and explain some of Tsuyokuni's traditional beliefs.
The girl wore a dark red yukata decorated with black spiral patterns. Her sash was black, and on her back was a dragon symbol forming a circle.
"I should have shown you something more fun too. I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about? I found it quite interesting. I'd like you to tell me more when we have time."
Rina seemed surprised by his answer.
"Really? Then I'll do some more in-depth research on the gods of Tsuyokuni!"
Her eyes shone with anticipation, as if she were already imagining everything she could tell him.
Enrico wasn't lying. He genuinely wanted to learn more about the gods of that world and understand the different beliefs of its people. And who would be better suited to help him with that task than someone who had been born and raised in that territory?
Noticing that Yumeha was beginning to show signs of jealousy, Enrico decided to give her some attention. He moved closer to the girl and took a bite of the dango she was holding.
"You picked the right stalls, Yumeha. This is delicious. I'll try making this in the future."
"You're going to make it? Then I have to be the first to try it, Master!"
"Of course you will."
Enrico lightly tapped her head with his fingers before moving away.
Yumeha raised a hand to her forehead, watching him with a satisfied smile. To her, that little gesture was already enough to make her happy.
Enrico, meanwhile, walked over to Aoi, who was still choosing some dango at one of the stalls.
"You're the next one to choose. So tell me, my future wife, what have you prepared for me?"
Aoi had lifted her mask slightly so she could eat, but she nearly choked when she heard those words.
Enrico was becoming better and better at making her feel as if butterflies were fluttering inside her stomach. Even so, she had no intention of backing down. On the contrary, she wanted to take this opportunity to make him lose his composure too.
"It'll be a surprise, darling. It's just a shame we aren't alone."
She moved closer, lowering her voice provocatively. Then she tilted her head and brought her lips close to his ear, as if she intended to whisper something particularly intimate.
Enrico noticed her intention and turned his face toward her, moving close enough to reply in the same tone.
"In the future, we'll have plenty of moments alone together."
Aoi froze for a moment.
"I admit you're good at this."
Enrico began laughing when he noticed that her ears were turning red. Despite that, Aoi continued trying to maintain her composure, determined to be the first to make him blush.
Her outfit was a combination of a yukata and a shrine maiden's robes in purple and white. The cut revealed part of her legs, a detail she seemed determined to maintain whenever she was near him.
[She's the most troublesome one, in my opinion. Are you sure you want to marry her?]
'If I can handle this, there's no reason to refuse.'
[Unbelievable.]
Enrico knew he could use the girls' genuine feelings to motivate them to become stronger. However, he didn't want their relationships to be reduced to an exchange of benefits.
After reflecting extensively on their relationship, he had made a promise to himself.
'I'll do everything I can to make them happy whenever it's within my power.'
Besides, he was thinking of ways to help them face the dangers that would arise in the future. One possibility was to develop a new type of pact capable of granting them all more power and increasing their chances of survival.
'But that will only be possible when I have enough power.'
For now, he preferred to set those plans aside and enjoy the outing.
After visiting a few more stalls, the four headed to the place Aoi had chosen.
When they arrived at a lake, they found a large number of people preparing lanterns with the help of their magic. Some were drawing symbols and figures on the surfaces, while others were reinforcing the enchantments to make them float over greater distances.
Aoi seemed especially excited about the activity. As soon as she spotted the lanterns, she approached Enrico, took his hand, and pulled him toward them.
"Let's make our own! Time is running out!"
"Then we'd better hurry."
Enrico looked back and gestured for Yumeha and Rina to join them. The two soon caught up, and each of them chose a floating lantern.
As they worked, they used their magic to draw figures and reinforce the enchantments that would allow the lanterns to rise even higher. Time passed quickly, and they had barely finished when a voice announced the end of the preparation period.
"Everyone, time's up! Let's start releasing them!"
The four stood up and quickly made their way to the launch site.
As soon as they infused the lanterns with magic, they began rising toward the sky. Around them, hundreds of lights ascended above the lake, transforming the night into a luminous spectacle.
Some lanterns soon drifted away from one another, following different paths. Others remained close together for a while before separating as well.
Enrico's lantern and the girls' three lanterns, however, continued rising together.
They gradually moved away from the lake, becoming smaller and smaller until they turned into four tiny points of light in the sky.
"Look, Master! They haven't separated! That means it's a good sign, doesn't it, Sister?"
Rina immediately agreed, enthusiastically nodding her head.
"Yes, it's a good sign. I heard a story that says lanterns that remain together until the end symbolize that the people they represent will also stay together until the end."
Aoi remained silent for a moment, watching the distant lights. Then, in a confident voice, she replied:
"I didn't need that to know I'll stay by my darling's side until the end."
Enrico let out a small sigh but couldn't hide the subtle smile that appeared on his face.
The three seemed genuinely happy, and he hoped that happiness would last for a long time.
There was still a long road ahead. His goals would require years of effort, and the dangers he would encounter along the way would certainly be numerous. Even so, he wanted the girls to remain by his side until the end.
After the festival, the four returned to Sanos in a carriage.
During the journey, Aoi seemed to have an idea. Her gaze turned toward Enrico, and a smile appeared on her lips.
Moving closer to him, she raised her mask slightly, revealing her red lips.
"Since this is our first date, I need to give you a present."
Before Enrico could respond, Aoi grabbed his clothes and kissed him on the lips.
Rina, sitting beside them, immediately blushed. Watching the scene, she felt a pang of jealousy, while Yumeha merely shook her head with a confident expression.
"She doesn't even know she's already late."
"What do you mean, Yumeha? Don't tell me..."
Rina interrupted her own question when she realized there was something she didn't know. Her gaze shifted from Yumeha to the couple in front of her, and her expression changed.
"My Ketsumei, I'm next!"
Meanwhile, Enrico returned Aoi's kiss. The girl hadn't expected him to respond so quickly and was caught off guard by the intensity of the kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, smoke came out from inside Aoi's mask, indicating that she was completely flushed.
"Yumeha, hold Aoi for a moment."
"All right, Master."
Yumeha helped Aoi settle beside her, while Enrico turned toward Rina.
The girl barely had time to react before he leaned closer and kissed her passionately.
Rina's eyes widened for a brief moment. Then she closed them and returned the kiss, allowing herself to be swept up in the moment as her heart beat faster and faster.
[Unbelievable.]