Guess I Like Chocolate

La la la. ♬

Man, I'm grateful to be alive. I can't believe the sunlight feels this warm.

Ugh...

Huh? Why are you looking at me like that, our cute Fairy Queen?

Blergh!

Ria! Do something about this idiot. He didn't eat something weird, did he?

Pardon...?

Haha, Ria! Morning!

...Ah. Don't worry about it, Morgana. He's probably just worked up over some morning delusions.

Morning delusions?

They say human men have a hard time snapping out of their fantasies in the morning. And as proof...

It's not like that! Watch it with the trash talk right in front of me.

The way you snapped back just now tells me Ria was right.

I said no. Don't run your mouth when you don't know anything.

Today is... Valentine's Day!

Now that you mention it, it's that time already...

If it isn't something I can eat, don't even bring it up. Nothing ever happens to Ethan anyway.

What is wrong with you idiots? Don't mock a man's dreams!

Oh? You seem pretty excited. I should calm you down a bit.

Uh-oh!

Gah!!

Morgana has a point. There's no one to give you anything, is there?

And you...?

Don't get your hopes up. Not unless you want to be tossed into a pot of chocolate.

That's cruel...

I don't get why you're so into it. Meat you can tear into is way better than chocolate.

Valentine's Day is about the thought. Chocolate is just the form it comes in.

I-In my world, some people even gave chocolate by spreading it on themselves!

W-What kind of nonsense is that?!

It's true!

I wouldn't expect anything back in my world, but...

This place is different! There are so many amazing women. You're telling me not one of them would give me chocolate?

Well, if we're talking amazing women, I certainly count. But I have no intention of playing along with your fantasy...

Oh, you're not included, so don't worry.

W-What?!

Why would I expect that from a kid like you?

That kind of thing should be done by someone with, like... real curves!

W-What did you say?! Hah! Unbelievable!

If I were to show my true charm, anyone would...

I've heard enough fantasies. Time to get to work.

I-I mean, I'd take Ria's chocolate...

...

Pfft! Ria would never give chocolate to a pig like you.

...That aside, I'm not the "curvy" type you're talking about.

And I don't understand why that would be a requirement for giving chocolate in the first place.

You just blurted out a fantasy full of lust. What "feelings" would that convey?

I mean it!

I mean, if you truly love someone, maybe you could do it! Like, becoming the chocolate and giving a hug...!

I can't relate at all.

Finally...

Huh?

So you've finally gone into full perv mode!

I-I'm serious! That's how it was where I lived!

Well, perv mode... ahem. If you're that desperate, why not ask her?

As far as I know... she'd fit that kind of fantasy best.

Her...? Who?

Nesha.

From what I can tell, Nesha seems to like you well enough... Maybe Nesha would even humor that trashy fantasy.

Nesha... Hmm. If it's her, she should be fine for this event's leading lady!

Even if Nesha doesn't agree?

...Even if she says no, I should at least check how she's doing. I'm going.

You do the strangest things. Bring back some stir-fried meat on your way.

Morgana, please go with him.

Eek?! Why?!

Because we don't know what that idiot might do. If Morgana goes along, I can trust it.

Hey, what did I do?!

I'd rather not have this inn known as the place where a shameless, vulgar pervert lives.

Please. Make sure the hormone-crazed male doesn't cause a scene.

Sigh... Fine. Ethan can't function without me, anyway.

Why are you agreeing so easily?!

Shut up and move! You riled-up pig!

It's a troll!

At this point, we can drop a guy like that in one swing!

...Huh? But that troll... something's off.

It's chocolate, the kind you like, Ethan!

As if!

A pitch-black troll... Don't tell me it's cursed?

Cursed?

If these monsters came from where Nesha is, it's possible. Nesha's a witch who knows Black Magic.

Saves us the trouble of searching. If we keep pushing forward, Nesha should be up ahead.

Like a story about siblings following a trail of breadcrumbs.

Ugh, I'm beat. Can we even make it to Nesha like this...?

Why worry when I'm here!

I'm worried because of you! That spell earlier... you definitely used up all your Mana. Right?

Heh. Heh. Hah...!

How did you know?

See?!

But you can't just abandon me. You can't sense Mana, can you, Ethan?

Tch. You're like an annoying kid.

I'll carry you for a bit, so recover fast. There's still monster presence around.

Fine. Then let's get some fresh air up high.

Maybe I should just leave you...

...How does something like that end up roaming the forest?

So that's why there were so many monsters. They were drawn to that ominous energy.

Witches are all like this. Throwing around Black Magic however they please.

It is dangerous. Reckless, too... kind of like you, Fairy Queen.

W-What did you say?!

Tch! What have you been doing... Depending on what I find, I won't forgive you!

My Valentine's Day event...

Shut up!

Here it comes!

We took it down, more or less. Guess it hadn't fully adapted to the surface yet.

O-Of course... w-with me here!

Hang in there. We're almost to Nesha's house.

Huh? Unexpected guests?

Good. You were home.

I don't like going out. But why is the Fairy Queen in such rough shape?

Tch! It's because of you!

Nesha... what were you doing? Don't tell me you woke some ancient beast and planned to raise a monster army.

As if. I was just researching whether an immortal beast might hold the secret of eternal life...

But! People could've been in danger.

Hmm... Even when you're mad, you look delicious. Makes me drool.

It failed this time, but if anything went wrong, I was going to handle it.

You...

Is that what you say the moment you show up? What do you want from me?

Umm... well...

Don't tell me... you missed me? Heh!

Who would come to see a sow like you? We're here to keep an eye on Ethan's stupid fantasy.

Fantasy?

Today's... Valentine's Day. I figured you could give something... special.

Special chocolate?

Like, "I'm the chocolate," or something...

Unbelievable. You actually said it... You're a hopeless pervert.

Still stuck in your fantasy. I'm going back and telling Ria.

Hey, what else was I supposed to do?!

...! I see...

So bold... You wanted me that badly?

Look... that's not... I just wanted chocolate...

Too bad, but I don't have any chocolate right now.

Come back tonight?

Come back?

Alone. Then... that kind of chocolate might exist. M-a-y-b-e?

G-Gasp...!

Wait! What did you just whisper?!

...They don't need to know.

Don't play dumb! You said something just now!

W-Why are you cove... Mmph! Mmph!

I-I can't... breathe... g-glrk...

You used up all your Mana, so don't push yourself. Just sleep, and everything will work out.

Heh... hehehe... Hahaha! I had no idea there was such a lovely way to show affection. The more I think about it, the funnier it gets.

N-Nesha...?

I'm happy... that I can become chocolate just for you... haa...

Gulp...!

Mm. So you did come. Such an instinct-driven boy.

Nesha... that look...

How is it...? The chocolate I prepared for you...

O... Ooooh...!

Do you like it...? Tonight, I'm... chocolate just for you.

Please, enjoy.

I love it... I really do... I'm glad I'm alive... sob!

Want a taste here? Or... start with this side?

Gulp.

No. For you... you'd probably go for the lower part first, wouldn't you? Heh!

Lick...

You're that happy? Go ahead... take your fill.

It's sticky!

I knew it! You pervy pig!

Ah...

Y-You filthy pigs... how dare you wriggle around in front of me...!

M-Morgana?!

How dare you... put me to sleep and scheme something this shameless... I won't forgive you...

Hey! T-That's too much magic!

Shut up! Begone, you filthy centipede!

I didn't think you'd actually cause trouble.

Nesha's the one who caused the incident...

Do you have a complaint?

...Sorry.

I did think Miss Nesha would play along to a point... but to openly let you touch her body...

I'll have to revise my assessment of her.

We never should've listened to this pig's desires in the first place.

It was partly because I was bitter I didn't even get plain chocolate...

You need to work on your self-control.

Honestly, smearing chocolate on yourself and pouncing? It wasn't even funny.

I only went along for no reason and ended up seeing things I can never unsee. Honestly, you're a hopeless perverted idiot pig.

That's awful, Ethan. How could you twist such a cute, lovely holiday with such lecherous desires?

Ethan... were you hoping for such an intense "event"?

Not exactly... I guess I wanted something heartfelt... Plain chocolate just doesn't do much for me...

I just wanted handmade chocolate. I-It wasn't just my hormones talking!

Well, I guess throwing your body at someone counts as handmade, too.

With your body...

Urgh...

Handmade chocolate...

You didn't know, so what could you do?

I guess...

Whatever. After seeing that, I don't feel like giving you anything anymore.

Huh? You were going to give me something?

No? If there was, I'd have eaten it myself.

What did I expect from you...

Um... Elizabeth.

...Yes?

Did you, by any chance, have something to give me...?

Ah! O-Oh, by the way...!

I heard there have been more monsters nearby. Did you know?

Monsters?

Ah, Morgana and I hunted down quite a few. I think it was because of Nesha's research.

Not necessarily.

Ria, did we get new intel?

We've received intel that a group of Goblins is heading this way. It seems to be a tribe from southern Mercia.

Come on, if it's just Goblins, we don't need to worry. The guard can handle them just fine...

Listen to you puffing up. Do you have any idea what position you're in?

How long are you going to keep picking on me? I'm reflecting, okay? Cut me some slack.

...Goblins are certainly easy opponents, but their route is the problem.

This way is...!

That's the marketplace at the heart of eastern Britannia's commercial district! This is bad.

...!

What?! We can't have the market attacked!

Yes. Princess and I buy our clothes here. Sometimes hairpins and dyes, too...

Oh... right.

If trade takes a hit, the people's lives will suffer. That area only just escaped the ravages of war...

A lot of dessert ingredients are traded there, too. We have to protect it...!

Huh? Dessert ingredients?

Yes. Like chocolate, for example...

Anyway! We must!

R-Right.

I don't have to come along, do I? It's only Goblins.

Do you try to duck out every chance you get?

Shut up. Dragging you back drained all my energy, you know?

Morgana!

Y-Yes?! Why are you calling me like that? It's scary!

That market is essential for a stable life. For us, and for the people...!

Speed is everything, please come with us!

P-Princess... you're kind of scary right now...

F-Fine, I get it...

...Either way, we'll likely need to split into two routes to stop them.

I don't know why, but it feels like they're converging on a single point from all sides. There are quite a lot of them.

Then Princess and I will...

No. I'll go with Ethan. Bedi, support Morgana.

O-Okay!

Now! Steel yourself!

They were quite the elite Goblins.

It's kind of funny to call Goblins "elite," though.

We've blocked the road to the market. The rest should be protected by the guard and the militia.

Perfect timing, they're coming now.

Golden Goblin...?

Yes. They must see it as a sacred Goblin and follow it, as you'd expect.

A Golden Goblin... A legendary Goblin that hoarded treasures until it turned into gold itself... You're saying it's real?!

Ethan...!

Yeah, Elizabeth. I think I'm having the exact same thought.

Stay here and keep this side safe. We'll take down every Goblin!

Yes! Please!

Hehe... what a stroke of luck.

Tell me about it. We can't just walk away from a chance to get rich.

Come on, let's go catch that Golden Goblin!

This makes us rich!

I-It's real gold. It's gold, but it's moving... seeing it in person is... strange.

This world is full of bizarre monsters to begin with.

Be careful, Ethan. We might not be able to underestimate it just because it's a Goblin.

The two of us are enough. I always trust you, Elizabeth.

...!

Let's finish it fast and get rich!

Yes...!

Ah... it's all gone...

Sigh... of course it wouldn't be that easy. Still, something's left, let's scrape up every last bit.

...Pfft!

...?

It just struck me as funny. Since when did you get so passionate about money...?

Haha... you do what you have to, to survive. Sleeping rough was my normal.

That's true... since we started adventuring together, we've been through all sorts of things.

Yeah.

I haven't been able to repay you properly, but thank you for always staying by my side, Ethan.

So, at least on Valentine's Day...

Let's go. We have lots to buy.

H-Hey, you can't just cut it off like that. Hey? Elizabeth, wait up!

If we'd been any later, all the shops would have closed. Thank goodness.

Yeah. Even if we didn't get any gold.

I'm disappointed, too. But we did earn some money, so let's shop to our heart's content!

It's nice, walking around with just the two of us.

I-Is it?

No noisy brat mooching meals, and your flustered, whiny guardian knight isn't here either.

Even so... you shouldn't speak badly about our companions...

Ah, that's not what I meant... I mean...

I'm just saying it feels quiet and comfortable...

Elizabeth. Could it be... are those ingredients for making chocolate?

E-Eek?!

W-What? Why are you so startled?

W-Well...

Like, putting my heart into it and delivering it... w-with my body... A-Anyway, it's Valentine's Day... I-I can do it too!

Huh? Out of nowhere?

I don't know! It's a secret!

Who's there...?

Um... Ethan.

Elizabeth? What's wrong at this hour?

I... brought you chocolate...

R-Really?!

E-Elizabeth?! W-What is that outfit...?

I-It's for Valentine's Day...

I'm only doing this specially for today... so don't get the wrong idea, okay?

If this is because of what I said... that was just my imagination, okay...

No.

Hand-delivering homemade chocolate with your own body... I think that kind of sincerity is what's most important about this holiday.

Ah...

To me, Ethan, you're more important than anyone.

And... I think you're a good person.

So... please accept my chocolate...!

I failed a lot while making it, so I can only give you this much... but I hope it becomes a Valentine's Day you'll remember.

Thank you, Elizabeth...

I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life. This chocolate... is the best chocolate I've ever had.

...Hehe.

Thank you... Ethan.