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Riveria walked slowly around the forge, her fingers lightly brushing the surface of the tables and the handles of the neatly hung tools. The sound of her footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor. Her eyes swept over every corner with quiet curiosity before she turned to Shirou, who stood not far from the large, cold furnace.
"What have you forged in this place?" she asked, her gentle voice seeming to probe the space and time of the forge itself.
Shirou shrugged casually. "Not much, honestly. I've only really started using this forge seriously in the last few days. Still in the trial-and-error phase."
Riveria furrowed her brows slightly, her gaze shifting from the tools to Shirou's face. "But haven't you been Level 4 for quite some time? Back then, if I recall correctly, you should have chosen a Development Ability, right? Don't tell me…" She paused for a moment, then stared at him more intently. "You didn't even choose forging as your ability?"
Shirou chuckled softly and shook his head. "Quite the opposite. I chose forging as my development ability when I reached Level 4."
Hearing this admission, Riveria folded her arms in front of her chest. "Then why did you only start now? Wouldn't it make more sense to hone your skills right away?"
Shirou lowered his head slightly as if recalling something both amusing and frustrating. "Back then, Loki and I thought… the 'forging' Development Ability could strengthen my Magecraft, especially projection. The idea was that if I had forging as my Development Ability, the weapons or tools I projected would become more stable, more real."
He let out a short sigh and added, "But… well, even a goddess of Loki's caliber can misjudge things."
Riveria stifled a laugh, though the corners of her lips curled upward. "Fufufu… Loki isn't the type of goddess to dwell too deeply on technicalities. Besides, this is the first time she's seen Magecraft from another world. It's only natural she'd misjudge its effects."
She glanced toward the bicycle parked outside, visible through the forge's dusty small window. "At the very least, thanks to you choosing forging, Lefiya's bicycle could be made. Not just a projection, but something crafted with your own hands and real materials."
Shirou followed her gaze to the window and nodded in agreement. "Yeah… who would've thought my forging skills would be used for a bicycle instead of a sword?"
Riveria looked at him softly. "Sometimes, the unconventional path leads us to more meaningful things."
Shirou fell silent, but in his heart, he acknowledged: This forge might not produce legendary weapons, but it holds memories and collaboration with Lefiya. And that, he thought, was more than enough.
Riveria leaned her hands on the worktable, her eyes scanning the tools hanging on the walls—the hammers, the chisels, all arranged with meticulous care. The air inside the forge was warm and carried the scent of metal, yet it felt comforting. She turned back to Shirou, who was still standing casually near the material crate.
"In that case…" she said quietly, her gentle voice blending with the forge's tranquil atmosphere. "Do you and Lefiya have any plans? I mean, after that pink bicycle, what else do the two of you want to make?"
Shirou shook his head slowly, his eyes drifting slightly. "Haven't really thought about it yet," he said, walking closer to the table. "We talked about a few things, but nothing's set in stone. Might need some inspiration first."
Riveria smiled faintly. "Though I'm quite curious… You mentioned flying vehicles before, didn't you? What was it… an airplane?" She uttered the last word with slight hesitation, as if tasting something unfamiliar. "Ever since you mentioned it, I've been imagining it. What it looks like, how it stays in the air…"
Shirou immediately raised his hands in mock surrender, looking startled. "Haaah… that's way too much. Building an airplane? Impossible." He pointed toward the bicycles outside. "With bicycles, I could replicate them because the mechanism is simple, and I've taken them apart in the past. But an airplane? I don't even have blueprints for it. And the materials needed aren't things you can easily find in Orario. Some parts require lightweight metal, combustion engines, control systems… and none of that can be done with just tracing."
Riveria fell silent for a moment, then nodded in understanding, though a hint of disappointment lingered in her eyes. "Ah, so you've never traced an airplane before? That makes sense. It's different from the bicycle, which you could make because you understood it firsthand."
She took a slow breath and then leaned back against the table, still facing Shirou. Deep down, she couldn't deny her admiration and growing curiosity about the technology from Shirou's world. Even if she knew it wasn't something easily achieved, she still hoped that one day, Shirou might find a way. "Still… it would be wonderful if we could fly above Orario," she murmured softly, almost like a dreamy whisper.
Shirou heard the longing in her voice. "Maybe someday, Riveria. But for now… let's stick with bicycles."
Riveria responded with a small nod and a warm smile. "A bicycle is more than enough to make my days more interesting."
After Riveria had her fill of exploring the warm and quiet forge, the soft sound of their footsteps echoed as they stepped back into the manor's backyard. The faint creak of the wooden door closing slowly welcomed the morning sunlight still blanketing the area. Two blue bicycles crafted by Shirou stood neatly in their spots, their frames reflecting a soft glow as if waiting for their riders to continue their little adventures.
Shirou glanced at Riveria from the side, then asked in a relaxed yet attentive tone, "You really want to fly, don't you? Earlier… you seemed a little disappointed when I dismissed the airplane idea."
Riveria's eyes widened slightly, surprised that Shirou had read her feelings. Though her expression remained as composed and elegant as ever, her heart skipped a beat.
She glanced at him briefly before turning her gaze back to the grass swaying gently in the breeze. Her gaze was calm yet profound. "I… won't deny it," she finally said, her tone even but carrying emotion. "I like new things. Things I've never been able to experience before."
She paused for a moment, then looked at Shirou softly. "For seventy years since I was born… I've never left the palace or the forests of Alf. My life was confined by walls of rules and titles."
Shirou nodded slowly, as if fitting a puzzle piece into place. "Ah, so that's why… You were so insistent back then about wanting me to teach you Magecraft, huh?"
Riveria gazed ahead, a faint smile crossing her lips. "Exactly. Since becoming an adventurer and joining Orario, I've discovered so many new things. This world is vast, Shirou… and you… You've shown me an even wider world. Magecraft, different ways of using magic, even technology—things I never imagined before. Just this bicycle; who would've thought I'd enjoy riding it? And you mentioned airplanes, objects that can soar through the sky like birds… it's like a dream."
Hearing such sincere praise, Shirou felt his cheeks grow slightly warm. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly and smiled. "I don't know if I deserve such high praise… But about airplanes, maybe someday, if I become skilled enough at forging… I'll give it a try."
Riveria turned to him, and this time, her smile was full of meaning. "Then, I'll wait for that day. Don't make me wait another seventy years, alright?"
A breeze passed between them, lifting the strands of Riveria's green hair tied in a low ponytail, making the moment feel like a scene from a peaceful dream.
Shirou's gaze drifted, staring at the vast sky. In his heart, he made a new promise—not just to Riveria, but to himself. In this new world, he would keep learning, keep creating, and maybe… one day, he could truly take Riveria flying.
Riveria walked lightly toward her blue bicycle and parked it neatly beside the forge. With graceful movements, she adjusted the handlebars and stood beside it, ready to pedal again. But after a few seconds, she noticed Shirou still standing in the same spot, staring at the grass as if lost in thought. Her brow arched slightly in curiosity.
"Shirou?" she called softly, her gentle voice cutting through the quiet air. She turned, watching the man who seemed deep in contemplation.
Shirou snapped out of his thoughts. A faint snap echoed in his mind, like a thread of awareness reconnecting. He tilted his head, still with a pondering expression. "Ah, sorry. I just remembered something…"
A flash of memory surfaced—Lefiya once tried to help make bicycle tires from leftover slime remains through alchemy. The process had failed because the consistency was too soft… and somehow, the result ended up like a lightweight, stretchy balloon. Back then, Lefiya had just laughed it off as a silly accident. But now, perhaps that was the key.
He turned to Riveria, a faint but confident smile on his face. "Seems like… You won't have to wait seventy years to fly after all."
The words made Riveria freeze for a moment, curiosity igniting like a small flame fanned by the wind. She stepped away from her bicycle and approached him, her eyes gleaming. "Are you serious? What do you mean? Do you already have an idea for building an airplane?"
Shirou was amused by her reaction and shook his head. "Not an airplane. But… maybe a different kind of flying vehicle."
"Different?" Riveria frowned, now genuinely intrigued. "What kind of vehicle? In your stories, airplanes are objects that glide through the air like birds, right? So… if not an airplane, what else can fly?"
Shirou looked up at the soft blue sky, where thin wisps of clouds drifted peacefully in the distance. The wind gently ruffled his red hair as he answered mysteriously, "You'll see. I need to test a few things first, but I'm sure it can become real."
Shirou slowly raised his hand, his fingers glowing faintly as prana energy flowed into the air. The light swirled, forming a transparent magic pattern in front of him like unseen strokes of wind. But midway through, his movements slowed. His gaze wavered, and the gathered light began to fade. He exhaled softly, lowering his arm again.
Seeing this change, Riveria stepped closer with quiet footsteps. She touched his arm gently, her voice as soft as the morning breeze. "Is something troubling you, Shirou?"
Shirou turned to her and gave a small nod. "The object I want to project is enormous… and if it were to float in Orario's sky, I'm sure all eyes would be on it. Including the gods." He looked down briefly, suppressing a frustrated sigh. "I… don't want that to happen."
Riveria stared at him silently for a few seconds, fully understanding the weight of his concern. She knew well how Shirou always avoided the public eye. His extraordinary power, his abilities not of this world—all were things he wanted to keep hidden. Even now, he concealed his level and skill progression to avoid drawing attention. Riveria never blamed him for it.
With a faint but sincere smile, she said, "Then, how about this… someday, we'll go outside of Orario. We can find a quiet place. There, no one will be watching, and you can freely project your flying device."
Though a hint of disappointment lingered in her heart—a small hope to experience flight today had vanished—Riveria found the idea… romantic. She even began imagining it: a sunset, an open field, and just the two of them riding a hot air balloon into the twilight sky. Could this… count as their second 'date'?
The thought made her chest flutter slightly. But she maintained her composed expression—a noble like her wouldn't easily reveal such emotions.
Shirou smiled slightly, touched by her consideration. "Thank you, Riveria," he said sincerely. "But… I don't want to disappoint you again."
With that, he raised his hand once more. Magical light reappeared, this time forming something much smaller. Fwip! A tiny, uninflated balloon materialized in his palm. Its surface was bright red, glossy, and elastic under the morning light.
"It's not a giant hot air balloon…" he said, offering it to Riveria, "but this balloon can float."
Riveria stared at the small balloon, puzzled. "A… balloon?"
Shirou chuckled softly and lightly smacked his own forehead. "Ah, sorry. I forgot you don't know how this works."
He patiently explained. "This balloon is made of elastic material. If you blow air into it, it'll expand. And because it's lightweight, it'll float a little before coming back down."
With enthusiasm, he handed it to Riveria. "Here, try it. Blow into it slowly but steadily until it inflates."
Riveria hesitated for a moment before accepting it gracefully. She held it briefly, then brought it to her lips. After taking a deep breath, she began blowing gently. Fuuuuuh…
The balloon gradually expanded, its color becoming more translucent and glossy. Riveria's eyes slowly widened, like a child discovering their first toy. Shirou found it endearing, watching such a rare expression grace the face of a woman usually so dignified.
"Fascinating…" Riveria murmured, twisting the now fist-sized balloon in her hands. "I didn't expect this… to be so enjoyable."
Shirou gestured toward the small red balloon still in her hand. "Follow the end. Tie a knot here," he instructed, demonstrating with his fingers.
Riveria nodded and carefully twisted the balloon's end, tying it as Shirou had shown. Her hands, trained in spellcasting, were deft even in such simple motions. Once done, she lifted the small balloon and examined it with quiet satisfaction.
"It's a cute color," she mused, then turned to Shirou. "Can you make more? But in different colors?"
Shirou obliged, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Of course. Just a moment."
With a single breath, he raised his hand again, channeling prana into the air. Magical energy swirled beneath his palm—whirr…—and from the spiraling light emerged five balloons in different colors: sky blue, soft yellow, pale purple, mint green, and pastel orange. Each was already inflated, floating gently in the air like weightless dreams. At the bottom of each balloon, a thin white string was neatly tied.
"For you," Shirou said, handing the ends of the strings to Riveria with a calm gaze.
Riveria's emerald-green eyes widened as she watched the balloons drift rhythmically before her. The morning air brushed against their surfaces, making them sway lightly. She accepted the strings carefully, as if fearing even a rough tug might shatter their fragile beauty.
Before holding her five new balloons, Riveria bent down gently and placed the red balloon she had inflated earlier on the ground, setting it down as one might place a flower on an altar—softly, reverently.
She then swayed the five balloons in her hands back and forth, laughing softly. "They're beautiful… It feels like holding pieces of the sky…"
Shirou watched the genuine awe on her face. "These can't carry us into the air. But," he said, pointing upward with his index finger, "a hot air balloon that can lift us would be much bigger. Maybe the size of a small house, or even larger."
Riveria imagined it—a giant balloon suspended in the sky, carrying a small gondola beneath it, with the vast expanse of Orario shrinking below. A world slowly turning small in the morning haze.
"So if these little balloons can't take me flying," she said with a smile, "at least they can carry my dreams."