The Path of Heroes - A Journey Around the World (English Version)

Louise Flyer: The Price of Pride - Part 3

The sunlight was majestically invading the place. The birds' singing and the red trees gave a sense of inner peace. It was a little cold because winter was coming, but it wasn't bothering enough. Near the edges of a lake, under a big tree that cast shade everywhere, there were two children.

"Ugh... Isn't it a little hot?"

"And you still think you have the right to complain?"

They were called Louise and Finn. They weren't friends or anything, they just knew each other more than one of them would like. They were close to each other. Louise had her hand extended over the boy's head, pouring almost boiling water with her bare hands.

"You're covered in mud, and your mere presence is annoying enough. I just want to solve one thing. So just stand still!"

"I-I'm sorry..."

"What an irritating person."

"Ah..."

After the "bath," Finn stood up a little dazed. He quickly looked around as if he were searching for something. Finding it, he stretched a little, making a "Huf." Louise looked at him suspiciously, but she didn't pay much attention. And then, after finishing stretching, the boy tried to take off his wet clothes to hang them on a branch he had just found - where the sunlight was shining the most - to dry them, but...

"W-What do you think you're doing?!!"

Louise covered her eyes while shouting so loudly that it scared the birds around, causing them to fly away.

"It's just that... I might catch a cold if I don't take off my wet clothes."

"There's absolutely no need to do that!"

"Hm?"

"Warm winds. Air Ignis!"

Still with one hand in front of her eyes, Louise quickly conjured what she wanted. In seconds, a blast of warm wind ran through the boy's body. He was initially surprised. It wasn't a bad feeling, he could feel his clothes drying along with his body... But.

The wind had become so strong that it lifted Finn's body up quickly. Finn was about two meters high when Louise finally opened her eyes.

"Hey! Calm down!" he shouted.

"Oops..." Louise said when he fell heavily to the ground. If it weren't for the grass, he would have been hurt. Louise seemed indifferent to the situation and Finn wasn't sure if she even noticed what had happened.

"That was a little cruel," Finn said.

"Hmph! You're the one who irritated me, as always!" Louise crossed her arms and lifted her nose up haughtily, refusing to admit her mistake.

But for some reason, Finn didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled brightly.

"What a scary smile," Louise said. "Come on, get up."

A little while later, Louise and Finn were sitting under an unnecessarily large tree, which provided shade over the entire area. After the incident with Finn's "bath," Louise hurried them to eat. She hadn't eaten lunch yet and was very hungry. All the confusion before didn't change that fact.

The cool breeze was refreshing, the perfect weather for a picnic. In the basket that Finn had fervently protected, there were slices of cake of various types: carrot, apple, potato, honey, and chocolate. Louise couldn't resist and ate her lunch.

"Hmm. For someone who chases after girls, you're actually useful sometimes, aren't you?" Louise said as she chewed her food and sipped her tea.

"Thanks, I made them myself, and... I already told you, it wasn't like that!" Finn said.