Chapter 26 — Prospector Dan and a Night Stroll

Part 1 — Exile, Then Saving the Nation

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Ellie was strangely distant all morning.

Can’t blame her. Yesterday I saw her practically naked and, more importantly, grabbed her chest—accidentally, but still. Every time our eyes met, she looked away.

“Anyway,” I announced, “today we’re hiking upstream to check for a silversteel vein.”

Bill perked up immediately; Chloe and Liza volunteered to tag along. Elza stayed behind to copy scrolls, Mimi to tune her bow, and Ellie—

“I, uh, need to turn yesterday’s catch into preserves,” she said, pretending it was the most exciting prospect in the world.

“Got it,” I replied. She waved us off without meeting my gaze.

***

The twins bounded ahead with Chloe. Liza fell into step beside me.

“Heard you finally had your way with the healer,” Chloe called over her shoulder with a wicked grin.

“We fell in the river,” I groaned. “That’s it.”

“And you helped yourself to a handful,” she sing-songed, wiggling her fingers suggestively.

“It was a reflex!” I swatted her hands away.

She snorted. “If that was her first time being touched, you scarred her for life.”

Bill blinked innocently. “What’s ‘first time’?”

“It’s when you reach level 30 and get promoted to wizard,” Chloe replied without missing a beat.

“Sweet! Think I’ll make it?”

“Don’t listen to her,” I groaned. “Idiocy is contagious.”

Bill just looked confused. The conversation mercifully died as we reached the river gorge.

***

Upstream, the river carved into a narrow canyon. Fresh rock jutted from one cliff face, streaked with shimmering veins.

“Bingo,” Chloe said. She and Bill sprinted ahead.

Liza and I followed at a more leisurely pace.

“Pretty sure this is inside your territory,” she noted.

“Yeah. Which means it’s my problem.”

She nudged me. “Hey, I also heard you ‘comforted’ Ellie properly.”

“Again with that?”

She smirked and blew a kiss before darting forward. I sighed and kept climbing.

By the time we reached the outcrop, the others were chipping samples. We hauled a sack of ore back to town; the smith confirmed it was high-grade silversteel.

I kept the location secret. We needed trustworthy partners before anyone else sniffed it out.

***

After dinner, I cleaned up the dishes with Ellie. She barely spoke. When I turned to leave, she murmured, “Walk with me?”

We strolled along the moonlit stream in silence until she stopped. Arms slipped around my waist from behind.

“Ellie?”

“Just… stay like this,” she whispered.

I froze. My heart pounded louder than the water.

“Yesterday I thought I was going to die,” she said softly. “I couldn’t tell which way was up. Then you grabbed me. I’ve never been so scared.”

“Sorry about the… grabbing,” I muttered.

“You saved me. That’s all that matters.”

She stepped in front of me, cheeks flushed, and cupped my face. Before I could react she leaned in and kissed me—soft, quick, trembling.

“Th-that’s your reward,” she said, finger pressed to her lips. “For saving me.”

“Uh… thanks?”

She giggled. “Idiot.”

Then she looked up through her lashes. “This time… it’s your turn to kiss me.”

My breath caught. Somewhere behind us, water kept murmuring across the stones.

----- End of chapter -----