Chapter 24: The Long Climb

"Ha, ha…"

My legs are on fire as I continue to peddle up the hill on the mountain bike I was given, the vibrant green pastures of one of Leanbox's parks slowly scrolling by. This was supposedly a "simple bike ride" according to Lady Vert. I was expecting a short ride around a park, not a gruelling hilly climb that made me regret being born.

My lungs flare up, sending shocks, shivers, and pain through my body. Despite the heat of summer that's been slowly approaching, the icy cold feeling of what is either death or sweat rolls down my back.

"Ha, ha…"

I gently squeeze the brakes, coming to a stop, where I dismount and take a break underneath the shade of a tree. Leaving my bike leaning up against it, I take several large breathes to the tune of summer cicadas loud cries of mi-i-n, mi-i-n, mi-i-n.

"Heeeey!"

I peek my head out of the shade and look up the stairs that form a shortcut up the hill, finding Lady Vert waving while dressed in a dark green tracksuit with white stripes running down the sides. Sheesh, no mercy, huh…?

"You don't have to go the whole way, just take the stairs if you're too tired!"

I quietly nod, giving a thumbs up. I briefly consider walking up the stairs and dragging the bike with me, but… for some reason, I feel like I can't. Mounting the bike, I push off, continuing the long, long climb up the hill.

It's agonizingly hot, with summer apparently set to be at record highs this year, but I keep pushing myself. I just feel like I can't give in, if Lady Vert is watching. Especially since Lady Vert was the one who prepared and apparently is giving this bike to me. I have to try.

The bike ride itself should've only taken about five minutes, as it wasn't that steep from there and was fairly smooth. For me, it takes nearly fifteen to twenty minutes as I'm moving at a snail's pace, my legs needing a break every now and then.

"S-soooooh…"

My apology to Lady Vert as I catch up to her spills out of my mouth. I'm just too out of breath to finish, but she only smiles, patting me on the head.

"Come on, it's just a bit further."

My body yells in protest, but as I prepare to mount my bike again, Lady Vert shakes her head.

"No, we'll walk."

I can only quietly nod in thanks as I lean on my bike, pushing it along. I'm also rather self-conscious about my smell, as no doubt there must be a gallon of sweat laced into my clothes. But on the other hand, there's a slightly sweet smell coming from Lady Vert, as… embarrassing as that is to admit. It's likely some form of deodorant, of which I only wish I had thought to put on before heading out this morning.

To put a very long story short, Lady Vert had woken me up at about nine o'clock in the morning, saying that she had a surprise for me. She then presented me with some equipment and asked me to accompany her on her usual rather lonesome bike rides.

I was a bit nervous at first, but Lady Vert managed to successfully convince me by saying it would be a good idea to have us be seen together in public as friends. I had just given this big super speech about it and this was a good way to live what I preached. Convinced or suckered by that argument, I went along with her for what could only be described as a ride to hell.

The people snapping pictures, the reporters trying to bug us at the start, they hadn't been the worst part, honestly. The worst past had been this absolute nightmare of a climb, even if it wasn't steep, it was a marathon to keep going.

"I'm surprised you didn't just take the stairs."

"I… didn't make it this far taking shortcuts, Lady Vert."

"Ufufu, quite the manly response." She says, giggling. "And it's okay to call me just Vert. You do that for all the others, right?"

"Ah, I didn't know if, you know…"

"Oh, we definitely have that kind of relationship." Lady Vert says, flashing a teasing smile at me. "We're almost there, I promise."

What feels like a mile later, but I'm sure is only a few ten or at most, a hundred feet, Lady Vert stops and points. Her silky, pale hand stretches out over the view of Leanbox, sparkling and shimmering in the summer heat. You can even see the ocean and beaches from here, too.

"I heard from a little birdie you happen to like nice views."

"I wish I could take a picture."

"Ah, I'll take one for you."

That was the other strange thing about this stay at Leanbox. Lady Vert kindly asked of me to turn over my gaming console and my phone, as this was a trip to get away from the press but also that I should take the time to distance myself from "them", with who that was being very obvious, and be able to clear my head. As Lady Vert asked so politely, I couldn't bring myself to refuse or even negotiate, though I still can't help but feel a bit vulnerable without my phone. I have a feeling that Lady Blanc had some part of this, as this definitely seems to be like something Lady Blanc suggested as part of her discussion with Lady Vert.

"Here, here."

I raise an eyebrow as I lower the kickstand and make my way to Lady Vert, who's beckoning me to come closer. I suppose she wants to make sure I like the picture. But, as soon as I'm within arm's reach, she pulls me in and wraps an arm around the back of my neck, holding me close.

"Wha-wha-what—!"

"And, smiiiile!"

I quickly force a grin, then sigh as Lady Vert lets go of me, smiling to herself.

"Aaaand, upload!"

"Wait, what?"

"Well, we are getting the world used to you being around us as friends, right? Oh my, lots of favorites already, hehehe. But, now comes the most fun part."

"That is…?"

"You've worked really hard to climb up here, so now we can coast down. The path from here is one big loop, so we'll just be able to head back from where we started."

"Oh, I see."

"So, ready up! Just let the wind rush by you!"

Lady Vert, in a single fluid motion, elegantly launches herself in an acrobatic leap over her bike, holding onto the handlebars in order to pivot right on it to mount her bike, taking off. I do my best to stumble back onto mine, following her down.

The smooth pavement makes for an easy ride, the wind whistling through the helmet. My body cools down despite the sun beating down on my back, the air dancing across my skin as a light breeze from behind kicks in. Up ahead, Lady Vert's hair shimmers in a golden, fluffy flurry despite being capped by her helmet.

It really is quite the beautiful sight.

Maybe it is a good thing that I came to Leanbox, I think to myself as the whiiiiir of bike gears fills the air, adding to the harmony of cicada cries and flapping birds. It's a strange feeling, far removed from the suburbia of Planeptune, the dense and efficient city of Lastation, and Lowee's snow capped villages. The lush green scenery gives a sense of renewal. A rush of flower petals, of summer blooms, all of it is just… so peaceful.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Thank you, erm, Vert." I say as she brakes to slow down, coming back to match my speed. "Even if my legs do feel like jelly."

"Well, you have to work hard to get this kind of beautiful view, you know.."

"Mhm."

"So, does this mean we can go for daily bike rides?"

"Ahaha…"

"Well, we won't do something like this for a while. We'll work up to it, okay?"

"Lady Vert?"

She flashes me a knowing smile. "Something tells me that you'd like to make your way up here some time again. It's why you didn't take the stairs, right?"

"Ah, well… I didn't want to disappoint, is all."

"Hehe, well, I suppose that works too. But it'll be a nice goal, right?"

I look back for a second, seeing the hilltop slowly disappearing behind us. "...yeah, it'll be nice, Lady Vert."

"Vert."

"Oh, sorry, I slipped up again, didn't I?"

"Twice, actually. It must be a reflex for you, after all." She says, giving me a comforting smile that I can't help but return. It feels almost like she's a real older sister. Maybe IF's opinion of Lady Vert needs some changing—

"Excuuuuuuse me!"

"B-bwAAAH!"

I scream in half-terror, half-embarrassment as I hear the wooden door to the artificial hot springs burst open with a loud thud, a melodious female voice having alerted me as well.

"My, this is my Basilicom. It's not that unexpected that I'd be here, Elliot."

"I am both incredibly honored and yet incredibly terrified by the fact you recognize my voice already."

"Well, you are the only man I've ever let in here, it's very much expected I'd know who's here."

Lady Vert's voice echoes off the rocks, making it sound like it's coming from all around me despite knowing where exactly she must be standing. I don't dare turn around or even so much as get up despite all of the steam to confirm this is the case, however.

"Ah, o-of course. G-good evening, Vert. I was just on my way out, if you'll excuse me."

"And if I ask you to stay for some company?"

"I must recommend to you that you do not."

"Hehe. Well then, I will take your advice into account as long as you say that to me, right to my face."

Perhaps this is karma laughing at my hubris for ignoring IF's advice or having ever doubted it in the first place. I make a mental promise never to ignore IF's advice again when it comes to dealing with the goddesses.

I'm glad I decided to put on some swim trunks, being a little too embarrassed to get in with just a towel. Taking a deep breath, I turn around and close my eyes, preparing myself.

"It doesn't count if you don't open your eyes!"

I suppress a groan as I steady myself. Sharply inhaling, I then slowly open my eyes while exhaling…

...finding Lady Vert giggling as she's wearing a dark green… what I assume is some kind of light swim parka over her body, though it's left open to just where some of the competition swimsuit, which clings tightly to her body, is visible.

"Good job. So?"

"Um, I'll be leaving now, as I recommend you don't stay with me." I say, locking my gaze with hers. "And um, you might get heatstroke."

"My, are you perhaps asking me to—"

"If you'll excuse me!"

With that, I go for the door to the changing room, Lady Vert's giggles filling the air behind me.

"Oh, and you know, IF says you need to build some muscle, but I think that's only because she hasn't seen you shirtless."

I give yet another embarrassed yelp as I nearly yank the door off of its hinges in order to get into the changing room, only feeling relatively safe once I hear it click shut behind me. I really can't let my guard down around Lady Vert, can I…?

I decide then, after changing, to go make a snack to clear my head. It's… while all of them are beautiful, it's hard to deny that Lady Vert has the most… raw physical appeal to the eyes. It's quite the um… yes. At least with the tracksuit she wore earlier today, her figure was obscured. I don't have that uh… luxury if she's wearing a swimsuit, though.

At the very least, her… secretary? Adopted younger sister? Whatever role she filled, the young woman named Chika was sent out on something. IF told me that Chika was, in her words, "swinging so hard for Vert I'd feel sorry for the baseball if it ever hit", and if I thought Uni was bad I had seen nothing yet. Lady Vert was very transparent to me about it though, in that she had sent Chika away on a vacation for not just my protection, but also my sanity, as I had well enough things to deal with as it was.

After I reach the kitchen, I decide to make some sponge cake. It'll take less time to prepare than cream bread, anyways.

"She was really thorough, wasn't she…"

I notice it as I look through the cabinets, having found a note that said "Make whatever you want~" followed by a heart sign, that Lady Vert must have labeled and organized the cabinets, along with listing what ingredients were in each one. Judging by the tape and the state of the index cards, they seem pretty recently placed.

"Cake flour, vanilla extract… okay, that was in the last cabinet. Not to mention that this is the high class stuff, too."

This is way beyond what I normally get. This is the kind of ingredient I'd buy if I was baking a cake for a close friend and really wanted to shine. But Lady Vert did say to use it as I wanted, and I suppose she'd like some cake.

Besides, I can relax for a short while, I guess. Not to mention this is a good chance to experiment a bit with some recipes.

It doesn't take that long to mix it up and preheat the oven. As I don't have much else to do, I simply sit around and watch the cake slowly rise up in said oven, humming to myself.

"I take it that everything is to your liking, Elliot?"

"Oh, um, hello, L—Vert," I say, correcting myself, "yes, everything is fantastic. I think I'll take a page out of your book and organize my own shop a little better, haha."

"I'm glad. It smells absolutely delectable, what are you baking?"

"Just some sponge cake, if you don't mind. While I wait for it to cool, I was going to make some of the cream to make it into a shortcake of sorts."

"Hmm, I see. I have no complaints."

I slowly look over my shoulder, forcing myself not to breathe a sigh of relief when I see Lady Vert, thankfully having put on some clothing and in her usual outfit now.

"Hmhm, where are you looking~?"

"J-just wanted to make sure you were dressed properly, is all. A swim parka is um, it's good, but definitely not for a hot springs."

"Oh, thank you for worrying. Maybe I should let you help me out next time."

I let out yet another yelp of surprise, Lady Vert giggling at my reaction. She's having too much fun with this, but I can't help that I'm such an easy target.

"My, I thought you'd put up a bit more of a fight. I heard you had a girlfriend back in the day."

"Ah, well… I guess I never exactly got over my weakness of teasing. I'm an open book, after all."

"That's very true. Oh, but I did want to ask you something. And I'm quite serious about this one, no teasing."

I turn towards Lady Vert and nod. "Of course, what is it?"

"I was considering training you in combat."

"Huh?"

"I think it might help you become a bit more assertive and find a little more confidence in yourself. You won't become an expert or anything, but I think it could help you."

"Ah, well… it's not like I have much else to do. I'll give it a shot, if you think it might help. I don't have any experience with weapons at all, though."

"That's fine, I can teach you."

Ah, so it seems I'll be learning how to use a spear, then. It seems like a fairly complex weapon, though. Then again, anything seems complex to me regarding fighting. I can't say I'm very scared, because I'm sure that Lady Vert won't do anything to endanger me, but the thought of actually holding a weapon and using it is definitely… not in line at all with my usual way of doing things. But, if she thinks it'll help me for when I return to, uh, normalness, then I'll do it.

That, and it is still a bit hard to say 'no' to Lady Vert. It's not so much that she's unfriendly, but rather the… opposite. And unlike Lady Neptune, she's got more… presence, let's put it that way.

"But, if you'd rather not, we can always go for butler training instead. You can already cook and bake quite well, can't you?"

"Er, if possible, I'd like to avoid that…"

"A bit disappointing." Lady Vert says with a teasing smile. "And I believe that would be the oven going off. Perhaps we'll have to wait to eat it until after dinner, though. Actually, that's the main reason I came to look for you. Is there anything you'd like in particular?"

I shake my head, looking for the oven mitts. "I'm fine eating whatever you order, Lady Vert."

"Ohoho, quite the dangerous game you're playing, but okay. I'll be back, then."

Fortunately, dinner ends up being rather normal, as Lady Vert simply decided to get noodle dishes for the both of us. It's rather difficult to make conversation during dinner, though, as only the sound of the TV playing some sports news fills the air. I mostly focus on trying to carefully balance the consumption of meat, noodles, and vegetables.

"Is something the matter, Elliot?"

"Um, no, everything's fine, Vert." I say, looking up at her. "Is… does it seem like something is wrong?"

"You just became less talkative, is all. Is there something on your mind?"

"Ah, it's just… I don't quite know what to talk to you about. I don't know you very well."

"Ahaha, of course. We have only just met, after all." Lady Vert says, putting her chopsticks down. "Hmm… oh, I know!"

She suddenly stands up, an excited look on her face. "I have a small kitchenette in my room, so I'll go there for this, but I happen to like brewing drinks as well. Why don't we both make our specialties and exchange them?"

I put my own chopsticks down and nod. "I think that sounds fine. Should we pack away dinner for now?"

"Oh, yes, of course, of course. Sorry, I'm just a bit excited about this, is all~"

Despite the excitement oozing from her, Lady Vert never quite loses that sort of mature air around her. Even with that big smile on her face, she's kept mostly composed. But, the pressure is definitely on.

Making my specialty drink, huh…? That's a tall order.

After the proposition, we quickly clean everything up, leaving only me in the kitchen. I'm not exactly sure I quite have a "specialty" drink. I learned to make just about anything on the menu, so there's nothing I quite excel in. Even if my latte art was coming along, it definitely wasn't my specialty.

Let's see, there's also hot chocolate, but that's not exactly my specialty. It's quite different than the taste of coffee, though, and I've gotten pretty good at it since it's my go-to drink for when I think IF could use some cheering up. Mgh…

Well, I suppose that in the end, even if latte art isn't my specialty, I did end up making quite a lot of lattes with all of my failed attempts back in the day. I'll settle for that.

The time flies by as I work the hardest I ever have on a single cup of coffee before. But, despite how nervous I am that I'll be presenting my work to Lady Vert, I'm still able to do it all on pure instinct. There's no need to measure, because I've done this a thousand times by this point.

"Ha…" I let out a sigh of relief as I put the steamed milk down, happy that my trial is over with.

Perhaps it could be called the greatest cup of coffee I've ever prepared, but probably not. A single latte cup, with the art on top formed into the shape of a fluffy rabbit.

"My, tired already? It isn't even nightfall yet." Lady Vert's voice echoes through the room as she steps back into the kitchen, holding onto a teapot.

"No, of course not. Just… a bit exhausted from going all out." I say, putting on a smile. "Please, enjoy."

"Ah, then allow me to pour you a cup of tea as well. It'll go quite well with your cake, won't it?"

"Mhm."

With rehearsed splendor, Lady Vert elegantly pours out a single cup of green tea from her glass teapot, which is ornately decorated with a beautiful green pattern full of spirals. I can already tell that tea is no doubt quite the hobby of hers, her enthusiasm somewhat reminding me of my days of when I first inherited the coffee shop.

As she sets the table, putting my cup of coffee and her cup of tea out, I cut a slice of the cake for each of us, putting them on saucers before bringing them to the table. When I sit down, I can already smell the familiar scent of tea emanating from the cup.

"Green tea, I see."

"Oh, you can tell?"

"It has a fairly distinct smell to me."

"As expected of you." Lady Vert says with a smile. "But, I think while we enjoy the fruits of each other's labor, it might be a good time to talk about plans going forward. While three weeks might seem like a long time, time has a tendency to fly by. If there's ever anything you'd like to do, don't hesitate to bring it up. After all, think of this as an extended vacation, for all of the hard work you've put in."

"I don't think I've done anything too much in terms of hard work."

"Well—mhm, this coffee has quite the smooth texture to it—ah, sorry. You might not think so, but this definitely has shifted the game. I'm sure that we'll all feel a little more emboldened to make friendships and be more public about it at the end of all of this."

"Ah… Blanc did say something similar to that regard."

"So, for being the first one who has to bear all of the spotlight, don't be afraid to ask for something to help you relax. Or if there's an experience that you'd like to try out, it shouldn't be hard to arrange it."

"Alright, I'll keep it in mind." I say, sipping on her green tea. It's… wow. I've prepared green tea on occasion at my shop since it's on the menu, but this is… quite different. It's a world apart, though with how she seemed very comfortable pouring the tea out, I'm sure she's gotten to the point she could prepare this even while blindfolded.

"It seems like you've taken a liking to what I've prepared."

"I'm honored to receive something like this."

"Ufu, you don't have to be so stiff. Oh, though, since we did talk about you perhaps doing some training to gain a bit more confidence, I think it's worth discussing what you'll use."

"Well, I have no idea what to use. I've never even thought of getting into a fight, let alone fighting monsters."

"Hmm, that's true. We should start you off with something simple, then. While I use the spear, there's a weapon I think that would suit you much better."

"Really?" I ask, taking a bite out of the sponge cake I worked on earlier. Ah, it turned out wonderfully.

"Yes, and I'm quite familiar with its usage, too. Before you ask, a very close friend of mine used it. In fact, they still use it today as their primary weapon."

"Oh, wow."

While I trust Lady Vert, the glimmer of her smile tells me that maybe, I should hesitate for a second. However, when it comes to Lady Vert in general, it's hard to… actually tell what to be careful of and what not to be careful of. Thus, I offer a prayer in my heart to Lady Neptune that this is something I don't need to be wary of.

"But, I think it'll be more fun to keep it a surprise until tomorrow. Is that fine with you?"

"Er… well, I guess I don't have much of a choice, so okay."

"Hmhm, but, let's not sour the present with talk of tomorrow. This coffee has quite the smooth texture. In fact, it feels so light, almost as if I'm drinking a cloud itself."

"Thank you for such the high praise, Vert. Although, I must say something similar about your tea. I'm not the best at preparing it, so the fact yours has such a pronounced flavor and texture makes me slightly envious."

"Can you guess the secret ingredient, perhaps?"

I close my eyes and have another sip and smell. I can't detect any hints of cinnamon or mint. It doesn't have that kind of flavoring that lemonade would give, lacking in that kind of tart sweetness. There isn't that much sweetness to be some kind of fruit or honey, either. It feels somewhat brothy, but not fluffy enough to be milk.

What could it possibly be…? I've exhausted my list of go to options… what else would you even mix in with green tea? I can understand black tea a little more, but this is… I'm missing something.

"My, you're really quite struggling."

I go over the list again, thinking of every last ingredient. Cinnamon, mint, lemonade, fruit syrup, honey, vanilla syrup, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, caramel, sugar, creamer, milk, steamed milk, yogurt, pudding, evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream cheese even, but nothing is fitting.

"I give up."

"So that means you'll accept a penalty game, won't you?"

"Eh?" I ask, quickly opening my eyes, but finding myself quickly blinded by what can only be a gloved hand. "W-wha, I didn't agree to this, Vert!"

I hear her giggle as the hands come off, revealing in front of me a small box labeled… puffed rice…? I'm not familiar with that.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to spoil the surprise." She says, sitting back in her chair.

"The fact you moved so quietly frightens me." I say, trying to take a sip of green tea to calm myself down.

"My, my, are you worried that I'll ambush you in your room?" The smile on her face that appears after I start coughing gives me the feeling as if she's saying "too easy". "IF must have warned you, hm? I'm not exactly unaware of the many jokes they like to make."

"I had warnings from others, yes."

"From IF?"

"I would not like to reveal my sources."

"Very brave of you, Elliot." Lady Vert says, chuckling. "But I suppose I don't exactly do that much to… disprove them. Besides, it's all in good fun, in the end, much like how we like to tease Noire about not having very many friends or Neptune about her laziness."

"Er, if I might be so rude…"

"Yes?" She asks, not breaking in her stride. "Ah, I know what you mean to ask. Neptune is indeed quite lazy and Noire does also not have a lot of friends, so you're surely meaning to ask if their jokes have any bit of truth to them, don't you?"

"That's terrifying."

"Knowing how a man thinks is one of a woman's greatest weapons, Elliot."

"I'm surprised you would give up a secret like that."

"If that was a secret, then you must have had quite the interesting relationship in high school, based on what I've heard." Lady Vert says, wagging a finger. "Well, there's a bit of truth to it. I do enjoy the occasional… steamy game. I just happen to be a little more open about it than the others."

"Oh, I… I see." I say, feeling my cheeks get a bit flushed.

"Hehehe, you're blushing quite a bit. My, you're like an innocent school girl learning about the world at large for the first time."

"Please… don't word it like that." I say, scratching my cheek. "I, ah, appreciate the honesty."

Lady Vert chuckles, holding a hand over her mouth in a very regal like manner before she lifts her cup of coffee. "I thought you'd be far more resistant to that kind of teasing, having had a girlfriend."

"Well… that was a while back. It's been a while since I've actually had anyone, so any resistance I built up probably is gone."

"She did seem like a wonderful kind of woman, though. A real go-getter attitude to her."

"Sounds like Melanie, alright."

"Oh, and I almost forgot, in the rush, but she asked me to pass a letter to you."

"She did?" I ask, putting my cup down.

"Mhm. I can go get it for you, if you'd like."

"Oh, of… of course, yes!"

There were two notes, actually. One was relatively recent, but the other one… looked fairly old. Like it had been written years ago, with how the paper was all crusted up.

But, I didn't need that level of intuition, not after having read the recent note, which was an explanation of what the other one was. The older one was a letter that was written to me after the first year of her being at college, approximately one year after we had broken up.

For now, it sits in one of the suitcases I had packed for my trip to Leanbox, as I'm admittedly too afraid to open it. I honestly don't know what I'm quite afraid of, though. It's been years and both of us have grown up, understanding that we'll never quite go back to how we were before. So really, there should be nothing I need to be afraid of.

"Guoh!"

I'm knocked out of my thoughts by something sliding up against my ankles, which then sweeps to the left hard, causing me to fall.

"You can't be distracted, Elliot. If you let your guard down for even a second, you could get seriously hurt."

I push myself back up, readjusting my grip on the wooden katars that Lady Vert got for me. They're kind of like boxing gloves, in a way, but bladed just above the knuckles. It almost feels like an extension of my arm, with its usage more on thrusting like a punch, but it can also be used for slashing.

Lady Vert rationalized it after checking my strength. It wasn't bad, but there was no way I could do something like wield a rather large spear. Swords were okay, but she didn't have too much experience in those. But, these weapons were fairly light and with their lack of defensive capabilities, it was better to dodge. As I was fairly quick on my feet, they suited me just fine.

"Sorry, Vert."

"It was the letter, wasn't it?" She asks. "Something like that is bound to distract you."

"I really am an open book, aren't I?"

"There's nothing wrong with that. But, here, you have to learn to clear your head and think calmly. There's a time and place for letting one's emotions and passions run wild, after all~"

"Right. Sorry, I won't get distracted again."

I tighten my grip on the 'H' shaped hand grips and get into position again. My feet are positioned in the way Lady Vert told me to, wide enough to give me a good sense of balance, but also springy enough to where I can move quickly. But seriously, this is really unfair. My arms aren't short due to my height, but Lady Vert definitely has some reach with her weapon.

Geez, this is really like that one annoying boss in Four Goddesses Online that has a sweeping attack. Lady Noire always had an issue with it due to being a close range fighter. I didn't have too much trouble being support and also using magic to attack from the backlines.

"Hmhmm… you look pretty serious. But you won't be able to score a hit if all you do is hang back."

I exhale, slowly moving forward. Even if Lady Vert is holding back, it's definitely not easy to move in close to her. Plus, even with her blunted wooden spear and the padded armor I have on for training, it still really stings.

What a trial by fire, though. At the very least, I've learned roughly where I can stand before Lady Vert's movements are too fast for me to react to, so I hover just a bit outside her range. With how strong she is, there's no sense in blocking. But on the other hand, I can't dodge that well either with how fast she is.

She must seriously be holding back, though. There's no way a complete amateur like me could ever hope to get even just one scratch. I think it's more impressive that she has such command over her own skill that she can finetune it to match my skill level, that is to say, completely nonexistent, making it hard enough to be frustrating, but possible.

Letting out a battle cry, I charge in, crossing the first threshold. Lady Vert counters my movement with a thrust, right for my stomach, which would otherwise completely knock me back. After having done this for an hour, I manage to sidestep, feeling something slide up against my ribs. I don't give it much thought and take another step forward.

Though, it's not like Lady Vert simply stands still, as she takes a step back as well. After having missed with her thrust, she goes for a leg sweep, swinging low. It's a fast, swift, and small movement, and the last few times I thought to jump over it, she ended up just waiting for me to land before sweeping hard, knocking me off of my feet.

So, I step back and let the sweep go by, but now I'm back to square one.

"My, you're learning fast."

"If only I learned this fast in high school." I say, causing Lady Vert to giggle.

"Well, many of us like to go at our own pace. Are you going to continue?"

"I'm… well, I'm stuck. I really don't know what I can do to score a hit on you, like you want me to." I say, hanging my head.

"Then, it's very simple." She says, switching her grip on her spear so its back is now resting on the ground, allowing her to rest on it. "All you need to do is ask. After all, you can't accomplish everything on your own. You're quite aware of that, aren't you~?"

Right, I asked for everyone's help when it came to coming out. That's a lesson that should be engraved in my heart. I mustn't forget it.

"Then, what should I do?"

"My, my, you've grown quite bolder since I first met you. Asking a lady to reveal her weakness, just like that." Lady Vert says, smiling. "But, I think you've gained a good instinct. You're able to understand where you should stand. Now, as for how you can get closer—on your second dodge, when you step back, if you move in right when they swing by you, there's a moment where they have to stop the movement of that swing to attack again. If you had tried to close in, you might have gotten closer. And then, I don't have as much room to swing if you're too close."

"I see…"

"You must be tired, though. We can try again tomorrow."

"If it's not too much trouble, can I try now?"

"Hehe, it seems you have quite the sense of responsibility."

In a single fluid motion, Lady Vert lifts her spear off of the ground, twirling it around at such a speed it looks like a brown blur before pointing it at me.

Her voice drops almost half an octave, a bit of excitement in her eyes as she beckons me forward. "Then, come."

I wonder, as I zoom in, if this is how IF feels when she figures out a monster's weakness. But I already have a feeling that I won't just get this handed to me.

Once again, Lady Vert meets my charge with a light thrust. I step forward and to the left, sidestepping the attack. Just like last time, she steps back before I can cross the full distance of her spear, giving her time to swing again. I step back to dodge the leg sweep, but this time, as soon as it clears me, push off with my back foot and attack, reaching out for the hit.

"Not enough~"

A blur of gold comes from my right and taps me hard on the back, where my balance, already off due to the lunge, is set off even more, causing me to flop onto the light green training mats.

As I roll over, I find Lady Vert kneeling down next to me.

"Well, I certainly can't say that you did badly, but you got a little too excited. You didn't think about what might happen afterwards."

"I guess that's true." I say, sitting up. "But, if anything, it gives me a great appreciation for what you do for all of us when there's a disaster. Fighting is pretty hard, huh?"

"After many years of practice, it becomes more natural. I'm sure if you spent a month training, you'd find yourself improving quite handily. Your endurance is pretty good, though."

"Running a cafe is a lot more tiresome than it seems." I say back as Lady Vert extends a hand to me, pulling me to my feet. "Thank you very much for all of this, though."

"You don't intend to stop now, do you?" She asks, letting go of my hand.

"...no, I think I don't. Besides, if it means understanding what you all go through for us a little better, I'd like to learn as much as possible. Once I go back to my usual cafe job, I won't have this kind of opportunity, after all."

"That's true. But you can always make time for it. Although, training only once a week when your store is closed is less than optimal. Though, you can make it work."

I nod as I place the katars back on the weapon rack in the training room. "We'll just have to see, then."

"Mhm, mhm. But for now, go and get showered up. There's a cafe nearby that I think you'll enjoy, plus you can get some inspiration there, too!"

"Ah, that sounds nice."

After bringing me back to my room, Lady Vert walks away with a certain pep in her step. I think back to when IF mentioned that the other goddesses have their siblings to look after, but Lady Vert lacks an equivalent in that regard. While there's no way I could ever think to see myself as something even remotely similar, it's hard to miss the fact that she seems very excited to have me here.

Well… it's not like I'm not happy to be here now. It's nice to be able to put my life on pause, just for a bit. Guess it really is an extended vacation of sorts. I'll be sure to enjoy it to the very last...

This almost got delayed because POKEMON DLC DROPPED LIKE HOT MIXTAPE, AAAAAA OH MY GOOOOOOD—A bit of a return to normalcy, haha. The Vert arc is a bit unique in that it'll be a little more focused on the usual humor shenanigans that were what made up this story before we got started into the plotline stuff.

Would you believe me if I told you that I never intended for the story to turn out the way it did, when I published it back in 2018, just a week from last Friday? Yeah, crazy, huh? It's been a wild two years, and I really appreciate you guys sticking through with me.

Either way, not much to say for this chapter. I struggled a bit to write Vert's character at the start, and come up for things the two of them could talk about, which is how I came up with the tea and coffee scene. Vert also offering to teach Elliot how to use katars was also a callback to Rebirth 1 (by the way, rip the IFxVert ship from RB1). Not that this story takes place in any particular Neptunia timeline, I wrote it specifically so it could really slot in anywhere you wanted it to. I find it easier that way as I don't have to lock myself into any particular events, I'm free just to make jokes in reference to all the games without worrying too much.

The Vert arc is admittedly a bit short, but considering the length in-story time of Elliot being there for only three weeks, I think that's fine. I wouldn't consider Vert's arc an actual "arc", per se, but moreso just like… I guess the best term for it is like a few breather episodes? After the rising tension that made up the "Revealing Elliot" segment, Vert's chapters are more going to be more lighthearted in general, just to take a breather from all of that. Not to say that the Neptune arc, which I intend to make the final arc, is going to be like, heavily dramatic or anything.

But yeah, I've gotten to the point I've written the Vert arc and am as of the time I'm writing this author note, am writing probably the bridge into the Nep arc. I might go back and add in another chapter for the Vert arc, but I also might combine it with another one. But, on the other hand, I think I'd rather just eat a self-complaint I could've paced things better rather than write a filler chapter just for sake of feeling like something was "paced better chapter-wise". Admittedly this only happened because of the first person writing and my adamant sticking to it and me playing fast and loose with my outline, as this chapter was actually two separate ones in the outline that I condensed rather than write two super short chapters. But, If I wanted better pacing to that degree the best move would just be to write a third person chapter focusing around Noire or IF, but I'm trying to stick entirely to first person here.

Either way, that was a lot of rambling, since again, not a ton to say specifically about this chapter. Maybe I should do something special for the two year anniversary of this story. Ya'll deserve it for sticking with me, this random sucker who writes fanfics, for two years and stayed on the rollercoaster. I don't know, maybe like a random QnA video or something? I don't know what you guys would want, haha.

Anyways, enough of that from me. Again, as always, with all the craziness going on in the world right now, I hope you guys are all staying safe, however much that means from a random guy on the internet. Catch you all next time!