Th-this is my first date with Fio ever!!

Leon looked perfectly calm on the outside, but inside, his heart was practically overflowing.

Fio wasn't exactly happy about it, but after Leon pulled out every trick he had, he finally managed to get some time alone with the girl he loved.

After going through a few things together, Leon was sure Fio still had a soft spot for him. So, while Vivian was away from home studying, he seized his chance and made the first move.

Sorry, little sis. Today your big brother's stealing your girl. I can't let you have Fio!

“By the way, is it really okay for me to walk around in public like this?” Fio asked cautiously as they made their way down the street.

“It shouldn't be a problem. Last time, I asked the Great Sage to use a memory-wiping spell. Everyone involved had their memories erased, so basically no one knows who summoned the iceberg.”

“Then why did you keep me locked up for so long?!”

The two chatted as they walked, and soon they arrived at the Adventurers' Guild.

Under Leon's “encouraging” (read: coercive) gaze, the shy silver-haired girl steeled herself and accepted a quest to clear out some slimes.

“What? So someone like you can actually manage something this basic after all.” Leon couldn't help complimenting Fio.

“You're the first person who's ever pushed me this far...”

Grumbling all the while, Fio gripped her staff and followed Leon out of the city to the forest on the outskirts.

The quest wasn't especially easy for low-level adventurers, since attacking a slime would attract the Slime King.

Slimes could withstand any attack below LV30, so everyone was amazed that Fio had simply accepted the quest.

“Why have we been walking for so long without seeing a single slime? How am I supposed to finish the quest like this?”

As she searched the forest for a target, Fio couldn't help complaining.

How can I let you find the Slime King this soon? Leon snickered to himself. He was wearing a bracelet that repelled lesser monsters, after all.

Slime King, keep running! I need to make the most of this precious chance to date Fio.

Leon prayed that his plan would go smoothly, hoping to spend a little time alone with Fio.

“Leon, I see a slime!”

Leon looked where Fio was pointing and spotted a slime.

The bracelet repelled lesser monsters, but it didn't mean they wouldn't encounter even a single one.

The moment she spotted her target, Fio happily prepared to cast a spell, but Leon stopped her.

“Stop.”

“Huh... What's wrong?”

Fio looked at him in confusion.

“Don't use a spell.” Leon handed Fio the women's one-handed sword he'd prepared. “Fight it up close.”

“I'm a mage, not a warrior!”

“Can you even call yourself a mage if you can't fight up close?”

“Haaah?!”

Fio picked up the sword, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

Actually, Leon wasn't wrong. Mages in this world usually learned at least a little close-quarters combat. Fio, a pure firepower turret with zero melee ability, was the odd one out.

“Hurry up. The slime's getting away. There'll be a penalty if you don't finish the quest.”

“Damn you, you sadistic harem-loving scumbag...”

Fio charged forward with her sword.

Her close-combat skills were a complete mess, but her stats gave her the advantage. She eventually took the slime down like someone swatting a mosquito with a meteor hammer—it took her ten minutes of pounding before it finally died.

“Huff, huff...”

Fio braced her hands on her knees and panted.

“Your stamina's terrible.”

“Mind your own business... It's not like it has anything to do with you.”

Then Leon said something that made Fio's brain shut down on the spot.

“With stamina that bad, how are you going to give birth if you ever get pregnant?”

“...”

“...”

“...”

A deathly silence fell between them.

Oh, shit, what am I saying?! Leon regretted it so much he wanted to slap himself. He'd let his inner thoughts slip out without meaning to.

Fio's face had already gone ashen. You could practically see her opinion of Leon plummeting.

In her eyes, Leon = scumbag. That was common knowledge by now.

This is bad. Fio's already starting to tremble. Say something to ease the tension! Leon, think!

Leon let his gaze wander, forcing himself to speak.

“Um, don't worry about what I just said. That's something for the future, anyway...”

“So it's already decided?!”

Sweat began to trickle down Leon's forehead. The more flustered he got, the less he thought before he spoke.

“I've always been the type to speak my mind. I've said things like that to other girls, too...”

“So you want to get other girls pregnant, too! Y-you're awful! You womanizer!”

Damn it. It seemed his reputation had sunk to an even lower low.

Leon had no idea how to fix things, so he simply shut his mouth. Fio didn't dare say anything, either.

They kept searching for slimes, trying to pretend nothing had happened, but a delicate awkwardness settled between them.

Leon didn't want things to turn out this way. He'd gone to all that trouble to arrange a date, only for one careless remark to ruin it. He couldn't let that happen! He had to turn things around.

He remembered talking it over with a friend before. The quickest way to cheer a girl up was to compliment her.

So Leon decided to tell Fio exactly what he thought of her: how cute she was, and just how much he liked her!

“Fio.”

“Y-yes...?”

Fio took a frightened step back when he called her name.

Leon was hurting inside, but he still didn't plan to give up.

“There's something I want to tell you.” Leon raised his voice. “Honestly, I really like dragons like you. You're interesting because you're different from ordinary humans.”

“You have a thing for nonhumans...?”

“Of course, I really like your human form, too. For example, your...”

Leon fixed his sharp gaze on Fio and looked her up and down.

“Your breasts are... great! No excess fat, so they're convenient for fighting. A really excellent size!”

“...!!”

But it didn't seem to help. Fio's expression grew even worse.

“You're a little mischievous, but you listen when someone talks to you properly. I like that, too. You've got a lot of potential.”

“Do you... really want to train me that badly...?”

For some reason, Fio looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Leon was at his wit's end. Something felt off. Why wasn't his friend's advice working at all?

No matter what, he had to cheer Fio up. He should just tell her how he really felt. Yes, like in a novel—confess your feelings, and everything would work out perfectly!

With that in mind, Leon smiled and said, “Fio, you're amazing in every way. You're incredibly useful.”

“...”

“...”

“S-someone help me!”

Fio fled in terror, crying out as she ran.

Watching the girl he loved run away, Leon turned to stone, becoming a colorless statue.