As Dila turned away from the apple stall, still mourning the tragic tale of the apple that could've been, she sighed with the aura of a defeated heroine in a snack drama.
She was three steps into moving on emotionally when—
"I'll take that red apple, please. And the rest of the bundle."
She froze.
No… it can't be…
Turning slowly like she was in a horror movie reveal, Dila saw Sarios standing at the stall, his black knight armor gleaming, his cape dramatically fluttering even though there was no wind.
Behind him, Stella walked up, barely able to hold in her laughter, hands over her mouth like she just heard a royal knight try to sing.
Sarios glanced at Dila, lifted the apple like a sacred offering, and said, dead serious:
"Hey. Wait. I think you might need this."
Dila's face went pale.
In her mind: Why is he here again!? Can I just have one broke moment in peace!?
Sarios bowed respectfully like he was delivering the Holy Apple of Destiny.
"Just a hunch."
Dila's entire brain was short-circuiting.
Bro, it's just an apple, not a health potion of destiny!
Stella, meanwhile, was giggling so hard now her shoulders bounced.
"Fufufu~ He even picked the shiniest one!" she teased.
Sarios stood firm, apple held out like an oath.
Dila awkwardly accepted it with two trembling hands, eyes twitching.
"…Thanks," she muttered, trying not to scream internally.
☆ Aww~ Look at that. A knight bringing fruit to his princess~ ☆ Nari chimed in sweetly.
"SHUT. UP." Dila mentally screamed, while outside, she gave a very forced, tiny smile like someone trying not to combust.
Meanwhile, the apple just sparkled in her hand, innocent and unaware of the emotional war it just caused.
Dila clutched the apple like it was a ticking embarrassment bomb and awkwardly bowed her head.
"Thank you… I am leaving now," she muttered, turning around stiffly like a malfunctioning puppet and walking away with the grace of a fleeing pancake.
Behind her, Sarios gave a respectful half-bow—not too deep, but just enough to make it weirdly princely.
And that's when the real disaster began.
The bustling street… went quiet.
Vendors, who were mid-shouts of "Get your fish!" and "Chickens for sale!" slowly tapered off as everyone turned toward the oddly regal scene. Murmurs swept through the air like wildfire.
"Is that elf important…?"
"Maybe she's a noble?"
"No, no, I think she's the Hero's fiancée!"
"Are they shooting a drama??"
"…That apple looked expensive."
Dila's face twitched. Her ears flopped. She felt violently visible.
Meanwhile, Stella held back another giggle, failing, and finally burst out laughing with both hands on her hips.
"What a show you're putting on, Mr. Knight~!"
Sarios responded without flinching. "It is my duty."
Stella nearly doubled over. "Duty, he says! Hahaha!"
Dila didn't know where to look anymore. Is there a stealth spell I can cast to disappear?? Just a patch of dirt I can fall into? A chicken I can ride off into the sunset?
She turned back with the most broken, customer-service-level smile she could muster.
"Um… Can you two please stop following me?"
Sarios blinked innocently. "Of course, my lady."
Stella just waved with a knowing smirk. "We're not following~ We're just… going the same direction!"
☆ You know, I never thought I'd see you this happy, Master. ☆ Nari's voice cooed in her mind.
"Happy?! I'm being stalked with chivalry!!" Dila mentally cried.
☆ He gave you an apple~ That's basically a marriage proposal in some villages. ☆
"Come ooooon!!" Dila groaned in her head, while forcing a polite smile that said "I'm fine" but her eyes screamed "send help."
And with that, she walked faster—like a highly embarrassed elf on a mission to escape public attention… armed only with a shiny apple and a crumbling sense of peace.
As Dila walked a bit farther from the scene of public emotional damage, she finally plopped herself onto the edge of a low stone bench near a flower box. She looked around—no suspicious knights in sight. The coast was clear.
She stared at the red apple in her hands.
"…Tch. Might as well eat it."
She wiped it on her clothes with a dramatic sigh, like she was polishing a legendary artifact instead of fruit, and then… took a bite.
Crunch.
Her eyes widened. She froze.
Her legs curled inward slightly. Her cheeks puffed.
In her mind, silence.
And then—
"Nari…" she whispered in her mind. "This… this apple…"
☆ Yes, Master? Is it poisoned? Should I scan it? ☆
"No, Nari… it's…"
She clutched the apple with both hands, as if holding a newborn child. Her voice trembled.
"…This is the most delicious thing I have ever put in my mouth…"
☆ …Huh. ☆
"The texture is… is divine."
She took another bite, almost crying now. "The balance of sweetness and acidity is… perfect. It's like it was grown in heaven… kissed by the sun… washed in unicorn tears…"
She sniffled.
"I wasn't emotionally ready for this, Nari. I thought this would be a casual bite… not a spiritual awakening."
☆ Are you seriously crying over an apple, Master? ☆
"I'm not crying!! It's just—my eyes are sweating from the flavor!!"
She smiled softly through her totally-not-tears and cradled the apple close, like it deserved a name.
The world around her faded.
The shouts of vendors returned. People bustled and passed her by. But in that small, sacred moment…
She wasn't a transmigrated elf, or a shy support mage, or a confused ex-boy.
She was just a girl eating the apple of the gods.
And for once, everything was okay.
Just as Dila was entering her third bite of apple-induced enlightenment, a loud, sharp voice shattered the peace.
"GIVE ME THAT DAMN MEAT!"
Her ears twitched. Her entire jaw paused mid-chew.
Her face flattened into a deadpan expression.
"…Oh no."
Near one of the stalls stood a man—tall, broad-shouldered, and cloaked in rough fabric. His face was hidden beneath a black, cracked mask that gave him the perfect look of "random mini-boss encounter." He had the poor meat vendor clutched by the collar, practically lifting him off the ground.
The crowd froze. Murmurs buzzed. Children had vanished. The chickens stopped clucking. Even the twitching fish had gone respectfully silent.
Dila stood up slowly, the apple still in her hand.
She sighed, muttering under her breath, "Can't I just enjoy one fruit without something exploding?"
Then, still chewing, she dropped the apple core into her [Spatial Storage] like a dramatic mic drop.
Her hand moved upward as she whispered in her mind, [Summon – Arcane Magic Staff].
The air shimmered.
A moment later, her long, elegant wand appeared in her grip—its sleek silver-blue surface humming with quiet magical resonance.
She pointed it forward, trying to channel Earthrea: Golem Formation, but her hands were trembling.
The wand tip sparked faintly.
"…Crap," she muttered. Her knees weren't exactly steady. It wasn't fear—it was more like not again syndrome mixed with secondhand embarrassment.
Just as she was about to push forward with shaky determination—
A calm, solid voice cut through the tension.
"Stop right there."
It wasn't loud, but it carried like steel through velvet. The masked thug's grip loosened. The vendor dropped back onto his feet, gasping.
Dila turned and blinked.
Standing just a few meters away—perfectly composed—was Sarios. One hand rested on the hilt of his sacred longsword. His red eyes locked onto the masked thug. His red cape fluttered just slightly as if nature was collaborating on his heroic presence.
The crowd stirred. A few gasped.
The masked man turned and scoffed.
"…A hero, eh?"
Meanwhile, Dila—still holding her slightly jittery wand—stared blankly and spoke in her mind.
"Of course it's him. Always him. He's like an anti-snack alarm."
☆ A masked meat thief versus a knight in black armor. Classic RPG scenario, Master. ☆
"If he bows again in the middle of this, I swear—I'm gonna cast Dispel Dignity. I will."