After leaving the real estate office, Alme started walking down the street again. Unlike when she was heading to the library earlier, her steps were now much lighter. This was because her next appointment—the third one for the day—was lunch with a friend. This was truly the main event for her. She walked along the main street for a while before entering an open plaza. The large square with a fountain in the center was bustling with people as usual. The music and singing from street performers were pleasant to her ears. They were playing the town's signature tune, "Take Life Easy, Keep Love True." Delicious aromas wafted from the long line of food stalls. Being lunchtime, the area in front of the shops was crowded with people. With her spirits lifted by the cheerful atmosphere, Alme hurried towards the fountain. In the center of the fountain stood an elegant statue of a goddess, and right in front of it was the person Alme had been looking for. That person—her close friend—was waving enthusiastically at her. "Alme! Over here, over here!" "Ena, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!" Her friend's name was Ena Cole. She was Alme's childhood friend and best friend at the same time. They both were the same age. Ena's golden hair, cut neatly at shoulder length with outward-facing ends, seemed to perfectly reflect her bright and energetic personality. It suited her well. Although Ena was quite the opposite of plain Alme, perhaps it was this contrast that made them fit together like puzzle pieces. Strangely enough, they had gotten along well since they were little. They knew each other since entering elementary school at the age of six and had remained close friends ever since. Even as adults, they regularly met for lunch to catch up on each other's lives. Alme planned to share all the recent news without hesitation. Ena approached, her lively golden hair swaying and her blue eyes sparkling. "I'm starving! What do you want to eat, Alme?" "I'm fine with anything. I'll leave it up to you today, Ena." "Is that kebab stand over there okay? I've been eyeing it the whole time while I was waiting, so my mouth's already in kebab-eating mode." "Hehe, what's that supposed to mean? What kind of mouth mode is that?" Alme couldn't help but laugh at Ena's chatter. Her friend's unpretentious personality was refreshing and pleasant. Ena had a fiancé named Aiden, which happened to also be a childhood friend. Alme, Ena, and Aiden had started their friendship by chance, as their seats were close to each other in elementary school. They were still good friends, and Alme felt truly blessed by such a fortunate encounter. The two of them went to the food stand and bought kebabs filled with vegetables, meat, and plenty of sauce. They looked around and secured a table that had just become available. Ena went to buy some juice, and when she returned, their lunch time officially began. While immediately biting into her kebab, Ena casually asked with her mouth full: "How did the gift for Julio-san go? Was he happy with the scarf?" "Mmph! cough..." Right from the start, Alme was caught off guard by the direct question and accidentally choked. She had intended to talk about it anyway, but she would have preferred a bit of a lead-in. With teary eyes and still with the occasional cough, Alme began to explain. "You see, Ena... The truth is, I couldn't give him the scarf. Before I could, there was a bit of an... incident." "Eh? What happened? Did you two have a fight?" "Well, I suppose you could call it a fight... Listen without getting too shocked, okay? Believe it or not, I walked in on him cheating, and our engagement was called off right then and there." As Alme blurted it all out in one breath, Ena froze with her mouth still poised to bite into her kebab. "Eh...? Huh...?" "He had brought his affair partner into his workroom and they were getting quite... intimate." "Are you sure it wasn't some kind of misunderstanding...?" "Oh, they were definitely exchanging kisses. Definitely." Alme responded with a warped half-smile, while Ena stopped eating her kebab and exclaimed with a decidedly stern expression: "What the hell is that? He's a complete, giant idiot! I can't believe this...!!" "Yeah... I couldn't believe it either, but when I stopped by the library this morning, I saw them both there, clearly being affectionate. Apparently, Julio has already gotten engaged to his affair partner." "Huh!? How is that even possible...!? He's the worst..." Ena let out a deep sigh. As she fell silent, Alme continued speaking with a troubled expression. "I'm sorry about the scarf we picked out together as a gift." "Don't worry about that..." The light blue scarf that was meant to be a gift for Julio had been chosen with Ena's help. Alme hadn't been confident in selecting a present for a man, so she had asked Ena to come shopping with her. Alme felt guilty that despite Ena's encouragement - "Don't worry! He'll definitely love it!" - she couldn't even give him the gift in the end...

Ena looked at Alme with concern. "Forget about the scarf, but are you really okay, Alme? You haven't been bedridden from the shock, have you?" "Yes, I'm fine. Looking back, I feel like things weren't going that well from the start. It hurts less than I expected. Well, it was still a shock, of course." As she spoke, Alme recalled her days with Julio. In truth, she had been feeling a rift between them for some time. It all started with an incident in the carriage after their first meeting, when he was taking her home. "I felt too ashamed to tell even you, Ena, but... On the day of our first arranged meeting, when we were alone in the carriage, Julio tried to kiss me... I was so surprised that I rejected him. After that, he became a bit prickly... Since our relationship started with this gap between us, I guess this kind of ending was inevitable." After the already nerve-wracking first meeting, Julio suddenly put his arm around her in the carriage while trying to kiss her. Her body moved on it's own, and she ended up pushing Julio away forcefully. From then on, they maintained a relationship with a dicey atmosphere. Julio never tried to kiss her again, or even touch her. The six-month engagement gift was her attempt to bridge this gap and become closer to him. "So in the end, we were never able to patch up that rift. But maybe it was for the best," Alme concluded. "I see... I had no idea that happened... I wish you had told me," Ena said sympathetically. "Yeah, I'm sorry... Since you and Aiden get along so well, I thought I had to try hard too. I guess I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself. From now on, I'll try to take things easier. With the engagement called off, my life plans have gone out the window. I think I'll spend some time doing whatever I want." Alme finished with a smile and took a swig of her juice. As she let out a hearty exhale, Ena smiled back. "That's the spirit! So, do you have any plans in mind already?" "Yes! I'm thinking of opening up a shop on the first floor of my house again. I want to try making frozen desserts. I'll prepare ice treats with different fruits like strawberries and apples." "Oh, that sounds wonderful! Your previous juice shop was popular too, so I'm sure you'll get lots of customers! If you need an extra hand, I'd be happy to help out." The conversation shifted, and they fell into their usual cheerful chatter. As they resumed eating, Alme spoke between bites of her kebab. "I appreciate the offer to help, but aren't you and Aiden-san going to be busy with marriage preparations this year?" "It's still a ways off, and we're planning to keep the wedding simple with just the paperwork, so I have plenty of time. Ah, of course we'll at least have a small party for family and close friends, so please do come. ... Well, depending on Aiden's work situation, it might end up being postponed though." Ena's fiancé, Aiden, was a soldier. He was a combat specialist who traversed the battlefields of the black mist where monsters ran rampant. In this world, there were things called monsters. They were beings that formed when black mist gathered and began to move. They had midnight black bodies, taking on a lot of different shapes, like giant birds, insects, or beasts. It was a completly alien occurence compared to Alme's previous life, but in this world, it was viewed as something akin to a "natural disaster caused by severe weather conditions." Major cities were protected by powerful barriers created by holy maidens, so monsters couldn't enter. However, smaller towns and villages occasionally suffered significant damage. When news of monster appearances was received, nearby military units were ordered to eliminate them. Monsters appeared fairly frequently around the subcenter Luorio, so every time an order came down, Aiden was dispatched to the battlefield. Since it was impossible to predict when monsters would appear, Ena and Aiden's wedding party depended on monster activity. "When the time gets closer, I'll pray to the gods every day that no monsters show up. It's your special day, after all. We absolutely must have a party!" Alme said enthusiastically. "Yes, please do!" Ena replied. "Oh, speaking of monsters, that reminds me..." Ena suddenly changed the subject. "Hey Alme, have you seen that person everyone's talking about yet?" "Huh? What person are you referring to?" Alme was taken aback by the sudden question. She couldn't think of who this "person" might be, so she simply asked for clarification. Ena responded with an exasperated tone: "I figured as much. When I say 'that person,' I'm obviously talking about the one everyone's buzzing about. 'The White Falcon of the Far North, Falkert Laltos-sama'!" "S-Sorry... Who is that...?" Even with the name given, Alme still had no idea who Ena was talking about. Alme struggled with these kinds of topics - the latest trends and popular figures. Especially when it came to specific individuals, she was completely lost. This aspect of her hadn't changed at all from her previous life. In her past life, she had been just as clueless about celebrities. She couldn't recognize members of popular groups and often didn't even know what was trending. She was always completely out of the loop, unable to keep up with such conversations. In contrast to Alme, Ena began talking enthusiastically like a celebrity gossip expert: "Laltos-sama is a high-ranking priest who transferred to Luorio from a city in the far north about half a month ago. Everyone's calling him by the nickname 'White Falcon-sama'." Priests in this world were similar to doctors in Alme's previous life. However, the key difference was that priests could use healing magic. Unlike regular magic that people were born with, healing magic was a special type that could only be used after forming a contract with the God of Medicine. It was said that only those who had mastered medicine, pharmacology, and various other disciplines, and were recognized by the gods, could undergo the contract ritual. Being a priest was truly an elite profession. High-ranking priests were even more prestigious. Their patients were royalty, high-ranking nobles, and important national figures. When common people received treatment at temples, they were usually seen by lower-ranking priests and apprentices. Many who graduated from specialized academies chose to become town doctors without contracting with the God of Medicine. Since treatment by priests at temples was expensive, many commoners used these town doctors instead.

"Oh, so a new high-ranking priest has arrived? But aren't high-ranking priests usually stationed at the castle? Is it really something for commoners to get excited about?" Alme asked. "That's the thing! White Falcon-sama isn't assigned to the castle. He's a military priest heading to the battlefield!" Ena exclaimed. "My, that's quite unusual," Alme remarked. Military priests were clerics who stood on the frontlines with the Luorio army, treating combatants. She had heard that their job was incredibly demanding - they would instantly cast healing magic to save the lives of soldiers bitten by monsters. Alme had also heard stories of skilled military priests picking up the severed heads of soldiers torn apart by monsters and reattaching them to their bodies to revive them... though she wasn't sure if that was actually true. While she had never seen it firsthand, it was clear that their work was extraordinary. "When the Luorio army marches out, the military priests join the ranks in the procession, right? White Falcon-sama became instantly popular among the people seeing them off, despite having just arrived in this city. I hear he even has a fan club already," Ena explained. In this city, when the army departed for battle, they marched down the main street in formation as a way to boost morale and allow people to see them off. The sight of the soldiers in formation was impressive, almost like a festival event. It was very popular with tourists as well. Naturally, soldiers with striking appearances became extremely popular during these march events. Commoners would choose their "favorites" and call out to them from the streets, waving and cheering excitedly. It seemed that this White Falcon had quickly gained many fans shortly after being transferred to this city. "A fan club... that's impressive. Is he really that amazing? Have you seen him, Ena?" Alme asked curiously. "Oh yes, of course! I saw him when I went to see Aiden off. He's incredibly beautiful. With silver hair like the snow of the far north, and golden eyes that shine as sharp as a falcon's. There's even a rumor going around that 'women and children should be careful, as they might faint if they make eye contact with him'," Ena explained enthusiastically. "That's... scary. Is that some kind of curse?" Alme wondered, somewhat concerned. The idea of fainting from eye contact made her suspect some kind of magical influence. Ena burst into laughter at her comment. After her fit of laughter subsided, Ena's expression became more serious, though she still smiled as she spoke. "Well, putting his appearance aside, I'm glad someone so capable has come here. He's been quite famous among soldiers for a while as 'The White Falcon of the Far North'. I've heard that since he became a military priest in the northern cities, not a single soldier has died in battle there." Alme was struck by Ena's words. She knew that whenever Aiden, Ena's lover, went to war, Ena would visit the church every day to pray until he returned. Though Ena tried to hide it due to her strong-willed nature, Alme was sure she must be incredibly worried. If this 'White Falcon of the Far North' could bring some peace of mind to someone like Ena, Alme thought she too should sincerely welcome his arrival. "Ena, next time there's a troop deployment, may I go with you to see them off? I'd like to express my gratitude and support to White Falcon-sama for coming to our town." "Of course, let's go together! Don't forget to cheer for Aiden too," Ena replied cheerfully. "Hehe, of course. Aiden would probably sulk if we didn't wave to him," Alme chuckled. As they chatted and ate, they quickly finished their kebabs. While discussing whether to go buy some dessert, they heard an energetic voice from a nearby food stall. "Here you go! One banana drink and two White Falcon drinks!" Alme snorted lightly at the overheard words. She hadn't expected to hear the name she'd just learned being used somewhere else so soon. "What's a White Falcon drink!?" she exclaimed. "Curious, aren't you? Want to take a look?" Ena grinned mischievously. Led by her curious friend, Alme approached the stall. As they peered at the drink stand, the cheerful older man running it addressed them. "Hey there, young ladies! Ready to order?" "Oh, um, we were just wondering what a White Falcon drink is," Alme replied hesitantly. "It's a coconut milk drink! We call it White Falcon 'cause it's white, you see? Gotta ride those trends, right?" The man let out a hearty laugh. Ena chuckled too, looking slightly exasperated. "White things are selling like crazy right now," she explained. "My family's flower shop has been stocking up on white flowers and selling them off in droves." "That's some entrepreneurial spirit..." Alme remarked, eyes wide. It seemed the local merchants were already fully embracing the White Falcon boom. As Alme stood there, looking surprised, Ena nudged her with an elbow. "You're starting a shop too, right Alme? It's a good idea to keep up with the trends, you know." "Maybe I should make White Falcon ice cream too. ――Ah" Alme had spoken jokingly, but suddenly an idea struck her. In her previous life, there had been a perfectly white ice cream, hadn't there? "--That's it, maybe I'll try making milk ice cream," she said. Her heart raced at the idea she'd just came up with. Unconsciously, she recalled the face of her first customer from the other day ――Falk. If she made milk ice cream, would his eyes light up and sparkle again? ――Just thinking about it made her feel excited. A customer's happy face was the greatest source of strength for a shop owner.