[36] Totally a Filler Chapter. No Really, it is I swear

The prospect of a date was an odd thing to Alicia. Memories of two separate lives shifted through her mind. At least those parts she now remembered. Though she knew what it was, she had never gone on a date before. Not when she was a human boy back on earth, and certainly not when she was a demonic lord that waged wars. Then, when she was revived into this world anew, the concept of anything else but darkness disappeared for hundreds of years. When the light came back, naturally, most experiences became new.

Her crimson cloak flapped behind her as she walked besides Claire, step by step, watching the girl that seemed to glitter like a fairy out of a painting; her pale-blue mana highlighting her figure even when unreleased. Hair as white as snow with a matching attire, she looked beautiful.

"Have you ever had a date before?" Alicia asked as the thought came to her. It didn't seem unrealistic to her that her lover would have done so.

"No. This will be a first. If I'm being honest, I hardly know what makes a date a date." Claire shook her head. Then she looked at her with furrowed brows as she watched snowflakes float about her surroundings before disappearing. "I've wondered for a while now but. . .my mana isn't affecting you, is it?"

Alicia smiled. "I'm fine."

Thanks to her clothing, unless they came into contact, skin on skin, Claire's coldness couldn't affect her just the same as the world's temperature didn't. Even if it could, Alicia was certain she would simply ignore it. A bit of cold? That was something far less of a struggle than solitude.

"Then I'll take your word for it." Claire nodded.

The two girls were quite similar to one another. Though they had their own ways of showing it, both were straightforward and tended to care about few things. Perhaps that was why they had gotten along so swimmingly in the first place.

"Mhmm mhmm!" Alicia nodded twice, finding her steps light as they walked.

"Oh oh, just what I'm looking for."

As carriages rode past them on the streets, and they winded through pedestrians, the two girls quickly discovered a slew of stalls located near a fountain that made a circle of that part of the road. The place seemed to be a sort of gathering area for that segment of the city. There were other people hand in hand, and mothers carrying baskets of groceries as they walked and looked after rowdy children. There was even a restaurant with outdoor seating, something Claire had not expected.

They walked up to the first stall they saw and the ice queen looked into a box releasing cold air. Inside were what looked like ice cream in small wooden bowls. But that couldn't be, right?

"What is this?" She questioned with furrowed brows.

"Ice cream, of course." The vendor manning the stall smiled gently as he looked them over. "Have you two girls never had it before?"

Claire and Alicia shared a glance. It really was ice cream. Well, that was unexpected in an isekai setting. Did medieval Europe have ice cream? They didn't know.

"I have, I just didn't expect it here," Claire spoke as she turned to another box. The ice cream was a surprise, but it wasn't as if she couldn't make it herself. No, what really gathered her interest were bowls of what looked like different colored jellos shaking about, and sprinkles of sugar atop them mixed with drizzles of what she assumed was liquid chocolate. Alicia's eyes were practically shining just looking at the items as her nose twitched.

"Claire," The vampire spoke seriously, almost solemnly as she gulped, "We have to try these."

Claire laughed.

"What are they?" She asked the vendor.

He raised a brow. "Wow you two really must be new here."

Then he folded his arms as he continued.

"Those are a special delicacy of this city, Slime Jello," He spoke proudly as he introduced the item. "Parts of the ingredients are taken from Felcius's dungeon."

Slime Jello? The two girls shared another look. Alicia seemed already ready to take a bite and, even though she wasn't a glutton, Claire convinced herself that she had to try the thing as well. There was no way she was passing on such an other-worldly opportunity.

"How much for two?" Claire asked.

"For you two girls? On the house." He laughed. "Your pretty looks alone are already attracting more customers. . .not to mention your aura. You're positively glowing like the city lord!"

Claire smiled as she looked behind them. A line had formed at the stall, attracted by both her and Alicia—who had taken off her mask long ago. Though, perhaps they were also attracted more so by the cold aura she gave off in this weather.

"Why thank you then," She said.

"No problem missy, just be sure to return the bowl and spoon when you two are finished."

The man handed them both a slime jello as he grinned. 'Kindness in short supply?' Claire decided that she disagreed with the man whose soldiers she had saved. Perhaps he saw things differently, but she thought most of the people she had met in this world had been kind.

The two girls moved away from the stall and found a bench by the water fountain to sit. As they watched the world, both eagerly took a bite out of their meals.

"This. . .this is amazing!" Alicia's switch flipped as she licked her spoon clean.

The jello mixed with chocolate and sugar seemed to run her taste buds into overdrive. She automatically decided that the snack was the pinnacle of human food creation. Her figure shook as if she were a puppy and joy placed itself on her face.

Laughter brought her from her mesmerization, however, and she turned to see Claire watching her enjoy her meal. Although the girl's eyes were no longer crimson, the softness in them when she looked at her still remained. Though they had first found kinship in their eyes, they had grown past that. At some point, she would become a demon lord. A true one. But, she hoped, even when that point came, she and Claire would remain together, forever.

"You're watching me eat again." Alicia smiled. Realizing Claire's strange quirk at work once more. "You should eat yours as well, or I'll steal it."

Claire shrugged.

"There's nothing more enjoyable than watching cute girls do cute things," She replied as she took another bite of her own snack. It really was good.

"Then you should watch yourself."

"Oh?" Claire raised a brow. "That made my heart flutter for a moment. Keep doing that and I really will push you down on a bed."

Alicia grinned as she licked her lips, crimson eyes twinkling. "I wouldn't mind."

The Ice Queen laughed before shaking her head. "Sadly, I can't, this story is PG13. . .for now anyway."

Alicia tilted her head and blinked, entirely confused. "Sometimes, you say strange things."

"Fufufu," Claire chuckled. "I don't mind taking a small taste right now, though?"

The two brought their faces closer to one another as if it were the most natural thing in the world as they shared a kiss. Seconds trickled by before they separated.

"Oh, so yours was drizzled with chocolate," Claire commented.

"And yours with. . .caramel?" Alicia asked.

"Correct."

Claire smiled.

"Are you enjoying yourself right now?" She asked.

Alicia recognized that Claire was trying to make sure she was happy on the date but, to her, she was already happy enough as long as they were together.

"Mhmm mhmm," Alicia replied honestly, "I am."

The water fountain behind them splashed into the air as water rose up. Both stared forward as a large amount flowed above their heads and forward, recognizing that it wasn't Claire's doing.

"Hmm?"

They watched curiously while a performer surrounded by people moved his hands, a chant leaving his lips as the water slithered into the air before morphing in the next instant into the image of an eastern-styled dragon.

It was an odd thing to watch someone struggle to perform magic for entertainment. Sweat flowing from their forehead as the water dragon coiled into the sky and followed their movement, rising before falling at the wonder of children. It swam through the air above them before raising itself and exploding apart in a rain of snowflakes which twinkled down in the sunlight.

"I caught one! I caught one!" Children jumped about, tongues outstretched as snow touched them and their expressions jumped to elation.

The performer laughed as exhaustion washed out of his face, wiping his sweat as mothers and pedestrians tossed money into the hat by his side. "Then you'll have good luck for the rest of the day."

It was a performance Claire could replicate without a hint of exhaustion. Something so simple to her at this point that it might as well be the same as breathing or perhaps even easier than that. Yet, neither of the girls looked down on it.

As they watched the snowflakes fall with hearts at ease, Claire spoke.

"I'm probably 18 years old by now," She said. Her azure eyes reflecting the odd world of an isekai. Before she noticed, quite a bit of time had passed since she arrived in this world. It was rather comical to her. "My birthday was close to the time I was sent here."

Then she glanced at Alicia and furrowed her brows.

"Do you know yours?" She asked.

The vampire shook her head. "No."

A tinge of sadness flitted through Claire's heart. Naturally, she had expected as much, but it was still something that was a tad bit difficult to stomach. Her expression frosted over and the air seemed to grow colder. Then she felt Alicia's hand reach her own as she calmed.

"We might as well celebrate both of ours at the same time, then," She said, "One of these days, we should spend a day all to ourselves in celebration. I'll even bake a cake."

Alicia smiled. "I'd love that."

"Looking forward to the cake?" Claire asked.

Alicia chuckled.

"That. . ." She grinned as her fangs showed and her crimson eyes softened. "But also to spending more time together."

Claire laughed as their fingers intertwined and their faces moved closer.

"We're both immortals now," She spoke as their lips touched. "We'll naturally be together forever."

They shared a kiss of pure sweetness. Chocolate and caramel intermingled with their tongues. Though their date had only just begun, Alicia realized she was already satisfied. She enjoyed the moment until her nose twitched as a figure passed them both by.

Alicia instinctively broke their kiss short as she separated, crimson eyes narrowing.

"What's wrong?" Claire asked.

"She smells like Albert Stref," Alicia replied as she pointed a finger forward. Though she didn't recognize the person from any of her memories, she smelled similar to the Sin of Pride, a smell she had learned to attribute to that of a demon.

The ice queen turned to hand watched as a small child walked into the distance, a luscious lock of black hair bellowing behind her. Dressed in a black single-piece dress, the individual looked no older than 10.

Claire's eyes glazed gold.

[You cannot peer into this being's Sacred Text. They either wield a flicker of divinity, own a skill which negates your inspection, or exist as an error.]

"Well," She muttered, "That's certainly interesting."

It was the second individual she had met to which her <Lord's Glance> failed to work on. This time, it was a little child.