The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix's Novels Also Desires Happiness

Colorful flags snapped sharply in the wind. Painted canvases covered the outer walls of the amusement park, woven together into a patchwork of images.

Because this world had no such thing as cartoon characters, the canvases displayed works by Belrand painters instead. Most depicted landscapes, moonlit gardens, or even strikingly realistic portraits of handsome men and beautiful women. The entire place carried a rather artistic atmosphere.

But anyone with a sense for art, if they examined the paintings closely, would notice something subtle. Whether it was the landscapes, the romantic scenes beneath flowers and moonlight, or the almost unreal portraits of beautiful figures, they all seemed to quietly interpret a single theme—

Love.

Naturally, that deeper meaning had also been Muen’s requirement.

Influence like this, working subtly in the background, would surely have some effect.

Unfortunately, Ariel had absolutely no artistic sensibility.

After examining the paintings for a moment, she turned to Muen and said,

“These paintings look pretty valuable. It’s kind of a waste to hang them here as wallpaper. After the date, can I take them with me and sell them?”

“...You’re quite frugal.”

The corner of Muen’s mouth twitched.

“Tch. Guess that’s a no.”

Ariel crossed her arms.

“All right then. Since this is a date, what are we doing next?”

Although she sounded dismissive, Ariel actually felt a small spark of curiosity inside.

She really wanted to see what kind of strange new things Muen would produce to try to conquer someone like her—a person completely devoted to beautiful girls.

“As for the first activity on a date...”

Muen glanced around.

This place wasn’t only a recreation of the amusement parks from his memory in terms of rides; many other details had been reproduced as well.

Couples walked by laughing together. Staff members shouted for people to line up properly. Snack stands and drink shops filled both sides of the road.

And nearby, a chubby little cat mascot holding balloons—so bulky it looked like someone wearing two costume layers—stood beside a dog mascot.

To keep the date from feeling empty, Muen had arranged for these “NPCs” to populate the park in advance.

They also seemed extremely professional.

For example, the two mascots had already blended into a crowd of mischievous children.

Literally blended.

The cat mascot was surprisingly fierce, throwing wild punches and beating the children who kept trying to touch its backside. The kids screamed and wailed as they /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ ran away.

For a moment, the entire amusement park was filled with cheerful chaos.

Ariel, however, paid none of this any attention.

Since childhood she had devoted herself entirely to becoming stronger, and she had always treated entertainment with disdain. To her, it was simply a waste of time.

Aside from occasionally glancing toward the cream-covered ice cream in the drink shop, she was like a white lotus blooming alone in isolation from the world.

Until Muen pulled her attention back.

“That one.”

He pointed toward the metal rails suspended in the air.

“Let’s try that first.”

“What is that?” Ariel asked.

“A roller coaster.”

“A roller coaster?”

Ariel tilted her head and thought for a moment.

“Never heard of it.”

“Of course you haven’t.”

Muen smiled.

“Strictly speaking, you’re about to become the first person in this world to ride a roller coaster.”

“Huh?”

Ariel blinked.

“What do you mean I’m the first?”

Without answering her question, Muen led her straight to the ride.

There was no line.

Although the surrounding area looked noisy and lively, none of the hired “NPCs” were actually riding the attractions.

Just as Muen had said earlier—

All of these “firsts” had been reserved for Ariel.

“Come on.”

Because time had been tight, even the Imperial Royal Engineering Institute’s design still had a few inconvenient flaws.

For instance, the roller coaster platform was built rather high, making it unsuitable for a lady wearing a cute long skirt to climb easily.

So Muen simply placed his hands around Ariel’s incredibly slender waist and lifted her up.

Ariel kicked her legs in annoyance, but in order to prevent him from catching a glimpse beneath her skirt, she didn’t resist too strongly. She allowed him to half-lift, half-push her onto the platform.

“And then?” she asked.

“Sit.”

Muen gestured for Ariel to take the very front seat. He helped her fasten the safety belt and lowered the safety bar. Once everything was secured, he casually sat down beside her.

“What’s so fun about this thing?”

Ariel looked around curiously and tugged at the safety bar. It was tight—so tight that with her current physical strength she absolutely could not open it on her own.

“Heh. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Muen winked mysteriously.

Back in his previous life, on some ancient internet forums—back when people still held innocent views about love and before the internet had become so chaotic—people often referred to three places as the holy trinity for conquering a girl’s heart:

The roller coaster, the haunted house, and the Ferris wheel.

Setting aside the latter two, the roller coaster ranked first for one simple reason—

Overwhelming force.

Whether you were a seasoned player in love or a woman whose heart was as hard as steel, once you were strapped onto a steel beast racing at two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour, you would experience the same feeling.

Heart-pounding excitement.

The most primitive, pure, blood-rushing kind.

No one could resist its power.

If someone could... it probably meant their heart had already stopped beating and emergency services should be called immediately.

So naturally, this had been Muen’s first choice.

As Muen settled into his seat, the staff member nearby activated the mechanism.

Magic flowed through the foundation and rails. The sharp screech of metal grinding together rose into the air before being swallowed by the rushing wind.

The roller coaster began to move.

Faster and faster.

Without any teasing buildup, the ride—designed by a group of sleep-deprived lunatics at the Royal Engineering Institute—shot straight toward the highest point.

From there it would plunge downward at terrifying speed, racing along twisted tracks and spiraling through loops.

Muen’s anticipation grew stronger.

When the two-hundred-and-fifty-kilometer-per-hour surprise arrived, how would fearless Ariel react?

Would she secretly grab his hand?

“Oh. This thing moves. And it climbs pretty high.”

Ariel seemed a little curious as well.

But she still had absolutely no idea what kind of breathtaking experience awaited her once the coaster reached the top.

...

One minute later.

“Haah...”

Ariel yawned, tears even forming at the corners of her eyes.

“This thing is so boring.”

The roller coaster roared along the rails at two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour, metal screaming as the wind howled around them. Occasionally it even spun through full three-hundred-sixty-degree loops along the twisting track.

By any normal standard, it was extremely thrilling.

But Ariel still felt utterly bored.

There was only one reason.

Two hundred and fifty kilometers per hour... ℴ

was simply too slow.

Slow enough that Ariel was about to fall asleep.

“So what’s the point of this thing?” Ariel said lazily. “Put me to sleep, then take the chance to do something questionable to me? If that’s the plan, we might as well go straight to a couples’ hotel. At least then I could break your third leg with a clear conscience.”

She turned to look at Muen.

“...No. I already told you, I have no intention of doing anything questionable.”

Muen covered his face in shame.

A miscalculation.

A complete miscalculation.

He had assumed that something this novel and exciting would at least shake Ariel a little.

But he had forgotten one extremely important detail.

For ordinary college students from his previous life—people who could break a rib from sneezing—this two-hundred-and-fifty-kilometer-per-hour steel monster would indeed feel thrilling, perhaps even too thrilling.

But for someone like Ariel, a terrifying warrior who could literally tear a steel beast apart with her bare hands...

This speed was basically no different from riding a carriage.

In fact, the dragonblood horses at his house could probably run faster than this.

Compared to a carriage, the roller coaster even swayed gently back and forth like a rocking chair.

If anything, it made sleeping easier.

“That’s it? That’s all?” Ariel asked with complete boredom.

“...”

Faced with her mocking tone, Muen lowered his head even further.

Meanwhile, his mind was racing.

If your date gets bored during the date...

what should you do?

Asking for advice online.

Urgent.