Chapter 26
Something's strange. The atmosphere is far too strange.
After eating with Chris and Griff, I came back. It took about an hour.
Whatever had happened in the meantime, the two of them were standing in line holding hands tightly.
Well, that could happen.
Claude and Aris.
Even though they're slave and master, isn't it fun watching them?
They're always conscious of each other, they like each other, and they've even had experience together.
Watching them look after each other, all fresh and innocent, makes me feel warm inside.
I asked Claude why they couldn't just start dating, but he was adamant.
‘Aris has deep trauma where males are concerned. It wouldn't be good for her if I pushed her.’
He said he did have feelings for her, but that he should become a good male first.
I found it a little strange that he kept using the word ‘male.’ Well, whatever.
I'd only heard bits and pieces. It was truly heartbreaking to hear what had happened to her.
Maybe hearing that story was why I still hadn't asked Aris about it.
Anyway, despite having gone that far, the two of them still weren't dating.
This is what you get when you're too innocent.
How can a man and woman be in the same party—especially a male master and a female slave?
And with the woman being that beautiful, how is that even possible?
Even Griff—if I were his slave right now... Ah.
No, no. What am I thinking?
What could that tall, big idiot possibly...? Ahem. Ahh~ Forget it. That was just a momentary glitch in my thoughts.
Thinking about it again, though, the two of them! I suppose that could happen.
Anyway, the two of them weren't a dating couple. They did have feelings for each other, though.
But. But?? What was going on? Seriously, what was it?
They were holding hands, sure, but why were they both suddenly looking away?
“Hey, Griff.”
“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.”
“What are you talking about?”
Griff was thinking the same thing I was. Chris, as usual, was tilting her head.
“Look closely, Chris. The two of them aren't saying a word to each other right now, are they?”
“Livnil, they don't usually talk even when things are normal.”
“That's not what I mean. They can't even meet each other's eyes, and they're trying to get away from each other!”
“But they're holding hands?”
They were holding hands tightly. Yet they looked like magnets repelling each other.
Like they were tied together by a thin string called an ‘arm.’
“Chris. Go tell them to get something to eat.”
“Yes, I'll do that.”
At Griff's urging, she nodded and went over to the two of them.
The two of them glanced at each other, then quickly turned their heads away again.
“Mr. Griff. They say they don't need to eat?”
“That's exactly it, Chris.”
“Huh?”
Something had definitely happened while we were gone eating.
They couldn't even look at each other, and they were blushing like they were ‘embarrassed,’ weren't they?
Yet they were still holding hands instead of separating. Why? Why?
“Mr. Claude.”
I called out to Claude, who was standing in line while staring blankly straight ahead.
He flinched, his shoulders trembling in surprise.
He'd been startled when Chris called him a moment ago too. What was going on?
“Aren't you going to eat? It looks like we'll have to wait another three hours.”
“We're f-fine.”
“Why? Did something happen? Why are you holding hands? Isn't Aris hungry?”
When I asked why they were holding hands, both of them released each other's hands.
“What, what? Seriously, what? Why did you two let go? Why are you standing with your backs turned?”
Claude turned to the left and pulled his robe's hood low over his head.
I got a brief look at his face. Why was it red?
Aris, on the right, had her usual blank expression, but her lips were slightly pursed.
Her gaze shifted from down to the right, and her tail swished furtively too…
The tip of that tail kept brushing Claude's arm and the back of his hand.
“You two. Are you fighting?”
“No.”
Good grief, Claude's answer was awfully firm. And Aris looked over at us.
She puffed out her cheeks with her brows slightly furrowed, as if she had something to say.
Was she getting a little annoyed now?
“I know this is a little awkward to say, but seeing you two like this makes me feel bad.”
“Ahem… I-is that so? Nothing's different from usual…”
Smack-smack-smack—Aris's tail was lashing so fast it looked painful.
It was hitting Claude's arm. Why was a slave hitting her master?
“What is it? Aren't you going to tell me? Is it a secret? A secret just between the two of you?”
“N-no, since nothing happened, there's nothing to tell…”
Then Claude reached back with his right hand, out of sight, and took Aris's hand.
Her agitated tail movements immediately became the usual happy swishing.
Let's retreat for now. I went back to Griff.
“Something's strange. Something is going on with those two.”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, where did the men who were behind us go?”
“What are you talking about? Let Chris in on it too.”
“Look, Chris. They were holding hands, and they just made eye contact.”
The sight of them hurriedly turning their heads away again was priceless.
Their hooded robes hid them somewhat, but even from here I could see their faces flushed red.
“What should we do? Did they fight? They don't even want to look at each other's faces!”
“They're refusing to be left alone together again. Even when we tell them to go eat, they say they don't want to.”
“What should we do? What should we do? They have to enter the dungeon soon, so they can't be fighting.”
“Right. Exactly. So go tell them to make up, Chris!”
Chris nodded as though she'd been entrusted with an important mission and thumped her chest.
“I will! I'll make them reconcile!”
She approached the two of them and said,
“Lord Claude, Lady Aris. I don't know what happened, but could you two please make up?”
“Ah, Miss Chris. We didn't… fight.”
“The children at our church always say that too. They fight and pretend they didn't, trying to fool the priest. Then they stay on bad terms for days. That's not good for the other children. If you two keep doing this, it'll have a bad influence on our party too…”
With both hands on her hips, Chris began pouring out an incredible lecture.
She was such a good child, always saying kind, proper, and warm things.
Claude was flustered too, and could only listen.
“Miss Chris. Claude did nothing wrong.”
Then Aris offered a counterargument.
What on earth was going on?
“I-I was at fault. I failed to hold our place in line properly…”
“No, Aris, it wasn't your fault. I should have stayed and kept watch over our place.”
All of a sudden, the subject had become whether they'd held their place in line properly.
But our place in line hadn't changed at all since before we went to eat, had it?
And then Chris trudged back.
“You two… you really started fighting. What should I do? I think I'm the one at fault!”
They were arguing over who had done right or wrong, and if you just listened to them, it really did sound like they were fighting.
The only odd thing was that each of them was saying they'd done wrong and it was their own fault.
Just then, a passing swordsman approached us.
“I more or less know why those kids are acting like that.”
“You do? Really?”
“Heh heh… How should I put it? They're so young and innocent.”
He suddenly broke into a hearty laugh and gazed at the two of them fondly.
What was this? I suddenly wanted to smack the back of this man's head.
“Tell me already. This is driving me crazy.”
“Ah, well. You see, this is what happened.”
Four Wolpis had caused a commotion and started hitting on Aris.
A mage who appeared out of nowhere in a flashy entrance rescued her and heard her say this:
‘Master. I like you!’
“I heard it loud and clear with my own ears. That man froze solid, and then looked ready to burst into flames.”
The swordsman said Claude turned bright red. Aris realized what she'd said, and even her tail stiffened.
After that, the two of them didn't even look at each other or speak…
“For fuck's sake.”
“What's gotten into you?”
“No, sir, you can go.”
“I tell you all that, and that's your response? What a nasty temper.”
It was the news I'd been waiting for: the two of them had finally grown closer.
But did that scene really have to happen while I was away?
I didn't get to see it with my own eyes?
“Oh, gods…!”
Then Chris said to me,
“Lady Livnil, you've finally taken an interest in Lord Kallias's teachings!”
“No! More importantly, Griff!”
“Ha… so it really was a lovers' quarrel.”
“Right! No, no, it's not even a quarrel. They're just making out because they like each other!”
Unable to decide who was more right or wrong, they stood there holding hands again.
“This situation is bad.”
“Right, right. If they keep standing like that, our party's combat power will drop.”
“Combat power?”
This was truly ridiculous.
If they liked each other, then they should just… What? They didn't want to be apart, right?
If it were me, I'd kiss him right away! I'd say we were going to eat together and then slip away, wouldn't I?
And go have sex somewhere in secret, for crying out loud!
“We need to send those two off to eat right now!”
“Griff's right. Why aren't they eating? Their combat power will drop if they get hungry!”
“Ah~ I see! Food really is important.”
The three of us crowded around them. We emphasized to the two of them that food was extremely important.
“What are you going to do if you get hungry? Miss Aris! You have no idea how much delicious food there is outside!”
“D-delicious food…?”
“There's steak, whole roasted pig, seasoned barbecue, and fish!”
“F-fish…?”
Honestly, I felt a little bad for Aris, but she was simple and easy to tempt.
There really were plenty of delicious food stalls outside, after all.
Thump, thump. Aris's mind was filling with thoughts of food.
Her tail was swishing so wildly it looked ready to fly off.
“Mr. Claude! Look how much Aris wants to go!”
“Uh, ahem. Is that… so? Aris! D-do you want to eat?”
“Yes! Yes! Master! Master! Aris is actually… so hungry!”
That's right, that's right.
Wouldn't it be great if Claude filled Aris's belly to the brim?
“Mr. Claude? As our vanguard, Aris needs a lot of stamina. Please, for the sake of our party!”
“Understood. Well, we're not fighting today, but…”
As expected, he was a rational mage even in the middle of this confusion. He was hard to win over.
But Griff and I ultimately succeeded.
“Done! We got that obnoxious couple alone. Hahahaha!”
“Whew~ I feel so much better! It was like looking at a completely clogged sink!”
“That's right. It's a relief that they're going to have a delicious meal.”
Sending them off was fine.
There was just one little problem.
They didn't come back even after the registration line ended, when it was time for us to register. That was truly infuriating.