Chapter 113: Heh?
The time was 5 PM in the evening.
Having finished organizing the documents, I passed through the academy’s main gate illuminated by the setting sun.
The three adventurer girls waiting outside the main gate laughed upon seeing my current appearance.
Minty approached and poked the cheek of Erika, whom I was carrying princess-style, with her finger.
"What what~, Erika-chan~, making a distant look again~"
"I can’t stand it anymore~"
"Ahahaha, Instructor, what did you do?"
"No, well..."
After the discussion had been settled and Marieka and Dine left the instructor’s office, I told Erika about the hand cream and the hair gloss.
The hand cream was already popular at Flower Garden and they had begun increasing production.
But regarding the hair gloss, although she had heard about it from Nimi, she apparently had not thought it could be easily mass-produced.
When I told her the method of making it and the amount of materials I currently had, Erika ended up like this.
When I explained to the three adventurer girls, they looked at Erika who was smiling with a distant look while laughing.
Just when I thought Roll was walking over in place of Minty, she poked and pulled at Erika’s clothes.
When Erika turned her face to the side and looked at Roll, Roll spoke with a nice smile.
"If it’s Erika, you’ll be fine."
"There’s no basis for that. I’ll be fine~"
I smiled wryly at Erika’s state, brought my face close to Erika, and kissed her.
At the slightly long kiss she was unresponsive at first, but gradually light returned to her eyes and her cheeks also grew red.
At the edge of my vision Roll was reflected grinning, but I ignored her and continued the kiss.
"Nnu, nnuuu, nnnn, nchuu... haa haa, so please stop doing it outside!"
"I think the Erika who was spacing out is at fault, don’t you?"
"Even now it’s scary — the savings that keep swelling up. You should check your savings too, okay? Marieka’s two shops are in an amazing state right now."
"...Certainly, there is a fear of not wanting to look."
"Right? Haa, I was the one who consulted, but what’s coming back is far too large."
"I’m giving preferential treatment, aren’t I?"
When I brought up the nostalgic promise from when we first met, Erika opened her eyes a little wide and immediately averted them.
Without letting the word "That’s unfair" muttered like a whisper slide this time, I brought my face close once more, kissed her, and spoke.
"I’m often told that."
"...It really is unfair. At times like this, pick it up."
"Haha, sorry about that."
I laughed at the reaction of Erika bashfully lightly pounding my chest, and while still carrying Erika princess-style I began walking toward the Suzuya tavern.
Every time Erika pounded my chest her large breasts jiggled with a purun purun.
Since it is a feast for the eyes I deliberately do not point it out, but why do they sway so enchantingly even though she is wearing a bra.
There have been many times I thought of asking my lovers once.
A little after we started walking, Satour who had been going ahead returned and looked at my face.
Then she indicated with her gaze to look ahead, so I directed my gaze to the far end of the main street.
Foria was walking toward us from the front; her expression looked a little uneasy.
I whispered into Erika’s ear, set her down on the ground, and had her stand on her own.
When Foria spotted us she smiled as if a little relieved and approached.
"Good evening, Raide, Erika."
"What’s wrong? At this hour..."
"Good evening, Foria."
At my words Foria smiled troubledly and seemed a little hesitant to speak.
Currently Foria and her sister are staying at Erika’s house.
Originally the place they had been using as a base had the possibility of Grug returning, so Erika prepared a room.
Erika also made a slightly suspicious face at Foria’s expression.
Foria, as if resigning herself, let out a small sigh and began speaking.
"I was thinking of going to retrieve the luggage I left at the inn..."
"...Hmm."
"...Heh?"
When I glanced at Erika with only my eyes, she was smiling but seemed a little angry.
...Ah, this is a slightly scary way of getting angry.
I understand it well because I was scolded this way when going to Santony.
Erika crossed her arms and spoke to Foria while still smiling.
"Oh my, is that so. We shall accompany you as well."
"Erika... that..."
"Fufu, if you intend to apologize, please never do something this dangerous again. All right?"
"Um..."
"All right?"
"A-yes."
When Erika heard Foria’s words that seemed reflective, she let out a small sigh and gently held Foria’s hand.
Holding Foria’s hand with a worried expression, Erika spoke in a gentle voice.
"I will not tell you to consult me even about adventurer work. However, this matter is something we were also involved in. Please let us worry."
"...Okay, I’m sorry. Erika, Raide."
Erika and I smiled in reply and began walking toward the inn where Foria said she had left her luggage.
According to what I heard from Foria, she had been staying at an inn on Fourth Street that connects to the city gate.
Fourth Street is close to the city gate and is a main street with many inns.
The majority of adventurers in the royal capital probably use the inns on Fourth Street.
To Foria who looked apologetic, I smiled and spoke.
"If you keep looking down, Erika won’t let go of your hand, you know?"
"Eh, ah..."
"If it’s all right with me, I will help anytime. So it’s better not to hold things in too much. It makes it hard to fall asleep, and for women poor sleep is the natural enemy, right?"
"...Fufu, yes, the natural enemy. Erika, thank you too."
"Please don’t mind it... You have a good face now."
Erika tightly held Foria’s hand, looked at her face, and smiled as if relieved.
While walking and talking about trivial things, before we knew it we had arrived at the entrance to Fourth Street.
Even a long walk alone feels short when walking while talking.
Guided by Foria we walked toward the inn and were led to an inn that was not close to the city gate but rather closer to the royal castle.
Even though adventurers prefer places closer to the city gate, why a place closer to the royal castle? I grew curious and asked.
Foria answered my question with a wry smile and an exasperated look.
"I actually preferred the other one, but Grug wouldn’t yield on this place. Looking back now, it’s strange. Wait here; I’m only going to talk with the innkeeper..."
"Ah... there’s no need to hurry."
"We will wait."
Seeing Foria off as she entered the inn, I crossed my arms with a suspicious expression.
Erika was talking about something with Satour who had approached, but I paid it no mind and turned my face toward the building behind us.
A building of unobtrusive construction; at a glance it looks like a private house, but inside it is a gambling hall.
It is also called a casino, and that is also one of the reasons Fourth Street is popular.
Because she seemed busy I did not think she would respond, but I muttered Sharle’s name as if speaking to myself.
While smiling wryly at the lack of reaction, my cheek was suddenly poked with a tsun tsun.
Different from Sharle’s usual reaction, I made a slightly surprised reaction.
"...Sharle?"
"Eh, is it Sharle?"
"Kusukusu, sorry, it’s not."
At the bright, enjoyable voice different from Sharle’s, Erika and I looked at each other.
Perhaps finding our reactions amusing, the bright voice laughed enjoyably.
"I can’t say my name, sorry? Right now Sharle can’t come, so I’ll listen for her."
"Ah~, is that so... It’s about Grug."
"Kusu, you don’t suspect? Kusukusu"
"No, well... nn?"
"...Different from Sharle, you’re energetic, aren’t you."
At the voice that laughed enjoyably for a while, Erika and I ended up smiling troubledly.
Perhaps because we had been dealing with the calm Sharle, it was hard to grasp the sensation.
That said, I did not feel any unpleasantness; that may be her characteristic.
To the voice that stopped laughing I requested that she investigate the gambling hall.
I conveyed that there was a possibility he had met someone while pretending to gamble.
"I want you to investigate, but don’t push yourself."
"Me? Or Sharle?"
"It’s decided to be all of you, right?"
"...Kusu, Lady Erika has it hard too, doesn’t she?"
"Please don’t say that..."
While tilting my head at the bright voice and Erika’s reaction, Erika let out a sigh and held her head with one hand.
The bright voice that laughed enjoyably moved away, and at the same time Foria came out of the inn with a relieved smile.
It seemed she had safely received the things she had left; she reported to Erika and me.
Since the errand was finished we headed toward the Suzuya inn and began walking together.
New Profile
＊Foria
Height: 169 cm
Age: 22
White hair — waved and grown to the waist.
Face is a little slender. Soft atmosphere; if she smiles she seems popular with people.
Body type is average; she herself is concerned about her thighs. Breasts are larger than melons.
One of the four-person harem of the man named Grug.
She prefers wearing robe-like clothes based on white and is entrusted with the rear-guard support role.
She possesses the [Recovery] skill that she hides from everyone.
Shocked by being betrayed by Grug, she was wandering and was saved by Raide.
Thanks to Raide and his lovers she recovers her energy.
However, there are still parts she is dragging, and she often consults Nimi and Elysia.
She has interest in Raide who saved her, but before she knows it she ends up comparing him to Grug and falls into self-loathing.
Every time she falls into self-loathing she consults Nimi and Elysia and is comforted.
Character Profiles
＊Erika
Former Deus Count family
Height: 163 cm
Age: 16
Golden hair — hair a little longer than shoulder length styled into vertical curls.
Expression gives a sharp impression. A glossy beauty that does not look 16.
Slender body type. Holds two firm melons for breasts.
Approached Instructor Raide in order to receive preferential treatment.
But instead she is shown various considerations by Raide and has ended up in a situation of receiving too much preferential treatment.
Regarding affection, it is still smoldering.
However, she thinks of him as an existence she must not let go of.
Currently Raide’s lover.
Adventurers escorting Erika
＊Satour
＊Minty
＊Roll