Chapter 100: ☆I Forgive You, I Forgive You!
After the academy ended, on the way back from Flower Mist.
The reason we headed to Flower Mist was because I had heard that Marieka was basically at Flower Mist.
I was able to meet Marieka safely, and she cheerfully agreed to my proposal.
Lucia, who was there, gently stroked my cheek just like my lovers do, and I conveyed my thanks.
When I did, Lucia smiled and kissed me, saying "Please don’t make us worry, okay?" and I smiled and nodded.
While walking toward Suzuya hand in hand with Erika, I gazed at the far end of the main street illuminated by the streetlights.
Satour and Minty were leading the way ahead, and Roll was not around at my request.
Suddenly looking at the profile of Erika walking beside me, she noticed and turned her face toward me while her golden hair fluttered.
She smiled, tilted her head, touched her hair with her free hand, and spoke.
"Is something the matter?"
"No, I just somehow wanted to look."
"Please look whenever you like. That... being looked at by the person I like makes me happy."
Erika spoke while bashfully flushing her cheeks a little and averting her gaze.
At that Erika I stopped walking, pulled on our joined hands, drew her into an embrace, and kissed her.
Erika made a surprised expression, but she closed her eyes a little and responded.
A light kiss that only touched, repeated many times as if savoring her lips.
"Fumu, chuu, nnuuun, chuu, chuu, haa... This morning I told you to consider the place."
"There weren’t many people, and it’s night, so I judged it was fine."
"There are people, there are people~"
Indeed, there were a few passersby here and there.
Erika pressed herself tightly against my body as if hiding herself from the passersby.
With her face flushed red she pressed her breasts against me, and the trembling Erika was so cute I couldn’t help it.
I wrapped one arm around her waist to press her breasts against me even more, enjoyed the sensation of her breasts, and stroked her hair from behind as if combing it.
I enjoyed the silky texture and kissed the Erika who raised her face once more.
When I did that much Erika, perhaps from embarrassment, began lightly pounding my chest and I ended up laughing.
Satour and Minty were watching us from a short distance, and from the atmosphere I could tell they were grinning.
While flirting with Erika as we approached Suzuya, Erika froze when she saw Roll and a person standing in front of her own entrance.
With a surprised expression she hid her mouth with her free hand and did not take her eyes off that person.
I released our joined hands, smiled, approached that person, and spoke.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Lord Raide is a cruel person."
"Haha, I’m aware of that."
I replied with a wry smile to the butler who answered that way, and laughed amusingly.
Roll looked up at the butler and smiled happily, then looked at me and nodded.
I nodded back, smiled at the butler, and began speaking.
"If you have resolved yourself to swear loyalty to the ’blood of the Deus family’... could you hurry and let the lover waiting behind you know?"
"...The day I call Lord Raide ’Master’ seems near."
"...Your current face is a good one. Please live a long life. I never want to see my lovers’ sad faces again..."
"It seems I will not have free time for a while."
The butler let out a small sigh, but his face was smiling happily.
I also smiled and lightly touched the butler’s aged yet firm arm once before releasing it; then Erika, who had been hiding her mouth with both hands, timidly approached.
The butler shifted his gaze to Erika, turned his body toward her, and bowed respectfully.
To that butler Erika removed both hands from her mouth and spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
"I’m glad... I’m glad you’re safe."
"I apologize for causing you worry. ...Embarrassingly, I am looking for work. Would you hire me?"
"M-me... sniff, will you serve Mother and me once more?"
"...If you will forgive me, I shall swear loyalty to the ’blood of the Deus family.’"
"I forgive you, I forgive you! Fuuuuuu..."
I gently stroked the back of Erika, who had hidden her face with both hands and started crying, and when I looked at the butler he had straightened his back with a troubled expression.
Certainly I do not want to imitate the methods the butler used, but Elysia and Erika felt definite gratitude toward the butler.
It was an existence so important to Erika that tears of joy overflowed.
Perhaps Roll had called Elysia and Merinu from Erika’s house; they came out the door and made slightly surprised expressions at the butler’s appearance.
Elysia approached the butler and smiled happily; the butler twisted his face painfully and bowed.
Telling that butler to raise his face, Elysia smiled gently and spoke.
"I’m glad you’re safe."
"My lady..."
"Please continue to take care of us from now on as well, okay?"
"...Please leave it to me."
Elysia nodded at the butler’s state, approached the crying Erika while looking at me and smiling happily.
Erika clung to Elysia, buried her face in Elysia’s chest, and cried even more.
Elysia stroked Erika’s head with one hand and rubbed her back with the other.
Together with the three adventurer girls I watched that scene with a warm smile.
Elysia and Erika entered the house with the butler, and at that time Merinu deeply bowed to me.
When I entered the tavern and told the adventurers about tomorrow, the adventurers started making a fuss with joy.
It was not that they were happy about escorting the students...
"Instructor’s food!!"
"How many days has it been!?"
"You’re an idiot, we ate steak, didn’t we?"
"That’s different, damn it!"
Yes, they were happy because they were aiming for my lunch.
...I think Nimi’s cooking is many times more delicious, though.
I muttered that in my heart, and Nimi, who had become curious about the noise, appeared from the kitchen.
So I approached and explained the situation; she smiled with understanding and nodded.
When I asked Nimi what made them so happy, she told me.
"Shop cooking seems difficult, but outdoor cooking looks like something they could imitate."
"Ah... I see."
"Besides, everyone is happy they can go with you, Raide."
"With me...?"
When I tilted my head, Nimi smiled happily and went into the kitchen.
I rubbed the back of my neck with one hand and, while thinking "Do they really want to go to the mountain with me that much?", entered the kitchen to help.
The tavern’s business ended without problems, and the cleanup also finished safely.
While having dinner with Nimi I talked about what happened today, and Nimi listened while smiling gently.
I suddenly thought that a good listener is someone like Nimi.
She neither states her own opinions nor gives off an atmosphere of disliking listening; she just listens to the story while smiling.
She occasionally nods, and only after the story ends does she begin speaking.
I tried imitating Nimi several times, but no matter what I always end up interjecting.
...Nimi’s atmosphere might be the biggest factor.
After taking a bath I sat at the desk in my room and wrote out the concept for the building planned to be purchased from Thomas.
That said, I was just drawing crude pictures while making notes beside them.
But just doing or not doing this creates a difference when moving.
Basically I am not the type who thinks with my head first; I am aware that my body moves first.
So I make notes of what I want to do and work out the concept like this.
I suddenly realized that this would also be included in Erika’s Suzuya plan.
In that case I need to get the matter through early, or I will end up being looked at with half-lidded eyes.