—–
“It is very tasty!”
Erika was wolfing down the stew without any manners, as she sat at my side. She was enjoying the meal I had prepared for her. I think this might be the first time she eats something I’ve cooked. I suppose it probably means a lot for her.
“Is that so? I am glad you like it.”
“It is amazing you can cook already, Blake! You will make a perfect husband!”
“…Again with that.”
I sighed as I averted my gaze from Erika, who was looking at me as if I were a rare prize. For a while now she had been obsessed with things like these. It reminded me a bit of Elizabeth. Do girls in this country are taught to say such strange things? I don’t know what to say but I shall ignore her for now.
“Y-Yeah, I guess…” Said Eric.
“But shouldn’t the husband hunt? It’s the wife the one that cooks… He hasn’t hunted a single thing today!” Said Chris.
“SHUT UP, DUMMY!!!” Roared Erika, as if she transformed into a ferocious beast, Chris was so scared he fell off the trunk he was sitting on, thankfully he had eaten all the stew so nothing spilled over him. “Blake hunts almost every day, right? His Blessings are way more than ours, he’s super strong! He already has hunted enough for months of meat. I’ve seen the storage on his house… He keeps his family well feed with his own efforts!”
“I-Is that so? You hunt alone?” Asked Eric.
“Well, obviously.” I sighed. “Eleanora and I can hunt anything you’ve fought with ease. I’ve not done it because I am mostly busy in other things. Also, you three take like seventy percent of my daily free time…”
“O-Oh… Amazing… I guess you’re really above us, huh?” Laughed Eric a bit cheerfully. “It is a long way to go for us yet…”
Chris slowly stood up and sat down again. He seemed rather annoyed at Erika. “Did you had to scream so loud, Erika? As the years passes you’re becoming more and more childish, you don’t even seem to grow up…”
“Eeeh? Rude!” Said Erika while crossing her arms. “I am merely protecting Blake’s pride… As her future wife!”
“Again with that… I’ve never accepted any of such things, Erika, stop talking about delusions.” I said. I wanted to quickly cut off any of such strange thoughts from going around her head, but she was a blockhead so it obviously didn’t worked.
“Hehe, you can say all you want but I will conquer your heart eventually with my womanly charms~ I will grow pretty like my mommy…” Said Erika while blushing a bit. She was so much of a blockhead that she never understood any of the things I told her. Will she ever develop common sense? …Well, now I feel a bit down. Due to her current body, she wont really grow unless… her father makes another model for her whenever she becomes a teenager or a young adult.
“Erika give it up, Blake is not someone that can be easily convinced by looks…” Sighed Eric. “He’s not someone like you think!”
“Eeeh? And you know him more, Eric? Do you like him or something?” Asked Erika while looking at Eric as her eyes squinted. Eric suddenly became red like a tomato, and began to stutter while speaking.
“W-What are you talking about?! I am merely his friend!” He asked angrily. Eric was constantly readjusting his glasses. “I just… appreciate Blake a lot… He’s my best friend.”
“Eh?! What about me?!” Asked Chris as he heard Eric.
“You’re too! But you’re such an idiot sometimes, Chris!” Sighed Eric while crossing his arms. “It frustrates me… But Blake is smart like me so we get along better!”
“Geez… You’re a smartass so you think you’re better than me, huh?!” Chris was very conflictive today.
“You’re so annoying today! Just relax!” Said Eric.
“Ugh… And Erika, if Blake doesn’t wanna marry you, I am here too! I-I am strong and competent… You can marry me when we grow up too!” Said Chris while blushing a bit. Erika looked at him and quickly made a weirded out face.
“Huh? No way.” She said.
“GUH…!”
Crack!
For a moment, I felt as if Chris’ heart shattered into pieces. I don’t know what was that about but it seemed that Erika’s overly cold response has made him rather dispirited out of the sudden. If he continues to become like this we’ll never finish this training by how much he complains about everything…
“Erika you didn’t had to be so cold.” I said to her. She looked at my eyes and slowly approached her face to mine.
“But I only want you…” She said while blushing.
“You’re getting too clingy and overly corny today as well…” I sighed, as Erika’s arms wrapped around my left arm while she rubbed her face over my shoulder.
“Hehe, not like you’re stopping me…” She giggled mischievously.
“Chris! Chris!!! Hang on there!”
And Eric was trying to revive Chris from his heartbreak. He seemed to be having a hard time. But this was the perfect opportunity for Eric to practice the healing spells I taught to him so he began using them in quick succession. His mana had recovered quite a lot after he ate my cooking, it seems that it really gains some sort of magical properties, interesting…
“Erika… You know that Eleanora doesn’t like you getting clingy with me… That she’s not here right now doesn’t mean you can step over your boundaries. We are friends, nothing more than that.” I said to her. But the little girl was stubborn, as she pouted until her cheeks got red.
“I don’t care…! I’ll… I will beat her!” She said.
“…What does that even means?” I wondered.
Maybe I was so old that I really didn’t understand these types of thoughts that children often had when in love. At the very least I wasn’t a dense person to not realize she loved me. But still, this is not the time to be in any kind of romantic relationship, so I have to try to make her reconsider her feelings. Although she’s so stubborn and blockheaded that it seems like a task more challenging that fighting a Demon Lord.
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