Chapter 88 – The Freeloader, Chocolate, and the Love Potion
88 – The Freeloader, Chocolate, and the Love Potion
In the dining hall that is so big that it still feels spacious even with all the guests here, everyone is eating and drinking merrily. The density of people seems thickest around me though; but maybe that’s just my imagination.
Eventually, things settled down after the meal. The children who started to yawn were sent to the bedrooms. Fripp, Myuri and Jural went home.
Being considerate, Leo traded places with the royal escorts of Fripp and Myuri. This way, Lejie and Azla were able to stay.
Marie was still wary of the girls, but having experienced the humanized Mika’s Teleportation first hand, she is only keeping her distance and staring daggers at them.
「Sir Rain, here is today’s allowance.」 said Eleanor as she presented a bag that was bursting at the seams. Eleanor gives me these as allowance to support me as a freeloader, but…
「Huh? Something smells great.」 When I looked at the contents of the bag properly, they weren’t gold coins, but baked goods in the shape of gold coins.
「Fufufu, in recent years, people who are close give one another sweets on the Day of Love.」
I receive the baked goods from Eleanor and pop one in my mouth. 「Yeah. They’re delicious. It’s kinda weird to be eating my allowance.」 It’s not like these are real gold coins; but I recall my interactions with Eleanor and I can’t help but smile.
「I thought that, if possible, I’d like to make something that related to you and I.」
「Thanks, this makes me happy. But, I’m sorry, I didn’t know… I don’t have any sweets prepared.」
「Inviting me to this party was more than enough.」
After that, each one of them exchanged sweets. All I did was receive sweets, but my chest feels kinda warm and fuzzy.
I was surprised at how accurate the life-sized Rain chocolate that Florence gave me was. Lejie wrapped a ribbon around herself and said she was the gift, but her sister Ferris put a stop to that. Mage had prepared a special drink, but the others unanimously agreed that it was too suspicious, so they confiscated it and disposed of it.
There were a lot of gifts that weren’t just your average sweets too; so with all that included, it was fun.
「R-Rain. Could you please accept my sweets too?」 said Monana.
She had prepared bite-sized chocolates. Individually wrapped pieces of chocolate, all packed into a container. The color of each wrapping paper was different, giving the gift a pleasing appearance. The moment I opened the container, I smelled the faint scent of chocolate.
「Of course. Can I eat it right now?」
「Y-yeah. And…um… C-could I make one request?」said Monana, looking nervous.
「Yeah?」
「When you eat it, could you please look at me?」
Does she want to see my reaction to her chocolates?
「Sure…」 I unwrap the chocolate, and as I’m about to put it in my mouth…
「Rain, halt.」
I froze my hand like a statue when I heard the Sage Alchemy. She said that almost like how she’d speak during magic training, or when we’re in the middle of battle, so I just obeyed it on instinct.
「What’s up, Alchemy? Why’d you say it like that?」
Those three Saviors don’t know of the customs of the Day of Love – just like me. Shoots admired such customs, Marie squeezed me, saying「Grr, love should be more than enough as a gift on the Day of Love.」Alchemy was indifferent.
For her to interject like this must mean something.
「I sense something strange from that confectionary. In times past, I have seen a wonder drug created using a natural pool of mana, I sense a resemblance…」
Jolt! Monana’s shoulders jumped so hard I could almost hear it. 「Wh-wh-whatever do you mean? I’ve hardly ever had an encounter with a pool of mana.」
「…You. You are a Magic Tool engineer. Also, I have heard tale that you are an unparalleled genius that could make any Tool requested in a short span of time.」
「Aw shucks, I’m not that good…」
While Monana was feeling bashful, Mika yelled「Yeah! Monana’s a super genius!」excitedly. Monana, who should be feeling praised, started sweating profusely instead.
「Monana, are you still not feeling well? Would you like Marie to check on you?」
「No, no, I’m fine. By the way, Rain, could you hurry up and eat the chocolate…?」
「That confectionery itself is a Magic Tool… No, it is confectionery made using ingrediets produced by a Magic Tool, or something similar, yes?」 Alchemy continued her inquiry.
「L-like I said, I don’t know what you mean…」 Monana’s eyes were darting in all directions.
「Uhm, my “One drop is enough to go all night! Baby Making Juice” was confiscated immediately, why is it that Monana is given a chance to explain herself?」 Even Mage joined in on the conversation.
「M-my gift isn’t like that…! All it does is make the person’s heart throb for the first person they see after eating it…and it only lasts for ten minutes! There’s no side effects either!」
After she finished saying that, she made a face that looked like she thought “Oh crap…”
「Monana…」
Honestly, I had an odd feeling about this too. But Monana would never serve me something with malicious intent. I thought maybe she made some kinda nourishing strength medicine.
「I-I’m sorry, Rain… I haven’t been in a good spot lately, so I just wanted to be looked at by you today at least…but, I couldn’t think of a way to make you acknowledge me more, so…I used such an underhanded…sob I’m sorry…!」
Monana started tearing up. She is truly an excellent Magic Tool engineer; but when it comes to creating items related to me, it always goes wrong, for some reason. Just the other day, that snow giant went out of control.
「It’s okay, Monana. If the other Seven had your skills, they wouldn’t have made something as cute as something that made your heart pound for ten minutes. In fact, it shows just how innocent and pure you are.」 Mika comforts Monana as she places a hand on her shoulder.
「L-Lady holy sword…!」
「But, I will be keeping this.」 Mika snatches up the container.
「Now, Rain. Accept Monana’s feelings and feelings only, and hand that over.」
I was holding one of Monana’s chocolates in my hand. What everyone did next was shocking.
First, Marie grabbed a hold of me and tried to leave the venue. 「It’s fine if you eat that, Rainy. After all, you’ve been obsessed with your big sis since the beginning, so eating that sweet shouldn’t change your behavior at all, yes? Why don’t you try and we shall find out?」 Marie’s eyes were sparkling.
「Wha-…! Guards! Stop that crazed Saint!」 yelled Florence, and people in black clothes jumped out from everywhere.
「Hmph, there are none in this world who can stop sibling love!」 Marie let loose kicks while spinning like a hurricane, comically blowing all the guards away.
「What on earth?! Is she truly Human?!」
「It is like watching a play, isn’t it, my lady?」
「This isn’t the time for carefree observations!」
We left the venue like the wind, but Marie suddenly stopped. Eleanor, Mika, Alchemy, and Mage blocked her path. They all used Teleportation to teleport onto Marie’s path.
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