Chapter 100 The Natsugoshi Festival (2)
And after this and that and chatting and laughing with Lily and eating my meal, I once again decided to pull out this topic.
“By the way, just what is that costume?”
“Eh?”
‘Is there something weird about it?’ Fiona looked at me as if she really didn’t know what I was saying.
Could it be that she has already forgotten what getup she’s in right now because she’s always wearing a witch’s robe?
“aa, are you talking about this?”
After looking at my face and her own body about 3 times, she finally understood.
“It is apparently a traditional costume worn by young women in this area.”
Bunny girl is? That is a very lewd tradition, I must say.
“It’s meant to be worn at ‘critical times’.”
What kind of time is that?
“Lily-san said that I should use this opportunity to wear these clothes and give Kurono-san some service as thanks.”(Fiona)
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Fiona said that brimming with confidence. Where did the embarrassment when she came first go? She is making a face that has no regrets.
Well, I can’t say that I am not happy but, it can’t be helped since it was too abrupt. To appear in a bunny outfit out of nowhere and then tell me that it’s the traditional costume here is something I could never even imagine.
“un, but really thank you.”
“don’t mind it.”
I honestly gave her my thanks. Lifting Lily on my lap, I patted her silky soft hair.
“Thanks Lily. It made me happy.”
“ehehe.”
She seemed embarrassed but she smiled happily. Damn, my Lily’s so damn cute that it’s dangerous.
“But—“
As I looked back towards Fiona, I once again thought that the costume was really amazing.
I understand that wearing such an outfit just to thank me is really impressive (?) but, that doesn’t change the fact that the amount of body exposure is really stimulating.
And since she is usually in that witch robe, let alone body, even her body line is barely visible. Due to the hentai synergy caused when someone/something who is usually hidden becomes so exposed, the level of impact I received is immeasurable.
Besides, Fiona’s face is so high levelled that it doesn’t get overshadowed even with Lily around. In terms of Adventurer rank it would definitely be rank 5.
Golden eyes that were as bright as the sun along with light blue short hair, from the pov of a Japanese, it might be strange and magical, but somehow amazingly, it perfectly suits her.
Although her body doesn’t glitter, I could see her transparent-like white shoulders and legs.
Fiona who was bodily older than Lily had the proper curves where it counts, and her womanly roundness could be seen right now. Due to the bunny outfit, her curvy waist, that was emphasized, could make any woman jealous. Even more so because she is always eating no matter what time of the day.
“Is something wrong, Kurono-san?”
Her golden eyes came in between my impolite gaze. The fact that actually only doubt could be seen in her eyes actually made me feel sorry.
“sorry, it’s nothing—–it hurts!!”
Is what I say, but the damage isn’t much.
As a slight pain ran through my fingertip, I saw Lily biting on my finger while giving a slight reproachful look.
“uu!”
“ah, sorry sorry, it was my bad so let my finger go.”
“hmph.”
Lily puffed her cheeks and looked away. This is bad, she must have read my indecent thoughts while looking at the bunny girl Fiona.
“Really sorry.”
Even though she was angry, she still sat on my lap as usual. She’s like a selfish cat in a sense. Then, here, I’ll need to pat her gently and cheer her up.
“Kurono-san.”
“nn?”
While patting Lily, I turned to talk back to Fiona.
“Please keep on being affectionate like that to Lily-san. She really was excited to show Kurono-san this outfit.”
Well now, I’m embarrassed as well as happy. This really is a heart-warming episode; it really made my heart flutter a bit.
“I see, thanks Lily!”
“Kya Kya!”
I patted her with even more vigour and affection than usual.
Maybe because she felt my warm feelings as well, Lily seemed to be in an even higher tension than usual.
“But you two really have gotten close.”(kurono)
“We have been making potions together all this time after all. To make her miracle drug, she had to return to her normal form today as well. That’s why she could stay like that in front of Kurono-san only for a few minutes.”
“Aa, so that’s why she suddenly reverted back.”
Certainly, Lily can only take her normal form for only 30 mins through the Queen Beryl and she used those last few minutes to stay with me.
Somehow, I suddenly feel regret that I wasn’t able to properly kiss the adult Lily.
“Since she used all her strength, until she sleeps the whole night, she won’t be able to turn back her consciousness either.”
“I see. You really worked hard Lily.”
Lily twisted her body in embarrassment while sitting on my lap.
“Also, the reason why only 3 of us were left alone together was because Lily-san said that she wanted to increase the friendship among the members of [Element Master].
“oh, so that’s why everyone left their seats here.”
Unexpectedly, everyone’s pretty sensitive and tactful. While admiring, I also gave my thanks to the adventurers who could read the atmosphere.
“By the way, what exactly do we have to do to deepen our friendship?”(kurono)
“Even I don’t know that. I don’t have any experience from the time when I was a student either.”(Fiona)
Fiona suddenly confessed something extremely saddening.
“Um, should I not touch anything regarding your school days?”(kurono)
“I don’t really mind. I was able to graduate even while being completely alone after all.”(fiona)
Uwaa, I just heard something even sadder. Her friends were definitely 0. Even I didn’t have many friends but it wasn’t this bad.
Just because she could destroy even a dungeon with her overpowered dangerous attack magic, there wasn’t any need to avoid her either. But the person himself doesn’t seem to mind it much either, but that makes it even sadder…….
“Alright, let’s drink a lot tonight Fiona!”
To drink away your bad memories with alcohol is what adults do. Though I don’t really have any experience since I was still a minor back in japan.
But after coming here, I have developed a taste for it.
“But I’m already drinking though.”(Fiona)
“It’s fine. It’s the feelings that count. Now then, to deepen the friendship amon the members of [Element Master], Cheers!”
“Cheers.”
“Cheers!!”
The 3 glasses struck each other.
Now then, what should I talk about? If I go by the current flow, I feel like I would end up asking something tasteless so I should be careful.
.
.
.
Late at night, I climbed the stairs of the guild with the heavily sleeping Lily in my hands.
I just separated from Fiona. We drank quite a lot but maybe because of having high alcohol resistance, she was only a bit tipsy and so should be able to sleep well tonight.
On the other hand, I, thanks to my modified body, I could safely climb the stairs and could walk without stumbling.
I thought of going back to my room, but before that I need to enter a different room.
“I’m coming in, Simon”
“Ah, Onii-san.”
It was Simon’s room. To help give him space for research and development, he had two rooms with the wall in between broken down.
In the centre of the room, Simon was sitting while wearing a white robe.
“Sorry that only we had been partying and racketing till now. Was it too noisy?”
“It’s fine. I don’t really like things like that and I can’t drink sake either. And the noise wasn’t really disturbing either. I’m the type who becomes unable to listen anything else when I concentrate.”
After adjusting the gun in his hand, Simon turned towards me.
I could see fatigue on that cute face.
After we met, he has been reducing his sleep to work more.
And his job wasn’t just development. I was actually worried that he might be working harder than even me.
“But, are alchemists knowledgeable even with magic?”
Simon gave a wry smile and answered.
“I have only dabbled in the working and techniques of it. I can’t really use magic with a magic circle or a chant.”
That’s why, I can’t even use even the simplest of magics. He said to himself with a self depreciating smile.
“But thanks to that, the machine gun has been completed.”(kurono)
“Well yeah, I feel glad that I actually remembered the techniques of magic.”(simon)
It must have been painful and bitter to have learnt something you could not even use.
Not to mention that many others could easily use the same skills. It must have felt stupid to be learning something like that.
But now’s not the time to be thinking about such stuff. So I decide to change the topic.
“a, should I have brought something for you to eat?”(kurono)
“I’m fine. Just now, well, some time ago Su-san brought lots of things for me.”(simon)
“I see. Good to see you’re getting along.”
Simon gave a small nod and pulled a chair for me and asked if I wanted to sit.
“Nah, I just came to look so I’ll go now. Simon, you should also sleep tonight.”(kurono)
It was already midnight. It wasn’t good to stay up for so long all the time.
“un, but—“
“No need to overwork yourself. I’ll be troubled if you collapsed.”
“I see, yeah, then I’ll go to sleep now.”
“yeah, you should do that.”
Turning my back to Simon, I moved towards the exit door.
“…….Probably tomorrow..”(simon0
As to what he meant, I didn’t even need to ask.
I stopped my legs and I answered with a question.
“Yeah, you scared?”(kurono)
“No, these past few days, I really had fun. I got a lot of ideas from Onii-san that I could have never come up with. Also, Onii-san’s the only one who has ever depended on me so much, so, I was really happy.”
“I see—-After this is over, I have many things I want you to create.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it as well.”
There was no need to speak anything else.
“Bye, good night.”
“yeah, Good night.”
I quietly left Simon’s room.
“Tomorrow——-“
I muttered softly.
Today’s merrymaking done with Natsugoshi festival as an excuse really helped in lowering the tension of the upcoming battle.
But, today, on the 30th of Shinyou, I should have been in Irz right now.
I promised to treat Nyarko to a drink, I was supposed to visit stalls with Lily, I would have laughed while seeing the incompetent Nino, I would have been extorted by Aten under the guise of our promise as well.
But, none of those will come true anymore.
But no matter how sad, painful, bitter it was—–no tears will flow out of my eyes any more.
In front of the graves of everyone, I have already cried enough.
From here on out, there’s only one thing I have to do.
“—–Watch over me. I’ll kill them, I’ll kill them all. No matter how many of them may come.”
I’ll kill as many as I can of those Crusaders.
In this Alsace’s defensive battle, I’ll make you bastards compensate for your crimes with your blood.