Since Harold made the decision without even thinking about it, the rumors circulating in his territory about him being a battle junkie might not have been necessarily wrong. Although the danger was less, his resistance towards fighting becoming lower was also another change. This was the result of him coming to the clear decision that if it wasn’t like this, he wouldn’t survive.
「By the way, is your body alright? I heard that you fought against a huge Horn Head on this expedition」
「That again」
「Did you really think that I would lose to that small fry whose only characteristic was its large size? Speak only after you think」
「Saying that with Harold-kun’s age itself is surprising」
「Even your son is like that though」
(With this, it would be impossible to raise a flag, right?)
◇
「Haa, ha……….yeah, if it’s like this, it seems as though you’ll be alright even in the tournament」
Itsuki, who had moved away from the sword’s range, lowered his sword while arranging his breathing.
「I don’t need your concern」
「Only in the strength portion though. It’s good that you have no problems in handling the fake sword」
「Don’t make light of me. I’m not so weak that this amount of weight will become painful」
「If it’s about that, I was worried whether you’d be able to hold back or not」
‘Because there’s practically nobody in the same generation who can react to Harold’s sword’, was Itsuki’s opinion. If he had to say it, then it was consideration for the opponents who would end up fighting against Harold. Well, it was just needless anxiety about such matters of ability.
「Then, let’s end it here for today. Since the plan is to depart tomorrow morning」
(Carriage again, huh. It can’t be helped because Delfit is nearby, but I really want to board an airship)
「Ah, right, do you want to change your name for registering in the tournament? Almost everybody who participate in the tournament are commoners, so I think that your parents might not like you appearing in that kind of place」
「I don’t know about that. Rather, they might say,”You did well in beating down those inferior species!”, and get pleased」
「Anything is fine for the alias」
「Then I’ll think of it while we travel」
「Sorry, Erika, for being a bit late」
Without even minding Harold’s thoughts, Itsuki sat down at the table where Erika was sitting. Harold glared at the both of them demanding an explanation, but even faster than that, Erika asked Itsuki
「Onii-sama, I heard that only the 2 of us will be eating together though?」
「That’s right. It’s not wrong that I invited you saying,”How about eating together once in a while?”」
「…….So it’s like that」
「If my presence is a nuisance, then should I leave?」
「Stay here」「Please stay」
Nevertheless, if she were to leave after she had already sat down only by looking at the other person’s face, then it would be too rude. Even if the seat that she was invited to was a trap. Maybe it was because he had planned it after taking this personality of his little sister’s into consideration, Itsuki’s expression was saying,’I’ve done it’.
「……….Why is she here in Delfit?」
「Because there are chances of getting injured in the fighting tournament, I thought of making someone who could use healing magic accompany us. However, coincidentally since it was inconvenient to the people in the house, I reluctantly requested Erika」
「I won’t get injured」
「There’s a proverb – Well prepared means no worries. That’s why I made Erika also accompany us」
「It should have been that I wouldn’t make contact with Harold-sama any more than when absolutely necessary though」
「I decided that meeting face to face is a necessity. That way, you can move smoothly if something happens, right?」
It wasn’t as though Itsuki was saying something odd, so they couldn’t complain about it. In the end, with the situation being as though they were taken for a ride by Itsuki, the 3 of them sat around the table. It went without saying that there was no conversation between Erika and Harold. If Itsuki hadn’t acted as the intermediary, they might have remained silent until the end. And so, this time which seemed like penance for Harold continued for more than an hour.
By the time they had finished dinner, Harold’s mental exhaustion had reached its peak. After finishing dinner, with somewhat unreliable footsteps, Harold returned to his own room. Erika saw that back off while feeling apologetic.
Although she wanted to scold Itsuki, maybe because he had sensed it, he had left with Harold and his figure could no longer be seen. She was delighted that due to her brother’s plan she was able to be together with Harold after a long time, but more than that her thoughts of being a bother weighed on her. Originally, Erika didn’t want to make her existence known during the fighting tournament unless Harold was injured. And now that plan was in this state.
「Welcome back, Erika-sama ～. You seem to be tired ～」
「You were watching?」
「Even though it’s like this, I’m also your guard ～. Although, since both Itsuki-sama and Harold-sama are stronger than me, I don’t know if there’s any meaning in acting as your guard ～」
「Come to think of it, have you talked about Colette-sama ～?」
「No, I’ve concealed it」
「As expected, there’s no way you can tell him ～」
「Yes, since we shouldn’t know that she is alive」
But still, she couldn’t simply not say even a single thing. That’s why, Erika said that if they were to meet again, she wished to become friends.
Erika felt it after she actually saw Colette herself. That couldn’t she too become a person who could support Harold. Colette should have also known. About the strength and kindness of Harold. Because she had been saved by it, and was still being protected by it.
If they were to meet again, then that might be the time when Harold would speak about the secret. Erika thought that at that time she would once again want to become friends with Colette. They could become good friends for sure.
「I’ll go to bed for today. Juno, you too return to your room」
「Understood ～. Good night, Erika-sama」
「Good night」
Although they were engaged, it was just temporary. She also knew that Harold was planning to cancel it. If that happened, then Colette might become her rival in love.
Normally, one would feel jealous. But strangely, Erika’s heart was calm. It wasn’t because she thought that she had the advantage in love.
‘Colette will become my rival. That too is fine’, was how she thought. In these past few years, Erika became aware that she was yearning for Harold. If she were to hope for it, she thought that she wanted her first love to be fulfilled.
(That’s why, I’m looking forward to our reunion)
