Volume 4 Chapter 21 The Second Half Looks Sweet!
The request we chose is to gather medicinal herbs. It's a super low difficulty level that even a 5th rank could handle, but it ends in a day and becomes a little pocket money. It's just right for us now.
"Today, let's finish this and go out to eat with the reward."
"I want to eat skewers from a food stall!"
"Hurry up, you're too eager. Finish the request properly and get the reward first."
How deep are you into it, Princess? I am overwhelmed by Aina's sparkling vigor.
I peeled off the request sheet and handed it to Aina.
"When we were doing the reconstruction work, Mikage and I did everything together. Today, try to handle the flow of accepting requests on your own."
"Yes, understood!"
Aina happily walked towards the reception desk with the request form in hand. She was really looking forward to the grilled chicken skewers.
But it's not just that. Even though it's just an herb-gathering job, it's her first job as a mercenary, so she's putting a lot of effort into it.
The reconstruction work she did last time was a bit unusual for a job. In a way, as Gram said, this time seems like Aina's first job as a mercenary.
Full of motivation, Aina faced the receptionist who was processing the order. Watching her from behind, I felt kind of warm inside.
It's like the feeling of a father watching his daughter venture out on her first errand. The child who used to struggle even to eat skewers is now talking to the receptionist all by herself. She has really grown up.
'But Aina has a nice butt just as good as Kyunei and Mikage.'
This is so frustrating. Give back my emotional stability.
No, I agree with what this spear (Gram) is saying. Indeed, it's true that she leans on the reception desk and stick out her butt in a very good shape.
Was it a bad idea to have such wicked thoughts?
I was slow to react to the presence that had approached me.
Thud!
"Huh?"
I felt a bump on my back.
When I turned around to see what was going on, there was a man who had fallen on the guild floor for some reason.
He had a bewildered expression on his face, but suddenly he stared at me with a bright red face.
No, I'm the one who doesn't understand what's happening here.
"Wh-what's your problem, bastard!"
"No, seriously, what's going on!?"
Suddenly being shouted at, I reflexively threw in a retort. For some reason, the man's face turned even darker from anger, with blood rushing to his red face.
Gram, can you explain the situation? You should understand what's going on.
'Well, that guy over there intentionally bumped into you, partner. He probably couldn't stand seeing Aina flirting with you.'
Oh, really? So what happened?
'He tried to bump your shoulder in front of your cute girlfriend to embarrass you, but instead, he got knocked back. You see, my partner carries me, after all.'
Gram has been training me by using 'Enchantment - Weight Increase' to make me heavier. With that weight, I'm easily more than the weight of one person. So, surprisingly, I weigh more than two people now.
Plus, supporting that much weight regularly has strengthened my core. The guy who fell after bumping into me had an average build but didn't seem to have any special muscles. It's no wonder he lost that bumping match.
.............
Well, I guess there's no way to blame me, right?
'If I had to point something out, it would be that he was trying to act all cool in the guild. And to top it off, he didn't even realize he was the one who bumped into us, which would make anyone upset.'
It's not totally my fault, but still, it's not me who is wrong. In fact, Gram, you should have told me when the guy was approaching so I could have avoided it.
'Partner, who was distracted by a woman's butt, is at fault. And even if you avoided it, he would have found another way to interact with you.'
It's all because of Gram's one word about a nice butt.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Yukina-san. I was able to accept the request safely."
While yelling at Gram through Telepathy (channel) and being glared at by the guy, Aina, the owner of a nice butt, finished processing the order and returned.
Aina looked back and forth between me, and the guy, who was also still on the ground.
"...Were you guys in the middle of something?"
"I wonder what's going on."
I have no idea either.
When I look around, the tense atmosphere from earlier seems to have eased slightly. It's weird to say, but many mercenaries are now smirking at the man who fell on his butt.
"'It looks like nobody wants to help this guy. Well, by not challenging you head-on, his true colors have been revealed.'
In the end, what the man did was just jealousy, and instead of gaining approval from those around him, he only received mockery.
The man mutters "Damn it" under his breath, stands up in frustration, and heads towards the guild's exit. He shoves aside the other mercenaries along the way and walks out.
I honestly tell Aina what happened while she was away.
"Oh, it seems like he was a bit too cocky."
Aina says this in a reflective tone and then grabs my hand.
"I understand that it's not a good idea for us to stay here any longer. We've finished our orders, so let's leave for now."
"Oh, okay."
I was being dragged by Aina towards the guild exit. The mocking glances from the man who had fallen on his back turned into hostility towards me, but I just waved at those guys and left the scene.
I was being pulled along for a while, but Aina eventually slowed down and started walking alongside me.
"I'm sorry. I had a sense of the atmosphere at the guild, though."
"Oh, you noticed?"
"I'm used to people looking at me. Plus, even with a cloak on like this, it still attracts attention."
Aina is aware of her own exceptional appearance. She also understood the kind of attention I was getting while with her.
"More than that, I was having so much fun being with Yukina-san that I got carried away. It was a mistake."
Haha, Aina chuckled wryly.
'I mean, it's only been very recently since you became engaged, so it's one of the few chances you have to have her all to yourself, partner. It's natural to be a little excited.'
Indeed, as Gram said, we met much earlier than Kyunei and Mikage, but our time together has been much shorter compared to those two.
Furthermore, I've heard that Aina has had a life with limited freedom as a royal. She had told me that her engagement to Brave (Relix) was arranged as a duty of the royal family. While she had come to terms with the life of a royal, it wasn't that she had no reservations.
But now, she has gained freedom in her position as my fiancée.
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful in the future──"
"You don't have to apologize, it's fine to get carried away."
"Huh? Yukina-san?"
I cut off Aina's attempt to restrain herself.
"If you mess up, a true man takes it all in stride. There's no need to hold back."
I squeezed Aina's hand that I was holding a little bit tighter.
"You don't need to worry about reading the atmosphere. Just be yourself. That's what makes me happy too."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yeah, go for it."
She looked a little puzzled at first, but soon smiled.
Then, she let go of my hand, and suddenly hugged my arm tightly.
"Oops."
"...Um, is it okay to stay like this until we leave the royal capital?"
"No problem at all. In fact, it's very welcome."
Aina's tenderness spread throughout my arm, filling me with happiness. She then nuzzled her head against my arm even more tightly.
"Yukina-san."
"What is it?"
"Hehe, I just wanted to call you."
What's with this cute girl? Is she really my lover?
I'm sorry, she is my lover!
'Both of you are so carefree about important things. The air is so sweet that a flood could happen with sugar, darn it!'
While Gram groaned in sorrow, I didn't hear a word as I was busy flirting with Aina.
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