Chapter 276: Friend (2)

「I’m here for private work, so don’t talk formally Kurono-san. Or rather I want to talk informally, is that alright with you Kurono-kun?」

She said with a smile more intimate than the one at guild, just how many men could deny her request when she is like this?

At the very least I consented to her without hesitation.

「By the way, Erina-san――」

「It’s fine to call me Erina」

She gave me a perfect wink just like young Lily, and corrected me.

「Why is Erina in the Academy?」

「I’m a graduate from the Civil Course. So I came here to meet a junior」

I thought some time ago whether she was a graduate from Academy, looks like my guess hit the right spot.

「If it’s fine, how about you also come with me?」

「No, I need to meet someone so I will refrain from that」

This was surely an alluring invitation, but I already have plans to do magic learning with Nell-san.

「Oh, you have a previous appointment, too unfortunate」

「I’m sorry」

「Don’t worry, I will invite you later」

Is that true――no, this might that thing called lip service, right?

And recently I tend to forget about the fact that I shouldn’t be spending this time while playing around.

The time I spent with Nell-san is pleasant, but I am perfectly getting taught about magic and am nourishing my power.

Well since that’s the case, I sense some reluctance to go with Erina for just playing around.

Even more when I think that Lily and Fiona might be working hard right now.

I also need to show my powered side by the time they return back.

If possible I want to show my explosion offensive magic that use the flames divine protection, and then make them say「it’s too showy」.

「That’s why you have to come to the Guild soon. You haven’t come recently, it’s lonely」

She’s a person that can say words like ‘it’s lonely’ without any problems and might stimulate male instincts.

Putting that aside, it’s the truth that I haven’t been to the guild recently.

The last time I went there was after returning to Spada from that bandit subjugation quest, so it’s already been two weeks.

Currently, the three members of『Element Master』were scattered, but it’s not like I can’t take on quests alone.

Yeah, that’ right, now that I have a chance I should try out my newly learned black magic, and also raise up some money.

「Sorry, I will come tomorrow, so give me your recommended quest」

「Ufufu, I will choose a harsh one just for Kurono-kun」

「I’m alone right now, so please not a dangerous one……」

Maybe after I saved her from the serial murderer Joto, she might be having excessive anticipation for me.

No, let’s just say she was joking right now.

「Alone? Did the party dissolute?」

「Don’t say something that scary. We are just doing work separately for now――」

Then we talked and walked.

I told her about the fact that my party members were away from Spada for training, and the fact that I am searching for a certain Rank 5 monster, etc etc, I talked about everything that would be of no problem to talk about.

Well at the same time I heard a lot about Erina.

Like she was searching for boyfriends, her choice of man was a strong and tall one that would save her in dangerous situation, her quite private details were being made public.

Geez, was she trying to seduce a high-schooler male student like me, at least age-wise, by talking like that. Indeed a terrifying receptionist she is.

But I won’t be deceived, it’s my loss if I pay heed to it, it’s just that.

With this and that, I broke up with Erina at some place, and hurried towards the dorm where Nell-san might be waiting since before.

.

「Kurono-san, I need to talk about something serious, can you hear it?」

Eh, don’t tell me, the food I made was bad? I don’t have a clue about that.

About time I returned back to the dorm, I was apparently a step slower while Nell-san was waiting for me at the entrance.

It was in the calculation error of who would reach dorm first, so I don’t particularly care about it, however the problem right now would be that she said that line with a mysterious face as if she were thinking about something.

If I take her words at face value then she seems to have to ask something from me, but well, what might be the problem that is making a princess worry this much about. If it is something too highly political thing then I won’t be able to answer her.

For the time being, I need to hear what she wants to say or the talk won’t proceed. I invite her in my room which had already turned into Nell-sensei’s personal classroom.

I sit on the chair with a writing desk in front, while Nell-san sat on the bed. It is the usual position when chatting.

Because of this arrangement my bed gets covered by white wings, but let’s leave that alone for now.

「So what do you want to talk about?」

「Ah, yes……Um……what does Kurono-san……」

It seems like she is having a hard time to speak it, looks like this talk is quite the heavy one, I need to be resolved.

「What does Kurono-san……think about me?」

The words that came out of her mouth after all the hesitation were quite abstract.

What do I think about Nell-san, well then, what sort of intention did she had when she asked this――no wait, isn’t this line like a confirmation for the existence or nonexistence of romantic feelings between a male and female?

No, wait wait, that imagination is just too much.

That’s right, this is nothing more than the second time of today that I heard a word that would make a man’s heart misunderstand.

Henceforth, I don’t need to quicken up here, and proceed carefu――

「What does Kurono-san think about me!」

Wait a sec Nell-san, I’m thinking about it, so don’t say it again as if pressing for an answer.

「Ah, err, what do you mean what?」

My thoughts weren’t collected, so I could reply in that ambiguous manner.

「What means……umm, does Kurono-san think of me as a friend……」

Her appearance with a blush on her white stainless face, completely personified the flawless charm of an embarrassing girl, however the contents of her line weren’t something great, but just if I thought of her as a friend or not.

Yeah, it was my loss to expect, no, be consciousness of her words.

「I think about Nell-san as a normal friend」

I have met her recently, and it has only been the past one week since I have been able to talk to her perfectly, moreover with the cooperative relationship of magic and cooking I’ve been thinking that we might have gotten close.

However the difference in social statuses might be the problem. After all she is a princess while I am an adventurer, never can I say we were in equilibrium.

However the thing called friendship can’t be defined by social status. At least I think like that, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to talk casually with Wil.

The feelings I have for Nell-san will be similar to what a high-schooler would feel when he suddenly started talking with a female classmate.

It might be a strange line to be calling her as a friend, but I think it’s fine to call her my friend.

「But sorry. If Nell-san doesn’t think like that, then, I was being overly-familiar」

「Noo! It’s not like that! I also think about Kurono-san as a precious friend!」

*shake boing shake*, the two big mountains wrapped in the blouse right in front of my eyes shook violently.

It was because Nell-san bent forward towards me from the my front.

It is quite a surprise for me too that she declared me as her friend with this sort of overreaction.

「I-Is that so, thank you very much」

Maybe she perceived the atmosphere that seemed to retreat, Nell-san immediately sat back down.

Her wings on the back were flapping probably to hide her embarrassment. Like that again the bed was covered by wings, no, let’s ignore it for now.

Well, within the past couple of days of working together with Nell-san, I came to understand that she expressed her emotions greatly, so seeing her reactions would only seem charming to me.

Or rather, she’s cute so everything is forgiven! The male nature is so sad.

「And, is me being the friend or not the thing you wanted to ask?」

「Ah, yes, half of it」

「Then the other half would be?」

「Err, umm……I don’t the experience of having many friends……」

She spoke truly embarrassing words in an embarrassing manner.

Well I also didn’t had many friendship relations that I can laugh it off. If just limited to Spada, the person who became my friend would be only Wil, if excluding Nell-san.

「Is that, um, a good thing that I should hear in details right now?」

「Yes, I want Kurono-san to heart it」

I see, so the main part of the talk comes now.

「As Kurono-san knows, I’m the First Princess of Avalon. My abroad studies here in Spada was also officially announced on a great scale, so I doubt there would someone who doesn’t know about me in the Academy」

Unless the information was blocked to a great extent, there’s no way that the topic of a royalty commuting to school won’t become a great story.

Even if I hadn’t met Wil and Nell-san, I would’ve heard about them from rumours while walking.

If talking about rumours I have also heard about some fame of Nell-san in this Academy.

「Nell-san is also called as the Idol of Academy, so I thought you must have many friends」

Even if leaving aside the Rank 5 Party『Wing Road』, if I tried to extract rumours about the princess of Avalon, they would all have good contents.

Not only her beauty like that of an angel, but also her kind-hearted personality, that led her to call out to me and help me, so her image must have been formed by the accumulation of those good deeds.

As an extra there is also Her Highness Princess Nell’s Fanclub made by those whose head and heart were done in by the beauty and kindness of Nell-san, the people of fanclub call themselves as her elite bodyguards.

「Yes, certainly everyone in the Academy is kind towards me, but……」

「But they are treating you as a princess, is that what you want to say?」

「Yes, that’s is exactly it!」

So I got the right point. I thought that this cliché had occurred a lot in novels and stuff, but this actually even applied in reality……

「The reason everyone is kind is just because I’m a princess」

「But, I don’t think that it’s the only reason? If you didn’t had a good image among students, then even if you were a royalty there would be no good rumours about you」

That’s why Wil I have decided to keep your rumours as something I never heard.

I know that in truth you’re a truly good guy.

「Yes, you are right. I have Telepathy so I know that everyone is not kind towards me just because of self-interest. But even so, the image of the princess comes up first」

I see, so even with good will, they still end up looking through rose-coloured glasses.

But, thinking about humans mentality it seems natural, even I treat her as a princess――

「But Kurono-san was different」

「Eh?」

Unexpectedly an extremely questionable voice leaked out.

But Nell-san continued as though it didn’t reach her or she ignored it.

「Kurono-san speaks everything to me without holding back. Ufufu, it was shock when you said my food wasn’t good, though」

Holy moly! Looks like I have been rude towards her.

That time I was in confusion due to sudden developments, no doubt. Thankfully it was Nell-san, but based on circumstances I might have been sentenced with lese majeste.

Looks like I have met quite a fortuitous royalty. That time in the school cafeteria Nero said,

「Do you know who they are? They aren’t people you can touch them thoughtlessly」

Looks like that it is common sense in this world and not just some prideful way of speaking.

「No, it’s not like that. Even I am concerned about the fact that Nell-san is a princess」

I tried to appeal by returning favour to the princess, but,

「Fufu, it’s fine Kurono-san, I clearly know about that. Kurono-san knows that I’m a princess of Avalon but you aren’t conscious about it at all. Almost like you don’t know things like Royalty, as though you are person from a truly faraway country」

Ugh, Nell-san you are quite sharp……

「I’m sorry, but you are truly correct. Things like royalty, aristocracy, or difference in social status just don’t seem real」

It’s impossible to evade her anymore. Then, I can only admit my fault and ask for forgiveness.

「No don’t apologize. I think that only Kurono-san can become my true friend」

「It saves me if you say it like that」

Both sentimentally and realistically.

Looks like my speech and conduct didn’t incur Nell-san’s wrath, but miraculously gave her a good impression about me.

If it wasn’t like that then no matter how much of a kind-hearted person Nell-san is, she wouldn’t be hanging out with me every day.

「That’s why Kurono-san please be a best friend with me and be with much less restraint」

「Naturally. I also want to get on good terms with Nell-san」

I replied while raising a smile from the bottom of my heart. I don’t have rejection in increasing the friendship with my second friend I have made in Spada.

No, more than that, we aren’t connected by just cooperative relationship now, but also by a friendship relationship.

「Thank you very much! Well then, I have to ask for something from Kurono-san……is it fine?」

Nell-san again said bashfully. Looks like she is an expert at hearing others wishes, but is bad at telling her wishes.

Her cute red face and her behaviour might incite fire in the sadist hearts, but as I don’t have that sort of crooked fetish, so I can only consent to her.

「What is it? Nell-san also can speak anything with me without restraint」

Did the nuance got through her, that I will do anything if it can be done by me. Nell-san finally seemed to have resolved and opened her mouth bashfully yet happily.

「Umm……can I call you as Kurono-kun?」

This feeling was like a student was confessed in a classroom after the school when sun was setting down.

Of course I never had such a good experience, but Nell-san’s words along with her embarrassed face surely did have an impact of that level.

Calm down me, I persuaded myself again, just how many times have I done that today?

In short, I was quite flustered today that I had to conscious about composure.

I had the guts to hear her request no matter how reckless, but little had I thought that it would such a cute request.

No matter if for friendship, if you speak like that to a man it will surely be misunderstood, Nell-san.

She is an airhead in a different way from Fiona――and I will be troubled because I have quite the impurity just like how an high-schooler should be.

Anyhow, I will take on her request itself, I have no reason to complain about it.

「It’s fine」

Maybe the flustering had a lingering effect that I spoke in a curt manner, damn I’m even more embarrassed.

I even averted my gaze a bit.

「And――」

The request is still not completed?

Nell-san had her face red, but she didn’t seem to stop now from asking me.

「Please call me as Nell. In truth Kurono-sa――Kurono-kun doesn’t need to talk in honorific language」

It is extremely lovable how she tried to change her way of calling me.

No, I shouldn’t be praising that,

「Eh, err, is that alright? If other students saw me talking casually with Princess then――」

「Don’t care about other people! Please do so!!」

Nell-san again bent her body forward from bed, she is a person who uses her all in everything.

Well, I talk casually with Wil, so I don’t have any excuse for that.

At any rate, the force of other side seemed to have surpassed me, now I can’t possibly refuse her.

「Yes, got it Nell-san」

「Kurono-kun?」

「Ah, got it got it, Nell」

I corrected my answer and the Princess of Avalon showed an truly exaggeratedly happy smile to me.

This feels like, there will be no magic learning today……