Chapter 73 - 073: Couch

"Alright, so do you have objections if I said you're breaking the rule for using magic without permission and not because of self-defense?" Mari use her finger and taping at the table

Currently, Arthur in a room for public moral committee do questioning for a student who breaks the rule, at first Mari intended to bring all of the students who is involved in the commotion but Mayumi said it was unnecessary if it was just a prank like what Tatsuya says. But Mari adamant to bring Arthur here for questioning.

"Well..."

"You have objections?"

"Honestly..."

"You have one?"

"... Watanabe-senpai, your face quite scary"

Mari looks quite angry and annoyed too, add her cold voice and stern look makes it more complete.

"I ask you again, do you have objections?" Mari choose to ignore Arthur comment and press her question

"It's quite crowded in the place where Emilia is standing before so I thought her friend want to take advantage of her" Arthur look at the angry face of Mari and answer with innocent face

"Whoaa..." Mayumi quite amazed by Arthur answer, he didn't hesitate to sacrifice his classmates for his own safety

"It's true, I bet even if you look at the footage from the hidden camera, you will not gain anything to prove what I said is true or not" Arthur refuses to admit his mistake close his eyes.

When Mari want to yell at Arthur, Mayumi tugged her sleeve from the side

"Mari, Let's leave it at that. I think to reprimand him like this is enough, there are no casualties and his magic is still leaving room for the other students to back down so in my eyes he will fall under self-defense if the other students still try to grab Emilia's arm"

"... if you said it like that then I didn't have any other choice except to agree with you. Arthur, I hope this is the last time you break the rule. There is no chance you will escape from punishment for the second chance"

"Thank you for your Leniency, Watanabe-senpai, Saegusa-Senpai. Then, I will take my leave" Arthur choose to retreat as fast as possible before Mari change her mind.

"You seems to cover him up, Mayumi" Mari let out a sigh and look at her friend who is playing with her mobile data terminal.

After sending a message, Mayumi look at Mari and raise her eyebrows to her with a questioning look

"Hmm? Me? Covering him? What are you talking about, Mari? There is no such a thing" Mayumi replied innocently before try to shift the topics of conversation "Oh right, are you know who is recommend as public moral committee new members by the teacher?"

"You didn't know it?" Mari knew her friend wants to misdirect her from the topic before, but she just following it because she knows Mayumi will not answer her even if she asks again.

"I was occupied by several things so I didn't pay attention to it"

"You meet him already..."

"Really? Who?" Mayumi wants to ask but when she looks at the annoyed face of Mari, she knows who it was.

"Aah, so that's why you..."

"Yes, and thanks to you he leaves now"

"Hehehe, forgive me, Mari, how about I take you for dinner? My treat" Mayumi shake her friend shoulder

"Alright, are you sent messages to your driver?"

"No, I was sending an insurance" Mayumi smile mischievously and didn't bother explaining what it was at Mari questioning look.

➡️➡️➡️

When Arthur near the school entrance there is still a group of students, but this time all of them look quite friendly.

"It seems all of you have a truce when I was on another battlefield"

"Arthur, are you fine? They didn't make it hard for you? You didn't get punishment right?" The fast person who questioning him is undoubtedly Emilia

"Don't worry, we just talk heart to heart, it's quite dark now, how about we have dinner together? My treat, take it as my apologies for making all of you wait here"

"It's a good idea! Let's go" the fast person who is responding is Erika followed by Tatsuya and the rest.

"Arthur-san, do you mind if we participate?" A deadpan voice is heard and what comes to his eyes is the face of Kitayama Shizuku.

It seems the one who wants to participate in her best friend, Honoka. She is just a representative for Honoka.

"Of course not, we will become classmates for a long time, you can just call me Arthur, and can I call you Shizuku?"

"Yes, also thank you"

The group walks to the nearby restaurant while Abby already there for making reservations, on the road they're chatting about several things and it was leading to Tatsuya ability for fine-tuning CAD.

"But I was quite disheartened by Emilia's technical practices results," Miyuki said it with a smile

"Oh, Emilia trying to use practice machines? How is the result?" Arthur quite interested in the results because this is the first time Emilia use it.

They are accepted to first high school as a part of identity prepare by the system so they never participate in the test.

"She beat me with very large margins, how you can do it, Emilia?" Miyuki asks Emilia who is walking at her left side

"Hmm? I just poured it and it went whoosh all the way?" Emilia titled her head and seems confused and trouble how to explain it

"Hehe, you didn't need to force yourself" Miyuki grab Emilia's hand and smile at her.

"But... I really didn't know..."

"I know, you didn't do it intentionally, you just can't phrase it correctly, don't worry I believe in you"

"Thank you, Miyuki" Emilia's face beaming with a smile

Arthur and Tatsuya loom at the two girl conversation from behind and both of them feel happy for the one they care about find a genuine friend. They will not feel inferior to each other in terms of appearance, magic, and other things.

"Do you want to say something, Tatsuya?"

"I just amaze by your ability to activate your magic nearly instantaneously before"

"Hmm... you can treat me as BS magician when come to freezing magic"

"I will not ask again, sorry"

"What you're apologizing for, there is nothing wrong with your question. Do you already decide which club you want to join?"

"I didn't know, I didn't have a plan to join any club"

"You can't be that boring Tatsuya when a peaceful life comes you must grab it because you will not know when a missile will be aimed at the school"

"Your analogy quite violent, but there is something right from it"

"Of course, that's really my sincere advice" Arthur look at Emilia back when she is turn around their eyes meet accidentally and she smiles at him "when we have a peaceful life, we must protect it properly"

In the Lugunica there is constant threat from the witch cult, political struggle and a threat of invasion from neighbors country, so if he can make Emilia life peacefully and have a smile on her face every day, then even if he needs to do it at another world, Arthur didn't mind it as long as he has her hand.

He wants her to live peacefully like now, even if he knew it was just temporary 'vacation' he wants her to treasure it deeply every moment she had here inside her heart.

When they have their dinner they just chat about misc things before they're done and separated to their own destination.

Arrive at the home Emilia go to her room to take a bath and Arthur drop some cake for the witch-neet before going to his room.

Arthur goes to the balcony and takes a seat on the couch, opening his mobile terminal data there is one unread message with just a word of 'you owe me one' with some emoticons decorated the message.

There is no need for Arthur to wondering about who is the sender because there is just only one person who will send this type of message.

"Arthur, can we talk for a bit?" Emilia seems very hesitates and ask carefully

"Of course, come here" Arthur adjust his seat position and make space for Emilia take a seat at his side.

Emilia sit down and didn't bother with the little space between her and Arthur, she rests her head on Arthur's shoulder and closes her eyes. Arthur wait patiently for Emilia start to talk while ċȧrėssing her hair.

"I think... I didn't deserve their friendship"

"Why you think like that?"

"I... I hide the fact I was a half-elf, what appears in front of them is just a fake, not me"

Arthur picks her up gently and put her on top of his ŀȧp and make a crystal appear in front of them, there is reflection worried face of Emilia in the crystal. Arthur combs her hair and makes her unique ears stand out, for Arthur, it was a pair of lovely ears.

"Who do you think the person reflects on the crystal?"

"That's me..."

"And who it is now?" Arthur makes her hair fall and cover her ears, her hair grows longer from the first time they meet, she didn't cut it and her hair is very smooth making it feel good to ċȧrėss.

"That's also me..."

"There you have your answer..." Arthur embraces her and speaks with low voice "No matter what you're Emilia, you're Emilia the half-elf, but you're also Emilia the friend of people in this world. You must put some belief in your friend, I can promise you when there is a time for you to reveal who you're they will still accept you and they will not cut off your friendship with them"

"Really?" Emilia ask expectantly

"Of course, this world is at a place where they hate a half-elf like in the previous world, but this place is not a safe place either for you to reveal it"

"Arthur..."

"Yes? Do you still have another question?"

"No, but... can you hold me like this a little longer? I feel safe and warm when you by my side, and I didn't know why I feel like this..."

"...wait a bit"

Arthur adjusts the couch and pulls out the cushions for his foot, he makes it can be more comfortable for both of them.

"Come here"

Arthur grab Emilia's hand and make her sit on top of his ŀȧp before he rests his back on the couch, Emilia relax her body on top of Arthur and close her eyes, they didn't speak and just the sound of their breathing is heard and without anyone know it, they were fallen asleep.

Half an hour pass and there is another person approach to the balcony, after covering Arthur and Emilia with the blanket she brought, Abby looks at their peaceful face leaving the balcony without making any sounds.