CH 252

Chapter 252 : Ester’s Perspective Ⅰ

After going home safely from hunting Green Foxes with Mark and the others yesterday, I went to Seth-san’s workshop the next day.

I lined up five dead Green Foxes that I brought with a cart on Seth-san’s workbench.

「Seth-san, as promised, I brought you Green Foxes. Are these enough to make a blanket for Rumilu?」(Ester)

Seth-san is a seamstress in this village. She is very skillful at making clothes and blankets from animal fur.

She picked the dead Green Foxes one by one and carefully examined them.

After she finished examining all of them, she smiled and turned her gaze to me.

「Wonderful! Most of the fur is undamaged because they were killed in one hit. Ester, seems like your skill at hunting has gotten better!」(Seth)

She seems to think I was the one who killed them all.

It’s a little embarrassing but I have to be honest.

「No, I just killed this one. Mark was the one who killed the most of them.」(Ester)

「Mark? …Ah, the boy who came from the outside with Celine, right? I heard a lot about him.」(Seth)

「Yup. He is my friend, you know?」(Ester)

「Your friend…? Really…?」(Seth)

「Wait, you don’t believe me?」(Ester)

「Fufu. Who would have thought that someone like you would make friends with a boy? ーAhh~ I see now. You said you were friends, but actually, you and him are more than friends, right~?」(Seth)

While saying that, Seth-san raised her thumb and pressed her index finger against it, making a hand sign for ‘lovers’.

「Geez, you’re like my mom! Mark and I are not like what you think. Mark is just a friend. My precious friend!」(Ester)

「’Friend’, huh? Well, it doesn’t matter. You have become more cheerful lately, and I think it’s because of him. It’s a good thing to have a friend.」(Seth)

「Right~? So, how’s the material?」(Ester)

「The quality is perfect. I think I can make a good blanket for your little sister. Please look forward to it.」(Seth)

「Great! Thank you, Seth-san!」(Ester)

「I’m going to get into it right away. Do you wanna watch me skin them?」(Seth)

「No, I’m good. I’ll be back next week!」(Ester)

「Alright then. See you~」(Seth)

Seth-san is very good at skinning animals. Her skinning process is truly a masterpiece.

I used to visit her often to see her skinning animals. I learned a lot from her.

However, I feel like doing something else today. I want to train my physical strength and magic ability outside.

I waved my hand at Seth-san and left her workshop with my cart.

――――――

Now I just have to wait until Rumilu’s blanket is finished.

I didn’t do much yesterday. I felt bad for Mark because he did most of the work. He told me not to mind it, but it keeps bothering me.

I want to get stronger… Strong enough to fight alongside Mark…

While pulling the empty cart, I’m thinking about what happened yesterday.

My legs were trembling just from looking at that monster, but Mark fought it without fear.

He used his favorite spell, Stone Bullets, at first, but it didn’t do much damage to the monster.

In the end, he trapped it in a cage of high walls and killed it with fire magic.

I did think that Mark was talented at magic. He made his own house and did other amazing things with magic. However, it seemed that his magical abilities surpassed my expectations.

I feel like I only know a small part of him…

I was a bit jealous of Celine who seemed to completely understand Mark.

Celine said that I would eventually learn more about him over time, but I’m still wondering if what she said was true.

Somehow, I think that Celine has some secret about how she got along with Mark that she couldn’t tell me, and I wonder if it has something to do with the feelings I felt when I carried Mark on my back yesterday.

When we went home from the forest yesterday, I carried Mark on my back. I had a strange feeling in my chest when he firmly hugged me from behind.

It felt hurt but warm and comfortable… I wonder what it was…

I hope it’s not a heart disease or something. I won’t be able to become an adventurer if I have such a disease after all.

Perhaps I will go to Soresh-san’s clinic next time to find out.

While thinking about that, I arrived at home before I knew it.

After putting the cart in the backyard, I let out a long sigh while thinking about my plans for today.

I could go to Mark’s house and train my body with the bouldering wall, but I’m thinking of going to the Portal Crystal now.

I couldn’t go to the Portal Crystal to work on my Portal Stone last night because Rumilu was crying so badly last night, and I had to take care of her together with Mom.

The people here, including me, usually refine our Portal Stones at night because the flow of mana is better at night, but I think doing it during the day can be nice once in a while.

Celine said that she always refines her Portal Stone at this time, so if I go to the Portal Crystal now, I may find her and Mark there.

I’m curious how Celine can refine her Portal Stone so quickly. I know Mark is helping her, but I don’t know how exactly.

Perhaps they will show me how it’s done if I go there and ask them.

Refining a Portal Stone at night may be better than doing it during the day, but I can have fun with Mark and Celine if I do it together with them.

Arrgh! Why did I just realize it now? I should have started doing it a month ago!

Now that I’ve decided what to do, I immediately headed for the Portal Crystal.