Chapter 224: Chapter 215 Alvin’s Ring and Hayate’s Consultation
It's been a week since they decided on the party plan.
Alvin and Emily have been training from early in the morning until just before nightfall, fighting mock battles.
Alvin is getting stronger now that he's an upper-upper rank, but he hasn't been able to beat Emily yet, because while Alvin and the <Running Wolves> are doing their quests, Emily is doing hers.
It is normal for an adventuring party to have a maximum of four members, and for them to form a fixed party and work their way up before taking the advanced exams, but Emily has been working solo.
"I don't want to join another party now and fail the intermediate exam even if it's only temporarily"
But in reality, she just doesn't want to join another party and prioritize adventuring over Shinji.
For Emily, adventuring is just a way to make money and train herself. She is happy to be of service to Shinji, the man she loves and the master she is supposed to serve, and Shinji is more important for her than adventuring.
Shinji treats Emily as a servant.
He doesn't have the same sweet feelings for her as he does for Renka, but he trusts her with anything, and there is a definite connection that can be called master-servant love.
The sex that they have as part of their reward feels good, and Emily's heavy love is not diminishing but only accumulating.
Emily and Alvin's training also included holidays, and now, Alvin took Shinji with him to visit the heliotrope.
"Whoa! This is magic gem. It has a beautiful sky blue color"
"Isn't it~? Mil and I like the color, so I decided on it right away!"
Alvin is showing Haruto the gems at the counter.
The gems purchased in Oeste are called magic gems, which are originally small gems that are gradually made larger by magic.
Large gems are expensive and are bought up by nobles for ornaments or by magic guilds to use as catalysts for magic, so they are rarely distributed to the general public.
Magic gem are made by craftsmen who spend a lot of time and effort using magic, and are often used by commoners to send wedding rings. The more vivid the color was, the higher the price, and the gems would more expensive if it created by the best craftsmen.
The magic gems that Alvin bought was also made by a top-notch craftsman, and Haruto could feel Alvin's enthusiasm for the ring.
"It's a high-grade gem. I think it was fine even though it was bought in the place of origin"
"Yes, and we've been promoted. Now we are upper-upper rank"
"Really? Congratulations, Alvin, Shinji!"
Shinji replies with a soft chuckle to Haruto's self-congratulatory smile.
Hayate called out to Shinji, who was looking at Alvin and Haruto as they went about discussing the ring.
"Onii-san. Do you have time later?"
Shinji looked at Hayate with an unexpected expression. He hadn't expected that Hayate, who hated him, would want to talk to him individually, let alone just talk to him.
However, when he saw Hayate's somewhat thoughtful expression, Shinji had a hunch.
(Is reality finally becoming clear to her?)
Unlike Shizuku, Hayate only dealt with what was happening in front of her eyes and lived a fulfilling life. However, while Shinji and the others were out of city, Hayate finally turned her attention to the future. No, she had no choice but to do so.
"Don't worry. I'll talk to you after Hayate's work is done, before we go back to the inn"
"Yes...please, Onii-san"
Shinji nodded as he looked back into Hayate's anxious eyes.
* * *
In the evening, Shinji was waiting for Hayate at a coffee shop a short distance away from the heliotrope, while drinking coffee. Alvin had left after the ring consultation, and Shinji was sitting alone.
"Onii-san, hello again"
"Good work. Excuse me, may I?"
When Hayate took her seat, Shinji called the waiter. Hayate ordered a drink from the waiter, and when the waiter left the table, Shinji opened his mouth.
"So what's going on?"
Hayate didn't open her mouth to Shinji's question.
Instead, she turned her head down and made a thoughtful gesture before raising her head and making eye contact with Shinji.
"Onii-san, I'll start by thanking you first. I'd like to thank you for adding Shizuku's portion to my part-time salary. Thanks to you, Shizuku and I were able to concentrate on our practice"
"Oh... you heard from Nanaka. That means you're already in the dungeon training for a real battle"
Shinji asked Nanaka to explain to her about money once Hayate's training was over and she could go to the dungeon, also her part-time pay was restored to the normal amount.
"Yes. With Nanaka-san's approval, I've been able to... go to some of the lower-upper rank dungeons. So I told Shizuku that...I could go to the dungeon too"
Hayate's expression clouded as she continued to speak.
"Shizuku will continue to train and fight as an apostle, and this time the two of us will be happy together"
"That's right. If Hayate and Shizuku are going to live a happy life, working as an apostle is a necessity"
Hayate's words were true, and Shinji agreed.
The Goddess Arian had given them two conditions: either they could be used as apostles, or they could be persuaded to bear a child. If Hayate and Shizuku want to stay together forever, they will have to work as apostles.
For a moment Hayate looked as if she wasn't sure if she should say anything, but then she decided to open her mouth.
"I've trained and fought, and I know. As I thought, I can't... fight. After all, I'm scared.... I'm scared of them, even if I know they're weaker than me. And it made me realize that I can't fight a strong enemy as an apostle... I know it's necessary for me to be with Shizuku, but I can't....do it"
Hayate said in a strangled voice.
(As I thought, it was impossible)
Shinji accepted Hayate's confession in silence.
In the past, he had thought that Hayate was mentally weak and like a village girl, even though she had some magic qualities.
He thought that if she defeated the weaker enemies first, she would eventually gain confidence and overcome them, so he had her start with gentle training in the heliotrope, but it turned out badly.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"I want to work in.... the city, marry someone nice, have a family, and have kids. That's why I want to break up with Shizuku. I need your help, Onii-san"
Shinji listened to Hayate's clear desire to break up with Shizuku, and pondered what to do.
________________
Alvin asks Haruto to make a ring out of the jewels he bought in Oeste.
And Hayate-chan, who hasn't been seen in a while.
While they have not seen each other for a while, her training had progressed and she was facing real problems. n//0VεlbIn
Well, Shizuku had already noticed the problem a long time ago, so she had done the magic ritual and other things first.
Hayate is a normal JK, so she chooses to break up with her lover.
Compared to her own life, she takes her own life. ...Just because she hasn't met a good guy doesn't mean she can't have it physiologically, and she's never thought about being in a yuri-yuri relationship with Shizuku for the rest of her life.
The weight of the love between Hayate and Shizuku is becoming clearer.
At last.