CH 18

Note : Bad news, my mouse broke after 4 years, my baby logitec finally lost it’s life energy lol, so maybe the update will get slower too…. Also my summer break will end tomorrow, so I’ll kinda be busy with school, welp, but I’ll try to update one chapter a week, two if possible!

Anyway! Sorry for any errors! Enjoy!

There were some problems that I felt after spending a few days with Erina.

First of all, the way she fights is too reckless.

Erina’s ability relies on her psychological state, making it highly unpredictable, fluctuating with each situation and the condition of the day.

Her power is quite probabilistic, often leading to more negative outcomes than positive ones.

Looking at her gave me a really good example of what the so-called snowball effect looks like.

The effect, often referred to as the snowball effect, takes its name from the analogy of a snowball accumulating snow as it rolls and grows in size.

Similar to the snowball, once this effect is set in motion, it steadily increases in magnitude.

Initially, it may be manageable and easy to handle, but as it gains momentum, it becomes increasingly challenging to control or stop.

Like that, once things started going well, Erina gained that much self-confidence and was able to overcome even tougher trials with her power.

As long as she doesn’t fail somehow, the more she overcomes the crisis in the process, the more she can exert her near-infinite power.

But the problem is that you can’t always be successful…

As previously mentioned, like a small snowball that has just started rolling, Erina’s power can be easily halted if she’s not in good condition or makes a mistake. This presents a significant and painful risk.

Regardless of how much I try to persuade or comfort her, there is a limit to what others can say or do.

Ultimately, Erina’s actions depend on her own thoughts and feelings.

On days when things don’t go well, she tends to dwell on negativity, leading to instances where she cannot harness her power.

As a consequence, Erina’s ability to contribute diminished naturally, and I had to shoulder her share of the burden.

In severe cases, there were moments when I felt utterly powerless, with nothing to say or do.

It felt as though the snowball I once set in motion had rebounded.

As the return value is so large, the risk value is also huge, so to be honest, I had to go with anxiety when receiving quests with Erina every day.

At this point in the story, I can manage to cope with Erina’s slow momentum to some extent.

However, as the story unfolds and our enemies grow stronger, it will become increasingly challenging to cover for her all the time.

Fortunately, though, there was no lack of progress.

Even if the skin is easily damaged, continuous training will eventually lead to the development of calluses.

In a similar manner, people experience failures and learn and grow from them.

Failure serves as a foundation for personal growth and development.

With each time her heart was broken, Erina endured the pain and emerged stronger.

Her resilience was evident, as I could sense the growth in her inner self when comparing her to the first time we met.

The challenges she faced had toughened her mind, making her a more formidable person than before.

So, as Goddess Abne said, I hope that she will attain inner maturity as soon as possible and be fully awakened.

And the second problem was that her dependence on me was growing more and more.

This too, as Goddess Abne said, if there is only one person who supports a person’s spirit, they may become dependent on that person.

To further support Erina , I even tried to broaden her circle of friends by attempting to complete quests with larger multi-party parties.

I opened up party recruitment to increase her connections, as well as for her to make more friends….

But it’s not working at all…

Let’s take one situation as an example…

“Hmm~ Harold-san! The sky seems exceptionally clear today!”

One day, while on a trip with a party of five, I took a moment to catch my breath and decided to sit on a rock for a brief rest.

“You know, Harold-san! if I had brought some snacks along, I’d be gazing up at the picturesque sky and savoring the moment even more-“

After getting close to a certain degree, we agree to be comfortable with each other, and Erina’s liking for me seems to be increasing day by day…

“Is it okay if I excuse you for a moment? It’s a coincidence that we met like this, but let’s get along well.”

When the elven woman talks to Erina with a smile as friendly as possible…

“Get lost.”

“Y-yes…?”

The elf, taken aback by the sudden and harsh remarks, broke into a cold sweat.

Her expression turned blank, as if the world had come to a standstill in her surprise and shock.

“Ha…? Are youd eaf? Didn’t you hear me tell you to shut up? Can’t you see Harold-san is with me right now? Don’t interrupt our time alone…”

The elf’s ears drooped as if she had been hurt by those words, and the other party members also sensed the change in atmosphere, turning their attention to us.

“E-Erina?! Isn’t that a bit harsh…?”

After I scolded her, she stayed silent for a while with blank expression and immediately apologized to the elf, but her expression didn’t seem to agree.

In order to somehow revive the atmosphere of this place that seemed to sink like a snowfield in the end, I bowed my head to the elf instead of her.

“I’m really sorry! This girl doesn’t really like it when people interrupt her… ahaha!”

As I apologized on Erina’s behalf with a heartfelt apology, the elf woman’s expression softened a bit.

However, it was still evident that she didn’t entirely like the situation.

“Haha… It’s okay… It’s just that I’m a little surprised…”

The elf I was talking to seemed about to say something, but for some unknown reason, Erina had a nasty expression as if she was chewing a bug and was on the verge of speaking up.

I shot her a stern glare, signaling her to remain silent.

I had no idea what the hell was on her mind to be like this.

Despite the initial unease caused by the situation, thanks to my apology, we managed to avoid any major discord.

Despite my attempts to encourage her to interact with other party members, she seemed to squander every opportunity, choosing to stay by my side instead. It was as if she naturally leaned towards being solely with me.

Thanks to such behavior, there are already people in the guild who see Erina and me as a couple, and false rumors of us dating have also spread.

Surprisingly, Erina, the person involver, only smiles at these rumors.

One time, recognizing the need to involve her with others, I attempted to persuade Erina to make friends with the others…

“It’s okay, I’ll always be by Harold-san side.”

Simultaneously, it was frustrating for me as she responded like that everytime…

In this manner, she isolated herself from society and became fixated on me, making it challenging for me to find a solution to the situation.

It was already somewhat too late to try to intervene at this point…, as people perceptions had already solidified about us…

When I explained this to Goddess Abne, she sighed and shook her head.

And lastly…

Personally, I thought that this issue was the most dangerous….

The reason is….

“Another woman again… my knight… haah…How many times must I repeat it before you put it into practice?”

It is the cold, icy gaze of the goddess I serve…

Not only I have to consider on how to handle Erina…there’s also Mir and Abne to be mindful of…

“Didn’t I tell you? After making it clear that you belong only to me, you still dare to act like this? Hmmm? Hey! Answer me! Harold!”

Her eyes, a void of darkness, seemed bottomless and turned towards me.

I stood motionless, too afraid to move forward, and avoided meeting her gaze.

Instead, I lowered my head, unable to muster the courage to face those all-encompassing depths.

“Ha…Look at me, Harold…”

Then, Eleanor approached me, gently lifted my chin, and whispered with a wicked smile.

“Should I mark your body to remind you whom you belong to, once more?”

The sensation of being drawn into those empty eyes sent a dizzying wave through me, triggering my defensive instincts.

The overwhelming anxiety was enough to make me feel like I was crumbling, bringing me to my knees.

Thud-

“I-I’m sorry… But that woman… is really important to me…so—”

At that moment, I realized that I had chosen the wrong word.

Ah.. I messed up…!

I opened my eyes and covered my mouth with irreversible regret, but it was already too late…

“Huh…? Ha…? Ha… Does that mean she’s very important to you…? This crazy… Ah… I can’t stand it anymore… haah…”

As I slowly opened my eyes, her smile, which appeared so sinister, paralyzed me in place.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

I felt like my ears were going to be deaf with how loud my heart is beating…, and my breathing was getting rough as if I had done a tiring exercise.

Huff!

I knew instinctively that what I had just said was the mistake of a lifetime.

shudder! shudder!

Cling! Clank!

The weight of the long-forgotten golden chain pressed down on me, and a sense of dizziness engulfed me.

The impending uncertainty of what was about to unfold left me on the brink of losing consciousness.

Shit!!

“It seems that once is not enough, then let’s engrave it on your body once again.”

She strokes the nape of my neck with her fingertips and smiles with a bewitching smile.

“Who is the most necessary and most important to you, Harold.”