CH 149

–My mom is pregnant. My brother and I opened our mouths in amazement, my dad scratched his head as the other fathers chided him, and my mom was congratulated by everyone when she returned.

As she put the chicken in her mouth, Nora asked him a question.

“What do you mean, “congratulations”?”

“Oh, yeah, mom is having a baby. I and Lars are going to have a little brother or sister.”

“What! A baby!? I’m going to see mom!”

“D-Don’t go crazy.”

Nora quickly jumped down from her chair, went to mom, and hugged her. As I was relieved with my brother, Leor-san came to me once again. 

“It looks like you have something to celebrate.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, we’re in the middle of talking about something.”

“No, it’s fine. I would like to sell the costumes that Helena-chan and Makina-chan wore in the dance competition.”

Oh, you mean that.

It’s true that those costumes are quite cute, and I’ve never seen such a design in this world, so I think a merchant might be interested.

“It was sewn by Nina just for this occasion, so no one but Makina and Helena can wear it?”

“You’re right. So it’s just a matter of wanting a chance. Lars-kun, we will provide the sewing staff. So, can you design the costume for me? I’m sure you can come up with more ideas.”

I see, that’s how it is. he’ll buy it first and use it as a material to sell the product. Plus, it would be a buy to get my cooperation. However, that is not going to sell.

“I can’t sell that because it was a gift for Makina and Helena.”

“Of course I won’t sell it either! It was given to me by Lars-kun, and it’s a keepsake!”

“Your face is beet red, though? Aha♪ But Makina is right, you can’t have that costume. I want to save it for when I grow up, even if I can’t wear it anymore.”

In support of me, both Makina and Helena join in the conversation. I’m not going to say it’s okay. Then Leor-san bows his head and says to me.

“Indeed, I see …… The memories of using it in the competition are irreplaceable. It was shallow of me to try to buy it, I apologize.”

“No, it’s common for merchants to want rare things. Hmm, if you just want the design, I can give it to you. I have designs for two more outfits that are different from those two.”

“Really!”

Leor-san’s voice brightened and he grabbed my hand. And then he said something like this.

“It’s a radical design, it will sell. No, I’ll definitely sell it. How about this much for the design fee and the margin on the sale? Of course, if you have any other designs, I’ll buy them.”

“……Eh!? This much!?”

Leor-san deftly takes out the already filled out paper from his suit’s breast pocket and hands it to me. There was an amount of money on it that was too much for a ten-year-old child to have.

“N-No, this is too much ……”

“You can sell at least this much. Well, the margin is based on the number of garments sold, so it can go up or down.”

“Ten percent of the amount sold …… and the design fee is two hundred thousand beryl per dress ……”

“Eh, amazing!?”

“Wow!?”

Makina peered in, Helena squealed in surprise, and I hurriedly tucked the paper into my pocket.

“What do you think?”

“Oh, I’m not complaining about the price, but I need my parents permission –“

“I don’t mind? Your priority is my schoolwork, though.”

“Oh, yeah ……”

My dad was already bought out, huh? Now that I think about it, he can’t seem to get his hands off of that bottle of liquor.

But if I’m going to leave this town someday, I don’t need to worry about how much money I’ll have, and I have a mint green and cobalt blue image.

“I understand. Then we’ll talk about this later.”

“Please! Well, lucky me …… This smells as much like money as it does Sorio-san’s deal. Excuse me, can I have a drink too! Well then, Lars-kun, I’ll see you then!”

Leor-san left us in a good mood, asking for a drink. Well, there’s no downside to it.

I was just about to go back to eating when I was approached by Makina.

“…… Lars-kun, what are you going to do in the future?”

“What? What’s wrong, asking that all of a sudden?”

“I’m curious too!”

When Makina turned to me, she muttered to me with a mysterious look on her face, and then Kudelica intervened. As I’m backed into a corner, Luciel joins in. 

“I’m curious, too. I don’t know what I want to do yet.”

Luciel said with a troubled smile on her face. It’s probably not what Makina meant, but after graduating from the academy, I have to think about what to do with myself.

I still have five more years to go, but whether that’s a long time or a short time depends on how you feel about it.

Jack, for example, is helping out in a fish shop, and Yogus needs to go to another school to become a scholar.

Ryuuze and Urka are adventurers, Makina is a knight, and Helena is a dancer. I’m not sure about Nora, but since my brother is graduating first, there’s a good chance she’ll be doing something along those lines? But Luciel can’t find anything she wants to do.

“We’re only ten years old, and Luciel can help out at home, so maybe you can graduate first?”

“Yeah …… I-I can be something like a wife like Nora-chan, right? If Lars-kun become a designer or something ……”

“Y-You’re right ……”

When I was surprised and puzzled by the bold statement from Luciel, Makina opened her mouth. 

“B-But since Lars-kun has been invited to the Capital, don’t you think it would be a good idea for you to go there with me?”

“Ahhh, that’s not fair! I-I might want you to party with me ……”

“If it’s in the Capital, I’ll be with you too♪ It looks like going to make money, so me too–“

” “Helena(-chan) can’t!” “

Helena stuck out her tongue and said she was joking, then went back to the table and went back to her mother to eat. Luciel, Makina and Helena started to discuss about me, so I waved to my brother and quietly left to go to my da.

“Oh, what’s the matter, Lars? Is it okay to leave your friends alone?”

“Yes. Everyone is talking to their families, so I thought I’d talk to dad. You know, there’s the thing with mom too.”

It seems it’s hard to get close to Mom when she’s surrounded by the mothers, and she’s likely to come on to me about Makina and the others, so I’ll go with Dad.

“You’re right ……”

“I mean, what does Dad like about Mom? “

“Oh, you’re suddenly getting into it. Did Luciel and the others say something to you?”

“They’ve been telling me that for a while, though. So, what is it?”

I’ve heard that it’s a question that they don’t like kids to ask about, but I think it’s less damaging to ask it now, while I’m still a kid. I thought he would get nervous, but he smiled and put his hand on my head.

“Mom is the one person I feel safe with, you know. My dad was very against it, but she was the only one who could make me feel safe. She’s the best wife I’ve ever had, she followed me when we were poor, she laughed and supported me through the hard times. I wonder if Lars would choose the girl he has now, the one who is fun to be with, the one who supports you and wants to be supported by you. Haha, what can I say, maybe it’s chemistry after all. It’s like love at first sight, you might choose a girl who has nothing to do with you at all.”

“Support ……”

I think I know what he means …… but I guess it depends on the person.

Even so, the look on Dad’s face when he said that he feels safe is very kind, and I can tell that he loves Mom very much. I wonder if I’ll be able to understand such things when I grow up a little more? It was the first time I heard that my dad’s dad …… or my grandpa, who was against them. So he hadn’t passed away …… I thought I’d like to hear about the beginning of your father and mother’s relationship and he said.

“Well, don’t get too serious yet. It will come to pass. I think you would fit in well with Makina-chan and Luciela-chan.

“Luciela is a bit ……”

“Hmm? Did you just say my name ……?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Yeah? Oh, that’s my fish!”

“That’s mine!”

“Come on, come on. Don’t fight, and share your food..”

…… Well, I have a feeling that Makina and the others are admirers of my strength, so I don’t know yet. I thought it was more of a food thing than a sex appeal thing.

“Yosh! I’ll have some too! Jack, give me some of that shrimp!”

“Okay! Nevertheless, they’re so good! I’m so glad they’re cooking our fish like this!”

“Haha, I’m counting on you too when you grow up.”

“Of course!”

“Tigre, we should have our wedding too, don’t we? Kids come after that …… I remember my father saying that”

“Y-Yeah ……”

“I want to go to the teachers’ wedding!”

“H-Huh, somehow I feel so heavy …… Kyuu~”

“Makina suddenly ran out of energy!? Lars, Lars, come here!”

“I think it’s a reaction to the medicine ……”

–The night of festivities went on as we talked about such things.

After all, the fathers had drunk themselves to sleep, and Nora was overjoyed that the whole family was staying at the house. The room was empty, the baths were taken, the girls slept in the big room, and it was lively from start to finish.

I fell asleep, thinking that I would be able to stay with this cozy group forever.

And the months passed.

That’s the end of this chapter.

Please enjoy Lars and his friends who have grown up a bit in the next chapter.

Thank you for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

“Whew, I’ve used about fifty chapters ……”

Yeah …… that was a bit too much …… If it were to become a book, it would be this chapter that might be cut down ……

“Don’t you think you’re dreaming too much?”

Oh!?