Chapter 120 – Gift May 23, 2025
by fnovelpia
Chapter 120 – Gift
I stared blankly at Yurasia’s innocent, blinking eyes for quite a while.
“…Huh? What did you just say?”
“I asked why Lady smells like Stella.”
Yurasia’s arms, wrapped around my body, squeezed tighter.
Without drawing in Mana, I couldn’t match Yurasia in strength… No, even if it came down to pure physical power, I couldn’t win against her.
That hug made it crystal clear.
…There was no escaping unless I got rough.
I glanced sideways at Pina and Stella.
Pina, the timid one with a fast danger response, already looked pale. And Stella…
Mm, I probably had the same face as her right now.
“Well… maybe it’s just because we were together until just now?”
“If you were together, would that have been in your room?”
“Yeah. Pina and Stella… were getting things ready in my room.”
“Then Stella should smell like you, not the other way around.”
Yurasia narrowed her eyes slightly and glanced at Stella. Then she turned back to me.
“Did you sleep together?”
At that look, my body flinched.
Wait, but… why am I the one getting nervous here?
It’s not like I did anything with Stella.
I decided to answer confidently.
Just as I opened my mouth,
“Sis-sister!”
Stella jumped in first.
“Hmm? Why?”
“W-We… did sleep together. But we really just slept! Of course we did. I mean, we’re both girls!”
“Is that so?”
Yurasia’s voice was calm.
But for some reason, it sounded extremely angry.
“Yeah. There’s… a reason! I’ll tell you about it!”
“A reason? A reason you had to sleep together?”
“Mm-hm!”
We had already decided to tell Yurasia what happened in the underground waterway beneath the Labyrinth.
Stella and Pina said it would feel like we were leaving her out if we kept it a secret just from Yurasia.
I agreed. Though not for that reason. It was to explain the origin of the gift I was going to give her.
What I planned to give Yurasia wasn’t something I could just say I picked up somewhere.
Hmph, Yurasia let out a small nasal sound and stared right at me again.
“Lady… did something happen?”
“Something did.”
* * *
“Is that… the reason you had to sleep with Stella? You’ve never once shared a bed with me. So why her? Have you gotten tired of me because we’ve known each other too long? Or is it because I’m too big? Do I smell bad? I never thought I had bad sleeping habits, but is it my hair? I can tie it up if you want. I could even cut it! If not that… what is it? Is it my scent? But you said before that you liked it. Is it the calluses on my hands? Or is it because I’ve got muscles unlike Stella? But even if I do, I’ve always thought they were pretty… Didn’t you? Lady, do you hate me? Am I too much trouble?”
Yurasia’s words exploded out like a machine gun, not even giving me a chance to breathe.
W-What did she just say?
“…U-Uh, Y-Yurasia?”
“Yes?”
Those still wide and bright blue eyes stared right at me.
What do I even do in a situation like this?
Is she upset? Jealous? Feeling left out? I didn’t know why she felt that way… but I remembered a method for handling this. One I learned from Sarah.
…Though I wasn’t sure if it would work on someone other than Dad.
Ahem, ahem. I cleared my throat and then, with the brightest smile I could manage, I pulled Yurasia tightly into a hug.
Then… tiptoed up to whisper in her ear.
“I… I missed you.”
Gasp!
The effect was incredible.
* * *
Away from all prying eyes, in a private room of one of the capital’s top restaurants, Yurasia hung her head like a guilty criminal.
“…I’m sorry. Stella, sorry. Pina… I’m sorry too. I didn’t know anything and… I was so stupid… ugh…”
“N-No! Sister, why are you apologizing!”
Shake shake!
I gave Yurasia a lightly edited version of what happened over the weekend.
And before this incident even happened, I also explained how I got the information in the first place.
That I’d obtained it through a friendly exchange.
That I’d grown suspicious of Pied while talking with Silina and followed Pina to the lecture.
That I became certain Pied was the culprit during lunch.
That as we were making preparations and plans based on new intel Silina brought, the lecture got canceled, and while searching for Stella, we discovered Pina had been kidnapped.
That’s how Stella and I left the academy together and entered the Labyrinth.
In this story, Stella shared a bed with me because she had nightmares after seeing the monsters in the Labyrinth.
Of course, I left out the parts involving the spirit and Pina, the Eustetia family’s secret, Stella’s personal matters, and the recoil from opening Purgatory’s Gate.
Pina would talk about the spirit stuff when she was ready, and Stella would share her side in time too.
As for the secret of the Eustetia family… it’s still too soon for Yurasia to know.
It’s not that I think she’d turn on me just because she doesn’t have Hero’s blood.
I just think… it’s better for her to learn once everything’s more certain.
Anyway, after hearing everything, Yurasia realized she had misunderstood terribly and couldn’t lift her head out of embarrassment.
Next to her, with their arms linked, Stella shot me a strangely expectant look.
Of course they’d be expecting a lot.
After all, I said I brought back things left behind by my ancestor at the end of the Labyrinth.
I even casually showed Pina the [Heavenly Tree Pill] and told them I had something for them too, so yeah, the anticipation must be off the charts.
“Anyway, that’s how it is. Let’s eat first.”
“…Yes. I’m really sorry, Lady.”
“It’s fine.”
“I didn’t mean to doubt you or anything. I just… I was just feeling a little hurt, that’s all.”
“I said I got it.”
“So tonight, you’ll sleep with me, right?”
“Alright, Huh?”
Wait. Did I miss something in the middle?
What’s she going on about now?
“What…? How did the conversation end up like that?”
“Hehe.”
I frowned and glared at Yurasia, but she just smiled like a goof and picked up her fork.
“Since Lady prefers floral over citrus, I’ll wear that perfume before bed!”
“…Sure. Do whatever you want.”
“Okay!”
Now that I’d shared my story, it was Yurasia’s turn.
Thankfully, Yurasia hadn’t experienced anything unusual. Just the everyday events of a normal family.
What she ate, what she saw, what she heard.
How she got scolded, how she got hit, how she trained.
She said she got hit by her grandma at the Arant Museum for picking a fight with a demon, but with her level advancing recently, she could feel the difference between herself and her grandma more clearly than before.
Yurasia’s grandmother must be pretty strong.
I heard she used to be a mercenary, but if even the current Yurasia can’t beat her, she’s not your average mercenary. Yurasia must’ve inherited her talent from her grandma’s side.
Pina also shared about the spirit.
Yurasia was completely shocked and overreacted a bit, but in the middle of that fuss, she let something unexpected slip.
That she had sensed something strange from Pina before, something unidentifiable, but now she thought that must’ve been the spirit.
That sounded like something a demon would say.
Anyway, the four of us finally enjoyed a cheerful meal together after a long time.
And finally, the moment arrived.
We were still in the private room.
But in front of us now was dessert instead of a meal. Naturally, in front of me was a mint chocolate latte.
“S-So, Eliaernes.”
“What.”
“Do you really… have presents for me and Sister too?”
Slurp!
I finished the rest of my mint chocolate latte and nodded.
“Yeah.”
“…For free?”
“Of course I’ll be collecting payment.”
At my words, Pina flinched.
Then, with trembling hands, she held out the [Heavenly Tree Pill].
“It won’t be money, though.”
Huh? Pina tilted her head, while Stella gave me a side-eye that said she was totally fed up.
But there was a strange… smile on her face, too.
“Pay with your body.”
Without looking at their reactions, I pulled the pouch hanging at my waist onto the table.
“First, Pina. There’s more for you.”
Rustle rustle, I rummaged around in the pouch. Maybe it was because my hands were small, but digging through the pouch was surprisingly easy.
“Here. This is a [Branch of the Heavenly Tree]. Hmm… you probably know it better as a branch from the World Tree.”
“Eeek?!”
Pina’s eyes went wide.
The World Tree. Of course she knew it. Everyone in the world knew.
Even Yurasia and Stella’s eyes widened as if they were about to split open.
Regardless, I kept explaining.
“You can’t use it as-is. It needs to be refined and made into a staff. So, you’ll need something to attach to the tip, right? This is a [Horn of Polaris]. It’s not a mana stone, but it’s far more efficient, on a whole different level.”
Pina’s jaw began to tremble.
Her tail fur fluffed out, and both her hands clutching the [Heavenly Tree Pill] rose to her chest.
“I don’t really trust any smiths in the capital with materials like these… so I’ll be sending them to a smith I know in the Eustetia Duchy. Just wait a month or two. I’m sending it today.”
When I finished speaking, silence filled the private room. None of them even breathed.
In that silence, Yurasia slowly opened her mouth.
“…Lady. That name, Polaris…”
“…Isn’t he the Spirit King of Light?”
Stella finished her sentence.
“Yeah.”
I nodded.
“Hee… hee…”
Pina, now shaking like a leaf, timidly tapped on her Terminal and held it out.
[There’s no way I can repay this.]
“It’s okay. I’ll get my payment one way or another. Oh, and Pina, you get a special discount.”
I flashed her a bright smile.
“Because we’re friends.”
Pina didn’t nod.
But that didn’t matter. I’d already decided to give it to her.
I don’t take no for an answer.
“Eliaernes. You… you just go around taking and giving stuff like this?”
“Yup.”
“A [Branch of the Heavenly Tree]… and a [Horn of Polaris]? This is… this should be sent to the Empire. No, at the very least, to the Eustetia Duchy. If we mishandle this, we could be in serious, ”
“That’s exactly why I’m giving them to you. From the moment you accept, we’re all accomplices.”
While pulling out what I had prepared for Stella, I let out a cheerful giggle.
“If you don’t want to be executed, you’d better keep your mouth shut after taking it.”
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