Ch.130A Very Brief Settlement (5)

Red, orange, green, purple.

Tiria’s eyes shimmered with various colors like opal.

“Colonel?”

“Major, Erich. What are you two doing right now?”

Rachel and I froze while embracing each other. It felt like we’d been caught in the middle of an affair. A wave of guilt rose like the tide.

“I thought you might be feeling a little remorseful!”

Tiria’s irises, which had been sparkling with various colors, settled into two colors. Red and green. She was feeling anger and jealousy simultaneously.

“I see, so that’s how it is. You can live happily with just the Major, is that it? Right? Must be nice to have a woman who only has eyes for you?”

“Ms. Kasten, I…”

“Forget it! I was a fool for worrying about whether you were hungry!”

The situation wasn’t good. In times like these, apologizing first is the best strategy.

“I’m sorry.”

“What exactly are you sorry for?”

“I upset you, Ms. Kasten. I’m truly sorry.”

“Can’t you say anything besides ‘sorry’?”

“I was wrong.”

“So, what exactly did you do wrong?”

I was mistaken. There’s no right answer.

[‘Uh-oh, this is bad.’]

[‘Congratulations on falling into a woman’s infinite loop, Lohnstein. You’re screwed now.’]

[‘Why didn’t you choose the Saint from the beginning? This is all your fault, senior.’]

[‘Nom nom nom. This house has good drama.’]

Come on, everyone, give me some support. I even made bodies for you all, and this is how you treat me?

[‘Hmm.’]

I’ll make dinosaur models for you, please.

[‘I’d like a pterosaur, please.’]

[‘Me too.’]

[‘Please make mine a pretty female form.’]

[‘Oh my, me too.’]

And so an alliance with the stones was formed. Daisy and Olivia sounded reluctant, but I was glad they were willing to help me. Perhaps it was because my relationship with Rachel was now certain.

[‘We’ll give you some options.’]

The golems whispered.

[‘Option 1: Say sorry and kiss her.’]

[‘Option 2: Kiss our Rachel.’]

[‘Option 3: Go find the fox and kiss her.’]

Ah, damn. The karma from performing the forbidden spell is coming back to haunt me.

Option 1 would backfire, and option 2 would be like fanning the flames. As for option 3, that David, really…

[‘Option 4: Kiss the dropped food.’]

Kalon offered the final suggestion.

Food?

As I desperately racked my brain, I spotted an overturned stone bowl.

Senior Kalon’s words might seem strange on the surface, but they could be a breakthrough. Yes, show it through actions.

I picked up the food Tiria had dropped and swallowed it.

[‘Uh, I was just joking?’]

Too late.

[‘He’s actually doing what I suggested.’]

“Huh?”

Tiria, who had been glaring at me, softened her gaze slightly.

“Wait, hold on. Why are you suddenly eating that?”

“Wasn’t it for me?”

“It was your meal, but… why are you eating something that fell on the ground?!”

“It would be a waste. You made it for me.”

“What waste? It’s dirty! Do you want to get sick? Spit it out right now!”

“I already swallowed it.”

“Ah, I really can’t—!!”

Tiria shouted for me to throw it up, slapping my back repeatedly. It hurt. Her voice was so loud it made my head ring.

But I saw it.

A faint golden light rising in Tiria’s eyes.

“Are you an animal? Huh?! There are so many edible berries around, why weren’t you eating those?”

“I can’t eat anything unless it’s food you give me, Ms. Kasten.”

“What?”

The golden light intensified. An orange glow appeared alongside it.

“Haah, really! Just come here. I’ll give you something that isn’t dirty.”

“This is enough for me. Please take care of the Major first.”

“Really? Alright. I’ll do that.”

Tiria grabbed both my and Rachel’s wrists at the same time.

“You two majors are really fools.”

Tiria’s voice had softened considerably. Apparently, this was the right answer.

[‘This actually works?’]

That’s what I’m saying. Why does this work?

“Here, eat.”

As soon as we reached the campfire, Tiria held out a bowl. Unlike earlier when it was covered in sand, this was proper food.

I carefully took the bowl and ate a spoonful. Instantly, warmth spread through me and my fatigue melted away.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. I want to eat this every day.”

As always, Tiria’s cooking was excellent. The vegetables were tender, and the fish was infused with herbs that effectively masked any fishy smell. No matter how unappetizing the ingredients might be, they become delightful after passing through her hands.

As we were finishing our meal, I cautiously asked, observing the atmosphere.

“What about the Sergeant and the General?”

“They went to sleep already.”

“Are they both very angry?”

“If they are, why? Are you going to comfort them?”

“Of course.”

With a clatter, Tiria also stood up.

“I’m going in too.”

She seemed upset again. Perhaps mentioning other women was a mistake. But what can I do when I’m worried?

I can’t help it.

All the stones of the world, give me strength.

[‘Anger will subside with time. It’s best to let her go for now.’]

[‘No way. When she’s angry like this, you need to follow her to the end, comfort her, and empathize.’]

[‘What can you even do? It’s better to wait until time passes and she calms down…’]

[‘What do men know? When a woman storms off like this, it’s a signal that if you don’t stop her now, she’ll hold a serious grudge later!’]

The stones became more serious than before and were divided into two opinions. I decided to follow Daisy and Olivia’s advice. A woman’s heart is best understood by another woman.

After signaling to Rachel with my eyes, I stood up with her.

“Ms. Kasten.”

Tap.

I touched Tiria from behind as she was about to walk away with angry steps. She turned around almost irritably and looked at me with a sullen expression.

“What?”

I didn’t answer her question. Instead, I grabbed her knees and back and lifted her up forcefully.

“Kyaah!”

Tiria let out a shrill scream.

“W-what are you doing all of a sudden?!”

Tiria struggled a little before going limp like boiled spinach. Her green eyes were slowly changing to pink. She asked in a subdued voice, sounding grumpy.

“W-why are you doing this…”

“Let’s sleep together tonight.”

“What?”

I laid Tiria on the bed. I smiled casually and lay down beside her. Rachel pressed down on my shoulder and clung to me like a cat.

On my right was Tiria.

On my left was Rachel.

In the silent darkness, only the two women’s eyes sparkled. They seemed to be looking at me in a prone position before shifting their gaze to each other.

“Major, do you like this man that much?”

“Yes.”

“I like him too. I like him so much I could go crazy. That’s why I’m jealous of you. I wish there was no one beside this man except me.”

“I… I feel similarly but differently.”

The two suddenly started conversing in Ascalian. They were whispering, and both had slurred pronunciation, so it was hard to make out even a few words.

“I like the Colonel too. I also like the Fox Sergeant. I haven’t talked much with the woman from the Magic Kingdom, but she didn’t seem like a bad person. So I think my desire for everyone to live together is stronger than my jealousy.”

“Tell me more.”

“I once told the Colonel. All my family and friends are dead. If I go back, I’ll be alone. I was afraid to build new relationships.”

“When you return, you’ll be hailed as a war hero. If I tell the church, they’ll say you’re of the bloodline of the hero who defeated the Demon King, and you’ll receive everyone’s praise and love.”

“I don’t want to be revered. I just need someone I can truly believe in and rely on. It’s only frightening if strangers put me on a pedestal. I’m afraid of becoming just a glossy, empty shell…”

After the two talked for a while, Tiria nodded.

“I understand what the Major is saying. You’re someone who can’t be without Erich. You’ve also spent the most time with him, so I have no right to be jealous. But there’s something I still don’t understand. Do I really need to be Erich’s husband too? We could remain just good friends.”

“Well… isn’t it better to have more family members?”

“So?”

“I just learned this recently, but I was of the hero’s bloodline. And you, Colonel, are the Saint of the Kasten clan, descended from the Elven Priest and the hero’s blood…”

“Ah.”

Seriously, what kind of conversation are they having?

[‘It wouldn’t be fun to tell you everything. I’ll give you one clue. Have you heard of Kirstein?’]

Kirstein?

Isn’t Kasten pronounced as Kirstein in Hazkhail? Why?

[‘Hundreds of years ago, the surname of one of the wives of the hero, who was also a priest leading the Elven race, was Kirstein.’]

Is that so?

But why?

Ah, wait. I get it.

“Major, we were distant relatives.”

Rachel and Tiria shared a tiny bit of blood. Although the degree of relation was so distant that they were essentially strangers.

Anyway, it’s a good thing.

From the perspective that they both inherited the hero’s blood, there’s a religious completeness.

“Then we’re the second hero’s party.”

“And I heard Erich is of Jeriem’s bloodline.”

“They say the hero inflicted serious wounds on the Demon King, and Jeriem’s mages finished him off. Is this coincidence or fate?”

“I… I hope it’s fate.”

“I think so too.”

“Colonel.”

“Yes?”

“I hope you’ll become family with Erich… and with me too.”

Rachel’s voice, which had been conversing smoothly, suddenly trembled. Tiria’s expression changed to one of bewilderment for a moment, but soon she smiled warmly.

“Major, why are you being so formal? We’ve been family from the beginning.”

“What do you mean…?”

“We believe in the same religion, how could we not be sisters?”

Tiria’s hand reached over me to stroke Rachel’s head.

“I want to remain on good terms with you, sister. Even after we leave this island.”

“Sister…”

“I’ve been an only child all my life, so it’s nice to have a new sister. It makes me not feel jealous anymore. I finally understand why the church condemns jealousy and why fellow believers use sibling terms.”

“Thank you for… understanding.”

“No, thank you.”

I’m not entirely sure, but it seems the conversation ended well. I could tell by the yellow color returning to Tiria’s eyes.

I carefully offered my arm as a pillow for both Rachel and Tiria.

“Still, I’m going to be harsh with Erich for a while. I think he deserves some divine punishment for making me flustered without any mental preparation.”

Tiria smiled and leaned her head against me. The atmosphere is good. If things continue like this, I might be able to persuade her.

With such hopeful thoughts, I fell asleep.

***

Something went wrong.

“I’m not working.”

Despite being so harmonious just before falling asleep last night, she returned to being sulky as soon as day broke.

“You’re cooking today. I want to eat food prepared by you.”

“Um, Ms. Kasten?”

“Hurry up, hmph. Are you going to starve your beloved wife?”

Something really went wrong. Even Daisy and Olivia were causing a commotion, saying I was in big trouble, which doubled my pressure. It was truly baffling.

However, an even more inscrutable woman appeared before my eyes.

“Kyahahahaha!”

The fox, stretching luxuriously, wagged her tail. She approached me with a swish-swish sound and then kicked my shin hard.

“Ugh!”

“Good morning, idiot!”

“Uh, uh, yeah…”

Is this the same fox sister who was angry at me yesterday?

Riyo brought her face close to mine with a surprised expression.

“I discovered something incredible last night.”

“What is it?”

Riyo covered her mouth with a “hup” and whispered quietly.

“My heat cycle hasn’t ended, even though March is over.”