Ch.389Side Story. North Sweden

“Anyway, I have to go to Norsweden at least once.”

Though Erika who had come to visit said she understood, her expression couldn’t hide her disappointment.

To go to Norsweden, the door of the general store connected to Erika’s room had to be moved there.

In other words, Erika wouldn’t be able to visit me for a while.

“I need to go. I should see my family, and visit Illuania and Sevia at least once.”

The way she kept explaining her reasons seemed more like she was trying to convince herself rather than me, which I found quite adorable.

How could she be so intimidatingly cold as a professor that students feared her, yet so cute here?

When I quietly embraced her, Erika naturally accepted it. We had reached a point where this level of skinship came easily.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll be back in a few days.”

I wouldn’t stay long.

After all, Findenai’s face couldn’t be exposed.

“Can’t we just take a carriage?”

Erika suggested using magic to travel by carriage.

I was about to answer that crossing from here to Norsweden would be difficult since it involved crossing national borders, but…

“No way!”

[Absolutely not!]

Findenai and the Dark Spiritmaster, who had been watching us with uncomfortable expressions from behind, immediately protested as if having a fit.

“That bastard got a taste for doing it in carriages!”

[The road to Norsweden has mountains! That means… eek!]

The two who had relations in the carriage on our way home yesterday seemed like they would avoid riding in carriages for a while.

Squeeze.

Erika, still embracing me, pinched my side. She glared at me, demanding to know exactly what I had done.

Even her jealousy, pressing her chin against my chest, only looked cute to me.

‘Have I fallen that hard for her?’

From the carriage incident to watching every little thing the women in my house do, I always end up giving in to their wishes.

Even now, seeing Erika’s jealousy made me want to do anything for her.

Smooch.

Perhaps that’s why.

When I suddenly kissed her, Erika looked at me with surprised eyes.

She probably never expected me to do something like this, and honestly, I never thought I would change like this either.

“Don’t be so cute.”

I stroked her hair and whispered, making Erika’s cheeks flush bright red.

“D-don’t change the subject.”

“Is it okay for a Grand Mage candidate to be this cute?”

“Hey…”

“Your students would be shocked if they saw you like this.”

“Tsk.”

I thought I might have gone too far with the flattery, but Erika seemed to be in a good mood now, placing her hands around my waist and gently resting her cheek against my chest.

As we shared warmth, with her seemingly listening to my heartbeat, the women behind us immediately chimed in.

“This bastard’s got game, damn it.”

[Why don’t you say things like that to me? Is it because you’ve already done everything with me?!]

As Findenai and the Dark Spiritmaster pouted together, Erika responded with her eyes gently closed.

“Hey, could you two go somewhere else? We’re having a moment here.”

“Bullshit. He just wants to plant his seed in your baby room. He did the same to me yesterday.”

[That’s right! He did the same to me too!]

When these two got together, they had a talent for completely ruining the atmosphere.

Realizing we shouldn’t continue like this, Erika and I separated.

“It was the Dark Spiritmaster who suggested doing it in the carriage.”

[Was it?]

Look at how shameless she is.

“It wasn’t me though?”

Findenai stepped forward confidently.

To be fair, there was some truth to the fact that I had been a bit forceful with Findenai.

“Sigh, this conversation is going in a strange direction.”

Eventually, Erika stepped in to redirect things. Since everyone already knew about our relationships, her jealousy earlier was just her way of showing affection.

“Anyway, you’re going to Norsweden, right? Actually, I needed to move the door anyway since I’m leaving the academy now.”

“Oh, is it already vacation time?”

“Yes. I barely managed to talk Aria and Elenoa out of coming here.”

After this semester ends, Erika will go to the capital, Greyfond, to take the test to become a Grand Mage at the royal palace.

I know there are a few other candidates, and she’ll be competing against them.

“You’ll do great.”

Erika smiled brightly at my words.

“Honestly, I hope I don’t pass.”

“Hm?”

“Then I’d be unemployed and could spend more time with you.”

Well.

“That doesn’t sound bad either.”

Our eyes met briefly.

Erika suddenly seemed embarrassed and headed straight for the general store door.

“Anyway, if you want to see me, you’ll have to come to Greyfond. I won’t be able to move around for a while, so you’ll have to come to me.”

“That shouldn’t be difficult.”

I can just leave Findenai and the Dark Spiritmaster behind and go alone.

“Yes, I’ll bring Elenoa and Aria with me. It would be troublesome if they insisted on following you.”

“Right, I’ll leave that to you.”

It would be nice to spend time with Elenoa and Aria separately, but I thought it would be better to visit Norsweden first.

If those two came along, I probably wouldn’t be able to spend proper time in Norsweden.

“See you later then.”

As Erika opened the door…

“Brother! I’ll be waiting for you in Greyfond!”

“If you don’t come, I’ll torment Darius!”

Aria and Elenoa’s voices came from inside the door, but Erika pushed them away as she entered.

[It seems the storm has passed, even if just for a moment.]

“Indeed.”

I was a bit taken aback, but at least my conversation with Erika was finished…

Clunk.

“Oh, right.”

Erika peeked her head through the reopened door. She seemed to have forgotten something.

“When you come to Greyfond, please visit Owen too. He’s going through various trials to become the 2nd Spiritmaster.”

“Owen…”

“The position of Spiritmaster has gained quite a lot of weight. The previous holder caused quite a big incident.”

I returned Erika’s playful smile with an awkward expression.

“He’s being evaluated to become a Spiritmaster, and it would be nice if you could give him some advice or encouragement.”

“Sure, I’ll do that.”

“By the way, I’m one of the evaluators.”

“Wait, Professor, aren’t you talking too much?!”

“Brother! I’m also evaluating Owen!”

Aria and Elenoa’s voices leaked from inside the door again, but Erika quickly closed it, saying the conversation was over.

She was truly a woman with strong resolve.

It couldn’t be easy controlling those two.

[Everything’s ready.]

Stella came in from outside.

She had just finished taking care of the garden and animals one last time before we left for Norsweden.

I wondered who would manage everything while we were away, but since we could come back through the general store door, we decided to leave things as they were.

We just needed to come back occasionally to feed and take care of things.

“So are we ready to depart?”

[Yes! Let’s go!]

Stella immediately came over and linked arms with me. Since the other two had run away because of what happened in the carriage yesterday, I ended up sleeping with Stella.

Perhaps because of that, her face looked fresh and happy.

Deia had already been sent to Norsweden. She went ahead to check the place where we would create the door, and was probably preparing to welcome us along with Darius.

Clunk.

Opening the door and stepping inside, a familiar scene greeted us.

“My room.”

To be precise, it was Deus Verdi’s room, but it wouldn’t be strange to call it mine.

Although Deus Verdi was presumed dead, his room was kept neat and tidy, ready to be used at any time.

The mansion’s servants must have cleaned diligently, as there wasn’t even a speck of dust, and the interior was kept comfortably warm.

[Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve been here!]

The Dark Spiritmaster seemed pleased as she walked past me and looked around the room.

“Huh, we’ve come full circle back here.”

Findenai followed the Dark Spiritmaster into the room. Though she complained, the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up.

Looking at her now, I realized she was wearing a maid outfit—apparently she had dressed up for our visit to Norsweden.

Perhaps sensing our presence…

The door opened and Deia entered.

“Oh, you came early?”

She wasn’t wearing her usual home clothes but seemed slightly dressed up, which looked quite nice.

Even the magic gun she always wore at her waist seemed to have been left behind for today.

“Let’s go, Darius is waiting.”

“Alright.”

As the others tried to follow, Deia held out her hand to stop them.

“The rest of you wait here. This is family business.”

[But we’re family too, aren’t we?]

[I’m his wife.]

“Hehehe, that’s right.”

Hearing the Dark Spiritmaster, Stella, and Findenai add their comments in succession, I involuntarily turned my head away.

Being directly confronted by all three of them made me newly aware of the extraordinary situation I was in.

“Stop being annoying and wait. Do you all want to go back?”

[Huh? I’ve heard this somewhere before.]

[Many wives have stress from their sisters-in-law. I’ve counseled quite a few of them.]

[Ohhh?]

[In these cases, the husband’s role is crucial. The husband needs to properly…]

The Dark Spiritmaster and Stella immediately started muttering to each other, while Findenai had already lain down on my bed with her eyes closed.

“Let’s go.”

Thinking things were settled, Deia took me outside.

“Don’t be nervous.”

“Hm?”

I wondered what she meant by this unexpected comment. Why would I be nervous about meeting Darius?

We headed straight to Darius’s office.

I thought it had been a long time, but everything was happening too quickly to even feel nostalgic.

“Ahem!”

As we entered Darius’s office, he looked at me with quite a serious expression from his chair.

I was about to say it had been a long time, but…

“Now, give us permission to get married.”

At Deia’s sudden statement, I couldn’t help but look at her.