Chapter 38 – Don’t Lower Your Hands

Don’t Lower Your Hands

“Ta-da! Now it’s time for Ariel’s gift presentation ceremony!”
Mona, whose eyes were still red, spoke in a slightly exaggerated tone.
…While still kneeling.

“Don’t lower your hands, Mona.”
“Hueeeng…”

‘What’s with that “If you’re going to kill me, then kill me” nonsense.’

The immense self-loathing that rushed in right after I realized I had said such an embarrassing thing.
If I didn’t punish those four who induced me to say that, I felt like my sense of self would die.
…I probably won’t be able to face my blanket for a few days.

“I’m sorry…”
“Why me too… Mona planned it all!”
“Marian, we’re accomplices!”
Seeing Marian and Mona bickering while being punished together, my serious expression that I had been maintaining finally broke.

“Ah! Ariel smiled!”
“…Sigh. You can lower your hands now, Mona. The others too.”
“Yay!”
Seeing Mona hopping around excitedly, I felt the anger that had built up melting away like ice cream.

“Well then! Now we’ll have the gift presentation ceremony for Ariel!”

Clap clap clap.
After clapping by herself, she headed towards the pile of gift boxes in the corner.
Mona, carrying armfuls of gift boxes, said to me:
“Ta-da! Open mine first! Ariel!”

Gift boxes of various sizes. Looking at the different wrappings, it seemed each person had prepared one.
“I wanted to prepare more, but…”

Seeing Lister looking regretful, Marian said:
“We barely stopped Lister from gifting you an entire mansion. We thought you’d feel burdened.”
“I see…”
I replied to Marian’s words while accepting the gift box Mona handed me.

Gently unwrapping it revealed a fountain pen with delicate engravings.
“Hehe. Do you like it…?”
How could I not like it? I would have been genuinely happy even if they had given me a pretty pebble from the roadside as a gift.
After all, it’s the thought that counts with gifts.

“I like it, Mona. Thank you.”
“I’m so glad… I was worried you might not like it.”
“Is it my turn next? Haha.”
The next person to hand me a gift was Leon.

The gift box he handed me was quite large and heavy. Unwrapping it revealed several books.
“I heard from Marian that you’re living with children these days… so I prepared a few books that might be helpful. Haha, was it too thoughtless?”
Saying that, Leon scratched his head as if embarrassed. Briefly looking at the contents of the books, they consisted of spirit arts and magic texts, as well as fairy tales.

Saya and Puel, who have been bored at home lately, will love these.
“No, Leon. Thank you so much.”
“Hey, Ariel! Are you liking it more than my gift?!”
“Haha. Not at all. Mona, I won.”

Leon patted Mona’s head as she complained.
…Come to think of it, they said they were dating. Honestly, I wondered when they would start dating.

“Lister and I prepared a gift together. Because Marian said she couldn’t choose a gift on her own.”
“…I’ve never received or given a gift before, you see.”
Marian’s words made my heart ache a little. When was Marian’s birthday again?
‘I’ll get my revenge for today.’

The gift they handed me was a Gothic-style black dress and a necklace that looked expensive at first glance.
“Ariel isn’t the type to buy these things for herself, right? We thought this was a good opportunity to give you one.”
“…Lister knew your size. I chose the design.”

How many months would I have to work as an adventurer to be able to buy something like this…?
‘To think the day would come when I’d receive women’s clothes as a gift.’
By now, I didn’t feel averse to wearing women’s clothes, but I felt a little sad that I couldn’t be completely happy about this situation.

“Do you not like the dress design?”
Marian spoke to me with a slightly worried voice. Her sharp eyes narrowing slightly made her look almost angry.
“No! I like it!”
“That’s good then.”
“I chose the necklace. Let me put it on you… just a moment.”
Lister’s hands encircled my neck.

Her breath naturally coming closer brushed the back of my neck, giving me a slightly strange feeling.
Hug.
It felt like she was hugging me… no, she actually was hugging me.
“Um, I’ve finished putting on the necklace…”
“Ah! I did it without realizing!”

Happy times always pass quickly.
“Phew. I think I drank too much. My head is spinning~”
“Mona, that’s a wall, not the door.”

The sun that was high in the sky when we first entered the mansion had hidden itself, and night had fallen with a soft moonlight descending.
‘The kids must be worried…’
Caught up in chatting with all my companions gathered after a long time, I didn’t even notice the time passing.

“To think the day would come when we’d all gather like this. I’m overwhelmed with emotion.”
“Indeed… It reminds me of old times. We might have gathered sooner if someone hadn’t just run away~”
Lister jabbing at a sore spot.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Fufu. I’m just joking.”

Her face flushed, she hugged me tightly. Ugh, the smell of alcohol. The wine Marian brought was sweeter than expected, so it must have suited Lister’s taste perfectly.
“I brought it because my adjutant said it was good wine, but maybe it was too much.”
“No, it was really delicious.”
“That’s good then…”

It wasn’t just empty words. It was good enough that even I, who doesn’t particularly enjoy alcohol, could tell. Caught up in the atmosphere, I drank enough to make my head slightly dizzy.
“Ariel… you smell nice.”
“This is a bit embarrassing…”

Lister rubbing her head against my chest like a cat. It’s a bit difficult to detach her.
As I was wondering what to do, Marian gradually approached us.
‘She’s probably trying to help me… huh?’

I thought she was going to help detach Lister after seeing me trapped, but instead, she hugged both Lister and me together.
“Why am I being left out? I feel a bit hurt.”
A voice mixed with aegyo that I couldn’t imagine from her usual self.
Ah, Marian is drunk too.

“That’s not fair. Are you two playing by yourselves?! Let me join too!”
To make matters worse, Mona came stumbling towards us.
“Haha. You all get along so well. Can I join too?”
Leon, not you too.

We hugged each other warmly like tightly tangled threads. So much that we couldn’t even feel the cold night air.

“Well then, see you all next time!”
“Everyone, let’s meet again. And Ariel, it was good to see you after a long time. If I get the chance, can I visit your home?”
“Of course. Come with Mona.”

Leon supporting the stumbling Mona. After a brief farewell with us, they slowly walked towards their home.
“Um, Marian. Do you need help?”
“It’s fine. She’s not that heavy. She’s lighter than the armor I usually wear. I should fatten her up.”

I spoke to Marian who was carrying Lister on her back. Lister sleeping soundly. Her face reflected in the moonlight almost gave the illusion of an angel descending.
“I’m planning to let Lister sleep at my place, but what about you, Ariel? The house I’m living in is a bit too spacious for one person, so there’s plenty of room. Do you want to stay over?”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. The kids at home will be worried.”
Hearing my words, Marian made a slightly disappointed expression.
“…I guess so. Saya and Puel will be waiting. And you said you have one more demon now?”
“That’s right. I’ll introduce her to you later.”
“Fufu. I’m looking forward to it. Well then, take care on your way. See you next time.”

Marian, carrying Lister on her back, slowly walks towards her home.

The regret that invariably comes after having a good time. But even that regret wasn’t unpleasant. Because regret is the seed that makes you look forward to the next meeting.
“I should go home too…”

After watching Marian return home, I also headed towards my house.
By setting up a kind of checkpoint between the capital and our house, I can easily get home by using consecutive teleportation magic. This would be shocking to most magicians.

Thanks to that, I arrived in front of the house in just a few minutes.
‘Is drunk magic also subject to punishment?’
Creak.

“Zzzz…” “Hmmm…”
“Welcome home, Ariel-nim… Did you finish your work well?”

As I opened the front door while thinking nonsensical thoughts, I saw Saya and Puel sleeping covered with blankets, and Cherny taking care of them.
“The work went well. But why are they sleeping here?”
“The children said they would wait until you came back, Ariel-nim. They just fell asleep.”

Hearing Cherny’s words made my heart ache. It wasn’t because my emotions were fluctuating due to the alcohol. I just felt so grateful.
…For Saya and Puel, and for Cherny who waited for me without falling asleep.
In the end, I couldn’t help but hug them.

“Mmm, Ariel sister? Welcome ho… ugh, you smell like alcohol, sister…”
“It’s Ariel. But you smell strange.”
Saya and Puel woke up because I hugged them. But unlike them, my eyes kept closing due to the overwhelming sleepiness.
It must be because fatigue had accumulated in my body from all the things that happened today. Plus the effects of alcohol.

“Sister, let’s go to bed…”

In the end, I fell asleep in that position.

After Ariel fell asleep due to the alcohol,
“Sister should sleep in her room. Cherny-san, can you help a bit?”
“Yes. So this is what a drunk human looks like? It’s my first time seeing one.”
“I love you, Aedra…”
“I like you too, Ariel! But you’re heavy…”

A peculiar scene unfolded as Cherny, Saya, and Puel struggled to move the sleep-talking Ariel into the room.