Whipped Cream (7)

In a moment of silence, Seran turned his head.

“I’ll say one last thing.”

Space distorted and a dark rift appeared.

“The project has been completed.”

The robe fluttered and golden eyes flashed. I smiled slightly.

“Good job.”

“…You’re still the same, Lady Aureli.”

He looked lonely.

The rift closed.

The director picked up the paper cup. The milk tea had decomposed into dust.

“He seemed to like it, but left without taking a single sip.”

“Despite his personality, he seems to be quite picky.”

Maybe he doesn’t even look at anything that’s not premium coffee?

I carefully sat on the chair at the desk with the nameplate.

It’s nice.

“You look comfortable.”

“Do you always sit in this chair, Director?”

The nameplate is cool too.

“That’s right. It’s my privilege.”

“Oh…”

Suddenly feeling tired, I laid my head on the desk.

“…I’m glad.”

When I stroked the desk with my fingers, it was cold.

“I’m really glad we could have a final conversation.”

“You were too sharp though.”

I felt like crying. But I didn’t.

“Weren’t we always like that?”

“That’s true!”

We’ve been fighting each other since the game days.

“I don’t think milk tea was his favorite coffee before.”

“I guess his taste changed.”

It’s not just people. Reality is like that too. It’s that kind of flow. We have to struggle in the changing environment.

The times when we just bickered are gone now. We have to close our mouths and swing knives.

Suddenly I felt sad.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

Red eyes turned towards me. Several things came to mind.

But none of them were particularly meaningful.

“For joining the Association.”

“After saying that, you’ll make a bad face at me again when the employees come, won’t you!”

“I don’t need to do that anymore.”

I pondered for a moment.

“Is it because I’m a full-time employee now?”

The director put a cigarette in his mouth.

“That’s right.”

Actually, the reason doesn’t matter. No matter how the director treats me, it will look to others like he’s catering to me.

In that sense, it was good. Because we could act like we used to treat each other in the past.

“Can we prepare for the invasion?”

“There’s nothing the Association can’t do.”

“Being too positive isn’t good either.”

As I was twisting a lock of my hair, the window opened. Hazy smoke rose.

“I’d like to leave Seran to someone.”

“Oh…”

I smiled slightly. Actually, this was an expected conversation.

“I’m really weak though!”

“Only in front of Erica.”

“That’s how it is for a girl in love.”

You don’t know well. Because you can’t focus on anything but one person to the extent that you can’t see your surroundings.

Watching the small fire going out, I started to feel an urge too.

I lit an ember in the air and took out a cigarette. Just as I was about to put it in my mouth, the office door opened.

“I’m back.”

Our eyes met.

“The Association is a non-smoking building.”

“E-Erica. It’s not just me. The director was first…”

I hurriedly looked at the director. The director was holding a report, pretending not to know anything.

“That’s a lie. It’s been years since I quit smoking.”

That’s too much.

I put out the fire and crushed the cigarette.

“Now you’re boldly lying, aren’t you?”

“Then what will you do?”

“Give it to me.”

As I blinked, Erica’s eyes became sharper.

“Give me the cigarette pack you just hid in your chest.”

“No matter how much you like me, are you now jealous of even cigarettes?”

“Do you want to get hit or will you just give it?”

I pondered for a moment. Getting hit might not be bad either.

“No, I won’t give it.”

“Ha.”

Watching her approach me urgently, I quickly took out a small box from my chest.

“Give that here…”

Just as her hand was about to touch my clothes, our bodies pressed together and I enjoyed her faint breath, then threw the box out the window.

Watching Bloody snatch it, I pulled Erica’s hand.

“There’s somewhere we need to go together.”

“…Again, doing as you please.”

I smiled slightly.

While going out of the building, I twisted a lock of my hair. Is she giving me so much attention just because of one cigarette?

Come to think of it, we might have gotten quite close. She held my hand and leaned her shoulder against mine. When I showed weakness, she supported me so I could entrust my body to her.

Was that out of pity? Or was it just a momentary deviation?

Whatever the result, I feel good. Because I wanted to spend a lot of time with her.

I was happy just that she went along with my rough behavior. It was fun. The time spent together was cozy and comfortable.

Is it okay to feel this good?

“Erica.”

“Yes?”

“Do you perhaps like me?”

“What?”

I suddenly became curious. Erica avoided my gaze and twisted a lock of her hair.

“…No.”

“So you hate me!”

“Of course.”

The thought that it would be unfair if only I liked her and the relief that our relationship hadn’t crumbled coexisted.

“…But where are we going?”

“To study!”

A dubious look returned.

The place we arrived at was a wide open space. The desolate atmosphere created by the setting sun in a quiet place with no one around greeted us.

Only streetlights emitting faint light were noticeable.

“Now, there will be a class conducted by me.”

Saying that, I scattered magical power. A translucent chair was created and dense magical power combined to form a whiteboard.

“Erica student, please sit in that chair.”

“…What is this.”

“Ahem!”

I’m in the middle of an important talk right now.

“If you don’t listen, I’ll immediately run to the Association headquarters and cause terrorism.”

“I really can’t believe this.”

Seeing her obediently follow my words despite her harsh mouth, I nodded with satisfaction.

Preliminary knowledge was needed to prepare for the invasion. Of course, this isn’t necessary for me. It’s mainly information that hunters from the Association need to know.

However, blocking Seran’s troops, who has liked quantity attacks since the game days, is the job of hunters and Erica’s role.

“I, who will be giving the lecture from now on, am the wanted Rank 1 Aureli…”

“Stop the unnecessary talk and get to the point.”

Is this how students usually treat teachers?

Her eyes turned towards me.

Well, if you’re pretty, that’s all that matters. I lost.

I tapped the whiteboard with a long stick. A magic formula was set up and a graph fluctuated.

The magical power scattered on the ground mixed with the air and created a knight about the size of a human body.

“From tomorrow, the student will be facing spirit troops about this size.”

“…What?”

“There will be an invasion from the spirit realm.”

Erica was slightly surprised but soon nodded with a hardened expression. It might be because the director, who had noticed the signs to some extent, reported to the Association.

“Actually, with the student’s skills, dealing with things like this is a piece of cake.”

I lightly hit the knight with the stick.

“You were strong originally, but since you’ve been sucked blood by me twice, dozens of knights would be cut down with one sword strike.”

“……”

Her slightly blushing cheeks were cute.

“However, you won’t be facing hundreds of troops alone…”

Several sentences appeared on the whiteboard.

“From now on, I will teach you how to deal with the knights.”

“…Yes.”

The created knight became transparent. A blue jewel sparkled in the center of its body.

“This is the core fixed inside the body. All spirits have it. Because all the nerves in the body are connected here, if you stab this place, you can take them down in one go.”

Saying that, I suddenly closed the distance with Erica.

“Just like how the student stabbed my heart.”

“…You startled me.”

Seeing her face redden more, it’s fun to tease her.

“Most of these are unaffiliated, so you don’t need to think about compatibility. Their magical power will be at most that of a high-tier awakened one.”

A few more lines of sentences were engraved on the whiteboard.

Seeing Erica seemingly concentrating before I knew it, I smiled slightly.

After finishing the basic explanation, I placed my hand on the knight fixed like a stone statue. Magical power flowed in and the knight’s eyes flashed. The ground shook and air currents trembled.

“Now it’s the practical stage!”

“…What?”

“Let’s take down 200 of these!”

Anyway, it was a good opportunity.

I could also increase Erica’s magical power level who participated in the battle.

We’ve gone through the committee and the Association will prepare thoroughly, so it will be blocked somehow. Then Erica will be at ease too.

“…Ugh.”

“Good job.”

It was exactly the 200th knight. I added some magical power to make them fight Erica, but I didn’t know she would get this tired.

Watching Erica hyperventilating and sitting down on the grass, I clapped.

“You endured well despite it being tough.”

“…Shut, that mouth…”

She seems to be very tired.

“What a shame! If you had fainted like this, I was going to secretly suck your blood!”

“You crazy bitch…”

Half of me wanted to torment Erica, so I made her fight the knights, but since she’s experienced actual combat, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Watching her drink from the water bottle I handed over, I also lay down on the grass. The sky had long since turned black, and the clouds spread widely as if to cover even the moonlight.

Actually, I didn’t care what happened. I’m not interested in whether the human realm collapses and is swallowed by the spirit realm or not.

I didn’t care whether sinister desires welled up or people died.

As I opened my eyes just like that, I saw Erica sitting with one knee bent. I could see sweat dripping down and her tired breathing tickled my ears.

But Erica probably wouldn’t want that. This is all her fault.

“Erica.”

“…Yes?”

“Why are you so pretty…”

“Pfft.”

The water bottle fell and water spilled. Was Erica drinking it?

I wish more would spill.