Chapter 238

Translator: Kell | Editor: Weasalopes

Eve of the Union

April . Snow still remained, but the skies were clear . A month more and the snow would completely melt away . Yellow flowers—similar to the purple primrose in Japan—bloomed here and there, sprouting through the snow, dotting the landscape in the outskirts of Forestzard .

「It’s been a while since we came here . 」

「There’s no trace of snow in town . 」

「Maybe the people shoveled them all away . 」

With the help of connections, Hikaru secured a room good for four people at the fifth floor of a high-class hotel . Everywhere was fully-booked . He wouldn’t have been able to get a room without help .

After finally checking in, Hikaru sat down to rest, while Lavia took a seat across him . Paula said she’d make tea after putting away her luggage . Drake was with her .

「Tomorrow’s the day . 」

Carriages went back and forth down the streets below, mostly carrying happy couples . A few of them were rather hasty, already showing off their wedding attire while riding roofless carriages . People on the streets cheered as they waved their hands .

The day everyone was waiting for—the day of the mass wedding—would be tomorrow . A thousand and two hundred couples would be wed in the capital’s cathedral . League was the one managing the ceremony . With him on the helm, there shouldn’t be any trouble, not immediately at least . Incidentally, League was also the one who secured the hotel room for them .

「Are you going to see League?」Lavia asked .

「I don’t think we can see each other for a while . We’ll probably meet again once school resumes . But then again…」

「What is it?」

Hikaru wondered if he needed to enroll again this year . He had already learned a lot from Professor Mille . Unless there was someone better at the Short Sword than her, he had no reason to stay in the academy any longer .

「How much of the books in the library have you read?」he asked Lavia .

「I’ve read most, if not all, of the notable ones . The only things I haven’t touched are theses, research studies, catalogs, I guess . 」

The library in the academy was mostly used as a resource center . Most of the materials were not the kind Lavia would read .

「I see… I guess we can leave Forestia, then . 」

「I’ll go wherever you want to go . But what about the student alliance?」

「That’s this country’s problem anyway . I can’t be involved with it forever . As for Professor Katy’s research… I don’t think she’ll ever stop asking for help . 」

With the help of Drake, Katy had enthusiastically made progress in her research on holy mana over the winter .

While she never treated the drakon roughly, Drake frequently complained about the nasty way she used her hands or that her eyes were terrifying .

As a result, Drake hadn’t seen Hikaru lately .

After he killed the Gray Noble Drakon, he shoved Drake into the Dimension Dragon Box, a thing made out of the stomach of a dragon—a species that Drake’s kind despised . The drakon was stuck inside for a while and after he came out, he was mad at Hikaru for a few days .

「Hikaru-sama, Lavia-chan, tea is ready . 」

「Thanks . 」

「Thank you, Paula . Take a seat . 」Lavia said . 「We were talking about our future plans . 」

「Okay!」

Paula took a vacant seat . It wasn’t as though Hikaru and Paula got a lot closer after that night . Like usual, she stayed by Hikaru and Lavia’s side, cooking and going shopping with them . But she had moved to the apartment, and she was now more frank when talking to Hikaru .

Was this for the best? Hikaru wondered . I sure hope so . I don’t get how women think .

That night, Hikaru went back home with Lavia and told her everything that happened, even the surprise kiss .

「So she finally did it!」

Lavia was actually happy .

「Do you get excited when some other woman steals me away from you?」

「Wh-What are you saying?! That’s not it… I like Paula . She’s my first friend . I just thought she’d eventually break down if things stayed as they are . 」

It was clear that Paula liked Hikaru in a romantic way—she probably even harbored deeper feelings than that . But her feelings could never be answered as long as Lavia was around . Yet, her promise with Hikaru prevented her from leaving .

Lavia and Paula talked a lot while Hikaru wasn’t around . Hikaru was everything to Lavia and she told Paula her life story . Paula herself told Lavia about her life back in the village of Cotton Elka .

Lavia didn’t want to see her friend worn down from thinking about the boy she liked .

「But… I love you . 」Hikaru said .

「Thank you . I’m glad to hear that . What about Paula, then?」

「Paula is… important to me . So much so that I don’t want anyone else to have her . 」

「That’s not love?」

「It’s a little different . It’s like… Uhm… Nah, you might hate me for saying it . 」

「I would never hate you . Just be honest with me . 」

「Um, yes . Let’s see… It’s more like I want to monopolize her . I’d be furious if a girl who likes me was taken by someone else, even though I’ll never answer her feelings . I know I’m just being selfish . 」

Hikaru was disgusted with himself, at how self-centered he was .

「No, you’re not being selfish, and I’m sure Paula would be happy to hear that . I’m not asking you to do anything . Since we never stay in one place, I just figured it would be better if we had Paula with us . If things stayed the way they are, she would’ve fell apart . 」

Wow, Hikaru thought . Lavia was more focused on the future than he was and she had a firm grasp of their situation . She even tried to find a solution . It was hard to believe she was the youngest of the three .

「I’m kinda selfish too . I was glad to find out she kissed you, but I also feel a little jealous . 」Lavia said as she forced a smile .

「Hikaru-sama? What’s the matter?」

『His mind is somewhere else, obviously . 』

「No, it’s not . The jar of dried fruits we just bought is in there somewhere . You can ahead and eat them . 」

『Really?! You say some pretty good things once in a while!』

Drake jumped from Paula’s neck and scuttled into the next room .

「All right . That’s the nuisance gone . 」

「You’ve been treating Drake roughly lately . 」

「You look like an evil villain right now, Hikaru-sama . 」

Wow, rude . I just don’t feel the need to be reserved around him anymore . I mean, Drake’s the one who was pretty blunt right from the start, Hikaru thought as he took out a bag made of smooth cloth . Inside were small bracelets about two centimeters wide . The words “New Moon Star” was etched into them, their party name .

「Ah…」

Paula was surprised . She knew where they bought these, in a jewelry store in Scholarzard . She saw Hikaru and Lavia in there looking at bracelets . But Hikaru took out three of them from the bag .

「Our birthdays are one month apart . I figured they’d be perfect for birthday presents . 」

「I-Is this for me?」Paula asked .

「Yup . For all three members of our party . 」

Tears welled up in her eyes as Paula received the bracelet . She thought they would buy two and wear them as a couple . But she was wrong .

「Thank you! Thank you sho much!」Paula said, choking back tears .

Hikaru gave a wry smile . 「Let’s try them on . If they don’t fit, we’ll have to make some adjustments . 」

「I’ll adjust the size of my arm for it!」

「You know that’s impossible…」

Fortunately, they all fit . Hikaru felt somewhat embarrassed . Lavia was ecstatic, while Paula stared at the bracelet, wiping tears off with a handkerchief .

「All right . Let’s check the city out . 」

「Yeah, let’s go . 」

「Okay!」

『W-Wait for me!』Drake came rushing from the next room .

「Oops . Forgot about you . 」

『Meanie!』

「Just kidding . Let’s go . 」

And so three people and one small creature headed out to the festive streets of the capital .