“Turns out, I need more mana stones for my research than I thought. If you have some time, could you come to the lab and donate a little mana?”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. But…”
“Huh?”
Erica has changed a lot.
In the past, she would just hover around me, only appearing when needed, but now she sticks close and talks to me whenever there’s a chance.
Of course, Iris is doing the same, which means I’ve been walking around with both my arms taken by Iris and Erica.
And once the Combat Magic Studies class is over, Trie joins in, turning everything into chaos.
I may have accidentally declared a harem, but actually showing it in action is embarrassingly more than I imagined.
Then, in Erica’s case—
“Don’t you have class soon?”
“I’m fine. It’s a class where the professor doesn’t take attendance anyway. I’ve already studied all the material, so I don’t have to go.”
“……….”
She even clings to me instead of going to class.
Until Iris and Trie leave for their classes, it’s just the two of us.
I’m a little worried.
Worried about her ruining her grades because of me.
Normally, Erica would be on track to graduate early with flying colors from the Imperial University.
“If you keep this up, I might have to implement strict measures.”
“What do you mean?”
“Go to class. If your grades drop because you’re watching me, I won’t see you anymore.”
“Puhuh… Hehehe…”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Kekhehe. Actually, this was all agreed with the professor. Since he knows I’m busy with my thesis, I decided that I’ll have 100% attendance for the general studies class.”
“What? So that’s it?”
“Did you think I was slacking off on studying just to meet you? Giving up my grades? Hehe… Huh? Huh? Why aren’t you talking, Schlus?”
“……….”
Erica kept poking my cheeks and laughing.
I was too embarrassed to meet her gaze.
Well, who am I to complain?
“W-well… Even if attendance isn’t recognized, I guess I would skip class.”
“Are you joking?”
“Does it seem like a joke?”
Erica twisted my face to force me to look her in the eyes.
Were her eyes always this pretty?
As I stared into them, I suddenly felt my body temperature rising.
Looks like summer really is here.
“Should we do that thing… from last time?”
“What’s that?”
“You know… at the restaurant. When our lips touched…”
“You know what it’s called. Why pretend you don’t?”
“Yeah. A kiss. A kiss. Are you satisfied now?”
Even though she was openly showing affection in front of people, I thought she had thrown all her embarrassment away.
Turns out, she still had quite a bit of shyness left, making it all the more fun to tease her.
“You’re having a hard time just saying that and now you want to do it? In front of so many people?”
“Yeah… I was so nervous last time that I don’t remember a thing.”
“Then you go ahead.”
“Huh? B-but?”
“Why? Should I close my eyes instead?”
“No. Isn’t it supposed to be the guy who does it?”
“Who says that? The one who wants to do it does it.”
“Ah…”
I couldn’t bear to kiss her first.
If I did, wouldn’t I just become a perv who kisses in the middle of the school park after forming a harem?
It’d be better to be the one who’s kissed rather than the one doing the kissing in that context.
Wait, aren’t those pretty much the same…?
“Then… close your eyes…”
“Got it.”
*Hoo. Ha. Hoo. Hoo.* “Wait a minute.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t laugh!”
“I’ll try not to.”
“Lower the corners of your mouth.”
As I kept my eyes tightly closed, Erica took a deep breath and prepared herself.
At some point, I suddenly felt a strange energy coming from behind.
Just as I froze and couldn’t bring myself to turn around—
*Tap. Tap.*
Someone tapped me on the shoulder.
With neatly trimmed nails and long, slender fingers.
And that cheerful tapping.
Just from that, I could tell it was Emilia.
When I turned around, Emilia was smiling brightly.
“I left my lunchbox behind.”
“Lunchbox? I didn’t see it this morning. You don’t even usually make lunch—”
“I said I left my lunchbox, big bro. Take it. Don’t eat strange stuff outside; eat what I made.”
“Thanks…?”
I took the lunchbox.
Why is she suddenly doing something she never did?
Something felt really off.
“Bend down a bit.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Ah, hurry up…”
“Like this?”
“Yeah. Perfect.”
In a moment I didn’t understand, as I bent down slightly, Emilia grabbed my tie as if fishing for it.
Then, she pulled it tight and stood on her tiptoes to meet my lips.
I couldn’t even push her away, just standing there while Emilia licked my lips until her knees trembled, signaling her limit.
“Puhah…”
“……….”
Thanks to that, both of our lips were slick with saliva.
Once she pulled away, Emilia had a satisfied smile and quickly fixed my messy tie.
“Done. I’m leaving now.”
“Uh…?”
I was still dazed, trying to figure out what had just happened when Emilia waved goodbye and gracefully walked away.
I think I heard a faint mumble about her being a thieving cat…
Am I hearing things?
I stood frozen for a moment, completely bewildered.
I never knew Emilia could be this bold.
“Sch-Schlus…”
“What?”
“Is there some kind of order? Like if I dare to initiate a ki-kiss, do I have to ask for the permission of the future wives first or something?”
“There’s no such thing.”
When I turned back, I saw Erica trembling and sniffling.
Why is she scared of someone younger than her?
It was so ridiculous that I gently ruffled Erica’s hair.
Taking things slow with Erica seems fine.
After all, she’s quite timid.
And she seems to be a bit overprotective…
“Mm?”
“What’s wrong, Schlus?”
“It’s a communication. Emergency line…”
At that moment, a strange mana ripple was detected.
It came flying in from the south.
The translated message was as follows:
– Civil unrest reported in the south. High possibility of it escalating into rebellion. Communications with the guards at the 2nd and 3rd castles have been cut off.
News that the brief peace was shattered.
