Koncor the great: Sadly that won't be the case... Maybe for another story, but Erik will definitely still have a connection with Alisa (not in a romantic sense). I love Redline! Which is also the reason why a certain Servant (unfortunately not Nobu) will appear sometime in the future! It's probably obvious given the character tags though. I already have decided on an Archer servant already. Well, I have two choices, and I'm struggling to choose one TvT
bahrithariq: I'm definitely focusing more on friendship than any romantic pairings at the moment. Any "romantic scenes" with Merlin is obviously meant to be cracky and humor. The girlfriend joke is probably gonna end once he explains it to someone other than his parents lmao. And don't worry, Rean will obviously still have Valimar. I'm not changing anything by letting Erik steal or take someone's part in a plot. So no, he won't be getting a Divine Knight, but he will eventually get something that can fight on par with them. Spoilers: It ain't a mecha or giant kaiju. Oh most definitely he will summon a Servant during his time in Thors! Which Servant? Continue to read to find out!
"Why didn't you just accept her offer? Your parents won't have to worry about the tuition, you know."
"Don't try and act like you're thinking of my parents," I grumbled, wiping down her table. "You just want me to be part of canon events for your own entertainment."
"Erik! How could you say that!" Merlin placed a hand on her chest, faux hurt marring her visage.
A sigh would part from my lips as I shook my head, ignoring my Servant as I went to another table that needed to be cleared out. It was my first night at work, and I could barely concentrate because of what had happened this morning. Just recalling it is making my head hurt!
Earlier this morning...
"I'd like you to be part of a new class that will be established at Thors next school year. If you accept my proposal, I will pay for the tuition until you graduate, and you can have that prototype. Of course, when we finally complete the orbment, we will replace the prototype with it. What do you think? It is not such a bad deal, no?"
"C-Chairman Irina, are you... serious about this?" Dad asked, completely dumbfounded she would even offer such a thing.
"I am. We need as much data as possible. While we will be collecting the data from the test team soon, only my daughter and your son possess a high affinity with the ARCUS unit at the moment.
Even I couldn't hide my shock, but it was for a different reason. I was essentially given a guaranteed ticket to be part of Class VII! The other benefit would certainly help my parents, but the knowledge I have of what will happen in the near future left me frozen. It felt like Irina wanted me to drive straight to my grave!
"I-I..."
Whether or not she sensed my indecisiveness, she soon shook her head. "I don't need an immediate answer. Since I sprang this on you so suddenly, you can ponder your decision tonight with your parents."
At that, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Miss Chairman."
...
It was already evening, but I still had no clue what should I do. If I refuse, I don't want to imagine how Alan and Melissa would react. They're still strangers to me, despite the familial attachment I feel due to my body. There was no telling if they'll be upset or not...
The only way to find out is to talk about the matter after work.
Glancing at my Servant, Merlin casually fiddled with her own ARCUS unit with curiosity in her eyes. Why Irina would give someone who wasn't even going to attend Thors an ARCUS was beyond my understanding. I simply concluded her reality-breaking charm had affected the woman.
As I finished clearing out the table, the door opened, and I went over to greet them.
"Welcome to Dining Bar- F— Huh?"
Alisa Reinford entered with a scowl on her visage, accompanied by a maid with hair of lavender hue. It was the Severing Chains— Sharon Kreuger!
I held back my surprise as I spoke, "There are free seats at the counter, but I've just cleared up a table if you two prefer sitting there."
"We'll take the table." The blonde replied with a slight heat in her tone. Geez... guess someone was still upset with her mother. The maid gave me an apologetic but thankful smile as I led them to the table.
My eye tried to twitch in annoyance when I caught the stifled giggles of the succubus. Breathe in, Erik. Breathe in. Don't let her get to you tonight. Handing the two the menu, I'd take out a notepad.
"What would you two like this evening?"
"I'd like to have the Evening Special, please," Sharon answered with a polite smile as I wrote her order down.
"You can order alcohol if you want, Sharon." The blonde said while looking through the menu.
"Oh! I can't possibly do that while I'm on duty, Lady Alisa!"
"It's fine, you know..."
"Do not worry. I am fine with a simple iced tea~"
Alisa heaved a sigh of resignation before she returned the menu to me. "I'll have the virgin Mojito."
"R-Right." Looks like I didn't need to remind her that she was still a minor.
As I gave a nod to the two, I departed the table, telling Grand about their order. There was budding curiosity building up in me, wondering why they chose to come here of all places. Glancing at Merlin, she'd watched in amusement while sipping her mocktail.
I'd sent her a warning glare. If Merlin had any funny ideas messing with the main cast, I'd shoot down the idea. No way in hell am I going to be dragged into the mess they'll be doing in the future.
Am I being too paranoid? Maybe? Too cautious? There is no such thing.
The succubus would give me a sulking sigh before returning to her drink, just in time for me to receive Alisa and Sharon's order from Grand.
"Here you go, you two." I set down their order on their table, receiving their thanks soon after. As I got ready to tend to another table, Alisa popped a question, and I froze.
"Sorry, but have we met before? You look familiar."
Thankfully, it was only for a moment as Sharon giggled and teased, "Oh my, Lady Alisa. I never pegged you as someone who would use such a line!"
"Huh?" The blonde's cheeks soon flushed as she pieced what she meant together and spat, "Whatever you're thinking, that is not it! I'm serious when I say he looks familiar!" Then she turned to me, glaring. "Well?!"
Why are you getting mad at me…? As I opened my mouth to utter a lie, I noticed the glint of Sharon's gaze, which made me reconsider. Well, there is nothing much to gain by lying anyway.
"Yes," I nodded. "I'm the son of one of your mom's employees. My dad took me to the RF building to get me an orbment, and that's... where we stumbled upon you and your mom."
"Huh..." Alisa leaned on her seat. Huh, she's surprisingly taking this way calmer than I— "HUH?!"
Spoke too soon, I guess. My lips curled into a wry grin.
"I-I think I saw Mr. Brandt in the room. Are you his…?"
"Yup."
"Then are you the one I almost brushed against when I…"
"Mhm. That's right..."
"Oh, Aidios, kill me... This is so embarrassing...!" Alisa screamed into her hands as they covered her face, muffling her despair.
I would have provided some comfort and said it was all right, but knowing Alisa's temperament, she'd probably just snap at me.
"I'll be going now…"
"Wait!" Just as I was about to leave, Alisa grabbed my wrist with a flustered gaze. "If your dad wanted to give you an orbment, it would be easier to go down to the ground level and buy an orbment for a discounted price. There is no other reason for you to go to the main building unless..."
"To get the latest combat orbment." Sharon finished for the blonde, prompting Alisa to glare at her but inevitably sighed.
"Yeah, a combat orbment..."
"Well..." Instead of explaining, I'd take out my ARCUS unit instead. Alisa's crimson eyes shot wide open as her lips opened to speak, but I cut her off. "Your mom asked me to boot up this prototype, and it glowed, saying I had an affinity for it or something. Then, she told me I could keep it under certain conditions."
"What conditions?" The blonde quickly asked.
"I think it's better if you asked her yourself. Anyway, I have to get back to work. Enjoy your meal and drinks."
Giving them a curt nod, I'd take my leave as the mechanical sound of the System chimed in.
[You have escaped being interrogated through your words. Your Charisma has increased!]
...
3rd P.O.V.
...
Alisa watched as the teenager walked away with a frown on her visage. What were the conditions he needed to accept to let him keep the orbment? In fact, how could her mother easily hand out the prototype like that? The blonde couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Sharon."
"Yes, Lady Alisa?"
She bit her lip for a moment. Alisa did not like asking Sharon for this kind of assistance, but she needed to know. "You knew of this already, right? Tell me everything you know about Mr. Brandt's son."
"Everything, Lady Alisa?" A teasing glint flickered across turquoise hues.
"Y-You know what I mean!"
Sharon promptly ignored her glare as she flashed an innocent smile before responding, "Understood. His full name is Erik Brandt. Aside from being the son of a practitioner of the Schleiden School of spearmanship, he is just your average teenager with no particular hobbies. From what I heard from Lady Melissa, he spends most of his time in his room trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life."
A little blunt, but Alisa nodded nonetheless. "If they went to the main building for a combat orbment, then he probably figured out what he wants to do then."
"Not quite, my lady. He's still deciding, but his options have narrowed down. The reason Lady Melissa told me when we met each other earlier was that Master Erik was long due for an orbment, and Master Alan also offered to let him come to his workplace to see what it's like."
Okay, everything was starting to make sense. Now, Alisa only needed to know what his future plans were that warranted her mother to hand him the prototype of the ARCUS unit. It was already a shock to find someone in the same age as her to possess the affinity to wield the orbment, but she grew curious why her mother would lay out other conditions. Unless...
"Wait... Is Mother using him to gather more data for the ARCUS unit?" The maid would respond with an apologetic smile, causing Alisa's eye to twitch. "Ugh...! It's still all about work in the end to her!"
"Lady Alisa..."
"I came to this place to forget about her, even if it's only a moment, but now I'm even more upset!" She groaned as she gulped down half of her beverage. "She already has me, and the test team from that military school will begin collecting data for her soon. The guy might be Mr. Brandt's son, but she's dragging him to do work for her by holding out a damn carrot on a stick!"
Alisa wouldn't have minded as much if it was an adult who already knew what he was dealing with, but it was a teenager, for Aidios' sake! He hasn't even found a goal to pursue yet! What if, by accepting her mother's proposal, he would stray away from what he truly wanted just to provide data for her? That was something Alisa could not accept.
However, there were still missing pieces of information she needed before making grand assumptions. And so, Sharon provided.
"I'm not sure you're aware of this fact, but based on your conversation with Master Erik earlier, he hasn't accepted the Madam Chairman's proposal. Also, I believe Master Erik will be pursuing a school life at Thors Military Academy."
"Huh?" That caught her off guard. "Are you sure his decision is final?"
The lavender-haired woman shook her head lightly. "No, but the likelihood is high from what I heard from his parents."
"I... see."
Thors Military Academy again, huh? Somehow, Alisa recently found herself stumbling upon that topic in the past few days already. As she leaned back on her seat, the blonde took another sip of her beverage.
Did he choose that academy to find his purpose in life? He certainly didn't look like the kind to go to the military, though. Then again, not every graduate becomes part of the Empire's military force. That was one of the appeals of Thors.
Hmm... Maybe she can…
"Oh, he also has a girlfriend, Lady Alisa."
"That is unnecessary information!"
...
Erik's P.O.V.
...
After some time...
"Good work tonight, Erik! See you again tomorrow night!"
"Great job at handling some of the customers! You can bring your girlfriend along again if you want!"
"Ahaha... Thank you. I'll see you both tomorrow.
Waving at my boss and co-worker, Merlin and I left the establishment as I looked toward the System notification that had just appeared.
-SUBQUEST COMPLETE-
[Part-time Work at Dining Bar- F!]
Complete a shift at your part-time job.
Rewards: 500 EXP, 2 AP, Increased in Charisma
A smile crossed my face as I read the notification. I knew working part-time there would be beneficial for me; I didn't know I would be getting a quest from doing so, though. The AP reward might be low, but personally, being able to still receive AP for just doing a subquest like this is broken. If I work every night, I'll be able to farm AP.
"Someone sure looks happy~" Merlin giggled, glancing at me.
"Because I am. The System increased my Charisma twice tonight."
"Oh, that I could tell. That blonde from earlier certainly talked a lot about you after you left their table. Are you building up points with her~?"
"That's not my intention—"
"Oh, my Master's such a sly dog! Are you trying to make big sis jealous~?"
She gave me a playful push, groaning as I shot her an annoyed look. Because of my stats and the room being a little small, I could hear what they were talking about.
My groan became louder in my head. Somehow, I got myself involved in the lives of the main cast, and their conversation led me to believe that my presence contributed to Alisa's inevitable decision to enroll at Thors.
I'm not being a narcissist by having that line of thought; it was just highly probably after what I heard from them.
Hopefully, this will be the last time I interact with her.
As we arrived in front of my apartment, Merlin, for the first time, willingly left me to talk to my parents, going into spirit form as she waited for me in my room.
Opening the door, I went inside and called out to them. "I'm home!"
"Ah! Welcome back, Erik!" Melissa came over and greeted me, glancing around. "Where's Mari?"
"I took her back to her hotel before coming home," I replied with my prepared excuse.
"Good." She nodded in approval before we went into the living room, catching sight of Alan sitting on the couch. "Dad said you had something the three of us needed to talk about?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Rubbing my neck, I sat on the sofa chair while Mom took a seat beside Dad. I would begin to explain what had transpired with Irina and tell Melissa about her proposal. Since my dad was present when she offered it, I didn't need to discuss it in too much detail.
"That's about it."
"I see. Have you already come to a decision, Erik?" Melissa queried as I shook my head.
"Not yet. I wanted to discuss it with you both. What do you two think?"
"I think we're the ones who are supposed to ask you 'what do you think,' Erik." She chuckled as Dad nodded his head.
"Your mother's right, kiddo. We'll support any decision you make." I was about to open my mouth when Alan continued, "And if you're simply going to accept the chairman's offer because you're worried about us paying the tuition, then don't."
Ah... I guess he saw right through me.
It was my mother's turn to nod. "It might not look like it, but we've been saving a lot of mira in case you decided to study somewhere. It's enough to pay for your lodgings and other necessities if you decide to study abroad!"
"R-Really?" Mom just gave a wider smile.
"Really, Erik. You don't have to accept Miss Irina's proposal if you don't want to. Aidios knows what kind of curriculum you'll be following in that new class. I know it's unavoidable in a military academy, but I rather you aren't involved in unnecessary danger."
My lips curled into a wry smile. I'm already exposed to danger with how I've been training, but her worry still touched me.
"We'll support your decision. I'll try to find a way to get you an ARCUS unit without you having to resort to accepting the proposal." Dad chimed in, which made me sigh but my smile grew wider.
Something swelled up inside my chest. Was this joy...? It must be. I don't remember how my parents acted before I was transmigrated or if I even had parents in the first place...
But I can say with certainty that this kind of warm feeling, cheesy as it may sound, was a nice feeling.
"Thank you, you two. I think... I know what my decision will be now."
The three of us exchanged smiles before we all went back to our bedrooms.
As tomorrow arrived, I woke up at the crack of dawn and went to the familiar highway to train with Merlin (much to her dismay). We went about training my magecraft while honing my swordsmanship. While my level remained the same today, the levels of my skills and weapon rank increased, and I received a few stat bonuses too.
Once training was over, we would make our way back to the apartment before breakfast. Like yesterday, my Servant left me in the dust and made me use Reinforcement. This time, however, I didn't poison my legs by pouring too much magical energy into them.
This will probably become our daily routine from now on.
After breakfast, I joined Alan on his way to work. It was time to give Irina my decision.
Upon entering the building, my gaze caught sight of a maid.
"Good morning, Master Alan, Master Erik! Chairman Irina has been expecting you two."
"Typical chairman..." Dad chuckled wryly while I sweatdropped.
The maid simply giggled, leading us to the elevator as she pressed the button to the floor of Irina's office.
"How's Alisa been, Sharon? I hope she has cooled off. My son and I saw her storm off the development lab yesterday..." Dad said, scratching his cheek awkwardly. Did he really have to make conversation...?
Sharon wasn't one to ignore as she answered with a chuckle, "Yes. It took longer than I hoped, but my lady has calmed down after having dinner last night."
"That's good to hear."
"Indeed. I believe it's because she had a lot to think about after talking with Master Erik."
"Alisa ate at Dining Bar— F?" Taken aback, Dad couldn't help but ask before turning to me. "You didn't mention anything about that last night."
Sharon! Unnecessary call-out!
Sharon paid no heed to the brief flash of distress she caught on my face as she nodded with her usual smile on display.
"I was mulling over my decision about Miss Irina's offer that I forgot..." I replied with an excuse that's most likely to fail.
But Dad would have to wait to question me further as the elevator arrived at Irina's office.
Stepping out of the elevator, Sharon led us inside and bowed to the blonde.
"I've brought your guests over, Lady Irina."
"Good. You can go and return to Alisa's side for today, Sharon."
"Understood, Madam Chairman."
She bowed to Dad and me, then took her leave.
"So," She began, standing up from her seat. "Have you made your decision?"
"I have," Taking a step forward, I took a deep breath and took out the ARCUS unit, causing the woman's brows to lift ever so slightly. "I'm sorry for rejecting your generous offer, Miss Irina, but I can't accept it. I don't mind returning this orbment to you."
"Before that, could I ask you why?"
I rubbed the side of my neck and smiled wryly. That was totally understandable. Her line of thinking probably suggested that no one would usually reject a sweet offer like that. "Of course. There were many perks to simply joining this new class, but without knowing the full details, I couldn't accept it without worrying about the what-ifs. As much as I love to accept your offer to relieve some of the burden off my parents' shoulders when it comes to the tuition, I learned just how much they're truly thinking of me after last night."
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Dad smiling at me.
Arms crossed, Irina closed her eyes for a second and heaved a sigh. With a shake of her head, she returned to her seat.
"I see. I will respect your decision. You don't have to return the ARCUS unit. It is yours to keep."
Caught off guard, my eyes went wide. "But I didn't..."
"You can still provide me with data, even if you don't become part of the new class. It will be less data, but data is still data. In any case, I will not force you to reconsider."
"O-Oh! Thank you very much!" I instinctively bowed my head in thanks.
She nodded. "You may now take your leave if you wish."
"R-Right."
"Thank you for this, Chairman." Dad would bow his head as well in gratitude.
"It's nothing worth thanking me for. I want to receive the data monthly once the new school year at Thors starts." Irina stated as Alan bobbed his head in understanding. I'm seriously still going to Thors, huh...?
The two of us left her office, Dad looking at me sheepishly. "I guess we'll be enrolling you in Thors now, huh?"
My only response was a strained smile, sighing under my breath. Oh, I can't believe I just now realized that I dug my own grave!
"Hey, Erik?"
"Yeah, Dad?" I turned to look at him, only to be slightly taken aback by the sudden seriousness of his features. I had never seen such a look on his face before.
As we entered the elevator, we pressed the buttons to our respective destination.
"Thors graduates might not always join the military, but their curriculum still entails combat. The chairman will want you to use the ARCUS unit as much as possible to gather data." Alan clarified to me. "Thors will require you to register a weapon upon enrollment. So, I think it's about time I teach you... a few things about self-defense."
Am I imagining the boss music coming in...?
...
"I'm home, Merlin..." I said wearily as I entered my room.
"Welcome back, Erik! You're home early. I thought you'd be busy training with Alan after meeting that Reinford woman?" Merlin grinned as she sat up from my bed.
I gave her a look but soon sighed. It's my fault for expecting the succubus to stay put. "Dad still has work, but he'll be leaving early to train me. We're heading for Nortia Highway to train."
"It seems like you're constantly over there, huh?"
"I think it's better compared to the other areas for my current level and skill set, but I wouldn't mind training in Spina Byroad and the Sachsen Mountain Path eventually."
Merlin heaved an exasperated sigh, making me raise a brow. "It's always training with you. How about you just increase your Charisma and charm Alisa?"
"Hell no!"
No offense to Alisa or any other women in this world, but being dragged to their craziness bound to happen to them was not on my bucket list!
I want to be strong enough that I can live comfortably without disturbance, but that doesn't mean I'd seek out trouble!
[You are already seeking trouble by enrolling at Thors.]
And why the hell do you keep chiming in whenever I'm having an outburst?!
[Because someone needs to remind you that you placed yourself in the current situation.]
Groaning at the System's remark, I covered my face with my hands. I was upset, yet I knew what they were saying was right. All I could do now was to grit and bear the shit that'll come my way.
"Status Window..."
{STATUS}
Name: Erik Brandt
Level: 19 | EXP: 3384 / 50000
Class: Transmigrator
Weapon Proficiency: Swords- C | Others- F
Attack Rank: Slash- C | Thrust- NONE | Pierce- NONE | Smash- NONE
HP: 2739
EP: 0
CP: 200
MP: 240/650
Mana Circuit: 57 | B-Rank Quality
-o-
STR: 272
DEF: 168
ATS: 90
ADF: 142
SPD: 78
DEX: 47
EVA: 3%
CHR: 16
Just two more rank-ups, and I can use Ragnell. The mere thought was enough to make my weariness dissipate. My hand had already been twitching by simply recalling how it felt wielding the blade. I wanted to see if my swordsmanship was in action using it!
I soon moved on to checking my skills list.
[SKILLS LIST]
- Transcendence Sight
- Transmigrator's Knowledge
- Godlike Reflexes LV. 1
- Supportive
- Silver Tongue
- Gan Jiang's Forgery
- Swordfaire
- Swordsmanship LV. 3
- Elementaria LV. 2
All of the skills that possessed a level except for Godlike Reflexes had increased. I won't lie that I was a little disappointed, but what could I do? The only way to even proc the skill was to be in mortal danger. Based on the skill description, though, I don't know how it could get any better than this...
"Master?"
"Yes, Merlin?" I closed off the notification windows and looked at my Servant, who was fiddling with her orbment.
"These orbments require quartz in order to function in combat, right?"
"Yeah...? Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious how its 'magic' compares to magecraft is all."
"Well..." That was actually a good thing to ponder about.
I haven't actually seen an art being cast before, so I don't have any proper comparison with magecraft. I had subconsciously been comparing it with how arts are cast in the games.
"I don't know if they are selling MQs yet, but they can probably help us synthesize some quartz if I showed them the amount of sepith I have." My lips subconsciously curled into a grin, recalling how much I earned through my 'grinding session.'
"What are MQs again?"
"I'll explain all about it on our way to the RF Store."
"Fiiiine..."
Merlin shifted into spirit form and left my room while I informed Melissa about leaving for the RF Store. I left the apartment complex to see my Servant waiting for me outside before we left together.
"The store's at the ground level, right, Erik?" Merlin queried.
"It should be."
"Hmm, okay. Tell me more about those MQs—"
The Magus of Flowers quickly shut her mouth as her steps ceased. I stopped walking as well.
"What's wrong?"
My question would be answered as Merlin pulled me to the side, avoiding an arrow coming my way as I heard a familiar voice.
"Give that back, you thief!"
"Tch! Why the hell is that Reinford brat armed!?"
A man cladded in black and white, a typical thief getup, passed us before another arrow flew after him. I turned toward the direction of where the arrow came from, spotting Alisa. When she noticed us, the blonde immediately pointed at the escaping figure.
"Please stop that man! He stole my ARCUS!"
That was enough for my muscles to get into action. But just as I prepared to give chase, Merlin spoke through our mental link.
'Be careful when showing off your magecraft, Master. Someone is keeping an eye on you.'
'Really?'
I don't think I did anything to stand out. Was it Sharon? She was supposed to be by Alisa's side. All right, let's not think about it too much right now. After giving a nod, I'd chase after the thief. When he noticed I was after him, he did something crazy.
Inserting two quartzes in Alisa's orbment, two projections of a clock appeared above him before energy seeped through his body. Did he just use Chrono Burst?!
"Catch me if you can, brat!" Grinning maliciously, he cast another art as he jumped off the upper level.
"Huh?!" I heard Alisa exclaim.
Wind gathered from below as a small tornado stopped the man from falling to his demise.
"You have got to be kidding me...!"
If I used the escalator like a normal person, he'd be out of my sight by the time I arrived at the lower floor.
'Oh, screw it!'
Underneath my trousers, cyan lines grew from my lower half as I kicked off the ground, leaping from the upper level as well with screams from Alisa coming from behind. My lips formed a savage grin as I saw the look of fear in the asshole's face. The both of us made contact with the ground at the same time.
Thanks to Reinforcement, I barely felt any recoil in my landing as I charged at the thief.
"Y-You're crazy!" He tried casting an art, but I wouldn't give him a chance.
"You know what?" I raised a fist. "I think so too!"
Fist made contact with cheek. Maybe because my STR was decently high, but my punch sent the guy flying a few feet upward.
"Whoops," was all I could say, surprised by my own strength.
As I got ready to catch the thief, a pair of steel wires wrapped itself around him and the orbment before the guy was pulled down, his face crashing onto the concrete floor as I winced. Ouch.
"Amazing work in apprehending the thief, Master Erik!"
Sharon came out of nowhere, wearing her usual smile. I noticed how her fingers discreetly twitching. Hmm... Was she hiding the fact she was the one who caught him?
Rubbing my neck sheepishly, I could only offer an awkward smile in reply. "I-I didn't really do much..."
"Sharon! Erik!"
"Erik!"
I turned around to see Alisa, Merlin, and even my father coming over. He must have heard the commotion just as he left his workplace. While Alisa and Alan looked worried as hell, Merlin's amused glint in her eyes made me want to punch her gut.
"Are you alright?!" Dad asked in a panic, beginning to check me for any injuries.
"I-I'm fine, Dad. I'm not hurt."
"How are you not hurt?!" Alisa blurted with shocked eyes. "You just jumped off the upper level!"
"What?!"
Damnit, Alisa! I started sweating when Dad shot me a stern glare, checking me for any injuries once more. Once there were no signs of any broken bones, my father pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I can't believe you would do something that reckless! Even if you did somehow learn to do a tuck and roll, you shouldn't have done it! You could have gotten yourself hurt!"
"I-I know, but I couldn't just let the thief get away! Who knows what he would do if I had successfully stolen Miss Irina's daughter's orbment!" I argued, causing Alan to groan.
As he opened his mouth again to scold me, Merlin chimed in. "I'm sorry for butting in, Alan, but don't you think that Erik has had enough of a scolding? I'm aware you know him better than me, so I am certain you understand that he is not the type to do anything that reckless... until now, correct?"
Alisa, now looking guilty at what she had unintentionally caused, also added, "She's right, Mr. Brandt. Erik only acted like that because I told him to stop the thief. He wanted to help me, so he acted accordingly, even if he was reckless. I don't think it's fair to scold him when I'm responsible for what happened. Please, scold me, too."
"That's..." After those words left Merlin and Alisa's lips, they seemed to extinguish his parental anger as he sighed. "I guess that's one thing he takes after me... He can't just stand injustice."
My body froze when his hand landed on my head, ruffling my hair. "You know your mother will learn about this incident sooner or later, so I'll tell her I scolded you enough for both of us. If you'll let me discard my fatherly responsibilities for a second... I'm proud of what you did. I would have done the same, to be honest."
"Ah..."
So much development happened too fast that I barely had time to process what exactly happened, but I don't exactly dislike this kind of conclusion. The familiar mechanical noise entered my mind.
[You have impressed your father and gained his respect! Your Charisma has increased!]
[The Reinford Heiress backed you up! Your Charisma has increased!]
I inwardly smile at the stat increases. Sharon smiled at us as she went over to Alisa's side, presenting her with her ARCUS unit.
"There is no damage to your orbment, my lady. I have removed the quartzes used by the thief as well. It seems had stolen them from another branch."
Alisa exhaled a sigh of relief. "Phew... Thanks, Sharon."
"I didn't do much; I simply took them back. It was Master Erik's efforts that made it possible for me to retrieve it." Sharon regarded me with a knowing smile as I sweatdropped.
The twin-tailed girl nodded her head in understanding, flashing me an apologetic smile. "Thanks for helping me out, Erik. I mean it."
"It's no problem. I just couldn't stand by while he got away with your orbment—" I rubbed my neck sheepishly before noticing something. "Wait a sec, have I told you my name before?"
Unexpectedly, her cheeks flushed red. "S-Sharon told me! It's not like I looked up who you were behind your back!" I sweatdropped at her outburst as she continued. "A-Anyways! Allow me to properly introduce myself: I'm Alisa Reinford. Nice to meet you."
"L-Likewise."
"My, my, flirting with another girl in front of your girlfriend? You're such a bad boy, Erik..."
The familiar voice of my Servant finally decided to join in, sneaking past Alisa as she wrapped her arms around one of mine. A Cheshire cat smirk spread across her face.
"You're going to make me jealous!"
"Wha— We were not flirting!" Alisa exclaimed, flustered.
"Don't try correcting her, Alisa. She just loves to overexaggerate herself and tease people..." I grumbled, pretending I didn't see Merlin pouting at how I ruined her fun. My hand gestured to the succubus. "Alisa, this is Mari. Mari, this is Alisa."
The blonde's brain seemed to slightly malfunction as she stuttered and sighed, "U-Uh, um... Nice to meet you..."
"It's a pleasure~"
"Ehehe, your girlfriend is quite the looker, Master Erik~" Sharon remarked with a giggle laced with mischief. Merlin gladly took the compliment, smirking.
"Why thank you!"
She's more of a psycho, but whatever. Resisting a sigh, I turned to Alan to see him smiling, prompting myself to quick a brow.
"Something wrong, Dad?"
"It's nothing, kiddo. It's just... you look a lot livelier compared to before."
"Tired is more like it..."
"Haha, maybe!" He laughed, grinning as he crossed his arms. "Well, if you're feeling alright, let's start our training!"
After everything that just happened, I almost forgot about that! I told Merlin to follow us in spirit form as she gave me a groan but subtly nodded anyway.
"Well, it looks like you two have made plans. Even if you don't have any broken bones, you should probably let a professional check on you." Alisa told me with a hint of concern in her eyes. She would then smile. "But we'll see you around."
"Yeah. See you around."
Alisa and Sharon left as they went over to the escalator. Merlin flashed me another teasing smirk, morphing instantly into an innocent smile when she looked at Alan.
"I hope you two have fun! I'll talk to you later, Erik~"
"Sorry for keeping him occupied, Mari." Dad apologized, smiling sheepishly.
"No worries! There's always later and tomorrow after all!" She said nonchalantly. "Well, I'll be going now."
She parted from my arm and gave a farewell to both of us. Alan kept his gaze on her until she went up the escalator as well. Knowing she was heading back to the hotel, he bobbed his head and returned his attention to me.
"Shall we?"
Nodding, Dad would lead me to the direction of Nortia Highway, coincidentally. I sensed Merlin's spirit form a few feet away from us. She must be acting with extra caution since Alan was also a spearman. I would have done the same in fear of his senses picking up any extraordinary presence.
As we walked to the highway, I had just noticed a case being held on his back. It resembled a guitar case... However, from its shape alone, a guitar was far from the thing inside it.
"All right. I think is a good enough spot." Dad mused, setting the case down on the ground.
"Dad, is that...?"
"I never talked about what I did before I began working for Reinford, have I?" He chuckled. "But I learned the art of spearmanship when I was a teenager."
Alan pulled out a silver and blue spear from the case; its blade had scratched yet glimmered with experience and ferocity. He would pull out another polearm— a spear colored in black and silver, and toss it to me.
"W-Whoa!" I managed to catch it, instantly feeling its weight. Though thanks to my STR, it felt like I was just holding an iron sword but a little heavier.
"Huh... I thought for sure you'd have a bit of trouble lifting that, but you even managed to catch it." He stated, impressed as he placed his case aside. "Now that I got a better look... Have you been working out, Erik? It's not obvious because of your hoodie, but you look a little toned."
Why am I not surprised he noticed? Actually, no. I'm surprised he took that long to notice. "Do I? I have just been doing some jogging here and there."
"You definitely did more than just jogging, kiddo. But I won't pry." Letting out an amused chuckle, he took off his glasses, then spun his weapon around and pointed at me. "I'm a practitioner of the Schleiden School of spearmanship, kiddo. I'll make sure you're ready before the school year starts. Now, let's see if you have any talent with a spear like your old man!"
-QUEST ADDED-
[Training Starts Now! The Path of the Schleiden School of Spearmanship! Part 1]
Endure Alan Brandt's attacks for five minutes without reaching 75% of your health!
You are unable to use Magecraft during this battle.
Secret Condition: Land an attack before three minutes have passed.
Rewards: 50000 EXP, 5 AP, 3 Saint Quartz, Schleiden Spearmanship Lv. 1 skill
I will admit this chapter was kinda boring, but a necessary one for building relations! Don't worry, we'll be having some action next chapter along with a small time skip and other exciting stuff! Expect canon events to begin before Chapter 10!
