LUNCHTIME for nobles wasn’t just about eating. After lunch, Yuffie enjoyed tea time with them.
“Oh! This is delicious…” she said, taking a sip of the fruity, mellow-smelling black tea. She normally didn’t drink black tea, but this one, made by the personal chef of a high-ranking nobleman, had a complex flavor. “This is the first time I’ve ever had such flavorful tea.”
“I’m glad you like it. The tea leaves are from my very own garden,” Erina replied.
“Wow, you grow your own tea…?” At her home back in the village, her family only had a burdock field.
“Look at you fancy schmancy people drinking fancy schmancy tea,” Jack piped up, sipping the contents of a large wooden cup instead.
“J-Jack, what are you drinking?”
When Yuffie asked, he leaned forward eagerly. “This is muscle soup.”
“M-Muscle soup?”
“It’s my original recipe. I mix steamed chicken into soup seasoned with salt and pepper! Just drink a cup of this and your muscles will be on cloud nine.”
“I…see.”
The topic of muscles befuddled her since they weren’t something she really thought about.
“Eh, I bet it’d be wasted on you anyway.” With a wry smile, he took another sip from the cup.
Yuffie gasped then. She tried to open her mouth to speak, then closed it almost immediately. But a moment later, she made up her mind and pursed her lips determinedly.
“Um, um…”
“Go on. Spit it out.”
“It’s about…earlier… I wanted to…thank you for helping me…”
“Sure. I didn’t do much, so no need to go overboard.”
“Maybe it wasn’t much to you, but it made me happy.” Because people usually ignore me.
Jack scratched his head uncomfortably at her shy smile. “Uhhh, you’re welcome, I guess.”
“My, my, Jack, aren’t we acting so humble in Yuffie’s company now?” Erina grinned slyly at him.
“My personal philosophy is not to defy anyone stronger than me. ’Cause power is greatness!”
“If you say so,” Erina grinned.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Stop looking at me like that,” Jack snapped.
“Fine, fine. You’re no fun. By the way, Yuffie, are you interested in tea?” Erina asked cheerfully.
“T-T-T-Tea?! Um, I, well…” she answered, flustered. Frankly, she wasn’t. She’d never had anything so fancy in her life.
B-But it feels wrong to say no after all this… Then again, I also don’t like lying… She glanced at her friend and found her beaming. Urk! So blinding…! I’d feel so guilty for disappointing her!
Yuffie racked her brain for a bit before she said a few words softly. “…A little bit.”
“Really?!?! Then you should visit me at home!!! I grow all kinds of tea in my garden!”
“A-A-A-A-A-Are you inviting me?!”
I don’t think I can handle such a monumental event!
“You don’t want to come over…?”
Those puppy dog eyes are so unfair!
After a very, very, very long pause, Yuffie uttered, “I’ll go.”
“Yay! I’m so excited!” Erina clasped her hands together. Her smile was so lovely that Yuffie wanted to paint a picture and frame it. “I’m sure my Black Hole Seraphim and Demon Overlord God Phoenix will be happy to see you too.”
“U-Um, I’ve actually been wondering for a while about that. What exactly are they…?”
This was a good time to find out. Judging from the names, she thought the creatures must be something like a lion or a crocodile. In which case…
I’m the perfect prey!
Imagining herself being gobbled up by a crocodile with a row of sharp fangs, Yuffie felt a chill run down her spine. Depending on Erina’s answer, she would have to be strategic about her visit.
“Black Hole Seraphim is a dog, and Demon Overlord God Phoenix is a cat.”
She almost spat out her tea.
“D-Did you just say a dog and a cat…?” she gasped.
“Yes! They’re both small, cuddly, and sooo very cute! Ah… I can’t wait to see them myself…” Erina put her hand on her cheek like she was dreaming of a lover separated from her by a tragic fate.
Yuffie, on the other hand, tilted her head with a number of invisible question marks floating above it.
“I’m sure you’ve already figured it out, but let’s just say Erina’s naming convention is a bit…unconventional,” Lyle offered, reading Yuffie’s mind.
“Oh, pish posh. Black Hole Seraphim and Demon Overlord God Phoenix are super cute names!”
“They sound like evil gods, not dogs and cats,” Lyle said.
Yuffie nodded vigorously. Inside her head, though.
“How rude, Lyle! Jack, you understand, don’t you? The names I choose are awfully cute, right?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
“See, he agrees.”
“I didn’t even say that! Are you deaf, woman?!”
Yuffie smiled a little, watching the three of them bicker.
They’re really close, huh…
Since they were all part of the royalty or aristocracy, she figured they’d probably known each other for a long time. Yuffie was utterly awed by the deep bond they obviously shared.
Should I even be here with them…
Negative thoughts assailed her suddenly.
I mean, they let me into the student council because of my attack magic…
And not because she had any appeal as a person.
Without my magic, I’m just a gloomy, annoying girl…
No matter how good her offensive magic was, she worried that they would be disappointed in her as a person. Darkness clouded her heart. Just the fact that she was here at all made her feel like there was a lump in her throat.
“Yuffie, what’s the matter?” Lyle asked.
“Huh?”
“You were spacing out, so I just wondered…”
“Oh, it’s nothing! I’m fine, thank you!”
“If you’re sure, then.”
Lyle’s concern both warmed and pained her. Guilt consumed her as she wondered whether she should be around such good people.
I know I’m asking for the moon, but…
She wanted to stay with them for as long as possible. Let herself bask in their kindness and care. That was Yuffie’s wish.
💠🌸💠
✦ ✦ ✦
IN a hushed forest not far from the school, the moon cast an eerie light on the trees. Thousands of fallen leaves clung to the wet ground, resembling a deep copper-colored carpet. A section of it disappeared, replaced by a summoning circle drawn on the ground. Animal carcasses, such as bears and deer, were placed around it.
“I summon you from the abyss, one who brings forth ruin from the depths of darkness…”
Standing outside the summoning circle, a man named Gordo raised his hand and chanted.
“Heed me! Manifest, King Cyclops!”
His voice shook the air, and the magic circle radiated an intense light. Soon, the earth rumbled, and a giant shadow appeared.
“I did it…”
Even though he was out of breath from using up so much mana, the corners of Gordo’s mouth turned up in satisfaction at the successful summoning.
A giant figure towered over him—a King Cyclops, a monster with a danger level of A. It was as large as a mountain, and its well-trained body was reminiscent of a rock wall. Thick muscles bulged from its shoulders down to its arms, its strength sure to overwhelm anyone who saw it. The creature held a brutal iron club in each of its four rock-hard hands, and its glowing red eyes emitted a savage bloodlust mingled with resentment.
“Grrroooaaarrrr!!!”
Its roar echoed through the forest. The trees shook, as if they were afraid too, and the animals living there woke up all at once. The monster glared at Gordo, ready to crush him, but there was no sign of fear on the man’s face.
“Ruler of the forest…” He pointed his palm at it and spoke forcefully, “Respect my authority and obey my command!”
His fingers glowed. In contrast, the light in the monster’s eyes gradually faded. When just a moment ago it had been ready to tear him apart, it now stood there as docile as a dog in front of its owner. The area fell silent again, and Gordo smiled with satisfaction.
“Allow me to tell you what this is—a ring of subordination. An excellent item, one that’s particularly effective against monsters of your rank,” Gordo explained, looking at the magic item on his middle finger. Then he glanced back up at the King Cyclops again, and his lips twisted into a sneer. “You may have killed a Flame Cerberus in one blow, but even you are no match for this one, girl…”
The trees began trembling again in unease.