“Hnngh…”
Laladie grumbled to herself in her room, head cradled in her small hands. There was only one thing on her mind.
“Is Lala any closer to Master now?”
Whenever she was feeling lost or confused, it was always about either Master or dispatching her guildmates. This time, it happened to be the former.
She and Master had gotten back from their extended date just the other day, and she thought it went rather well. One of the Demon Army’s leaders died in the process, not to mention half the Hero’s Party, but those were charming highlights as far as Laladie was concerned. However, she got the feeling that she’d been flirting with him less since then… no, it was definitely less. She had to find some way to be alone with him again, and soon. Her excuse needed to be perfect, however, as any regular outing would immediately make the others suspicious of her motives.
“What should Lala do…?”
As she mulled over her options, however, she spotted a book lying in the corner of the room. She’d stolen the book from Krankheit to get back at her for trying to kill her, and Laladie had all but forgotten about it. Krankheit was the only avid reader among them, so it had to be hers. Laladie remembered watching her look everywhere for it, but now that she thought about it, she never did return the stolen book.
She peered down at the cover curiously.
“A horror novel…?” With that, everything seemed to click into place. Her eyes lit up eagerly. “Lala’s got it!”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Yep! A test of courage!”
Laladie had barged into Master’s room with her brilliant idea on her lips. He had parroted the words back to her, but she wasn’t at all upset by his slowness.
“Lala saw it in a book, so she wants to try it. She’s too scared to go alone, though… Can you come with her, Master?”
He pursed his lips as he mulled it over. What was she referring to, exactly?
“Well, according to the book Lala read, you walk someplace dark to see how brave you are. It’s supposed to be fun.”
The book went on to describe that the ghosts or wisps of spectral fire they would see were scary, but Laladie didn’t understand that part. Undead monsters weren’t that tough, and if they saw the mystery fire… well, they’d cross that bridge if they came to it.
It was a stupid custom, frankly, but she could see its applications. It was an excellent excuse to squeal in “fear” and leap into Master’s arms. If she was lucky, she might even convince him to “rest” with her in the shade of a tree, and then the real fun could begin. Just the thought was making her drool.
Finally, Master nodded in agreement.
“Hehehe… Wait, really?! Yay!”
Her eyes gleamed in anticipation.
This is the perfect chance, and Lala won’t let it go to waste!