23 Feast
Kiro walked toward Alina's direction. In the brief moment of hesitation, Kiro gathered all of his courage and voice out. "Alina, do you have a moment," Kiro said; since the day he left for his training, Kiro did not manage to properly apologize to Alina.
"What is it?" Alina replied while glancing at Kiro with a complicated look.
"I didn't have the opportunity to say this; since I left the training camp unexpectedly." Kiro played with his words before eventually saying what he wanted to convey. "I—I am sorry!" Kiro expressed his apology as he lowered his head at the shoulder level.
"Ple—Please raise your head, Alina did not actually mind it at all," Alina exclaimed, the only reason why she's been avoiding Kiro was because of her immaturity as a young maiden. But to Kiro's point of view, it was more than that.
He came from a different world, he doesn't know the morals of the person in this world; while, it was true that Kiro received a mass amount of knowledge at that time when he was in the Diante forest. It was all fundamental knowledge. Because he knew humanity's culture evolved through time.
Lifting up his head, Kiro glanced at Alina, who started to panic. "You surely don't mind?" Kiro said as he looked at her eyes, trying to discern the truth from her words.
"It is the truth! Alina did not mind at all, it was all because Alina was being shy for not having a close contact from the opposite gender." She said. Staring straight at Kiro's eyes.
Upon hearing her explanation, Kiro let out a soft laugh. "Haha, here I thought, you were mad at me, because of that event last time." perceiving that he was the only you were overthinking things. Kiro laughed until his belly started to hurt.
Seeing Kiro's cheerful appearance, Alina could not help to release a soft giggle. "Pfft, Alina wouldn't be so muddle-headed, just because I saw-" As she said that, Alina's cheeks flushed in red.
Looking at Alina's adorable reaction, Kiro could not help to tease her. "You would not, what?"
Hearing Kiro's teasing voice, she could not help to yell at him in irritation. "Humph! Alina wouldn't dwell on that, just because Alina saw your naked body!"
"Haha! Yup, I know Alina wouldn't mind seeing my embarrassing self like that." Kiro could only go along with her words; lest all of his effort will go in waste.
But deep inside, Kiro was relieved to hear that Alina did not mind his blunder last time. Kiro read a book before about how conservative a woman of medieval times; that was the reason why Kiro was being neurotic for nothing.
"Humph! Good thing you know! Well, if Kiro genuinely wanted to convey your apology," Alina paused for a moment before she continued. "Alina wanted to know what Kiro did for the last two weeks."
After saying that, Alina looked straight at Kiro; as if she was saying refusal was not an option.
"Okay, if that is what Alina wanted, I would be happy to comply," Kiro replied while glancing at her. "But Alina should tell her experience too within the last two weeks."
Then the two started to discuss the past events of their early weeks of training. Sometimes laughter could be heard outside the cottage. A while later, the two of them kept cursing their trainer.
They kept chatting with each other until they lost the count on time. Little did Kiro know, the more he discussed with Alina, the more the young maiden's curiosity about him roused.
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Inside the training lounge.
Alyva and Missa were busy preparing for the feast.
"Alyva, why did you abruptly call us out?" Missa said while glancing at her in bewilderment.
"Mm, I wanted them to be alone for a while," Alyva replied. "But for the main reason why I did this was to help Alina,"
"To help Alina?" Missa was now more confused after hearing her confession.
"In the past few weeks, you may not notice it, but Alina was distracted from something," Alyva exclaimed. In the past few weeks, it has been bothering her; how to help Alina with her problem, but she doesn't know the root of her trouble. Not until today when she saw Alina's perplexed reaction when facing Kiro.
"What do you mean by that?" Missa asked curiously
"Well, you could say that is a maiden's problem?"
"What! Don't tell me Alina liked Kiro?" Missa exclaimed her astonishment, as she glanced at Alyva to check if she wasn't joking around.
"Truth to be told, I don't know the right answer," Alyva said to her, she too wasn't sure of her deduction; since even she can barely read Alina's behavior.
If Kiro knew what they were gossiping about, he wouldn't know what to say from such a wonderful misunderstanding.
"Oh, what a shame, I thought Alina really liked Kiro," Missa mumbles. "But if she truly did like Kiro, wouldn't it affect our cooperation for the upcoming final exam?"
"That's another reason why I wanted them to be alone and clear whatever difficulty they have to each other," Alyva said while glancing at the entrance of the cottage.
"Anyway, we better speed up preparation, or we won't be able to cook everything before lunchtime," Alyva said as she started to cut the vegetables in cubes.
"Okay~" Missa playfully responded.
After she said that, her sister Mirabell finally came back after assisting Aldin to gather more wood.
"I'm back," Mirabell said, while curiously glancing at the entrance of the lounge.
"Oh, you're back, what are you looking at Mira?" Missa asked her little sister. Following her line of eyesight, she saw that Mira was looking at the entrance.
"Mm? Did you perhaps hear something when Kiro and Alina were discussing outside?" Missa said, while her playful nature took over her. "Come, tell me~ Mira! What did you hear?"
"... I heard that Mr. Kiro is the student of 'that' legendary figure." Mirabell replied at her sister, while she was still doubting her ears. She could not believe the word they said.
"What? Legendary figure?" Missa said in confusion.
"The Invincible A-ranker," Mirabell added.
This time Missa stopped chopping the raw meat that she was preparing. Because of her clumsiness, she almost cut herself. "Wa—what? You did not hear wrongly, right?"
"Mm." Mirabell nodded in approval.
"You gotta be kidding right—that infamous Invincible A-ranker? Furthermore, the disciple of that person!" Missa could not help to yell at her sister in shock.
"Stop screaming, I can hear you loud and clear. I overheard their discussion, I discovered that after Alina mentioned Kiro's Master, and it was the Invincible A-ranker."
"No—no way, how come I haven't heard that the Invincible A-ranker took a disciple?"
This time Alyva, who was watching in the silence, like looking at a comical show, spoke.
"It is the truth, I saw the Invincible A-ranker by my own two eyes, and how he selected Kiro as his disciple," Alyva stated as she glanced at the two.
"Re—really? Do you think that we can meet Sir Kyros?" Missa exclaimed in excitement.
Looking at her yearning expression, Alyva could not help to tease her. "Ahem... Do you know that I've learned some few pointers from 'that' legendary person." Alyva replied in a playful tone.
"... No way, even Alyva managed to learn from Sir Kyros—no! It must be a lie!"
"Hehe, you don't believe me? Fine, I will show you after the feast." Alyva said. "Anyway start chopping the meat or we won't have any food before lunch."
"Humph." Missa snorted light, and she continued chopping the raw meat.
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After their long preparation, Alyva and her group managed to finish their cooking duty in time.
The dishes they prepared for the appetizer were a mixed vegetable seasoned with crushed black pepper. For the main course, Alyva chose a meat stew as for the dessert, they prepared leftover fruit.
In this world, it was already considered a feast, while in Kiro's former world, they are called a well-balanced meal.
Glancing at the food over the table, Kiro gulped his dry saliva. It has been two weeks; since Kiro had a proper meal.
"Okay now everyone is here, let's give a toast for Kiro from successfully finishing his training!" Alyva said as she raised her cup of water.
"Though it was only water because we are not allowed to drink in the training lounge, I'll give you a toast!" Aldin said, hitting his cup to Alyva.
Staring at the group, Kiro felt warm inside. Since coming into this world, they are the first person at the same age he ever interacted with.
"Okay, well I'm bad with alcohol so water is fine too," Kiro said. "First of all, I would like to thank each and everyone here for giving me this delightful feast. I will always carve this memory inside me." Following his word of appreciation, Kiro raised his cup of water as a signal to start the feast.
*Cheers*
They said in unison.
While they are enjoying the feast, a sound of knocking could be heard at the entrance of the training lounge.
