A New Encounter (3)

'Huhu, is this boy making my daughter nervous? My Amy of all people.'

Although the Karmis family tends to be open-minded, Amy's personality is particularly bold. The reason she could control mafiosos at an early age was not just because she was a noble.

The siblings looked at Shirone as if they shared the same opinion. They were even jealous thinking that their sister, who wouldn't listen to their words, was concerned about a stranger.

"This is my second brother, Ares. And his job is..."

Amy asked, as if she were curious.

"What do you actually do, brother?"

"Hahaha! I'm an explorer. I dig ruins or travel through uncharted lands to make maps. The Dragon's Nest in the Alfonso Mountain Range and the Crystal Cave at the northern border of the Corona Kingdom are some of my notable works."

"Ah, I see. I know the Alphonse Mountain Range."

Known as the habitat of various dragons, the Alphonse Mountain Range was a place full of danger and enough adventure to appear in literature.

Rian once mentioned wanting to visit the Alphonse Mountain Range while reading a novel called 'The Dragon Knight'.

"That's truly amazing. I've heard it's a very dangerous place."

"Risk is an integral part of romance. I'm content with my work. The payoff is good when I manage to make a map. Although Amy doesn't seem to like it."

"Please at least shave off that beard. You're not unemployed, but you don't think about going out for months when you're stuck at home."

"Don't be too harsh. Anyway, since the expedition was arranged this time, I won't be able to return for another two years. I've been looking forward to seeing my beloved sister's face."

"Humph..."

Amy turned her head as if it was ridiculous. Seeing this, Shirone chuckled. Despite calling him unemployed, in reality, she was worried about her brother who was an explorer.

From the perspective of a family that can't even confirm if someone is alive or dead because it takes more than a year to return from an adventure, they had reasons to worry.

"Still, I think it's cool. I'd like to have an adventure like that someday."

"Once you fall in, you won't be able to get out. Because you can't get tired of things that normal people can't experience in their life. Come visit us anytime after graduation. I'll specially include you in the expedition team."

"Enough with the bluffing! Stop blowing smoke and leave if the introductions are done."

As soon as Amy ordered the guests to leave, the family members started asking questions. It was the most fun part, but they couldn't leave before it started, right?

"So, what do you like about Amy? Surely you haven't crossed the line of adults?"

"Excuse me? No, that's..."

"How did you approach Amy, who's not ordinary? Did you melt her with words? Or did you gallantly kiss her in the dark..."

Amy's eyes turned red...

"Didn't I tell you to leave?"

A whistle was heard, and suddenly, only Amy remained in the room. The door was still rattling from how hastily they fled.

'It's worth knowing what kind of personality he has at home.'

As the bustling room emptied, the contrast of silence increased.

Missing the chance to speak, Shirone looked around the room shyly.

Amy also hid her face pretending to sip tea and got lost in her thoughts. She was so uncomfortable that she was sweating profusely.

'Why did you come here, you bastard?'

"There's no way she can say anything. Even if there was an important matter, it was truly unexpected for Shirone to come to her house.

"What? Speak if you came! I don't think you came here to play because you were bored."

Shirone averted his gaze from the landscape and looked at Amy.

"Ah, actually, I have a favor to ask you. But now that I'm here, I feel it's impolite to visit you without any gift for your family."

"Enough. What's wrong with visiting a friend's house? But what favor are you talking about?"

"You... do you have time to hang out with me? To Galliant Island."

Amy froze while holding her tea cup. She hadn't expected it, not even in her wildest dreams.

Shirone was suggesting hanging out first. That too with a girl. And that too on an island.

"So, you mean you want to go to the island with me?"

"Actually, I have a friend named Rian. My friend suggested it first. But Rian says he'll bring his friend along, so I need a friend to accompany me too. So, it's a group of four."

"Hoo? The friend Rian will bring... is it a woman?"

"I think so. Eh? How did you know?"

Amy swallowed her tea without answering. She was quickly sorting out the situation in her head.

'In a word, this is a couples' trip. That bastard named Rian, he's so sly. Eh? Wait, a couples' trip?

A cold sweat ran down Amy's spine.

'And they'll take me there? Because on land?'

It was puzzling that Shirone, who had been as unmovable as a log during their fake relationship, suddenly suggested a couples' trip. It wasn't like him to ask her to just make up the numbers.

The graduation class required intense study even during the holidays, as it was the final competition of the magic academy.

Knowing this better than anyone, if Shirone had come to her house to ask for this favor, there had to be some special circumstance.

"Why do you want to take me? You have friends in the advanced class, right? You know I'm in the graduation class, don't you? You know how much special training the other graduation students do during the holidays. But why? Why do I have to be the one?"

Amy asked the question, but she was afraid of the answer. Surely it wasn't what she was thinking.

However, there was a possibility it could be. Her hand, holding the tea cup to her lips, began to tremble slightly.

"Amy, no matter how much I think about it, it has to be you."

"Pfffft!"

Amy spat out the tea she was drinking, leaving not a single drop. Shirone, who was hit by the tea spray, had a blank expression as if caught in a shower.

"What the hell are you suddenly talking about! Stupid idiot!"

Amy shouted, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. With her face as red as a beetroot, she left her seat as if fleeing and returned with a towel.

"Clean yourself up quickly with this! You're so dirty."

"...You're the one who spat on my face. Anyway, continuing the conversation, do you remember Miro, the person I told you about before?"

"Eh? Miro? The former president of the Supernatural Psychic Sciences Research Group? You said you met her while the Immortal Function was at its peak."

"Correct. This is a recent hypothesis, but I believe the Immortal Function is related to faster-than-light speed. So, I wanted to learn about it. The Director said it's okay to investigate Kerugo Ruin, so I thought about going there since Rian suggested it."

Only then did Amy regain her composure. If it's Kerugo Ruin, isn't it a famous ruin and tourist attraction on Galliant Island?

"Uh-huh, so are you saying we investigate together?"

"Of course, I don't think it's not dangerous. However, when I heard the director's words, I also thought it wasn't just a simple tourist destination. If you come with me, I think I can be more at ease."

Given Rian's suggestion of a couple's trip, the partner had to be a girl. However, even without that condition, Amy was the strongest person among Shirone's friends, someone he hung out with.

The uniqueness of Red Eyes was also a great strength, but considering Amy's ability to hold her own in the mid-ranks of the graduating class through daily competition with the strong, they could face danger together in any situation.

"Haha, of course! I'm on a different level from those supernatural kids."

Shirone smiled awkwardly and hesitated. Indeed, Amy knew it too well – she wasn't the type to attract friends just because she was strong.

Shirone had saved Amy from falling off a cliff. The special incident that occurred in a brief moment had strengthened the trust between them.

That's why he could ask. He could ask her to accompany him, knowing the dangers, because they had shared a life-threatening experience.

"I see, that's all..."

Amy walked over to the window and lost herself in thought. The trip wouldn't be just for the two of them, so there was no pressure. No, she actually wanted to go for that reason.

She could gain a lot from this trip, but more than that, she thought it would be fun to do something with Shirone.

"Darn it, he's got a good eye. Fine, since I owe him anyway, I'll help him out a bit this time."

Amy turned around slowly. Seeing Shirone eagerly waiting for an answer, she couldn't help but laugh.

Regardless of the purpose of the trip, superficially, it was about spending a night with a girl. Even if she sugar-coated it, if he looked as tense as if he was about to do something, no girl would follow him.

'Nothing has changed between when you were 12 and now.'

When would this kid grow up? Perhaps all his growth energy had been focused on magic.

Amy easily nodded her head.

"Alright, let's go to the island."

***

"Hi! I'm Rian's friend, Elzaine Tess!"

Tess, who visited the Ogent Family, was brave and polite. Standing beside her was Rian with an anxious look.

The reason Rian had been hanging around Shirone's house until now was because he had a strategy to break into his family's house using Tess as a shield.

His parents certainly wouldn't allow their son, who had returned home as the last-place student in the fencing academy, to rest easy.

However, if he brought a friend along, it would be a different story. Especially if that friend was the model student who ranked first in the fencing academy, it was calculated to be an effective shield.

"Ah, I've heard a lot about Tess. Is your father in good health?"

"Yes. Even while stationed in the area, he sharpens his sword without fail every day."

In reality, Tess didn't know how her father was. She didn't have any desire to know either.

But Rian's father, Bischoff, nodded as if he deserved it.

"Indeed, those who have established their family through the sword are different. If I have the chance, I'll visit him."

Tess's father, Elzaine Veron, was a Sword Master nicknamed Flash.

If Ogent's swordsmanship was fierce, Elzaine's swordsmanship was terrifyingly sharp.

Who the best swordsman was depended on the swordsman, but the pride in preserving the authenticity of the sword was undeniable.

"Rian, it's not like you to go out with a good woman."

"I'm not going out with her. She's just a friend."

Tess shot Rian a prickly look. But what could she do? Just as a thirsty man digs a well to travel with Rian, she had no choice but to tolerate it.

"So, do you want to go on vacation to Galliant Island?"

"Yes. I thought I would die from the hardships at the fencing academy. I need time to recover mentally and physically. Oh, Shirone will also come later. We plan to leave directly from here. Is it okay to go?"

"I don't mind you going, but did you really work hard? I didn't think a guy who didn't listen to a private tutor would say that."

"Haha! I knew you'd say that, so I brought this. I finally learned Scheme!"

Rian proudly took out his accomplishment. Tess held up his report card, but he had a certificate for passing the physical strength improvement test.

Though it was a worthless piece of paper once the placebo effect was revealed, Bischoff, who didn't know the whole story, had no choice but to believe it.

"Hmm, you really passed. Congratulations."

Bischoff didn't show his emotions according to his personality. But his voice trembled slightly.

If you're a father, it's natural to notice more of your own child's flaws. Since he had successfully completed Scheme that he had previously failed, he must have clenched his fists in his heart.

"Now, fulfill your promise. The sword that Grandpa said you could take when you got Scheme, I can take it now."

"Of course. Now that you have obtained Scheme, you should learn Ogent's swordsmanship from now on. By the way, where are the report cards? Considering the confidence you have, it seems pretty good."