Chapter 193: Summer Vacation (2)
Chapter 193: Summer Vacation (2)
“What is it that keeps a person alive?”
I wasn’t sure if Iris was puffing out her tiny chest or her soft little belly, but she struck a dignified pose and made a grand declaration.
“This is a question where every individual’s answer is different, yet every answer can be correct. However, if I were to speak a truth that no one could dare deny…”
“If you were to speak it?”
“A person lives by consuming food!”
“…That is certainly an undeniable, obvious fact. It’s also incredibly random.”
I had asked Fey to make a generous amount of tanning lotion before heading to the mansion together.
I spent the day giving Iris some well-deserved praise for the hard work she put into gathering reinforcements, and I also bragged a bit about reaching the rank of Intermediate Magician.
After that… well, I doted on Iris to her heart’s content for the first time in a while before falling into a dead sleep.
And that brings us to now.
The menu was quite luxurious, likely thanks to Famila’s family putting in some extra effort. Standing before it, Iris declared once more:
“A person must eat to move!”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I want more eggplant.”
“…Do you want mine?”
She’s like a child. What am I going to do with her?
I moved half of my portion of grilled eggplant over to Iris’s plate.
This wasn't just any ordinary grilled eggplant. It was a high-end version, stuffed with minced meat and glazed with a sweet and sour sauce.
It actually was pretty delicious.
Despite how much she claimed to want it, Iris looked startled when I actually gave it to her.
Watching this, Fey muttered blankly.
“Junior’s e-plant…”
“You mean the eggplant, right? You definitely mean the eggplant, right?!”
It’s a bit much to say that first thing in the morning, especially while we’re eating!
“Hmm? Did you think I was telling a dirty story? I was obviously talking about your d—.”
“Why are you blurring the end of the word this time?! And it shouldn't start with a 'D' anyway!”
“Hehehe…”
Fey began to slowly savor the grilled eggplant, wearing her signature gloomy smile.
As I let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all, Carla, sitting next to me, swallowed hard.
“At this size… it’s smaller than Master’s!”
“That look of contempt is not the kind of face you should make while looking at food?!”
In the midst of the suddenly chaotic atmosphere, only Elisha was calmly staring down at the dining table.
Her blue hair and eyes were reminiscent of a clear sky. Her hair, styled into elegant rolls, boasted a sense of grace amidst the luxury. And yet.
“…….”
Clink. Clink.
Terrifyingly, she had been silently focusing on nothing but cutting the grilled eggplant into bite-sized pieces for a while now.
“Hey… Elisha?”
“…Eh? Ah, yes, what is it?”
Only when I called her name did Elisha stop her meaningless dismantling of the eggplant and look up at me.
“Well, you’ve been spacing out for a bit, so I wondered if something was wrong.”
“Ah… it’s nothing. I just felt like I was about to remember something after hearing Master say that a person must eat to live, but then again, maybe not…”
As she spoke, Elisha unconsciously began to mash the sliced eggplant pieces.
I knew that wasn't what she meant, but thanks to Fey’s earlier comment, I couldn't help but feel incredibly bothered by it.
I couldn't even bring myself to say anything, helplessly watching the eggplant get pulverized—but only for a moment.
Suddenly, as if she had realized something, Elisha’s eyes snapped open and she stood up from her seat.
“Ah…!”
“W-what? What’s wrong all of a sudden, Elisha?”
“You!”
“Yeah?”
“When was the last time Professor Iona sucked your blood?”
“That would be the day before the exam. Even if I am Professor Iona’s official blood-sucking partner, people would talk if a professor and student were hanging around each other during the exam period.”
“So, how many days has it been?”
“About four days? No, today makes it the fifth. …Wait.”
Does that mean Iona hasn't had any blood for five days?
Of course, a vampire of Iona’s caliber could maintain her strength even if she went without blood for a month.
But her sucking my blood wasn't a matter of strength.
I had grown somewhat used to it, and my resistance had increased thanks to the Blessing of All Gods trait, so it wasn't a big deal for me… but Iona was different.
It was as if my blood contained some kind of narcotic; she was so dependent on it that she struggled if she didn't drink it periodically.
“…Am I screwed?”
I should have given her some blood before I left. Could it be that the winks she kept sending me yesterday weren't jokes, but desperate appeals?
“No, but she said she was coming today. It’ll be fine. Yeah.”
“That is, if you can handle the suppressed bloodlust she’s been harboring.”
“…….”
I was quietly opening my inventory to check the amount of recovery potions I had left when—
Thud—!
Famila, who should have been resting after working hard on breakfast, burst into the dining room in a panic.
“Master! Tower Lord… no, Lady Iris! It’s an emergency! Outside, a vampire on the verge of a frenzy is…!”
“Ah.”
I shoveled the rest of my food into my mouth and quietly closed my eyes.
It seemed like I was the next item on the menu.
*
“My, my! Student Yandel, really! To think you’d actually forget about Professor Iona! Or what? Do you enjoy making me crave it this much?”
“I said I was sorry. But you’re satisfied now, right?”
“Yes, yes. This much is plenty. …By the way, who is this?”
Iona, who was perched on my lap, pointed at Iris, who was staring intently at us with puffed-out cheeks.
“This is Iris. You should have seen her once when she brought the reinforcements last time…”
“Iris Sylvan Banatis.”
Iona cut me off, her lips curling into a smirk.
“Well, well. I was unsure back then, but you really are the Sylvan Tower Lord, aren't you? …Or should I say, the former Tower Lord?”
“Grrr. I knew from the Master beforehand, but meeting you like this in person is truly… something. And that is my spot, so get off at once.”
Iris tried to pull Iona off by her arm, but lacking the strength, she ended up just dangling there.
Eventually giving up, Iris crawled up and perched herself on my back. I asked her:
“What? You two know each other?”
“Indeed. We have a veeeery long-standing grudge.”
Iris nodded, pressing her soft, squishy cheek against mine.
I thought this every time, but her skin felt really nice. It was literally like a baby’s skin.
While I was inwardly admiring the texture of Iris’s cheek, Iona spoke up with her usual mischievous smile.
“That’s right, that’s right. We’ve known each other for a veeeery long time. Has it been about 300 years?”
“It is a lamentable thing. If only it weren't for the war…”
“Aha? So you met during the War of the Gods?”
Thinking about it, it made sense. The War of the Gods was a total war that staked the fate of humanity.
Not to mention Iona, who was making a name for herself back then, even Iris would have been more than capable of standing on the battlefield, even if she wasn't as strong as she is now.
At the time, everyone fought regardless of gender, age, or nation—even race—so it was likely they had fought together.
Thinking that way, it made sense why Iris had rushed to cling to me without hesitation right after defeating Ayla.
It also explained why she had calmly agreed when I first said I would subjugate the cultists with Iona.
So they were old acquaintances?
…Though they didn't seem particularly close.
“Hey, hey. Did you know this, Student Yandel? During the war, Iris used to demand tea time while dragging around a dozen servants!”
“Guh… that was during my first deployment! Besides, at the time, I had been raised as royalty and it was my first time leaving the Great Forest!”
The High Elves are currently only respected in a religious sense, but in the distant past, they were actual monarchs.
Therefore, even if they didn't ascend the throne, all High Elves were treated as royalty.
Presumably, such customs still remained when Iris was young.
In the first place, the reason the High Elves handed over the throne to those more capable was to survive the war.
In other words, the Iris of the early war was truly a princess who knew nothing of the world.
To the Iona of that time, who was rampaging in a quest for revenge… well. I could see why she wouldn't have liked her.
As I nodded in understanding, Iris began to flail urgently as she spoke.
“And you, Iona, weren't you just as much of a headache! You’d lose your mind the moment you saw a cultist and violated orders like it was your job… At first, I thought you were a priest from the Church of Light.”
“Hmph! Still better than someone asking for Elven tea in a besieged castle!”
“I am far better than a crazy suicidal maniac who would charge straight out of the castle gates!”
“Anyway, anyway, we won, didn't we?”
“If you’re going to put it that way, I also boosted the allies' morale, didn't I!”
“To think you’d sugarcoat being treated like a child by humans 200 years younger than you. Where is your conscience?”
“I’m cute, so it’s fine!”
“Have you finally lost your mind?!”
“Goo-goo ga-ga!”
Iris and Iona growled at each other with me caught in the middle.
It seemed to be an interesting scene for Carla, Elisha, and Fey as well, as they all watched the argument with sparkling eyes.
The stories from the Great War era that popped up occasionally were quite entertaining too.
As I listened, a chuckle escaped me, and I found myself muttering unconsciously.
“Since you two are this close, I wonder why you didn't say a single word until now.”
At those words, the two fell silent for a moment, looked at each other, and then continued.
“…Master. I shall say it once more: we are not particularly close.”
“Yeah, yeah. If I had to put it in terms Student Yandel would understand, we’re about as close as you are to the other Class A students…”
This time, it was my turn to be silent.
I have at least one friend in class… at least one…!
In the end, unable to refute her, I let out a shout.
“Aaargh! Anyway, you’re both my women now, so get along! That is all!”
“…….”
“…….”
At those words, Iris and Iona looked at each other with peculiar expressions.
“Hmm… the Master is right. We should get along now.”
“Master, huh… I didn't think much of it until now, but isn't this actually a huge deal? You’re saying you bought her when you bought Elisha. I knew Student Yandel wasn't an ordinary person, but where on earth did all that gold come from?”
“Ah, come to think of it, we were supposed to hear the details today. The others already know, so I shall explain quickly.”
“I knew it, I knew it. There really is something going on, isn't there?”
Iris acted all puffed up, showing off that she knew first. Iona looked on with excitement, telling her to hurry up and explain.
At this rate, Iona would be able to adjust in no time. That was a relief.
But how long do I have to stay sandwiched between these two?
It’s not that I hate it, but my legs are starting to fall asleep.