I left Logan’s hut and came back to the footpath.

  Can’t you just teleport? You might think, but today I’m going on a picnic. There’s meaning in walking.

  But walking alone feels slightly lonesome. Maybe I should bring Logan with me. If I go back now, he might say, “You really can’t be helped,” and tag along with me no matter what he says.

  Come to think of it, I don’t really have many friends of my age. This does make me feel lonely. I want friends to share these events. Maybe I should go down to the village more often now.

  If I knew this would happen, maybe I should have brought Silvio-niisan. He would have accepted if I asked if he would like to read books in a place with good scenery……

  There was no one at the training grounds I passed just a while ago. Maybe today’s training is over.

  Today, I passed the square that was lively again today and headed for the mountains.

  “My, Alfried-sama. Hello.”


  “Hello, nee-san.”


  “Really, I’m not that age anymore.”


  “That’s not true.”


  “Hello, where are you going today?”


  “I’m going to the mountains today.”


  “Be careful.”


  I proceeded while greeting the villagers.

  “Ah, Seven Mysteries onii-chan!”


  “Hey! I told you it’s rude to point.”


  “Ye—s.”


  Eh? What was that? Also, I don’t think it’s just the pointing that should be punished.

  When I looked back, the mother was bowing with a bitter smile.

  Seven Mysteries? Is that something like a high school ghost story? I want to talk a little more about that with the mother-daughter pair. Ah, they’re not here anymore.

  “My, if it isn’t Al. What are you doing today?”


  “Eh? This is Eleanora-sama’s little brother, Alfried-kun?”


  “Eh? Really? The person Eleanora-sama always talks about?”


  Geh! I encountered Eleanora-neesan. In addition to two strangers.

  “My name is Emma. Pleased to meet you.”


  The girl with the short-cut bluish hair who called herself Emma looked at me with her blue eyes.

  She had beautiful arms and legs and she was a very pretty and kind girl. If it’s Emma-oneesama, I’m sure she’ll dote on me.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m the second son of House Slowlet, Alfried. My older sister has been in your care.”


  I greeted Emma-oneesama with a child’s smile. A greeting of this caliber, I did it quite a few times for business in Japan, you know?

  People say that first impressions are decided in ten seconds.

  While saying, “Hello,” and “Nice to meet you!” the brain already renders a decision.

  I have to flatter this kind Emma-oneesama by any bit now. Flipping first impressions is hard.

  “Wa—, amazing. He really is Eleanora-sama’s little brother.”


  “Is this natural for nobles, from the education?”


  “That is not true, Sheila. Al is just being mischievous.”


  Looking displeased, Eleanora-neesan commented coldly.

  What’s wrong? Getting angry. Is today that day?

  “Eh? Is that so—?”


  The other girl, Sheila approached as her long brown hair fluttered. Every time she took a step, her hair moved. In contrast, her heavy breasts shook wildly.

  A-Amazing. I wonder how much of men’s dreams and hopes are in those. It almost feels holy. I almost had to bow down, but I managed to hold on.

  When I panicked and looked at Eleanora-neesan, she looked a bit dejected.

  “Right now, I just felt like hitting Al.”


  “Eh?! How come!”


  “For some reason.”


  She still can see through me very well. I heard that all women are psychic. So it was true.

  “My my my. Hitting your little brother is sad.”


  Whoa, whoa. Emma-oneesama calmed down the bucking horse.

  She really is a nice person. I wish she was my real older sister.

  “So, Alfried-sama, what are you doing today—?”


  As if to change the mood, Sheila asked in a soft tone. The weather’s nice, I feel like I’d fall asleep.

  “Today, I’m going to play in the mountains.”


  “Ah—, the mountains—. The ones near the plains—?”


  “Yes, that’s right.”


  “What are you going to do there? Are you making another weird house? Or are you going to fish in the river?”


  A weird house, how rude! I’m going to get angry if you ridicule my home, you know? Though I never snapped at Eleanora-neesan.

  “I’m having a picnic. Eating food at a place with good scenery.”


  “That’s nice—. Having good at a place with good scenery!”


  For some reason, Sheila-san got excited.

  “That’s true. The weather’s nice today and it’s a rare opportunity, so why don’t we also head up?”


  Emma-oneesama looked excited too.

  “Indeed. There’s nothing in the afternoon, then shall we?”


  Eh? Even Eleanora-neesan?

  “That’s fine, but didn’t you eat at Celia-san’s restaurant?”


  “We trained from morning, so we can eat more. We will get hungry if we move, anyhow.”


  “Again, if you eat that much you’ll get fat like in wint…”


  “Hah?”


  “……”


  “……”


  “……I, suddenly feel like moving a lot—. Ahaha.”


  Dangerous. I almost stepped on a mine. Saying useless things is my bad habit. I have to be careful. Emma-oneesama and Sheila had demonic expressions too.

  “Then about the packed lunches……”


  “Al, you don’t have any now. I’m sorry to Bartholo, but let’s ask him to make enough for four.”


  “How nice. Bartholo-san’s food is delicious after all.”


  “Fuwaa—……”


  Amazing. Because her friends are here, Eleanora-neesan’s speaking really nicely. Normally, she would command, “Make Bartholo prepare it. Or? Al, you make it then.” Won’t the two of them come to my house? If it’s now, Rumba and Silvio-niisan will be included in the set. Sheila-san likes eating, right?

  Then Bartholo is also added!

  “Then, let us go to the mansion.”


  ““Ye—s!””


  Like so, the four of us headed to the mansion.

  By the way, as for Rumba, he took a liking to my room that’s cooled by ice magic, so he’s enjoying it like a summer resort. Well, seeing him, he’s funny so it’s fine.

  Last time, when I told him, “Do a lap around the courtyard in the bunny hop!” as a penalty game since I won a shogi match, he put his hands on his head and jumped cutely. Since he did that with that large body, I ended up bursting into laughter.

  When he returned, he asked, “Why are you laughing? Was it that funny?” so when I told what the really bunny hop was, Rumba went beet red. Looks like he did the same thing in the capital. His teacher the guild master taught him that or something.

  He’s quite the dolt, but he helps with work needing strength in the village or with constructions of new houses, so I hope he stays in this village for a long time.

  ***

  I returned home and asked Bartholo to make some food quickly. While complaining, “You needed more after all,” he made enough for four people, very handsomely. What’s this? Is Bartholo tsun too?

  While feeling a bit disgusted at how the old men around me became tsunderes, I quickly prepared.