Sevens (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 117

Chapter 117 – Predicting Ahead
.

I returned to my room and lied down.

A towel was placed on my forehead. It felt pleasantly cool. It was a miscalculation that my face turned red just from sipping alcohol, but I accomplished my objective so there was no problem. I was going to sleep just like this.

Everyone was starting a party right now. My companions were leaving the room in order to eat.

Vera came visiting the room where I was sleeping like that.

I cracked jokes at her.

「What, so in the end you feel like accepting my confession?」

Hearing that Vera looked exasperated. At the same time she also looked amused.

「You’re really positive unlike your usual self. Enough joking, just go to sleep. I’m just coming to say my thanks personally to you. Also, I can’t answer your feeling.」

I slowly rose up. Vera approached me to take the towel that fell from my forehead.

It seemed she was going to cool the towel again for me.

I grabbed the hand that she stretched out and pulled her toward me. In respond Vera grabbed the handgun on her back waist.

「That’s too bad. But, you better be careful in that case.」

「What do you mean.」

I pulled Vera on the bed and got on top of her. She was pinned down beneath me.

Vera showed no agitation at all. She was pressing the muzzle of her golden gun on my stomach.

「This isn’t funny. I don’t want to be made to shoot my benefactor.」

I smiled and moved the gun muzzle to point on my heart.

「If you’re going to aim then aim here. But, you won’t be able to pull the trigger Vera.」

「You coward.」

Vera said that and averted her gaze from my face in vexation.

「Even you are just aiming at my assets right? Then, I’ll provide financial support for your party. With that you have no more need to target me right?」

It seemed that Vera had various worries of her own, but it wasn’t my business.

「Sorry but I’ll receive everything. Of course I want your financial support, but I want you above all else.」

「What are you saying? Using this kind of method──」

「It’s too bad about Roland.」

「Tsu!」

Vera was noticeably shaken when I mentioned Roland’s name.

My fingertip traced the collarbone of Vera who was showing a strong reaction.

「That guy is a good man. He is earnest and a hard worker.」

I didn’t badmouth Roland. But Vera was different.

「──That’s true. But he is dense. He doesn’t realize my feeling but, he chose my little sister.」

「He was desperate to protect you.」

「He did that for Gina. And papa must have threatened him anyway. I wished that he would show a bit more backbone.」

When I noticed Vera had stopped resisting even while I continued tracing her collarbone. She moved away the gun muzzle from me and spread out her arms. She was showing a posture of acceptance.

「Do as you like. I’ll consider this as one of your rewards. But, never show yourself anymore in front of me after this.」

She was thinking of me really cheaply. Did she think that I just want her body? How upsetting──I wanted everything of her!

「Of course I also desire your body but, I also want your heart so I won’t do anything more than this.」

「You drunkard. I can’t wait to see the sight when your tension returns to normal. Saying that you also want my heart, just what in the world are you babbling about?」

The face that Vera averted was red. I laughed.

「Got it. Then let’s have a match.」

「Again? You’re really unable to learn your lesson.」

Vera’s breathing was getting rougher. I watched her while explaining the match.

「The time limit of the match is until this ship return to Beim.」

Vera nodded with her face still averted away from me.

「Alright. What are you going to do I wonder?」

「I won’t do anything.」

「Ha?」

Vera turned her face toward me in surprise when I said that I wouldn’t do anything.

「I won’t do anything. But, if you admit defeat before we arrive at Beim──kiss me as the proof. Be careful. Don’t think of me at all. If you continue to think about me, you will definitely fall in love with me.」

Vera started laughing after hearing my proposal.

「Are you stupid. That’s absolutely impossible. No need to worry, after all it’s impossible for me to fall in love with you.」

I got up and lent a hand to Vera to help her stood up. Vera pressed her hand on her chest and went out of the room.

Vera turned around before she left.

「You’re my life savior so I’ll forgive you for your insolence just now. But, don’t misunderstand it. There will be no next time. ──Still, thank you for today.」

She said that and closed the door.

The Seventh’s teasing voice came from the Jewel hanging on my neck.

『Looks like it’s a failure this time, Mr. Lyle.』

The Seventh’s voice didn’t really sound disappointed must be because we had obtained a lot of things this time, like Tressie’s magic stone and ingredients. I was looking forward to when we exchanged those for money after this.

We shouldn’t be troubled with money for our activity for a while with this.

However──I hadn’t given up on Vera.

I was convinced of my victory inside the room where I was alone.

「Failure? No, this is a success. What’s left is just to wait for Vera to become honest to her own feeling. After all she wouldn’t genuinely accept me even if I won that alcohol drinking challenge. Rather I would be troubled if she reluctantly go out with me just because she lost. I want to obtain Vera’s heart quickly.」

After all I had no much time right now.

The Fourth didn’t believe my words.

『It’s refreshing seeing someone being a poor loser to this degree. But, you have really worked hard this time. It’s amusing like usual, but more than that, how should I say it? I can rate you highly for being far more offensive in your approach.』

The Fifth was also praising me, but I could feel the worry in his voice.

『He is far more proactive than the normal Lyle, but he is also too proactive. It was good that this time it was a situation where there was no way to escape, but in case it’s possible to escape, then the option of retreating has also to be taken into consideration. It’s fortunate that Lyle’s post-Growth state brought positive effect this time.』

The Sixth was laughing. He was the one who was rating me the highest.

『I’m honestly impressed that you have defeated a legendary monster. My praise t you. You’re one amazing guy Lyle!』

The Seventh was concerned by the white whale’s words.

『As for me the white whale’s words just won’t leave my mind. The Walt House of three hundred years ago, do you think that it’s unrelated with us?』

The Third bluntly spoke that there was no meaning in thinking about it.

『We can’t make any judgment right now with our lack of information, so we can only put it on hold. We can investigate it later can’t we? Haha~, more importantly I got panicked for a bit there when our conversation leaked out in the middle. I wonder if the Jewel is getting even more unstable than before?』

I closed my eyes while listening to the conversation of the ancestors.

「Well, let’s investigate a lot of things when we get back. Besides──Vera is going to fall in love with me before we reach Beim.」

The Fourth was exasperated by my words.

『What amazing overconfidence. I can’t help but look forward to tomorrow.』

The Fifth was embarrassed as though it was his own shame.

『If it’s me then I might not be able to endure it and jump into the sea.』

.

──At the morning two days after Tressie was defeated.

Vera was sitting on the captain sea in the bridge. She was sighing for who knew how many times it had been today.

The vice captain spoke to such Vera.

「It will be helpful if boss will get out of his room. Can’t we ask him to use that Arts to speed up the ship?」

Vera’s body reacted with a jerk when Lyle was mentioned.

Her hand moved. She couldn’t help but feel like touching her collarbone.

「I-it seems he is unable to get out. After all his state was really awful that other day. I heard that he was also making a really big commotion yesterday.」

The vice captain looked at Vera while,

「Eh? Is it alright that Ojou-sama isn’t showing up at boss’s place?」

「Ha, haa!? Why do I need to show up there! Besides that guy had taken my first kiss! I don’t even want to see his face!」

The vice captain laughed while folding his arms.

「That’s too bad. However, the incident this time really terrified me to death.」

Vera sighed hearing that while,

「Even I never want to experience something like that again. I don’t feel like we will be able to win if there is next time.」

「We’ll be able to win if boss is with us.」

The vice captain and the sailors were smirking. Vera’s face went red seeing their expression and her body trembled.

「Enough talking, just do your work you idiots!」

Vera said that and sulked──.

.

I blocked my ears while wrapping myself in a blanket inside the room that was assigned to our party.

「Stop! Stop it already! Don’t call me Mr. Lyle!」

There were the sailors outside the room.

「Boss, come out already please.」

「Mr. Lyle, we need your help.」

「The ship is running late. Please at least listen to our request, Mr. Lyle.」

It was great that the sailors’ attitude to me had turned friendly. But they now called me as ‘boss’ or ‘mister’.

I wanted them to stop. After all──.

『Oi oi, what happen with Mr. Lyle from three days ago? You should at least get out and use your Arts for them here.』

『You can even make goddess fall in love with you right? Even Vera might fall in love with you, you know? Let’s go see the result.』

The loud laughter of the Third and the Fourth could be heard. I yelled under my blanket.

「Screw off! I absolutely won’t get outside! Absolutely I tell you!」

Then this time Novem and others who were inside the room talked to me.

「Lyle-sama, please eat. You haven’t eat anything within these several days haven’t you?」

Miranda was also teasing me happily.

「Get out of there already and whisper your love to me. Come on, you promised right? I’ll listen to it without hurry and attentively.」

Aria was utterly amazed by my behavior.

「Don’t keep cowering forever like that. Get out already. Are you planning to continue being like that forever?」

Sophia tried to lure me out with food.

「Lyle-dono, here is some snack. It’s Monica-san’s snack.」

Shannon was straddling me together with May.

「You are really hopeless.」

「Lyle, it’s going to get moldy inside if you won’t come out from there.」

Eva was ignoring me while writing down the incident this time with Clara. But their opinions clashed with each other regarding that.

「Haa? You can just cut that part away, it won’t make the story exciting at all!」

「A useless elf like you who only pursue after the dramatic factors won’t be able to understand, but what is called a record is meaningless if it’s not accurate. Dramatic factors will create confusion for the later generation.」

Those two were the same like usual.

But, the content of their conversation was the problem.

「No one want to know how Sophia rampaged and ended up drenched in blood that she creeped out the people around her!」

The topic of their argument was about Sophia’s achievement.

Clara denied Eva.

「Sophia-san cutting down all the sahagins and making her surrounding creeped out is also an important information. Her being called as Amazoness or boss lady is also something that has to be properly conveyed to the later generation.」

Eva said that it was unneeded, while Clara absolutely wouldn’t concede the necessity of it.

Sophia made a sad voice when she heard that.

「──Before I realized it the sailors and fellow adventurers on this ship are now calling me Nee-san. Should I, be happy about it?」

It seemed that the people around Sophia feared her because she displayed too much strength.

Monica was taking care of my need with full devotion.

「Chicken dickwad is fine like this! You all are noisy so get the hell out! Haa, even so the fever time this time was very wonderful. This Monica felt like she ascended to heaven. Well, I didn’t though!」

I was wrapped in blanket while yelling.

「Just leave me alone until we arrive!」

This time Clara and Eva came talking to me.

「I also understand Lyle-san’s feeling though. Are you bothered by your confession to Vera-san while you were in high tension post-Growth? Or perhaps are you sad because your confession failed? Which is it?」

They were only asking from curiosity, but those words were tearing me apart.

I was shedding tears under the blanket.

Eva was had a disappointed expression seeing my current state.

「Even though Lyle was really cool when challenging Tressie or saving the young lady of an influential merchant. Why are you turning cowardly now? What a slovenly end. I’ll cut this part from the song.」

Like usual Clara strongly objected at Eva who was saying such thing.

「This is why elf is hopeless. Even though there’s no meaning unless the fact is recorded in scrupulous detail! I will record everything of this. After all I remember everything perfectly. I was connected with Connection, so I remember everything like Mr. Lyle’s words or actions, everything!」

I screamed.

「Just forget it please! What’s more what do you mean that you will leave behind the record of this! Are you telling me to get laughed at for my whole life!? Rather it will be better if all the strange parts are cut off won’t it!? It will be just torture if there’s record about this remaining!」

The room was wrapped in chaos. It was amidst that Aria informed us of a visitor’s arrival.

「Lyle, there’s a guest for you. Come on, meet him properly. It’s Roland who you broke your promise with.」

Aria’s sarcasm made me reluctantly showed my face out of the blanket.

「What is it?」

Roland’s expression was conflicted seeing my appearance.

「We have special request for you. I heard that you will be paid handsomely if you help out.」

For now I stood up with the blanket still wrapped around me and followed after Roland because I wanted to escape from this situation.

.

I was brought to the ship’s prow. I lied down on the floor while being wrapped in my blanket.

This was for fulfilling the request that asked me to increase the ship’s speed with Arts.

Increasing the speed of a huge object like a ship consumed my mana relentlessly, so if possible I didn’t want to do it. But, my mana amount had increased after my Growth so I had some leeway with it.

Thanks to that I was used as a substitute of a convenient magic tool like this right now.

「I want to become one with the sea like this, I want to forget anything and everything.」

Roland complained beside me.

「Don’t think of anything stupid. Also, don’t try anything with Vera-ojousama anymore.」

「Eh? Ah, yes.」

Roland’s eyes blinked in astonishment when I easily agreed like that.

「Eh? Ah, no, I see. Surely before this it was only because you were high-tensioned from post-Growth. I-in that case I don’t have anything more to tell you.」

When I thought that the talk was over, Vera came to where the two of us were at. But the parasol that she was holding was different from before.

「So you aren’t trying to jump into the sea anymore now.」

I slowly rolled over. It placed me right under Vera like that. When I looked up, the wind was coincidentally blowing and her skirt softly fluttered.

「It’s black──I think it’s good.」

Roland covered his face with his right hand and said 「You idiot」.

Vera was making a very cold gaze. She crouched and peered at my face.

「I’m relieved that you’re pretty composed.」

「You aren’t angry? I thought I would get kicked at least.」

「I won’t do something like that to my life savior. Roland.」

「Yes!」

Roland whose name was called straightened his back. Then Vera-san showed him her parasol.

「Do you remember this?」

「Eh? A, aa, this is the parasol that I presented to Ojou-sama in the past isn’t it?」

Vera smiled hearing that.

「Correct. Again, thanks for the present. I’ll watch over Lyle, so you go return to your work.」

「B-but.」

「Go back. This is captain’s order.」

「Y-yes!」

Roland ran back inside the ship. I watched his back while asking Vera.

「That’s not the parasol that he gave you as present isn’t it?」

Vera smiled sadly, but she also looked like she had put down something that was weighing her before this.

「That’s just how much I’m worth to Roland. Well, it’s alright.」

Vera said that and sat down beside me.

「Even though I already knew that he doesn’t has any interest to me. I hate myself for dragging it on all this time.」

I was wary that Vera would bring up about what I did after my Growth, but it seemed that she wasn’t here for that.

「All the men who approached me until now only aimed for the fortune of Tres family. I was a bit happy because Roland didn’t care about anything like that. ──Someone like Lyle who said that they wanted everything of me was also the first time you know?」

「I’m sorry. That wasn’t really me. It was me but also wasn’t.」

The me after my Growth was really out there. Vera chuckled in amusement when I apologized.

「I was impressed that you genuinely said that you wanted everything though.」

And then Vera talked about her dream.

「I saw a good dream yesterday night. It was the continuation of that dream.」

It seemed she was talking about that dream where she sunk to the bottom of the sea.

「For the first time I got on land in my dream. I think I spread out my arms, bathed under the sunlight, and yelled something at that time. it felt like I was finally freed after getting imprisoned in the bottom of the sea forever.」

「Why are you telling me this?」

Vera thought for a bit before she stood up.

「Who knows. I just felt like it. Also, my bad for you mister lady killer, but I won’t become your woman. I came here to declare that to you. You should treasure those girls.」

Vera stood up and left with a smile. I was introspecting while watching her left. What the hell was I thinking that I believed I could somehow make her fell in love with me? That was really an excessive self-confidence even if I said so myself.

I heard the Sixth’s voice.

『As expected it’s impossible this time huh.』

「Even I don’t think that I can possibly seduce her.」

『You were really full of confidence right after your Growth though.』

Spare me already.

.

Several days after that.

The large country Cartaffs that was located at the northern part of the continent.

That country had been in conflict with Bahnseim Kingdom for many years. If it had to be described in a few words, it was a snow country. The country would be visited by intense cold during winter, but the people had lived there strongly.

The merchant ship we were on entered the harbor of a port city in that Cartaffs. We were later than scheduled, but for the time being we could feel a peace of mind from being able to arrive safely.

「The air is cool here.」

The temperature wasn’t hot even though it was noon. It was easy to pass time here.

I got off the ship and stared at the harbor. Then Vera approached me.

「The summertime here is pleasant. However, the winter is long and harsh.」

The sailors were working busily around us.

Roland was also helping with the unloading.

Vera walked to my side and made a proposition.

「More importantly, do you want to form an exclusive contract with us when we return to Beim? There won’t be anyone complaining with your ability Lyle. You can also increase the ship’s speed, so we will also prepare special extra reward in addition.」

It was a great proposal, but we also had our own objective.

「It’ll be difficult for us to accept.」

「Oh, why is that?」

When we were connected with Connection, I had somehow grasped Vera’s personality. I could place my trust on her, so I told her about our objective.

「──We’re planning to take a country.」

.

──While Lyle was talking with Vera.

Thelma went out to the port city.

She was taking Gastone with her. Her hands were carrying her luggage.

「Saintess-sama, are you really going to depart here?」

Thelma felt a feeling of guilt welling up inside her from Gastone’s words, but she shook her head.

「Their objective is to set me up as the saintess once more and take the country. I am in their debt, but I have no intention to return to be the saintess again.」

Before Thelma reached the position of saintess, the country called Zayin was an impoverished country that did nothing but war. It had the thinking that if they lacked food then they could just take it from other country. The military──the knight order was seeking for a battlefield in order to earn glory.

It was an unbelievable country that was messed up at the inside and went out of their way to mess up other country.

「Everything that I had worked hard to achieve as the saintess was trampled underfoot by everyone in the end.」

She hated the devastated state of the country and worked together with Gastone to reduce the war. She heightened the national power by investing fund to  the domestic of the country, but all of Thelma’s efforts ended up in vain because of the knight order’s rebellion.

(In the end everything was pointless.)

Gastone’s shoulders dropped in dejection. However she respected Thelma’s decision.

「Then, I won’t say anything more. I shall accompany you saintess-sama──no, Thelma-sama.」

「Thank you Gastone.」

Just as the two were about to walk away, Shannon sharply found Thelma and leaped at her.

「THELMA-SAAAAAN!」

「Shannon-chan!?」

Thelma caught Shannon in surprise. Then Shannon hugged her tightly and wouldn’t let go.

「Where are you going?」

Thelma felt like she was being criticized from Shannon’s innocent question.

「──I’m thinking to part way with everyone here.」

「Don’t do that! If Thelma-san is gone, there won’t be anyone who will spoil me!」

「Eh? E-err, you see, Shannon-chan. We will only be a bother to you all if we stay with you. Besides, the pursuer won’t come until this far.」

「They will come. Onee-sama said that so there’s no doubt about it.」

Shannon said that and she wouldn’t back down.

Thelma was troubled by that. Then Miranda who came following Shannon also showed herself.

「It’s troubling if you two move around by yourself like this.」

Gastone lowered her head apologetically.

「Please forgive us. But, Thelma-sama don’t have the strength to stand up anymore.」

Miranda narrowed her eyes.

「That’s troubling. Besides, the pursuers will definitely come after both of you. Something like a peaceful life without any incident is absolutely out of your reach. Even so are you fine with that?」

Miranda asserted that the enemy would definitely come to kill the two of them. It shook Thelma’s heart.

「Even so, I have enough of conflict already.」

Thelma said that she didn’t want to become a tool of war. Miranda pondered how she should persuade her.

However Shannon smashed apart the serious atmosphere.

「Eh? If you don’t want to fight, you can just push all the problems to Lyle.」

Thelma was flustered by that childish suggestion and replied.

「S-see here Shannon-chan. If I return back to become the saintess, I’ll have to be involved with the politics again. Something like that can’t be just left to somebody else.」

「It’s fine. Lyle will manage the troublesome matters somehow. That guy just want to obtain an army anyway.」

Gastone said 「That’s problematic in its own way」 but, Shannon who didn’t want to lose Thelma who always pampered her continued her persuasion passionately.

「You’re too serious Thelma-san. Lyle said that he wants to make use of you, so you can also just make use of us. You can just throw all the troublesome things to him. It’s alright. That guy is an idiot, so he will do something about it.」

Thelma thought.

「I, I can’t do that I think?」

(I can’t possibly entrust the country’s government to an idiot.)

Everything that she had done for the country’s sake until now would become in vain. When she thought that, she naturally became reluctant to run away.

It was the fact that she wanted to make her country prosperous. She became embarrassed that she got fed up when other denied her effort and she ran away.

She was also unable to bear seeing the knight order was doing as they pleased.

But, the current her couldn’t do anything.

「You see, I wanted to make Zayin prosperous. But, I can’t do that anymore. There won’t be any point even if I return back after this late.」

「You can just do that if that’s what you want. It’s fine. You can still make it in time.」

Thelma shed tears by Shannon’s innocent answer.

「Can I still make it? Can I, still return back? Shannon-chan, do you think that I can still do it?」

This wasn’t something to be asked to a child, but Thelma couldn’t help herself from asking.

「You can. If that guy lend a hand, then he will make ti a success no matter what kind of cowardly method he has to use. That guy, he is a real coward you know!」

Thelma didn’t know whether Shannon was making a praise or insult, but she could feel that Shannon was placing her trust on Lyle.

Thelma became slightly embarrassed that a kid like Shannon was cheering her up. But, at the same time she also felt like she was receiving strength from seeing the innocent Shannon.

「Then──I’ll lend my strength as pitiful as it is. There isn’t much that I can do, but I should still be able to serve as a justification.」

(I have to keep the battle that will occur at Zayin to the minimum and save the people at the very least.)

Thelma was harboring a slight expectation to Lyle and others who had defeated a legendary monster. If they could defeat that kind of monster, then perhaps they would also be able to take back Zayin?

When she thought like that, motivation bubbled up inside her.

(──I’m still, not finished yet.)

Gastone was shedding tears.

「Oo, Thelma-sama! You are finally resolved to stand up again!」

Miranda sighed seeing the two crying in the middle of street.

「Then, let’s get back to the ship already. We’re attracting attention here.」

Thelma noticed that she was attracting attention and felt embarrassed──.