“Huh? Growly?” Narias was surprised to find Growly standing outside the building.
“Hi,” the fury bear boy greeted Narias casually.
“Did something happen?” he thought there was a reason why Growly wasn’t gone to his dorm yet.
“I was waiting for you. We can walk together,” Growly said.
“Oh? Yeah, our dorms are close to each other,” Narias remembered.
“One thing,” the bear boy turned to his friend as soon as they started walking. “We’re not meeting at the diner now. We meet in the evening.”
“What? Why?” this must’ve been the real reason why Growly was waiting for Narias outside.
“The girls suggested. They said they need rest and… tell Ileena and Nicky,” Narias’s friend explained.
“So, that’s why. I see… At this time of the day the classes are still on. I wonder if I could still attend any of my classes today?” Narias held his chin with one hand, thinking out loud.
“No classes for us today,” Growly reminded him what Belinda Salroze said.
“Yeah, I know. Hah…” he tried to pretend to laugh it off.
“You like to study,” the furry bear boy said with a smile, which also looked a little like a menacing grin.
“Ah… haha. Yeah,” this time, Narias laughed for real, feeling uncomfortable about it too. “Say, Growly. I was thinking… Do you think you could teach me about the crafting materials?”
“You want to learn about crafting materials?” Growly tilted his head to the side, not exactly understanding what Narias meant by it.
“Yes. I was amazed by how you were able to recognize the Crystalized Mold inside the Magic Dungeon. Those looked like any other rocks to me. I know they glow once you touch them, but if I don’t know how to discern them, I still won’t find them,” he explained.
“Sure,” the furry beast boy agreed right away. “Say, can you help me study too? I need help… with other subjects at school.”
“Of course. I’ll be happy to help you study, Growly,” Narias agreed to it too.
“Cool,” Growly grinned, showing off his sharp, white teeth.
They went to the campus shop to get something to eat. Obviously, Growly picked up something sweet too. Narias got himself a light snack. They were to go celebrate at Sally’s Magic Diner later, so Narias didn’t want to overeat before going there. The two boys went to their own dorms after that.
{later in the evening}
“Wow, it’s so late already. I have slept longer than I thought I would. My muscles are sore too. No wonder. The dungeon exploration was really demanding,” Narias spoke to himself after he woke up in his bed.
He slept for most of the day. It was no surprise. All of them were very excited after they got out of the Magic Dungeon. The energy was high at that moment, so nobody was aware of how tired everyone was.
“Yaaawn… I wonder if the others are already at the campus diner?” Narias stretched before getting out of his bed. “Guess I better get myself dressed and go there.”
{at Sally’s Magic Diner at the same time}
“Hey, where’s Narias, Growly?” as usual, Flavia was getting impatient.
“Don’t know” Growly put another piece of his favorite dessert into his mouth.
“As impatient as ever, aren’t you?” Ileena commented, before having a drink from her cup.
“You’re the one to talk. You came here before anyone else, didn’t you?” Flavia pointed her finger at Ileena.
“My classes ended early and… you didn’t tell me at what exact time all of you agreed to come here. Besides, I was lucky to reserve a table for us. Look how busy this place is,” the girl in glasses added calmly.
“Well… that’s true, but…” Flavia knew Ileena was right on the last part. The diner was packed for some reason. “Still, you didn’t have to sit and wait here after reserving a table. What time did you get here anyway?”
“I… I don’t remember,” Ileena had another sip from her cup.
“Oh really? Hey, Nicky…” the charming bunny girl had a mischievous grin on her face.
“Yes?” the tiny girl with the cute pigtails turned to Flavia.
“Huh?” that made Ileena catch a flush suddenly.
“Tell me, what time did Ileena come here?” Flavia wanted to know.
“Hmm… let me think,” the girl put a finger to her lips.
“N… Nicky,” Ileena panicked all of a sudden.
“Tee-hee~” Nicky chuckled at Ileena’s reaction.
“I came here right after my classes, ok? You don’t have to act so dramatic about it, Flavia,” the girl with the orange hair strands finally admitted.
“Hey, is this the same bow ribbon you had on last time, Flavia? It looks so pretty on you,” Nicky asked, changing the focus of the conversation.
“But… Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks, Nicky,” that was enough for Flavia to forget what she was about to say.
“Good evening. Apologies for being late,” suddenly, a girl greeted everyone.
“Oh, hi Emilia,” Flavia greeted her back first.
“Hello Emilia.” Nicky greeted her as well.
“Hi,” Growly was as courteous as he was short with words.
“Good evening, Emilia” Ileena said hello in her usual manner.
“Huh? Is Narias not here?” the Ice Princess asked.
“No, not yet. Maybe something happened? I should go check on him,” Flavia was talking to herself more than to anyone else.
“Hey, you shouldn’t…” Ileena placed her cup on the table without having another drink.
“I’m sure Narias is fine. He was probably tired more than anyone else,” Nicky intervened.
“That’s… not what I meant…” Ileena adjusted her glasses with a slight flush on her face.
“I know,” the tiny girl with the cute pigtails sent her friend a wink with an added smile. “Are you hungry, Emilia?”
“Ah, yes. A little,” the girl with the snow-white hair admitted. “But… maybe I should wait for everyone to be here?”
“Sorry, I ordered already,” Growly was half way done with his cake.
“It’s ok, Growly,” Nicky chuckled.
“Speaking of which, where is that girl, Lilna? Wasn’t she supposed to come here as well?” Ileena was curious.
“Oh, her. Lilna said she wouldn’t come. She said she didn’t want to bother us or something. The way she said it sounded kinda weird,” Flavia shrugged after she answered the question.
“Really?” Nicky tilted her head to the side, with a curious expression on her face.
“I think… I think she feels uncomfortable about what happened inside the Magic Dungeon,” Emilia expressed her thoughts.
“What happened?” Ileena wanted to know.
“Well…” Emilia brushed her snow-white hair to the side. She then went on to tell Ileena and Nicky what happened during the boss monster’s fight.
“I see… So, Lilna probably thinks she’s not welcome, because she left you fight the Fanged Whitemane Wolf by yourselves?” Ileena commented after she heard the story.
“Maybe, but… I never thought about her that way. The dungeon… can be really scary,” Emilia pulled her eyes away, probably remembering something.
“It can’t be helped. Some people are that way,” Ileena wasn’t bothered by it.
“You’re really cold, Ileena. Lilna was doing great during the whole run while we were inside the Magic Dungeon,” Flavia threw an upset frown at her.
“I’m sure she was and I am not trying to put her down with what I have said. All I am saying, there’s no point worrying about it. It was her choice not to come,” the girl with the orange hair strands explained her reasoning.
“I suppose,” Flavia rubbed her cheek with one finger.
A waitress showed up soon after, asking if the students wanted to order anything. Not wanting to be rude, Emilia ordered a drink, saying she still needs to think about what kind of food she’d like to order. Flavia was clearly hungry, but followed Emilia’s example and held off ordering any food just yet as well.
A friendly chat followed, mostly about Ileena and Nicky telling what was happening at the school while the others were gone. Not much did, other than the classes being cut shorter due to some teachers going out with the first-year students into the Magic Dungeon.
“H… hi, I mean, good evening. Apologies for being so late,” finally, Narias showed up at the diner, looking slightly fatigued. He was probably rushing to get to the diner after he realized how late he crawled out of his bed.
“Hey, finally. What took you so long, partner?” Flavia was as happy to see him as she was upset for Narias being late.
“S… sorry. I slept for longer than I thought I would,” he rubbed the back of his head with one hand, adding an awkward smile on his face.
“Hello Narias, nice to see you,” Nicky smiled at him.
“Hi,” Growly greeted him the way he usually does.
“It’s ok. You… must’ve been very tired,” Emilia looked at him, but then quickly averted her eyes away with a light flush.
“Narias…” Ileena stood up.
“Oh, hi Ileena. How hav-“ Narias was about to ask how she was doing, but then was interrupted by Ileena hugging him tightly. “I… Ileena?”
Narias felt happy to be hugged by his girlfriend, but it also made him feel a little uncomfortable about it. One reason was, Ileena was hugging him for a short while and wouldn’t let go.
Ah… she’s… well… Actually… I missed her too. Narias finally let go of his embarrassment and embraced his girlfriend’s hug with his own.
“Welcome back, Narias,” she said quietly, still not letting go of him.
“I’m back, Ileena,” he told her in return, which made Ileena procure a smile.
“Hmph…” Flavia had a charming frown on her face, but didn’t say anything.
“Now that everyone is here, we can order the food,” Nicky clapped her hands.
“Huh? What? You haven’t eaten anything yet?” Narias was surprised to hear Nicky say that.
“I ate… a little,” Growly’s plate was already empty.
“Haha,” that made Nicky laugh.
“We were… waiting for you, Narias,” Emilia was gripping her glass with a half empty drink in it.
“Yeah, finally. Come, let’s eat. Excuse me,” Flavia called for a waitress to come.
The students ordered their food, which arrived in a short while after. They dug in right away, chatting and sharing their adventures inside the Magic Dungeon in more detail.
“I see. So, it was Flavia who tracked down the Crystal Snatcher Bug. Impressive,” Ileena complimented the bunny girl.
“Heh,” which made Flavia grin wide about it. “But Growly was more amazing than anyone. He found this one treasure chest that was hidden in this one room. He also found this Crystalized Mold, which looks just like any ordinary rock, but glows a different light once you touch it. I couldn’t tell a difference, but Growly could distinguish between the two easily.”
“Crystalized Mold. That’s one of the basic materials that crafters use to make magic items. Depending on its rarity, it can be quite valuable as well,” Ileena shared her knowledge about it.
“Right, Growly found one that is dark-red in color. We found it in the cave-den dug by the Fanged Wolves. That’s where I found the Twin-Sided Bone Needle as well,” Flavia told about it excitedly.
“Wow, a dark-red rarity. So impressive, Growly,” Nicky complimented the furry bear boy.
“It’s… nothing…” that made him feel uncomfortable.
More talks about the Magic Dungeon exploration followed, with the students also finishing their food in the meantime.
“Excuse me, do you know where I could get some Orchivids?” Narias asked after a short, silent moment.
“Orchivids?” Ileena gave him a puzzling look.
“Why do you need Orchivids, Narias?” Nicky wanted to know.
“I want to give them to Miss Salroze, of course. She said Orchivids are her favo…rite… flowers… Huh?” as Narias was telling why he needed Orchivids, the atmosphere around the table started to become really tense for some reason. “Did… I say… something wrong?”
Everyone around the table was staring at him so intently, it sent shivers down his spine. Except Growly maybe. But the girls, especially Ileena, Flavia and Emilia, had their eyes fixated on Narias, cheeks burning red.
Eh? What’s going on? Why are they looking at me like that? He couldn’t understand what was going on.
“Wow, who could’ve thought?” Nicky chuckled to herself.
“Ahem…” Ileena tried to compose herself. “Why didn’t you tell me about it, Flavia?”
“Hey, don’t blame me. I only found out about it now. Just like you,” the bunny girl frowned at Ileena.
“Are you saying you haven’t noticed anything while you were inside the Magic Dungeon?” the girl with the orange hair strands adjusted her glasses before throwing a piercing stare at Flavia.
“No, of course… Oh, wait… Well…” Flavia remembered something suddenly.
Eh? What’s going on here? Narias couldn’t understand what the girls were talking about.
“Well?” Ileena waited for the answer.
“Well… actually… Narias gave his blanket to Miss Salroze when we laid down to rest,” Flavia told her.
“You gave your blanket to Miss Salroze?” Ileena turned to Narias after hearing it.
“Well, Miss Salroze didn’t have any, and it was chilly in there,” Narias didn’t think it was such a big deal.
“And what about you, Narias? Weren’t you cold yourself?” The girl in glasses wanted to know.
“No, I shared a blanket together with Emilia,” he answered without thinking, but then realized his answer could’ve been open for interpretations.
“You slept together under one blanket?” This time, Ileena’s eyes pierced the Ice Princess.
“I… I was scared to fall asleep inside the dungeon and… Narias made me feel safe to do so…” Emilia was looking away when she was telling about it.
“I agree it can be scary… inside the Magic Dungeon that is,” Ileena had to admit that. But then she quickly turned to Flavia, who was trying to do anything but look back at the girl in glasses herself. “But what about Lilna or Flavia? You could’ve slept together with… Huh? Flavia?”
“Well… I was scared too, so…” the girl with the bunny ears was poking her index fingers at each other, with an innocent expression on her face.
“What? Both of you…” Ileena was smart enough to understand why Flavia acted the way she did. “Well, I can understand Flavia and Emilia to… but Miss Salroze? I… I didn’t know you liked… Miss Salroze too, Narias.”
“Huh? What?” Narias was totally taken aback by Ileena’s comment.
“Yeah, you could’ve told us about it, Narias,” Flavia addressed him by his name this time.
“Well… Miss Salroze is… a mature woman…” Emilia just added more coals to the fire.
Huuuh? What are they talking about? He couldn’t understand why the girls would say all these things.
“You’re quite a womanizer, aren’t you, Narias?” Nicky wasn’t able to hold in her chuckle any longer.
Growly on the other hand, didn’t say anything. He either wanted to stay out of it, or didn’t understand what was going on.
“Hey, hey, hey. I think you got it all wrong. I was… I was simply thinking about buying some flowers for Miss Salroze as a… as a thank you gift…” Narias tried to explain himself. But he was met with a puzzled, blank stares instead.
“A thank you gift?” Ileena looked at him confused.
“Yes… For… for guiding us through the Magic Dungeon. She was helping us and… watching over us the whole time. It’s… it’s a common curtesy to thank your teacher, isn’t it?” Narias was trying to pick the right words to explain his reasoning.
“That’s… the first time I heard something like that,” Ileena told him, after adjusting her glasses.
“Wha…” Narias was surprised to hear such a comment. “Don’t you… like… give gifts to your teachers to thank them for teaching and… helping you?”
“Why would you give gifts to the teacher for teaching us? It’s their job,” Flavia couldn’t understand either.
A moment of silence befell the table.
What? Really? But that’s just common sense… Wait, it can’t be… Suddenly, Narias realized he messed up again. What was common practice in his world, where he lived as Anthony, wasn’t the same thing here. Now that he thought about it, he never even once heard anyone talk about it. Not to mention seeing anyone give any gifts to the teachers. Wait, wait, wait. They don’t do that in here? They don’t give thank you gifts to their teachers? But then… Wait, hold on. Did they just think I wanted to give flowers to Miss Salroze because I… WHAAAT?!
“Ah… haha,” Narias laughed awkwardly. “Listen, ahm… the thing is…”
Narias had to pick the right words again to explain to everyone his intentions without anyone perceiving it the wrong way.
“That… makes sense. I think I understand now,” Ileena told him after he explained it in more detail.
“Wow, I never thought about it,” Flavia put a finger to her lips to think about it.
“That indeed would be a very courteous thing to do,” Emilia agreed after hearing Narias’s explanation.
“Receiving gifts is nice,” Growly commented, probably remembering the last time he received something.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Nicky clapped her hands excitedly.
“Nicky?” Ileena looked at her, but then flushed lightly. “But Narias giving flowers to Miss Salroze…”
“What else could he give then?” the tiny girl asked, adding a charming smile at the end of her question.
“Does she like honey cake?” Growly wondered, which made Nicky laugh again.
“A bow ribbon?” Flavia touched her hair.
“What about some other hair accessory? Oh… Miss Salroze has such short hair,” Emilia suggested, but then realized it might not be such a good idea.
“How about a book? But she’s a teacher…” Ileena was trying to think of something as well.
It was clear the students were having a hard time coming up with a gift for a teacher.
“I think you are overthinking it. It doesn’t have to be something extraordinary or expensive,” Narias finally stepped in.
“What do you mean, Narias?” Ileena asked.
“Back at my previous sch… aah… haha. Back at my home, my mom taught me that a small gift is more than enough to express your gratitude. She said flowers work best on any occasion. You can also add a Thank You card. Something small, like sweets, are great addition as well,” he explained.
“Honey cake,” Growly felt happy to hear sweets was a good ‘thank you’ gift.
“Hey, that actually sounds cool. I know where to get a card. There’s this shop in El’Roonst where I always buy souvenirs for my family. They have cards for different occasions as well,” Flavia was in favor of it.
“I… I know where they sell Orchivids. I sometimes buy… other flowers there,” Emilia said with a mild flush.
“Now that you told us about it, I think Miss Salroze mentioned she grows some flowers at her garden. Maybe we could get a book about the flowers for her as well?” Ileena was still thinking about getting a book.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Ileena,” Narias agreed with her, making Ileena feel at ease regarding her suggestion.
“I will buy honey cake,” Growly added, after licking his lips. He most probably was thinking of buying some honey cake for himself too.
“Wow, amazing,” Nicky was happy to see everyone to be so excited about it.
“Hey, how about we go to El’Roonst to buy everything tomorrow?” Flavia suggested with an added smile on her face.
“I guess… we could. We have classes only until the lunch break due to the Magic Dungeon exploration happening,” Ileena agreed.
“We don’t have any classes for the rest of the week ourselves, though. Ghee~” the charming bunny girl grinned excitedly.
“That’s right. You’re excused from attending any classes to have enough rest after your own dungeon exploration. By the way, you’re coming with us too, aren’t you Nicky?” the girl in glasses asked her friend.
“Me? Oh, sure,” Nicky probably thought she won’t be going, but then agreed to come.
“Maybe we could visit Growly’s parents while we’re there too? We have all these Magic Crystals and other valuables that we found inside the Magic Dungeon,” Narias suggested.
“Yeah. I will take Crystalized Mold to my dad,” Growly said.
“Sure. I have this Water Stone with me. And we have that awesome-looking fur too. Let’s ask Growly’s dad what he can make out of it,” Flavia added excitedly.
“My dad is a blacksmith. You need a leatherworker, or a tailor,” the chubby bear boy told Flavia.
“Then maybe your dad knows someone?” Growly’s answer didn’t faze Flavia one bit.
“He does,” was Growly’s short answer.
“Excellent. So, how about we meet at the campus gates sometime after the classes tomorrow?” Ileena suggested.
“Yes,” Flavia’s answer sounded more like a cheer.
Phew… That worked out… somehow. Narias was happy the misunderstand was cleared, and that everyone was in favor to get something for Miss Salroze as a Thank You gift.
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“Huh? Growly?” Narias was surprised to find Growly standing outside the building.
“Hi,” the fury bear boy greeted Narias casually.
“Did something happen?” he thought there was a reason why Growly wasn’t gone to his dorm yet.
“I was waiting for you. We can walk together,” Growly said.
“Oh? Yeah, our dorms are close to each other,” Narias remembered.
“One thing,” the bear boy turned to his friend as soon as they started walking. “We’re not meeting at the diner now. We meet in the evening.”
“What? Why?” this must’ve been the real reason why Growly was waiting for Narias outside.
“The girls suggested. They said they need rest and… tell Ileena and Nicky,” Narias’s friend explained.
“So, that’s why. I see… At this time of the day the classes are still on. I wonder if I could still attend any of my classes today?” Narias held his chin with one hand, thinking out loud.
“No classes for us today,” Growly reminded him what Belinda Salroze said.
“Yeah, I know. Hah…” he tried to pretend to laugh it off.
“You like to study,” the furry bear boy said with a smile, which also looked a little like a menacing grin.
“Ah… haha. Yeah,” this time, Narias laughed for real, feeling uncomfortable about it too. “Say, Growly. I was thinking… Do you think you could teach me about the crafting materials?”
“You want to learn about crafting materials?” Growly tilted his head to the side, not exactly understanding what Narias meant by it.
“Yes. I was amazed by how you were able to recognize the Crystalized Mold inside the Magic Dungeon. Those looked like any other rocks to me. I know they glow once you touch them, but if I don’t know how to discern them, I still won’t find them,” he explained.
“Sure,” the furry beast boy agreed right away. “Say, can you help me study too? I need help… with other subjects at school.”
“Of course. I’ll be happy to help you study, Growly,” Narias agreed to it too.
“Cool,” Growly grinned, showing off his sharp, white teeth.
They went to the campus shop to get something to eat. Obviously, Growly picked up something sweet too. Narias got himself a light snack. They were to go celebrate at Sally’s Magic Diner later, so Narias didn’t want to overeat before going there. The two boys went to their own dorms after that.
{later in the evening}
“Wow, it’s so late already. I have slept longer than I thought I would. My muscles are sore too. No wonder. The dungeon exploration was really demanding,” Narias spoke to himself after he woke up in his bed.
He slept for most of the day. It was no surprise. All of them were very excited after they got out of the Magic Dungeon. The energy was high at that moment, so nobody was aware of how tired everyone was.
“Yaaawn… I wonder if the others are already at the campus diner?” Narias stretched before getting out of his bed. “Guess I better get myself dressed and go there.”
{at Sally’s Magic Diner at the same time}
“Hey, where’s Narias, Growly?” as usual, Flavia was getting impatient.
“Don’t know” Growly put another piece of his favorite dessert into his mouth.
“As impatient as ever, aren’t you?” Ileena commented, before having a drink from her cup.
“You’re the one to talk. You came here before anyone else, didn’t you?” Flavia pointed her finger at Ileena.
“My classes ended early and… you didn’t tell me at what exact time all of you agreed to come here. Besides, I was lucky to reserve a table for us. Look how busy this place is,” the girl in glasses added calmly.
“Well… that’s true, but…” Flavia knew Ileena was right on the last part. The diner was packed for some reason. “Still, you didn’t have to sit and wait here after reserving a table. What time did you get here anyway?”
“I… I don’t remember,” Ileena had another sip from her cup.
“Oh really? Hey, Nicky…” the charming bunny girl had a mischievous grin on her face.
“Yes?” the tiny girl with the cute pigtails turned to Flavia.
“Huh?” that made Ileena catch a flush suddenly.
“Tell me, what time did Ileena come here?” Flavia wanted to know.
“Hmm… let me think,” the girl put a finger to her lips.
“N… Nicky,” Ileena panicked all of a sudden.
“Tee-hee~” Nicky chuckled at Ileena’s reaction.
“I came here right after my classes, ok? You don’t have to act so dramatic about it, Flavia,” the girl with the orange hair strands finally admitted.
“Hey, is this the same bow ribbon you had on last time, Flavia? It looks so pretty on you,” Nicky asked, changing the focus of the conversation.
“But… Huh? Oh, yeah. Thanks, Nicky,” that was enough for Flavia to forget what she was about to say.
“Good evening. Apologies for being late,” suddenly, a girl greeted everyone.
“Oh, hi Emilia,” Flavia greeted her back first.
“Hello Emilia.” Nicky greeted her as well.
“Hi,” Growly was as courteous as he was short with words.
“Good evening, Emilia” Ileena said hello in her usual manner.
“Huh? Is Narias not here?” the Ice Princess asked.
“No, not yet. Maybe something happened? I should go check on him,” Flavia was talking to herself more than to anyone else.
“Hey, you shouldn’t…” Ileena placed her cup on the table without having another drink.
“I’m sure Narias is fine. He was probably tired more than anyone else,” Nicky intervened.
“That’s… not what I meant…” Ileena adjusted her glasses with a slight flush on her face.
“I know,” the tiny girl with the cute pigtails sent her friend a wink with an added smile. “Are you hungry, Emilia?”
“Ah, yes. A little,” the girl with the snow-white hair admitted. “But… maybe I should wait for everyone to be here?”
“Sorry, I ordered already,” Growly was half way done with his cake.
“It’s ok, Growly,” Nicky chuckled.
“Speaking of which, where is that girl, Lilna? Wasn’t she supposed to come here as well?” Ileena was curious.
“Oh, her. Lilna said she wouldn’t come. She said she didn’t want to bother us or something. The way she said it sounded kinda weird,” Flavia shrugged after she answered the question.
“Really?” Nicky tilted her head to the side, with a curious expression on her face.
“I think… I think she feels uncomfortable about what happened inside the Magic Dungeon,” Emilia expressed her thoughts.
“What happened?” Ileena wanted to know.
“Well…” Emilia brushed her snow-white hair to the side. She then went on to tell Ileena and Nicky what happened during the boss monster’s fight.
“I see… So, Lilna probably thinks she’s not welcome, because she left you fight the Fanged Whitemane Wolf by yourselves?” Ileena commented after she heard the story.
“Maybe, but… I never thought about her that way. The dungeon… can be really scary,” Emilia pulled her eyes away, probably remembering something.
“It can’t be helped. Some people are that way,” Ileena wasn’t bothered by it.
“You’re really cold, Ileena. Lilna was doing great during the whole run while we were inside the Magic Dungeon,” Flavia threw an upset frown at her.
“I’m sure she was and I am not trying to put her down with what I have said. All I am saying, there’s no point worrying about it. It was her choice not to come,” the girl with the orange hair strands explained her reasoning.
“I suppose,” Flavia rubbed her cheek with one finger.
A waitress showed up soon after, asking if the students wanted to order anything. Not wanting to be rude, Emilia ordered a drink, saying she still needs to think about what kind of food she’d like to order. Flavia was clearly hungry, but followed Emilia’s example and held off ordering any food just yet as well.
A friendly chat followed, mostly about Ileena and Nicky telling what was happening at the school while the others were gone. Not much did, other than the classes being cut shorter due to some teachers going out with the first-year students into the Magic Dungeon.
“H… hi, I mean, good evening. Apologies for being so late,” finally, Narias showed up at the diner, looking slightly fatigued. He was probably rushing to get to the diner after he realized how late he crawled out of his bed.
“Hey, finally. What took you so long, partner?” Flavia was as happy to see him as she was upset for Narias being late.
“S… sorry. I slept for longer than I thought I would,” he rubbed the back of his head with one hand, adding an awkward smile on his face.
“Hello Narias, nice to see you,” Nicky smiled at him.
“Hi,” Growly greeted him the way he usually does.
“It’s ok. You… must’ve been very tired,” Emilia looked at him, but then quickly averted her eyes away with a light flush.
“Narias…” Ileena stood up.
“Oh, hi Ileena. How hav-“ Narias was about to ask how she was doing, but then was interrupted by Ileena hugging him tightly. “I… Ileena?”
Narias felt happy to be hugged by his girlfriend, but it also made him feel a little uncomfortable about it. One reason was, Ileena was hugging him for a short while and wouldn’t let go.
Ah… she’s… well… Actually… I missed her too. Narias finally let go of his embarrassment and embraced his girlfriend’s hug with his own.
“Welcome back, Narias,” she said quietly, still not letting go of him.
“I’m back, Ileena,” he told her in return, which made Ileena procure a smile.
“Hmph…” Flavia had a charming frown on her face, but didn’t say anything.
“Now that everyone is here, we can order the food,” Nicky clapped her hands.
“Huh? What? You haven’t eaten anything yet?” Narias was surprised to hear Nicky say that.
“I ate… a little,” Growly’s plate was already empty.
“Haha,” that made Nicky laugh.
“We were… waiting for you, Narias,” Emilia was gripping her glass with a half empty drink in it.
“Yeah, finally. Come, let’s eat. Excuse me,” Flavia called for a waitress to come.
The students ordered their food, which arrived in a short while after. They dug in right away, chatting and sharing their adventures inside the Magic Dungeon in more detail.
“I see. So, it was Flavia who tracked down the Crystal Snatcher Bug. Impressive,” Ileena complimented the bunny girl.
“Heh,” which made Flavia grin wide about it. “But Growly was more amazing than anyone. He found this one treasure chest that was hidden in this one room. He also found this Crystalized Mold, which looks just like any ordinary rock, but glows a different light once you touch it. I couldn’t tell a difference, but Growly could distinguish between the two easily.”
“Crystalized Mold. That’s one of the basic materials that crafters use to make magic items. Depending on its rarity, it can be quite valuable as well,” Ileena shared her knowledge about it.
“Right, Growly found one that is dark-red in color. We found it in the cave-den dug by the Fanged Wolves. That’s where I found the Twin-Sided Bone Needle as well,” Flavia told about it excitedly.
“Wow, a dark-red rarity. So impressive, Growly,” Nicky complimented the furry bear boy.
“It’s… nothing…” that made him feel uncomfortable.
More talks about the Magic Dungeon exploration followed, with the students also finishing their food in the meantime.
“Excuse me, do you know where I could get some Orchivids?” Narias asked after a short, silent moment.
“Orchivids?” Ileena gave him a puzzling look.
“Why do you need Orchivids, Narias?” Nicky wanted to know.
“I want to give them to Miss Salroze, of course. She said Orchivids are her favo…rite… flowers… Huh?” as Narias was telling why he needed Orchivids, the atmosphere around the table started to become really tense for some reason. “Did… I say… something wrong?”
Everyone around the table was staring at him so intently, it sent shivers down his spine. Except Growly maybe. But the girls, especially Ileena, Flavia and Emilia, had their eyes fixated on Narias, cheeks burning red.
Eh? What’s going on? Why are they looking at me like that? He couldn’t understand what was going on.
“Wow, who could’ve thought?” Nicky chuckled to herself.
“Ahem…” Ileena tried to compose herself. “Why didn’t you tell me about it, Flavia?”
“Hey, don’t blame me. I only found out about it now. Just like you,” the bunny girl frowned at Ileena.
“Are you saying you haven’t noticed anything while you were inside the Magic Dungeon?” the girl with the orange hair strands adjusted her glasses before throwing a piercing stare at Flavia.
“No, of course… Oh, wait… Well…” Flavia remembered something suddenly.
Eh? What’s going on here? Narias couldn’t understand what the girls were talking about.
“Well?” Ileena waited for the answer.
“Well… actually… Narias gave his blanket to Miss Salroze when we laid down to rest,” Flavia told her.
“You gave your blanket to Miss Salroze?” Ileena turned to Narias after hearing it.
“Well, Miss Salroze didn’t have any, and it was chilly in there,” Narias didn’t think it was such a big deal.
“And what about you, Narias? Weren’t you cold yourself?” The girl in glasses wanted to know.
“No, I shared a blanket together with Emilia,” he answered without thinking, but then realized his answer could’ve been open for interpretations.
“You slept together under one blanket?” This time, Ileena’s eyes pierced the Ice Princess.
“I… I was scared to fall asleep inside the dungeon and… Narias made me feel safe to do so…” Emilia was looking away when she was telling about it.
“I agree it can be scary… inside the Magic Dungeon that is,” Ileena had to admit that. But then she quickly turned to Flavia, who was trying to do anything but look back at the girl in glasses herself. “But what about Lilna or Flavia? You could’ve slept together with… Huh? Flavia?”
“Well… I was scared too, so…” the girl with the bunny ears was poking her index fingers at each other, with an innocent expression on her face.
“What? Both of you…” Ileena was smart enough to understand why Flavia acted the way she did. “Well, I can understand Flavia and Emilia to… but Miss Salroze? I… I didn’t know you liked… Miss Salroze too, Narias.”
“Huh? What?” Narias was totally taken aback by Ileena’s comment.
“Yeah, you could’ve told us about it, Narias,” Flavia addressed him by his name this time.
“Well… Miss Salroze is… a mature woman…” Emilia just added more coals to the fire.
Huuuh? What are they talking about? He couldn’t understand why the girls would say all these things.
“You’re quite a womanizer, aren’t you, Narias?” Nicky wasn’t able to hold in her chuckle any longer.
Growly on the other hand, didn’t say anything. He either wanted to stay out of it, or didn’t understand what was going on.
“Hey, hey, hey. I think you got it all wrong. I was… I was simply thinking about buying some flowers for Miss Salroze as a… as a thank you gift…” Narias tried to explain himself. But he was met with a puzzled, blank stares instead.
“A thank you gift?” Ileena looked at him confused.
“Yes… For… for guiding us through the Magic Dungeon. She was helping us and… watching over us the whole time. It’s… it’s a common curtesy to thank your teacher, isn’t it?” Narias was trying to pick the right words to explain his reasoning.
“That’s… the first time I heard something like that,” Ileena told him, after adjusting her glasses.
“Wha…” Narias was surprised to hear such a comment. “Don’t you… like… give gifts to your teachers to thank them for teaching and… helping you?”
“Why would you give gifts to the teacher for teaching us? It’s their job,” Flavia couldn’t understand either.
A moment of silence befell the table.
What? Really? But that’s just common sense… Wait, it can’t be… Suddenly, Narias realized he messed up again. What was common practice in his world, where he lived as Anthony, wasn’t the same thing here. Now that he thought about it, he never even once heard anyone talk about it. Not to mention seeing anyone give any gifts to the teachers. Wait, wait, wait. They don’t do that in here? They don’t give thank you gifts to their teachers? But then… Wait, hold on. Did they just think I wanted to give flowers to Miss Salroze because I… WHAAAT?!
“Ah… haha,” Narias laughed awkwardly. “Listen, ahm… the thing is…”
Narias had to pick the right words again to explain to everyone his intentions without anyone perceiving it the wrong way.
“That… makes sense. I think I understand now,” Ileena told him after he explained it in more detail.
“Wow, I never thought about it,” Flavia put a finger to her lips to think about it.
“That indeed would be a very courteous thing to do,” Emilia agreed after hearing Narias’s explanation.
“Receiving gifts is nice,” Growly commented, probably remembering the last time he received something.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Nicky clapped her hands excitedly.
“Nicky?” Ileena looked at her, but then flushed lightly. “But Narias giving flowers to Miss Salroze…”
“What else could he give then?” the tiny girl asked, adding a charming smile at the end of her question.
“Does she like honey cake?” Growly wondered, which made Nicky laugh again.
“A bow ribbon?” Flavia touched her hair.
“What about some other hair accessory? Oh… Miss Salroze has such short hair,” Emilia suggested, but then realized it might not be such a good idea.
“How about a book? But she’s a teacher…” Ileena was trying to think of something as well.
It was clear the students were having a hard time coming up with a gift for a teacher.
“I think you are overthinking it. It doesn’t have to be something extraordinary or expensive,” Narias finally stepped in.
“What do you mean, Narias?” Ileena asked.
“Back at my previous sch… aah… haha. Back at my home, my mom taught me that a small gift is more than enough to express your gratitude. She said flowers work best on any occasion. You can also add a Thank You card. Something small, like sweets, are great addition as well,” he explained.
“Honey cake,” Growly felt happy to hear sweets was a good ‘thank you’ gift.
“Hey, that actually sounds cool. I know where to get a card. There’s this shop in El’Roonst where I always buy souvenirs for my family. They have cards for different occasions as well,” Flavia was in favor of it.
“I… I know where they sell Orchivids. I sometimes buy… other flowers there,” Emilia said with a mild flush.
“Now that you told us about it, I think Miss Salroze mentioned she grows some flowers at her garden. Maybe we could get a book about the flowers for her as well?” Ileena was still thinking about getting a book.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Ileena,” Narias agreed with her, making Ileena feel at ease regarding her suggestion.
“I will buy honey cake,” Growly added, after licking his lips. He most probably was thinking of buying some honey cake for himself too.
“Wow, amazing,” Nicky was happy to see everyone to be so excited about it.
“Hey, how about we go to El’Roonst to buy everything tomorrow?” Flavia suggested with an added smile on her face.
“I guess… we could. We have classes only until the lunch break due to the Magic Dungeon exploration happening,” Ileena agreed.
“We don’t have any classes for the rest of the week ourselves, though. Ghee~” the charming bunny girl grinned excitedly.
“That’s right. You’re excused from attending any classes to have enough rest after your own dungeon exploration. By the way, you’re coming with us too, aren’t you Nicky?” the girl in glasses asked her friend.
“Me? Oh, sure,” Nicky probably thought she won’t be going, but then agreed to come.
“Maybe we could visit Growly’s parents while we’re there too? We have all these Magic Crystals and other valuables that we found inside the Magic Dungeon,” Narias suggested.
“Yeah. I will take Crystalized Mold to my dad,” Growly said.
“Sure. I have this Water Stone with me. And we have that awesome-looking fur too. Let’s ask Growly’s dad what he can make out of it,” Flavia added excitedly.
“My dad is a blacksmith. You need a leatherworker, or a tailor,” the chubby bear boy told Flavia.
“Then maybe your dad knows someone?” Growly’s answer didn’t faze Flavia one bit.
“He does,” was Growly’s short answer.
“Excellent. So, how about we meet at the campus gates sometime after the classes tomorrow?” Ileena suggested.
“Yes,” Flavia’s answer sounded more like a cheer.
Phew… That worked out… somehow. Narias was happy the misunderstand was cleared, and that everyone was in favor to get something for Miss Salroze as a Thank You gift.
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