Chapter 94
Ais swung her wooden sword faster and faster with some thoughts. Her movements were a bit inconsistent due to distracting thoughts.
"But, it can't stay like this forever…."
"I have to repay him…."
In the heart of this young girl, a favor received should be returned. It may be naive and innocent, but that's how Ais feels.
She didn't want to blindly benefit from Sirius without giving anything back.
Although Finn gave 'salary' to Sirius every month for his help, Ais felt it belonged to Finn's intention, not hers.
Because of this, she has been worrying about how to repay Sirius recently.
Even with distracting thoughts, Ais relied on her body's instinct to swing the sword. Although her movements were imperfect, they were still better than most adventurers.
As time went by, the morning light gradually illuminated the sky.
Ais suddenly gripped the hilt of the wooden sword and took a stance in full concentration. She took a deep breath and swung the sword with all her strength, making a shrill sound of splitting the air, and a gust of wind suddenly erupted in the courtyard.
At this point, Ais's morning practice officially ended. It was almost time for breakfast.
She didn't immediately go to the bathhouse for a shower, but after simply wiping her body with a towel, Ais put away her wooden sword and sat on a bench under the shade of a tree.
The blond girl looked at the small nearby garden filled with thriving flowers and plants, which were taken care of by some members of the familia. She felt at ease looking at the natural scenery.
"Can I send him some flowers?" Ais muttered, then shook her head.
"No, hmm…boys don't seem to like flowers very much. And, these flowers and plants are other's hard work, I should not pluck them without permission." Ais didn't want to be a bad girl.
"What about Jagamarukun?" Ais thought about her favorite food but felt it was not sincere enough to spend only 30 valis on a gift.
Sirius's help was far beyond this value.
'What about weapons and equipment?' Ais pondered and remembered something.
Finn said that Sirius's current spear was good enough for him to use for many years.
And Sirius also seemed to have a very rare and powerful defensive magic, so there's no need for armors.
Ais felt tangled thinking about how to repay him. She couldn't imagine any gift that would help him.
Deep down in her heart, the chibi version of Ais curled up on her knees with a disappointed expression. The girl didn't know how to repay his favor sincerely.
"Hmmm?"
When Riveria approached the courtyard, she found Ais sitting on a bench in a daze.
Riveria started worrying, with maternal concerns filling her heart looking at the sad and depressed Ais.
"Ais, what's wrong?" Riveria approached the dazed girl and asked worriedly.
"Riveria…" After hearing the call, Ais raised her head and met Riveria's eyes, then she turned around and refocused on the lawn in front of her.
When she looked at this, the mama elf felt something was off about Ais. She could easily guess that Ais was tangled about something thanks to her prior experience caring for Ais for many years.
"Ais, what are you worried about? You can talk to me about it if you want. Maybe my suggestion will help you out." Riveria gently suggested.
"..." Ais was hesitant after hearing this.
But when she remembered the love and care Riveria had given her, she decided to confide. She felt that maybe Riveria could give her some good suggestions.
So, Ais started talking about her worries and how she was unable to find any way to repay Sirius for his help.
"Riveria…"
"As thanks for his help…."
"I want to repay him…." Ais had a determined expression while saying this.
Riveria silently listened to Ais's worries and understood what was going on.
Simply put, Ais wanted to compensate Sirius for helping her become stronger, but the innocent girl didn't know how to do it.
"...Pfft…" After realizing the cause and effect of what happened, Riveria turned around, covered her mouth, and giggled in amusement.
"!!!"
But the keen Ais heard her giggle and started blushing in embarrassment. She then puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Afterward, Ais raised her hands and dropped her soft fists on Riveria, acting like a wronged child, making mama-san break out in a laugh.
'Ais…getting tangled up in this kind of thing…." Riveria didn't know whether to cry or laugh at this situation.
It's as if a child finds candies lying all over the floor, but they can only take one of them and starts crying in 'injustice.'
"Alright, alright, Ais~ I have a way to help you. Please stop hitting me…." Although Riveria enjoyed teasing the blond girl, she still didn't forget that Ais was having trouble.
Ais stopped her actions as soon as she heard this, withdrew her fists, and expectantly looked at Riveria for answers.
And mama elf leaned over and whispered into Ais's ears secretly so nobody could hear what she said.
'Maybe Loki will be furious in the future when she founds out about this, but what does that have to do with me, Riveria?' Thinking this way, Riveria gave her suggestion to Ais.
Ais was thinking deeply about Riveria's suggestion when a bell rang throughout the manor. It's the signal for breakfast time.
Although Ais had many doubts about what Riveria told her, at this time, she had other things to do. She took her wooden sword and went inside the building with Riveria.
From the time the bell rang to the start of breakfast, there was a gap of about 10 minutes.
Taking advantage of this period, Ais went to the manor's bathhouse for a quick shower. She felt uncomfortable with her sweaty body.
Ais decided to think about what Riveria told her later.
After a while, she changed her clothes and went to the kitchen for breakfast.
...
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