Chapter 287 – Recruiting A Magical Girl!
◈-LANT SIDE
Tikia’s face turned completely red, like a tomato.
Seeing Tikia like that, Elsie’s face also flushed, while Noah and Ninya were giggling.
“Hehehe, it’s out, it’s out. Lant’s love barrage, filled with sincerity. It’s so amazing how he can say such heart-fluttering and embarrassing things so naturally.”
“I can’t help it, I’m so happy and my heart is pounding~♪”
No, what I just said wasn’t a love barrage, it was just me listing the charms I felt from Tikia…
“So, Lant~.”
“Y-yes, Noah.”
“Does Lant want to date Tikia? Do you want to make her your woman?”
Noah asked very directly.
“That’s…”
Honestly, just from her reaction, I could tell that Tikia had feelings for me.
As a man, and as someone who already has a harem, if you ask me if I want to make Tikia, who likes me, my woman, then of course I would say yes!
Besides, Tikia is a legal loli!
She’s like a magical girl, a being that seems like she’d only appear in a dream.
But I also have a conscience…
Is it okay to keep increasing the number of women I love? That nagging feeling remains.
Still…
“…”
Tikia slightly lifted her face and looked at me with eyes full of anticipation and anxiety.
It was a look I had seen once or twice from my beloved lovers.
Seeing that look, my mind was already made up.
“…Tikia.”
“Y-yes, yes!”
Come to think of it, I’ve always been confessed to by my beloved lovers first.
So, I think it’s better for the man to speak first in this situation!
I looked straight at Tikia and said,
“If… if you’re okay with someone like me, would you go out with me?”
“Ah…”
“Hngh!”
From a woman’s point of view, I’m a terrible man who has many women.
And Elsie was even more downcast, probably because I was the one who asked Tikia to date first.
“T-that… um… hngh. L-Lant, are you, are you really okay with me? I’m, I’m so… underdeveloped…”
“I don’t judge people based on their development status. And if I did, I wouldn’t have said that.”
“…”
Tikia was silent for a moment, then got off her chair and stood right next to me.
“Here…”
Then, with both hands holding her staff, Tikia bowed her head towards me.
“P-please… take care of me.”
Those words were her agreement to date me.
“Yes, Tikia.”
Clap!
And Noah and Ninya high-fived each other.
“Operation successful!”
“It worked better than expected.”
“Huh? Noah? Ninya?”
Operation? What operation?
I blinked and looked at the two of them, and Noah put her hands behind her head and said,
“No, yesterday, it was so obvious, right? That Tikia had feelings for Lant.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Really?”
Tikia, Elsie, and I were all surprised and tilted our heads.
“…Elsie really has no sense for these things.”
“Ugh… I just thought a good person who knew Magical Girl Marine had appeared…”
“C-comrade, Elsie…!!”
Tikia was moved by Elsie’s words and trembled.
“Hehe, that’s what makes her cute and likable~♪ So, Noah and I decided to check Tikia’s feelings around lunchtime while watching her skills today. Dragging these things out only makes them annoying.”
“I’m actually happy that a mage like Tikia, who seems like she’ll become amazing in the future, is joining our party.”
“A, a mage who seems like she’ll become amazing… hehe…”
Tikia smiled happily at Noah’s words.
Cute.
“And since she has feelings for Lant anyway, she needs to know that Lant is dating all of us, and if we reveal that later, it’ll be super complicated. So, we just revealed everything at once! Thanks to that, Tikia ended up becoming part of our family, right?”
“Hmm…”
Certainly, Noah and Ninya were right if you looked at it that way.
But now I have to explain it to Tina, Miranda, and Melissa…
I should prepare myself for the glares from Melissa and Tina.
“Huh? F-family?”
Tikia reacted to the word ‘family’.
Noah smiled brightly at Tikia and said,
“Of course, it’s family. If you’re dating Lant, you’ll eventually marry him, right?”
“M-marriage…”
“We’ll marry Lant too, of course. So, we’re all practically family.”
“W-well, that’s true… hmm…”
“Hehe, well, you don’t have to worry too much. It’s decided that we’ll get married, but we won’t do it right away. More importantly, Tikia~.”
“Y-yes? What is it?”
“Our party usually only goes into the dungeon in the morning, and we have free time in the afternoon, right?”
“Ah… yes. We’re going back, right?”
“Yes♪ So, when we get back… let’s go shopping together♪”
“Shopping?”
“Yeah, let’s go around the market and shops together and have a get-together for Lant’s women.”
“Ah, then I’ll go too!”
“B-but I have to discuss Magical Girl Marine with my comrade Elsie…”
“Hehe, you can do that later~. We’re going to be in the same party and family anyway… Plus, I want to hear in detail how you met Lant. Oh, and we should also tell the inn where Tikia is staying that we’re moving. Is that okay?”
“If it’s about moving inns, it’s okay… but what about Elsie…”
Tikia really wanted to talk about Magical Girl Marine with Elsie.
Seeing Tikia like that, Elsie slightly raised her hand and said,
“U-um, Tikia… then I’ll come with you too. We might not be able to have a calm conversation, but let’s talk while we shop.”
“O-oh… comrade Elsie…!”
“Tikia, you don’t have to call me comrade…”
“Ah, sorry. I was so moved, I couldn’t help it…”
“Then…”
When I was about to say that I would go too, Noah wiggled her finger and said,
“No, no. Lant has other things to do. This is a get-together just for the girls. And…”
Noah came next to me and whispered in my ear so that Tikia wouldn’t hear,
“We’re also going to buy some sexy underwear and clothes for Tikia. If Lant is with us, Tikia might be too embarrassed to go into the store.”
…Oh, that’s what she’s planning.
Then I should stay put.
“I’ll wait at the inn and read the book Tikia lent me. Tikia, I… I hope you get along with everyone.”
“Y-yes, Lant…”
When the conversation was somewhat settled, Ninya said,
“Then let’s go back now!”
And so, we returned with the achievement of Tikia’s promotion and bringing Tikia into my new… harem.
At Tikia’s request, she held my hand tightly as we walked back.
◈-TIKIA SIDE
Master, in the magic city.
Are you not sleeping in and eating breakfast properly?
I… I got a boyfriend in Pland after only three days.
And it’s on the premise of marriage.
Hahaha…
Is this real…?
It feels like I got into a relationship with the force of a storm.
And the man I fell for was a harem man…
The harem man I wanted to be a master to…
You really never know what will happen in this world…
Still…
Uwaaaaa… what is this, my heart is pounding so hard!
My lips are curving up and I can’t stop it!
We’re just holding hands and walking, but I feel like smoke is coming out of my head!
Even though it’s a very complicated situation with Lant’s other lovers!
More importantly, why did I say I wanted to hold hands and walk?
And in the dungeon?
No, it’s definitely because I have a boyfriend for the first time, so I wanted to try it, but why am I doing it in this place!
I don’t even understand why I said that.
Ah, that’s it.
It’s because Noah smiled at me as we were about to leave and tried to hug Lant’s arm.
Come to think of it, was that a provocation to make me do this?
And I fell for it like a fool?
“Hehehe, operation successful…”
I definitely heard that voice behind me when I said I wanted to hold hands with Lant.
Ugh… how could I, a genius magical girl, fall for such a trap…
But holding hands is so happy…
“Tikia.”
“U-um?! What is it?”
“We’re here.”
“Ah…”
I was so lost in the happiness of holding Lant’s hand that I didn’t realize we had already arrived at the warp device.
A-already… did it end this quickly?
No, considering the distance to the warp device, it was quite far…
Could it be that I was so lost in happiness that I didn’t realize how much time had passed?
I thought only those lovey-dovey couples in the magic academy were like that.
Could it be that I’m…?
“Tikia, Tikia. Put your hand up.”
“Ah, y-yes!”
At Noah’s words from behind, I put my hand on the warp device, and I returned to the surface with Lant’s party.
After returning to the surface and leaving the dungeon entrance, I said,
“Can we stop by the inn where I’m staying first?”
Since moving inns was practically decided, I thought it would be better to tell them in advance.
“Sure, let’s all go together♪”
After that, I went to the inn where I was staying with Lant’s… no, my party members? F-family?
“Wait here.”
I went into the inn alone and told the innkeeper that I was checking out.
“Hmm? Well, it’s fine, but you’ll have to pay for the time you stayed and we’ll deduct the cancellation fee.”
“Okay.”
It was over quickly.
I didn’t have any belongings in the room in the first place.
I was planning to start making a temporary workshop today, but until then, I had just been lying in bed and sleeping.
“Do you have anything to take?”
“No.”
After that, I received the change from the innkeeper and went to my companions who were waiting for me.
“It’s done.”
“That was quick?”
“Because I didn’t have anything in the room. So, are we going shopping now?”
Actually, it’s my first time shopping with other girls.
I’m honestly a little excited.
I’ve never had a male friend, let alone a female friend.
…Come to think of it, I was practically a loner during my time at the magic academy.
No, in the first place, I never had any intention of being friends with those jerks who picked fights with me.
“No? We have to go back to the Fox’s Rest first.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well… we have a new family member, so we have to go say hello, right?♪”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, Lant still has Melissa, a waitress from his hometown, and Miranda and Tina, the mother and daughter from the Fox’s Rest.
Wait, are the mother and daughter part of the harem?
Why?
Did Lant steal them?
No, I don’t think Lant would do that with his personality…
M-maybe their ex-husband was a very violent person, so Lant protected them and they both fell for him…
Hmm…
No, let’s learn a lesson.
Worrying about it like this on my own will only make me embarrassed later when my predictions are wrong.
Let’s ask him directly.
“Lant… before we go to the Fox’s Rest, there’s something I want to ask.”
“What is it, Tikia?”
“U-um… did Lant… did you steal Miranda by force…?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Lant said firmly.
Whew…
So that’s not it.
“Then why are Tina and Miranda, the mother and daughter…”
“That’s… it’s not something we should talk about outside, so can we talk about it later?”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, we’re outside.
I shouldn’t have asked such a question carelessly because other people could hear it.
“S-sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s understandable that you’d be curious.”
And then I… no, we went back to the Fox’s Rest.
“Ah, welcome!”
“Welcome~.”
“You’re here?”
At the Fox’s Rest, there were Tina, Miranda, and Melissa.
“I’m back. Melissa, did you finish your morning shift well?”
“Yeah. Seriously… why do they call me in on my day off because they’re short-handed… well, I got paid for it. But… Lant.”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you holding hands with Tikia?”
“Ah, that’s…”
While we were coming here from the inn where I was staying, I asked Lant to hold my hand again.
But holding hands is so happy!
Even if he’s a harem man! I wanted to hold hands with my first boyfriend at least once!
But seeing Melissa’s cold and glaring eyes, I couldn’t help but shrink back.
I-I’m sorry…
When Lant was about to say something, Melissa sighed.
“Haa… I knew it. You’re dating, right?”
“Huh? Ah, yes…”
“I thought it was suspicious yesterday? And Tina said that a new member would definitely join today…”
And Tina smiled brightly next to her and said,
“Well, it was much easier to prepare myself than when I suddenly heard that Melissa became your lover after you went back home.”
“Ugh…”
Melissa turned her gaze away from Tina.
“Ah, Melissa, I’m not scolding you or anything? It’s just that Tikia’s reaction was so easy to read compared to Ninya and Melissa, so it was easy to accept… Honestly, I thought it took a long time, about a month and a half.”
“Y-yes… I know. But… aren’t you going to have more than 30 people in a year?”
“Oh my, then we’ll run out of inn rooms, won’t we?”
“M-Miranda… Melissa… I don’t plan on increasing it that much…”
“We know, Lant. But you’re so charming, we don’t know how many more you’ll get, right? Well, anyway…”
Miranda looked at me and smiled gently.
“Please take care of us, Tikia.”
“Ah… yes.”
Lant’s lovers are so understanding and open-minded!?
