Chapter 93 - Friends

Hearing his words, Raul tried to understand what he was saying, but, knowing he meant his words, brought a shocked expression on his face. Pointing at himself, he asked

"M-Me and you..? Friends?"

Nodding his head, Ethan looked down as he added

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking about. I realized that maybe trying to have a friend won't be that bad..."

Stopping to talk for a moment, he looked at Ais before returning his focus on Raul.

"If you don't want to, it's fine. I just wanted to ask you"

Immediately shaking his head, he had various thoughts in mind but, deciding it was better to give him a 'reply' made him feel that the situation was really creepy.

'Why does it almost seem like he just confessed..?'

Shaking his head again, Raul tried to clear his thoughts as he replied with a 'smile'

"No, it's fine if you want to be friends, the fact that you asked me such a thing all of a sudden surprised me. In fact, I thought you hated me..."

Nodding, Ethan stared at him while he said

"Yes, I think I really hated you"

Even though Raul was about to ask something, he couldn't help but stopping his actions, mainly because he didn't expect this kind of reply, now that they were supposed to be 'friends'. Looking away, he was 'depressed' again.

"Ah..do you really want to be my friend after all?"

With a small smile, Ethan sighed as he didn't break his stare.

"...Yes, It's just that the first time I saw you, I thought 'Is this person really one of the Loki Familia's commander...?' and after I came to understand it was the truth, made me angry"

Feeling as if arrows were piercing his c.h.e.s.t, Raul didn't say anything while he continued as he clenched his hand in a fist.

"I really hated the fact you have the authority many would like to have, but you are too stupid to obtain the respect a person in your position should have"

At his words, he knew that there wasn't anything he could say, also because he wasn't the first person that said similar things to him.

'He's right..I really am not for this position..I know that as well..'

While his depressing thoughts were slowly returning, he decided it was better to end the conversation and then go away, but, before he was able to do so, Ethan sighed again while breaking his stare

"I thought it was only natural for me to hate you. In reality, my own way of seeing things brought me to hate you, because I actually never had such an important position in my life, even when I wanted to fully devote myself on achieving this kind of authority..."

Stopping for a second to inhale, Raul stared at Ethan as he continued

"Now, however, the situation is different. thanks to the help of the people around me, I understood that I have to also think about something else, and live also for something else..that's why I decided to try to ask you..."

Squeezing Ais' hand, Ethan said these words while Raul understood that, more or less, Ethan was serious about this, even though he still had doubts.

"But..you don't like my personality, right? I don't know if it's really a good thing to have a friendship based on this..."

Nodding, he replied

"That's right, but there are some traits of your personality I can get along with, and I don't really have anyone else to ask, so I think that's okay"

'I wonder how can he be so casual about it... I would never be able to say the same things to someone I just know as an acquaintance...'

After this, he decided it was better to consider his words and his 'offer'.

"I t-think..it's fine.."

Now looking at him with an 'ah', the only thing he added was...

"But please, stop insulting me."

His words brought Ethan to look 'confused' as he pointed at himself

"Me? Insulting you? I never did so?"

Sighing in his mind, Raul thought about it for a moment as he felt things were going to be complicated from now on...

"You are doing that even now! I know that you really like to insult me, but please stop.."

"If you can say yes to this condition, we can be friends without a problem..."

Understanding, for the second time, how much embarrassing it was to say such things loudly enough for others to hear, brought him to close his mouth immediately after while Ethan just nodded his head before he decided to end their conversation.

"Then, it's decided...but for now.."

Understanding the situation, Raul nodded while looking away

"It's fine..take the time you need"

Remembering he didn't ask something important, Ethan added

"Ah, but about the 3rd party that will come with us? Do we have one already?"

Being asked this question, Raul nodded as he replied

"Yes, but you don't have to worry. I'll talk with them regarding our decision to team up together, but I don't think they'll think it's a problem, so It's fine"

'She really is patient..'

That was all he thought before claiming her attention.

"Sorry, I had to talk to him, otherwise It would have been difficult in the future to do so."

At his words, she stared at him while she smiled.

"No..it's fine. I understood..it was important."

Smiling as well, Ethan didn't reply to her words while he saw Raul approaching the 3rd party that will form their group soon.

'The first time I saw him I would've never thought that we would become friends...'

Thinking this, Ethan shook his head as he knew he couldn't be distracted.. He really wanted to take some time to talk with Ais, but, circ.u.mstances made it difficult for him..

Staring at her, he whispered

"I'm sorry...I will make it up to you later, I promise. But, for now, I have to..bring others in our discussion."

Even though she was slightly annoyed by this, she knew he had, as the Leader, inform others about the information Raul gave him. Seeing her nodding in agreement made him nod as well while the two slowly approached their party.

---

"As I was saying.. oh, Ethan, Ais, what did you two and Raul talked about?"

Immediately seeing them coming back, Tiona asked this while the former replied

"Yes..I talked with Raul regarding the other party that will join us..."

Saying this, he saw as Tiona, Lefiya and Ryuu were waiting for him to continue.

"I don't know much about the 3rd party, just that they will join our group. Regarding Ryuu joining our party, I made sure to ask, and she can join us without problems"

Nodding in agreement, Tiona smirked as her instincts regarding stronger people acted on her behalf.

"Are they strong...!?"

Shaking his head, Ethan added

"...I told you everything I knew about them..I'm sorry"

Understanding, she waved her hand as she thought about what to ask next, but, before she could, Ryuu stepped in the conversation.

"Now that I'm... officially, a new member of this party. Please, take care of me"

Bowing while saying the last part of her sentence, she waited for everyone to reply as the first one to do so was, surprisingly, Lefiya that, bowing as well, replied

"P-Please take care of me as well"

At this display, Tiona couldn't help but chuckling as Lefiya quickly became embarrassed.

"W-What's so funny!?"

The fact she didn't reply to her question made her furrow her brows while the only thing she could think about was how much she didn't like her when she acted like this...

"I...I.."

Sighing, Ethan stopped their conversation as always.

"Tiona..."

Smiling at him, she could see he wasn't angry, so she decided to not mind the fact that he always wanted to treat her as a 'kid'...

"Ah, Ethan, I actually have to ask you something!"

Saying this, Tiona looked at Ais with an apologetic expression as she added

"Sorry to ask you, can I take him for a second?"

Being asked this question, she looked at Ethan as she saw he was confused as well...

"Is there something important you have to tell me?"

Shaking her head, she added

"No, just something I want to know."

Even though it was suspicious, Ethan knew she was seriously going to ask him something and, that was what made him worry. This because, he knew she wouldn't be serious about it if it wasn't something she considered as serious.

Looking at Ais to 'ask' her, she immediately nodded as she had same thoughts.

'I guess that I will really have to pay her back...'

Thinking about this, he looked at her one last moment before returning his focus on Tiona as he released Ais' hand...

"If it's the case, let's go over there."

Pointing at somewhere near the forest, Ethan started to walk towards the place without waiting for her to start walking. Understanding this as well, she quickly started to follow him as she didn't say anything throughout the way.

After some time, the two were already in the forest. Very confused and surprised by the fact she was so quiet, brought Ethan to think about the only reasonable possibility...

'Is she..hurt or something?'

Thinking this, he glanced at her body to see if there was something that wasn't 'fine'. While he was busy doing so, Tiona finally decided to ask.

"You know..I'm sorry if I made you do all this way without a valid reason. I really like the fact you worry so much about me, even though your duty as the Captain implies that you must do that as well..."

Even more confused by her words, he was about to ask something but, she immediately continued her speech.

"I was..actually curious about something else.."

Laughing, she didn't mind the almost imperceptible blush as she continued

"I wanted to ask about Lefiya.. you see, she said to me you actually refused her feelings and asked her to wait. My question is, why..? Aren't you for polygamy?"

Hearing her, Ethan felt extremely surprised as he released a sigh of relief.

'And I was worried something happened...'

Sighing, he decided to bring his focus on what she asked..

"Lefiya said so..?"

Nodding, she expected him to be surprised, but she could see he wasn't...

"But, I never said something like this. I can at least guess her feelings for me, and I don't plan on breaking her heart. But I want to be able to say I can protect them in case something happens before trying to understand my feelings for her. I know that I'm being a coward, but that's what I decided..."

Understanding, she thought about his words as she smirked

"Does this mean that if the girl who has feelings for you is quite strong, you will consider her..?"

Expecting him to nod, she was surprised as he actually shook his head.

"At the moment, I'm in love with Ais, but that's not only that..to try to forgive myself for the way I'm treating Lefiya and her feelings, I've already decided to wait before letting other girls enter my heart..."

Thinking about this, she was about to continue their conversation before they heard Tsubaki's shout from the distance.

"Ok! I'd say enough time has passed. All parties are united in groups now, right?"

Hearing her words, most of them nodded their head in agreement while she understood it was the case. With a smile, she added

"The Dungeon is waiting for us...for now, you have to join the other parties that are in your group. Hurry up!!"

Looking at Tiona, Ethan decided to put this matter aside for now as they had to focus on the Dungeon.

"...I guess we have to go. Otherwise Tsubaki will scold us"

Knowing she lost her occasion to ask him more about this, made her sighing as she thought that the timing with wich she stepped in was really annoying, but...

'At least I came to understand one of the reasons for him to not accept Lefiya's feelings...'

---

(I have a discord server. discord.gg/cpVr5X8 . You may ask me: "Why should I enter the server?". At this question, my answer would likely be: "Because it's fun? I don't know either. Just join." Ah, and you can find some image reference of items in the story such as [The Devoted Heart], so it's recommended to join. One last thing, I post chapter updates in my discord right after I posted on , so I guess you can join to be able to know when I post chapters faster.)

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(Alternate Titles: "That awkward moment when two boys talk seriously with each other", "I don't get it..Tiona. Lefiya trusted you..", "I want more screen time for Ais..")