Chapter 24: Mira-chan Mira-chan squishy cheeks~!
ED: Is Chaos there? No? Well then lets sneak release this chapter then…..
Real Title: The Party Formation
It was the morning after the day Mira promised to go to the Ancient Shrine. She got a lunch box in the inn dining room.
After the Gothic Lolita left the inn, the staff was fired up guessing her identity. Opinions like a noble’s daughter, a concealed royalty member, or a hidden child of some powerful adventurer were flying around and at times nearby adventurers joined their dispute.
Mira herself hasn’t yet realized that she became the center of such exaggerated attention.
The sky was clear, the perfect day for a picnic. Mira advanced to the appointed place, the front of the Union, under gentle morning sunlight.
The time was late morning, shopping housewives and armed adventurers stood out among the scattered people around the main street going to work.
As Mira advanced, excited with displaying the true strength of summoning, a crowd gathered at her destination — a square in front of the Union.
“What’s that?”
Muttering that, Mira sat down on a bench in front of the magician union. She tried to find Emera and Takuto but couldn’t find them around.
Thinking she came a bit too early, she retrieved some apple ole and took a gulp.
15 minutes passed since Mira arrived to the front of Union. The clock in the menu confirmed it was 10 AM. It was the appointed time. And the two of them haven’t come yet.
“Late. They’re late.”
Mira dropped a complaint while sending a look to surroundings. She saw that the strange gathering still crowded the square.
(Is there a morning sale or, maybe, street performance?)
Thinking it’s not the worst way to kill time, Mira decided to find out, and a familiar boy, pushing his way through people, tried to jump out to her from this crowd. But, stumbling over the legs of people, he dropped the 2 copper coins he had and started to chase after them.
“What, was thou already here, Takuto?”
Mira, heading to the crowd, picked up the coins and called the familiar boy — Takuto.
“Ah, good morning, Big Sis Mira! Thanks.”
Getting the coins, Takuto greet Mira with a friendly smile.
“And it shouldn’t be thou alone. Where’s Emera?”
“Over there.”
In answer Takuto pointed at the crowd at the square. Mira thought that if Takuto came out from the crowd, he should have come early too and wasted time there.
“Big Siiis Emera, Big Sis Mira was here!”
Takuto turned towards the crowd and, running into it, raised his voice to call her.
A short time after that, the black-haired elf Emera appeared pushing herself through the crowd.
“You’re late, Mira. How long should I wait for you?”
Saying that she waited for her, Emera factitiously puffed her cheeks. But Mira considered that Emera was dallying with the crowd while she was waiting, so she shrugged.
“Don’t say foolish things. It’s me who was waiting for thee. I was sitting on this bench all the time.”
Silence flew between them. Then Emera’s eyes started to wander and she with a wry smile joined her hands in apology.
“I’m sorry! I hadn’t expected so much people will gather.”
Emera made such an excuse. But when Mira, noticing something odd in this excuse, opened her mouth,
“Is she the Mira you told about?”
A huge man glanced from behind Emera’s back. His massive metal armor was shining with a blunt silver color and his gauntlets had a scarlet bell design. A huge hammer about the size of his height hinted at extraordinary physical strength. Despite that, he wore a kind expression, and his short red hair and red stubble around his mouth held an atmosphere of wildness.
And, using it as a signal, two more people showed their faces.
“Wow, she’s absurdly cute!”
With those words, a woman lined up to right of Emera, her purple robe lightly swung up. Her blue eyes behind blue-framed glasses shined with lust. A sleeve of her robe had a scarlet bell embroidery. At first glance she gave an intellectual impression but her actions ruined it. Her hair, which extended a bit past the shoulders, were green; a cane about 1 meter length was placed on her back.
“Really? Where? Ah, spotted the beauty! Though I’d rather wait for about 5 years.”
This time a man in light equipment lined to the left of Emera and passionately observed Mira from head to toe. He had brown hair and earrings, his green bandana had the same scarlet bell embroidery. Handsome face and tall height, two daggers at the waist, black jacket and khaki trousers. At a glance he was an easy-going man.
“Who are they?”
Troubled due to being exposed to their attention, Mira glanced at the three who, judging by their actions, were acquaintances of Emera.
“The best members that I could pick in my guild, Écarlatte Carillon!”
Emera answered with confidence.
“Rather, nobody else was free today.”
“Why’d you tell her?!”
Emera angrily grabbed the collar of the cape of the easy-going man and shook it. In response, the man repeated “Sorry, sorry” without any hint of guilt in his voice.
“I am Asbar. Nice to meet you, miss. ”
A huge man cheerfully smiled. With the stern look, it was hard to expect such friendliness to ooze from him.
“I’m Frica. Best regards.”
The woman in purple robe, adjusting her glasses, intelligently smiled and presented a hand requesting a handshake.
“Ye..yea. I’m Mira. Best regards.”
Thinking that the impression she got from the woman was wrong, Mira reached for the presented hand with her right hand.
“Cute as expected!”
At the moment Mira shook her hand, Frica broke into a smile and anguished in a sugary, completely different voice.
“Mira-chan, Mira-chan. Squishy cheeks~”
With those words Frica kept poking Mira’s cheeks. Mira tried to get away but was caught by her hand so she couldn’t go out of range. She shook her head to resist, but was still poked in her cheeks by Frica.
“Do something, Emera!”
Emera who was called out released the man in light equipment and turned her head. And then, leaking out a sigh with a wry smile, she dropped a hand on Frica’s head. Stars flew before Frica’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Mira. I did try to ask Frica to do her best in restraining herself.”
“I’d prefer her to completely restrain herself, not to do her best.”
Frika who was holding her head in her hands was peeled off by Asbard. Mira recalled Sherry, a waitress of Silver Wand shop in the village where she stopped in on the way to the Arkite Kingdom.
“I am Zefold. Call me Zef.”
The easy-going man that named himself Zefold silently approached and, matching her eye’s height, broadly smiled. That carefree behavior unexpectedly made a good impression to Mira.
“I’m Mira. So, why are they here?”
“To help you!”