Chapter 295: …I Understand Well

A little before training started Erika went back to the classroom once.

Come to think of it, about transporting with Magic Bags. When she consulted with Marika-san and Dine-san, the three of them together, they seemed to be considering it positively.

That is because Erika has also become a patron of Frere-san who lives in Santony, and sends clothes, underwear, and lately shoes matched to requests.

But letters have a limit, and now and then someone from Marika-san’s shop goes along to Santony.

Even so from Erika’s side she was thinking, is she not getting a result that satisfies Frere-san?

Not a supplement, but in letters from Frere-san it was written that she was glad to be served more than by the previous patron.

But it was not a result Erika had seen with her own eyes. She worried there was a chance Frere-san was taking care.

So my talk was sudden, but she told me with a wry smile that in a way it was just in time.

They seem to be thinking in the direction of opening a shop in Santony, Marika-san’s or Dine-san’s, or the department-store style they only recently managed to open and run together.

True, if the two of them’s shops are in that town, even Frere-san’s detailed requests can be started on at once.

And if new ideas are born from there, for the two of them who want to grow their shops it is ordinary to ride Erika’s idea.

Only, here too the talk of not enough hands came up. If it sells and sells there is a large chance it becomes reservation-only.

Hands, huh... it is not that I have no idea, but when you run your own place you ’do not notice.’

Basically how Nimi and I hire is to interview people who look like they will work long, and if there is no problem we hire.

Lately we have not hired because there was no need. Two helpers, Croana and the others, Aurora and the others, the twins, Hiero and Pafa. Many people help.

We are blessed... something this happy does not come around often.

After that if that free-play event happens we can fill hands at once... no. I will stop thinking.

Lately I cannot shake the feeling that what I think of happens one after another.

To give an example, the hero-related event. That one happened right after Erika brought up the talk of heroes.

I remembered that while walking toward the training ground and smiled wryly. Hiero walking on my right peeked her face and asked.

"What are you laughing at? D-do not tell me you are remembering just now?"

"Hahaha. Wrong. I was laughing remembering recent things. Looking back, it has only been sixty days... about two months since I started working as an instructor, and a lot happened."

"Shall I tell you the answer?"

"...I will hear it, just in case."

"Ahem! That is, you know? Because Raide is a Handful!"

She cleared her throat and put on a serious face so I looked at Hiero’s face seriously too... and the words that came out were Handful. I burst out laughing.

And she said it with a full smile, so I wanted my tension back.

Senai walking on the left covered her mouth with one hand so no voice would come out, but her shoulders shook as she laughed.

We laughed for a little. Then Hiero put on a troubled smile and started talking.

"But, seriously? To express that Raide has odd connections, Handful fits."

"Kukuku. No... me too? Lately I think I am a troublesome guy. Leaving aside the talk of making my lovers struggle?"

"That was close! If you put in the struggle talk it would have been a lecture together with Nimi and the others."

"Hahaha! Aah. That is so. That was close. Fuhahaha!"

Hiero and I looked at each other and laughed. Senai patted my left shoulder, peshi peshi, covered her mouth, and shook her shoulders hard laughing.

We came out of the school building to the training ground and headed for the first year’s set training place. While walking I told Hiero about not enough hands.

Hiero heard me, folded her arms, and thought with a hard face, then smiled with a troubled face and shook her head.

"I do not think I have a good idea. Not enough hands has been around forever~. Look, there are lots of people, but the right people are not there so you run short."

"Ah~. That happens..."

I smiled wryly at Hiero’s words, nodded, then rubbed the back of my neck with one hand.

When I murmured to Hiero, "Every age has the same kind of worry?" she laughed happily and answered, "Some things do not change."

That is so. If it changed that dramatically there would be something scary instead.

We arrived and folded our arms waiting for the students when three figures heading this way from the school building came into view.

I checked my pocket watch. Fifteen minutes early. Early for students gathering. I tilted my head.

As they came closer I could confirm who was coming and ended up smiling with a troubled face.

Roy and Lucy were smiling wryly, and Enol-sensei was heading this way with a stern face.

Height about the same as Felica. Dark long brown hair folded and held with a barrette behind her head.

Her face is basically a stern expression. Her build is slim overall.

From the look her chest looks smaller than melon, and it sways with every step.

A short-sleeve white blouse and a light-brown long skirt that does not flare.

And slightly thick-soled boots, thick glasses. A woman teacher like a picture.

Enol-sensei came to in front of me still stern, stopped, turned to Roy and Lucy who had come along, and thanked them.

The two of them shook their heads with stiff smiles. From that look alone you could tell Enol-sensei was hard for them.

I thanked Roy and Lucy too and told them to change in the changing room.

Then the two of them let out a small breath of relief and headed for the changing room at a run. I almost laughed.

I stopped folding my arms, turned from their backs to Enol-sensei, and she lowered her head with no context so I hurried to stop her.

Enol-sensei lifted her face with a rare apologetic look, held out a tightly gripped hand palm-up, and opened it.

On her palm was a goldwork earring. The one Roy picked up in the event. She had probably returned it just now.

"I heard from Roy-kun. That Instructor Raide told him it was mine. It was important. Thank you."

"Not at all. Please do not mind. Good that it was found."

"Um... I heard you saw it being worn..."

I cut Enol-sensei’s words, set one index finger at my mouth, and shook my head while smiling.

She must have understood from my gesture that she did not have to say the rest. Enol-sensei smiled a little with a troubled face and nodded.

I told Erika I had seen it worn. Not a lie, but in truth I saw it in a play video.

In Enol-sensei’s profile it was written that she loves cute things.

There a player who liked Enol-sensei tailed her hard. The result, glasses off, wrapped in cute clothes, wearing the earring, was caught in a video and boiled for a while. I remember.

What was caught was almost an instant, but she was wrapped in a cute frilled dress.

She seems to keep that look secret from the students, so I stopped putting it in my mouth on the training ground where students had started gathering here and there.

To Enol-sensei still smiling a little troubled I lowered my index finger and spoke still smiling.

"I only happened to know. And if it is thanks, I got to see Enol-sensei’s rare face so that is enough."

In the video the players caught the clothes had changed, but the expression had not.

That changing expression of Enol-sensei, and even a small smile. If I wanted more than that I would be struck by punishment.

Enol-sensei blinked several times at my words, smiled wryly for an instant, then immediately changed to a serious expression and spoke.

"I understand well that you are a sly person. I will come give thanks ’another time.’ Then..."

Enol-sensei lowered her head to me small once more, then headed back to the school building.

I watched that back while rubbing the back of my neck with one hand when Hiero peeked her face from behind and stared with flat eyes.

I understand what you want to say, so could you stop the flat eyes?

Senai maybe did not understand the meaning of the exchange just now and asked in a small voice from beside Hiero.

"What Enol-sensei said, what does it mean?"

"Nn? Aah... when she is not faculty she will come give thanks."

"Meaning you did a Handful thing!"

"...Is that so?"

"Is that so? ...not that. You did ooooo!"

I laughed at Hiero’s look and got combo-poked. Erika who had come close for training looked at us with a blank face.

Senai smiled wryly and whispered to that Erika. Little by little she went flat-eyed.

Wait. I surely did not do that much of a Handful thing.

I only said an honest impression...