Author: Suisei
Translated by: Rinkage
Special thanks to: Solistia for contributing the Light Novel

Character page: here

Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Quite a lot has happened and I just moved to a new place this month, but I’ll try my best to complete this volume (there are only two chapters left).

Rinkage

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Chapter 08: I made a friend decide (part 2)

“…Fun.”  [Happiness]

“Hey, you are thinking of something strange right now, aren’t you? Who taught you that sly smile?!”  [Youki]

She had a devilish smile plastered across her face at that moment.

“…A secret.”  [Happiness]

“Damn it! Who’s the one who has been teaching Happiness all these strange things!”  [Youki]

Happiness and I bickered as usual while Raven slept in the next room. However, I was well aware that she was often glancing towards the next room and at the window as we were having our exchange. She was probably worried about Raven, who had exhausted himself, and Shike-chan’s friend, who was still captured. I was anxious as well, but nothing could be done at that point. As such, I played the clown to calm Happiness down until Raven woke up.

***

“Sorry, it seems like I have slept for a long time. Hmm, my stomach feels heavy?”  [Raven]

“Ah, you finally got up? I had thought that you would be taking only a short nap, but it looks like you’ve slept for the whole day.”  [Youki]

“What!?”  [Raven]

I spent the day in the room with Happiness, having silly conversations with her. However, unexpectedly Raven had slept like a log. I ended up feeling drowsy and fell asleep as I sat on a chair. Happiness should have still been awake at that time. However, when I woke up later, I noticed that she was asleep as well, kneeling, as she leaned against Raven.

“Yawn ~ Good for you, Raven. It’s your reward after working so hard for the past few days.”  [Youki]

“Uh, H-Happiness, wake up.”  [Raven]

Raven ignored my remark and attempted to wake Happiness up while feigning calmness. The expression of the latter, who was sleeping peacefully before, turned into a grimace. I suppose no one would be happy to be woken up from a comfortable sleep.

“…sleeping.”  [Happiness]

“Don’t talk in your sleep. Please, get up.”  [Raven]

Raven was getting impatient. A sense of desperation could be heard from his voice as he shook her, albeit lightly.

“Isn’t it fine just leaving her like this?”  [Youki]

“No, it’s not fine!”  [Raven]

In the end, Raven decided to leave Happiness as she was until she rouses herself. I wished he wouldn’t look so distressed, though, considering this was akin to a reward to him.

“Good grief… Well, just in time anyway. Youki, could we have a short talk?” [Raven]

“As good a time as any, I suppose. I don’t mind helping you kill some time.”  [Youki]

“Thank you. Actually, about helping that demon, I’m still feeling conflicted about that.”  [Raven]

“It’s evident that Shike-chan was threatened. What else is troubling you?”  [Youki]

I didn’t want to think that he had been running himself ragged for the past three days only to suspect Shike-chan again. If Happiness were to hear this, she would be sad.

“Demons have been my enemies all this while. That goes for you, too, right?”  [Raven]

“No, I mean, I suppose so.”  [Youki]

I’m a demon, so I’m in a complicated predicament.

“I made a promise, so I’ll save her. Even so, there’s no guarantee that those mermaids wouldn’t commit any crime again even after we helped them, right?”  [Raven]

“You’re still worried about something like that?” [Youki]

“Something like that, you say?! Listen, this is a grave issue. That mermaid’s song is powerful. Even though it is only limited to places with water, once attacked, the damage will be…”  [Raven]

“Okay, I got it, I got it. Just calm down and take a deep breath.”  [Youki]

I tried to soothe him as I grabbed onto his shoulders. It would seem that he still couldn’t get his head around it, probably because he was still tired. That, or it could be because a certain someone was still leaning against him.

Once he calmed down, we resumed our conversation.

“Did you forget what I’ve said in that cave?”  [Youki]

“Uu…”  [Raven]

It didn’t seem like me to spout such a corny line at that time. Thinking of it made me wish the ground would swallow me up. Raven seemed to recall it, too.

“You’ve steeled your resolve, so don’t let any doubts make you waver. Otherwise, you’ll be hated by Happiness.”  [Youki]

“Ugh… you’re right. I’ve already made my decision, so I shouldn’t falter anymore.”  [Raven]

It was a relief to see Raven regaining his composure.

On a different note, I thought that Happiness would have woken up by now, but this shrewd harpy was actually pretending to be asleep. I knew this as her lips were curled into a small smile. She was eavesdropping on our conversation! Raven, on the other hand, who was still in a highly enthusiastic mood after regaining his determination, didn’t seem to realize it.

In truth, I would like to save Shike-chan’s friend as soon as I can, but let’s give the two of them some time for now.

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