42 This Hero and The Moonlit Sky! (1/2)
After we had finished our dinner, it was time to decide who would be on watch.
”Alright, how are we doing this?”
”I feel like a guy and a girl should stay up. We'll swap out in 4 hours.”
”Why a guy and a girl?”
”Sorry, Kenji-san. It's not as if I don't trust you, but we still don't know each other very well.”
”A-Ah… I understand…”
”Come on! Hurry up so I can sleep! Kenji, let's do rock paper scissors to decide who stays up first! Loser takes first watch!”
”Heh… Alright, but don't cry when you lose!”
Tael probably doesn't realize that since my luck stat is at 10 now I have a higher chance to win at rock paper scissors.
”Fufufu… Are you ready, Tael?”
”Let's do this, Kenji!”
”Rock-Paper-Scissors!” x2
I had thrown paper while Tael had thrown scissors.
Hm? Wait a moment, this isn't right…
”Haha! I win! That means I get to sleep first!”
”W-Wait a second! How did you win? My luck stat is 10 now, I shouldn't have lost!”
”Hm? My luck stat is 19 now. Remember I leveled up twice?”
Ah… I made a fatal mistake.
”Oh my oh my oh my could it be… You're mad that you lost, Kenji-kun?”
”S-Shut up! Don't call me 'Kenji-kun!'”
Kany and Erana were both watching us as we were arguing.
”U-Um… That means that Kenji-san and I will take the first watch…”
”Fine… Whatever. At least I won't have to RESCUE YOU FROM GOBLINS AGAIN!”
Instead of replying to my banter, Tael merely did a small dance while smugly smiling at me before getting into his new sleeping bag.
I found a soft mound of dirt and took a seat. Erana sat near me on a mossy stone. Her posture was aloof which contrasted with her elegant demeanor.
”Well, Kenji-san, I hope that nothing happens while we're keeping watch!”
”D-Don't set flags like that! What is wrong with you people?”
”Flag? What does that mean?”
”Oi, Onii-san, Erana, you're too loud. I need to sleep.”
”Ah, sorry Kany!”
Kany merely grumbled in response as she settled back into her sleeping bag. Erana and I sat quietly for a little while before the snores of both Tael and Kany assured us that they were asleep.
The sounds of owls, the chirping of crickets, and the darkness of the sky told us that it was late at night. The soft crackle of the fire and the sound of snoring echoed from our camp.
”I think we can talk now without waking them up, Kenji-san. Let's just keep it quiet, just to be sure.”
”A-Alright… What do you want to talk about?”
Why am I nervous? Is it the ambience? Is it because a girl is talking to me alone while others are asleep? Did I level up the affection meter enough to get this scene?
”Hm… Tell me more about you, Kenji-san. I don't know much about you after all.”
”...I'm 18…”
”Ah, the same age as me! When is your birthday?”
”May 4th…”
”Haha. I'm 2 months older than you!”
”Why does that matter? We're the same age!”
”Because I'll be 19 while you're still only 18!”
”You know for someone older than me you sure are acting childish…”
Erana only giggled in response.
”Well, tell me more about you! What did you do before you became an adventurer?”
Ah, the one question I never want to be asked.
”I… studied… Yeah! That's what I did!”
”Why did you just reassure yourself of that?”
”Don't worry about it.”
”O-Okay… What did you study?”
”A lot of things. Sometimes I studied math, other times I studied the power of certain monsters.”
”Wow! So you know a lot about monsters? You didn't know what a hobgoblin was though…”