Chapter 325: The Temptation of Delicious Food!
"Please!"
"No!"
"It really is effective, so please, I absolutely—"
"I said no, so no!"
While Akatsuki Academy's members and Hagun Academy's group were locked in fierce battle, Luke and Edelweiss's battle had still not begun on the other side.
Rather…
The two of them were actually getting along quite harmoniously?
At this moment, Luke was asking Edelweiss for something with an embarrassed expression.
Edelweiss, on the other hand, had a dark expression and had turned her head away, not wanting to pay him any attention at all.
"Please! Let's renew the vow."
"The training effect I got from using your Noble Art, Rule of Grace, has been way too obvious recently. To be honest, I'm even a little jealous."
Listening to Luke's request and heartfelt praise, Edelweiss, who should have felt happy, instead became even more depressed.
It was not just depression.
Irritation, anger, and all kinds of negative emotions swirled inside her heart.
"I refuse! I don't want to! Go away!"
"I will absolutely never use Rule of Grace on you again! No matter what you say, never!!!"
Edelweiss twisted her head away, looking as though she was sulking.
Actually, it was not that she was truly sulking. Rather, she felt that if she kept looking at Luke, she might not be able to stop herself from cutting him down with one sword strike.
She was not really pouting, but her anger was very real.
After all, Luke had been using Rule of Grace to harass her during this period, and it had already annoyed Edelweiss to death.
And now he actually had the nerve to ask her to renew the vow?
Was he joking?
What did he think her ability was?
She did not develop this ability specifically for his training, you know…
"No matter what you say, I won't agree—"
"Mm… Then how about I use one jar of honey as payment?"
"Honey?!"
Edelweiss's words cut off halfway.
She knew what honey Luke was talking about.
Ever since she had eaten it at Luke's side last time, Edelweiss had been unable to forget that taste no matter what.
The other jar of Hibachitei honey she had received from Luke as a gift had been treasured by her like a precious jewel.
Since Edelweiss had no way to obtain more, she was usually reluctant to eat it at all. She was afraid that every little bit she ate would be one little bit less, until one day she would never be able to taste that deliciousness again.
Even so, she often could not stop her own desire.
A little bit, then another little bit, then just one more little bit.
Now, one-third of that jar of Hibachitei honey had already been eaten by Edelweiss.
Every time she saw the partly empty jar, Edelweiss felt extremely distressed, yet she could not suppress the desire to eat more.
The happiness she felt after eating it was simply unforgettable.
Heartache, happiness, then heartache again.
Under this repeated vicious cycle, her supply of honey grew smaller and smaller.
And it was not just the honey.
Last time, Edelweiss had received two special foods from Luke.
The other was the uniquely flavored mixed fruit juice, which was in no way inferior to Hibachitei's honey.
In fact, because it was a drink, the mixed fruit juice was being consumed even faster than the honey.
Edelweiss, whose tastes had already been spoiled by these two delicacies, completely did not dare imagine what would happen once both foods were gone.
At the very least…
She would definitely spend a long time unable to enjoy tea or meals properly.
"Uu… h-honey…"
Quietly repeating the word in her mouth, Edelweiss's originally extremely firm refusal instantly began to waver.
Seeing Edelweiss suddenly stiffen in place, Luke raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Actually, Edelweiss's refusal just now had been within his expectations.
Although he did not know why she was rejecting him so absolutely, Luke had considered this possibility beforehand.
After all, she had no obligation to help him.
If she truly insisted on refusing to "renew the contract," there was nothing Luke could do. In the end, he could only give up.
Seeing Edelweiss reject him so firmly, Luke had already begun wanting to sigh.
But immediately after that, the payment he had suggested as a test produced an unexpected effect.
'Looks like I underestimated how much Edelweiss likes desserts.'
The strongest pure-white Valkyrie of this world was actually a girl who loved sweets.
This fact still surprised Luke somewhat.
But beyond the surprise, an amused smile appeared on his lips.
While the other party was caught in hesitation, Luke quietly took a recording tool out of his Portable Pocket.
At the same time, he probed verbally.
"Come to think of it, calculating the time, the mixed fruit juice I gave you last time should be almost finished by now, right?"
"Mm… If you agree to form a new vow with me, how about I add one more jug of mixed fruit juice as payment?"
"Oh, now that I think about it, I don't have much mixed fruit juice left either… If you don't take it now, who knows whether you'll be able to drink it again in the future~"
Luke's words were actually complete lies.
Unlike Hibachitei's honey, Luke had quite a large stock of the mixed fruit juice made by Mama Mia.
Luke had a very good relationship with Mama Mia, Ryuu, Syr, and even Anya, so obtaining the signature drinks of the Hostess of Fertility was extremely easy for him.
He barely even needed to spend money.
If he simply asked, he could get an entire barrel of it. Compared to Hibachitei honey, which required a large sum just to buy one jar, it was much easier to obtain.
This kind of trick to coax a little girl would normally never fool Edelweiss.
Whether as the strongest swordsman or as a Desperado standing at the peak of this world, Edelweiss could easily see through such a ploy.
The problem was, she was not looking at Luke at all right now.
Edelweiss, who had turned her head away, gradually lost her resistance under the temptation of honey and fruit juice.
"Uu… j-juice…"
"I might never be able to drink it again… n-never again…"
Edelweiss's wavering was even more serious than Luke had imagined.
Looking at Edelweiss, whose conflicted expression somehow made her seem inexplicably cute, Luke kept recording while waiting for her to "surrender."
However, Edelweiss's will was not so simple that it would yield that easily!
After recalling the miserable experiences she had suffered recently, Edelweiss finally overcame the temptation of delicious food.
"E-E-Even if you offer honey and juice as payment, I still… I-I still won't agree!"
"Uu, QwQ."
The instant Edelweiss forced herself to reject Luke, she felt a deep sadness from the bottom of her heart.
Seeing Edelweiss look so sad that she almost seemed ready to cry, Luke actually felt a trace of guilt, as though he were bullying a little girl.
Sensing her rapidly falling mood, Luke helplessly scratched his head.
Honestly, he had not expected that even after wavering to this extent, Edelweiss would still refuse him.
At the same time, that also made him curious.
Luke blinked and asked Edelweiss in confusion,
"Speaking of which, why are you so against using Rule of Grace on me?"
…
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