---- A few days passed after I became two years old.
I was lying down in plains on top of the hill close to my house from which I can look down the entire Mizell town. While lying down, I also read a book about elemental magic that I got from the bookworm Merouane-san, the daughter of the grocery shop, after paying her some money. But the more I read, the more I realize that the principle of the magic is much less similar to the game so I can’t help but to get drowsy from reading it.
I suddenly hear a familiar watery sound so I open my eyes and look at the direction where the sound comes from. And what I see there is a slime. Slime is of course a hostile kind of monster but that one is the slime that I had given the skill [Tame] before and it now successfully become my [summoned beast].
That is the effect of the skill that is rewarded when reaching level 95 of [Negotiation] skill, [Allegiance]. You have to weaken a monster first by either shaving its HP or giving it negative status effect to successfully actives [Allegiance]. One activated, it will give a chance to cast [Tame] to the monster. I managed to tame this slime before and now it enters my party and I treat it the same way as I treat my party member.
In eternal magia, the party member limit is 100 people. This is the maximum number of people that can join in the guild versus guild event. Once people join a party, no matter how far they separate, unless that person joined another party, they will always be a member. That’s also the reason why I still receive a small amount of experience from my dad even when we are apart when I was still a baby.
“UWAa!...... So you also here Riona?…… don’t appear suddenly like that”
Riona also a two years old now. When she had her birthday party, there are only a few people that was invited in it. This situation happened because Sarasa-san is a half-elf that tries to lives a normal human life while hiding her long ears as well as her true identity. So the peoples that were invited were the people that understand her situation so there’s only my mom, the clothes shop’s Elena-san and her children, Monica-san the hunter, and Serra-san the sister.
Seems like this world and earth has some small difference in human growth speed. The two years old here are comparable to earth’s four or five years old. Because this is my and Riona present growth condition is like.
I also come and congratulate her in her birthday party but…… my bad habit seems to kick back in. I have yet to deliver her my present. After a lot of thinking, I in the end choose [that] as her birthday present. [That] is definitely the best thing to give her I think and I also carry [that] with me even now.
“Hiro-chan, want some apples?”
“Is that so? It’s delicious you know?”
“Hiro-chan, you know, just now, Stella-oneechan and everyone was walking toward the woods”
“The woods huh…… well that’s got nothing to do with me anyway”
I want to say: ‘Why don’t you just leave me alone and go play with them?’ but I definitely don’t have the courage to say so.
“Mommy also tell me to go out and play with Hiro-chan”
‘Even if you said so, that has nothing to do with me’
Riona who has a similar face to Hina when she was small is also saying such things to me too right now so I kinda feel uncomfortable somehow.
I always tried to avoid looking straight at Riona but it has to stop now. So I bring up my courage and look at her straight in the eye.
She has a chestnut-colored hair that is braided to both of her sides. Her eyes is shining bright just like a jewel. Combined to her ever cute smiling face I don’t have other comment beside ‘lovely’. Riona who doesn’t look like anything beside a cute little human girl is actually a succubus. Even when she just normally grows up, her [Charm] skill is also following her growth and rising steadily.
As the succubus race’s inherent skill, of course [Charm] skill will grow fast…… In fact, Riona’s [Charm] skill level had already reached 20 at this point of time. I need to work on a counter plan before she gets the skill [Charm: Opposite Sex] and made a mess with it.
“No you can’t. Wait until you grow up a little more”
“Ugh…… D-don’t look at me like that. I won’t let you even if you beg me”
Kids tend to cry easily like Riona did. I got panicked a bit from not knowing of what to do to comfort her. But suddenly, I got an idea on how to make her quit crying.
I softly put my hand on Riona’s head and pat her like crumpling on her soft silky hair. God, I’m dying from my embarrassment but I have to do this.
“…… Okay, I understand. Hiro-chan, Thank you”
But at the same time, I can feel something warm inside my heart. I don’t have much experience interacting with little girls like this in my previous live but….. Can I feel the same feeling if I heard from my mom that I used to take care of other kids when I’m small like this?
“No! Hiro-chan is Hiro-chan. Because Riona likes Hiro-chan very much”
“I’m fine being stupid. Hiro-chan is Hiro-chan!”
In this world, there are no customs of using pet-names by cutting midway the names that only contain 3 syllables or at least in this town. The one who calls me Hiro-chan is only Riona after all.
But then again…… What kind of person am I to get cold feet like this only because a two years old girl tells me that she ‘likes’ me? I can only defend myself with the fact that she is a succubus after all so it can’t be helped. Yes, it can’t be helped.
“……?” *tilt head
I curtly take out the magic sealing pendant from my pouch and put it in Riona’s hand.
‘This is your birthday present from me’ why did it so hard saying just to say that sentences? Even just saying ‘birthday present’ is already hard. But I can give it to her just the same even without saying anything.
- You have requested 《Riona》 to trade her [Common Apples] for your [Magic Sealing Pendant].
“T-that apple…… Thinking again made me want it so give it to me. In exchange, I’ll give you this”
Riona who had a blank look before from not knowing what I mean saying suddenly changed into an earth-shattering level of happy expression with smile beaming like the sun.
(If Riona charms random people in the street uncontrollably then thing will definitely get ugly…… that’s why, please make it works……!)
- 《Riona》 has activated her [Charm]! But [Magic Sealing Pendant] has sealed it so [Charm] failed its activation.
With this, RIona won’t just go and charm random people and cause troubles.
I been keeping on staring at the pendant that is now hanging on Riona’s neck so I was kinda unaware of other thing that is happening around so when I raise my face to look at Riona’s face…… I was stunned. Because there, I saw her smiling face that’s just like a beautiful flower in full bloom.
“Uh…… W-well…… I-it’s just because I want to eat this apples…… so it nothing much”
“But don’t tell anyone that I told you to do this okay! You know…… er, because it is a necklace after all. If your mom heard that I force you to wear necklace then she would get angry right?”
I know that there is a bad meaning hidden behind forced wearing a necklace to someone so I can’t help blurting it out…… Well, if it was Riona then she will definitely protect this secret.
But really, looking at her who is beaming with this much happiness over a pendant…… Wait, be calm me…… she is just a two years old!
“Stella-neechan and Ash-niichan and Deen-kun and Milty-chan!”
“…… Didn’t they said what are they gonna do there?”
“Err, they said that they are gonna go and beat up some gobolin. Deen’s dad got injured by one so they are going to take revenge”
Deen’s dad is also father Ricardo’s acquaintances so I heard about his unfortunate accident in the forest resulting on him getting injured. I know Deen is mad and I can relate on his feeling to have revenge but no matter how even if goblin is weak or even if this world kids grow fast, a four years and six years old kid won’t be able to face them ---- except me that is.
“No! Riona also coming!”
“For girl with slow legs like you, you can go after me slowly and we will meet there, OK!?”
Riona also worries about everyone situation and especially she worries about Stella-nee because she is very infatuated with her. Stella, who is two years older than us always pays special attention to Riona and take her out to play a lot. And because I always stick close to Riona to prevent her misfortune activating, I got many chance to talk with Stella.
---- And because Stella is like that, she is unable to stop Deen’s rashness. Even if the six years old Ash joins them, if a pack of goblins appear and attack them then it’s a game over for them.
But if I come and save them all with my one man invincible play like it’s nothing then according to Deen’s personality, his rivalry feeling would just get even worse.
Well, that kind of complex human relationship problem is nothing before my godly negotiation skill anyway.
◇◆◇
“---- Monica-neechan!”
- You have use [Plea] to 《Monica》.
“…… Understood! I’ll go with you!”
“What happened Hiroto?”
“Those kids!?...... Please let them be safe until we got there……!”
The peoples that I get to know when I was still a baby are still treating me with care even now. And they don’t even shrink back because of my notorious communication skill. Instead, I slowly integrated within this society without any problem now.