Chapter 283: The Departing Edelweiss!
"Ahm…"
"Oh! This is really delicious!"
"This honey… I've never tasted honey this good before."
Edelweiss dipped the dessert in her hand into the honey Luke had taken out again, then asked with a blissful expression,
"Where did you buy this?"
At this moment, the medical kit and various tools that had just been used to treat their injuries had already been put away from the low table between the two of them.
In their place were all kinds of delicate desserts and drinks.
Because of the restriction of "Rule of Grace," Luke and Edelweiss could be said to have spoken openly with each other for a while.
She showed great interest in the swordsman who had defeated her, while also being somewhat curious about how much he truly knew regarding the Rebellion's plan.
As for Luke, after confirming from her that Ikki, Stella, and the others would not encounter life-threatening danger, he relaxed and began chatting with the world's strongest swordsman.
However, just chatting was a little too plain.
On top of that, after going through such an intense round of combat, Luke was somewhat hungry.
And so, the situation slowly evolved into…
In a desolate ruin, beneath the rainy night sky—
The two swordsmen who had just finished trying to kill each other leaned against a broken rock and began eating pastries beneath a huge beach umbrella.
…If someone happened to pass by and see this scene, there was an eighty percent chance they would treat the bizarre sight before them as some strange urban legend.
Of course, all the food had been taken out of Luke's portable pocket.
Aside from some ordinary desserts from this world, he had also brought out several specialties from the dungeon world.
The honey Edelweiss praised so much was one of them.
Food made from these special ingredients was simply worlds apart from ordinary sweets in this world.
In order to raise this pure-white swordswoman's favorability, Luke had truly spent quite a lot.
…Although his ultimate goal was to make it easier to spar with her in the future.
In any case, the effect was extremely obvious.
Edelweiss was captured almost instantly by this flavor she had never tasted before.
Since she loved sweets very much, she immediately asked the boy where she could buy it.
Unfortunately, this was not a product of this world.
"You could say I got it from a friend. For other people, it's almost impossible to buy."
"The output isn't very large either. Once it's gone, I'll have to wait a long time before I can get the next batch."
"But I still have some on hand. If you want it, I can give you some."
When she heard Luke say it could not be bought, her mood immediately became somewhat low.
For a girl who loved sweets, being able to taste such delicious honey only once in her life was practically a lifelong regret.
However, when he then said he could give her some, she became a little pleasantly surprised.
"B-but…"
Even with that surprise, she still looked somewhat hesitant.
Ordinary sweets were one thing. They were not worth much, so accepting them could not really be counted as owing a favor.
But this kind of honey, which sounded expensive just from hearing about it, was different.
It was not sold publicly, was limited in quantity, and had very low production.
If she accepted it, then the favors she owed Luke would only grow larger and larger.
Not only that, but Luke's gesture of goodwill was also far too obvious!
"It's almost like…"
Edelweiss felt slightly embarrassed. After all, with the way he was acting, it was hard for her not to let her thoughts drift in a strange direction.
However, just as her maiden heart began to stir again, she suddenly remembered the condition the boy had proposed earlier.
Her originally slightly shy expression froze in an instant, and she asked in an extremely subtle tone,
"You… aren't thinking of using desserts to bribe me so that it'll be easier to ask me for a match in the future, are you?"
Her tone was very subtle, but deep inside, she still held a trace of expectation.
Of course, this did not mean she had already fallen for him. The relationship between them was still quite far from reaching that point.
However, as a girl—especially one with no experience in this area at all—
When faced with goodwill from someone of the opposite sex, and when that person was also outstanding enough, regardless of whether she had any affection for him, she would still feel happy inside.
As mentioned before, deep down, Edelweiss was actually not very different from an ordinary girl.
Faced with Luke's goodwill, of course she hoped he was doing this because he admired her, not because of her strength or swordsmanship.
However, the surprised expression on Luke's face easily shattered the last trace of expectation in her heart.
"You guessed it."
"I really did have that idea. Was my intention that obvious after all?"
Looking at his embarrassed expression, Edelweiss sighed deeply in her heart.
Although she felt very sad, she had to admit that she was already getting a little used to it.
She dipped the dessert in her hand into the honey again and placed it in her mouth, feeling the happiness and sweetness spreading across her tongue.
In the end, Edelweiss still nodded helplessly.
"I want it. Please give me some…"
…
The two continued eating while chatting casually.
At the same time, they were both sensing the distant rumbles and tremors that occasionally reached them.
Luke and Edelweiss's battle had been intense, but because both of them were extremely fast, it had also ended very quickly.
In comparison, the battlefield in the distance, whether it belonged to Ikki or Stella, had continued for a long time.
Since the incident had not ended, neither of them was in a hurry to leave.
Only when the distant sounds gradually vanished, and when they calculated that the others would soon come looking for them, did this "tea party" between Luke and Edelweiss finally come to an end.
Feeling the magic power inside her body already circulating smoothly, she once again sighed inwardly.
"This honey really isn't simple."
It was not just the honey. Some of the other things were not simple either, such as the mixed fruit juice the two of them had drunk earlier.
These things that looked like desserts and drinks had invisibly and greatly accelerated Edelweiss's recovery speed.
Otherwise, with the soul injury she had suffered, even if she could use magic power now, it would not be this easy.
Holding the "bribe" food Luke had given her, she looked deeply at him.
"If you have the chance in the future, come to the 'Sword Peak,' Edberg, to find me."
"I'll entertain you at my home. Consider it my return gift for this time."
After saying that, the pure-white Valkyrie turned and departed into the distance.
Before she left, she left him with words that sounded almost like a declaration.
"The next time we fight, I hope you can surprise me even more than you did today."
"Next time, I won't lose again!"
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