Chapter 154

Chapter 154: Barbatos Castle

Chapter 154 – Barbatos Castle

We passed through the renovated castle gate . How beautiful it is now . I’d like to take a closer look at the vibrant city, but there’s something I needed to deal with first .

Glancing at the well maintained garden with a lush tree in it, I pressed on .

Seto grinned . Apparently noticing what I glanced on earlier .

[The tree Fate planted has grown really well . ]

[Really?]

Taking a slight detour, I decided to take a look at the tree growing near the fountain .

[Ooh, it was still so small the last time I remember! Is this really the sapling from back then?]

[Yes . Still couldn’t believe it myself either . ]

[What a big tree it is . This size… . this should have taken at least 10 years to grow . ]

Roxy who was standing by my side also couldn’t hide her surprise as well .

Mimir didn’t seem to believe this, so she eyed us suspiciously .

[That’s got to be a lie, right? Fate-sama should stop joking either . ]

[Mimir, I wasn’t telling a lie . This tree was just a sapling when I was here last time . ]

Are you suspecting your own brother! Don’t look at me like that .

[It’s the truth! Right, Seto . ]

[It’s true, everyone . I don’t know why, but after Fate left Hauzen, the sapling grew at a tremendous rate . ]

Even when being told right in the face what actually happened, Roxy and Mimir still couldn’t believe me .

However, when Eris and Snow saw the tree .

[Amazing! I can feel Fate’s power coming from this tree!]

Saying that, Snow instantly hugged the tree .

[What do you mean, Snow?]

My voice didn’t seem to reach her, as she already closed her eyes, seemingly in comfort .

I tried to peel her away, but she stuck to the tree like a cicada .

[I see . It’s exactly as she said . ]

Eris who also stood right beside me probably felt something after she lightly touched the tree .

[What does that even mean?]

[This tree has been influenced by you . ]

I suddenly had a bad feeling . I used to believe that my power only affects humans .

[That’s…impossible]

[I also want to believe otherwise, but it is how it is . ]

If I were to believe in Eris’ words, then that means the power of Gluttony skill can actually influence plants as well .

[You are… truly special kind, aren’t you?]

[Special? Eris also has this kind of power too, right?]

[But I don’t . So far, only my two white knights have been empowered by my Lust skill . Even worse, I couldn’t do the same to plants . ]

[Is this… something good?]

When I planted the sapling, I only wished that it’ll grow big . Did Gluttony skill influence it to respond to my wish?

Is the power of Gluttony skill actually stronger than I previously thought?

[So far, I don’t know whether it’s bad or not . The tree itself has no other intention . It just wants to grow bigger . Doesn’t seem to intend any harm either . ]

As Eris kept talking, a feeling of relief washed over me .

[But for now, you shouldn’t focus on something else . Who knows, something might go wrong later on . ]

[Ahh… . got it . U~n, no strong thoughts, huh…]

Is this really the power of Mortal Sin skill? I could do it, but Eris couldn’t . That didn’t actually make me feel satisfied though . But looking at the result, just as Eris said, maybe I really should refrain from having a strong feeling about random things for now .

Roxy gave me a worried look . She then attempted to encourage me .

[There was a time when Fai wanted to become a gardener, yes? If you can use this power well, creating a garden you want should be a piece of cake, right?]

[Positively thinking, that’s true . ]

[Un, un . If I send some grape saplings from Heart mansion garden, would they not grow and bear fruits in no time at all?]

[That’s a good idea . I’ve been wanting to drink some Hauzen’s wine! Not to mention the wine’s color resembles blood, it’s also delicious . ]

Mimir also joined in the fray, all smiling as she imagined the taste of the wine . She then looked at my neck and licked her lips .

I unconsciously tried to conceal my neck and hid behind Roxy .

[Really now, Mimir! Stop doing that . I will keep an eye on you tonight . ]

[Eeeee! No way… my only source of fun…]

[That can be a problem . Mimir will just have to find some other way to have fun]

Eris was actually unrelated to the topic, but she patted Mimir’s shoulder as if trying to console her .

But Roxy caught Eris’ hand with a hint of anger .

[Eris-sama too . You are the Queen of this Kingdom . Even so… is sleeping next to Faye while in such a vulnerable getup is a Queen-like conduct?]

[Well…that’s…you see, I’m the owner of Lust skill after all . I always have the impulse to be intimate with a man . Like this!]

[Uwaa!]

I was listening to the two… when Eris suddenly hugged me and pressed her big breasts onto me . I instantly yelped quite loudly in surprise .

[What was that for! That is totally not allowed!]

Roxy protested, trying to peel off Eris from me .

But since Roxy’s opponent was an Area E, Eris simply wouldn’t budge .

As for me, if I put in some words here, I had a feeling that sparks would only fly out even more . So I just kept quiet . It’s something I learned after travelling with these girls for a while .

While her arms tightly folded around me, Eris stared at Roxy with a grin on her face .

[Ah, I get it now . Un, un… So that’s how . ]

[Wha, what now!?]

Eris’ line of sight was now directed at a certain part of Roxy’s body .

Roxy immediately turned around trying to cover her chest area in response .

[You’re jealous because you can’t do it like me . ]

[Wha, what does that even mean!]

[Well, calm down . There is still some hope for more growth . ]

Was she even trying to comfort Roxy? Her tone sounded like a Queen looking down on a peasant somehow .

There’s no such thing as a win or loss in that department… I could sense the sadness floating from Roxy’s back . But I don’t know what to say to console her . With only my short experience in life, I couldn’t think up any good words .

In the end, I decided to poke at Eris’ forehead .

[Please use your authority for a more proper stuff . ]

[Arara, Fate, don’t tell you are angry at me?]

[If we keep going this way, eventually, we’ll arrive at the castle . ]

[I knew that already . ]

Eris finally released her hug and proceeded to the castle on her own .

Really now? Then, what should I do with Snow who is currently stuck to the tree?

While I was thinking so, I heard Mimir’s voice calling out to the still listless Roxy .

[Roxy-sama, let us go as well! Come on, cheer up . ]

[Yes…]

[Come on now, your chest is just a tad bit on the smaller side!]

[Do not say that so clearly! Mimir wouldn’t understand my feelings . ]

[Ah, Roxy-sama! Please wait!]

Roxy, almost tearing up, stormed off into the castle . Mimir chased after her .

This side also makes me exasperated .

I lifted Snow up and ran to catch up to the girls .

[Not yet, still wanna play here!]

[We can visit the tree again later . Now let’s head to the castle! There must be something more interesting there . ]

[Really? Then what are we waiting for!]

The youngest of them all, Snow, was actually the easiest to persuade .

Finally on our way to the castle again . Just as I thought so, Seto, with Ann on his side, closing in on me .

[You really have a hard time, don’t you? At first I was a bit jealous seeing you bringing so many beautiful ladies… the Queen herself, and those former holy knights too . Now that I think carefully, no normal man will be enough to handle escorting them all . ]

[So…you understand my pain now?]

[Yeah, but nothing I can do about it, so hang in there, bud . ]

As someone who had married before, Seto sympathized with me .

[Oi! What’s with ‘nothing I can do about it’!]

[Obviously, I still want to keep my life intact . Therefore I can’t involve myself in it . I have an important daughter to care about after all . ]

[What part of this can be life-threatening… oh, right, each one of them are strong . ]

[That’s right . For me who isn’t even a warrior, it’s a whole other dimension . Everything will have to depend on Fate . It’ll be no joke if the newly renovated Hauzen collapsed due to some lover’s quarrel . Also, I hope all of you can refrain from acting lovey dovey while my daughter is around . It’s bad for her education . ]

[Yes… . . I’ll keep that in mind . ]

Pressured by the gaze of a father trying to protect his daughter, I could only relent .

Even the normally soft Seto could toughen up when it comes to his daughter . Even now, he’s still staring at me .

Looks like he didn’t trust me that much . Come on now, I could at least make sure that those girls are in line .

[Let’s go then . I’m worried about Eris and the others . ]

[It’s true that Eris-sama is a bit too freewheeling to be left alone inside the castle… I don’t know what she’ll do . ]

[Let’s make haste then . ]

Looking back, Eris was smiling coyly before she walked away .

I felt like that’s the face of someone who is up to no good . Now that I think about it, did I leave my room locked? I believe I left it open .

I really should make haste now .