Chapter 114

Ludger started to continue his work like usual after he changed his clothes. After the busy time has passed,  only a few people still drinking and eating in the restaurant. As finally they got some time for them to rest to prepare for the dinner time. 

At that time,  Ludger tries to secretly look at Edgar and Rainold's faces carefully. Because of what Ludger just saw and felt before, he wanted to make sure that both of them were not someone who appeared in the game or a person who related to Renneshia in the game. 

'It would be impossible if it was related to 'Shia' time because they shouldn't be able to still alive until now...! What if they turned to undead? But I don't feel disgusting when I look at them so they must be related to one of them (Shia or Renneshia) but what kind of connection is it? Aren't they just Prince Edmund's friends that will die in the labyrinth accident later?? Why has it become so complicated?' Ludger feels headaches as he is thinking about their connection with him.

Ludger looks at Rainold with short brown hair and dark brown eyes. Although Rainold has a big body, he has a calming atmosphere around him that makes other people able to approach him. He also has a friendly attitude that makes it hard to hate him. But Ludger didn't know that all of it was how Rainold treated the people that he acknowledged or respected. Like the outfit that he is wearing, he is like a trustworthy knight who protects the weak.

Next, Ludger turned his face and looked at Edgar's mystical golden hair and eyes that seemed to be made from gold and jewels. He has a tidy and innocent appearance that is compatible with his priest outfit. But only his gaze is different because Ludger could see his burning emotion that was hard to read because of too many emotions mixed in it. And he also has a great charisma when he talks or acts that makes the others want to listen to his words.

Then Ludger tries to remember about the information about the people who relate with 'Shia' and 'Renneshia' in his memories but is unable to get any clue about them. Ludger feel they were just someone that Ludger met in this city and maybe Ludger just coincided with what happened to Ludger took place when they were nearby. For some reason, Ludger feels that he wants the strange things that happened to him to be only a coincidence. But reality is not as easy and simple as Ludger hoped or wanted. 

"Master Ludger, the young lady has regained her consciousness but she still needs to rest for a while. I have given her the drink that you made and she happily drinks it." Gracia comes and tells Ludger about Leona's condition.

"Thank you for telling me, Mam. I will go to check her condition with her friends." Ludger thanked Gracia for her help before going and telling Edgar and Rainold about Leona's condition.

***

Three people come to the resting room and they knock on the door before entering the room. After a few seconds, they could hear a panicked voice before Leona told them to enter. When they opened the door, they could see Leona's messy appearance. At first, they thought that it was because she just regained her consciousness but her hands were trying to hide something on her back. Her movement was too suspicious to make them able to ignore it.

"What are you hiding behind your back? Come on don't be shy and tell us about it." Edgar was the first person who react to Leona's suspicious behaviour. 

"T-There is nothing on my back! W-What do you mean? Ah...!" Leona panicked and she was surprised when she saw Ludger before her face blushed as if she was embarrassed. 

"Lady Leona...or do you want me to call you Lady Leo?" Ludger wants her to calm down so he tries to talk to her but it causes the opposite effect. 

"Eh!!!...T-Th-That kind of face is too dangerous! W-Wh-What did he j-just call me??! Ugh... I feel that there would be no more regret if I could die now!" Leona said while holding her chest. 

""What are you saying!!!"" Ludger and Edgar shouted with an angry tone at almost the same time.

"I-I...W-Why are both of you suddenly yelling at me?" Leona feels surprised but suddenly she retorts to the two people who yell at her.

"Ah! I'm really sorry for my rudeness, Lady Leona. I just feel worried about you but you said something about dying and made me a bit panic." Ludger said as he lowered his head and he apologised to Leona because he really afraid that she might be really die like what happened in the game.

"Huh?!...Y-You are worried about me!... Oh no! Please raise your head, 'Lord Ludger'! I didn't mean to be angry but I was just surprised when you shouted at me." Leona panicked and said anything she could thoughts about to make Ludger stop lowering his head like that.

"Will you really forgive me?" Ludger's eyes peeking from his bangs and make him looks like he said it with a pleading look.

"Ughhh!!! T-This is too dangerous!... Please raise your head! I will forgive you! How could I say no when you made that kind of beautiful...no, dangerous expression?! I never knew that I would be this weak to such expression!" Leona said in a confused manner. 

Ludger raises his head and thanks, Leona. "Thank you for forgiving me for my rudeness, Lady Leona."

'I don't know if it was a good thing or not to do this as her friend. But I think this really cheered her up and made her less angry to me.' Ludger thought and smiled at Leona which made her face get redder than before.

"It was really rare for you to forgive someone without holding any grudge like that!" Edgar said while chuckling at Leona's strange act.

"What do you mean! Ah! 'Lord Ludger', I have forgiven you because it was not your fault. Right the person who should apologize to me was not you but him!" Leona said and pointed at Edgar.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?!! Ludger seems to say the same thing with the same tone, but why did you only blame me? Why do you give me a different treatment like this?" Edgar angrily said as he couldn't accept the injustice of her words.

"Of course, there are too many differences between the two of you like face and attitude for example. Besides, I just heard from the other customers in the restaurant before that 'Lord Ludger' is justice so, how could I be angry or blame him?" Leona proudly said.

Edgar and Leona continued their banter for a while until Ludger and Rainold decided to stop them when their words went in a weird direction. Both of them said that the other should thank Ludger for stopping he/she because they only do that to not trouble Ludger. Rainold could only shake his head watching his best friends acting embarrassingly in front of their new friend.

"So could you tell me what do you want to say to me?" After they get calmer, Ludger decide to ask the question that bugging him.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about it! Actually, I want to ask you about how you can do chantless magic when you catch those thugs." Leona asked with an interest expression.

"Oh!...T-That's not actually the real chantless magic that you often thought. Actually, I was still chanting the spells without making a voice. I think that some of the thugs saw me moving my mouth like I was saying something in a small voice.

"!!! What kind of brilliant idea it was! As expected from 'Lord Ludger'! No one will be able to steal your brilliant way!" Leona said with an excited expression.

"Then, can you tell me about the move that you used to throw that thug's big body with your small body? Do you use magic or it was related to the technique that you use to fight them?" Rainold seems to be really interest in the martial arts that Ludger used.

"That is a technique that uses my opponent's power and turns it back to them without any need for me to worry about it. As it was a really wonderful technique to help a person with a small and thin body like me." Ludger said.

"That...! How could you learn about such a technique? Why have I never heard about it?" Rain old said with a disbelief tone.

"Well, it was something that I heard from someone who came from a faraway place when I still travelling with my Mom a few years ago." Ludger told them about the (fake) stories that he made as their background. 

"Then can you teach me how to do it?" Rainold said with an excited expression.

"Hmm, I also have some interest in it. Can you also teach me that technique? Of course, I won't make you do it for free." Edgar said with a serious expression.

"That's no fair! I also want to be taught by you about your magic techniques.  Your magic is so beautiful so would you teach me about it? Please..." Leona begs.

"I-I'm not good with teaching the other so I don't think I would be able to teach you and help you to learn it." Ludger said with an unsure tone.

"It's alright! As long as you teach us the basic. I really hope we will be able to start it now but I think Leona should rest now so we will go back to the place where we are staying." Edgar said and the three of them left the Red Dawn restaurant.