Free Web NovelChapter 25: Show Me
When the emotions began to fade, Valeria’s eyes were slightly puffy from crying. Luke internally laughed, finding her to look like a kitten when putting on her usual expression. With her mind clear, Valeria had started to think about the situation and came to the conclusion that even though she had proof, it still didn’t make sense that a F-Rank explorer who had just graduated would be able to cure her incurable injury.
How?
Luke panicked slightly at the question, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t formulated a response for the question during his daydreams.
On the day we got married, I felt something. Like our mana was connected, but yours was barren. Then when I cleared the awakened rift, something seemed to unlock and I felt like I could give you my mana.
She paused and used the deductive skills that brought her to SSS-Rank.
You know more than that. Based on your question, you are sure that I would lose my spells.
No, I’m not sure. I just figured that if you were willing to part with the thing that made you an explorer, then you wouldn’t be mad if I used this connection.
His face didn’t present a single telling feature. If he was withholding any information, she wasn’t even sure she would want to hear it.
Even though I can feel mana in my core, it still isn’t repaired. Yet earlier you said you could fix it.
Luke hadn’t expected the question, yet he weaved truth from the system in with a little bit of misdirection.
It’s a feeling. Like a spiritual pull that requires at least four times as much mana as I’ve already given you. It may be a false promise, but I have faith that it will work.
She continued to ask questions, each of which Luke had an answer for. Eventually, she was content with the range of information gathered and shooed Luke out so she could finish changing.
Luke agreed and went to the kitchen. He eyed the ingredients at his disposal, wanting to make something to celebrate the occasion. The system continued to bother him with notifications, which he promptly dismissed.
Reaching into the refrigerator, he pulled out a package of ground beef and a few veggies. From a cupboard he grabbed a cast-iron skillet and plopped it down on the stove top, preheating it while he shaped the ground beef into discs.
Valeria had finished changing and started to watch Luke, as he masterfully bounced around the kitchen. Before long, she had a plate in front of her.
The most appetizing-looking hamburger she’d ever seen was sitting in front of her.
Luke sat down with a plate of his own moments later, but at that point Valeria had already devoured the burger. Before she could even ask, Luke slid his plate over to her and went to make two more burgers.
When he came back, they wrote about nothing and everything. Any topic that came up, they explored.
Do you have a favorite animal, Luke?
Hmm, I was a big fan of monkeys growing up. What’s your favorite animal?
Dog.
I had a dog growing up.
Really?
Her eyes sparkled as Luke mentioned his family dog. Although, the story was from Earth, he felt that sharing the story honored his beloved dog.
Yep, Tucker. He was an Elkhound, some of my best childhood memories were with him. He barked a ton, though. The kind of bark that would drive someone crazy. Tucker was a happy dog though, always loved to play in the snow and roll in the mud.
Valeria chuckled as she read.
I wish that I’d had a dog, but I spent my entire youth training as an explorer. One day I want to own a real dog, not one summoned by a spell.
Maybe, when we have the time, we can look for a dog?
Again, her eyes lit up as he mentioned owning a dog. If there was anything he had learned about Valeria through the past few days was that she was very passionate about her passions. Although, the only passions he could go off of were hamburgers and spells.
I would like that.
The conversation turned to another direction and they continued to eat.
By the end of the celebration dinner, the two had eaten a combined 12 burgers, tying each other at six.
Throughout the whole dinner, Luke continued getting system notifications; something unusual for the sporadic system.
Finally, he gave in to the noise and checked the system.
[Reward Unclaimed. Claiming in 10 seconds.]
Luke knew exactly what reward it was. The Twin Wedding Rings which he hadn’t bothered with claiming.
He wasn’t sure how the reward would appear. It could just plop down right on the table or into his hand; he was hoping for the latter.
[Reward Distributing]
Two rings appeared inside his clasped hands resting on the dinner table. Luke thought about how to smoothly hide the rings, but during the process Valeria seemed to see the shiny objects in his hand.
What’s in your hands?
She wrote, causing him to actually panic. He was calmer when he had to lie about the system. The punishment wasn’t her trust, but instead his dignity. If she were to find out about the rings and not accept one.
He cupped the rings with one hand and wrote with the other.
Nothing, just some junk I had in my pocket.
She didn’t buy the lie.
Show me.
Not wanting to make the situation escalate any further, he opened his palm to reveal the two rings.
I just thought that- well you know we never got rings during the cerem—
She didn’t even let him finish writing his sentence, instead grabbing a ring from his hand and slipping it on her finger. She briefly studied the wedding band, twisting it around and following the pattern.
It rested on her ring finger, like it had always been there.
The sun reflected off its gold exterior, sending a ray of light into his eye.
Are you not going to wear yours?
Luke shook his head, before slipping it on his own ring finger.
