GILF Hunter

Chapter 469: 469 A gift...

A certain amount of time passed after talking with Lia, and Ian, having finished his work, stepped outside.

Lia, who had been sitting quietly in the breakroom waiting for him, raised her head.

Ian noticed her and spoke.

’Did you wait long? Sorry.’

’Ah, no.... I didn’t wait that long.’

’Hm? Weren’t you waiting here since earlier?’

’...It was nothing.’

Since she had been sitting here ever since she told him she had something to say, Ian knew full well how long she had been waiting.

Lia, who had answered reflexively because saying she’d waited a long time might make her seem impatient, lowered her head with a flustered face.

Fortunately, Ian didn’t seem to mind much.

Normally, he might have commented on how long it took... but he seems to be in a good mood today. He just brushed it off with that thought.

Lia had been sitting in the breakroom, constantly contemplating how to bring the subject up to Ian.

Of course, she had thought about it to some extent, but spending time alone caused new thoughts to keep surfacing, cluttering her mind.

Now that she was actually about to talk, she felt shy all over again.

How to start the conversation, how far to discuss her future plans.... Her worries followed one after another in an endless loop.

A knight... she definitely wanted to become one.

But now probably wasn’t the right time. So she wanted to hear Ian’s plans and talk about when the right time would be.

Ian didn’t sit in the seat across from Lia but turned toward the exit and said.

’Let’s head out now.’

’Eh?’

...Head out?

Lia was flustered by the sudden suggestion and missed the timing to ask him why.

Since Ian had already stepped out while she was hesitating, Lia had no choice but to follow behind him with a slightly puzzled expression as he walked ahead.

She thought they would talk quietly in the breakroom or Ian’s room....

Did he intend to talk while taking a walk?

Since they were already outside, it was awkward to turn back now.

Lia eventually followed Ian submissively. It wasn’t like the location of the conversation was that important.

The streets were bathed in moonlight. It was a night with a bright full moon.

Thanks to that, the streets tonight were very bright.

It was a time when there were few pedestrians, but thanks to the bright moonlight, the forms of the knights huddled in the shadows of the street were clearly visible.

Similarly, the faint sounds of squealing could be heard from several knights who had discovered the two.

Lia noticed this and muttered with a somewhat exasperated face.

’Don’t tell me they’re still waiting....’

’Still waiting?’

’They said they’re hanging around just to catch a glimpse of your face, Leader.’

’What...? No wonder I kept seeing them nearby....’

Lia was flustered when she first heard the reason, so how must the person himself feel? Ian let out a sigh.

He had heard that the knights had even set up their base near here.

Perhaps because of that, knights who were only occasionally seen in the Labyrinth could now be easily spotted here every day. Lately, there were even people coming just to watch the knights.

Lia checked the faces of the knights standing on one side of the street. It was the same members from earlier.

They said they wanted to see his face by chance encounter, so did they really wait until now?

Seeing that, Lia glanced at Ian and spoke.

’You’re very popular with the knights.’

’It’s still a headache deciding what to do. The guild keeps asking what kind of relationship we have....’

’Is there a need to do anything? They’re doing it because they like it. Wouldn’t we become the strongest mercenary group if you just accepted all their applications?’

’How could I handle more than what we have now?’

Lia recalled Ian’s appearance in the labyrinth.

Lia, of course, didn’t believe the foolish things the knights were blabbing about.

Still, if he showed them something like that... shouldn’t he take responsibility? She secretly had such thoughts.

Ian himself was still insisting it was a coincidence.

She didn’t know what on earth he used for it to happen by coincidence.... To think it wasn’t intentional, that was actually more surprising.

Lia walked along and looked back slightly, just in case.

The knights seemed satisfied with just seeing his face, as they didn’t secretly follow the two.

She could look kindly on them trying to see his face under the pretext of a chance encounter near the lodging, but if they went beyond that and started following them, Lia would have had no choice but to step in.

Was it because they were knights that they were thorough in that regard?

Shaking off her thoughts about the knights, Lia and Ian walked the streets quietly for a while.

How far is he planning to go?

Just as Lia had that thought, Ian finally reached his destination.

The place they arrived at after walking for so long was a park on a hill a bit further away.

’This place is....’

A quiet spot slightly removed from the city center.

It was a place where the city could be seen below the hill and the sky felt wide and open.

Thanks to that, they could simultaneously view the city’s nightscape with its flickering lights and the night sky where the large moon had risen.

’Wow....’

It was a strange atmosphere.

A park looking up at the sky. Being far from the busy streets, it was a quiet place with no people at all.

It seemed like quite a famous spot, but unless it was the southern street, there wouldn’t be mercenaries with such refined hobbies as moon-gazing in this district. Effectively, they could use it as if they had rented it out.

It was a bit far from the lodging, but Lia could understand why Ian had walked all the way here.

And Lia felt a bit curious.

It seemed Ian also had something to say. What on earth could it be that he sought out such an atmospheric place on purpose?

’....’

Looking at Ian’s face under the dazzling moonlight, Lia felt an unusually intense tension begin to bloom in her chest.

Certainly, Ian had replied that he already knew what she was going to talk about.

Knowing that, he came to a place like this on purpose....

Lia swallowed hard without realizing it.

Her heart began to pound, and her body trembled strangely. It was because of the tension.

No, that’s not it.

Lia muttered to herself and shook her head quickly to snap out of it.

There was no way such an oblivious person would do that. It was definitely a misunderstanding.

Based on past experience, he was undoubtedly going to bring up some absurd story she could never have predicted.

Using her past experiences to blow away the strange feelings blooming within her, Lia returned to a serious expression.

She was prepared not to be surprised no matter what unexpected thing Ian might say.

’O... okay. I’m ready.’

’Then... here.’

The meeting was originally created because Lia said she had something to say to Ian, but the situation had completely flipped before she knew it.

When Lia spoke while staring at him, Ian also seemed to think it was time to talk and pulled out an item he had brought along.

A small wooden storage box that could fit in one hand.

Ian held it out to Lia.

Lia, with a blank face, couldn’t even ask what it was and just accepted it.

Accepting the box instinctively, Lia realized its weight was unusually light.

It seemed to contain something very light. Perhaps... jewelry?

Lia’s face, unable to suppress all the wild, strange imaginations, eventually turned beet red.

’W-what is this?’

’It’s a gift. I was thinking about when to give it to you, and I thought now would be a good time.’

A gift... needed right now.

Thrilling imaginations kept surfacing in Lia’s mind.

She hadn’t felt any such sign from Ian at all.

Well, he was just oblivious, not someone who couldn’t control his emotions. Had he been hiding such thoughts all this time?

Lia hesitated, unable to readily open the box.

...But is it right to open this and look at it myself?

While contemplating, a thought suddenly occurred to her.

’Something like this... isn’t it normal to put it on for me yourself...?’

’Hm? Is that so? It’s my first time giving something like this, so...’

’T-that much should be obvious even without saying, right?’

It seemed the thought she muttered to herself had escaped her lips.

When Ian asked upon hearing that, Lia replied curtly.

While he handled everything related to mercenary work or the labyrinth as if he knew everything, he was truly oblivious in this regard.

With that, Lia handed the box back to Ian.

Contradicting how much Lia had worried, Ian opened the box without hesitation.

Lia was startled to the point of flinching when she saw it.

’Ugh...!’

I-I’m not mentally prepared to see the contents yet...!

Even while making such a fuss, Lia’s gaze, unable to overcome her curiosity, headed inside the box.

The contents of the box entered Lia’s vision.

What was inside was a necklace.

To be precise, it was what one would call a collar.

The kind of item used inside the city when walking pets or tamed monsters.

’...Haa?’

W-what on earth.

What....

While Lia stood frozen as if she had turned to stone.

Ian, who approached holding it, fastened the collar around Lia’s neck.

And as if certain Lia would like it....

Looking at Ian, who wore an inwardly proud expression, Lia clenched her fists tight.