Today too, someone visited me while I was working on restoring the ruins.
「Oh, what’s up, Berkut?」 「Takumi-sama, I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but I would like it if you could listen to me for a bit.」
I wonder why? Bagworm and Tattered rag were supposedly being retrained, but could it be something else?
「What’s up?」 「Actually, Vart and Valto came to me and proposed. I have no plans of marrying just yet so I refused, but after that, they’ve been persistently……」 「Umm, you’ve heard that Vart-kun and Valto-kun are in the middle of being rigorously educated by Valkan-san and Valzak-san?」
Berkut seemed to think that it was to early to get married. It wasn’t strange to get married at 15-16 years old, but that doesn’t apply to the long-lived Aligerous race. Sophia who was also listening in was nodding her head in sympathy. In that case, why were Vart-kun and Valto-kun in such a hurry?
「Why are those two that impatient?」 「Perhaps Valto-kun and Vart-kun are competing with each other.」
According to Sophia, Vart-kun is Berkut’s childhood friend, so he wasn’t impatient for marriage like the Aligerous tribe would normally be. However, that changed when Valto-kun fell for Berkut at first glance.
「So the two are competing.」 「The two are bothering me.」
Berkut said so, looking fed up.
「Also, this is simply a guess, but those two probably admire Takumi-sama, so that might have influenced them as well.」 「Eh? Admire me? Influence?」
I was surprised the unexpected words that came from Berkut.
「That could be. Those two call Takumi-sama “Aniki”.」 「Takumi-sama who is strong and capable of making anything is a hero to those guys. Moreover, he has a relationship with the beautiful ladies Sophia-san, Maria-chan, and Marnie-san. At the very least, they want to imitate that. Being proposed to like that is just annoying to me though.」
I could feel my face reddening as Berkut overpraised me.
「No, wouldn’t it be better to work hard to get stronger?」 「Those two, you see, grew up spoiled because they were the chieftains’ sons, so they like to avoid the hard stuff.」
I can’t help but question their adoration, and find that the direction they put their efforts towards wrong. Well, I suppose it was only natural that Vart-kun and Valto-kun would like Berkut. After all, Berkut was the most beautiful girl in their community even after the merge.
「So, most importantly, what do you think of those two?」 「Indeed. That is what is important.」
This world is where the concept of males dominating over women is “natural”, the marriage decided on by the patriarch is absolute. But there are instances when women have strong positions in small tribes and communities. Women were strong in the Aligerous Tribe, as one could tell just by looking at Berkut. Similar to how Sophia, Maria, and Marnie raise me up, but it also feels like they could just as easily make me fall on my butt.
「Me? Hmm, Vart is just a childhood friend, and as for Valto, I have no idea what kind of guy he is, so if I had to put it bluntly, those two are nothing. I am so much stronger.」 「……yep, thought so. I’ll tell those two that if they have time to think of those things, they should get stronger.」
Before I knew it, this girl became a muscle-brain. “I won’t like you if you aren’t stronger than me.” Vart-kun, Valto-kun, you can’t win by being stubborn.
Maybe because she was able to voice our her complaints, Berkut looked refreshed.
「Oh yeah. If I get a bit stronger, I want a weapon made by Takumi-sama. Can I?」
The Aligerous Tribe were given leather armor and spears, so that wasn’t the case.
「Hmm, I guess. It would be hard to make one equivalent to Sophia’s and mine, but I don’t mind making equipment specifically for you. You’re the one who did your best among all the young people of the Aligerous Tribe, after all Berkut. 」 「Hell yeah! Thank you very much! I’ll do my best to be stronger!」
Saying so, Berkut flew at great speeds.
「That child will also be impossible to love for a while.」 「It can’t be helped. She’s having fun feeling stronger right now. Vart-kun and Valto-kun have it rough though.」
I just hope those two don’t become stalkers in the future.