Chapter 24 – A Dinner For Two

Miria finally started calming down after like five minutes of constant laughing. She stepped back, getting herself off Ast’s chest while some stifled giggles were still escaping her lips. She took a few deep breaths, having to pause for a moment to control more of the chuckles trying to surface, and glanced at smiling Asterios.

“Looks like you are having fun,” he said.

“I’m sorry, Master, but the look on their faces, I just can’t stop laughing when I recall it.” She blocked her lips with her hand to muffle another giggle.

Asterios shook his head. “I told them.“

“I know! And that’s why it’s so much more fun! That woman didn’t know what to do when I spoke to her!” Miria managed to tame down her laughter. “I hope they will now respect Master more.”

He brushed through her hair. “They definitely will respect you a lot. Especially that mage. You pretty much saved his life, even if he had any protection on himself.”

“We saved him. I wouldn’t have been able to do that by myself, Master!” Her tail danced proudly.

“Right, right.”

They got to arranging the interior. The tent was slightly bigger this time, allowing them to walk pretty much straight. It was wide enough for them to lie down and long for around two-person length. 

Asterios finished setting up his sleeping bag on one side of the shelter and noticed that Miria stood with hers in hands, slightly hesitating. He sat down and turned around. “Need help?”

She shook her head. “No. I… ummm…” Her gaze wandered all over the ground.

Ast sighed a bit. “I don’t mind.” 

He tapped his bed a few times, making it clear that he guessed Miria’s unasked question. It wasn’t that hard to realize with her tail shyly swishing behind her back while she covered part of her face with the unrolled bedroll. He didn’t need to clarify. Miria was aware that he figured out her intentions and nodded timidly with a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks.

She shoved the mattress to the side and noticed Asterios pulling out some rations from their backpack. “Ah! Master, wait!” She walked closer and stopped him.

“Hm?”

“I… since we have time, I’ll go and prepare something better at home. That is if Master doesn’t mind waiting for a moment,” she suggested, looking at him with gleaming eyes, waiting for approval.

“Of course I don’t. But, you don’t need to put too much wor—” Before he could finish, Miria already jumped into the portal, ignoring the latter part of his sentence, too happy for the earned chance. Asterios chuckled. “This girl. I hope she won’t try cooking anything complex she didn’t attempt previously. For her own safety.”

He wasn’t sure how long it would take Miria to finish and he didn’t want to peek on her to ruin the surprise, so Asterios decided to check on the rest of the party. They should have had enough time to calm down and talk with each other a bit already.

Leaving the tent, he found two campfires set up. One was being used by the coachmen and the other by Rudy and her squad. It looked like their drivers weren’t exactly the types to socialize a lot and preferred each other’s company. Not like it bothered him in any way.

Not intending to just waste time, Ast stepped back into the tent and picked up a wooden box from the backpack. With it in hand, he walked towards the spot where the adventurers were currently grilling a wild rabbit they stumbled onto on their path not that long before they stopped to rest.

They obviously noticed him coming and watched in silence as he sat near the fire on the opposite side and opened the wooden container. Asterios picked up an unrefined, orange crystal from it, pulled out his ornamental knife and started carving it very carefully. The little bits coming off it were sent into the fire, creating small explosions. Everyone was surprised to see him chisel a gemstone with ease. Tesser could feel that the small dagger was special in some way.

Douhlim nudged Rudy with his elbow and signalled at the boy with his eyes after she looked at him. The woman sighed. It was her responsibility as the leader to speak up. As rarely as it happened, she really hated apologizing, but this time they were clearly in the wrong.

She stood up and walked to Ast. He stopped his work and looked up at the muscular woman standing above him with arms crossed over her chest and quite an uncertain expression. 

“It appears that we’ve been slightly mistaken about your expected contribution into this quest,” she began.

Asterios returned his focus to the crystal. “Happens all the time. I bet you had your reasons.”

“Yeah, that’s true, but still, we labelled you as weak during our first meeting even though you tried to assure us that you aren’t.”

He chuckled. “You weren’t that far off. I was the weakest summoner in the history of the academy. At least until I got expelled a few weeks ago.”

Rudy frowned. She had a hard time believing that revelation. Him? Expelled? If he was considered the weakest, then what should be said about the guys they met in the past? Were they fakes? All five cases? Impossible.

“Nevertheless, we came out kinda rude and didn’t even care to listen, yet you not only proved us wrong by riding on your… beast? for the whole time, but also saved Tesser’s stupid ass from at least getting impaled, if not worse. So, we owe you an apology. Well… sorry about that.”

Others nodded accordingly to her words. Ast waved his hand. “Forget it. I didn’t take it personally. It’s all good if we are cleared up.”

“I see. Well, if you have anything to say about our current team composition then feel free to do so and we’ll properly discuss it with you this time.”

“We are fine with the current one. I’ll keep watching over from the sidelines and jump in when necessary.” 

Asterios glanced over the finished crystal and put it back in the box. Rudy returned to her seat and they started chatting more casually. Tesser spoke to Ast the most, especially about the techniques Miria used. Ast explained the details, but the man still couldn’t quite believe that his beast was able to achieve such results with just Haste.

Meanwhile, in Miria’s world, her mother had just entered the house to bring out something Miria’s father required in his workshop. Shortly after she passed the door to the kitchen, she stopped abruptly. A joyful humming could be heard from the room, accompanied by rhythmic tapping of a knife hitting a cutting board. She slowly backtracked and took a peek inside through the open door. 

Miria was standing by the counter and making a set of sandwiches. She prepared a lot of stuff around, like cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and boiled eggs. She was currently dealing with tomatoes.

Her mother raised an eyebrow and leaned herself over the door frame, observing Miria’s clearly joyous movements. Her head was tilting from side to side with each chop. Her tail was changing sides accordingly to her happy humming and even her ears twitched from time to time. Miria’s whole posture was bouncing around. She seemed lost in her own, small world. A smile began forming on her mother’s lips.

“Honey, are you having trouble findin—mwwhhhm…”

“Shhh!” 

Miria’s father came in looking for his wife since she was taking a bit of time to get the item. She quickly covered his mouth and shushed the man with short, blond hair down. She nodded her head towards the inside of the kitchen. Her husband followed it with his eyes, which widened in surprise after noticing Miria.

He slowly moved his wife’s hand away from his mouth, which was now left wide open.

“Is she… making sandwiches?” he asked in disbelief.

The woman nodded.

“Her? Preparing food? No way.” He shook his head.

“Yet, it’s happening. Right in front of our eyes.”

“She, who always found that a chore and shirked away from it whenever possible, willingly using so many ingredients just for some sandwiches? And she’s making so many!” he whispered.

Miria’s mom chuckled very quietly. “That’s a girl in love for you.”

The man looked at his wife. “Love? Didn’t they meet like less than three weeks ago?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You were the one to feed her with all those stories about Kaguya and now you are surprised that she fell for a man in almost the exact same situation as the legend portrays?”

“... Fair enough. If a charming princess summoned me to another realm, I’d pledge my life to her in an instant—ouch!” He felt a piercing elbow on his stomach. “Before I met you, that is!” The woman giggled and he pulled her into a hug from behind.

They stood together in the doorway and watched their daughter deal with food out of her own volition. It was truly a rare sight as Miria usually just grabbed whatever was on display or whatever her mother prepared, saying that putting effort in something like this was a complete waste of time. And right now, she was truly enjoying herself to the fullest with the supposedly pointless chore while looking all giddy.

Miria finished preparing all the sandwiches, placed them on a silver tray and sprinkled a pinch of salt and pepper on them for some additional effect.

“Perfect!”

She placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out proudly. She couldn’t wait to share them with Asterios. After checking through their connection, she verified that he had already returned to the tent and was waiting for her patiently. She focused completely on her work so she didn’t hear or see what they talked about in the other world, but she knew it went good.

Miria picked up the tray and joyfully spun around with it in her hands, giggling cutely. She stopped after two circles and prepared herself to walk through a portal to Ast’s realm, but the moment her own world ended spinning, she noticed two figures leaning over the door frame and smiling at her widely. She froze completely. Not a single strand of hair on her whole body dared to move.

“Man, I’m jealous. The last time you made me some was like on my birthday when you were seven I think. Those look tasty as hell.” Her dad eyed the enticing sandwiches.

She could feel her face getting red with each passing second. Miria made sure that both of her parents were out before she started and yet they had been watching for who knows how long.

“Some say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.” Her mother chuckled. “Tell me when I should start expecting some grandki—”

Miria launched herself through the portal before the woman had a chance to finish her sentence.

“Whoops. Looks like that part of her did not change in the slightest,” Miria’s mom commented with another chuckle.

The man shook his head with a wry smile. “No surprises there. You keep teasing her like this for years.”

“It’s not my fault that she is so shy and passive. No decent Beastfolk would get seriously interested in her if she kept being this way. I had to mop the floor with you three times before you acknowledged me, even though I knew you had a thing for me. But well, I guess Humans are different.”

“Ugh… Could we… not come back to that? My pride… kind shatters each time I recall it...”

The woman snickered, turned around, grabbed the man by the collar and pulled his face close to hers. “Either that or your pelvis. The choice is yours.” Miria’s father gulped audibly as the woman gazed intently into his eyes with a wicked smile.

Back in the other realm, Asterios saw the dark crimson portal opening and stood up, just to get slammed back down when Miria shot through the gate like a ballista bolt. He noticed the silver tray which flew out of her hands and somehow managed to support it as he crashed with his back onto the floor, with Miria landing on his chest.

He exhaled heavily and redirected his eyes from the tray he held on the side to Miria’s face, which was now pretty much in front of his, as close as to make their lips almost touch. She was completely flushed and now additionally wide-eyed at the position they found themselves in. He could feel that it wasn’t the only reason why she looked so embarrassed.

Ast waited for a moment but she seemed almost paralyzed. Only her slightly quivering eyes were changing focus from his own pupils to his lips. It looked like she was going to say something, but she stopped herself. He smiled and prepared to raise both of them up when Miria hastily closed the distance and left a quick peck on his lips, sitting up instantly and looking away.

He chuckled. It didn’t feel like a necessary mana transfer to him this time. Ast also raised himself, setting them both in a lotus position and glanced at the tray. “You really went all out with this, huh.”

“Not at all… it’s just… a few sandwiches…” She still kept looking away while blushing furiously.

With the amount of effort visibly emanating from every single piece, he understood that those weren’t just sandwiches. They pretty much rivalled what his mother sometimes prepared and she always boasted how they are filled to the brim with her love. Ast, of course, knew that Miria liked him quite a bit from the very beginning, but all the recent evidence pointed out that it actually delved deeper than just an affectionate master/familiar partnership.

He already thought a few times about that fact. While he personally didn’t have much experience with either girls or romantical love in particular, besides all the books he went through, and there were many, he completely understood that it would be immensely hard or straight-up impossible to keep up a good relationship with one side bearing feelings for the other and them not answering, avoiding it or acting as if it didn’t concern them in the slightest.

It would definitely hurt, even if the person would not show it, acting like they usually were. And hurting his beasts or partners did not exist in Ast’s dictionary. He ripped the page containing it off on the very first day he got fascinated with summoning and magical beasts. 

He loved them. Miria might have looked like a person, but the fact that she was his partner and summon did not change in the slightest. He didn’t know how that kind of love related to the one she started feeling for him, but it did not matter. His priorities stayed the same. And as his partner, she was now on top of the list of people or entities to keep happy, protected, satisfied. As long as the individual would at least partially reciprocate his care and kindness.

If a summoned beast was wholeheartedly against interacting with him more than the contract dictated, that would be perfectly fine. He would still love to take care of them, but to the extent where it would be comfortable for the other side. Nothing forced. 

At the same time, he did enjoy all the time they spent interacting with each other and he definitely was having fun with Miria by his side. They got closer to each other, from both sides. While at first, she was just a curious summon to him, who happened to be quite openly emotional and fascinated with him and the world, with time, Asterios began seeing Miria more and more as a real girl.

That's why he decided it would be only proper to give her an answer. And from what he felt inside, it didn't seem like it was a hard no. Instead, he felt like taking the next step towards the timid panthergirl as her mother has instructed him. It would definitely make Miria happy. No. It would definitely make both of them happy. There was no reason for him to stay only as her affectionate master who took great care for his summons. She was also a person. A person he liked being with.

Asterios placed the tray on the floor and reached out with his hand to Miria’s head to scratch it gently. She showed a faint smile on her red face, still keeping her eyes to the side. She did not expect what happened next. Ast moved his hand lower to her cheek and turned her head towards himself, stealing her lips with a soft kiss. 

Her tail shot up in surprise and her eyes widened to the brim. Her usually withdrawn master initiated a kiss on his own, which definitely didn’t serve any other purpose than just for the sake of it, contradictory to all the previous ones he started in the past. She didn’t know what to think. She was confused, but at the same time really happy with the gentle and pleasant warmth spreading over her mouth.

Asterios broke off and created some distance between them. He smiled at the sight of the completely surprised face Miria made. “Thank you for the treat. They look delicious. Come on, it would be rude to make them wait any longer before digging in.”

She suddenly felt even hotter than when they fell onto each other or kissed and nodded shyly. Her tail was back into making some amazing, lively dances. Miria finally freed Ast’s waist and they sat side by side to enjoy her creations. She watched him curiously the whole time and Asterios definitely didn’t spare her compliments, making her smile wider and wider with each one.

They finished eating in a few minutes. Naturally, Miria participated too, even though she tried to avoid partaking in the feast she prepared just for him, but Asterios refused to continue if she didn’t take a few bites too.

After they finished, he informed Miria that the other guys offered to take their shifts for the night as a small token of goodwill and compensation for treating them rudely and they both decided to go to sleep after talking for a bit more about various things linked to summoning or Ast’s world.

When they were done, Asterios took his coat off and slipped into the sleeping bag. He made some space inside and patted the ground on his side while glancing at Miria. She fiddled with her tail for a moment and also got inside. Naturally, avoiding any eye contact.

The moment she laid herself down, he instantly pulled her towards himself and leaned Miria against his body while supporting the back of her head with his hand, stroking through her hair with care.

“If you keep putting so much distance between us I might start thinking that you are repulsed by me, you know?” Ast chuckled.

“Eh? That’s impossible! I just… ummm… don’t want to impose on Master too much...”

“It’s fine. Just relax. Like that time. You are really cute when you don’t stress over the little details.”

Miria took a deep breath to calm herself down, which coincidentally resulted in her inhaling a decent whiff of Ast’s scent, helping her release all the tension. She hugged him around and interlocked her legs with his, snuggling her face into his chest with some quiet purrs.

Asterios giggled. “Ticklish. But that’s exactly what I meant. Don’t forget that the less awkward you feel, the clearer our bond becomes and as far as I know, you really wanted to get stronger, right? So, good night.” Miria nodded and they both drifted off.