-velvet-

"Sis. I love Eris."

"And so am I."

"No sis! You only love her body but I love Eris dearly!"

"Don't judge me Elly! Although her body is perfect, I have grown to love her as well."

This two keep on bantering like this right when Eris leaved the room. It's been 2 days since the incident in regards to the slime and now I found myself watching this two early in the morning.

"Surely Velvet agrees with me better than sis." Elly claimed as she stare at me.

"No Elly. As if a little girl knows about love!" Emy claims as she also stare at me.

"Seriously why don't you two just confess already?" I asked the two with after leaving out a sigh with face palm.

"That is unacceptable." Elly said.

"Elly is right." Emy added.

"You two hate it that much?" I asked surprised.

"Ofcourse. Otherwise it is unfair on you." Emy replied.

"For me? Why?" I asked curiously.

The two look at each other before replying.

"I mean you love her too right?" Elly replied with a sigh as if it's a normal fact.

"Huh?" I look at the two dumbfounded.

"Is that not the case?" Elly asked.

"I... Well..." I look at the ceiling thinking and thinking.

"Emy stares at me and then a grin shows on her face before she walks towards me.

"Don't tell me you don't know?" Emy walks behind me and whispered.

"The thought never crossed my mind." I replied while deep in thoughts.

Elly come closer to me too now facing me infront. With a look at her sister the two suddenly hugged me. Elly infront and Emy behind.

"Then let us all confess?" Emy asked while hugging me at the back.

"Sis is right. We all love her so let's tell her right away before someone like Maki shows up again." Elly also replied as she burrow her head on my chest. I can hear her say "so soft" and "calming" along those lines.

I can't help but gently rub her head since it makes me feel like I gain a little sister in which Elly smiled happily.

"That said I want to be able to stand at her side. I fear we will just become dead weight again." I tell the two.

Emy and Elly suddenly looked sad after hearing me.

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"You're right Velvet. I don't want to see her like that again." Emy said as she use my shoulder. I can feel her tears suddenly realizing she started sobbing at my back.

"Sis..." Elly look at her sister.

"With that said I have an idea!" I clap my hand once and loud enough to make our attention focus on it.

The two look at me expecting for an explanation.

"Let's train for a week atleast. Maybe we can go to academy and learn more. That way even if we are not strong enough at the very least we can support her."

Elly and Emy's eyes widen as they realized what I am suggesting.

"That's right! Till now I never truly try to understand my role as a cleric so I need to study!" Emy replied with a smile as she wipe her tears away.

"And I want to level up as a fencer too! Since supposedly I am also a fighter in our party." Elly also beamed a happy face.

"Yes and so am I. As our guardian I need to be able to protect us." I said while giving the happy Elly a pat on her head which made her smile more happier than she is.

Therefore that day we asked Eris for a day off. We all went on our own ways to grow. I myself asked Bern to teach me all about guardian or tanking to be precise. Tanking is a term used for shield users where we are trained on how to receive damage, minimize it or send it to other way as a means of protecting our allies. Elly joined the fighting class as they all learn on how to effectively deal damage to enemies and maximizing the limited time frame om how to properly react on any given time for split decision making is important for damage dealers so they can decide when to put everything on the line or when they need to stall for the team. But what made me surprised the most is when I learned who teaches Emy.

"Say again who is training you Emy?" I asked. The three of us are sitting on the table in dinner lobby at night after training.

"Maki. I don't know why but she approached me first when I am asking for healing and support class." She explained as we all eat dinner.

It's been two days since we had a day off. And five days since the incident.

"Wow... So sis are getting lessons from the singularity herself." Elly gasped as she eat her dinner albeit a little lifeless after her tiring sessions.

"Yeah. I got surprised too." Emy said as she stuff her mouth a full slice of steak.

"What is she planning?" I asked the two discretely.

"I don't know. She just told me that I will need it before laughing."

"Does that mean she saw something?" Elly asked.

"No idea. She never told me anything during training. She just told me where should I stay and the scope of my responsibility as a cleric. Also gave me a few supporting skill dice."

"Lucky for you. Bern just told me some good skills but I pay them myself." I replied feeling jealous as I eat my food.

"Same..." Elly continue stuffing herself despite feeling groggy from tiredness.

We continue eating quietly until Eris comes and sits at my side.

I look at Eris who seems a little hesitant as if she wants to ask something.

"So uh... What did you guys do today?" Eris asked.

"Tired." She added.

"Same" I also replied as I stretch before continue eating.

"What did you two even do?" Eris asked watching us.

"Nothing much" Me and Emy replied in unison.

"What about you El-" Eris stopped herself after she saw Elly going to snooze land while eating.

Eris stares at her plate and after few seconds she asked us again.

"Do you all plan on leaving me behind?"

My eyes wide opened as soon as I heard Eris asked that with a worries sounding voice. My heart ache a little when I saw her face. Her head stayed low as she cry. Her tears slowly drips on her food. This just made me feel like crying too.

"If you all plan to do so atleast please tell me... I am worried you guys will just leave me behind without a word." Eris looks at us with her face wet from her tears.

"No Eris! We are not planning to do that!" Emy hurriedly wipe Eris tears. She can't resist it seems.

"That's right. What made you think that?" I move my chair closer to Eris since we are sitting next to each other while Emy across me and Elly beside her.

"Well... *Sniff* all of you requested to stop joining me for a while *hicc* and you won't tell me why..." Eris look down her plate.

I can't resist myself anymore.

"Eris..." I gently rub her hair.

"Sis... Velvet let's just tell Eris. It hurts seeing her like this. And beside we are not doing bad anyways." Elly looks at us.

*Sigh* "alright. Eris." Emy leaves out a sigh before facing Eris. She look at her in the eyes.

"Listen. We are not planning to leave you okay? How can I leave you alone? You saved us remember?" Emy said while the other two nods.

"But..." Eris look at her.

"You see, we realized how weak we are. So we decided to train a bit ourselves. We take classes in the academy." Emy explained.

"Is that true? You are not leaving the party?" Eris asked.

"Yes we won't." We all replied.

"I see... That's good." Eris smiled widely at us which made everyone including me felt relieved.

"But you should have just told me. Why the need to hide it?" Eris asked us.

"Well..." Emy scratches her head while I look at my side avoiding her gaze.

"Ha... You see Eris." Elly sighed after realizing she is the one to explain. "We realized that we always have to rely on you specifically on the slime event. So we feel ashamed for not being able to help you fight. So we three decided to train so one day we can stand with you side by side." She explained.

"Then you guys should have told me!" Eris said to us.

"Well... It's embarrassing to make you see us... Weak." Emy said.

"And we want to atleast be able to repay you." I added.

"But we just made you more worried instead." Elly looks at Eris worried.

"Sorry!" We bow our head and apologized.

"I understand so please raise your heads. Please next time tell me. I don't want to lose you guys since we are a party right? Your problems are my problems too!" Eris told us.

"Eris..." Emy looks at Eris.

"Ahem. That... We will do Eris. We won't make you worried again. So don't think about it anymore and eat! You are ruining your beautiful face." I wipe her face with a clean towel.

"Thank you." Eris smiled to me and continue eating.

(What is this feeling... When she smiled at me I feel my heart flutter... Does this mean I really like her?)

I asked myself for a while and I realized it's true. I look at Emy and Elly who know stares at me jealous. I show a grin at the two.

(Sorry Emy and Elly but I don't think I can hold myself back. I don't plan losing to the two of you specifically to Emy who already had her way with Eris many times.)

That night the four of us enjoyed telling stories at our room till we fell asleep. I noticed that during those story time that the three of us are literally sorounding Eris as if we are not letting her escape. Which made me giggle a bit thinking that I myself will join their little love quarrels while Eris just smiled happily not knowing that all of us are aiming for her.