Asta and the others should have reached Sosshi Village by now. Old Man Saifi is dead too; who told him to attack so recklessly? If he died, then he died.
Cedric rode his broom toward the Common Realm city of Naang.
It had been a few days, so he wondered whether Big Sister Rebecca had missed him. It was about time to fulfill that promise.
The streets were familiar, and so was the small restaurant.
Cedric pushed open the door and said with a smile, "Rebecca, I'm back to see you."
A small red-haired girl immediately ran toward him while shouting happily, "Big Brother Cedric has returned!"
Cedric lifted the girl into his arms and laughed, saying, "Luca has grown taller again," and asked whether she had been eating well.
Luca proudly replied, "I eat my big sister's cooking every day and have even become a little chubby."
Cedric asked, "Where is Rebecca?"
Luca answered, "Rebecca and Eleanor have gone out to buy clothes."
Cedric nodded and said he would wait for them to come back before asking, "Is my room still there?"
Luca nodded enthusiastically and said, "Tenten cleans Big Brother Cedric's room every day."
Cedric praised her for being well-behaved and asked, "Have Marco and the others gone to play at the church again?"
Meanwhile, inside Mildes Clothing Store, Rebecca seemed distracted.
Eleanor looked at her teasingly and asked, "Why have you been so absent-minded lately?"
Erika laughed and joked, "Rebecca is clearly thinking about a man. It's probably the little guy named Conan."
Rebecca's face immediately turned red as she protested, "His name is Cedric, not Conan!"
Eleanor and Erika exchanged amused looks while asking, "What kind of man could make Rebecca so obsessed?"
Rebecca grew embarrassed and warned, "I'll ignore you if you keep teasing."
Erika dramatically wiped her eyes and complained, "Rebecca has forgotten her sisters after meeting a man."
Rebecca shyly explained, "Cedric and I are not in that kind of relationship yet," though she quietly wondered whether he liked her.
Eleanor then reminded Rebecca that she had five younger siblings to support and needed to think carefully about her future before asking, "Where does Cedric come from, and what does he do?"
Rebecca hesitated before admitting, "Cedric comes from Hage Village and took the Magic Knights exam about ten days ago."
Eleanor immediately frowned and said, "Hage is the poorest village in the Outer Commoner Realm. No one from there has ever passed the Magic Knight exam."
She bluntly suggested, "Cedric has probably returned home in disgrace."
Rebecca grew angry and said, "Stop talking about him like that!" before adding, "I'm leaving."
Rebecca angrily kicked open the restaurant door and complained about her friends before throwing the clothes she bought onto the table.
Someone suddenly offered her a cup of tea.
Rebecca absentmindedly drank it while praising, "Luca's tea-making skills have improved."
A familiar voice replied, "I'm not Luca."
Rebecca turned around and saw Cedric standing there with a slight smile.
Tears immediately filled her eyes as she rushed forward and hugged him tightly while asking, "Where have you been all these days?" and saying, "I would support you even if you failed the exam."
Cedric wrapped his arms around Rebecca's slender waist and teased, "Your makeup is completely ruined from crying."
Rebecca pinched his waist and demanded, "Where have you been? I've been worried!"
Cedric apologized and explained, "I came back to fulfill our promise," before reminding her, "Don't back out."
Rebecca looked confused until Cedric reminded her, "You promised to go on a date with me if I joined the Magic Knights."
Rebecca nervously asked, "Were you really accepted?"
Cedric smiled and gently held her face before kissing her forehead and saying, "Yes, I joined."
At that moment, Luca appeared on the stairs and immediately covered her eyes while shouting, "I didn't see anything!"
Rebecca quickly tried to explain, "It's not what it looks like!"
Luca innocently asked, "Don't you like Cedric, Rebecca?"
Rebecca hesitated as she looked at Cedric's deep eyes.
Cedric laughed and answered for her, "Of course Rebecca likes me. We're going on a date."
Cedric lifted Rebecca into his arms and walked out of the restaurant.
Luca happily concluded, "Cedric must be my future brother-in-law!"
Rebecca blushed and protested, "I never said I like you!"
Cedric grinned and pointed out, "You're still holding onto my neck."
Rebecca lowered her head shyly while mumbling, "That's because you suddenly picked me up."
Cedric simply replied, "No matter the reason, we're going on a date today."
Rebecca said, "I'm only fulfilling the promise," and asked, "Put me down, it's embarrassing."
Cedric agreed and suggested, "Let's take a walk outside the city."
The outskirts were quiet, and the scent of fresh grass filled the air.
Cedric summoned a magical tree and said, "Tree Magic: Seven-Colored Bread Tree."
He plucked a colorful piece of bread and tossed it to Rebecca.
Rebecca hesitated and asked, "Is it safe to eat?"
Cedric took a bite first and told her, "It's edible," before handing it back.
Rebecca suddenly realized that they had indirectly shared the same food and felt her face grow warm.
When she finally tasted it, the flavors of different fruits filled her mouth.
She happily said, "It's delicious!" and asked, "Is this your magic?"
Cedric casually replied, "If you like it, I can plant one behind your restaurant."
Rebecca immediately became excited and said, "This bread would sell well with Knight's Stew."
Cedric then gently wrapped an arm around her waist and asked, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Rebecca hesitated for a moment before quietly nodding.
Cedric smiled and kissed her.
Rebecca was clearly nervous, and her stiff reaction made Cedric realize how inexperienced she was.
Eventually, she relaxed slightly and leaned against him.
As the sun began setting, Cedric told her, "It's time to go back."
Rebecca rested against him and asked, "Can we stay a little longer? I feel tired."
That night, the restaurant was lively again.
Marco excitedly asked, "Has Cedric really become my brother-in-law?"
Cedric pulled Rebecca closer and kissed her forehead playfully.
The children immediately covered their eyes.
Cedric joked, "I hope you don't want a different brother-in-law."
Marco quickly insisted, "Cedric is the best brother-in-law!"
After dinner, the children fell asleep.
Later, Cedric and Rebecca sat together on the roof while looking at the starry sky.
Cedric asked, "Is the view beautiful?"
Rebecca softly replied, "It is," and asked, "Stay."
Cedric looked at her quietly before kissing her again.
Rebecca confessed, "I don't care whether others like me, as long as you do."
Cedric eventually agreed to stay the night.
The next morning, Rebecca woke up alone.
Cedric had already left.
She noticed a letter beside the bed and began reading.
"My lovely Rebecca, I will return during my next leave. Your Cedric."
Rebecca sighed softly while holding the letter.
Meanwhile, Cedric stretched lazily while thinking that spending the night with such a proactive beauty had been quite exhausting.
However, he reminded himself that now that he had started a relationship with Rebecca, he should keep some distance from the girls around him, especially Noelle, who seemed to be developing feelings for him.
At that moment, the system notification suddenly appeared again.
[Ding! Special Task issued: 1 + 1 > 2]
[Become the boyfriend of both Noelle and Rebecca. Reward: Bloodline Limit — Sharingan]
Cedric immediately complained that he was a virtuous young man who would not be tempted by such power.
After a brief pause, he muttered, "Perhaps the situation can still be discussed."