Chapter 472: Thera's Perspective
Chapter 473 of "Chaotic Craftsman Worships The Cube" begins with suspense: Thera woke up alone, the answer to where Ben had gone off to coming with... Donāt stop reading!
Thera woke up alone, the answer to where Ben had gone off to coming with the smell of breakfast that filled their home while she couldnāt help but acknowledge that she was feeling a bit better. She still felt the nagging worry about the future of her charm and where it would grow as time went on, but she was running out of energy to dwell on it unless something actively brought it to her mind and she had other things helping make it just a bit easier to handle.One of which was their living arrangements. Sheād felt bad enough when sheād first come back that sheād pretty forcefully made the choice that she wanted to keep Ben by her side, and given how sheād been, it had not only ended up as a decent way to avoid bringing up the topic entirely with her aunt, it had meant she didnāt end up enduring the expected teasing either.
Even if heād wanted to do some absolutely insane things, sheād been enjoying their extra time together since sheād decided to put off going to the clinics for a bit, even if she knew it couldnāt last. There was value in practicing her magics like that and it helped the surrounding communities too much to leave forever, no matter how she was feeling.
She told herself as she finally got up to make her way to the kitchen, seeing Ben at the stove and wrapping her arms around him.
āSmells great,ā She muttered, still sleepy but doing her best to fight it off.
āI put my all into this today, youāre getting some beyond michelin quality food right here, itāll knock your socks off.ā
āI have no clue what that means.ā
āHa, it means itās going to be more delicious than usual. Also, do you have anything planned for the day?ā
āMmh, I was debating if I should start going out to the clinics again but decided to give myself another day or so. I figured Iād just go hang out with you while you were working again if you donāt mind?ā
āYeah, thatās great actually. In that case, how would you feel about going out to the gate after breakfast? Thereās something I want to do but then after I was thinking we could go on a date? Or see if anyone is free to hang out. Or both if we can squeeze in the time.ā
āAbsolutely.ā
She felt her eyes light up at the idea alone as she shook off the last bit of sleep clinging to her. She still felt enough eyes on her in Stonewall that she wouldnāt deny herself the change of pace when Ben was offering, and the gates provided plenty more potential than staying in their small town could.
āAwesome, in that case, thereās just one thing we need first and then letās get to it.ā
The one thing heād needed had ended up being the miniature gate heād constructed which they were quick to pick up before loading it into the back of the cart and flying off to their main stop in Anailia.
Admittedly, leaving something like that in her homeland where her mother could access it to bother her at any time wasnāt the most appealing prospect to be had, but she understood where he was coming from when heād suggested it. It was definitely the sort of thing that would give him problems if word of its existence got out and it was going to be too convenient for their travel to have it sitting safely in a gate city.
She didnāt have any real worry about her charm affecting the spirits she was related to, it would be shocking if her dad and aunts couldnāt handle it no matter how bad it got, but her mother was a different story. As things stood, Thera knew that what she was putting out without her brace would be beating her motherās resistance, albeit only a little. As the queen of a country, there was no way she didnāt have the willpower needed to get past whatever effects she might feel, but it still left her uneasy.
She thought with a sigh as they hurtled through the sky. As willful as her mother was, Thera knew she could enjoy spoiling her as well when she wasnāt insisting on being so playful about every little thing. There was plenty of chance that her effects would be in line with anything Pelenia might already wish to do, being just enough to push away whatever little restraint she had.
Landing and getting to her family home were both quick and they got in easily enough, though her mother ended up being in a meeting the moment they arrived which kept them from catching up immediately.
Instead, Ben got to work lugging the gate up the stairs to her room before settling in the parlor to relax.
They found Lux there with both Seren and Writ, enjoying what looked like family time before the two of them made themselves known, being warmly greeted as always and giving the same in return, Thera going to pick up her little cousin to play with before the inevitable came where sheād have to explain just what had happened all over again.
Thinking about it just made her tired. Every time she informed someone else about her failings was just a reminder to herself in the end, but it was just something she would have to deal with.
She gave them all the rundown by the time her mother was finished and had joined them, wanting to get it all done at once to have it out of the way, hoping that after they could all move on to lighter topics and pretend it never happened.
That wasnāt what she got though. The reactions had been intense from both her mother and aunt, with Lux wanting to go out to find wherever Funa was off to to try and talk about it while her mom just held her, seeming as emotional about it as she had been at first. It had killed any chance of there being a decent mood after and almost made her wish sheād just kept it to herself in the end instead of ruining the time they had before the two of them left for other things.
āYou okay?ā Ben asked, seeing that all of it had worn on her more than either had been expecting.
āYeah, itās just something Iām going to have to get used to. Itās fine.ā
She could tell he didnāt like the answer but there was nothing to be done for it, so instead she tried to force on a brighter face, wanting the chance to enjoy at least a bit of the day beyond that.
āSo, what are you thinking then for our date? Gotta excite me here.ā
āHa, Iāll do my best but I didnāt do much in the way of plans. Wanna try going through a random gate and see what any new city has to offer? After we could try bothering either Steph and Will or Amy and her harem for dinner.ā
āPretty sure itās Jakeās harem since the two of them confessed to him.ā
āYeah, but Amyās clearly the one in charge. Plus, Yuzu loves her too. Maybe it was Jakeās at first, but heās lost that position.ā
It had turned into a silly conversation by the end, but it was exactly what she needed at the moment. āPfff, haha, well letās try Steph and Will first, I feel like we donāt see them as much so it would be nice.ā
āSounds good, in that case, letās go!ā
His dumb comments had done just enough to amuse her that her other worries were left forgotten for the time being, letting her enjoy their day together with all she had.