My Servant Is An Elf Knight From Another World

For the rest of the afternoon, Dad would be a constant thought bubble that'd appeared and disappeared in my head as it pleased.

It's just one of those things that you can't help but overthink to death… or hope you're overthinking it to death.

I feigned ignorance with Sammy. Figured it wouldn't do any good bugging her with what I got bugging me—especially if it'll all ultimately turn out to be a whole bunch of nothing.

But it couldn't be a whole bunch of nothing, right? Digging into past events like that, showing him a possible alternate end to his tale. Terestra dead, Kronocia saved, and Leonardo hailed forever a hero… in his shoes, who wouldn't be second-guessing themselves after seeing all that?

The answer's simple: Dad. For as long as I knew the guy, second-guessing just simply wasn't in his DNA. A trait of his I obviously didn't inherit. Once he's made a choice, that was that—no looking back on it.

Except… if it was a choice between saving an entire realm or deliberately leaving it to its demise… then I'm not so sure my own personal anecdote would hold good in a court of absolutes.

See what I mean? I'm just running around a loop here with this nonsense. No point in having Sammy run this endless gauntlet with me.

For now, I should just wait and see what unfolds. Sammy did mention our parents would be having the whole day to themselves. Maybe they'll talk it out.

"You thought about getting him a friend?" Sammy asked, stroking the exposed belly of a purring Mr. Black, laying blissfully on her lap. "Big house, small kitty… must be lonely for him sometimes, don't you think?"

I didn't know how to answer so I just made a sort of grunt, taking another bite of the sandwich Ash had made for me.

When evening rolled around, I decided, for once, to lend a hand with dinner. Goes without saying, but Ash had a lot to say about anything that required even the slightest bit of physical effort on my part. But I didn't let her stop me this time; not when I wanted to do anything other than sit and think at that moment.

After a hectic bit of back and forth, it was unanimously, begrudgingly decided that I would handle the sides while Ash worked on the main dish itself.

Having smelt a fine meal in the making, Sera had emerged from her den upstairs to stand and quietly watch by the entrance to the kitchen like some kind of stray dog staring intensely by the roadside for some scraps.

And let me tell you, creepy silent stares do not do well when you're dealing with chopping knives… especially when fingers are involved.

"Take a seat out there and wait if you want some," I said, hoping to shoo her off. "It's almost done."

Fortunately, that worked, and she went away, disappearing behind a fluttering cloak of purple. A while after that, Sammy suddenly stepped in, coming close to the counter and staying put. From her expression alone, it looks like she has seen a ghost… and I think I might be partly to blame for that.

"That necromancer of yours creeps me out, just sitting there," she said, looking as unnerved as she sounded. "What's her deal, seriously? Does she not know that it's rude to stare? I'm not going back out there until you guys are done."

If I had it my way, it'd just be Ash, me, and this spicy meat stew that's broiling. But I'll make do. Better her than Sera, I suppose. At least with Sammy, I won't have to worry about accidentally serving some of my digits as an appetizer tonight.

"Ooo, wow, that actually smells super good."

And so it begins. This stimulus-dependent girl aimlessly wandering about the place in search of her next fix. Pinpointing the source of the aroma, she went over to Ash, peeking her nose over the simmering pot on the stove, and took a big whiff.

"Kinda smells like mom's, don't you think?" She asked me, before diving her head back into the swirling cloud of smoke. "I'm actually dying to taste this, I'm not even kidding."

"Why wait?" Ash said, rippling a tablespoon across the bubbling surface and offering it to Sammy. "I hope it is to your liking."

Sammy couldn't even wait for the heat to settle first. The spoon was in her mouth by the next second and it stayed there for seconds after.

"Oh, man," she pulled the head of the spoon out of her mouth, stepping back in a daze. "I'm starting to want you to cook for me forever now, I'm not even joking."

"It would be my pleasure," Ash said, then upon hearing me cough loudly from the other cough, promptly added, "To a certain extent, at least."

"You're as good as Mom. Where'd you learn to cook like this? Because you clearly couldn't have learned this from my brother."

Wow. Fine. All those years cooking breakfast when Mom was sick; all meant nothing to her, I guess.

"Knowledge," Ash replied, ears wriggling with my sister's flattery. "There is a vast well of wisdom to attain from online tutorials and recipes. Then it becomes only a simple matter of trial-and-error. Of course, I do also owe much credence to Amanda's kind tutelage."

"Ah, that reminds me, speaking of Amanda," again, Sammy rounded over to my side of the kitchen. The big, distracting head of her shadow looming over the chopped veggies on my cutting board. "You heard? She announced today she won't be streaming for the next few days or so. Taking a hiatus, she said."

"She is?"

"Paraphrasing a little, but, hold on…" Sammy took out her phone, swiping over to an already open tab of Amanda's profile, and began to recite. "... 'won't not be streaming… will be offline for a few days… personal hiatus', oh sorry, she actually said personal hiatus here."

I think I know where this was going.

"Pretty curious, don't you think?" Sammy leaned over, wearing a smirk that spoke of deviousness and headaches. "Sounds like she's up to something."

"Something that's clearly not any of your business," I said.

"Maybe not, but you are. Family, right?" she refuted. "And if what she's up to has something to do with you, then it has something to do with me."

"That's not how that works."

"I think she's working on a present for you," she said, whizzing off in her train of thought with me left standing back on the deserted platform. "And you know what—I think it has to be something big. A few days or so, for what? What does she need a few days for? Like, you don't need a few days to buy a box of chocolate. Or to go to the movies. Bake a cake. Or to have sex…"

I take it back. Sera, I'm sorry. Where are you? Please come back.

"You know I'm right. I know I'm right. So in conclusion, rejoice, Big Bro—your celebrity girlfriend is making you the best birthday gift of all time. Hurray for you."

I remember Amanda's words yesterday. Being at a loss on what to give me, and wanting it to be something that'll matter. Then there's that whole tirade she went on about being first, refusing to be acknowledged as second best… and how intrinsically and instinctively, all girls are as petty and contentious as the next.

There are bound to be a lot more reasonable and more likely explanations for her hiatus, but if Sammy's right… if she's really spending the next few days laser-focused on presenting me with a perfect thing… then she's really taking her own words to heart.

I love that about her. At the same time, I kinda wish she wouldn't bother. It's like she needs to constantly remind me how much she loves me… but tell me, how could I possibly forget when she's wearing it on her face every time she looks at me?

"Oh, almost forgot, you're dating my brother too, aren't you?"

And right before I could get too bubbly and sentimental with my own thoughts, here comes Sammy to drag me back to the horror and terror of reality.

"Erm," Ash said back to her, slowly. "Yes, you are correct."

"Cool," Sammy leaned off the counter and headed back to Ash, changing her mark. "So, how does this work? If you're all dating him at the same time—is it all one present from all for you? Do you each give your own separate presents? If so, what did you get him?"

"Sammy," I called out to her, knife tightly in my hand just to be sure I got my message across. "Butt out, would you? All this—keep out, stay out of it. What happens in my love life isn't for you to document and archive."

"Then maybe you should have gotten a normal love life, you know—like a normal person," she sniped back. "If I'm looking at four possible sisters-in-law, I'm gonna need to know how this is all gonna work. For instance, your present, Ash… care to spill? You can whisper it in my ear if you prefer not telling."

"I… I'm afraid I cannot do either," Ash said. "For I do not have an answer to offer you just yet."

"Yet? You mean you haven't gotten him a gift yet?"

"Not that she needs to," I interjected. "And you, Sammy—stop pushing."

"But you are getting him a present, right?" Sammy asked, my entire existence gone from her existence outright.

"Naturally."

"In that case, you better get a move on—heard what we were talking about, right? Amanda's working on something big. You're gonna have to go bigger."

"No, she doesn't," I said. "Ash, you don't."

"No, okay, maybe you don't," Sammy said, pausing, then continuing. "But you will, right?"

Then Ash glanced at me. And there was a look in her eyes. And I was reminded again of what Amanda said. About competitiveness, about pettiness. And I have to wonder if there's actually merit to that, after all.

"Of course," she said, smiling. "Naturally."