Chapter 27   - 27: Fruits Of Labor

"Am I... interrupting some sexy time?"

Harvey was currently inflating his nose as he coquettishly approached Van. He was lightly hitting him in the shoulders while wiggling his pinky finger.

"Should I have come later, eh eh?", Harvey said as he raised his eyebrows a couple of times, "Seriously bro, you should have locked the door if you we--"

Before Harvey could finish his words, a loud snapping sound reverberated inside the house. Harvey instantly winced as he heard this, waiting for the pain to work on his body, however, he felt nothing.

Both Van and Harvey then quickly looked into the direction of the sound, only to see Beatrice’s cheeks red and with a handprint on it.

"...Bea?", Harvey could not help but gulp as he slowly backed away. Did he actually go overboard with the jokes?

"I am done sulking!", Beatrice breathed, and although her eyes are a bit moist, it still contained a hint of pride, "Next time, I won’t lose no matter what it takes. I will be number 1!", she said as she released a deep breath.

She then pointed her hand towards Van, "I won’t lose to you again, no matter what it takes! And please do the same!"

Seeing Beatrice’s hands, Van hesitated to reach for it first, but after a few seconds, he shook her hand with a sigh, "Of course...", he said, "But you better be ready to stab me in the eye if you want to be top 1"

Hearing Van’s words, Beatrice could not help but lightly chuckle, "Cheeky... But for now, I am your superior", she said, "It’s time for you to learn how to read and write!"

"...", seeing the two staring at each other and having a meaningful conversation, Harvey could not help but squint his eyes as he slowly approached the two.

"Why are you guys leaving me out!?", he shouted as he grabbed Van and Beatrice’s hand, "I bought you food and you’re leaving me out!? What even happened while I was gone!?"

It took a while before Harvey got tired from his antics and started calming down. And after doing so, the three decided to eat first before they would begin Van’s literacy lessons.

"One can not learn with an empty stomach", is what Harvey said before he started handing out the meat skewers.

"This is...", Van could not help but smell the skewers for a few seconds, it was probably the most alluring aroma he has ever smelled in his life.

"Oh, it’s boar meat that came from the Portal", Harvey nonchalantly said, "Then most of the spices came from the East, it’s really good"

"What?", Van’s eyes widened in shock. He has heard that some people eat the meat of some of the Portal’s creatures, but to think that it was real... "Isn’t this... expensive?", Van could not help but gulp as he stared at the juicy skewer in front of him.

"Eh, don’t mind some minor details", Harvey waved his hand a couple of times, "Just eat it, eat it"

"O...okay", Van let out a deep breath as he slowly opened his mouth. And as soon he took a bite of the skewer, it was as if it just melted inside his mouth. Once again, Van’s eyes could not help but widen in shock. The various tastes exploded in his mouth. It was like the taste even reached through his nose, tasting it as he breathes.

"...", Van took another bite again. And once again, it melted in his mouth.

And he did not even notice it, but...

"Van?", Beatrice looked at Van, her face filled with concern, "Are you... alright?"

"W...what?", Van slightly stuttered. He then felt the warm trickling feeling on his face. He immediately wiped it off, with the juices of the meat getting onto his face as well. Tears, there were tears trailing from his eyes.

"...Oh", Van muttered as he continued to wipe the tears that were falling from his eyes, "Sorry. It’s just... probably the best food I ever had", he said as he released a slight smile. This was perhaps, in the truest of sense, the most honest he has ever been since he has met the two.

Seeing Van’s sincere smile, Harvey could not help but sigh. Beatrice, on the other hand, was fixing her glasses, perhaps trying to hide the fact that she too, was slightly tearing up.

"Then I will give you one every day from now on!", Harvey said he raised the skewers he was holding in his hand to the air.

The three continued to spend time together until the sun no longer seeped through the windows. Only bidding farewell when one started to yawn.

"See you tomorrow!"

"Alright"

"Tomorrow!", Beatrice clapped her hands, "Tomorrow I am really going to teach you!"

In the end, the three didn’t really end up doing any studying. They just ended up talking to each other, with Harvey going outside and coming back numerous times, each time with a different food in hand.

As soon as Van closed the door, he could not help but sigh as he looked at the empty house. He realized now that it really was too big for him... and too quiet. He was used to the noise of the Relic Graveyard, where every hour someone would come snooping in from their gryphons, sneakily throwing trash and relics from the sky.

"Maybe... I should invite Andrea?", he thought. Andrea was one of the reasons why he was in the academy in the first place, and she was also the one who took care of him when he was in the hospital.

There was extra room, she could sleep there. And so, with that thought, it was decided. Once he gets the chance, he would go back to the Relic Graveyard and invite Andrea to live with him.

Days passed, and as promised, Beatrice and Van had been spending their time every day after class in Van’s house. Granted, Van almost gave up trying to learn how to read and write, but due to Beatrice’s strict teaching, he was able to learn, even if it was just the basics.

And finally, his first test came up. It was time to put everything he learned for the past few days as the instructor in front of the class started writing something on the board.

"Since you have been in the academy for almost a week now...", the instructor said as he started writing on the board, "It is finally time for you to learn about your Status Window"

"!!!"

Van’s eyes widened in shock. If there weren’t any people beside him, then he would have definitely jumped in joy. Finally... finally...

He was able to understand the words on the board!