Alice silently looked at Klein.
Anderson looked at the unfamiliar adventurer, then at Alice, then at Cattleya. At last, as if he finally understood something, he asked:
"Are you two... flirting?"
"Ahem." Cattleya gave a soft cough, raising her right hand to cover her lips.
"No," Klein replied calmly. "Why would you think that? She hasn't even come of age yet."
Alice looked at Cattleya, who was holding back a laugh, then at Klein, who was forcing himself to remain calm. Turning to Anderson, she said:
"As expected of the Strongest Hunter Above the Five Seas."
She emphasized the word "Hunter." Anderson understood what she meant and accepted the praise:
"You flatter me.
"If you insist on bestowing such praise upon me, I hope you'll add a qualifier beforehand, such as 'below Demigod.'
"I think I can only be called the strongest Hunter below Demigod."
After staring at him for several seconds, Alice turned and left, only for Klein to grab her and pull her back.
"What are you doing?" Klein asked her.
"I was going to ask Frank if he can plant him in the ground," Alice explained.
Admiral of Stars Cattleya's horrified gaze fell upon them. The corner of Klein's mouth twitched as he advised:
"Have you thought about what kind of thing would grow from that?"
Very obvious, Alice hadn't thought about it. She stopped walking.
Though he still hadn't quite figured out the relationship between Klein and Alice, Anderson chose to change the subject to avoid completely angering Alice. He asked Cattleya:
"I wonder if I might have the honor of traveling aboard the Future?
"I'll pay the fare."
"No." Before Cattleya could speak, Alice answered decisively.
Cattleya, who had intended to seek an opinion, withdrew her half-turned gaze.
After realizing that Alice, an Angel who