In the room next to Aibo's, Cana lay on her bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling without a shred of sleepiness.
The events of tonight had actually caught her off guard. Even though she had mentally prepared herself long ago, when things truly happened right in front of her, Cana couldn't even make sense of her own feelings.
Naturally and instinctively, those words of compromise toward Aibo had just slipped out.
Thinking back now, her mind had been completely blank at the time, and what she said was probably all straight from the heart.
Actually, this wasn't a bad outcome at all, was she right? As long as she stayed by Aibo's side forever as an older sister, she would never be separated from him. Plus, she could ride roughshod over a whole group of younger sisters-in-law in her capacity as the older sister. Just thinking about it was a pretty joyful thing.
As for that tiny bit of sourness and reluctance... whatever, it didn't matter. As long as she could keep staying by Aibo's side, that was enough. She was already... quite satisfied.
Vaguely and hazily, Cana had a dream. She dreamed of Aibo's wedding. The brides at the wedding were all very pretty, and all very familiar. As for herself? She was clapping down in the audience, she was sending her blessings, and she was shedding tears...
The next day, Loke returned to the guild.
Word was that he had been spurned by the Celestial Spirits; no one in the Celestial Spirit World could stand him. In a fit of anger, he decided to walk out on the human world, and didn't plan on going back until he found his next contractor!
Although Aibo felt that he simply couldn't bear to part with all those girlfriends of his.