"Bell! You should be focusing entirely on the duel later. You can worry about all those trivial matters after the duel is over!"
Hermione frowned at Bell, deeply dissatisfied with her husband's inability to distinguish what was urgent from what was not.
"..."
Bell felt terribly wronged. He had not expected to be criticized even for caring about "practical matters."
Bell turned a pleading look toward his sister, hoping Shanna would step forward and say something fair on his behalf.
However, Shanna merely shrugged and began enjoying her delicious lunch without saying a word.
Shanna had long since grown accustomed to this sort of interaction between her brother and Sister-in-law. She had also long learned to watch the show in silence.
"...Fine, then let's eat."
His little sister had grown up. Unlike when they were children, she no longer defended him in everything. Though Bell felt rather heartsick, he could only silently accept this "cruel" reality.
(T ^ T)
The meal ended in a somewhat stifling atmosphere. Bell felt that it had been a very long time since he had last experienced such difficulty swallowing his food.
Bell could understand the concern in Hermione's eyes. Just as parents would always see their children as children no matter how old they became, and could never stop worrying about them, Hermione still worried that he would be injured in the upcoming duel, even though she knew he had more than enough strength to protect himself.
(Bell: Why does that example sound so awkward?)
After a brief rest to digest their meal, the same group of four Apparated directly to the outside of the Augu Tribe.
Actually, Hermione had wanted them to bring along several dozen Battle Wizards, considering how many beastmen there were in the Augu Tribe. At the very least, it