Contrary to Thirteen and Stella's prediction, the lunch ended without any problems
True to their word, Maple and Cinnamon ate in moderation, proving they could do anything if they put their minds to it.
The group then continued to stroll the city, checking some of its attractions.
A few hours later, the group went to the cafe Thirteen originally wished to visit as he wanted to treat Sherry to one of their special parfaits.
"This parfait is good!" Maple said after getting a taste of the parfait she ordered.
"Cinnamon likes their strawberries," Cinnamon commented. "The yogurt is good as well. I give it a four out of five."
Stella wiped the cream off her sister's cheeks, feeling happy to see them enjoying their time with her.
Maple and Cinnamon appeared as soon as she and Siri arrived in Casimir City, as if they were already expecting her arrival.
Their family had always thought that the twins might have some kind of oracle-like abilities since they seem to know some events before they even happen.
Although she didn't know how long Maple and Cinnamon would stay with her or when their grandfather would come to pick them up, she decided to spend as much time as she could with them because she also missed her family.
Siri had always been curious about anything and everything she saw, and naturally also enjoyed the parfait.
She even asked for seconds after she finished her glass.
Maple and Cinnamon thought Siri was competing with them on who could eat the most parfaits out of the group, so they also ordered their second serving.
"Would you like to have some more?" Thirteen asked Sherry, who had just finished eating her dessert.
"No." Sherry shook her head. "I don't want to get fat by eating too many sweets. Erica will definitely tease me if I get chubby."
Thirteen eyed his girlfriend, who seemed to be very conscious of her figure, and smirked.
"Even if you get a little chubby, I will still cuddle with you at night," Thirteen said. "In fact, getting a little chubby might make you a more suitable hug pillow than Erica."
Sherry puffed her cheeks, which made the smile on Thirteen's face widen.
"Uwah, do human couples really act this lovey-dovey?" Siri looked at Thirteen and Sherry as if she were feeling embarrassed just being with them.
"Um?" Sherry glanced at Siri because she managed to hear her words. "You're talking as if you're not human."
"Listen here, girly, I am…" Siri blinked once, then twice, before stopping what she was supposed to say next. "O-Of course, I am human. Hahaha! What? Do you think I'm a Majin or something? How is that even possible? Right, Stella?"
"Yes." Stella nodded without hesitation. "Compared to other humans, you look more human in my eyes."
Sherry thought the two girls were just joking around, so she decided to no longer pursue the subject and rested her head on Thirteen's shoulder.
This was the only time she could act intimate with Zion, as she had to act formally whenever they were inside the Central Government's Headquarters.
Also, she believed that Zion's original plan in asking her out was to go on a date with her.
Unfortunately, they met Stella, Siri, Maple, and Cinnamon along the way, and the group of four girls tagged along with them.
She would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed that her quality time with Zion came to an abrupt close.
Thirteen reached out to hold Sherry's hand from under the table, intertwining her hand with his own.
This made Sherry feel a bit better, and it made her realize that Zion was really putting a lot of effort into learning how to treat his lovers properly.
Stella watched all of this in silence.
Just like what happened with Maple and Cinnamon, she could now see Sherry's colors, making her appreciate the lady's beauty, with her long blonde hair and blue eyes that were as clear as the sky.
The young lady also dressed prettily, making her understand that she had taken great effort in this outing with Zion.
Of course, Shana was aware of Zion's relationship with Erica and Sherry.
Their engagement had been reported in the news and magazines, highlighting the teenage boy's love life, which was juicy news for some people.
For her, Zion was an object of interest, and it never crossed her mind that he could potentially become her love interest.
"Hey, Zion, how about we spar with each other?" Siri asked after finishing her second parfait.
"Why should I spar with you?" Thirteen asked.
"Don't you want to know how strong I've become since we fought in the Temple of Courage?"
"… Not even a tiny bit?"
Siri clicked her tongue and was tempted to launch a sneak attack on Zion, leaving him no choice but to fight her.
But no matter how much of a battle junky she was, she knew that picking the right time and place was important.
Her mother would nag at her if the cafe got destroyed because of her actions, so she decided to hold back for now.
Even so, the desire to fight against the teenage boy who defeated her in the Temple of Courage had motivated her to train for the past two years.
She wanted nothing more than to fight Zion and redeem herself for losing against him.
"Where are you girls going to go after this?" Thirteen asked.
"I heard that you will be clearing the Monster Dens and Nests in the area," Siri replied. "I want to experience that as well."
"I came here to fight as well," Stella answered. "I'm curious who will win in the end."
Sherry couldn't explain it very well, but she felt that Stella and Siri seemed not to care if the Cygni Continent would fall into the hands of the Jinns or not.
They were like bystanders who decided to join the fight simply because it looked fun.
"I want to try eating army food!" Maple raised her hand.
"Cinnamon is also curious about army food," Cinnamon stated. "Is it true that the army lives on caffeine, energy drinks, protein bars, and donuts?"
Thirteen and Sherry blinked once and twice as they looked at Cinnamon.
They were wondering about the person who told such lies to the adorable girl, who seemed to really want to eat protein bars and donuts.
"So you want to try eating what soldiers eat?" Thirteen asked with a smile.
Maple and Cinnamon playfully gave Thirteen a salute, which made Sherry giggle.
"Well, I don't mind taking you to the headquarters," Thirteen said. "But since Stella and Siri want to tag along, would the two of you like to become temporary members of my battalion?
"You don't have to join the soldiers' training. You can just be like Sherry and act as my attendants. It will also give you a good excuse to stay with the 69th Battalion."
Stella and Siri glanced at each other before nodding their heads at the same time.
Actually, both of them were thinking of how they could follow Zion in his expedition to fight against Jinns as he headed toward the east of the continent.
"Okay, that sounds interesting," Siri replied with a smile. "I've always wanted to roleplay as a soldier."
"We'll be in your care." Stella nodded.
"Maple wants to join too!" Maple said.
"Cinnamon also wants to join!" Cinnamon raised her hand.
"Okay, the two of you can also join," Thirteen replied.
The two girls high-fived each other before high-fiving Zion.
As Sherry watched this with mild interest, she subconsciously wondered how Zion would explain this to Sir Tristan when they returned.
Stella and Siri were both Wanderers, so it was possible for him to treat the two girls as temporary members of the 69th Battalion.
But Maple and Cinnamon were too young to be part of the Military.
However, Zion already had a plan for the two adorable girls, who would soon become the darlings of the 69th Battalion and be treated as the mascots of their regiment.