Chapter 144 Practice and After
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
(Liz’s POV)
(They really are here…)
I opened the double doors that lead to the backyard, where I sat at the table with my elbows resting on it, watching the ‘Hiroya’s sword training’ happening outside.
* * *
The sparring to see Gisela’s skills was over in a flash. She had good footwork, and her sword speed looked decent, but even I could see her ‘technique’ was rough. It seemed like she was in the middle of learning the basic forms of the ‘Obu Muso Style’ to get her sword skills right.
”You don’t have to worry so much…”
I heard Kazumi’s voice from the reception area, so I turned to look. Karin, who came with Gisela, was apologizing to Kazumi while holding a roll cake, the only cake in the village.
”No… G-Gisela’s overprotectiveness can be… overwhelming at times…”
She was super shy since the first time we met, always nervous, but now her face was bright red as she bowed her head earnestly.
(Karin is such a nice girl…)
”Martina! Dorothy! Let’s have some tea!”
Kazumi called out to the two who were watching Hiroya and Gisela’s training in the backyard.
”Um… you’re Suu, right? Go get Rena from the second floor.”
”Understood!”
The Snow Wolf maids looked just like triplets, so it was hard to tell them apart. I asked the maid with red highlights to do that.
* * *
In the reception area, we gathered for tea time with the sliced roll cake and tea, while Hiroya and Gisela were still outside. Ms. Hanna and the maids were also at the table enjoying their tea.
”…Gisela is… really overprotective of me…”
Karin said while drinking tea and looking down.
”When Mr. Hiroya helped me… I think it’s because I was… staring at him… like I was in love…”
”Then just keep Hiroya away from you. There’s no need to blame him in such a harsh way.”
Karin nodded while still looking down at my strong words.
”We really love Mr. Hiroya, and he loves us too. I know some people might feel weird about that.”
Dorothy said, and Karin shook her head vigorously.
”No! I think it’s w-wonderful!”
She looked up and answered loudly.
”Ah… I’m sorry…”
Seeing everyone’s surprised faces made Karin blush again and look down.
”…A-after that, I asked the guild master about Ms. Martina and Ms. Dorothy…”
”Yeah. Both of them owe their lives to Hiroya.”
Kazumi nodded.
”Kazumi and Rena are childhood friends who are always together. And I was saved by Hiroya as a woman.”
After Rena said so, I looked out the open door at Hiroya in the backyard.
”…It’s impossible not to fall for him…”
”I… I understand…”
Karin mumbled with a red face.
”Do you truly grasp what I mean?”
Martina leaned in to look at Karin, who was still looking down.
”I… I do! I’ve heard so many things about Mr. Hiroya… how people rely on him… and admire him…”
Karin slowly lifted her face.
”That’s why… it’s because of Mr. Hiroya that you all have a proper relationship where you love him and he loves you back… I-I think so…”
Her voice got really quiet at the end, but we could still hear her clearly.
”I think Gisela will also learn the true side of Mr. Hiroya through practice… so… yay!”
Feeling happy, I hugged Karin tightly.
* * *
(Gisela’s POV)
After practice, I was told that the bath was ready. I said no, but Karin really wanted to go, so I went along with her.
”Wow! Dis bathtub’s ginormous!”
”Be careful running!”
”G-Gisela… your language…”
I accidentally slipped back into my old way of speaking. I still can’t shake off the relationship I had when I was in the Empire.
”We’re not master and servant anymore, you know? Me and Gisela are ‘friends from the same hometown and fellow adventurers’ now.”
”Yeah… um, ‘yes’.”
* * *
”They say they have the same hot spring water here.”
”Is that why… my tired body from practice feels so relaxed?”
This village’s pride, the ‘hot spring’, was apparently Ms. Kazumi’s idea.
”Oh, oh, and… coffee milk! That drink is perfect after a bath! I heard Ms. Kazumi made the recipe too!”
Even though she’s still a girl, she seems pretty wise.
* * *
”What are you guys drinking? Beer? Coffee milk? We also have honey lemon.”
”I-I’ll have coffee milk here.”
Karin stuttered a bit but answered normally to Ms. Liz’s question. It seems like she has opened up to them.
”I’ll pass…”
”It’s on me, as a treat from a senior adventurer. Don’t hold back.”
I felt a bit annoyed by that, but Ms. Liz didn’t seem to mean any harm. In fact, she smiled and tossed a bottle of beer my way.
”!”
”You can drink it, right?”
”…Thank you.”
I handed Karin the coffee milk and ruffled her hair. Karin looked up at Ms. Liz with a smile.
(Whoa… Karin has really warmed up to her)
”Would you like to join us for dinner?”
A woman who seemed to be the head maid placed a plate of bean dishes on the table while speaking. I think her name was Ms. Hanna.
”No, I can’t trouble you that much…”
”Why not eat with us? We have some interesting guests coming tonight. You won’t regret meeting them, right?”
”?”
Karin tilted her head while holding the bottle of coffee milk.
”Sir Elberhardt, the Minister of War, and his girlfriend Ms. Barbara. And Ms. Sasha, the leader of the Zett Merchant Guild.”
”Whoaaaa! Sir Elberhardt! Isn’t he the hero?!”
Hearing the hero’s name made Karin excited, and I felt my own warrior blood stirring. But──
”Are you okay? If it’s Sir Elberhardt, he might find out who you really are.”
I asked Karin quietly.
”…I-I’m fine.”
Karin replied softly.
”More importantly, that hero Sir Elberhardt… he’s a powerful person in this country… and I’d love to learn more about Lady Sasha, who is the leader of the Royal Capital’s merchant guild…”
”What do you want to do?”
Ms. Kazumi asked again.
”I would love to be invited. I know it’s a bit forward, but…”
”Sounds good! Ms. Hanna, please arrange it! Hiroya! Martina! Rena! Let’s go to the bath!”
Saying that, Ms. Kazumi left the dining room. Mr. Hiroya, who was still practicing in the courtyard, and Ms. Rena and Ms. Martina, who were sitting on the sofa, followed her.
* * *
”Aren’t you guys going?”
I asked Ms. Liz and Ms. Dorothy, who were drinking beer and snacking on the bean dish across the table.
”Huh? Tonight is the day we wash Hiroya’s back.”
Ms. Liz said as she took a swig of her beer.
”Don’t you feel… jealous or anything?”
”Not really. Before we are ‘Hiroya’s girlfriends’, we are ‘important family’ to him.”
Ms. Liz’s words made Ms. Dorothy nod deeply while drinking her beer.
(Family──huh)
”Kazumi said…”
Ms. Liz picked up an empty beer bottle and stared at it.
”She called us ‘important family’.”
”Yeah. And they don’t want Mr. Hiroya to feel sad because they’re hiding their feelings for him…”
Ms. Dorothy is looking at the snowy scene outside the open door.
”So, Hiroya faced us properly… well, you probably wouldn’t get it anyway.”
At that moment, someone knocks on the front door.
”Hiroya! I’m here for the duel!”
”Van… if you’re going to say that, it should be ‘meeting’ instead…”
A loud voice echoed. It seems like the hero Sir Elberhardt has arrived.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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