“……”
Looking at his reattached hand, Ares wore a dazed expression. It had been a while since I saw him crying, but I understood his feelings.
“I’m so glad, really glad, Ares.”
Beside Ares’s hospital bed, Arni Duratan held onto him tightly in a prayer-like gesture, shedding tears and sharing in his joy as if it was her own.
“So, is this it?”
“……”
The Grand Witch, who had reattached his hand, seemed a bit tired as she sat down on the prepared chair, and Adriana remained silent, looking at Ares.
Just like Ares, who was overwhelmed with mixed emotions while staring at his reattached hand, Adriana also seemed filled with her own feelings while looking at him.
‘Speaking of which, Ares…’
He had a history of abandoning Adriana while being chased by Apviel, running off without a second thought. While Ares couldn’t be blamed entirely, Adriana couldn’t be expected to see it positively.
“It’s surprising to know someone like that Mage. Daniel seems to have quite the connections.”
Eris, who had been observing Ares with the Helios emblem from his hospital room, casually approached me.
I was thankful to her for waiting from the Forest of the Demon Realm until we arrived in Elgrid.
“Well, it just happened.”
“The Elf Queen would probably struggle with something like this. I’ll chat with that person for a bit, so you should visit another hospital room, Daniel.”
“Hm.”
I was about to ask if she wouldn’t come with me, but Eris just smiled and remained silent.
But her expression oddly felt like a warning to me.
If you go together, can you handle it?
Feeling a chill on the back of my neck, I unintentionally shrank back and turned to stand next to Ares.
Since he still couldn’t move his hand, Ares was just staring blankly and glanced up at me.
I spoke honestly, lowering my head to him.
“Thank you for not running away and fighting for your sister.”
“……”
That was the end of it.
Ares didn’t respond, and I also left without saying anything further, stepping out of the hospital room.
How Ares would take it was now entirely up to him.
“What, you really came?”
“I told you, didn’t I?”
In the corridor waited Tana and Eve, chatting away.
Seeing the two of them eased my heart; it felt good to be around them.
“I didn’t even get to greet you properly. Both of you, are you okay?”
“Of course.”
“I wasn’t really okay, though.”
As Tana and I turned our attention to Eve, she puffed up her cheeks and raised her hand high.
“I demand a reward from Daniel!”
“……Reward?”
Knowing how she’d been galloping around like a wild pony for a while, I felt a bit worried, but I started to understand why Eris sent me off alone.
However, Eve made a surprisingly modest request.
“Just pet my head once, please.”
“Um?”
That’s easy enough.
Eve’s soft, dark blue hair got tangled around my fingers as I gently stroked her. Slowly closing her eyes, she followed my hand with her head.
“Hehehe.”
Watching Eve smile brightly warmed my heart again. Right, she was just on a little rampage; after all, Eve was still Eve.
My little Eve! May it last forever!
After petting Eve’s head, I glanced at Tana, who pretended to gag and stuck out her tongue.
“Aren’t you going to do something for me? Forget that, just buy me a meal.”
Of course, that’s what she’d say.
Nodding in agreement, I headed for the nearest hospital room.
The two decided to wait in the corridor and didn’t follow inside.
As I entered the hospital room, I saw two beds placed side by side against the end wall, allowing both to rest comfortably.
A girl with bleached white hair, Sen, and a short-haired female inspector, Hayun.
Though both usually had inscrutable expressions, they smiled slightly upon seeing me.
Unsure of whom to approach first, Hayun subtly gestured towards Sen, so I walked over to her.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. I could be discharged right away. I’ve gotten hurt much worse during training with the Chokugen Faction.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
Though she seemed much better now, the curse of the Chokugen Faction still lingered within her.
“Thank you so much. But I was surprised you made that choice knowing the dangers of Tudogs.”
I never expected Sen to engage in battle against Tudogs with such a lacking force as the female students.
Despite realizing what I meant, Sen responded flatly.
“It was a mission.”
Huh?
That caught me off guard, and I tilted my head in confusion, asking.
“Whose mission?”
“Uh, yours…”
Sen, who seemed to realize something halfway through her sentence, suddenly clamped her mouth shut. I had never given her such a mission.
With a bewildered expression, Sen looked between herself and me. I chuckled and, like with Eve, ruffled her hair.
What was I, her uncle looking at a niece?
Anyway, I felt proud of her.
“You’re finally starting to choose and act on your own now.”
“By myself…?”
Sen looked up at me with a hint of anxiety in her expression, but she pressed my hand down, urging me not to stop.
“Did I really do it by myself?”
“Yeah, for your friend, you chose to fight the Tudogs.”
It’s only natural for her to feel uneasy.
She had just hatched from an egg in Bethel. Right now, she was in the midst of practicing walking.
Initially, she must have wobbled, fallen down, and cried due to the sheer fear of trying something new.
However, since I believed she could eventually manage it, I ruffled her hair with more vigor and then let go.
“Thought I was just petting a dog.”
I joked, trying to lighten the mood, but a hospital pillow came flying at me.
“……”
The hospital pillow was surprisingly hard.
When I returned it to Sen, she hugged it close and turned away in a mock pout.
Chuckling, I approached Hayun.
“How are you feeling?”
“What, I didn’t get hurt badly.”
As Hayun examined herself while speaking, a ball of yarn had somehow ended up on her lap. Maybe she was alleviating her boredom by knitting while hospitalized.
“What are you making?”
“Gloves. So I can wear them when it gets cold.”
“Hm?”
“Why? Do you want to buy some?”
Asking to sell something even in this kind of situation—she’s definitely a flower beggar beauty.
When I said I’d think about it, Hayun smiled faintly and then asked carefully.
“So, how is it going with Eris?”
“……Actually, I was a bit scared earlier.”
When I recounted Eris’s atmosphere a moment ago, Hayun slapped her forehead and sighed.
“Make sure to clarify later that it was a misunderstanding. I don’t know if she’ll believe it, though.”
“Haah.”
Still, I couldn’t just ignore the kids who fought against the Tudogs for me and not say thank you.
“I should do that. I need to thank the others as well, so I’ll go.”
Just as I was about to head out, Hayun suddenly grabbed my sleeve.
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Uh…”
Looking confused, Hayun was looking at her hand as if she didn’t know why she had grabbed me.
After fiddling with her hands for a moment, she suddenly extended her palm.
“Good job.”
It was quite unexpected, but I smiled and high-fived her.
“You too, good job.”
After our simple high-five, I headed to the next hospital room.
This one also had two beds, but there were two girls that could be described as enemies.
“May and Elise?”
“Eh? You’re here!”
“Aah! Master!”
The combination already gave me a headache, but I entered while closing the hospital door behind me.
I was curious why Elise, a princess, was in a room for two, but whatever.
“Master! Master! Please come and make me yours!”
“Hey! If you go to her first, you’re really dead!”
Watching the two of them cause a ruckus on their respective beds, I almost bolted back out.
I thoroughly commend them.
“Master! Master! Master!”
“Ugh! That crazy girl. What is she, a recording device?”
Eventually, I stepped over to Elise, who looked in a worse state. She handed me a leash and rope right away.
“Master! Please remind me that I belong to you with this!”
“No, I’ve never owned someone like you.”
“Aah! Someone like me?!”
What do I do with this?
She seems to enjoy being treated roughly, so I’m not sure how to handle her.
“But please! I’ve worked hard, right? I got hurt fighting for you!”
“……”
What is this?
Isn’t she subtly blackmailing me while calling herself a slave, claiming she’s my possession?
“Talk about going overboard.”
On the other side, May folded her arms and appeared thoroughly annoyed.
Now that I think about it, isn’t this like a cursed doll that just sticks around even if you throw it away?
‘Ugh, damn.’
Thinking of it as cursed oddly made sense, and I resigned myself to the idea.
With her eyes sparkling, Elise seemed to hope I’d do something rough to her, but when I glanced at her body, she seemed injured even more than the others.
‘Sigh.’
Having heard that she led the kids to fight the Tudogs alongside Rin, I wanted to fulfill her desires if possible…
Ah, I don’t know.
Since Elise was a princess, I turned my body slightly so May wouldn’t see and held her hand, kissing the back of it.
The kind of action a knight swears loyalty to a princess.
“Just this once. I’ll fight for you.”
“……!”
Elise, who had been staring blankly at me, finally opened her mouth slowly. I wasn’t sure if she’d dislike the action I just took, which was the opposite of what she wanted.
Elise’s eyes glistened with tears.
“A, aah…”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
Worried about what reaction she might have now, I carefully asked, and Elise, beaming, replied.
“This is, this is really nice too.”
“Yeah, let’s try changing things up a bit.”
Elise, who seemed pleased, turned slowly and hesitantly said to me.
“I’m rained on.”
“What the hell!”
Without realizing, I blurted out a curse and stepped back from Elise. Noticing I hadn’t heard Elise, May looked startled and asked what was going on, but I was too flustered to respond.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I can’t take it. Am I avoiding it because I’m scared of it or because it’s dirty?”
Right as I was about to walk over to May…
Lick.
“……”
Lick.
Something felt strange on my back.
It was reminiscent of when Rin had smelled my sweat before.
As I turned my head slightly, I saw Elise licking the back of my hand, the place I just kissed.
I almost lost my mind.
To what extent? I swear I could understand why the God of Death would want to destroy the world?
“Come here.”
“A, no!”
Eventually, I pulled out a handkerchief and scrubbed her hand decisively, and Elise pouted while sticking her lips out.
“Ugh.”
Anyone would think she was being wronged.
“Geez, why does she come to me after messing with that crazy girl?”
“Didn’t you see her convulsing earlier?”
Complaining, May grinned when I got closer and offered me candy.
“Eat this. I was told I shouldn’t.”
“……”
Taking the candy, I said thanks and tried to put it in my pocket, but May insisted I eat it right in front of her, so I popped it in my mouth. It was strawberry-flavored.
“I won’t ask for something unreasonable like her.”
“Does that mean you will ask for something?”
“Hmm? Isn’t that only natural? After being injured like this?”
May subtly unveiled her bandaged leg beneath the blanket. I had nothing to say in that moment and simply clamped my mouth shut.
“Kiss me.”
“……”
“That’s why I made you eat the candy. The first kiss should ideally taste like strawberries, right?”
Unknowingly, I applied pressure, crunching on the still solid candy that hadn’t melted.
Didn’t I just say I wouldn’t ask for anything unreasonable?
“Do you really think I’d do it?”
“Cheh.”
With a disappointed expression, May thought for a moment and then said again.
“Then how about a peck?”
“I’m leaving.”
“Ah, fine! Alright! Cheh, I honestly thought it’d at least work.”
Is she serious?
I started to wonder if she’d hit her head; I checked to see if her forehead had a bandage wrapped around it.
“Just hug me then.”
“Haah.”
That’s not too much.
Friends hug each other, right?
Eager to end this, I pulled May into an embrace. At first, she seemed startled and shivered slightly, but soon wrapped her arms around my back.
Surprisingly, she smelled sweet; I thought she hadn’t bathed during her hospital stay.
Is this because of the candy?
“This is nice.”
Feeling my warmth, May said.
“Let go.”
May, who was firmly gripping me as I tried to pull away, eventually released me with a hint of reluctance when I spoke.
“Actually, that’s not what I meant.”
May smacked her lips and composed herself.
“Huh?”
I hugged her when she asked, so what else did she want?
However, Elise spoke up, visibly annoyed while watching us.
“Some people metaphorically express wanting sex by asking for hugs. It’s quite a sophisticated expression, but it does not suit you, May.”
“……”
Staring at May, who looked taken aback, she posed cutely with a little devilish smile, fluttering her clothes.
“Retry?”
I need to get out of here.
Reciting Eris’s name three times inwardly, I took a step back, but surprisingly May wrapped herself in the blanket and turned to the other side.
“While I couldn’t ask for my desire to be fulfilled, I’ll let it slide today… it was unexpectedly overwhelming.”
Hiding her flushed face, May whispered softly, curling up as if she found it adorably cute, but I didn’t stroke her hair and immediately made my exit.
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