Sepakai (GXG) (GIRLXGIRL) (GL)

108

Chapter 11: Royal Academy
Section 9: Return it Back When I Can
“I never thought we’d see each other again so soon”

I’m relieved I could help…….did it sound arrogant when I said that?

But I was so happy to see Peachseed-san standing in front of me when I got there I wasn’t thinking about what was coming out of my mouth.

“R-Right. I wouldn’t have had to act so awkwardly back at the guild if I had known.”

Peachseed-san’s hair was still wet. I’m sure she would have had plenty of time to dry out her clothes after getting her wounds treated though.

“Here, use this if you want. It’s still mostly dry.”

I tried giving Peachseed-san the towel I had taken with me from the carriage……

“Ah, thanks…..”

and she nodded once, applying it to her hair. Almost immediately afterwards though, she shook her head and brought the towel back down.

“N-No, that’s not what I came over here for. I wanted to……you know, say thanks.”

“Thanks?”

Between how wet and cold I was currently feeling, my blood circulation wasn’t the best, and my head had a hard time processing words. So while I stupidly repeated what she just said back to her like a parrot, Kutuna-san and Plumseed-san walked over and took a stand beside Peachseed-san.

“We heard about it from the knight commander. Iris-san was the one who found us.”

“I think if Iris-san had never come to rescue us, we would certainly have all died. My magic power…….was almost completely gone.”

“So, thank you. We will definitely return the favor someday.”

“N-No, there’s no need for you to bother. I, I mean we, only did what anybody else would’ve done in our position.”

“……that might be true for you, but it’s most certainly not the case for everyone.”

“That’s right……it’s normal to hesitate if you’re faced with a monster attack of that scale.”

“There were actually other adventurers hired as escorts as well…….but everyone else ran away. If you hadn’t come, we would……..definitely……..”

Plumseed-san leaked out a weak sob as she crouched down where she stood. Thinking about it, I always think of Plumseed-san and Peachseed-san as twins, but they aren’t.

Plumseed-san is the same age as me. That difficult age where you’re overcoming your childishness but are still not at the level to be called an adult.

Scary things are scary whether you’re an adventurer or not. So of course you’d feel like crying if you are a hair’s breadth away from death.

“So it might not be a big thing to you, but it is for us. You saved us, and we will return this favor without fail. I swear by my sword.”

“A swordswoman who has sworn by their sword has made a promise that cannot be broken. Iris. You should accept their feelings.”

Saluena set her hand on Peachseed-san’s shoulder and nodded. She’s making a face like a just and righteous knight, but I know better.

Whenever Saluena makes a face like that, it’s because she’s thinking about something no good.

“Modesty is a virtue, but it can also be a blade that hurts those close to you. Saving their lives and then refusing to let them pay you back would be a huge blow to these girls’ pride.”