Seras glanced outside of the cave.

[It seems that you’re back.]

Coming from outside of the cave, Eve returns.

[I’ve finished leashing the horses.] [Good work.] [Umu.]

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Eve intensely shook her body. The moisture began violently flying away from her fur.

[The place I’ve tied them on should be able to withstand the rain and if something were to happen with them, we could immediately come running towards them from this place.]

I handed a dry cloth towards Eve.

[I’m sorry, I made the interior wet too.] [It’s no problem.] [After taking our meals, we would take turns in sleeping. Monroy is considerably far away from this place and we would need to get some rest. It would be quite troubling if we were exhausted from fatigue before we enter the Demon Zone.] [Umu, you’re right.] [Pyuriii~]

Pigimaru jumped out of my robe. Walking away from me, he started quivering nearby the wall. It seems like he’s on rest mode for a while.

As for our meal, we started cleaning up the ingredients that wouldn’t last for a long time. Eve skillfully made a fire. I placed a small pot over the burning wood.

[If your clothes aren’t going to get dry before you go to bed, you should change your clothes. I would turn around.] [I understand. Liz, should we go?] [Y- Yes.]

Seras began pulling Liz’s hand and moved into the back.

[In that case, I would start maintenance on the weapons and armors.]

Eve sat in front of me.

[…………..] [Mhmm? What is it, Touka?] [I didn’t really notice it before because of the fur all over your body, but you’re surprisingly more lightly dressed that I thought. Even your armor looks quite light.]

If a human were to wear something like that, you would think that kind of clothing would expose your body a lot. I wonder if were-leopards just don’t care much about exposure.

[Umu, I’m wearing armor which focuses on the ease of my movement. One of the forte of the were-leopards is our agility. Isn’t it better for us to take advantage of our strength?] [I could certainly see that you’re really agile. Of course, you should take advantage of it when in battle.]

For a few seconds, we went silent.

[…It looks like you don’t particularly want to hear about Liz or my past.] [As long as the other party doesn’t want to talk about it, I don’t intend to force themselves to talk about it. After all, even I had some past that I don’t want to speak of.]

That’s also the same case with Seras. Before she became a Holy Knight, she used to be the princess in the country of the High Elves. Why did that princess relocate to the Holy Kingdom of Neia, which was under human rule? What happened in the country of the High Elves? How is her life while she’s in the Holy Kingdom of Neia? If we’re going to talk about mysteries, that would be the first one I want to know of. However, I wouldn’t go ask her about it myself. I also had a past that I haven’t told her. She doesn’t need to know everything about me. That’s what I think. The same goes for Eve and Liz.

[If you want to talk about it, then just say it. I don’t really know that much about Seras’ past. However, that’s fine with me.] [I understand. Then, I won’t dare to dig deeper into you and Seras’ past. After all, it would be better sometimes if there’s a certain amount of distance from each other.]

Our journey together with Eve and Liz only goes as far as when we arrive at the home of the Witch of Taboos. The two of them don’t need to know about us that deeply. Until I finished my revenge with that f*cking goddess, the two of them wouldn’t know anything.

After we finished our conversation, Eve went to check out the horse. Beside the small pot, I started cutting the ingredients. Making hotpot is easy. If you just cut up the ingredients and season them, they will all go into shape. As for the magical leather bag… I guess I’ll use it if our food weren’t enough.

[L- Let me help you.]

Liz has already finished changing and is now standing next to me.

[Aren’t you tired? Don’t overdo it, okay?] [W- Would you please let me help you?] […………..]

When you have to make a face like that…

[Then, will you peel off the skin of these?] [Y- Yes.]

Liz looks happy. She skillfully peels off the skin of the vegetables.

[Fumu, you’re quite skillful.] [I- I’m thankful for your praise…]

Embarrassed, Liz’s shoulders shrunk. It seems she’s glad after being praised.

[I had been helping with cooking our meals before.] [So, cooking is your strong point huh?] [The people who come into our shop would be delighted after all. What the public knows though is that the Mistress was the one who made them…]

Another sh*tty episode from that proprietress. Geez… Feeling a bit irritated, I put my hand on my forehead.

[Fellows like them really like to show off to others…] [Touka-sama.] [Hmm?] [Umm… I would be glad if you could leave the task of cooking to me sometimes… Also, carrying our luggages…]

Looking at Liz’s hand, I could see that she stopped peeling. Her body and voice were trembling. It seems she’s still a bit reluctant when asking for something.

[You don’t really have to force yourself to find work you can do. Eve is working for your sake after all.] [T- That’s not it.] [It isn’t?] [I haven’t felt it back when I was in the White Coin… However, now that it’s for Touka-sama and Seras-sama… I really feel like I want to help.]

I lightly pat Liz on her back.

[I see. If that were the case, you should think positively.] [Y- Yes…]

A smile appeared on Liz’s face.

[Thank you very much, Touka-sama…]

▽

After our meal, Eve and Liz fell asleep. The both of them were sleeping soundly. Perhaps, the fatigue came out after their nervousness disappeared. When their nervousness disappeared, a sudden drowsiness came over them. Or is it because the autonomic nervous system have been switched over? I remembered hearing something like that back then. Curbing the volume of her voice, Seras said.

[Both of them were sleeping really well.] [They weren’t originally planning to flee from Monroy after all. Usually, they would have been asleep around this time.]

Putting out the fire, we sat side by side in a distance away from the two of them.

[Aren’t you also tired yourself, Touka-dono? I’ll be keeping watch, so please take some rest.] [Honestly, my eyes were wide awake and I can’t get some sleep.]

Seras is sitting in a seiza. She taps her lap and looks at me.

[Should I lend you my lap? Perhaps, you could take some rest if you sleep here?] [You’re also tired yourself, right? In that case—]

I shifted around my legs and is now sitting cross-legged. Just like how Seras did earlier, I tapped my legs.

[Should I lend you mine instead?] [I- Is that so? Well then…]

Seras began crawling my way.

[…………….]

I was actually just kidding earlier… Seras places her head over my lap. I look down towards her. Seras’ face is directly below my face. Her sky blue eyes were also looking up towards me… Observing me…

[Umm, by no means…]

She must have guessed something’s out of place based on my reaction…

[Were you actually just kidding when you said that?]

Seras asked.

I nodded. Before my eyes, a blush suddenly appeared on the High Elf’s face. As if she’s trying to endure her bashfulness, Seras closes down her eyes.

[…That was quite rude of me.] [Well, it’s fine. Something like that isn’t so bad sometimes.] [T- Thank you for your consideration…]

The redness on Seras’ face reached even up to her ears. Placing my hand on my chin, I groaned.

[Hey, Seras.] [What is it?] [I’ve been interested about it for a while but… Can I touch your ears?]

With a little bit of nervousness showing on her face, Seras pinched her long ears with her slender fingertips.

[B- By all means… if you like something like that.] [I’ve always wanted to touch an elf’s ears once.] [Is it your first time seeing one?] [Yeah, it’s the first time.]

I timidly reach out my hand. …I’m unexpectedly quite nervous.

Kunyyyuuu~

[Nhnnn… H- How is it…?] [How should I say this, it feels kind of mysterious.]

It feels different to those specially made artificial ears. These were real ears with blood flowing through them. I pinched her ears a little bit. Then, Seras’ body twisted.

[N- No… Umm, that’s kind of— Touka-dono, that is…] […Ah, my bad.]

Her ears were quite delicate huh…

▽

After Seras got up from my lap, we started discussing our future plans.

[As I thought, Eve’s ability is quite terrific. I think she could still be relied upon even in the Demon Zone.]

[That’s also the case with you, Seras. However, there are also numerous situations where she could play an active role outside of just pure combat. I’m quite grateful now that she’s our travelling companion.]

[Umm, this might be an impolite question but…]

Seras looked at Liz sleeping beside Eve.

[About Eve and Liz… Does Touka-sama have any special thoughts with them?] [Hmm? Why do you think so?] [Putting aside how they could lead us to the Witch of Taboos, I feel like you’re unusually quite soft in how you treat them— For example, just like how you treat me.]

She’s quite sharp when it comes to things like this. As I thought, she really is just like my Aunt.

[In short… You think I’m usually quite boorish?]

Placing her hand over her chest, Seras quickly denied my words.

[T- That’s a misunderstanding. It was by no means my intention—] [I’m just kidding.] [T- Touka-dono…]

Seras’ shoulders drop from relief and some hints of embarrassment. I turned toward Eve.

[Well, I guess the reason’s the same with you.] [Does she also resemble your Aunt?] [In Eve’s case, it would be my Uncle.] [Your Uncle, is it?] [Yeah. Naturally, their genders were quite different and they also didn’t have the same manner of speaking. However, the kindness within their hearts…]

My uncle is a good person. You could say that it’s because he’s a good person that he took custody of me. Even though his brother who he had already cut ties with, unilaterally pushed me towards him. My uncle condemned his brother— my father. However, he never once blamed me.

My uncle who is a single-minded, good person. My aunt who is intelligent and kind.

It’s thanks to them that I could live like today. Seras’ smile loosens.

[Your Uncle and Aunt must have been really important to you. Whenever you talk about them, you have that kind of face as if you’re holding something special.]

Is my expression really that different? I don’t really know about it myself.

[If they weren’t there for me, my life would have been really awful. I’m sure of that.]

I can’t thank them enough. My Uncle’s family may also be the only reason why I would want to return back to my original world. At least, I want to thank them. I’d tell them “Thank you for adopting me and raising me to the man that I am now.” Even just a few words were enough for me. I just wanted to tell them so.

After that, I looked towards Liz.

[As for Liz… She kind of resembles me.] [That girl does?]

Seras Ashrain reminds me of my Aunt. Eve Speed reminds me of my Uncle. Lizbeth reminds me of myself.

In a sense, you could even call it a strange coincidence.

[It seems that the environment themselves placed those who resemble someone I know close to me.]

Even that proprietress reminds me of my real parents. When I was young, I was oppressed by the poor environment around me. Me and Liz were similar in that kind of sense. However, there were some decisive differences between me and Liz. That child continued to endure even if her life was oppressed by others. Certainly, I’ve also been enduring all of those days that passed. However, killing intent has been budding within me at that time. A killing intent directed to those who was oppressing me—

If I don’t kill them soon, they would kill me later.

You could say that I have been suffering from madness at that time. No— Perhaps, was it that madness is my only means to escape that life? On the other hand, there’s the kind-hearted Liz. I can’t feel any hatred from her towards the proprietress. Perhaps, Liz might be the type that wishes to claim responsibility for herself. Her weak self is the one to blame. She must have thought something that way. Our circumstances were quite similar, however it was also different. My heart isn’t as hard as stone. If someone were to threaten me, I would eliminate them.

And as for those who cross my path, I would thoroughly trample them down.

I’m that kind of person. Touka Mimori is not someone who will save the world. I’m just someone who thinks for myself as I accomplish my own purpose.

To accomplish my revenge against them…

For this reason—

[I may be repeating it already, you could leave whenever you want to from this travel for my revenge. After all, this is all just for my own revenge.]

[You already know about this, I also had some things I want with the Goddess of Alion. I don’t intend to leave.]

A bit of a mischievous smile appeared on Seras face.

[Besides, you’ve already appointed me as your adjutant, right?] [In that case, I would be firmly relying on you.]

Seeing that I have played along with her, Seras smiles.

[Please leave it to me, Milord.]

[Let’s see… In return for accompanying me on this journey, I will do any one thing that you say. Of course… it would only be if I can do it.]

[Eh?]

Speaking of which, what time is it now? I took out my pocket watch and checked the time.

[You’ve been going along with my selfishness after all, if I could do at least this much… Well, it doesn’t really have to be right now. You could take your time and think about it.]

[…Understood.]

I put away my pocket watch.

[You should get some rest soon. I would stay awake until it’s time to switch with Eve.]

Seras started preparing to sleep. I sat down beside her.

[Well then, Touka-dono. I’m in your care.] [Yeah.] […………..I would be seriously thinking about it, you know?] [Hmm?] [About what you said earlier. You said that you’ll listen to any one thing I say.] [I know. I didn’t say it as a joke.]

Seras hid her mouth behind a cloth.

[……Yes.] [Now then, are you finished preparing?] [Yes.]

Seras whispered.

[Good night, Touka-dono.]

[Yeah.]

I held my hand over Seras’ face.

[<Sleep>] (T/N: Oyasumi.)