CH 23

Reconciliation

(Bersleid: Here’s today’s first chapter.)

After the match has ended, Crim visited the young knight who looked stunned, like his soul had left his body.

“Um… are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine… to be honest, I’m grateful to her for being so straightforward with me.”

Crim chuckled at the sight of him looking so worn out in just a few minutes. But it seemed that he had recovered from the shock, and she was relieved that he was okay for now.

“So… but I’ve changed my mind. Um…”

“I’m Erumiru, the leader of the guild [Silver Wings]. And you?”

“I’m Crim. We plan to gather our guild members from now on to create our guild.”

“I see… well then, once you’ve successfully formed your guild, let us have a rematch.”

“Yes, I’d be happy to accept your challenge.”

The two laughed and bumped fists. The tension they had before the battle was now gone, and their relationship had improved to the point where they could respect each other’s abilities.

“… We were able to win because you guys were considerate for our two beginners. Weren’t you?”

“I see… so you noticed?”

“I think, it was probably to give us experience in guild battles. I also understood that your friends said you had a very caring personality.”

“… We ended up using you. I’m really sorry.”

He apologized, but Crim smiled and said she wasn’t bothered by it.

“So, if you had come with a full team, we might have been in danger.”

“No, even then we probably would have lost. Your cooperation with that mage was amazing, and besides… you were still hiding your true strength, weren’t you?”

At that remark, Crim stiffened.

“… How did you know?”

“It was easy. I thought that the weapon and combat skills you used were too weak for your abilities… what do you think?”

“…I got caught. I thought I wasn’t being obvious.” (Bersleid: *facepalms* Couldn’t have been more obvious…)

During the battle, she thought she had reassessed his evaluation, but honestly, she couldn’t deny that she still underestimated him as a ladies’ man.

However, admitting it is a bit frustrating. So…

“So, what’s the answer?”

In response to the question, Crim turns to him and puts her index finger to her lips, smiling mischievously.

“…It’s a secret. I’ll tell you if I see you’ve gotten stronger the next time we fight.”

Saying that, she turns her back on the man standing there looking dumbfounded, and rushes towards her comrades.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, both of you.”

She calls out to the two who were waiting in front of the plaza. Then…

“…Crim’s still a ladies’ man.”

“What!?”

Freya mutters disapprovingly, causing Crim to panic. She looks to Frey for help.

“You still lack self-awareness, even when though become a girl, huh?”

“Wh-What, even Frey…”

Crim looks flustered at the two’s behaviour. Seeing his reaction, Frey starts laughing followed by Freya.

“Hahaha… sis, isn’t it useless to worry about it?”

“Hehe, that’s right. Sorry Crim, I was a little mean.”

It seems that they were trying to cheer her up or maybe they were just teasing her. Crim breathes a sigh of relief at the two who were still smiling.

“That’s that, let’s go then. There are too many people here.”

“Yeah, let’s go back to Windham and look for an inn.”

“Hehe, we’ve stayed up so late. It feels like we’re doing something bad and I’m getting nervous.”

“Hahaha, yeah, you’re right.”

It’s already past 2am. The three of them had not stayed up this late since they went for a New Year’s shrine visit after finishing junior high school.

As they all agreed with Freya’s words, the three of them stood side by side and were enveloped in the teleporter’s light – just before that moment.

“…?”

Suddenly, Crim felt something that made her uneasy and looked up.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

She smiled and shook her head in response to Frey’s question.

However, she felt it…

(Someone was watching us.)

It was certainly a strong gaze.

◇

The place where Crim felt the gaze coming from was the top floor of Valhalla. There stood a young man who seemed to be in his adolescent years between being a boy and a young adult.

He had silver hair and dragon or demon-like horns poking out from between the strands.

He wore a black coat and carried two longswords on his back.

His face could almost be described as handsome, although it wouldn’t be quite accurate. However, there was a confidence about him that belied his age and gave him a rugged look.

“Oh wow… That girl’s pretty good.”

He was visiting the city to restock supplies, when he stumbled upon a match between two parties. At first, he had only been absentmindedly watching while waiting for his friends to finish their shopping, but then he noticed a particularly striking young girl among the competitors, and found himself unable to look away. He held onto the railing of the viewing platform, watching until the end.

“Hey, is something interesting going on?”

Asked his childhood friend and character companion, a blond boy, coming up from behind him. He had gone out to do some shopping, but had apparently finished already.

“Oh, it’s just that ‘Potato Kid’ who’s been causing a stir on the bulletin board. She was fighting there until just now.”

“Really? Where, where!?”

As soon as he saw his companion’s intense gaze, he chuckled wryly.

“Unfortunately, she’s already gone somewhere else.”

“Aww, I really wanted to see her just once…”

“Don’t be so disappointed, you’ll probably see her soon enough… as an opponent, that is.”

It was a premonition. He had a vague feeling that she would be his greatest rival, standing in his way. (Bersleid: Dream on.)

“…Was she really that strong, to catch your eye like that?”

“Well… unfortunately, she seemed quite cautious and didn’t show her true strength. But from her behaviour and the way she fought, I felt the same aura as the swordsman I respect the most.”

“But I’ll be the one to win. I swear it on my name as the leader of the guild ‘Northern Glacier’, Solleon.”

After glancing in the direction of the Teleporter Plaza from where the girl had disappeared, the young man smiled to himself and said his parting words, then turned and walked away, his long silver hair trailing behind him.

(Bersleid: Not much to comment here, I guess I’ll do another and that’s all for today.)