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Hiiro faced the garden with Camus and Tenn in tow. Why was Muir not present? That’s because she went towards Mimiru to notify her about his arrival.
So they separated with Muir and Hiiro brazenly proceeded towards the garden he had gone to before.
There was no change like from before. A sweet scent of aroma drifted from numerous flowers, and the pleasant wind faintly brushing his cheeks felt relaxing.
The sky was clear when looked above. No one would have thought that this country was attacked with such a relaxing view of the sky.
Camus and Tenn felt similarly and shut their eyes to cherish the pleasant moment. However, they did not come here to sunbathe.
He looked for Arnold who was his reason for coming here and saw him watering the flowerbed not far from here.
Looking closely, he seemed to be placing a small bamboo inside the flowering pot, it looks he’s planting medical herbs.
“Hey old man.”
Hiiro brazenly called out to him despite Arnold in the midst of his work, full concentration and awareness on the plant.
“Hah? Sorry, I’m busy so I don’t have time to….oh? I see. So it’s Hiiro. I’ll talk to you later after thi…… wait, Hiirooooooo!?”
Arnold opened his mouth as if his jaw got dislocated in surprise. Hiiro thought this guy hasn’t changed one bit.
“W-w-why are you here? Wait, you are Hiiro right?”
“I don’t need to answer that. So? What’s with that getup?”
Arnold’s current appearance was wearing white straw bonnet weaved on his head.
“Hm? Ah, this is the work clothes Kukulia-sama lent me to wear.”
“Hey Arnold, aren’t you done with it yet! We need to bring the medicinal plants as soon…eh?”
The person that barged in and called out to Arnold was…. The first princess, Kukulia King.
And, from behind was,
“What seems to be the problem, Kukulia-anesama?”
That soothing voice came from Mimiru. Apparently, Muir was also tagging along with them.
Muir explained why Hiiro had come to 《Ouki》
“Hee, so what was it that you want to tell us about?”
“Wait a minute Arnold, we need to bring the medicinal plants first.”
“Ah, I forgot about that. We should do so or else I’ll get another hit from my sister.”
For the time being, the talk was put on hold and they tagged along with Arnold to do his work.
According to him, the chief maid, Arnold’s sister was taking a rest in her own room.
“Did something happen?”
Hiiro asked Arnold as they walked which the latter expressed a wry smile in response to his question.
“Well, it seems that my sister was injured in the battle with the assassin of the Predecessor Demon Lord”
“….I didn’t know your sister was that strong?”
“Hmm, she’s stronger than any of the average soldiers in here. Even I couldn’t win back at her.”
Even though you haven’t won against me yet, Hiiro held back retorting him.
“However, her partner that time was much stronger. You saw the situation outside right?”
“Yeah.”
“It seems to be the doing of that same person as well. Aside from 《Aragorn》of course, one of his companions blighted it.”
When the assassin appeared in front of the queen, Blantha King, Raive came in and protected her, however, the opponent was outside of her expectations and sustained severe injuries on both of her arms.
“….say Hiiro, I have a favor.”
“You want me to cure her wounds right?”
“……you can’t do it?”
Arnold understands Hiiro’s character well. He won’t move unless there was something for him. He understood that Hiiro will demand something in consideration of his favor.
(So that’s why he had a conflicted expression)
“Sure. I don’t mind.”
“Re-really!?”
“However.”
“Ah, I knew this was coming.”
Somehow Arnold expected it and felt a little depressed.
“In compensation, I want to eat your cooking once again.”
“…..you really are a strange guy.”
Hiiro’s demand made Arnold amazed. He felt a lump in his throat and made wry smile in response to his.
“You really haven’t changed a bit.”
Both of Raive’s arms was covered in a pale blue light. All of the members present was watching the spectacle unfolding.
“Heh, this feels really warm.”
Raive expressed a relieved expression as she cherished the warm feeling flowing in her arms. The pale light eventually dimmed and got absorbed inside her arms.
The arms of Raive rejuvenated in that moment. The complexion had a healthy glow again, the burnt skin has vanished and sore pain awhile ago had been remedied away.
“Wow! Even the pain is gone! Ahaha! You really are amazing!”
Raive returned a bright smile to Hiiro in response to the recovery of her arms.
“Thanks a lot, lad. Now I can return back to work with this!”
“Hey sister, you just got recovered you know, shouldn’t you rest just for this day?”
“Don’t speak of foolish things Arnold! I work because I love it! I live because I want to enjoy it to the fullest! You know that’s my motto right?”
Raive happily said that as she placed a cigarette between her lips. Hiiro felt admiration to the boldness of Arnold’s sister.
And then, Raive stood up facing Hiiro and bowed for accepting her treatment.
“I have heard a lot from you. Arnold, Muir and Mimiru talk about you a lot. You have my utmost gratitude. Thank you for curing my arm.”
“No need. Because I have received the payment for it.”
“Ah, about that, instead of that cowardly idiot’s cooking, would you like to try my own cooking?”
“I…idiot cooking…”
Apparently, Arnold was hurt by those words and dropped his shoulders heartbrokenly.
“You ok with it? It was the old man who accepted the commission you know?”
“It’s fine really. You’re the one who cured me anyway. Isn’t it natural for me to return back the gratitude instead?”
That smile from Raive felt relieving somehow. It was a warmth that was like a light that wraps all darkness.
She seemed to have the same soft-heartedness like Arnold apparently.
(As expected of siblings…)
Immediately, Raive went towards to Blantha to report her recovery.
With this, Hiiro can now finally get down with his business with Arnold and Muir. And as if they read his intention, Muir and Arnold stared at Hiiro as they recalled his purpose in here.
“Hiiro-san, please tell us what you were about talking to us before.”
Hiiro responded to Muir’s opening words.
“Well, it’s not that of a big deal but..”
“Jeez, just say it quickly. Hm? Don’t tell you got yourself a girlfriend?”
But it was Arnold’s mistake to say that. He talked without thinking of the consequences behind his spoken words. He noticed later a cold feeling tracing his spinal cord.
“Oji-san……”
“Arnold-san……”
A cold, demeaning aura pierced his back.
“That kind of joke….”
“Is not meant to be spoken in here, yes ?”
Muir and Mimiru’s usual facade was nowhere to be seen.
“Hiiiiiiii! m-m-my tongue just slipped, I’m sorry!”
Hiiro felt disappointed once again at the man in his thirties kneeling down on the ground to the two teenaged girls.
(He’s really pitiful…)
Although Hiiro vaguely knew the reason for their cold reactions, Hiiro kept himself silent and quietly looked at Arnold like a bystander.
While they were at it, someone pulled the hems of Hiiro’s sleeves. He reacted to it and was faced with an expressionless facade of Camus.
“…..Hiiro”
“Yeah?”
“Why are Muir and her friend…angry?”
“Ah. Somehow those guys see me as their elder brother. So it won’t be funny for them if that elder brother gets a girlfriend.”
“Does Hiiro have a…girlfriend?”
“Of course I don’t.”
“…I see.”
For some reason, Camus made a relieved expression. Is it possible that Camus was also seeing him as his elder brother?
(Well, he is my subordinate after all. It has the brotherly like feeling if I think of it that way.)
“………so Hiiro is a thickheaded one?”
Tenn murmured as if he couldn’t believe what he discovered.
“As if I’m one. I’m not some Hero of who knows where he is right now”
Of course, that hero was Aoyama Taishi.
“………haa, those little miss’es sure have it rough.”
Since he felt that they were wasting time, Hiiro went to the heart of the matter.
“Anyway, may I start now?”
Everyone stopped their clamor as their attention shifted at Hiiro’s word.
“Alright. I’ll start…”
“Eeh!? You found Wi’s father!?”
“I-is that true Hiiro-san!?”
Hiiro talked about the matter of the other day about meeting Cruzer Jio. Muir and Arnold also knew about Winkaa Jio’s situation when they traveled together.
Before Hiiro parted with his companions, they promised to report each other if they ever find Winkaa’s father.
Even Muir and Arnold were constantly worried about Winkaa, praying for her to find her father quickly every day.
Thus, they made such promise with each other. And since Hiiro was the first to discover her father by a spur of coincidence, he decided to inform his colleagues about it.
“I see. To think he was in that cave.”
“Yes! Now we only need to tell Winkaa-san about this!”
“As for that one, I have already done it.”
“Fast! Wait, I shouldn’t be surprised by this level anymore.”
Hiiro had already reported it to Winkaa. At first, she was dumbfounded by it, but knowing that he won’t like about such matter, she trusted him and heard the whereabouts of her father’s location.
Apparently, she seemed to in the middle of a work she cannot abandon and only promised to go there after she was done with her task.
Of course, Hiiro also told Cruzer about Winkaa’s safety which the later felt quite relieved hearing it. And promised to wait quietly until she comes for him.
“I’m so glad for Winkaa-san.”
“I agree, it seems this day is a day for celebration!”
Mimiru and Kukulia heard the talk about Winkaa, and they both shed tears of joy for her.
“Hey Hiiro, if they ever get reunited once again, don’t forget to call us alright?”
“Ah, p-please tell me too!”
“You sure you want to go to that cave?”
“Yeah! Our countries are allied nations after all!”
“I agree! I also want to meet Eu-chan as well!”
Eu was a shortened nickname for Eunice, who Muir faced in the duel incident and got friendly in the end.
“Well, if that time comes, I will do so.”
Muir and Arnold exchanged glances with each other as they happily expressed their feelings. Mimiru and Kukulia looked at them with warm eyes.
However, all of a sudden, they heard a scream from somewhere. And then,
Dogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
In addition to the scream, a loud explosion roared. Everyone caught their breath when they headed outside in a panic and saw the scene before their very eyes.
“N-no way…”
A mutter came from Kukulia.
“《Aragorn》…………………… has fallen!?”