“Haa… I wasn’t sure what was going to happen there.”
The boy said with a sigh. The girl picked up the stones.
“Maki.”
“Ah, Edwy.”
When Edwy called, they both casually turned around. Then they saw how worried Edwy and Aaron looked, and they looked just a little guilty.
“Maki. Didn’t you say that you were 25 and that we didn’t have to worry about you?”
“Yes, and you don’t. But we didn’t say anything about sitting quietly.”
“You always have an answer for everything.”
Aaron scratched his head with annoyance. Maki watched him with amusement, then she looked behind him.
“Ah, it’s Zynis’s sons.”
After all, they had the same face. As they had talked before, Maki stepped forward in order to greet them, but the distance remained the same.
“Uh.”
“AH.”
It was no surprise. After all, Dilon and Corete had taken a step back without thinking. Maki wondered what was going on when she suddenly felt a chill in her chest. Ah, yes. They had been watching what they did to the gazers. So they were scared. I see. Once Dilon and Corete realized this, they looked away with awkward expressions.
No one had ever been afraid of Maki and Chiharu before. If anything, people had been desperate in their attempt to protect Maki and Chiharu from the monsters. Either that or they would just watch as the monsters were turned into stone. But that was because they were close.
This couldn’t be helped. And she would remember it. This was the reaction of a normal person. If anything, it was good that they got it out of the way now. Maki would not have to be surprised the next time that this happened.
And so she did not go any closer to Dilon and Corete. Instead, she turned around to face Chiharu. It’s fine. She smiled. Chiharu had a hand to her chest as she looked at Maki worriedly. Chiharu was sad too. They were both sad.
Chiharu had touched her chest like that at the Midland castle as well. Sorry for laughing at you at that time. It hadn’t even stung this much when the inland strangers had talked to them. Maki maintained her smile as she looked down.
“Back then, everyone here was a stranger, Maki-chan. So we didn’t care what people said. They had nothing to do with us.”
“Chiharu…”
She didn’t need to say anything. Chiharu understood.
Yes. This was their world now. And so it hurts to see someone they thought was a friend shrink back.
Maki looked like she was going to cry, and so Chiharu slowly approached her and threw her arm around her.
“To think that there are some who can’t even see the truth. Dogmen and youth are not what they used to be.”
The voice of a birdman echoed in the silence. And they heard someone move behind them.
“Woah! Huh? Oh.”
“You don’t need to act so surprised.”
Said the big dog that pushed its head between them.
“Of course, I’m surprised! A 2-meter dog just appeared between us!”
The morose atmosphere was gone, as Maki joked and Chiharu threw her arms around Zynis’s neck.
“Dilon. Corete.”
Zynis’s soft voice echoed. Maki shuddered when she heard the names. She sensed someone coming towards them from behind. They continued to hold onto Zynis.
“Huh? Ahhh!”
“Ahh!”
Something passed both Maki and Chiharu. Before they knew it, there were two very large dogs in front of them. Their ears were drooping a little sadly. One was ash-colored and looked like a smaller version of Zynis. The other was a light yellow and was very large.
“These two learned your great secret as Saintesses before they learned about how cute you can be. And so they were surprised. They are still young.”
Zynis said.
“I’m sorry.”
“I was shocked.”
Their voices rang. Maki hesitated for a moment. But Chiharu stretched out her hand immediately.
Dilon was next to Maki and Corete was next to Chiharu. Maki looked at Corete and raised an eyebrow.
“Lass-”
“Stop it. Well, they do look a little similar in color.”
Chiharu interrupted her.
“You could have at least let me say it.”
“I thought we agreed to stop doing that.”
As they stretched their arms out, the large dogs moved under them. And like that, their hands hesitantly started to pat the dogs, which were nervous and stiff. After a while, their tense bodies started to relax.
“See? The Saintesses are not scary, are they?”
Zynis said teasingly.
“That’s horrible!”
“We’re so quiet and calm!”
Chiharu and Maki said angrily. And then Dilon and Corete said,
“You’re not quiet at all.”
“But, you aren’t scary. You’re warm. Just like us.”
The words echoed in Maki and Chiharu’s ears, and then they turned to each other and nodded.
“Hmm. One of them is unfortunate.”
“One of them does not pass!”
And then,
“Wh-what do you mean, I don’t pass!”
Dilon shouted.
“I didn’t say it was you…”
“Self-destruct.”
“Y-you…”
Dilon shook angrily. However…
“You still have a long way to go.”
Zynis said, immediately silencing him. It was rather sad to have to be told such a thing from a father who didn’t know how to read the room. However, they did learn something. These two humans were no different from the others. Just like we can transform, they were humans with a unique power. That’s all.
Well, they were still very strange.
“Aaah, the miasma is getting thinner.”
Corete muttered. The air around them started to feel clearer.
“Oh, no. We have to hurry back before they close the back door.”
Maki said frantically as she looked at the sky.
“You. Is that how you two slipped out?”
“We’ll talk about it later!”
Maki ignored Aaron’s exasperated voice as she started to run. But Edwy came in to stop her.
“What’s wrong with it being closed?”
“Edwy?”
“After all, I’m sure you told them that you wanted to go somewhere while keeping it a secret from your older brother?”
Maki’s shoulders slumped. How did he know? Edwy was surprisingly formidable.
“Uhh.”
“We’ll just tell them that we caught you anyway. And then we can all return through the front.”
I see. That seemed like a good idea. However…
“But being caught by my older brother will make me look stupid. I don’t think my pride will allow me to…”
“Pride? You do realize that we already found you?”
“Gg…”
Indeed, they did look quite stupid. And Edwy was angry. Maki’s instinct was ringing a warning bell. It was best to obey them in this instance.
“Alright, we’ll go back together.”
“Good.”
And then Edwy turned to face Zynis and the others.
“Well then. See you tomorrow morning. We’ll move at the same time as today.”
Maki and Chiharu looked up at Edwy in surprise. Edwy nodded and said,
“We are going to rescue the captive merman.”
Captive! What an idiot. Chiharu recalled Saia’s face. I don’t want you to help him. I just want information. That’s what he had said. He was so wrong! Damn it.
Chiharu grumbled like this in her heart. Edwy urged her on, and without looking back, he said,
“It’s thoughtless friends that hurt people. I told you that.”
She felt a chill in spite of it being summertime. Perhaps it was because it was night.
“Haa… I wasn’t sure what was going to happen there.”
The boy said with a sigh. The girl picked up the stones.
“Maki.”
“Ah, Edwy.”
When Edwy called, they both casually turned around. Then they saw how worried Edwy and Aaron looked, and they looked just a little guilty.
“Maki. Didn’t you say that you were 25 and that we didn’t have to worry about you?”
“Yes, and you don’t. But we didn’t say anything about sitting quietly.”
“You always have an answer for everything.”
Aaron scratched his head with annoyance. Maki watched him with amusement, then she looked behind him.
“Ah, it’s Zynis’s sons.”
After all, they had the same face. As they had talked before, Maki stepped forward in order to greet them, but the distance remained the same.
“Uh.”
“AH.”
It was no surprise. After all, Dilon and Corete had taken a step back without thinking. Maki wondered what was going on when she suddenly felt a chill in her chest. Ah, yes. They had been watching what they did to the gazers. So they were scared. I see. Once Dilon and Corete realized this, they looked away with awkward expressions.
No one had ever been afraid of Maki and Chiharu before. If anything, people had been desperate in their attempt to protect Maki and Chiharu from the monsters. Either that or they would just watch as the monsters were turned into stone. But that was because they were close.
This couldn’t be helped. And she would remember it. This was the reaction of a normal person. If anything, it was good that they got it out of the way now. Maki would not have to be surprised the next time that this happened.
And so she did not go any closer to Dilon and Corete. Instead, she turned around to face Chiharu. It’s fine. She smiled. Chiharu had a hand to her chest as she looked at Maki worriedly. Chiharu was sad too. They were both sad.
Chiharu had touched her chest like that at the Midland castle as well. Sorry for laughing at you at that time. It hadn’t even stung this much when the inland strangers had talked to them. Maki maintained her smile as she looked down.
“Back then, everyone here was a stranger, Maki-chan. So we didn’t care what people said. They had nothing to do with us.”
“Chiharu…”
She didn’t need to say anything. Chiharu understood.
Yes. This was their world now. And so it hurts to see someone they thought was a friend shrink back.
Maki looked like she was going to cry, and so Chiharu slowly approached her and threw her arm around her.
“To think that there are some who can’t even see the truth. Dogmen and youth are not what they used to be.”
The voice of a birdman echoed in the silence. And they heard someone move behind them.
“Woah! Huh? Oh.”
“You don’t need to act so surprised.”
Said the big dog that pushed its head between them.
“Of course, I’m surprised! A 2-meter dog just appeared between us!”
The morose atmosphere was gone, as Maki joked and Chiharu threw her arms around Zynis’s neck.
“Dilon. Corete.”
Zynis’s soft voice echoed. Maki shuddered when she heard the names. She sensed someone coming towards them from behind. They continued to hold onto Zynis.
“Huh? Ahhh!”
“Ahh!”
Something passed both Maki and Chiharu. Before they knew it, there were two very large dogs in front of them. Their ears were drooping a little sadly. One was ash-colored and looked like a smaller version of Zynis. The other was a light yellow and was very large.
“These two learned your great secret as Saintesses before they learned about how cute you can be. And so they were surprised. They are still young.”
Zynis said.
“I’m sorry.”
“I was shocked.”
Their voices rang. Maki hesitated for a moment. But Chiharu stretched out her hand immediately.
Dilon was next to Maki and Corete was next to Chiharu. Maki looked at Corete and raised an eyebrow.
“Lass-”
“Stop it. Well, they do look a little similar in color.”
Chiharu interrupted her.
“You could have at least let me say it.”
“I thought we agreed to stop doing that.”
As they stretched their arms out, the large dogs moved under them. And like that, their hands hesitantly started to pat the dogs, which were nervous and stiff. After a while, their tense bodies started to relax.
“See? The Saintesses are not scary, are they?”
Zynis said teasingly.
“That’s horrible!”
“We’re so quiet and calm!”
Chiharu and Maki said angrily. And then Dilon and Corete said,
“You’re not quiet at all.”
“But, you aren’t scary. You’re warm. Just like us.”
The words echoed in Maki and Chiharu’s ears, and then they turned to each other and nodded.
“Hmm. One of them is unfortunate.”
“One of them does not pass!”
And then,
“Wh-what do you mean, I don’t pass!”
Dilon shouted.
“I didn’t say it was you…”
“Self-destruct.”
“Y-you…”
Dilon shook angrily. However…
“You still have a long way to go.”
Zynis said, immediately silencing him. It was rather sad to have to be told such a thing from a father who didn’t know how to read the room. However, they did learn something. These two humans were no different from the others. Just like we can transform, they were humans with a unique power. That’s all.
Well, they were still very strange.
“Aaah, the miasma is getting thinner.”
Corete muttered. The air around them started to feel clearer.
“Oh, no. We have to hurry back before they close the back door.”
Maki said frantically as she looked at the sky.
“You. Is that how you two slipped out?”
“We’ll talk about it later!”
Maki ignored Aaron’s exasperated voice as she started to run. But Edwy came in to stop her.
“What’s wrong with it being closed?”
“Edwy?”
“After all, I’m sure you told them that you wanted to go somewhere while keeping it a secret from your older brother?”
Maki’s shoulders slumped. How did he know? Edwy was surprisingly formidable.
“Uhh.”
“We’ll just tell them that we caught you anyway. And then we can all return through the front.”
I see. That seemed like a good idea. However…
“But being caught by my older brother will make me look stupid. I don’t think my pride will allow me to…”
“Pride? You do realize that we already found you?”
“Gg…”
Indeed, they did look quite stupid. And Edwy was angry. Maki’s instinct was ringing a warning bell. It was best to obey them in this instance.
“Alright, we’ll go back together.”
“Good.”
And then Edwy turned to face Zynis and the others.
“Well then. See you tomorrow morning. We’ll move at the same time as today.”
Maki and Chiharu looked up at Edwy in surprise. Edwy nodded and said,
“We are going to rescue the captive merman.”
Captive! What an idiot. Chiharu recalled Saia’s face. I don’t want you to help him. I just want information. That’s what he had said. He was so wrong! Damn it.
Chiharu grumbled like this in her heart. Edwy urged her on, and without looking back, he said,
“It’s thoughtless friends that hurt people. I told you that.”
She felt a chill in spite of it being summertime. Perhaps it was because it was night.
