GalaxyTL
“Ah, welcome back, Meg-chan! And Asuka too! Good work, Owen. So Owen, how was it? I’m sure it was worth fighting, right?”
After that, we had lunch and then strolled down the city’s main street, returning to Ortus in the evening. Asuka was adorable, delighted that this was his first time eating snacks while walking around the city. It was Saura-san who welcomed us back. She’d even come all the way to the entrance from the reception counter. Saura-san’s also cute, I’m surrounded by cute today!
“You’re right about that. It really hit me that people see me as an easy target, compared to Gil-san and the others… Of course, I took care of them all.”
“Eh? There were that many strange people?”
I was surprised by Owen-san’s report, and Saura-san, chuckling wryly, said, “Of course.”
“I mean, we have our cute Meg-chan walking around town. There’ll always be those who try to take advantage. And today, there’s also Asuka. Two cute kids! I expected there would be more people than usual.”
“But there really were a lot… a lot of those who didn’t try anything directly, but kept staring…”
“I-I didn’t even notice…!”
There were that many…? Huh? Am I just… too carefree? I’ve been walking around town on my own lately, but I had no idea. There are those who come up to me every now and then, but they’re always outsiders, and I’ve been able to handle them.
I’m sure I’d notice if I was paying attention… hmm. I need to be more aware, as an Ortus member. Time to reflect.
“It’s fine that you didn’t notice, Meg-chan. Or rather, you wouldn’t be able to go outside if you were aware.”
“Heh~”
I definitely don’t want that! I involuntarily hugged myself and shuddered. Asuka, sensing my anxiety, gently patted my back.
“It’s fine, once you get used to it.”
“You noticed too, Asuka!?”
“Yeah. I’m sensitive to people’s gazes. I like being the center of attention.”
Come to think of it, Asuka has always been a bit of an attention seeker. He’s aware of his cuteness and loves being praised and noticed. But isn’t it annoying to want attention from anyone and everyone…? Ah, it’s not? I see. You’re strong.
“Ah, that’s right, Meg-chan, you have some letters. I was planning on giving these to you. Here.”
“Eh, replies already? Thank you! Ah, from Rune and Goot! And even Urbano!”
Three letters in total. They always send replies right away, so I often get them all at the same time. But these replies came back quickly. I wonder if it’s because I wrote about the fighting tournament?
“Meg, you want to read them, right? It’s okay to go back to your room. I’m sure you also want to write replies. But let’s eat dinner together, okay?”
I must have been fidgeting, staring at the letters, because Asuka, peeking at me, said that. Ugh, how considerate! And those puppy dog eyes are unfair!
“W-Was it that obvious?”
Of course, I wouldn’t refuse to have dinner… but what’s Asuka going to do until then? I was worried, so I asked.
“Hmm? I’m going to look around the guild, so it’s fine.”
“Oh, then I’ll come with you, Asuka.”
“Really? Yes! Thanks, Owen!”
So they’re going to explore the guild. Come to think of it, I also did that when I first came here. With Reki. …Yeah, that was fun! It was a good opportunity to get to know him, what a nostalgic memory.
“Um, well then, can I leave him to you?”
“Haha, Meg, you’re so serious. Leave it to me. I was planning on staying with you two today anyway, so don’t worry.”
“Geez, you’re worrying about me too much.”
W-Well, I promised to take care of Asuka! And it’s only right to properly greet him. Asuka, sulking because I’m being overprotective, was cute. I think I can understand Gil-san and the others now. Yeah, it can’t be helped!
“Thanks, you two! I’ll see you later!”
I waved to them and then headed for my room. I glanced back, and they were already happily chatting as they walked away, so I was relieved. They seem to be getting along, Asuka and Owen-san. It’s strange that they feel like friends, even though there’s such an age difference. But thanks to that, I can relax and read my letters. I hugged the three letters tightly to my chest, turned around, and continued to walk.
Once I was in my room, I sat on the mini sofa and placed the letters on the low table. I then picked up the top one. This moment’s always exciting. I carefully opened the seal with a cute paper knife I bought in town, one shaped like a flower.
“From Rune. She seems energetic, as always.”
I feel like her bright personality shows, even in her handwriting. Large, easy-to-read, distinct characters. I love her handwriting. She wrote about how she’s going to participate in the fighting tournament. Oh, so she is participating!
“That she won’t lose, so that she can become a member of Annulus in the future. It’s amazing, Rune’s working so hard towards her dream.”
I read the letter, lying on my back on the bed. It’s not ladylike, but I want to read letters from friends while lounging. It’s fine because there’s no one here. Ah, stay quiet, you spirits too!
Next, Goot’s letter. He also wrote about the tournament and how he’s training for it. And then lastly…
“That he wants to go out with me, after the tournament? The two of us? Ah, it seems like Rune won’t be able to go because she already has plans. Hmm, hmm. It must be lonely not having any friends your age. Of course I’ll write back saying I’m okay with it.”
I don’t know much about Sainsley, so I’m excited to go explore. I read somewhere that there’s a desert. I wonder if it’s a Japanese thing, but I always imagine cowboys and cacti.
It’s said to be a dangerous place, so I’m sure a guardian will have to come. And Asuka might want to go too. Hmm, well, I’ll tell them what’s going on when the time comes!
Now, lastly, Urbano’s letter. He’s still practicing writing, so he just writes a word or two, but I can tell he’s working hard, and that makes me happy. With the first letter, I couldn’t read it at all, so the person teaching him quietly wrote a translation, but I can read them now. I’ve grown! Sniff.
“W-Will… co-come. Urbano, you’re coming!”
I thought he might not come because he’s so shy, so I even added that it was okay for him to not come, but he’s coming! How could I not be happy?
“I’m so happy!”
I can’t help but roll around on my bed. I’ll get to see everyone at the tournament. I’m so excited. I’ll introduce Asuka to them too. I hope they can be friends with Urbano too. I’m sure they’ll get along, but there’s also compatibility, so it’s hard to say. But it’ll be a step forward, just being able to introduce them!
I wonder who’s coming with Urbano. Just as I was wondering that, putting the letters away, I noticed another piece of paper in the envelope. It’s from… Licht? That was close. I almost missed it. Um, what’s this?
“Don’t worry, we’re bringing Urbano! Me, the Demon King, Kron, and those who are participating in the tournament! …Huh? It’s like he’s reading my mind?”
That short message made me smile bitterly. It makes me feel a bit strange, how easy I am to read. But it’s fine. I’m just glad Urbano will be able to safely get to the tournament venue. And since Father-sama’s coming, there won’t be any problems.
“Licht said he’s participating, but I wonder if Kron-san is. Is she going to be looking after Father-sama? I wonder if anyone else I know is participating. Fufu, I’m excited.”
We won’t know who’s participating from the other guilds, and from Demon Castle, until the day of. I could ask, but it’s awkward to take up their time with that. Or rather, I actually don’t even know who’s participating from Ortus. I’m more worried about my own guild, than the others.
Gil-san… he’ll be participating, because he’s fighting Licht in my dream. I’m sure Kei-san’s busy looking after Ronny as his master. Ronny said he’s participating in the adult division.
So maybe Schlie-san, Nika-san, and Juma-nii will be participating too? Ludo-sensei, Reki, and Maryla-san will probably be part of the medical team. Well, there’s no point in trying to predict, and it’s also fun to look forward to it, right!
“Alright! I need to quickly write my replies and head for the cafeteria!”
I got up from the bed. I carefully put the letters away in my letter box in my desk drawer. This box can hold an unlimited amount. Eh? Of course, it was a gift. It doesn’t have the same features as a storage bracelet. Time passes normally, it’s just a box that can hold a lot of letter-sized things. Even so, it’s still quite expensive… I’m starting to wonder if my sense of value’s skewed.
I immediately sat down at my desk, picked up a pen, and then chose letter paper that matched each person from my collection. I wrote a page to each of them, the necessary things, and what’s been going on recently. Because if I write too much, then I won’t have anything to write about next time.
Asuka and Owen-san are probably waiting, I thought, so I put my pen down, deciding to continue later. I carefully put away my letter set, and then headed for the cafeteria.