My relationship with Erihime had progressed.
That in itself was fine, but the circumstances were somewhat problematic.
After all, our allies were in the middle of a battle.
Of course, it was only because our allies were protected by a barrier that Erihime and I were able to take things that far…
The moment Erihime released the barrier, my companions immediately noticed us and rushed over.
“Intermediate Healing.”
Chiyu swiftly cast a healing spell on both Erihime and me.
“Thanks for the help.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Chiyu stepped in front of me and gently bumped her head against my chest.
It didn’t hurt at all, but I felt her emotion sharply.
”…I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“I knew you were safe. But when you jumped from the micron-sized space, I was terrified.”
“I’m sorry.”
If we had switched places, I would have hated seeing Chiyu take such risks at that moment.
But if no one had done it, we wouldn’t have been able to save Tsutsui.
“Stop it! It’s a relief you’re both unharmed, but please don’t worry me like this again!”
Sozu was angry too, but her eyes were wet with tears.
”…Seirena-chan, please prioritize yourself over your tools. Even if you dropped the tablet, no one would blame you for it.”
Shion wore a genuine expression of relief, yet still offered a sharp remark.
“It’s one of Sōsuke’s strengths that he acts for others, but my heart just skipped a beat…?”
Fumihō was still unsettled; she pressed a hand to her chest and stared at me.
“As befits our master. However, please do not overexert yourself.”
Her usually pristine maid uniform was splattered with mud. It seemed that as soon as the fight ended, she had been running around the area searching for us.
“Everyone…”
I was sorry to have worried them, but I was happy about their concern.
“But that’s very much like Takano-kun, isn’t it…”
Genju, back in his human form, said this with a somewhat nostalgic tone.
“I’m so sorry, both of you! If we think about the root cause, it was that I had you go along with Professor’s plan…”
Professor Luminous seemed to feel guilty, her face twisted in distress.
”…Hey— aren’t you two standing pretty close?”
Sho’s line changes the air in the room.
“Huh? What are you talking about, Ume? It’s not that weird.”
Serina had recovered her usual, impenetrable aura.
But her arm was tightly wrapped around mine.
“Mm. I can’t hide it. You smell like ‘Sousun-kun’.”
Chiya wore a face that suggested she had perceived everything.
”…Eh? Eh? No way, inside the barrier?”
Shou blinked in surprise.
«If you think like Teruna does, being helped that way would definitely be a deal-breaker.»
Shion nodded in agreement.
”…If this were Sousu-san acting normally, he would have dropped rocks outside the barrier to reduce the number of Avankus. I did feel something was off, but…”
Fuhou watched me with a faintly reproachful gaze.
“As expected of my master. You possess wonderful heaven-sent fortune, capable of turning a desperate situation into an opportunity.”
Loa wasn’t just unbothered; he looked downright proud.
“E-even Seirina…?”
”…I, I’ll pretend Professor didn’t hear anything.”
“No way! You beat me to it, Seirina!”
Genchu reacted with panic, Professor Luminas turned red in the face, and Sobu looked vaguely resentful.
In an instant, my and Seirina’s relationship progression had been exposed.
“Forgive us, everyone. This is my fault. Right? We should have teamed up for the monster hunt.”
“That’s not it. I was the one who made a move, so don’t blame Souseke, okay?”
“It’s not like I’m blaming you. Since Seri-chan’s barrier was up, we were safe. You saved Seri-chan, and no one will complain about you resting.”
Not everyone shared Chiyu’s opinion, but none of the comrades pressed the issue.
Though some, like Shouko, puffed out their cheeks in a huff.
“By the way, where are that black dragon and that idiot guy?”
Seirina’s remark sparked the same question in my mind.
If Mikuron has taken a liking to me, it wouldn’t be out of character for him to dive straight at my face.
Besides, Souchi, whom we saved, should be nearby too.
“Ah… Mikuron thinks Soujuro is in danger because of Souchi… He’s angry.”
Shouko pointed her finger at the sky.
Following her gaze, I saw Mikuron carrying something in his mouth, swimming through the air on a track like a roller coaster.
Could it be Souchi he was holding?
Faint cries of “Gyaahhh” and “Help meeee” drifted down from above.
“Mikuron! Soujuro’s safe!”
Shouko shouted up into the sky, and Mikuron accelerated, rocketing back toward them.
As he approached, Souchi’s screams grew louder and clearer.
Once close to the ground, Mikuron spat Souchi out with a pfft and plunged onto me.
“There, there. Thanks for worrying.”
“Grrr…”
Souchi was on all fours, groaning.
”…Chiyu”
“I didn’t want to do it, but… understood.
‘Sedate,’ ‘Basic Heal.’” A faint light enveloped Tsutsui.
He slowly rose to his feet and took a 360-degree look at us.
Upon spotting me, he came running straight over.
Standing before me, Tsutsui proceeded to kneel down on his knees—dogenzawa style.
“Please, let me call you ‘oniichan’!… Huh?”
“You saved me when you had no obligation to do so, and you’d risk your life for your woman without a second thought. I’ve never seen a guy that badass except for oniichan!”
Is this really the same Tsutsui from before?
The one who was indiscriminately firing his gun during the first event, not caring about anything or anyone?
Seryna seemed to be in a good mood, muttering something like, “My woman… I already knew that.”
“I don’t really get it, but… if you’re thanking me, then at least listen to what the sensei has to say.”
“Yus!”
Despite looking a bit confused, Luminas-sensei recounted the details of the deal.
“Ohhh…! Providing housing, clothes, and food? You’re like a god, oniichan.”
「In exchange, I get intel from your side.
That’s the deal, right?» 「For sure!
Consider it done!» Tsuji bowed vigorously.
There had been a lot of twists and turns, but they managed to establish the trade relationship that was their original objective.
“Well, let’s head back to your base camp. This lake might be safe for a few days, but monsters will eventually spawn here.”
“Sorry about that! I panicked when we fled and ended up running all the way here!”
It seemed Tsuji hadn’t been running with any specific goal in mind either.
Ultimately, however, it had shortened the distance between Selen’s heart and his own, so he harbored no anger.
He glanced at Shiune to check on her, and she signaled through lip movements that “I’m not lying.”
Apparently, Tsuji’s gratitude toward him was the truth after all.
“It’s fine. However, I can’t return the handgun just yet, so please understand that situation.”
It wasn’t that he doubted Tsuji; it was simply about eliminating potential risks.
“Of course! By the way, only I know how to fire it, so if anything happens, give me a shout! I’ll blow everything away!”
…I see, he had envisioned it with infinite ammunition and ensured that even if it were stolen, the opponent couldn’t use it. “In that case, I’ll count on you.” The business was settled, so they resumed moving. “Ah, right. Selen, take this.”
Genchu approached and handed the tablet over to Yonari.
”……You picked it up for me.”
“Yep. But the screen’s all cracked. I was just thinking, someone like Kunou could probably…”
“Ah, just hold on a second.”
I stowed the tablet away in my Inventory and then re-summoned it into my hands.
And just like that, the tablet was restored to its original condition.
If a part is completely missing, it can’t be supplemented, but if it’s simply scratched or a component has come loose, I can easily return it to its proper state without any issues.
“You’re free to drop this one again, but from now on, make sure you don’t lose it.”
Yonari, having received the tablet back from me, blushed and nodded in agreement. “Mm.”
Seeing that expression on Yonari’s face, many of the women in the group looked surprised.
“Huh, a harem face.”
Chiyu alone let out that comment with a deadpan expression, but…
Anyway, we only had one male left to conclude our deal with.
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