“Hah… Whew…”
Garm, clad in heavy armor since early morning, was the first to complete ten laps around Sentrea’s perimeter. Others, who had fallen behind unnoticed, were nowhere to be seen, with Tsutomu lagging over two whole laps behind.
Having finished his patrol and morning jog, Garm walked slowly, pushing aside his sweat-drenched hair. Within him, amidst the fatigue-induced detachment, stirred thoughts of Xeno, who had been a thorn in his side until the end.
[…This isn’t good.]
Normally, Garm’s breath would not have been this ragged, but the desire to outpace Xeno, who had kept up until the eighth lap, had unsettled him. Hence the breathlessness, prompting Garm to furiously swat the ground with his tail.
Since the battle with the Winter General, Garm had come to see Xeno as an actual rival. Initially, he had not held Xeno in high regard, especially given the latter’s similarity to Amy’s idol-like status.
However, upon conversing with Xeno, as well as through Daryl’s interactions, Garm had glimpsed the effort behind his bravado and gradually gained respect for him as an indispensable member of the Clan.
Moreover, after witnessing Xeno’s prowess in the Winter General battle, a sense of urgency had gripped Garm. A pedigreed dog with good looks but lacking hunting skills was now being praised as an alpha — Filled with such sentiments, Garm had found himself competing against Xeno in morning runs and Daryl’s training sessions.
As ashamed as Garm was to admit it, what had made him realize this was in fact the trivial disagreement between Xeno and Tsutomu from the other day. Looking back, even when he had addressed Tsutomu’s tense attitude in the past, he had likely done so to seek emotional help for himself. As such, what Weiss had said about him being like a pet dog was not entirely incorrect.
[I must become stronger.]
Seeing Amy, who had formed a <<Contract>> with the Sylph to enhance her Dual Wave Slash, Hannah, who had practicalized Magic Fist, and other Absolute Helix Clan members getting stronger in their own ways, Garm knew he could not afford to linger in jealousy of Xeno. Determined to keep pushing forward, Garm engraved this resolve in his heart as Xeno, having lost to Daryl in their morning race, approached.
“Well, Sir Xeno, you owe me a cup!” Having made a bet while running that the loser would buy juice, Daryl, without showing signs of exhaustion, cheerfully demanded Xeno to fulfill his promise.
“I know, I know…” In contrast, Xeno, breathless, seemed to plead for leniency.
Seeing this, Garm approached with a scowl.
“Really? You got outrun by Daryl?”
“Hahaha… I thought I’d tease his appetite a bit, you see — And well, this is what I get.”
Xeno, looking quite pitiful compared to the Winter General battle, elicited complex emotions from Garm. Xeno then hurried off to buy juice, while Daryl, wiping sweat, looked sympathetically at those isolated behind the Shield.
“It’s kind of… scary, isn’t it?”
“…The enemy’s true identity is just a religious group. Once you know that, it’s not so scary.”
“But Sir Leon got seriously injured, and in the end, they got away!”
“Monsters have neither mercy nor faith, but religious groups are bound by them. There are likely ulterior motives behind this Stampede. That’s why there haven’t been human casualties yet. It’s better than monsters rampaging around simply seeking Magic Stones.”
Though the smell of trouble lingered, for Garm, who had dealt with criminal Clans, dealing with humans was actually easier. Behind Daryl, who looked up to Garm as he spoke, more and more Clan members arrived at the finish line.
“Oh? Where’s Xeno?” Leleia asked.
“He’s gone to buy some drinks.”
“Ah, so he lost, then. After all that boasting, too… How embarrassing.”
As Leleia proceeded to chuckle smugly, Garm wore the same complex expression as before. Recently, Leleia seemed to have shed some of her aloofness, no longer maintaining her former formal demeanor. Something had changed after that talk she had in Tsutomu’s room, but it was a change for the better.
Perhaps due to occasionally speaking her mind, she now conversed freely with Amy, Korinna, Hannah, and Daryl. Although Hannah lamented the increase in victims due to Tsutomu, she still got along with them.
“Ahh~~! I’m beat!”
“But you’ve surely built up more stamina than before.”
“I sure have! Still not as good as you though, Sir Garm!”
Hannah, being from a village where she ran around outside since childhood, had decent stamina for an Attacker. However, her Job as a Boxer had low base VIT, so without any modifiers, she would fall short as a Tank. Moreover, her role as an evasion-based Tank entailed a lot of physical exertion, often leading to stamina depletion.
Despite this, Hannah looked up with a radiant smile. Though there was a stark difference in stature — like between a child and an adult — Garm had come to see Hannah as a commendable Tank after witnessing her performance in the Mount Golem battle.
[I only wish she was a little more composed…]
To Garm, however, Hannah seemed to have started prioritizing her own interests lately, practicing Magic Fist more than anything else. Her role as an Evasion-based tank had yet to be firmly established, and there was plenty of room for improvement. Yet Hannah was adamant about mastering this new technique of hers.
While Garm gently pointed out this discrepancy, Hannah was stubborn. In the first place, she had switched from an Attacker to a Tank against all attempts at dissuasion by those around her. Tsutomu even referred to her as a runaway train, impulsive and unstoppable once she started running.
[Well, as long as she doesn’t become too wild, I suppose…]
Lately, Hannah could be seen diligently helping the troubled people of Sentrea. Having lived in a village where everyone was like family, Hannah was kind-hearted, and always eager to help those in need.
In contrast to her, Tsutomu was not exactly an altruist. He showed no mercy to those who opposed him and remained indifferent to those not directly involved. Even when summoned to the Royal Capital, he displayed a similar reaction to Diniel, and Xeno had heard that he viewed refugees with a frighteningly detached gaze.
[But he’s nice to those close to him, I suppose…]
While his cold demeanor was evident, Tsutomu still showed kindness to those he interacted with. Not only did he maintain connections with Absolute Helix, but he also made appearances among the disciples of White Mages and Silver Beasts. He even bypassed Ollie for Potion supplies, preferring to deal directly with the Forest Apothecary, having not forgotten the debt he owed to the old lady who believed in him during the Lucky Boy fiasco.
[Maybe I should have taken him outside more, not just to God’s Dungeon…]
Pondering such thoughts, Garm spotted Tsutomu jogging at a brisk pace.
“Two more laps…”
“Hang in there.”
Tsutomu, who had already been overtaken twice by Garm, wore a weary expression, prompting Garm to lightly push his back, offering encouragement.
▽▽
“How are you feeling?”
“Perfect.”
Leon rotated his newly regrown arm for confirmation, offering a smile to the specialist White Mage. Tsutomu, who had been observing the healing process over the past two days alongside Amy, seemed somewhat moved by the sight.
“It’s been quite instructive. Thank you for allowing me to observe.”
“It’s nothing. If I could be of any help to you, then I’m glad.”
The middle-aged man, who had been treating the injured citizens and Explorers during the previous Stampede without any fear of the Devourer Dragon, smiled and shook hands with Tsutomu. From beside Tsutomu, Amy peeked out.
“Tsutomu, you wanna become a doctor?”
“It’s just for honing my healing skills as a Healer.”
“You know, if you do become a doctor, you gotta treat me for free!”
“So THAT’s what you’re after…”
Tsutomu looked somewhat disappointed by Amy’s lack of understanding of the necessity for medical treatment.
Although Tsutomu possessed the same healing skills as the specialist White Mages, their efficiency in treating patients was remarkable, likely due to their frequent practice. Moreover, their knowledge of healing seemed to enhance the potency of their skills beyond those of regular White Mages.
Tsutomu had a basic understanding of anatomical structure — on the level of common education in Japan — which contributed to his healing skills. However, there were still cases where he needed to exercise caution, as not everything could be easily mended together. In terms of perfect healing, the specialists were superior.
After briefly conversing with the White Mage, Tsutomu was occasionally tugged at the hem by Amy. When Tsutomu turned to her, she beckoned like a gossiping neighborhood lady and pointed to a certain place.
“So… they’re a thing now, huh?”
“Eh, I should get used to seeing that happen wherever he goes…”
Observing the knight beside Leon having her cheek stroked affectionately by the latter’s healed left hand, Tsutomu felt a slight sense of disbelief before thanking the White Mage and leaving the treatment room.
Turning back to Amy, who was following him in a particularly good mood, Tsutomu asked a question,
“By the way, I saw you at the town square yesterday.”
“Oh, yeah, that… With that monster attack, the town’s been pretty gloomy, y’know? So I figured I’d take advantage of the band’s performance and put on a show for them.”
Tsutomu had heard from Korinna that Amy had sung and danced with the marching band in the town square last night. Amy, looking embarrassed, huddled her body and covered her head with her hand.
“You were in the back row, yeah?”
“…I’m surprised you saw me.”
“Heh heh… I can see a lot of things!”
Although Tsutomu had gone to see Amy with Daryl and Amira, he had not expected to be caught. He regarded Amy, who was beaming proudly, with a skeptical look.
“I don’t mind you doing it, but you should at least tell the rest of us. There might be monsters lurking around.”
“Hmm~~? You usually never say anything, but now you’re worried? Maybe I should put on more shows, then~~”
“I’m gonna stop you right there…”
“Ow… Yeah, sorry. I’ll remember to tell you next time~~”
Amy giggled happily as she pushed back against Tsutomu’s staff poking her head, though Tsutomu quickly withdrew it upon noticing the many guards patrolling the square.
“Well, the Labyrinth Conquerors seem to be on guard duty, so it should be a bit safe… Still, even if it sounds like too much, make sure to bring a Tank or another Attacker along with you from now on.”
“Yeah, I know. So how was it?”
“Hmm?”
“My singing.”
“It was great. It’s no wonder you’re an idol in Dungeon City.”
“I know, right~~?”
Though Tsutomu was entirely unfamiliar with the songs and dances of this world, the audience seemed captivated by Amy and the band’s performance. Grinning at the praise, Amy suddenly adopted a mischievous expression.
“Tsutomu~~ I did that as a volunteer, you know. I didn’t get any payment from the band~~!”
“Wow, that’s admirable.”
“SOOOOOO… I want a million’s worth of reward from you!”
“Why me? Well, I mean, sure…”
While it was quite an out-of-nowhere demand, the Absolute Helix received a considerable amount of valuable items from Amy’s sponsors. Additionally, some of the money came in the form of donations, so handing over a million Gold to her now was not an issue. As Tsutomu rummaged through his Magic Bag to prepare the money, Amy grabbed his hand.
“That’s not it. You just gotta pet me a bit — y’know, like you saw just now?”
“Wow, that’s worth a lot less than a million.”
“Not to me, it’s not! And, well, I don’t really need any more Gold than what I already get…”
“I guess not.”
Amy, as the one who earned the most money among the Clan members, genuinely did not need it. Therefore, Tsutomu was considering giving her some rare item, but he hesitantly placed his hand on Amy’s head as she demanded.
“Hmmmmm… There, that’s it. A bit more to the back. Yeah, just like that — now go sideways. Ah, that’s nice! And now right here…!”
[Man, her directions are VERY specific.]
With a dry smile, Tsutomu followed Amy’s instructions. Amy’s white hair was silky smooth to the touch and had a faintly pleasant scent.
“Thanks~~! I’m satisfied!”
[Maybe this will be the last time…]
After petting her for a while, Amy looked up at Tsutomu with a satisfied expression. However, recalling what Amira had told him a few days ago, Tsutomu gently grabbed Amy’s cat ears with both hands.
“Meow!?”
“Ah, sorry.”
“How about STOPPING before saying that, huh!?”
Amy, surprised by the touch to her cat ears, exclaimed, but Tsutomu did not stop despite apologizing. As Tsutomu gently squeezed her fluffy cat ears between his fingers, Amy looked up at him with a nervous expression.
“W-what’s wrong, Tsutomu? You’re unusually… aggressive today.”
“Eh, I figured I might as well try, you know? Anyway, I’m also satisfied now, so let’s be on our way,” Tsutomu said cryptically.
Then, after releasing his hands, he and Amy — who was now quite a bit quieter than usual — proceeded to walk back to the inn where the Clan members were staying.
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