Chapter 17.5 (1/2)

「You seem pretty out of it. What’s up?」

This was around the same time that Hiroshi and the others had gone to make some pudding. Unable to just watch Aearis, who didn’t seem to be into the training, Makoto questioned Aearis. Furthermore, Tatsuya was continuing his work, confined to the library. Rayna was, as per usual, standing watch a bit farther away, surveying the surroundings.

「I haven’t heard many good things that people are saying and I just feel a lot of concern…」

Aearis answered Makoto’s query with a bit of a sigh mixed in.

「I just feel really bad about inconveniencing everyone, all because of us…」

「You’re a kid. You don’t hafta care about things like that.」

Makoto couldn’t help but wryly smile at how dejected Aearis was acting.

「But it isn’t just Katrina and her followers. There are others as well who do not think very highly of all of you, are there not?」

「Pffft, it’d be weird if there weren’t. No matter how much the royal palace said they’d protect guests from the Unknown Continent, nobody knows where we’re from and all we really seem like is an unknown, suspicious group.」

Aearis had no choice but to experience the harshness of reality through Makoto’s unfiltered opinion. However indebted they might be to Hiroshi and company, there was no way that sentiment could extend throughout all of Farlane. Aearis wasn’t so clueless that she didn’t understand that.

「And besides, the top of the organization is a monolith. No matter how unreasonable the demands, their word is law. Wouldn’t you be scared of involving yourself with an organization whose members question nothing and never change their stances?」

「As long as there don’t be any entirely brainwashed folks within the organization, then I doubt that such a thing exists.」

「That’s why we don’t want to get involved with them.」

「I don’t blame you, lass.」

Douga interjected at what Makoto had said, holding some documents in his hands.

「So at the moment, I do think there was something wrong with that old man yesterday, but I would also feel strange about an organization that had no gripes with our existence whatsoever.」

「Well, I don’t think that ye need worry about them. They be all talk.」

「I get that feeling, but I’ll have you know that isn’t pleasant at all to hear that stuff either. And what about how they purposefully chose to complain about us at specific times?」

「Be that not because increasing their numbers leaves a bigger impression?」

Their opinions didn’t seem to quite match. Perhaps the premise itself was different to the both of them.

「Did ye not think it strange before?」

「…Well, sure I did, but…」

「It would be giving you youngsters a foregone conclusion, and I do not exactly have confirmation meself so I cannot say more, but I should warn ye that they are not as simplistic as they seem outwardly.」

Makoto seemed to get a better idea of what Douga was trying to say.

「Well, putting aside their reasoning, their real objective is probably to get ye youngsters out of here as soon as possible.」

「Why did you just get my hopes up only to crush them…」

Makoto grimaced at Douga’s sudden statement.

「However, I do believe that I must be leaving the royal palace as soon as possible.」

「I agree with Her Majesty.」

「Indeed. This sort of place is not the kind of area that regular people can stay in for too long.」

When Aearis said something surprising, Rayna and Douga agreed with earnest faces. Makoto had thought these three to be on the side that was in agreement about letting them enter the palace, so she was understandably perplexed.

「So you don’t have an issue with us leaving?」

「To be quite honest, it will be lonely and sad without all of you, but since I have already returned here, I am prepared to face the prospect of us not being able to meet as much anymore. The end result would be the same being here and being in the castle town workshop. Therefore, I would be most happy if all of you lived wherever is pleasing to you.」

「Okay, I see…」

「Also, there’s always the possibility that if you stay here a long time, you would begin to dislike me. I am very scared of that.」

When Aearis confessed that with a miserable expression and a sigh, Makoto found herself unable to really say anything.

「Is that because you won’t be able to eat any more delicious food if we dislike you?」

Unable to endure the awkward silence any longer, Makoto forced in a joke.

「Makoto-sama! Not even I am that much of a glutton!」

Aearis, who had been making a heartrending face up until that moment, become considerably cross as her face lit up with red. That being said, this implied that she was sort of aware.

「Is it really all that strange to be sad about possibly being disliked by everyone who I have grown fond of?」

「Not at all. More like spot-on.」

As Aearis spoke with enough anger to the point of almost crying, Makoto repented from the bottom of her heart for the admittedly poor joke. That being said…

「But it’s still bothersome, all things considered. I don’t think that good-natured man who hate Elle over small matters, but that gynophobia of his is quite impressive.」

She found herself once again giving in to her desire to poke fun whenever she could.

「Even without his gynophobia, I am at most like a little sister to Hiroshi-sama. It’s heartrending and painful, but I have firmly faced that reality. So even if he will never look at me that way, I want to at least put in the effort to become a woman who can support Hiroshi-sama.」

「…Ahh, but you really don’t have to reply to that with such a serious expression…」

「Was it not you who brought up such a conversation, Makoto-sama? And certainly, it would be a problem for someone of my position to bring up such a matter in public, but I do not really see it as a problem to bring up these topics in private, like right now. Speaking about romantic feelings or what kind of person I want to become for that sake does of course make me blush, but I do not consider it to be embarrassing.」

Seeing how Aearis was still flushing but firm in what she had said, Makoto realized how much of a landmine she had just stomped on with all her might. Now she knew all too well how deep Aearis’s feelings ran. The future for the natural airhead and tsundere girls from the Japanese female side of things gave her anxiety from the bottom of her heart.

「I have heard the story from His Highness. Please tell me if there are any ingredients you ever might need.」