The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
“…Huh?”
When I woke up, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
It looked like I was lying in a bed.
I sat up and looked around.
An unfamiliar room… or maybe not?
“Is this… the royal castle?”
I’d stayed here several times before, so I recognized it.
The room’s layout and furnishings matched my memories of the castle.
“But why am I in the castle…?”
I was definitely on the western continent…
Infiltrated the ruins that the demons were using as a base to rescue the kidnapped people…
And there, I fought Altera, one of the Four Heavenly Kings…
“…Ah, right.”
I remembered.
I managed to defeat Altera somehow, but I must have pushed myself too far, because my stamina hit its limit right after.
Like the strings of a puppet snapping, I lost consciousness.
Since Al was there, we probably moved straight back to the royal castle in one go.
After that, I must have been put to rest… or something like that.
“But I don’t know the details… what happened after that?”
Is everyone safe?
Is Yuki hurt?
And the people who were kidnapped… were Yunia and Ani able to return home safely?
So many things were on my mind that there was no way I could stay in bed.
I tried to get out of it—
“Ah!”
Just then, the door opened and Kanade and Tania appeared.
The two of them blinked in surprise…
Then their eyes filled with tears.
“Rain!!!”
“Whoa!?”
They rushed at me with full force and ended up knocking me down.
“You’re awake!? You’re really awake!? Geez, geez, geez— you were asleep the whole time, I was so worried, so worried, you know!?”
“Does anything hurt!? Are you okay!? You recognize us properly, right!?”
“Y-you two, calm down.”
“How could we calm down!?”
“Oof.”
I got thoroughly scolded.
“You know you’ve been asleep for three whole days!?”
“The healer said you’d be fine, but you kept sleeping, so I couldn’t stop worrying…”
“Three days… so that’s how it was.”
If that’s the case, it’s only natural they’d be worried.
I really did wrong by them.
No—
Not just them. I did wrong by everyone.
They must have been worried, so I need to show them I’m fine as soon as possible.
“Hey, Rain. Why were you trying to get out of bed?”
“I wanted to show everyone that I’m okay.”
“Nyaa! I get how you feel, but you can’t overdo it!”
“You just woke up, didn’t you!? And you’re already trying to move around—there’s no way that’s okay! Are you stupid!? Are you!? You are, right!?”
“Uh…”
I wish she wouldn’t call me stupid so much.
That actually hurts, you know?
“That’s right! Tania’s right! Rain is stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Stuuupiiid!”
“K-Kanade too…”
“You did something that reckless, so of course I was really worried…”
“Reckless?”
“You charged in relying on Finia’s healing ability, didn’t you?”
“Ugh…”
I couldn’t argue back when she pointed that out.
It really was an all-or-nothing gamble…
Being called stupid felt deserved.
“Geez… Rain really is stupid…”
“But…”
The two of them hugged me.
As if checking my body temperature, they pressed closer.
“I’m glad you’re safe…”
“Really… I’m so glad…”
“Kanade… Tania…”
Kanade is always cheerful.
Tania is always strong-willed.
I’ve hardly ever seen either of them cry.
Making them cry like this made me feel like I’d done something terribly wrong.
No—
I really had done something wrong.
I’d only thought about defeating Altera and hadn’t considered anything else.
I’d forgotten about everyone.
Seriously…
I’m ashamed of myself.
I’d even thought I’d grown a little…
But after this incident, I was painfully reminded of how immature I still am.
“Sorry. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“Ugh… you won’t push yourself anymore? You won’t do reckless things?”
“That’s… sorry, I can’t really say for sure.”
“Nyaa… Rain, you idiot.”
“But I’ll be careful, so I don’t worry Kanade, Tania… everyone, as much as possible.”
“Not ‘as much as possible.’ Promise me it’ll be absolute.”
“I want to, but…”
“Just do it. A verbal promise is fine, and even if you break it later, that’s okay.”
“Huh…?”
“If you promise, then at least for now, I can feel at ease… so do it.”
Tania said that sulkily, her voice tinged with loneliness.
“…Alright. I promise.”
“That’s fine… that’s enough… sniff”
“Nyaa… hic”
Finally reassured, the two of them began to sob softly.
Knowing how much I’d worried them made me feel deeply apologetic.
I need to become stronger… much stronger.
Holding that resolve in my heart—
But for now, thinking only of the two of them—
I gently stroked Kanade’s and Tania’s heads for a while.
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