The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
"Oh, Rain-sama. Perfect timing."
When I stepped outside to do some gardening, I found Iris and Finia there.
It was a rather unexpected combination.
"R-Rain-san! G-good afternoo—gah!"
"Gah?"
"S-Sorry. I was trying to say 'good afternoon,' but I bit my tongue... Ugh, I'm such an idiot..."
Tears welling up in her eyes, Finia slumped her shoulders in defeat.
It really wasn't something worth worrying about that much...
Still, maybe someday I should help her build a little more confidence.
Though honestly, it was hard to imagine a strong-willed Finia. It just didn't seem to suit her.
"So, what are you two doing?"
"I was hoping Finia-san could help me take care of my wings."
"Your wings?"
"Have you forgotten, Rain-sama? I am a member of the Celestial Tribe."
As she said that, Iris manifested four wings on each side—for a total of eight.
Being able to summon and dismiss them at will was certainly convenient.
"Even though I can put them away whenever I like, they don't magically clean themselves while hidden. If I don't maintain them regularly, they'll lose their brilliance."
"I see."
Come to think of it, I'd never seen Tania grooming her wings.
She'd probably just say:
They're too tough to bother with maintenance.
That sounded exactly like something she'd say.
"Rain-sama, do you have a little time? If possible, I'd like you to help as well..."
"Sure, no problem."
"Thank you very much. Finia-san is helping because she also has wings, but even so, there are places that require more than one person."
Iris had eight wings, and each one was enormous.
With only Finia helping, it would definitely be a lot of work.
"All right, let's get started."
"I-I'll do my besth!"
She bit her tongue again.
We connected a hose to the garden faucet and attached a shower nozzle.
"Iris, did you prepare the oil?"
"It's on top of those stone steps over there."
"Ah, found it. You're well prepared."
Everything we needed seemed to be ready.
"Rain-sama, you certainly know a surprising amount about this. You even knew we'd need oil."
"Well... I am a Beast Tamer."
"Now that you mention it, that's true. Kanade-san and the others have influenced me so much that I'd started thinking of you as some kind of absurdly overpowered tamer."
"What kind of profession is that!?"
Lately, people's perception of me had been heading in a very strange direction.
It was starting to give me a slight sense of crisis, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't come up with any way to fix it.
Maybe I should just give up...
"T-Then... let's begin!"
Looking slightly nervous, Finia gently touched one of Iris's wings.
First, she lightly sprayed it with water until the feathers were damp.
Then she carefully washed them by hand, making sure not to scrub too hard.
Otherwise, the natural oils that protected the feathers would wash away as well.
Slowly and gently, she cleaned away the dirt.
At the same time, she plucked out the old feathers.
If old feathers remained, new ones wouldn't grow properly, so removing them was the best option.
"I-It's done!"
After cleaning a single wing, Finia smiled in satisfaction.
There was still more work ahead, but the washing phase was complete.
Compared to the others, the cleaned wing shone noticeably brighter.
Its pure white color had become crystal clear, making it look absolutely beautiful.
"H-How is it, Iris-san...? I-I really don't think someone like me should be taking care of your wings... B-But even so, I put my whole heart into it, fully prepared to commit seppuku if I made a mistake!"
"Y-You really didn't need to be that determined... But thank you very much. I think they look wonderful."
"Y-You're welcome..."
Iris smiled warmly, and Finia blushed.
Finia's wings weren't ordinary wings—they were wings of flame.
Even so, as someone who also had wings, she clearly understood exactly how to care for them.
Her technique was flawless.
There was plenty even I could learn from watching her.
"T-Then... I'll lightly dry them now..."
Finia spread her flaming wings and positioned them at just the right distance.
The moisture on Iris's wings gradually evaporated.
At the same time, she carefully combed the feathers into place and applied just the right amount of oil.
The oil helped repel dirt and reduced damage to the feathers.
"I-It's finished!"
With the final touches complete, Iris's slightly dull wings regained their magnificent radiance.
"Wow..."
Just like her wings, Iris's eyes sparkled brilliantly.
She looked thoroughly delighted with Finia's work.
"Thank you very much, Finia-san. This is absolutely wonderful."
"E-Ehehe..."
"Ah... I wonder how long it's been since my wings looked this beautiful. Hehe... I'm so happy."
Iris beamed with childlike joy.
Seeing her like this was quite rare.
"As expected of you, Finia."
"Indeed, truly impressive."
"H-Hau!? I-If you praise me that much... I'll blush myself to death...!?"
What kind of cause of death was that supposed to be?
"Although..."
It had taken nearly thirty minutes just to finish one wing.
Seven remained.
This was going to be quite the undertaking.
"I apologize. Because of how they're structured, there are simply places I can't reach by myself..."
"Don't worry about it. We're companions, so don't hesitate to ask. If it's something like this, I'll help anytime."
"Hehe, thank you very much. Still, I won't have to trouble you very often. My wings aren't like those of ordinary birds, so they don't get dirty that easily. In fact... I believe this is the first time they've been cleaned in over a hundred years."
"Huh?"
Finia and I froze at her unexpected remark.
"The last time they were cleaned was before I was sealed away. This is the first maintenance they've had since I was freed, so it feels absolutely wonderful."
"So you're saying... they've been left alone for over a hundred years?"
"U-Um... I know it's presumptuous for someone like me to say this, but... isn't that... kind of... unhygienic?"
"W-Wait just a moment! It's not that I neglected them! It's simply that they don't require frequent maintenance..."
"Still, over a hundred years seems like a bit much."
"That's because I was sealed away! I-I'm not unhygienic, nor am I careless about cleanliness! Not at all!"
"Mm-hmm, sure."
"You don't believe me at all!?"
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