Heibon na Watashi wa Tonikaku Hibon - Heibon 11. The Teachers has Arrived

Two figures emerged from the magic formation. It was Rey-sama and Tonic-san.

「Rio, what were you doing for the past 2 weeks?」
「I umm… I lived here normally 」

「If you really “lived normally”, why did you wait 2 whole weeks to activate the teleportation magic?」
「Ah… that is…」

I turned my eyes away from Rey-sama towards Av, who was standing behind me.
I noticed for the first time that Av’s eyes turned blue.

「Eh? Av, your eyes…」

The spirits flew around me as I about to ask.  Reading from their gestures, they were telling me not to mention about Av’s eyes. For some reason, I thought Av was trying to hide the color of his eyes from them.

「And that person is?」

Rey-sama raised his eyebrow while inspecting Av.

「Ah, he is… umm…」

I couldn’t find words to introduce him.
I didn’t even know anything about him in the first place.
How should I introduce him…

「I’m Avart. 」
「「……」」
「He uhh… he helped me when I was attacked by monsters on the very first day, since then he kept coming to see the situation 」
「「「………」」」
「…」

I beg you guys, please don’t stay quiet. I didn’t like when they staring at each other.  I didn’t want to caught in-between.  The spirits also flew around in worry and the monsters were watching from outside the window.

「Any injury?」

「Eh?」

The question startled me.

「You said that monsters attacked you on the first day. Are you hurt somewhere?」
「Ah, yes. I’m fine since Av healed me. 」

He find it agreeable and nodded.  Rey-sama, who was watching our conversation, finally came closer and sigh.

「Well, I have many things that I wanted to hear, but since Rio is fine, that alone is enough. Good work for these past 2 weeks. 」

For the first time I finally noticed.

They… they are so kind.
They are really kind.
Even when they said harsh things, even when they made me do difficult things, they are really kind.
Even though I fell, they waited until I got up.
They never offered their hands, but they never ditch me in the mud.
Even when they told me that I’m reckless, they still believed in me.
As clumsy as I am, they are still kind.

I finally noticed this happiness after I left them.

「I guess living in this world is not so bad after all 」

After coming into this world, it’s the first time I said those words sincerely with a smile.  Rey-sama and Tonic-san were shocked hearing my words, but still, I couldn’t stop smiling in happiness.

***

「Now if I think about it, I remembered that there was a document about monsters liking sweet things…」
「I never thought that someone would even try that and succeed 」

Rey-sama and Tonic-san decided that living together with monsters were not that dangerous and started to relax. I explained why the monsters didn’t attack me and they were quite stunned when they know the reason.

「Most monsters in this area seemed to be the less ferocious, so I guess Av did a good job too」
「Are you familiar with monsters?」
「I can’t say I’m an expert, but… well, I guess I am quite familiar with them 」

「Where do you live?」
「I live in a small village near here. I only visit every now and then to get food 」

「So you just happened to stumble across Rio? 」
「Yeah. I thought about abandoning her at first, but she still have a will to stay alive. So I guess it couldn’t be helped. 」

「Well, this girl is certainly have a pointless amount of persistence」
「She can’t just give up and let it go. 」
「I agree. 」

「Hey, are you praising me or insulting me?」

For the first time, the 4-person table were filled.
It’s a laid-back afternoon, but if you look at the members, they were completely outrageous.

One is the strongest magician in the kingdom.
One is a vice-captain of the army.
A powerful person who can see spirits.
And a visitor from another world.
All of them were surrounded by monsters and spirits.

I wonder if we can take over the kingdom with these members.

「Rio, are you listening?」

As I was daydreaming, Rey-sama unexpectedly turned his face and asked me.

「Eh? Umm…」
「So you’re not listening」
「I am terribly sorry! 」

He told me to focus and continued his talk.

「A month from now, the Demon Lord Subjugation Corps would be formed with the goddess as the lead. Both Tonic and I were nominated as members」
「That’s why from this day onwards, for the whole month, we will give you your last lessons」

「The last…?」
「Even if both Tonic and I are strong, we also have our own limits 」
「Both Rey and I rejected all offers, but in the end that girl Misaka decides the last members. Well, it’s no doubt that Rey and I would be selected as a member. But among them, there are one of the top magician, Harwyn Lycrawl, and the head of the King’s royal guard, Lurunas Islean. If the commander is no good, then we basically lost the war 」

「There’s still hope if Cryhart-sama would take command, but with this situation, I think this subjugation would end up in failure 」
「You know it and still going?」
「We are also people of this country. Even though we’re not loyal to the king, I don’t want to see it destroyed. At least, there are some people who I don’t want to die. 」

「That is correct. By the way, you are one of them too. 」
「Eh?」

「Of course you are. That’s why I shove all my work to my men and came here. Even if we are gone, at least Rio can live. 」
「……」

A bunch of emotions swelled inside me, but I clenched my fist and held them in.

I wonder if I can ever return their kindness.
I couldn’t do anything. Why couldn’t I do anything for them?
They taught me to fight.
They taught me everything to live in this world.
But I couldn’t give them anything.

I was powerless.
I was too weak to do anything for them.
I was so weak that my teachers have to die to protect me.

However, that was why I would take everything they could teach.
Learning everything in this 1 month so they could focus protecting themselves and not worrying about me while in battle.

That was the only thing I could do.