“I… I understand now! It must have been last night when we first ran into you—when we knocked you down and said some harsh things—that made you angry, right?”
“But… that was a misunderstanding! At that time, we still didn’t know Keti’s true identity, so… so—”
Layla flusteredly waved her hand, then grabbed Sylvia, who for some reason had already gone completely numb, and began apologizing to Keti with all her might.
“Sylvia was just playing a prank on Keti back then, right? It was just a joke that went too far, that’s all. If we made Keti angry, then… we—we both apologize, isn’t that enough?”
“Ugh… please, please don’t joke around anymore, Keti… how could you not want to come back with us?”
“No… that’s not it.”
The silver-haired beauty shook her head, then sighed before continuing, “I know you misunderstood yesterday.”
“Even though you took my clothes and made me squeeze into the fitting room with Lynn, um… I wasn’t mad at you all. It’s just… sorry, I really don’t want to go back.”
“These past few years of adventure have been fun, but the pressure on me has been really heavy. Every day I worry about everyone’s living expenses, with almost no time to relax.”
“At first, seeing everyone happy and carefree did bring me some satisfaction, but… gradually, I started feeling more and more overwhelmed…”
“Especially since I’ve been holding everyone back. My lack of magical talent is always brought up, and during dungeon fights, they always have to take care of me.”
“The outside world only sees me as dead weight. In the glamorous Hero Squad, I’m the only one without flowers, honors, or applause.”
“So, when I quit the squad that day, I thought maybe I shouldn’t have been in the team from the start, maybe I shouldn’t have even met all of you.”
“Now I finally understand—it’s me who doesn’t deserve the Hero Squad. You need a better teammate, so don’t dwell on the past anymore. I won’t return to a place where I don’t belong.”
“Lies! Lies!!!”
***
After hearing Keti’s long speech, just when Layla—the one who usually talked the most—had gone stone still, the elf girl suddenly became irate.
She lunged forward and slammed Keti down fiercely beneath her!
Her small hands grabbed the girl’s collar, and the emerald eyes not covered by the eyepatch trembled uncontrollably.
Her emotions seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
“None of that is a reason! None of it can be a reason! You used to adapt just fine, Keti! So why can’t you now? Is it… is it because Lynn threatened you, telling you you can’t leave him?”
“Ha… haha, then just kill him already! Keti, don’t be afraid, come with me obediently. I… I’ll protect you, I promise…”
N-No, that’s not—
Keti was a bit startled by Sylvia’s outburst.
After all, the elf lady had always seemed rather quiet to her.
If the Hero Squad were a family, Alice would be the spoiled little sister, Layla the gentle mother, and Sylvia the goofy older sister.
So why did she suddenly become so extreme when it came to Keti? And why did it have to involve killing someone!?
After a moment, the silver-haired beauty could only cough awkwardly twice.
Then she reached out and ruffled the elf girl’s hair.
Sylvia’s face flushed red, and her grip on the collar loosened involuntarily.
Only then did Keti get up from the bed.
“It’s not as scary as you think. Um… actually, Lynn hasn’t been so bad to me,” she said with a small laugh.
“When I mentioned him earlier, I was probably a bit emotional because… well, I was embarrassed. Actually, he’s helped me a lot.”
“Not only did he solve my work and living arrangements in the imperial capital, but he also gave me quite a bit of money…”
“Especially since working as a teacher at school can bring a lot of trouble, Lynn always helps me find solutions.”
“For example, tomorrow, the annoying dean wants me to take the students to the Giant Beast Country dungeon for a practical exam. If I don’t protect the students well, I’ll be fired.”
“But Lynn gave me this Summoning Beast Item that can draw monsters’ aggro, so I’m confident I can do well tomorrow. He… really takes good care of me.”
Keti lowered her head shyly, a side of herself rarely seen by Layla and Sylvia—being cared for by someone else—and felt a little embarrassed. Would they look down on her?
But the truth was, Keti was overthinking it…
After hearing Keti’s hesitant confession about how much Lynn took care of her, Layla and Sylvia both stood frozen in place.
In their hearts, a fierce jealousy welled up.
Ugh… this, this…
They looked just like girls in love!
Click—
“Ah, ah, ah, how did time pass so fast? Before I knew it, it’s almost time for morning reading class. Phew… alright, alright, I’ve talked enough with you two. We’ll still be friends, so feel free to come visit me anytime at the Magic Academy~”
Before the two girls could recover from their shock, Keti glanced at the time, then quickly waved her hand and stood up.
“I’m going to class now. Oh, by the way, no need to lock the door. The delivery people from the mall will come by soon. There isn’t much valuable stuff in this room anyway; the precious things are all locked up in the storage room. Just have them bring everything inside. I’m heading out!”
J-Just like that?
Watching the silver-haired beauty about to leave, Layla’s heart trembled.
She never imagined that her plan to comfort Keti gently and have her willingly rejoin the squad would end like this.
Why… why after both she and Sylvia said all that, was Keti so decisive?
Could it be that she really won’t come back?
Will everything just end like this?
No, no way! If Keti doesn’t come back, then the Magic Academy will undoubtedly become Lynn’s turf!
I—I can’t lose Keti!
“O-Older brother, don’t go—!”
Suddenly, the purple-haired woman with the jellyfish hairstyle grabbed Keti’s arm just as she was about to leave.
Her legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees with a thud.
Keti was stunned, turning her head in confusion, only to see the priestess crying buckets and shouting at her:
“Please, Keti, don’t go! Ugh… if only you’d come back, I’d do anything for you! I won’t ever mention your magical talent again.”
“I’ll do all the chores myself and buy everything you need! What must I do to make you come back? Anything I can do, I’m willing to do it, so… please don’t go… ugh—”
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