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「——I’m not sure I should be doing this with everything that happens to me…」

Remarked Ripple who then submerged half of her face into the hot water, producing bubbles as she exhaled underwater.

「It’s alright. I’m always ready. Better yet, I’d be happy to do it right this instant. Please, summon them, now.」

Inglis who was soaking next to her replied like so. This was the public bathroom of the Knight Academy’s girls’ dormitory. With the decision of Ripple placed under the care of the Academy being imparted, the moment they left the castle, they went here to let loose first and foremost.

「No, look, I can’t control it… Can you not look at me with such a hungry-looking gaze?」
「Come on, Glis. You’re troubling Miss Ripple. Don’t poke fun at her.」
「It’s not like that. You see, since we take this as a form of good training, I want Miss Ripple not to be too conscious about it.」
「No, it’s just you who sees it that way, Glis. Can you stop mix us with you as you please?」

Leone also nodded in agreement.

「But, well, depending on how you see it, Miss Inglis is right too. There is no doubt that this will become a valuable battle experience.」

Principal Miliera took Inglis’ side. It was her who suggested dipping in the bath as soon as they reached the campus ground.

「But… I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me, I never——This isn’t what a Hyrule Menace is…」
「It’s okay. If it’s happening again, I will immediately deploy a barrier to isolate you from the surroundings.」

Said the Principal as she waved around her staff Artifact. She even especially brought it to the bath with her. Because she entered the bath along with the rest, she exuded the amorous air of a mature woman, which made Inglis even more troubled to find a place to rest her gaze.

「That way, while minimizing the damage to the surrounding, Miss Inglis and many other skilled students will eliminate the Magic Stone Beasts. We won’t let you harm anyone.」
「Yeah. But, what do we do at times you’re not available, Miliera? You can’t possibly be attached to me all day long, can you?」
「Well, Mister Theodore is currently preparing Artifacts that serve the same purpose, you see. I also asked him to prepare an Artifact for Miss Leone while at it!」
「Wah, thank you very much!」
「It was a good opportunity for it, after all. You know the saying, take as much as we could while we could. Fufufu.」

What a determined woman.
That being said, it’s true that the more Artifacts that can make a barrier, the better.

「I will arrange a system where a group of several people will take turns escorting you. You just need to bear with it for a while. And while you’re here anyway, just think of it as an untimely holiday and unwind yourself.」
「I-, I can’t possibly take advantage of everyone’s goodwill like——」
「It’s all right, we will do our absolute best after all! We know that you’re the one who’s hurt the most if we’re injured, Miss Ripple!」

Splash! Vigorously, Rafinha leaped to her feet. It wasn’t like that was a problem, but her birthday suit was out in the open. Looking at her made Inglis feel embarrassed.

「Still, putting that aside, I still want Miss Ripple to have fun. I want to get along with Miss Ripple too…」
「Rafinha——」
「That’s why, even for a little… Can you cheer up?」
「Hm…You’re right. If I’m down in the slump, I’ll just drag everyone down with me too. Thank you, Rafinha. I’ll trouble you a lot, but please take care of me, kay?」

Ripple showed the smile that had been absent from her lips.

「Yes!」

Rafinha also seemed delighted. With her ever-cheerful, honest, untimid, and lively attitude, there might be people who just couldn’t stomach Rafinha’s guts and find her annoying, but—— Both Ripple and Eris accepted her just as was.

As her guardian, it was something Inglis was grateful for. And something that brought a smile to her face.

「But, Rani, cover your body. It’s improper, okay?」
「Nope! To show each other’s naked skin is to show each other’s naked heart! You show yours too, Glis!」
「Hyau!? W-, wai-, stop it Rani——! Don’t say such nonsense…!」
「It’s okay, it’s okay! Come on, you too Leone!」
「I-, I’ll pass this one, you two have fun!」
「I won’t let you escape by yourself…!」
「Kyaah——!? H-, honestly, Rafinha! If you keep doing this, Special Envoy Theodore will get disillusioned of you! And he already praised you so much before…!」
「Eh…? W-, will he——?」
「He will. He’ll think that you’re immodest.」
「O-, okay, maybe I should stop——」
「You can’t! Here, you can look and touch me all you want, Rani, just don’t think about such a thing……!!」

Looking over the three, Ripple’s eyes narrowed.

「Young girls are so cute and nice. Having fun, aren’t they?」
「They are. Their liveliness is infectious.」
「Ahahaha, you must be getting old to make such a comment, Miliera. 」
「Uu…! I have so many things wearing me down, after all——No! I’m still 17 at heart!」
「At heart, alright. While for your looks… well, you’ve grown into a pretty adult, haven’t you? I’m a little bit jealous to see everyone else growing up, since we’re stuck like this forever——」
「…I’ve told you this before, but you should leave everything to us and take some rest. The Academy right now is housing a number of excellent students rivaling, or even surpassing, these three girls. It’s a force you rarely see in recent years!」
「That’s superb. Who might they be? Are they our seniors? Do we have any joint training sessions?」
「Wah…!? Inglis, girl, you are fast to react to exchanges like this, as always.」
「Yes. After all, to get even stronger, you need to fight an even tougher opponent.」
「Y-, you can’t, Miss Inglis. We have a circumstance at hand. I am prohibiting any sham battle between students. It will be overwhelming if any of you get injured.」
「EEHH…!? No way——」
「Geez, Glis. What’s so wrong with that? You can have your fight since Magic Stone Beasts will keep appearing.」
「But Rani, don’t you know that the more fights, the better? You can grow for sure that way, and our lifetime is limited. We don’t have time to dawdle around, you know?」
「Why are you saying something so stupid? You’re saying it like today is our last day alive. Don’t need to panic, our seniors are not going anywhere, are they? Be patient.」
「Muu……」

Rafinha seemed to be fed up, but for Inglis who had experienced standing at the end of her life, she knew that there would be a lot of things one would wish to have done and roads one would wish to have taken. That was why it was best to see through everything she wanted without a shred of doubt.

「Hahaha. Nice personality you got there, girl. Really. Even though you’d look so cute, feminine, and feeble that you’d never even hurt a single fly if you didn’t say anything——」
「Much obliged. Thank you very much.」
「No… That wasn’t a praise at all, Glis.」
「But she said I look cute.」
「That’s all you heard!?」
「I mean, my personality is the same. I just think it’s better to keep being positive.」
「No, I wish you’d change that somehow…」
「「That’s impossible.」」

Said the two in complete sync.

「…Haah. That’s right. I mean, it’s Glis.」
「That’s true.」
「You girls really are close, Inglis, Rafinha. Well, if mock battles between students are prohibited, then do you mind if you’re up against me?」
「Are you serious thank you very much! Then please do, right this instant! Where should we fight!? I don’t mind even if we do it right here right now!」

With anticipation painting all over her face, Inglis leaped out of the water with a huge splash.

「N-, no, we can’t do it right now. We need to have Miliera and the others able to watch me and act freely, okay?」
「Come on, Glis. Hide your body a little. You’re making me embarrassed!」
「…Phew. Being with these girls never bore me——」

Murmured Leone with a sigh.