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It had been over a month since we settled in the northern village.

I transformed into a Dragon and attracted travelers, which caused the army to move and cause problems, but other than that the days went on peacefully.

Today, as usual, I went to the church which also served as an orphanage, and was teaching the kids there.

Cortina used to be a teacher too, so Maria suggested this work to us.

“So why are you being used as a horse by kids, Cortina?”

At the church’s front garden which also served as the village’s relaxation plaza, Cortina was lying on her face and the kids were riding on her back.

Honestly, it was too pitiful a sight for a member of Six Heroes, who were the objects of respect.

“Shut…up… How many times… do you think I collapsed in this… village.?”
“Is that something you should be bragging about?”

Cortina came to this village to train. Her training continued even now, and she was often found collapsed like this to the point it was becoming a local specialty.

The villagers started to treat her quite casually because of that, and kids played with her whenever they discovered her like this.

“By the way, what’s your training schedule today?”
“…Thirty laps around the yard.”
“That’s tough even for me.”

That b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲ Lyell… What is he making a feline, who lacks stamina, do? I’ll be a little put off if she ends up with a body like Lyell’s, you know?

“I’ll ask dad to hold back.”
“Please do. Anyway, how long are you brats going to straddle me? Get off! Only Reid is allowed to ride me!”
“Stop telling stuff like that to kids.”

What the heck is she saying to kids that weren’t even in their teens?

Still, it would be too pitiful to leave her in that state and go back. The lessons I was in charge of ended already, so I decided to help her return home.

The grannies at the stalls gave us fruit and vegetables on the way, and by the time I got home, my hands were completely full. This was also a daily thing ever since we came to this village. The villagers were treating me very warmly after coming back.

“I’m back.”
“I just got back too!”
“Why are you the one acting all smug about it, Cortina?”

Maria came to greet us while wiping her hands on her apron as she was probably in the middle of cooking.

“I mean, I’ve been here close to half a year already.”
“That aside, mom, they gave me these.”
“Oh, it’s a big catch today too, huh?”
“Wording!”

I knew she was mostly joking, but a Saint shouldn’t really be saying that stuff.

She ignored my worries and took the food from my hands with the apron.

“That aside, the bath’s ready, so you should get in together.”
“Kay.”
“Yaay, I get to bathe with Nicole.”
“Isn’t that the usual?”

Whenever I entered the bath, someone always followed me in. It could be Cortina, Finia, or Fina. Sometimes even Lyell tried to barge in too, but Maria disciplined him for it.

Thus, I ended up bathing with Cortina and Fina who also intruded. Fina was with us so Cortina was forced to control herself, which I was grateful for.

Then we appeased our thirst with the juice Finia prepared as we got out of the bath, after which we headed to the dining hall.

Lyell was home early today too, so everyone other than me was already present it seems.

“Ah, I forgot something in my room.”
“Fina? Then I’ll come along—”
“It’s fine, I’ll go with her, Nicole. You just head to the dining hall first.”

Cortina kept calling me Nicole even after knowing I was Reid. But when I was in Reid’s form, she properly called me Reid.

It was probably her fixation playing a part here.

As I entered the dining hall after parting with the two, I heard the popping sounds of the crackers.

These toys that used gunpowder were quite pricey and were single-use, so they were quite valuable.

“W-What’s going on?!”
“Nicole, happy birthday!”
“Lady Nicole, happy birthday!”
“Congrats on turning sixteen, Nicole.”

Maria, Lyell, and Finia who were ambushing me in the dining hall congratulated me one by one.

Their words made me finally remember that it was my birthday today.

“Oh, right, it was today, huh?”
“That’s right, Lady Nicole. You really forgot about it.”
“Well it’s been hectic lately… But thanks, Finia.”

Finia gave me a small package as she congratulated me.

“What’s this?”
“It’s the scent bag for you, Lady Nicole. The one made with Elixir.”
“Oh, the thing you made to tell us apart when Kufar was disguising himself as one of us?”
“Yes. I suppose it isn’t useful anymore.”
“Not true. Elixir is valuable on its own. I’m grateful for the exclusive container of it.”

Elixir had an extremely subtle greenery smell, so it was difficult to just carry it with you.

Thus, they instead used scent bags that limited its smell to a degree and wore them as necklaces.

Opening the wrapping I found a small necklace made out of knitted plants similar to the one Lyell and Maria had.

“They match.”
“Yes, do you not like it?”
“No such thing. I do, a lot. Thanks.”
“I’m glad.”

Lyell and Maria were irreplaceable comrades to me.

Wearing the same thing as they made me feel a strange sense of unity and relief.

“And I have this for you.”

Lyell was the one to give me a gift next.

What he gave me was a scabbard with a gentle curve that hid a blade about 60 centimeters long.

“Is this a katana?”
“It is apparently called a wakizashi in the east. It supposedly forms a pair with a katana.”
“Oh?”
“You lost that Katana, right? So I thought you should have something to replace it.”
“Oh yeah, I did lose it in the battle against the Evil Dragon. Thanks.”
“Sure. You can use that to cut down any men that approach you.”
“Am I some kind of a hazard?”
“I mean, you’re an assassin.”
“…Oh, right.”

I feel like I got told of this before too. I feel like I’m forgetting that fact as of late.

Perhaps it was proof that the gravity of my life had deepened compared to my previous life.

Then Cortina and Fina arrived at the scene. They both held presents in their hands. So this was why they separated from me earlier.

“This is my gift for you!”
“What’s that?”
“A plushy! And a big one too! When I imagine you sleeping while hugging this I feel like pushing you down.”
“The heck are you saying in front of Fina!”

I smacked her head but still gratefully accepted the gift. I wasn’t interested in plushies but it wasn’t bad to have a body pillow.

“Fii wants to give you this!”

She jumped up a little and presented a small wrapping.

I ended up reflexively considering lifting her up, but I refrained myself since I was curious about the small bottle in their hands.

“What’s this?”
“Umm, the white goddess told me this was perfect for assassins.”
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“It seems that it raises your sensitivity a thousand times!”
“Just throw it away!!”

I reflexively yelled out, but Fina’s eyes started to water so I was at a loss. I had to correct my statement right away.

“Oh, no, I, uh, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Nicole, you’re horrible.”
“Shut up. Umm, Fina, I’ll… gladly accept it. Thanks.”

I accepted the bottle in half tears. I had no plans to use something this dangerous, though.

“How about we use it tonight?”
“Cortina, shut up. Also, I’ll go and kill that Whitey later.”
“Isn’t that impossible? She’s apparently immortal. Gods are quite something.”
“She’s like the manifestation of the world’s injustice…”

I muttered in a tired tone, but then Maria pointed to the table.

“I didn’t prepare a present but I made a feast in exchange. Sorry if it’s a little pragmatic.”
“Not at all, I’m really happy. We even have a cake?”

Sugar was a luxury item in the countryside like this. It was an essential cooking ingredient so it was being imported, but it was by no means cheap.

Cakes used so much of it that it was something you could only afford once a year at best. And that was about a big shot like Lyell. For common people, even that was beyond reach.

“Thanks, everyone.”

I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes as I spoke.

My comrades accepted me even after knowing I was Reid. These were words that I hardly ever heard in my past life. I could only remember receiving such words from a single woman when I was a child.

I received all their words at once, so it made my tear glands lax.

“Alright, let’s eat now. Fina’s eyes are glued to the cake.”

I looked toward Fina to check, and as she said, she was standing still and staring fixedly at the cake, and even starting to drool.

Cortina, Finia, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at that.

I got reborn into this world and many things happened along the way, but this was the moment I once again learned that this was the place where I belonged.

The woman mentioned here that celebrated the young Reid’s birthday is Elize that appears in volume 5 of the Light Novel.