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An explosive rush of sound and a shockwave hit. Next, a gust of wind followed. The massive black tail stopped just short of hitting Seletina.

“Somme…” Seletina muttered in a weak voice.

She looked up with wide eyes at the white dragon standing in front of them. Godala’s robust tail had been stopped by Somme’s clear white tail. The two dragons confronted one another.

“……”

Their gazes were intertwined as if they were examining one another. Somme looked at the heated-up Godala in an admonishing manner. It was as if it was telling Godala to calm down. Somme was rebuking Godala with its calm demeanor.

“W-What’ll happen?”

It was not uncommon for Godala to run amok. The members of the caravan could do nothing but observe with bated breaths. Silence filled the area.

“……”

Somme was the first to move. She slowly lowered her head in front of Seletina. She closed her eyes as if acknowledging Seletina’s presence, and she spun around, clearing her throat.

The cry was a dragon’s way of showing affection. An uproar arose when Somme revealed not only her approval of Seletina but also her genuine affection for her.

Godala followed suit. He too let out a cry towards Seletina following Somme’s lead. It was as if all the excitement and tension just now had all been a lie.

“W-What in the world is going on?” Gabutu was stunned, unable to get a grip on the situation at all. He was in complete shock while still buried in Seletina’s embrace.

Another silence followed, which was now broken by several faint murmurs. Everyone was trying to figure out what had happened. Everyone apart from Seletina.

“Somme… Godala… You remember me?”

Dragons were said to perceive humans through their souls. If this were true then the two dragons before her didn’t actually see Seletina.

Seletina gently stroked the dragons’ noses, and what came back was a satisfied sniff. Though Godala still seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Perhaps because Seletina had startled her by approaching carelessly while she was still asleep.

As the two dragons treated her the same way they had in her previous life, Seletina couldn’t help but feel warm inside.

“Sir Tieck! Are you alright?!”

Vivicy yelled, rushing to the scene after realizing what had happened.

◇◇◇

“I’m sorry!” Gabutu bowed sincerely.

Seletina, in turn, smiled softly at him.

“Don’t worry about it. I was too careless in approaching the dragons. Those two are noble creatures after all.”
“No, it’s not that.”
“What do you mean?”
“W-Well what you said is true, but I meant something else…”

Seletina was left completely confused by Gabutu’s words.

Gabutu, on the other hand, couldn’t find words to express himself. He scratched his head, feeling anxious as he began to confess.

“I-I was rude to you. I was testing you despite the dire situation we’re in and the fact that you even helped the boss. I made you deal with the Nigabuli Frogs and the dragons just so that I could make a point… Please forgive me…”
“You were testing me?”

Although the experience with the dragons had been a scary one, Seletina had thoroughly enjoyed dissecting the Nigabuli Frogs. She genuinely believed that there was no need for Gabutu to apologize, but there was something in his words that piqued her interest.

“Why would you test me?”
“T-That’s…”

Gabutu hesitated. He showed a passiveness that was completely unlike him.

“That’s?”
“Y-You know Vivicy, right?”
“I do. She’s the girl that came running in with a worried look on her face. She’s quite the attentive girl.”
“I-I was worried that she had a crush on you…”

(So that’s how it is…)

Seletina chuckled as she pieced the puzzle together. She couldn’t help but smile at this scene filled with youthful love. Seletina’s smile was a little too obvious which caused Gabutu to blush and speak up.

“W-What is it?! Is it wrong?! Men get jealous too, you know! Damn you and your ten out of ten face!”
“That’s a strange way to insult someone…”
“It’s not fair! So what if you’re a bit better looking and a bit braver…”

Gabutu’s voice grew weaker and weaker as he went on.

A picture-perfect face. The guts to resist a Nigabuli Frog’s smell and a dragon’s nobleness. There wasn’t a girl that wouldn’t fall for that.

Seletina tried to reassure the slumped Gabutu that he didn’t have anything to worry about by giving him a broad smile.

“Please don’t worry, Gabutu. Lady Vivicy does not have feelings for me.”
“What? But she was the first to rush to us when all that happened…”
“Well of course she would. We were attacked by a dragon and she’s quite the worrywart, that girl. I was accompanied by Lady Vivicy all the way here, and during that time she seemed to be avoiding me.”
“Avoiding you?”

Seletina nodded at Gabutu’s question.

“We didn’t even get to talk properly. She was nice, but I don’t think there was anything else there.”
“R-Really?”
“Really.” Seletina said with a bright smile.

However, the truth that Seletina and Vivicy had kissed was something that only Vivicy knew.

Seletina patted Gabutu’s shoulder to reassure him, and they headed to the next job. Although the seed for a growing friendship between men, or rather a man and a woman, had been planted, Gabutu’s suspicions were well founded.