Chapter 19: One×One②
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It has been about two months since Ryuguin rampaged through the Royal Capital. Sensei is still on a journey with Mika, while Sena and I have been living modestly together.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t lonely, but still, we managed to fill our days with developing new recipes, cooking to satisfy Sena’s appetite, occasionally descending from the mountain, and engaging in odd plant observations, reading, and training. All in all, we were leading a fairly fulfilling life. Despite everything, we were having a decent amount of fun together.
Perhaps some of you are wondering why Eris isn’t here. There’s a reason for that.
Sena didn’t reject her—far from it. In fact, Eris, who sometimes acted like an affectionate little sister and at other times like a loyal retainer, had taken to calling Sena “Sena Onee-sama” and had seamlessly integrated into our life in the cabin, creating an atmosphere where her presence felt entirely natural.
So, where had she gone? The answer lies at an inn a little distance from the base of Hidden Mountain, where Bordaf resides.
Eris, who had been living under the same roof with us, returned from the Royal Capital accompanied by Orphe.
“Go home.”
“I’m not going.”
“Disappear.”
“I won’t. I’m Ichiro’s disciple.”
The two of them argued for a good half hour, but Sena, growing tired of the back-and-forth, decided to take matters into her own hands and knocked Orphe flat.
When Orphe regained consciousness, despite having been thoroughly beaten, she showed no signs of giving up. She challenged Sena again, only to be soundly defeated once more.
Sena muttered, “Persistent,” but it was here that Orphe truly showed her tenacity.
“You lost. Go home.”
“Unless I admit defeat, I’m not losing.”
“That’s not even a conversation.”
“Not a conversation means you’re conceding, right?”
Once again, Orphe was swiftly crushed and beaten to a pulp. Yet, she wouldn’t back down. In a desperate dash, she retreated and, as if to claim a parting gift, snatched Eris under her arm. I was worried about what those two were up to, but before I knew it, they had set up a tent right next to our cabin and made themselves at home.
Thus, every time Sena appeared, Orphe would challenge her, and whenever she felt like it, she would throw down the gauntlet with a cheerful “Let’s go!” only to suffer a crushing defeat each time.
As if one wasn’t enough, for some reason, the two of them would team up against Sena, and even then, they were easily dispatched, time and time again…
I hadn’t been counting, but I could tell Sena was getting fed up. Before long, Orphe had taken to calling her “Boss Lady” without permission and kept challenging her over and over.
After fending off countless challenges, Sena finally let out a massive sigh, her face twisted in annoyance.
“You two are really a handful.”
She wore an expression I had never seen before, one that looked like she was about to spit.
“Fine, I’ll allow you both to live here with me.”
Sena granted her permission. Both Orphe and Eris, who had already been half-accepted, were overjoyed. However—
“There’s a condition.”
Sena declared.
“Sena Onee-sama… does that apply to me too?” Eris asked, but Sena nodded solemnly.
“Really…”
Oh dear, it felt like the atmosphere had shifted…
“The condition is simple. You must be able to climb from the base to this cabin on your own.”
Their expressions darkened, but not in despair. Did they have confidence in their abilities?
“However, you cannot use any tools to conceal your presence or teleportation magic. If you do…”
Sena’s words carried an intimidating weight, causing Eris and Orphe to break out in a cold sweat. This was definitely a direct hit.
And so, the two were kicked out of the cabin (poor Eris got caught in the crossfire) and established a base at a nearby inn.
However, they were both incredibly skilled swordswomen. Even right after being thrown out, they were already strong enough to handle challenges around the Fourth Station of Hidden Mountain.
Recently, they had been taking on requests at the Guild to earn some travel money, and in their spare time, they dedicated themselves to climbing Hidden Mountain. Eventually, they had reached the point where they could independently ascend to around the Sixth Station.
“Master, please wait for us!”
“Master, we’re almost there!”
I couldn’t shake the ominous feeling those words gave me.