第４９９堀：誰だって見えないところで…… (Part2)
"……I suppose charging in headlong wasn't the right move."
"That is for the best. We were in a similar state yesterday, weren't we?"
"……I’ve caused Deryu and Sasari quite a bit of trouble, haven't I?"
Ratz and Seraria emerged from the entrance, cradling their children.
"Are you clearing your head?"
I asked Ria, who was currently being treated for the injuries she’d sustained from the scuffle I’d heard about from Ratz, but she just turned away and refused to speak.
"Come now, Ria. That’s rude to Rurua."
"Ugh. But..."
"Honestly. It’s a real problem that you can only seem to understand things through a fistfight."
Deryu sighed, looking exasperated. Ria hung her head and muttered, "……Deryu, Rurua, I’m sorry for causing you trouble."
"Um, why are you apologizing? And what is this about a fistfight?"
"It’s simple. We couldn't reach an agreement with words, so we had no choice but to settle it with our fists. That goes for Kirue over there, too. Sasari teamed up with me, and Jessica was more or less acting as a trainer."
"What do you mean by that?"
I was completely lost.
"Ah, Rurua, you were on the night shift, so you don't know what happened yesterday, do you?"
"Right, right. I see. To put it simply, we all lost our cool yesterday and were heading out to grab equipment for exterminating the Hyden, but Deryu stopped us. The martial faction couldn't accept that, so we ended up brawling today."
"Eh……? Wait, even you, Kirue-san?"
I turned my gaze toward Kirue-san, who was looking quite battered. Could it be that even she, the ideal maid, had joined in?
"……My apologies. I simply felt that the Hyden scum who kidnapped our husbands deserved a swift and direct hammer of justice."
"Honestly, please think about our position, Senior. Well, though, I did team up with the Demon Lord and managed to score a win against the Hero and Senior. That might be a first in maid history."
"……*Sigh*. I never thought I’d be outdone by Sasari. It seems I was more hot-headed than I realized."
I began to get the gist of it. Just like me, they were on the verge of spiraling out of control, so they used a fight to calm things down instead of a discussion.
"And Jessica-san, you were training?"
"Yes. It was clear that we had become complacent, so for the sake of the future, I maneuvered to ensure that none of the four of us suffered any fatal wounds."
"She was incredible, handling both defense and recovery."
"I still can't believe she managed to block attacks from the Demon Lord and the Hero, though."
……What a reckless thing to do. Looking closely, Jessica-san was the one with the most injuries.
"So, Ria-san, have you calmed down?"
Once the treatment was finished, I confirmed with her.
"Yeah. I gave it my all, so I feel refreshed. I also realized that I really had lost my cool."
"That’s good to hear. It made the brawl worth it."
"I know I was in the wrong, but Deryu, you could have held back a little. I’m still throbbing."
"What are you saying? As if I could hold back against a Hero. The Hero has a natural advantage against the Demon Lord, after all. If I had held back carelessly, I would have been the one to die."
"I wasn't *that* hot-headed. Even if you're the Demon Lord, Deryu, you're my friend first."
"Indeed. That is why, as a friend, I struck you, Ria."
"Ahaha, thanks."
"Well, I suppose this kind of thing is fine once in a while."
Er, I was just checking on the treatment, but they took it in a completely different direction. I suppose my way of asking was poor. Still, it seems a battle between the Hero and the Demon Lord had occurred and concluded without me even noticing.
"And Rurua, you have quite a look on your face, too. Has your heart cleared up?"
I was surprised when Seraria suddenly brought it up, but I answered immediately.
"I was lectured by Lilishe-sama and Hifie-sama as well."
"I see. ……A true friend is someone you can rely on to guide you when you’re about to lose your way."
"Yes. I think so too."
"What’s this? If you were still moping around, I was prepared to give you a good wallop myself."
"I’ll pass on that. There’s no way I could withstand a blow from the Demon Lord."
Everyone laughed together.
"Well then, we don't have much time left. Once the treatment is finished, let's take a bath to wash off the sweat, change our clothes, and get cleaned up to go welcome our husbands back!!"
"““Yeah!!””"
And so, the frantic preparations for their return began.
……Have we, have I, grown a little? Husband?
The wives are growing stronger, too. We won't be forever dependent on Yuki.
Well, that’s the kind of story it is.
And next time, we finally reunite. Before that, though, I’ll be busy tomorrow because the Nintendo Switch is coming out.
*Note: There was a mention in chapter 473 that Ria was pregnant, but that was a mistake. I intended it to be the initial slave members: Milly, Tori, Riel, and Kaya. I apologize for the confusion. The correction for chapter 473 has already been made. Thank you for your continued support.*