Chapter 222: How to Correctly Pet Amy
Hah Whew
Garm, clad in heavy armor since early morning, was the first to complete ten laps around Sentreas periter. Others, who had fallen behind unnoticed, were nowhere to be seen, with Tsutomu lagging over two whole laps behind.
Having finished his patrol and morning jog, Garm walked slowly, pushing aside his sweat-drenched hair. Within him, amidst the fatigue-induced detachnt, stirred thoughts of Xeno, who had been a thorn in his side until the end.
[This isnt good.]
Normally, Garms breath would not have been this ragged, but the desire to outpace Xeno, who had kept up until the eighth lap, had unsettled him. Hence the breathlessness, prompting Garm to furiously swat the ground with his tail.
Since the battle with the Winter General, Garm had co to see Xeno as an actual rival. Initially, he had not held Xeno in high regard, especially given the latters similarity to Amys idol-like status.
However, upon conversing with Xeno, as well as through Daryls interactions, Garm had glimpsed the effort behind his bravado and gradually gained respect for him as an indispensable mber of the Clan.
Moreover, after witnessing Xenos prowess in the Winter General battle, a sense of urgency had gripped Garm. A pedigreed dog with good looks but lacking hunting skills was now being praised as an alpha
Filled with such sentints, Garm had found himself competing against Xeno in morning runs and Daryls training sessions.
As ashad as Garm was to admit it, what had made him realize this was in fact the trivial disagreent between Xeno and Tsutomu from the other day. Looking back, even when he had addressed Tsutomus tense attitude in the past, he had likely done so to seek emotional help for himself. As such, what Weiss had said about him being like a pet dog was not entirely incorrect.
[I must beco stronger.]
Seeing Amy, who had ford a
with the Sylph to enhance her Dual Wave Slash, Hannah, who had practicalized Magic Fist, and other Absolute Helix Clan mbers getting stronger in their own ways, Garm knew he could not afford to linger in jealousy of Xeno. Determined to keep pushing forward, Garm engraved this resolve in his heart as Xeno, having lost to Daryl in their morning race, approached.
Well, Sir Xeno, you owe
a cup! Having made a bet while running that the loser would buy juice, Daryl, without showing signs of exhaustion, cheerfully demanded Xeno to fulfill his promise.
I know, I know In contrast, Xeno, breathless, seed to plead for leniency.
Seeing this, Garm approached with a scowl.
Really? You got outrun by Daryl?
Hahaha I thought Id tease his appetite a bit, you see
And well, this is what I get.
Xeno, looking quite pitiful compared to the Winter General battle, elicited complex emotions from Garm. Xeno then hurried off to buy juice, while Daryl, wiping sweat, looked sympathetically at those isolated behind the Shield.
Its kind of scary, isnt it?
The enemys true identity is just a religious group. Once you know that, its not so scary.
But Sir Leon got seriously injured, and in the end, they got away!
Monsters have neither rcy nor faith, but religious groups are bound by them. There are likely ulterior motives behind this Stampede. Thats why there havent been human casualties yet. Its better than monsters rampaging around simply seeking Magic Stones.
Though the sll of trouble lingered, for Garm, who had dealt with criminal Clans, dealing with humans was actually easier. Behind Daryl, who looked up to Garm as he spoke, more and more Clan mbers arrived at the finish line.
Oh? Wheres Xeno? Leleia asked.
Hes gone to buy so drinks.
Ah, so he lost, then. After all that boasting, too How embarrassing.
As Leleia proceeded to chuckle smugly, Garm wore the sa complex expression as before. Recently, Leleia seed to have shed so of her aloofness, no longer maintaining her forr formal deanor. Sothing had changed after that talk she had in Tsutomus room, but it was a change for the better.
Perhaps due to occasionally speaking her mind, she now conversed freely with Amy, Korinna, Hannah, and Daryl. Although Hannah lanted the increase in victims due to Tsutomu, she still got along with them.
Ahh~~! Im beat!
But youve surely built up more stamina than before.
I sure have! Still not as good as you though, Sir Garm!
Hannah, being from a village where she ran around outside since childhood, had decent stamina for an Attacker. However, her Job as a Boxer had low base VIT, so without any modifiers, she would fall short as a Tank. Moreover, her role as an evasion-based Tank entailed a lot of physical exertion, often leading to stamina depletion.
Despite this, Hannah looked up with a radiant smile. Though there was a stark difference in stature
like between a child and an adult
Garm had co to see Hannah as a comndable Tank after witnessing her performance in the Mount Golem battle.
[I only wish she was a little more composed]
To Garm, however, Hannah seed to have started prioritizing her own interests lately, practicing Magic Fist more than anything else. Her role as an Evasion-based tank had yet to be firmly established, and there was plenty of room for improvent. Yet Hannah was adamant about mastering this new technique of hers.
While Garm gently pointed out this discrepancy, Hannah was stubborn. In the first place, she had switched from an Attacker to a Tank against all attempts at dissuasion by those around her. Tsutomu even referred to her as a runaway train, impulsive and unstoppable once she started running.
[Well, as long as she doesnt beco too wild, I suppose]
Lately, Hannah could be seen diligently helping the troubled people of Sentrea. Having lived in a village where everyone was like family, Hannah was kind-hearted, and always eager to help those in need.
In contrast to her, Tsutomu was not exactly an altruist. He showed no rcy to those who opposed him and remained indifferent to those not directly involved. Even when summoned to the Royal Capital, he displayed a similar reaction to Diniel, and Xeno had heard that he viewed refugees with a frighteningly detached gaze.
[But hes nice to those close to him, I suppose]
While his cold deanor was evident, Tsutomu still showed kindness to those he interacted with. Not only did he maintain connections with Absolute Helix, but he also made appearances among the disciples of White Mages and Silver Beasts. He even bypassed Ollie for Potion supplies, preferring to deal directly with the Forest Apothecary, having not forgotten the debt he owed to the old lady who believed in him during the Lucky Boy fiasco.
[Maybe I should have taken him outside more, not just to Gods Dungeon]
Pondering such thoughts, Garm spotted Tsutomu jogging at a brisk pace.
Two more laps
Hang in there.
Tsutomu, who had already been overtaken twice by Garm, wore a weary expression, prompting Garm to lightly push his back, offering encouragent.
How are you feeling?
Perfect.
Leon rotated his newly regrown arm for confirmation, offering a smile to the specialist White Mage. Tsutomu, who had been observing the healing process over the past two days alongside Amy, seed sowhat moved by the sight.
Its been quite instructive. Thank you for allowing
to observe.
Its nothing. If I could be of any help to you, then Im glad.
The middle-aged man, who had been treating the injured citizens and Explorers during the previous Stampede without any fear of the Devourer Dragon, smiled and shook hands with Tsutomu. From beside Tsutomu, Amy peeked out.
Tsutomu, you wanna beco a doctor?
Its just for honing my healing skills as a Healer.
You know, if you do beco a doctor, you gotta treat
for free!
So THATs what youre after
Tsutomu looked sowhat disappointed by Amys lack of understanding of the necessity for dical treatnt.
Although Tsutomu possessed the sa healing skills as the specialist White Mages, their efficiency in treating patients was remarkable, likely due to their frequent practice. Moreover, their knowledge of healing seed to enhance the potency of their skills beyond those of regular White Mages.
Tsutomu had a basic understanding of anatomical structure
on the level of common education in Japan
which contributed to his healing skills. However, there were still cases where he needed to exercise caution, as not everything could be easily nded together. In terms of perfect healing, the specialists were superior.
After briefly conversing with the White Mage, Tsutomu was occasionally tugged at the hem by Amy. When Tsutomu turned to her, she beckoned like a gossiping neighborhood lady and pointed to a certain place.
So theyre a thing now, huh?
Eh, I should get used to seeing that happen wherever he goes
Observing the knight beside Leon having her cheek stroked affectionately by the latters healed left hand, Tsutomu felt a slight sense of disbelief before thanking the White Mage and leaving the treatnt room.
Turning back to Amy, who was following him in a particularly good mood, Tsutomu asked a question,
By the way, I saw you at the town square yesterday.
Oh, yeah, that With that monster attack, the towns been pretty gloomy, yknow? So I figured Id take advantage of the bands performance and put on a show for them.
Tsutomu had heard from Korinna that Amy had sung and danced with the marching band in the town square last night. Amy, looking embarrassed, huddled her body and covered her head with her hand.
You were in the back row, yeah?
Im surprised you saw .
Heh heh I can see a lot of things!
Although Tsutomu had gone to see Amy with Daryl and Amira, he had not expected to be caught. He regarded Amy, who was beaming proudly, with a skeptical look.
I dont mind you doing it, but you should at least tell the rest of us. There might be monsters lurking around.
Hmm~~? You usually never say anything, but now youre worried? Maybe I should put on more shows, then~~
Im gonna stop you right there
Ow Yeah, sorry. Ill rember to tell you next ti~~
Amy giggled happily as she pushed back against Tsutomus staff poking her head, though Tsutomu quickly withdrew it upon noticing the many guards patrolling the square.
Well, the Labyrinth Conquerors seem to be on guard duty, so it should be a bit safe Still, even if it sounds like too much, make sure to bring a Tank or another Attacker along with you from now on.
Yeah, I know. So how was it?
Hmm?
My singing.
It was great. Its no wonder youre an idol in Dungeon City.
I know, right~~?
Though Tsutomu was entirely unfamiliar with the songs and dances of this world, the audience seed captivated by Amy and the bands performance. Grinning at the praise, Amy suddenly adopted a mischievous expression.
Tsutomu~~ I did that as a volunteer, you know. I didnt get any paynt from the band~~!
Wow, thats admirable.
SOOOOOO I want a millions worth of reward from you!
Why ? Well, I an, sure
While it was quite an out-of-nowhere demand, the Absolute Helix received a considerable amount of valuable items from Amys sponsors. Additionally, so of the money ca in the form of donations, so handing over a million Gold to her now was not an issue. As Tsutomu rummaged through his Magic Bag to prepare the money, Amy grabbed his hand.
Thats not it. You just gotta pet
a bit
yknow, like you saw just now?
Wow, thats worth a lot less than a million.
Not to , its not! And, well, I dont really need any more Gold than what I already get
I guess not.
Amy, as the one who earned the most money among the Clan mbers, genuinely did not need it. Therefore, Tsutomu was considering giving her so rare item, but he hesitantly placed his hand on Amys head as she demanded.
Hmmmmm There, thats it. A bit more to the back. Yeah, just like that
now go sideways. Ah, thats nice! And now right here!
[Man, her directions are VERY specific.]
With a dry smile, Tsutomu followed Amys instructions. Amys white hair was silky smooth to the touch and had a faintly pleasant scent.
Thanks~~! Im satisfied!
[Maybe this will be the last ti]
After petting her for a while, Amy looked up at Tsutomu with a satisfied expression. However, recalling what Amira had told him a few days ago, Tsutomu gently grabbed Amys cat ears with both hands.
ow!?
Ah, sorry.
How about STOPPING before saying that, huh!?
Amy, surprised by the touch to her cat ears, exclaid, but Tsutomu did not stop despite apologizing. As Tsutomu gently squeezed her fluffy cat ears between his fingers, Amy looked up at him with a nervous expression.
W-whats wrong, Tsutomu? Youre unusually aggressive today.
Eh, I figured I might as well try, you know? Anyway, Im also satisfied now, so lets be on our way, Tsutomu said cryptically.
Then, after releasing his hands, he and Amy
who was now quite a bit quieter than usual
proceeded to walk back to the inn where the Clan mbers were staying.
Reviews
All reviews (0)