Several dozen minutes later.

The girl had been crying for a long time.

As if she had finally been freed from years of suffering.

As if she had been desperately yearning for human warmth.

She clung to me tightly, and I returned the gesture with an embrace.

After all, not too long ago, I had been in a similar situation.

I had nowhere to belong, sinking deep into despair—until Ray and everyone else’s warmth saved me.

So I could understand, at least a little, how she felt.

“I’m sorry… I just met you, and yet I’m like this…”

“Haha… it’s fine,” I said with a wry smile, looking down at her curled up against my chest.

“Where are you from? Seems like there’s a story behind this.”

“Sniff… Yes, um…”

“You don’t have to be afraid. Just tell us the truth.”

“Yes… I ran away… from Lord Eujess Aldo’s estate…”

“Eujess Aldo…”

Ray quietly murmured the name.

Being royalty herself, she probably had some information about the man.

Still—of course, it was the Aldo family.

A pretty big name to show up, huh?

Perhaps interpreting our silence in a certain way, the girl cast her eyes downward and spoke in a trembling voice.

“I’m sorry… I must be a burden. I can’t trouble you any more than this. I don’t have anything to repay you with, but… thank you so much for helping me.”

She began to rise, but I held her back with my right hand.

“No, no, it’s alright. We can’t just let you go back like this.”

“Eh… b-but…”

“Hehe, there’s no need to worry,” Mary, who had remained silent until now, said with an angelic smile.

“These two are really amazing people. Especially Lord Arios—just the other day, he had a duel with Dudley…”

“Hey now. No need to bring that up,” I interjected, exasperated.

“Wait… Arios and Dudley… don’t tell me…”

But it was too late.

The girl had already caught on.

“There was a huge commotion at Lord Aldo’s estate too… Arios, you really…”

“Haa…”

I let out a deep sigh and scratched the back of my head.

“You’re probably right. I had a duel with Dudley last week… and technically, I won.”

“Wow!!”

Suddenly, she grasped both of my hands with tremendous force.

Fast.

She was incredibly fast.

“Even I know about that! You were exiled from the Macba family, defeated the Silver Sword Saint, and even saved the entire audience, right?!”

“W-well… I guess that’s how it went…”

“I thought it was amazing! Even in such a painful situation, you still kept going…”

“You’re giving me too much credit. I’m really not that great.”

“T-that’s not true! I… I’ve always wanted to meet you… oh—”

Thud.

She collapsed to the floor. She must have moved too suddenly.

“Geez…” I muttered, offering my hand to her.

“Your body’s more worn out than you think. Don’t push yourself too hard. …What’s wrong? Take my hand.”

“Eh… is… is it really okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Th-th-th-then… excuse me…”

Her face turned bright red as she timidly took my hand.

“Ah… I touched Lord Arios’s hand…”

“What are you saying…”

What was this feeling?

She had a completely different vibe from Ray or Mary.

“…Well, in any case, it’s true we can’t just leave you be. Stay with us for a while. Is that alright?”

“N-no… I should be the one asking that of you…”

“I… I see…”

She seemed to have an absurd amount of respect for me.

Not that I really deserved it.

“Fufu… looking forward to getting along from now on♪”

Ray smiled, folding her hands together.

“But I’m not giving Arios to you, okay? ♪ Fufufufufu.”

Ray being Ray… was, well, also kind of strange.