Chapter 24: Three Friends, One Heart

The Arcana Academy’s autonomous district was a place where people from all over the continent gathered. Although the Arcana Academy belonged to the Empire, it had become a kind of international school where students from all over the continent had been gathering for decades.

It was perhaps natural that merchants from all over the continent would gather at the Arcana Academy.

Yelena picked up a short-bladed knife, similar to a machete, and murmured.

“So they use this kind of weapon in the southern jungles. I’m sure this kind of weapon would be convenient in that kind of terrain.”

“That’s right. Longswords have many limitations in dense jungle terrain. That’s why most adventurers use these jungle knives in the jungle.”

“Have you used one of these, Sian?”

“Yes. I had to go to the jungle for various reasons, and I learned how to use it from the native tribes.”

“I see.”

Regina’s gaze was captured by the jewelry from the western countries, where jewelry crafting was developed. Regina looked at the displays lined with jewelry and said.

“In the western countries of the continent…they make jewelry with magic stones, too. It’s pretty…”.

“Well, certainly the craftsmanship of the western countries is excellent. Shall I buy you one?”

“Ah, no, it’s okay…! Ah. Um, I mean…it’s not that I dislike that, it’s just…”

“Wait a minute, Regina.”

Regina started to answer on her own and then stuttered. I stopped her and slowly stroked her head.

This side of the girl was cute, and it was just a passing remark in the first place. So I wasn’t very disappointed, but.

It would be better to correct that habit of apologizing for everything.

“You don’t, have to apologize.”

“B-but. I think I’ve disappointed and upset you, and Sian is my benefactor. I’m afraid that such a person will be upset because of me…”

“No. On the contrary, it’s much more burdensome to keep apologizing like that. Regina needs to have a little more confidence.”

“I-is that so…?”

“Yes. Above all, Regina is cute. Normally, you don’t get upset when a cute child does something.

It might be too much of a lookism, but it was true that a cute child was cute no matter what they did. Even if they were a little stupid or timid, it could be charming.

“So Regina, have a little confidence. Don’t be too burdened. Unless you do something really bad, there’s no way I’ll dislike you.”

In the first place, Regina was broken because of me. Unless she commits a massacre, I can’t let go of Regina.

This wasn’t just a feeling of compassion. It was close to…guilt. A feeling that would follow me for the rest of my life when I looked at Regina.

“Ehehe…I understand. I’ll keep that in mind…!”

“Yes. Always remember. Regina, you’re more amazing and cuter than you think you are.”

Regina’s self-confidence had almost disappeared in the endless regressions.

What she needed to fix it was to instill confidence. If she had the confidence that she could overcome anything, Regina’s condition would get better someday.

Seeing me cherishing Regina so much, Yelena murmured quietly.

“You two are, how should I put it, like sisters.”

Somehow, Yelena’s voice was a little dark. Only then did I realize that I had been paying too much attention to Regina.

In a friendship, what is important is an equal relationship without superiority or inferiority. But I had forgotten that.

If this kind of thing kept happening, my presence might become poisonous to both of them. I wanted to make them happy, I didn’t want them to feel left out and fight because of me.

I reflected inwardly and approached Yelena.

“Well, I guess Regina has a bit of that feeling.”

“I see. Then, I’m curious about what I am.”

Yes, Yelena’s voice wasn’t that bright. In order to cheer her up, I answered in a deliberately bright voice.

“If Regina feels like a younger sister, Yelena feels like an older sister? She’s a bit strong and cool older sister. Not like Regina, whom I want to hug.”

I answered that and lightly hugged Yelena. Yelena’s arms wrapped around me reflexively, startled.

“I kind of want to be hugged, like this.”

As soon as I hugged Yelena, a faint scent of shampoo wafted to the tip of my nose.

I thought Yelena would only know about training, but it seemed she cared about her appearance unexpectedly. Thinking that, I buried my face in Yelena’s embrace.

Yelena’s face turned red, but Sian, who had buried her face in her embrace, couldn’t see that. She just continued speaking, assuming that Yelena wouldn’t mind this much.

As I snuggled up close, enduring the embarrassment, I could feel the well-trained muscles of her lower abdomen. I wondered if it was too much, and hesitated slightly, but carefully asked.

“How is it, Yelena?”

“…Oof?!”

However, all that came back was an unintelligible sound. Yelena, who quickly regained her composure, closed her eyes and tried to maintain her composure, and replied.

“Ugh, um. Certainly, it would have been nice…to have a younger sister like Sian.”

“Heh, thank you. big sis?”

I deliberately emphasized the ‘big sis’ part, but for some reason, Yelena didn’t answer. The strength in Yelena’s arms, which were wrapped around my body, gradually increased, and Yelena’s body trembled slightly.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

I looked up carefully, but Yelena avoided my gaze and didn’t answer. After holding me silently, looking up at the sky for a while, she looked down at me with a composed expression and asked.

“…Sian, it seems like you need to be a little careful.”

“Huh…?”

For some reason, the expression of Yelena looking down at me was a little complicated. Before I could think about what the problem was, Yelena supported her chin with her hand and continued, gently stroking my cheek with her thumb.

“If you get this close to others, you’ll cause unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“Ugh…”

I don’t know why I thought this, but the touch stroking my cheek seemed a little stickier than usual.

Maybe it’s because I don’t want to lose my friend…to others. Objectively speaking, I knew that I had a face that anyone would like.

Trying to push away the illusions that kept popping up in my head, I replied to dispel Yelena’s worries.

“Don’t worry. I don’t get this close to anyone unless they’re precious friends like Yelena or Regina.”

In the first place, I wasn’t very fond of people. Being an adventurer wasn’t such a romantic thing. I learned how ugly people could be.

Yelena’s worries, that I would make many friends other than Yelena and Regina and my interest in them would decrease, would not happen.

…Clearly, that was what I meant.

“…Aha. I see.”

“Uh, yes.”

For some reason, the eyes of Yelena looking at me seemed a little different than before. Was this also my imagination?

However, my curiosity didn’t last long. Because Regina intervened between me and Yelena.

“Sian is a precious…friend, to me too!”

“She is to me too.”

“Hehe, thank you both.”

As we chatted normally like that, we were almost at the end of the shopping district of the autonomous district. Only then did I remember one thought.

Come to think of it, I had asked Regina what she wanted, but I hadn’t asked Yelena. Yelena might secretly want to be given something too.

With that thought in mind, I looked around for the last time and asked Yelena.

“What does Yelena want?”

“Hmm, I don’t think I want anything in particular either. In the first place, I’m not very greedy about this kind of thing. But it’s interesting.”

“I see. Still, if you want something later, let me know?”

“…I have more money, so you don’t have to force yourself, Sian. If there’s something you want to buy, I can buy it.”

But the answer was a blunt refusal. I answered with a sullen expression.

“Wanting to buy something isn’t just about money.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s not because of money, but because I want Yelena to think of me more. If I buy something for Regina, she will think of me whenever she sees it.”

Both Regina, who was trapped in fate, and Yelena, who was trapped in obsession, lacked even knowledge of friendships.

So, I decided to teach them little by little about friendships.

Anyway, the heroines of the original work were girls who would get along well without the protagonist. In the first place, most of the original heroines were members of quite high-ranking families or daughters of large merchant guilds.

So even if it changed the original story a little, it would be better to help Yelena and Regina.

“To think of each other…huh. Then, I think I want one thing too.”

“Oh, already?”

Yelena answered that and held my hand.

Curious about what Yelena would want in this market, I didn’t resist Yelena’s touch.