Several days had passed since the chance reunion with Aston.
Life in the ruined city remained unchanged, and another ordinary day had begun.
“Hmm, this jam is actually pretty good.”
“Fufun, I told you. Ringa made it by boiling down grapes.”
“Don’t say it like you did it all by yourself. I helped a lot too.”
The female Werewolf leader puffed out her chest, and the female Orc leader interjected.
“You only borrowed Reve’s help to lift the heavy pot. Ringa made almost all of it.”
“I was the one who provided the grapes. And who was it that mistook salt for sugar at the beginning?”
“We promised not to talk about that.”
The female Lizardman leader gazed intently at the jam spread on her bread.
“Huh, the Werewolf and Orc leaders making grape jam together? What happened, did you finally lose your minds from doing too much yak?”
“How rude. Ringa doesn’t deal with yak.”
“Orcs are forbidden from using such stuff, too.”
“Then what’s with the sudden change of heart?”
Ringa and Reve exchanged glances.
“Ringa is bothered that Zofia got all the credit for the noble incident.”
“That’s right. Reve and I weren’t able to be of any use to Zenos.”
“I see. So you two teamed up to show off your domestic side, huh?”
Zofia stood up abruptly and laughed loudly.
“Ahahaha! I appreciate the admirable effort. Do you really think that something like grape jam can compare to my accomplishments? I was personally asked by Sensei to accompany him to the noble’s mansion, you know.”
“Ugh…!”
“It’s frustrating, but I have no comeback…”
“I’m one step ahead in the battle for Sensei! Ah-hahahaha!”
“L-Lily also…”
“Kukuku… This ugly squabble between women is sweeter than jam.”
“Hey, I’ve been hearing everything you’ve been saying, you know?”
Zenos stood up from his chair in the treatment room, looking exasperated. Since his patients had calmed down, he moved to the dining table in the back.
“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here. And another thing, you guys are having lunch here like it’s the most natural thing in the world.”
The demi-humans looked slightly apologetic.
“The three of us talked, and we’ve actually cut back a little. We don’t want to be too much of a bother to Sensei.”
“That’s right. We’d really like to come every day, but Ringa and the others are holding back to twice a week.”
“We do have to look after our subordinates to some extent, after all.”
Zenos sat down in the nearest seat.
“Well, as long as you don’t interfere with the treatments, it’s fine. Lily, if you have any tea left, could I have some?”
“Okay!”
Zenos took a sip of tea and picked up a piece of bread with jam.
“…This is actually pretty good.”
“Y-You shouldn’t say that even if you think so, Sensei. It’ll just go to their heads.”
“Y-Yes! Ringa is happy.”
“It’s our victory. …I’m filled with emotion.”
“Kukuku… A war of attrition with no victor.”
Ringa’s beast ears twitched rapidly, and Reve pressed a hand to the corner of her eyes. Wait, is she crying?
Zofia suddenly said, as if remembering something.
“Oh yeah, the other day, those guys who exiled Sensei came to see me. They’re really stupid to have exiled Sensei.”
“Ah, Aston.”
He had thought he would never see them again, so the reunion was a bit surprising.
“He came to Ringa’s place too. He certainly had a stupid look on his face.”
“That garbage party also came waltzing over to my place.”
After their harsh words, Zofia spoke with a slightly more serious expression.
“That Aston guy. He had a bad vibe, so I had my subordinates follow his movements, but we haven’t been able to find him since.”
“Same with Ringa. Even a Werewolf’s nose can’t track him.”
“He hasn’t been caught in the Orc’s net either.”
“Maybe he just went back to his district…?”
Lily suggested, and the demi-humans exchanged glances.
“I wish that were the case…”
“If he’s gone deeper, it’ll be troublesome.”
“Yeah. There are depths in the slums that even we demi-humans don’t enter.”
“The depths… of the slums?”
Lily tilted her head, and Camilla in the back said.
“They’re talking about the Underground Guild.”