SWNOVELXO Chapter 109
109. After The Defeat
“Hahahaha!! Too bad! There’s no way your participation would be approved!!”
About 30 minutes after the battle ended. As we sat at the guild’s table, Gerda mocked us.
“…Hey, why do we have to be laughed at by this guy? It’s not like we lost to him, right? This is so frustrating… Arx, are you listening?”
Raize, standing beside me, elbowed me in the side, bringing me back to my senses.
Oops. I was spacing out. The reason, of course, was Laura.
The strongest swordsman of the attack squad. Actually facing her, I could feel her unimaginable skill.
Laura’s strength was above any opponent I’ve fought so far. “Out of my league” might be the right term.
Not only her swordsmanship, but also her physical skills surpassed mine. After actually fighting her, I realized I couldn’t land a single blow on her.
…So this is the world of the attack squad. With my current ability, there’s no way I can compete.
“You get it now, don’t you? Never speak so arrogantly again!”
After spewing out his insults, Gerda seemed satisfied and walked away from us.
“What the heck! I’m so mad, I’m gonna go give him a piece of my mind!”
“Calm down, nothing you say to him will change anything.”
“Why are you so calm? I thought you’d be upset about not getting into the attack squad.”
It’s not that I’m not upset. I just realized that with my current ability, I can’t join the attack squad.
There are still many strong people in this world. –I have to become stronger.
“Hey there, onii-san!”
As I was looking down, disheartened, I heard a voice. It was Laura’s sister, Fran.
“How’s your injury? It must hurt, right?”
Fran looked at my arm with concern. I shook my head.
“It’s okay, the parts that were damaged have mostly been healed by the healing slime. Both Raize and I are fine.”
“I see, that’s good… Onii-san, you’re amazing!”
Fran smiled innocently. Just talking to Gerda, her kindness felt like a breath of fresh air.
“My sister always goes overboard when she fights… Sorry for the pain.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Fran. Besides, Laura was just testing us.”
“…But, it’s rare for my sister to conduct an entry test herself! I think she must have been interested in you guys.”
Is that so? Laura always had a blank expression, so I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“By the way, isn’t Laura with you?”
“My sister went home first. She’s staying somewhere else. So…”
Fran’s smile deepened as she continued.
“Onii-san, would you like to come to our place now?”
We fell silent at her sudden suggestion.
Looking sideways, I saw Raize giving me a cold stare.
“What did you do to this girl…?”
“Wait a minute! I didn’t do anything! It’s a misunderstanding!!”
Raize clenched her fists, ready to jump at me. I waved my hands frantically to deny it.
“No, no! As I said, my sister and I are staying in different places today. The place where I’m staying serves meals, so I thought we could have dinner together as an apology for my sister hurting you. Of course, your lady friend is invited too!”
I breathed a sigh of relief. So that’s what it was.
In short, Laura wanted to apologize for hurting us. Even though she didn’t do anything wrong, she’s such a sincere kid.
“If that’s the case, of course. Raize, you’re coming too, right?”
“I’ll go. I don’t know what you’ll do if I leave you alone. Especially with a young girl like this.”
Isn’t the misunderstanding still unresolved!? For some reason, Raize was still glaring at me resentfully.
…I feel heavy. But since Fran kindly invited us, we couldn’t just refuse.
I followed Fran, with Raize, who looked like a hunting dog, glaring at me all the way.
＊
“We’re here! This is the place!”
The place Fran brought us to was an apartment. It wasn’t far from the guild, just a regular apartment.
It looked similar to the building where I was staying. The person Fran knew must be someone who lives in this town.
Still… what kind of person does Fran know? Could it be someone like Laura…?
What if I open the door and find a tough-looking guy like a minotaur inside? I swallowed nervously.
“Fran! Over here!”
At that moment, a voice came from the second floor of the apartment. Someone calling Fran’s name. Whether it was a normal person or a minotaur–my heart was pounding.
“Wait, huh? Ar-kun?”
Wait, this voice–it’s a woman’s voice. And this way of calling me–could it be–
I looked up and was surprised. The person waving at us from the second floor.
It was none other than Sierra-san, dressed in casual clothes.
“Sierra-san!? So Fran’s acquaintance is…”
“Hmm? Sierra-oneesan and onii-san know each other?”
Fran looked at me and Sierra-san alternately. At that moment, Raize gasped.
“…That’s right, I remember now.”
“What’s wrong, Raize?”
“I knew the name of the strongest member of the attack squad, Laura. But I couldn’t recall her family name. But now I get it.”
Raize took a deep breath and declared.
“Laura’s full name is Laura Hunsten. It’s the same as Sierra-san.”
And what this situation means is–
These three are family, aren’t they!?