“What are you reading?”

“Whoa!”

On the eighth day since his arrival.
On a rainy morning, at the veranda.

As someone casually peered over his shoulder from behind, Ziel nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Wha… how did you hide your presence?”
“I just wanted to scare you. It’s rare to see you reading…”

Those words were spoken with a hint of trepidation.

Because Ziel had carelessly forgotten to hide the book’s title, leaving it completely exposed in front of Chikano.

“Why You Can’t Make Friends ~The Seven Factors That Create Loneliness~”

The title was as blunt and explicit as could be.

“……Want to talk about it?”
“No, that’s not it! Don’t worry about me! This was a gift from a friend…!”
“…Wait, your friend gave you a book about making friends? Are you sure you’re not the only one who thinks they’re your friend?”

Damn, this is such a hassle. I should have just read it in my room… Ziel thought as he tried to push back against Chikano’s teasing with a stubborn “It doesn’t matter.”
Chikano, however, quickly relented with an “I guess it really doesn’t matter…” but left behind a lingering trace of sadness, accompanied by, “Sorry for prying.”

“I’ll be out of the estate all day today, from morning till night, since I’m on duty. Just wanted to let you know.”
“Ah, got it. But are you sure you’ll be okay? I could take over in the afternoon if needed.”
“Nah, I’m good. I appreciate the thought, though. Only my father and I can do the watchtower job. We’re the only ones with a shooting range that extends beyond the town’s borders.”

Ziel conceded with a nod.
It made sense.

He didn’t think he was any weaker than Chikano in terms of combat ability—
In fact, after several sparring matches since arriving here, he was certain he had surpassed her.

But that didn’t mean he could take on the same role as her.

Aside from swordsmanship, he had only trained in hand-to-hand combat.
So he couldn’t patrol the entire town like she did, nor could he strike first from a distance if necessary.

“So, Saminato will be staying at the estate all day?”
“No. It’s raining today, right? That’s why my dad is out patrolling as well, just in case.”
“Ah, because of the reduced visibility…”

Ziel briefly shifted his gaze from Chikano to the garden.

Normally, it was a serene space composed of calm greenery and silent stones.
But now, heavy rain pounded down like a sudden summer shower.

White mist-like splashes rose from the gravel.
With this kind of downpour, even if Chikano and Saminato stood watch, they’d likely miss smaller magical beasts.

“That’s rough.”
“Right? This year, the mountain flowers haven’t even bloomed yet, and it feels like the rainy season arrived before spring did. My hair won’t stay in place, and my skin’s all sticky… Ah, anyway, I’m leaving Icca behind, so if anything comes up, ask him.”
“Got it. Take care.”

With a casual slap on his shoulder, Chikano walked off.

For a while after, Ziel closed his book and simply watched the rain.

Even if the mountain flowers had bloomed, they’d be pelted down to the ground by now… The rain was that heavy.

It was now the ninth day since his arrival.
And still, nothing had changed.

Magical beasts occasionally appeared, and the dojo members took care of them. None bore the marks of the Apocryphal Beasts.
Meanwhile, Ziel awkwardly taught Klaha the sword, sparred with Chikano on occasion to refine his senses, and… that was it.

No major problems, but no major progress either.
Time simply passed, aimlessly.

“…This is making me a little impatient.”

Muttering to himself, Ziel suddenly shut his mouth and turned around.

This time, he knew.
Unlike Chikano, the person emerging from the nearby room wasn’t trying to conceal their presence.

“Good morning, Ziel-san.”
“Morning. Shall we head to the training hall? Oh, if you have anything to do first, we can go later.”
“No, I’m ready. Thank you for today as well.”

Every morning, she bowed deeply like this.
So Ziel responded in kind, nodding and bowing back.

The two of them walked down the hallway in silence.

Completely unaware of what this day had in store for them.

“Oh, no one’s here.”
“Seems like it. Um… is there a specific time we’re not supposed to use the hall?”

Ziel walked past Klaha, who had hesitated, and stepped into the training hall.
“The dojo’s training hall is separate from the main estate, connected only by a corridor.
It’s an entire building dedicated to training. Even with two hundred tatami mats, it wouldn’t be enough to fill the space.”

Though they had visited this place multiple times in the past few days, today, for some reason, not a single disciple was there.

Raindrops trickled down the large windows.
The sound of the rain drumming against the roof echoed inside the room.

“Maybe more people are patrolling today because of the rain.”
“Oh… Right. Reduced visibility means slower response times… Um, speaking of which—”
“Hmm?”
“Should I be helping? I mean, not that I think you should be out there, Ziel-san, but I feel like I’m just idling here when I could be doing something.”

Ziel hummed, then said,
“Chikano and Saminato probably don’t mind… But yeah, I get it. It must feel awkward for you.”
“Oh, no, I’m really fine…”

No, you’re not, he thought.
After another pause, he murmured,

“…Actually, Klaha, you’re probably better at teamwork than I am. I’ll ask Chikano about it. Getting more experience in real fights would help you too, and they could use an extra hand.”
“R-Really? Sorry for the trouble…! But if it’s okay, I could just ask Chikano-san directly—”

Bang.

Before she could finish, the door slid open.

Both Ziel and Klaha turned at the same time—at the entrance, a boy stood there.

“Ziiiieel-seeeeempaaai!”

With a thunderous sprint, he charged forward.

Klaha gasped in surprise, but Ziel remained calm.

He watched the boy—Icca—dash toward him, saw him leap dramatically into the air, and—

“Hraaah!!”
“You’re full of energy, huh?”

Ziel casually caught the flying kick and effortlessly tossed Icca aside.

Klaha let out a startled yelp, but Icca simply flipped midair, spun a few times, and landed gracefully.

Then, he ran right back to Ziel and said,
“Hey! I’m the only one left behind today! Isn’t that unfair?! I’m supposed to be the third strongest here after Saminato-sensei and Chikano-senpai!”
“That’s just how it is.”

Ziel chuckled as Icca pouted, and with an almost reluctant sigh, he muttered:

“Now that’s some incredible persuasiveness.”