After finishing my discussion with Alto about the rewards, we left the reception room.

When I asked one of the servants where Flare and the others had gone, they told me they were in the training room. They were supposed to be teaching Lycia about puppets, but maybe they were doing some demonstrations of their abilities instead.

Curious, I opened the door to the training room, only to be greeted by a shocking scene.

A flash of swords crossed before us, their shimmering arcs cutting through the air. The clash of a crimson blade against a golden one filled the room with sharp, resonant echoes.

“Ugh, such heavy strikes...!”

“I’m honored by the compliment. However, it seems I’m slightly behind when it comes to speed. Your skill is truly remarkable.”

The two locked in combat were none other than Flare and Lene.

What are they doing?

“Didn’t you say you were going to take it easy?”

Beside me, Alto placed a hand over his face and let out a deep sigh.

Yeah, no kidding. What on earth is going on? Why is that hero brimming with energy?

Just as I watched in exasperation, a blue-haired girl joined the fray.

“It’s my turn next.”

“Understood. Here I come!”

Switching her focus from Flare to Tetra, Lene kicked off the ground and closed the distance between them. Tetra, as calm as ever, whispered softly.

“Azure Shield: Aegis.”

A faint blue shield appeared before Tetra. Yet Lene showed no signs of stopping, swinging her sword directly into it.

The deafening crash that followed seemed almost enough to rupture my eardrums. Looking closely, I saw the azure shield had successfully blocked Lene’s powerful strike.

But—

“This isn’t over.”

“What!?”

—Lene wasn’t finished.

With her sword still lodged against the azure shield, she planted her feet firmly on the floor, adopting a stance as rooted and unyielding as a great tree.

For a moment, a fragile equilibrium hung in the air, broken only by Lene’s sudden roar.

“Haah!”

“Hmm.”

Lene began to push the azure shield back, inch by inch. It seemed like she was exploiting the very same flaw in Tetra’s shield that had been exposed during the Hydra battle.

At this rate, Tetra was going to be overwhelmed.

If it were me in Tetra’s position, there’s only one solution I could think of.

“Release.”

The same thought must’ve crossed Tetra’s mind. The azure shield vanished in an instant, causing Lene’s sword to swing through thin air and leaving her momentarily off balance—a perfect opportunity for Tetra to counterattack.

“Not so fast.”

But, as expected of a hero, Lene wasn’t easily caught off guard. She abandoned her sword mid-swing, leveraging her newfound freedom of movement to stabilize her stance and prepared to counter Tetra’s advance with her bare hands.

Tetra, unable to change her plan now, braced herself. Both readied their fists to clash—until I shouted.

“Stop! Both of you, stop right now!”

Their movements froze simultaneously, my words thankfully reaching them in time.

I felt a pang of guilt for interrupting their mock battle, but it seemed they understood. If they had continued, both would’ve ended up hitting each other. While sparring lightly is one thing, there’s no way I could allow Tetra to land a heavy blow on someone recovering from an illness.

They relaxed their stances. Lene picked up her dropped sword, and Flare, who had been waiting for her turn, sheathed her own weapon.

“Thank you, Ike, for stopping the mock battle.”

“No, if anything, I should apologize for involving Lene in the sparring session.”

“No need. I’m sure it was Lene who insisted on joining.”

“...So you figured it out.”

Hearing Alto’s words, Lene murmured softly. It seems his guess was spot on.

Meanwhile, I noticed someone missing. Where were Iris and Lycia?

Looking around, I spotted them chatting cheerfully in a corner of the room. Their blonde hair and blue eyes made them look almost like sisters.

I walked over to the pair, who stopped their conversation and turned toward me.

“What were you two talking about, Lycia, Iris?”

At my question, the two exchanged a glance before smiling mischievously.

“Heehee, it’s a secret, Master.”

“Yeah, a big secret!”

“...Huh? Well, okay then.”

I wasn’t sure why they’d want to keep it from me, but the fact that they were getting along so well was reassuring.

After finishing my business at the Grace estate, I planned to head to the guild to report the Hydra’s defeat. Flare and Tetra, however, wanted to stay longer to learn more about close combat techniques. Lene agreed, on the condition that they wouldn’t overdo it and would stop if she felt tired.

This left just Lycia and me to leave the estate.

As we walked down the path into town, the silence between us was broken by Lycia’s soft, teasing voice.

“At last, we’re alone together, Master.”

“Lycia!?”

Without warning, she clung to my left arm, pressing her soft chest against it. A sly smile danced on her lips.

“Heehee, I’ve been waiting for this moment. We’re always with Flare and Tetra, after all.”

“Well, yeah, I suppose we are.”

It’s true that the four of us often traveled together, so moments like this were rare. Maybe she’d been feeling a bit lonely.

“I’m glad you understand, Master. Now, let’s go on a date!”

“A date? Lycia, I told you we’re heading to the guild.”

“I know, but surely there’s time to stop for a little shopping along the way.”

“...Well, I guess so.”

She wasn’t wrong. There was no need to rush straight to the guild. A leisurely stroll sounded nice.

And so, our walk—or as Lycia called it, our "date"—began.