So You're the One Who Led the Japanese Here? () / Utterly Melancholy and Twelve Times More Stubborn

"Indeed, you looked pretty miserable..."

Looking at the puppet quietly watching him, Gwen seemed to see once more the young lady who had barely survived Otto's family-tree match-three game. However, he slowly shook his head.

"But in a sense, compared to the last time we met, you're even more remarkable now—

At the very least, the young lady who dragged Rita and me around wasting time at the Australia Branch back then couldn't have stayed rational among the Thousand-Man Herrschers."

"..."

Merlin fell silent for a moment, seemingly trying to "see" the expression on Gwen's face.

Only after a long while did she slowly speak, her voice carrying a trace of mockery.

"Then should I say I'm deeply honored?

After all, being praised by the famous S-class is something worth celebrating for me too."

"That doesn't sound like you, Merlin."

Gwen shook his head and looked at the puppet radiating a dispirited air.

"Or is this who you really are beneath that young-lady exterior?

That's quite an unexpected character setting."

"Ahem... Think whatever you want..."

Merlin instinctively wanted to retort, but the weakness flooding her body made her abandon the thought. She spoke with a hint of self-abandonment, and even the front she had painstakingly put up began to sag.

"Sigh..."

Seeing this, Gwen sighed as well before saying,

"If you don't mind, tell me about what you've been through...

You've probably heard some rumors too. You could say Fire Moth is packed with Herrschers."

...One more wouldn't make much difference.

"..."

With a carefully sought path to survival appearing before her, Merlin could not help but feel a surge of wild joy.

Then, the former young lady worked hard to steady herself. Her posture became a little more proper, and she even had the mood to crack a joke.