Tantris

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to change?"

Hilde looked puzzled. "Is there something on me?"

"Ah... No, it's nothing. I was just thinking your injury healed really quickly," Isolte hurriedly said.

"Maybe my constitution is a little special."

Hilde did not really understand it either. Roxy had examined her constitution before, and looking at the whole world, a body like hers, born with monstrous strength, did not seem to be unique, but there were no examples worth using as reference either.

The two of them came out of the changing room together.

They were just about to leave the dojo when a figure suddenly blocked their path.

To be precise, he blocked Isolte's path.

"Pardon the interruption, Miss Isolte."

The freckled young man stepped forward with a smile and bowed politely to Isolte.

"May I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"

"...I'm very sorry, Young Master Grot."

After a brief hesitation, Isolte still shook her head and refused.

"I already have plans with Hilde."

"What?" Grot turned to look at Hilde.

"We're planning to go to a nearby shop for something to eat and talk about some girl things while we're at it."

As Isolte spoke, she naturally linked her arm through Hilde's.

The corner of Hilde's mouth twitched slightly.

Is this girl always this overly familiar?

"...I see. Then it seems I was being presumptuous. Please allow me to invite you another day." Grot kept smiling.

"Mm, definitely next time."

Isolte said it casually, then left the dojo with her arm linked through Hilde's.

Only after they had walked some distance from the dojo did Hilde speak.

"I don't remember us ever making that kind of plan. You just didn't want to go eat with him, right?"

"Ahaha, you caught me."

Isolte scratched her head somewhat awkwardly.

Then she could not help sighing.

"That Grot is the son of a count. This isn't the first time he's invited me like that. But no matter how many times I refuse, he has no intention of giving up at all. I really didn't have any other way..."

"Even if you use me as a shield, it won't help. You can dodge today, but not forever. As long as he isn't rejected thoroughly, he won't give up. That's how men are," Hilde said casually.

"Ugh, anyway, putting it off for one more day is one more day. Maybe someday he'll lose interest in me? And honestly, I don't even know why he's so interested in me in the first place..."

"Because Isolte is very cute."

"Huh?"

Isolte's steps faltered slightly.

She looked at Hilde with her mouth open, her pretty face faintly red.

"What is it?" Hilde was getting a little fed up with Isolte's jumpiness.

"N-nothing... Haha..."

Isolte quickly caught up with Hilde and dragged her toward the dessert shop.

When they reached the entrance, Hilde suddenly felt that the surroundings looked somewhat familiar.

"This is..."

"It's the dessert shop from when we first met. I actually come here often too, and my brother really likes the desserts here as well."

"So it was this place."

"Come on. My treat today, as thanks for helping me deal with those people."

"Okay..."

Seeing that Hilde did not refuse, Isolte pulled her into the shop, found a place to sit, and skillfully ordered some of her favorite desserts.

After she finished ordering, she handed the menu to Hilde.

"Hilde, see what you'd like to eat... Hilde?"

"Mm?"

Hilde came back to herself.

She glanced at the messy, flashy desserts on the menu and waved her hand.

"I don't really know much about this stuff. I'll just have whatever you recommend."

"In that case, let's go with these."

Isolte handed the menu to the waiter.

Seeing Hilde looking a little distracted, she could not help asking, "Hilde, is something on your mind?"

"Nothing."

Hilde was just thinking about finding a part-time job.

It was evening, and there were quite a few customers in the dessert shop. The staff were all very busy.

If she worked here...

"Your desserts are ready. Please enjoy."

The waiter gently set the plated dessert in front of Hilde, then turned and left.

To be honest, Hilde had no real interest in desserts.

Eating too much of this kind of thing was not good for the body either.

But...

Seeing the hopeful look on Isolte's face, Hilde still picked up her fork and began eating in small bites.

It looked like she would not get a chance today. She would bring it up another day.

In any case, she still had living expenses left...

The next day, Hilde got up early as usual.

But when she arrived at the dojo, she found that the sounds of swords being swung were already coming from inside.

Clearly, she was not the first one to reach the dojo today.

Seriously...?

She had come even earlier than yesterday today.

Could Isolte be competing with her or something?

But Hilde soon noticed something odd. Compared with yesterday, the sound of the sword swings was full of discord and a sense of obstruction.

The two of them had trained together all day yesterday, and she was extremely familiar with the sound of Isolte swinging a sword. There was no way she could mistake it.

So this person definitely was not Isolte.

Hilde hesitated for a moment, then immediately walked toward the direction the sword-swinging sounds were coming from.

After passing the corner of the dojo's outer wall, the figure of a boy focused intently on swinging his sword in training soon came into view. His appearance was also very familiar to Hilde.

"Tantris?"

"...?"

Hearing Hilde's involuntary voice, Tantris, who had been swinging his sword, stopped moving and turned his head to look over. Only then did he notice Hilde's presence.

"So it's you, Hilde. You're here this early?"

"That's my line."

Hilde turned her head to look at the sky, then looked at the sweat on Tantris's body, unable to hide the surprise in her heart.

"When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago."

"Do you come this early every day?"

"Yeah."

Tantris wiped off his sweat, acting very calm.

Clearly, to him, this was nothing more than part of his daily routine.

"I'm going to keep practicing for a while. What about you?"

"I... I was just about to start."

"I see. Don't forget to rest. Balancing work and rest is important too."

"..."

Hilde had nothing to say.

After leaving Tantris, she still found it unbelievable. No wonder she saw Tantris arrive so early every morning, yet never saw him train.

So it turned out he had been arriving more than an hour earlier than her.

He had already finished his morning training before she arrived and had started cleaning.

He really was far too diligent.

That said...

Hilde had crossed blades with Tantris before.

His swordsmanship, to be honest, was a little unworthy of such diligence.

For some reason, Hilde thought of what Leda the Water God had said that day.

Those without talent who blindly worked hard were pitiful.

Those with talent who did not know how to work hard were shameful.

Tantris was the former, someone who had no talent yet still persisted in working hard. The sight of him striving like that did not make one want to laugh at him; it only felt pitiful. No matter how hard he worked, he could never stand shoulder to shoulder with those who had talent. That was the limitation of ordinary people.

Paul, however, was the latter.

He clearly had talent, and clearly could have reached a realm that those without talent could never attain in their entire lives with just a little effort, yet he became complacent over petty achievements.

In the end, he had squandered his talent for nothing and faded into the crowd.

Hilde would not become that kind of person.

Speaking of which...

She wondered whether things were going smoothly on Rudeus's side.

Although he was a reincarnator like her, it was still his first time leaving home, and he had to live alone in an unfamiliar environment.

When she had time, she would write him a letter...