Smack!
A crisp sound rang out.
He hurled the dry towel into Loki's still-chattering face, completely blocking both her vision and her voice.
"Mmph, mmph!"
With the towel plastered over her face, Loki let out a few muffled cries, her hands flailing in the air as she tried to pull it off.
The world was finally quiet.
Haimo paid the goofball no further attention.
He shifted his gaze from Loki, who was still wrestling with the towel, back to Ais, his tone becoming the same one he usually used when teaching the children of his own Familia.
"What you did just now was out of kindness, and I appreciate it."
"But it would be better to avoid doing that in the future."
"Physical contact at such close quarters often sends signals that go beyond ordinary boundaries."
"Being too gentle can cause unnecessary misunderstandings."
Haimo finished speaking.
Hearing the god's words, Ais froze for a moment.
She blinked her golden eyes, seemingly trying hard to digest what Haimo meant.
"Misunderstandings?"
She first repeated the word softly.
Then, looking into Haimo's deep, calm black eyes, she gave a thoughtful little nod, clasped her hands in front of her, and obediently stepped back twice, returning to her corner.
As for whether...
This airheaded [Sword Princess] had truly understood those words, there was no way to know.
"Pah, pah, pah!"
Meanwhile, Loki finally pulled the towel off her face.
"Haimo, you actually threw a towel you'd wiped your sweat with at me!"
Loki gritted her teeth.
"Keep working those bellows. Don't mess up."
Haimo simply turned back and picked up the heavy hammer from the black iron workbench again, ignoring Loki's complaints entirely.
That single sentence hit Loki right where it hurt.
Loki's voice cut off at once, and she could only obediently