“Not you, Glis! But it’s all right!”
“You’re just too adorable, Rani!”
“And so are you!”
“Ha ha, you two do make a charming pair…”
“Absolutely. If I could, I’d revert to my regular form just to embrace the pint-sized Rani.”
“Ah, same here! I wish my taller self could hug a mini Glis!”
“Guess whoever reverts first earns that privilege.”
“No hard feelings either way, agreed?”
There was still no indication of either of them returning to their standard forms. Inglis might need to give it more serious thought. But for the moment—
“Apologies for the hold-up, Miss Eris.”
“Feel free to join in for a group hug!”
They were keen to let Eris embrace them, hoping it would lift her spirits.
“You both…so endearing.”
Eris grinned as she wrapped her arms around both Inglis and Rafinha. It was comforting to see her so content.
“…I can’t stay this way forever, so I’m considering a trip to the royal capital tomorrow. My body has fully recovered as well.”
“Miss Eris, are you planning to go to Highland via the Special Envoy to get yourself fixed?”
“Yes, the Duke of War arranged it himself, so I intend to accept his offer.”
“Highland… i-is it safe to go there, Glis?”
“At the very least, I trust that Lord Jill had sincere intentions when he made the offer. He probably thinks facing me would be pointless if my weapon isn’t at full strength by the time we have a rematch. He’s that sort of person.”
“…he’s truly your male counterpart. You two are eerily compatible.”
“It took them less than 10 seconds after Mr. Jill showed up to initiate a duel…”
“Though it may sound inappropriate to say in your presence, Miss Eris, I genuinely enjoyed every moment of that match! There were no lives hanging in the balance as in the battle of Prisma, so I could savor every second. I’m excited for round two!”
Inglis’ eyes sparkled as she recalled the fight. It was an evenly matched battle, making it impossible to predict the winner. It was exactly these types of confrontations that spurred her personal growth.
Moreover, like Inglis, Jeldegrīva, the Duke of War, wasn’t driven by any particular ideal or cause for his power. He simply relished the pursuit of strength for its own sake.
To excel at something, one must first enjoy doing it.
“Don’t even think about two-timing, Glis! I don’t care how prestigious Mr. Jill is; the only man I approve of for you is big brother Rafa! Make sure you defeat him next time!”
Rafinha issued the warning to Inglis as if she were cautioning a mischievous pet.
“N-no, romance isn’t on my agenda. It holds no appeal for me.”
While Jeldegrīva had compelling arguments about creating strong successors, Inglis was steadfast in her original feelings.
“On a geopolitical scale, though, a union between you two could be seismic. It would potentially alleviate Highland’s control over the Midlands. Plus, any child of yours could likely wield a Hyrule Menace.”
“…N-, NO WAY!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!”
Rafinha gestured a resolute ‘X’ with her arms, her face scrunched in an adorable pout.
“Ha ha ha… Ultimately, personal feelings should take precedence in matters like this.”
“Rest assured, Rani. Next time, victory will be mine!”
“Give it your all, but lose to big brother Rafa, okay?”
“When I fight, I fight to win!”
Inglis reaffirmed her determination.
“…I suppose I should aim to be in peak condition and even stronger than I am now. I wouldn’t want you to lose due to my inadequacies. I wonder if training this body would also enhance my weapon form…”
“I’m curious about that too. Do you think Special Envoy Theodore might have some insights?”
“It’s a possibility. At this point, I want to find answers back in Highland.”
“I’ll go with you to the capital. It would be risky for something to happen to you along the way, Miss Eris. Plus, I’d like to consult Special Envoy Theodore and Principal Miliera about our current forms.”
“Is that the case? Very well, please accompany me.”
“Is this alright with you, Rani?”
“Yeah, we’ve rested long enough, and I want to see our friends’ faces too.”
Inglis fulfilled her promise to Ada by completing the modification of Alina’s Artifact, leaving her with no pending tasks at home.
Just as Rafinha nodded in agreement with Inglis’ suggestion, a voice rang out from the entrance of the training ground.
“Lady Rafinha! Lady Inglis!”
It was Ada. When Inglis looked over, she noticed Alina standing next to her, likely ready for her training session.
“Miss Ada, what brings you here?”
“Ada, is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. You’ve received a delivery.”
“A delivery?”
Inglis and Rafinha exchanged puzzled glances. Then Alina stepped forward, offering them something.
“Here it is, big sis Rani, big sis Glis. You’ve got mail from a friend!”
The name elegantly written on the back of the letterhead was Leone’s.
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