Chapter 167 Sveiz Team
The quest requested by the head maid of Reskuvan was a bit out of the ordinary.
But turning down the expectations of our fans wouldn't make us heroes, now would it?
Accepting it was the only choice.
Captain Shidou furrowed his brows, but he respected my decision.
"Don't let your guard down," he warned, driving the point home, yet he understood my need to go.
And then, on that day...
I was supposed to show up at the team that originally requested me, but here's the twist...
"Hey, so, Reginleif Team's Hiiro Merifar has come to visit. Team Sveiz, let's welcome him with some warm applause!"
"Clap, clap, clap! Good to have you, rival! We welcome you!"
"......"
"......Oh, thanks."
What's with this atmosphere?
The air in the meeting room is like a chaotic mess.
Captain Hailey's vibe is off, like she's a bit too edgy or something.
She seems to be holding back.
Friese's welcoming gaze is so intense it's almost painful.
What the hell is going on here?
I wanted to brush it off, but it's sad that I couldn't completely ignore it.
""......""
"Huh? Why aren't Shannon and Nanaiza clapping? Everything okay?"
Because the pressure from the other 2, besides Captain Hailey and Friese, is just terrifying.
The lack of a welcoming vibe is palpable.
Surprisingly, the other 2 members of Team Sveiz are both beauties.
Though their visuals are so good it's kinda scary.
"...You tell me to welcome him?"
The first one to speak up was the one called Shannon.
Her dark brown twin tails are looped into buns on either side, and her white floral hair accessories add a unique touch, but it's her vivid purple, piercing eyes that really stand out.
They're those so-called 'piercing eyes.'
If she slices into you with that hostility, you can't help but feel a chill down your spine.
"Pushover, you came all this way, but... don't you get it at all? If you're gonna talk in your sleep, you should just sleep!"
"Um, Shannon-Shannon? Your face is super scary right now. You're ruining your cute face! Smile more, smile! And about this 'Pushover' thing... I think it's time you corrected that, especially since I'm the captain, after all..."
"Huh? What smile? I can't smile at all, can I? Captain? Huh? I can't see myself changing the 'Pushover' nickname for at least another thousand years! If anything, I'm more determined now──"
"Uhm, uhm, uuuuu..."
(Uwah, this egghead...)
(Oh ho, this short-sighted girl. Hehehe)
And then there's this tongue-lashing that even Ruthless would envy.
The formal tone just adds to the cutting edge.
"And why is it a guy, anyway?! I'm not kidding, my team is men-free, okay!"
"That's not fair!"
"Pushover, I wish you'd just be quiet!"
"What?! Then what about me?!"
"I want you to cut out that nonsense about turning into a man or skipping out on the knightly duties, got it, Grumpy?!"
Shannon's objection at captain and Friese (Grumpy) blazed like wildfire.
The force in her small stature was nothing like Friese's.
Reasons aside, it seems she's got a serious case of misandry.
The instant we met, she made her hostility crystal clear. That must've been it.
I can't say I understand, but I'll let it slide.
"Ah, I thought Shannon-Shannon might say that. But we've already accepted the quest, and Hiiro's participation was the client's wish, too."
"Then you should've just thrown the whole Reginleif into the pawn shop, Grumpy! I bet you don't care about this knight stuff at all, anyway!"
"??"
"Look!"
"Even if Fri-Fri doesn't care, Fri-Fri's house does. There's a matter of pride. Besides, knights can't just pick and choose their duties... right, 'we should know better'?"
"...Gugh..."
What's that supposed to mean, 'we should know better'?
Such doubts might be uncalled for, but the falter in Shannon's momentum was a chance I couldn't pass up.
Without a moment's hesitation, I joined in with covering fire for Captain Hailey.
"That's how it is. I ain't backing down just 'cause I got a fancy title, no siree. I'm not about to let a scratch mar the medal I just earned!"
"Hah! What medal, you ugly man? Spouting such nonsense, you're just a bellyacher who'd rather be a househusband! I can see right through your filthy male thoughts!"
"Wha──?! That's not what I──!"
"Wahh, j-just don't come near me, please! Touch me with even a finger, and I'll run straight to report sexual harassment, got it?!"
What's with that overly modern comeback?
But despite my roar, there was a hint of fear in Shannon's eyes that dared to challenge me, and it seemed she'd had enough.
Hmm, this won't do.
I need to switch things up here.
For now, I turned my attention from the formidable Shannon to another team member who had kept silent until now.
"Oi, you over there in the corner. I'm guessing you've noticed I'm not exactly welcome. You got something against men too?"
"........."
"Just shooting's boring. If you've got a gripe, might as well say it. I'm all ears, come on."
"........."
"......Ah?"
"Um, well, Hiiro... you see, Nana-Nana is really shy... and she's not very good with words, doesn't like to chat much..."
"........."
It seems I've got another tough nut to crack here.
Nanaiza.
Despite her sparse responses, she was a woman with a rich personality.
Her skin, a tan that hinted at foreign roots.
Long hair with a dark orange tint, based in black.
Her eyes, framed by long lower lashes, were a deep sea blue.
The way she covered her mouth with a black cloth like a ninja only added to Nanaiza's reticence.
If Shannon was a yapping Chihuahua with its fur on end, then Nanaiza was more like a silent, predatory Great Dane.
Yet the aura she exuded was even more intimidating than Shannon's, and her shyness couldn't be summed up in a single word.
"......"
She sat there, still as a statue, our eyes locked in a silent staring contest.
Eventually, maybe realizing the field wasn't going to clear itself, Nanaiza slithered to her feet and sauntered over to me.
"..."
"Hm."
Big.
I hadn't noticed when she was seated, but Nanaiza stood a bit taller than me, towering over the average woman.
Looking down from her graceful, slender frame, she exuded an extra dose of intimidation.
"...Whatever."
"Huh?"
"...Do what you like."
"...You mean it?"
"...Yeah."
"Hey, hold up there, Whistle! You can't just go saying 'do what you like' to a guy! What if he misunderstands and comes at you?!"
"──Attack? Who're you calling a brute, huh?!"
"There's no one with brute-like hair except you, pervert! And I mean that in more ways than one! Case closed!"
"This... this cheeky Shannon!"
I guess 'Brute' is my new nickname now.
But still, histle.
Wasn't Friese 'Grumpy' and Hailey 'Pushover'?
Such a useless rich vocabulary.
But that's beside the point.
What matters now is confirming Nanaiza's intentions.
"Click. So, it's cool if I join in, right?"
"...Nana... not against it..."
"Ha. You're not going to say it, are you?"
In the dark, 'Sorry for the trouble' is what it meant, I suppose.
I never had any expectations.
When I glared back, telling her to back off, she just shifted her gaze, like she'd already lost interest.
"Ugh, I hope this quest goes well... Uh, my stomach..."
"Pardon me, my rival, but behold my true strength!"
"Ah, it's the worst... Being on a mission with a pervert is a nightmare, seriously..."
"......"
Hailey, captain of the queasy stomach.
Friese, the one who brought the welcoming vibe.
Shannon, the resolute refuser, and Nanaiza, the indifferent one.
The Sveiz team put on quite the show with their fragmented reactions.
And so, with our future looking as rocky as ever, a gloomy cloud hung over our joint mission.
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