Chapter 222: How to Correctly Pet Amy

Chapter 222: How to Correctly Pet Amy

Hah Whew

Garm, clad in heavy armor since early morning, was the first to complete ten laps around Sentreas perimeter. Others, who had fallen behind unnoticed, were nowhere to be seen, with Tsutomu lagging over two whole laps behind.

Having finished his patrol and morning jog, Garm walked slowly, pushing aside his sweat-drenched hair. Within him, amidst the fatigue-induced detachment, stirred thoughts of Xeno, who had been a thorn in his side until the end.

[This isnt good.]

Normally, Garms breath would not have been this ragged, but the desire to outpace Xeno, who had kept up until the eighth lap, had unsettled him. Hence the breathlessness, prompting Garm to furiously swat the ground with his tail.

Since the battle with the Winter General, Garm had come to see Xeno as an actual rival. Initially, he had not held Xeno in high regard, especially given the latters similarity to Amys idol-like status.

However, upon conversing with Xeno, as well as through Daryls interactions, Garm had glimpsed the effort behind his bravado and gradually gained respect for him as an indispensable member of the Clan.

Moreover, after witnessing Xenos prowess in the Winter General battle, a sense of urgency had gripped Garm. A pedigreed dog with good looks but lacking hunting skills was now being praised as an alpha Filled with such sentiments, Garm had found himself competing against Xeno in morning runs and Daryls training sessions.

As ashamed as Garm was to admit it, what had made him realize this was in fact the trivial disagreement between Xeno and Tsutomu from the other day. Looking back, even when he had addressed Tsutomus tense attitude in the past, he had likely done so to seek emotional help for himself. As such, what Weiss had said about him being like a pet dog was not entirely incorrect.

[I must become stronger.]

Seeing Amy, who had formed a <<Contract>> with the Sylph to enhance her Dual Wave Slash, Hannah, who had practicalized Magic Fist, and other Absolute Helix Clan members getting stronger in their own ways, Garm knew he could not afford to linger in jealousy of Xeno. Determined to keep pushing forward, Garm engraved this resolve in his heart as Xeno, having lost to Daryl in their morning race, approached.

Well, Sir Xeno, you owe me a cup! Having made a bet while running that the loser would buy juice, Daryl, without showing signs of exhaustion, cheerfully demanded Xeno to fulfill his promise.

I know, I know In contrast, Xeno, breathless, seemed to plead for leniency.

Seeing this, Garm approached with a scowl.

Really? You got outrun by Daryl?

Hahaha I thought Id tease his appetite a bit, you see And well, this is what I get.

Xeno, looking quite pitiful compared to the Winter General battle, elicited complex emotions from Garm. Xeno then hurried off to buy juice, while Daryl, wiping sweat, looked sympathetically at those isolated behind the Shield.

Its kind of scary, isnt it?

The enemys true identity is just a religious group. Once you know that, its not so scary.

But Sir Leon got seriously injured, and in the end, they got away!

Monsters have neither mercy nor faith, but religious groups are bound by them. There are likely ulterior motives behind this Stampede. Thats why there havent been human casualties yet. Its better than monsters rampaging around simply seeking Magic Stones.

Though the smell of trouble lingered, for Garm, who had dealt with criminal Clans, dealing with humans was actually easier. Behind Daryl, who looked up to Garm as he spoke, more and more Clan members arrived at the finish line.

Oh? Wheres Xeno? Leleia asked.

Hes gone to buy some drinks.

Ah, so he lost, then. After all that boasting, too How embarrassing.

As Leleia proceeded to chuckle smugly, Garm wore the same complex expression as before. Recently, Leleia seemed to have shed some of her aloofness, no longer maintaining her former formal demeanor. Something had changed after that talk she had in Tsutomus room, but it was a change for the better.

Perhaps due to occasionally speaking her mind, she now conversed freely with Amy, Korinna, Hannah, and Daryl. Although Hannah lamented the increase in victims due to Tsutomu, she still got along with them.

Ahh~~! Im beat!

But youve surely built up more stamina than before.

I sure have! Still not as good as you though, Sir Garm!

Hannah, being from a village where she ran around outside since childhood, had decent stamina for an Attacker. However, her Job as a Boxer had low base VIT, so without any modifiers, she would fall short as a Tank. Moreover, her role as an evasion-based Tank entailed a lot of physical exertion, often leading to stamina depletion.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

Despite this, Hannah looked up with a radiant smile. Though there was a stark difference in stature like between a child and an adult Garm had come to see Hannah as a commendable Tank after witnessing her performance in the Mount Golem battle.

[I only wish she was a little more composed]

To Garm, however, Hannah seemed to have started prioritizing her own interests lately, practicing Magic Fist more than anything else. Her role as an Evasion-based tank had yet to be firmly established, and there was plenty of room for improvement. Yet Hannah was adamant about mastering this new technique of hers.

While Garm gently pointed out this discrepancy, Hannah was stubborn. In the first place, she had switched from an Attacker to a Tank against all attempts at dissuasion by those around her. Tsutomu even referred to her as a runaway train, impulsive and unstoppable once she started running.

I dont mind you doing it, but you should at least tell the rest of us. There might be monsters lurking around.

Hmm~~? You usually never say anything, but now youre worried? Maybe I should put on more shows, then~~

Im gonna stop you right there

Ow Yeah, sorry. Ill remember to tell you next time~~

Amy giggled happily as she pushed back against Tsutomus staff poking her head, though Tsutomu quickly withdrew it upon noticing the many guards patrolling the square.

Well, the Labyrinth Conquerors seem to be on guard duty, so it should be a bit safe Still, even if it sounds like too much, make sure to bring a Tank or another Attacker along with you from now on.

Yeah, I know. So how was it?

Hmm?

My singing.

It was great. Its no wonder youre an idol in Dungeon City.

I know, right~~?

Though Tsutomu was entirely unfamiliar with the songs and dances of this world, the audience seemed captivated by Amy and the bands performance. Grinning at the praise, Amy suddenly adopted a mischievous expression.

Tsutomu~~ I did that as a volunteer, you know. I didnt get any payment from the band~~!

Wow, thats admirable.

SOOOOOO I want a millions worth of reward from you!

Why me? Well, I mean, sure

While it was quite an out-of-nowhere demand, the Absolute Helix received a considerable amount of valuable items from Amys sponsors. Additionally, some of the money came in the form of donations, so handing over a million Gold to her now was not an issue. As Tsutomu rummaged through his Magic Bag to prepare the money, Amy grabbed his hand.

Thats not it. You just gotta pet me a bit yknow, like you saw just now?

Wow, thats worth a lot less than a million.

Not to me, its not! And, well, I dont really need any more Gold than what I already get

I guess not.

Amy, as the one who earned the most money among the Clan members, genuinely did not need it. Therefore, Tsutomu was considering giving her some rare item, but he hesitantly placed his hand on Amys head as she demanded.

Hmmmmm There, thats it. A bit more to the back. Yeah, just like that now go sideways. Ah, thats nice! And now right here!

[Man, her directions are VERY specific.]

With a dry smile, Tsutomu followed Amys instructions. Amys white hair was silky smooth to the touch and had a faintly pleasant scent.

Thanks~~! Im satisfied!

[Maybe this will be the last time]

After petting her for a while, Amy looked up at Tsutomu with a satisfied expression. However, recalling what Amira had told him a few days ago, Tsutomu gently grabbed Amys cat ears with both hands.

Meow!?

Ah, sorry.

How about STOPPING before saying that, huh!?

Amy, surprised by the touch to her cat ears, exclaimed, but Tsutomu did not stop despite apologizing. As Tsutomu gently squeezed her fluffy cat ears between his fingers, Amy looked up at him with a nervous expression.

W-whats wrong, Tsutomu? Youre unusually aggressive today.

Eh, I figured I might as well try, you know? Anyway, Im also satisfied now, so lets be on our way, Tsutomu said cryptically.

Then, after releasing his hands, he and Amy who was now quite a bit quieter than usual proceeded to walk back to the inn where the Clan members were staying.

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