Chapter 67

Before I knew it, I had pressed my ear against the wall next to the door.

I didn’t actually need to do that to hear them, but I had become so curious that I found myself acting this way. I suppose it did make their voices come through a bit more clearly.

“Now then, I feel it is somewhat presumptuous of me to say this, but…”

Naharin gave that preamble before speaking.

“…Angelica has become quite wise lately…”

I bet she has!

I’d previously had Selene and Naharin tutor her, and recently she’s been studying Ancient Demonic.

She must be completely different from the “muscle-brain” character she used to be. I don’t think she’s quite reached “intellectual character” status yet, but she’s certainly not a fool anymore.

“I’ve felt it too. Her use of complex expressions has increased. In the past, her commands during battle were things like, ‘Just go bam!’ or ‘Charge in there whoosh and finish them from behind with a pow!’”

Hey, how did you people ever make it all the way to me, the Demon King, with commands like that?!

“In that cave just the other day, she was saying things like, ‘Fight with a touch of pedantry and a somewhat lofty style,’ or ‘Challenge them with the intent to break through that impregnable stronghold with a single sweep of your sleeve.’”

Her vocabulary has increased, but I don’t quite get the meaning.

Especially the first part. She just wanted to use the words “pedantic” and “lofty,” didn’t she? She’s acting like someone who wants to use a new word the moment they learn it.

“Mm. While the clarity of her commands has actually decreased, her power of expression has improved.”

Naharin, that wasn’t a compliment. A vital aspect of being an adventurer has actually worsened.

“True. It’s not as if I didn’t feel like I was talking to a younger sister before, but Angelica has suddenly given off a much more mature impression. I wonder if it’s the effect of our tutoring?”

Yes, that influence must have been huge.

There’s a high probability that it caused a shift in Angelica’s mentality as well.

“Is that so? I guess it’s hard to notice those things about yourself. For my part, I believe I should fulfill my duties as a Hero with bones-and-flesh-shattering toil, single-minded devotion, and from start to finish. I’d also like my sword to reach the speed of a lightning flash.”

She wants to use those memorized idioms way too much.

Besides, kid, you don’t talk that stiffly in your daily life. Don’t go acting all high-and-mighty in front of your friends…

“Ahem… though the current Angelica is quite a problem in her own way…”

Even Selene couldn’t help but point it out.

If they were talking face-to-face, I’m sure she’d be quite annoying.

“That said, regarding your feeling that there’s a wall between you, Zenkei, and Jaunis… I can’t say I don’t understand it. I’ve had moments like that several times in the past as well…”

Hm? Even Selene admitted to it…

“Actually, this humble priestess has also felt it a few times… Though as one who serves the gods, it is not good to look down on others…”

Even Naharin confessed.

I felt like the flow of the conversation was starting to go in a strange direction…

“No, well… Zenkei is a Martial Artist, and Jaunis is a Thief, right? Neither of those are professions that require academic knowledge. If anything, they are jobs that use experiential knowledge from the field—the kind of knowledge that’s hard to put into words.”

I agreed with Selene’s opinion.

Even among adventurers, the quality of required knowledge differed.

“It must be because of that that you feel a wall between you. It simply can’t be helped.”

Yeah. This should settle the conversation nicely.

“But still… aren’t those two just, like, idiots?”

Angelica! Don’t go dragging the topic back up!

“I mean, when Jaunis went into the guild before, he couldn’t even read the flyers on the bulletin board… When it gets to that level, it’s actually a hindrance, right?”

“Well… that is a bit much…”

“I also encouraged Jaunis and Zenkei to study, but they would not listen.”

Ah.

The image of a massive stone boulder reaching a slope and suddenly hurtling downward flashed through my mind.

From that point on, it turned into a full-blown “diss” session by the three girls against the other party members.

Maybe “dissing” is too strong a word. It’s not like they were seriously attacking their characters.

Even the female Demons working at the castle would say things like, “Ugh, why are the men in our department such children?” and it was similar to that. Most husbands in the world probably have similar things said about them at their wives’ gatherings without ever knowing it.

It was lighthearted venting, rooted in a sort of half-hearted resignation. They didn’t hate them, nor were they planning to leave the party.

Still, it was a fresh realization to see that even adventurer parties ended up having these kinds of talks.

“The guys in our party have no delicacy. They just keep pushing forward without ever scheduling a bathroom break!”

“In that regard, Zenkei is still a man after all.”

“Jaunis once tried to peek at us while we were bathing. This humble priestess stopped him.”

“Eeeh?! I can’t believe that!”

“That is going a bit too far.”

If he had actually peeked, I would have had to dispose of Jaunis myself.

However, I never expected this to turn into such a perfect example of a girls’ night…

I felt a faint chill at the hidden fearsomeness of women.

I wondered if Lateia talked like this when she gathered with the village housewives?

No, no… not Lateia. Not a chance. There’s no way… I mean, I don’t even have an old-man smell or anything…

—Suddenly, the door flew open, and I nearly face-planted!

Lateia was the one who had opened it.

Speak of the devil?! No, I wasn’t gossiping!

“Oh? Were you leaning against the door? Are you feeling tired?”

“I’m fine… Full of energy… I just happened to lose my balance right as you opened the door…”

Yes, Lateia was her usual self. I’m sure she maintained this gentle, airy atmosphere no matter where she was.

“I was thinking of having everyone, including Selene and Naharin, over for dinner. What do you think?”

“Ah, that is a grand idea! By all means, let’s join them!”

At any rate, I was just glad she didn’t realize I’d been eavesdropping.