Riku emerged from the bath, changed, and headed to the Lounge Space where Kousuke and the others were.
By the way, the reason there were clean clothes was that they sometimes used the bath after training to wash off sweat.
Space for the members was secured for this purpose.
“Ah~, the bath here really is nice,” Riku said, spouting a line that sounded thoroughly like an old man.
Towa, watching him, said with an envious gaze.
“You seem to have been spending a lot of time in there.”
“Hm?! What’s with that look, older brother? I don’t think I was in there that long, you know?”
“For someone who says that, you seem to have been in there quite a bit?”
“Ah. That’s more due to them, I guess. It seems they’ve gotten a taste for training here.”
Riku said this and looked off into the distance.
The Flame Wolf members were initially trained by Shurein, but recently, other women have joined in.
As expected, now that they’ve reached A Rank, it’s become difficult for her to handle them all by herself.
Therefore, it has become good stimulation for Shurein and the others.
“So. So this is the reason Flame Wolf has been rapidly increasing their strength.”
Towa was also receiving information about Flame Wolf.
Partly because the leader was the King’s younger brother, Riku, Towa had heard rumors that the party was on the verge of pulling ahead of the current top-class adventurer parties.
The fact that the King of a nation was aware of their strength meant they were garnering significant attention.
“Ah. That is definitely a factor. Including the training here, they’re actually increasing their training time.”
With their increased income from reaching A Rank, Flame Wolf had been dedicating more time to training recently.
This was also part of the reason they could immediately accept requests while Kousuke and the others were away traveling.
“Is that so?”
“I know practical experience is important, but everyone can see they’re improving through training. So, we’re trying to balance both as much as possible.”
“I see…”
In response to Riku’s answer, Towa brought his right hand to his chin, lost in thought.
Sensing a bad premonition from Towa’s gesture, Riku turned a wary gaze towards him.
“…Older brother, what are you thinking?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking of putting in a special request.”
“I knew it!”
To Towa’s smiling reply, Riku cupped his head and said so.
A direct request from the country could only mean trouble.
“It’s a formal request, so the payment is good, you know?”
“No. My life is more important than money…”
To Riku’s muttered words, Towa smiled again.
Floria, who had been watching their exchange, looked at Towa with a wry smile.
“Well, try to keep it reasonable, okay?”
“Of course. I don’t intend to wear them out. That would be a waste.”
“No, I wish you would stop them there.”
To Floria’s words, which warned him but didn’t outright forbid it, Towa and Riku replied from their respective positions.
After being disheartened for a while, Riku changed the subject and looked at Kousuke.
“By the way, how are Seiya and Shia doing?”
“They’re doing great. Running around the village energetically.”
“Haha. That’s good.”
Towa felt a sense of incongruity in Kousuke and Riku’s conversation and muttered, tilting his head.
“…Hmm? Seiya and Shia, not Miku?”
For Towa, the recent performance was still stuck in his mind, so he assumed Miku was the one being referred to.
Of course, Riku had also heard Miku’s performance, so he understood what Towa meant.
At the same time, seeing Towa’s and his parents’ faces, he noticed something and decided to explain.
“Older brother. Miku is amazing in her own right, but Colette’s twin daughters are also incredible, you know?”
“You mean?”
“This is something I heard directly from Colette. She said that in terms of talent alone, those twins are superior.”
It went without saying who they were superior to.
At Riku’s words, Towa’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was rare for Towa to show his emotions so openly, so Riku continued with a smile.
“Colette also said that with the World Tree’s blessing, she won’t be surpassed in actual strength, though.”
Towa, still showing his surprise at the unbelievable information from Riku, looked alternately at Kousuke and Floria.
In response to Towa’s gaze, Kousuke nodded with a wry smile.
“Well, that’s mostly accurate.”
“It’s purely about talent, though. What happens in the future depends entirely on those children. It’s the same for Miku, isn’t it?”
Floria added, as if to supplement Kousuke’s words.
Receiving this information from the three, Towa let out a big sigh.
“What can I say… Among Father’s children, it seems like Mia and I are going to be the most ordinary, one way or another.”
As Towa said this, the three exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond. The answer surprisingly came from an unexpected source.
“What are you saying. Compared to ordinary people, aren’t you already a bundle of talent?”
Shurein said this as she approached Kousuke’s table from the entrance of the Lounge Space.
“Oh, Shurein. You’re here.”
“Indeed. I thought I’d join since you’re all here. I didn’t expect Riku to be here, though.”
To Kousuke, who smiled at her, Shurein nodded slightly and then said that to Riku.
“For me, I was more surprised that my older brother was here…”
“Don’t sulk. It’s rare for both of you to be here at the same time, so it’s not strange to want to join, is it?”
At Shurein’s words, Riku muttered under his breath, “That’s not what I meant.”
Riku had become indebted to Shurein since he started training with her in the early days.
Watching Shurein and Riku, who seemed more at ease with each other than he realized, Towa turned his gaze to Shurein and asked.
“Did I wake you?”
“No. I saw Riku heading to the bath and thought it might be time.”
Shurein added that she was already awake, and Towa nodded in understanding.
“I see.”
“Indeed. More importantly, don’t you think you need to improve your low self-evaluation soon?”
It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing one should say to Towa, who was capably serving as King of Razek Amamiya, but Shurein said this while staring intently at him.
Towa’s expression became one of surprise, as if he’d been told something completely unexpected, and he looked at Shurein.
“Low self-evaluation? This is the first time anyone has told me that.”
“Hmm. You’re unaware of it, I see. Kousuke and Floria couldn’t say anything carelessly either, so it can’t be helped.”
When Shurein turned her gaze to Kousuke and Floria, they both nodded with wry smiles.
Having known each other for a long time, they understood what Shurein meant and agreed.
“Besides, you and Mia were told similar things to Miku even before you were born. In Towa’s case, you’ve become average to be able to lead people, but if you were to focus on something, you could still develop further. You might not need such abilities until you abdicate, though.”
“I-is that so?”
Both Towa and Riku’s eyes widened at this information, which they were hearing for the first time.
It wasn’t that Kousuke or Floria were deliberately hiding it, but that’s how things had turned out.
As Shurein had just said, they had also thought it would be sufficient for Towa to wait until he abdicated the throne.
At least among Kousuke and the Wife’s group, there wasn’t a single person who thought Towa’s or Mia’s abilities were inferior to the other children’s.
This is a rather meaningful title, but the content of the story is the same as before lol.
Is Towa’s low self-evaluation being mentioned for the first time this time?
