Chapter 279 Mingling with Rin

In the middle of the night, someone knocked on Ian’s door.

Having received Ian’s permission, Rin cautiously stepped inside the room.

"What’s the matter?"

"Could we... talk for a moment?"

Perhaps she had just finished bathing, as Rin’s hair was slightly damp.

Rin, entering the room with a faintly flushed face, hesitated while gauging Ian’s reaction.

A sudden consultation late at night.

It was unusual, but it wasn’t something he should turn her away for.

Just as Ian was about to nod.

The sudden sound of voices drifted in from outside the door.

— ...What are you two doing here?

— Li-Lia?

— Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping?

— This is... the Captain’s room. What were you doing out here secretly?

— Wa-wait a minute....

Mika and Tanya. And even Lia.

The sound of someone running and a commotion that sounded like a light scuffle leaked through the door.

As a flustered Rin hurriedly opened the door, she saw Mika and Tanya being held by the scruff of their necks by Lia.

***

"So."

In Ian’s room, three people were kneeling on the floor.

Rin, Mika, and Tanya.

After being caught by Lia while suspiciously loitering in front of Ian’s room in the middle of the night, everyone confessed the truth of what had been happening.

"So the reason you were all gathered in front of my room at night... was that."

Hearing the sounds of people coming and going in front of the Captain’s room late at night, Lia had rushed out thinking it was a thief and subdued the two. Now, she shook her head with an exasperated expression.

"First, as for these two..."

Ian’s gaze shifted toward Mika and Tanya.

While a brief silence of deliberation followed, Lia, standing behind them, chimed in smoothly.

"To the dungeon?"

"...We don’t have one of those?"

"Is there none."

For some reason, Lia’s face became a bit crestfallen.

"For now, go back to your rooms."

Right now, the priority was to talk to Rin.

"Rin, let’s talk for a bit."

***

The small lamp on the desk was lit, illuminating the bed area.

It was a late hour when everyone would normally be asleep.

At such a time, one of the culprits behind the commotion remained.

Rin sat on the edge of Ian’s bed, stealing glances at Ian who sat beside her.

Ian had vaguely noticed that Rin’s behavior had been a bit strange lately.

It was especially noticeable since Tanya and Mika had been running around with her to help.

However, since there were no issues with her status shown on the status window, and her actions seemed more like diligent training than eccentric behavior, he had simply left her be.

"...That’s how it happened."

With Rin seated beside him, Ian spent a long time listening to her story about why she had been doing those things, under the guise of a consultation.

After hearing everything that had transpired from Rin, Ian finished organizing his thoughts and spoke.

"So.... You came to seduce me because you were afraid of being fired?"

"I didn’t put it quite like that...!"

Rin, becoming slightly dejected at Ian’s choice of words, replied.

"I’m being serious, you know."

Well, even though it seemed like a foolish thing now that she thought about it.

Rin felt so cornered that she believed she had no other choice but to try something like this.

Ian sank into thought once more as he looked at Rin’s serious expression.

He knew what kind of worries she had been harboring.

Perhaps she felt it was a concern ill-suited to be confessed directly to the Captain, as she had hidden it until now...

But having finally gained the opportunity for a serious conversation with Ian, Rin ended up baring all her thoughts without reservation.

"Rin. Your growth is actually quite fast even now. You don’t need to feel so rushed."

"But, there’s Lia, and..."

"Lia... it’s probably better not to compare yourself to her."

It was hard to find a mercenary with traits as well-balanced as Lia’s.

If you used someone like that as a benchmark, anyone would seem lacking.

"I have no intention of letting you go from the mercenary group."

Hearing Ian’s words meant to reassure her, Rin let out a small sigh.

Why had her heart become so impatient?

Rin herself knew that these worries were beyond her station.

Lia was... naturally a veteran mercenary, overflowing with talent, diligent, and with a much longer career, making it almost absurd to compare the two.

The idea of a rookie mercenary like herself trying to keep up was a laughable story.

In the first place, Rin had never been the type to compare herself to those ahead of her or to be conscious of such things.

Being a mercenary was just a job she chose because she wanted to make a lot of money.

It would be nice to earn a lot and retire. That was the extent of her initial motivation.

And that goal... was going very smoothly.

She belonged to a promising mercenary group, and she had already earned plenty of money.

If she could just work moderately and retire safely, it was actually the ideal mercenary life Rin had wished for.

The reason Rin’s mindset had changed was...

Because of the conversation she had with Ian not long ago.

Rin recalled the talk she had with Ian in the park.

"Captain. What you said back then, you were serious, right?"

"...What I said in the park?"

Ian realized which conversation Rin was referring to and nodded.

"That’s right."

"Then you’re going to need a lot of strong mercenaries. Like Lia."

Hadn’t he said it was a monster that could wipe out the entire Labyrinth?

At the time, she had answered spiritedly that she would help him, but.

When she imagined what role she would actually play when that situation arrived... Rin could think of nothing.

In her current state, at best, even waiting in the rear would be a struggle, wouldn’t it?

That imagination was making Rin’s heart increasingly restless.

...It wasn’t because of a simple competitive spirit to be the protagonist.

Nor did she have any reckless adventurous spirit to specifically challenge dangerous things.

However, for such a dangerous matter...

When Ian and her comrades set out on a perilous mission where they might die.

If she couldn’t be of any help and had to be left behind, removed from the party alone.

That... she could not bear to see.

As she poured her heart out to Ian, Rin finally realized the true nature of the anxiety that had been hiding within her.

"Will I... be able to be of help when that time comes?"

Rin fiddled with the sheets while waiting for Ian’s answer.

Looking at Rin, Ian pondered quietly before answering.

"That... is something we’ll only know when the time comes."

"...Can’t you tell me I’ll be able to, even if it’s just empty words?"

Rin exhaled a deep sigh.

And then she just nodded.

It was actually better to hear such an honest answer.

If she had heard empty words of comfort, she might have just felt relieved and let her guard down.

"I’ll try my absolute best. As far as I can go..."

"Right. I’ll help you too, so there’s no need to worry so much."

Rin admitted she had been too impatient and nodded.

As they talked, it was suddenly dawn.

Thinking it was late and he should send Rin back soon, Ian spoke one last time.

"If there’s anything you absolutely need, I’ll get it for you, so you don’t need to force yourself to do things like this."

Force myself... huh.

Rin faltered at Ian’s final comment.

If she had just nodded, the conversation would have ended there, but Rin wanted to correct the misunderstanding Ian had spoken so thoughtlessly.

"... It wasn’t."

Ian heard a faint whisper by his ear.

Rin’s voice, as she murmured with her head bowed, was tiny, as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Hm?"

"Forcing myself..."

When Ian, who hadn’t heard what she said, asked again, Rin answered with a voice slightly louder than before.

This time, Ian could hear clearly what Rin said.

"I didn’t... come here by force."

Since it was a day where she had already bared all her worries to Ian anyway.

Without realizing it, Rin poured out even the feelings she had hidden in the deepest place.

"I came because it’s you, Captain... so it’s okay."

Rin’s face grew increasingly flushed as she spoke, and by the time she finished, her entire face was burning bright red.

Should I not have said that?

Rin immediately regretted her impulsive, honest answer.

She had bared her inner thoughts well, and Ian had listened seriously.

If she had just said okay and left the room at the end, it would have concluded with a warm atmosphere.

Following Rin’s sudden confession, there was no answer from Ian, and the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Unable to lift her head, Rin just stared down at the floor with a beet-red face.

A long, hellish silence followed for a while.

After staring at the floor for a long time, Rin stole a glance to the side, and her eyes met Ian’s, who had also been peeking at her.

"...."

"...."

The two of them quickly averted their gazes again.

...Hadn’t there been a similar situation like this before?

Suddenly, an old memory Rin had erased from her mind out of embarrassment came back to her.

Back in the underground waterway, they had sat side-by-side like this, too.

Back then, if only those people hadn’t come...

Rin flinched at that thought.

If they hadn’t come... what would have happened next?

As she worried, Rin very cautiously... slightly moved her finger.

Rin’s fingertip lightly touched Ian’s hand as he sat beside her.

Soon, Ian’s hand moved and rested on top of Rin’s.

Without a word, the two naturally held hands.

Back then, perhaps...

Had they been interrupted and cut off around this point?

Rin and Ian’s eyes met again, and this time, neither of them turned away.

Soon, their lips slowly overlapped.