A warm sensation was transmitted.
From the faint trembling of her back, I realized that Ruma was crying.
Silently, I stroked her head.
Her originally pure white hair was matted with dirt.
Thinking about the hardship Ruma must have endured over the past two days, I decided to let her be, allowing her to express herself as she needed.
At that moment, her younger sister took Rumaโs hand and gently pulled her away from me.
Her gaze turned toward me.
It wasnโt a friendly one.
However, it wasnโt filled with the same hostility that she had shown yesterday when we first met. Even as she drew her sister closer, there was a trace of hesitation in her actions.
The twins were clearly exhausted.
โI wonโt say it.โ
Suddenly, the younger sister muttered.
โI havenโt acknowledged you yet. I wonโt give my name. A name means nothing.โ
โParte, donโt take such a combative tone,โ Ruma gently admonished her.
Parte averted her gaze in dissatisfaction, gripping her sisterโs hand tightly.
It struck me as endearing.
โUooooohโฆ!โ
Behind us, I heard the sound of stomping feet. It was Regin.
โDamn it, as expected of Sensei! But I wonโt let this keep me down!โ
As expected? What does he mean by that?
When I turned around, I saw Regin lamenting to the ceiling while biting his newly bought clothes. Beside him, Tiara was lightly patting his back, a faint smile on her face.
โCalm down already. If Isto-sensei is your opponent, thereโs no way you can beat him, no matter what you do.โ
โWhatโd you say?! You canโt know that unless I try, even if itโs a long shot!โ
โSo even you know the phrase โlong shot.โ Well, good luck, then!โ
โPuh-kusu-kusu,โ Tiara teased, making exaggerated laughing sounds with her mouth.
Well, what can I say?
Seeing the two of them so lively made me feel both amused and conflicted as their teacher.
Shaking off those thoughts, I turned to the twin sisters and asked,
โBy the way, why are you taking the Explorer Ranger Exam?โ
Ruma wiped her tears and exchanged a glance with her sister.
โWe want to become adventurers. We heard that passing this exam is the fastest way to do that.โ
โBut the reception desk wonโt let us take the test because they think weโre suspicious,โ Parte spat out.
Looking toward the reception desk, I saw the female staff member shrugging her shoulders.
Upon hearing the full story, I learned that they had refused to provide their namesโmainly Parteโand lacked any form of identification. On top of that, they had no proper equipment and were attempting to take the exam in their current, disheveled state. This had led the staff to conclude that they were just here to mess around.
โI see.โ
Looking at the sisters again, I saw Ruma gazing intently at me, while Parte, radiating tension, stuck close to her sister.
What stood out in both of them was the intensity of their eyes, which sparkled with strong determination.
It reminded me of the expression Regin had shown back in Wigarlus.
โTheir resolve was genuine.
I was convinced that the twins were serious about becoming adventurers.
All that remained was to see if they had the strength to make their wish come true.
It was then that I noticed something unusual about the twinsโ earringsโthe Drops of Fate.
Looking closer, I saw faint cracks in both of their Drops of Fate.
Could this have something to do with their loss of memory?
Using the Awakening Appraisalโs โMonitoringโ ability to assess their compatibility wasnโt wise with the Drops of Fate in that state.
Even without using Awakening Appraisal, I wanted to honor Ruma and Parteโs determination.
โIf you have no business here, Iโd appreciate it if youโd leave. As you can see, thereโs a line forming,โ the receptionist said, looking annoyed at the twin sisters.
Without saying a word, I pulled out my adventurer tag from my pocket.
The yellow crystal shimmered, causing not only the receptionist but also the surrounding applicants to murmur.
โIsto Rilos, Citrine-class adventurer of Wigarlus. These two are acquaintances of mine. Iโll vouch for them, so could you allow them to take the test?โ
โWigarlusโs Istoโฆ Oh, are you perhaps the hero who saved Minigelโฆ?!โ
I wanted to deny being a hero, but to avoid complicating matters, I held my tongue.
As expected of a branch office of the Guild Union, they were far more informed than a city guild.
The staff member disappeared into the back for a moment, then quickly returned.
โConfirmed. Thereโs no problem. Please have them fill out this form. However, theyโll need to sign it themselves as a confirmation of their intent to take the test.โ
Accepting the registration form from the now more accommodating staff member, I handed it to the sisters.
Ruma quickly signed her name. Parte, however, froze with the pen in her hand.
โCome on, Parte.โ
Encouraged by her sister, Parte reluctantly wrote โParteโ on the form.
As I handed the forms back to the staff, I couldnโt help but notice how refined the twins seemed.
Their handwriting was neat and without quirks. Despite their memory loss, they still knew how to write.
Habits ingrained in the body arenโt easily forgotten, it seems.
After that, Regin and I signed our own forms, and now all that remained was to face the test itself.
โHey, Sensei,โ Regin whispered.
โIf those two donโt have a place to go, do you think they could come stay with us?โ
โDo you want to get to know them better?โ
โYeah. Is that bad?โ
โNo. I was thinking the same thing.โ
I ruffled Reginโs hair roughly before turning to the twins.
โYou two. If youโd like, why donโt you stay at our base until the test?โ
โHuh?โ
โLuckily, we have enough space and supplies. I wonโt force you, but Iโd be glad if you joined us.โ
โYes. Yes! Of course! Thank you so much!โ
Ruma enthusiastically nodded and clung to my arm.
โWell, if my sister is okay with it, I guess I donโt mind,โ Parte said, linking her arm with her sisterโs.
Behind them, Regin clenched his fists in triumph.
Beside him, howeverโฆ
โThis feels like the calm before the storm,โ Tiara murmured, arms crossed.
โI donโt mind taking them in, but what about convincing Fiole or Almoa? Suddenly adding more people will likely stir things up,โ Tiara pointed out.
โItโll be tough, but Iโll persuade them,โ I replied, trying to sound positive for the twinsโ sake.
โI see.โ
I thought Iโd answered reasonably, butโ
โThe calm before the storm. No, Iโm certain of it,โ Tiara emphasized, correcting herself.
Why?