I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace - Chapter 2396: Purchase of Exclusive Brush ㉕
After both Nove and Tetra had determined that Cornelia was an important person and were about to act according to their respective intentions, someone suddenly forced herself between the two of them and Cornelia.
That someone was Tre. With her usual bright smile, Tre reached out her hand for a friendly handshake as she spoke.
[I’m Tre. Since we’re both friends of Kaito, let’s get along, okay?!]
[Y- Yes, pleased to meet you, Tre-sama.]
[Oh, you don’t need to use those “-sama” honorifics! Let’s keep things casual! You can even call me “Tre Onee-chan”, you know? Ah, and can I also call you Cornelia?]
[Ah, y- yes, of course. Errr…… Tre-san.]
[Unn, unn!]
Though Cornelia seemed a bit bewildered, Tre’s natural cheerfulness quickly closed the distance between them…… Watching this, Nove and Tetra, who had been slightly surprised, soon wore expressions of realization. Nove scratched her head, while Tetra gave a wry smile and shrugged her shoulders.
Though the two of them were highly capable special advisors, they were first and foremost members of Kuromueina’s family. Perhaps because of Kuromueina’s excellent leadership, they were not only intelligent but also people of good character. Seeing Tre cutting in, they seemed to reflect upon something.
(Ah…… yeah, this is one of those moments we’ll have to reflect on. Tre Onee-chan’s right, we just happened to meet a friend of Kaito’s. Judging her based on her noble status or as a potential business contact is the wrong approach. She’s clearly feeling tense, it must be scary for her~~)Realizing that she had been interacting with Cornelia while wearing her “Special Advisor of the HR Department” face, Nove felt a pang of guilt. Determined to follow Tre’s example, she put on an equally bright smile and spoke to Cornelia.
[Alright then, I’ll go next after Tre Onee-chan. I’m Nove…… I know we all have our own positions and titles, but this isn’t a business meeting or a formal party, so let’s just relax and enjoy ourselves!]
[Ah, y- yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you.]
Nove’s statement that they should forget their social standings for now was meant to reassure Cornelia that her words and behavior here wouldn’t affect her relationship with Sharon County or the Sharon Trading Company. Understanding her intent, Cornelia visibly relaxed, relief softening her expression.
(……That was hasty of me. Even if I want to strengthen ties with the Sharon Trading Company, the proper way is to make a formal request to the Count’s household. Treating someone I met by chance as a point of negotiation isn’t sincere. I owe this one to Tre.)
Like Nove, Tetra also used the brief pause Tre had created to correct her slightly skewed line of thought. Once Nove finished speaking, Tetra offered a gentle smile and addressed Cornelia.
[……I’m Tetra. Same as the other two, let’s just treat this as a chance meeting between people who share a mutual friend.]
[Y- Yes, likewise, it’s a pleasure to meet you.]
Tetra, too, seemed intent on treating this meeting purely as a casual encounter between individuals who happened to share a mutual friend, Kaito. With the reassurance that nothing she said here would put the Sharon Trading Company in a difficult position, Cornelia finally let out a small sigh, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she returned the greeting in a more natural, unguarded manner.
(Good gracious, that was splendid. As expected of Tre-dono. She probably didn’t plan things to turn out that way, but by stepping in at just the right moment, she managed to throw Nove-dono and Tetra-dono off balance, forcing them to pause and rethink their approach.)
Looking impressed by how Tre had cut in at the perfect timing just as Nove and Tetra were about to act, Sechs also stepped forward to offer his greeting.
[Then I too shall greet you as just another Lich who are mutual friends of Miyama-dono. Pleased to make your acquaintance.]
[Y- Yes, pleased to meet you as well.]
[Are Liches really something you find just anywhere though?]
[Sech Nii-chan, with that scary face of yours, I was worried Cornelia-chan might get frightened.]
Given that Sechs was both tall and a literal skeleton, he certainly gave off quite the intimidating presence, prompting Tre and Nove to lightly throw retorts as he said his greetings.
[Oya, I’ll have you know I’m considered quite the dandy gentleman……]
[……Sorry to say this, Sechs, but there aren’t any Undead around here.]
Watching Tetra poke fun at Sechs’s comment, Kaito couldn’t help but think “Come to think of it, among the Undead, Sechs-san is supposed to be quite the handsome one, isn’t he?” to himself, recalling a conversation he went to the night market with Illness.
After that, both Cento and Cien also exchanged brief greetings with Cornelia, and at that point, Kaito spoke up.
[Are you all heading home now, everyone?]
[Unn. I actually wanted to stop by Nifty’s café too, but you need a reservation to get in…… Glance! Glance!]
[……That’s some intense hinting there. Also, are you seriously saying glance out loud? Errr, well, if I ask Canalis-san, I’m sure she can arrange a table. So, would you all like to drop by the café?]
[As expected of Kaito! Onee-chan has been waiting to hear those exact words!]
And so, the group from the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company decided to stop by Nifty’s café as well, while Cornelia, who had just managed to recover her composure a little, could only stare off into the distance once again, her expression faintly vacant.
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [Just when she thought she saved her from the stomachache, she ended up plunging her into more stomachache!? You really can’t tell if Tre’s friend or foe, Tre……]
? ? ? : [Well, if I had to guess, I don’t think Tre-san really thinks that deeply about it. Outside of work, she basically lives by the flow and momentum……]
