Episode 9: A storm is approaching

Half a week had already passed, Taro, Sidra, Shizuka, and Nagye were living in the same church, and Ari always went to visit, they were all getting used to their new provisional routine of helping with chores around the church, eating together, and goofing around

Ari: huh?, hey!, Shizuka, give that back!

Shizuka: nu-u-uh!

Shizuka tried climbing one of the church pillars, but her mana was unstable, so gravity pulled her back down, Ari snatched her shoe back

Ari: seriously, you act like a kid, is everyone in the guild like this?

Shizuka: And you’re so uptight, perhaps you should be a priestess instead? hehe, you’re even more serious than Sidra

Ari: uptight?!

meanwhile, Nagye and Sidra were busy concocting some potions

Nagye: then you add the powder from earlier, but little by little, or it’ll form l-lumps (I wonder if I’m not sounding too pretentious, she hasn’t said much)

Sidra: I see

Taro: (it's gotten very lively recently, doesn’t feel like most of us are sick, even though we are. sometimes I feel a little left out, but I guess it’s better for me to feel that way, instead of any of them)

Taro observed from the sidelines, and sometimes Nagye and Ari glanced back for half a second. Suddenly, he felt a different kind of stare from behind

priest guy: Taro, the others said you should go clean the drying rooms

Taro: oh, yez (I wonder if it's not just you trying to make me do your job)

Taro left for the drying rooms, and priest guy approached the girls. Ari couldn’t hide her suspicious gaze, which made him think twice, so he went in Sidra’s direction instead

priest guy: if you guys want to cook, the kitchen is over there

Sidra: we’re not cooking, we’re making potions

priest guy: that was a joke, sheesh, you take everything too seriously. What are the potions good for anyway?, we can cure anything with the Healing Grace

Nagye flinched, embarrassed at the thought of making something useless and wasting Sidra’s time

Sidra: knowledge is a blessing that doesn’t weight, and I like doing this, it relaxes me

Nagye continued her explanation, this time more nervous and making more mistakes since she was being watched by priest guy, meanwhile he tried to keep his words to himself after realizing saying things was not helping his goals of getting closer to them, but seeing Nagye making so many mistakes exasperated him

priest guy: are you sure you know how to do this?, give me that, I’ll do it, see? it’s easy, you can count on me, just tell me what to do and I’ll make it perfect for you

Nagye: umm, th-that’s not h-how…

meanwhile, Taro was sweating inside the drying rooms, scrubbing with a hard brush wherever he thought looked dirty

Taro: (I’ve never done this before, perhaps I should go ask someone before I screw something up and I get scolded)

Taro went to look for a priest and found a completely bald one

bald priest: hmm, that looks good Taro, good job. though, wasn’t Enjairo supposed to do this?

Taro: En…(who?)

bald priest, you can rest now Taro, don't overexert yourself

Taro returned to the girls, by then, priest guy had already left after not getting the kind of attention he wanted. Shizuka was not there, neither Sidra, only Nagye sitting awkwardly, stirring her potion, and Ari, leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, clearly in a bad mood

Ari: you’re late, brute

Taro: oh, uhh, sorrri (just what happened now?), everyone, where?

Ari walked towards him and looked him directly in the eyes, like she wanted to tell him something or she wanted him to figure it out

Ari: …I’m gonna do something at the guild, I’ll be back later. I'll stay over today… can … can we talk later?

Taro: uuh, yez (huh? what does this mean?, what could be so serious?, is this perhaps… a confession?, no way, it doesn’t make sense)

Ari: don’t you dare fall asleep, well actually, its fine, just don’t you dare not wake up when I call you

after Ari walked out of the church, Taro went to Nagye for answers

Nagye: Ari and the other girl, Shizuka, they were arguing, it got w-worse after you left, they started fighting, but not with attacks! just grabs, and-and Shizuka wrestled Ari to the ground, I think she h-hurt her because I heard something cr-cr-crack, but I’m not sure

Taro: (what?!, why? what did they say? What happened after?, dammit, I wish I knew how to ask all that) What, then?

Nagye: what happened after?, well, um, Sidra broke up the fight and walked Shizuka to her room, and umm, I didn’t know what to say, but I also didn’t wanna leave Ari alone here, I d-don’t know what to do in these kinds of situations

Taro: (poor Nagye, that was way too much for her to handle, even I wouldn’t know what to do. Those two are very strong, they could easily swat me away if they really wanted) it ok, Nagye, you, good, I scare too

Nagye: I thought they were good friends, sometimes I would see them outside on patrol, I thought they were having fun poking at each other, didn’t know they were actually arguing

Taro: don worrri, friendz uhh atak, sometimes (though I don’t know if friends would go as far as to hurt each other. I guess that's what Ari wants to talk to me about, complain about Shizuka. oh man, I thought we were all getting along, now I might have to pick sides)

Nagye: also! that one priest, he was very rude, I do-don’t like him, at all

Taro: (she must be talking about that one guy, great, he tricked me out of sight to have me do his work while he harassed Nagye, somebody has to do something about him, or I’ll snap and might do to him what Shizuka did to Ari… unless he has better mana enhancement than me, that would not be good) what do?, priest idiot

Nagye: I-I don't remember exactly what words he used, but it was like telling me I-I’m bad at making potions, and-and he was very pushy, and dismissive. I hope I get cured soon, I d-don’t wanna deal with him again

Taro: don worrri, I, protect you, I, eye open (I won’t fall for his tricks anymore, if he tells me to do something, it's safe to assume he just wants to take advantage of me and Nagye)

Nagye just nodded gratefully, feeling reassured

later in the day, when the sun was setting, Taro was trying to train his mana, Nagye was close by because she felt safer with Taro around, but she tensed up when Shizuka appeared

Shizuka: goo’mornin’ Taro, trying to become a rock again? hehehe

both Nagye and Taro were taken aback by her relaxed demeanor, as if nothing had happened earlier

Taro: Shizuka, uhh, you, battle, Ari?

Shizuka: I wouldn't call that a battle, we were just playing around, we sometimes do that, besides, she was the one that started the wrestling match, I just gave her a taste of her own medicine heheh. though I might have gone overboard, the snotter has made my mana unstable

Taro: (so that’s her side of the story, it did sound more serious from Nagye’s point of view though) friend, battle, not ok Shizuka

Shizuka: oh? you’re giving me a sermon?, you’re becoming a priest too heheheh, Sidra also told me I got carried away. alright then, I’ll apologize tomorrow, no guarantees though, hehe. More importantly though, can I tell you something and you’ll believe me?

Taro: uhh?, uhh, yez

Shizuka: I think I might have another one of those dreams, the one I told you about the other day

Taro: (a flashback of her past in the other world, if I’m understanding it correctly) why, dream, uhh today?

Shizuka: I have noticed that every time I have one of those dreams, I feel weird during the day, I don't know how to describe it, but still, the offer is still up right?, the one we talked about

Taro: (despite what happened, I still consider her my friend, and she’s counting on me) yez, I lizen, no forget

Shizuka: thank you Taro, I’ll see you later then, if it happens at least, I hope not. I’ll try to stop thinking about it, don’t wanna jinx it, just letting you know, just in case

Shizuka went somewhere else, and Taro was left thinking about the situation

Taro: (my promise to Shizuka, protecting Nagye, hearing Ari out, the snotter… I have a lot on my plate. I wonder if this is how sister Sunny feels with all the people that depend on her)

Nagye: …y-you have it very tough Taro, you’ll have to mediate between th-those two. I wish I knew how to help you…

Taro: it ok, I, tough, truzt (she’s right though, I don't know what to do either)