Shangri La Pt. 1

34: Contribution

"Thank you very much for fulfilling my request, I do hope the Princess will be grateful for my actions when I show her what I've learned." Shoto expressed. 

"It was an honor to be able to fulfill your request, Your Majesty. I'm sure anything you try to do for the Princess, she will be pleased with." Izumi spoke happily. 

"Yes. Ah– Perhaps I should give you a reward for your efforts, as you have taken time out of your day to help me." 

"Oh no no, Your Majesty, there's no need for you to reward me, I-I was just doing my job and assisting you." 

"But I must, because this is something I've never done before. At least allow me to do something for you." he requested. Hearing the Prince wanting to earnestly want to give Izumi a reward was tempting, but anything physical would be enough.

"T-Then... Would it be alright if we just not speak about this incident to anyone? I-I mean in saying that we do not know each other after I leave this room?" 

"That... is your request?" 

"I-If you would allow it, Your Majesty. I do not want to be a burden to anyone, and I do not wish to get caught in trouble with Your Majesty because I was only trying to help you." she clarified, hoping he would agree. 

"Hm~ Well when you put it that way, it would turn into the worst outcome if people noticed. Very well, I will act like a complete stranger to you the second you leave here."

 "T-Thank you, Your Majesty. Ah– I-I need to head back, s-so please excuse me." 

"Yes, let me have Iida make sure there are no eyes or ears outside this room to see you leave my chambers." 

"T-Thank you, Your Majesty."

As he stood there while watching his fellow knights training like usual, Gin couldn't help but think back to his short conversation he had with the Great Pisces and Zeri from just the day before.

( Flashback! )

"Arg– Then how many days we got till they get here?" he questioned next, only to watch Zeri and Shiro look at each other.

"Huh? What's with that look?" 

"2 days." Shiro spoke, making Gin's eyes widen. 

"W-What?" 

"It's gonna be in 2 days when those 3 get here." Gin batted his eyes from hearing those words, only to realize that the time span he had to be prepared to see such old–but familiar faces–was awfully short. 

"2– 2 DAYS?!?! You mean like the day after tomorrow?!?!" 

"That's what 2 days means." Zeri noted. 

"You– Did you guys already know when they'd get here?!? That doesn't give me enough time to prepare myself to see 'em!"

"Well too bad, if you didn't take so long to get here and we'd have this short meeting, then you wouldn't hear this news so late. And it's not like they know that you've returned to the Organization." 

"Zeri's right, they don't even know that you're here in the East, Gin." Shiro added. "Hah~ Why did I decide to do this~" 

"Quit whining, you just do your job like you normally do–" 

"And when the others get here, they will be doing their job too. No one will notice that you're a member of the White Lotus Organization, promise." Shiro commented, only making Gin run his hand through his hair and groan in frustration.