Augustusmens (Month 8) 2, 1615 Central Calendar, 19:10
Central Enysfal Province
Still 45 minutes away from their arrival in Leiden, the summer vacation group decided to have their dinner at 19:00, right after the Minerva Express departed from the provincial capital of Forrad. Upon perusing the options on the three-course dinner menu, the high-born Annette found it quite promising and was looking forward to seeing what dishes people traveling on trains would have. In the end, she chose caprese skewers with oven-dried cherry tomatoes as her appetizer, followed by Eleking's signature flat iron steak recommended by Meteos for the main course and concluded with a delectable chocolate toffee mousse for dessert. If she were to believe Meteos and Nadia's opinions, it seemed that the dishes on the regular intercity trains they used to board on their way to Runepolis were a bit tastier than the ones served here. Nevertheless, it was still a delightful treat for the Pendragon heiress and quite an experience for this self-proclaimed sheltered girl.
The train continued its journey along the coastline. Despite entering one of the Enysfal Province's most mountainous regions, the absence of prominent city lights and only occasional faint glimmers in the dark night created a somewhat uneventful backdrop for their sightseeing. In light of this, while Sofia was content in talking with Mister Arkland, Annette pulled Nadia away, telling the rest of the group that she wanted to personally talk about how to make the most of Nadia's limited time with them in Leiden. However...
"What...? Is that true?" a surprised Annette asked in a hushed tone, sitting beside Nadia in a corner of the observation car.
"Yes... I know it must be hard to believe, but that's what he said," answered the kind girl that the heiress sometimes felt that Nadia was too good for someone like her. Even now, Annette felt terrible for having Nadia do something that she, for some reason she can't entirely explain, was too scared to do by herself. Nevertheless, whatever she had gleaned was not something she would have expected.
Hearing Nadia, Annette bent forward in an attempt to suppress an urge to exclaim. The answer placed her in quite a quandary.
"I don't understand. That's... how is that even possible?" she whisper-yelled, sounding more desperate than outright disbelief. No matter how she tried to hide it, her expression when hearing the answer was turning into one sullen enough for Nadia to notice.
"I'm sorry, Anna, I find that hard to believe myself."
Despite Nadia sharing the same sentiment, she was inclined to believe the boy's sincerity in his words. After all, what benefit he would receive in telling such a convoluted drama scenario right when they were going to see it by themselves.
"...No, Nadia. You've done more than enough... if anything, I should be the one apologizing for my selfishness," Annette exhaled.
Smiling a little, Nadia kindly spoke, "Don't be like that. You have been very sweet even when we haven't known each other for long. It's okay for friends to ask for help once in a while."
Seeing her smile, the downcast heiress began to slowly brighten up as well. "If you say so..."
"Hehe... after getting to know you two better, I feel like you two are quite similar."
"...Is that right?"
With Nadia Smirnova at the crossroads of their relationship, she was able to see that yes, both she and Meteos Roguerider are able to nonchalantly be an altruistic person and someone who serves their self-interests at the same time. The two of them are more alike than simply how both their hair is silver and their eyes are the same shade of blue.
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Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)
Fanfiction"Unacceptable. If there's one thing that a conveniently appearing overpowered entity in this world has shown us, is that we are seen as weak and hopeless. I find that previous life's terms unacceptable. I want a better world. With these hands, I dar...
