Later that night, after the exhausting date with Daphne had finally concluded.
"Hah… Hah…"
Tsuna was down in Hearth Manor's underground training room, currently enduring his daily, merciless beating—or rather, training—at the hands of Reborn.
Tsuna was on one knee, his chest heaving as he gasped desperately for air. Standing right in front of him, looking as though he had just taken a leisurely stroll through a park, was Reborn.
"Oh, there you are. I figured you guys would be down here."
Hestia, having just returned from her shift at the tavern, descended the stairs into the training room.
"Did I interrupt your training?"
"Nah, I was just about to give him a short breather anyway. Don't worry about it."
"I see. By the way, do you happen to know where Bell-kun and the others went? I've looked everywhere, but I can't find them."
Ever since the devastating 200 million Valis debt had come to light, Hestia had been working relentless overtime to pay it off. Because of this, it had become a common occurrence for Tsuna and the others to eat dinner before she returned home.
"If you're looking for Bell and the others, they went out chasing after Mikoto."
"Mikoto-kun? What do you mean?"
"Right after dinner, Mikoto was acting really strange… She snuck out without saying a word to anyone. Bell got worried, so he, Lili, and Welf decided to tail her… But since someone needed to stay behind to watch the manor, Reborn and I drew the short straws."
"I see… But where in the world could she have gone…? And for what reason?"
Tsuna canceled his Hyper Mode and explained the situation. Hestia crossed her arms, racking her brain for any possible reason why the incredibly serious and dutiful Mikoto would sneak out into the night.
"She probably got herself a boyfriend from another Familia, right? I heard you guys have strict rules against excessive interference between factions. It makes sense she'd want to keep it a secret from her own people."
"A-A lover!? Mikoto-kun!?"
"T-That would explain her acting so secretive, but still…"
Reborn casually dropped his deduction, causing Tsuna's face to flush in embarrassment. Hestia had to admit, the logic was surprisingly sound.
"Even if she is eventually going to return to Take's side, she is currently my dependent. As a fellow God, I naturally want to support her blossoming romance… but as the head of this faction, I must seriously consider if permitting this is wise…"
Hestia cupped her chin, groaning as she fell into deep, serious contemplation over whether she should support Mikoto's hypothetical love life.
─────
Later that night, Lili, Welf, and Mikoto all returned safely to the manor. However, for some inexplicable reason, Bell did not return with them. It wasn't until early the next morning that he finally stumbled through the front doors, looking entirely exhausted and drained.
"Staying out all night having fun in the Pleasure Quarter, huh~? Well, Bell-kuuuuun? Do you have anything you'd like to say for yourself?"
Currently, Bell was forced into a strict seiza position on the living room floor. He had been caught red-handed returning from the city's red-light district.
Hestia towered over him, her signature twin-tails literally standing on end as a terrifying, demonic aura radiated from her body.
"H-Hestia-sama!? I swear, this was all just to resolve a personal matter!!"
"Mikoto-kun, you stay out of this."
Knowing full well that she was the reason Bell had ended up in the Pleasure Quarter in the first place, Mikoto desperately tried to throw him a lifeline. Hestia shut her down instantly, completely unwilling to listen to excuses.
"Sooo… are you telling me you actually slept with a courtesan~?"
"I-I didn't go there to play around, and I absolutely did not do anything like that!! It's a complete misunderstanding!!"
"Then why, pray tell, did you come crawling back from the Pleasure Quarter first thing in the morning?"
Hestia wasn't the only one furious. Lili was absolutely livid, glaring at Bell with eyes so sharp they could have cut glass, radiating pure, concentrated malice.
"U-Umm, excuse me…"
""What is it!? / What!?""
"Hiiieeee!!"
The moment Tsuna nervously raised his hand, Hestia and Lili snapped their heads toward him, their demonic glares locking onto him simultaneously. Overwhelmed by their terrifying bloodlust, Tsuna let out a pathetic squeak.
"E-Err… What exactly is the Pleasure Quarter or a brothel…?"
""Huh?""
"Y-You've gotta be kidding me…"
"S-Sawada-dono…"
"Tsuna…"
Hearing Tsuna's genuinely innocent, utterly clueless question, the boiling rage inside Hestia and Lili vanished in an instant, replaced entirely by profound disbelief. Welf, Mikoto, and Bell stared at him, their jaws hanging open.
"You seriously don't even know that? Man, you really are a No-Good. Whatever. As your home tutor, I guess I have to educate you. Listen closely. The Pleasure Quarter is—"
"Wait, wait, wait!! Why the hell does a baby know about this stuff!?" Welf shouted, interrupting Reborn.
"It's just common sense."
"In what world is a baby knowing about red-light districts and brothels considered common sense!?"
Unable to ignore the sheer absurdity of an infant possessing such deep, worldly knowledge, Welf furiously yelled a retort.
"E-Erm…"
"Sawada-dono, it is perfectly fine if you do not know… In fact, please, I beg of you, remain ignorant…"
Unable to follow Reborn and Welf's chaotic exchange, Tsuna looked around in confusion. Mikoto placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and spoke with the solemn gravity of a dying warrior.
"Supporter-kun, we are aborting this interrogation immediately!! If we continue, it will negatively impact Tsunayoshi-kun's pure soul!!"
"Y-Yes, we have no other choice…"
T-Thank the Gods… Truthfully, Hestia and Lili had a mountain of things they wanted to aggressively interrogate Bell about. However, realizing that Tsuna was far more innocent and sheltered than they had ever imagined, they couldn't risk exposing him to the gritty details. Furthermore, neither Hestia nor Lili possessed the sheer courage required to look Tsuna in his pure, unclouded eyes and explain the concept of a brothel to him from scratch. They were forced to completely abandon the interrogation.
Bell hadn't expected his salvation to come in the form of Tsuna's utter lack of worldly knowledge, but he sighed in profound relief, thanking the heavens he had survived the firing squad.
"Also, Bell-kun! You are to dispose of that item immediately!! And make absolutely certain Tsunayoshi-kun doesn't see it!!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am…!!"
Though Hestia didn't name it out loud, Lili instantly understood what she was referring to and nodded vigorously, whispering her assent.
"Is something wrong, you two?"
"N-Nothing at all!! It's just secret girl talk!! Right, Supporter-kun!?"
"Y-Yes, exactly!! It's very rude to eavesdrop on a secret conversation between maidens, Tsunayoshi-sama!!"
"I-Is that so…? Sorry about that…"
Seeing them whispering so frantically, Tsuna thought something serious had happened and asked out of concern. Despite their painfully obvious, awkward smiles and incredibly suspicious behavior, Tsuna's legendary density worked against him, completely missing the fact that they were desperately hiding something from him.
W-We somehow managed to deceive him… Relieved that Tsuna hadn't uncovered their secret, a wave of profound exhaustion washed over Hestia and Lili.
With the interrogation formally suspended, Hestia handed Bell a temporary punishment for his actions, and the group disbanded for the morning.
"So, what exactly were you doing out so late, Mikoto?"
"…Truthfully, I heard from Chigusa-dono that she saw someone who looked exactly like an old acquaintance from my hometown. Because there was no concrete proof, and because it was a personal matter regarding my homeland, I felt I couldn't drag the rest of the Familia into it…"
Since Tsuna and Reborn had stayed behind to guard the manor yesterday, they were entirely out of the loop. Mikoto quietly explained her reasons for sneaking out.
"Is it possible it was just someone who looked like her?"
"This person is of high noble birth, and she is a Renard—an exceedingly rare race. The chances of it being a simple lookalike are incredibly slim."
"A Renard?"
"They are a minority race found almost exclusively in my homeland in the Far East. Among the Beast-People, who boast many different species, Renards are the only true magic-users. Because they wield a unique brand of magic distinctly different from Elven magic, they are often revered in the Far East as mystic sorcerers or spell-weavers."
"Wow… I didn't know a race like that existed."
Tsuna thought he had learned about most of the races since arriving in Orario, but the world was vastly larger than he had realized.
"But why would someone of such high status be here in Orario? Normally, people in those kinds of positions aren't exactly allowed to just pack up and leave their country, right? Their retainers would never allow it."
"This person… her name is Haruhime-dono. For certain reasons, she was exiled from her family… and subsequently went missing."
"I see… And yesterday, you found out that she might be here in Orario."
"Yes…"
"But judging by your expression, it doesn't look like this is going to be a happy reunion."
Despite learning that her long-lost friend was in the city, Mikoto didn't look happy in the slightest. Reborn instantly saw through the gloom clouding her face.
"…It is highly probable that Haruhime-dono is currently affiliated with the Ishtar Familia. However, I refuse to believe she joined them of her own free will. If it is within my power, I want to save her. That is my true desire. Even if our time together was fleeting, she is still a dear, precious friend to me."
"…"
Feeling the sheer, desperate weight of Mikoto's resolve radiating from her words, Tsuna's chest tightened, filled with an indescribable, heavy empathy.
---
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