Chapter 379: Testimony and Misconceptions

　That day, Tauro and his group decided to stay at the siblings’ house.

　This was not so much for Zion, who had been taken care of by Drago, but rather to give Drago and Ragune some sibling time.

　And at this time, Tauro also decided to do the event that he had inadvertently forgotten about.

　It was to give him a pendant, a proof of his membership in the team “Black Golden Wings”.

　Tauro showed Ragune and Ankh’s pendants.

　The pendants were an egg-shaped silver plate with gold rims, and in the center was a diamond-shaped stone and a three-leaf clover-shaped stone, with wings sprouting from them.

　The pendant had a gold pattern that was a disruption of a magic circle, making for very detailed work.

　When Zion saw it,

“What a lovely pendant!”

　His eyes lit up.

“What kind of mark would you like Zion-kun? Let me know if you have any preferences.”

“Eh?  I get one too? ……, But, is it okay for someone like me to get one…?”

　Zion seems to have a reserved personality.

　He was unsure as to whether it was okay to accept such an expensive looking pendant.

“It’s proof that you’re a member of the team, so you have to carry it. ─ ─ Oh, it looks like you’ve already been wearing something around your neck since the beginning, do you not want to wear it with that?”

“Oh, no! This is just a memento of my parents in it. ……”

　　Zion replied and took out the small bag hanging from his neck.

“So, will you accept it?”

“I’ve even got armor and gauntlets ……. I’ll take it… if it’s okay with you!”

　Zion  did not reject the request from Tauro, the man who saved his life, and on the contrary, he was very happy to receive matching items from his friends.

“Then for me… I would like it to be the same as the dragon-persons’, Ragune-san’s!”

” the same diamond shape as Ragune’s. I see…it’s like it also serves as a memento of this place, Got it, then, please wait a bit.”

　Tauro replied, taking out a silver coin, a gold coin, as well as one of the fragments of the labyrinth core that Chief Ryuuga had given him, and placed them in his hands.

“『Creation Magic』!”

　For a moment, light enveloped the room, then quickly returned to normal.

　Tauro opened his palm and there, just as Zion had ordered, a pendant in the same shape as Ragune’s was created.

“Amazing! Tauro-sama can do anything!”

　rather than the pendent that was made, Zion looks at Tauro, who made it in an instant, with worshipful eyes.

　This, this in itself, is difficult to do…

　Tauro gave a wry smile, but he put the pendant on a string and put it around Zion’s neck.

　Zion looked at the pendant happily,

“Thank you so much! I will treasure it forever!”

　He said in words of gratitude.

“Yes, now the four of us will be traveling together as friends and comrades on the team “Black Golden Wings,”  so it’s good to meet you.”

　Tauro greeted them once again, and Ankh and Raguna followed suit.

“Zion-kun, nice to meet you!”

“This is the man who’s going to have your back from now on!”

“Y-Yes! I-I’ll try my best not to be a burden to you all! Leave the luggage to me!”

　Zion had been a baggage handler for so long that he didn’t seem to doubt that his role was to be a baggage handler.

“Zion-kun, you’re not a baggage handler. You’re the fourth member of the team. Besides, since I have the magic storage, there’s no need for that. Hahaha.”

　Tauro laughed and dismissed Zion’s jumping to conclusions..

“Eh!? Then what should I do to help Tauro-sama and his friends ……”

　Zion was upset that his previous role had been taken away from him.

“Zion, you have the skill ‘Light Mage Monk’. You should do what you can with your skills. You have learned how to support, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have! I can now use healing, physical strengthening, and defensive magic!”

“…Amazing. And I’m sure you have self-defense capabilities too, right? ─ ─ Leader, you know, Zion could really be a hell of a lot more, right?”

“He can show us the results of his training in the village of the Dragon People in the future, so let’s go back to the city of Caxart first thing in the morning and do a quest tomorrow. It’s already late today, so let’s go to bed.”

“got it”

“Understood.”

“yes!”

　Each was satisfied with Tauro’s suggestion.

“Well, then, can me and you share a room, zion?’”

　Tauro suggested, causing Zion to panic.

“Eh?! I, I’d like to share a room with Ragune-san!”

　What?

　Tauro had often been stuck in his interactions with Zion, but he did respond to this one.

“Zion, Ragune is a woman, so it would be bad for her to share a room with a boy like you.”

“Huh? Wait a minute.”

　At these words from Tauro, Drago, who had been quietly listening to the conversation this time, spoke up, as if something had caught his attention.

“Tauro-dono, no, perhaps all of you and Ragune  have misunderstood something?”

“”?””

“Zion is a girl, you know?”

“””what!?”””

　Tauro, Ragune, and Ankh all stared at Zion in surprise.

　With everyone staring at her, Zion’s face turned red and she looked down.

“……I, I’m a woman. ……”

　When Zion replied, she took off her stuffy, neck-length clothes and revealed herself covered in cloth. 

“…Y-yes, it’s true.”

　Tauro knew it was rude of him, but he looked at Zion seriously and confirmed that she was a woman.

　Zion’s face turned even redder.

“Tauro-dono, all the same you’re staring too much.”*

　Drago warned him, and Tauro hurriedly helped Zion put her clothes on.

“Wow, that was a surprise… Zion, why didn’t you tell me?”

　Tauro asked, putting aside the fact that he hadn’t noticed.

“I was surprised, too. I thought for sure you were a boy the same age as the leader.”

　Ankh agrees with Tauro.

“I didn’t even notice it. I just thought you was being a bit delicate for a guy.”

　Ragune frankly said in a way that was somewhat rude and disrespectful.

“I’m sorry… In order to protect myself, dressing like a boy was the best, so I chose this outfit.”

　Zion looked apologetic.

“I see, that’s right. You did what you did to protect yourself in your own way. I’m sorry we didn’t even realize that.”

　Tauro bowed his head to Zion.

“No, I didn’t tell you either. I thought I’d be a liability to you if I were a woman. …… I’m so sorry!”

“Let’s just say it’s mutual. Now that we all understand you, let’s go and sleep together in preparation for tomorrow.”

　After Tauro finished summarizing the discussion, they decided to assign the group to rooms and sleep separately.

TL Note:

Sarashi さらし , meaning literally “bleached,” typically refers to a piece of white cloth worn around the chest by women,etc.

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