Thus Satomi's band of knights received another four members but the ones that rejoiced the most were Sanae and Harumi. They had been strangely excited ever since Koutarou had accepted them.
“Koutarou, Koutarou, let's decide my salary!”
“Okay, okay”
“I'll give all of it back when I get it, so make it a million yen! I want to become a well paid woman!”
“As a housework helper?”
“Yeah!”
Sanae had no intention of actually receiving any salary from Koutarou, but she wanted the truth of being paid a high salary. It was a strange operation where she would then give her salary back.
“No way”
“Why not!? I said I'll give everything back!”
“You'll need to at least keep enough for some pocket money”
Ever since she had been a ghost, Sanae had been getting an allowance from Koutarou. Her anime goods and candy had been bought with that money. Koutarou would feel bad if even that allowance ended up being returned. Honestly speaking, Koutarou wished to continue giving Sanae an allowance.
“Pocket money is different!”
“Is that so?”
“Pocket money is a test a love! It's different from a laborer's wage!”
“I don't really get it, but if you're fine with that”
“Alright, then it's decided!”
With her working arrangements determined, Sanae showed a bright smile. Nothing in particular would change from Sanae joining the band of knights. Her everyday life would continue on like it always had. However, feelings wise it was a different story. She cheerfully clung onto Koutarou's back as if saying that this would always be her place.
“So what kind of mission do I get, Satomi-kun!?”
Harumi looked just as happy as Sanae. Unlike Sanae, she had always been mentally mature, but she had purposely gone along with Sanae. As of late, Harumi had been rapidly learning how to display her feelings.
“Since I'll belong to a band of knights, it'll be something like information gathering, right!?”
Harumi made theatrical gestures as she waved her hands around and her eyes sparkled. A cheerfulness that rivalled Sanae's sparkled in her eyes.
“Of course not. I don't need any information”
Koutarou could of course see through the fact that Harumi was saying that on purpose. He could tell right away just by looking at these eyes sparkling like a child's. His answer inadvertently became more snappish as he was somewhat embarrassed about playing with Harumi. Maybe it was because she was behaving more childishly, but she gave off a cuter impression than normal.
“So... Something like going to buy melon bread and milk?”
“What kind of a mission is that!”
“Ah, I'll have some!”
“So Satomi-kun, Higashihongan-san and me for a set of three. Would anyone else like some?”
“...Theia, Sakuraba-senpai is going on about stuff like that. What about the status for the band of knights”
Even though she might be a non-combatant member, having her first mission be to go buy melon bread and milk would surely not sit well with Theia who valued the status of the band of knights. That's what Koutarou thought as he asked Theia for help.
“Grrr... Harumi!”
Just as Koutarou had hoped, Theia showed a stern expression.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“I desire anpan!”
“As you wish, my princess”
“Very good!”
“...I should never have relied on Theia...”
It was a common mission for a band of knights to provide support and supplies to civilians. While Theia was picky when it came to the organization's structure, she wasn't the kind of lord to refuse missions the members voluntarily chose.
“Master, isn't it a good thing that there are only peaceful missions to be had?”
“That's right, Koutarou. Do you know how happy a thing it is for a combat squad to only be playing around?”
But as Ruth and Kiriha pointed out, he gradually shifted towards acceptance. The fact that Harumi was teasing Koutarou was a proof of peaceful times. Since he didn't want his band of knights to do something fitting for a combat oriented band of knights, he felt like he should be more happy just having Harumi act like she was.
“...This is all thanks to the underground problems being resolved.”
Koutarou exhaled before muttering. Because the state of room 106 might stimulate the radical faction, they couldn't allow people to enter the band of knights or accept missions. However, with the radical faction now disbanded and the problems underground resolved, there was no longer anything to fear. Even if they played around as a band of knights there wouldn't be anyone that would question it. That was something that should be rejoiced.