“Huh. When Hendrickson came up with that gloomy look on his face, I thought maybe something was wrong, but everyone looks like they’re having a good time.”
A large man wearing a mask came down the stairs next to the counter in the back of the Boar Hat.
“But Gilthunder and Howzer aren’t around, are they?”
The man spoke in a gentle, feminine tone that didn’t suit his grim physique and frightening mask.
“They just headed out the entrance, saying that they were going to get some fresh air,” Hawk replied proudly.
Meliodas, sitting at a table with Elizabeth, looked back and smiled. “Let them have their space for a while. How’s Griamore?”
“When I peeked in on him just now, he was fast asleep. Hendrickson is looking after him now.”
Meliodas held a mug out to the man. “Anyway, Slader. How about a beer with us?”
“Well, sure, why not.”
Arthur put a mug and three bottles of ale on a tray and brought them to where Slader had sat down next to Meliodas. “Here you are. Which would you like?”
“Thanks. What an honor, to have the King of Camelot pour my beer for me. The boy I knew way back when sure has grown up splendidly.”
“That’s right, we’ve met once before, haven’t we?” The young king, who had removed himself from his country to hone his skills, spoke unaffectedly. He poured ale into Slader’s mug and placed it in front of him.
As Slader removed his mask to drink, a slightly surprised gasp escaped from the group.
“So that’s what his face looks like…I thought it’d be scarier.” Elizabeth spoke without thinking, and then covered her mouth, embarrassed, most likely afraid she’d been rude.
But Slader smiled at her and told her not to worry.
“It’s not often we get to sit around and drink like this. You should tell us something interesting, too,” Meliodas teased.
Slader tilted his head.
“Like what?”
No one, least of all Meliodas, commented on how Slader’s voice and tone changed when he took off his mask. Among the Holy Knights, whose strength of will directly correlated to their magical power, it was not rare to meet people who changed various aspects of themselves with specialized garments or weapons.
“You saw that rainbow outside the window, right? So tell us a story about a rainbow.”
“Rainbows…Okay, let me think.” Slader narrowed his eyes a little and thought, but before long, he said he had one.
“It’s not a real rainbow, but…I did think of a story just now. Oh, and it might be a little related to Princess Elizabeth, too.”
“Oh? What could it be?” Elizabeth sat up straight in her seat.
Slader warned them not to expect it to be that amusing of a story. Then he began to reminisce about a mission he received from the King several years ago.