A/N: Haha. I should get back to my Gintama stuff... or even Geass. But whatever, I'm in a mood for some fluff wwww

His pet canary started chirping loudly as the new day started.

Goblin Slayer sat up for a moment to get his bearings before taking out the washbasin he set aside nearby to wash his face. He stared blankly around his room before getting up and picking up an open pack of birdfeed to feed his pet canary. The small bird started to hop over towards the proffered food as he stared at it without a word.

He ended up taking the bird home after the last quest. While his only reasoning to get the canary was just as a precaution in case of them having to face the risk of being trapped in a closed space filled with poison gas (to which they did ended up caught in such a situation), he hadn't really planned to keep the bird afterwards should he end up not really needing that bird after all. But then that incident with that—what was it again?—big thing happened and he found himself worrying about the canary's safety, surprisingly afterwards.

Anyway, the canary survived—alongside himself and the rest of his party members—and he found himself getting attached to the little creature somehow. He could have just set it free... but instead of doing that, he just took the cage (and the bird) home.

Goblin Slayer recalled his conversation last night once he got back here from water town. His old friend had asked him if the canary was supposed to be a gift to her—a souvenir—from water town. To which, he had to admit that the thought never crossed his mind.

Goblin Slayer put on a new change of clothes before walking out of his room. Since the sun was already up he might as well do his usual routine patrol all around the farm as well as his usual training...

xxx

He absentmindedly wiped the sweat that started lining his forehead with his towel as he got into the shed he rented from the farm owner. His armour, helmet, weapons and his tools were still stashed at the corner as he took out a mat and lay it down on the floor before sitting on it. He started to reorganise his things in the usual methodical way to check on the wear and tear and to see if there's any dents that he needed to repair. While most of his armour and equipment had only just recently been repaired and replaced anew, it doesn't mean that he could neglect its maintenance. Everything must be in good condition in preparation for his next goblin hunt.

Goblin Slayer paused for a moment as he took a closer look at his helmet. A single... green feather was stuck on it as it drew a faint smile from him. He tried to recall the memories from back when all of them were still riding on the carriage they took in order to return home from the water town.

Back then he had fallen asleep immediately after the carriage had set off. Yet, sometime after, he was suddenly roused awake due to a presence that he felt... coming from beside him. It was Priestess, for some reason he had grown accustomed to having her by his side that he could tell that it was her without looking. He didn't make any move at that time as the girl placed a blanket over him and muttered to herself softly next to him. He just watched her silently as Priestess sat beside him and took note of the canary that he decided to bring home. And he had been watching her in amusement as Priestess picked up a stray feather left by his canary and placed it on his helmet.

He told her that he only just woke up right after that. And it amused him to see the mischievous look that Priestess made, thinking that he hadn't noticed her putting the feather on his helmet.

"How about we put a feather on your helmet?" he recalled hearing her say that to him before. He snorted. To think that the girl was still hung up on that idea to try to make his armour look a bit more presentable to others.

The feather just looked out of place on that helmet! The green just stood out too much against the overall rustic look of his equipment. How could she think that just putting this one small feather could improve his appearance? As if the feather was enough to divert people's attention on how grimy or smelly his armour was.

Regardless, it was just so sweet of her for doing this...

.

Still, the mere thought of Priestess just made his heart feel lighter. It still amazed him just how much of his current life had changed ever since he met that girl...

If he hadn't been able to save that girl all those months ago, how could things happen differently for him? Assuming everything else that happen afterwards remained the same, how would everything differed had she not been around by his side?

Would he be able to get along so well with that trio of odd adventurers... had that girl not been around by his side to connect all of them together? The two of them had only started working together for barely half a year, yet already he couldn't imagine not having her around to help him during any of his goblin hunts.

How strange... years ago he couldn't imagine himself joining up with any other party members to embark on an adventure (because honestly, would anyone want to keep on taking JUST goblin quests for the rest of their lives with him? Won't they want to venture into much more exciting adventures other than goblins?) yet now he not only partied up with just one other adventurer... but three others!

If that girl hadn't been around, those other three probably wouldn't think about wanting to continue working with him. Especially, after their first goblin hunt together. If that girl hadn't been by his side... if those three had not decided to continue working with him...!

How could the aftermath of his battle at that forest ruins turn out for him? What could've happened during the battle for the farm if she hadn't been around to help him with the goblin lord? What would've become of him if she hadn't continued insisting to fight alongside him on his many goblin hunts?

Could he still be able to achieve all those victories... if those four people hadn't fought alongside him? Could he still be able to do all those things he had done if she hadn't continued to remain by his side to fight with him?

If his master was to find out about these thoughts of his, that old rhea would've started to hit him again and mock him for his stupidity.

Still, he had to accept the truth of his current reality. With the goblins continuing to evolve beyond his wildest imaginations—he thought of the goblins they encountered during their first adventure together, that goblin lord with its great army, the well-equipped ones that had been hiding at the ancient city ruins, as well as the ones that used to live in the sewers underneath water town (he still had no idea who taught them to built boats and ships)—it was impossible for think that he could've been able to deal with all of them by himself! If he had remained to be that Goblin Slayer that he used to be...

...before her...

Everything... had started from that moment when she insisted to accompany him on that first hunt, not long after he had saved her from the goblins. And that one time ended up becoming two, then three...until they ended up officially part of a team for a few months. And because of her as well, he ended up adventuring with those other three as well.

How strange... that just the presence of that one girl managed to affect so many things in his life...

"Goblin Slayer, sir...!"

He almost jumped by himself as his ears caught the sound of her voice that tinkled like a bell. Just as he was thinking of her...

xxx

Heat rushed to her face immediately the moment the shed door open to reveal the handsome man behind it, sans the usual armoured suit the man always wore. She happened to greet Cow Girl earlier, who told her that the man was already busying himself at the old shed that doubled as a workshop. She certainly hadn't expected to see the man without the usual cheap metal helmet and leather armour, which was something of a rare sight!

"Oh!" She let out a gasp. "Am I early?"

Goblin Slayer just blinked at her before glancing up towards the sky. "I guess..." Came the short reply.

He glanced back down towards Priestess as the girl started fidgeting around with herself as she carried a small bag with her. She looked so sweet, standing in front of him right now... wearing a simple light green dress, unlike the usual vestment she always wore whenever the two of them... (three more, if he should count the elf ranger, dwarf and lizardman) would head out for their goblin hunts. One wouldn't have imagined that this was the same girl who had accompanied him on all those adventures since she seemed so average-looking right now... just like any other village girl one might see walking around town. Certainly not the same girl who could be seen once a while returning after a hunt, covered in goblin blood and viscera.

"Umm... I brought some of the things you ordered from the apothecary," Priestess started to say as she started rummaging into her small bag. "And I also brought a few other things... since I'd feel bad if we just come over here only for some desserts, and I made some snacks too."

Priestess placed a finger over her lips as if in deep thoughts. "Last night Dwarf Shaman had been busy constructing the special pot that we could use to make the ice creme and I helped a bit with some of the suggestions. Since I did remember how that peddler prepared the dessert."

"That man mentioned freezing milk to make the ice creme, right? So aside from milk, he must've added some other ingredients to make it taste so sweet—!"

He blinked a few times at her, perplexed before clearing his throat. "You don't really have to go so far... I mean, when I said that I wanted to try recreating the ice treat... I didn't really expect that it'll turn out well immediately. I'm not—!"

Priestess right away stopped him before he could utter any more words.

"I know... we know." She started to giggle as it felt as if the sun just shone brightly before him. "It's because all of us had been so excited to be able to do this together."

Priestess smiled again.

Something soft and light seemed to grow inside of him whenever Priestess let out that sweet smile of hers. It wasn't really an unpleasant sensation for him to feel at the moment, yet it felt strange. Did he deserve to receive this kind of warmth after so many things that he made the girl go through just because of his obsession of wanting to obliterate every single goblin in existence? After all of the anguish he caused her, making her use her miracles in such unimaginable ways...

The girl started to giggle softly at him as Goblin Slayer cocked his head towards her.

"What is it?"

She just shook her head. "I just can't wait to see everyone's reaction once they arrive, they would be in for some surprise! After all, it was rare for the others to see you out of your usual getup. High Elf Archer especially would've been pleased to be able to see you like this, while she wasn't half-drunk at least."

"Oh..." he gasped as he belatedly remembered that he didn't have his usual armour on. He turned his glance towards the inside of the shed as all of his equipment and tools were still spread out nicely on the floor. He turned back to face the girl as Priestess cocked her pretty little head towards him.

"Of course, you wouldn't suddenly decide to put your armour on now... would you? It'll be strange if you do that anyway, not to mention inappropriate. I mean, we're supposed to be making the dessert together. And it's not like your helmet, helm and gauntlets were exactly clean..."

"...hrk!"

Priestess chuckled as she noticed the expression on Goblin Slayer's face. Usually, whenever she'd tease the man over anything, his face would always be obscured by the cheap helmet and visor that he usually wore. And it'll be up to her own imagination to picture the kind of expression the man would wear every time she teased him. It's not really a big deal for her nowadays as she could tell what he felt (occasionally) but to be able to actually see his facial expression when he reacted to the things she said to him was certainly delightful!

"Oi... you two, what're you guys doing?" A clear voice called out towards them as Goblin and Priestess turned around.

High Elf Archer immediately stopped in her tracks once she was close enough to see them clearly. Her long ears started flapping in amusement as she resume darting towards their direction.

"Orcbolg didn't have his armour on!" exclaimed the elf as Priestess could see Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest following behind the excitable elf, carrying some bits of odd equipment with them.