Chapter 58
“Hey, listen! The thief isn’t the problem right now. The bigger issue is that thief—or rather, that elf—defeated Lord Theatrazen!”
“No way! Him? That’s impossible! He’s a high-ranking… uh, what do you call it? A spirit summoner, isn’t he? Someone who could even rival a Sword Master!”
“Exactly! But they say he lost! Rumor has it… the elf was a high-ranking water spirit summoner who summoned the sea! That’s what ultimately made Lord Theatrazen kneel.”
“…Summoned the sea? How does someone even summon the sea?”
Wait a second, it wasn’t the sea that was summoned.
It was just seawater.
And that old man didn’t suffer a total defeat!
I didn’t claim a complete victory either!
If that old geezer had used his space spirit from the start, I would’ve lost.
Tsk, I grumbled quietly to myself, annoyed at the conversation of strangers who didn’t know the truth.
“Who knows? Anyway, that’s the story. So now the kingdom is in chaos, trying to catch that elf.”
“Hmm, but if the elf could summon something like the sea, there’s no way they’d get caught. They probably went back to their forest already.”
“True. Still, you never know! Maybe they’re hiding somewhere in this restaurant, pretending to be human.”
“Ha, now you’re just being ridiculous!”
I’m right here, thank you very much.
And for the record, I’m not pretending to be human—I am human.
That rumor is all wrong.
Still, I have to hand it to Theatrazen for pulling off something impressive.
Using his blue-eyed human girl to disguise me as a brown-eyed male elf was a stroke of genius.
Now, what did Rai say about the wanted poster?
Golden hair, brown eyes, slim build, male elf?
In any case, aside from the golden hair, it had nothing to do with me.
That gave me some relief.
Unless I turn myself in, there’s no way I’ll be caught.
Sure, the fact that I’m a water spirit summoner overlaps with the description, but that one’s a high-ranking summoner, while I’m officially only a low-ranking summoner.
[Master, humans are approaching.]
“Geenie, what are you doing? Did you order your food yet?”
“Huh? Oh, not yet. I was about to.”
I had been muttering to myself when Withry came down with Gale.
Since I hadn’t started speaking casually with Withry yet, things were still a bit awkward between us.
But it wasn’t a big deal since I’d long since mastered the art of acting nonchalant in such situations.
Lately, though, these two seemed to be sticking together an awful lot.
Whether they noticed my suspicious gaze or not, Gale spoke up.
“Ash said he’s taking a nap and will come down later. Same with Chad.”
“Really? What about Enk and Lox?”
“Enk should be coming down soon, and Lox said he has a book to finish reading.”
“Then let’s just order for four people for now. I’m starving.”
I straightened up from where I’d been slouching over the table and leaned back in the chair.
Ah, my aching body.
So I have to do all this again, huh?
According to Ash, we’ll have to ride quickly to Vaikis from here.
Apparently, we need to make it in time for the ship’s departure.
If the next ship were just a day or two later, we could afford to take it slow. But here, ships only came every three to ten days on an irregular schedule.
Don’t they have airplanes here?
If we had planes, it would only take a couple of hours to cross the sea. Tsk.
[Master, why are you frowning? Are you that hungry?]
[Hmm, I was just thinking it would be nice to have airplanes.]
[What’s an airplane?]
[A machine that flies… like a ship in the sky?]
In a way, it’s similar to a ship since they’re both mechanical things that move.
But airplanes…
They don’t really fit this world.
After all, this place has its own methods of travel.
[So, would it fall out of the sky? Like, splat?]
[No, no. I was just rambling. Forget it, Rai.]
As inconvenient as things may be, everything in this world has evolved over time to suit its people. It’s not my place to interfere.
Sure, if I wanted to, I could recreate some of the simpler machines from my previous life.
But doing so would cause huge disruptions here, and that would just be arrogant of me.
So I’ll stay silent until the people of this world discover and create such things on their own.
“Wow, Gale, your hometown is Neikal? That’s amazing!”
“It’s nothing special. It’s just a crowded place with lots of buildings.”
“But Neikal has those animals, right? What are they called… those bears with black spots?”
“Oh, pandas?”
While I was lost in thought, Gale and Withry were deep in conversation.
Yep, these two are definitely suspicious.
Gale, who used to give me those gooey “I like you” looks, hasn’t done that lately.
Well, he did experience my chaotic personality firsthand, so whatever affection he had must have cooled off by now.
“Pandas? Is that what they’re called? I can’t imagine them. A bear with black spots… what do they look like?”
“Um, they’re white with black ears and markings on their bodies. Really cute. And they only eat leaves from a certain kind of tree.”
“A certain kind of tree?”
“Yeah, it’s a thin, tall tree… According to rumors, it’s from the mysterious continent of Abelas.”
That’s bamboo.
Apparently, they call it something grand here. Abelas, the mysterious continent.
If I ever get the chance, I’d love to visit that place—a land shrouded in myths and legends.
They say it’s filled with all the most beautiful creations of the gods, along with sacred beings and species long extinct from our continent of Cransia.
But Abelas is surrounded by massive waves and endless whirlpools, so people can only confirm its existence from afar. No one dares approach it, calling it the land of the gods.
It’s like a forbidden land, rejecting all human touch.
Just reaching it supposedly takes half a year.
At least, that’s what the rumors say.
“Wow, Abelas? A tree from there, really?”
“It’s not confirmed. They just say the tree’s unique shape makes it seem like it could only grow there.”
“I see. Pandas… I’d love to see one. They must be so cute. What do they look like? I’m curious.”
“Want me to draw one for you?”
Oh great, look at these two, getting all chummy.
Are they… dating?
Whether they noticed my disapproving gaze or not, Gale pulled out a notebook and skillfully sketched a panda.
Withry, holding the drawing, smiled brightly and cheered in delight.
Well, Withry’s drawing skills are… no, they’re downright awful.
“Wow! Is this really what they look like? It’s like a doll. More importantly, Gale, how are you so good at drawing? I really admire you.”
“R-Really? You’re too kind. There are plenty of people who can draw as well as I do.”
“No way! You even fixed my circlet the other day! You’re clearly very skilled with your hands.”
“H-Hahaha. Is that so? Hearing that makes me feel proud for no reason.”
Ugh, are you seriously flirting right in front of me? Do you have a death wish?
Not that I care if Gale dates Withry or Chad, since I was never interested in him in the first place.
The problem is that I’m single!
Annoyed, I was about to say something when the food arrived.
“Here’s your meal. Enjoy!”
The words I wanted to say were put on hold.
Food first!
I focused on filling my hungry stomach, all the while glaring at the two of them as they shamelessly flirted over their meal.
Ugh, you two are ruining my digestion! Could you tone it down a little?
“Gale, try this. It’s really delicious.”
“No, Withry, you eat first. I’ve had plenty.”
“Oh, come on, Gale! I can only eat comfortably if you take the first bite…”
Bang!
“Just eat your food already!”
I slammed my cup onto the table, sending a warning to the two who stared at me in shock.
What, you think you’re the only ones here?
I’m here too!
Oh, and Rai is here as well.
Startled by the bang, Rai, who had been lying on my lap, lifted his head and perked up his ears.
[That scared me!]
“S-Sorry, Geenie.”
“Are you two dating? Huh? Since when? Could you at least keep it down?”
“O-Oh no! Not at all, Geenie! W-We’re not…”
My sarcastic remark made Withry overreact, denying it excessively.
Gale, sitting beside her, had his face twist in disappointment.
Ha, serves you right.
He looked at Withry with a devastated expression.
They say watching a lovers’ quarrel is second only to watching a fire for entertainment.
Personally, I’m not a fan of fires, though.
I chewed on a piece of bread, feeling like I was watching a play.
“Withry…”
“Gale… I, well… I…”
“You really don’t like me, do you?”
“No, that’s not it… but…”
In this world, dating isn’t just about romance.
Here, dating implies a relationship intended for marriage.
Of course, this primarily applies to commoners, while the concept is weaker among nobles.
Still, the idea of dating with marriage in mind is strong, making casual relationships rare.
I was enjoying the show from a distance when Gale suddenly spoke with a determined look.
“Withry! Then let me officially confess! Please date me!”
“G-Gale…”
[What are these kids doing?]
Hey, you’ve only known each other for ten days!
“Dating” here is practically equivalent to a marriage proposal… Excuse me! Withry, you’re supposed to reject him!
Why are you blushing?
I felt embarrassed for her and gulped down the piece of bread I was chewing.
W-What’s going to happen?
“I love you, Withry!”
“I-I… I don’t know yet, Gale. Let’s… let’s take some more time, okay? Sniff!”
Withry suddenly teared up, stood from the table, and ran out of the restaurant.
Hey, is this a soap opera?
What’s going on?
I was left dumbfounded as Gale also rushed after her, leaving the restaurant.
Snapping back to reality, I found myself sitting alone at the table with four portions of food in front of me.
Anyone walking in would think I was an enormous glutton.
[…Master, what was that just now? It was kind of creepy.]
[I got goosebumps.]
Still, I wish them well.
For the record, their fight wasn’t my fault.
I finished eating, shoved the remaining food onto Enk, who arrived late, and went up to my room in a refreshed mood.
—
To relieve the fatigue that had built up, I decided to take a nap, the best form of rest.
“Rai, come here.”
[Yes!]
Since I’d gotten into the habit of using Rai’s tail as a pillow during our travels, I now found it hard to sleep without it.
This habit would probably be a problem once I returned to the academy, but Rai’s tail was so soft that giving it up seemed impossible.
As I rested my head on his tail and closed my eyes, sleep quickly overcame me.
Ah, this is nice…
Just as I fell into a deep sleep, some noise gradually pulled me back to consciousness.
Bang, bang!
“With…ry… Open… up…”
Ugh, who’s making such a racket…?
Bang!
“Withry!”
That voice… Gale?
I finally opened my eyes, annoyed.
What’s his problem?
Looking around, I noticed Withry sitting curled up on the bed next to mine.
Hey, he’s calling for you.
“Withry? Gale’s calling for you.”
“…”
“Withry, don’t you hear him?”
“…”
I approached her, noticing that she was sitting silently with a frown.
Peering closer, I saw earplugs nestled in her purple hair.
Hey! You’re blocking him out, but what about me?
Annoyed, I pulled the earplugs out of her ears.
“Withry! Gale’s calling you!”
“Eh? Geenie…”
“Plugging your ears doesn’t solve anything… Don’t cry!”
“Hic, hic. What should I do, Geenie? Gale… Gale…”
Great, now why is she crying?
I hate tears!
How long has it been since I dealt with Annie crying all the time?
Annoyed, I looked at Withry’s tear-streaked face, then at Gale, who kept pounding on the door.
The noise was fraying my nerves.
“Withry, you’re 22 years old! You’re older than me, yet you’re crying? Adults shouldn’t act like this!”
“But… I just don’t know what to do. I’m so confused.”
“Just tell Gale how you feel. If you don’t like him, say so. If you do, then say yes!”
“I do… I do like Gale. But… we’re just too different.”
What’s so hard about liking someone?
If you like him, then just date him.
I briefly wondered if Gale might be a noble or something.
No, he’s not.
He’s just a commoner, and so is Withry.
There didn’t seem to be anything standing in their way.
“What’s different? You’re both commoners… and you’re around the same age.”
“I… I’m a war orphan. I have no parents. If my teacher hadn’t taken me in, who knows what kind of life I’d be living now? I don’t even know where I come from.”
“That… doesn’t seem very important to me. People are people. Whether you have parents or not, it doesn’t change who you are.”
“No, it’s not okay. Someone like me dating Gale… it would only bring him trouble!”
No parents.
So you can’t date someone because of that?
I couldn’t relate to her reasoning at all.
What does that have to do with anything?
If you both like each other, then just date! Why bring parents into it?
In my case, since I’m a noble, my parents’ opinion matters, and not having parents would make marriage complicated. But they’re commoners.
Sure, they don’t have power, but they have freedom.
“It’ll be fine. Just tell Gale. I’m sure he won’t care about that—”
“No! It’s not fine! If Gale finds out I’m an orphan, he’ll definitely hate me. Please don’t tell him. Please! Sniffle… hic!”
[Uh, Master, your clothes…]
Withry, in the middle of her sobbing, grabbed the nearest cloth to blow her nose—and unfortunately, it was the collar of my shirt.
Ugh…
“Fine, fine. Just stop crying, Withry.”
“Sniff… Geenie, please tell Gale we’ll talk later. Just later, okay?”
“…Me?”
“Please! I’m begging you!”
You’re the one who said you’d serve me, remember?
I didn’t even ask for that!
You said you wouldn’t be a burden and would help me, yet you’re dumping this on me?
Tsk. Reluctantly, I got up from the bed.
[Master?]
“I’ll go talk to Gale. You’d better wash my clothes later.”
“Sniff… Yes, I’ll do that.”
I approached the door and took a deep breath.
What am I even doing, interrupting my nap for this?
Still, ignoring her would’ve left me feeling guilty about my earlier prodding.
Bang, bang.
“Withry! Just let me… Geenie?”
“Whoa, calm down. Back up. Don’t come in.”
Carefully opening the door to avoid getting hit by Gale’s fists, I stepped into the hallway and closed it behind me.
As I did, Rai slipped out through the gap in the door.
[Let’s go together, Master.]
[Fine, fine. Behave yourself.]
“Geenie, what did Withry say?”
“…Let’s not talk here. Let’s go somewhere else.”
Despite the commotion, no one peeked out into the hallway.
It seemed Gale hadn’t been banging on the door for too long.
Looking outside, it was about the time everyone was out drinking.
“Oh, right. Let’s go to our room. Everyone’s downstairs drinking, so they won’t be back for a while.”
“Everyone? Even Ash?”
“Everyone’s gone.”
Ash isn’t the type to drink much…
Lox, on the other hand, surprisingly seems to enjoy it.
Following Gale, I headed to the five-person room upstairs.
It was about twice the size of the room Withry and I shared, and as Gale said, it was completely empty.
Taking a seat in a chair, I noticed Rai sprawled out beneath my legs.
He must’ve realized this would take a while.
What should I say?
I came along because he wouldn’t let this go easily if I didn’t, but…
“Sigh… Hey, Gale.”
“Yeah? Tell me! What did Withry say?”
“Um, well… that’s hard to explain. Let me ask you something first. What do you like about Withry? You’ve only known her for ten days.”
“What do I like about her? Hmm, so many things. I like that she can’t draw, her pretty smile, her kind personality, her humility, the way she always listens to me… Withry’s a great person. She always looks me in the eye when she talks.”
So, the opposite of me.
Is that the kind of woman men like?
I can draw decently, my smile probably looks mocking, I have a terrible personality, I’m full of myself, and ignoring others’ words is my specialty!
Do I make eye contact?
Only to guess what the other person is thinking.
“That’s quite a list. But don’t you think confessing after just ten days is… a bit rushed? You startled Withry.”
“Y-Yeah, but Withry said she’s leaving in two months…”
“Fair point. Still, you were too hasty. If it were me, I’d have slapped you on the spot.”
“…Th-That bad? Was I really that wrong?”
Well, it depends on the person, but that’s what I’d do.
If someone I’d only known for ten days confessed, I’d be dumbfounded.
Or is it just me?
“Uh… I’m not sure.”
“Why? You must’ve had a lot of boyfriends, Geenie!”
“…I have not! What kind of person do you think I am?”
“N-No? But you’re so good at dealing with people—”
Does he still hold a grudge over that time I had Rai kiss him?
For your information, I’ve been single for nearly 20 years, buddy!
Come to think of it, my 20th birthday is in a week.
Not that anyone seems to remember.
“Not at all. I have very high standards, thank you!”
“…Then what should I do? What if Withry keeps avoiding me?”
“Well, she did say to tell you she’ll talk to you later… so I don’t think she’ll avoid you forever.”
“R-Really? Did Withry really say that?”
Gale’s face lit up.
Tsk. Just ten days ago, he hung on my every word. Not anymore.
It seems Gale has found his ideal match.
“Yeah, she said she wants to talk later. Withry’s scared of something.”
“Scared? Of what? Me?”
“…Something like that. She seems afraid of how you’ll react.”
“What is it? Huh? Tell me, Geenie!”
Honestly, I wanted to be upfront and tell him, but this was something they needed to resolve on their own. So, I shook my head.
“It’s a secret.”
“C-Come on, can’t you give me a little hint? Please?”
Gale leaned in and placed his ear close to me, pleading. But I wasn’t about to give in.
I reached out to gently push his ear away, but just then, the door burst open.
“…Geenie?”
Oh, gosh.
I’d gotten so used to Rai giving me a heads-up when someone approached that Ash’s sudden entrance startled me.
Gale, who had been leaning in close, immediately straightened his back and turned around, flustered.
“Ah, A-Ash? When did you…?”
“Ash? You… you guys… here… what are you doing?”
I noticed Ash trembling slightly, his eyes shaking as well. Judging by his behavior, it seemed like he had been drinking.
Did he drink a lot?
[Oh, it’s Ash. Sorry, Master. His steps were so wobbly I thought it was someone else.]
As Rai said, Ash was visibly drunk, glaring at me with wide-open eyes.
When I stood up from the chair, he collapsed in front of the door, sitting there heavily.
What’s going on?
How much did he drink to end up like this?
He’s a swordsman—or rather, someone on the verge of becoming a Sword Expert.
“What’s wrong, Ash?”
I approached him, wanting to help him up, but hesitated, unsure of where to grab him.
Before I could decide, Ash smacked my outstretched hand away with a sharp slap.
What the—?
I pulled my hand back awkwardly, curling it into a fist, as Ash staggered to his feet.
He was glaring at me, his eyes filled with what seemed like resentment.
“Don’t… touch me.”
“Ash, what’s wrong with you?”
“You…”
“…?”
I tilted my head, confused by Ash’s strange behavior, but just as he seemed ready to say something, he clamped his mouth shut.
Without another word, he turned and quickly left the hallway.
For someone so drunk, he sure moved fast…
I stood there dumbfounded, staring at the empty hallway. Gale’s soft voice broke the silence.
“As I thought, Ash…”
“Ash what? No, more importantly, why’s he acting like that?”
“Are you seriously asking, Geenie? Ash… he likes you.”
Wait, what?
I couldn’t believe my ears.
I didn’t want to believe it until Rai confirmed it for me.
[Huh? That human likes you, Master? Are we talking about that awkward, cringy thing from earlier?]
“You’re joking, right?”
“I used to wonder, but now I’m certain, Geenie. Ash likes you!”
Oh my god.
I turned to look at the hallway Ash had disappeared down.
Wait a minute, does that mean I should go after him?
And if I do, then what?
What am I supposed to say?
My mind was spinning.
Why is everything so complicated?
Besides, isn’t running away supposed to be the girl’s role?
Looks like we’ve got ourselves another couple.
