Chapter 145 - The Time-Conscious Summer Bird, and the Pure Maiden vs. the Flower Girl: Round Two
It was the next morning that we left the cavern where the Earth Dragon Race lived. Now we were basking in the brilliant sunlight on the surface, walking toward the city of Heilong. Everything was dazzlingly bright, the sun's rays intense. Aira glared resentfully at the sun as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Bathed in this light, the events underground felt like a dream. It had only been two days since Cecily and I fell into that hole. My sense of time was completely out of whack.
"I know it's August, so you can't help it, but isn't it hotter here than in Richelle or Flucht?"
Mizuki said. Her clothes were soaked with sweat and clinging to her skin, making the outline of her bra clearly visible. When I took a commemorative photo, she made an angry face but quickly sighed.
"We've been traveling east, so maybe the climate has changed."
It wasn't humid, but the direct sunlight felt hot, so we tried to walk in the shade of trees as much as possible.
"Mash, you said before that the geography here is similar to Europe's. If we apply that, would this be a continental climate?"
"The Earth Dragon Race said this was the southern limit of their territory, right? We might be right around that border."
I don't think this world is exactly the same as ours, but I figure it's safe to assume it's similar.
"It was cool inside the cavern. I want to go back."
"You think so? I prefer the outside air, even if it's hot."
Mizuki's words made me recall what had happened in the cavern this morning. Before we left, a memorial service was held for the dead. It was not just for this battle, but for all those who had lost their lives fighting the Earth Dragon King. At Maira's suggestion, Aira joined in, and they conducted the ceremony alongside members of the church. What struck me was how the Earth Dragon people would look upon the faces of those who died in the recent battle, and then immediately return to their daily lives. Come to think of it, even though the heir to the throne was dead, Kuuria's and Yanan's reactions were quite detached. They should have been burning with a desire for revenge against the Earth Dragon King. Fam, for example, refuses to speak about the time her village was attacked. But I can sometimes feel a deep sadness in the shadows of her words and actions. Then again, maybe that's just because I'm viewing it through the subjective lens that she must be sad. If Kuuria had told me from the start that the prince had been killed, would I have seen them as a group consumed by vengeance?
"I wonder if they're not sad?"
It seemed Cecily was thinking the same thing I was.
"I doubt they aren't sad, but remember how I said that for them, time is expressed as distance?"
"What about it?"
"Living their lives in the dark, maybe all they have is the 'now'."
"That means..."
She started to answer, then fell silent.
By evening, we reached the Chairman's mansion on Longhorn Street. Fam and I went to the mansion, while the others returned to the inn. In the office, as before, the Chairman sat behind his desk, flanked by two muscular men who glared down at us.
"You're back."
The Chairman jerked his chin, and one of the men left the room.
"My apologies. I've heard the rumors about you. We have no intention of causing any trouble with you."
As he said this, I wished he'd stop giving me that sharp glare. Couldn't he manage a friendlier face? I didn't want to cause trouble with a man who ran an entertainment district like this either.
"The request is complete. Can I take Shizuka now?"
"Yeah, I got a message from Cyril about that, too. And I heard the rumors are true."
If that's the case, he could at least try to look a bit friendlier. As I was thinking that, the man returned with Shizuka.
"Mash, I missed you so much!"
Shizuka rushed forward to hug me, but Fam stepped between us and pushed her back.
"What's the harm in a little hug!"
"It's not allowed!"
"Stingy!"
Fam and Shizuka glared at each other. Shizuka was the first to look away, conceding.
"Whatever. More importantly, Mash, let's have sex! I haven't done it in five days. At this rate, I'm really going to die!"
"Hey, cut it out with the cheesy, dramatic lines!"
"What are you talking about?"
Shizuka giggled. For some reason, her smile made my heart flutter.
"Have you gotten a little cuter since I left you here? See, you were overdoing the sex and making yourself sick, weren't you?"
For one, her skin was glowing. She must have recovered from her venereal disease and regained her health. But I had a feeling her cuteness wasn't just about that.
"Hee hee, did you notice that today's Shizuka-chan is a little different than usual? I actually used makeup to look like Mizuki-chan! So, we can do some Mizuki-chan roleplay if you want."
"...No, if I wanted that, I'd just ask the real person."
I kept quiet about how incredibly tempting I found that idea. To do lewd things with Shizuka pretending to be Mizuki, right in front of Mizuki herself.
"If you won't do it, then I'll take clients tonight with this makeup on!"
"Stop it! Seriously, stop it!"
As Shizuka and I argued, the Chairman tapped his fingers on the desk.
"Hey, how long are you two going to flirt? If you're done with your business, get out of here!"
"...Are you sure? I'm taking Shizuka with me."
The Chairman nodded.
"Yeah. I sent word later that you didn't need to do the request, but you went and did it anyway. If I just hand over Shizuka now, it won't be a gesture of friendship from me. So..."
He shifted his gaze toward the entrance. A figure was peeking in at us from the edge of the doorway.
"Hey, come on in."
At Shizuka's call, a girl with rabbit ears, clad in a white one-piece dress, came into the room. She trotted over and hid behind Shizuka, pressing her face against her back. She was short enough that her head barely came up to Shizuka's armpit. Long, white ears poked out from a mass of fluffy, waist-length hair.
"The Chairman said I could take a few people, so I picked her."
"Wait, you did the picking?!"
I couldn't help but retort with the same energy as Hyakka. My tone must have been too harsh, as the rabbit-eared girl's eyes started to well up with tears.
"You said you liked the rabbit-eared race, Mash."
"She's just a child! Do you really think we can take her on our journey?"
"You have a wide range, Mash. You were even trying to make a move on that elf girl, weren't you?"
Was she talking about Marmie?
"Even for me, a child is out of the question."
"Please! I'll raise her properly to be just your type!"
Fam had been looking down this whole time, her shoulders trembling.
"That is quite enough! Master doesn't feel anything for Moos!"
"..."
Everyone in the room stared at her, stunned.
"Master, I can't take it anymore. Let's leave them and go!"
Fam stomped toward the door with such force it looked like she might break the floor. As I watched her go, she suddenly turned and came back.
"Master, what are you spacing out for? We're leaving."
Fam took my hand and started walking toward the door again.
The curtain of night had fallen outside. Fam and I were at an open-air terrace on Longhorn Street, the same place I'd visited with Fang and Beers. Feeling a bit hungry, I bought skewers of meat and ale for the two of us. I'd tried to buy juice, but they recommended ale if we were drinking it instead of water. Apparently, it had a lower alcohol content than beer. It was also less than half the price. Ale is a type of beer, but I'd mistakenly thought they were the same thing. So this was the ale that people in the Middle Ages drank as a daily beverage. Still, it contained alcohol all the same. I took a sip before handing it to her but couldn't really tell the difference. I barely felt any alcohol.
"Is this sweetness from the sugar in the malt? It's quite pleasant."
She remarked.
"Fam, you didn't used to be this kind of character. I don't know what you're aiming for, but if you have a dream, please tell me."
As I was saying that, a door on the second floor of the building across from us opened. A completely naked woman emerged onto the terrace and began to dance, swaying her hips. This place really was the best. I was about to raise my ale to her, but a glare from Fam stopped me. For a while, we watched her bewitching dance along with the others on the street. It felt strange to be watching this with Fam. The dancing woman winked at me, just as before, and went back inside.
"I wonder why she winked at me... I feel as though she was calling to me."
Fam murmured. Did her wink have some kind of charm magic that made everyone who saw it think it was meant for them? Just then, someone was pushing through the crowd toward us. It was Shizuka. She was carrying a large bag and leading the rabbit-eared girl from before by the hand.
"Why did you go on ahead!"
Shizuka snatched my ale and took a drink. She didn't look like she enjoyed it and immediately handed it back.
"Was the Chairman angry?"
"He wasn't angry. In fact, he was impressed. He asked me to tell you that if you ever get tired of your current master, you should come serve him."
"...I will not!" Fam answered.
"So, how old is the kid?"
I lowered my gaze to the rabbit-eared girl, who was once again trying to hide behind Shizuka.
"Hmm? How old are you?"
When I asked, Shizuka posed the same question to the girl.
"Theven."
The girl answered with a slight lisp.
"What's your name?"
"Lini."
"We have to travel. We can't look after you. I think it's best to return you to your parents. What's the situation?"
"Well, this kid's parents sold her..."
Apparently, while we were heading to the farm, Lini's mother sold her off. Shizuka, who had time on her hands, had been looking after her until we returned. She handed me a piece of paper. It had the texture of animal hide. It was a certificate of the transaction between Lini's mother and the Chairman. It stated that Lini was to be handed over to the Chairman as a slave for fifty gold coins. I quickly checked her arm, but there was no slave crest. Observing her more closely, I thought she seemed a bit too thin. It reminded me of when I first met Fam. Her expression was made to look fuller with makeup, just like Shizuka did for her work. I bought more grilled skewers and gave them to Shizuka and Lini. I gave Lini some fruit juice and Shizuka a beer. Shizuka made no move to pay for her own. She seemed to think it was natural for me to treat her.
"You should be earning a decent amount. Why are you mooching off me?"
"Well, right now, people who want to sleep with me are willing to pay, so it's fine. But in the future, when I get older, my value will go down, right? At that point, I'll be the one who has to pay."
"..."
I'm one to talk, but I wondered if she really loved sex that much. It seemed there were things I could learn from her.
"By the way, how old are you?"
"Me? I was transferred to this world in my third year of high school, and a year has passed, so I guess I'm nineteen now?"
"You're not even an adult!"
"Huh? It's a little late to be bringing that up!"
I tried to snatch the beer from her, but she desperately shielded it. Her, Fam, and Mizuki—why were they all so eager to drink?
"So, what are you going to do? We really can't take her with us."
I thought I had spoken quietly enough for only Shizuka to hear, but Lini's body flinched. Her rabbit ears weren't just for show. I regretted my careless remark.
"Master, if we leave her here, she'll end up like Shizuka."
Fam said.
"We can't let her become a prostitute, obviously."
"I don't know about that. There are people with all sorts of tastes. And there are experiences she can only have now."
Shizuka replied.
"Would it be possible to ask Moos to take her in as a handmaiden?"
Fam suggested. I couldn't think of a better way either, other than calling in a favor. If Shizuka wasn't planning on becoming an adventurer, we needed to find her a job too.
"I don't want to keep accumulating debts, but maybe I can ask Mercedes if there are any openings at the Mateo Trading Company..."
Would there be a job for someone her age? Was it even okay to have her work? I decided to consult Maira about it later.
"Well, it's just until Lini gets big enough for you to fit inside her, Mash."
Shizuka gently patted Lini's head. It was a mystery to me how she could say something so vile while acting so tenderly. I wholeheartedly approved of the idea of her becoming my girlfriend when she got older, so I kept my mouth shut.
"Lini, is there anything you want to be when you grow up?"
When I asked, Lini hid behind Shizuka. Shizuka then whispered something in her ear.
"I wanna be a gweat pwostitute."
Lini said.
"Don't make her say such stupid things!"
I meant to yell at Shizuka, but I ended up scaring Lini again.
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