After healing my fatigue in the bath, I retired to bed to heal my mind as well . It was a way for me to return to being completely healthy and invincible . But these things take time…
“Asagi, get up already . ”
“Mmmm… I’m still tired…”
“You have slept enough…”
It was now midday . On our fifth day here . It wasn’t a big deal . I hadn’t rested like this in a while, and so the slothful habits were returning .
Still, knowing about it and doing something about it were two different things . In other words, I had become accustomed to a lifestyle where I did not do much besides roam back and forth from my bed and the living room on the lower floor . Sometimes climbing the steps was too much trouble, and so I used Legs of the Forest Wolf in order to rise up to my bed in order to dive in .
I think it happened on the second day…a man who claimed to be the manager had visited us . He had apparently gone on about how his employee had acted wrongly . I hadn’t heard any of it because I was sleeping .
No one had visited us since then, and the days passed peacefully, at least for me, since I decided to shut myself up in here .
Of course, it was now coming to an end . Daniela was a bit cross .
I clutched the blankets as a show of resistance . .
“It’s all the same color out there!”
“You promised that we would go sightseeing!”
“Ggg…”
I was weak to promises . My grip weakened with my resolve, and the blanket pulled free of my fingers . Daniela rolled it up and held it under her arm . Then she glared at me .
“We are going . But first, do something about that wreck you call your hair . ”
“Fine…”
And so I begrudgingly got out of bed .
“Sorry . It was just so comfortable that I couldn’t help myself . ”
“I understand . This bed . I do not think there is a softer one in all the world . ”
Daniela said with a wry grin . The corner of my mouth also twisted into a smile .
“Well, enough about that . Taking me out on a date is also important . Let us go . ”
“Yeah . Just let me get ready . ”
Daniela had her arms around me, and so I patted and rubbed her on the back until she released me with a look of regret . I gave her a light peck on the cheek before going down to the fifth floor and taking my new clothes out of the hollow bag . I would be all in black today .
“Asagi . ”
“Hmm?”
“Hurry . ”
I picked up the clothes and turned around . Daniela was waving at me from floor five and a half . What a weirdo . But cute .
“Yeah, I’m trying . ”
“Hmm…”
I left the oddly meek Daniela and washed myself in the bath before putting on my new clothes . When I looked in the mirror, that pale-faced night shift man was nowhere to be found . Well, I’m sure I still looked really out of place next to Daniela, but that was just me . In any case, I meant to thoroughly enjoy this day with Daniela .
But when I got out of the bathing room, Daniela was not there .
Well, that seemed like a likely enough thing to happen, but it didn’t . She was also wearing her new set of clothes from the White Lily as she stared out of the window . She was wearing the pants today, which accentuated her hips .
“Hmm? Ah, there you are . ”
“Sorry to keep you waiting . ”
“Then let us go . ”
Daniela headed for the door, and so I grabbed the hollow bag and followed after her . I thanked her as she held the door open for me and then locked it .
When we went down to the entrance, we were predictably subject to much staring . I could tell that Daniela was quite annoyed by it, and so I tapped her on the shoulder and sighed .
“There’s no point in caring, right?”
“Yes, I suppose…”
Besides, on closer inspection, they weren’t the same as the looks of disgust on the first day . It seemed more like curiosity . There was a woman who blushed at the sight of Daniela and a young boy who saw Daniela and ran to go tell his parents . The attention I got was, well, it was also embarrassingly filled with curiosity .
“That little scene must have changed the way they saw us . It was thanks to you . ”
“Well…Let us just say that it was then . ”
Daniela walked with her arms crossed, but her footsteps seemed a little lighter now .
And so we left the key at the counter and went out to explore the town of Yukka . It would be our first time getting a really close look at it . The scene from the ground was quite different than it was from above .
The two of us walked without a particular destination . The pale green walls were all made of stone . I thought that it must have taken ages to paint all of it .
As we walked and looked at our surroundings, we came out into a large street . It was likely the main street . I thought this because of the delicious smell that came from it . It made you hungry .
“I smell something really good from that store . ”
“Do you want to go in?”
Daniela asked . It was pretty obvious from how restless I suddenly became, that I wanted to go very badly .
“Maybe . I am sort of hungry . ”
“I thought you would say that . ”
Daniela said with a nod as she began to walk ahead . I chuckled and followed after her .
“Welcome!”
“Have you two empty seats?”
“Aye, take any you like . ”
A friendly bearded man seemed to run the place . A place filled with the smell of meat being cooked . It grabbed a hold of me and Daniela and would not let go .
And so of course, we would have to order it .
“We’ll have two of whatever is creating that smell . ”
“Hahaha! Oh, but it is not just a smell . The taste is where it is at!”
We could then hear the sound of meat sizzling on a frying pan .
“A duet of meat . ”
“Are you ill? Asagi . ”
Daniela was worried about my thoughtless mutterings . She was probably worried about my head .
“I’m fine . ”
“It did not look that way . What was it you said? A meat duet? I have to assume that your mind has deteriorated significantly…”
She had an expression of deep concern, but I soon noticed a twitch at the corner of her mouth . Oh, was she mocking me?
“Fine . I guess you’re not that hungry then . I’m hungry enough to eat for two . ”
“I was wrong . Please forgive me . ”
Daniela repented and bowed her head . The power of meat was compelling .
“What is this idiocy . Here . Eat your meat . Meat!”
“Thank you . ”
After that, we tore through the dishes in silence .
The thick slice of meat had no sauce, but was hardly simple . It was covered in spices that were almost as strong as the fresh smell of the meat itself . The juices oozed out when I cut out the first piece . Then I opened my mouth wide and deposited the portion within . I knew it the moment the knife slid in, but it was very soft . But cooked through as well . I was mystified as to how it could be like this, but the dripping juices washed away any questions I had .
My plate was empty before I knew it . When I looked up, so was Daniela’s . We both chuckled .
“Mister . We’ll have two more plates!”
Came our duet . And the orchestra of cooking meat recommenced .
“Uhh, I’m stuffed . ”
“Ah, I have not eaten so much in a while . ”
We said as we took a walk after the meal . We had made an order after that as well, finishing three plates in total each . But meat that soft was kinder on your stomach . Well, it would have been if we stopped on the second plate…maybe .
And so it was with much pain that we walked, but we got used to it over time . I barely noticed the weight in my stomach after a while . When I looked around, most of the passersby were tourists or Adventurers .
This was the closest town to the imperial capital… So it was no wonder there was such a variety of people .
And those bandits had preyed on them…their existence was not to be tolerated . I had calmed down considerably since then, but the scene came back easily whenever I recalled it .
“By the way, weren’t we supposed to get paid our reward money through the guild?”
“Then that should be our next destination . ”
We nodded to each other and headed for the road leading to it . Well, it turned out it wasn’t where we thought it was, which resulted in us getting lost…