Outside of the Window
A chilly wind blew into the room.
It was a sleepy rural town named Rifront. Situated in the country of Osnell, on the continent of Van Delucia. Situated about 10 days carriage ride west from the capital city of Osnell-Tari.
During the summer the town is covered in greenery and the rustic brick buildings look beautiful, but unfortunately, it’s all covered by snow now. There is a lake in the centre of the town, and on clear days you can watch as people dip fishing lines in holes they’ve made in the ice.
Even though it’s called a lake it’s small enough that it only takes half an hour to walk around. The townsfolk call it Rif Ront (Fairy’s Tear), and that’s where the town got its name.
I sat in a second-floor room of the Sparkling Hen, the only inn in the town. As I stretched, I breathed in the bracing cold air that flowed through the window.
“Hey! Yah!”
I heard a cheerful voice yelling outside. Wondering what was going on, I looked out the window and saw a girl with silver hair running through the snow. Throwing the snowball in her hand, she quickly made another one and threw that too.
Her name is Carotayle. I call her Carol. A member of a race known as Werewolves, she is half human and half beast. As she runs around and dodges left and right with impressive agility, her ears and tail bob up and down with excitement.
“You can’t hit me, you can’t hit me! Heeeeey, you slow elf~!”
“What did you saaay!”
Then, a huge snowball was thrown as an angry voice shouted from the other side. Carol was caught completely by surprise, and she was knocked flat on her back when it hit her in the face.
“Ahahahaa, how’s lame. Calling me slow, aren’t you the really slow one?”
There’s a woman doubled over from laughing. Tall and slim, with flowing blonde hair. Even as a woman, I can’t help but admire her beauty.
Her name is Tophrillon F. Iriburgh, but I just call her Tophlin. Just like Carol had said, Tophlin belongs to the elven race. Just as Carol is from a beast race, Tophlin is an elf, which is a species that are different to the Hyurian race that I belong to, which exist on every continent. Long lives, vibrant pale skin, pointed ears and an inherent beauty – these are the common things that distinguish elves from hyurians.
“T-that was a foul! That stupidly huge snowball, I was just confused for a bit!”
“Ah, be quiet, would you. Shouldn’t you just admit you let your guard down?”
“Muu~! One more match! One more match to decide it!”
As Carol said so, she tossed another snowball at Tophlin.
“Well well, aren’t you two in good spirits.”
Unexpectedly, I heard a soft voice nearby, and I looked next to me. With eyes just as gentle as her voice, she had been watching their snowball fight just like I was.
“Don’t you think so as well? Uuu~ It’s freezing… It’s the kind of day you just don’t want to go outside at all.”
Although I had only opened it to get some fresh air, it seems that the room had turned icy cold in the short time I had it open.
Ah, right. The person standing next to me is a hyurian called Rosalith Cuulbacall-san, the older sister in our group who had recently turned 20. By the way, Carol is 14 years old. Tophlin is 18.
Rosalith… Well, I call her Rose, but anyways she’s a Priestess who follows the sacred teachings of Temple of Illya.
To become a priestess, you have to join the convent first. They pray to the Goddess daily and must perform good deeds in Her name. The Goddess sees all that they do, and only the chosen amongst them can be raised up as a priestess. It is said that they can perform a number of miracles. Therefore, it’s important that no one with a wicked heart ever becomes a priestess… or so they say.
Rose always has a calm and gentle smile floating on her face. It’s been nearly half a year since she first came to town, but I’ve never seen her without a smile. Before I noticed it, I had begun to get caught up in her habit of smiling at everything. With long fluffy pink hair, she’s an all-around lovely person.
“Iris, aren’t you going to play outside as well?”
“D-don’t be silly. How can I have fun outside on such a cold day… Besides, I’m not a little kid anymore, on a day like this I’d prefer to read a book somewhere warm.”
“Ufufuu. Really, you always have your head buried in some book, Iris.”
“Haha… Well, I am the bookstore owner’s daughter, after all. I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember.”
Sorry for the belated introduction, but my name is Iris Calvafon. I’m 16 years old, and as far back as anyone can remember my family have been bookshop owners.
However, because of various circumstances, it’s hard for me to return home, so I’ve been staying in the Sparkling Hen for half a year.
As I closed the window and sat next to the stove with my book, a snow-covered Carol burst into the room with a bang.
“Wai-, WAIT! I surrender! I surrender I said!”
“Silence! I’m going to put it down your back as well!”
Tophlin appeared and grabbed Carol by the scruff of her neck by her right hand. And with the snow that piled up heavily in her left, thrust it under the collar of Carol’s clothing….
“HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Carol dropped to the floor and rolled around.
“Hmm. Take this as a lesson, don’t try to defeat me using such cowardly means.”
I feel bad for Carol, but I can’t help but find the poor girl writhing about a little funny.
“Ah, Iris laughed! Don’t try and hide behind the book! I saw you!”
“Ahaha. N-no way~. That can’t be true. I just thought it was nice how energetic you are…”
I ducked back behind the book, but I could feel Carol staring at me. Mu, I can’t lose now. If I lower my book and see her again, I won’t be able to stop laughing.
“Well, ok… But Iris, don’t you want to go out somewhere? You’ve been in the inn for three days now.”
Carol stood in front of the wood burning stove and took off her freezing wet coat. Hey, don’t start stripping off everything else just because it’s only girls here.
“I’m fine. I’m reading through a book I borrowed from the library the other day.”
It was small, but there was also a library in this town. I borrowed a book a couple of days ago, and I’m making sure I finish it before I have to return it. Of course, it’s a little bothersome, since I never had to return books at my parent’s place. As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m a little lazy.
“Even if you say that an adventurer’s greatest treasure is their body? If you just stay inside all day you’re going to ruin it.”
“Eh, well… Unlike all of you, I’m not an adventurer.”
Ah, right. Tophlin, Carol and Rose are all formally recognized adventurers. There are many occupations in this world, and for each of them, there are organizations that cross national borders. An adventurer is a broad term that describes people who do things like hunt monsters or investigate ruins, typically as a group, no matter what organization they’ve joined.
There used to be no such system in place, but now the organization collectively accepts and manages requests for things like monster extermination, ruin surveying and even acting as guards for certain high paying people. In that way, people can trust that adventurers registered with the organization will carry out given requests.
Adventurers are issued licenses by their organizations and have to check in to update their credentials regularly. Strictly speaking, Rose isn’t an adventurer but a priestess, but since the various organizations and the Temple of Illya are in cooperation, she’s acting as a de-facto adventurer.
But, I’m different. Not only am I just a bookstore owner’s daughter with no license, but I also don’t have the strength needed to embark on a difficult journey.
“What are you talking about? You’ve been with us for ages.”
Tophlin interjected with a sigh.
“Fufu, that’s right. Iris is really interested in the outside world.”
“What are you reading right now anyway? Is it an adventure book? I don’t know since I can’t read.”
As Carol pointed out, it was a tale from a thousand years ago about the adventures of Ranroot, the founder of the nation of Osnell. It’s a famous story about how, after receiving the divine protection of the goddess Illya, he took the head of a monstrous Black Dragon. I must have read it countless times, it’s a book that everyone in this country loves.
“Uu, you guessed it… The Adventures of Ranrout, Chapter Five. The meeting between the Goddess and the Hero…”
Because of the various things going on at home that I mentioned earlier, even if I had no talent for it I wanted to experience the life of an adventurer, so I became attached to these three people. But instead of being useful, I’ve only ever been a burden to them. Despite that, these three still encouraged me, and although I still have my insecurities I still enjoy my time together with them. Tastes, sounds, smells and the feeling of breathing fresh air aren’t sensations you can get from a book. With them, everything feels so fresh… Well, to put it plainly, it’s just fun.
“Well, alright. Should we have lunch soon? I’m starving after dealing with Carol.”
“Ah, agreed~ I was just about to say the same thing. I guess we can agree on something, huh?”
“Be quiet, you… At least get dressed first.”
It seems like Tophlin and Carol had been travelling together for a long time before they met Rose and me in this town 6 months ago. Even though they’re different races, they’re almost like sisters to each other, and I can’t help but be envious as I haven’t seen my sister back home for over half a year. Also, since I’m the elder sister, sometimes I wish I had a beautiful big sister like Tophlin… Oops, pretend you didn’t hear that.
“Then, shall we go as well?”
As I turned to talk to Rose, she responded with a smile so warm it threatened to melt my heart, despite how cold it was outside.
“Yes, let’s.”
We headed to the dining room on the first floor of the inn.
The Sparkling Hen is run by a landlady named Meltaria, and a hyurian part-timer girl named Charly. We sat around a table that fit four. In the evening the dining room is full of townsfolk eating and drinking, but since it’s lunchtime we’re the only ones dining. The flames in the fireplace are burning brightly, and the crackling sound coming from the logs adds to the feeling of warmth in the room.
“Heeeey, Charly, you here?”
I felt like Charly was a kindred spirit the same age as me the first time I met her, and we’ve been first friends ever since.
“Yahooo~ Wel- Oh, a group? What can I get you?”
A girl who kept her red hair in a braid down her back emerged from the back of the kitchen. This girl is Charly. Personality wise she’s really friendly, and as for the person themselves, even if they’re self-conscious about them I think her freckles are a charm point.
“Oi, Iris. Why are you staring at my beautiful face so intently this morning? No matter how much you say I’m cute or that you love me, it won’t make me happy, you know.”
“Eh? Ah, sorry. Um, uh, you see…”
I frantically looked through the menu. That being said, I just did it out of embarrassment, I already knew every item on the short menu after having lived her for half a year.
“Just kidding. If it was a cute girl like Iris saying that to me, it might not be so bad.”
“…Is that so? Anyways, I’ll have Grilled Barbato.”
Barbato is a kind of wild boar that is native to the continent of Fundoria, and its soft meat is very tasty. I should probably worry about my weight, but that meat cooked with herbs and spices is hard to resist. With just a little bit of lemon and salt to taste, it’s a peerless gourmet item. It’s such a delicacy I drool a little bit just thinking about it.
“Jeez, you’re embarrassing. Alright, I want what Iris is getting. Oh, let’s get bread and drinks too.”
“What do you mean? It comes with bread and a drink.”
“Then, that will be fine.”
“I think I’ll also have that.”
As Tophlin and Rose made their orders, Carol raised her hand.
“Then, for me… I’ll have Grilled Barbato.”
“Don’t order the same thing as me. Ah, jeez… You’re always doing this. I’m sick of it.”
“Ehehe. I just love messing around with Tophlin too much.”
“Well, I don’t love it.”
Saying so, Tophlin flicked Carol’s forehead.
“Okay, okay. Four grilled barbato. Wait just a little bit. I’ll prepare it and bring it out. Carol, do you just want the usual juice?”
“Boo! Stop treating me like a kid! I want to have a drink!”
Carol pouts in protest.
“Ahaha, well, it can’t be helped if you’re actually a little kid!”
By the way, the legal drinking age in this country is 16, and Carol at 14 is still too young. Although Tophlin and I only drink during special occasions and Rose doesn’t drink for religious reasons, so despite none of us actually being drinkers only Carol gets this teasing treatment from Charly.
Charly disappeared back into the kitchen, the frilly hem of her cute skirt swirling as she walked.
“The snow is really piling up. No matter how much I play and play, it’s not decreasing at all.”
Carol glanced out the window and muttered.
“You’re right. It’s been falling for at least a week now. Well, it’s not too bad to have a rest once in a while. We’ve been really busy up until now.”
“That’s all well and good for us, but it’s a touch troubling for Iris, right?”
Rose looked at me with a worried expression. The circumstances I talked about earlier are quite connected to this snowfall.
“Ahaha… Well, there’s not really anything I can do about it…”
My hometown is about three days carriage ride from here. But, the highway there is blocked by this snowfall. Not to mention, there have been sightings of a dragon, a high-level monster on the road, so that’s the reason I can’t return.
“Why did you come to this town in the first place? You said something about it before, I think. Something like a delivery?”
“Yeah. To deliver a book to the landlady of this inn… Jeez, Carol, I’ve told you so many times already.”
“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. Huh, aren’t your parents worried?”
“You have sent them a letter, right? Well, even if you have, I’m sure they’re deeply anxious if they haven’t seen you in half a year.”
Tophlin murmured, resting her cheek on her hand. Even though Tophlin should have parents of her own, she hasn’t talked about them despite us living together for half a year.
“Yeah. I asked the landlady to write me a letter.”
Since it’s not unusual for the roads to be closed during winter, letters are sent via carrier birds. I’ve already written several letters and sent them along with the other letters being delivered by trained birds. Of course, I haven’t told my parents anything about how I’ve become friends with adventurers, or that I want to become an adventurer myself.
“Why not simply come adventuring with us? Why don’t we go south together? It’s much warmer there?”
“Yeah, it’s really nice down there. There’s no snow at all, so your hands never get cold.”
She’s copying her again, Tophlin sighs and glares at Carol, who glares right back. I know that it’s much warmer in the south, but I’ve never been there myself. Most of the things I know come from the books I read.
“Hmm, is that so? I’ve never been south of this town…”
“It’s really warm. Before I met you all six months ago, I was working as a missionary in the southern port city of Triton, and the sun was so strong there it was like summer all year round…”
“Ohh, I’ve also been there Rose. It’s a lovely place. The problem is that it’s unkind on your hair.”
“Ah, that is indeed a problem… After just one day, my hair felt sticky and awful. I wonder what causes it?”
“Well… I’ve heard that it’s caused by the salt from the sea… But I don’t know really know the details…”
Rose and Tophlin look at me. It seems that whenever I talk like this, people tend to stare. I don’t really get it.
“Hey, do you know what actually causes it, Iris?”
And it becomes like this.
“Eh, well, I’ve never been there so…”
“But you still know about it?”
Carol stared at me with expectant eyes. Carol’s eyes were so beautiful, like gleaming pearls of curiosity.
“The salt in the wind takes away the moisture in the hair. I read that in a book before. I don’t know whether it’s true or not.”
“Hmmm, I see…”
“See, of course you knew it. As expected of the book boss. She’s like a walking library.”
“I just remembered it by chance. I don’t know anything, really.”
“But, I just can’t help but rely on Iris all the time. There’s really no excuse, but…”
I turn my embarrassed face away as Rose looked at me. It’s not that I don’t like it. If I can help anyone with what little I know, I’ll be happy. But… I do feel a little lonely sometimes. Compared to how amazing everyone else is, I’m just a completely average girl.
“But, such a place really exists, huh? Since I’ve only ever lived around this area since I was born, I can’t really get that feeling just from reading books.”
“What, you interested? Of course you are. You’re even more curious than me. You can’t learn those kinds of feelings from books, you know.”
“Well, I’m not sure if I would say I’m interested, but…”
To be honest, I’m jealous. To be able to freely come and go where you please, and choose your own path in life. But, I can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness whenever I look at Carol.
“Hey, stop annoying Iris.”
“But…”
Tophlin flicked Carol’s forehead, and she pouted again. That cute and cheeky Carol is half beast and half human. In the past, they were treated like monsters, but legally they have the same rights as everyone else now. That said, heartless people still discriminate heavily against them.
“Nn? What’s wrong, Iris? You thinking about something again?”
Carol noticed my gaze, and tilted her head to the side. Tophlin had told me a while ago that Carol’s parents had been killed when she was young, and had no choice but take up the life of an adventurer to survive. Whenever I think about it, I think of how lucky I am to have my parents back home.
“Thanks for waiting. Four servings of The Shining Hen’s world-famous Grilled Barbato.”
“Waaahoooo~ Meat meat 〜♪”
As she watched the dishes that Charl brought over, Carol’s eyes lit up. For her to be able to laugh and smile like this, how deep must she have buried that hatred?
“Hey, stop making a fuss.”
“Ehh~ It’s fine. Being able to eat meat every day is something to be happy about, right?”
But if I told Carol something like that, she’d probably just laugh. Because after all, she is…
“Hey!”
Suddenly, a knife is thrust in front of my nose.
“Uwaaaah!”
I was so shocked I nearly fell out of my chair.
“W-what are you doing!?”
Tophlin smacked Carol’s head.
“That huuuuuuuuurts! It’s because Iris has been daydreaming for ages! Her food is going to cold, you know?”
“And that’s a reason to threaten her with a knife!? Sorry, Iris.”
“N-no, it’s no problem… I was just a little lost in thought…”
My heart is still beating rapidly. Tophlin and Carol argue with one another across the table. Meanwhile, Rose just watched over this familiar sort of scene with a peaceful smile. For some reason, I couldn’t help but laugh at the strange things I was thinking about before. With the personality Carol has, I doubt she ever really thinks about things like that.
“Hey, it’s not really my problem, but since I made it special you should eat up before it actually does get cold.”
“Oh ho, it’s a little noisy for lunchtime, isn’t it?”
As Charl huffed and puffed, a woman came through the entrance of the inn with a laugh.
“Ahh~ It’s so cold. Charl, sorry to ask, but can you go around back and boil some water?
“Yes, yes. Leave it to me, Landlady~”
Charl went back into the kitchen. The woman who had just walked in whilst dusting the snow off her clothes is the landlady of the inn, Meltaria. An elf woman with blue eyes, and blonde hair that was swept into a wave. I’ve never heard her actual age, but according to Tophlin, as a fellow elf, she guesses that she must be well over a hundred years old. To begin with, the only reason that I came to this town in the first place is because she ordered a book that our bookstore had in stock. On one hand, she runs the bar with a spirit that could cow any man and on the other, she reads intricate and difficult books. She’s a hard person to figure out.
“Tophlin, you’re in luck, there’s some work for you.”
“Eh… But we only just finished the last one.”
“Don’t complain. You should be thankful that you’re getting any work at all with the weather the way it is.”
As we were chewing on our grilled meat, the landlady walked over to us.
“So, who exactly is commissioning work at a time like this?”
“It’s from your guild. Since you’re the only Warrior in town right now, I guess it comes down to you.”
“Ah~. And I was really happy to finally be getting a break…”
“We should be happy to be of service to others, Tophlin.”
“Ah, it must be nice being you, Rose. Always able to think like that. Well, so be it. I understand I understand. Money is important too. We’ve got to take work where we can get it.”
“The person from the guild will give you the details later. Ah, that’s right, I almost forgot.”
“There’s more?”
“Iris, this is news for you, apparently we might be close to being able to open up the roads again.”
“Huh?”
I was taken aback by those surprising words. It seems like everyone else was as well, and we glance at each others’ faces.
“H-how? Isn’t there supposed to be a dragon between here and Iris’ town? Did it go somewhere?”
The landlady laughed mischievously at Carol’s question.
“It seems like a hero who has the blood of Ranrout running through their veins was sent to defeat the dragon.”
“Eh…? By Ranrout you mean… The hero who defeated the Black Dragon with the help of the Goddess Illya… That one…?”
My voice trembled with awe. To think that a hero with such a legendary lineage would be nearby… It’s amazing, simply too amazing.
“Well I haven’t heard the details, but that’s what the guild said. It’s been half a year since you arrived, but maybe you can finally thinking of getting ready to go home, huh?”
As she said that, the landlady winked.
“Isn’t that great, Iris?”
As I turned to look at her, Tophlin smiled at me.
“When you talk about descendants of Ranrout, you think of the King of Osnell, Olivar. And there’s also his son, Ashel, who is only 17. For one of them to come here, I suppose it must have been the latter?”
A thousand years ago, the power of the Goddess known as Illya had weakened. This caused the ferocious and terrible animals and spirits of ancient times to reemerge, and monsters ran amok amongst the people. Ranrout was the son of a blacksmith who became a hero and defeated the Black Dragon, the leader of all these monsters, with a sword he himself forged. Today, we call this the Illyrian War. Afterwards, Ranrout founded a new kingdom, its capital built around the castle of the Black Dragon he defeated. That country’s name was Osnell. That country, bearing the name of the felled dragon, is ruled by Ranrout’s descendants.
“Ah, I’ve heard rumours about Ashel. He cut off the top of a mountain that scaled into the sky with a single sword swing and saved a town that had only experienced rain for a hundred years. And apparently, he’s a great beauty. I heard a story that when he stepped in to save another country, the Prince there proposed to him believing he was a woman.”
“I think that last one is made up… But is a future king really coming all the way here?”
As Carol looked confused, Rose nodded gently.
“Well, he isn’t really right here, but maybe he’ll stop by if we’re lucky.”
“It seems like the hero was commanded by the goddess specifically to do this. Really, I’m so grateful. The highway has been blocked for so long, business is beginning to dry up.”
As the landlady said so, Rose nodded again.
“We thank you, Goddess, for your overflowing benevolence.”
“Th-then… Wanna go see it? The place the dragon is gonna get beat up?”
As Carol said so, Tophlin gave her a chop on the head.
“Have you not been listening at all? We have a job to do.”
“Earlier, she said it was from the guild… Tophlin, you’re in the Warriors Guild, right?”
A guild is another name for the organizations that are formed to help people of various occupations band together. I forgot to mention it, but Tophlin is from the Warriors Guild, and although it’s not something she mentions publicly, Carol seems to be a member of the Thieves Guild. Although I mentioned that the Temple of Illya and some various guilds and organizations were on good terms, the same can’t be said of the Thieves Guild. Although this never interferes in Rose and Carol’s everyday lives, of course, there are going to be such complications between large organizations like those.
“Yes, that’s right. If you join a guild like that, you’ll never go hungry with the amount of work you get, but it’s a bit troubling not having much choice in jobs.”
“Ehhh~. Let’s go see the dragon, come oooon.”
“You’re still going on about that? You really want to see a dragon so badly, something that can wipe us all out with a single breath? They spit fire, you know.”
“Even if it’s from afar, I want to see the hero fight.”
“You’re still going on about that? You really want to see a dragon so badly, something that can wipe us all out with a single breath? They spit fire, you know.”
“Even if it’s from afar, I want to see the hero fight.”
“What exactly would you gain from putting yourself in danger to see such a thing? Stop saying such selfish things, and just go back to eating.”
“Tophlin you party pooper.”
Carol stuck her tongue out at Tophlin. Tophlin, who was still trying to eat her meat, frowned at her.
“What? It can’t be helped, we have a job!”
“Now now, don’t fight.”
As Tophlin grabbed Carol, Rose moved to break them up. Well, it’s obvious how it would turn out anyways, Carol can’t win against Tophlin in a physical fight and would just end up getting scolded.
“But Tophlin started it.”
“That’s because you’re being selfish and not listening to me! If you want to go and see it so badly, go by yourself!”
“But Tophlin, wouldn’t you be so lonely you couldn’t sleep?”
“W-what nonsense! S-stop saying stupid things and just eat.”
There is one thing I learned after having shared a room with these three for half a year. Carol words aren’t just a silly joke. Tophlin and Carol are always together, it’s the same no matter where they go.
Because Carol has been following after Tophlin for such a long time, if Carol isn’t nearby she begins to get fidgety and inevitably goes to look for her. No matter what they may say, I don’t think these two can live without each other. It’s almost like Carol is her beloved cat or something.
“What’s with that bemused face, Iris?”
“Fue?”
I finally realized that I had been staring at her. I blushed a little bit. I really do think Tophlin is pretty, but I could never muster up the courage to tell her.
“N-nothing in particular? I swear.”
I tried to shift my eyes away and took a bite of food. Yep, it’s delicious. The meat is unbearably juicy.
“Haa… So? What are you planning to do?”
As I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassment, I listened to Tophlin.
“Speaking of the rumours about Ashel, I heard that he also defeated the Giant of the West. If he’s here, it’s only a matter of time before that dragon gets defeated.”
“It seems that it’s a lesser dragon. Well, saying that, it’s still too strong for us to deal with.”
Lesser Dragons are a smaller and weaker class of the dragon race. Still, they’re strong enough to exceed level 35. By the way, Carol is level 5. Tophlin is 6, and the oldest one here, Rose, is only level 7. Just as Tophlin said, even if you pooled the entire party together their collective level would barely be half of the lesser dragon’s level.
Levels are a measure of strength amongst adventurers and are measured at a temple. By the way, since I’m just a bookstore owner’s daughter, I am level 1. Of course, I have zero skill for combat.
“Iris, let’s go together! Hey, heeeey.”
Carol tapped my shin with her foot under the table.
“Um… But… If I go along, I’m just going to hold you back…”
Before this, I had gone on a request with them before. Tophlin had received a request to deal with monsters that had been attacking nearby livestock, and I was allowed to go with them.
But, the only thing I could do was hide. It ended up being that I just watched everyone fight, whilst being protected by Gothmund. Ah, Gothmund is an animal that Rose trained… Well, even though everyone encouraged me and said that no one starts off being an amazing adventurer, I couldn’t help but feel like a burden.
“That’s not true at all, right? Tophlin?”
“That’s right. I don’t mind. I knew from the beginning that Iris’ strengths don’t lie in battle.”
“Uu…”
As if getting back at me for staring earlier, Tophlin laughed.
“But really, having Iris come along is a really big help. None of us can match her knowledge.”
“Right, right! If there’s a fight, just leave it to Tophlin and Rose, so come along with us! If not, who’s gonna make us food?”
“Can you think about something other than food for once?”
Tophlin sighed, then turned back to me.
“Well, it’s true that you’re a big help. Ah, it’s not just meals, you know? You really… help out in a lot of different ways, you know… So if you like… You can come along.”
“Ah, Tophlin, stop being shy and just say it clearly.”
“Shut up!”
After making fun of Tophlin who had started to mumble, Carol gets a smack over the head.
“Kuaaaaaaaaaah! That hurts… That hurts, you know! You violent elf!”
“Shut up, you wolf puppy.”
“Ah! Are you calling me small again?! I’m amazing once I get going, you know!”
“I’m not interested in how amazing you are. Now hurry up and eat your meat.”
“Okay, I’ll eat.”
To be honest, even if I know that I’ll just be a hindrance to everyone, I can’t help but yearn for the life of an adventurer. Even a small job like this would be a big adventure for me, someone who has never been more than a few days travel from my hometown.
“Is… Is it really fine…? After all, I can’t really do anything…”
“Don’t decide such a thing yourself. I told you before that you’re a big help.”
“Fufufu, that’s right. Iris, won’t you come and travel with us once more?”
“Let’s go let’s go! It’s settled, right? It’s settled then!”
Carol jumped up and down with the meat still hanging out of her mouth.
“Besides, no matter what happens, we’ll protect you.”
Tophlin grabbed Carol’s neck and sat her back down in her chair.
“Jeeeez! Well, since Iris isn’t as mean as Tophlin, it’s good to have her come with us.”
Carol laughed as she savoured her food.
“Fufu. So, it seems to be decided then, wouldn’t you say so Iris?”
She showed me a radiant smile like the sun and I nodded without really thinking. There’s no one who can refuse that smile, after all.
“Y-Yes… If I can help in some way… Um, I’ll do my best…”
Even if I sounded nervous, my heart was pounding with excitement.
Adventure ( ・ω・)
Yuri ∩( ・ω・)∩
Yuri Adventure ∩( ・∀・)∩
I’m not going to have any consistent uploading schedule for this, especially if there’s going to be chapters that are regularly this long. And I did consider everyone’s ideas for a new series, but in the end, I wanted to start something from scratch. Please leave your thoughts below~
Also, tell me if I should split chapters this long up in the future, it’s quite a read. Especially if you’re used to the 1-2k word chapters I usually post.