Chapter 67: Discerning Eye

I’m going over the mountain after Tre’ainar’s suggestion that secluded mountain training isn’t so effective for me right now.

However, it does not mean that we will reach the base immediately, so it will take some time.

Therefore, it was quite difficult for me to cross the mountain, because, in the first place, I hadn’t prepared for a trip at all in the town of Honeyborough.

I didn’t have any water or food prepared.

“I’m getting a little hungry… I wish I had returned to town once from Mr. Aka’s house.”

『Good Grief. Have you forgotten the first night? At such times, one should benefit from the bountiful natural blessings of mountains.』

“Oh, this red fruit… it looks kind of sweet…… can I eat it?”

『Cease. Tis poisonous. A staple among mountain fruits that should not be consumed.』

Tre’ainar sighs at my remark as I sat down to take a breather on the way down the mountain.

Yes, what would have happened if I hadn’t met Mr. Aka on the first night?

I didn’t like the idea of catching and eating snakes and frogs. The rabbit I caught also escaped.

I didn’t eat mushrooms after all, so I haven’t had any survival experience yet.

『Well, tis only when you experience such poisons that you acquire resistance, but I will not ask that of you right now. Now, tis important to eat and grow with a nutritional and balanced diet. If you are to consider your diet during the growth period, tis best to reside on level ground.』

Diet. The first thing that came to mind when he said that is the meals I’ve been eating since I was a kid.

Most of them were made by the same person.

“Diet… It’s only been a few days… but not eating Sadiz’s meal…”

Even so, I felt like I hadn’t eaten it much.

I ate it as a matter of course every day.

Even Tre’ainar was so impressed after seeing Sadiz’s menu that had me in mind and was made just for me.

She was always by my side and took good care of me.

That’s why I wanted to repay Sadiz.

I wanted to show Sadiz something cool.

I was always an employer or a young master, I wanted her to see me as a man.

But, it was no good.

On the contrary, it hurt Sadiz.

When I thought back on it, I felt helpless again.

『…… uhn?』

At that time, while I was thinking of Sadiz and pensive, Tre’ainar seemed to have noticed something.

『Oi, child. A little further from here…… along the path…… is there something?』

“Huh?”

Something? What something? Snake? Frog? Rabbit? No way, it can’t be an Ogre, right?

“…… Is it a beast?”

『No, nothing like that, and there is no danger, but… that is…… uhn? Uhn~…… what could it be? ‘that fellow’……』

I’m not sure what he’s talking about.

But Tre’ainar noticed something, and his face gradually became shocked.

Moreover, he was holding his head.

“…What, what is it? The heck……”

I anxiously stood up and made my way as it was, to see if there was no danger.

Then, the trees came out in a slightly open area, and something was dropped there.

“…… What the hell is that?”

It was something wrapped in a bag.

Furthermore, beside it is a cylindrical object.

And besides that……

“Writing utensils?”

Even writing instruments were dropped…… No, was it?

What’s more, there’s a piece of paper attached to it…

“A note? …’Please feel free to eat’ …what?”

It’s not that it was dropped. Please eat? Hey, you’ve suddenly become suspicious, right?

Some kind of trap? But for now, let’s see what’s inside……

“Wh-what the hell is that?”

When I opened the bag, there were about three objects made of rolled up, hardened white rice about the size of a fist.

In addition, what seemed to be yellow and square food cut into bite-sized portions together with the rice.

『Tis… rice balls and fried egg.』

“Raisubou? Fried egg?”

『Uh huh…… as a portable meal or bento, tis a staple dish in Japone.』

Japone’s cooking? Why was it dropped in a place like this, and besides, ‘feel free to eat’? So, does that mean I can eat this?

『It does not seem to contain any poison… eating would be no problem, would it not?』

“Oh, no, but…a-are you sure?”

To be honest, I don’t know why this was dropped, and it’s too suspicious.

However, from the moment I saw this rice ball or whatever, I was so tempted to eat it I couldn’t help drooling.

“Huh? But what about forks and knives? No way, with bare hands?”

『In Japone, rice balls are eaten with bare hands.』

“Hey, don’t you get angry because eating with your bare hands is bad manners?”

『…… such a spoiled twit.』

Is eating something with your bare hands allowed?

Even though Sadiz gets very angry about how I use a fork and knife, with your bare hands?

What? Is Japone like a primitive or undeveloped nation?

But there’s nothing to poke at it with… so that’s how, I took a hearty bite on this rice ball.

“!!??”

I bit on it…… and I….. I wonder what…… it seeped throughout my body…. the taste of each grain of rice is awesome!

What’s more, is there something in the rice ball?

In the white rice, there’s something white….

『Hoh~…… seafood, seasoned with a certain sauce… I see…… Tuna mayo…… tis what you mean, is it not?』

“De, delicious…… so good, what is this?”

『Perhaps. By my knowledge while I was alive, tis not a leap for this to win first place in the Japone Rice Ball Rankings.』

“Seriously!  Tuna mayo is the best!”

I wonder what. It felt like my tired body was reviving.

“I can’t believe you can eat rice like this… This egg…… What?! It’s sweet! But it’s great!”

『It must contain sugar. Japone’s fried egg is different as the eastern culture uses sugar whereas the western culture uses a little salty with soup stock.』

“Oh, somehow, I feel calm after eating this gutsy white rice, I quite like it!”

『Is that so? As for me, I do not care for sweet fried egg as a meal.』

It’s the first time I’ve eaten it. It was a dish that I had never eaten before, even though it was an ingredient I could get in the Imperial City.

It’s simple, yet I’ve come to think it’s great.

Tuna mayo rice balls and sweet fried egg.

“Ah~, water too! The water is moderately chilled and seeps through my worn-out body! It’s so good!”

At first I was suspicious, but before I realized it, I had eaten three rice balls and an egg dish in a few seconds.

I wasn’t full, but it was more than enough to energize the body.

It was a recovery that I didn’t expect to achieve today.

“Surely… this…. from Japone.”

And, although I was satisfied, I calmed down a bit, looked at the empty package and suddenly thought.

“…… as expected, was it her?”

『All of a sudden, appeared then absconded, left that in place and disappeared.』

Apparently, there’s something up with that girl.

“…… Why? Didn’t she go home with her brothers?”

『Who knows. At least there are no other ninjas around….』

So she’s on her own? What is your intention? For me? Simple good intentions?

『Hmm? Oi, child. The note she left earlier…… there is still something written on the back, is there not?』

“Eh? On the back?”

Do not hesitate to eat, is there something written on the back?

When I was told, I turned the paper over…

―― have you replied in the exchange diary yet, I wonder? But I know. I’m sure you couldn’t because you didn’t have any writing tools, right? So, I’ll leave this for you, so use it. I’ll be waiting in anticipation for your reply for as long as it’ll take for me to receive it. I’ll keep on, waiting. On and on, waiting for you ♡

And, somehow the ambience of the writing felt a little sloppy.

As I felt a tremendous chill for a moment, I realized that I had completely forgotten about it.

“Huh, and….. either way, this…… writing? Ah, that’s what the writing instrument is for…”

I could have thrown it away in front of Mr. Aka’s house, but after all, it was an exchange diary that I held on to somehow.

『Huh…… While estranged from your real life, it seems you are being cornered by a troublesome woman, child.』

“Ugh…… e-even if you say that…”

Tre’ainar with a somewhat chilly smile.

To be honest, I’ve never been able to direct my thoughts like this before, and while I don’t feel bad about it, I am a little scared.

And most of all, I don’t know how to deal with this.

『Child. For those who are straightforward and heavily infatuated, should you take a half-hearted and suggestive attitude…… there is a risk that matters will later become irreparable. No matter what your answer, be sincere.』

And finally, my master is in a situation where he even talks about my love affair.

『And when you give your answer, be sure to know the person you are talking to. Earlier, the things I mention would not trouble you if you had them…. power, money, and so on, but there was still something crucial to consider. Tis ‘an eye for people’.』

“An, eye?”

『Tis so. No matter who you are, you do not have to be admired from all sides. Even if you do not have a million subordinates, be sure to identify those you can trust from the bottom of your heart, and keep them by your side. Whether a loved one or a peerless comrade… they will be the pillar of your life.』

Develop the ability to judge people.

『I talked of authenticity a while ago. Tis not only for items. Cultivate an eye for people. In the world, that Ogre…… not all of them are like Aka. A child of your upbringing will easily be deceived, so be careful.』

When I think about it, I certainly wanted Sadiz and my parents to recognize me, but I wanted to look back at all the people who saw me.

But Tre’ainar says.

Even if I’m not recognized by a million people, if there is only one person who can be trusted… If I can identify them…… huh.

“Hmm……. I trust you deeply… It seems, in that sense, I have you now…”

『Oh my, so…… tis…. now… huh? …… fue~.』

“Huh?”

Yes, even if you’re the Great Demon King, Tre’ainar now respects, trusts and leads me…huh?

“…… eh?”

『…huh… ah, aaah… t-tis nothing…』

Somehow, Tre’ainar is acting a little strange…… that? Unconsciously, what did I just say?

Normally, naturally…… That?

“…………”

『……………』

Ach, I said something really embarrassing just now, didn’t I!?

A somewhat cringy thing to do, and I spontaneously…

“Ah, no, no, no, ah, erm, just now, uh huh, goodness, ahahahahahaha! Let’s see, what was it again?”

『Eh? Wh-What was it? Right now, were you speaking? Fuhahaha, apologies. Since my passing I occasionally get a little hard of hearing.』

“Oh, yeah! No, I didn’t say anything, so never mind!”

『Oh, tis so! Well, then this conversation has come to an end! Well, tis a fine day today! On such a day, we should perform some gymnastics under the sky!』

It became awkward, and incoherent so we mutually backed away from the subject.

『”Ahahahahahaha…… ha ha… “』

But, yes, I can’t be helped because Tre’ainar was a deaf demon king. Yeah.

Because he says he can’t hear me, so I can’t hear him, yes!

So let’s get back on track.

“So, erm, what were you talking about? Oh yes, being heavily infatuated, this and that?”

『Um, surely it was!』

“Ah. But, the way you talked just now, like it’s from an extremely personal experience? By any chance, in the past, were you deeply in lov-“

『Now, child! After an intake of carbohydrates, tis better to exercise moderately than to remain idle! So, I shall instruct you on the proper gymnastics!』

…… huh? I was only half joking, but Tre’ainar suddenly changed the subject as if he got flustered.

Ah? It might be the first time I’ve seen my master like this, right?

“Hey, Tre’ainar…… for certain you…”

『Great Demon Gymnastics No.1! First of all, begin with a large stretching exercise!』

Surely… Tre’ainar’s past love? …… terrific, I wanna hear!

『Hoping exercise of both feet! One, two, three, close, open, close, open!』

However, to me, frantic deception notwithstanding, while performing strange gymnastics by skillfully leaping and spreading both hands and feet at a rhythm, Tre’ainar burst into laughter, and ultimately the topic came to naught, darn it!

And, well, it’s something he suggested, so I’ll write my reply to the exchange diary… within the range that can be answered……

Author’s Note

Good evening. Because it is hot, I am completely naked and have no problems.

I’m posting my information on Twitter while I’m traveling, but it’s not interesting, so you don’t have to look at it.

Well, the update was finally interrupted, and there might have been a lot of people who were abandoned, but I still wanted to respond somehow to the person who saw it, and stuck for about two hours in Starbucks. To be honest, the notebook PC I brought takes quite a while to boot up, and I struggled quite a bit because the speed was unusually slow, but I can update with it somehow. I’m still sick every day until I return from my trip, but I’d like to keep updating, so I’m looking forward to working with you, thank you.