CH 52

After returning to the guest room, Seto told Satis the exact same things he told Osiris.

He sat down right next to her, and told her one detail after the other.

[Why didn’t you tell me sooner? …Or so I’d like to say, but I’m the one who did not put you in the right conditions to talk about it.] (Satis)

[Sorry. I couldn’t find the courage to tell you either.] (Seto)

[It’s all right. If anything, it must have been rather painful for you to have to deal with all this on your own. …Besides, if the contents of that letter are true, then you would have eventually had to fight Sebek at some point anyway. Seto, from now on as well, I will support you all the way.] (Satis)

[Thanks, Satis.] (Seto)

The two smiled gently and nodded to each other.

Then, they established their next course of action.

Early tomorrow morning, they would head to the ancient ruins of Hopi Mesa.

Tomorrow, they would prepare themselves under the assumption that the area would surely be bustling with people, as it had become a town.

They were told that they could keep using the guest room as they liked, so they would get to sleep comfortably in there.

They decided to have dinner in town.

Then, as Satis declared that they would have to procure food and water for the road immediately and was about to open the door, Seto stood behind her and asked a question.

[Say, Satis. Can I ask you a question?] (Seto)

[Hm? Is there something wrong?] (Satis)

[No, it’s not that. …Tell me, what do you think of yourself? Do you appreciate yourself?] (Seto)

[Why ask me this all of a sudden?] (Satis)

Satis let go of the doorknob, and faced Seto.

With her arms folded, her feet about shoulder-width apart, and her head tilted to one side, she looked down at the boy, who was hanging his head down a bit.

[The thing is… I tried no to let it bother me back when I fought Sebek, but…] (Seto)

Seto told her what Sebek told him back then.

It was a remark that had been on his mind ever since they clashed.

『…The thing about you is, you may appreciate other people, but you don’t appreciate yourself, right?』(Sebek)

『…You’re aware that you’re a lowly guy, and that your hands are tainted. You respect and try to love others, but you have a low opinion of yourself. That’s what your swordsmanship tells me. …And that’s no good. It’s such a waste. When you wanna live as yourself, you gotta love yourself.』(Sebek)

『…You’re a battle maniac, just like me. If you come to love the battlefield, you’ll surely come to love yourself too. No matter how long or short it is, a life where you love others but don’t love yourself is an empty one, y’know?』(Sebek)

At that time, he brushed that matter aside with his fighting spirit so as not to let it hinder him during battle, but now that peace was back, Seto had been ruminating that matter in his mind since then.

He scratched his head with a troubled expression as he spoke out his feelings.

[I kind of understand what it means to like someone now. But… I just don’t get what it means to like oneself, no matter how hard I think about it. …What’s your opinion on this, Satis?] (Seto)

Seto raised his head and asked Satis.

The look he gave her was not one of sadness or distress.

Rather, it was simply the look of confusion of a pondering child who turned to Satis for answers, as she was older and had lived through various experiences.

As for the woman herself, after thinking for a moment with her index finger on her chin, she smiled and bent down to meet Seto’s gaze.

[I guess… I feel the same as you do.] (Satis)

[The same… as I do?] (Seto)

[As I am now, I know what it is to love someone, too. But if you ask me if “I love myself,” then I really don’t know what to answer, either.] (Satis)

[I see…] (Seto)

[Now, here’s a few questions of my own. When he said that you were “a battle maniac like him,” did you think so as well? Do you truly believe that if you came to love the battlefield, you would come to love yourself?] (Satis)

Those were questions that addressed Sebek’s statements.

Seto answered without thinking.

[I… don’t think I’m a battle maniac. I’ve never liked the battlefield, and I don’t think I ever will. …I’d much rather go to all kinds of places and meet all kinds of people together with you.] (Seto)

Hearing that answer, Satis gave an even happier smile and stroked Seto’s cheeks and head.

[In that case, I think this is what you should cherish about yourself. And that’s also what I really love about you, Seto.] (Satis)

[Huh!? …S-Sure!] (Seto)

Though Seto was blushing, he averted his gaze with a not-so-dissatisfied look on his face.

Satis gave him a gentle look, then stood back up and reached for the doorknob to leave the room.

As she did so, she gave her answer to him.

[I think I want to cherish myself in the same way you do. I’m sure that doing so will make me love you even more.] (Satis)

[O-Okay. …We’ll overcome this together! I have a feeling you and I will be able to surmount any hurdle that comes our way.] (Seto)

[Indeed. I think so too. …Come on, let’s go to town! We’ll go shopping, and feast on delicious food to our hearts’ content. We’ll have to wake up early tomorrow too, so let’s build up our energy!] (Satis)

[Okay, sounds like a plan.] (Seto)

Seto and Satis smiled with satisfaction as they left the guest room and headed for the entrance to the facility.

On their way there, they met Osiris and his men, all of whom greeted the duo with kindness.

Having heard about the role they played in that last battle, they were now putting their full trust in them.

Knowing that their fight had not been for naught filled our protagonists with joy.

As they thanked each and every one of the guards, they walked out of the barracks.

The city of Ulaine Donagh was as lively as it had been when they first arrived.

[Shall we go?] (Seto)

[Yes.] (Satis)

Once again, Seto And Satis walked through the city hand in hand.

They bought necessities, sometimes while visiting the tourist attractions, and enjoyed their moments together until dinner time.

For dinner, they went to a slightly high-class restaurant.

They celebrated their victory using Osiris’ reward money.

[A-Are you sure we can eat in such a fancy restaurant?] (Seto)

[Of course. We got plenty of gold from Osiris. It’s more than enough to afford it. …Now, let’s eat. This dish has all the meat you want.] (Satis)

[R-Right! I’m digging in!] (Seto)

Satis, who was watching Seto gobble up the meat with his eyes sparkling due to how delicious it was from across the table, had vegetables, fruits and fish as her main course.

The fish meunière was especially exquisite, and even she could not stop herself from smiling.

[*Munch*…! *Chomp*…!] (Seto)

Seto’s nutrient intake was tremendous, as if he had expended a considerable amount of energy during that battle.

It was a pleasure to watch him devour one dish after another.

[Fufufu! He worked really hard today, after all.] (Satis)

Satis muttered while looking out the window from the dining table.

The sky had already turned dark, and the streets were filled with the lights of the many shops and stalls from all over the city, as well as happy-looking people.

Adventurers were celebrating their victory over drinks, and the youths of the city were playing music and dancing to it.

Everything blended into the nightscape of this beautiful town, adding more depth to this air of respite.

It all gave her the same peace of mind she had in Clay Shut, the first city she visited with Seto.

[*Gulp*… Come to think of it, you like fruits better than meat, Satis. Are they good?] (Seto)

[Yes, they’re tasty. Would you like to try some, Seto?] (Satis)

[Yeah, don’t mind if I do.] (Seto)

After eating meat, Seto stuffed his mouth with fruit.

The sweet and sour taste and the mild texture refreshed his mouth.

The juice and pulp spread out, giving a kind of comfort to his palate, which had been tasting nothing but meat.

[Hmm! That was good. Much better than the first fruits I picked in the forest.] (Seto)

[Phew, we’ve really gorged ourselves, haven’t we. …Now, let’s go home. We’ll have to wake up early tomorrow.] (Satis)

[Yeah, got it. …I think I’m gonna sleep like a log tonight.] (Seto)

Seto and Satis got up from their seats, paid the bill, and left the restaurant.

They walked side by side in the still bustling city.

Stars appeared in the sky, and the moon was shining brightly over the city and the land.

Any adult would have enjoyed the atmosphere with some grog after this, but Seto was too young to drink.

[Satis, do you drink alcohol?] (Seto)

[Yes, once in a while. …I’d love to drink with you, someday.] (Satis)

[I wonder when that’ll happen…] (Seto)

Seto smiled in silence next to her, unable to imagine himself in the distant future.

Wishing only to rest peacefully for now, the two headed back home.