CH 71

[The Distance Between the Two]

After leaving the Adventurer’s Guild and arrived at the Inbahanes’ market, what appeared in front of us were a lot of people and lined up stalls full of goods even though it was the frontier region.

In this town, which has a warmer and hotter climate than Youg Hannotes, I saw fruits, vegetables, and animal meat that I had never seen before.

“There are more people than I expected.”

We arrived at the market at noon, and it just so happened to be overlapping with the rush of people who come to eat lunch at the stalls serving meals.

“That is right. The alley is not narrow, but… With this number of people, I feel like we will get lost. Suzana asked us to buy seasonings and foodstuffs, but if Frick-sama is okay with it, I would appreciate it if you could accompany me to buy clothes. You see, this robe is made at Youg Hannotes, but this region is a little hot, so I was thinking of buy a change of clothes in this occasion.”

Come to think of it, when I came back, she was wearing light clothes because it was quite hot.

Suzana told us to be back by nightfall; accompanying her to buy clothes should be okay, I guess.

Anyway, I should look over for clothes too.

Although I’ve already washed my clothes and changed into different clothes, it will be bad if it also gets soaked in sweat.

“Ahh, it would be bad if we get lost in this crowd, I’ll accompany you to buy clothes. But first, we have to buy food supply.”

Thinking that it would be bad if we are separated in the crowd, I hold out my hand toward Noelia.

She looks at my hand and blushes, looking little embarrassed.

I wonder if she thought I was treating her like a child by asking her to hold hands…

I think this is the best way to avoid getting lost though.

“Sorry, holding hands is childish and embarrassing, right?”

When I mutter so, Noelia, whose face turns bright red, shakes her head vigorously and grabs my hand.

“T-that is not the case. Please.”

For some reason, I’m happy that Noelia grabbed my hand back, and at the same time I feel embarrassed.

“I-is that so? Then, let’s go right away.”

I pull Noelia’s hand and enter the alley full of people.

There are more people in the alley than it looks; so that the short Noelia wouldn’t be buried in the waves of people and disappear, I hold her hand firmly and walk in a way that protected her.

“What are the foodstuffs and seasonings you were asked for?”

“Err, they’re dried meats, dried vegetables, and dried fruits for preservation. She also wants salts, peppers, nutmegs, garlics, and gingers. It seems there are only small villages in the direction we are heading to, so I think it’s better if we stock up in a larger quantity here.”

“They are things that will last for a long time, right? I’m a little curious, but those are no good, huh.”

I know that carrying dried foodstuffs that are not easily rotting is the basic for a long journey, but in the alley before us, fruits of a color I have never seen before were cut up and server, so I’m curious.

For me, who has been an adventurer for five years and spent most of the time being in charge of cooking, I can’t help but curious about the taste of an unknown ingredient.

“Do you want to taste it? If it tastes good, Suzana will not get angry even if you bring it back for dinner you know.”

Looking at the end of my line of sight, Noelia says so and smiles.

I see, tasting, huh. Tasting.

As an adventurer, if you don’t know which foodstuffs are edible and what they taste like, your survival rate will be low.

This is a study in the name of tasting.

“Then, let’s try to taste it. Would you like to try it too, Noelia?”

“Yes, I want you to have the same one as Frick-sama.”

I call out to the owner of the stall,

“Oji-san, can you give me two of these?”

“Oh, that hair color. Are you the rumored outrageous adventurer? Ah~, you are having a date with your fiancée, huh. It sure is good to be young. When I was young——”

The moment the Oji-san called Noelia ‘fiancée’, I feel that her hand that I held get hot.

No, no, there’s no way someone like me could have her as my fiancée.

Although we’re currently a traveling companion, when the Abyss Walker case is over, I’ll return to being a mere adventurer she happened to be acquainted with.

“Such a thing like me being the fiancé of the daughter of the Frontier Count of Youg Hannotes is ridiculous. I’m just an escort you know. An escort.”

In response to the word ‘escort’ that I said, Noelia tightens her grasp on my hand.

“Escort knight apprentice that make noble daughters fall head over heels for him isn’t just a folklore, huh.”

“T-that’s not the case. Rather than that, can you give us two slices of the colorful fruit over there?”

“’Right, ‘right. I’ll serve you two lovebirds.”

After paying the uncle of the stall, I hold out the fruit in front of Noelia who is facing down and looking dispirited.

“T-though he said a kinda strange thing, I’d appreciate it if you don’t mind it. I’m going to complete the requested work properly, so rest assured.”

“T-that is right. S-somehow, we were misunderstood… right…”

Looking at Noelia who is looking dispirited and whose voice become quieter, for some reason, I feel a stabbing pain in my chest.

“Ah, you got it wrong. That’s not what I meant. I meant that although shopping with Noelia is fun too, I’ll still do my work properly!”

For some reason, I feel that I did something wrong; my mouth spurting out words on its own accord.

I feel it sounds like we are dating.

W-what are you saying suddenly, me?

I’m surprised at the words that came out of my mouth.

I thought that I wouldn’t have such a feeling anymore after the matter with Alfine though…

No way, there’s no way, right?

When I look at Noelia’s face looking up at me with moist eyes, my heart suddenly begins to make thumping sounds.

At that moment – Noelia’s face and Alfine’s face hurling abuses at me float in my mind and overlap.

Why? Why is Alfine…

The negative emotions I felt when I was being abused by Alfine burst out at once; my vision begins to spin around, and eventually, I lose consciousness, and collapse onto Noelia.