CH 237

After leaving the dungeon and walking for a while, we ran into Ms. Ivana.

Did she possibly wait here all the time?

That would be incredible since she wouldn’t be able to tell when we came out again.

Once Ms. Ivana saw Sword, she went for a tackle…err, she ran up to him and hugged him  with teary eyes.

“…Mr. Sword! I’m so happy that you’re safe…!”

Sword froze as he had never expected her to hug him. Also, I’d like him to stop looking my way with eyes as if he was seeking help.

I mean, given that he’s fine with me hugging him and him hugging me, it’s not like it matters, right? He’s not going to lose anything from it.

“…With Indra as partner, I’m able to come out unscathed from dungeons that’re a lot more dangerous. Anyway, sorry, but I’m pooped out.”

He lied bluntly. As if something like that would tire him out.

When I closely stared at him, Sword cleared his throat and then tore off Ms. Ivana. And then he grabbed me and carried me under his arm.

“Nyaa!?”

“Bye, I gotta hurry,” Sword bid farewell from Ms. Ivana while raising a hand, but where does he plan to go?

And what’s up with him treating me like some luggage?

Ms. Ivana called Sword to halt in a hurry, “Mr. Sword! Umm, a celebration at the inn…”

“Sorry. I’m tired and I wanna eat Indra’s handmade food. She might look like this, but she’s runnin’ a restaurant at our base and you can easily describe her as an outstandin’ cook,” Sword interrupted her and rattled down one excuse after the other.

But, sheesh. Of all things, he had to use this way of cutting her off!?

When I sighed out of reflex, Sword cast a fleeting glance at me and further added, “…Since cooks consider the position of the one who made the food, it looks like they think I should moderate my view on only eatin’ her food, but I won’t yield on that part. I’ve decided that I’m gonna eat Indra’s cookin’.”

I let all my power escape at once, pretending to be dead.

“Whoa!?”

Sword almost dropped me out of surprise.

＊

Sword carried me under his arm all the way to Char while I played dead, and finally tossed me inside.

“Let’s have a victory party. Make a feast for us.”

…Is that how you ask others for a favor?

But, no helping it, I guess. It seems like he was awfully worried before we entered the dungeon.

“…Go and take a bath. I have to get everything ready anyway.”

I shooed Sword away with a hand. And while Sword cheerfully went into the bathroom, I prepared all the dishes.

Still…a feast? Because he feels refreshed after getting rid of his regrets?

Well, if we’re talking about a feast, it’s got to be a hamburger, I’d say. Guess I’ll also place a sunny-side-up fried egg on top, too. As a garnish, I think I’ll go with French fries and a salad with  onion dressing. As an appetizer, a cold consommé jelly made out of steamed veggies and meat.

As I made the dishes while humming, Char informed me, “Mother, a visitor has arrived, you know?”

A visitor? Who?

When I tilted my head in confusion, Ryoku told me, “The one you call Ms. Ivana.”

So I went outside.

“Hmm? Ms. Ivana? What’s wrong?”

It was definitely Ms. Ivana. She looked at me, bewildered.

“Umm, you were Indra, right?”

“Correct. So, what’s up? Sword is currently taking a bath. If you have a message for him, I’ll take it.”

Ms. Ivana pulled a conflicted expression.

“I’d like to tell him in person. Would that be okay?”

“I see… Hmm, it’ll take a while. That’s fine with you?”

The baths of commoners in this world were open air. But, our bath allowed us to soak in a bathtub.

I think it’s going to take around thirty minutes for the whole routine. Ah, also including the drying.

＊

Seeing me troubled, Ms. Ivana smiled broadly, “Would it be alright for me to wait inside?”

Being asked that, I cocked my head.

…It’s fine if it’s the little sister of Sword’s lover, right?

“Well, you’re Sword’s guest. And this golem called Char belongs to Sword. So it should be fine, probably.”

I invited her.

＊

As soon as Ms. Ivana stepped inside, she became speechless.

“I’ve made it bigger by using expansion magic. Well, I suppose you could call it a slightly luxurious tent. The furniture not being movable since it’s fixed is a necessary evil, though. I mean, I took into account that Char could topple over.”

Ms. Ivana remained frozen for a while.

“…This here is the room which Mr. Sword always uses, right?” She emphasized.

“You could say so, I guess.”

For some reason her face beamed upon hearing that. I don’t really get it, but since it was the same for Damsel Scarlet as well, it might be popular among women.

“Okay, sit down here and wait for a while. Ah, don’t wander off too much. This place has a fairly sophisticated security system. If you prowl around all over the place out of curiosity, you’ll be warned, and depending on the place, the crime prevention system might boot up.”

Ms. Ivana got startled.

＊

“What are you making?”

Ms. Ivana showed up in the kitchen space as I was cooking.

“A fest. It was Sword’s request. …It looks like he cleared his regrets after talking with the dungeon boss, so he wants to hold a victory party, or so he said.”

“Hmm. …Should I help you? It’s a lot of work for you alone, isn’t it?”

I remained silent for a while.

――It’s not really all that much work for me, but maybe she’s bored. She seems good at cooking, and women bond when cooking together!

“Okay! You’re right. Then, could you please lend me a hand?”

I guess I’ll have her make the French fries. Those don’t require that much skill and since Sword does like them, there might be no loss in having Ms. Ivana learn how to make them either.

“Please slice the potatoes like this. Use this one here as an example.”

“Got it.”

She started to cut while smiling cheerfully…

“Ah!”

When I turned around upon her outcry, she was in the middle of dropping the bowl with the ingredients.

So, I caught it.

“…Eh?”

“You okay?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Sorry. We’re inside a golem, so the kitchen is rather small. Let’s place this over here.”

“……”

While Ms. Ivana was standing still and watching, I moved things. This way she won’t run into anything.