CH 165

[Heh, is this where Canal-san lives?]

“Kind of . Well, technically it’s where she works, but she sleeps here all the time, so it’s practically like living here.”

As we entered the town ahead of time, we entered the room without the landlord’s permission. Of course, the windows and doors were locked, but they meant nothing in front of the [Mirage Shift] skill.

[I wondered what it would look like from the outside, but inside it’s rather normal.]

“I guess even if civilization develops, people are still people. If our bodies are the same, we’ll probably have similar feelings and behaviors,”

Intrigued by Tia’ words, I looked around the room. It was an aged wooden structure with amber-colored pillars and milk-white wallpaper that created a calm atmosphere. There was a large desk and built-in bookshelves in the same color as the pillars, making it seem like the room belonged to a guild master.

“I think it’s over here…….”

[Hey, Ed, are you allowed to just touch things without permission?]

“Well, we’re already here, so it’s fine, right?”

[Ugh, whatever! Don’t blame me if we get in trouble later!]

“Alright, alright.”

Ignoring Tia’s warning, I elegantly made my way to the kitchen in the back. I placed the pot under the magic tool that dispensed water just by turning a knob on the wall, and filled it up. Then I placed it on the strange metal plate next to it, which heated up just by pressing a button, and started boiling the water.

After doing so, I fished around in the cupboard and retrieved a translucent box with a lid from it, and placed the black beans inside into a metal tube with a handle.

[What are you doing?]

“Hmm? Ah, you crush these beans into a powder and pour hot water over them to make tea. What was it called again? I think… Cafu? Coffee? Yeah, that was the name.”

[Heh. Does it taste good?]

“It has a nice aroma, atleast”

After taking one of the cups out of the cupboard as well, I placed a filter-like device on top of the cup, put the coffee powder inside and poured hot water from the pot that was emitting steam. A wonderfully fragrant aroma filled the air as the cup filled with black liquid. I returned to the first room with the cup in hand and sat on the leather sofa to savor the aroma.

“Hah, Feels nice. Is this the taste of the upper class?”

[Wow, it’s pitch black… what does it taste like?]

“Taste? It tastes …… bitter as hell.”

[Eh ……?]

The coffee I hadn’t had in a long time was as bitter as I remembered it. If I had been forced to drink it without knowing anything about it, I would have inevitably thought it was poison and spit it out.

“Fuah… Ah, this is bitter.”

[I don’t understand why you would drink something you know is bitter. ……]

“Well, it is certainly bitter, but it has a certain addictive quality to it… And when you’re feeling sleepy, drinking it really wakes you up. So it’s kind of like a medicinal bath, you know?”

[I see. I understand now. Medicine usually tastes bitter, right?]

“Yeah, yeah. Ugh… bitterness running through me…”

A relaxing moment spent while sipping coffee. As if to destroy such a serene atmosphere, heavy footsteps of gunfire unexpectedly echoed from outside the room. It stopped in front of this room on the third floor, and then there was the sound of a door being unlocked with a clang….

“Haaah, haaah. Finally! Finally made it back! Wait, you’re already here!?”

“Yo Canal. Welcome home.”

With sweat dripping from her forehead, Canal, who had dragged her huge bag, I greeted her. She threw her bag to the ground and ran towards me with an intense expression.

“Why are you welcoming me back! Or rather Why are you already here?!”

“Hahaha, that’s a secret, Canal-kun. Anyway, it’s an important item, so please handle it a little more carefully, okay?

“I don’t know! And because of this, do you know how much trouble I had to go through…!”

Leaving Canal, who was getting more and more agitated, I carefully carried the huge bag inside and placed it on a long bench, opening its mouth and embracing its contents.

“You’re good to go, Tia”

[Okay, I’m going back.]

As soon as I took Tia’s hand, her body jerked and her eyes, which had been closed, opened.

“How’s it, Tia? Is there anything wrong with your body?”

“Ummm …… It’s okay. It’s normal.”

“That’s good. Thanks for your hard work, Canal.”

“I mean it! I really went through a lot, you know!”

The plan I made to infiltrate the town …. was to transfer Tia’s consciousness into mine with [Engage Heart] and then I would infiltrate the town with [Mirage Shift] and have her unconscious body carried into town by Canal.

If she was conscious, she had to be smuggled into town, but there was no rule against bringing in a human body that could not be awakened. I thought it would be okay then, and apparently it worked.

“Geez, why do I have to do something like this! When the staff stopped me, I thought my heart was going to stop!”

“Oh, you were stopped after all. How did you manage it?”

“I told them It was a synthetic homunculus for bio-training and they let me through. Though it did get cut in a few places because of that”

“What!? Is that okay!?”

As Canal spoke, Tia was so surprised that she petted herself all over. However, Canal showed no remorse and shrugged as she answered.

“Don’t worry about it. Without a Fragment, we can’t use the restoration medicine, Lestal, but if it’s just a cut, no matter how deep it is, it can be healed with a single spray of Recovery Spray. You should be grateful that I didn’t have to use the other excuse I prepared just in case of an emergency.”

“Another reason? Was there another good excuse?”

In response to my question, Canal blushes lightly and turns her face away conspicuously.

“If I had declared it as a pet… or rather, a tool for sexual pleasure, I don’t think they would have cut it, even if they investigated me thoroughly.”

“What?! No! Definitely not!”

Tia, who hugged herself with a bang to show her rejection, also loudly retorted to Canal.

“I don’t like it either! Why do I have to confess that I am a pervert to carry something like that of someone of the same sex? Anyway, let’s end this topic! I brought your body back safely, so that’s good enough!”

“Right. I’ll say it again, thank you. would you like some coffee?”

“I’ll have some! Or rather, It’s mine!”

Canal says in a sulky voice, taking the cup from my hand and drinking from it. No, I was actually going to make a new one… but oh well.

“Ugh, this is terrible. It’s all Ed’s fault that I’ve gotten scars..”

“Don’t talk nonsense! You’ve had more cuts than you can count in all the battles you’ve been in!”

“That’s true, but that’s not the same thing! Ed has to take responsibility.”

“Responsibility… well, if there’s something I can do, I’ll do it.”

“Great! In that case, I want to eat the sweetest treats in this world!”

“That’s right! I’ve been through so much, so you should treat me to something sweet! For coffee, I want the fluffy chiffon cake from Mitsuboshi-dou!”

[T//N: 三ツ星 (Mitsuboshi): Means 3 stars and 堂 (dou): is a suffix attached to the names of some businesses. So maybe it means a 3 star restaurant or something?]

Not only Tia but even Canal got on board with my words and demanded it, but all I could do was scratch my head with a puzzled look on my face.

“I’d love to treat you, but I don’t have any money on me. Besides, without a wristband, I can’t even go shopping here, can I?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Then I’ll have to buy it myself! Alright, I’ll go get it, so you just wait here quietly!”

“What!?”

I was taken aback, and Canal left the room in a huff for some reason. If I follow her out of the room and someone notices that my wrist crystal is missing, that could be a problem, so all I can do is wait… Is this really okay?

“…………, I’ll just prepare another drink for now”

“Oh, I want one too!”

“Sure thing.”

In response to Tia’s innocently raised hand, I prepared three more cups of coffee, including my own. Canal returned to the room ten minutes later, holding a small cardboard box and fuming, “Why do I have to go buy your cake?!”