Volume 3 - CH 3.6

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Part 6

One week later──

The church’s bell rang three times, informing them that it was three o’clock in the afternoon.

Diablo’s group was headed towards the cafe.

「……I am sorry, having everyone expressly walk there.」

Right when they were passing through the gate to the Central District, Rem formally added those words.

Shera raised a lively voice.

「It’s fine! I was really looking forward to going to a cafe!」

「……True, we did promise to go there before.」

Alicia asked a question.

「Shera-sama, do you like cafes?」

「Ehehe, I’ve only heard about what it’s like. I’ve been thinking that I want to run a cafe. Rem would be the person that brings the customers coffee, and Diablo would be the person wiping the glasses.」

Before he knew it, he had become the one wiping the glasses.

Rem shrugged her shoulders.

「……I still haven’t made any promises about the future. Well, I did make the promise to bring you to a cafe. It’s just, I didn’t think that it would be like this.」

「There’s nothing to mind though? Since I’m happy as long as we can go to the cafe.」

Alicia nodded.

「The matter this time, I believe that it is a necessary arrangement. Rem-sama, there is nothing for you to fret over.」

「……I wonder if that is really the case.」

The place of destination was the cafe that was in the Central District.

There, Celestine Bordorel, the head of the Magician’s Guild, was waiting.

Towards Rem who had reported the chain of events, Celes said that she “wanted to meet with her by all means”.

Because of that, Krem was also accompanying them.

Shera was pulling her hand.

Diablo was gazing at the girls from his position of being last in their line. He was bad at joining in the conversation of a group of people.

Rem was uneasy.

「When I said that it would be difficult to bring her to the Magician’s Guild, she designated the meeting to be at the cafe.」

The Central District was partitioned off by a stone wall.

Even when they went to the Feudal Lord’s mansion before, they passed through this gate.

At that time, there was a bit of trouble with the gatekeeper, but this time, since the State Knight Alicia was there, they were able to pass thanks to her position.

The ground underfoot changed from stone pavement to tiles.

Also, the buildings, they weren’t made of stone but were lined up estates made of brick and denoted that this was a district where the rich lived.

Watch-keepers meant for the sake of maintaining public order were standing all over the place.

Several times, ahead of them when they turned a corner, they would discover somewhat stylishly made shops.

Shera raised a voice of admiration.

「Uwaah……So this, is a cafe, isn’t it!?」

It was fundamentally a brick building, but the eaves were made with a wooden framework. An iron signboard was hung at the entrance.

Above all, there was glass fitted “in” the door.

Something like a door with glass in it, this was the first time he had seen such a thing since coming to this world.

Rem introduced it.

「……It is said that this was made in the same way as the buildings in the royal capital. Celes might already be here. Shall we go in?」

In the store interior, there were five counter seats and two four-person tables.

It wasn’t very spacious.

There was the fact that it was just made, but the store interior was sparkling everywhere and looked new and clean.

He had heard stories that it was a considerably high-class store, but even when compared to the stores in the world that he was formerly in, it was full of a high-class feeling.

──Crap. I’m getting nervous. Now that I think about it, I, I’ve never entered a place with a riajuu atmosphere like a high-class tea house.

This place, it was something different from the type of stores where sweet coffee would come out in plastic or paper cups for 300 yen.

In the store, there was only one customer.

While still sitting in the chair, she expressed a smile this way.

Her looks were gentle, and her voluptuous body was wrapped up in a long robe.

A staff was leaning against the wall, indicating that she was a Magician.

It was the person they had an appointment with──Celestine Bordorel.

「Ara ara, welcome……Wait, it feels odd for me to say that even though there is an employee here, doesn’t it?」

Rem greeted her.

「……Did we keep you waiting?」

「Actually, I was looking forward to this a bit too much, and came here considerably early. But, it was correct to make it at this shop. I didn’t lose interest no matter how much time I waited. To tell you the truth, I also wanted to try coming to a cafe, you know?」

She expressed a childlike smile.

Shera leaned forward.

「M, me too! I was really looking forward to it, the cafe!」

At the time they were going back──

Shera, Krem, and Alicia left the store first.

Taking only a small amount of time to pay the bill, Diablo, Rem, and Celes exchanged words. So that not even the employee could hear them, they lowered their voices.

「Celes, you have heard of the situation from Rem, correct? Krem has lost her memories but……She is the Demon King. What do you intend to do?」

He didn’t want to make enemies of the Magician’s Guild.

However, she definitely also had the responsibility of protecting the people of the Races.

Just how would she move?

「Fufu……I don’t think that there is a Demon King like that out there. To not be killing people of the Races and be liking snacks. Someone like that couldn’t be a Demon King, right?」

Celes’ cheerful smile didn’t darken at all.

Rem asked a question, sounding worried.

「……It, really helps us for you to say that, but……Celes, will you be alright? Won’t you get punished?」

「It’s the same as the time with you. If the matter becomes public, I don’t know what will happen. But, for me……Things that tie people down and steals away their freedom even though that sort of thing isn’t necessary, I get an “I don’t want that” kind of feeling, you know?」

Celes is the key that activates Faltra City’s barrier. She is unable to leave this town.

It was something that she herself chose to do, but it is a position where she has lost her freedom.

It was for that reason, that her words were believable.