Chapter 53: (Title at Bottom)

A few days after the battle with the Dungeon Master.

I was hard at work on the area around my house.

「Ummm, I guess putting a tree here would be alright…」

The after effects of the battle had left the forest in a tattered state.

Especially the place that I’d left to Hesty…it had become a field of white ash. It seemed like she’d burnt everything along the way until she grew tired.

「I did it, on the way…it looks like, this now, but I was able, to take care of, a lot of them, all at once.」

「I would’ve preferred it if you’d kept the cleanup afterwards in mind though…」

And so on, we continued chatting as Hesty and I (along with the golems) cleaned up the ashes. Then,

「Hello~! I’ve come to give my greetings~」 (TN: No good way to put this in English)

「Huh? Anne?」

This was the first time I’d seen her since the feast.

「What’d you come here for? What’s the greeting for? Are you already going home?」

Anne was an envoy from the Fort City. Now that the crisis with the Dungeon Master had been cleared up, there was no longer a reason for her to stick around this place.

So, I thought she’d come to say hello before returning home.

However,

「No, that’s not it. Now I will live in Prussia.」

「!?」

「I will live near the forest. I have received land on the outskirts of Prussia, so I have decided to open an item shop there.」

Hesty had completely frozen up. It seems like she’d received quite a shock, but leaving that aside,

「Huh, is that so? What’s this all of a sudden?」

I thought that she had a pretty high position in the fort city, didn’t she?

「Well, I suppose that’s true. But if it’s just giving instructions, I can do that from here. Above all, I felt the desire to start making and selling items again.」

「Oh yeah…you originally sold items didn’t you?」

「Yes. And more than anything…..haa….haa…I’m closer to….Aneue-sama. I wanted to be able to breathe the air closest to Aneue-sama.」 (TN: I recoiled a bit translating this.)

She said as her face reddened.

Hesty stumbled backwards a bit when she saw that…it looks like she’s received quite a bit of damage.

Well, I understand where this is coming from. The item shop is a pretense…

「Ah, but it’s not just Aneue-sama you know? Umm….well…just by being close to Daichi-sama, how should I put it…the feeling of being hit by that magical whirlwind around you…might become a habit….This is the first time I’ve felt such amazing~ power…..」

Ohh, this is pretty bad.

I got dragged in too.

Looking at Hesty, I felt bizarrely sympathetic.

Anyways, as long as she doesn’t cause me any trouble, she can have any kind of disposition or habit she wants…

「Haa….well, we’ve gone a bit off topic. Umm, with that I’ll be living as your neighbor so I brought a potion.」

「Potion…..oh that’s right. I used the one you gave me before on Dianeia and it worked really well.」

「Is that true!?…..then does that mean it’s thanks to Daichi-sama that I received the land for my item shop?」

Though it seems like she’s mumbling something, Dianeia took care of this well. That’s a good thing.

「But anyways, that medicine’s pretty amazing. It cured most of her wounds in a few moments.」

「Well it’s something I made with great confidence in its efficacy…Oh! Since you’ve used it, let’s replenish it.」

「Eh? Dianeia said it was precious, so is that really alright?」

I asked and Anne smiled cheerfully.

「Yeah! For me the opportunity to live closer to Aneue-sama is much more precious!! As long as you let me embrace her a little, I’ll replenish whenever you want!」

She said and excitedly sidled up to us.

Of course…her gaze was locked on Hesty.

Hesty looked like she’d abandoned all hope and looked at me.

「…..somehow, while we were talking, it turned into me, getting embraced.」

「Well…ummm? If you really can’t stand it, just tap out and run to me.」

And just like that, after hugging Hesty, Anne refilled the medicine.

Furthermore, it seems like we’ve just received a new next-door neighbor.

Though I say next-door she’s a bit far away…

Chapter 53: New Neighbor and New Habit