CH 179

Chapter 179 – Excitement over unseen lands!?

“Flower beds full of colors…and the trees along the streets are bearing fruits.”

I was walking down the streets of Fendel and gazing at the town.

There were lamp posts and benches. Now, Fendel was a prosperous place that reminded me of the imperial capital that I had once seen.

At first, there had been something very artificial, or unnatural about it all. This was because I had built numerous, identical houses.

However, as time passed, and people continued to live here, it had evolved into a much more natural townscape.

“Oh. So they make cheese and butter here. And there is a tailor over there.”

Other people had started to craft things and make different kinds of food as well. And the city had become very lively.

After seeing the royal capital, the demihumans decided that they wanted stores as well.

There would likely be restaurants eventually… I was looking forward to it.

Regardless, for the next few days after our return to Fendel, things were calm and peaceful.

My memories of the feast on the first day were all a blur, but every day was enjoyable.

However, I was also a little sad that there was hardly anything that I had to craft now.

The dwarves could craft most simple objects. And so Fendel was secure, even without my presence.

That being said, I had no intention of leaving the village.

It was not as if the threat of the Demon King army and the humans was gone completely… And even if that were not the case, I had already sworn that Fendel would be my final resting place.

I had companions here, and it really was a comfortable place to be in.

I sat down on the bench and stared up at the sky. Just doing that felt good in this town.

If things remained like this, I would be in danger of becoming a slothful person. But perhaps I could take a break, after working for so long.

“Maybe I will go to the hotspring…”

“In that case, I will wash your back.”

Before I knew it, Iria was standing right in front of me.

“Iria… Should I really be resting this much?”

“What are you talking about? You have already made all kinds of things today. Sir Joshua, if anything, you were working too hard up until now.”

“Perhaps… Hey-hey, wait.”

Iria sat down on the bench and then made me lay my head on her lap.

Her soft, warm thighs pressed against my cheek.

“You really should relax more. Let me clean your ears before you take a bath.”

“Really?”

“Yes. In fact, you can just take a nap right now.”

Iria said, as she started to clean my ears.

The earpick was made of Mope wool and slime jelly, and would not hurt your ears at all.

Iria would occasionally stroke my head and body. Clearly she was in a good mood today, as she was humming to herself.

…Yes, we were happy. I wished we could just stay like this.

But then Mette’s voice rang in the air.

“Ah Princess Iria. Joshua. You seem to be enjoying yourselves.”

“Oh? Mette. Are you going to make lunch now?”

“Aye. Some rare fish arrived from the sea today. And we want Joshua to taste it.”

“I see. I think Sir Joshua would enjoy that. We will be sure to visit the dining hall, after we have taken a bath together. I am looking forward to it.”

“Yes! We will be expecting you!”

Iria and Mette exchanged words in a friendly manner.

If this had happened before, Mette would have become jealous, and they would have started fighting.

However, they did not fight at all recently. It wasn’t just Mette, but Melk and the others as well.

It wasn’t that they had lost interest in me, but they were satisfied with meeting each other halfway.

But what had caused this change of heart… Well, I was just glad that they were all getting along now.

I suppose Mette intended to bathe with me tonight.

Going to the hotspring with such pretty girls… No, I couldn’t think about that now. I would start to fall into depravity.

Indeed, I should do something that I am personally interested in now.

“…Hey, Iria. While there is no rush, I’m thinking about visiting the western mountain where Ymir and the dwarves live. It’s not that there is any need to go there, but there may be other demihumans. Also, we might encounter some animals and plants that are not found here.”

There were no human roads there. And I doubt the Demon King army was there either. In other words, it was even more remote than this place.

“That would be wonderful! I am also very interested. Though, perhaps the Tengus might be able to tell us something.”

“Aye. But I do think we might discover something new if we look from the coast.”

“Indeed… Then we must go. It was quite fun, camping outdoors during our travels to the royal capital and back. And so I would very much like to accompany you.”

“Thank you, Iria. In that case, I will start making preparations tomorrow.”

And like that, we decided to explore the far east of Fendel.