CH 104

「Ayane and your friend were lost, weren’t they?」

The two of us understood that Chikama-kun had misspoken. Chikama-kun, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice.

「How did you know we’re lost?」

「!?」

「We met here, but you wouldn’t have known at that point that we were lost」

「…」

「I’m going to ask you one more time. How do you know we’re lost?」

「………. My sincerest apologies!!!!!」

Chikama-kun gets down on his knees and apologizes for his actions with a tremendous gesture.

「Tell us everything」

Chikama-kun fumbled to tell us everything. But it’s quite simple, he’s been stalking me ever since he asked me to marry him.

「… I apologize again… I am sorry…」

「「…」」

「It’s all right」

「!!」

「Aya!?」

「But in return! You must lead us to Farrell! That’s the only condition I’ll be allowing」

「! I understand! I’ll do my best to guide you!!」

Thus, a person became Ayane’s dog.

────────

────

「「We’re here!!」」

「Thanks for your patience! Anything else I can do for you, please let me know!!」

「All right. I appreciate it」

「Ha! Thank goodness!」

───Suu…

Chikama-kun disappeared as if he had never been here in the first place. This I found out during the battle with the monster, he was a ninja. In the middle of being guided, he suddenly disappeared and the next moment he was in the bosom of the monster that was about to attack him. His equipment was stored in his inventory, so he didn’t look like a ninja, but I figured out that he was a ninja because he was using a slightly better quality kunai.

His tone of voice had changed a lot, and he looked like a butler. Well, I guessed from his appearance that he was around high school age… And he said that he makes up this tone of voice… Well, I know there are actually people like that, but they don’t use it very often… Eh? Is there really such a person? There’s a butler at Suzu’s house… I see him every once in a while when I come over. He appears to accompany Suzu’s father, but I’m not sure about that.

「Sa! Aya! Let’s go in!」

「Un!」

I replied with a huff to Suzu’s words and ran to her, who had moved on.

Farrell is a port town. There were lots of fresh fish on the stands in town, and they looked delicious. I’ll buy some later.

「Hey, Aya」

「Hmm?」

「Let’s go to the beach!!」

「Eh, that’s sudden, isn’t it… ?」

「Because Aya and I have never been to the beach together!」

I was wondering how to respond to Suzu’s abrupt suggestion. It’s fine to go to the beach, you know. Together with Suzu… However, I don’t want to go to the beach if I can help it since I would become a liability… I want to protect Suzu…

「I’ll protect you then?」

「Eh?」

A voice I’ve heard before answers the voice in my mind.

「Yoichimaru-san!?」

「… Why would a top player be here…」

Suzu was mumbling something, but I couldn’t hear her, so I listened to Yoichimaru-san.

「It’s easy to read Ayane’s face… You won’t be able to protect her anyway! Isn’t that what you’re thinking?」

「Uu!」

「Is that so?」

「… Un」

「So I’m saying I can protect you! Yeah, of course. I’m looking for something in the ocean. On the side, of course」

「I see… Then, can I ask for your help?」

「Oh. Leave it to me」

「Thank you very much!」

「Well, it’s already late, so how about tomorrow night at 9:00?」

「Ah, that’s fine」

「All right. Tomorrow night, 9:00 p.m. in the town square」

「I understand. See you」

「Oh. See you. And you too, Suzuka」

「Y- yes」

So the three of us made an appointment to meet tomorrow night at 9:00 pm.