CH 8

Chapter 8 - The Stone Gate of Ilstadt

Halfway east from the meadow area known as Melborzas, when the setting sun was slipping into the western sky and the twin moons were once again peeking out of the eastern sky, Souya and Mia arrived at the west gate of Ilstadt.

“Souya-san, we’ve arrived.”

“It looks like it. I’m tired, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a trip. Mia-kun, you seem to be a better traveler than I am. Anyway ……”

As he looked up at the stone west gate of Ilstadt, Souya felt nostalgic.

(At that time, I was having a bad time and no time to spare. Now it has a different flavor.)

It may be that he has grown old enough to feel a sense of apology for the old stone gate in the moonlight. Souya’s eyes narrowed as he looked at it.

The city of Ilstadt, located in the southwest of the continent, is surrounded by fortified walls and is close to meadows, forests, mountains, and ruins where you can procure materials, making it a popular base for adventurers …… This is what Souya knew about Ilstadt 20 years ago.

Would it be the same now? Souya thought he would need to spend a few days exploring the city, gathering information, and filling in the gaps of 20 years.

“Ah, everything here is so nostalgic …… Speaking of which, is the waffle shop near the central square still around? The blueberry ones are delicious, I believe.”

“You know it well. Souya-san, shall we go and buy some now?”

“Sounds good …… Haha, I’m penniless, so I wasn’t in a position to ask for it.”

Souya smiled bitterly as he remembered that he was penniless. I’m not sure if Mia saw through Souya’s expression that he showed for a moment, but she suddenly pulled on Souya’s hand. 

“Let’s go.”

“I’ll feel bad, so I’ll refrain.”

“I’ll refrain because you’ll feel bad ・・・・・・・・ which means you really want it. Then let’s go. It’s not bad. I want to treat Souya-san, you know.”

In the end, he was forcefully pushed and Souya was dragged by Mia to the central square.

“You’re stubborn. And you’re surprisingly pushy.”

“Is that so?”

“I think so.”

“…… Don’t you like it?”

“No, I don’t mind. Then let’s go.”

She was still stubborn and pushy. Souya exhaled a small breath, and smiled thinly.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

In the dark, they arrived in front of a store near the central square, but because the sun had long since set, the waffle store they were looking for was already past its opening hours.

“Oh, too bad. Oh well, it happens. I guess waffles are not the best choice for a late night snack.”

“Mmm, Souya-san, I’m sorry …… I forced you to go there, but it ended in vain. It’s no good.”

“I enjoyed the process, so that’s fine.”

In front of the closed store, Souya smiled at Mia’s disappointed face, as if nothing had happened.

In the central square, there was a circular fountain with a female statue of Undine, a water spirit, holding a water bottle from which water was spilling vigorously.

“A statue of Undine, the water spirit. It’s just as it was 20 years ago. When I first saw it, I couldn’t help but find it amusing. The statue as a whole is well balanced, but the shape of the face is a bit strange.”

Souya walked towards the circular fountain, sat down on a bench outside and looked nostalgically at the statue of Undine the Water Spirit.

The sculpting of the statue of Undine, the water spirit, is a bit poorly done, or perhaps the goddess Eris, who transported him to this world, has a slightly odd face and a blank look on her face, and that is what makes Souya laugh. It was one of the episodes that healed his faltering heart. If the goddess heard it, she might be furious.

“Ku-ku …… Ahahahahaha. After all, it’s a little, no, a lot like her.”

“……Souya-san?”

When Mia saw Souya laughing, she looked at him with a strange expression on her face. 

“…… Oh, excuse me. It’s nothing. Mia-kun, if something happens, let’s meet up with this statue of Undine, the water spirit, as a landmark.”

Unlike the real world, we don’t have the convenient tool item of a cell phone. I’m sure there will be other inconveniences that we will have to live with that we don’t have in the real world.

“That’s right. …… Souya-san, what should we do now?”

“I’ve just finished dinner in the meadow, so I think I need to rest. Oh, by the way, thank you for sharing your meal with me. You’ve already bought me two meals.”

On the way to the plains, Souya was given food by Mia for lunch and dinner.

“You don’t have to worry about food, Souya-san.”

“That’s not how it works. I’ll make sure to properly note of what I owe you …… Well, I don’t even have the paper to write it down right now.”

I’d like to get the tools I need for my adventures, but I don’t have anything to start with. I have to earn money quickly to pay off my debt to Mia. Souya’s pride would not allow him to continue to be supported by Mia, who was almost as old as her parents.

“If you say it like that, then the debt of being saved by Souya-san before is a debt so big that I can’t repay.”

“This is different from that. I try not to make debts …… Hmm?”

When Souya looked up at the sky, a drop of rain fell on the dark glasses he was wearing.

“Oh, it’s starting to rain.”

Mia held out her free left hand to feel the rain in the palm of her hand as it began to fall in the darkness, but before long, she didn’t need to do this, the dry cobblestones were stained with rainwater. The surface of the water in the fountain pond was beginning to form a number of ripples.

“Oh well …… Thank god we arrived a day early. We didn’t have to walk through the meadow in the rain.”

The rain began to pound the cobblestones with a louder and louder sound. The thunder continued.

“There’s thunder. Souya-san, let’s hurry.”

“This is going to be a real downpour.”

As the rain intensified, Souya and Mia left the central square in a hurry.