Chapter 94

In front of the quiet cabin, Leighton exhaled and declared, "Well, Miss Hedron and Crow, we can disband from here, right? By the way, that inn is reserved until tomorrow morning, so feel free to use it. That's all, good work."

"Huh, wait a minute," Tera interjected hurriedly, and Leighton tilted his head.

"What? We're done, right?"

"No, no, there must be something more, right!?"

"There's nothing left for me and Crow to do. The rest is up to you to get Miss Helena involved in the town's activities. If you can do that, there really won't be anything left to do in this town."

The reason to keep Helena alive was indeed that. If she, who hadn't participated in the town's activities, could be made to work, many returns could be expected. That was the deal.

"Indeed, it seems like we'll have to rely on Tera for that."

Would she even listen to others? I doubt she would even listen to Tera.

"No, no, no, no, you guys, after all that, is that it?"

"I'm just stating the facts. As for Crow, he was just concerned about your feelings."

"But, you know? It's not like comforting you or anything..."

It wasn't the right atmosphere to suggest looking for a new love.

Still.

"Tera doesn't seem too serious about it, either?"

"Well, I guess... from the middle, I kind of looked at it with a cold eye..."

Tera mumbled, averting her eyes.

"Once I realized she was just caught by a bad guy, I didn't really feel like helping..."

"Other people's love affairs are just boring, you know."

Leighton chuckled and grinned.

"Then, with that, the troublemakers will disappear. There are no more enemies, no more work. Since Miss Helena won't be coming out for a while, Miss Hedron will have free time, right? Why don't you let Crow show you around the town?"

Suddenly, Leighton suggested this.

A tour of the town, huh. The sightseeing was half-done, so it might be good.

"Sounds good."

When I said that, Tera reacted as if she had jumped.

"Then, then..."

"But, it's getting dark, so maybe tomorrow..."

It was almost sunset. If we were going to sightsee, we'd want to do it during the day.

Thinking about asking tomorrow, Tera's face stiffened.

"...Right! Then, tomorrow..."

"Then, you'll have a chance to talk to Miss Helena again," Leighton interjected, and Tera's shoulders seemed to droop.

"No, no, don't give up so easily. You should push harder. There are plenty of reasons, like walking around for dinner or enjoying the night. You can invite her tomorrow, too."

"I don't like getting advice from you...!"

But Tera, riled up by Leighton's words, stomped her feet.

It's a bit envious how well they get along.

"Well, I don't really care about that. It's free time now. Do as you please."

"What about you, Leighton?"

"I'll wander around this town for a while and then slowly head back to Irayn."

"Then, we might meet again in Irayn."

I'll also head back to Irayn. My home is there.

I want to sleep in my own bed.

"Hehehe. It would be nice to meet you in Irayn again."

"...What do you mean, again?"

After saying multiple times that the work was done, what is this now?

"Nothing. See you later."

And again, without answering my question, he turned and left.

But after a few steps, Leighton turned back.

"Oh, right. I'll let Hak return on its own."

"Can it return on its own?"

"It's a capable steed. It will return to the carriage rental with a specific signal."

"Convenient."

It's good that I don't have to return it. I was impressed, and it seemed like the business was really over. After a short farewell, Leighton disappeared.

In front of the cabin, Tera, who had been silent during the farewell, spoke up with determination.

"Hey!"

"Ah, yes?"

I turned to Tera, a bit on guard.

Tera, gripping the hem of her dress and averting her eyes, said, "Tomorrow! I'll show you around the town, so wait for me in front of the inn!"

"Um, got it. Thank you."

It seemed like a continuation of our earlier conversation.

If she was going to show me around in the daylight, it would be helpful. I agreed without much thought.

But.

"Since we're staying at the same inn, isn't a meeting place unnecessary?"

"The atmosphere will be different!"

I was scolded for saying that, but it didn't feel unpleasant. I felt like laughing, but I held back to avoid angering her.

While I was at it, I might as well consider Leighton's earlier words.

"Then, let's have dinner together now. I still have a lot of things I haven't eaten."

The food tour had ended abruptly.

There were still a few things I wanted to try, like a warm, milky drink and some crispy flatbread.

"Fine, I'll go with you."

I wanted to try as many different things as possible.

She agreed happily, which was great.

"Ugh, I'm at my limit... I can't do it anymore..."

"Come on, you can still eat more."

As it approached midnight, we were in the last part of the food stalls.

Many stalls had already put away their signs, and people were leaving.

But there were still places to eat.

We had eaten our way through about twenty stalls, but we hadn't even reached the end. It would be a shame to stop now.

"Don't compare my stomach to yours..."

"I can still fit a bit more."

We had shared and eaten various things, but I hadn't considered the difference in stomach capacity between men and women. This was the result.

Tera's face was a bit green, and she occasionally rubbed her stomach.

Well, if she was full, it couldn't be helped.

"Four more stalls... What should we do?"

"Stop it... You're so thin, where are you putting it all?"

I thought about it, but I couldn't keep involving Tera. I decided to follow her advice and stop for the day.

The path to the inn was dark, with no moon.

"Ugh... It feels so bad..."

"I'm sorry."

It was my fault for involving her, but Tera's condition was terrible.

We continued walking to the inn, occasionally stopping, and I patted her back.

"I wish I had some medicine for overeating, but unfortunately, I don't have any."

"If you had prepared that, I would have been really angry..."

Tera's weak glare had no power.

As we walked, we encountered an unexpected person.

"Ah."

"...What?"

Reacting to my sudden voice, I pulled Tera to the wall of a house.

"Fe, fe, fe, what are you doing!?"

"Shh. Miss Helena is coming."

In my arms, Tera, who was weakly struggling, was silenced.

In the distance, where you couldn't see her face without enhanced vision, Helena was walking. She would soon turn the corner and head towards the mayor's house.

"She's out?"

"She's heading towards the mayor's house. Did she not believe Leighton, or is she going to confirm it?"

Either way, she would soon learn of the mayor's death. From there, Tera's work would begin.

She would need to encourage her and get her to work for the town. The method was up to her, but it would surely work out.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll count on you."

"I'll do my best. If I don't, she might kill me..."

Yes, it was also to protect Helena's life. I hoped she would make the right decision. That's what Leighton meant.

My thoughts paused for a moment.

"Um, um..."

Tera, in my arms, made a sound like a cough, asserting her presence.

Oh, right, I was still holding her.

"Ah, sorry. It's okay now. I apologize."

"..."

When I released her, Tera made a short sound and moved her hand slightly.

It seemed like she wanted to complain but couldn't. She didn't need to be so considerate.

"By the way, how are you feeling?"

"...I'm fine now."

With that, Tera hurriedly walked away.

From there to the inn, we didn't really talk.

I might have upset her. I'm sorry.