Chapter 117 (1/2)
The sound of crackling fire echoed as Kaede stirred a steaming pot with her ladle.
In the pot are many mushrooms that were given to us in the village, and although they look green, they give off a very pleasant aroma that stimulates the appetite.
The forest is quiet at night, with Rosuke and Kuratan keeping watch over the place.
Chupi is perched on a tree branch, and Panda is happily being groomed by Frau.
A quiet dinner, the most relaxing time of day.
”I see you like it.”
”Kyu～”
”You should thank Frau for brushing you like this every day.”
”Kyu,kyui.”
”Huh? It's only natural for my sweat to have a sweet smell this time of year... Besides, it's not like I sweat that much, right? Hey! Why are you looking away!?”
Frau was not only looking at Panda, but at us as well.
Kaede and I avert our eyes.
Frau's back has such a sweet smell that, if placed next to an ant hill, they would surely all crawl up her body in a second.
I never imagined that a fairy's sweat would smell sweet at a certain time of the year.
”The people of this village are very grateful to us.”
”Yes... I felt a little bad when they insisted we stay a year with them. With a hero like that in this country, they must be desperate.”
”You mean that party?”
The Heroic Sword of the Sacred Forest, led by the hero Zig, the most famous adventurer in the country at present.
His reputation is quite good, and he has already accomplished great feats.
Of course that is the reputation he has among the elves, but the opposite is true for humans and other races.
I don't think it's misinformation from what I witnessed before.
”Well, I must say it's impressive what an amazing beast they have. To be able to fly several meters high with multiple people on board, it's to be admired.”
”Kyui!”
Panda was in Shock.
I looked at his eye as it started to tear up.
Panda jumped onto Kaede's chest.
”Frau, please think about Panda's feelings.”
”My mistake, I'm sorry. The good thing about Panda is that he's not tall enough to fly. And you have a soft and fluffy feel to you as well as being delicious looking.”
”Kyu～!!!!”
”Why are you crying again!?”
Poor Panda, his pride has been broken in every possible way.
The next day, we could not continue our journey due to it raining heavily since early morning.
We took shelter from the rain under a large tree, and stayed and waited while listening to the sound of rain fall.
”Kura～”
”Thank you, Kuratan.”
Kuratan, who is protecting us from the rain, hands a ball of yarn to Kaede with one of his tentacles.
She was busy knitting something.
She really been getting into sewing and knitting lately, and since I told her how happy I was with the scarf she made for me, she seems to have picked up more impetus to go on.
”Master ~ ♪ Master ~ ♪ Master ~ ♪ Master ~ ♪ Master~ ♪”
”Hey, Kaede, can't you do something about that weird song?”
”What, was I singing that?”
”Yes, you were.”
She refocused on her hands, and began humming as she wagged her tail.
Panda was behind her, chasing her tail with his gaze.
Frau is sitting on the branch of a big tree, eating cookies.
I squat in the rain while watching my friends.
Rainy days are great for strength training.
You get sweaty and clean at the same time.
I've always decided that weather like this is a workout.
”I see that the Lord likes to exercise a lot.”
”Yes, the Onee-San who lived next door to me when I was a kid did it all the time, and that's how it became a habit for me.”
”She had big breasts, didn't she?”
”How did you know!?”
”The only reason for the young master to go to the trouble of training in the pouring rain is because he loved to see his neighbor's breasts become visible through her wet shirt as it clings to her body... So every time it rains, those memories come to mind. Am I right?”
That's... That's right.
Does she have a detective job? Or is it that she can see the past now?
The reason I like breasts is because of my neighbor's influence.
My stay in town was short, but those muscle training days were one of the factors that shaped who I am today.
”Master... Do you like that person?”
”No, no, no! It's only because of her breasts... Damn it! What am I saying!? Frau!”
”Frau, the great detective, knows exactly what you're thinking.”
”Frau-San, please don't do this again. Otherwise I'll take away your cookies.”
”No! Not my cookies!”
What a horrifying fairy.
How dare she dig up my hidden past?
From now on I will treat Frau-San (28 years old) more carefully.
I stroked Kaede's head as she grew teary eyed.
We stopped at a small village on the way.
In the center of the village, the villagers had gathered and were discussing something with serious faces.
”If this keeps up, we will be annihilated. Still no news of the adventurers we requested?”
”No. At this rate we're going to starve to death.”
”If only there was someone who could use spirit magic....”
Annihilated, starve, some very disturbing words.
”What's wrong?”
”That outfit, are you an adventurer? You've come to the right place! Hey everyone, the adventurer we requested has arrived!”
”Wait, I...”