NOVEL NEXT Chapter 72
Eira flapped her small wings diligently with a flap flap.
Following her blissful smile, I arrived safely at an inn to spend the night.
‘They charge more than double despite the quality being no different.’
I realized just how lucky I was to be a long-term guest at Rotten’s inn.
Yawn.
After sleeping at the inn near the Magic Tower and having a modest breakfast, I headed to the platform.
After spending several boring hours in a carriage, I could return to Rotten’s inn in District 4.
‘All I did today was eat and sit in the carriage, and already it’s noon.’
Beep!
“Alright. Let’s go inside. I’ll introduce you to my friends.”
Bang.
I opened the inn door vigorously.
“Huh? Aren!!”
Upon entering, I was greeted by Yeriell, who was having lunch at a table.
“Yeriell, you were eating? Where’s Rotten?”
“Yep! Grandfather went to the kitchen to prepare food and stepped out for a moment. By the way, did you finish your work?”
She tilted her head, looking at my shoulder while asking.
“Wow! So cute! What’s that bird? Can I touch it?”
Eira is indeed quite cute.
Peep! Peep!
‘Why is she acting like that? Ah. Maybe since she’s Scarlet’s familiar, she’s influenced by it?’
Eira flew up to avoid Yeriell closing in.
“Ugh. To avoid me right after meeting. Guess she and I aren’t meant to be? What’s her name?”
“Eira. Her name is Eira. Haha. She seems a bit shy.”
I smiled on the outside while sending a private message.
‘Once you’re done eating, there’s something important I need to tell you, so could you stay in your room? I’ll stop by Lumia’s first, then I’ll come find you.’
─Huh? You said it’s important, so now I’m worried. Sure.
Thank goodness. Without skipping a beat, Yeriell replied correctly despite sending a private message in front of her.
“Oh! Right!”
With a clap, Yeriell looked worried as she continued.
“I didn’t think Lumia looked too well. If healing doesn’t change her condition, she must not be in pain.”
“That’s strange. I get it. I’ll check on her, so enjoy your meal.”
Nodding, I left her resuming her meal and knocked on Lumia’s door.
“Lumia, it’s me, Aren. Can I come in?”
Bang bang.
Click.
“You’re here. Come in.”
‘What I heard earlier was true. She looks really unwell. Why?’
“You look really pale. What happened? If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know.”
Peep! Peep. Peep!
As I said that, checking her condition, Eira approached Lumia and started showing off her cuteness.
“Eek! Where did you suddenly come from…? You’re bad for my heart.”
Tweet!
“I ended up taking on a familiar after visiting the Magic Tower. What do you think? Cute, right?”
Gently reaching out a finger, Lumia carefully stroked Eira and then spoke.
“Actually… I just returned from a tough time in the Labyrinth. Since we both went out for our personal reasons, I was left alone in the inn, and a lot of thoughts flooded my mind. It felt a bit like going back to those tough days.”
Those tough days—she must be referring to the time when parties fell apart because of curses, and she faced all sorts of harassment.
“Just a few months ago, I was cooped up in my room like a corpse, barely alive.”
Recalling the past, Lumia let her head drop absentmindedly.
“I know Aren is here now, so it shouldn’t happen again, but sometimes memories from that time pop into my head and torment me. Sigh, I try to force myself to forget and think of good things, but it’s not easy.”
[Chaos says it might be necessary to comfort Lumia a little bit.]
“I can’t stand this. Lumia, remember the other day when I asked if you wanted to go out together? I asked if there was anywhere you wanted to go.”
“Yeah. As I mentioned last time, I remember.”
“It might seem a bit sudden, but can you make a list of places you’d like to visit or things you want to do by tonight? Let’s head out tomorrow.”
Right after I spoke, her face brightened up.
Though she was trying hard to hide her emotions as usual, the corners of her mouth were lifting slightly, making it hard to hide.
“Sure! …By any chance, will Yeriell come along too?”
Though she couldn’t express it directly, her trembling eyes desperately wished for a positive response.
As she hoped, I said.
“No, this time let’s go just the two of us. It’s not like we’re just going out for a day; we plan on going back and forth for several days, and I can’t imagine Yeriell won’t have her schedule free.”
Peep.
I gently scratched Eira, who had returned to sit on my shoulder, and opened my mouth.
“Since I’m on the topic, I should have a chat with Yeriell too. Let’s have dinner together later. You just rest well.”
Click.
I was relieved to see that Lumia seemed to have recovered somewhat.
‘After telling Yeriell about Scarlet, let’s not go anywhere today and just rest in the room. Eira should be fine being left with Lumia for a bit.’
With a sigh of relief, I headed toward Yeriell’s room.
*
Just as I expected, her face was one of shock upon hearing it.
“What?! Scarlet is alive? Is that really true?!”
“Shh! You’ll be overheard. It’s better to keep your voice down.”
“Ah. Yeah. I’m just so surprised.”
Huff. Huff.
Taking a deep breath to calm her shock, Yeriell asked again.
“Clearly she died at your hands in that last battle, so how could she come back? No matter how noble she is, resurrection…”
“I don’t know if I should call this fortunate, but she doesn’t seem to harbor any bad feelings towards us. It just seems like her obsession towards me has intensified a bit.”
“Obsession? Right. If I recall how she acted just before she died, she was totally unhinged! Is this really okay?”
Is she confused due to our unexpected news?
“Don’t worry; at least the terrible things you imagine won’t happen, so relax.”
I shook my head.
“I just felt it was right to tell you, as you were involved in that situation too, but I don’t want you to suffer from this news or remain anxious. Let’s just brush it off as something that happened.”
“Hmm. Whatever happens, I trust Aren to handle it well. I’ll just believe and forget. Oh! What about that little bird from earlier?”
I confirmed she was Scarlet’s familiar.
“Don’t let that slip. Got it. But it seems you have more to say?”
I shared my plans with Lumia and asked about the schedule.
“Actually, I was called by my sister, and I have things to do with the Order, so this week will probably be busy for me as well. But!”
Snap!
“Just promise me you two won’t do anything questionable without me! …What? What do you mean by questionable? I mean, you know, relationship-wise!”
As Yeriell pointed a finger at me, she yelled and blushed, covering her red cheeks.
I was momentarily taken aback by her unexpected remark, but I quickly brushed it off.
‘It was surprising to hear a priestess like Yeriell say that… But she’s an adult, so it makes sense.’
“Ah, one last thing. You solved the issues at the Cathedral regarding your traits, right? I should’ve asked this first; sorry I didn’t think of it.”
“Hehe. I was actually wondering why you didn’t ask, and I was considering mentioning it first. It’s all cleared up now, so no worries! The first time was easy.”
Phew, thank goodness.
After wrapping up our conversation without any issues, I left the room.
‘After being awake for half a day in the carriage, I feel a bit tired. It’s still daytime, but I should be okay. I’ll just rest for a little bit.’
I took a short nap, woke up to greet Rotten when he returned, and enjoyed a pleasant day, chatting over dinner with the three of us.
*
The first day of going out alone with Lumia dawned.
“I’ll be back. Don’t worry if I come home late or don’t come home at all.”
“Ahem. Alright. I understand, so hurry along. Aren, take good care of Lumia. Always remember not to let your guard down.”
“Come on, grandpa. Am I a kid?”
Starting from the morning, light-hearted conversations flowed between Rotten and Lumia as we began our schedule.
“Alright, let’s get going in earnest. Anywhere is fine, so guide me to where you want to go, Lumia.”
“Okay. Just follow me closely.”
Thump thump.
Occasionally, if someone frowned at Lumia and muttered something or started picking a fight, I just ignored them or glared back, whether powerful or weak, like I might kill them.
“Which one do you like? This one? Or is this better?”
“I… I like them all. I can’t pick.”
“Is that right? Hey! I’ll take this, this, and that one too.”
“Thank you! Please come again!”
After trying on some clothes at a clothing store, buying several outfits while complimenting them, we also bought a couple of unique trinkets or talismans that were said to have come from faraway lands at a street vendor.
Besides those…
“Tsk! Young ones these days seem to only want to tear others down, but they can’t see their own shortcomings?”
“Indeed.”
“Here, the breads you ordered are out! Enjoy! And here’s a little extra!”
At a famous bakery, we were treated kindly by a cheerful lady, and while sitting at a table, we savored fresh warm bread along with tea.
Swoosh.
“I feel more at ease than ever.”
“Yeah. They say high-level magic keeps it clean, and just looking at it feels like cleansing my insides.”
In the Central Square of District 4, a magical fountain that promised cleanliness in any situation for a hefty price.
We sat on a nearby bench, spending time comfortably chatting.
Ding ding─
“For the brilliant destiny each star holds──”
Ding ding ding─
“A valiant lion knight, Dekarsen! With his steadfast spirit and shining sword── he shall tear apart all the adversities and hardships like a storm──!”
After riding a carriage, we moved to District 5.
We visited a tavern with a peculiar name, and even though it was still far from night, not even evening yet…
We excitedly watched a bard passionately singing and playing the lute while having an early meal.
Clank.
As we were savoring the expensive food, almost finishing, I finally asked.
“Lumia, you still have lots of places in mind, right? Where shall we go this time?”
Lumia perked up her ears and hesitated, showing a contemplative face.
“I’ve thought of many places I wanted to go, but as soon as the opportunity arises, it’s hard to decide.”
After all… Lumia, who usually just stayed locked in her room or practiced magic in the backyard, understandably found it difficult to decide.
Just like when you ask someone what they want to eat or what they want, and if they have a clear one option locked in their mind, they can answer right away.
But if someone had many desires or was used to desiring things they didn’t have, they might take a longer time to respond to the same question.
‘What to do… I don’t know what Lumia wants, and I don’t know much about this area, so it’s awkward to point out a specific place to go.’
While we both pondered, the table we were sitting at fell silent for a moment, prompting a conversation from the nearby table filled with bearded men.
“Ha! Nothing beats a beer after simple labor! The request ended early, so what do you think? Should we bet on the gladiators like last week and try to make some cash?”
“Stop it, stop. I heard a famous circus troupe rented the amphitheater for a few days starting yesterday. I wonder what kind of performance they’ll showcase?”
“Huh? Circus?”
A circus, huh?
“Yeah. You know, there are people who have other professions besides adventurers, right? People who dabble in dungeons, almost as a side gig.”
“There are plenty. If I could, I definitely wouldn’t be living off simple requests like you. Damn it, now I’m losing my appetite.”
With an annoyed look, a man with a topknot and scruffy beard slammed his drink, downing it angrily.
“Listen, buddy. Don’t get mad, just hear me out. Since it’s been brought up, how about we go together?”
“Wait. You want to go see that circus or whatever it is? It’s not free, so why waste money on that! Am I a kid?”
Tsk tsk.
Watching the irritable man, the adventurer across from him clicked his tongue.
“Seems like you’re just a fool who knows one thing but not the other. I heard that all the circus members are at least somewhat skilled, and there are rare cases where people have their eyes opened just watching them perform their tricks.”
“Open their eyes? That’s something to be said about geniuses! What else?”
“Gosh, you’re so short-tempered. By the way, I heard the most famous member of that troupe is a stunning beauty. So it’s just a trip for relaxation and to see a beautiful woman. What do you say?”
“Dude! Why not just say that from the start? Let’s go! We need to grab seats first!”
“Hey, hey! We need to finish our meal first! …Ugh. So obsessed with money and women. Alright, let’s go.”
The two who had been loud enough for the whole place to hear hurriedly rushed outside, and I locked eyes with Lumia.
We were thinking the same thing.
Looking into her jewel-like eyes, I could instantly tell what she was hoping for.
“Aren.”
“Yeah. You don’t need to say more. You want to see the circus that those guys were talking about, right?”
She nodded.
“Perfect timing since I was just pondering! They clearly mentioned the gladiators would be there at the amphitheater, right?”
While I casually inquired at the counter, the stout innkeeper nonchalantly said.
“Well, if you’re looking for entertainment in District 5, you can’t skip the gladiators’ matches. There’s plenty of gruesome characters made up of both some applicants and former adventurers, so there’s no guilt in enjoying the show.”
The rotund innkeeper scratched his cheek as he looked away.
“Oh, and didn’t they say some performance is going on there for a few days? I hear Medeia, who will be the finale, is exceptionally beautiful. Now that you mention it, I should close for a bit tomorrow and go see it too.”
As he spoke, he kindly pointed out the location, and I thanked him before leaving the inn.
A circus performance featuring magic and skill in another world… I can’t wait!