Vol 3 Chapter 21: The Next Destination…

Time passed quietly for a while.

“Uh, um… Ni-Nina, well, I’m fine now, so shall we get going?”

“Roger that! Hehe, looks like this spot’s all dried up now, huh? …Though there’s still a little stain visible♪.”

With her clinging onto me, we left the alley.

When we returned to the main street, the marketplace was still lively. With night deepening, the atmosphere had grown even more raucous, filled with people drinking and chatting noisily.

“Hey, I’m feeling a bit peckish. Let’s grab something to eat before heading back. …I’m craving some meat♡.”

Squish♡

A sweet whisper, paired with the sensation of something soft pressing against me. In the face of such an assault…

“O-okay… Pick whatever you like.”

…resistance didn’t even cross my mind.

“Yay! Fufufu… What should I get~♪.”

Nina strolled beside me, arm-in-arm like a lover, scanning the stalls until she stopped in front of one.

“──Spicy marinated meat? What’s that?”

“Hmm? I’ve never heard of it either…”

It was a simple wooden stall. On its table sat a plate of meat soaked in bright red sauce, exuding a mouthwatering aroma of spices carried by the wind.

“Hey there, missy, mister! You’ve got good eyes picking my place! For a beauty like you, I’ll throw in a little extra!”

The cheerful vendor called out to us. Nina, standing beside me, stared at the meat with glittering eyes, looking like a predator salivating over its prey.

Well, the choice was clear.

“Alright, can we have two of those?”

“Coming right up! Just a sec!”

I handed over a few copper coins, and after a short wait, the vendor handed us sandwiches with meat tucked between slices of bread.

“You eat it like a sandwich, huh…? This bread’s surprisingly soft, though. Well, whatever. ──Nom… Mmm!”

“N-Nina? Are you okay?”

Nina bit into the sandwich, her small mouth wrapping around the bread and meat, and let out a surprised sound. I couldn’t tell if it was because it was delicious or not, but her next reaction gave me the answer.

Her body trembled slightly, her eyes closed, and her face showed pure bliss as she savored the taste.

“──Mmm, this… this is amazing! Shin, this is super delicious! You’ve gotta try it!”

Ignoring the gazes of those around her, she spoke excitedly. Urged on by her enthusiasm, I took a bite myself, filled with anticipation.

“O-okay… Nom──Mmm? Wow, you’re right! This is incredible!”

“Right?! I told you it’s delicious!”

The sauce, which looked overwhelmingly spicy, turned out to be surprisingly mild. Perhaps because it had soaked into the soft bread, it only gave a gentle, tingling sensation on the tongue.

Combined with the tender, chewy texture of the meat, the flavor became even richer, making it hard to stop at just one.

“Ha ha ha! Glad you like it!”

“Mister, this is amazing! Nom nom… I’ve never had anything like this before! Nom… Hey, where’s this dish from?”

The cheerful vendor, pleased with our honest reactions, continued his work. Nina, her cheeks stuffed with food, kept talking without pause. While I felt the urge to tell her to calm down, it seemed pointless in the face of such deliciousness.

“Ah, this? It’s actually a specialty from a town called Requille, not far from the capital. The meat raised there is known for its flavor and texture. They’ve got all kinds of tasty stuff there.”

“Nom nom… Wow, so there’s a place like that. If they have more stuff this good, I wanna visit someday. …Right, Shin♪?”

“Yeah, I’d love to try more. I’m sure everyone else would enjoy it too.”

As we chatted about the town we’d yet to see, the vendor scratched his cheek, looking somewhat troubled.

“Ah… I’m happy to hear that, but… well…”

“Hm? Is there a problem?”

Unlike his earlier demeanor, the man hesitated. Nina tilted her head and asked.

“Well, uh… this is just between us, okay?”

Lowering his voice and leaning forward slightly, the vendor whispered to us. Feeling that this might be something important, Nina and I nodded solemnly.

“Actually, there’s been some trouble brewing in Requille lately. The lord of the town, who used to be pretty lenient with trade and commerce, has suddenly changed. He’s raised taxes and started cracking down on the townsfolk.”

“That does sound… serious.”

“Yeah. I make my living running this stall, but with the taxes taking a big chunk, I couldn’t get by. That’s why I came here to work.”

Though the vendor maintained his cheery disposition, there was a hint of despair behind his words.

“Hmm, that’s tough. But why would the lord suddenly change like that? Couldn’t it be because the town’s finances are in trouble?”

“No, the town’s economy is doing fine. But there’s a rumor going around… that the lord’s spending a fortune on a woman he’s infatuated with.”

“Spending on a woman!?”

The idea that a town lord could cause such hardship for such a reason was hard to believe.

“Yeah, but it’s just a rumor. A few influential people in the town tried to confront the lord about it, but ever since then, none of them have spoken out again. Pretty strange, huh?”

“Definitely strange…”

Nina muttered suspiciously. Meanwhile, I was thinking about something else.

“Excuse me, mister? Have you ever seen this woman the lord is said to be obsessed with?”

“Nope, not once. It’s just a story that made its way to me. But apparently, she’s a real beauty. Hey, mister, with a gorgeous girl like her by your side, you’d better watch out for any trouble, okay?”

The Sudden Change in the Lord, the Mysterious Shift in the Town’s Influential Figures, and the Rumored Beautiful Woman… Something Doesn’t Add Up.

“O-oi! Old man! Sh-she’s just a comrade, noth─”

“Ga ha ha! Don’t be shy now! There’s no way two people clinging to each other like that are strangers!”

“I told you… she’s not… like that…”

As the two bantered back and forth, my thoughts sank deeper. The town of Requille. Could it be…?

“──Well, jokes aside, I’d stay away from that town for a while if I were you.”

“Y-yes. Thank you for the valuable information. Also, the food was delicious. Thank you for the meal. ──Nina, let’s go.”

“Ugh… fine, fine! See you later, old man! And seriously, we’re not a couple!”

Pulling a still-displeased Nina along, I headed back to the guild where everyone was waiting.

Could this be a lead… to Alice’s enemy?

“──Ah, welcome back, both of you!”

When we returned to the guild, Lena greeted us with a face that lit up as if she had been waiting impatiently. She looked like a little puppy wagging its tail—adorably eager.

“Welcome back.”

“You’re quite late. Where did you two go?”

Kaguya and Alice followed up with their own questions.

“Just went to the market for some shopping. What about Fana?”

“Fana-sama is over there.”

Nina answered nonchalantly, and Kaguya gestured toward the reception desk.

Turning my gaze in that direction, I saw Fana-san receiving a large pouch of gold coins from the receptionist, seemingly having just completed exchanging mithril.

“Thank you very much.”

“Yes, please come again♪.”

“Fana-san, sorry to keep you waiting! Let me carry that for you.”

Judging the pouch’s considerable weight, I couldn’t let a woman carry it, so I quickly offered my help.

“Oh my, welcome back. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

When I picked it up, its weight was even greater than I had imagined. With that, we decided to return to the inn.

“We made… quite a lot, didn’t we? I mean, it’s almost unsettling.”

As we gathered around the inn’s table to assess the day’s earnings, Nina muttered with slight disbelief.

“Indeed. But with this amount, we can relax for a while.”

The unexpected mountain of gold coins seemed to have left Fana-san quite satisfied as well. Now was the perfect moment to bring it up.

“Everyone, can I have a moment?”

Hearing my serious tone, the others looked at me curiously. I recounted the story about Requille’s lord that I had heard at the stall earlier.

“──And that’s the situation.”

Thanks to their silent attentiveness, my explanation concluded quickly.

“How suspicious…”

Unsurprisingly, Alice was the first to speak. No doubt, she was thinking the same thing as I was.

“Yeah. Hearing this story, I couldn’t help but think… Couldn’t it be Alice’s stepmother─Leia?”

The atmosphere turned heavy at my pointed words. Everyone seemed lost in thought, while Alice and Kaguya clenched their hands tightly.

Finally, as if she couldn’t hold back anymore, Alice spoke up.

“I, I─”

“I think we should go.”

Cutting her off, I surprised even myself by speaking in a firm, decisive tone.

“──Shin?”

Alice called my name, her voice tinged with shock and confusion. I smiled softly and continued.

“There’s no definitive proof that this is connected to Alice’s enemy, but the circumstances are far too similar. We’ve earned enough money to allow us some flexibility. So, I want to go to that town─and help them! …I-is that… okay?”

I tried to finish confidently, but nervousness and embarrassment got the better of me, and my words faltered at the end. My lack of composure made me feel disappointed in myself.

As I anxiously scanned everyone’s reactions…

“Of course!”

“Yes, that sounds wonderful.”

Alice and Kaguya immediately agreed with enthusiasm.

“Shin, you’re so cool─ah, I mean, I think it’s a great idea! Yep!”

“Guess there’s no choice. Let’s do it!”

Lena beamed, while Nina, though grumbling, clearly approved.

“──Fufu.”

Then, there was one more person with a mysterious smile.

“F-Fana-san?”

“Fufufu, forgive me. I agree, of course. However…”

Although her words were supportive, there was a certain nuance in her tone. As I looked at her in puzzlement, she gave a playful, childlike grin—not the seductive expression she usually wore.

“…I never expected Shin-san to bring up what I was about to propose. Perhaps it’s time to change leaders? Fufu.”

She said it teasingly, clearly enjoying herself.

“N-no, that’s not…”

Embarrassed by her playful words, I stammered, unable to respond properly. The others laughed at my flustered state.

With that, our course was set.

Our destination: the town of Requille.

Our mission: to uncover the truth about the mysterious woman influencing the lord!

“──Now that we’ve settled that… Shin-san?”

“Yes?”

As we buzzed with excitement over our new goal, Fana-san leaned in with a mischievous whisper.

“Today, you had fun exploring the dungeon with Lena… and you also enjoyed yourself outside with Nina, didn’t you♡?”

“──! H-how do you know about that!? …Oh.”