The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 71

Chapter 71: The Town Girl Saint

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The moment the door was pulled inward, steam and a sweet aroma brushed against their faces. The warmth of wood, the scent of fire, and the savory smell of freshly baked dough layered together and fluttered down into the depths of the chest.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Appearing from the kitchen with light steps was Lusha, wearing a white apron. Her hair was loosely tied back, and she was dressed exactly like a town girl devoted to housework. Her usual clear, pristine air had softened slightly, mixed with the atmosphere of the home.

At the sight of her, Elena and Fran stared blankly, dumbfounded. The “White Saint” they knew did not line up with the “apron-clad her” standing before them, and the confusion was plain to see. Lloyd had already grown used to it, but he understood the feeling. If he himself were visiting this place as a guest, he was sure he would have reacted the same way.

Fran snapped back to her senses, her shoulders jumping as if she swallowed a small scream deep in her throat, and she hurriedly pulled a small pouch from her breast pocket.

“S-Saint-sama! Thank you so much for inviting us today! This is just a small thing, but…”

She bowed deeply and thrust forward a paper-wrapped package filled with baked sweets. From the edge of the paper, the scent of butter softly wafted out.

“Wow, baked sweets! Thank you very much. I’ll enjoy them later. And Fran…”

“Y-Yes!”

When her name was called, Fran’s back straightened like a soldier’s. Her chin lifted sharply, as if she might salute at any moment. Finding that seriousness amusing, Lloyd swallowed his laughter deep in his throat.

“Please don’t be so formal. Right now, I’m just Lusha.”

“E-Even if you say that…”

Looking troubled, Fran’s eyes darted about, and then she looked toward Lloyd as if asking for help. Seeing the usually lively girl completely shriveled up was quite entertaining. The hierarchy instilled by the church must have seeped into her bones.

“Please, come inside.”

Prompted by her words, Elena and Fran stepped deeper into the house. From within, a pot softly sang as it simmered, and faint popping sounds echoed as dough expanded inside the stone oven.

“I’m sorry, but could you wait just a little longer? The food isn’t quite ready yet…”

Lusha furrowed her brows apologetically, her voice clouding just a bit at the end.

“N-Not at all! Don’t worry about it!”

“We can wait as long as it takes!”

Elena waved her hands in a panic, while Fran fluttered both hands in front of her chest. Their voices overlapped, and the corners of Lloyd’s mouth lifted on their own. Elena gave off a strong impression, but seeing her so flustered like this, she must actually be pretty nervous. It felt strangely nice to see a new side of her. No, Lloyd had probably been watching his companions without really seeing them. The exchanges since yesterday had driven that home painfully.

“Thank you very much. Please sit wherever you like.”

Lusha glanced toward the table in the living room. Beside it were two chairs that hadn’t been there yesterday, newly added to the group. They were ones she had dug out from a ruined house—just barely usable—and fixed with her 〈Repair〉magic. New fabric had been stretched across the seats, and fine scratches ran along the wood like grain.

At that moment, Lloyd noticed steam drifting from the kitchen all the way into the living room.

“Uh, Lusha. Greetings are fine and all, but is it okay to leave the kitchen unattended?”

“I-I can’t! I left the pot on the fire!”

Lusha’s eyes flew open, and clutching the hem of her skirt, she hurried back into the kitchen. The wooden floorboards let out a light sound under her steps. Fran and Elena sent their gazes toward him at the same time, utterly stunned.

“…Th-the Saint-sama is wearing an apron and cooking.”

“It kind of doesn’t feel real…”

“That’s everyday life here.”

Lloyd shrugged. There wasn’t a single lie in that. From the very first night they started living together, this was how she had been in the kitchen.

The two of them timidly looked around the house as they approached the table. A small shelf hanging on the wall, herbs by the window, a ceramic jar holding water, a statue of a fire spirit. Everything was made up of ordinary household items, but to eyes that had just seen the desolate scenery outside, it must have looked a little strange.

“Was this really a ruined house? It just looks like a normal home.”

“Yeah. Since the outside is an abandoned village, this place feels like a different world.”

“At first, it was no different from the other ruined houses. But, well, thanks to Lusha’s 〈Repair〉magic, we managed somehow.”

The smell of sweat from that day and the powdery feel of wood dust surfaced from the depths of his memories. The first day they arrived at this abandoned village, they had chosen this place simply because it had retained the most of a house’s shape and seemed capable of keeping out the rain and wind. Watching the dilapidated house gradually come back to life now felt a little nostalgic.

At first, there hadn’t been a table, chairs, or even a bed, and they had slept right here in the living room wrapped in blankets.

“Thanks to the Saint-sama, huh… ”

Elena looked at Lloyd with a half-exasperated, half-resigned smile.

“…What?”

“It’s nothing.”

Elena flipped her hand dismissively and let out a sigh. Meanwhile, Fran stood restlessly in front of a chair, shifting her feet.

“I-I mean, it’s not okay for me to sit in a chair, right!? S-Shouldn’t I help out or something!?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. If I make a guest do that, I’ll get scolded.”

“I can’t really imagine Saint-sama scolding someone, though.”

“She may not look it, but Lusha is scary when she’s angry.”

He gave a wry smile and scratched the back of his head. He said it jokingly, but more than half of it was true. The day before yesterday, his clumsy sense of distance had hurt her, creating an unbearably awkward atmosphere. The sadness in her eyes hurt more than having a sword pointed at him. He never wanted to return to that moment again.

Just then, the sound of boiling liquid popped from the kitchen. After that, a reserved voice reached the living room.

“Um, excuse me, Lloyd. Could you help me carry the dishes? I ended up making too much…”

“Sure.”

Lloyd let out a bitter smile and stood up. At the edge of his vision, he saw the two guests exchange stunned looks once more at the familiar ease of the pair’s daily routine.

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