The power of the promissory note Sairitz-san gave me was ridiculous.

For a second, I thought about hanging it on my neck and walk around with it. That way, trouble might avoid me.

But if I do that, something even more troublesome than this promissory note will definitely happen.

Like kicking a pebble on the street and breaking a national treasure accidentally.

Parallel worlds are troublesome because things that happen in gag mangas can easily happen in real life.

“Hohoh~ this is a room that I can actually relax in. We are lucky a good inn was open.” (Tomoe)

“It is definitely better than the log house we were in before.The owner didn’t try to overcharge us either.” (Mio)

We decided to stay a night in Mizuha, so we began to do things like sightseeing the townscape and tasting the specialties as we looked for an inn.

Narrowing the conditions into: a good atmosphere, cost, and delicious food, as we looked around, is one of the best parts about a journey.

…Well, in the modern world, I could simply search for all of that in the internet though.

I thought we would be doing something similar to when Shiki and I headed to the Academy, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Tomoe casually grabbed the soldiers that were stealthily tailing us and said: “Where is the best inn here?”

With this, it was decided.

About that inn, Mio also said her piece of mind.

“Prepare your best room.”

Yup, that’s all.

Of course it would be a good room if you say that.

With that, it is obviously going to be open.

We went to an expensive inn, and on top of that, we asked for the most expensive room there.

It would be one thing if we had come in a special day for this city, but in this time that’s practically off-season, it will most likely be open.

By the way, the soldiers that had been dazzled by the promissory note were at our backs, so the inn owner was probably troubled…

Sorry for that.

“Fumu fumu. As expected of a foreign country. Their style is pretty different. This is that, right? A ryokan <Japanese style inn>. It has taken that as a reference, right Waka?” (Tomoe)

“The corridor had wooden floors, but there’s even tatamis in the room. It doesn’t seem to be exactly the same, but…there’s no doubt that they used that as reference.” (Makoto)

It may be slightly reddish-brown, but the looks are exactly like a tatami.

Is it because the materials that can be obtained here are of this color, or because this is their limit as to how close they can be of the tatami color? I don’t know.

The smell is also similar, but different.

However, I am simply comparing it with the tatamis I know of, and there’s no doubt that in Lorel, this is serving its purpose as tatamis.

The composition of the room is exactly that of a Japanese-style room.

…As I thought, within the Japanese Wise in Lorel that missed their world, there were some that tried to replicate how it was.

In this country that has a good relationship with the dwarfs, they could have used many better materials like stones and bricks, and yet, most of the houses are wooden.

I even found red bean paste that had the same color and taste. But it didn’t have sticky rice cake inside, it seems to be mainly consumed as cake.

It seems like depending on the area, there are places that actually use sticky rice cake inside.

Also, there were some that were inside bread.

Red bean paste bread. <ANPAN>

It had exactly the same taste and I felt incredibly nostalgic.    

As an otherworldler, the thing that one pursues the most is probably the taste of your homeland.

Or do they simply acknowledge it as something delicious?

At this rate, I might be able to find soy sauce or miso around here.

It might be a good idea to check out the marks…no, the footprints that the Japanese, who spend their whole life in this country, have left.

If the situation in Tsige has a sudden turn, I would have to return immediately, but once the negotiation with the mercenary group is done, maybe for a little while…

“Oh?!”

“Ara!”

?

As I was pensive, Tomoe and Mio, who were looking around the room, raised their voices.

“You two, what happened?” (Makoto)

“No well, this is a joyful unexpected event. We have found something wonderful.” (Tomoe)

“It has been a while-desu wa ne. Ufufufufu.” (Mio)

“Let’s see… T-This is?!” (Makoto)

As expected of the best room in the city’s number one inn.

At a section of the room, at the other side of the wooden door…there was something nostalgic, and something that I have a recollection of in this world.

“To think there’s an open air bath here, how stylish.” (Makoto)

“Since the time we entered together, I haven’t had a chance to wash your back, but it seems like tonight I will be able to take care of you leisurely-desu wa.” (Mio)

Oh, seriously?

Since the time I showed an unsightly side of me in the Kaleneon mountain, I have been stealthily avoiding mixed baths, and yet, this is…

There’s a limit to sudden trouble.

A stone bath that is compact yet neatly put together. A bath that looks like it has been created with a resemblance to the cypress bath.

It is being poured water even now, and steam is coming out from it.

I remember seeing in tv that there are this kind of rooms in expensive inns, but…to think that I would be able to experience it myself.

Moreover, with two women.

…What a situation.

‘Hahaha, explode’, for some reason, I felt like this is the kind of situation where someone would shout this mortified as they point their finger, and I don’t know why, but mysteriously, I felt like that finger was pointed at me.

“Look for a restaurant to eat in, check out the city’s surroundings, and then at the end, cleanse the fatigue in the hot spring! This is the best first day.” (Tomoe)

“If the end is the best, I don’t care about the other parts being no good.” (Mio)

“…This time I won’t get dizzy. I am going to be careful. You two as well, please restrain yourselves.” (Makoto)

“Don’t worry about what happened last time! Don’t worry, first time’s are always like that. In other words, it is all about getting used to it.” (Tomoe)

“Also, even if it ends up that way again, I will nurse you. Please enjoy the bath without worrying.” (Mio)

…They don’t have a single bit of intentions to restrain.

I can clearly tell that they didn’t listen to the latter half of my words.

So they pretend not to hear the words that are not convenient for them huh. Even though I asked them kindly and all.

At the time in Zenno when I was with both of them…right, at the place we went, we picked up the sister of Toa, Rinon. After that, we faced a variety of things like attacks.

Ah, I see.

I just have to pick up someone this time as well, like the time with Rinon.

Please, let there be someone who is troubled.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Is it that one?” (Tomoe)

“What is it, Tomoe-san?” (Makoto)

I respond in that way to the amazed mutter of Tomoe.

“Find an inn, go out for the meal. For Waka, these two are supposed to be flags for you to make something happen, right?” (Tomoe)

“What do you take me for? Rather than me making something happen, it is more like, things occur. No matter what it is, it is not like I am the one that did it.” (Makoto)

I was indeed wishing for it though.

“Waka-sama, Waka-sama.” (Mio)

Mio whispers in my ear.

“What, Mio?” (Makoto)

“Why don’t we just pretend we didn’t see this at all? If we just stealthily move at the sides of the street, someone else will definitely do something about it.” (Mio)

“It is rare to see our thoughts match, Mio. Waka, I think that this time, this is a good choice to take. How about it?” (Tomoe)

“…You two…just how fast do you want to return?” (Makoto)

““As soon as possible!””

They synced extraordinarily well.

After finishing our dinner of nabe prepared with miso that seems to be the specialty of this place,  we were going back to the inn as we voiced out our impressions, saying things like: ‘it was delicious’.

It seems like Mizuha has pretty good public order. At night, there were a good amount of people on the streets, but once we moved to the next thin street, it still ended up giving a dangerous vibe.

Tomoe and Mio seemed like they wanted to return to the inn fast, so they clearly chose the shortest route as they moved.

It wasn’t me, you know?

Tomoe and Mio were the ones who wanted to go that way, okay?

And then, we immediately got an encounter.

Hahahaha.

At that location, there was a kid with what seemed to be a toy sword, confronting a number of adults.

The sword that the kid was holding, gave out the light of magic power.

I don’t know how much effectiveness it provides, but I don’t think it is a good idea to give out your location in the darkness.

Because that definitely doesn’t work for your advantage.

“If this were a fight between drunks, it would be a different story, but just from looking at it, you can tell that it is giving out the scent of crime, right?” (Makoto)

“Actually, it smells like nothing but trouble though. Ah, why didn’t I endure the few extra minutes in the safe path…?” (Tomoe)

“Now that I look closely, that kid might be an elf, or maybe not? Hah…it is true that the open air bath wouldn’t have run away anyways. It must be that, right? The impatient beggars don’t get much change, was it?” (Mio)

“Something like that. However, the other side is also taking their sweet time. Now then…” (Tomoe)

These two don’t have any motivation at all.

Mio is already so despondent that I can’t even understand what she is saying.

Tomoe is also giving out an aura of ‘what a pain’ from all her body.

But I will save that kid.

Actually, that kid there, please save me, in a lot of meanings.

But it is certainly true. Just like Tomoe said, the attackers are taking their sweet time.

It doesn’t seem like they have noticed us either.

“Princess-sama, please return! If you have something in your mind, you can just order us and we will soon—”

“Zip your mouths, zip your mouths! I will go myself and supervise the land-desu! I will also bring out my own money to hire people-desu! You don’t have to worry-desu!”

She is a girl that says -desu repeatedly and zip your mouths.

Even so…is she saying *supervise*, or *check*? <both are written differently but sound the same>

If it were the latter, it would be one thing, but the former is not something that a child can do.

Also…princess-sama?

I thought she was a broke kid like Rinon. But it seems like the situation is a bit…no, a lot different.

“If something were to happen to Princess-sama, I, Shougetsu, wouldn’t know what to say to Danna-sama<master>” (Shougetsu)

“If it is father, you can just give him his favorite steamed buns and he won’t care about someone like me-desu!!!”

“…That’s saying too much! Princess-sama!” (Shougetsu)

…I retract my words.

Now that I look properly, the adult side is mixed with men and women.

There are indeed some that have their swords unsheathed, but they are making sure not to point the edged part towards the kid.

And the child was swinging around the magic powered sword, but the adults were restraining themselves.

Yeah, this is the type of trouble I don’t want to get involved with.

“…”

“It seems like the dangerous scent is gone, so let’s just consider it as watching an amusing show and leave now.” (Makoto)

My instincts were telling me that it would be better to get caught in the mixed bath rather than this.

“…”

However, the silent Tomoe was different from Mio who wanted to return as soon as possible. She wasn’t moving from the place.

Or more like…she had a complacent smile.

Ah, she read their memories.

“In any case, even if you swing around something like that, we can’t step back! Akashi, Yuduki, we are bringing back the princess even if by force. Don’t injure her!” (Shougetsu)

“As you will!”

“Got it!”

Those two are like Tomoe and Mio.

Akashi and Yuduki; the two women run towards the kid.

It seems like even if they are going to incapacitate her, they are not going to injure her, so it clearly doesn’t seem to be a crime.

Ignore it. Ignoring is the best.

“Stop right there, scoundrels!”

Hah?!

Uo, Tomoe is not here!

Once I look at my side, Tomoe was not there anymore.

Just now, they said something about Kannaoi, the place where we will most likely be staying the longest time in this country, so it would have been better if we had just ignored it.

“Gah?!”

“Gufu!”

Noooo!

Akashi-san and Yuduki-san have fallen right before the kid!

That’s To.mo.e!!!!

A tender warmth reaches my legs.

How to say it, it is just as expected.

In front of the absent-minded princess that’s holding the glowing sword, Tomoe appears with one of her two katanas unsheathed, the long one.

Until I pointed it out, Tomoe had been using the short lengthed one, Shirafuji, pretty often.

But after explaining her the meaning of the short one, she has begun unsheathing the long one, Yae Kuro Ryu <multilayered black dragon>, more often.

Well, she can manage most people with her bare hands, so she rarely unsheathes it though.

And yet, she went through the trouble of unsheathing it this time around.

It seems like that katana was made by the dwarfs out of some sort of mysterious tree that was able to face a mountain fire head on.

Wood that is harder than metal, and it is so tempered that it wouldn’t lose to a mountain fire. I didn’t understand a thing about that material.

Whatever the case, it is a fire element katana that is opposite to Shirafuji.

“Doing something like surrounding a small child with numbers, is that something adults do?! Learn shame!” (Tomoe)

…You were listening to the situation, and yet, those are quite the words.

“Are you okay, little child? It is alright now-ja. I will protect you.” (Tomoe)

“Wait wait wait! We have our circumstances. We can’t reveal the details, but we do have our circumstances! By no means did we intend to injure that personage.” (Shougetsu)

“There’s no need to hear the words of people that have taken their weapons and threatened a kid with numbers!” (Tomoe)

…That man named Shougetsu-san, was he born under a star that doesn’t let him finish what he wants to say?

So saddening.

Ah, no good.

I feel like rolling my eyes.

The katana of Tomoe makes a flash.

The heat wave that was produced by this had blown Shougetsu-san and the others till the building at their back.

It was so sudden that they couldn’t scream once.

Ah, so she narrowly managed to not dye her hands in evil huh.

Because if she wanted to, she would be able to turn everything into ashes all the way to the inn we are staying.

It seems like she didn’t go that far.

“Are you hurt?” (Tomoe)

“…”

“Now then, little child, let’s find a safe place to—” (Tomoe)

“Amazing…Amazing-desu! You were like the legendary master swordsman, Iori-na no desu!!”

“Oh, master swordsman. What a nice sounding title-ja no.” (Tomoe)

“Ah, but the old ma—No no! I mean, those hoodlums there, are they okay?”

“Of course. I used the blunt side-ja.” (Tomoe)

“Uwaa~~~!”

Uwaaa, she made an ‘uwaa’ that was not from drawing back, but one that was from admiration.

Even from here, I could tell that the kid’s eyes were glittering.

But Tomoe, I think crashing onto a hard surface and getting burns are quite the big deal though. Is it okay to call that ‘blunt side’?

Akashi-san and Yuduki-san look like they are pretty injured, you know?

…Well, we are talking about Tomoe here.

She would simply say that the blunt side is used for when she fights outside.

Swinging her sword and calling it ‘blunt side’ sounds quite war-like though.

Well, they are alive, so she definitely did hold back there.

“Waka-sama…” (Mio)

“Right, let’s return to the inn.” (Makoto)

Mio tugged my clothes.

Reading those eyes of hers that were as if appealing to something, I answer her.

We will probably be going back with that kid though.

“That’s great. I thought we wouldn’t be able to bath. Wash his back~~ Wash his back~~♪” (Mio)

…Eh?

Weren’t those eyes saying that you wanted to go back because it was getting cold?

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