WM – Chapter 160: Takatsuki Makoto returns in the morning of the next day

“I am back~.” (Makoto)

“Uuuh~, I want to take a bath…” (Aya)

Sa-san and I were in shambles, and it was only after the morning sun was rising that we were able to return to the inn.

The reasons for the both of us being beaten up is completely different though.

I was desperately avoiding the attacks of the Sand Dragons with Evade; Sa-san was rip and tearing her way into the Sand Dragon rampage.

At the end, the mountain of Sand Dragons were wiped out.

They are dangerous dragons that attack travelling adventurers and merchants in the desert and wasteland, so I don’t think it is a bad thing to have defeated them though…

(But I think we have changed the ecology of the desert…) (Makoto)

Humans really are the ones who are the least kind to nature.

Sa-san is a lamia though.

When we entered our lodging, there was Princess Sofia, Lucy, and Furiae-san with Tsui in the dining room, having finished breakfast, and were drinking tea.

Sa-san and I were about to head to our room all woozily, but were called to a stop.

“Good morning, Hero Makoto, Aya.” (Sofia)

The voice of Princess Sofia is cold. 

In other words, the usual.

“Hey, Makoto, Aya, where did you two go to just the two of you last night?” (Lucy)

Lucy’s voice was low and cold.

Oh? This is the first time I hear a voice like this from Lucy. 

“Good morning, Sofi-chan, Lu-chan…” (Aya)

Looks like Sa-san hasn’t noticed that the state of the two is different from normal.

Alright, I will also feign as if I am sleepy and didn’t notice too—.

“You must have enjoyed yourselves last night.” (Furiae)

Furiae-san says this with a grin while brushing the back of the black cat.

““…….””

We obviously can’t ignore that one, so Sa-san and I turn around.

Princess Sofia and Lucy were looking intently over here. 

“Heya there.” (Makoto)

For now, I tried greeting them in a bright tone.

“Oh, that’s quite the light greeting for a man who has returned the next morning.” (Sofia)

“Makoto, we were waiting all this time, you know?” (Lucy)

Aah, messed up in the way of dealing with it.

Their eyes grew sharper.

“Takki-dono!” (Fuji)

“Everyone! This is bad!” (Nina)

While I was troubled thinking about how to explain everything that transpired, Fuji-yan and Nina-san hurriedly came in. 

Nice timing! 

“Did something happen, Fuji-yan?” (Makoto)

And so, I have to listen to the distress of my friend.

“Please hear me out! It looks like an unbelievable monster appeared in the desert-desu zo!” (Fuji)

“Hoho, interesting. I would like to hear more about this.” (Makoto)

I urge Fuji-yan to go on.

Princess Sofia and Lucy also reluctantly direct their eyes at Fuji-yan.

“Nina-dono, please explain.” (Fuji)

“Yes! These rumors have been going around this whole morning in the Adventurer Guild! They said that the Sand Dragons of the desert have been wiped out in one night!” (Nina)

(Hm?) (Makoto)

Sand Dragons…

“What?!” (Sofia)

“Sand Dragons wiped out!” (Lucy)

Princess Sofia and Lucy raised their voice in surprise.

I glanced to the side and Furiae-san seemed to not be interested in it. She was stroking the chin of the black cat and making it purr.

Looks like the Sand Dragons being wiped out…is apparently big news.

Sand Dragons…

“That’s impossible… The Calamity Designation monsters that have been troubling the military authorities of the Fire Country…” (Sofia)

“Yes… The rulers of the Fire Country’s desert defeated in one night is unbelievable.” (Nina)

Princess Sofia muttered dumbstruck, and Nina-san spoke in excitement.

“Even between elves, I was taught when I was a child not to get close to the Sand Dragon’s nest of the Fire Country…” (Lucy)

“Now that you mention it, my wet nurse might have said something like that too. That I shouldn’t approach the desert of the Fire Country.” (Furiae)

Looks like it was a famous story for Lucy and Furiae-san too.

Yeah…

What to do…

I glanced at Sa-san.

“…Zzzz.” (Aya)

She is sleeping while standing?! 

Oi, it is obviously our fault! 

Do I have to be the one to explain it? 

Sa-san was the one who defeated them all while I was just running around, so it is embarrassing for me to explain it, you know?! 

“What… Takki-dono…” (Fuji)

Fuji-yan picked up on it with his mind reading skill.

“This isn’t good. There’s obviously an abnormality occurring. I will head to the Great Keith Castle and gather information.” (Sofia)

“Thanks, Sofia-sama. We will go around the Adventurer Guild and the Company Guild.” (Nina)

“I will also help!” (Lucy)

Princess Sofia, Nina-san, and Lucy were about to move.

N-No good.

I have to hurry and explain! 

“Wait…everyone, it seems like Takki-dono knows everything about it.” (Fuji)

While I was panicking here, Fuji-yan followed up for me.

“““Eh?”””

Everyone’s gazes gather on me at once.

Sa-san is sleeping peacefully…

So I have to be the one to explain it, huh…

“…Actually…” (Makoto)

I explained everything that happened last night.

“Wiped out a nest of Sand Dragons on her own…?” (Sofia)

“N-No way…” (Nina)

Princess Sofia and Nina-san were making completely shocked expressions.

“Aya! Aya, wake up! Is what Makoto is saying true?!” (Lucy)

Lucy is shaking Sa-san, but Sa-san must have fallen into a deep sleep just now, she wasn’t waking up at all.

She must have been really tired.

“But I don’t know if the Fire Country will believe us even if we were to tell them the truth.” (Fuji)

Fuji-yan was scratching his head with a troubled expression.

It looks like subjugating the nest of Sand Dragons is such a big thing that there’s a high chance they won’t believe that it was wiped out by Sa-san alone.

“But we can’t just keep silent about it. The Fire Country is currently desperate in finding the reason as to why the Sand Dragons have been wiped out. If we don’t tell them the truth, the nation will be uneasy too.” (Sofia)

Princess Sofia prepared to depart with a resolved face.

“Shall I go too?” (Makoto)

I think it would be better to have a related party tag along.

“No, if you go, they might try to pull something. I will go first.” (Sofia)

“I see.” (Makoto)

I am sorry.

When I glanced at the other related party, she was going ‘munya munya’ as she sleep-talked.

“Fufu, you must not do that at a place like this, Takatsuki-kun… Geez, you are such a pervert.” (Aya)

Sa-san…are you doing that on purpose?

““……””

Lucy and Princess Sofia’s looks hurt.

“Aya~, wake up already~.” (Lucy)

Lucy pulled the soft cheeks of Sa-san.

“Uuhn…” (Aya)

Oh, did she wake up?

“…Hm~, eh? What’s the matter everyone?” (Aya)

Noticing that everyone was looking at her, she fidgets as if embarrassed.

“Aya, you have done an unbelievable thing.” (Lucy)

“Eh? Lu-chan. What do you mean by ‘unbelievable thing’?” (Aya)

Sa-san was sleeping and didn’t hear the details, so she couldn’t keep up with what’s going on.

“Sasaki-dono, you have pulled quite the achievement.” (Fuji)

“But Sasaki-sama is registered as a Stone Rank adventurer. The Adventurer Guild will most likely be troubled with what to do.” (Nina)

Fuji-yan and Nina-san looked at each other and grumbled.

“Hero Makoto, there’s the chance that you will be called to explain the situation to the General. Be on standby just in case, please. Aya-san, you too.” (Sofia)

“Understood, Sofia.” (Makoto)

I nod, and Sa-san was blinking in confusion.

It may be late, but it seems like she noticed that she is the center of this conversation.

Sa-san nervously speaks.

“D-Did I do something?” (Aya)

Sa-san, that phrase in itself is already an out.

◇◇

I took a bath and collapsed onto the bed, but I woke up a few hours later.

Looks like I can’t have a deep sleep when the sun is up.

I was interested in how Sa-san was doing, so I peeked into her room and saw that she was knocked out on her bed.

I was ordered by Princess Sofia to stay in standby, so I decided to train my water magic in my room.

(Hmm, I didn’t get a complete sleep, so I am a bit sluggish, but not to the point that I want to go back to sleep one more time…) (Makoto)

I was sitting on the bed with questionable concentration as I continued training, but my back suddenly got heavy. 

“Lucy?” (Makoto)

“It is rare for you to not notice, Makoto.” (Lucy)

Since when did she enter my room?

Lucy had leaned her back on mine like a chair.

“It seems I can’t concentrate.” (Makoto)

“I see.” (Lucy)

Lucy says this as if she isn’t that interested in it while taking off her coat. 

I heard the sound of the coat falling from the bed.

Right now Lucy is wearing what seems to be a camisole. 

Is it hot?

The temperature in the Fire Country is pretty high.

“It is hot.” (Lucy)

Before I could ask anything, Lucy said this and I could see in the corner of my eye that she was about to take off even that camisole. 

“Lucy-san, what are you doing?” (Makoto)

Of course I would retort.

“I am just taking my clothes off because it is hot.” (Lucy)

Don’t do that in my room! 

I undo my perspective change, and tried to use water magic, but I couldn’t do it as I always manage to. 

By the time I noticed, I was together with a loosely clothed Lucy, and we were sitting together on the bed.

This is…

“Makoto, you are the type that doesn’t feed the fish that you catch.” (Lucy)

“Feed?” (Makoto)

“When I was a child, I saw my Mama and my sisters, and thought that it was vulgar for women to approach men.” (Lucy)

“I-I see.” (Makoto)

Well, she was raised in a family of carnivorous women after all…

“But I was wrong! Mama was right. Because Makoto just doesn’t do anything no matter how much I wait!” (Lucy)

She wrapped her arms around my neck.

Lucy’s temperature is so high! 

Didn’t you get better at controlling your mana? 

“And so, I decided to do the attacking.” (Lucy)

“Isn’t that sudden?” (Makoto)

I was made to face Lucy’s way, and was pushed down just like that.

And just when I was about to have my buttons undone…

*Bang!*

The door opened without even a knock.

“Takatsuki-kun, Lu-chan, you are so loud.” (Aya)

Sa-san entered while rubbing her eyes.

We weren’t loud though.

Have her ears gotten better with her evolution?

“Lucy-san, leave the joking around to that much.” (Sofia)

Princess Sofia entered.

“Okay, Lu-chan. That’s as far as you go~.” (Aya)

“Eeh, just a bit more. A tiny bit more.” (Lucy)

“No no. We are doing it with the three together, right?” (Aya)

Sa-san does a nelson hold on Lucy as they leave.

Lucy didn’t resist. 

(Three…) (Makoto)

I saw off the two who were being playful with each other.

A cold wind passed by my neck the next instant.

Princess Sofia was standing closeby. 

“I have something to talk to you about. Please come over here.” (Sofia)

I had my hand pulled by Princess Sofia and was brought into her room.

The hand of Princess Sofia was the complete opposite of Lucy, really cold.

Ah, she is angry.

Previous Chapter l Next Chapter