Chapter 21

“This is where you'll be staying.”

We arrived in front of a large brown manor, the building itself comparable to a dorm building back at school. Despite the sun shining on us, the surrounding temperature was slightly cooler, thanks to the many trees planted around the manor.

“This building? For the four of us? Isn't it too big?” Emori asked.

“Yep. Anything for you, Emori.” Nayala patted Emori’s head. “Well, jokes aside, this is the place where ambassadors on a business trip stayed at. Think about it as an inn for state guests. Plus, it's close to an army garrison.”

Across from the manor was a Nanawak Army garrison and a Hunters Union’s branch not too far from there. It's pretty close to the city’s outer walls as well. Overall, considering our reason for being here, it was a good spot.

Some maids stood in front of the door, ready to greet us.

“If you ever need something, just talk to them.”

“Alright.”

“Please allow us to assist you.”

We handed over our luggage to the maids, who took them into our own rooms.

“Your rooms are all on the second floor. I've marked them for you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Solicea tucked the ends of her skirt and did a bow.

Nayala waved her hand, smiling wryly. “You call Emori, Emori, right? Just call me Nayala. I’m the one asking for help here.”

“If you say so…”

I have to wonder if other nobles in this world are like the three girls. I mean, they didn't seem to care about their status. Although, to be fair, Prilus cared a lot. Honestly, I could only hope that I didn't run into more Prilus-like nobles. They're annoying.

“I'll give you a tour of the place. Come follow me.”

Nayala brought us in, showing us around. She showed us the kitchen, dining room, living room, bath, toilets, and all the other facilities the building had to offer. It even had its own training field behind the main building. For just four people, it was a bit too big, especially when considering how we spent most of our time outside.

Thanks to the sand, and the lack of magic users in Nanawak, we would spend most of our time going from one location to the other. This meant we wouldn't be here often.

But at least it's a comfy place to be in.

I like the cozy vibe of the place, not sure where it was coming from. Maybe it was the dark blue carpet that covered most of the flooring, or maybe the wooden roof. I don’t know, but I have a feeling that I'm going to enjoy living here.

We eventually arrived in front of our rooms. Each room was fully furnished with a large bed and openable large windows.

“Feel free to rest for today. I have something to take care of, so I'll be off.” Nayala waved and left.

“I'm going to take a nap.” I stretched my limbs and went into my room.

“Have a good rest,” Emori said. The girls all entered their own rooms. Sitting down on the bed, I couldn't help but notice just how comfortable it is. The surface is soft, the pillow squishy. I closed my eyes, thinking about how life would be in this building as I drift off to sleep.

•••

The sun had already begun to set when I woke up, the sky dyed in a yellowish-red. After taking a quick look at the surrounding scenery out my opened window, I made my way outside. The hallway was silent, my slippers making a soft scuffing sound as I walked above the carpet. I made my way down to the first floor, which was a bit louder compared to the second floor.

A maid stood in front of a cabinet, carefully cleaning the glass, while others were busy with cleaning other furnitures around the manor.

Is this what they do everyday?

I couldn't imagine myself doing the same thing over and over again. I don't have even close to the dedication. If it was me, I would put bare minimum effort into this.

“Good afternoon, Sir,” one of them greeted me, the others bowed their heads.

“Good afternoon,” I said in return.

“Is there something you need?”

“Ah, nothing. I'm just bored.” Not wanting to bother with their work, I scurried away. I wandered aimlessly around the building, looking for something to do. My foot took me to a pavilion with a table and chairs in the rear garden. I decided to sit there.

Had this been my previous life, I'll have my phone out by now.

Had this been my previous life, I wouldn't be here in the first place. I didn't really have a lot of chances when I'm all by myself and have time to reflect. Most of the time, I'm alone before bed, which didn't help since I'm quite sleepy at that time.

“Good afternoon, Sir. Would you like some tea and snacks?” One of the maids noticed me sitting there and approached. I didn't even call for her, so her being there surprised me.

“... Sure?”

“Please wait a moment.” She scurried back into the building, returning with a trolly full of tea and cakes. The tea had a sweat smell to it, while the cakes had many bright, appetizing colors. Even without eating it, I could tell that it's going to be delicious, and probably expensive.

“Are you sure this is alright?” I asked as she began setting the items down on the table.

“It's alright. There is no need to worry. How much would you like?”

“Umm… a couple slices would be fine.”

“Do you have any preferences?”

“Any is fine.” They all look equally as delicious.

Being treated like this felt a bit unnatural. I guess, unlike before, we were more like ambassadors of Syla rather than some students out on a trip. Thus, they treated us the same way they treated their foreign diplomats. I couldn't say I entirely dislike it.

The maid set down three slices of cake. One red, one white, and one chocolate. “Please enjoy.”

“Thank you very much.”

The maid bowed her head and retreated. I took my knife and carefully sliced the cake, starting from the chocolate one. I didn't know why I was slicing with such care, maybe because of the expensive and luxurious aura it had. I then stabbed it with a fork, bringing it to my mouth before carefully chewing.

Wow…

The chocolate taste melted in my mouth. The cake itself soft and easy to chew. It wasn't to sweet, but it wasn't too bitter either. Just the right amount of sweetness.

We get to eat these kinds of delicious food daily?

To be fair, I have enough money to go and get something good every once in a while, but certainly not everyday.

The chocolate cake got me curious about the rest. I was about to take a bite from the other cakes when I heard the sound of footsteps above the grass coming from the direction of the manor.

“Fortis?”

She walked up to me, her eyes landing on the tea and cakes on the table. The maid noticed her coming and quickly came over.

“Your Highness. Would you like some tea and cakes as well?”

Emori glanced at the ones on the table then shook her head. “I'll be alright. Thank you for the offer.”

“You sure? You'll regret it. These stuff are delicious.” I urged her on.

“... I'll take a slice, then. The red one is alright.”

Emori sat down on the chair across from me. The maid set down the plate in front of her. “Please feel free to call me if you need anything.” She bowed her head again and returned to the building.

“I thought you were sleeping.” She cut her cake and took a bite. “You're right, this is good.”

“I haven't tried the red one, actually. I only woke up recently, have nothing to do, and ended up here.”

“I see...”

Since she only asked for a cake, there was no tea in front of her. I pushed my cup toward her. “Want some?”

“Didn't - Didn't you already drink from that?”

I gave her a mischievous smirk. “Why? Afraid of indirect kissing?”

“It's- it's not that!”

She took the cup and drank half of the tea.

“I never expected the time would come when I'll be sharing tea with a girl.”

“Did you even drink any? I mean, I drink this much and it's still half full.”

“No, I didn't.”

Emori pouted. “Meanie.” She did little kicks under the table, prompting a laugh from me.

“Come on, it's just tea.”

“That's not the problem.” Emori sighed. “Besides, were you always alone back then?”

“Yeah. Nothing like now.”

“I see… we're pretty similar, then.”

We drank our tea and ate our cakes in silence for quite some time. I didn't really have anything to talk about at that moment, and neither did Emori. Other than how good the food is, we traded no words. I didn’t feel even the slightest bit of uncomfort, though. If anything, I liked being there with her, even if we didn't say anything. As if, there was a bond between us, both coming from another world.

After I finished, I thought about the things we should be doing. Maybe we should go out and grind. No loss in increasing our levels.

Or maybe we should start studying Nanawak’s secret? I mean like battle tactics and the like. The more knowledge I have, the easier things will be, right?

“I wonder if this manor has a library.” I looked toward the large building. They hadn't shown us a library in the tour, but who knows? Maybe there's a small library with a secret passageway leading inside. Wouldn't it be funny if this passage connects directly to the demon king’s castle far under sea?

“Even if it did, will you be able to read them?”

I shook my head. We haven't been spending a lot of time in Nanawak, and of the people we've come across, many could speak in Syilaian. Currently, there's no incentive to learn Azuskran.

Besides, it would take a while to learn a new language, especially without outside help like on Earth. Sure I could get a teacher, I assume, but if I didn't want to study it, I would have a hard time.

There's no Nanawak anime, either, so I couldn't learn by watching them.

“Can’t you translate for me?”

“I… I can, but won't it be hard? I mean, it's much more effective if we read different books then trade information with each other.”

“That's preferable, but learning a new language isn't instant.” And since it isn't instant, who knows how long before I could understand it. “I can consider learning it after the demon king.”

“I don't mind teaching you.”

“Sure, if you don't mind.”

I'll take any excuse to spend more time with Emori. It may not be dating in the traditional sense, but as long as we're both happy being with each other, that what matters.

“Anyway, since we don't have anything to do after this? Want to go on a little walk around the city?”

“Sure.”

We finished our food and made our way out of the manor.

•••

Our first destination was the city’s Hunters’ Union. We stayed in the city of Matakuka, a city located in the center of Nanawak. I assumed the manor’s location near the army garrison was one of the reasons why she decided to put us there. If we needed to go somewhere far for our mission, we could ask help.

As to why we decided to go to the Hunters’ Union first…

Emori stood near a bulletin, observing an infographic about Nanawak monsters. Emori and the rest hadn't fought many Nanawak monsters. While it's true that regular monsters aren't as hard as fighting humans, I thought there's no harm in showing her about it. Besides, not like we have anything better to do anyway.

Seeing us standing there naturally caught the attention of passersby. No one recognized either of us. The clothes we wear made us look like foreigners. One of the Union staff came over and began speaking in Azuskran. Emori replied in Azuskran as well.

After a few exchanges, Emori turned to me. “Let’s go.”

We left the Union, making our way through the busy city streets.

“What did that staff say?”

“Just ask if I’m interested in any quests.”

There were some posted on the board. I call them quests, but in truth, they’re closer to buy and sell offers.

“Some people were looking for magic stones, while others were selling some animal skin. The staff asked if I had any magic stones, but I said no.”

“I kept some, but they’re all back in Syla.”

I could make my way there no problem, but since I haven’t familiarized myself with this area, coming back would be quite the struggle.

“They say the person isn’t in a hurry, so I decided to leave it for someone else.”

“That’s fine. I took you there for the experience anyway.”

Emori giggled. “I wouldn’t call reading some infographics an experience.”

“It’s still helpful, so why not?” I shrugged. We arrived at the city’s night market. There were many shops set up on both sides of the road, all selling their wares.

“You hungry?”

“We’ve just eaten those cakes, remember?”

“Ah, right.”

We passed right through the crowd, the sweet smell from the food stalls tickling our nostrils. There were chicken skewers, roasted goat, and even beef soup. All delicious looking food, but my stomach reminded me of the cakes I just ate.

“We should return here sometime.”

“Of course.”

I want to try Nanawak’s street food as well. We continued walking down the road, feasting our eyes on the various options available.

I noticed Emori stopping, her eyes glued to one of the stalls. “Isn’t that…?”

The stall didn’t sell food. Instead, it had several toys and goodies lined up on a shelf behind the owner, some kinds standing in front of it and with long rifle-like sticks, shooting at the toys inside.

“Reminds me of a festival.”

“You’ve been to one?”

I shook my head. “There's none in my area. And even if there is, I wouldn't go.”

“I figured. Want to try?”

“Sure.”

We made our way to the stall. Emori spoke with the stall owner. I didn't understand a single word the two exchanged. It was like listening to incoherent rambling for several minutes. Emori reached into her pouch and handed over some coins. The owner then gave us two air rifles.

“How about we try winning each other gifts?” Emori suggested.

“Anything on your mind?”

I looked at the selection on the shelf. Most of them were dolls in various shapes, some bigger than the others. I aimed my sights at a brown teddy bear and opened fire, sending the pellet straight at the bear’s head. It managed to hit, but failed to knock it down.

I reloaded and then shot again. I managed to knock down the bear on my fourth shot. The stall gave us six pellets each, so I handed the extra two to Emori.

Emori took aim and fired at a bunny doll. It took her two shots to get it. She then aimed and took out a box of candy with three shots. The last shot she fired at a different teddy bear, failing to knock it out.

The stall owner then gave us our prizes. “Thank you.” The owner said in Syilaian.

“Ah, your welcome.”

We walked away, looking for a corner to exchange prizes.

“Did you say we're from Syla?” I asked Emori once we walked far enough from the stall.

“He was the one that asked.”

“I see.” I appreciate the effort of him thanking me in Syilaian, something he didn't have to do. We arrived in a small corner, away from the crowd.

“Here you go.” Emori handed over a yellow bunny. “I didn’t know what else to get you.”

“Don’t worry, I like it. It’s cute.” I took the bunny and put it into my bag, letting its head peek through an opening.

“Why did you get me a teddy, though? Is there any particular reason?”

I scratched my head. “Not really. I don’t think I have a particular reason. You’ll fit with any doll.”

“I’m going to treasure it.”

We then shared the candy, before continuing our walk down the night market. It had gotten quite late. The yellowish red skies had been replaced with a dark horizon, the full-moon shining brightly in the distance. The crowd didn’t let up, though. If anything, the market got crowdier.

Maybe because tomorrow is a holiday.

It was the twenty-secondth day of the month, a fourth day. That’s the equivalent of a Friday. Maybe a lot of people are free tomorrow, so they decided to enjoy the night. As for us, we were simply waiting for our next assignment.

“We were here for the demon king…” Emori muttered all of a sudden. “What do you think would happen had the demon king not existed?”

“For one, I doubt we both would be in this world.” I folded my hands. “We wouldn’t meet each other.”

“We already met each other, remember? It’s just that we never talk outside of the usual conversation.”

“Ah, right.”

Had we not meet here, we would still be living our lives separately from each other. Outside the regular greeting when I come to shop, we wouldn’t talk. We would be nowhere as close as we are now.

“But… assuming we still end up here, then I would say things aren’t going to change much.” The citizens of this world were relaxed even with the threat looming on the horizon. Nanawak had begun preparing for a second invasion, but there was no sense of urgency in the air. Everyone had fun like usual.

“No, I don’t mean for them. I mean for us.”

“For us? Well, we’ll certainly be less busy.” No demon king meant no demon-tempered monsters. The soldiers and hunters could handle regular monsters on their own, so us wouldn’t be needed.

“Would we experience a regular school life, I wonder.” Emori giggled.

“Maybe?” Taking tests, late night study sessions, those kinds of stuff. The fact that we retained our knowledge of the previous life made school a lot easier then it should have been, thus we never need to put in extra effort for that side of things.

“Maybe we should do a study session sometime, just for the sake of it.”

“That's a nice idea. I've done that with Brother several times before, and I did have some tutors, but never in a large group.”

“Let's do that when we got back.”

“Okay!”

We made our way around the streets for a bit more, before returning to the manor.