Moving Out

After Kanna left, Carolyn slowly returned her to her room with her head hung. Lavender followed her, but there wasn't much advice she could give. If Kanna were a man, then she would have countless ways of making him submit, but the subtleties of female-female friendships were something she was no more knowledgeable of than Carolyn. Since she couldn't help with that issue, Kanna decided to change the topic.

"Was this what you two meant by the 'lonely path'?"

"... Yes. Sorry for not telling you earlier."

"It's fine. It's not like me knowing would have changed anything. Though it's a bit of a shame since I liked having a female neighbour to talk with."

"I see. I won't be your neighbour anymore, but I would be glad to continue our relationship."

"I normally don't do long-distance, but for you I'll consider it."

"Thank you, Ms. Lavender."

"But 'that', you'll have to stop."

"Hmm?"

"I don't feel very eager about making friends who call me Miss. You can just call me Lav."

"Really?"

"Of course. What? Does using my name offend you that much?"

"No, no, I'd be glad to, Lav."

"That's better."

With a faint blush on her face, Carolyn stopped in front of her room.

"I'll be retiring for the night."

"Okay. By the way, do you need any help finding a different inn to stay at?"

"Well, I do have some candidates, but I would appreciate the advice of a local."

"Good. Though there's no inn better than here, I'll make sure to find you the second-best."

"That would be great. Good night, Lav."

"Sweet dreams, Carol."

Unlike when she was ascending the stairs, Carolyn entered her room with a smile. She mentally thanked Lavender for improving her mood and looked out the window. She wouldn't be seeing this sight for much longer, but she intended to cherish every moment.

Outside Carolyn's room, Lavender was about to head to her room when she heard a door on the left open. There was only one person it could be, so she didn't bother turning to look. There were still a few days left before she was free from the punishment Margaret gave her, but her attitude was one thing she refused to change.

"What? Does the shut-in have something to say?"

"... Is she really leaving?"

"Yes, she is. Do you want her to stay?"

"..."

"If you can't even answer that, then you don't have a chance of changing anything."

Without waiting a moment longer, Lavender entered her room.

The next day Carolyn went to work as usual and informed Rome that she would be moving out of Wild Boar Inn. She was worried that he might fire her if she left, but it would just be a matter of time before he found out, and she didn't want to hide it from him.

"Well, if that's what you've decided, then I don't have anything to add. It's not as if I'm in a position to blame you when I don't live there either."

"Thank you, Mr. Rome."

Once she received his acquiescence, there was no one else she needed to announce her decision to so she could focus on the move itself. Once work was done for the day, Carolyn planned to return to the inn, but she had to change her plans because of who was waiting for her outside her workplace.

"Ms. Lavender?"

"Hmph!"

Although she was smiling at first, when Carolyn called out to Lavender, she pouted and turned away. It took Carolyn a couple of moments to figure out why, but once she did, she called her name again.

"Sorry, I meant Lav."

With a swift change in expression, Lavender responded, "Good. Are you free now?"

"Yes, I was just heading back to the inn."

"In that case, do you want to search for your next home with me?"

"Now?"

"Is that a problem? I figured it would be better to do it early so you have more time to compare."

Carolyn had the list Benedict gave her, so while this invite was sudden, it did suit her needs.

"Okay, let's go."

After giving Lavender the list from Benedict, Carolyn followed her to the inns suggested by Benedict. As a local, Lavender could give Carolyn a brief description of each inn, and none of them seemed particularly bad.

"I'm guessing you got this list from that lousy Priest, right?"

"Yes, how could you tell?"

"He's the only one you know who could have put together a list so suitable and yet so uselessly efficient. If you go to the inns in the order he listed them, you'll be able to visit each inn using the shortest public paths and end up at the place closest to the Wild Boar Inn. It's annoying to go along with his plan, but I'll put up with it for your sake."

Carolyn could barely remember a time Lavender referred to Benedict without throwing in an insult, but she still seemed to acknowledge his abilities. By following the order provided by Benedict, they were able to visit the five inns listed and return to Wild Boar Inn not much later than Carolyn had returned on the previous day. Each inn had its benefits, but if she thought about it practically, then Carolyn more or less knew which one she would pick. She planned to take the next two days to reconsider her options and then reserve a room in her selected inn on Seaday to move on Evilday.

Carolyn shared her thoughts with Lavender as they headed towards Wild Boar Inn.

"Sounds like a good idea. Looks like you're really serious about this."

"I am. As much as I'm fond of the people at Wild Boar Inn, I can't forget my original purpose."

"...Is that purpose really so important?"

Lavender uttered this question with a surprisingly solemn tone. Carolyn turned to look at her, but she couldn't see her expression clearly, so it was difficult to guess her intent.

"Hmm?"

"Ah, it's nothing. Let's head in."

Carolyn was somewhat curious about the motive behind Lavender's question, but if it was inconvenient for Lavender to say, then she didn't want to force the issue. Time passed, and Seaday arrived in the blink of an eye.

After careful thought, Carolyn stuck to her initial decision and chose to move into The Fruity Breeze. Despite being close to the centre of the commercial district, the rooms were affordable, the staff was friendly and there was a public bath within walking distance. However, it wasn't the amenities that were the deciding factor in making her choose this inn. The main reason was that The Fruity Breeze was the option closest to the slums district and her workplace, as well as the main road which led from the west gate to the nobility district. Even with the dire financial state of the Amber domain, information flowed with people, so Carolyn chose this inn because it seemed like there would be a lot of nearby traffic. She was tempted to consult with Lavender regarding her decision, but this felt like another part of her trial, so she wanted to decide by herself.

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!"

"So do I."

After paying for a week's rent, Carolyn left The Fruity Breeze and headed for the Wild Boar Inn. The only thing left was to transfer her luggage, but there was something of greater importance that she had to take care of before that.

Like Mila said, there was no plan to throw a proper party to commemorate Carolyn leaving, but the inn closed early that day so that they could have a farewell dinner. It was a surprising decision that even made Carolyn feel a little guilty, but everyone agreed that if it wasn't for her, the inn might have been forced to close permanently, so an early closure was nothing in comparison.

When work was over, Kanna prepared to leave, but Carolyn stopped her before anyone else.

"Wait, Kanna. Are you busy tonight?"

"Yes. There's something I want to do before I head home today."

Carolyn didn't try to search her gaze to see if that was a lie or not. Regardless of the truth, it wouldn't affect what she had to say next.

"Okay. I wish you the best of luck, but before you go, do you think you could make time for us to go shopping next Evilday? I've been thinking about buying a few things, and I would really appreciate your advice."

As Carolyn uttered her request, she felt her heart race and sweat leak from her hands. Even fighting Anthony hadn't been as nerve-wracking as this. Everyone's silent gazes landed on the two, but the one that pressured Kanna the most was the girl in front of her. Her ambition was so strong that she could suppress the guilt from making Carolyn sad, but she couldn't erase it.

"W-well, I have work that day-"

"You can have the day off," said Mila.

With her exit blocked, Kanna's eyes wandered as she struggled to make a decision. Sensing her wavering resolve, Carolyn used her trump card.

"Please, big sister Kanna."

"Guh! …Fine. I admit I was being a little stubborn."

"You were being stubborn?"

"I'll explain it on the day. I hope you have a good dinner."

"Thanks!"