Lending a hand (part 2)

"So, what exactly did Lance do?" Ilona asks. Now that she's had a little rest, she's sitting right next to me in the driver's seat as we race through the streets.

I can't remember the last time I rode in a carriage! I think it was about half a year ago on that academy trip where we hunted little monsters? Although this one feels a little different. It's not as super cushioned as that one, but at the same time, you feel the bumps on the cobblestone streets much less. Will it be even better on paved streets, then? That seems logical.

Whatever.

"Well, let's see... First, he barged into the restaurant and knocked my juice glass onto the floor."

Just talking about this reminds me of the delicious, cheesy lasagna I left sitting on my plate... and I can't help feeling annoyed. My mom always taught me never to leave leftovers on the table unless the food is literally inedible.

"I went over to see what was going on," I continue, "and I saw the brat threatening Sarisa. He was spouting total nonsense about being her new master, demanding she obey him, or he would destroy the place. He even slapped her."

I still shudder a little at the memory. A slap might not cause permanent physical damage, but it is certainly a shocking, ugly thing to witness.

Ilona raises an eyebrow.

"... Brat?"

"Uh, please ignore that part. Oh, and he also ripped part of her skirt off. I don't want to think about what his intentions were there. After that, he ordered his men to wreck the restaurant. The older guy guarding the place and I basically beat the heck out of them. They're all tied up in the street right now."

Huh, I feel like a little girl tattling to her mom about how someone put a worm in her hair. Just a little bit.

"Mmm... that makes things significantly easier then," Ilona murmurs.

"Things?"

"Oh, yes. He and his family belong to a certain noble faction." She waves a hand dismissively. "You know, the one full of senile, power-hungry old idiots, exactly like that doctor you kicked out of the plaza the other day. Don't worry about it."

"Uh, if you say so." She avoids my eyes and her explanation feels totally rushed. Obviously, this noble faction is way more trouble than she is trying to make it seem. Oh well, not my problem.

After leaving the castle grounds, we rush through the city streets for a little over an hour. The moment I finally catch the familiar scent of the sisters, I guide Ilona and the knights straight to the restaurant. That was actually incredibly quick. I had no idea horse-drawn carriages could move that fast.

The academy's carriages were still meant for nobles, so they tended to be luxurious and comfy, but slower. Not that I'm complaining. And before that was the carriage I took in Castlemar to the train station. That one wasn't luxurious at all, but it was really big, so it was just as slow.

When we pull up, I immediately notice a small crowd of people guarding the pile of bound bodies. Some of the thugs, including Lance, are already awake, but they can only writhe on the ground and scream muffled threats at anyone who gets too close. Luckily, my dense darkness handcuffs are working perfectly and don't show the slightest sign of breaking. I definitely should have gagged them earlier, though.

Oh well, hopefully the knights will haul them away soon.

As soon as the carriage stops, I hop down and hurry toward the restaurant entrance, only to be immediately greeted by the sight of... a very nice, shapely, objectively attractive butt.

Uh... Ah. My brain completely short-circuits for a solid second.

'... I should have looked away by now. Why is it so hard to look away?' I mentally slap myself. Is it because her underwear is just so ordinary? Simple white cotton panties, completely devoid of lace or decorations. They look like the incredibly comfortable kind you wear on a lazy day off. I guess, in a weird way, there is something inherently captivating about seeing something that is clearly not meant to be seen.

I clear my throat loudly. "Ahem... Sarisa."

"Oh? Seina!" She spins around, beams one of her impossibly sweet smiles at me, and immediately steps forward for a hug.

"H-hello! Um, wait, hold on," I gently stop her, pointing down at her lower half. "First of all, why haven't you changed your clothes yet?" Her skirt is still completely torn open on the side thanks to that idiot Lance. Speaking of which, I glance back and see a knight finally shoving a gag into his mouth.

"Clothes?" Sarisa blinks, looking down. "OH! I knew I forgot to do something! H-hey, why didn't anyone say anything!?"

She turns her flustered face toward the rest of the room... and I finally realize there are other people standing right there.

Wow... That wardrobe malfunction really stole one hundred percent of my attention.

There are about ten locals inside helping to clean up the disaster zone. A few guys are hauling the smashed tables and chairs out to the street, while others sweep up the debris or wipe down the scuffed walls. Lenna is standing behind the bar, quietly reading something on a clipboard. She glances up, and we make direct eye contact.

Oh god, she's looking at me. I panic a little. 'Should I wave? But we literally just saw each other a little while ago. Should I do it anyway? What if I wave and she just ignores me?'

Fortunately, I don't have to torture myself with those useless thoughts for long, because Lenna gives me a small, polite wave first. I return the gesture, and she casually goes back to her reading.

Ugh... I really thought I was getting better at this socializing thing. 'I still get stuck on the dumbest details. Maybe one day I'll actually get over it.'

Oh, right. Sarisa.

"Please go cover yourself for now," I tell her gently. I watch as the helpful locals carefully avoid making eye contact with the embarrassed, pouting elf.

It bothers me a little at first. None of these people lifted a finger to help when Lance and his men were attacking the place, but now suddenly there is manpower to spare. Those hypocritical—

Wait, no, no.

That is not fair at all.

It is exactly like that one time Nicole actually managed to drag me out to a fancy restaurant back home, and some drunk guy started a brutal fistfight with a waiter. Everyone in the dining room just froze in shock, myself included. We stood there without doing a single thing, just watching. It wasn't necessarily because we didn't want to help; our brains just had no idea how to process or react to the sudden violence.

Well, everyone except Nicole. After watching them fight for a minute, she got fed up and beat them both up.

That day made me admire my cousin even more for such a blunt, brave act!

It also made me swear to myself that I would never just stand by and watch if I found myself in a similar situation again. So, maybe that same bystander freeze is what happened to these neighbors. I should look at it positively. They are stepping up and helping out now, so it is okay.

Who am I to judge?

I want to pitch in, but the room is already packed with people, and I have absolutely no idea where to start... I mean, I could move that broken table out into the street, but there are already two guys handling it. Won't I just get in their way if I try to help? Or maybe they will think I'm being disrespectful or showing off if I just magically levitate the heavy table out the door?

'Okay, I am definitely overthinking things again.'

I had better just go back outside and, um, keep watch.

Yeah. Guard duty.

-----

A short while later, I say my goodbyes to Ilona and head back to the now-clean restaurant. Before walking in, I pause to look at the wooden sign hanging above the door, something I completely missed earlier.

The paint is a bit weathered, but it clearly reads 'Milk Taste.' Simple, sweet, and easy to remember. I really like it.

I step inside just in time to see Lenna physically shoving Dom toward the exit, so I quickly step out of the way. It looks like she has finally had enough of him and is kicking him out for the day. He gives me a cheerful wave on his way out the door, and I wave back.

Finally, we can just sit down and talk!

"I will get you something to drink. How about something hot?" Lenna asks.

I nod eagerly, and she disappears into the kitchen. I sit down across from Sarisa... She has changed out of her torn uniform and into a light cream wrap dress, tied neatly at the waist. It has soft, flutter sleeves, a gentle V-neckline, and a delicate pattern of tiny blue and earthy botanical branches scattered across the fabric. The wrap style cinches her waist while gracefully accentuating her generous curves, making the light material flow beautifully around her hips.

Huh. That is a really pretty dress...

"..."

"..."

Did I stare for too long?

We sit in total silence. I keep my mouth shut because I have absolutely no idea what to say, while she just sips a leftover milkshake and watches me with a bright smile.

'Is she waiting for me to start?' I panic internally. But what am I supposed to say? I can barely remember what normal friends talk about. Should I ask her about music?

The problem is, almost every song I know suddenly popped into my head from my fragmented past memories, so if she asked me about my favorite local bards, I would have zero answers.

'How about fashion?' No, that is a dead end too. I usually just buy whatever I like, checking if the fabric is well-made or if it flatters my figure. I don't care at all about current seasons or trending colors.

"So... Seina!" Sarisa chimes in. "What are you thinking about so hard?"

"What to talk about," I blurt out.

Well. For better or worse, I answered honestly without filtering myself.

Sarisa bursts into laughter. "Haha, you don't have to stress so much! Just relax. Also, thank you again for helping us. Even if Lenna tries to deny it, we really didn't know what else to do... Nobody wanted to get involved the second we mentioned we were being harassed by a nobleman. Even the damn city guards looked the other way!"

Oh, good—I mean, not good. Not that part about the city guards, specially.

But the conversation is flowing naturally now! The hardest part is officially over. Now, I just need to focus on speaking up, making sure my voice is loud enough to be heard clearly, and answering her questions. Hopefully, my pronunciation is understandable, and things won't get awkward again. Honestly, it's so much more exhausting to have a specific conversation than to just say hello and order food.

"That is just one more thing I need to tell my cousin," I reassure her. "She works at the castle, so at least you don't have to worry about Lance anymore. I think... actually, no, I am entirely sure."

"Your cousin works in the castle?" Sarisa leans forward, her eyes wide. "Unbelievable! Wait... a castle that huge must have a million employees. Is she someone important?"

"She is a court magician."

"... What?"

'Did she not hear me? Damn it, try harder to vocalize your words, Seina!' I clear my throat and try again, speaking a little louder.

"My cousin, Nicole, works as one of the court magicians for the royal family. I am pretty sure she has enough authority to handle a few corrupt guards and solve any lingering problems with an idiot noble like Lance."

"I heard you perfectly the first time," Sarisa breathes out. "But... aren't court mages basically legends?"

"... Legends?"

"Yes! I heard that only the absolute strongest and smartest academy graduates even have a chance to compete for one of those positions. And even then, only one in a thousand actually gets the job."

"Really?" I blink in surprise. "Well, I don't know how hard it is to get the job, but even though my cousin is incredibly strong, she is still just a normal woman. I think."

I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. It is really hard to picture Nicole as a legendary, untouchable figure when I was literally bathing her and wrestling her into bed just a few hours ago because she was too sleepy to function.

"You think so? I would love to meet her sometime."

Oh, this is my chance! If I invite Sarisa over to the house, we can get to know each other better in a comfortable space, and I could finally introduce Nicole to a real friend! But... ugh, too many 'buts' today. Is it really okay to invite her over so soon? I literally just met her today. I think I will wait a little bit longer.

"I think Nicole is exhausted right now, but I will definitely introduce you to her sometime soon," I promise.

"I will look forward to it!"

"Sorry for taking so long," Lenna says, suddenly appearing beside the table. She gently places a ceramic mug directly in front of me.

Wow. I feel my eyes go wide, and my ears immediately perk up... It is a beautiful, frothy milk coffee, boasting a delicate, creamy purple hue. The steam carries the rich, floral scent of lavender, perfectly blended with the earthy aroma of roasted walnuts, sweet honey, and warm vanilla. In a matter of seconds, this has officially become my new favorite drink in the world. At least based on the smell alone.

---Lenna POV---

I sit quietly behind the counter next to Sarisa, keeping my eyes glued to our savior.

The incredibly dangerous, combat-hardened, fluffy fox-kin who just took down a group of armed thugs is currently completely ignoring the world around her. Instead, she is staring at the small ceramic cup I just gave her from several different angles, taking long, deep breaths of the steam without actually touching the mug.

Her guarded expression melts into something incredibly soft. Her emerald eyes sparkle, and a deeply captivating, gentle smile spreads across her face.

"L-Lenna," Sarisa whispers next to me.

I know exactly what she is looking at. I cannot take my eyes off that beautiful, bushy fluffy tail either. It is wagging happily back and forth, pausing curiously every now and then. She is just too cute.

"Hmm?" I reply softly. I try to keep my voice neutral, but I am secretly fascinated by the scene. Part of me is just incredibly weak to how adorable and childlike this fierce girl looks right now, and the other part is bursting with pride that my recipe caused this kind of reaction.

"That latte better taste exactly as good as it smells, or you are going to break her heart," Sarisa whispers.

That comment instantly shatters my calm exterior. A sudden wave of nervousness hits my chest.

I watch expectantly as the fluffy one finally finishes her umpteenth scent test and slowly wraps her hands around the mug. She caresses the smooth ceramic for a moment, as if just seeking to warm her palms, before bringing it to her lips.

"..."

"..."

She takes a tiny sip.

A soft, incredibly adorable whimper escapes her lips.

I let out a massive sigh of relief at the exact same time as my sister. The beautiful creature sitting at our table begins to happily wag both her fluffy tail and her entire body. A barely contained expression of pure elation shines on her face, accompanied by a pretty pink blush on her cheeks. She holds the cup delicately between both hands, treating it like a precious treasure.

"What do you think?" I ask. I already know the answer, but I just want to hear her say it.

She just exhales happily, taking another tiny sip.

"... Seina?"

Nothing. No answer at all.

I stare at her for a moment before realizing she is completely lost in her senses. The outside world, and my question, did not even register in her mind.

"Our new friend is so cute! We had better just let her finish," Sarisa whispers, happily sipping the rest of her chocolate milkshake.

I nod silently. For the next long while, I just stand there and watch as our new foxy friend takes the tiniest sips possible, as if trying to force the experience to last forever.

I make a mental note to just prepare a second cup for her when she finishes.