4-1. Misunderstanding is a Spice for Love Comedy
Satou's here. There's this thing called the butterfly dream, and I, who think that's it's better for it to be a dream, Satou.
Could I ever go back to the nostalgic world someday?
◇
From the window, I can hear the traffic's noise outside. Did I oversleep?
I was able to obtain various knowledges yesterday, I also now understand Arisa's true color.
After the morning come, I've cooled off compared to the time when I knew that she bought herself with magic, and also, she has found out my true identity, so it would be dangerous to let her go.
I convince myself that she's a clue to go back to my original world. Strangling the neck of a little girl just to be certain, that kind of thing is impossible for me. I'd rather run away to the end of the world.
While contemplating to lose myself to the warmth of the bed and go to sleep once again, the door opens with a bang.
There was no knock.
"Satou-san, are you awake~? Your lover has come~"
Martha-chan sure is energetic this early. Behind her, "I, I'm not his lov...", is Zena-san who is trying to block Martha-chan's mouth while wa-wa-ing.
"Good morning."
While I might be a half-awake. I raise my upper half to greet them.
It's cold. I took off my robe after I had finished the business and went to sleep just like that, but... I see, the shirt I wore under the robe was peeled off by Arisa.
"Oh, that's quite a good body~."
Martha-chan gazes at the half-naked me interestingly. Zena-san is also looking from behind while blushing.
I thought she's accustomed with nude men as a soldier.
"I'm sorry, for making you see such unsightly figure. I'll go change my clothes immediately."
I place my hand on the bed while trying to get up. "Ahn♪" ...It's lukewarm.
When I look below, a half-naked little girl is there. My hand is attached to her naked chest... When did she crawl in?
Seeing me sleeping together with a little girl, Zena-san's face changes from red to blue.
"...Master ...If you do that much ...I'll break."
From over there, as if waiting for this timing, Lulu is sleep-talking.
Looking over there, probably because she tossed around in bed, she's sleeping sideway with her back facing here. Since her clothes is short, her cute ass is facing here... I realize that she doesn't wear an underwear.
Furthermore the sheet is stained red... Huh? I didn't attack her okay?
"Fi, fi, filthy~~~~! Satou-san is an idiot~~~~!"
Zena-san runs out of the room while crying.
Martha-chan scratches her head, "Sorry for disturbing~ Please take your time~", and she closes the door.
This is the first time I've heard filthy in real life. It feels like someone's problem.
"Master, if you have a clean cloth, could you give it to me? Lulu seems to have a period."
I take out a piece of cloth from the bag.
"Thank you. Leaving that aside, do you not chase her? If you don't go soon, you won't be able to fix the misunderstanding you know~"
It's not like she's my girlfriend, but I'd hate it if a friend keep the unpleasant misunderstanding that I'm a lolicon.
Looking at the radar, she's at the main street just outside of this inn. As expected of a soldier, she's fast. As she is, she'll pass this room after a bit.
...This skill is convenient, but it's scary if a stalker obtains it.
While thinking stupid thing, I'm wearing the shirt on the floor, since I can't afford to jump out half-naked. It goes without saying that I have had my trousers since the beginning.
Measuring the timing, I jump out from the window to the street.
I land to block Zena-san's route. I catch the surprised Zena-san, and disperse her momentum by rotating once.
"Zena-san, it's a misunderstanding."
"But, you're sleeping with such a cute girl!"
"She just got on the wrong bed when she was half-asleep."
It's safe to sleep together since she's a child right?
I have been properly wearing trousers since yesterday. I want to strongly emphasize for my innocence.
I'm not a lolicon!
"There's also another girl with black hair! E, eu..."
"Do you mean the older sister with a bad sleeping posture, it seems to be her period."
Zena-san finally weaken.
"B, but, a man who buy slaves usually makes them attend in the night too, that is according to Lilio!"
Damn you, co-worker Lilio.
"That depend on the person. Those sisters are substitutes for maids you know? The beastkin girls are to act as guards, but they're not suitable for shopping."
"...But"
Even if she understands, her emotion still hasn't catch up huh?
If I say "If I intend to do that then I'd have bought a sexy woman." here, she'd likely be even more angry.
"Today you're wearing something different from the one piece yesterday. There are a lot of neatly arranged frills, it's gorgeous. It's drawing out Zena-san's charm."
At time like this, it's better to praise and leave her in haze.
Saying, "Such thing... It's just the clothes...", Zena-san shyly says while looking a bit happy.
"It's lovely, but aren't you cold wearing light clothes?"
"No, Since I've trained myself, it's alright."
That's not a line from a woman, Zena-san.
Here I should have take her under a man's arm and say "You'll be warm here"!
"That's right, a shop just ahead is selling beautiful stoles. Why don't we see it together?"
"Is that true? I'll go!"
Yosh, I've successfully steered the conversation off the course.
Then, after comparing several dozens of stoles and shawl, and I give her the pink stole she chooses herself as a present, her mood has completely back to normal.
Woman's shopping sure is long eh?
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When we got back to the inn, Arisa is calling me from somewhere slightly apart from the stable.
"Welcome back, master. I'm glad that the misunderstanding seems to have been resolved."
The main culprit is saying it like it's not her problem, gets a poke on her forehead.
"I'm home, what are you doing on a place like this?"
"We're asking Liza-san to share her breads since we were hungry."
"So you've finished eating?"
"Yup, Lulu is still eating inside. She seems to lack appetite..."
I see, for a slow person, smoked meat is probably painful. I hand Arisa several pieces of copper coins and tell her to buy some fruits.
I go back to my room for a change of clothes.
Zena-san is waiting at the inn bar in the first floor while drinking fruit juice.
Back in the room, I pour water to the copper basin on the table from the Hell Water Jug, and use it to wash my face. Since there doesn't seem to be any bed hair, I wet my hand for a bit and use it to comb my hair. Let's look for hairdresser in this world next time.
I change into a clean robe, and put on a new boots. When I'm tying my boots, I found a dried-up fruit.
Did Arisa throw this? Although, Martha-chan will clean it even if I leave it alone, I put it inside the storage since there's something that I have something in mind.
That remind me, I try to take out the 『Piping Hot Meal』 I put inside it during the first day I came here. It remains piping hot. I bite it after confirming that it's not rotten with appraisal. The taste also remain as it was.
『Piping Hot Meal』 and 『Dried-up Fruit』. Since it's interesting, let's test something out.
I allocate 1 skill point to Item Box skill and activate it. I store the remaining 『Piping Hot Meal』 inside it.
Since I likely will forget about it again, I put a note on the Notebook inside the Exchange tab.
◇
"Thank you for waiting, Zena-san."
"Don't worry, I was just having a chat with Martha-chan."
"This nuisance will disappear~.", and so Martha-chan goes back to work.
In her place, Arisa, Liza and the others are coming back, I call them.
Lulu doesn't look too well so she return to the room. I ask for a passing-by maid to bring water to the room, and give her few copper coins for tips.
I go outside with Zena-san, bringing Arisa, Liza and the others.
Putting 10 silver coins in a small bag, I give it to Arisa to buy their change of clothes and other daily necessities.
Liza and the others will act as guards and luggage carriers.
"Master, is it okay to use the extra changes money for sweets?"
"As long as it's only as far as 1 big copper coin, it's okay. Since that include for lunch, don't use it all for snacks."
"Yee~s", Arisa departs to the east street while saying so. Pochi and Tama are going along on both her sides, she looks like a children gang boss. Liza who follows from behind is looking like a parent.
"She's a very affable slave isn't she?"
"I don't know if that attitude is fit for a slave, but that girl is an easy-going person."
I don't know how a slave should appropriately act, but if she keeps being that exaggerated to her surrounding, I'm confident that she'd become a failure of a human being later.
◇
Since the weather is quite nice, we decided to take a walk together to a park nearby while chatting.
"Are you off-duty today?"
"No, I will have a duty this afternoon."
"Didn't you also have a night duty just yesterday?"
"That's right, we don't have enough personnels so a half-day holiday is all I could get."
Hmm? You came to meet me despite being that busy? I can't imagine that she has fallen that hard, does she have other business?
"No, it's nothing really important... It was the first experience of real battle for some people in the army, so to calm their heart..."
I see, come to think of it, even if it was something that wouldn't endanger my life, I was curiously calm.
Although there's some lingering memories from the battle yesterday...
No, even while fighting and after the fight with the demon, I was fine, Was it because it didn't feel real?
And even though I have slaughtered an entire community of race similar to Liza, I don't feel even the slightest guilt, why is that?
I wonder if it's an effect of an unknown Special Abilty?
Questions are whirling around in my mind...
And it's going in circle.
A fluffy fragrance tickles my nose. When I raise my eyes, there's a face of worried Zena-san.
"Are you alright? Satou-san."
"I'm sorry, my thought just wandered off for a bit. I'm alright."
Even if I think this alone, the answer won't come, guess I'll consult with Arisa tonight...
Then, I ask Zena-san to help me practice spell chanting in the park, but since I couldn't concentrate, it's not working. Even still, I continue the chanting practice as if running away from something. Zena-san patiently guides the me who was like that. It lasts until Zena-san's off-duty time is over in the afternoon...