“Are you seriously a few fries short of a Happy Meal?”
At Alex’s words, Yona was left speechless.
Sure, it was a blunt remark cut straight to the point, but that seemed to rub the receptionist the wrong way.
Yona shivered at the memory of her smile vanishing in an instant.
Of course, that smile returned like a ninja on a mission, but the look in her eyes was like she was staring at a lunatic, and it really stung.
“Well, I was just summarizing the main point.”
“Do you really think someone would understand that if you just cut out everything and said the gist?”
“Ugh…”
“No such luck. Seems like you’re addressing a priest of the Church of the Celestial God, and you can’t be doing that here.”
With a business smile plastered on her face, but her eyes was not laughing at all.
Yona and Alex didn’t have the courage to try talking again and turned to leave.
Of course, Yona wanted to give it another shot, but the receptionist was already calling the next customer with ‘Next, please’ and Yona couldn’t say a word.
“What now?”
“Um, should we just go back in and try talking?”
“Well… maybe we should just look around instead?”
Alex turned and pointed at something.
Yona followed his gaze to a giant wooden board hanging above the reception desk, which appeared to list the names of the mages residing in this Mage Tower. Next to each name were what looked like their specialty spells.
“So, we’ll check that out and see if we can find someone who speaks our language?”
“Exactly! So, for example, if you want to go back to being a guy, what spells might help with that?”
“Um… Transformation magic…?”
“Isn’t that just changing your appearance?”
“Body modification…?”
“Can you, like, turn your arm into a monster or something?”
“Then… um…”
“……”
“……”
No clue.
Yona didn’t know, and Alex wasn’t about to, so they just stared at each other with their mouths shut.
“Um, I’m feeling hungry, so how about we grab some food first?”
At Alex’s suggestion, Yona nodded.
*
“Choosing a menu at an inn? This is quite the novel experience.”
Yona felt exactly that at Alex’s remark.
In Evian, at inns—usually those that also served as restaurants—there wasn’t really a menu.
You’d walk in, tell them how many people are eating, and you’d automatically get eternal stew served with a beer, maybe some barley bread or steamed buns on the side if you were lucky.
“Guess having a Mage Tower around makes a difference, huh?”
Yona giggled, folding the menu and pushing it to one side while looking around.
The inn was bustling, packed with patrons.
However, there weren’t many adventurers in sight. Instead, the place was crowded mostly with guards clad in uniform leather armor or robed magic-users.
“That just means it’s pricey.”
“Come on, it’s okay to splurge a little. We’re rich now, right?”
“Why am I the one doing the calculations?”
I booked two rooms.
True to Yona’s nature, one had to have a bathroom, which in turn meant the cost was nearly for three people.
On top of that, Yona needed a procedure, and since we didn’t know how much that would cost, we had to save money, so Alex ended up paying for Yona’s room too.
Neither had any real complaints—after all, Alex and Yona both had over a hundred gold coins each, making them far from broke, so the amount wasn’t burdensome.
“Food is here~!”
At the cheerful voice of the attendant, Yona’s eyes sparkled.
She was already hungry, and after surviving on camp meals and hunting wild beasts, she was really craving a proper meal.
As the attendant busily set down dishes, the table turned from a blank canvas to a feast of steaming delights.
Two hefty loaves of bread made from flour, not barley.
A stew brimming with meat.
A pot full of pure white milk, undiluted with water.
And strawberry jam on the side.
“Hey, pass me that stew.”
“Sure.”
Yona handed the stew pot to Alex.
As Alex dished out portions for both of them and painstakingly picked out the bell peppers and carrots from Yona’s bowl, Yona poured milk into two cups, sliced the bread in half, spread jam on one side, and made sandwiches, dividing them onto plates.
Thick, red, sticky jam.
Definitely packed with sugar.
Sweet, sweet jam.
Yona’s brain, starved for sugar, ignited an intense craving the moment she saw it.
“Let’s eat!”
But just as she took a big bite of the sandwich, Alex stopped her.
“Wait a sec.”
He picked up his own strawberry jam sandwich and moved it to Yona’s plate.
Then he took the half-eaten sandwich from her hands and placed it onto his own plate.
“You eat the one with more jam. I’m not into sweets.”
“Uuhhh? (Is that so?)”
Yona looked thrilled, her face lighting up with a big smile.
It was only natural for an adventurer to need sugar regularly, so Alex had wanted that jam-filled sandwich too.
But seeing how much Yona loved it, especially since she was the type to pick flowers from the roadside to nibble on, made it worth it to switch.
“Is it good?”
“Totally delicious. Hey, try the milk too! It’s rich—it’s on a whole different level compared to Evian, really. By the way, is there an adventurer’s guild in the Mage Tower? Should I just register here?”
“But you said you wanted to be a holy knight when you turn back into a guy.”
“Aren’t there any cathedrals here?”
“Do you think so? You don’t know how bad things are between mages and priests?”
“That may be true…”
And then he quickly sulked again.
With emotions that shift so fluidly and honesty to boot, it was impossible to dislike him.
“Well, we’re rich now anyway. How about we settle down somewhere decent, like south of Evian?”
“We’re rich now, right? How about somewhere south instead of Evian? It’ll be more livable down there.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“And while we’re at it, that, um, uh…”
“Huh?”
With the last piece of sandwich stuffed into her mouth and spooning stew broth, Yona looked at Alex.
The rich, red broth tasted great, so different from the stew they had in Evian, making it go down smooth.
“…It’s nothing. But the food here is really delicious.”
Alex reluctantly changed the subject.
He wanted to say it would be better to go as a couple, but expressing that was proving difficult.
“It’s just that my appetite has returned. For adventurers, this is a feast, right?”
“Is that so? Anyway, what are we going to do now?”
Tearing off the last piece of bread revealed a delightful texture, perfectly baked from fine flour.
Dipping the torn piece of bread into the stew broth, letting it soak, and then tasting it combined the flavors of the stew and the soft texture of the bread in an exquisite way.
“What to do? We’ll go back tomorrow and explain everything step by step from beginning to end.”
“I guess that’s the plan?”
“Yeah. But I’ll do the talking. You just stay quiet.”
“Can you handle it, Baldy?”
Yona looked at him with skeptical eyes, and Alex was taken aback.
“I think I can do it better than you. Just say something simple like, ‘Please introduce me to that Mage related to the fact that a man became a woman.’ What’s so hard about that?”
“But that’s so different from what I explained—”
Yona’s retort was cut off by someone else.
“Well, well, so you came after all. It’s a small world. I can’t believe we meet our pretty one here.”
A slow but relaxed voice.
Bright blonde hair and square-framed glasses.
Her strange eyes gave off a sleepy charm with a hint of decadence.
“Ah, Alebians…?”
In surprise, Yona looked up at her, and Alebians responded with a wide smile and a wave.
“Hey, pretty one! Having fun? And our bald friend is here too. Looks like you’re doing well. May I sit here?”
Alebians didn’t wait for Yona’s reply.
“…You were going to sit regardless of my answer, huh, Alebians?”
“Spot on.”
Sitting in the chair between Alex and Yona, Alebians clasped her hands under her chin.
Her playful gaze focused on Yona as she spoke in her leisurely tone.
“So, pretty one, have you found your answer here?”
“What answer?”
“I usually don’t like asking questions when I know the answer, but I’m sure you’re fine with it.”
Her eyes curved in gentle arcs, filled with a teasing smile that made Yona uncomfortable.
“I’m talking about the answer to how to return to being a man.”
*
“So you’re heading straight to Evian? You don’t mind skipping a rest?”
A day had passed since they arrived at Kapatia Port, and Ludvik, along with Vigrind and Scarlet, stood in front of a boat heading to Evian.
Ceres, who came out to see him off, was filled with worry.
Ludvik seemed fine, but she was concerned that Vigrind might still be recovering from the fatigue, wondering if they were pushing themselves too hard.
In response to Ceres’ words, Ludvik turned to Vigrind first.
After checking Vigrind’s complexion, Ludvik nodded with a hearty smile.
“It’s fine. The Saint seems alright, and as for Sir Scarlet… being a member of the Holy Knight Brigade, he can handle this much. I want to get to Evian quickly and investigate if there are any problems.”
“Indeed, you truly are a hero guided by the Divine. How considerate of you to check on the Saint first.”
“Well, it’s the least I can do. After all, she is our closest companion.”
Vigrind’s ears turned red at those words.
Memories of their late-night stroll in Cemetery Village Semek surfaced.
She wasn’t quite sure what spirit moved her to speak at that time, but it was indeed true and something she had said.
Yet, when Ludvik said that, she found herself blushing for some reason.
“…I just thought it would be good to greet the Evian Diocese since it’s not that close to us.”
“Is that so? If that’s the case, then there’s nothing to be done. Loading the goods is almost finished, so you will be able to set sail soon.”
As soon as Ceres heard about the departure date from Ludvik, she instructed the team to prepare the shipping arrangements right away.
Thanks to that, they were able to prepare the cathedral’s ship on time, allowing for a rather modest farewell at the port.
“Even though I can’t tell what will happen, it gives me strength knowing that both the Hero and the Saint are here. Please take care, Hero and Saint.”
“Yes. Don’t worry too much. Starting with this journey, I’ll thoroughly crush the demons so that they won’t even dare to show their faces.”
“…Me too.”
Ceres giggled softly.
With a gentle smile, her gaze turned toward Vigrind.
“I hope when we meet again, our Saint will be a bit more energetic.”
“I’ll… do my best.”
She almost responded that it wasn’t necessary.
A voice that sounded like someone warning her about losing friends echoed in her mind.
“The preparations for departure are complete—!!!”
The captain’s voice rang out.
“Well then, I’ve greatly appreciated your company. Regent.”
“Not at all. It seems you’ll be visiting Kapatia Port frequently, so don’t think of greeting me every time; just feel free to come and go, comfortably. That goes for you too, Saint.”
“Haha, I will do just that. I’ll send word as soon as I investigate Evian.”
“Please do.”
Standing on the deck, Ludvik and Vigrind waved to Ceres at the port.
Ludvik stretched out his hand energetically, while Vigrind shyly lifted her hand.
Still, Ceres waved back vigorously, seeing them off.
With the sound of waves cutting through, the ship slowly began to move.
As the port gradually receded and became smaller, until it finally disappeared like a dot, Vigrind felt a sense of reality wash over her.
This was the beginning of the hero’s journey.
She trembled slightly at the fear of not knowing what lay ahead.
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