Chapter 165

We watched Erika as she went out of the room.

After seeing her off, we sat next to each other on the edge of the bed.

Lowering our voices, we then discussed our future plans.

It was almost like we’re reaffirming it, we began arranging our objectives for the time being.

We will be staying here for a while—– At least, until my injuries are healed.

[However, how do I say this...... That’s quite an ambiguous requirement, don’t you think?]

Seras said.

[I think what she’s trying to emphasize...... is my humanity.]

[Is that what Erika-dono wants to determine?]

[Yeah.]

She wanted to find out whether she could trust us or not.

In other words...

[.................]

What you need to learn the Forbidden Curses is probably......

[Ummm...... By the way, we haven’t been able to talk about it earlier but......]

While looking at my face as I sank into silence, Seras broke the ice.

[Hmm? Ah, that discussion about our bedtime, right?]

[I see you’ve remembered it.]

[Well, it has only been a few hours. Then, what’s on your mind?]

Fixing her sitting position, Seras faces towards me.

[Please use this bed, Touka-dono.]

I had already guessed that she would make such a request.

[While we’re advancing through the Demon Zone, Touka-dono should have accumulated quite a lot of fatigue. You’re also bearing several injuries. Even if you had those correction values that you mentioned before......]

Seras held both of my hands with her own hands.

[The most essential person in our Mercenary Corps is you.]

Holding both of my hands, she brought them in front of her chest.

[Even for me too, Touka-dono is more important than anything else. That’s why...... Please.]

A serious expression on her face.

Her tone was quite sincere, but I could hear a tinge of sharpness on those words.

There’s also stubbornness in her tone.

Seras had also anticipated that I would be reserved in using the bed.

That’s probably why her tone was filled with stubbornness.

She’s really the same reliable Seras. It seems that she has understood my reaction pattern.

Even after we cleaned out some parts of the room, there’s still only one bed here.

As for an extra bed...... Well, we didn’t find one.

Besides, if there really was one, Erika would have mentioned it when she explained earlier.

If I can ask her for a golem, I could have made a collapsible bed or something like that...

However, we don’t intend to settle down in this place.

I guess they don’t intend to thoughtly increase the furniture in this place just for temporary visitors.

I could understand that feeling.

[Touka-dono?]

[Hmmm?]

[If you want to concede sleeping in this bed to me that much......]

Seras closes down her eyes.

[This bed...... W- We could both use it together...... Is what I thought......]

I see.

[There’s also such an option huh.]

I haven’t thought that there was such an option.

Or more like, I immediately disregarded that option until she mentioned it.

[Well, I don’t mind.]

[......Is that alright?]

[No, is that alright with you, Seras?]

Seras looked away and averted her eyes.

[Of course, I also wouldn’t mind. Besides, I think it would be strange if the person who made that suggestion would be the person rejecting that idea......]

Facing her head towards me, she reiterated herself.

[Umm, I was only suggesting that means in which the both of can take some rest. Therefore...... Please understand that I don’t have any ulterior motives when I said that...... ——-Ah.]

She released her grip on my hand.

For a moment, I feel like Seras wants to chase after my hand as they put them down.

[This bed’s fairly wide.]

I gently brushed the bed sheets with my palm.

[We could get some distance away from each other, so we can avoid unintentionally coming in contact with each other during bedtime. There may also be situations like this on our journey in the future. So, well...... It might not be a bad idea for us to get used to sleeping in one bed.]

Regaining her posture, Seras placed her hands on her lap.

[I- I’m sorry if I’m being unreasonable. Hearing you saying that...... makes me glad.]

I could see some guilt on her face.

I lay my upper body down on the bed.

Fwump

It’s been a while since I’ve felt the softness of sleeping on a bed......

I could also faintly feel the heat left behind from when Erika laid here.

[If you can’t sleep because you’re being conscious of me, I could invoke to you just as usual. You don’t have to worry about me. Erika herself said so, right? That “I’ve got quite a lot of self-control for a boy my age”.]

Seras could see through lies.

However, it seems that the person herself isn’t very good at lying.

[....................]

If this is what Seras wants, I guess I wouldn’t mind jumping on board with it.

▽

A golem shortly came and called out.

It’s beckoning us.

It appears that dinner is ready.

We were ushered into a room with a large table.

Eve and Liz were already seated.

Dishes were lined up on top of the table.

Root crops, berries, fruits......

[There’s still some dried meat left, but Erika won’t be giving you any. It’s my side dish for my sake after all.]

Erika said. She then pressed some berries in between her lips.

I guess there’s hardly any variety of food she could acquire here.

But well...... We still have my trusty leather bag.

If it’s variation, it wouldn’t be a problem as long as I have this.

Our meal proceeded smoothly.

This is the first meal we’ve had with Erika since we met.

I thought that she would hurl some important conversations towards me.....

But there aren’t any noteworthy topics that have been raised.

If I have to summarize it, our topics all came down into two subjects.

One topic is about food and the other is about Eve and Liz.

Even with those two cases, there wasn’t any noteworthy content.

“What do you like?”

“This one’s tasty.”

“What kind of person is Eve for Liz?”

Then, what Erika was most interested in was the topic of my magical leather bag.

It is now possible for me to use it.

Therefore, I decided to use it.

[I- I feel somewhat nervous...... Big Sister.]

[Umu. Maybe it’s because we don’t know what’s going to come out of it, that we have a strange feeling of expectation from this mysterious leather bag.]

It’s just like a lottery where you will never know what will come out.

[Fufu...... Liz and Eve, you’re putting a lot of pressure on Touka-dono if you expect too much on it, you know?]

With a wry smile on her face, Seras said.

[.....................]

She’s trying her best to hide it.

At first glance, you couldn’t find any excitement on her face.

Or rather, she looks graceful and composed.

But, I must say...

The one who was the most excited in our group was Seras.

Her waist has already slightly risen above the seat......

The thing that came out this time was a matcha pudding.

Fortunately, there were more than four pieces that appeared this time.

There are seven of them in total.

A black container in the shape of a cup.

There’s even a plastic spoon kindly attached with it.

There’s also some whipped cream on top of the pudding.

......This looks like it’s quite an expensive one.

Well, this is just fitting for our dessert.

[What the heck is this...... How tasty.]

Erika’s eyes opened wide after she took her first bite.

Her interest was completely focused on the magical leather bag before.

However, the matcha pudding has now taken away her interest.

Now, she’s licking the cream she scooped up with her finger.

[Mhhmmm...... There’s some complex flavors beneath its astringency...... When you combine its astringency with the sweetness of this white stuff slather above it, it creates a truly exquisite aftertaste......]

The white stuff she’s talking about is obviously the cream.

Under Eve’s nose, there was some cream left on it.

[Whammuuu...... Hnnn...... Nmmuuu...... It’s delicious, Touka-sama...... Thank you very much.]

It seems that Liz was also delighted.

[Here, Pigimaru-chan.]

Liz held out a spoonful to Pigimaru, who was sitting in the chair beside her.

[Piniii~♪ Pimuu, pimuu, piii...... Muu!? Piggiii!? Puddiiinnn♪ ]

Liz also held out some towards Slei as well.

Licking it off with her tongue, Slei happily wagged her tail.

[Pakyyuuunnn~♪ Purryyyuuunnn~♪]

It seems that both Pigimaru and Slei liked it.

As for Seras, she was sitting with her back completely aligned in her chair.

[It certainly is quite tasty but—– You have to mind your actions and not get too excited about it.]

However, she couldn’t even hide the smile on her face.

▽

Some drops of water sliding down on her wet hair, Seras came into our room.

[I’m surprised that this place even had a bath. I never thought I’d be able to soak myself in such clear warm water here in the depths of the Demon Zone......]

After our meal, Seras and I went back to our room and did some light cleaning.

And when we were done, Erika arrived and told us...

“The dustiness must have been uncomfortable, and you must have been stinking with all the sweat in your body...... so, I think you should go take a bath. Come, let me show where it is.”

She recommended us to do so.

I originally planned to wipe my sweat with a wet cloth.

But, I’m not sure if just wiping would help refresh my body.

Therefore, I appreciated her offer and accepted it.

However, it’s not possible for two people to take a bath together.

“Please enter first, Touka-dono. There’s no way for a knight to enter before her king.”

Being told so, I entered the bath first.

And with that, I washed away the discomfort in our bodies.

By the way, the bathroom on the third floor was really wide.

It kind of looks like a semi-natural hot spring, I think?

The heat of the hot water was moderate and it felt pleasant sinking into it.

Then, Seras who had entered later, just came back.

Dressed in a light garment, She sat on the edge of the bed and is now wiping her hair with a cloth.

[Fuuuu...... It sure is comfortable being able to wash your whole body, including your hair.]

[It looks like you like taking baths.]

[Let’s see...... I guess I like it as much as I like rummaging through old literature.]

Sitting on the floor, I close down “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts”.

Looking at the stuff I’ve spread out on the floor, Seras asked.

[What are you doing?]

The stuff spread out on the floor were the materials I’ve obtained here in the Demon Zone.

[I was wondering how much materials which could be used for Pigimaru’s Enhancer were available...... I was just checking it again.]

I could hear Seras approaching me.

Bending forward, she went behind me and peers over my shoulder.

[How’s it going then?]

[I’m afraid I’m still missing one more material. If you optimistically think about it though, we can enhance Pigimaru’s strength after we acquire that one final thing.]

The subject of our conversation, the jelly-like Pigimaru purred.

[Pyuuurriii~]

Seras pointed to one of the materials.

[That material... Couldn’t you use that instead?]

Seras has also read the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts”.

Therefore, she immediately knew what I’m talking about.

She’s pointing towards a material I’ve obtained from a Human-Faced.

However, the materials from that Human-Faced weren’t listed in the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts”.

[If that mutation theory that you were talking about is correct, since these Human-Faced use to be Golden-eyed monsters themselves before they mutated, then the material you could acquire from them should be about the same with the monster they were based at—– is what I think.]

[I see. If that’s the case, it could be considered as using the material from the same monster......]

[That’s right. Well, in any case—-]

Tap

My fingers tapped the front cover of the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts”.

[Once the Enhancer is completed, the fighting ability of our team will greatly increase again.]