Into the warm water created using water magic and heated with fire magic, I shoved in Rumba who was covered with sweat and filth.
"The bath is better than one in a high-class lodging in the capital!" Or so Rumba was shouting.
"There's even soap! It doesn't smell at all! Rather, it smells nice!"
Don't underestimate a Japanese person's hospitality. I'm not compromising on the bath. It might lose in size and luxuriousness, but I can vouch for its functional beauty.
While shutting out Rumba's excited voice and incomprehensible humming, I prepared some dishes.
Rumba would definitely eat well, so just in case, let's bring out various dishes using space magic.
Around thirty minutes later, Rumba came out of the bath.
Since his clothes were washed in the bathroom too, so he only has a cloth around his groin.
"Amazing muscles."
"Right? Al, you should grow muscles too, okay?"
"Six years old is too early to put on muscles. I won't grow tall."
"Nn? You're six years old? Since you're so mature, I though you'd be ten, you know?"
"If I was ten, I'd be taller."
"Is that right? Gahahaha!"
Well, for someone as big as Rumba, a six-year-old and a ten-year-old wouldn't be very different.
"Here, ale."
"Oh? You know well. Are you really a kid?"
"I'm six years old."
With a suspicious expression, Rumba brought his mouth to the beer mug made with earth magic.
"What's this! This is really cool! Is there an ice magic tool here?"
"No, none, I just made it cool using ice magic."
"You can use ice magic at that age, you don't feel much like a kid. If I recall correctly, the princess of this country could also use ice magic."
"Rumba, did you come from the capital?"
"Well, about that, I'll talk while having some of that food placed on the table."
"It's not just placed there, I made it."
Though I took most out using space magic to be honest.
.
"So this is the rumoured spaghetti!"
"Nn? You heard of it somewhere?"
"Mogumogu….. Ah, a merchant I know... Mogumogu….. I heard it from someone called Triela."
When I told him how to eat it, Rumba rolled up the noodles into round balls and ate them in a grand manner. The way his muscular body and face did not go well with his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel was slightly funny.
"Ah—, Tri-san."
Tri-san is the merchant who visits Coryatt Village regularly.
That bastard, he betrayed Bartholo and me last year and had the gall to say, "I can't trade if I make an enemy of the women of Coryatt Village!" Because of that, we couldn't have snacks for a week. This year I'll definitely knock him down.
"Oi? I think I heard something about knocking down? Did something happen?
"No, I'm just talking to myself."
"Really? Then, seconds!"
"Am I your mother or what!?"
.
"But more importantly, Rumba, why are you in Coryatt Village?"
While boiling a new batch of spaghetti, I questioned Rumba.
"Right, let me answer that. I'm an adventurer of this Kingdom of Misfirit. B rank, fifth from the top. I like travelling to begin with. I visit even small villages. While I was wondering where I should head next, Triela told me something interesting, so I'm here."
"I see, that's why you're here. It's the first time an adventurer came since I was born, I think? It's quite far to the capital from here.
For your reference, the Kingdom of Misfirit is where Coryatt is located in. There are about one hundred thousand people near the capital. And, there are about four hundred people in Coryatt Village. I think it's quite a bit, but because people are spread out it might look like there's only a little.
Thanks to the recent growth, there are some people moving here. I saw new huts near the edge of the village.
"Really, I didn't know it would be this far. I barely arrived, panting and all."
Really, plan properly.
"So, what are you planning to do from now?"
"This village looks nice, so I'm planning on staying for a long time!"
"What about housing?"
"Isn't it alright here?"
I thought he'd say that.
"Nn—, that's fine, but you have to prepare the bath and cook on your own, okay?"
"Why!? Al, you're living here, right?"
From my word which were outside his expectation, Rumba stood up.
Too close, too much pressure.
"No, this is my second base and I live in the mansion."
"A mansion? Al, are you a noble or something?"
"For the time being, I am the second son of House Slowlet."
"You don't look like that at all... Slowlet? I think I heard that before? What's the lord's name?"
Rumba crossed his arms and thought hard.
"Nord... Nord Slowly is the lord here."
"The Dragon Slayer!"
Rumba opened his eyes wide and shouted.
Dragon Slayer? What's with that chuunibyou nickname. Interesting.
"What do you mean by Dragon Slayer?"
"Was it a little more than a decade ago? There was a dragon near the capital, and it was Nord who performed brilliantly and beheaded the dragon, you know?"
"Heh—, I didn't know that."
I did know that he was an amazing adventurer, but he never talked much about that. I wonder if he was embarrassed about his nickname? Let's ask after I get back home.
"Back then, I coincidentally was in the same party as Nord, only that though... but I remember."
Rumba closed his eyes in nostalgia. Nord-tousan must remember him too. There's no way you'd forget someone like this.
.
After that, we chatted about various things. He said that he wants to stay in the mansion, so I had no choice but to take him to the mansion.
Leaving him alone would be, hm, pitiful, I guess. I can't abandon him. Maybe that might Rumba's real strength. People can't live alone after all. On closer thought, Rumba might classify as a leech. Let's have him work as Eleanora-neesan's swordplay partner in the mansion.
That would be best.
.
.
When we arrived at the mansion, Sarah showed Rumba to the drawing room and went off to get Nord-tousan.
"My—? Who could the guest Al brought be?"
Elna-kaasan entered the room with her usual smiling face.
"Ah! The sorceress that fell deeply in love with Nord!"
"Eh? Ah, is that really Rumba?! S-Stop that!"
One moment, Elna-kaasan was surprised, then blushed, then got flustered.
It might be the first time I saw an expression like this from Elna-kaasan. She's so cute that she doesn't look like she's in her thirties.
"Gahahahaha! So you remember me!"
"Of course! There aren't many who can forget you Rumba."
I see, so this is Elna-kaasan's true tone of voice?
"Oi, Al's looking at you?"
Noticing my gaze too, Elna-kaasan coughed and turned to me.
"Al, thank you very much for guiding him. There are snacks in the living room so you can have them."
Looks like she wants to retain her dignity in from of children. I can just act like a child and go for the snack, but I want to see her get more flustered.
"Elna-kaasan."
"Yes? What might it be?"
"Your embarrassed expression is cute—."
"Naa?!"
Elna-kaasan blushed red again. Ahaha she's cute—.
"Pfft! Ahahahahahahahaha! Ahhahahahahahaha!"
Maybe a switch was flipped for Rumba, as he started laughing hysterically.
Oioi stop pounding the table.
Eh?! The table got dented. Really.
Before I could get caught by Elna-kaasan, I escaped the drawing room and headed to the living room for snacks.
On my way there, I came across Nord-tousan, so I pointed at him, and,
"Ah! It's the Dragon Slayer!"
shouted so, to which Nord-tousan fell over.
"Hey! Where did you hear that! Wait!"
I heard someone telling me to stop but I won't. Only dogs stop when told to do that.