Birds were chirping outside the window, signaling the dawn of the following day.
I opened my eyes, coming face-to-face with Rit sleeping beside me.
I was the only one in the world who could see this side of the woman known as Rit the
hero. She was resting defenselessly with such a tranquil look on her face.
Between half-conscious thoughts like that, a feeling of joy welled up inside me, and I
gently pressed my forehead to hers. The building happiness spread through my chest.
"Nfgh."
Rit broke into a little smile, like she was having a pleasant dream.
It seemed the feeling in me had spread to her, and I grinned like a fool. It was a good
thing no one else was around.
I should sleep a bit longer.
After what had happened last night, I wouldn't be able to cuddle up with Rit today.
I closed my eyes, and as a result, I could sense her presence against my skin all the
more acutely. I basked in the peaceful moment as I dozed off.
"Red."
A voice whispered in my ear.
The pleasant tickle caused me to stir. When I moved, my head pressed against
something soft. It felt good, so I reached out with both arms, seeking that warm feeling,
and then I slipped back to slumber again.
"…I guess we can sleep in a bit longer," a distant voice said.
There was a knock. It was coming from the door to the shop.
Rit and I opened our eyes at the same time.
"G-good morning."
"Good morning…"
Rit's large chest, enclosed in her pajamas, was right in front of my eyes.
At some point, I had fallen asleep with my face in her soft, warm bosom.
Rit was holding my head, caressing near the nape of my neck.
We looked at each other, cheeks red.
"T-that's probably Ruti and the others!" she said, frazzled.
"Y-yeah, we really overslept, I guess! I'll start getting breakfast ready!" I hastily replied.
I hurried out of the bedroom. I needed to let our guests in.
"Coming!" I called out as I headed to the entrance. "All right, time for another day's
work."
I could tell I was still grinning idiotically.
"Okay, what can I make on short order?"
I crossed my arms in thought while I stood in the kitchen. The oven wasn't even hot
yet, meaning toasting bread would take a while. There wasn't time to prepare soup,
either.
"Hmm. In that case…"
I lit the stove and got bread, onions, tomato, cheese, ham, and some butter.
After cutting the bread, I added sliced onions and tomatoes, and then put the cheese
and ham on top. Black pepper sufficed for seasoning.
Once that was done, I melted some butter in a frying pan. I put the sandwich onto the
pan and weighted it with a small pot. The smell of bread toasting made my sleepy body
feel hungry. Fortunately, I wouldn't have to wait too long.
"That should be about right."
The bread was a nice toasty brown. I cut it diagonally, and with that, the hot sandwich
was complete. The melted cheese oozed out slightly from the cut.
"Okay, now to take care of the rest."
I went about my task swiftly in order to satisfy everyone's empty stomachs.
""""Thanks for the food!""""
Ruti, Tisse, Rit, and I were all gathered around the table.
Mister Crawly Wawly put his front legs together and bowed his head in front of the
mosquito he'd caught, too. What a polite spider.
"Mgh."
The cheese stretched from Rit's sandwich as she took a bite. She wound the long
strand up and then took another bite. Evidently, she was enjoying it.
Tisse was cutting her sandwich neatly with a knife and fork. Her expression betrayed
nothing, but judging by how quickly she was eating, she liked the food, too.
Ruti was looking back and forth between the two of them, head cocked in confusion.
"Ruti?" I asked.
"Umm, Big Brother, how are you supposed to eat this?"
"However you want to is fine."
"Okay." Ruti stared at her sandwich for a few seconds. "Mph." She chose to eat the same
way as Rit. The moment it reached her mouth, her expression brightened like a switch
had been flipped.
After Ruti, Tisse, and Mister Crawly Wawly left for their farm, Rit and I started
preparing for the workday.
"…"
Rit's face had been red for a while, and she hadn't said anything.
She was likely thinking about last night. Glancing over at me, she writhed as she
covered her mouth with her bandana.
So cute.
"Oh yeah, we have to deliver medicine to Dr. Newman today! I'll get things. Can I leave
the storefront to you, Rit?"
"Y-yeah, sure. If anything, it would be easier to get over this if I had a little time to
myself."
"Hah, okay, got it. But first…" I ran over to Rit and kissed her cheek.
"Hyah?!"
Rit would normally have been able to handle that much, but today she was blushing
madly.
She was so cute.
"All right, the shop's in your hands!"
"You're so mean."
I headed to the storage room while watching Rit dive behind the counter to hide.
With Dr. Newman's note in one hand, I went through our stock to prepare his order.
"That's all of our stock of coca leaves. Are there any left in the yard?" I muttered.
I could worry about that once I got back. Our sales had risen lately, so ingredients were
running low more quickly.
"And the last thing is medicine to help with fevers. All right, that's everything."
I checked one last time to make sure I had everything.
"Okay, Rit! I'm done here! Need help with anything?"
"Check the change, please."
"Got it."
Her cheeks were still scarlet, but she handled her job just fine.
We had gotten used to opening together. Fortunately, our frantic rush ended soon, and
we were ready for business at the usual time.
"Let's have—"
"—another good day. Eh-heh-heh."
We laughed together as we pumped our fists.
Just like always.
In a room on the Veronian warship.
The high elf Lilinrala, once feared by countless nations as the leader of the Elven
Corsairs, was scowling. The frown didn't mar her beauty, however, even though she
had long since passed the point of being considered a young woman by high elf
standards.
"My subordinates were caught, and there's been no contact from the assassin."
Stoic though she was, Lilinrala could not help but worry.
She had deployed some of the strongest people in Veronia, well-suited for solo fights
or group combat. They were capable enough that they even stood a chance against an
A-rank adventurer.
The assassins she'd hired were supposed to be top-notch, too. Archmage or not,
Misphia shouldn't have escaped unscathed.
I'm worried about the safety of my subordinates, but more importantly, just who the hell
are Tifa and Ruhr?
Lilinrala had gathered information around Zoltan about the two adventurers over the
past few days, but it was entirely unreliable.
What is this place?
When it was necessary to investigate someone quickly, the best method was to inquire
with someone who had done the same earlier. Normally, if a person who stood out as
much as Ruhr or Tifa showed up, someone would take the time to look into their
history. And yet, Lilinrala's minions couldn't find anyone who had investigated Tifa.
Even the Thieves Guild had been a dead end.
It's possible the locals are wary enough to play dumb…
However, Lilinrala couldn't imagine that this little city in the middle of nowhere was
home to folks proficient enough to deceive spies she had gathered to protect King
Geizeric.
Ruhr and Tifa are outsiders far stronger than everyone else in Zoltan. Doesn't that bother
these people?
In the end, all Lilinrala uncovered was that the two young women were extremely
capable adventurers. Any specifics about their pasts were shrouded in mystery. The
high elf was at her wit's end.
"Which means this guy is the key, then."
He was probably the only person in Zoltan who could help her.
Had Lilinrala known about him before her subordinates got caught, she would have
targeted him over the self-proclaimed white knight Ruhr.
"Red, the apothecary."
Lilinrala stood, opening a locked box and taking out a pair of dimly radiant green highelf steel gauntlets.
"Blood of the proud high elves that flows through my veins, lend me strength."
The gauntlets were a magic item passed down through Lilinrala's family. By equipping
them, the wearer gained all of the sword skills of their ancestors.
Even a novice became a master with the wondrous objects, but Lilinrala was a firstrate swordsman in her own right and had a high blessing level as well. When she wore
the gauntlets, she surpassed the realm of experts and stood on par with legends.
She also retrieved a longsword different from her usual cutlass. Its sheath was white,
adorned with vibrant gold decorations. When Lilinrala drew the blade slightly, the
wind magic confined within surged out, rustling her silver hair.
The ensorcelled weapon was yet another family heirloom. It was said that a famed
elven smith had forged it using his very life to fuel the flames. Its name was Elven
Sorrow, owing to the blacksmith's lament at the many lives the sword would claim.
"I'll have to go myself."
Despite being Ruhr's older brother and a friend of Tifa's, Red was only a D-rank
adventurer. Yet reports indicated he was likely hiding his true strength. There was no
mistaking that he was at least on par with a C-ranker.
Naturally, Lilinrala still had many underlings capable of easily capturing a C-rank
adventurer. However, given the recent failures, Lilinrala elected to handle the matter
herself.
They don't seem ready to hand over the holy church registers yet, but I have to finish off
Misphia before they change their minds.
Lilinrala readied her magic items as a dark resolve filled her heart.