I couldn't sleep last night.
I don't want to sound like a jerk, but she is my first love in this world, so what can I do?
Moreover, Shizuko-san was crying, perhaps in shock at being sold into slavery.
So I held her hand and let her sleep.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Ceres-kun."
We suddenly made eye contact.
"Oh, sorry."
I was still holding her hand.
"Heheheh, it's okay, thank you very much... you were holding my hand because I was crying, weren't you? You are so kind Ceres-kun."
I've slept with my childhood friends in the hero party before, but...
There's a difference between being out of the loop and being in the loop.
When I slept with them, it was like sleeping with my daughter or niece.
This is different... and to tell the truth, I couldn't sleep because I was nervous now.
Inside I was a middle-aged man but my body was that of a boy...this was hard to take.
"Then, shall we go out together?"
"Ceres-kun, where are we going?"
"We'll have breakfast and then we'll go to the guild."
"Eating out in the morning, that's great..."
There was indeed only one place to eat in the village, and it wasn't open in the morning.
"We could have eaten at this inn if we had asked in advance, but there are usually good places for morning meals around here."
"Well, I've hardly eaten out since I married, so I'm looking forward to it."
"Yes, I was a member of the hero party and we always ate out or camped out from trip to trip, let's just go eat when we're hungry."
"Yes."
* * *
At the restaurant, Shizuko-san was having trouble with the menu.
So I ordered two regular morning meals.
"This is amazing, there's so much food on the plate."
These are what are called 'morning plates'.
I was sure that these could not be eaten in the village.
"Yes, that's right, these foods could not be in the village... or rather, there is no restaurant in the village itself."
"That's true."
"But I want to eat Shizuko-san's cooking."
"Heheheh, is that so? If that's the case, I'll buy the ingredients and I'll make it for you."
"Yes, I'm really looking forward to it."
They say that hero is a cheat, but I think Shizuko-san is a cheat in a way too.
She's a good cook, a versatile housekeeper including cleaning... and very patient.
Of course, Mel and her friends are beautiful girls, but they are still children, so they don't have that 'receptive power'.
Even Saint Maria is not even close.
Well, what I look for most in a woman is this receptiveness.
To be comfortable with her... yeah, that's the best.
"What's wrong Ceres-kun, you're staring at me like that."
"No, I'm just happy."
"Well, I'm glad you feel that way."
Just having a meal together... is a real pleasure.
* * *
Now, we are here at the Adventurers Guild.
The purpose is to register Shizuko as an adventurer and to find an empty room for rent.
"If it's Ceres-sama, how can I help you today?"
This kind of place is S-ranked, which is good because I don't have to wait long to get an answer.
"I'd like to register her as an adventurer and apply for a party."
"With this lady? With all due respect, isn't she a bit old? Even more so for you, Ceres-sama."
I felt Shizuko-san's face turn black.
"Heheheh, I know I'm an old lady now... but if I'm going to work with Ceres-kun, well, I'd prefer to work with my 'former one' status, not with the registration but with the application for the returning."
"Shizuko-san, you were an adventurer?"
"Yes, but my ex-husband and my son Zect don't know about it, because I quit when we got married, well, they are both too proud to ask about it."
"Is that so? Then can you give us some blood? And you're not a D or lower rank, right?"
"Heheheh, you'll find out when you look into it."
"Huff~"
I sigh about her attitude.
Still, Shizuko is a true Shizuko... she is smiling even in such a situation.
Anyway, they took blood samples and we waited for a while.
Soon, a bearded man comes running impatiently from the back.
It was Beldar the Guildmaster.
"Don't tell me, are you returning to work?"
"Heheheh, I've been blessed with a good relationship at this age so I'm thinking of coming back... Is it a bad idea, Bel-boy?"
"Please don't call me boy, Shizuko-san, I'm already a guild master..."
"Right, I'm sorry, Beldar-san, but is my application for return okay?"
This is getting interesting.
Even me, who was an S-class guy.
"Yeah, of course, of course... 'The black-haired healer' is coming back!"
Eh? What's this?
"Shizuko-san, what's this 'black-haired healer'?"
I think I heard that somewhere.
"Oh, Ceres-sama, Shizuko-san is also a former S-class adventurer, a figure of my generation, and there was no one better than her as a healer! Well, she can't be the same S-class adventurer at this time, so, let's start over from A-class... Do you mind...?"
"Heheheh, I don't mind."
"I'm glad you say so... now if you'll excuse me... you'll take care of the rest..."
"Yes... I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Now we are a party of S and A class, but Shizuko is a slave and everything she earns belongs to me.
However, since we share the same wallet and Shizuko is free to withdraw her money, it doesn't really matter.
But if she's such a good adventurer, I can't help but wonder why she became a slave so easily.
I'll ask her tonight.