“How about this? Isn’t it cute?”
“It’s not bad. I think it looks good on you.”
“You’re saying the same thing! Are you really looking at me properly!?”
Erna puffs out her cheeks and gets angry. Even if she said that, there is really no other way to say it. To be honest, she is a beautiful woman and she looks good no matter what she wears. That’s why I could only say the same line again and again.
After leaving the brewery, we came to the clothing store. Many of the items in this store are elaborately designed, and the one she is currently trying on is a long-sleeved front-opened gown that resemble the traditional Moroccan kaftan.
“Of course I did. But the usual outfits are more like you so I like it better.”
“Does that mean it’s better for me not to dress up? As expected, Shinichi doesn’t understand a woman’s feeling!”
“That’s not what I meant….…”
“You don’t understand. What I want to ask you is not about fashion, but about how Shinichi feels when looking at me now. You should check the atmosphere and compliment me more on how I’m different from usual!”
She’s asking for an impossible task. I wonder why women are so particular about how they dress. From my point of view, I think it’s much more efficient to buy the same clothes and wear them around.
For now, I’ll rack my brain for words that seem to satisfy Erna.
“You’re like a flower blooming in a dreamy land.”
“Huh? What did you say??”
“Your beauty is beyond the reach of all the gold of the world, and one day, people will bow down to Erna Frederia and praise her beauty for a thousand years. Along with the legend that a great mage has descended.”
“A thousand years…… Legendary beauty……”
“To a great mage, clothes are just clothes. It is nothing more than a way to hide your ultimate beauty. Your brilliance is too dazzling for others. Now is the time to keep it concealed.”
“Uhe~uhehehe. Being too beautiful is a sin, isn’t it? If I show off my charm unnecessarily, the world will be a mess. I get it. It’s best to dress in the usual plain style.”
Erna hastily began to change into her original outfit. I complimented her appropriately and she seemed to be in a good mood. Her face is completely relaxed.
I was saved by her simple personality. After that, when we left the store, Erna’s carefree look did not return to normal for a while.
◇◇◇
“So, what are we going to do now?”
“Hmm…… It’s time for lunch. It’s my long-awaited time. I want to taste the specialties that I couldn’t eat last time.”
Me and Erna went to a suitable restaurant and take a seat. When I opened the menu, I saw an unfamiliar dish name. I ordered the “rock mole steak” from the waiter. Erna ordered a “honey-filled toast and salad.”
“What is a rock mole?”
“It’s a large mole that lives only in Dartan and likes to nest in solid bedrock. Dwarves seem to like to eat it.”
While talking like this, our food is brought to the table. The chunks of meat have aromatic smell and it even made a sizzling noise on the iron plate. There was little fat and it seemed to be chewy. In contrast, Erna’s toast is topped with sweet golden honey, and the bowl is heaped with leafy vegetables.
“Can you get honey around here?”
“Yes. It is a very sweet nectar that is excellent in nourishment, and I hope you will enjoy it in the memory of Dartan.”
The female waiter smiles after saying that and then she left us alone. When people say things like that, I became curious about the taste. So, I decided to share the food with Erna.
“Mole meat has a peculiar taste. It’s a bit tough. But if anything, it’s delicious.”
“Hoho~, this honey is delicious. It has a strong sweet taste and a good flavor.”
“Hey, I said just a little bit. I’m going to run out of food!”
“Wait, wait. Just a little bit more.”
“No! This is mine! Eat your steak!”
The plate with honey toast on it was forcibly taken away from me. I eat my steak while thinking it’s a pity. This is also pretty good though. The drink after is even better.
“…..But I was imagining a more romantic date.”
“Hn? What’s the matter all of a sudden?”
“I mean…… this won’t be any different from usual.”
“Now that you’ve mentioned it, I guess so….”
There is nothing special about this. But isn’t that what dating is all about? I recognized that there is meaning with just the two of us spending time alone, but for Erna, it seems to be sublimated into something special. Speaking of which, my wife who broke up with me said the same thing. She said that I don’t know what a date should be.
“You’re looking for something extraordinary huh.”
“Yes! I want a heart-pounding moment. I want you to make me feel that.”
……She asked for another difficult task. What does she mean by heart-pounding anyway? It’s too abstract to understand.
“I get it! I’ll take you to that extraordinary place once we’re done eating.”
“For real? If it’s not a big deal, you’ll have to give the adamantite back!”
“It’s fine for you to have high expectation. I’m a man who does what I say.”
I said so, taking a sip of my drink.
◇◇◇
After eating, we came to a meadow not far from the city. This is to lead Erna to a certain place from here on.
“An empty meadow? Well, the flowers in bloom are very beautiful though.”
“This is not the place where I want to take you to.”
“Then where?”
I grinned and pointed up. Then Erna looked up at the blue sky with a stunned face. I placed my hands around her waist and then I quickly spread the large wings on my back. In the next moment, we moved away from the ground with tremendous force. I flied far into the sky.
“Ueeeeeeeeeee!?”
“We’re still going up. Don’t bite your tongue.”
I went beyond the sea of drifting clouds and even went higher. The temperature drops, and the breath we exhale turned white. Not yet. It’s still on top. Then, the sky gradually turns into dark blue and the land below becomes more rounded as it recedes into the distance. We reached about 50 kilometers in the air. The temperature also rose sharply from before. Erna is breathing fine though. But as expected, if we go out into the outer atmosphere, we will die. This area is still a survivable area. I’m impressed that I’ve become a ridiculous monster.
“Is this the world we live in?”
“Yes, this planet is where we live.”
It’s a blue shining star. It resembled Earth, but there was a ring around it. Far beyond, the sun continues to shine. This is the true state of the world. It is a sight that can never be seen on the ground. Erna was silent on the size and beauty of the world.
In the same way, I am also taken aback by the scenery I see for the first time. In the previous life, if you’re not an astronaut, you wouldn’t be able to adore the planet you live. This is one of those things that makes me glad that I was reincarnated in another world.
“We’re so small, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, if you look at it from above. Hey, look, I can see the World Tree of Sanargia.”
“It’s true. The Sacred Tree is also so small.”
She was completely obsessed with the gigantic gem that was called the planet. On the other hand, I look up at the universe and is excited. Countless stars are so close to the big moon that they are within reach. Perhaps the brilliance of Earth is included in it.
“…… Hey, what’s that?”
Suddenly, Erna points to a phenomenon. A green light seemed to ripple slightly around the star.
Don’t tell me….
I fly even higher. Then, I hit an invisible wall.
“Are you okay!?”
“Yes. I just hit my face a little bit.”
I reach for the place where I hit my face. There was indeed an invisible wall there.
What’s this? Barrier? Is this planet blocked?
Questions run through my mind, but I can’t get answers.
“It’s time to go back. It’s too cold here.”
“……You’re right. Let’s go~”
I descend at once with her in my arms. From there, it’s skydiving. The two of us made a free-fall far above the sky.
“I’ve never done anything like this before! It feels ama~zing!! Yahoo~o!!”
“Me too! What a shame, I should have experienced it in my previous life!”
We enjoyed this moment together, holding hands and twirling around, or swimming in the air. Well, I’ve been flying so much that I now gotten tired of it. But I haven’t had much experience of falling. It’s a surprisingly addictive feeling. When we approached the ground, I spread my wings and made a sudden brake. Both Erna and I slipped and landed in a meadow near the city.
“Aah, it was fun! My heart is pounding in excitement!”
“I don’t really get what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you’re satisfied. I had fun t―”
I felt a soft touch on my lips. Then Erna’s face moves away from mine, leaving a sweet scent in the air. Her cheeks were dyed pink, and she stared at me with moist eyes.
“I love you Shinichi. I want to be with you forever.”
“……..…”
“But I know there’s someone in Shinichi’s heart and I don’t know who. I’m going to wait until you turn around.”
“Erna……”
“No matter what your past is, I’ll accept it. So, tell me all about it one day.”
Receiving such a strong gaze, I nodded, albeit slightly. I didn’t notice it. I didn’t know that Erna had a liking for such a man like me. I felt confused, but I was happy and scared at the same time. She is right, I still have my wife and child in my heart. The two people, who were more important than anything else, are living inside me with vivid memories.
“……I won’t tell you to wait. But I’m going to do my best.”
“Un.”
Erna smiled meekly as she was surrounded by flowers.
◇◇◇
“Oiii! You’re late!”
In a corner of the city dyed in the setting sun, Rodman, who looks tired of waiting, waves his hand at us. Me and Erna walked up to him, keeping a delicate distance.
“I’m sorry. We were talking about a lot of things.”
“Heh~, I wonder if there was any progress.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You can tell by the look on Erna’s face.”
Erna’s face was eerily smirking. Perhaps she thinks she had her usual expression, but the corners of her mouth naturally rise up, creating a smirk on her face. No wonder Rodman guesses things up.
“Oh, I’m not going to ask you anything nonsense. The relationship between a man and a woman is not something that other people should meddle with.”
“Aren’t you misunderstanding something? Erna is—”
“Fine, fine. Rather than that, why don’t we have a drink while we wait for the other three?”
“……Sigh. Okay, there’s no other choice so let’s start first.”
When we entered the tavern, we were greeted by a warm and humid air. There was the sound of dwarves and beastmen laughing and the smell of alcohol mixed with various dishes. We sit by the window and then we ordered drinks from the waiter.
“Cheers then!”
I lightly raise my mug in time with Rodman’s voice. I drink the liquor in one gulp. There were so many things going on that I felt like getting drunk today. It’s about the wall that covers the planet and about Erna.
“Ah, as expected, you’ve already started!”
Pero and the others came inside the tavern. The three of them are dirty, especially Liz, who is muddy and badly dressed.
“I’ll give you some replacement clothes so change your clothes first.”
“Okay, I’m going to the bathroom.”
Liz replies quickly as she took the change of black clothes. Still, it’s strange. She was usually expressionless, but at this moment, she was smiling. I asked Pero and Freya, who had finished ordering from the waiter, about the situation.
“Where have you been?”
“We went in a mine ruin. There is a closed place near the city.”
“A closed mine? Why would you go to such a place?”
“Oh, about that, I think that it is better to hear it from Liz-san.”
After getting dressed, Liz sits down and eats a sausage with a fork. I took her dirty clothes and asked her why she had gone to the mine.
“I had a hard time finding this.”
She rummaged through her backpack and found a lump of metal the size of a softball. On its surface, a distinctive holographic pattern stands out clearly. It’s adamantite. Intuitively, I thought so.
“T-that’s a lie, right!? Did you really find it?”
“It’s true. I got it with tenacity and guts.”
“No, no. I won’t allow that! I’m going to wipe it out right now!”
“It’s foolish to turn away from the facts. I’ve got the right to date.”
Grabbing the adamantite, Liz runs out of the pub. Erna followed with her staff. The two of them went on a rampage, flipping the table and pushing the customers away as they went out. The only saving grace is that Erna doesn’t shoot magic, but it’s still a terrible thing to look at.
“You’re a nuisance! Shinichi and I are the ones who’s going to be together!”
“Don’t make me laugh. Oniichan and I are connected by the threads of fate. A woman with long ears should be united with a man with long ears.”
“Ha! Then I’ll tell you, Shinichi isn’t interested in a woman without boobs!”
“What a joke! Oniichan is looking at my butt a lot. You had accumulated so much fat in your chest that your brain has turned in fat too!”
“I’ll definitely blow you up!!”
Erna snapped.
I felt that it was bad, so I hurriedly paralyzed them. I had Pero and Freya retrieve the two who have fallen down, while I sit down with the shopkeeper and the customers. I paid for the repairs on the tables and other things. I also promised to pay for all the food and drinks of the guests who were caused such inconvenience. As a result, both the restaurant and the customers forgave me, but the awkwardness caused us to eat quietly as if it were a wake.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next
Yume Neiji's Works 