Walking through the bustling streets, Karen and I held hands. It wasn’t until we bought some candied fruit that I realized—this was a date.
「Hey there, young man, you and your cute girlfriend seem to get along well. Here’s a little extra on the house.」
The vendor added two small candies to our purchase with a grin. I glanced at Karen, and our eyes met.
Karen—
「……」
—turned bright red, averted her gaze, and tightened her grip on my hand.
Wait, what?
Normally, this would be Karen’s golden opportunity to tease me. She’d usually lean in smugly, basking in the “girlfriend” label, watch me flush crimson, and enjoy the moment to its fullest. That’s how it’s supposed to go. But instead—
Still blushing, she looked down slightly, keeping her hand firmly clasped in mine.
I was completely thrown off by her unexpected reaction.
「Bark…?」
Chocola tilted his head in confusion.
「Ah, t-thank you very much!」
We both bowed to the candy vendor before continuing our walk.
For a while, neither of us spoke, but the silence between us wasn’t awkward in the slightest.
※※※
Karen, who could flirt at home or in the secluded woods without a care, seemed to have gotten flustered when teased in such a public setting. Surrounded by the lively crowd, she was suddenly acutely aware of all the eyes around us. It made her self-conscious, but after a few minutes of quiet, she seemed to shrug it off with a “Well, whatever.”
Soon enough, Karen was happily licking her candy, holding my hand tightly, and clinging to me so closely it made walking a bit tricky.
「Sui, over there. They have fruit milk.」
「You want some?」
「Hmm. Chocola would like some too, right?」
「Bark? …Bark!」
True to form, Karen’s mood had entirely transformed into one driven by her appetite, which was even heartier than usual today.
「Let’s get skewers too. Chocola would want some, right?」
「Bark! Bark!」
「And bread, stew… Chocola would like those too, right?」
「Bark…」
「Nope, Chocola’s not having the stew. Too much salt. And stop using him as your excuse to eat more.」
「Bark…」
Karen pouted slightly, while Chocola wagged his tail, caught between hope and resignation.
And so, with Karen’s infectious cheer and Chocola’s enthusiastic barks, the three of us continued to immerse ourselves in the festival’s lively atmosphere.
To keep Karen from attempting to conquer every stall in sight, I decided it was time to settle down.
The square with the fountain had been transformed into a makeshift food court, with tables and chairs lined up for the festival-goers.
It was still morning, so there were plenty of seats available. We chose a small table for two and began bringing back an array of dishes from the various stalls: drinks, skewers, stews, grilled fish, bread—a veritable feast.
「Chocola, hang tight for a bit, alright?」
「Bark!」
I took out a dog bowl from my bag, poured in some milk, and added meat pieces I’d removed from a skewer. Of course, I had asked the vendor to grill the meat plain—no salt or sauce—for Chocola.
「Well then, itadakimasu.」
「Itadakimasu.」
「Bark! …Chomp!」
Anticipating this, we’d skipped breakfast. Mother had mentioned the day before that there’d be plenty of food stalls, so it was best to come hungry.
Chocola wolfed down his meal, Karen nibbled happily, and I ate at a more typical pace. Though the dishes were simply prepared, the rich flavors of the ingredients were comforting, and I couldn’t help but sigh in contentment.
The ingredients in Sidera are truly remarkable.
Located next to the 『Void Forest』, Sidera could be considered an extension of 『Divine Will’s Broth』. While its magic power wasn’t as dense as the forest’s deep interior where we lived, the land was still saturated enough to produce exceptional bounty. The crops harvested here, whether from the forest or Sidera’s farms, were prized as high-quality produce across the kingdom.
Of course, the festive atmosphere probably added to the flavor.
It reminded me of the summer festival father had taken me to once. The simple yakisoba and takoyaki we’d eaten then had tasted incredibly delicious. Come to think of it, could I make takoyaki here? I wonder how octopus is regarded in this world. I hadn’t seen any in the dragon village either…
「Sui! Karen! So this is where you’ve been! Quite the hearty breakfast, I see!」
「Seriously, you two eat a lot. So, having fun?」
As I was lost in thought, Noah and Parker-san approached us with cheerful smiles.
「Good morning, you two. As you can see, we’re having a great time.」
「Hoha(Noah), farfer(Parker), haroo (hello).」
「Karen, don’t talk with your mouth full! That’s bad manners. Chocola-sama, your esteemed self seems quite pleased. Is the meal to your liking?」
「Bark!」
Compared to when they first met, Parker-san had grown accustomed to the presence of the fairy dog, Chocola. However, as evident from her formal tone of address, some habits remained unchanged. Chocola, for his part, seemed to have resigned himself to the notion of, “Ah, this is just the way she is,” and didn’t appear overly bothered by it anymore.
「Hmm. …You two are up early. Didn’t you drink last night?」
「We did, but in moderation. We’re not about to follow those adventurers who stay glued to the tavern all night.」
「What about Berde-san and Schnei-san? They’re the kind who can’t easily decline an invitation, right?」
「Lila and Tomoe were there to rein them in. All it took was reminding them that this is their first ‘Snowmelt Festival’ as a married couple. ‘What’s more important, this or your family?’ That sorted things out quickly.」
「Ah, I see…」
The scene practically played itself in my mind.
Parker-san had a frank, anego personality that made her approachable, but she didn’t shy away from speaking her mind. Combined with her undeniable prowess, there wasn’t much anyone could do to oppose her.
…And honestly, being scolded by a “Witch” was probably enough to make most people quake in their boots. Even I could understand that now; I wasn’t completely clueless about this world anymore.
「…Sigh.」
「Uh, what’s wrong?」
「It’s just… Watching you two stuffing yourselves like this, it’s hard to believe you’re the world’s strongest mage.」
「The world’s strongest? What are you talking about?」
That’s my mother you’re referring to, isn’t it?
「I guess it can’t be helped… Sui doesn’t know the common sense of this world, and Karen has no interest in common sense either.」
「Uh… Excuse me?」
Parker-san heaved an exaggerated sigh as she glanced between the two of us before adding,
「Don’t forget about ‘Skylark Pavilion’ this afternoon.」
「Of course. We’re looking forward to it.」
She was reminding us of our plans to meet up with Berde-san and the others later. It had been a while since we’d had the chance to just relax and chat.
「Well then, we’ll leave you to your feast. See you later.」
「Oh, wait a second.」
Just as Noah and Parker-san turned to leave, waving their hands in farewell, I called out with a question that had been on my mind.
「How’s Dolce-san doing?」
「Ah.」
At the mention of the name, Noah broke into a delighted smile and nodded emphatically before answering exactly what I’d expected.
「Dolce is with Alice-dono. The two of them are having a wonderful time together.」
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