After arriving at Kirk Village, Jisrare-san and I were warmly welcomed by Kirk-ojisan, who showed us around the village and even let us stay at his home.
And so, I said to Kirk-ojisan,
『Well then, we will continue our journey toward the town of Raft. Thank you very much, Kirk-ojisan』
That was three days ago.
…And now, three days later.
Jisrare-san and I… were still at Kirk-ojisan’s house.
「It is so comfortable here that we ended up staying longer than we meant to…」
「Yeah」
One thing led to another, and we just kept lingering.
Kirk-ojisan has not said anything, but at this point, it would not be strange if he started looking at us like 『How long are these two planning to stay…』
「That said, if we are going to leave, we should think about how to repay him」
「Repay?」
「He has done so much for us, so we should give something in return」
It would have already been enough for him to show us around the village, but he even let us stay at his home. And for three whole days, with meals included.
Good grief, I wonder just how much gratitude we owe him now.
「I thought we were paying for lodging and meals?」
「Yes, we are paying every day, but…」
Kirk-ojisan tried to refuse, but we made sure he accepted it.
As usual, I ended up saying,
『This money is for lodging and meals. That is all. It has no other meaning. It is not like I have any special feelings toward you, Kirk-ojisan』
…Something like that, but at least he accepted it properly.
So, I suppose we have repaid a fair portion of the debt, but… is that really enough?
「I feel like that alone is not quite enough…」
「In that case… maybe you could make a doll of Kirk-ojisan for him」
「A doll?」
「When it comes to Alec, he is someone who gives dolls as presents」
What kind of description is that… Well, it is not entirely wrong.
「But making a doll takes time, you know?」
「Ah, I see. …Then, should we stay until it is finished?」
「That would only make us owe Kirk-ojisan even more…」
That would be putting the cart before the horse. As expected, making a doll of Kirk-ojisan is out.
To begin with, I have a rule that forbids me from making dolls of men.
Even if I could make one, at best it would be something like a 『Kirk-ojisan Drop』.
But most likely, Kirk-ojisan would not be happy about a 『Kirk-ojisan Drop』. That is the feeling I get.
「What should we do…」
「Hmm…」
As the two of us pondered like that,
「I’m homeー」
「Oh」
It seems Kirk-ojisan has returned from hunting.
Though really, the owner of the house is out working hard, and we are just lounging around in his room… what does that say about us…
Anyway, for now, let us go greet him.
I headed to the entrance and said to him,
「Welcome back, Kirk-ojisan」
「Ah, Alec, I’m ba-ba-ba…」
Oh dear. Kirk-ojisan ended up in quite a state.
…Come to think of it, I had taken off my mask.
Over these past three days, I have taken it off here and there, but it seems Kirk-ojisan still has not gotten used to my real face.
They say you get used to beauty in three days, but it is still not enough… Or maybe three full days have not quite passed yet…
◇
It seems he caught a horned rabbit today.
Dinner is horned rabbit stew.
「Leaving?」
「We are leaving tomorrow」
While enjoying the delicious stew, I told Kirk-ojisan that.
「Did you not say something like that on the first day you stayed…?」
「…This time, we really are leaving」
At the time, that really was the plan. We intended to leave the next day.
But the following day, he showed us a shop that sells cloth goods, and somehow things just kept dragging on…
「Ah, come to think of it, it is finished」
「Hmm?」
「Here it is」
I took something out of my Magic Bag and spread it out so Kirk-ojisan could see.
「That is…」
「It is a pennant」
「…………」
Originally, I thought it would be fine to do this when we came back in two years, but after being shown the cloth shop, I ended up making the request and having it made.
「I saw you placing the order for that, Alec, but… what exactly is it?」
「It is a pennant?」
「No, not that…」
Even if you ask me what it is, I am at a loss. I do not really know myself.
「For now, it turned out just as I imagined. I think it is well made」
「I see…」
It is a long, isosceles triangular pennant, with a white base and blue edging. And in the center, embroidered in large blue letters, it says 『Kirk Village』.
Yes. No matter how you look at it, it is a 『Kirk Village Pennant』. Very nice.
「Well, if you are satisfied with it, Alec, that is fine… So, did you bring the Magic Bag all the way here just to show that?」
「Ah, not exactly」
I did bring the Magic Bag to the dining table, but the pennant is just a side matter. There is another reason for this.
「Actually, I wanted to thank you, Kirk-ojisan」
「Thank me?」
「To show my gratitude for everything you have done」
「No, if it is that then…」
「Yes, we have been paying for lodging and meals every day. But that alone is not enough. It is nowhere near enough」
「That alone is enough for me…」
It is not enough.
That is why I brought the Magic Bag from the room. The idea is to pick out something good from inside and give it as a present.
「Now then, what would be good…」
I reach into the bag, feeling around as I think.
It is better to avoid anything too unusual. Something fairly common, but still nice to receive would be ideal…
「Hmm… Ah, there is that 『magic staff』 we talked about before?」
「That is just a regular staff, right…?」
Unfortunately, that is correct. It really is just a regular staff. …No need for that.
「In that case, let me see… Ah, there is a comb here」
「A comb?」
A semicircular comb came out. Does this not feel like something suitable as a gift?
Though, for Kirk-ojisan, it might be a bit of an odd choice. And giving a used comb is also a bit… questionable.
「That comb is…」
「Hm?」
「You once used that comb to brush my hair」
Ah… now that she mentions it, that did happen…
Right, this comb was made to collect everyone’s hair. It was used during the hair collection for the revival medicine, the comb strategy.
「Um, Alec brushed your hair?」
「Yes. Alec has a habit of wanting to brush the hair of women he likes」
「…………」
That is a misunderstanding, Jisrare-san…
Or rather, just how much of my questionable information are you going to leak to Kirk-ojisan?
「For now, no comb… In that case, 」
「Hey, Alec, I really do not need, 」
「Please wait, Kirk-ojisan. There must be something else that would make a good gift. Just give me a moment…. Oh」
「Hm?」
「I found something a bit interesting」
To be honest, I do not even know why I brought something like this on the journey, but since I found it, I pulled it out of the bag.
「…What is that?」
「It is a muscle-patterned shirt」
A muscle T-shirt made from muscle-patterned toad hide.
「Ah, it might be a bit small for you, Kirk-ojisan. I made it for my rather slim father, so the size might not fit. But since it is meant to be worn tight, if you force it a little, it might somehow, 」
「…I would rather not wear that」
「No need to hold back」
「It is not about holding back… In the first place, you made it for your father, right? Then it would be better to give it to him…」
「My father would not wear it」
「I see…」
No one will accept it, and no one will wear it.
Since I went through the trouble of making it, I would at least like to see someone actually wearing it.
So, Kirk-ojisan, please.
◇
In the end, after Kirk-ojisan refused the muscle T-shirt as well, the next day, Jisrare-san and I thoroughly cleaned the room we had been using, and then left Kirk-ojisan’s house.
Kirk-ojisan came to see us off, and the three of us walked to the edge of the village.
Then, near the wooden fence surrounding the village,
「『Summon: Giant Rat』」
「Kii」
「Thanks for waiting, Hezrat-kun」
「Kii」
I immediately summoned Hezrat-kun, and we shared a brief embrace.
「Oh. You can summon it quite smoothly」
「Yes. Like this, I can summon and dismiss it smoothly」
With that, I was able to properly show Kirk-ojisan the summoning of Hezrat-kun.
Now there is nothing left undone in Kirk Village. It is finally time to depart.
「Well then, Kirk-ojisan. Thank you very much for everything this time」
「It is fine. You have already repaid me more than enough. If anything, I feel a bit sorry」
「Not at all」
In the end, since Kirk-ojisan would not accept either the magic staff or the muscle T-shirt, I racked my brain trying to think of something else, and ended up giving him a certain gift.
That was, cash.
Naturally, he tried to refuse it, and even haggled the amount down, but in the end, we settled on something like a slightly increased version of the usual lodging and meal fees, and I managed to get him to accept the money.
And so, everything was resolved, by money.
Before we left, Yggdrasil-san lightly scolded me, saying 『That kind of thing is not good』, but in this case, it could not be helped.
To show my gratitude, this was the only thing I could do. Money was all I had. So, it was resolved with money.
「Well then, we will be going. Thank you very much for everything, Kirk-ojisan」
「Ah, take care, Alec」
We exchanged farewells and shook hands, Kirk-ojisan and I.
「Thank you, see you again」
「Ah, see you again」
「Kii」
「See you, Hezrat….Hezrat is so fluffy」
Then Kirk-ojisan exchanged farewells with Jisrare-san, and shared an embrace with Hezrat-kun.
Well then, it is hard to leave, but it is time to depart.
We crossed over the wooden fence, waved to Kirk-ojisan, and started walking.
「Then, see you again in two years」
「Yeah, see you again in two years」
The next time we come to this village will be in two years. Until then, farewell!
Thank you, Kirk-ojisan. Goodbye, Kirk-ojisan. Until the day we meet again in two years…!
next chapter: To the Town of Raft
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