「Elf Treasure, huh……」
After finishing today’s bread distribution and walking back home at a leisurely pace, I quietly muttered to myself.
『Elf Treasure』――the new title I had somehow acquired without noticing.
Following 『Son of the Sword Saint and Sage』 and 『Dungeon Master』, it was now my third title.
「It kind of feels like the sort of title that should have ruby text attached to it」
Since it’s Elf Treasure…… Elves’? Elves’ Treasure?
Well, since it’s supposedly some kind of supreme treasure…… maybe Great? Elves’ Great Treasure.
「Elf Treasure (Elves’ Great Treasure)」
Hmm. I tried saying it out loud on impulse, but……
「That doesn’t sound very cool……」
I might need to pick a more clever phrase.
The 『Great Treasure』 part sounded vaguely lame somehow.
……Well, even if I gave it my own made-up reading, it wouldn’t actually mean anything.
Thinking about pointless things as usual while walking along, I eventually made it back home.
「I’m homee」
After entering through the front door, I headed to the kitchen first and washed my hands and gargled like always. Then, just as I was about to enter my room――
「Welcome back」
「I’m ba――eh?」
「Welcome back」
「Ah, yeah. I’m back, Diana-chan」
Diana-chan appeared right in front of me.
Well, appearing was fine, but――
「Were you in Nana-san’s room?」
「Yep. You weren’t around, so I was killing time」
「I see」
Right as I was about to enter my room, Diana-chan suddenly popped out from Nana-san’s room two doors down.
Nana-san and Diana-chan spending time together to kill boredom, huh……
I couldn’t help being a little curious about what they had been doing.
「You’re not coming in?」
「Ah, yeah」
Diana-chan entered my room before I did, so I followed after her into the room.
「First, put your stuff down and sit」
「Okay」
Following Diana-chan’s instructions, I set down my luggage and sat in my chair with a sigh of relief.
……No, wait. This is my room, Diana-chan.
「Ah, actually, welcome back, Diana-chan」
「Hm? You already said that earlier though?」
「Now that I think about it, after coming back from the trip, I still hadn’t properly greeted you yet」
「Ahh, true enough」
It had already been about three days since returning from the Fourth World Journey, but I still hadn’t gone to Lukmine Village yet.
So in that sense, it had actually been quite a while since I last saw Diana-chan.
「To begin with, why haven’t you come over to my place?」
「Eh? Ah, no, of course I wanted to visit Lukmine Village again too, and I wanted to see you, Diana-chan」
「Then why didn’t you?」
「Well, umm, the bread…… I thought I should hand out the bread to everyone in Meiyu Village first……」
I had planned to distribute the bread in Meiyu Village first, then head to Lukmine Village afterward.
「Bread……?」
「Kirk Bread」
「Kirk Bread…… you mean that thing, right? Just completely ordinary bread with nothing special about it?」
「Huh? How do you know that…… Nana-san?」
Was it Nana-san?
Had Nana-san revealed the secret of Kirk Bread to Diana-chan?
「Nana told me. She said you’ve been going around handing out ordinary bread while tricking the villagers into thinking it’s some precious gift」
「That wording is way too harsh, Nana-san……」
At this point she was basically calling me a scam artist.
It’s not like I was doing anything that terrible.
「I mean, whatever, that part’s fine. But even then, shouldn’t I have been first? You should’ve brought some to me before anyone else」
So because I had returned, I should have greeted her first and offered up bread as tribute……
「Even if you say that, wouldn’t it be a little strange to suddenly start with Lukmine Village……?」
「Would it……?」
「If I start worrying about order and priority like that, won’t it get kind of troublesome……? It’d end up feeling like I’m ranking my acquaintances」
「Hmm……」
Maybe I was overthinking it, but I figured it was best to just start distributing them from the closest places first.
「Even so, it’s already been three days since you got back, right? How long does it take to hand out bread?」
「Well, it’s been a long time since I last saw everyone in the village too, so once I meet people, we end up talking for a while…… Or rather, I have social obligations and all that……」
「What social obligations? Even without the bread stuff, shouldn’t you have come to see me first? Is handing out bread really that important?」
「N-No, it’s not like that……」
Diana-chan, who had been left neglected this whole time, was clearly a little upset……
Or rather, what was with this little argument that felt almost like a married couple’s spat……?
At this rate, it felt like she was about to ask, 『Which matters more, your work or me?』
Well, in this case it would be more like, 『Which matters more, handing out bread or me?』 and it’s not like handing out bread was actually that important……
「Are you even listening, Alec? It’s been two whole months, you know?」
「Ah, yeah. That’s true, it has been two months」
「……To begin with, why was it only two months? Of course, it’s not a bad thing that you came back early, but I always tell you, 『I’ll only wait two years, okay?』 so if you come back in like two months or even two days, it just makes me feel stupid……」
「Well, that’s……」
It’s not like I thought she looked stupid or anything……
Though honestly, part of me secretly suspected that line itself was raising a flag guaranteeing the journey would never actually last two years……
「Umm, sorry, Diana-chan」
「Mmm……」
「I should’ve come to see you sooner, Diana-chan. Sorry, okay?」
「……Yeah. I probably went a little too far too. Sorry, Alec」
「No, it’s okay, Diana-chan」
Maybe she had calmed down a little, because once I sincerely apologized, Diana-chan apologized back as well.
「Then Diana-chan, for now, here’s some Kirk Bread for you too……」
「…………」
When I timidly held out the Kirk Bread toward her, Diana-chan made a very complicated expression.
……Yeah, I probably messed up by bringing out the bread here, huh?
That realization hit me, but even so, Diana-chan still accepted the Kirk Bread.
「……Well, whatever. Welcome back, Alec」
「Yeah. I’m back, Diana-chan」
Diana-chan lightly punched my shoulder as she welcomed me back, and I replied with my third 『I’m back』 of the day.
And just like that, it seemed we somehow managed to make up. Thank goodness.
Good grief, things almost turned into a bit of a dramatic relationship scene there.
A reunion with Diana-chan that felt half romantic comedy, half domestic dispute.
next chapter: A Maiden’s Heart and What Makes Alec, Alec
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