Chapter 232

Phew… Ah, you are back, Asagi.”

“Hey, Daniela. Might be better to wear some clothes. We have a guest.”

“Hello, Miss Daniela.”

Daniela came out with just a towel wrapped around her head and looked at me. Lemon sat in the back. Well, I supposed it wasn’t a big deal, but she was still a guest. It was best not to be rude.

“Hmm. You are that grey elf…”

“Yes! I am Lemonfrost Grasilf!”

“Ah, yes. Are you here on holiday?”

“I heard that you were sick from a hangover, and so I came to see you!”

“Hehe. Thank you. But I am fine now. Quite healed.”

Daniela said as she flexed her muscles. She wanted to show just how much she had recovered, but it seemed like she’d be back in bed with a cold soon.

“I’m going to get changed. Wait here a moment.”

“Got it.”

Daniela picked up her clothes and went to her room, and so I prepared some food in the meantime. Well, it was the food we had brought.

“Asagi, I’m already full.”

“It’s for Daniela. She eats a lot.”

Lemon chuckled as if she had known all along. A typical junior-type character. It was kind of refreshing since there hadn’t been anyone like that at work when I was a part-timer.

So we talked while taking out the various meats, fried vegetables, and sandwiches and putting them on the table. Then Daniela arrived, fully dressed. As she was the fashionable one, she looked good even when in her casual clothes. It was always impressive. It made me feel like I needed to try harder, but I didn’t know how… I had bought clothes from Miss Amarilith, but, I’d think about that later.

“Is this for me?”

“Yeah. We already ate.”

“I see. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

And so I pushed it forward and told her to eat. Well, she wasn’t exactly the kind of person who needed encouragement.

I watched her eat it eagerly and told her about the preliminary match that had happened today.

There were the bandana man and the dual-wielder. They would be moving on to the main event. That meant there was a chance we would be fighting them. So we’d have to discuss ways of dealing with their ways.

So first, I told Daniela about their fighting style. She chewed on her fried vegetables and listened intently. Then she swallowed and opened her mouth.

“Well, perhaps they are impressive among that group, but I doubt we have anything to fear. It seems like neither of them can fight head-on, that is why they use such a strategy. So I think we need only crush them from the front.”

“I feel stupid for being anxious.”

“I don’t really care since I’m not fighting. But I feel very enlightened just now!”

Not sure I would use that word. Still, they had the wisdom to make it through that fight, so I didn’t think it was a bad thing to be wary of them. We didn’t know how they would move in later matches, and they might do something entirely surprising. I would keep my guard up, even if Daniela thought she could ‘crush’ them easily. After all, maybe they have Unique Skills.

We continued to talk about other things until the sun began to set. It had been a while since we did something like this, and it was quite fun. The table was a mess now, kind of like when you have friends over at your house. It made me feel nostalgic.

“Oh, it’s evening already! I must take my leave.”

“Do you have an inn to go to?”

Daniela asked as Lemon got to her feet.

“Oh, yes! I have a room in the south district!”

“I see…that is…nice…”

“Yes!”

Lemon said in an almost unnecessarily cheerful voice, clearly not sensing the tone of jealousy in Daniela’s reply. But she had probably reserved a room like a normal person… While she was a newcomer to adventuring, she had lots of experience as a guard. She must have stayed at a number of inns before…

“Wh-why are you two looking at me like that?”

“Oh, it is nothing…”

“Yes…don’t mind us…”

“Ri-right…”

She was taken aback by the dark mood that had fallen over us. It was a half-minute later that we stood up.

“All right, let’s go.”

“Huh? Go where…?”

“Why, to dinner of course. What time do you think it is?”

I took Lemon’s right arm and Daniela took her left. As she was quite short, her feet barely touched the floor as we swept her away. It was the best time to eat good food and drink. Daniela and I were both in agreement about this.

We left the room and told Mister Hipericam that we’d be going out again, and then headed for the north district. There were lots of Adventurers there, which meant lots of places to eat. And this was the most lively of hours in the Empire.

So it was in this comfortably noisy atmosphere, that Daniela and I searched for a place to eat. As Lemon did not know the area very well, she quietly left the search to us.

“Hmm…”

“I’m not sure. Lemon, what do you want to eat?”

“Oh, I…”

Lemon became strangely reserved the moment that Daniela said she’d be paying, and she just waved her hands awkwardly.

“Well, when in doubt. Meat.”

“But you’re never in doubt.”

“That is true…”

“All right. We’ll do meat today.”

It made things easy. We decided to cook our meat on a grill. But first, we had to find a place where we could do it. There didn’t seem to be any barbecue places nearby. The air was filled with smells that were not grilled meat. Speaking of which, they didn’t have the sauce I used back home in this world… I should have memorized some recipes.

We ended up walking for several more minutes after that before finally finding a place. It had a sign in the front that read, ‘Meat, Meat, Meat, Meat.’ We get the point. I looked in the window underneath, and a most dream-like sight greeted us. There was no doubt about it. It was what we were looking for.

“Welcome!”

A voice called out as we entered.

“Uh, excuse me. Do you have seats for three?”

“Yes, exactly three! Come in!”

A waitress who was nearly as cheerful as Lemon guided us through the building and to our seats. The place was packed and it seemed like a miracle that we had gotten in. It must have been quite popular.

“Can I take your order?”

“Meat. Lots of meat.”

“Daniela…”

She was already holding her fork and knife as she barked at the waitress. I sighed. It was quite childish…

“Sorry.”

“No, no! I will bring you some extra thick slices!”

I apologized as the waitress looked momentarily put-off. Then we made our orders.

The meat was brought soon after that, and we threw them onto the sizzling grill.

Not only Daniela, but Lemon also ate with the most satisfied expression. I mostly just cooked the meat and put it on their plates while watching their reactions. I didn’t eat much myself, but somehow came out feeling just as satisfied. I think.

By the time I felt full, both Daniela and Lemon sat in their seats and looked like they were going to burst open.

“Asagi, you cooked way too much…”

“And you cooked them so perfectly…”

“Don’t blame this on me. And you better not throw up…”

It would be a waste. And so we walked very slowly, so as not stimulate them too much. Damn it. Was it an elf thing?

Well, the walk would do them some good. I thought with a chuckle as I looked over my shoulder to see them slowly following me. Daniela seemed happy to be able to talk and laugh with a fellow elf. That made me glad that I had met Lemon again.

Hmm? Pink elf? I don’t know anyone like that.