Chapter 16

Side: Amakashi Shou

I woke up to a school-wide SNS notification.

“Temporary closure?”

The message announced a temporary closure for safety inspections following an earthquake. Nine times out of ten, it was probably related to the dungeon. I wondered what had happened since then.

Does the lack of a big commotion mean no monsters were found? Or was the closure due to something that happened?

Several questions came to mind.

Well, whatever. It’s not something for me to worry about now. I thought of washing my face and left my room, greeted by the aroma of breakfast coming from the kitchen.

“Good morning, Kakeru-san!”

“Oh, good morning.”

It was Sanctina preparing breakfast.

“You don’t need to rush today; school’s closed. I think it’s due to the dungeon.”

“Oh, yes. It’s been closed?”

Sanctina seemed a bit concerned. I should probably ask her and the others about the dungeon—they’d know more than me.

Might as well wash up first.

“Good morning, Kakeru.”

“Good morn… uh? Sorry!”

Suddenly wide awake, I realized I’d bumped into Filia, fresh out of the shower.

Oddly enough, she didn’t seem particularly fazed by being seen, quickly covering up more out of etiquette than anything else.

She’s probably lived longer than me… A very mature reaction. Honestly, I felt bad for seeing too much.

“Sorry about that; I just make it a habit to cleanse in the morning.”

I realized I should start knocking before entering the washroom. Careless of me.

Trying to regain my composure, I washed my face and brushed my teeth. While I was at it, I figured I’d bring up something with Filia.

“School’s closed today, so why don’t we go out for a bit? Maybe look at some clothes?”

“Sure, I’d like to see a few things.”

I got a surprisingly straightforward response.

It felt good that she’d voice her wants directly, even if it was small requests like this. Much better than her holding back—it was easier this way.

It had only been a few days since coming back here, but living together, she seemed to be gradually opening up more. Same with yesterday’s visit to the family restaurant.

Honestly, I was thrilled.

Though I was surprised she didn’t seem eager to return home anytime soon.

I’d seriously considered getting them back home, yet even Pritia said she wasn’t in a hurry to return.

Well, neither Pritia nor Sanctina has much freedom in that world. As for Filia… I still don’t fully understand her.

“Let’s eat!”

Sanctina’s breakfast had a Western flair: grilled sausages, vegetable soup, and a soft-boiled egg, paired with toasted bread.

Turns out, Sanctina and Filia can both cook. It’s like Sanctina’s become more energetic without an attendant priest around.

Or maybe it’s just my imagination?

The vegetable soup was simply seasoned, yet delicious—probably because she hadn’t yet figured out all the spices. The gentle flavor suited the morning perfectly.

The lightly toasted, buttered bread was a great match.

The soft-boiled egg… I don’t think eggs are eaten like this in their world. It’s tasty, but I wonder how they’d react to something like tamago-kake-gohan.

After breakfast, we all went shopping.

We hardly had enough clothes. I felt bad, so this was a good opportunity.

“What a grand store.”

We headed to the department store from last time, and Pritia looked slightly surprised at the store’s vast size.

Mass-produced clothing like this doesn’t exist in their world. All stores there serve nobility with custom orders, though there are also basic ready-to-wear items for commoners, usually made in-store.

“So, they mass-produce clothes here, too?”

Noctia seemed to grasp it immediately, observing the rows of identical clothing.

For now, I explained how shopping worked here, and everyone picked out what they liked.

Pritia began strolling around the store, perhaps finding comfort in its spaciousness, almost like a castle hall back in her world.

Sanctina promptly started picking out clothes, opting for simpler designs.

Meanwhile, Filia examined a few items, checking sizes and stitching. Maybe she wanted to make her own clothes. I’d find a fabric store on my phone later for her.

Wait—where was Noctia? I soon found her sitting on a bench, her shopping basket already filled with clothes.

“You’ve already picked?”

“Yes, I’m not too particular about what I wear. Back there, I simply wore what was provided.”

That’s a rather uncharacteristic thing for a woman to say. But then, she’s not your typical person, or rather, demon. She’s always been different from the other demons who take to the battlefield.

“It’s hard to believe a day would come when we could sit down and talk calmly like this,” Noctia said, gazing around the nearly empty shop, her eyes seemingly focused somewhere far away. Her words brought back memories of the other world.

Back then, I was always surrounded by people, and Noctia had countless demons by her side. Though we sometimes exchanged words mid-battle, there was always someone furious enough to stop it.

“So, what do you think of Pritia and the others? They really don’t want to go back?” I asked.

“Filia seems indifferent either way,” Noctia replied. “Elves live long lives, after all. I think she’d even be fine with staying here to see you off before returning. As for Pritia and Sanctina, they’re still uncertain, but their desire to go back isn’t as strong as it once was.”

As expected of the former Demon King—she’s always observing those around her. Maybe I should seriously consider making arrangements for a longer stay here.

“Also,” she continued, “going back and returning to their old lives are two different things. They’d lose their freedom again. Yes, they’d be promised a decent life without the threat of hunger, but…being known as the comrades of the hero who defeated the Demon King might only bring them suffering.”

As I was mulling over her words, Noctia spoke up again.

“Is that something you read in old records?” I asked.

“Yes, there was plenty about it,” she said.

Even if they returned, they might choose to live quietly, under different identities. Life really can be tough.

“Kakeru, I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” she said softly, “but…you saved me.”

I looked over at Noctia, seeing a natural smile that I had never seen from her in the other world.

“Maybe ending things this way isn’t so bad. Perhaps it’ll cool the heads of those bigwigs over there.”

“Heh, maybe so,” she replied with a soft chuckle.

Looking back, perhaps we were kindred spirits all along.

Now, finally free from what we once thought of as our destiny, Noctia and I have been released from our missions, our fates.