…Right now, I was walking through the bustling shopping district of “Pioneering City Tristein.”
In recent years, the influx of people has been active, with many stores lining the streets, and residents and tourists alike are strolling around in a tightly packed area.
Amidst this,
“Th-they say that candy over there is delicious, so I’ll buy some for Lady Sara later! Oh, girls like sweet things, right!?”
“Y-yeah (stop with the clueless assumptions)”
…My old friend Lua was giving me a tour of the city.
I wondered why I had to be walking around with just one other guy.
Moreover, I’ve lived in this city for ten years, so there’s no need for a tour now.
“By the way, stop calling me Sara. Do you even know why I’m wearing this hood?”
“Ah, I see!? If it gets out that I’m on a date with Lady Sara, everyone in town will be jealous!”
Right now, I’m in Sara’s form & hood.
I know I’ve become unnecessarily popular, so I’m disguising myself out of consideration.
Actually, Sara’s appearance itself is a disguise, but…
“Lua, I’ve told you multiple times, this isn’t a date, okay? You’re a grown adult, and I’m just going along with it because you’re crying in the middle of the street saying, ‘I’m hated by all the girls in town, please, just Sara-sama, give me a chance!'”
“You’re going along with it!? Does that mean we’re officially a couple now!?”
“Of course not, I’ll kill you.”
What a truly easygoing guy this is…
“Well, I understand not calling you Sara anymore. I’ll call you Satchan instead!”
“How familiar. Well, do as you like.”
“Alright! Oh, that new skewer shop over there is recommended!? They give discounts and everything!”
“Seriously? (I didn’t know that.)”
With that, Lua and I walked around the city while buying food (By the way, it seems the skewer shop is giving Lua a discount because they think he’s a child. They probably think the same about me in my current loli-like form).
“Hehe. Walking around the city with someone I admire, I thought my heart might jump out of my chest, but somehow, I feel strangely calm…!”
“Hmph, is that so? (It’s because I’m your friend Jade, you know.)”
That said, it’s been a while since I wandered around the city with this guy.
Ten years ago, when we first met as beginners, we used to explore unfamiliar cities together.
But as time passed and we got used to living here or this guy became a busy second-rate adventurer, such things gradually stopped happening.
Now, we only meet each other at the guild tavern after work.
“Well, even though it’s just on a whim, I really appreciate you coming along! Even Satchan… I mean, Sara-sama, seems pretty busy.”
“Not really? I won’t go into details, but other than when I’m bringing technology to the lord here, I just hang around. Making alcohol, creating mazes for the chicks I keep to play in.”
“Is that so!? You’re living quite a slow life, huh. It’s like you’re one of my friends…”
Well, he is indeed that friend.
Oh, that ice cream shop run by the ice mage looks good. And I’m getting thirsty.
“Ah, wait a moment! I’m going to buy some ice cream, so stay here! I’ll also get some drinks.”
“Hmph, why?”
“Well, you looked like you wanted something. That friend of mine told me, ‘You’re getting a bit out of control. If you want to be popular, try considering a girl’s feelings.'”
Ah… I think I’ve mentioned something like that at a drinking party.
Well, I’m not really popular either, and this guy was drunk at the time, so I thought he wouldn’t remember.
“Hmph, what a pompous friend you are.”
“Yeah, he does have a strangely enlightened side. We met when we were about fifteen, but at first, I didn’t like him. He used to speak so politely to everyone, from city soldiers to the greengrocer lady, and it made him seem like he was putting on a good-boy act, which annoyed me, so I picked a fight.”
Oh yeah, I remember that.
“That was a terrible first meeting. And the result?”
“Well, it was more or less a ‘draw’! Objectively, it looked like I was beaten, but since I’m a gentleman, I thought it was wrong to hit a skinny tall guy with full force, so I held back!”
Liar, you lost. And you cried and ran away, shouting, ‘Remember this, you bastard!’
My evil dragon brain cells remember it well.
“Anyway, now that guy is one of my underlings…”
“I’ll kill you.”
“Eh, why are you angry!?”
“Oh, sorry, it’s nothing.”
Oops, I almost spoke casually as usual.
“Ah, I was just getting irritated for no particular reason. Please forgive me.”
“Eh, getting irritated at a girl for no particular reason… Oh.”
Hey, what’s with that “I see now” look!?
What kind of conclusion did you come to!?
“Hehe, well, if that’s the case! I’ll go buy the ice cream. But since it’s not good to cool down your stomach, I’ll get warm cocoa for the drinks!”
“Hey, you’re definitely misunderstanding something!”
“I’m a considerate guy! Well then!”
Considerate guys don’t say things like that themselves!
“Here I go—!”
“Hey, don’t run in the crowd, you’ll trip!”
I let out a big sigh as I watched the idiot run off.
Really, what a hassle.
“He hasn’t changed at all. Ever since back then.”
After ten years as an adventurer, things around me have changed to some extent.
People who were once sharp become adults, and those who were once mature start showing unexpected sides, and some even discover their love for young boys on their thirtieth birthday.
Among them, this guy is still just a cheerful idiot.
Though his appearance now fits the “Dark Princess Sara” look that he admired, inside, he’s still a kid.
“Seriously, when will he learn to calm down…”
While waiting for my friend in a corner of the bustling area, I sensed someone approaching me with big strides.
“Oh, you’re back, Lua.”
I looked up, thinking it was fast.
But standing in front of me was not him but…
“Yo, woman…!”
A man with red hair covered in scars, Van, was there…!
