I then had a lively dinner with Sylvia and the three of them, and after discussing the job opening for employees with Marida, I left the Guild House.

　On the way, I left Sylvia and Sakura at the Spring Wakaba Tei, and Garnett and I walked down the main street at night.

''You really ate up a lot of food without reservation, dude.
You're buying it on the house, so it's your loss. It's a matter of physical strength for both knights and adventurers, so you should eat when you can.
...... Yeah, you're right. No kidding, it's deadly.
Right?

　Garnett probably didn't mean to do that, but he couldn't help but think back to the past.

　The days when I wandered the labyrinth, fighting against starvation and loneliness, relying only on the spring water.

　If my strength was even slightly weak, I would have died out without accomplishing an escape.

'By the way, White Wolf's. Has this place been this noisy before?
'No, the shops used to be mostly closed at night. There's more adventurers and the town's getting more active.

　Not long ago, Green Hollow Town was a typical country town where the entire town would go to sleep after the sun went down.

　The only exceptions were the large inn and the guildhouse, and it was rare to see many people out and about at night.

　But now, even at night, the streets are still full of people, and the lights of the buildings continue to brightly illuminate the surroundings.

''You never know what will affect the world,''

　The remote cause of so many adventurers gathering in Green Hollow Town is the discovery that there is a dragon habitat and a demon king's residence further beyond the Sundial Forest.

　The direct cause of this discovery was me, of all people.

　If I hadn't been unable to escape from the labyrinth and had run out of power ...... or if I hadn't been left in the labyrinth, Green Hollow would have remained the same quiet town it has always been.

　Which would have been better for the town, I don't know.

　As the one who caused the change, I just want to reward the town by contributing to it as much as I can.

The bathhouse is still open, right? It's a good idea to work up a sweat before you go home.
'I don't mind, but ...... uh, not in a weird way, just pure confirmation, but ...... you, which way are you going to get in?'

　He slurs his words as much as possible and asks questions in a distant way.

　Garnett usually lives under a false gender identity in order to belong to the Silver Wing Knights, a group that is forbidden to women.

　That policy hasn't changed even now, as she keeps her knight's identity secret and pretends to be a mere employee.

　Then, it is still the 'situations where you have to make it clear which one you are' that is the problem.

　The use of public bathrooms is a typical example.

What, are we talking about men's baths or women's baths?　Of course you're going to rent a private room like that.
Private room?

　When I asked him what he was talking about, Garnett laughed in amusement.

'Some places have rooms like that for privileged people who don't want to show their skin to the common man, or for the bathers who come here to relax.
'...... I see. If you ask me, there was something like that.
The prices are all over the place, but I use the ones that sell on the higher end lines just in case I have to keep my mouth shut. I mean, you've lived here longer than I have and you've forgotten about it.
Sorry about that. I always take the cheapest big bathrooms I can find.

　Come to think of it, Garnett was the sister of the Knight Commander.

　If a family was of a family that produced a knight commander, their wealth was comparable to that of a small to medium level nobleman.

　In short.
　It's hard to believe if you're used to the usual thug-like behavior, but this guy is unquestionably a genuine lady.

　It's probably not even a financial hardship for her to use the private bathrooms of a high-class restaurant on a regular basis.

I'll take the money in return for buying me a meal. I'll be busy tomorrow, so make sure you recover well so you don't hurt your back or anything.
I'm not that old.

　Let's not think too much about the reality that Garnett is about half my age.

　Anyway, it's not good to refuse a kindness for no reason, so I decide to go to the bathhouse that Garnett recommended.

　As for the location, the area is closer to the source than the public bathhouse I usually use.
　The building is relatively well-built, and it's one of the best in Green Hollow Town, if only for its upscale feel.

I didn't know this facility existed. I thought I knew a lot about the town, but there's still a lot I don't know.
They say it's for visitors who come for the hot springs and not many townspeople stop by. Except for the working people, of course.

　As soon as they entered the establishment, Garnett called out to the clerk in a familiar manner.

'Give me two rooms of your usual guy. I'd like a corner room next to each other. I'll pay for both of them.
Yes, sir. This will be the key to your room.

　We each received a key for one of them and moved to our assigned private rooms.

'Hehe, that's too bad. Did you think you could get in with me?
No way. There's no way I'm letting you in.

　I stepped into the individual bathrooms assigned to me while returning the hateful words to Garnett's lightheartedness.

　...... I see, this guy is indeed, and I can see why some people like to use it.

　Every inch of the bathroom is well-kept, and the large bathtub is a semi-open-air one with a view of the landscape.

　Since it's night now, the sky is full of stars, and if it's daytime, you should be able to look out over the scenic valley.　

　You can enjoy this practically on your own, so if you're here for a rest and not just a body wash, it's worth the higher price.

'Come to think of it, Green Hollow originally attracted customers with its hot springs, right? It's no wonder they have facilities like this.

　I quickly rinsed myself clean and sank into the luxurious hot tub.

　As I was resting my body in the hot water, Garnett's voice was thrown at me from the next room.

'Oi, white wolf. Do you have a minute?
Hmm, what do you need?

　I move to the corner by the window and reply.

　Apparently, Garnett is in the same position in the other room, and he opens up the conversation with a single wall between us.

　Since the room is built to be open, if you close the distance like this, you can have conversations with the next room without any problems.

'You were talking to other adventurers before dinner, right? What kind of guys are they?
...... Do you need to talk about that?
Can't you see the obvious?

　Garnett said this with a laugh, and then suddenly switched to a knightly voice filled with seriousness.

The only thing you need to know is that I am your guard. I'm not going to be able to tell you what to do with it. Even if you are a fellow member of the guild.
'I see. ...... If that's the theory, you'd have a problem not talking about it.'

　Apparently, Garnett was glaringly aware that the mood of the exchange between me and Dustin was not good.

　It's not my intention to drag the Silver Wing Knights or Garnett's feet.
　It's better to tell them properly what's going on and have them make the proper decision.

'You mean Travis and Dustin, right? Well, I don't know where to start. We've known each other for over a decade now. ......

　With the volume of my voice reaching only Garnett and not the rest of the room, I decided to talk about the old days for the first time in a long time.