"By the way, Arlin-san, is there something you wanted to see me about?

　Yuki claps her hands to change her darkened mind and asks in a slightly cheerful voice.

What?　Oh, that's right. I'm here to talk about our plans. Meals are prepared in each room. Haruka and Natsuki can wait in Ilias-sama's room during their free time. Mary and Mitya are free to come and go as they please.

I understand.

I understand!

Tomorrow morning we'll cross the river and leave for Crevilly. We'll cross the river tomorrow morning and head for Crevilly. It'll be less dangerous, but we'll still need your help.

　　　　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

　The next morning, we left the inn, safely crossed the river, and headed east on the road to Crevilly.

　The traffic between Mijara and Crevilly seems to be mainly transported by ship, but the roads are well maintained and the travel speed is faster than between Pining and Mijara.

　No bandits or demons appeared, and we passed through the gates of Crevilly on the third day as planned.

　We settled into the inn where we would be staying for the next few days, and the town of Crevilly was as beautiful as Arlin had told us it would be.

　There were no slums or anything like that, and there were no places that looked a little unsafe, like the area where we live in Laffan.

　At best, it's a very neat and developed city.

　However, after seeing the slums of Mijara, the beautiful streets seem even more ugly.

　Of course, there's nothing we can do about it, so we'll just have to live with it.

At any rate, we've finished half of our work. The plan is to stay five days and then return, right?

Yes. We'll have a wedding in four days, prepare for our return the next day, and leave the city on the morning of the sixth day.

So we're free until then. Do you want to go into town for a change?

Yeah. Well, we've come to the right town. ......



　There was nothing productive to be done in the room, and I wasn't feeling too good.
　We accepted Toya's suggestion and split up to go for a walk around the city.
　So we took a look around Crevilly. .......

　Baron Díaz's treatment of his people is something that raises some eyebrows, but it seems that he is not simply a villainous lord or an incompetent one.

　Putting aside what's going on behind his back, the town of Crevilly is generally safe, clean, and prosperous.

　It is safe enough for a woman to walk alone in the streets even after dark, and it is easy to do business, attracting many merchants.

　It is not an easy to understand villainous lord who exploits his people and only his lord gets fat, so there is no resentment from the whole town.

　If you compare Pining and Crevilly, Crevilly is certainly more developed.
　There is no doubt about that.
　There is no doubt about it, but .......

It's not as simple as the king switching lords, is it?
Yes, ...... it would be nice if there was a happy ending after the evil lord was defeated.

　A pair of me and Yuki are walking around the town.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.
　It would be easier if there was an infinite supply of money .......
　It would just cause inflation and chaos.
　"The people who have the money will be fine, but the people around them will be destroyed and there will be war.

"I don't agree with it, but in a way, it's working.

"If you don't think of your people as people, then maybe you're right.　I heard it was like that in the Warring States period in Japan.

It's like, 'It'll just increase. There are no human rights.

　"Even if you say that human rights are innate, if you don't have the power to guarantee them, they are meaningless.

In the end, human rights are not universal, but rather a social contract. ....... I came out here to change my mind, but now I'm talking dark again. Let's just forget about the things we can't think about and have fun!　It's not often that Nao and I walk together.

You're right. Is there somewhere you want to go?　--I don't know.

　In addition to us, Toya, Natsuki, Haruka, Mary, and Mitya were paired up and decided to go for a walk.



　After we left the inn, we all started walking in different directions, but we didn't have any intention to go in the direction we chose.

"Hmm... Anyway, let's have lunch, shall we?
Well... This time, Toya's nose is not there. ......

　The town seems to have a lot of commerce, and there is no shortage of places to eat.

　There are a number of stores lining both sides of the street we are walking on, but there are no food stalls, which is strange.

I don't care where we go.　Just go with your instincts!
"If you say so, it seems like a big responsibility. ...... Then we'll go there.

　It's not my gut feeling, but the hawk's eyes caught a vaguely tasty-looking dish that the waitress was carrying.

　I pointed to the restaurant that served it.

"Over there?　Yeah. It seems to be doing reasonably well, so it's good, right?　Let's go in then!

　I followed Yuki, who was walking lightly ahead of me, and entered the restaurant myself.
　As soon as I did, I could smell the delicious aroma.
　This might be a hit.

Welcome. You're new here, aren't you?　We specialize in otalka. Do you mind?

　As soon as we walked in, the woman who approached us was a typical diner lady, a little ......, well, a lot plumper.

　Wiping sweat off my face, I twisted my head around at the unfamiliar name of the dish and pointed to a nearby table where a customer was eating.

"Otarka is that, isn't it?　What kind of dish is it?

"It's a dish of sliced oak and potatoes tossed in a sauce and then baked. It's delicious, you should try it!

　She's right, it does look delicious up close.

　I looked at Yuki and she nodded with a smile, so I gave her my approval and took a seat.

　As I looked around the restaurant, I noticed that there were only three kinds of sauces on the menu.



"Let's see, tomatoes, cheese, salt or ......?　Tomatoes!
Nao, there's tomatoes, tomatoes!
Oh, yeah. Tomatoes. Yeah. Fresh, huh?

　When I was looking at the customer's order, I was sure I saw something red, but I didn't know it was a tomato.

　Dried tomatoes are also available in Rafale, but they are a bit expensive and not very common, so I have never seen them in restaurants.

　It's possible that we just don't know about it, since we don't use restaurants very often.

"I think tomato and cheese sounds the best, but you're the only one, aren't you?

"Sure, tomato base with cheese sounds good, but you said it's a sauce, isn't it more like a white sauce?

　In that case, the mixture would be a little delicate.
　In that case, if you mix it, it might be a little delicate, like a slightly mild tomato hash rice, which might be good.

I see. That's not exactly what I had in mind, is it?

　Yuki shakes her head, a little disappointed.

　I'm going to go with the ...... tomatoes here.　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
　The difference is suspicious.
　If it's not at least as good, it'll fall out of the regular category.
　In other words, is salt as good as the name implies ......?
　Hmm, that's quite confusing.

Have you decided what you want?

　Oh, here comes the lady.
　I felt a little rushed, but that's normal in this world.
　But it's normal in this world. You're not allowed to occupy your seat leisurely.

"Oh, can I have the tomato sauce as the base, with a little cheese on top?

"Yes?　That's fine, but I don't care if it doesn't taste good, okay?

　The lady easily accepts my question, but gives me a strange look.



　There's a chance it won't taste like what I imagine it to taste like, so there's no chance it will taste bad.

　But I think we should give it a try.

"Yes. I don't mind. If you can do it.
"Well, then, I'll do that too.

　I nodded, and Yuki followed suit, looking a little flustered.
　He's a challenger too.

"Okay. What size do you want?
"Size?
You can choose between large, medium and small. Usually medium. That size.

　I looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a waitress carrying a bowl of otalka.

It's huge!

　The size of the bowl was about five centimeters deep.
　The diameter is about ...... 25 centimeters.

　It's not all the way to the edge of the bowl, but if it's a hunk of potato and meat, it's a bit inedible.

　It's like eating two or three medium size pizzas by yourself.

"......, small, please.
"Oh, I'll have a .......
Really?　I'm sure the elves are small eaters.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. ...... No, it has nothing to do with elves.

　I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that if I were you. It's like, "What's normal?

Do you think people around here are big eaters?
No, I don't know. ...... Some people seem to share their food.

　Probably a 'large' Otarka.

　There are tables where several people are sharing a meal that is so large that the waitress has trouble carrying it by herself, which is about 40 centimeters in diameter.

　As expected, no one would eat it alone.



Besides, you didn't have to make them the same, did you?

I mean, it looks so good, right?

You said it might not taste good.　You said it might not taste good.

　Specifically, I wanted to try the salt.

　If Yuki had any doubts, I would have suggested it to her, but she had already made up her mind, so unfortunately I couldn't tell her.

I couldn't tell her. It's like we're a couple if we share one dish.
"No, we're not a couple.

　No, we're not a couple." Yuki smiled mischievously, but I firmly denied her words.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm not sure what to do.
　If it was with Haruka, I wouldn't mind too much.

You're so boring. It's okay.　You don't have to limit yourself to just Haruka. Not in this world.

Me and Haruka are separate...

No, don't worry about that. I know you're sure. No need to get into trouble.

No bullshit!

It's just a question of when to cross the line, right?　When we were in Japan, I thought Toya might have a chance, but it doesn't look like it.

Ugu...... yeah, well, ......

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　I'm not sure if Toya was aware of Haruka's feelings or not, but it seems like there was a subtle line between the two.

I don't mean to tell you that you should cross the line as soon as possible, okay?　It's more like a plan.　I don't want Haruka to go on maternity leave.

Don't be so blunt, .......

If I had a contraceptive, I'd be pushing back. ....... I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.



What do you mean, "...... is easy to do?

What?　The approach to Nao?

You're being too blunt!　I'm not going to marry anyone but Haruka!

　"What are you talking about? I'm not sure what you're talking about.

I'm not going to marry anyone but Haruka!
I'm not sure what to say.

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.
　You can't deny that you want to do it. What's more, you like it ......?

I'm sure you're not the only one.

What?　What's wrong with that?

No, but reality is important too. I'm willing to compromise on some things if it means living a safe, wealthy and peaceful life.

...... Why compromise to get married?

　Is it just me, or is there no need to get married if you have to compromise?

"As long as you have love, even if you're poor, that's nonsense. As long as you have money, you can tolerate a little less love, right?　If there's a benefit to marriage.

If there's a benefit to marriage, why get married at all? ......

It's important.　"It's important. Family is, after all, the smallest social unit. A group pursuing mutual benefit based on an implicit and explicit contract. If there is no "interest", there can be no contract, and the ritual of marriage is a form of showing that contract to a third party. --I like you just fine.

"Hmm?　You're talking about something complicated, but what do you mean?

It's hard to live alone in Japan, let alone here!　It's hard to live here alone! You should belong to a group where you can make money safely!



I understand.

　When you say that, it makes me think that Yuki is not wrong.
　I understand, but I don't want to get married because of it.