........I see. I'm sure my father-in-law has heard such stories from the adventurers.

　Later.
　I spoke to my parents about my urgent request.

'I wish I could, but I wanted to do something as an adventurer too. It seems like the work at the inn is settling down lately, so I thought it would be a good idea.
Yeah. I'm sure you'd like to see the outside of it too but yeah, it's all right.

　Originally, the approval was easy, partly because I was only working once a week or so.

'Just take care of your injuries, okay?
Yeah, I know.
Now that you mention it, Ristina has been asking for a break in a similar time frame, and I was wondering if you're going with her?
What?　What? No, I don't know about that.

　I hadn't heard of that.
　I wonder if Ristina is also getting an urgent request?

　As I tilted my head, my mother-in-law smiled at me.

'Ristina-chan has a different reason.
What?　Really?　Dad, I don't know anything about this, but you do?
Yes, but I can't tell anyone. It's a girl's promise.

　Ohoho, my mother-in-law laughs.
　.........What is it, Ristina-san is also doing something else, and you want a break in relation to that side?
　I'm a little curious, and I'll ask her later when we have a meal together.

　I'll go into work as usual that day.
　Listina-san has also started her shift in the morning.
　She's totally accustomed to the job by now, and now there are even some customers who are looking for Ristina-san.

　My father-in-law's policy of choosing people based on their faces is a bit prickly in some respects, but it makes me think that he's not wrong.
　We worked all morning, and after the busiest time of the day, Ristina and I had to take a break.

　We would bring each other the set meal of the day that had been prepared as a bribe.
　I will eat either in the waiting room or in my room.
　Shall I invite Ristina to eat in the waiting room today?

"Senpai, can I have lunch with you?
"Yes, of course.

　In fact, I was just thinking about asking him out.
　Thank goodness.

　Ristina, you'll be teasing me as soon as we ask you out.
　We both put our lunches on the table and start eating.

Speaking of which, Listina-san. It seems that you are going to be taking some time off for a while, isn't it?
Huh?　Where did you get this information, sir?　Oh, was it possible that you heard about my shift and wanted to work with me?

　He smirks and pokes me in the elbow as if to tease me with a grin.

You're not. I just happened to be thinking of taking the same period of time off, and my mother-in-law told me about it.
What?　Is that right?
'Yes. I was planning to make an emergency request - to be an adventurer in the city of Lukkos, and I thought that Ristina was going to be one too.
... uh, not quite.
So that's what happened.

　I thought for sure it was the same as mine.
　Listina crossed her arms for a moment as if she were thinking, and then she started fiddling with her forearm.

''Well ... can you not laugh?

Did you know that I also work outside of this office?
Well, sort of. Well, I didn't ask you what you did for a living.
I have some business to attend to in the city of Lukkos.
Is that so? That job.........can I ask you something?

　When I asked, Ristina-san nodded her head firmly.
　She looked very embarrassed. It's an expression you don't usually see on your face.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find the best way to get the most out of your time in the world.

''.........Gee, I'm a member of a theater group.
...what?

　When I say theater company members, I mean the people who put on the plays.......right?
　I've only seen a play once, so I don't know much about it, but I'm pretty sure it was something that involved acting out a story or something.
　The first time I saw it, I had thought it was "cool" with the flashy staging of skills, but I was too young to be impressed with the rest of it.

　Shyly, Ristina was playing with her forearm.

''Theater people ... they're all kinds of things, aren't they?　What exactly do they do?'

　There are the performers who go on stage, so to speak, and those who support them from behind the scenes.
　Listyna looked embarrassed and moved her mouth.

I'm a theater person. Well, well, but.........!　I was still all on the fringes, so this is how I did it while working part-time!　He's a totally bad performer!

　Ristina-san laughed as she raised her voice.
　.........Perhaps that was embarrassing for Ristina-san.

''Good luck with that.


　I guess that's about all I'm going to tell you.
　Ristina-san fanned her face with one hand and turned her gaze to her food.
　The way she began to eat vigorously, as if to deceive me, was so cute.

''But........what on earth are you going to do?''
...First, we'll use a carriage that our company has to carry the load. After that, we're going to put on a play to cheer up the people of the town who are currently depressed.
...I see. We adventurers are also helping with the reconstruction work, so I guess we're going to do something similar to that.
Maybe, yes.

　So, maybe we'll have to work together somewhere.
　A play, huh?

'But there's only a handful of people who can play a role in a play, right?

　There will be a certain number of people who can be in a play at one time.
　I think it's great just to be able to be there.

'Well, well, yes,'
That's great.
No, that's not true.
No, it's great.

　When I praised her like that, Ristina-san's face turned red and depressed.
　She's not used to being praised.

''That means you'll be in the next play, right?
Well, yes.
What role will you be playing?
Next up, well I got the main role in the, you know, the...
'Oh, really?　...I would have liked to see it myself if it wasn't for the reconstruction work.
...or don't make fun of me!
No, I'm not kidding, okay?　Genuinely, I just wanted to see it.


　Of course, I had meant it earlier, but I was beginning to enjoy Ristina's reaction more and more.

'Just be careful, please be careful. We're far enough away from the front, but that doesn't mean there's no danger.''
'I know. There are a lot of people in the troupe who can fight, you know. We'll be fine.

　That should be a relief.
　We'll have to work hard for each other.