CH 8

The inn where Satis and Set stayed was a relatively large building, even for accommodations in this Town.

It was a two-story building with a dining room on the first floor.

“We were lucky enough to get one of the last rooms. And here is the dining room.”

“Wow, it’s much nicer than the mess hall in the barracks that the adults use…..”

Most of the seats in the dining hall were already occupied by drunken adventurers and those who were having business meetings while eating.

Set found an inconspicuous spot right at the end of the room.

The chairs and tables were all sculpted in a design that he had never seen before, and it made Set’s heart flutter even more.

This was the kind of scene that Set had hoped to see on his trip.

“Come on, let’s sit down. I’m hungry too.”

“What kind of food will they serve?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

The dish that was brought to them was a local dish with a lot of meat.

Served on a clean wooden plate, Set’s eyes were caught by the juices and fine aroma of the meat, which seemed ready to overflow.

Colorful vegetables and hot soup. These were things that were not available in the barracks or while Set traveled in the party.

For Set, it was a mountain of delicacies.　

“Do you like it?”

“Can I really eat……this?”

“Yes, please eat a lot. And also thank you for today.”

“Thank you?”

“You saved me, didn’t you? I’m here now because you helped me.”

“Oh, well, okay! I’ll have some then!”

Saying this, he picked up a fork and with jerky movements, he stabbed the meat and put it in his mouth.

The juices and flavors of the meat spreading in his mouth caused an unintentional numbing sensation in his brain.

Unlike the meals of the past, the more he chewed, the more flavor oozed out, making him want to roll it inside again and again.

“Satis, this is amazing! This meat is so tender! I’ve never eaten anything like it!”

“Ahah, when it comes to food, you really react just as I thought you would. Please eat slowly and don’t be in a hurry. The food won’t run away from you.”

With that said, she also picked her knife and fork, and with elegant movements, cut the meat into pieces, placing them in her mouth.

Set also tried to imitate it, but for him who had no connection with such things, it was as difficult as a high-level skill.

“Please do it the way you like to eat it. I do it this way because I like it. There is no need for you to imitate me.”

“Is that what they call table manners? Great people often do that.”

“Yeah that’s right. I am a little surprised that you know such a thing.”

Satis had always been amazed by him, even when he was his adversary, and even after he began to spend time in peace and quiet like this.

His fighting ability was one thing, but it was his words and attitude that were more interesting.

The reality of young soldiers was usually rough.

They were forced to fight in an unfulfilling environment.

They were treated brutally, unpredictable, uneducated, makeshift soldiers, and so on.

But he was so far removed from this image.

He had been in the extreme tension of the battlefield for a long time, even as a child.

On the battlefield, he would become an ogre, mercilessly defeating his enemies, but in everyday life, he acts like a child who speaks in a mature tone.

He would speak clearly and always in an imposing manner.

This was Set, who was now enjoying his meal in front of Satis.

“You’re very strange, aren’t you?”

“What? I feel like you said that to me this morning.”

“I thought you were different from the other young soldiers. I thought you were mature, but you are childish like this. I can’t believe you were a young soldier.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is.”

Set wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“I got involved with adults more often than other young soldiers,” he said. 

“I was sometimes allowed to accompany them on special missions. I arranged things myself, imitating the adults’ words and attitudes.”

“What was the reason for that?”

“I wonder what it was for. The first reason was that I thought that if I became an adult, it would alleviate some of the pain that I’m going through right now. I don’t remember now. I think I developed this kind of personality as I imitated them.”

“I don’t think you can become an adult in spirit just by imitating them. Is this also the reason behind your Magic Sword aptitude?”

“Well… we are soldiers, not slaves. Of course, life was tough, but if you raised your battle results, you were able to secure a position, and you would even receive an education…. But that’s it. Most of the people who were aiming for the position ended up dead.”

He stuck a fork into a meatball and placed it in his mouth. He swallowed after a few bites and gulped down a glass of water.

“You didn’t want the position? How can a man as successful as you be unappreciated?”

“I don’t know what the …… adults have in store for me. For us, the adults were the law of the world. If the adults don’t value it, then it doesn’t deserve to be valued. I’ve always wondered why I was trying so hard. But I did not want to be scolded for disobeying them nor did I want to die. ……”

The closed environment of the young soldier, living in a world with the adults as his gods.

In that environment, did he arrive at this point with his natural sensitivity?

If so, he was born with a sense of insanity.

No matter how much he was not a slave, he evolved uniquely in an environment where everyone was oppressed. Both mentally and physically.

It might have led to the impression of a mutation.

Under certain circumstances, he acquired characteristics that set him apart from others.

He tried to make up for his worn-out mind by acting, behaving, etc. like an adult.

Thus he acquired a spirit and way of expressing himself that did not suit his age.

However, it was shocking to him that he was abandoned by the heroes.

By losing his place at once, he seemed to have acquired a sense of resignation.

“But you know, I envy everyone.”

“What?”

“I’ve been trying to imitate all these adults, fighting with them, and I don’t know which one is the real me anymore. That’s why I envy …… the people in this town who can laugh and get angry from the bottom of their hearts like Satis.”

Set replied calmly. He was smiling, and it was with a cheerfulness that was appropriate for his age.

One thing became clear when Satis saw this.

The sparkle he displayed when he asked her to accompany him on his journey, and this childlike expression he had on his face when he had the meal in front of him, and now on his face when he was looking at her.

These were his bright and beautiful emotions, true from his heart.

It was enough to know that he had not only possessed the emotions of a soldier, but also a wonderful human side.

It was just hard for others to understand. ……

“I’m sorry, …… ahaha. I’m sorry, I’m talking about something dark.”

“No, it’s okay. I think I understand you a little.

“Really? It wasn’t much fun, was it?”

“I mean, I know you’re a nice kid, right?

“Don’t compliment me, all of a sudden.”

The two finished their meal together and were about to head back to their room when Set stopped her.

“Hey, why don’t we walk for a bit?”

“What’s wrong? Why don’t you take a break?”

“I’d like to walk slowly with you.”

“Ara, is that the gentleman’s pick-up phrase for escorting the lady?

“No!? I-I don’t know about that kind of thing, purely.”

While smiling mischievously at Set, who reacted to it, Satis lined up next to him and held his hand.

“It’s fine. Walking around the city at night doesn’t seem to be a bad thing. Even more so with you, right?”

“Ah!”

Seto replied happily and held her hand back.

The two of them walked slowly through the Town at night until they returned to their rooms.

(I wonder …… I’ve never felt this way before)

Walking hand in hand with her was more comfortable than any other road.

Set’s heart was pounding in his chest, but strangely enough, it wasn’t bad.

It was the first time Set had ever felt this way.