293-I still want to be lazy




 
So what are you going to do today?

 Eric asked as I was eating my herb-grilled mackerel and shrimp salad bread for a light meal.

'I thought we could hang out at the mansion,'

This whole time?

'Hmmm, I think I'll take a walk for a bit or so, but basically I'd rather stay in the mansion and relax.

Lady Silvio is on the ship and Miss Elinora is going to practice with her sister.

 That is if there is no transition magic, so I, who can come at any time, don't think so.

 It's a good thing that you're not the only one who's been in the market for a while. I wonder how much energy you have left in your body.

You don't understand, Eric. ─ You don't understand, Eric, because you are traveling to a different destination, you have to take it easy. We're going to a house by the sea and we're going to have some peace and quiet. Wouldn't it be nice to have some peace and quiet in a house by the sea?

Hmm? Aren't you bored with just staying in the house to take your time? What the hell are you doing?

'Lolling around on the bed, looking out the window at the ocean, or sitting on the couch in a daze.

I don't know what the fun is in that.

 I give him a concrete example to explain, but Eric doesn't seem to get it and nods his head.

'What?' You know how you can look out the window at something that's always changing shape, the ocean, forever? If we had something like that, we could spend all day watching the waves and listening to the ocean breeze.

'Don't be silly. It's no longer torture to spend the day doing that alone.

 That's a terrible way to treat people's fun as torture.

'Huh, I guess it's too early for Eric.

We're the same age, you and I.

To be honest, Master Alfried's sensibilities are a bit like my country grandfather's.

 I said, brushing my bangs away, and Eric and Meena rushed in.

 It's terrible to look like a country grandfather. I'm not that dead yet.

'Humph, since you're here, I thought I'd take you to the village and show you some things to take home.

 Is this Eric's own way of inviting me to go outside with him? As I recall, I think I was invited in the same way at King's Landing.

 But come to think of it, I only went to the beach and never went to the village. I only went by in a carriage on the first day, surrounded by Largo-san and other guards.

 Today I was in the mood to stay in the mansion without a care in the world, but I'm starting to get a little more interested in the outside world.

''Oh, souvenirs! Mr. Alfried! I want to go to the village and buy some souvenirs! I mean, if I don't get it right, my family and Saara and Mel will be mad at me!

 Well, since Meena is a maid, she has to be taken care of as long as I'm in the mansion, as long as I'm in the mansion, she has to stay with me and take care of me.

''Right. Then let's go to the village.

Yes!

Now, let's get ready to go...

No, let's wait until I get a couple more hours of rest.

 When I told Eric, who was about to stand up and get ready, he sat down in his chair with a subtle expression on his face.



 I'm glad to see that you're getting to know me better and better.



 ◆



 After eating a light meal and resting in the mansion for two hours, me, Eric and Meena headed to the village.

''Fuhaha.......Thanks to Alfried-sama going outside, I'm finally free from my work!

 As soon as we stepped out of the mansion, Meena stretched out and said pleasantly.

 The expression on her face is so radiant that she looks like a businessman who has been released from work.

 I'm sure she wanted to be free from her job more than she wanted to talk about souvenirs, but I know how she felt, so I didn't pursue it.

 In my past life, I also hated working behind a desk and ran away to the outside world many times.

I can smell the tide more strongly when I'm outside.

'Yes, it felt a little strange at first, but I've gotten used to it.

 Well, we Coriat people grow up surrounded by mountains, fields and rivers.

 You'll find the air uncomfortable with the constant scent of the tide in the air.

'It's a bit quirky in the air, but there's a lot of nice things about it, like the sound of the waves at night and the cool ocean breeze.

'Yes, I suppose so. If you open the windows at night, you can sleep soundly thanks to the cool sound of the waves, and the sea is nice.

So, let's go.

 As Meena and I were having such a conversation, Eric walked away, looking a little happy.

 I guess he was happy to be complimented on the village for a bit.

 Me and Meena smiled and followed behind Eric.

'It's kind of hard to get comfortable if we don't head towards the beach.

I can see that, too.

 The road we're walking on is the opposite side of the beach path we were heading to yesterday.

 Even though we have only used it for three days, our bodies feel restless unless we head towards the beach.

 This is the horror of practicing day after day....

Well, I usually have more things to do there too, so it's not hard to see why.

You don't have many friends, do you?

No, that's not why I'm here! We simply have a lot of training to do!

 I say this with pity, and Eric says it with a strange agitation.

 'You can tell everything by his attitude.

'I see. Let's go see Tornel and Quina, who we got along with the other day, shall we?

 I say, putting my hand on Eric's shoulder, and he bounces it off of me.

'Don't give me that supercilious attitude because it's irresistibly annoying.

 But he looks a little happy to hear that profile.

 I would like to tease him about that, but I don't want to say anything more because if I did, Eric would really be sulking.

 After a while of casual conversation, we arrived at the village of Bern.

 Just like the port city of Esports, Bern's village was hardened with a white concrete-like material, and there were several of them lined up in a row.

''Wow, I thought when I saw it from the carriage, the houses are white.''

We're close to the sea and the sea breeze. If you build it with ordinary wood and other materials, it will collapse easily.

 As I expected, it seems to be made of materials that are resistant to the sea breeze.

I'm sure you're right. Oh, it's quite pleasant to the touch.

 Hearing Meena's words, my curiosity kicked in, and I traced my finger along the wall with the same swoosh.

 It's definitely nice to the touch, but it's got the slightest hint of a white powder on it.

 It's as if you touched the lime.

"You can't touch it with your bare hands, it'll make your skin itch.

"'Eeeeeeeeee?'

 Meena and I wince when we hear Eric's words and touch it with our bare hands as hard as we can.

 For now, I think about paying it off with my hand, but that would spread the part that was attached to it.

 Realizing this, I activated the water ball with my water magic, stuck my hand in it and jabbed and washed it.

''Ah, Alfreet-sama! I'd like one for me, please! My hands itch if I don't hurry up.......!

 Then Meena held out her hand with an impatient voice, and so did the water ball as well.

 Meena stuck her hand in there and removed the powder in the same way.

'Whew, just wash this off and you'll be fine.

'Yes!'

"Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

 As Meena and I exhale in relief, I notice Eric letting out a laugh out of the corner of my eye.

 Seeing Eric like that, Meena and I realize everything.

''You, you didn't think...''

'Oh, no, it's not true. If I touch it again, it won't itch just to get a white powder on it.

 He took advantage of my lack of knowledge and tricked me.

 d*mn, that's frustrating! But I'd never do that if I was in that situation.

"You'll remember this the next time you're in the village of Coriat, won't you?

Hmph. We're going to have fun at the best of times.

 I said that, but Eric had a spare smile on his face for some reason.