Chapter 76

As soon as we stepped out of the store, tears started streaming down my face.

"Me, Mel-chan!?"

Embarrassed, I wiped my tears with the shirt I had bought, but it was stiff and didn't absorb the moisture. What a disaster.

The villagers' gazes pierced me. Zarra guided me to a less crowded spot by the wall of a nearby store.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel so bad."

"It's you, Zarra, who should feel bad..."

My beautiful hair, now to become a wig for some bald nobleman!

And you didn't want to sell your earrings either.

"Mel-chan, it's okay."

"It's not okay."

Zarra placed her hand on my shoulder and bent down to meet my gaze.

Then, she spoke in a gentle voice.

"You know, I don't think there's anything more important to me than you, Amelia, and the rest of the second squad. Your hair will grow back, and the earrings were given to me by my parents to use when I'm in trouble."

"..."

She said neither of them had any special sentimental value. Was that a good thing? I was confused.

No, I couldn't handle it. Ever since we parted ways with everyone, my tear ducts had become weak...

Zarra wiped away my tears with her fingertips.

"I don't intend to let that store get away with this, so don't worry."

"Huh?"

When I asked if she had a plan, Zarra just chuckled in a low voice. She must be planning some kind of retaliation (or something).

---But we didn't have time to dwell on it. Next, we needed to secure food.

The store selling food was a single-story building with an atmosphere like a vegetable stand, but it seemed to sell everything like a general store.

Bread, vegetables, fruits, meat, seasonings, preserved foods, and more. Unlike the general store, everything was neatly arranged, which left a good impression. I was surprised by how cheap everything was. Dairy products and smoked meats were made from the village's livestock, and vegetables and fruits were grown in the village. Since most of the items were locally produced, they were so inexpensive.

We bought bread and dried meat for the entire second squad, and some fruits for Amelia.

When I asked the Slime in the thermos if it wanted anything to eat, it shivered excitedly at the fruit juice. When I asked if it didn't want actual fruits, it shook its head vigorously.

Could it only consume liquids? I'd have to ask Gal later.

Since the shopping was unexpectedly cheap, we had some money left over.

"Mel-chan, let's use the rest to get something to eat. We also need to change clothes, so let's borrow a room at an inn..."

"Yes, that's a good idea."

The store owner told us about one of the two inns that had a restaurant.

The two-story inn we were introduced to was old but well-maintained, and the innkeeper was very friendly.

Zarra asked how much it would cost for a meal, a bath, and a two-hour rest.

"Oh, just two hours?"

"Yes, we'll be leaving soon."

"Oh, you're in a hurry, are you?"

"...Yes."

The kind innkeeper said it would be five copper coins per person.

"Must be a honeymoon, huh?"

Zarra was taken aback by the innkeeper's words.

I had imagined that we might be seen that way, but...

"No, no, we're—"

"That's right!"

An unmarried couple traveling in a hurry would seem suspicious. The innkeeper was offering us a room and a meal at a low price because she thought we were a married couple. So, we had to pretend we were on a honeymoon.

"Sorry, he's just shy."

"All men are like that."

The innkeeper didn't seem suspicious at all. I breathed a sigh of relief.

We were led to a room on the second floor.

"The restaurant and bath are on the first floor. I think they'll be ready in about thirty minutes."

"Thank you."

I bowed and thanked her.

As soon as the door closed, Zarra turned around very quickly.

"A honeymoon!?"

"Well, an unmarried couple traveling together would seem strange. We might not have been able to stay at the inn."

"Oh, right... I see."

What was going on? She had been so confident in the general store, but now she was flustered by a small thing.

But there was something else that had been on my mind.

"Oh, right, Zarra. Let's fix your hair."

It was a mess after being cut with a knife.

"I'm pretty good at cutting hair! I used to cut my brother's and father's hair."

Well, I wasn't that good, but I didn't want her to hesitate.

Zarra was modest and didn't want to be a burden to others. So, I had to push my kindness forward. I was starting to understand how to handle her.

The second squad would be surprised to see Zarra with short hair. They might even be sad when they learned the reason for the rescue.

So, I wanted to at least make her look a bit better.

"Would you let me do it?"

"Sure, go ahead!"

I asked her what style she wanted. Zarra said she wanted a clean look. So, I decided to cut it quite short.

I carefully cut her hair with the knife. It was harder to cut than my family's hair, but I managed to tidy it up.

I brushed away the hair that had fallen on her shoulders and told her I was done.

I handed her a hand mirror and encouraged her to check it out.

"Wow... It feels so light."

"Yep."

Zarra, who had been facing away from me, turned around.

I had cut her hair quite short, even though it was a bit longer than the captain's buzz cut.

"Mel-chan, how does it look?"

"Um, ah, it, it looks, well, pretty cool, I think."

"That's good."

I was surprised. Zarra had always had a strong feminine presence, but with short hair, she looked more like a guy. It made me a bit flustered.

I realized how important hair style and length are.

Despite everything, I was glad to see Zarra smiling again.

Well, none of our problems had been solved, but...

After that, we took a bath.

Slime had been insisting, so I brought it along.

The bath was just a large bucket of hot water. It was simple but very appreciated.

When I dipped my fingers in, the water was just the right temperature. I hadn't expected such warm water, so I was quite happy.

The innkeeper had warned us not to touch the stones in the water. When I looked, I could see they were there. Were they the same raw magic stones we had found in the gorge? They probably were.

I took Slime out of the thermos. It sprouted tentacles and moved as if asking to be splashed with water.

I was surprised to find that Slime, like Amelia, loved baths.

I took off my clothes and started bathing.

The soap didn't lather at all, but I washed my hair and body and thoroughly soaked in the water.

I felt refreshed!

I changed into the clothes we bought at the general store and moved to the restaurant.

Zarra arrived a bit later. I felt a bit sad knowing that men usually take shorter baths, but it was fine.

We sat down, and the food was quickly brought to us.

There was soup, bread, steamed sweet potatoes, cheese, and forest apples, along with fruit juice.

The smell of freshly baked bread reminded me of my hunger, and my stomach growled.

"Please, eat up."

"Thank you. Itadakimasu."

All the dishes looked delicious.

The soup had beans and smoked meat! The beans were soft and went well with the spiced smoked meat.

The steamed sweet potatoes had butter on top. The golden butter melted in the heat, and the fluffy, slightly sweet potatoes combined with the salty butter were simply perfect.

I mashed the butter and sweet potato with the back of my fork and spread it on the warm, freshly baked bread.

The food was so delicious that I couldn't help but sigh.

My stomach was full, and my heart was satisfied. The innkeeper's pride in her dishes was well-founded, and everything was thoroughly enjoyable.