Chapter 75

"Huh? Isn't that Sisaha?"

"Oh, it seems to be. I wonder what she's doing?"

After buying a necklace at the general store, I was walking around the town aimlessly, unable to decide where to go next.

On the way, I noticed Sisaha, who was being watched by several people, placing her hands on an old man's waist.

What on earth is she doing?

"Oh, I feel much better. I'm sorry."

"No, no, please be careful not to hurt it again."

Estelle and I stopped for a while to watch Sisaha. The old man, apparently finished, started to turn his upper body from side to side, as if checking something.

From their conversation, it seemed she had been treating him with recovery magic? There was no flashy light or anything, but maybe it felt different when she was in close contact.

"Sisaha, what are you doing?"

"Oh, Oogura-san and Estelle-san. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, we just happened to pass by."

It seemed like she had finished, so I called out to Sisaha. The people around her were mostly elderly, and they stared at me intently, making me feel a bit embarrassed.

Usually, I wouldn't mind being stared at in my armor, but since it was a holiday, we were all in casual clothes. So, I was currently without my helm, showing my face.

I might be starting to understand how Noelle feels when she hides her face... When I wear my helm, I feel a lot less embarrassed compared to usual.

"What are you, Sisaha's acquaintance?"

"Yes... she's someone very important to me."

"Oh my, could it be a boyfriend!?"

"Yes... ah, I said it."

"Hey, hey, what are you saying!?"

Suddenly, Sisaha blushed and covered her mouth, trying to hide her embarrassment.

This guy! She's finally started to tease me without any restraint... I wish she would cut it out.

"Don't be embarrassed, big brother. Having such a beautiful girlfriend is a good thing. I'm envious."

"No, really, it's not like that. We just formed an adventurer party together."

"Oh, you're Sisaha's adventurer companion. So, that means the other one is...?"

I tried to correct her, but the old man laughed, thinking I was just being shy. The elderly people around us looked at me with a fond gaze.

They seemed to know that Sisaha was an adventurer, and they quickly understood when I mentioned the adventurer party.

Then, they looked behind me, but for some reason, they stopped talking and were speechless.

"Hehe, Sisaha, can you say what you said in your sleep again? This time, I'll let you sleep properly."

"Estelle-san, it's a joke, a joke! Calm down, calm down, please!?"

I turned around to see what was going on, and found that Estelle had already cornered Sisaha against the wall of a nearby building.

Estelle was threatening her with large crackling bolts of lightning, while Sisaha was desperately trying to escape by pressing herself against the wall.

"Hey, stop, stop! Estelle, calm down!"

"Mmm, okay..."

"Phew... thank you..."

If I hadn't intervened, Sisaha might have been in trouble. Estelle pouted in dissatisfaction but stepped back, while Sisaha sighed in relief.

She must have been teasing me as usual, but doing it in front of Estelle... She must have known it would be scary.

I would be happy if she would stop teasing me... But even after experiencing such embarrassment, Sisaha doesn't seem to learn.

"So, what were you doing, Sisaha?"

"Just talking to the people in town. Since it's a holiday, I started exploring the town and made some connections."

"Hmm... Is that so?"

Exploring the town... I wonder what she did to make connections.

Still, it's strange that the older Sisaha and Noelle are actively going out, while the younger Estelle and Luna are staying at home.

Estelle tends to stay in her room reading books if I don't go out, so in a way, it's my fault for staying in.

"No, when I was carrying some goods, my back started to hurt, and Sisaha, who happened to pass by, healed me. We've been talking and getting treated ever since... I'm sorry."

"No, I'm doing it because I like it."

The old lady, who was with Sisaha, explained what I had been wondering.

Ah, so that's why she was touching the old man's waist earlier. A potion could probably heal a backache, but I guess it's different with magic.

"Anyway, I'm sorry, but I need to talk to these people for a bit."

"Oh, take your time."

"Whoa!? Hey, don't drag me!"

Since she didn't seem to be doing anything wrong, I thought it would be rude to interrupt, but before I could, Sisaha said she had something to talk about and dragged me away.

"Really... What's with the sudden change?"

"Oogura-san and Estelle-san, are you on a date? You are, aren't you!?"

"Hehe, that's right."

When we reached a slightly secluded spot, Sisaha let go of my hand, turned to me, and leaned in, asking with her hands clasped.

Estelle, who had caught up, smiled and answered.

A date... Is it a date!? I thought it was just an extension of our usual outings... But Estelle seems happy, so I don't want to ruin the mood by saying anything unnecessary.

"Ugh, to think something this interesting is happening..."

"...You're not trying to hide anything anymore, are you?"

Sisaha clenched her fists and groaned in frustration. Looking at her reaction, I think if she had known this would happen, she might have stalked us.

She's completely different from when she was first summoned. Her image of being a proper and good person has completely collapsed.

"I knew you went out a lot, but I'm surprised Sisaha has become so friendly with the townspeople."

"Yes, she seems to have become quite close to them."

"Hehe, it's all thanks to my charm."

I never thought Sisaha would be chatting so amiably with the townspeople. If she hadn't shown her true self, she would have fit the image from earlier, and it wouldn't be surprising if she had become friends so quickly.

Also, she's not wearing her usual habit but a white dress and cardigan, making her more approachable.

Sisaha claims it's all thanks to her charm, but saying it herself ruins the effect. It's just too disappointing.

"Since you live in this town, Oogura-san, I think it's good to talk to the townspeople."

"Ah, yeah... I'll try."

"You don't seem very good at talking, do you? You don't even look at people when you speak."

Talking to the townspeople... Since we're living in Brunne, I guess it's important to get along with the neighbors.

Sisaha is already fitting in, which is impressive. I envy her outgoing personality.

Estelle is right; I tend to be shy, so the idea of actively talking to people in the town is a bit daunting.

It would be easier if I could be more casual like Noelle, but I still often avoid eye contact when talking.

"That's right! The reaction when I teased you about it in the dungeon was so funny—ah!"

"What's wrong? Go on, you can say it."

Sisaha reacted happily to what Estelle said but stopped mid-sentence, covering her mouth.

Estelle smiled and tilted her head, urging her to continue.

We had agreed not to mention the dungeon incident... but she let it slip.

"Anyway! It seems Noelle is also causing a stir!"

"Noelle?"

Sisaha suddenly clapped her hands and changed the subject, wiping cold sweat from her forehead. Estelle continued to stare at her with a smile.

While Sisaha being cornered is fine, the fact that Noelle is causing a stir is concerning.

She often does something to cause trouble, so I hope she hasn't caused any problems.

"Recently, there have been stories about a girl with fluffy fur who hides her face appearing in the square. The people I talked to were suspicious, but they said she seems friendly because she greets people energetically."

"Oh... She does stand out, doesn't she?"

"Usually, she doesn't look suspicious in her helm, but in casual clothes, she's twice as suspicious."

It seems she's finally being treated as a suspicious person...

Since it's a holiday, Noelle is also in casual clothes. A sleeveless shirt and shorts look normal, but the eye mask makes her stand out.

She must attract a lot of attention when she walks around town, greeting people energetically.

She's just taking Mofu for a walk, but she's getting so much attention.

"Anyway, I'll head back. You two enjoy the rest of your time. Estelle, let me know your thoughts when we get back."

"Sure, I will. And Sisaha, I want to hear about that earlier conversation when we get back."

"Ah—excuse me!"

Sisaha, thinking she had successfully changed the subject, quickly walked back to the elderly people she had been talking to.

But before she could, Estelle gave her a stern look, making her body tremble.

She then ran off, as if to say she hadn't heard anything.

...What a noisy person.

●

"I came to check if Noelle was doing anything strange... Is this the place?"

"Hmm, it seems to be. Ah, isn't that her over there?"

We came to Brunne's square, which is near the center of town, after asking a townsperson for directions.

It's a spacious area with some trees and plants, and there are benches where people can rest.

We were told Noelle would be here, but with so many people, it was hard to spot her.

I thought it would be difficult to find her, but when I looked where Estelle was pointing, I saw a spot where people were subtly avoiding.

Looking closely, I saw a silver-haired woman wearing an eye mask sitting on a bench with a boy and a girl about Luna's height.

Ah... That's Noelle. She really stands out.

"My throat is dry, so how about we have a drink together?"

"What's that weird sister got?"

"I'm not a weird sister! This is a potion."

They seemed to be having a friendly conversation, so Estelle and I approached from behind without being noticed.

The boy called her a weird sister, and she was angry, but... it's the truth, so there's nothing she can do about it.

I thought about not interrupting if there were no problems, but Noelle was taking a red potion from her waist pouch and offering it to the children.

This... Is she treating potions like juice!?

"Potions are supposed to taste bad, right?"

"Hehe, this one is delicious. Do you want to try it?"

"Really, can I?"

"Sure. But don't tell anyone else, okay? They might get mad if they find out."

The girl asked Noelle hesitantly, and Noelle confidently said it was delicious.

Potions in this world are green and taste like green smoothies. I tried one once, and it was so bad it made my tongue numb.

Good medicine tastes bitter, as they say. But the potions from the gacha are sweet and effective, which is a relief.

"Who would get mad?"

"Of course, it's Oogura—hey?"

I decided to intervene before she gave the potions away.

When I called out from behind, Noelle answered halfway, then turned around with a dull, creaking motion when she realized it wasn't the children.

"Ah!? Why are you here!?"

"I came to check on you because I heard you were causing a stir. ...Are you treating potions like drinks?"

"T-This is... I'm sorry!"

She screamed and jumped off the bench. The children on either side of her were surprised by her reaction.

When I asked about the potions, she bowed her head in apology without making excuses, probably because the children were there.

Hmm, I wasn't planning to get angry, but since she's being honest, I don't need to be too strict.

"Well, it's fine, but if you run out, let me know, okay?"

"Oogura-sama... You're so generous!"

"But don't drink too much."

"Ugh... Understood."

I gave her potions for combat, so it would be a problem if she ran out when we needed them.

I have a lot of potions from gacha failures, so a little wouldn't hurt.

I would have been angrier if it were the rare high potions, but I still need to remind her not to drink too much and reduce the number.

"Hey, big brother, is this weird sister really an adventurer?"

"Yeah, she is. She's an adventurer like us, even if she's weird."

"Wow, it's true."

The boy asked me if Noelle was really an adventurer.

In her usual armor, she doesn't look like an adventurer, so I understand why he would ask, but is it really necessary?

"Kalm, you still doubt it?"

"Well, she loses to us in games a lot. And if she's an adventurer, she should be stronger."

"Ah, ugh... That's true..."

Hmm? From the conversation, it seems they played some games and Noelle lost badly, which is why they doubted her.

She looks very reluctant to answer, so maybe she was holding back on purpose?

Hmm, she can't say she was holding back, so I'll support her a bit.

"Even a weird sister like her is strong in battle. I passed out from just one hit from her."

"Ew, really!? She's super strong."

"Oogura-sama, don't say unnecessary things!"

I thought I was helping, but maybe I got it wrong?

If I got hit by Noelle without armor, I would definitely pass out from one hit.

Her stats, the only one to reach the second stage among us, are not for nothing.

"Anyway, I'm relieved to see you're okay. Noelle, since you're being seen as suspicious, don't stay out too late, okay?"

"Compared to your usual outfit, this is better... But I don't want to hear that from you..."

"Maybe you're desensitized because of how you usually dress."

I told Noelle to be careful, but she looked very dissatisfied.

I don't want her to dress like me, but at least she's dressed properly in casual clothes, and it's only her combat outfit that looks suspicious.

●

Since everything seemed fine, after parting ways with Noelle, Estelle and I went to a lookout-like place on the outskirts of town.

It was already dusk, and it would be awkward to go around shops at this time, so we decided to find a place with a view of the town and ended up here.

"Sorry, Estelle. I said you could go wherever you wanted, but we didn't get to go around much."

"Hehe, it's fine. I said it before, didn't I? As long as I'm with you, anywhere is fine."

"O-Oh... If that's the case, it's okay..."

We ended up talking to Sisaha and Noelle, and we didn't get to explore the town much with Estelle.

We only went to a clothing store and a general store, I think.

Still, she smiled and said the same thing she did before we went out.

Ah... When she says things like that, I feel like I should have made more of an effort to make her enjoy herself.

"I've never taken the time to look at the scenery of this world before."

"Were you just hunting monsters all the time before you summoned me?"

"Yeah, I wanted to get gacha rolls. And I needed money at first."

Leaning against the wall, I looked at the town, something I had never done before.

This lookout isn't very high, but it offers a good view of the town.

There are various buildings with triangular and flat roofs, painted in red, green, and other colors.

I could even see the square where we met Noelle earlier, with people still walking around.

Thinking about it, I've been so focused on hunting monsters that I don't know much about the town. I might know the hunting grounds better.

Even Noelle and Sisaha are already fitting in, so is this okay?

Thinking about it, I remembered the summoning and how I was so hesitant about summoning Estelle.

Now, when I think about it, I feel silly for hesitating and even regret it...

"If the magic stone collection plan works out, maybe we can take it easy like this every day."

"Hmm, I don't know. We still need to level up to conquer the dungeon, after all."

If the magic stone collection plan succeeds, we might be able to get magic stones without working.

While there are many issues, I don't think it will go that smoothly...

Still, if we don't have to focus on collecting magic stones, we can prioritize leveling up.

We can also use the Dimension Room for dungeon exploration.

With this, we can hunt for days in the dungeon.

It might be good to find places like the Goblin Dungeon and hunt there for leveling up.

"Well, it's about time for Noelle and the others to head back, so let's go too."

"Ah, wait a moment... Is it time yet?"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

It was almost sunset, so I suggested we go back, but Estelle asked me to wait a bit.

"Here, big brother, this is for you."

Estelle came in front of me and opened her hand.

There was the necklace with the magic light stone we bought at the general store, but...

"Wow! That's amazing! You really are something, Estelle."

The magic light stone, which Estelle had been holding, had transformed into a gem that shone like a rainbow.

Depending on the light, it changed colors from red, yellow, green, blue, to purple, a beautiful sight.

I don