Chapter 15

As soon as he entered the room, Tō changed his clothes and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep without even having dinner.

Various events had occurred on his way to Finris.

It felt like a day that had compressed several days' worth of events.

Tō didn't feel physically tired, but his mind was quite worn out.

Still, he woke up with a snap before the sun rose, following Ridd's body's circadian rhythm.

Tō went out to the inn's courtyard and washed his face thoroughly with well water. The cold water cleared his head, but some drowsiness still lingered.

He confirmed that no one was around and then manifested the [Magic Sword].

Following the skill's guidance, he moved his body and swung the [Magic Sword].

Gradually, he became more conscious of the unconscious movements, ingraining them into his brain and body.

For Tō, who had never touched swordsmanship outside of school lessons, the existence of a skill that allowed him to perform expert-level movements just by swinging was a great help.

However, leaving something he could do unconsciously as it was made him uneasy.

He wanted to understand the technique and be able to control it with his own will.

Once the automatic sequence of movements was complete, the drowsiness in Tō's head had completely disappeared.

"Good morning, Tō. You seem to be full of energy this morning!"

"Yeah, good morning, Ester."

Ester appeared from inside the inn. She yawned lightly and washed her face with well water.

Outside, Ester's hair, which she usually tied up at the back of her head, was now let down freely.

The first rays of the morning sun illuminated her hair, and the sunlight reflected off her golden locks, sparkling.

Just the sight of a woman washing her face made Tō involuntarily stare.

"Tō, it's a nice day today, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Perfect weather for a party!"

"There's no such thing."

The way she said it made it sound like a party rather than a group of companions.

Tō's shoulders slumped at her sudden invitation to a party. She still hadn't given up on forming a party with Tō.

"…Why me, anyway?"

"Because I can trust Tō!"

Unconditional trust was scary.

What would she do if Tō turned out to be a terrible criminal? Tō was worried about her future.

"I do have an eye for people, you know?"

There were no more untrustworthy words than that. Tō looked at Ester with a penetrating gaze.

But Ester didn't seem to doubt her own words. She remained unperturbed even when Tō's suspicious gaze pierced her.

"Even in the face of a large group of goblins, Tō didn't run away out of fear for his life. They say that one's true nature comes out in times of crisis. I think Tō's actions that day are worthy of trust."

"True, I guess, but…"

"Besides, Tō, those who are truly untrustworthy do not reject those who trust them."

"Ugh."

Ester's words hit the mark, leaving Tō speechless.

Seeing Tō struggle for words, Ester thought, "One more push, maybe?"

It was natural for Ester to want to form a party with Tō.

Tō was extremely strong. He didn't act arrogantly or put on airs because of his strength.

He was also honest with money.

He repaid a single large copper coin he owed as soon as he had the means to do so.

From their conversation, it was clear that Tō was not the type to deceive others.

His face, while not breathtakingly handsome, was not unattractive either.

Moreover, unlike the men in Ealguard, Ester appreciated that Tō did not look at her body with sexual intent.

She deliberately appeared before Tō in a vulnerable state, but he showed almost no reaction.

His lack of desire was so pronounced that it made her wonder, "Is there no sexual desire in Tō's world?"

Humans are animals. They need to reproduce, so it's inevitable that they have sexual desires.

But the ability to control those desires is the most important point in forming a party with the opposite sex.

Ester thought Tō was the best person to form a party with.

Ester had been operating solo until now, but she didn't have a particular attachment to it.

If she was going to continue as an adventurer, forming a party was essential.

Here was Tō, an excellent candidate.

The only thing that bothered her was that he was a "Wanderer," but she had no doubts about his combat ability.

Ester was determined not to let this opportunity slip away.

"I really want to form a party with Tō."

"If we're forming a party, I think someone stronger than a Wanderer like me would be better…"

"I saw Tō defeat a large group of goblins with my own eyes. No matter what anyone says, I believe in Tō's strength."

What a wonderful and powerful line. But being said to his face, it was the most embarrassing thing. Tō couldn't help but look away.

Tō felt that forming a party would determine his and Ester's future.

But for adventurers, a party might not be that special.

If you continued as an adventurer, you might form temporary parties for specific quests.

You wouldn't worry about the future every time.

Still, Tō couldn't decide right away.

Forming a party meant taking responsibility for the lives of his companions.

Tō wasn't sure if he could bear that responsibility on his own.

He considered Ester a benefactor and a good person. Being invited to form a party with such a person was certainly flattering.

But that was precisely why he couldn't give an easy answer.

Struggling for an answer, Tō decided to dodge the question.

"…Well, Ester. I'll give you an answer later."

"Hey, Tō!"

Tō evaded Ester's invitation and returned to his room.

He wiped his sweat from training, tidied himself up, and headed to the inn's dining hall.

When Tō entered the dining hall, Ester was already sitting at a table. Breakfast was prepared in front of her, but she hadn't touched it yet.

"Tō, over here!"

She waved her hand vigorously, but Tō deliberately ignored her and sat at a corner table.

Ester puffed out her cheeks at Tō's attitude. She picked up the tray with breakfast and quickly approached the seat where Tō was sitting.

"Tō, is this seat free?"

"It's full."

Currently, only Tō was sitting at the four-person table.

"Doesn't it look empty to you?"

"If you know it's empty, why ask?"

"…!"

Tō intended to be rude, but for some reason, Ester had a cheerful expression and sat in the seat in front of Tō.

"Hey, Tō!"

"No."

"But I haven't said anything yet!?"

She was probably going to say, "Let's form a party!" Tō's gaze made Ester's eyes dart away.

From there, Tō and Ester had a casual conversation over breakfast. Occasionally, Ester would start to say, "Let's form a party," but Tō would suppress her with a light <Intimidate>.

Breakfast consisted of black bread, salt soup, and salad.

The black bread was extremely hard, almost to the point of chipping a tooth when trying to bite it.

"…People in Ealguard must have strong jaws."

"No, no. Even I can't eat this as it is. You eat it like this."

Ester dipped the end of the bread into the soup. The black bread seemed to be too hard to eat without softening it in soup.

Tō followed Ester's example, dipping the bread into the soup before taking a bite. The hardness that had seemed impossible to bite through was now easily chewed.

"…Hmm."

Tō had expected the black bread to have a unique flavor because of its color. However, contrary to his expectations, the black bread had almost no taste.

In contrast to the tasteless bread, the soup was very salty. It was meant to be eaten with the bread.

"Still…"

The soup was just salted water. There was no broth, and the only ingredient was dried meat. It was a poor meal, even if it was made from leftover ingredients.

The salad looked almost like weeds. He cautiously tasted it.

"…Hmm."

Surprisingly, it was the most delicious. It was slightly bitter, but it was still good enough for Tō, who had a refined palate from Japan. With some dressing, it could be even better.

"Hey, Ester. Is this breakfast typical in Ealguard?"

"Mostly just bread and soup, I think. This inn is a good deal because it includes salad."

"Is that so?"

Tō had briefly thought, "Is Ealguard poor?" but in Japan, a typical breakfast is bread and coffee. It wasn't much different.

The biggest issue was the taste. The nutritional value was also concerning. Tasteless bread and overly salty soup. The salad was the only thing that seemed somewhat healthy, but it didn't feel like a balanced meal.

"The bread is free for seconds. How about one more piece?"

"…No, thank you."

"What, you won't grow big if you don't eat more!"

"Sorry…"

It was the innkeeper's kind concern, but Tō politely declined.

His stomach wasn't full, but his brain was telling him, "I don't want to eat any more."

It was true.

Eating tasteless bread softened with water and sprinkled with salt was not something he wanted to do, no matter how hungry he was.

If this continued, he might collapse from malnutrition.

Ensuring a good meal today became one of Tō's most important tasks.

After breakfast, Tō opened the window of his room and escaped from the inn. He felt that if he left normally, Ester would follow him endlessly.

Indeed, Tō's <Perception> skill detected a presence that seemed to be Ester waiting at the front door.

Tō intended to go to the magic shop that Ester had told him about yesterday.

He wanted to go alone, without worrying about anyone, and take his time looking at the items in the magic shop.

Tō walked while munching on dried meat he had taken out from his <Hetero Storage>. The dried meat tasted better than the black bread and soup. Ridd seemed to be a good cook.

"I wonder what kind of magic is available. It's exciting, but first, I need to see if I can use magic at all."

Tō had allocated points to <Magic> and <Non-Verbal Incantation> on his skill board. If he trusted the skill board, he could use magic to some extent. However, whether he had the aptitude was another matter.

Besides, Tō was a Wanderer, a so-called "inferior being."

"There was no magic on Earth, after all. Even if I allocate some points to skills, I might struggle to use them."

As he walked, imagining various possibilities, he arrived at the magic shop Ester had introduced him to.

The magic shop was a small, cozy wooden building.

The exterior walls were covered with plants.

"Excuse me."