CH 8

Episode 8 the Lost Era

“A lost coin…huh”

From the terrace of ‘Aliana Palace Hotel’ which was originally the estate of a certain noble, I ponder the words that the guild leader said from earlier while gazing down at the town that is submerged into the darkness of the night. (Although for a vampire princess (like me), it seems no different from day)

Back then, for some reason the guild leader’s room had turned chaotic. Collard wouldn’t come back from his stupor, Gald had isolated himself from the outside world with the face of a parent who just learned of their daughter’s infidelity, and because the two guards were persistent, my patience ran out. Therefore I unintentionally gave them the answer “I think both of them are currently going out with a guy.” which made them break down and cry. To calm everybody down, I decided to use my evil eye to manipulate their memories directly; in some way or another the place returned to normal.

Afterwards, with the guild leader’s sanity returned, I tried to ask him about the thing that was on my mind.

His reaction was somewhat strange when he saw the coin, so I asked him whether or not he knew something regarding the coin I possessed from within the game, after that he gave me the answer.

The coin was a legacy of the so called ‘Lost Era’ which had no records left at all, and the legacy itself being discovered is very rare, especially the rainbow coin which was made from orichalcum. To begin with, the orichalcum production method is unknown so the coin is hardly ever circulated out in the world. One was stored in a certain kingdom treasury, another one was stored in a certain imperial bank, and so there are not even 5 total confirmed coins so far that exist.

…Well, although so, I carried about 500 rainbow coin myself, plus I was able to make as many as I wanted since the alchemist gulmen hobby was collecting top class refinement facility at the fortress, so there’s practically a mountain of them piled up in the open.

“…Aah, nothing is clear, looks like it’s not true that this world is completely unaffected by ‘E H O’ << Eternal Horizon Online >>”

“What would you like to do, Princess? This town’s guild’s upper echelon are already as good as puppets under your evil eye. If that’s the case, rather than spent night in this crude miserable shack, should we return to the fortress at once?”

In his human form, after un-possessing me from the pet unison, Ten’gai gave me advice in his usual tuxedo.

…Well, although I was using my evil eyes at back then, I don’t particularly intend to make Collard and Gald into puppets and capture them.

Perhaps I should say that would be against my aim, but what he said could indeed allow for misinterpretations. I mean, he said this hotel was a ‘miserable shack’, even though this hotel seems to be the best one in the Arra city where even the royalty stay. Ah, speaking of royalty, this is the right timing to add my speech.

“Surely at first our aim was being achieved. However, I feel very uneasy about this ‘Lost Era’”

“Is Princess worried about that? It appears to be some sort of legend that was not worth believing.”

“However, since the rainbow coin can actually be found in other places right now, maybe there is some sort of relation to it. There’s possibly a person from the same place as us, that arrived in this world long ago.”

“Indeed, if that was the case it is highly likely that they will become the biggest obstacle for us.”

It seems there is no concept of reunions with an old friend for him.

“Be that as it may, regarding the description of the ‘Lost Era’, it seems the description wouldn’t be just a mere fragment at various temples and royalties. It’s all according to plan after all. Shall we get in touch with royalty after this?”

“…I understand, your wish is my command. By the way, about that hotel meal earlier, it appear Princess can’t digest it. We already gained the guild’s approval, so maybe I should go and provide your ‘requested goods’ for tonight.”

Ah… that’s true, the sauce was too heavy, and the spice was beyond overpowering compared to small quantity of grilled ingredients, therefore I couldn’t eat even half of the meal that was served here. Usually, I wanted to eat even if it was tonkatsu ramen.

“Is that so? Then, I’ll rely on you for the provision by tomorrow morning, but I want you to do it carefully to prevent going overboard.”

Honestly, I am a bit hesitant to drink ‘that’, but no matter what I can’t stop my physical desires. So rather than directly bite somebody’s neck, I came to terms with drinking it from Ten’gai’s provisions.

“―Of course, I will be careful.”

Together with those words, Ten’gai’s figure disappeared from the spot.

“Well then, come to think of it I wonder if Joey is in good spirits?”

During the night when a vampire princess manifests her true ability, I suddenly recall Joey’s sobbing face when we parted ways.

◆◇◆◇

Joey carried a long used tray with a plain dinner on top of it while sighing. Returning to his own room on the 2nd floor, he climbed up the stairs.

He remembered the events that happened this evening at the guild.

Thinking his lack of knowledge about the world was giving the girl trouble, he gave a sigh again.

“Aah, she probably despises me…”

The matter was supposed to already be over, but recalling that event made him beat himself up with all his strength.

While sighing for an unknown number of times, he used his foot to open the wooden door of his room since the key was not enough to unlock it, then proceeded inside the room.

“Yo, welcome back Joey.”

Hiyuki is sitting on the bed instead of the chair, and even though she greeted him, Joey was still unable to comprehend reality.

It was something like an illusion from the moonlight, a fairy prank, or he had gone crazy.

“It’s still early in the morning for the promise, but I feel worried about you, so please excuse me for barging in.”

Hearing Hiyuki’s voice, Joey finally understood the reality. He put the tray with his meal on it on top of the bed beside Hiyuki (since there was no desk) with great haste, then he locked the door with his shoddy key.

“Y-you, how did you come here?!”

Although she heard his high pitched voice, the person in question, Hiyuki, was absorbed with curiosity about Joey’s dinner.

“Oh, the window was open so I just came in.”

She absent-mindedly replied to him while looking at the content of his tableware.

“The window? Isn’t this on the 2nd floor? In the first place, your appearance is…”

Hiyuki was wearing something like a sleeping dress, an off black dress that extended to her ankle with an ivory night gown on the top of it. Joey couldn’t hide his embarrassment seeing her with that appearance but Hiyuki herself didn’t care about it and only pointed to his dinner.

“Hey hey, what is this?”

“Asking ‘what is this’, this is oat meal right…you don’t know of it?”

Realizing asking more than this is useless, Joey answered her question together with his sighing.”

“Hee, so this is oat meal. This is the first time I heard the name. Can I try it?”

“Well that’s not a problem but, don’t you have a hotel booked by the guild? You didn’t have your dinner there?”

“Hmm? Aah, pretty much.. I’m staying in a noble’s room at the so called Aliana Palace Hotel, but you see, the food isn’t tasty, I almost couldn’t eat it.”

While saying so, without delay Hiyuki takes a mouthful of oatmeal with her spoon.

“―Wa-wait a minute. If you’re talking about THE ‘Aliana Palace Hotel’, I heard staying there just one night will cost a normal citizen his full month’s salary, you know!? To say something like a noble’s room meal in that hotel is bad…”

Whether Hiyuki heard him or not, her delicate face stiffened, the spoon remaining in her mouth. She chewed the oatmeal inside her mouth and then preparing herself, she gulps down the food.

“…No, it’s not tasty if I compare it with the food from the castle, but it’s not that bad. Besides, if I compare it to how was the meal was here, its soo terrible.”

“―Well, the people like of us don’t have money, but we have to feed our body so we need eat that kind of food to the fullest.”

While giving the explanation, Joey slurps the oatmeal that Hiyuki handed back over. He spread the butter over the bread, and ate it together with his potatoes and a minuscule amount of bacon.

“I see, nothing but splendid carbohydrates heh. It’ll be bad for your body if you don’t eat vegetables once a while.”

“Its fine, I am satisfied with this meal!”

For some reason Joey got irritated. Hearing his words that seemed striking to her, Hiyuki opened her eyes wide for a moment and subsequently hung her head down apologetically.

“…That’s right, it was just my selfishness.”

“Ah, no, it’s not that you’re at fault or anything…”

Looking at Hiyuki’s small figure that just shrank even more, Joey interrupted his meal and quickly searched for words to comfort her.

“―Sorry. I was venting my anger earlier, it’s just that I feel there’s a very very large wall between us which made me frustrated.”

His words made Hiyuki tilt her head in puzzlement.

“There is no real barrier between us. I think you would feel it if I touched you like this.”

Saying so, she put her chilly palm onto Joey’s cheek, instantly she separated it.

Because of such an unexpected girl-like action, Joey’s heart throbbed fast. Reflexively he asked her in return,

“…Then, can I touch you?”

“―Y-yeah”

Hiyuki is embarrassed but still she gave him a nod. Joey then extended his arm toward her. He hesitated, feeling that anywhere he touched would break her, but he resolved his mind somehow and tried, finally grabbing the both sides of her arm.

“You… even though you are so slender, why are you so soft?! What is your secret?”

“―You really can’t read the atmosphere eh.”

Joey was being told with an amazed tone and expression,

“Err, it’s because with the adventurer women or village women, everyone is very stiff even though they’re women.”

Even though he desperately explained himself, her face just become more and more amazed. Feeling ashamed, Joey releases his hand.

“That sort of thing is the arm of a female that works in the field or does manual labor you know? That might be a rare thing to you, but generally normal females have arms like mine. If you like, next time you could touch Mia-san by asking her, I am sure she will understand.”

“…Mia-san huh. I think she’ll just make fun of me.”

“You have the wrong idea, there’s no way a woman would go that far. Perhaps you feel like she keeps saying harsh things and nagging at you, but even so I think everything that she has done is to make you her partner. If you want to have a lover or wife, you should choose that sort of woman. Especially you, she is perfectly suited with you because of your lacking in several aspects.”

“It’s none of your business! In the first place there should be no reason for a senior of mine to take notice of someone like me.”

“I don’t think so, isn’t that just your own stubbornness? This is my intuition, but she probably parted with her lover many years ago and might be suffering from the bereavement. I feel that she find the power to heal her emotional scars inside of you.”

“What was that, a girl’s intuition?”

“Hmmmmm, maybe. You can put it like that. Oh my, your meal has gone completely cold. Well, it’s time for me to leave.”

Hiyuki said so while looking towards the window.

“Leave? Don’t tell me, from the window…”

That moment, Hiyuki’s eyes seemed to shine brightly and Joey’s consciousness rapidly faded―

“Goodnight Joey, see you tomorrow.”

Joey suddenly raised his head, thinking that he heard the parting voice of Hiyuki. However her presence isn’t found anywhere in the room. The door was also locked from inside.

“…I wonder if that was a dream.”

Remaining half in doubt of himself, Joey ate up the meal that had went cold.

Still, his gloomy feelings from earlier were completely gone. That night he was able to sleep soundly without even dreaming.

Author Notes:

I considered making the story development a bit more bittersweet, but when I tried to end it, Joey-kun became totally miserable.

As for Mia-san’s background story, at 15 years old she lost her adventurer lover who was the same age as her. She doesn’t want the same tragedy happen again, and Joey-kun had a likeness to the adventurer’s stupidity.

Also, if you put some ingredients on top of oatmeal it becomes quite delicious, but what Joey was eating was a porridge that was cooked with just wild oats and water.

The food menu is using 1840 Great Britain meals for lower class as reference. (From about 2 episodes before. I knew a rough estimation of how much the meat that was eaten with the earning of this matter)