Editors: sleepchaser, ASplashofMusic
Hearing the chime from the door, I turned my head. But Ciro was already at the entrance, welcoming the customers and ushering them to a table. Ciro grew up in an orphanage, and we had known each other for a long time. Even so, it felt strange seeing him during shifts.
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In the past, I had been the only one waiting tables in the tavern. So it was only after hiring Ciro that I had been allowed to go on a trip with Riley.
During my absence from the tavern, he had to serve the tables all by himself. Considering the length of our trip, it was only natural that he had gotten used to the bustling pace. But a little worry still inexplicably crept into my heart.
It was a bit uncomfortable working with him. I couldn’t coordinate with him as well as I had with Riley. And sometimes, we would move to do the same thing. It was quite awkward.
Since I would be leaving for another trip once we finished the plentiful preparations, I wanted to help him without getting in his way. But it was difficult.
As I was about to guide a customer to one of the first-row tables, Ciro suddenly called out, “Ilya, some regulars arrived.”
Surprised, I looked back. “Huh?” Just who could they be? Most of the regular customers had already stopped by today. But once my eyes landed at the entrance, I saw two familiar faces side by side.
“Mister Kenneth! Mister Dee! You know each other?” I asked in puzzlement. Their eyebrows furrowed at my question. And for a few moments, we stared at each other, wondering how the other two became acquainted.
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“I see. So he’s the hero’s partner that Kenneth keeps talking about?”
“Denard, you’re too loud.”
“No way… Mister Dee is the Knight Commander? You actually have a job?”
“Hey! Ilya, you’re not seriously asking me that, are you? I may have concealed my profession from you, but that’s just too cruel,” Mister Dee muttered.
I took a closer look at him. He was dressed neater than usual, clad in casual yet decent-looking clothes. He had shaved, and his hair was combed. However, with his shirt wrinkled up like usual, I still couldn’t see the aura of a Knight Commander at all. But at least, he looked like a man with a job today.
“You always come at noon in worn-out clothes, so I thought you were unemployed. You’re looking unusually neat today, eh?”
“How rude. I’m always neat, okay?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Yes, yes. Mister Dee, you’re ordering the usual stuff, right?” Then I faced Mister Kenneth. “How about you, Mister Kenneth? What do you want to order?”
“P’ii tjnf atf rjwf jr Gfcjgv,” gfqilfv Zlrafg Bfccfat, j rboa rwlif bc tlr ojmf. Coafg ajxlcu atflg bgvfgr, P kfca ab atf mbecafg. Pa kjr ralii j yla abb fjgis obg wf ab ajxf j ygfjx, yea P vfmlvfv ab ufa ws vjlis kjuf fjgis rb atja P mbeiv tjnf j wfji klat atfw. P abiv Jlgb atlr yfobgf ajxlcu boo ws jqgbc.
We didn’t put it on the menu, but I had actually cooked Tobol’s vegetable stew today. Riley suddenly had a craving for it. But since there was a lot left, I decided to give some to Mister Kenneth. He would surely feel nostalgic eating it, right?
In any case, I never would have thought that Mister Kenneth and Mister Dee were acquaintances. However, as I watched their interactions, I came to the unexpected conclusion that they made a good combination.
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As I stirred the vegetable stew, I broke into a smile.
The fragrant scent of Kieri seeds made my stomach growl.
My mind wasn’t really on accepting Ilya’s offer to treat me in his tavern. It was just that his face came to mind as I was thinking of a place where Denard and I could sit and talk.
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According to Elmer, the tavern enjoyed some popularity in the capital. It had a lot of regular customers. The food was delicious, and the ambience was also good. Even setting aside the fact that a waiter there looked just like the hero or that the Master Swordsman frequented that place, Elmer told me that the tavern exuded hospitality. A clear sign that it was Ilya’s home.
After Ilya took our orders, my eyes swept over the decor, the nearby tables, and finally to our own table. “This tavern is pretty good.”
“Yeah. I’ve been coming here in secret for quite some time. Ilya was probably the only one who didn’t notice my real identity. But thanks to the tavern owner’s personality, many customers pretend they didn’t recognize me.”
I cast a glance at the tavern’s owner standing behind the counter. Noticing my gaze, he bobbed his head in greeting. I reciprocated the nod before turning back to Denard.
But my thoughts were still on the tavern owner. Their faces held little semblance to each other, but he was certainly Ilya’s father. His eyes would grow gentle whenever they fell on Ilya’s figure, his bearing full of warmth.
I wonder, what was Ilya’s childhood like?
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Allen died unfairly at a young age. And Ilya was born with Allen’s memories. So how did Ilya deal with them growing up? Even though I hadn’t seen Ilya show a speck of distress, I was certain that he had suffered some unusual difficulties in the past.
Yet despite this, he was able to laugh like an ordinary youth. It was surely thanks to the people who brought him to this world and raised him.
Then Denard cocked his head in thought. He said, “Now that I think of it, Ilya used to be scared of fire.”
My eyes slightly widened. “Eh?”
“You told me about it before, right? …Well, I actually forced you to tell me. That the hero’s partner is his childhood friend who reincarnated.”
He rested his chin on his hand.“Honestly, I didn’t expect that person to be Ilya, but now that I think about it, I’m convinced. When he was a child, he was really scared of fire and smoke. He would freeze and start trembling, and his face would grow deathly pale. So this tavern banned cigarettes whenever he was helping out during the day. Maybe he already forgot about that.”
Fire and smoke. Reminders of the day of his death. The image of a terrified young Ilya crossed my brain. My hand clenched in a fist.
If it were me in Denard’s place, could I have done something for Ilya even if just a little? Could we have gotten through the pain together? Maybe that way, he wouldn’t have had to bear it all on his own.
As “what-if’s” started filling my mind, Denard suddenly rubbed the area between my brows. Ah, I must have been frowning. But how many times had I told him to just verbally tell me off?
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He waved his hand. “It wrinkled so much, so rubbed it out of reflex.” Then he fell silent for a while. His eyes shifted away, seemingly staring at something. “Ah, err, uh… This might sound strange since I was the one who mentioned it first, but you don’t need to worry about Ilya anymore.”
Denard pointed his finger in the same direction as his gaze earlier. I thought he was telling me that Riley would protect him, but when I followed his finger, I only saw Ilya carrying several plates and bowls of food. I didn’t know what Denard was pointing at.
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It was certainly impressive how easily he carried those steaming dishes, though.
“No way. You didn’t notice it yet? Look at his wrist.”
Puzzled, I tried to focus on Ilya’s wrist. But my line of sight was obstructed by the other customers. Finally, Ilya came up to our table. He was apparently going to join us in our meal, so he brought food and drinks for three people. As he was placing the plates on the table, I seized the chance to look at his wrist. And my eyes landed on the braid of fine golden thread tied around it.
At first glance, it seemed to be made from fancy but still ordinary thread. But after I scrutinized it more closely, it was actually far from ordinary. To be more specific, if someone knowledgeable in magic were to look at Ilya’s wrist, they would see many magic circles around that golden thread, intertwined with each other in a very complex pattern. Only experts would be able to understand it.
If I had to describe it, I’d say it was an extraordinary piece of work.
Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.
Usually, a magic tool could only store one magic effect, like “flash orb” or “soundproofing orb.” Storing multiple effects in one magic tool was impossible unless the user used precious materials.
However, from the complex pattern of magic circles, just how many magic effects were stored in that thread? After mentally sifting through different materials, trying to find one that could allow this kind of insanity, I could only think of one thing.
When Ilya finally seated himself, I asked, “Hey, Ilya. What’s that on your wrist?”
He slightly raised his hand. “Hm? This? I got this from Riley.”
“I can clearly see that. Just one look at that, and anyone with bad intentions towards you would give up. If someone other than the owner wears it, it’ll even retaliate against that person.”
“I-is that so? It’s really that amazing?” Ilya slid his fingertips across the length of the thread.
Ilya probably also knew the material that was used to make it. The way he touched it was extremely gentle.
Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.
Other than the relatively cheap artifact-like beads, there were other items that could store magic. Magic stones, specially manufactured metals, and the flesh, blood, or hair of a person who possessed powerful magic.
How many magic effects could be stored by using the hair of the hero, the strongest man in history? Moreover, many strands of hair were braided to make that bracelet on Ilya’s wrist. I couldn’t even imagine it.
But looking at this, my worries seemed to be unnecessary.
Denard said, “To explain this in words, I can feel an extremely heavy love from that bracelet. I feel deeply moved whenever I think that the hero is the guy who gave this to you.”
Flustered, Ilya exclaimed, “Mister Dee!”
“Of course Riley is worried. Ilya is more fragile than Allen. There’s no such thing as being too careful… He might have gone a bit too far, though.”
Ilya’s face flushed bright red. “Even Mister Kenneth is teasing me…” he muttered, a pout forming on his lips.
Seeing such a childish expression, a laugh escaped me. Then I exchanged looks with Denard, shooting him a small smile as well.
If we tease him any further, Riley would grow angry.
Of course I couldn’t say that out loud, but it seemed like he caught my warning just fine. Denard covered his mouth and looked down. Silence suddenly descended on our table.
After several seconds, I decided to pick up the spoon. I looked down at the food in front of me. The soup in the bowl was still steaming. A lot of vegetables were added in the soup, boiled to a soft consistency.
I thought I wouldn’t be able to have another taste of “Tobol Vegetable Stew” or smell its unique, appetizing scent. But now, it was once again right in front of me.
I took a bite. “…It’s delicious,” I said.
Ilya burst into a joyful smile. His smile plus the soup’s gentle and nostalgic taste made my eyes grow hot and moist. I slightly frowned at my sudden emotional state. But suppressing my tears, I managed to shoot Ilya a weak smile.
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Yeah. I had nothing to worry about anymore.
Riley had Ilya. Ilya had Riley. There was nothing that those two couldn’t overcome. But that’s also why I wanted to take care of them forever.
I wanted to find something that I could do for them. To show my support, even in just a small way.
I scooped the vegetables and dipped the bread in the broth, before taking a bite out of both. This stew had more ingredients than before. And the bread was soft and fluffy. Similar but still different from the dish made in poor Tobol.
But the gentle taste remained the same. I continued eating in silence.
Meanwhile, the warm atmosphere that Ilya had cultivated filled the tavern.
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