Chapter 367
Chapter 367: The Cozy Lake
—As expected, I couldn’t just relax after killing four people in town without prior consultation. I mean, it would lead to questions like, “What the heck are you doing in our territory!?” but that couldn’t be helped.
The exchange with the local Holy Church and the soldier squad took a lot of time, so we ended up going to the iron plate grill restaurant quite late. Still, there were seats available and ingredients, so we were able to enjoy the fresh lake delicacies without issue.
“It was delicious, wasn’t it~!”
“Absolutely!”
Both of us were stuffed and in high spirits as we returned to the inn. The night was growing late, and even this bustling port town was starting to quiet down. The stone-paved streets had only a few people like us, returning from dinner or drunk.
The pleasant night breeze—summer was in full swing, making the daytime pretty hot, but at night a cool wind blew in from the lake. Compared to the region where the Demon Lord’s Castle is located, the air felt refreshing and comfortable.
Well, it’s not like life at the Demon Lord’s Castle was completely disconnected from summer heat since there were tons of ice magic users around…
“The grilled lake shrimp was super delicious!”
“The meat was so tender and fantastic!”
Leila had also been munching happily. It was a simple dish, but the ingredients were exceptional.
“That dish with raw fish, mixed with vinegar, oil, and cheese was also tasty…”
“Isn’t that carpaccio?”
“Yes, yes, that’s the name!”
I kept to myself that I had quickly scorched it with Holy Silver just to be safe from parasites before eating. If it had been frozen to kill off any parasites, I’d feel at ease, but there aren’t many magic users who can handle ice in our ally territory…
“Ice is associated with the water attribute, right? Then it must be the Forest Elves.”
Oh, but the Forest Elves aren’t very good at ice magic. They can output cold water, but it’s apparently hard for them to chill it to the point of freezing. Ice is an unnatural state for water, so according to them, “water dislikes that.”
That said, sometimes human magic users with weaker magical power might be surprisingly good at producing ice. …Well, “good” might be a stretch. The Night Elves are pretty skilled too since they love artificial things and destruction of nature.
“Huh. Ice magic is unexpectedly tricky; it wasn’t uncommon at the Demon Lord’s Castle though.”
It’s kind of absurd how the Vernas tribe can instantly freeze water or mold ice like clay, manipulating it at will. Over there, drinks are served ice-cold as a matter of course, but over here, ales are usually at room temperature, which sometimes feels lacking.
By the way, the first Demon Lord’s Prince, Aiogias, and his companion were totally chill even during the Ice Hell Male Naked Festival despite the freezing cold. They must have a resistance to chill; the bloodline magic of the Vernas tribe seems incredibly convenient in daily life.
Still, I was surprised that someone like Antende, who embodies magical power and has lived so long, didn’t know much about water or ice magic.
“Even though I’m called the embodiment of magic, it’s not the magic of this world. What I wield is merely the ‘Forbidden.’ Some things, I just don’t know.”
That makes sense.
“That iron plate grill from earlier looked delicious. Now I want to try it.”
Should I transform and go eat there tomorrow?
“That sounds like fun.”
Since it’s a rare day off, why not?
… I glanced at Leila’s dagger at her waist.
Moments like this made me feel guilty toward Barbara. She couldn’t eat or drink anything anymore. If I mentioned it to her, she’d probably poke me, and all that would do is cause an unfortunate repeat of being rude, and honestly, what face could I even bring up the topic with?
“Don’t dwell on it.”
Antende snorted and said.
“That would be producing rudeness again. Even if you feel self-punished, it won’t improve Barbara’s condition. Plus, it’s unlikely she’s the kind to feel bad seeing you enjoy yourself. You should enjoy yourself when you can; otherwise, it can mess with your mind!”
It would be best to have you around for a long time, Antende.
I know… in theory.
Thanks for that.
“Hmph.”
And with that, Antende fell silent.
†††
Early the next morning, I woke up in the inn’s bed.
Looking to my side, I found Leila already awake in the bed across the room, staring at me while still lying down.
“Good morning!”
“Good morning!”
I flopped over to face Leila.
“—Today, we’re not doing anything!!”
Leila clapped her hands with a smile at my bold declaration.
“I think that’s great!”
“Then, as the first part of this, I’m planning on going back to sleep.”
“Sounds good to me~!”
Leila adjusted her pillow and got comfy.
“I felt like I didn’t get enough sleep anyway, so I’ll take a nap too!”
Oh, well that works out perfectly. I was worried she might get bored while I was rolling around.
“Then let’s relax and do nothing.”
“Yes, let’s!”
Once that was decided, things moved quickly. I buried my face in my pillow and prepared to sleep again. Ah, being able to sleep on my side is truly the best! I used to not be able to sleep deeply lying on my back, and darn it, I’ve grown horns! Now, I’m really enjoying this human body.
“…………”
However, you know…
I set out to do a second sleep as the first step of my leisure plan, but I had already woken up, or honestly, I wasn’t that sleepy anymore, and I felt a bit restless…
Well, Leila said she’d also take a second sleep…
I cracked open an eye to peek at Leila’s state.
“…………”
I ended up making eye contact with Leila, who was peeking at me with slightly open eyes.
“…heh.”
We both burst into quiet laughter at the same time.
Oh dear.
“Shall we go eat breakfast?”
“Sounds good!”
And so, we sat up with wry smiles.
Well, lounging around in bed isn’t the only way to relax.
When I opened the shutters, harsh sunlight streamed in despite it still being early morning.
It’s going to be hot again today… since we’re at it, maybe we should go swim in the lake!
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The swimsuit episode is coming!! (If the concept of swimsuits exists)
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