"I'll Catch Up Later, So Go On Ahead!" I Said, and Stayed Behind in the Dungeon for Five Years. When I Returned to the Royal Capital, for Some Reason, I Had Become a Great Criminal, So I Decided to Retire. But Outstanding People Keep Gathering Around Me Though... - Episode 12: The First Night

Episode 12: The First Night

There wasn’t a single window in the room. Not even proper lighting—only a flickering magic lamp. The faint light dimly illuminated the space. It cast murky shadows in the air.

In the center was a long obsidian table. Only one chair to sit on. In that chair, a certain young man sat quietly with just his fingertips joined.

“Ah, you’re back. Zephyr.”

“Yes. Just as ordered, I investigated the surroundings of the target. But I didn’t obtain anything in particular.”

The young man’s platinum hair swayed at shoulder length. And the eyes peeking through the strands were a pale gold, close to amber.

He wore a deep crimson long coat. On the collar and sleeves, intricate golden embroidery had been applied.

“Hmm. I thought there had been suspicious movements lately. But maybe it was just needless fear.”

“However… I did meet a pair—a man and a woman. I don’t think they’re related, though.”

“──That’s for me to decide. Tell me immediately.”

“Y-Yes…!”

The young man turned a sharp gaze toward Zephyr. Faced with those abyss-like eyes that reflected nothing, Zephyr trembled. Then, Zephyr relayed information about Haru and Lisel. Though he didn’t know their names, he described their appearances.

“Hmm. A young woman and a white-haired man, huh.”

“Yes. If I went all out──I could easily eliminate them. What shall I do?”

“Let’s let them swim freely for a while. Besides, the seeds I’ve sown are steadily spreading. If I later judge them as obstacles, I’ll have you eliminate them.”

“Yes…! I await your command──Prince Raiz.”

†

“Ah. Um… what about the shower?”

“You can go first, Lisel.”

“O-Okay…”

We got money from the boss for two rooms. But I didn’t expect this kind of situation… From my experience as an adventurer, I’m used to staying in the same place with women. You camp together in dungeons. But sharing a single room at an inn is definitely a first.

Even I can’t help but feel nervous—I can’t pretend not to notice. Still, I have absolutely no intention of doing anything. I wouldn’t be able to face the boss, and Lisel might be scared too. I’ll sleep on the floor in the corner of the room.

After waiting a while, Lisel came out of the shower. Her hair was still wet, with droplets trailing down her neck and falling to her collarbone. Her steam-wrapped pale skin was tinged with a faint cherry-pink.

“Haru-san, you’re next…”

“Yeah.”

I quickly showered and came out to see Lisel sitting quietly on the bed. She seemed tense. Her gaze was wandering nervously.

“Lisel.”

“Y-Yes…!”

“I’ll sleep on the floor. Use the bed however you like.”

“Eh!?”

“I’m a former adventurer. Sleeping on the ground was normal. Just having a roof and floor is more than enough.”

“B-But…”

Lisel looked down, crestfallen. I know very well that it would be bad to sleep in the same bed with a young woman. Like I said, I’m used to sleeping on the ground. During the five years in the Abyss Sanctum, I never even had a bed.

“──N-No. It’s no good…”

Just as I was about to lie down on the floor, Lisel tightly grabbed my sleeve.

“Haru-san can’t sleep on the floor! You helped me today. And I can’t let my savior do something like that!”

“But──”

“I’m fine with sleeping together. B-But you’re not allowed to do anything weird, okay? I, um… I don’t have any experience or know any proper manners or anything…”

“……”

I feel like I just heard some unnecessary information, but… I’ll forget that. Still, hmm. What to do? Well, maybe it doesn’t feel good for Lisel if I sleep on the floor either. If she says it’s okay, I’ll share the bed. As long as I don’t think anything strange, it’s fine.

“Alright. If you say so, Lisel.”

“O-Okay. Um… thank you.”

Lisel and I lay down in the same bed. It was cramped with the two of us. And with my large body, there wasn’t much space. I moved as close to the wall as I could and turned my back to Lisel.

“Haru-san, are you awake?”

“Yeah.”

“Today, um… thank you. I was really scared and couldn’t do anything…”

“You don’t need to worry. You did nothing wrong, Lisel.”

“Once again, I’m really glad someone like you came to our shop. I don’t say this just because you helped me. You’re truly a kind person and very capable at work. Thanks to you, both my father and I find things much easier than before.”

“That’s good to hear. Though someday, I’d like to have one of my own breads displayed too.”

“Father is strict. But I’m sure you’ll manage someday. I also want to create something original. Hehe, I won’t lose to you, Haru-san.”

“Y-Yeah…”

Lisel’s original bread will──probably never make it to the storefront. I mean, there’s no way that monster should be sold publicly. Still, I can’t tell her the truth… Even so, I feel like we’ve gotten close enough for these little conversations to feel comforting.

“Suu… suu… Haru-san…”

Before I knew it, Lisel had fallen asleep.

Guess I should sleep too. I let drowsiness take over.

“…Morning already.”

The faint morning sun woke me up. But I felt something wrapped around my body. I’ve gotten dull. Back in Abyss Sanctum, I would’ve noticed any slight discomfort even in sleep. Maybe my mindset has changed.

But for some reason, I felt something squishy around my arm.

“Hm? This is…”

When I checked, I saw Lisel was tightly clinging to me. Her soft chest was pressing firmly against me, whether I liked it or not.

It was definitely awkward. So I decided to wake her up.

“Lisel. Wake up.”

“Nn…? Is it morning already…?”

“Sorry, but can you let go of me?”

“Eh──? A-Ahhh! I-I’m sorry! F-Forgive me──!”

After that, we quickly got ready and left the inn. While we were heading to the carriage stop through Rothen, Lisel held her head in her hands.

“I-I’m sorry, Haru-san! Actually, I can’t sleep without a hug pillow…”

“It’s fine. I’m not bothered. But I am a man, after all. It probably won’t happen again, but be careful.”

“Yes… I’m sorry. It just felt so nice to hug… I couldn’t help myself. I’m really sorry…”

Lisel is dependable. But she’s also a little airheaded. Like yesterday, she blurts out things she shouldn’t say. Saying I felt nice to hug is really embarrassing…

With that kind of exchange, we safely returned to Rothen. The city has none of the noise of a metropolis and is very calm. Even though I’ve only been here a short while, I’ve already started to feel like it’s home. Personally, it suits me better than the capital.

“Dad, I’m home!”

“Boss. I’m back.”

Today the bakery is closed. So the boss wasn’t making bread. He seemed to be reading a thick book in the living room. Probably something useful for baking.

“You’re back. Did you deliver it safely?”

“Yes. Without issue.”

“Today’s a holiday, so you can take it easy too.”

“Understood. Then I’ll excuse myself.”

“Haru-san. Once again, thank you so much!”

I left the bakery and headed home. Honestly, I didn’t know what to do with my day off. I had no real plans. If I had to pick, maybe baking. The boss lent me a few helpful books. So I decided to study them.

That’s how I spent my day off──and when I reported to the bakery as usual, something felt off as I entered the store.

“There’s one extra presence…”

I went toward the source of the presence. And in the kitchen, I found someone wearing a jet-black cloak.

“Who are you──!”

“……!”

Noticing my presence, that person suddenly activated magic. Only magical residue remained where they were. And the person had completely vanished.

Teleportation magic…? To activate it instantly means they’re quite skilled… Or perhaps they had a teleportation-type magic tool prepared beforehand. Either way, they don’t seem like a mere thief.

“Haru-san! Is something wrong?!”

“Haru. What happened?”

I had raised my voice. So Lisel and the boss both came to check. Then, I explained to them that someone had broken in──.