“Uu… Uu… Have a nice trip…”
“Be a good girl. We’ll bring you a gift.”
Ririi is holding on to my clothes like she doesn’t want to let me go, and I gently get her hands off me. She’s looking at the ground while puffing her cheeks like a mochi. I’m so sorry…
“And for me too, right!?”
Kaya stops cleaning the room, turns her head, and yells this way.
…Apparently the hundred thousand zeni I gave her before went to one of those ‘pots that pop out money’ that I see being sold outside once in a while. Obviously, she was scammed.
And so, she’s out of money again, and she’s gladly accepting my request to look after Ririi.
Apparently the pot hasn’t produced any money yet, but she says it’s looking like it will happen soon. It would be nice if it did.
“Fine, just look after Ririi. And don’t buy another pot.”
“Weiss says we will be back today, but is that really possible?”
“Don’t worry. Five hundred kilometers will be just a few seconds.”
“I don’t really get it but… I’m not really in a hurry…”
“Let’s stop chatting and go already. We’ll see you later, Ririi.”
“See you later… Come back soon.”
“I will.”
I close the somewhat thin door that you’d expect from an apartment building like this, and we leave Kaya’s place. This area isn’t as safe as the high class residential district, but not bad enough that incidents happen and people just think it’s no big deal. Not to mention that Zenith is way more dangerous.
“Sieglinde, are you sure we don’t have to worry about guards?”
“Yes, I stationed two capable ones.”
“…I guess it’ll be fine then.”
Am I worrying too much… My heart feels restless when I’m away from Ririi. I can’t help but look back at Kaya’s place, and notice Ririi’s face glued to the window, as she looks down here. I raise my hand, and she waves her small hand.
“Fuh… People sure can change.”
“Ah? What do you mean?”
I look back down, and see a crude smile on Sieglinde’s face. She really is bad at smiling. I’m pretty sure that’s why Ririi still hasn’t taken to her.
“You were so sour when we were in school, and the minute you became a parent you turned all sweet towards your kid.”
“I wasn’t sour. I think people saw me as a charming guy.”
“They didn’t. I remember most girls saying they thought you were scary. Well, they didn’t exactly tell me directly, but…”
“Did you even talk to anyone besides me?”
“…I just didn’t need to. But I’ve been doing pretty well ever since I stepped out into the world.”
“Really? It doesn’t look like it.”
I’ve seen her work a few times, and it really didn’t seem like she got along with people in her workplace on a personal level. She goes straight to my place after work every night too.
I’ve never had a proper job, so I don’t really know, but don’t people usually go out drinking with their co-workers?
“It’s not that I changed, it’s that you’re exactly the same. And I’m not ‘all sweet’ when it comes to Ririi.”
I really need to fix this misconception. I’ve decided to be tough with Ririi’s education so she can eventually live on her own.
Sieglinde smiles, almost like she’s implying that she doesn’t have anything more to say, and changes the subject.
What’s with that smile, uh?
“How do you intend to travel anyway? You said we would get there in a flash, but I don’t get what you mean.”
“Well, I think it’ll be a fun experience for you. Just follow me.”
“Fun experience? That doesn’t sound good… You know this is work…”
“Yes yes, just hurry up.”
“H-hey…”
I pull Sieglinde by the hand, and she starts muttering about how ‘we’re not in a hurry’ and, ‘moving is part of the fun of taking a trip’, but she eventually gives up and stops. We’re not taking a trip, this is work.
I think the position of assistant chief of the ministry of magic might actually be more relaxed than I thought.
◆
We advance through the commercial street, and head to Miss Esmeralda’s store. This is the busiest street in the capital, but it’s the morning of a day off, so everyone’s still sleeping and there are only a few people walking around, and the only places that are open are cafes.
It goes without saying that Miss Esmeralda’s store has the closed sign in front of its door.
“Is this… A robe store…? I think it’s closed.”
“Yes. This place has kind of an interesting history, and it’s where I got Ririi’s robe.”
“Interesting…?”
Sieglinde looks at me with a quizzical look. She’s been living in the capital all these years, but that doesn’t mean she knows every store here.
“Well, that doesn’t matter for today. Just wait here.”
I go around the back, where I’m supposed to find…
“Oh, here it is. I was worried she’d forgotten.”
I push it back, and Sieglinde’s eyes widen. I used to ride around in one of these when we were in school, to repay my debt to her, so she might be feeling a wave of nostalgia washing over her.
“Nostalgic, right? But don’t worry, this one’s way faster than the one from back then. It should get us there in about two hours.”
I say as I stop the modified two-wheeled vehicle in front of Sieglinde. I thought for sure she’d be happy, but for some reason, she’s not laughing.
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Thanks for the chapter Hidamarisou! Ah, a past trauma I see.