Chapter 4: Birthday and Departure

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/5/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

—Specified date has been exceeded.
—Playing message.

—Happy Birthday, Dear Ouka.
—Blessing To Your Life.

—Sakura-Drive. Download.
—Ready: OK?

“…So loud… Do what you want… mngh.”

—Verified.
—Sakura-Drive. Downloading_Now…

—Installation Is Complete.

∞∞∞∞

I feel like I had a weird dream. I can’t remember it, though.
Something like a bard’s hero tale. A grand adventure.
…No idea. Anyway, get dressed.

A little earlier than usual.
The sun isn’t up yet. Even the chickens are still asleep, and here I am swinging a pot.
Heave, heave.

If you dry-roast grains like wheat and drive the moisture out, they keep.
But they’re heavy. Relentlessly heavy. I rest between swings.
Trying to do it all at once was a mistake.
Heave, heave.

At the same time I smoke dried sweet potato in my homemade smoker.
This is a lot too. Smoking dried sweet potato makes it keep even longer, and it tastes better.
It’s just incredibly billowy. Smoky, but kind of fun.

I’ve also made pickled vegetables, salt-cured fish, all sorts of things.
With this much, we should be fine for a while. I want to think so.

Morning prep will be hard until they get used to it, whatever else you say, and having things they can eat right away should make it easier on everyone.
I made my own travel share at the same time, so it came out to quite a volume, but…
Well, fine. It’s a pretty spectacular sight. I’m satisfied.

…Ah. I haven’t made this morning’s. Need to add soup.

∞∞∞∞

Sister Naria was appalled at the amount of food I’d made ahead, but breakfast was the usual.
While doing dishes and laundry, I walk the older kids through the morning work.
It’s all things they already know, but listen anyway. It’ll come in handy.

“Ah, right. The bakery said they’d like to hire a replacement if there’s a kid… yeah, I think you all will be fine.
When this is done, shall we go say hello together?”
“…Will it be okay? That man is a little scary…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. His face is scary, but he’s kind. He always gives us bread, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah… all right. I’ll go!”
“Then let’s finish the laundry first. Come on, tread, tread.”

That should take care of the bakery too.
Once we’ve said hello, I have to pack right away.

∞∞∞∞

Early afternoon, I finally finish putting my few things together and stuff them into a fairly large bag.
Clothes, and clothes, and snacks, and clothes.
As for travel money, I have what I’ve saved up, so I should manage… but I’ll be careful not to use it if I can help it.

I also tried putting the handguns in, but they take up a lot of room, so I’ve had to hang them behind my hips.
It’s strange how little they weigh. What are these even made of?
Ring is a mystery, but these handguns are a pretty big mystery too.

“Ouka, it seems the shared coach is here out front.”
“Okaaay, thanks.”
“Listen. I think you’ll be fine, knowing you, but…”
“Don’t go near dark places. Don’t go near alleys. Right?”
“Yes. Very good. Take care.”
“Then I’m off.”

The shared coach was quite large.
Half our kids could probably fit.
I step up the ladder, and almost every seat is taken.

Ah, the window seat at the very back is open. I’ll take that.
…Ugh, the seats are hard.
Well, of course. It’s a cheap coach even I can afford.

I put the cushion I brought under me.
It matches the one I gave Sister Naria a long time ago.
Not exactly plush, but better than nothing.
I like the design too.

Looking out the window, the church kids and the bakery owner are around Sister Naria.
They’re waving like crazy. A bit embarrassing, but I lean out and wave too.

This is actually my first trip that isn’t there-and-back in a day.
I have a lot of thoughts.
About the church, about school, about how I look.

Black hair, black eyes. A color no one else in this town has.
It makes me stand out for no reason, and there have been plenty of things that weren’t fun.
But Sister Naria said it’s a color like night, and it settles you.
So this color is a small pride of mine.

Even in the capital, I’ll hold my head up.

The town I know recedes, bit by bit.
The town where the people I love are.
…I’ll be gone a little while.

∞∞∞∞

Besides me, there were eight passengers in the coach.
Merchant-looking people, an old woman, a burly uncle, a father with a child, a somewhat fierce-faced adventurer.

Everyone has some reason for heading to the capital, I suppose.
We might be looking after each other on the road, so I handed out the candy I’d brought.
…I somehow got more stuff back than I gave out.

Cookies, biscuits, cranberries wrapped in chocolate.
They all looked good, so I’ll nibble them along the way.

Everyone, please be good to me!

∞∞∞∞

We reach a coaching inn around sundown.
We’re staying the night here, apparently.
It doesn’t seem like people are always around; the hall inside is pretty run-down.
Like the church’s unused storeroom. Wider than that, though.

I open the windows and start cleaning with the tools that were there.
While I’m at it, I do everyone else’s spots too.
No point cleaning just one place.
Ah, right.

“Driver, can I use the kitchen? I brought potatoes and thought I might make dinner.”
“I don’t mind. Please use it as you like. Ah, if you would, could you make a portion for me as well?”
“Okay. I found a big pot, so it should cover everyone here.
Ah, but I might not have enough ingredients…”
“That’s all right. We have ample stores.”
“Oh, copy that. Give me a moment.”

Cooking is one of my few hobbies.
Ingredients are potatoes, and… there’s dried meat and beans in the stores.
Then I can mash potato and beans into a bread, and make soup with the dried meat.
The stove is… that stone-built one over there. I’ll use it gratefully.
All right, let’s knock this out!

∞∞∞∞

“Hey, Big Sis. I have a favor.”
“Oh, what’s up?”

While the dinner soup is simmering, the girl from the same coach calls out to me.

“Um, I want you to do my hair.”
“Hair? Ah, it gets in the way when you eat. Does your mother usually do it?”
“I usually do it myself, but I’m not good at it… I’m going to town to see my mother!”
“I see. Here, let me?”

It’s such pretty, silky blond hair; I’ll put it in a braid.
Bring the bangs back… there. Done.

“Okay. You look cute.”
“Thank you! I’m going to show Papa!”
“Yes, yes. I’ll call you when the food’s ready.”

She can say thank you properly at that age. That’s a good kid.
I want our little ones to take notes.

∞∞∞∞

“Ah, miss. Have you decided where you’ll sleep tonight?”

Just when the bread should be about done, this time it’s the father who speaks to me.

“…Pardon? No, I was going to sleep in a corner somewhere.”
“Well, you see, my daughter won’t stop saying she wants to sleep with you.
If you wouldn’t mind, could you sleep with her?”

Oh. Did I win her over? I don’t mind that.

“That’s fine. I’m used to sleeping with someone.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you for everything.”
“Well, it’s what I always do. It’s fine.”
“Sorry. Is there anything I can help with?”

Nnyu. Help, he says, but the food’s almost done.

“Then, since it’s almost ready, could you put the plates out?”
“Ah. Easy enough. The plates are… stacked over there, looks like. I’ll fetch them.”

He calls his daughter with a smile, and the two of them get the plates ready.
All right. Let’s finish the rest.

∞∞∞∞

The potato-bean bread and dried-meat soup were, unfortunately, a little lacking.
Yeah, without ingredients it’s just okay… well, we’re on the road.
I think I did pretty well given what there was.
I’m holding a one-person postmortem when—

“Miss, a moment?”

This time it’s the fierce-faced man.
Leather armor and a sword; maybe a hunter.

“Yes. Seconds?”
“Well, I want that too. It’s about sleeping places tonight.”
“Sleeping places? For everyone?”
“Yeah, I’m a hired adventurer so I’ll be on watch, doesn’t matter to me… but while we’re at it, could you assign the sleeping places, miss?
Times like this, you get little fights.”

Hoh. Is that how it is.
And this man is a hired adventurer. He does seem used to travel.

“I see. Then perhaps the old woman toward the back. It’s warm there, and no draft.
If the men would sleep in the middle, that would help. The girl and I will take the far end on the other side.”
“Ou, thanks. That all right with everyone?”

When he asks, they all agree in their own words.
It’s friendly. It’s a little fun, somehow.

“Tonight’s watch, please take care of us.”
“Yeah. You fed me a good meal, too.
…So, can I get seconds?”

He grins and holds out his bowl, so I pour soup and hand it over.
His face is a little scary, but he might be a kind person.
The bakery owner too—are all the scary-faced people kind?

After the meal and the dishes, I fall asleep in the corner of the room with the girl in my arms.
Tomorrow’s start is early too, apparently. I’ll try to get up early for breakfast prep as well.