The next morning, I woke up to see the gentle sunlight pouring through the window.
“Hmm…aaahhh…”
I stretched my limbs and tried to shake off the last residues of sleepiness. And with that, I got off from the low bed and headed to the bathroom, where I washed my face. It was just as I was walking out while trying to tame my bed hair, that I bumped into Daniela.
“Woah. You surprised me. Morning.”
“Good morning, Asagi. …Haaa…”
She was still sleepy. She usually looked so sharp, but her face in the morning was quite the opposite.
I moved out of the way, leaving her a clear path to the sink. In the meantime, I got changed and prepared to go out.
Daniela finished washing up but was still sleepy. Still, while her movements were sluggish, she was able to get dressed.
“I think Bacon should be arriving soon…”
Just then, we heard a knock on the door.
“Looks like he’s here.”
“I will go.”
Daniela stopped as I was getting up, and she jogged to the door instead.
“Bacon?”
“Ah, yes. It’s me.”
“Wait one moment.”
Ah, yes. He said. I called him Bacon because his reactions amused me, and it was hard to stop once you got going. But his real name was Yacon. Not only that, but he was a captain. But you wouldn’t know it by the way he talked to Daniela. But I could understand that. Yes.
Such thoughts were in my head as I chuckled and put on my bag.
“There you are.”
“Morning, Asagi. And you, Miss Daniela. Shall we go then?”
“Yes. Thank you for helping us.”
“Uh, yes.”
Bacon seemed quite surprised by Daniela’s politeness. She had been trying her hardest since yesterday.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Ah, hey. There is no point in you walking on ahead if you do not know the way!”
“Roads are made after I’ve walked.”
“Uh. What?”
I was so proud and happy for Daniela, but also felt a little embarrassed about it, and ended up saying something nonsensical. What was this strange feeling? Hmm. I didn’t understand it. But it was different from love?
“…Uh, I don’t know. I discarded all my emotions.”
“Are you alright? Did you hit your head?”
Bacon asked me worriedly as he started touching my head.
“Ah, hey. Stop that. I just got done fixing my hair!”
“Woah, it’s like a bird.”
“Asagi. That is quite embarrassing.”
“Tsk…!”
That’s why I spent so much time on it… Damn you, Bacon!
□ □ □ □
Once we left the inn, Daniela suggested we get breakfast first, and so Bacon took us to the place that he always ate at. It was there that I ate a plate of bacon and eggs, while giving him a knowing look.
“Look at this crispy bacon…!”
“Eating bread with such a soft yolk is just too delicious…!”
“Could you two just shut up…”
The best way to eat things is only discovered after thorough research. And we didn’t mind putting in the work.
Once we were full, Bacon led us through the town. As this was a trading town, it was bustling even in the early morning. We saw carts being drawn that were filled with mountains of sacks.
There were merchants who compared their goods with the lists they held in their hands. And there were also Adventurers with swords hanging from their belts.
Guards to escort people to this town and guards to escort people out. There was a great need for Adventurers here. And so if you were good, there would be no lack of work for you.
We watched such sights from the corner of our eyes as we followed after Bacon. And we soon reached the great river. Nicora was on the other side of it.
“Now that I think about it, I do not know what this river is called.”
“Neither do I.”
“What? You don’t know? It’s the Great Ritune River. It flows from the Alexia mountain ranges to the depth of the southern forests.”
The Great Ritune River, huh… Well, it certainly was huge.
“It goes that far?”
“Aye. Everyone in Usk knows to avoid going too far downstream. There are no more towns past here. And the south is full of danger.”
“I see…that’s good to know.”
That forest was one of our destinations. We had been thinking about going down the river and then heading south, but if the river could take us to the far depths of the forest, then that would make things much easier.
“Asagi. Are you thinking about going to the forest?”
“Yeah. Didn’t I tell you?”
“You didn’t. And that forest is incredibly dangerous.”
“I know that. And I’d like to think that I’m prepared. But regardless, we have to go.”
It was already decided. We would go to the forest, then the west island and then to the north. No one could say anything to make us change our minds.
“…Well, perhaps if anyone would make it through fine, it would be you. Especially if Miss Daniela is there.”
“Daniela’s worth a hundred Adventurers.”
“I do not care to be overvalued.”
I jabbed Bacon in the ribs as he slapped me on the back. Daniela chuckled with exasperation.
“Well, it seems that we have arrived.”
“Here…”
Bacon pointed at a store that had a sign that read: ‘Lontos’s Boats.’ So it was owned by a certain Lontos then.
“Hey, Old Lontos. It’s me, Yakon.”
“Ah, you came. So, you must be the one who wants the boat?”
“Yes, my name is Asagi. And this is…”
“Daniela. It is a pleasure.”
Daniela said with a bow.
“Hm. I’m Lontos. Nice to meet you both.”
I shook the wrinkled, old hand that was offered. While he was quite old, he had a firm grip. A craftsman’s hand.
Mister Lontos shook Daniela’s hand and then went back into his store while urging us to follow.
“Well, this is as far as I go.”
“Thanks. You were a great help.”
“It’s nothing. This is also part of my job.”
We shook Bacon’s hand as well.
“We’ll be leaving Usk tomorrow. You should come and see us off.”
“I know. Later then.”
“Aye, later.”
And with that, he returned towards the town. I could see that passersby were waving and smiling at him. He sure was popular… I liked him myself. He was very open and easy to talk to. I liked people like that…
Now, we couldn’t keep Mister Lontos waiting. And so we stepped into the store.
The next morning, I woke up to see the gentle sunlight pouring through the window.
“Hmm…aaahhh…”
I stretched my limbs and tried to shake off the last residues of sleepiness. And with that, I got off from the low bed and headed to the bathroom, where I washed my face. It was just as I was walking out while trying to tame my bed hair, that I bumped into Daniela.
“Woah. You surprised me. Morning.”
“Good morning, Asagi. …Haaa…”
She was still sleepy. She usually looked so sharp, but her face in the morning was quite the opposite.
I moved out of the way, leaving her a clear path to the sink. In the meantime, I got changed and prepared to go out.
Daniela finished washing up but was still sleepy. Still, while her movements were sluggish, she was able to get dressed.
“I think Bacon should be arriving soon…”
Just then, we heard a knock on the door.
“Looks like he’s here.”
“I will go.”
Daniela stopped as I was getting up, and she jogged to the door instead.
“Bacon?”
“Ah, yes. It’s me.”
“Wait one moment.”
Ah, yes. He said. I called him Bacon because his reactions amused me, and it was hard to stop once you got going. But his real name was Yacon. Not only that, but he was a captain. But you wouldn’t know it by the way he talked to Daniela. But I could understand that. Yes.
Such thoughts were in my head as I chuckled and put on my bag.
“There you are.”
“Morning, Asagi. And you, Miss Daniela. Shall we go then?”
“Yes. Thank you for helping us.”
“Uh, yes.”
Bacon seemed quite surprised by Daniela’s politeness. She had been trying her hardest since yesterday.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Ah, hey. There is no point in you walking on ahead if you do not know the way!”
“Roads are made after I’ve walked.”
“Uh. What?”
I was so proud and happy for Daniela, but also felt a little embarrassed about it, and ended up saying something nonsensical. What was this strange feeling? Hmm. I didn’t understand it. But it was different from love?
“…Uh, I don’t know. I discarded all my emotions.”
“Are you alright? Did you hit your head?”
Bacon asked me worriedly as he started touching my head.
“Ah, hey. Stop that. I just got done fixing my hair!”
“Woah, it’s like a bird.”
“Asagi. That is quite embarrassing.”
“Tsk…!”
That’s why I spent so much time on it… Damn you, Bacon!
□ □ □ □
Once we left the inn, Daniela suggested we get breakfast first, and so Bacon took us to the place that he always ate at. It was there that I ate a plate of bacon and eggs, while giving him a knowing look.
“Look at this crispy bacon…!”
“Eating bread with such a soft yolk is just too delicious…!”
“Could you two just shut up…”
The best way to eat things is only discovered after thorough research. And we didn’t mind putting in the work.
Once we were full, Bacon led us through the town. As this was a trading town, it was bustling even in the early morning. We saw carts being drawn that were filled with mountains of sacks.
There were merchants who compared their goods with the lists they held in their hands. And there were also Adventurers with swords hanging from their belts.
Guards to escort people to this town and guards to escort people out. There was a great need for Adventurers here. And so if you were good, there would be no lack of work for you.
We watched such sights from the corner of our eyes as we followed after Bacon. And we soon reached the great river. Nicora was on the other side of it.
“Now that I think about it, I do not know what this river is called.”
“Neither do I.”
“What? You don’t know? It’s the Great Ritune River. It flows from the Alexia mountain ranges to the depth of the southern forests.”
The Great Ritune River, huh… Well, it certainly was huge.
“It goes that far?”
“Aye. Everyone in Usk knows to avoid going too far downstream. There are no more towns past here. And the south is full of danger.”
“I see…that’s good to know.”
That forest was one of our destinations. We had been thinking about going down the river and then heading south, but if the river could take us to the far depths of the forest, then that would make things much easier.
“Asagi. Are you thinking about going to the forest?”
“Yeah. Didn’t I tell you?”
“You didn’t. And that forest is incredibly dangerous.”
“I know that. And I’d like to think that I’m prepared. But regardless, we have to go.”
It was already decided. We would go to the forest, then the west island and then to the north. No one could say anything to make us change our minds.
“…Well, perhaps if anyone would make it through fine, it would be you. Especially if Miss Daniela is there.”
“Daniela’s worth a hundred Adventurers.”
“I do not care to be overvalued.”
I jabbed Bacon in the ribs as he slapped me on the back. Daniela chuckled with exasperation.
“Well, it seems that we have arrived.”
“Here…”
Bacon pointed at a store that had a sign that read: ‘Lontos’s Boats.’ So it was owned by a certain Lontos then.
“Hey, Old Lontos. It’s me, Yakon.”
“Ah, you came. So, you must be the one who wants the boat?”
“Yes, my name is Asagi. And this is…”
“Daniela. It is a pleasure.”
Daniela said with a bow.
“Hm. I’m Lontos. Nice to meet you both.”
I shook the wrinkled, old hand that was offered. While he was quite old, he had a firm grip. A craftsman’s hand.
Mister Lontos shook Daniela’s hand and then went back into his store while urging us to follow.
“Well, this is as far as I go.”
“Thanks. You were a great help.”
“It’s nothing. This is also part of my job.”
We shook Bacon’s hand as well.
“We’ll be leaving Usk tomorrow. You should come and see us off.”
“I know. Later then.”
“Aye, later.”
And with that, he returned towards the town. I could see that passersby were waving and smiling at him. He sure was popular… I liked him myself. He was very open and easy to talk to. I liked people like that…
Now, we couldn’t keep Mister Lontos waiting. And so we stepped into the store.
