「Ou, it’s been a while, eh!」


  「Ah, been a while Douglasー」


  We can hear Douglas’s loud voice as soon as we arrived at the Southern port and got off from the carriage

  Wearing a green coat with a long hem and a knife on his belt.

  A frightening look together with a body build on par with Roomba that makes him look pirate-ish, as usual.

  But the impact is too strong that somehow, it makes me want to step back even though he’s just walking toward me.

  When Douglas walked toward me, his expression gradually changes as he looked puzzled.

  「Hm? Alfried-sama became fatter, didn’t you? You look plumper than the first time we met ya’ know?」


  「It’s my growing period, after all, maybe I’m just growing taller?」


  「No, your height doesn’t increase that much, y’see」


  Douglas puts his hand on top of my head and patted my head as if to check on my height.

  It’s not like I’m a bit worried about it, but being told that after the greeting is……


  Was it that obvious that I’m getting fat?

  After touching my cheeks and body to ascertain it, Douglas went to Irvine and Mort.

  「Ohーohー, Irvine and Mort have also put on some weight, huh!」


  「It can’t be helped, right! The food and liquor are so good! What’s wrong with eating foods we can’t eat anywhere else until we’re full! I don’t have any regrets!」


  「That’s right, that’s right!」


  Irvine and Mort proudly said that to Douglas while pinching their stomach.

  It’s rather refreshing for them to be able to say that much.

  But, that is an opinion I can sympathize with. What’s more, the meal for the journey after this will tend to be simple.

  That means the calories we got during our stay will not go to waste.

  Hmm, let’s just think of it that way.

  Just when I’m convincing myself like that, Douglas headed for his next target, Aleutia, and Ilya.

  「Ooh, looks like you girls also enjoyed your stay in Kagura, huh――」


  「Noooooooooooo! Don’t say anything!」


  「I, I’m gonna help in checking the luggage!」


  Perhaps Aleutia and Ilya were listening to our conversation that as soon as Douglas approach them they screamed and ran away.

  So those two are the type that ran away from reality, huh?

  As I’m thinking like that, Douglas return while laughing and said 「 Hahahahaha, I haven’t said anything!」.

  「Come to think of it, where was Douglas when we stayed at the ryokan?」


  「Hm? We are merchants, see. So after we drop Alfried-sama and his group from the ship, we went around to other islands doing business, ya’ know? 」


  「Ah, I see. So there are other islands and countries besides this one」


  I have completely forgotten about Douglas’s main occupation - which is a merchant - since he looks like a pirate.

  「There are many islands here and the sea is vast. So we can buy various furnishings around here. Look, this necklace is beautiful isn’t it?」


  Saying that, Douglas showed me the necklace hanging around his neck.

  There was a white and shining fang tied with a string on his neck.

  It was pure white, and the elegant line that curves like a magatamais beautiful.

  However, it can show a slight rainbow-like color depending on the angle you saw it.

  It’s truly a high-quality good since it’s just like the color when you take a look into the other side of a seashell.

  「That’s really beautiful! Was it a fang of a monster or something?」


  「It seems to be a fang from a monster that lives deep in the sea. It almost never came to shallow waters, and it’s quite difficult to defeat and obtain its fangs. It’s heavy and only people with great authority among the citizens can wear it on their neck, so I need to pay more to get my hands on this, ya’ kno’」


  I seeー, I knew it, monsters also like to live in the shallows and also deep waters.

  In that case, when it comes to deep waters like the one in my previous life, there might be more monsters with different appearances.

  That’s scary, I definitely won’t go there.

  「If you like you can have it, how about it?」


  「Ehh? Wasn’t it precious and expensive?」


  「It’s fine, it’s just this much. But, you have to board my ship again the next time you’re out to the sea, alright? Alfried-sama is interesting, different from other nobles and you can come up with delicious food! Let’s travel together again!」


  When I asked him while being stunned, Douglas put the necklace on me as he laughed heartily.

  So you’re saying something really nice now, huh.

  I'm not the kind of person who goes out that often, but there are still a lot of countries I want to visit.

  And I still want to go to Kagura again and meet with everyone.

  「Un, okay. I will make sure to board Douglas’s ship again when I’m going somewhere across the sea」


  「Ou!」


  When I told him that, Douglas lightly raised his hand and headed for the ship.

  I stared at the necklace Douglas gave me…………


  「……hm? If I’m the only one who got this kind of beautiful necklace, then Elna-kaasan is going to get angry at me」


  Let’s buy other nice accessories that Douglas got from his trade of goods if there are any.

  I will keep that in mind.

  ◆


  It has been nearly an hour since we arrived at the South Port.

  The sailors of Douglas’ ship are currently loading the luggage that we brought with us into the ship.

  There is so much heavy stuff that I purchased, like a large amount of rice, soy sauce, and foodstuffs for our return trip, but it appears that the muscular sailors are used to smoothly carrying them.

  And yet, the amount is a lot and there is also the final verification for them so it takes time.

  It doesn’t seem like I will need to help them using magic, so I sat on the port and looked at the sea since I have nothing to do.

  The wind blows stronger here than in the city. The rich smell of salt drifts from the sea, and the sound of the waves resounded to every corner of the vast blue sea.

  I close my eyes while listening carefully to the sound of crashing waves.

  The quiet sound of water in the river is nice, but the sound of the sea as it makes continuous crashing sounds is also nice. As I’m listening to the sound of waves for some time like that, I can hear the sound of footsteps coming from behind me.

  From the sound of his steps, it should be Roomba.

  「That reminds me, when will Haru and Shuichi come?」


  「They said that they will definitely come to see us off, so they haven’t arrived yet, huh」


  Roomba and I can’t see Haru and Shuichi’s figures when we looked out to our surroundings once more.

  「When you think about it now, Haru and Shuichi are the children of the Shogun family, right? As expected, maybe they can’t come without being escorted by a lot of guards?」


  「We played together back at the shrine without them being accompanied by their attendants, so I think it’s not because of things like that」


  I’m sure of it, they will come stealthily just like usual. I want to believe so.

  「Oーi! Al!」


  「See, immediately after we talked about them Haru and Shuichi came――huh? Haru and Shuichi’s voice is kinda adult-like aren’t they?」


  「Yeah, but it’s a voice I’ve heard about before?」


  Roomba and I turn around to the source of the voice while thinking that it’s strange.

  And waving his hand over here is a handsome man with long hair running toward us.

  「It’s Kojirou!」


  「It is!」


  I stood up and went for Kojirou who ran up to us.

  「Fuuh, made it!」


  「Kojirou, are you here to see us off by any chance?」


  「Yeah, of course, friend. I saw some foreign country merchant heading toward the port by carriage when I was trying to do some research into how to make the tare sauce for unadon on the main street! So I ran here thinking that it’s probably your group!」


  Ooh, I guess he probably got lucky as he saw us as soon as we were leaving the ryokan.

  Though from the main street to the port is quite a distance in itself, as expected from former swordsman. I guess he’s quite confident in his legs.

  As Roomba and I were being impressed by him, Kojirou - who had caught his breath - looks indignant.

  「Even so, Al and Roomba are so unfriendly. You should have told me if you are going to go home!」


  「「But, we don’t know where to find Kojirou」」


  「……hm? O, oh?」


  When Roomba and I replied to him immediately, it was like Kojirou’s momentum was deflated as he muttered so after a few seconds.

  「So it’s like that, sorry. I was only thinking of making the unadon and quitting my job at the time」


  「Speaking of unadon, were you able to quit your job in the end, Kojirou?」


  「That’s right. I’m also curious about that. Did you manage to quit being a swordsman?」


  「…………」


  When Roomba and I asked him at the same time, Kojirou makes a solemn expression.

  Then, he suddenly smiled after around five seconds.

  The moment we saw his sincere smile, we know the result already.

  「I quit being a swordsman! Look! Despite this not even known yet, I’m wearing ordinary clothes! There’s no family crest on my back, and no one also forces me to do anything! I have obtained my freedom!」


  「Ooh, congratulations Kojirou!」


  「You did it!」


  I was happy that Kojirou was able to quit his job - as if I’m the one who quit my job - that I hugged him unintentionally.

  And when I hugged him, Roomba also joined in and vigorously hugged us.

  I don’t have any hobby of being hugged by guys, but it’s a joyous day when my friend quit his job.

  So we should share this happiness.

  「I did it! Al! Roomba! With this, now I can open Unadon restaurant!」


  「Yeah, you did it! Now you only have to make a delicious unadon!」


  「I will definitely come and eat it when it’s completed!」


  「Aah, you two have to come!」


  We shared our joy at the port, where the salty sea breeze is blowing.

  The smile of Kojirou who had quit his job was so bright and refreshing.