♪ Tee-te-ree!
The sound effect magic chime announced Anju’s presence as she floated in the large bath at Nina Castle. She wasn’t bobbing in the water, but suspended in mid-air, completely naked.
(The angle is a bit… but since it’s just the two of us, it’s fine.)
The first bath was a bit too hot, so she seemed to be bathing in the steam in mid-air until it cooled down.
“Anju, can you play a new song for me?”
“Yep! Thinking time, start!”
♪ Day-ray-day-ray, deh-deh-ray-deh-ray-deh-ray-deh-deh-ray
♪ Deh-deh-ray-deh-deh-ray-deh-ray-deh-ray-deh-ray
♪ Tete-te-tay-tay, tete-te-tay-tay, tete-te-tay-tay, tete-te-tay-tay
It was a rather cheerful song, with a good rhythm. If this were a novel, people would probably complain about it being filler or that only the author would get the original reference.
(So many things happened after our date.)
After leaving the underground coffee shop, I deliberately walked back to Nina Castle, and heard all sorts of extraneous voices.
“Oh, what a cute little couple!”
“At least hold hands, you short guy.”
“Ugh, that bear drawing is terrible. Is it a punishment game?”
“Speaking of brown-skinned women, I saw a female warrior slave flashing her chest at the bar. Though she was an old hag.”
“I think that kid was suspiciously looking into the cheap brothel.”
Hey, that last one is a false accusation! I was just passing by… wait, is the song over?
“Anju?”
“This one ends in 30 seconds.”
“Okay, how about a song that sounds like walking through town?”
“Aww, okay!”
♪ ~
Yeah, it’s a good song, but I feel like I shouldn’t elaborate on this one. It’s *that* song! I don’t know anything, though. I want you to imagine it based on the hint “town” alone.
(Let’s get back to the story. When we detoured to East Area A, there was someone who recognized us.)
“Anju? Anju, you’ve gotten so cute.”
“Um, have we met before, Adventurer?”
“No, you probably don’t know me. I’m just a passerby, like an observer.”
Certainly, I don’t recall ever teaming up with him.
“But how did you recognize Anju?”
“Oh, she’s brown-skinned, and walking with Hero Deles, not to mention being about the same height.”
“Amazing!”
Anju floated up and patted his head, and the man seemed to like it.
“But I heard you went to the Mu Mu Empire.”
“Yes, all the rescue requests for people who couldn’t leave are finished, and we’ve returned for the Tournament.”
“Oh, is the Hero participating?”
“I’m not, but Anju is.”
She nodded vigorously. It was a gesture that briefly reminded me of the old Anju.
“That’s exciting! I lost in last week’s preliminaries. There are always too many swordsmen, you know.”
“Is that so?”
“Sorry for bothering you. See ya!”
…Well, it seems that in East Area A, it was somewhat known that I was the Hero. I wonder if he saw me at the Adventurer Guild? As I tried to recall, he reminded me of a guy who was so shocked he almost fell over when he saw Anju in some mysterious Illusionist Mode, threatening a succubus with a dagger.
(But that was at the West Adventurer Guild, though. Well, I guess I’ll go, we’re going anyway…)
“I can go in now!”
Splash! I went into the water. I had already washed her entire body thoroughly, so I’ll let it slide. It’s still like an extension of our date.
“Mmm-hmm, Anju.”
“What is it?”
“Mmm.”
“Mmm?”
“Mmm-hmm-hmm!”
Ah, she wants a kiss.
“Then shall we stop the music?”
“Okay!”
After a moment of silence, our lips met. Yeah, are we a childish couple? It doesn’t matter, I don’t care. As long as we’re happy between us, Anju and I…
(Anju won’t leave me, and I won’t leave Anju either.)
After our bath time flirtation, it was time for dinner. The brown slave, Deru Deru Ecstasy, was bringing the food. Ah, she’s wearing a low-cut dress, Mama! I could see a bit more!
(Yeah, I’m certainly not happy about it.)
“Ah, Master, how about me?”
“This is my answer!”
“Guaaaaaah!”
I grabbed her chest and pulled, tightening the collar around Madam Butterfly’s neck! I’m tired of your flashing, I saw the color of the tips of your breasts early on.
“Deles, remember that women are sensitive to how their bodies are looked at, even if they are slaves.”
“Y-yes! By the way, Nina, about what happened today with that underground information broker.”
Changing the subject, I told her about the gruff-looking swordsman or warrior who heard rumors about Anju.
“Hmm, that’s strange. According to the Adventurer Guild, there have been no inquiries about Anju.”
“Ah, really?”
“There’s no need to relay them anyway. It’s one thing if they were a newcomer.”
She’s in her teens, but in terms of achievements, she’s already a veteran.
“If you’re stopping those kinds of inquiries, Nina…”
“Those who come directly to me are turned away. And it’s not just Anju, either.”
“So you mean Clarice too?”
“And Deles.”
(Eh, me?!)
At those words, Anju, who was eating next to me, clung to my arm. She seemed a little worried.
“Deles, I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere! Okay?”
“More importantly, I won’t allow it.”
Yeah, it seems I’ll never escape from Nina.
“Umm, it’s pretty obvious that I’m the Hero, right?”
“Of course. Not just as the Hero, but as a Porter, and a Hero Porter.”
I guess I’ve become too famous.
“Are there people I know among them?”
“Who knows. I also received a message from a pervert who said, ‘I want to strip that short Hero who looks like a boy and do all sorts of things to him.’”
“Ehh, that sounds like Ni—”
“It wasn’t me.”
So there are other perverts like Nina out there. How terrifying.
“Also, as you probably know, the most direct inquiries come from Helen.”
“Ah, because she’s a slave!”
“That’s right.”
From the days of the Milishitan Continent, I’ve heard that with slaves, money can solve anything.
“Deles.”
“What is it, Anju?”
“Can we sleep together tonight?”
“Haha, yeah, okay.”
Still, how can I get a route to acquire Anju? Madam Butterfly’s words suggest there might be a way!
(I’ll ask again underground tomorrow.)
