Philiana and Arisugawa were taught the Bell Dance, a traditional dance, by a girl from Servitaurus.
After that, we were guided to an empty house in the village. It was simply built, but much more comfortable than sleeping outdoors.
“I was a little embarrassed, but it was fun.”
“Mmm, so romantic! A sweet and sour dance between the two young ones.”
Karubene teased, cutting through Philiana’s innocent feelings.
“Stop it. It’s daytime. Let’s rest for now, and go buy groceries tomorrow.”
As there weren’t enough beds for this many people, I decided to sleep on the old sofa in the living room. After everyone else had gone, I noticed Piyo was still awake.
She was staring intently at a book she received from Elana, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“You should go to bed. If you stay up too late, you won’t be able to wake up.”
“Un… I know, but I want to be able to use magic, Piyo…”
After saying that, Piyo quietly closed her eyes. I lifted Piyo onto the sofa and covered her with a blanket.
Compared to when we first met, I feel like she’s grown a lot. Honestly, when she said she would come along, I thought she’d go home within a day.
As for me… looking back at my actions so far, I’m just embarrassed. I closed my eyes, listening to Piyo’s soft breathing.
The next day, as planned, we spent the day procuring food and supplies, washing clothes, and maintaining our weapons.
At the end of the day, the girl who had guided us the other day came to visit us.
“Good evening. Is there anything you need? Please tell us if there’s anything we can do for you.”
“In that case, is there a bathhouse in this village?”
“Ah, a bath! Understood! Yes, there is. This way.”
Led by her, we were able to enjoy a bath for the first time in a while. A simple wash wasn’t enough to get rid of all the dirt. It was quite large so that the large Centaur could fit, so everyone else probably managed to get in as well.
On our way back from the bath, we heard beautiful music again. However, unlike the sound of bells during the day, it was a delicate and elegant sound, like a violin or a harp.
Peeking in the direction of the music, we saw that the adults were now enjoying a brief respite in place of the children.
The square was illuminated by small candlelight, and they were quietly enjoying dancing to simple music. The soft orange light and the scent of flowers created a somewhat bewitching atmosphere.
“Wow, it’s lovely. What is this scent?”
Pauline sniffed around happily.
“It’s an aroma candle. The fragrance is kneaded into the wax.”
Stanley appeared, weaving through the dancing crowd. He slowly approached us and extended his hand to Philiana.
“Eh? Ah, um, I’m not good at dancing at all…”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll lead.”
He took her hand and led her to the center of the square.
