Azura kindly lent me the bath.
The Dragonkin not only gave us lodging but also prepared dinner. Many dishes were lined up on the table. Of course, there was meat, but quite a lot of vegetables. Perhaps Earth Dragons prefer vegetables.
“By the way, did you properly ask for directions to the Land of Satyrs this time?” Nina asked, biting into a piece of chicken.
“Ah, I forgot. I need to ask before we leave,” I replied.
“Then there’s no need to worry. I’ll give you the map,” Azura said.
“Why are you here?”
Yes, for some reason, Azura was eating next to me.
“Hm? Is there a problem with that? Hiro and I have exchanged vows once,” Azura said, clinging to my arm as Nina shot her a fierce glare.
“Did you like my gift?” Azura asked.
“Uh, ha ha,” I stammered.
Filiana soothed Nina, who was leaning forward. At the same time, she quickly snatched the meat from the plate.
“Honestly, well, she lent me the bath, so I’ll let it slide. By the way, where’s the chicken I was eating? Did you see it, Filiana? Why are you ignoring me?”
“If you don’t eat quickly, it’ll be taken,” I warned Nina.
“Huh? Ah! It’s all gone! How?”
While Nina was complaining, Sharin had already eaten all the remaining meat. She truly lived up to her reputation as a bandit.
“Hahaha, your companions are great! Hiroaki, please come again. Next time, I will be king and entertain you.”
“Ah, thank you. Please build a good country. Azura, you can definitely do it. You even received an oracle.”
The next morning, as promised, we received the map and decided to resume our journey. They also gave us some food, which included money.
“Is it okay to receive so much?”
“It’s fine. You can repay me after you become the true Brave.”
With gratitude towards the magnanimous Azura, we left the village. The map she gave us marked roads that were not on mine, roads that were only labeled as “forest.”
Although I had been trying to ignore it, what exactly was a “Brave”? At first, it was a term used mockingly by enemies, but now, people I met occasionally called me that too. I remembered the time a girl named Kalm, whom I had fought alongside before, called me that.
I’m not entirely opposed to it, but if I say too much, I might be told off for getting full of myself.
“Still, Brother, you’re amazing. You finally slept with a Dragonkin, didn’t you?” Karubene said immediately after we left the village.
“Be quiet, Karubene. To be clear, I did not sleep with her.”
“No, that’s suspicious. You’re so popular, Brother. You end up being liked wherever you go. I wonder why that is.”
I wished I knew. Is it because I look easy?
“So, Brother, what do you think about girls who aren’t human?”
“What, you’re asking me now?”
“I just didn’t expect you to be so popular. When I first met you, you looked like a child.”
Is that how I looked in your eyes? Should I consider this growth?
“Well, at first I was surprised, but now I don’t really have any resistance. I think they’re good because they’re unique.”
“Wow, a popular guy is different. You have different experience points than ordinary guys. By the way, which race was the best?”
Don’t ask me that! I can’t possibly answer. Besides, what’s important isn’t the race but the person’s character. Race is merely a part of the status that shapes a person. Just as I was about to say that, Sharin tapped my shoulder.
“Wh-what’s wrong?”
“Can’t you hear it? It sounds like human voices.”
Human voices? I strained my ears, but I couldn’t hear anything. However, Piyo seemed to be able to hear them and was looking around.
“What kind of voice?”
“It sounds like groaning, coming from over there.”
Following Sharin, we cautiously moved forward. It was a little off the path, but it seemed to be in our direction of travel. Were they assassins waiting to ambush us again? At this point, anything could be waiting for us.
As we got closer to the source of the voice, I could hear it too. Amidst the chirping of birds, there was indeed a voice that sounded pained. Peeking from behind the bushes, I saw a young white Centaur collapsed on the ground.
He was slumped on the ground, looking listless. Bright red blood was flowing from his leg. He must have been attacked and fled. His pure white fur and hair shone in the sunlight, making him look somewhat divine.
Leaving everyone behind, I quietly called out to him.
“Um, are you alright?”
The collapsed youth looked up in surprise. His emaciated face was covered in sweat, and his complexion was poor.
“We are travelers. Are you injured?”
The youth’s eyes widened, and his mouth moved in a speechless way.
“Huh? What did you say? I can’t hear you.”
“…Help me, be careful of poisonous snakes.”
