Angela Likes the Cold Season Better
After a little while, Angela came back carrying cake and tea.
“Here. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
We decided to take a break and drank some tea.
“What’s this strategy meeting about?”
“It’s about the party member thing from yesterday. They asked Viola at the guild, and she apparently said the same thing you did, Boss. That they should add one or two more people. The shallow areas are fine for now, but if they want to go deeper in, it’s a must.”
So that Viola really was doing her job properly as a guild employee.
Seriously, everyone’s grown up.
“So it’s a meeting about who to invite?”
“Looks like it. They asked me, ‘Angela, wanna wear full-body armor and carry a sword?’”
Don’t ask the impossible.
If things went badly, Angela wouldn’t even be able to take one step.
“I’m sure they were joking, but obviously that’s impossible.”
“More importantly, I only do adventuring on the side, so no way.”
Angela was my employee here, after all.
“Then who? Patrick from Arvin’s place?”
“Probably not. Sounds like he wants to join the army.”
That’s what Arvin said.
“So what’re they gonna do?”
“That’s for those two to figure out. And don’t go joining their party as Fullface Maskman.”
Even I wouldn’t go that far.
“I’ve got work too.”
Like Angela said, I couldn’t let this shop go under.
“That too, but that’s not the point.”
Y-yeah, I know.
Fullface Maskman was a guardian-type hero.
We finished our break and resumed work, along with modifying my disguise gear. Then the door to the living quarters opened, and Mary and Katrina came out.
“Eric~ we’re heading out for a bit.”
Hmm?
“Where to?”
“To Shirley’s place.”
Shirley… Barry the butcher’s daughter.
She was the same age group as these two and a girl skilled with the sword.
“Then pick up dinner while you’re at it.”
“Roger that. Angela, come eat with us too!”
“Sure… I will.”
“Then we’re off!”
Mary left in a great mood, taking Katrina with her.
“I’ll gladly accept dinner. Though I’m the one cooking it.”
Angela often made dinner for us, same as lunch.
“Sorry about that. You’ve cooked since way back, do you like it?”
Honestly, I wasn’t very good at it, so it helped a lot.
“Ahh~ yeah yeah. Love it, love it.”
Why the exasperation?
“More importantly, are they trying to recruit Shirley?”
“Wouldn’t that be good? Shirley’s strong.”
Didn’t she want to become a knight?
She used to go learn swordsmanship from Arvin.
“Would Shirley accept?”
“No idea. Mary’ll probably talk her into it. She’s good at negotiations.”
Is she, though?
While we worked and waited, Mary and Katrina came back with a girl who had reddish-blonde hair.
Shirley, the butcher’s daughter.
Shirley was tall, slender, and had such good posture that she looked good just standing there.
“Hello, Mister. Miss Angela.”
Shirley greeted us.
“Yo.”
“Welcome.”
We returned the greeting.
“Mister, here.”
Shirley handed over a bag. When I looked inside, it was chicken.
“How much?”
“Two thousand Mild.”
Mild was this world’s currency.
“Then here.”
I handed the bag to Angela and paid.
“Much appreciated. Oh, and my dad said he wants you to make him a really nice meat-cutting knife.”
That phrase *really nice* is way too vague.
“Got it. So my daughter invited you to become an adventurer?”
“Yeah. That’s why I came. Apparently we’re having a strategy meeting.”
Which meant she was becoming an adventurer.
“You sure about that? Didn’t you want to be a knight?”
“That hasn’t changed. But I know I’m not strong enough yet. So I thought I’d become an adventurer and gain experience. I already have an adventurer card.”
This girl was one year older than Mary and Katrina.
Apparently she’d already registered as an adventurer.
“I see. Study too, alright? The knight exam has written tests.”
“Yeah. I’m working hard.”
She was such a good, serious kid, and yet there’d been a time she wouldn’t speak to her father?
If that happened at my place, I’d be crushed…
No, my kid never shuts up.
“Do your best. And look after Mary and Katrina for me.”
“Yeah. Leave it to me.”
Now I could relax a little.
“Shirley, over here, over here~”
Mary beckoned her over.
“Excuse me.”
The three of them headed into the living quarters in back, so I resumed work.
After a while, before five, Katrina and Shirley went home, so I left dinner to Angela and cleaned up the shop.
Then the three of us ate dinner together.
“Mary, you didn’t pressure Shirley into joining, did you?”
“I didn’t pressure her! I just asked, ‘Wanna build a legend together?’ and she said, ‘Sure.’”
A legend…
Did she recruit Katrina the same way?
And both of them nodded?
“You don’t need to build a legend. Just work steadily.”
“What are you saying? If I’m gonna do it, then the name Mary Lowell has to thunder across the world! I’ve gotta become a historic figure with statues in every guild!”
That’s grand.
They say dreams should be big, but why does she somehow make it sound stupid?
“Even people like that start by working steadily. So take it one step at a time.”
“I know already. We talked about that today.”
Well, with Katrina and Shirley there, it should be fine.
“You going again tomorrow?”
“Yep~ Now we’ve got three people with Shirley, so we’re gonna mess around in the shallow forest areas while checking things out and training.”
I have no idea what that sound effect means, but it sounded good.
“Just don’t cause trouble.”
“I knowww~ Eric, you worry too much. Guess your daughter’s just that cute, huh? Yup, yup, I get it, I get it. But it can’t be helped! Ahaha! Thanks for the meal~ I’m going to the bath~”
Mary fired all that off in rapid succession before I could reply, then ran off to the bath.
“She sure talks enough for one person.”
As expected of the woman who lectures dressers.
“I’m done too. Then I’ll wash the dishes and head home.”
Angela had finished eating too.
“No, I’ll do the dishes. I’ll walk you home too.”
“If a thug shows up, you’ll protect me?”
Angela smiled happily.
“Of course.”
It was a peaceful town, so no thug was going to appear.
At worst, a drunk.
“Then I’ll take you up on that.”
We stood, left the house, and walked toward Angela’s place.
It had gotten dark, but with streetlamps here and there, it wasn’t pitch black.
“The nights have gotten a lot warmer too. Makes it easier to walk outside.”
“Yeah………… You’re going tomorrow too, right?”
Obviously she was asking about Mary.
“I’m going to check whether she’s causing trouble for Shirley.”
“Yeah, yeah. In moderation.”
We kept walking, but Angela’s house was less than a hundred meters away, so we arrived quickly.
“Alright then, good night. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Good night…”
Angela went inside, so I returned home and did the dishes.
Then Mary got out of the bath, so I took one too. Before bed, I worked on improving my disguise gear, then went to sleep.
What do you think about this chapter?
