Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 183 – I listened to the mermaid’s story

“You’re… Youki-san, right?”  [Shike]

“Yep, that’s right. Raven isn’t with you today, huh?”  [Youki]

Though I remembered her clearly, it seemed Shike-chan only had a vague recollection of me. It made sense, though – when you’re focused on someone you like, other people tend to fade into the background.

“Yes, Memo Swordsman-san is busy with work… Oh, um, it seems I didn’t quite remember your name before. Sorry about that, it’s rude of me, especially after you’ve helped me.”  [Shike]

Maybe my face gave something away, because she quickly tried to be considerate.

“No, no, don’t worry about it. You didn’t act like ‘who is this guy’ the last time we met, so it’s fine. So, are you alone today?”  [Youki]

“Thank you. Yes, since I’m in town, I wanted to do some sightseeing. Memo Swordsman-san was worried, but I’m fine on my own.”  [Shike]

Right now, she’s in a human form, so no one would think she’s a mermaid. But you never know, there’s always a chance something could happen. Well, Minerva has knights patrolling the streets, so the town’s pretty safe. She might get caught in a fight, but getting kidnapped? Probably not.

“By the way, I just ran into Misaki-chan earlier.”  [Youki]

“Misaki followed me on her own. I was supposed to come here by myself, but when I told her about it, she insisted on coming… Memo Swordsman-san and Happiness-san thought I’d be lonely on my own, so they agreed.”  [Shike]

“But in reality, Misaki-chan is wandering off… not alone, but not with you either.”  [Youki]

“Memo Swordsman-san said she’d have someone reliable with her as both a guide and a bodyguard. I hope Misaki’s okay. I hope she’s not causing any trouble.”  [Shike]

It wasn’t Misaki-chan’s fault, but Duke was definitely in a bit of a sticky situation. If I told Shike-chan that, she’d probably rush over to Misaki-chan, so I decided to keep quiet about it.

“I know that person, too. He can handle most kinds of trouble. He’s really reliable, so there’s no need to worry.”  [Youki]

“Eh, but… It’s Misaki, after all.”  [Shike]

“Trust me. That person is someone even I rely on. He’s way more dependable than I am. He’s got a stable job, good adaptability, and…”  [Youki]

As I continued, I couldn’t help but feel a bit down. The difference between us was massive. What was I even doing with my life?

“Uh, Youki-san. You’re starting to get that distant look in your eyes again… Are you even listening to me?!”  [Shike]

“Whoa, sorry! I got lost in thought for a second there.”  [Youki]

This was definitely something I needed to work on, but now wasn’t the time. Shike-chan’s breathing had become oddly heavy after raising her voice. Was she okay? Her face was pale too, like she wasn’t feeling well. Wait, was it somehow my fault?

“S-Sorry, did I do something to upset you?”  [Youki]

“No, that’s not it. I just got a little dizzy… Um, is there somewhere around here where I could get some water?”  [Shike]

“If it’s water, there’s a spot nearby… over there. I’ll take you.”  [Youki]

“Please.”  [Shike]

The place I took Shike-chan to was…

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here you go.”

“Please, enjoy… It’s on the house.”

We arrived at the cake shop run by the muscular pastry chef, Andrei-san, and his sister, Ami-san. Since we ordered only water, I was wondering if it’s okay to receive a complimentary service like this. On a side note, did Andrei-san really have nothing else to wear besides that frilly white apron? Ami-san must have it rough, having to serve the customers while keeping an eye on her brother. After serving us, Andrei-san disappeared into the kitchen, which was fine, but now the real issue was Shike-chan sitting in front of me.

“Are you feeling better?”  [Youki]

“Y-Yes. I felt much better after drinking water. But, um, this…”  [Shike]

Shike-chan stared intently at the cake Andrei-san had left for us, probably one of his latest test creations.

“Don’t worry. Go ahead and eat. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s really delicious.”  [Youki]

“B-But I haven’t paid for it…”  [Shike]

Hearing Shike-chan’s hesitation, Andrei-san suddenly appeared, his eyes sparkling.

“Dear customer, I am but a humble pâtissier still in training. I am ashamed to say I do not yet have the confidence to put a price on my creations. Therefore, I am constantly researching new pastries that will bring smiles to my customers’ faces.”  [Andrei]

It was amazing how passionate he was when he was talking, but the frilly white apron he was wearing ruined the entire image. Seeing as Ami-san was busy with the customers, she couldn’t come over at the moment. However, he wasn’t doing anything wrong, so there was no need to stop him.

“If this dessert does not suit your taste, we have several other types of pastries available.”  [Andrei]

“N-No, I’ll eat this. I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”  [Shike]

Shike-chan bowed her head repeatedly and then ate the cake in a single bite. After several seconds, a smile then dawned on her face as she chewed happily. However, it would be bad to do that in front of Andrei-san.

“Here you go, this is another one of my test creations. Please, enjoy it.”  [Andrei]

“Uh… but…”  [Shike]

“It’s on the house.”  [Andrei]

With his gleaming white teeth and a beaming smile, Shike-chan couldn’t refuse, so she started eating the next cake as well. Meanwhile, I left the table and started looking over the cakes on display.

“As I thought, it turned out like this.”  [Youki]

“My brother just loves seeing customers enjoy the cakes he made.”  [Ami]

I watched the two of them while chatting with Ami-san. Shike-chan seemed to be enjoying herself a lot. Did she not have a cake before?

Well, she’s a girl, so it makes sense that she loves sweets. But, even if he calls this ‘service’, this is getting out of hand. She’s on her fifth cake even though she only came here for water.

“Ami-san, could I get the check? Also, please include the cakes from that table too…”  [Youki]

This clearly went beyond the scope of a free service. There was no way I could let her eat that much for free.

“Oh, it’s fine. Since my brother said it was on the house, I can’t accept the payment.”  [Ami]

“But still, that amount…”  [Youki]

“I’ll just deduct it from my brother’s wages.”  [Ami]

“Oh, I see…”  [Youki]

With that charming and sweet smile on her face, she firmly declared her stance, leaving no room for further discussion.

Well, if she’s okay with it, then I guess it’s okay.

I glanced at the table to see Shike-chan still eating. Couldn’t she show a little restraint? And there was Andrei-san, bringing over more and more cakes. Wasn’t he overdoing it with all these ‘test creations’? It seemed that I wasn’t the only one who wanted to point that out. Ami-san had also stepped in to confront him. As we watched Andrei-san disappear back into the kitchen, Shike-chan finally came back to her senses.

“Ah, I… I’ve overeaten, haven’t I? What should I do? It was so delicious, I couldn’t stop.”  [Shike]

“Well, I mean, you haven’t had desserts before, right? Girls do tend to like sweet things.”  [Youki]

Still, I wouldn’t say not to worry about it.

“I-I should pay for all this, right? I ate so much.”  [Shike]

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It was a service after all. Besides, Shike-chan, do you even have money on you?”  [Youki]

That was something I’d been wondering about. Raven had probably given her some, but I wasn’t sure. As I pondered, Shike-chan pulled out her wallet from her pouch.

“Don’t worry. I have money. I worked hard to earn it for this day.”  [Shike]

“Huh?”  [Youki]

“Well… Misaki earned it.”  [Shike]

Her voice trailed off at the end, which was understandable. I held back the obvious retort – You didn’t earn it yourself?

“Even if it’s Misaki-chan, I’m surprised… What kind of work is she doing?”  [Youki]

Despite being nearly kidnapped, she seemed unfazed by the trauma and continued working. Shike-chan quietly shared that Misaki-chan had been working in the port town of Frimaire, the place where that incident happened. I thought maybe she was working as a waitress at a tavern, but no, she was helping the sailors. Apparently, her cheerful personality made her fit right in with the tough sailors, and she enjoyed the job. She even competed with them in their work, passionately talking about the sea. Based on her explanation, I figured out who Misaki-chan was working with.

“Misaki-chan’s quite the powerhouse. As long as she’s having fun, I guess that’s what matters.”  [Youki]

“Yes, but I worry so much. She’s doing physically demanding work. I keep thinking she’ll hurt herself, so it makes me anxious.”  [Shike]

“You really care about her, don’t you, Shike-chan?”  [Youki]

“I’m nothing compared to Misaki. She’s the one who lent me the money and gave me the push I needed. She’s a precious and beloved best friend…”  [Shike]

“Though it seems like you’re not too happy that she tagged along.”  [Youki]

“Well, that’s a separate issue…” [Shike]

Maybe I was being a little mean by bringing that up. There must be a reason why she didn’t want Misaki-chan to follow her. Based on what she said so far, it didn’t seem like she’d get mad just because Misaki-chan had selfishly come along.

“Is something bothering you?”  [Youki]

I crossed my arms, leaning back as if to say, Why don’t you talk to your big brother about it? I might not be great at offering encouragement, but I could at least listen to her problems.

Since they had come all the way to Minerva, it would be a shame to leave with unresolved issues. However, Shike-chan’s response was a flat-out rejection, her face clouded with a gloomy expression.

“…You wouldn’t understand my troubles, Youki-san.”  [Shike]

It seemed her worries ran deeper than I had imagined. I hesitated to press further; maybe she didn’t want anyone bringing it up. But sometimes, things couldn’t be resolved if you kept them bottled up inside. I might not have the right to interfere, but I couldn’t just ignore it either.

“You won’t know if I can understand unless you tell me. But hey, if you don’t want to talk, that’s fine too. We’ll finish the cake, drink some water, and then we’ll call it a day with a nice little tour around Minerva. Is that okay?”  [Youki]

“…I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  [Shike]

“…You think it’s not a good idea?”  [Youki]

“…It’s not a good idea.”  [Shike]

“So, what are you planning to do?”  [Youki]

“…I’m sorry, but could you listen to what I have to say after all? If possible, somewhere private. Having water nearby would be ideal.”  [Shike]

“Got it.”  [Youki]

With that, I grabbed the cake I had bought and left the shop with Shike-chan in tow.

Now, where can I find a quiet place with water?

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