Fear is facing me and sitting on my lap as if straddling me.
She put both arms around my neck, tilted her head to the side with a beautiful smile on her face as she stopped crying, and spoke.
"I hope you and Croana are well taken care of?"
"Me too."
I nodded with a smile, gently holding Fear's waist with both hands.
Lea grabbed my right arm and said with a big smile, having also stopped crying.
Fear suddenly realized something and looked at the sofa across from her with her arms folded.
I was tempted to take a look, but there was no one sitting there at the time.
"Oh, what an unusual customer?"
"Yeah, it does have a nice smell though."
"...Can you see it?"
Shale's surprised voice startles me slightly from the sofa opposite.
To think that I couldn't see anything even in bright light...
I sighed with an exasperated look on my face and spoke to the sofa, which at first glance seemed empty.
"Shale, didn't you say you'd give us a signal?"
"well... I was thinking of doing that..."
"Well, it must be hard to talk to him."
Fear gave a troubled laugh, stopped hugging me, and got down towards Lea, her long, shiny hair fluttering in the wind.
The fresh scent of the forest wafts through the air.
It smells like the scent of a forest with morning mist.
Leah tilted her head and asked Shale curiously.
"Why don't you show up?"
"It's because of my duties. So..."
"I won't tell."
"thank you"
Shale thanked him with a voice that sounded relieved.
...Well, if she was secretly hiding, it would be a problem if she was seen.
I scratch my hair and say with a wry smile.
"Well, you see. Could you please stay away from us when that happens?"
"... Hehe, I understand."
"I'm surprised you're laughing..."
"I thought you didn't laugh much either..."
...Well, I'm curious.
What kind of appearance would make you feel that way?
Then, Erika and the others came from the bathroom, warm and cozy after a bath, so I told them that Shale was there.
Erika and the three girls reacted in the same way as me, surprised.
"I really can't see it..."
"No, this is scary."
"I want you to teach me how to do it."
"It's as if it doesn't exist..."
"Um... could you please not creep up on me?"
Perhaps out of curiosity or to see if it was real, Satur approached with her hands trembling.
Shale stops him with a troubled voice.
The scene was so funny that I laughed out loud.
We all chatted for a while, and then Fear and Lea said they'd come back tomorrow and went home.
I was surprised when Lea gave me a kiss on the lips as I was leaving.
Despite having an image of being a lively person, she was seen rushing home looking embarrassed.
Of course, she flew through the air with the edges of her dress fluttering.
Then they each return to their rented rooms.
Shale said that she would come right away if called, and then seemed to leave for a bit.
...Since I can't see her, I have no choice but to believe her words.
In my rented room.
After taking a bath, I returned to my room and found myself in a difficult situation.
"Uh...Erika?"
"What is it?"
"What's wrong, all of a sudden..."
My current position was that I was sitting on the bed, with Erika straddling me and sitting on my lap, just like Fear had done.
I has my arms around Erika's waist and is holding her up, so from the side it looks like they are in a face-to-face position.
Moreover, she gently holds my head with both hands and presses it against her chest.
So all I could see was Erika's cleavage.
The scent of Erica after a bath and the subtle scent of roses.
Then there's the feeling of slightly damp skin and soft breasts.
I feel it all over my face.
"...Fear told me so."
"yeah?"
"She said you wanted me to praise you... because right now, all I could do was praise you."
"Fear?"
I raised my head slightly from Erika's chest and saw her face, her cheeks slightly flushed and smiling gently.
She didn't look embarrassed like usual, but instead had a loving smile on her face.
While I was a little taken aback, Erika stroked the back of my hair and said.
"I heard from Fear. You're really kind, aren't you?"
"I am..."
"Isn't that kind?"
"..."
"Even if you think that way, the person you're doing it to will think it's a kind gesture. Isn't that fine?"
I almost lose my cool over Erika's tolerance.
Even though they are half an age apart, it's hard to tell who is the adult.
Just yesterday her face was bright red with embarrassment, so I wonder what happened.
Perhaps sensing my expression, Erika smiled in a troubled manner and said.
"I thought that you... hadn't been praised much before."
"Even at an age where I'd be praised..."
"I will praise you... I realize that you have been doing so much for me, so please let me repay you once in a while."
At Erika's words, I pressed my face against her chest and put a little more strength into my arms that were around her waist, pulling her closer.
All the while, Erika was gently stroking my hair with one hand, and her hair was rustling against the arm around my waist.
I was a little embarrassed, so I whispered to Erika.
"Let me do this for a bit."
"With pleasure."
The next morning, when I woke up, I saw a chest in front of me.
The scent of roses tickled my nostrils, and I smiled wryly as I remembered falling asleep while being held tight by Erika.
He reaffirms that if he is pampered by girls like Nimi, Felica, Croana, and Erica, he will become a useless person.
"Hmm..."
I kissed Erika's chest, then slipped out of bed carefully so as not to wake her and left the room to wash my face.
After everyone gathered and was having breakfast, the owner came to our room to tell us that we had a visitor.
I headed to the waiting room and found Taylor waiting, drinking tea.
Taylor sees my face and motions for me to sit in front of him.
As he sat down, he gave a wry smile to Taylor, who looked a little tired.
"You look tired."
"Who do you think is to blame?"
"If you say so..."
"Don't say it, I know. I just want to complain, please forgive me."
Taylor wants to say that the things I did at church were supposed to be their job.
If they had noticed sooner, the sisters would not have been attacked.
He blames himself for being overconfident, thinking that the church would not get involved in such things.
It's true that I helped him, but perhaps because the information I brought with me was more than I expected, he started complaining.
Hearing this with a troubled expression, he took a sip of the tea that was prepared in front of him.
"If I knew you are in Santony, I'd go see you first."
"Well, that can't be helped. The war ended and everyone in the unit was scattered. Only the commander knows where they are."
"...It's too far to go and see him."
"Me too... it's too far to travel with my wife."
"I guess....wife?"
He is surprised by Taylor's words, as he thought he was single, and asks him to repeat himself.
Apparently, he met someone good in Santony and recently got married.
The reason he wasn't wearing a ring was that he didn't want it to get scratched while doing this job, so he didn't wear one.
So, if you ever come to visit the royal capital, I recommend you come to Suzuya.
They said they would let me stay in the inn's VIP room at a low price.
I feel indebted to him, so I tell him, I'll let him do this much for me, and Taylor smiles and replies, "Someday."
Taylor's expression became serious, and he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to me.
I took it suspiciously and asked as I opened it.
"this is?"
"It's a letter addressed to the men who attacked the church. It's true that the men were moneylenders, but there's something else going on..."
"...I seem to recognize this nobleman's name."
"Where?"
The letter contained the name of the man who had embraced Elicia.
The moneylender...are you saying that man is the real owner?
He confesses to Taylor the thought that had briefly crossed his mind.
If they do, something bad will happen.
It will be a more devastating conflict than wars in other countries.
Taylor heard my thoughts and hurriedly left the inn.