Chapter 98: Begin the New Suzuya!
The next time I woke up was after the outside of the window had completely darkened.
I woke to the sensation of my cheek being stroked with a different touch from Nimi or Elysia.
In the dark room, someone sitting on the bed noticed I had woken up and smiled wryly; I could tell from the atmosphere.
A faint, refreshing, and pleasant mint scent drifted over. In the darkness I turned toward the direction of someone’s face and smiled as I spoke.
"Good morning. So you came too, Felica."
"Good morning, Raide. Of course I came. Is your body all right?"
"Thanks to being made to sleep for a whole day, I feel refreshed."
"I see. That’s good, then."
Felica breathed a sigh of relief, told me she was going to turn on the light, and then lit it for me.
Because it had been pitch black, I narrowed my eyes against the brightness.
Gradually my eyes adjusted to the light, and I saw Felica’s face smiling as she looked at me.
I sat up, stretched, and slowly twisted my upper body left and right.
...My body feels light. So fatigue really had been building up after all.
Felica, who had been watching my reaction, smiled with an exasperated look, lightly stroked my cheek, and spoke.
"Your body is important. If you take fatigue lightly, it will become serious. From now on, rest properly, okay?"
"I understand... I’m painfully aware of it now."
"Then that’s fine."
I sat down beside Felica, who was smiling gently with a dignified atmosphere, and hugged her with a smile.
Her large breasts changed shape against my body, and I strengthened my hold because I wanted to feel that sensation more.
Inside my arms Felica fidgeted bashfully.
"...That was too sudden."
"When I saw Felica’s face, I just wanted to do it."
"Uuuuu..."
When I pulled back a little and said that, Felica’s cheeks flushed red and she lightly pounded my body.
I stopped her by hugging her tightly, and she looked up at me with slightly puffed cheeks.
If Felica is doing this reaction while understanding it, it’s terrifying.
I think she should learn just how cute her own actions are.
I released Felica, stood up, returned to the bathroom, and rinsed my face and mouth for the second time today.
When I checked the time it was 8 PM, and I smiled wryly at how long I had slept.
I tried moving a little and confirmed that my body really had become lighter; I reflected on how I had made my lovers worry by being tired.
I returned to the living room, smiled at Felica who had been waiting, and was about to head to the tavern when Felica made a thoughtful face.
A little concerned by Felica’s thoughtful expression, I tilted my head and asked her.
"What’s wrong?"
"No... well, at this hour it should be fine. You’re going to the tavern, right?"
"Hm...? Yeah..."
Without being told what "fine" meant, Felica pushed my back.
While being pushed I went outside the inn; the sky was pitch black because the moon was not out.
It was brightened by the streetlights and the lights of the Suzuya grounds, but dark is still dark.
Once outside, Felica stopped pushing my back, looked at my face with a smile, and then entered the tavern.
...Is there something in the tavern?
I took one step to follow Felica into the tavern and noticed a faint smell of baking bread.
The fragrant, pleasant smell of freshly baked bread — I didn’t think it was coming from the tavern, so I looked around.
It was a bit late to start baking bread; if anything, it should be closing time.
While looking around I discovered one place that was different from usual and tilted my head without certainty.
...Was there a door in a place like that?
The place where a door seemed to have been made was on the opposite side of entering the Suzuya grounds.
There should have only been a towering two-story stone wall there.
Yet there was now one door that allowed entry into the Suzuya grounds.
"See, I told you he’d notice."
"I said so too."
"Muu, I thought he wouldn’t notice because he just woke up."
Looking at the tavern entrance where the voices came from, I saw Felica smiling troubledly while Fia and Lea were laughing happily on either side of her.
Fia walked over to me, floating up while her hair and clothes fluttered gently in the air.
She gently stroked one of my cheeks, smiled, nodded, and spoke.
"It seems your fatigue is gone?"
"Sorry for making you worry..."
"Don’t make that face, okay? We didn’t make you rest so that you would make that kind of face."
"...I understand. Thank you."
"Fufu, that’s fine."
Fia gently admonished me, who had been making an apologetic expression.
At Fia’s words I closed my eyes once, then opened them with a smile and nodded.
...The motherly instincts of my lovers are too strong.
I muttered that in my heart and smiled wryly. Then Nimi also appeared from the tavern; when she saw me she looked at me with a motherly smile.
While I was returning Nimi’s smile the wall door opened, and I shifted my gaze to it.
The one who came out was Rinaar wearing an apron.
I stared at Rinaar in surprise; when she spotted me she laughed happily and ran over at a light trot.
"Instructor!"
"...Why is Rinaar there?"
"Instructor Raide! Thank you very much!"
"No, wait, wait, I don’t understand what’s going on either..."
"I will explain."
At Erika’s voice I turned toward the back where Erika’s house is and slightly caught my breath.
It wasn’t that I was overwhelmed; I was surprised by the atmosphere of Erika walking this way with Elysia in front of her.
Her bearing was that of the glossy noble lady from the story, and she was giving off an atmosphere that created tension around her.
When I looked at Erika’s expression with a serious face, I noticed a slight tension in her face.
...Is she planning to have some kind of contest... no, negotiation with me now?
The atmosphere was stronger than when she first negotiated with me at the academy; that means she is putting a lot of strength into the negotiation with me.
When Erika reached me she smiled with a glossy expression and began speaking.
"First, regarding the private house behind us, it was vacant so I purchased it."
"And you lent it to Eima and her daughter?"
"Yes, that’s right. They said they couldn’t calm their feelings in the place where the incident occurred."
"...Hmm."
While crossing my arms and rubbing my chin with one hand, I probed Erika’s atmosphere.
Honestly, I didn’t understand where in this report there was anything to be tense about.
The matter of Eima and her daughter was a reason I could accept; they wouldn’t want to stay in a place where they had been betrayed by husband and father.
"This is a negotiation, Raide."
"...Let’s hear it."
"May we use the name of Suzuya?"
"Hmm...?"
I looked at Nimi with just my eyes; she had one hand on her cheek and was smiling troubledly.
...Ah, I see. So all that’s left is to get my approval.
If refused it would be troublesome, so Erika is trying to negotiate with all her might.
I returned my gaze to Erika and, keeping a serious expression, urged her to continue.
"We will not interfere with the management. In exchange, please leave the accounting to 『us』. For handling the accounting we will take a small amount. However, I swear on my name that we will not do anything like embezzling the profits."
"...There’s only benefit for our side, isn’t there? What do you want to do by using the name of Suzuya?"
Keeping the books is honestly not easy, and the trusted Erika says she will take it on.
If they also won’t interfere with management, then nothing changes from before, so the benefit is only on this side.
I tilted my head and asked; Erika smiled and pointed at the bakery with her hand as she spoke.
"First, we will include Eima and her daughter’s bakery in Suzuya."
"...Hm?"
"Next, the church — we are currently negotiating — Flower Mist, Flower Garden. We also intend to include the shoe shop Bouwers in Suzuya."
"...Hmm?"
"We have also obtained a promise of technical support from Headmistress Croana, you know?"
I looked at Fia and Lea with surprised eyes; Fia smiled elegantly and waved one hand lightly, while Lea laughed happily with a "nishishi."
Erika continued speaking as if pressing her advantage against the surprised me.
"Next, it is not a backer, but we will receive the seal of the official purveyor to the Dragole family."
"The Dragole family’s...?"
When I looked at Felica she grinned happily, and I returned my gaze to Erika.
While maintaining her glossy smile, if I looked carefully a little sweat had beaded on her forehead.
In other words, Erika is trying to add shops to Suzuya beyond just the tavern and inn.
...It’s like a group company... no, this is different.
Realizing Erika’s intention I smiled wryly; Erika seemed to notice my expression and smiled gently as she spoke.
"Raide... please continue moving freely as you have until now. After that, 『we』 — Suzuya — will pick things up."
"Truly... I’m a lucky man."
"Fufu, a bit late for that, isn’t it?"
"Yeah... really."
Erika stretched out a hand and gently stroked one of my cheeks; I smiled at her.
Thinking that 『us』 meant the lovers, I let out a small sigh.
I lowered my crossed arms, looked into Erika’s eyes, and spoke while still smiling.
"Please use the name of Suzuya. You’ve already gotten permission from Nimi, right?"
"Permission... yes, it is permission, isn’t it."
"Is it different?"
"It is not different. Then, with the negotiation established, we will begin the new Suzuya!"
Erika smiled suggestively, glanced at Nimi for a moment, then immediately looked at me and declared it.
The lovers who heard the declaration smiled happily, and cheers rose from the previously quiet tavern, surprising me.
Could it be that the adventurers in the tavern are also involved? I looked at Erika.
Erika smiled mischievously like a prankster and touched one of her vertical curls with one hand.
...I’ll probably be surprised later when I hear the details... for sure.
While thinking that, Elysia, who had been standing behind Erika, quietly walked over and smiled gently.
She took one of my hands and guided me into the tavern; behind us Erika and Rinaar were smiling and chatting.