Chapter 123: Cuddle Bell Is Activating
The aroma of the bread taken out from the oven spread through the kitchen, and my stomach, which had unexpectedly become a little hungry, rumbled.
Eima, who also smelled the aroma, smiled and began cutting the bread into bite-sized pieces.
In the royal capital there are round breads and slightly elongated ones, but square bread is nowhere to be found.
It probably exists if one searches the world, but I had never seen it in the royal capital.
It should be fine just by fitting it into a mold, yet the fact that it was nowhere to be found had always seemed strange to me.
This time I had her make bread fitted into a square mold.
We cut it vertically, spread roasted garlic and butter on one side, and put it into the oven.
Garlic is, simply put, the same as garlic from my previous life in aroma and flavor.
If there is a difference from the garlic of my previous life, it is probably the size; the first time I saw the real thing about the size of an apple, I was surprised.
I had seen it in the game, but seeing and touching the real thing is completely different.
I had intended to make garlic toast; well, for an amateur’s idea it had gone rather well.
I thought there was still room for improvement because I might have spread a little too much garlic.
The reason she decided to try a new product was apparently because there had been requests from the soldiers.
Certainly, aiming for the soldiers’ favor, I had proposed the idea of garlic toast.
But if the aroma is too strong, female customers might not buy it... When I muttered that, Eima took a bite and shook her head.
"The strength of the aroma and flavor is certainly troublesome to eat at lunchtime. But it becomes a snack for alcohol."
"...I see. Then how about making two kinds?"
"Ah... ones adjusted for snacks and for lunch, right?"
"We’ll have to adjust the amounts and decide the prices too, but..."
"It’s more than enough! Thank you very much!"
Eima, perhaps extremely happy, smiled and hugged me.
Even though she was wearing clothes under the apron, I felt the soft sensation of her large breasts.
If I dropped my gaze I could see the breasts that had changed shape from the hug, but I tried not to look too much and smiled while looking at Eima’s face.
While remaining in the state of being hugged without wrapping my arms around her back, Eima came back to herself, flushed her cheeks red, and hurriedly pulled away.
"A... I’m sorry, I..."
"...Hmm."
"Eh, kya..."
Looking at the figure of Eima bashfully averting her face, I felt a little like teasing her.
I gently pulled one of Eima’s hands, drew her close, and wrapped one arm around her waist.
Eima, who looked up at my face with a surprised expression, immediately flushed her cheeks red and turned her face to the side.
Both of her hands were touching the chest area of my clothes; it also looked as if she was trying not to press any closer.
"P-please stop..."
"I think this is a mean question, but is it all right if I let go?"
"...You’re a cruel person."
Eima tightly grasped the clothes of my chest area with both hands and turned the face that had been facing sideways toward me.
With a troubled expression she lowered the ends of her eyebrows, flushed her cheeks red, and her eyes were moist.
Even though we were in the kitchen, the gentle scent rising from Eima tickled my nostrils.
I endured the urge to bury my face in her neck.
Having such an expression made right in front of me, and while being hugged, I want to praise myself for enduring.
When told I am a cruel person, I end up recalling the incident with Nimi.
When Eima saw me unintentionally smile wryly, she lowered the ends of her eyebrows even further.
I slightly strengthened the arm wrapped around her waist, smiled, and spoke gently.
"I said I would wait, but I didn’t say I wouldn’t do anything."
"What... are you going to do?"
"...I’m troubled when asked. I hadn’t thought about it."
"...Fufu, fufufu... You really are a cruel person."
At Eima’s question, I, who truly had not thought of anything, tilted my head.
Looking at my troubled smiling expression, Eima laughed as if finding it amusing or being taken aback.
Then after finishing laughing, Eima stretched up on her toes within my arms and gave me a light kiss that only touched my lips.
Eima who pulled her face away pressed her face against my chest and spoke in a feverish small voice.
"For now... please forgive me with this."
"...Eima."
"Call me... just Eima without honorifics."
"Eima..."
Wanting to hug Eima’s body strongly, I released the one hand that had been linked.
At that moment, suddenly the sound of a bell ringing intensely with a kakakakakakaan echoed throughout the royal capital.
I released my body from Eima and dashed outside from the door on the inn side.
That way of ringing the bell is the way it is rung when there is an enemy attack.
Outside it was still raining, and Nimi, Erika, and the others who heard the bell also came outside their houses.
"Lord Raide, it is a stampede. In front of the northwest city gate. Please evacuate!"
Suddenly, Sharle murmured next to my ear in a flustered voice without any prior signal.
The fact that Sharle, who usually gives some kind of signal, reported without prior notice means she is that flustered.
When my eyes met those of the adventurers who had come out of the tavern, I asked with a serious expression.
"Are there any adventurers heading to the mountain today?"
"...Foria and the others should have been heading there."
"I see..."
"You mustn’t! Please evacuate!"
Perhaps sensing something from my expression, Sharle raised her voice loudly without hiding it from the surroundings.
The adventurers, Nimi and the others, and Eima who had followed out from behind were all surprised at the invisible voice.
The ones who were not surprised were probably Erika, Elysia, and the maids.
I understand Sharle becoming desperate; I understand the feelings, but I have to go.
I am also worried about Foria and the others, but this is an event.
In that case Roy is probably involved, and if left alone the majority of casualties will occur.
However, the order is still wrong.
This event should be one that occurs when Roy and the others are in the second year...
"What good will it do if you go?! For times like this there are soldiers and knights! Please do not do anything dangerous and evacuate!!"
"Sharle... You’re saying that even though you’ve noticed, right?"
"...!?"
At my words, Sharle made a reaction as if her words had caught.
There is also a reason why I properly have to head there.
Even without the event or Foria’s matter, a reason why I have to head there.
I have received a mountain as a reward from the country in place of a title.
If it were a monetary reward, as Sharle says I could just evacuate.
But receiving land or a title is different.
Just that generates responsibility, and if I evacuate there is a high possibility of being noticed by other nobles and having unnecessary interference inserted.
Overworld is a world with nobles; the previous-life idea that one can just leave it alone does not apply.
I looked over everyone’s faces and let out a small sigh.
Above all, being noticed by the nobles of the royal capital is not good.
It is not bad, but being noticed by the nobles involved in this event is bad.
At the point that nobles related to the later events are involved, if I do not head there there is a possibility of it becoming a topic.
Besides, I know how to defeat Blue Slimes.
When my eyes met Nimi’s, Nimi pulled Pafa close, smiled, and spoke.
"Please take care."
"Ta...ke care..."
"Yeah. Sharle... I’ll be scolded as much as you want later, so forgive me."
"... "
Sensing the atmosphere of Sharle who caught her breath, I looked over my lovers, smiled, and nodded.
Then I headed toward the northwest city gate and began running through the rain.
While running I checked inside my magic bag to see if there was a bow.
No, even if there isn’t it’s fine, but I don’t want to touch sticky things too much.
They are hard to remove with laundry; rather, buying new ones is faster.
I feel sorry for the tense Sharle, but for me who had been free-playing, stampede-types are my specialty.
It wasn’t a stampede, but I often poked monster nests and had many spawn.
Recalling those times, I ran through the rain while laughing troubledly.
After Raide ran off, Erika let out a big sigh and looked around.
That man had headed off alone without seeking help from his lovers.
Even if she had anticipated it, it was only natural that a sigh would come out.
Erika’s eyes met those of Nimi who was hugging Pafa, and they both smiled troubledly.
Roll, who had come beside her at some point, smiled troubledly at Erika and asked.
"Just as expected, huh."
"Yes, it’s troublesome."
The adventurers who had come outside also, when looking at Erika’s face, laughed with exasperated looks.
Erika placed one hand on her hip, looked over everyone, and spoke in a volume that would reach.
"[Cuddle Bell] is activating."
At Erika’s words the adventurers laughed enjoyably with each other, and Nimi strongly nodded at Erika’s words.
Elysia behind her handed a letter to the butler with a serious expression; the butler received the letter and disappeared.
When Erika approached the adventurers intending to consult, a voice called from above her head.
"Fufu, an early activation?"
"Ahaha, just as expected!"
"Truly, haa..."
Fia and Lea, who were avoiding the rain with magic, descended to the ground and laughed while looking up at Erika.
They understand and comprehend that Raide is trying not to involve them.
But being only protected is not what a woman is.
Raide should confirm once what kind of women he has made his lovers.
Erika gazed in the direction of the northwest city gate that Raide had headed toward, raised the corner of her mouth, and spoke.
"Well, it will be too late after confirming, though?"