Chapter 159: Aren’t You Injured?
Arriving at the [Suzuya] tavern, I entered the building to meet Nimi, who was probably preparing for opening.
Since it had not yet opened, the floor was empty and only the sounds of cooking echoed from the kitchen in the back.
Pricking up my ears I could hear voices talking with someone, and advancing toward the kitchen I realized she was speaking with Pafa.
With my cheeks loosening at the happy voices, I entered the kitchen and saw Pafa clinging to Nimi from behind while she cooked.
Nimi, while cooking, turned her face sideways, peeked at Pafa’s face and smiled; Pafa also smiled softly and was handing over seasonings and such that Nimi had asked for.
Smiling at such a peaceful scene, I called out to the two.
"I’m home, Nimi, Pafa."
"Ah, Raide-san, welcome home."
"Welcome... home, Raide."
Approaching the two I lightly hugged them both together, then immediately released them.
Nimi was cooking and handling fire, and Pafa was helping, so I thought I would get in the way.
Besides, I did not want to do something dangerous and make Nimi angry.
When she gets angry she is scary, you know, Nimi...
Recalling times from my childhood when I had been scolded, I smiled wryly and installed the prototype I had received from Croana in a corner of the kitchen.
Opening the box and pouring mana, cool wind began to come out.
Breathing a sigh of relief that it had activated without problem, I turned around and checked on the two; they looked comfortable in the cool breeze.
"Raide-san, is that the thing you mentioned yesterday?"
"Yeah. Croana immediately made a prototype for me. She wants me to use it in the tavern and get impressions."
"My my, then we must properly verify it, mustn’t we?"
"She also told me to tell you there’s no need to brace yourselves that much. Especially because Nimi is serious, Croana said."
"Fufu, goodness, Croana-san... Understood. I’ll convey my impressions after spending time as usual, all right?"
"Yeah, please. You too, Pafa?"
"Unn."
Smiling at the two, I briefly taught them how to use it, said I would go help with the inn side, kissed both of them, and left the kitchen.
Coming out onto the floor, cool air from the kitchen was flowing and the temperature had become comfortable.
I smiled and nodded at the good start of the prototype operation, left the tavern, and headed for the inn.
It was 14:00. In the tavern past its peak I was going back and forth between the kitchen and the floor carrying dishes.
The coolness was popular with the adventurers and customers eating and drinking on the floor, and I could feel a solid response.
Entering the kitchen and telling Nimi, she smiled happily as if it were her own affair.
"As I thought, changing it to that position was the right decision."
"Yeah. Certainly from there the wind reaches the floor easily, and it also reaches the kitchen."
Before the noon peak Nimi had proposed it, and we had moved the place where the prototype was installed.
What had been set so the wind only went into the kitchen was reinstalled so the wind would head toward the floor.
With this, wind reached the kitchen as well and a considerable amount reached the floor, making the whole place cool overall.
Just like the results of Croana’s experiment at the academy, it continued running for two hours after activation, so that much effort was not needed.
Recalling Croana laughing happily when we thoroughly investigated the reason it had activated for two hours beyond the predicted one hour, I smiled.
At this rate, once people start drinking in the middle of the night it looks like it will get busy...
Despite everything people say, one wants to drink alcohol in a cool place, and the adventurers’ word-of-mouth is tremendous.
Thinking about that, it is easy to predict it will naturally become busy.
...Will just the two helpers be enough?
Fia and Lea, who often help, are also helping Croana, so they do not come every day.
Thinking that way, I end up feeling it would be better to increase the helpers by one more person.
Considering the burden on Nimi and the others, I know that would definitely be better, but...
Standing in the kitchen with my arms crossed and pondering, Pafa entered from the floor and smiled softly at me.
"Raide, Erika... came."
"Hn? Erika? Understood, thank you, Pafa."
"Unn."
When I gently stroked Pafa’s head she narrowed her eyes comfortably and smiled, then toddled off toward Nimi who was cooking.
Telling Nimi I was going to talk with Erika and coming out onto the floor, I found Erika sitting at an empty table.
Sitting at the table was not only Erika; the three songstresses and Porte were also there.
Tilting my head at Porte’s presence, Porte who spotted me stood up, ran over, and clung to me.
I braced myself a little and caught Porte’s body, looking wonderingly at her as she rubbed her head against my chest with guri guri.
What on earth happened? When I directed my gaze at Erika, she smiled with a troubled face.
"Porte-san apparently learned yesterday that you charged into the stampede."
"Ah... I see."
"Instructor, aren’t you injured!? Uuuu, are you really all right!?"
"I’m fine. Sorry for worrying you."
Wrapping one arm around Porte’s waist and gently stroking her head, she told me the situation during the stampede.
She had evacuated with a school friend who lived nearby, and both Porte and her friend were unharmed.
She had known that I went to reinforce during the stampede, but while talking with Erika yesterday she heard that I had charged into the front lines; with slightly teary eyes she looked up at me and explained.
I smiled as gently as possible and, while gently stroking Porte’s head, spoke.
"Thank you. I’m glad you were safe too, Porte."
"Honestly, honestly, please don’t do reckless things~!"
"Mu... understood. Sorry."
When I was about to say I had not been reckless, Erika gave me a half-lidded glare, so I smiled wryly at her manner and refrained from saying anything unnecessary.
While being lightly teased by the adventurers on the floor, I stayed in that position until Porte was completely reassured.
The gazes of Erika and the songstresses were gentle, making me feel ticklish.
After a while the calmed Porte blushed with embarrassment, sat in her seat, and hung her head.
She was in such a borrowed-cat state that I wondered where the earlier momentum had gone.
I also sat opposite Erika and asked the reason for coming today.
"I came to ask if you would help with Aurora-san and the others’ move. I also have something I wish to convey."
"Ah, it’s fine, I’ll help. Something to convey?"
"I will explain that after we head to the bathhouse you newly made. Please finish the move first."
"Hmm... understood."
Saying that, Erika smiled a little mischievously and took a sip of the tea Pafa had brought.
Aurora and the others smiled happily at Erika’s manner, while I tilted my head slightly.
Well, knowing Erika, I don’t think she has done anything that surprising... It’s fine, right?
I ended up feeling as if I had raised a flag myself and smiled wryly while rubbing the back of my neck.
When I asked the Porte who was glancing at me bashfully, "What will you do, Porte?", she answered in a small voice, "I’ll help~."
This kind of side of Porte is so cute that I think I am not wrong in wanting to praise her endlessly.
If I praise her too much her face turns bright red and she freezes, so I decided to stop for today.
Instead, when I patted her head she hung her face even lower and showed a cute reaction.
Raising my gaze from Porte, the three songstresses were also looking at me with envious expressions, so I stood and stroked their heads in turn.
Stroking Aurora, Win, and Rain in that order, when I directed my eyes at Erika she was watching our state with an amused smile.
Not out of mischief, but when I gently stroked such an Erika’s head she looked embarrassed and spoke while looking at me.
"Me as well?"
"It looked like you wanted me to... is it better not to say that?"
"You are saying it, you are saying it~!"
Erika’s reaction of puffing her cheeks and lightly striking my body with poko poko was exactly as expected, and I ended up laughing out loud.
Going to the kitchen, explaining the circumstances to Nimi and receiving her ready agreement, I headed with Erika and the others toward Aurora and the others’ house.