Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Saving the Master (3)
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Time passed, and the day of the swordsmanship tournament hosted in the city had arrived.
The city center was buzzing with a festival atmosphere. Stalls lined the streets, and the townsfolk were eating, drinking, and reveling in the merriment.
And in the midst of all that hustle and bustle, I felt terribly out of place.
‘...I can’t calm down.’
Even in my original world, I was the type to hole up at home. Ken’s memories didn’t help either—this kind of lively vibe always made him uncomfortable.
Of course, food was the exception.
That’s why I was standing awkwardly beneath the clock tower in the central square, our agreed-upon meeting spot.
“...Ken!”
The voice I’d been waiting for called out to me.
“Sorry. Have you been waiting long?”
It was Mary Heidi who appeared.
She must have run here in a hurry—her face was flushed as she caught her breath.
“No, I just got here too...”
I ended up staring at her.
The academy uniform suited her neatly and looked cute.
But her casual outfit was light and airy, a cute contrast to her usual image.
A white blouse paired with a tennis skirt!
Any guy’s heart would skip a beat.
“D-Does it look weird?”
“Huh? Oh, no...”
She fidgeted with her blouse collar, glancing up cautiously, noticing my intense gaze.
“...It suits you perfectly.”
I voiced my honest impression.
Sincere words straight from the heart, without a hint of flattery.
She seemed pleased—her anxious expression softened into a smile as she grabbed my wrist.
“Then let’s go.”
“...Y-Yeah!”
Mary taking the lead... She had some real presence.
There was still plenty of time before the tournament started, so we decided to wander the festival.
“Where should we go first?”
Mary walked beside me, her face expressionless but somehow brimming with excitement. She must like festivals.
‘Fun is fun... but first, that hidden shop...’
For reference, this festival was one of the rare mini-events in the game that only happened a few times a year.
And the key point of this festival?
A hidden stall selling special items.
Those items were keys to clearing a future event more quickly.
So, as we strolled the stall-lined streets with Mary, I scanned for the shop from my memories.
“This is delicious.”
“Munch, munch, yeah! It’s amazing!”
Of course, I wasn’t missing out on the food.
The tantalizing aromas kept pulling at my feet.
Well, the shop wasn’t going anywhere.
As I savored the juicy burst of flavor from a chicken skewer filling my mouth, Mary, who’d been staring at me, spoke up.
“You eat with such a happy face, Ken.”
“Munch. Do I?”
“Yes. Watching you makes me feel good too... Do you have any favorite foods?”
“Pretty much any kind of meat.”
I answered with Ken’s tastes from his memories.
It was his body, after all, so his palate was mine now. Not wrong at all.
Mary examined the skewer thoughtfully and murmured, “...I see.”
What’s that mean?
After that, we passed the food stalls and headed toward street performances and vendors hawking odd trinkets.
“Wow! This is incredible! Everything’s so new!”
I shouted like an excited kid at the novel sights.
Adventurers and peddlers displayed exotic goods you wouldn’t find in regular shops.
Street mages put on shows with minor spells.
In the game, festivals felt like mere events to pass through.
But these vivid performances and unique items made my heart race with real thrill.
“Is this your first time at a festival, Ken?”
Hmm, maybe getting excited like this at my age looked weird.
“I’ve seen them before, but this is my first time actually being here...”
I’d seen them countless times in the game.
But feeling the atmosphere firsthand like this was brand new.
For example, performers selling magic orb water balloons to kids.
Merchants showing strange rings to couples.
Kids running around joyfully with their water balloons.
Every sight and scent felt fresh and wondrous.
“So... everything today is your first festival?”
Mary, watching the show beside me, bumped her shoulder against mine as she said it.
Her soft shoulder nudged my arm.
“...Guess so?”
As I sensed something off in her obvious question,
“...This is my first time coming with a guy, too.”
Mary glanced up sideways, this time pressing her shoulder fully against my arm.
Her body heat seeped through from her shoulder against my arm.
It felt somehow hot, making me hyper-aware of the spot.
‘Why... why is this happening?’
Thump.
Thump, thump.
Why, though?
It was just arm against shoulder.
Yet my heart pounded like the sound might carry over.
“How is it? Do you like your first festival?”
“Y-Yeah. Stuff like this... feels nice once in a while.”
“Right? Crowds make me awkward, but it’s fun.”
The mood was turning sentimental.
The surroundings were noisy and lively,
yet it felt like a quiet bubble around just us.
In that awkward atmosphere, not knowing what to do, I focused on the performance.
Mary, watching beside me, turned to me.
“I’m having fun because I’m here with you, Ken.”
“...Glad to hear that.”
Her eyes, which I met absentmindedly, held their usual blankness but carried a hint of tension.
“...Hey, Ken.”
“...Yeah?”
And those eyes were like a lake under the moonlight, drawing me in.
“...By any chance, what kind of girl do you...”
They seemed to swallow me whole.
“...like...”
Splash!
“Kyahaha!”
“Hey! S-Sorry! My little sibling... H-Hold on, stay right there!”
The hypnotic mood shattered with a water balloon thrown by a playing kid.
And the one it hit dead-on?
“Hic... s-sniff.”
It was Mary.
“W-Wah! A-Are you okay?”
Her hair and shoulders soaked from the water balloon, Mary trembled violently and started to cry.
“I-I’ll dry you off right away!”
‘First, somewhere less crowded...!’
With all the people around drawing stares, I hurried her into a nearby alley for cover.
As we moved, she clutched my arm tightly, mumbling through sobs.
“S-Sniff, sorry... Ken... I-It’s because I’m such a pathetic...”
Once we reached a secluded spot,
I gently wiped her tear-streaked face and dripping hair with a towel clutched in my fist on my collar.
Luckily, the balloon wasn’t huge, so mainly her hair and top were wet.
Less chaotic than that time she’d been drenched before.
“...Sorry, Ken. I’m such a burden.”
After wiping off most of the water, she was still shivering but seemed calmer.
Tears still lingered at her eyes.
“It’s fine. It was sudden.”
“B-But... we went to such... effort...”
Then she started crying again, tears plopping down.
“Wah, sniff, I tried so hard to look cute... sniff...”
A soaked Mary turned into a crybaby, as expected.
Staying calm, I finished drying her hair. Gently toweling the wet strands.
Carefully drying her wet cheeks.
And softly wiping the tears from around her eyes.
“...You’re so kind, Ken.”
“R-Really? I think it’s normal.”
Now calmed and tear-free, she looked at me.
Drying her hair like this felt like petting her.
With her teary eyes, flushed cheeks and nose, she looked up like a little sister being comforted.
‘Oh, right—that thing.’
Remembering what I’d made before, I reached into my subspace pouch.
What I pulled out was the hairdryer I’d crafted earlier.
‘Who knew it’d come in handy like this.’
I held the hairdryer and channeled mana into it.
The red and green spirit stones glowed, blowing out hot air.
“...Warm wind.”
“Like it? I made it before.”
“......You’re handy, Ken.”
“Eh, just a basic skill anyone has.”
I brushed her still-damp hair back with my hand, drying it with the hot air.
As I carefully combed her drying locks with my fingers, Mary placed her hand over mine.
And that hand covered my hand on her hair.
“...Thank you, Ken.”
“No problem.”
After drying her hair and clothes, we left the alley.
As we reached the entrance, someone called out to us.
“Hey~. You students. Take a look at my wares before you go.”
I turned at the voice.
‘Whoa, found it!’
There was the hidden stall I’d been searching for at this festival.
“Interested in stuff like this?”
Mary seemed intrigued by my bright smile as I browsed the stall.
Most of it was junk, after all.
But one item was what I wanted.
“Ah, this one! I’ll take it!”
I picked up a rolled-up scroll.
“Collecting these as a hobby or something?”
“Ahh~ Well, you see...”
It probably looked weird to Mary, suddenly buying something odd.
I collected them, but for survival, not hobby...
“Someone I like asked for it. Haha...”
“......”
I brushed it off, but maybe it sounded suspicious. No real need to explain anyway.
Mary fell silent, eyeing me dubiously, then spoke up again.
“Hey, the person you’re giving that to... is it a gi...”
But before she finished,
“Huh?”
“Ah.”
We ran into someone unexpected.
“Why are you two together...”
It was Emily, walking with Adrian.