An Unexpected Companion
"Now that I'm actually out here, I don't know if I should say I've been kicked out of the house, or if I just feel... kind of left behind."
I was excited, sure, but it didn't feel particularly special yet.
Since it was the same old town and the same old streets I saw every day, all that fuss I made about packing up and leaving for a grand journey felt a little embarrassing in hindsight.
If there was one thing that felt different, it was that the hilt of the sword I'd grown sick of gripping every single day suddenly felt a bit newer in my hand.
"Mister, you in there?"
Despite our town having a decent population of about three thousand, this place was the only stable and the absolute hub for trade with other settlements.
Right next to it was the town's largest market for trading and dealing with outsiders, so there was never a quiet day. The owner was making a killing.
I could tell just by looking at him as he ran out, wearing a pricey-looking red brooch I'd never seen before.
Back when I hurt my arm during swordsmanship practice, I'd taken a break from helping out at my parents' restaurant and worked here for a bit.
Apparently, using his experience running the stables as a springboard, he'd recently bought a nearby building and opened up an inn.
He really was an impressive guy.
Originally, I'd had this romanticized idea of traveling on foot, but it was way too dangerous for a novice to camp out alone without a plan. More than anything, the distances were just too vast.
The nearest town was a two-to-three-day walk, but getting to my actual destination would take over a week even by carriage. Honestly, I'd probably get lost along the way.
I did want to try a solo camping trip eventually, but let's save that for later.
Who knows what could happen to me out there without anyone to keep watch?
"Ah, Syaruen! Your dad told me all about it. You're going on a trip? You didn't run away from home, did you? Or is this a secret elopement with a hidden lover?"
"It's an adventure. And that's the third time today someone's asked if I have a secret lover."
Having to hear the same joke about running away from everyone I ran into made me look away with an involuntary scowl.
“Hahaha! Well, what do you expect when the popular restaurant owner's daughter suddenly packs up and leaves without ever having dated anyone?”
Unbothered by my annoyance, the stable master just chuckled, went inside, and brought out a ledger.
"You timed it perfectly. The carriage leaves in twenty minutes. It's nothing special, just a wagon loaded with spices. The fare's already been paid, so just make yourself comfortable. You've helped me out plenty in the past, so don't feel bad about it."
"Thank you. You already helped me arrange the route to the other town, and now you're paying for the ride too."
"Please, with how much delicious food I've eaten at your family's place, this is just a tip. Think of it as severance pay and a bonus for all the help you gave me here. Head over to platform seven. You can't miss it—it's the one with all the green-haired guys. Have a safe trip! I'm busy, so I've gotta run!"
I simply gave a quiet nod, and the man rushed back inside as quickly as he'd come out.
Well, might as well have a smoke before I head out.
"Let's see... one... four... six..."
They definitely had green hair like the owner said, but it was... well, closer to black than green.
They didn't look like adventurers either. Judging by their flashy clothes and the massive piles of luggage nearby, they were probably merchants.
"Hello! I'm Meria."
While I was looking around, a girl with red eyes and a short, two-toned bob of purple and black approached me with a bright smile. A girl? She looked like an adult, though.
"I'm Syaruen."
Having met all kinds of people at the academy, the restaurant, my part-time jobs, and the cathedral, I was used to making acquaintances. But someone this relentlessly cheerful was a bit overwhelming.
"How old are you? I just turned twenty. Do you live here? You're carrying a sword, are you an adventurer?"
She was invading my personal space to an uncomfortable degree.
I was used to dealing with people since I'd looked after plenty of kids at the cathedral, but dealing with an adult like this out in the wild felt a bit strange.
Was she not from around here?
Or was she just someone I'd never crossed paths with?
"I'm twenty-two. I've lived here my whole life, and this is my first time traveling."
"Oh, we're the same then! I just started my journey too. I heard there are quite a few traveling adventurers, but I haven't really run into many... I look forward to getting to know you!"
Even if she said that, we'd reach our destination in just three days.
Still, it felt wrong to push away someone who was smiling so brightly at me.
Maybe she'd have something useful to say during the trip. I decided to listen.
“So, anyway~”
Scratch that.
I regretted it within thirty minutes of departure.
It was exhausting enough listening to her ramble on about herself in a carriage with just the two of us, but the real problem was that about thirty percent of her chatter consisted of questions.
"What kind of work did you do before? Do you have a favorite song? What did you do? What made you decide to travel? Oh my gosh, are you good at cooking? Could you make something for me sometime? How should we keep in touch? What do you use?"
She had a puppy-like face that was undeniably cute, but she clung to me in a way that felt suffocating. I was getting the exact same vibe from a fully grown twenty-year-old girl that I usually got from ten-year-old kids.
Her personality was the complete polar opposite of Lord Eral's.
She would be so cute if she just stayed quiet. Her face was adorable, after all.
While her nonstop chattering kept me from getting bored, I couldn't help but wish she'd ask fewer questions and just talk to herself instead.
Most of all, none of it was meaningful conversation. It was just her getting excited and rambling about random trivia.
"What about you? What made you want to travel? With a face like yours, I bet you're pretty popular."
Meria blinked at me for a moment, then scratched her head with another goofy grin.
"I've had a few offers, but traveling around and exploring just suits my constitution better. I've loved traveling since before I became an adult, and I really want to try food from all over the world. But wow, bringing up popularity out of nowhere... haven't you seduced more girls than guys with that attitude?"
It was true that I'd attracted a fair share of girls back at the academy. I'd received love letters, public confessions, and all kinds of other declarations.
I could still vividly remember Mirael teasing the absolute hell out of me in our room, which had pissed me off to no end.
Even at the cathedral, some of the nuns had confessed to me.
It wasn't that I disliked same-sex relationships, but I'd never really thought of myself as "preferring men over women" either.
Though the reverse was also true.
When I rejected those confessions, it was simply because I had no interest in dating, not because they were women...
Wait, in the first place, I was always the one receiving the confessions. I'd never actually confessed to anyone myself.
"No way. I've never dated anyone, and I've certainly never tried to seduce anyone."
"Huh? You? With a face like that? Are you a celibate? Or do you have... some weird kink?"
"Yeah, yeah. I just don't care about dating. I don't think poorly of romance, I just don't want to be tied down. What about you? Unlike me, with my blunt attitude and sharp eyes, you're friendly and cute. I'm sure people of all ages and genders adore you."
"I just want to get along with everyone. Like you said, if you start dating someone, it's hard to keep the exact same relationship with everyone else."
Resting her chin on her hand, Meria looked at me with a soft smile.
"But if it's you, big sister...♥"
...She's joking... right?
Rattle!
Just then, the carriage hit a bump, sending my body half-airborne. As I landed, my heavy breasts bounced violently, sending a jolt of pain through my chest. I clutched my chest with a groan.
“I guess having big boobs really does make you popular, huh?”
Meria covered her mouth, her eyes darting toward my chest as she spoke.
“Is that really what you have to say to someone who's literally in pain right now?”
“But still...”
“I don't think my chest is small, but I don't think it's that big either.”
“Are you seriously saying that right in front of me?”
Scratch that.
Meria cupped her own small breasts with both hands, glaring at me with a pout before letting out a heavy sigh.
“My mom definitely isn't small, so why am I like this?”
“Small breasts have their own charm, don't they? Flat-chested girls date way more than I do, and some people even say they prefer small chests over big ones.”
“This is exactly why I can't stand well-endowed people! Do you know how many times I've heard rich people say stuff like, 'Can't you easily live on just one gold coin a month?'”
She must have felt incredibly wronged by my comment, because she began firing off complaints like a rapid-fire machine gun. What a handful.
“Sure, some people take pride in having a large chest, but there's no need to be so pessimistic about it.”
“I'm not pessimistic. I'm not sad. I'm not in despair.”
How annoying.
“Here.”
Maintaining a deadpan expression, I opened my arms and pulled Meria into a hug. The noisy girl finally quieted down.
“Trying to seduce a girl with your boobs like this... you're the worst.”
Despite her words, she happily clung to me, burying her face deep into my cleavage.
If you stripped away her cute act and replaced it with a sly smirk, her sly, hands-on behavior was the exact spitting image of Mirael.
Except, the way she acted the very next day was a little different...