Points of Doubt (1)
From that day on, Clara and I found ourselves living with neighbors who were both deeply familiar and a little uncomfortable. Every time I left for the Magic Tower and caught sight of my party members’ faces waiting outside first thing in the morning, the feeling was never entirely pleasant.
It was worse whenever Letisia cast a faintly envious look at Clara, who had come to greet me, or when I saw Erinn’s awkward smile and remembered how she had cried her eyes out that day.
For a while we had no choice but to travel through the teleportation circle installed at the Kalari Payat Martial Arts Academy. The silver lining was that once a circle was set up in our own backyard, we no longer needed to leave by the front gate and ran into them far less often.
The real problem came when we needed to go shopping, or when Clara and I wanted a light date, or when Caesius whined that she wanted to eat out. On those occasions we had no choice but to venture outside….
“…Oh, are you heading out?”
“Uh… going out to eat.”
Every single time, we ran into one of the party members outside. When I asked why they kept hanging around the yard, they explained that the Hero of the Holy Spear could appear at any moment, so the four of them took turns standing watch.
Thinking about it left me feeling a little wronged. We had been greedy for money, true, but they were the ones who stole first and forced us into this situation.
If you really thought about it, it wasn’t the Hero of the Holy Spear who should be chasing us—we ought to be the ones hunting down that prince bastard instead….
But he’s the crown prince, of all people… there’s no way around it….
In this era, royal status carried absolute power unimaginable in modern times. And among them, a prince of the direct line—one already named crown prince and next in line for the throne… if he declared we were in the wrong, then we were in the wrong. That was simply how the world worked.
Anyway, they were doing it to protect me, of all reasons, so I couldn’t really complain. If anything, gratitude was the only proper response.
Clara seemed to share the same mix of mild dissatisfaction and genuine gratitude. Because of that, she looked every bit as uncomfortable as I felt—maybe even more so.
The one on duty right now was Freya. At the mention of going out to eat, she offered a slightly awkward smile.
“That’s nice. Enjoy your meal.”
“Uh… you enjoy your dinner too.”
After that somewhat stilted exchange we started toward the restaurant district, only for Caesius to pipe up with zero sense of the atmosphere.
“Want to come along? Ah, better yet—why not call everyone and go together?”
“…What?”
“Hey, Caesius…?!”
What the hell was she saying.
“As it happens, Albrecht just received a decent sum from the Magic Tower as research compensation. So don’t worry about the food bill.”
“You… deciding things on your own….”
“What’s the problem?”
Caesius continued,
“From what I’ve heard, they’re doing this to protect you. Then isn’t it only human decency to repay them from time to time? Or am I misunderstanding something?”
“……”
I had nothing to say. She was right, after all. Normally she seemed interested in nothing but food, yet every now and then she would drive a spike straight into a blind spot like this….
Unsure what to do, I glanced at Clara. She let out a short sigh.
“If Albrecht’s fine with it, then I am too.”
“….”
I sighed lightly and lifted my head, looking at Freya.
“…Want to come?”
After some deliberation, what came out was a suggestion rather than a firm invitation. They might feel just as uncomfortable around me, so I couldn’t insist.
Freya seemed to ponder for a moment, then soon smiled gently and shook her head.
“We’re fine. You go on ahead.”
“…Alright.”
I accepted the answer and turned away. Behind me I heard Caesius muttering.
“Humans really aren’t honest at all.”
“….”
Even an idiot could tell what she meant. Still, trying not to dwell on it, trying hard to let the words slide past… I lightly took hold of Clara’s hand beside me.
Clara beamed up at me with a soft smile. Seeing that smile cleared the tangled thoughts in my head.
At the restaurant we ate well, then headed briefly to a tavern. No special reason—I simply found myself craving the taste of alcohol that day. Clara gladly came along; Caesius claimed she was full and went home first.
“Let’s just have one quick drink and go.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Clara answered that way and smiled brightly. Ever since she confessed her feelings to me, she had been saying “I like it” a lot. Considering how she used to be, it was an incredible change.
It was a truly good change, and the fact that it had come about because of me made me incredibly happy. I had once said I wasn’t sure whether this feeling was truly love, but it seemed certain that I was growing fonder of her little by little.
In high spirits, the moment we stepped into the tavern Clara and I both froze. In one corner of the bustling place, a familiar-faced woman was quietly downing her drinks alone.
It wasn’t Ser-Aria. She was a little smaller, her hair not black but a sparkling platinum blonde… and she possessed a beauty that drew every eye around her. It was the Hero of the Holy Sword—Erinn.
Judging by the countless empty glasses piled beside her, she must have drunk an enormous amount alone. Her face was flushed bright red; anyone could see she was thoroughly intoxicated.
“Welcome, customers! Please take a seat wherever you like!”
At the owner’s cheerful greeting she unconsciously turned her gaze our way, not even noticing that Clara and I had entered.
Then her eyes widened the instant they met ours. I glanced at Clara, met Erinn’s gaze again, sighed, and said,
“Sorry, Clara. Let’s just leave for now.”
“…It’s fine, Albrecht.”
“Huh?”
Clara said,
“Let’s just sit and drink.”
“….”
What was she thinking? I couldn’t quite read her. Led by her hand, I sat side by side with her at the bar in front of the owner.
“Hm? Now that I look, isn’t that Brother Albrecht?”
“Ah, you remember me. It’s been a while.”
“Of course I remember. Last time you came with this beautiful elf lady as well.”
Back when we had only just arrived in Parvata, the three of us—including Caesius—had stopped by this tavern once.
“I think there was one more back then….”
“That one went home first.”
“Is that so. By the way….”
The owner laughed heartily.
“You two seem to have gotten much closer.”
“Haha….”
“…We’re dating.”
Unlike me, who laughed awkwardly out of embarrassment, Clara simply came right out and said it. She looked even more flustered than I felt, yet the way she spoke so honestly was incredibly charming.
“Haha, I thought as much. Good for you, brother.”
“…Yes, it is good.”
“As a celebration, I’ll treat you to a drink.”
“You don’t have to….”
“Come on, take it. You’re not just going to have one and leave anyway.”
I had originally planned to, but now it seemed we would end up drinking more.
“Ah, damn. The barrel’s empty. I’ll bring a new one right away—wait a moment.”
While the owner went to change the barrel, I chuckled lightly.
“That old man sure knows how to do business.”
“Yeah, right?”
He had made us, who only meant to have one drink and leave, end up drinking more. Thinking I might as well order snacks while we were at it, I said,
“Let’s get some snacks too. What do you want?”
“I…”
Clara glanced at the menu for a moment, then looked at me. She smiled gently and leaned in close, reaching out with both hands to cup my cheeks.
“My snack is right here.”
“…What?”
Holding my face, Clara laughed lightly. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re picking all the coquettish moves these days.”
“Did you hate it?”
Still smiling, she asked if I hated it. She clearly knew exactly what answer I would give. I really couldn’t win against her.
“No—I like it. That’s why.”
Hearing that, Clara laughed happily. A hint of shyness still showed on her smiling face. The fact that she was still embarrassed yet doing this more and more was clearly because of the situation I was in right now—anyone could tell.
But I still didn’t understand why she insisted on drinking here, with Erinn present. We could have just gone somewhere else.
“Sorry for the wait. Here’s the free drink.”
“Thank you. We were going to order some snacks….”
“Ah, speak freely.”
“Here…”
“…Grilled pork foreleg. With butter and garlic brushed on.”
The one who ordered before I could answer wasn’t Clara. I looked to the side, slightly flustered; Clara did the same.
There stood Erinn, her face flushed bright red. From her unfocused pupils I could tell at a glance she wasn’t in her right mind.
“Uh… customer, do you know this brother?”
“…I know him well.”
After ordering the snack on her own, she plopped down to my left—not right up against me, but leaving one seat between us.
“Ah… and another glass of this.”
Perhaps sensing there was some complicated situation, the owner didn’t dig further and simply asked me if the menu was all right.
“…Um, is it alright to bring it out like that?”
“…Yes, please do.”
I had actually planned to eat something else, but for her—who was staying here to protect me—I could show this much consideration.
…Honestly, I was scared to say no. No matter how I looked at it she wasn’t sober, and that was terrifying. Drunk people are the scariest because you never know what they’ll do next.
The owner went inside for a moment to prepare the snacks, and a young-looking male employee came out—probably the owner’s son. Unlike his father he wasn’t tending the bar; he sat far off in a corner, simply watching the inside of the shop.
He seemed to be monitoring to make sure no one stole drinks or ran off without paying. After feeling a brief sense of relief at that, I looked to the side.
“…Do you have something to say, Erinn?”
“….”
Erinn wordlessly downed the remaining drink. I waited patiently.
“I don’t particularly have anything to say, Albrecht.”
“What? Then why…”
“…Just.”
She held up the empty glass.
“Since there’s someone I know, I thought I’d like a drinking companion.”
“….”
“Drinking alone was getting a bit boring.”
I looked at Clara with an “what do we do” expression. She nodded slightly.
“…Let’s do that.”
“….”
After a brief hesitation I lightly raised the glass the owner had given me and held it out to Erinn.
“Alright, go ahead then.”
“…Thanks.”
Erinn lightly clinked her glass against mine.
The three of them didn’t talk much after that, yet they ended up drinking quite a lot. Perhaps they drank more in an attempt to loosen the somewhat awkward atmosphere.
The problem was that Albrecht, finding the mood so awkward, drank faster than expected… and got drunk in no time. He groaned “Ugh…” and collapsed face-first onto the bar with a flop.
“A-Albrecht?!”
“…He’s pretty drunk. Better to wait a bit for him to sober up rather than move him right away.”
Erinn said that and tilted her glass. Clara newly realized just how strong her alcohol tolerance was. Even though her face had already been flushed bright red from drinking before they arrived, she was still downing drinks without collapsing.
Clara glanced at her for a moment, then soon turned her gaze away. But then Erinn spoke.
“Clara.”
Suddenly calling her name, Erinn looked at the collapsed Albrecht, then turned back to her.
Clara looked at the woman who had called her with a bit of wariness. To her, Erinn spoke quietly—in a voice far too calm, as if she weren’t drunk at all.
“I have one thing to ask.”
“…Something to ask?”
Unlike when she spoke with Albrecht, Clara answered after a long hesitation, the way she used to.
“…It’s nothing else.”
Looking at the empty glass, Erinn glanced sideways at Albrecht and Clara. Then she asked. She let out the doubt she had turned over countless times in her head.
“You… never saw Allen and Albrecht as overlapping, did you?”