Royal Capital Barga (19)
The next day, I headed out to the commercial district with Maximilian.
Of course, it wasn't just the two of us — Emma had come along as well. I'd been feeling guilty about not paying her enough attention lately. I'd thought she was managing well enough on her own, but...
"Um, Emma? This is getting a little uncomfortable..."
Emma was stuck to my side like glue, with no intention of letting go. I shot Maximilian a look pleading for help, but he glanced at me and promptly averted his eyes.
Right. I've been far too neglectful of her...
I had no choice but to go along with it. She must have been bottling a lot up, because she dragged me this way and that.
"Come to think of it, we've never really walked around like this before."
We'd been in the capital for a month, and I still hadn't gone out with her even once. Part of it was that Emma disliked going out, and part of it was that neither of us knew the capital's layout very well. So whenever we did leave the house, we always brought along either Sister Mary or Maximilian — the two who actually knew their way around. Today, for much the same reason, Maximilian had come with us.
"Emma?"
For some reason, she was glaring at Maximilian behind us. I couldn't quite make out her expression, but she clearly didn't want him tagging along.
"We don't really have a choice."
We didn't know the area, and two women wandering around alone was risky. Of course, neither Emma nor I was weak — but being careful never hurt anyone.
"It's fine."
I glanced gently at Maximilian. He wore a bitter smile.
"I understand. Please enjoy some sisterly time together today."
"A-are you sure that's all right?"
"Yes. I heard the list of materials you need this morning, so I'll go purchase them."
"Oh, um, you really don't have to..."
"Not at all. I was the one who failed to read the room."
He said it with a smile, but it left me with a strange feeling. Somehow I felt like I was the villain here. Emma was still glaring hard at him — as if she were saying, If you get it, then hurry up and leave.
Had she been that lonely...? I really owe her an apology.
"Well, at least take some money."
I pulled my wallet from my pocket and reached inside.
"There's no need. I have plenty of money myself."
"I know that, but these are things I'll be using, so I should pay for them."
"Then give it to me later at home, and use that money to spend time with Miss Emma."
Uh... well...
"Should we?"
Arguing over it here would just be a waste of time, wouldn't it?
"Yes, please do."
"I already told you everything I need yesterday, right?"
"Yes. If there's anything else you need, just let me know."
"Please get me a generous amount of ash powder as well. For the Perfavor, get both the medicine and the fruit. And about thirty evening primrose blooms, if you would."
And... what else...
"Understood. I'll make sure everything is well stocked."
Ah! Did I ask for too much? As I hesitated, Maximilian smiled brightly and told me not to worry.
"Th-that's a lot, isn't it?"
"Please don't concern yourself. I hope you both have a wonderful time."
I offered him my thanks.
"Come on, Emma. Let's go."
"Okay!"
Aigoo, look how happy she is. If she weren't family, that would have been genuinely adorable. No — if I were still a man, I might have blushed. But now that I was a woman, it didn't stir anything in me at all.
First things first — where should we go? There were a few places worth visiting. A café would be nice, and I really ought to stop by the Adventurers' Guild at least once. Shopping together wouldn't be bad either. The clothes Lady Gerlach had bought me last time were comfortable and nice — picking up a few outfits for Emma seemed like a good idea. I still wasn't fully used to skirts, but after wearing them a few times, they'd grown familiar and comfortable...
The deliberation didn't last long. Why not just go everywhere?
"I've decided."
"What?"
"First, let's go to the Adventurers' Guild."
There wasn't much to see there, but living in the capital, we'd probably take on a commission sooner or later, right?
"Okay."
I set off through the capital with Emma in tow. Of course, unlike Maximilian, I stuck to the broad main avenues rather than cutting through alleyways.
"It's nice walking around like this."
When Maximilian or Sister Mary was around, I always felt a little watched, which made things uncomfortable. With Emma, there was none of that.
"Yeah."
For once, Emma wore a bright, sunny expression. I really had neglected her quite a bit. To think something this simple could make her look so happy.
I did my best to show her around and explain the sights. She didn't seem particularly curious about anything, but she was clearly delighted just to have me by her side. We spent a good while looking around. Emma had worked as an adventurer for a short time herself, so she inspected things rather carefully.
"I don't know if we'll get the chance, but let's try taking a commission sometime."
"Okay."
Next, we browsed the nearby shopping streets. Here, at least, Emma showed some interest.
"You've never come out on your own, have you?"
"No. I stayed home and watched the house."
There was no real need to guard it... but since Maximilian, Sister Mary, and I were out so often, she'd apparently stayed behind alone.
"You don't have to watch it, you know."
Given the security in the Upper District, there was nothing to worry about. But today wasn't the day to quibble over that. I just wanted Emma to enjoy herself.
We wandered the market streets together, buying and tasting unfamiliar fruits, simply taking in the sights.
"Think we could grow these back in the village?"
Emma must have really liked the fruit she'd just eaten, because she asked about cultivating it.
"Hard to say. It'd depend on whether the climate and soil are right."
"Would it be hard?"
Well, the village didn't really grow specialty fruits. Growing wheat, barley, and potatoes was far more important. And the Forest of Delusion being so close made a big difference — fruit and mushrooms grew there in absolute abundance. Whenever we needed some, we just went and foraged.
"Well, we could always save the seeds carefully and try planting them."
Whether they'd grow or die was anyone's guess...
"Okay. Let's do that."
But would the seeds even last that long? As long as they didn't mold or rot, I was pretty sure they could keep for quite a while. Worth a try, at least.
Emma bought a few more fruits she liked, ate them, and carefully picked out the seeds. I took them from her, sorted them carefully, and tucked them into my pocket.
Come to think of it, when should we head back home? Considering the rumors spreading through the capital, going back early might not be a bad idea...
"Emma."
"Yeah?"
"When should we head back?"
"In the spring?"
Huh! For Emma, that was a remarkably on-point answer. The climate in this kingdom was mild, true enough — but winter still existed. It barely snowed, and the kind of cutting wind that sliced through flesh almost never blew, yet winter was winter. And what would happen if we had to sleep outdoors? In winter? When the temperature dropped sharply at night? There were winter sleeping bags and windproof tents, sure, but they couldn't block out the cold entirely.
"You're right. Traveling in winter would be rough, so let's go back once it warms up."
It was autumn now, and the harvest would start around next month... so roughly four or five months from now before we could move?
After finishing our tour of the market, we decided to rest at a nearby café. I'd visited quite a few with Maximilian, so I guided Emma to the one I'd liked best.
"A café?"
"Yeah. It's about lunchtime."
As expected of a popular spot, seats were scarce.
"Let's wait a bit."
Figuring people would clear out soon enough, we waited. Five minutes passed, and we still hadn't gotten in. Ten minutes, and we were still waiting. Just as we were starting to wear out — finally, our turn came, and we were shown inside. A server guided us to a table, and we sat down.
"The sandwiches here are really good."
The quality was high enough to remind me of sandwiches I'd eaten in my previous life. Soft bread, thinly sliced ham, crisp lettuce, and a sweet sauce — a truly delicious sandwich.
"How many do you want, Emma?"
"One's enough."
I ordered two sandwiches and two cups of tea.
"The tea here is pretty good too."
"Is it?"
"Yeah. I think you'll like it."
I'd never been much of a tea drinker, but living with Sister Mary and Maximilian had gradually taught me to enjoy it.
True to form, the food arrived not long after we ordered. This place was famous for its sandwiches, so nearly every customer ordered one. As a result, they started preparing sandwiches the moment customers walked in. And if someone ordered something else? No problem — the next customer through the door would take it anyway.
"Let's eat."
"Okay."
We sat side by side and dug into our sandwiches. Soft bread gave way to tender ham and crisp lettuce. As I chewed, the sweet sauce spread through my mouth, and all the ingredients came together in perfect harmony.
"Mm. This is it."
Sister Mary's cooking was perfectly fine, but it couldn't quite top this sandwich. That special sauce was truly delicious — and apparently impossible to replicate. If Sister Mary's food was the kind of cooking you'd call "pretty good," this was the kind that made you gush: This is amazing! You absolutely have to try it! Well, compared to the restaurant Lady Gerlach had taken me to before, even this fell a little short...
"It's good."
Emma ate her sandwich with a truly blissful expression. For someone usually so blunt and blank-faced, she was showing a lot of expression today.
Come to think of it — who would end up marrying Emma? Back when I was a man, I'd figured that if nothing major came up, I might end up marrying her myself. I was never sure whether what I felt for her was romantic love or familial love... but I'd thought living together wouldn't be so bad. Now that I'd become a woman, that was no longer possible...
I ate only half my sandwich and set it down on the plate.
"Is it good?"
Emma's mouth was too full of sandwich to speak, so she just nodded vigorously instead.
"I should have brought you here sooner."
I pushed my remaining sandwich toward her.
"Here, Emma. Have some more."
She gave me a look that asked if I was really sure.
"I'm fine."
I took a quiet sip of tea. Being small-framed and not particularly physical, this much food was plenty for me to keep going — plus I'd already eaten a lot of fruit earlier. Emma didn't hesitate for a second. She started in on the sandwich I'd left her.
After finishing the sandwiches, we lingered over our tea, chatting about little things and letting the time drift by.