Homecoming Gifts
After a long and winding journey, I finally managed to drag my weary feet back to Karsion. Days spent bouncing between carriages, switching from one to another, sitting for hours on end. The luxury of pressing a button twice and instantly arriving at my destination was now nothing more than a distant memory. My rear end felt like it had been through a war, but at least I was here. That was all that mattered. First things first—get home, wash up, and start working again tomorrow. Today wasn't a holiday, and Reina would be out on mercenary business anyway.
Instead of heading straight for the door, I fished out the spare key hidden beneath a small pile of stones in the yard. Reina had explained that when you're out doing rough mercenary work all day, it's easy to lose a small key. That's why she always left a spare outside like this. I'd told her over and over to just give it to someone for safekeeping, but old habits die hard, she'd said. Personally, I suspected she simply had no intention of changing.
With that brief thought about her quirks, I stepped into the empty house. As expected, there was no sign of the armor that was practically her trademark. She's out on a job, then. I set the crumpled paper bag down on the cold, bare table. After traveling together for several days, the once-stiff paper had gone limp and wrinkled, looking thoroughly pathetic. Leaving it like that didn't feel very gift-like, so I pulled the presents out one by one.
A compact incense burner and a bundle of incense sticks that fit comfortably in my hand. I placed a wooden canister filled to the brim with tea leaves on the table as well. Together, they gave the barren, chilly house a small touch of human warmth. Once I'd arranged everything to my satisfaction, I headed to the bathroom with a change of clothes from the wardrobe. There had been plenty of chances to wash during the trip, but the real problem was the clothes. No matter how thoroughly I scrubbed my body, wearing the same filthy outfit left me feeling gross.
I dunked the clothes I'd been wearing into soapy water and washed them along with myself. Sweat, dust, and grime that had soaked deep into the fabric turned into black sludge and swirled down the drain. Proper care according to the fabric would have been ideal for longevity, but these weren't exactly high-quality garments to begin with. At this point, it was easier to just buy new ones than to bother with delicate washing. I finished the laundry and bath at a leisurely pace, then put on the now-dry clothes and padded out into the living room.
"Whew, I feel alive again."
Even though no one was around to hear, the words slipped out along with a refreshing sigh. The grimy feeling that had clung to me throughout the entire journey finally peeled away along with the filthy combat uniform. Dressed in thick indoor clothes suited for winter, I pulled the wool hat Rein had given me from my bag and tugged it down over my head. Wondering when Reina would return, I sat in a chair and bounced my leg restlessly.
Time passed. The sun was beginning to set when I heard the familiar clanking sound. The metallic scrape of armor plates meeting—that unmistakable sound that was her signature. As the sharp noise grew louder, there was no doubt who was about to walk through the door.
"I'm home."
I called out a warm greeting toward the door as it creaked open. The footsteps that had been moving without hesitation suddenly faltered. After a brief pause, the clanking resumed as she stepped into the living room. The metallic sound stopped right in front of the usual spot where she removed her armor. For a long moment she didn't answer. Then, pulling off that stifling helmet, she spoke.
"You got back pretty quick."
Her voice was flat, devoid of emotion. I couldn't tell if she was still upset or simply commenting on how early I'd returned.
"I, uh, didn't forget the gifts either."
Just in case it was the former, I pointed at the items on the table. She seemed more interested in getting out of her armor for now, twisting and shifting to remove the shoulder guards first. Seeing her about to drop the pieces, I stood up from my chair and helped. After the helmet, the gauntlets came off next—hands needed to be free to do anything. Then the shoulder and arm guards, followed by the breastplate and backplate that separated front and back. As I assisted, the thought struck me that it was like peeling the batter off fried chicken. The contents weren't particularly large, yet Reina the mercenary was excessively packaged inside this armor "batter." I also wondered how she managed to walk around wearing such heavy, cumbersome equipment all the time.
Once I'd helped remove the upper half of the armor, a quiet voice came from in front of me.
"Did you see your family all right?"
She moved as if she could handle the lower half on her own, trying to put some distance between us as she asked. The question about my family felt almost like a formality.
"Ah, yeah."
"Haa."
At my short answer, Reina let out a light sigh. With a series of clicks, she removed the thigh guards, knee pads, greaves, and metal boots, then stripped off the chainmail as well. No matter how many times I saw it, the process of donning and removing that armor never got any less complicated. Even though a cold chill radiated from the freshly removed pieces, the layers of clothing beneath were soaked with sweat as if it were midsummer. The perspiration trapped inside the armor dispersed into the air like mist.
After catching her breath, Reina wiped her forehead with the back of her arm and asked, "They said you couldn't contact them while you were here. What did they say?"
She'd threatened to let me do as I pleased, but apparently she'd been curious about what happened after I left. Recalling how thoroughly I'd been beaten back in the village, I let out a dry laugh while gathering the scattered armor pieces from the floor.
"Don't even ask. I got smacked around by Mom and my friend… Heh."
"Well, you probably deserved it."
"Ugh."
She casually agreed that I'd had it coming, delivering the same kind of blunt remark my mother would have made. Her straightforward answer, delivered without a hint of hesitation, left me speechless. I could only manage a single syllable before clamping my mouth shut. Even from a third party's perspective, it seemed I really had deserved that beating.
Eager to escape the awkward topic, I deliberately shifted my gaze to the items on the table. Reina's eyes followed mine to the unfamiliar objects.
"What's all this?"
"An incense burner and a canister of tea leaves. I figured practical gifts would be better…"
She could clearly see what they were, yet she asked anyway. It seemed she wanted me to explain, so I added a bit more detail. In this world, the standard gifts for women were clichéd things like jewelry and flowers. Whether she noticed my effort or not, Reina smiled with satisfaction as she ran her fingertips over the burner and wooden canister.
"Mm, not bad."
She stood up and rummaged through the wardrobe, pulling out a bundle of clothes. She was clearly eager to wash off the sweat-soaked grime. As expected, she headed for the bathroom, but paused to speak over her shoulder in her usual matter-of-fact tone.
"I'll be out after I wash. Go ahead and light some of that incense. I want to try the smell."
"Got it."
I answered briefly and began figuring out how to use the burner. Having no prior experience with such things, I fumbled around, opening the lid and peering inside. I picked a stick-shaped piece from the bundle, lit the tip until it smoldered, placed it in the burner, and closed the lid. White smoke curled upward, releasing a distinctive fragrance that mingled with the refreshing sound of running water from the bathroom.
Since she'd be coming out into chilly weather, I decided to use the tea leaves I'd bought as a gift as well. I boiled water in the kitchen. The gentle scent drifting from the living room reached me there too—slightly acrid, yet somehow soothing, creating the illusion of calming the mind and body. I caught myself leaning in to savor it, then quickly refocused and gently shook the tea leaves into the bubbling kettle. The clear water slowly turned a deep crimson, releasing its own subtle aroma. It didn't clash with the incense, which I found oddly pleasing. I didn't know much about the world of tea or incense, but experiencing it firsthand wasn't unpleasant at all.
The bathroom door burst open, and Reina's voice followed.
"Mm, the smell's pretty nice."
The tea had steeped just about right. I poured it into our cups and carried them to the table. Blowing gently on the hot liquid so it wouldn't scald, I arrived to find Reina waiting with a dry cloth draped over her damp hair. She reached out as I handed her one of the cups, then sat down at the table beside the gently smoking burner and took a sip. The tea was subtle yet distinct, leaving a lingering sweetness on the tongue.
Reina accepted the cup without a word and drank. Then she picked up one of the incense bundles beside the burner and looked at me.
"Where did you buy these?"
"Uh, well…"
I hesitated, unable to answer right away. The memory was clear, but the location was embarrassing enough to make my face burn.
"In Windren."
After a long, reluctant pause, I finally managed to say the city's name. She brushed it aside without much interest and continued, holding bundles of different sizes in each hand.
"Really? What's this one, and what's this?"
One large bundle that had already been opened, and one smaller bundle. At her question, I searched my memory of the purchase and recalled the shopkeeper's words. The smaller bundle had been given as a complimentary service.
"Ah, the big one's the one I just lit. The shopkeeper gave me the small one as a freebie… I don't really know what it is."
"Is that so? Should I try burning this one tomorrow?"
She examined the smaller bundle with an expectant expression. But I had forgotten something I shouldn't have—the location of the shop that sold this incense.