Chapter 40: Dragon’s forced

I almost got lost, but thankfully, there was no major crisis as I discovered a passage created when the ceiling broke.

After running desperately through the collapsing ruins, we barely managed to escape through the entrance of the cave we had entered.

“Haaaah… I really thought I was going to die.”

“Even if we were a little late, your life wouldn’t have been in danger. Being buried under rubble isn’t a big deal.”

“Is that so…?”

‘…I’m seriously advising you, don’t ever travel with ordinary people…’

I think I understand why the Hero works as a mercenary alone.

This woman’s standards for living are too different from ordinary people.

Anyway…

As soon as I exited the ruins, the sight before me made me sigh.

“Ugh, I barely escaped that dark place, and now it’s dark again……”

“It seems the sun set while we were inside the ruins. What would you like to do?”

Hestia asked for my opinion.

Normally, I would have asked for her opinion in return and then somehow left it to her judgment, but this time, the situation was different.

There was only one option.

“Let’s go straight back to the village.”

“It’s gotten quite dark, wouldn’t it be better to set up camp nearby instead?”

“Why bother? Although it’s quite a distance, the horses and carriage are good, so it won’t be much different from when we came. Wouldn’t it be better to just get to the village quickly?”

“At night, there’s a high chance of dangerous monsters appearing, so the carriage might get damaged.”

“Oh, come on, with the Hero here, what danger could there be? Besides, resting comfortably in an inn bed is much better than sleeping on a hard floor, isn’t it?”

“Hmm… Understood.”

Hestia didn’t hesitate for long and accepted my opinion.

She, too, would probably prefer sleeping comfortably in a bed rather than on a hard floor.

She was just trying to endure the discomfort for my safety, wasn’t she…?

It’s tiresome to say it now, but she’s truly such a pushover.

****

We quickly traversed the forest by carriage.

Having struggled in the dark all day, we were already accustomed to it, so driving the carriage at night was no trouble at all.

More importantly, both Hestia and I had long since surpassed the point where mere darkness could obstruct our vision.

‘…Of course, Hestia, who had no way of knowing that fact, was watching me with a worried expression, perhaps concerned I might cause an accident.’

‘Ugh, how burdensome…’

The time in the carriage passed quietly.

As the village gradually came into view, the horses slowly reduced their speed.

Being smart creatures, they seemed to remember the path they needed to take perfectly.

“Haaah… We’re here.”

Feigning exhaustion, I let go of the reins and stretched.

Hestia, who had been watching from beside me, extended her hand.

“…You’ve worked hard. I’ll carry the luggage, please give it to me.”

“Shall I?”

I handed her the luggage I had placed in the carriage and made a request.

“I’ll go return the carriage first, so please head to the inn and get a room.”

“Understood.”

Hestia nodded and immediately headed towards the lit building.

The only places that keep their lights on and welcome guests even when people are resting after a day’s work are usually inns, always waiting for travelers who might arrive at any time.

Hestia, having experienced mercenary life, knew this, which is why she found her way to the inn without getting lost.

After confirming she had entered the building, I drove the horses to where I had rented the carriage.

“Ah, oh! You’re here…?!

“……?”

A man with a haggard expression greeted me as soon as I arrived.

I wondered who it was, but it was the same person who had begged me to handle it carefully when I rented the carriage, saying it was very precious.

‘Surely, he didn’t stay up all night, unable to sleep from anxiety, just waiting until now…?`

“I used it well. They were excellent horses and a carriage.”

“Ugh, ugh… I’m so glad it returned safely… Let’s never have something like this happen again……”

My polite greeting was casually ignored.

His attention was solely focused on the safely returned carriage.

Is this what a parent feels like after losing a child and barely finding them again?

Seeing his somewhat mournful expression, I couldn’t bring myself to speak and had no choice but to quietly leave the place.

‘If you have any complaints, take it up with our Hero…’

****

Knowing I’d surely get scolded if I strayed again, I decided to head straight to the inn.

As I entered the building Hestia had gone into first, a middle-aged man with streaks of white hair welcomed me.

He seemed to be the innkeeper.

“Oh, um…? What can I do for you?”

“…? Didn’t the person who came earlier tell you?”

“W-well, she did, but……”

“? Then just tell me the room number quickly.”

“…You can go to room 204.”

Receiving the directions, I immediately went up to the second floor.

As it was late, unlike the first floor which welcomed guests, all the lights in the second-floor hallway were off.

Remembering the innkeeper’s somewhat strange attitude, I opened the door to room 204 and entered.

……And there, as if it were obvious……

“Welcome.”

” ? ”

“All the luggage has been moved over there.”

“…?”

“What would you like to do about dinner? Will you skip it and eat when you wake up in the morning?”

“……?”

‘…Hestia, dressed comfortably, was sitting on the bed, greeting me as I had just opened the door and entered.’

“……”

“…Is something wrong?”

Perhaps thinking my silent frozen state was strange, Hestia tilted her head and asked.

However, I couldn’t answer even if I wanted to.

I had no idea where to even begin in this situation.

“Um……”

Right, first, let’s figure out what went wrong.

I couldn’t play a useless prank like ‘Kyaah, Hero, why are you here?!’ and then have Hestia get flustered in return, so I had to talk around the subject as much as possible.

“Did you perhaps not tell the innkeeper that you had company?”

“Huh? I definitely told him. …Was there some kind of problem?”

“No, that’s not it… It’s just that the innkeeper seemed a bit flustered when he saw me. I wondered if he didn’t expect me to come…”

“Hmm… It seems I conveyed it incorrectly. I apologize if it caused you any inconvenience.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant……”

This won’t work.

When I spoke indirectly, Hestia didn’t understand.

Given her straightforward personality, which accepts things as they are without complication, this kind of conversation was probably too much.

I had no choice but to ask directly.

“Room… You only got one?”

“…? Yes, is there really a need to get two rooms?”

“Of course there is! Do you know what people say when grown men and women are in the same room? And there’s only one bed, are you planning to sleep together?!”

“……”

Hestia remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.

Thinking she was flustered, I pressed on.

“Hestia, you’re too complacent. You should be more careful, especially considering the Hero’s reputation.”

“…Is that such a big problem?”

“Of course it is. And you, Hero, wouldn’t want to be uncomfortable either, would you? First, I’ll go back down and rent another room, so……”

“……I’m not uncomfortable.”

Suddenly, I was speechless.

She was looking directly into my eyes with an expressionless face.

“What did you just say…?”

Flustered, I asked again, wondering if I had misheard, but the answer was the same as before.

“I said I’m not uncomfortable.”

“…Th-then… why?”

“Well, aren’t we friends?”

And then, as if it were truly fine, she calmly patted the bed she was sitting on.

“Sharing a room with a friend, or even sleeping in the same bed… doesn’t make me uncomfortable at all. So……”

Hestia quietly said to me, who was standing frozen.

“…Let’s sleep together tonight.”

Hestia’s face, as she spoke calmly, was slightly flushed.

****

Ultimately, the awkward co-sleeping was decided, and with a headache, I decided to wash up first.

“I’ve already washed, so it’s fine. Please use the bathroom freely.”

“……You washed and came out in that short amount of time?”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

‘Ah, right. She’s the Hero, isn’t she…?`

I almost mistakenly equated Hestia’s daily life standards with those of ordinary people.

For her, who lives in the time scale of a pseudo-transcendent, the time it took me to return the carriage and enter the inn must have been enough time to wash up.

It seems she doesn’t adjust her daily life to ordinary people’s standards like I do.

After all, this woman probably still thinks of herself as an ordinary person……

‘Did she decide there was no particular need to adjust…?`

Anyway, after washing in the bathroom and changing into comfortable clothes, Hestia was already preparing for bed.

‘…She had even brought out another pillow from somewhere and placed it on the bed.’

Unlike usual, she seemed thoroughly prepared.

At this, feeling somewhat spooked, I decided to make one last desperate attempt.

“…Then, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“There’s no need for you to do that.”

“It’s fine. I’m more comfortable that way.”

She, who had already climbed onto the bed and was waiting, stared intently at me when I said I would sleep on the floor, then pulled back the blanket halfway and gestured to me.

“There’s enough space. Let’s share.”

“It’s not about the space……”

“If we lie facing opposite directions, there won’t be any awkwardness.”

At her words, I couldn’t retort any further.

Her calm demeanor and actions, as if calculated…

It made me wonder if this was what Hestia had been aiming for all along.

‘Ugh, I don’t care anymore.`

In the end, I turned off the room light and carefully climbed onto the bed where Hestia was waiting.