05. Outing (3)

We, who had been walking while chatting leisurely, paused for a moment.

-Hee-hee-hing

“Wow! A horse!”

A carriage pulled by a brown horse moved leisurely.

I followed the gently swaying horse’s tail with my eyes.

The road was much wider than the alleyways we had passed.

On the well-maintained road, which divided district from district, there were many people and horses, not just the carriage that had just passed.

Jane asked me as I looked around.

“First time seeing a horse?”

“It’s not my first time, but I didn’t really have a chance to see them in my previous life. Ugh.”

A fragment of the past surfaced along with a slight headache.

I had been kicked by a horse while trying a horse riding experience on Jeju Island.

How did I even survive that?

Suddenly, I felt a sense of aversion towards the horse that had seemed so fascinating.

As I urged Jane to cross the road, the atmosphere changed dramatically.

While the streets we had just passed were full of houses, this place was full of shops with signboards.

My perception of the commercial district had been very narrow.

Just the place where the regular ladies worked at the [Flower Garden].

That was about the extent of it.

But there was a good enough reason to go.

A Flower Garden, they say it’s a flower field, but honestly, aren’t you curious?

I casually blurted out my thoughts as I walked through the shopping street.

“It’s clean.”

Having only briefly seen it while being held in Jane’s arms, I had vaguely imagined it to be a medieval-level environment.

However, the streets, which were much cleaner and more organized than I expected, looked even tidier than modern Europe.

Jane cleared up my doubts about this.

“Water supply to the capital has been a long-cherished project since the previous King. That fountain you see over there is also part of that project.”

“Ah.”

If the King wants it, there’s nothing you can do.

I turned my gaze, following Jane’s fingertip.

Though simply shaped, a large fountain was gushing water profusely.

Confirming that sight, I slightly adjusted my imagined level of this Other World.

A plaza paved entirely with bricks, centered around the fountain.

Nearby, various stalls and shops were set up.

Among them, my eyes were drawn to a fruit shop.

Red, yellow, green.

Colorful fruits filled every wooden box.

“What’s this?”

I approached and examined the fruit I had never seen before.

Then, the Shopkeeper, seeing me, frowned.

A natural expression of disgust.

My chest ached a little.

“Mixed-blood? Tsk, get out-“

However, the Shopkeeper’s words, intended to chase me away, did not continue.

“Ha, haha, hahaha. Little one, that’s an Asian Pear. Would you like to try one?”

The Shopkeeper’s face instantly changed into a smiling one.

It seemed he had made eye contact with Jane.

Instead of expressing my displeasure, I quickly took the Asian Pear he offered.

“This is an Asian Pear?”

“Of course, that’s an Asian Pear. What else would it be?”

Its appearance was slightly different from the Asian Pears I knew.

It was shaped more like a gourd than a round ball.

Curious about the taste, I roughly wiped it on my clothes, then turned my head.

Jane shook her head, as if she wasn’t interested.

I quickly took a bite.

“Sweet, isn’t it? It came from Hispania. I guarantee the taste.”

As the Shopkeeper said, it was definitely sweet.

But the mealy texture wasn’t really to my taste.

Still, I shouldn’t leave food, so I ate it all.

It might be good if I blended it?

Jane, who had been watching me for a moment, pointed to the box containing the Asian Pears.

“I’ll buy this.”

“Oh my! All of it?”

The fruit shopkeeper’s mouth gaped wide like a large wooden bowl.

I subtly picked up an Orange next to me.

“Since we’re buying so much, just give me this one for free.”

“Of course! Of course. You can take two, no, even three more.”

The Shopkeeper, who had completely erased his disgust towards mixed-bloods.

The power of money is amazingggg!

Jane, who had swiftly put all those Asian Pears into her cape, held out her hand.

I handed her the Orange.

Her lips were curled down ever so slightly.

I chuckled and took Jane’s hand.

We briefly found a spot next to the fountain and sat down.

The hard stone made my bottom uncomfortable, but the flowing water was cool.

I swung my short legs back and forth.

While I briefly surveyed my surroundings, Jane peeled an Orange and offered it to me.

“Ah~.”

A piece of Orange slipped right into my mouth, as if I were waiting for food.

-Jjup

Without realizing it, I sucked on Jane’s finger.

“Mmm…”

Jane’s ears turned red as she let out a low groan.

My Master, who secretly likes things like this.

Her shy appearance is truly cute.

So, let’s just pretend I didn’t see her lick the finger that had been in my mouth.

After a short snack break, we walked through the shopping street again.

-Kkang! Kkaang!

A metallic sound that tormented my eardrums.

Without realizing it, I turned my steps towards the source of the sound.

“Blacksmith.”

Inside the building, where the interior was clearly visible.

A place strewn with heavy lumps of iron that looked like they could send you to your grave with one hit.

Sturdy men, stripped to the waist, were sweating profusely as they moved in front of the fire.

One person placed a red-hot piece of iron on the anvil, while another vigorously struck it with a hammer.

-Kkang! Kkang! Kkang!

Dozens of swings.

The metal gradually changing shape.

My mind became complicated.

It would be much easier if they used a forging machine.

Could I make machines in this Other World?

I don’t even know what kind of iron they’re using right now.

My stomach churned.

My useless occupational hazard had flared up.

A side effect from spending years at the company, thinking only of machines from the moment I opened my eyes until I closed them.

Calm down.

There’s no boss here to bitch about my salary.

Just then, Jane, who had been looking back and forth between me and the blacksmiths, placed a hand on my shoulder.

But her gaze was somehow strange.

“Lily, did you perhaps develop an interest in men?”

“Are you, are you crazy?”

I jumped on the spot and stomped my feet.

It was truly infuriating.

“Why? Why would you think such a terrible thing?”

“Because Lily kept staring at those people…”

“Ick! I was just thinking about something else!”

I can tolerate being treated like a woman, but I can’t tolerate being treated like a gay man!

Are you that good at fighting?

Ah, right, you are.

Unable to contain my anger, I spun around and started running.

But Jane easily followed.

Damn this leg difference.

A street lined with restaurants.

The smell of food tickled my nose.

“Huh?”

What caught my eye was a boisterous Tavern, even in broad daylight.

Although I had eaten the Asian Pear and Orange earlier, they seemed to have already digested due to the movement.

And I became curious about the alcohol of this Other World.

I looked at Jane, who was leisurely following me with her long legs.

Hmm, let’s manly forget what Master just said.

“They sell Beer here, right?”

“Probably?”

“Then, let’s just have one drink and go.”

I tried to wink, closing my left eye, but my right eyelid twitched as if in a spasm.

Jane’s lips twitched as if she was trying to suppress a laugh while looking at me.

Is this why people shouldn’t do things they’re not used to?

This is more embarrassing than I thought.

Despite enduring the embarrassment and acting cute, Jane didn’t look particularly keen.

Just as I was wondering if I should give up, someone spoke to me.

“Wow, I’ve never seen you outside before. On a walk? Or are you running an errand?”

Was there anyone in this Other World who would speak to me so familiarly?

My doubts were resolved the moment I saw that person’s face.

“Marie.”

A regular customer of the shop who had bought five boxes of contraceptives a few days ago.

Marie, the youngest at the Flower Garden.

She didn’t have a surname.

Marie had also found me strange at first.

But soon, she started treating me familiarly.

“How are your injuries?”

“They healed quickly after I applied the ointment Lily gave me. Thank you.”

As she said, her uncovered face was smooth without a single scar.

Just then, Jane, who was beside me, asked.

“Someone you know?”

“Hiiik!”

Marie, startled as if she had only just noticed Jane’s presence.

Her reaction was as if she had seen a ghost.

I introduced the stiffened Marie to Master.

“She’s Marie, a regular customer.”

“I know. I was just wondering if she was very close with Lily.”

Jane’s voice, which had sunk low.

An alarm bell started ringing in my head.

“Huk.”

Feeling a chill, I subtly checked Marie out of the corner of my eye.

Seeing her already shaking her head vigorously, I also slowly shook my head.

“Sh-she’s just someone I know. Haha.”

“Th-that’s right. Haha.”

Only then did the heavy, sunken atmosphere lighten.

Still, some awkwardness remained.

Since we met anyway, it would be a shame to just let her go.

“Marie, do you happen to have time?”

I asked the question, but Marie looked at Jane for approval.

The answer came from Jane.

“I’ll pay for the meal.”

“Wow!”

Alcohol!

Fearing she might change her mind, I immediately grabbed both their hands and headed straight for the Tavern.

The moment we stepped inside, I could once again confirm the power of a great and famous Magician.

The Tavern patrons, who recognized Jane’s face, closed their mouths as if on cue.

“Huh? Huh?”

As I looked around in bewilderment, Jane calmly gestured.

Then, a server who had been awkwardly standing in the middle scurried over.

“Three Beers, and some simple food.”

“Yep!”

Following the guidance of the sweating server, we took a seat in the inner section.

I tried to ease the awkwardness by speaking to Jane.

“Haha. Is this place usually so quiet? I don’t think it was like this earlier.”

Hearing my words, Jane gestured again.

The server, who seemed to have been watching only us, rushed over.

Jane whispered something quietly to him.

“Yep!”

The server, leaving a booming reply, exited the hall alone.

And not long after, a loud cheer erupted.

-Thank you!!

-Magician-nim is the best!!

-Hwiik!

The Tavern became noisy again.

While waiting for the Beer, I swung my feet back and forth.

The chairs in this Other World are inconsiderately too high, you know.

Marie, who had followed us somewhat bewilderedly and was sitting next to me, across from Jane, subtly asked me.

“Um, Lily. Why did you bring me along, by any chance?”

“Hmm.”

I shouldn’t tell her the truth, should I?

The drinking session I briefly imagined, just Jane and me,

There’s a non-zero chance that a suggestive atmosphere would be created.

My legs are still trembling from the punishment I received yesterday.

That means I can’t handle any more.

In other words, Marie was brought along as a buffer.

Sorry.

Think of it as payment for the ointment.