And So, the World Became a Little More Peaceful

It was the first war in the entire history of the Republic of Zoltan.

From Lord William's declaration of war to the end of hostilities, it lasted less than half

a day—four hours and seventeen minutes, to be exact.

From the perspective of all the countries embroiled in the intense struggle against the

demon lord's army, such a conflict might not even register as significant.

Still, it was a dazzling victory to those who fought it, and it would surely be a day of

celebration in Zoltan forever.

Naturally, there would be a festival to celebrate the victory, even though we'd just had

a big celebration for the winter solstice not that long ago.

Although the incident with Veronia was finally concluded, Mayor Tornado was busy

arranging the celebration.

The winter festival was the second-largest event of the year, and came immediately

after a diplomatic incident and war. And now there was a celebration to commemorate

the victory. It was a nonstop flurry of activity.

Everyone, including those in Zoltan, knew that Zoltan was a small, little backwater.

None could have imagined such a busy couple of months.

Three days after the fighting, Rit and I were sitting at the counter in the shop, back to

our regular lives.

"Thinking back on it, the crisis really was brief."

"Compared to the stuff with Bighawk, Lilinrala and Queen Leonor didn't have much

time here."

The question of Veronian succession, a problem that stood at the center of the

continent's history, had intruded on our peaceful days. Zoltan had only been caught

up in it by happenstance and remained a bit player in Avalon's history. The crux of the

conflict was the struggle between Queen Leonor and Mistorm.

But that was fine for Zoltan if you asked me.

"The cleanup after the fighting was handled quickly, too. The captured mercenaries

were released basically without any clauses, right?"

"Holding them prisoner would do us no good. There's ransoming the mercenaries, of

course. However, everyone agreed they didn't want to sell them to slavers. I didn't

want to, either."

"Even with all the surplus from the reparations from Prince Salius, the people here

really are easygoing and good-natured."

"That's fine, though."

The fallout after the war had resolved itself in an uncommonly amicable way.

"Excuse me."

The bell on the door rang, and a customer entered.

""Welcome!""

Rit and I both greeted the visitor.

It was another reminder that things really had returned to normal.

At noon, I loaded the food I'd prepared into a box.

"There we go."

I looked in satisfaction at the presentation of it. While I did, I sensed someone

sneaking up behind me.

"It looks delicious."

Rit put her head on my shoulder and hugged me from behind.

"I'm sure Ruti will be happy to eat your food again."

I'd made a packed lunch to take over to my sister. It had sausage, a hot dog with lettuce,

an omelet, and a salad.

There was a smiling face drawn in ketchup on the omelet.

I was confident in today's cooking and grinned as I imagined the look in Ruti's eyes

when she saw it.

"You know, Ruti has been really busy lately."

"Yeah…"

Ruti was the leader of Zoltan's only B-rank party.

With her natural charisma, she had become someone that the Zoltan bigwigs turned

to during the recent trouble, and she'd be working hard with the assembly until Prince

Salius and his ship finally departed.

There'd been requests for Rit to return to adventuring after all she'd done, but they

didn't come with the same unrelentingness now that Ruti and Tisse were around.

Apparently, people were more interested in requesting that Rit join the assembly

rather than act as an adventurer. She was adamant in rejecting them again, though.

"I absolutely refuse! I'm not interested in being anything other than the Rit of Red &

Rit's Apothecary!"

With Rit, Ruti, and Tisse, everything I'd done remained unnoticed, although I felt a

little guilty about that.

"Ruti had only just started taking it easy now that she's free of her blessing, and then

this big uproar had to mess it up."

How did she feel about all this? I was worried.

"All right. I'll be back soon," I called.

"Okay. Be careful."

Rit saw me off as I walked to the assembly where my sister waited.

Zoltan's streets were filled with life.

Although it was only midday, a thief and a guard were drinking and singing together.

A merchant was selling weapons and armor that had been taken from the Veronian

enemies. There was an adventurer standing on a corner with a spear in hand while

telling stories about his feats, too.

He looked like he was enjoying himself as the small crowd cheered.

"Oy! I heard some drake knights and some of Prince Salius's marines are drinking

together down the way!"

"Really?! Let's go see!"

With that, the audience dispersed in the blink of an eye.

The adventurer's shoulders slumped, and the merchant burst out laughing. The thief

and the guard ran over to the adventurer and passed him a bottle of what they were

having. After downing a gulp, the adventurer roared happily.

"Today's a good day!"

I had to agree. I couldn't help but smile watching the three of them drink and sing

together.

There were crowds everywhere in the streets. And at the center of every throng were

the heroes who'd fought to protect Zoltan. Their blessings and levels were irrelevant

because they all chose not to run and to safeguard those they loved, even in the face

of an enemy far, far stronger. Each was a hero worthy of praise.

Thus, it made sense for there to be guys surrounded by women.

"Wait, Danan?!"

One man walking while encircled by ladies was the Martial Artist Danan, who was

supposed to be recovering.

"Hey, Red!"

He jogged over to me, looking as intense as ever.

"What's with all of the followers, Danan?"

"When someone's injured, it's only normal for a nurse to accompany them."

Oh, so they're nurses. Still…

"You seem to be getting along pretty well."

The nurses were clinging on to Danan a bit more than was probably necessary.

"Yeah, they're war buddies."

"War buddies?… You didn't go out to fight again after all we said, did you?"

"No, no, not like that." Danan shook his head. "I made a promise, and I'm a man of my

word."

"Then what do you mean?"

"He's amazing!"

The nurse hugging Danan's right arm responded with gleaming eyes.

"Amazing…?"

"He's an outstanding medic! Enough to shock even a veteran nurse!"

What?

"A medic? Danan?"

"Yeah. I made a promise, so I couldn't fight, but sitting around doing nothing got

annoying, so I helped tend to the wounded."

"Annoying doing nothing…"

At the most basic level, Danan was fundamentally incapable of taking it easy. At my

wry smile, Danan laughed. One of the nurses hanging on Dana's arm continued the

story.

"No matter how big the injured person was or how much armor they were wearing,

he carried them without a problem. He administered first aid for most wounds and

broken bones without any issues, never seemed to get tired, and even when we felt

ready to collapse, he kept on smiling despite surely feeling exhausted, too."

That grin was likely relief at being able to move around again for the first time in a

while…

"He took care to encourage those with grievous injuries that it would be okay. Not once

did he ever look away."

…That was definitely the sort of man Danan was. The members of the Hero's party

were odd, but Danan had always been straightforward and earnest.

"There are a lot of people who owe their lives to Danan. Even if he couldn't fight, he

was a hero in the field hospital."

"You've got that part wrong." A serious look crossed Danan's face.

"Danan?"

"All of you were pushing yourselves to the absolute limit, nurses and doctors alike. So

it isn't right to praise me alone. It was all of use. Everyone there was a hero."

"Danan!"

There was no ulterior motive to his statement. He merely expressed what he believed.

Still, the nurses' eyes gleamed happily when they heard someone who radiated a

heroic aura compliment them.

Honestly, Danan was amazing for being totally unmoved despite being surrounded by

so many women.

"Red." Danan nodded as he rubbed his jaw. "It was my first time facing this kind of

battle, but it was interesting."

"Taking care of the wounded?"

"Yeah, there's a depth to keeping people alive that's different from killing them."

Danan smiled as if deeply, genuinely happy.

"There really is no end to refining my skills. I'm glad I was born a Martial Artist."

He truly was well suited to his blessing.

At the assembly, Ruti was handling tasks one after the other with her usual expression.

Zoltan's bureaucrats hurried around busily, but all regarded her professional

demeanor with clear respect.

"Form a security force out of the freed mercenaries in order to deal with all the

Veronians who escaped. Offer their gear back as a reward, and they should be willing

to help."

"The reparations will be split as discussed. If anyone has complaints, they can take

them up with Lord William."

That's my Ruti. Her command of internal affairs was perfect.

"There haven't been any issues with the way you've handled it. It was right to entrust

matters to you. Please continue as you have."

Unlike Mistorm, Ruti delegated what could be handled by others rather than

attempting to shoulder everything alone. It could seem a simple thing, but it required

the resolution to catch the ball if someone else dropped it.

I'd handled most noncombat issues when we fought the demon lord's army, but now

that Ruti was freed of her blessing, that special charisma that overpowered everyone

around her had been harnessed to craft a trusted leader.

If she wished it, she would surely become a skilled politician.

"Big Brother."

As the last man left, I entered the room, and her mouth quirked up in a way that only

I would notice, breaking into a small, happy smile.

"Working hard, I see. I brought lunch again."

"Thank you. I love your food."

Ruti stretched, having grown stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. Even

something as simple as that had been lost on her before. I was happy about that

change and moved beside her.

"I think directing complaints about the reparation distribution to Lord William was a

good idea. There won't be many people who can say 'Give me more' to his face

considering he fought on the front lines."

"Mhm, I thought you'd think that."

"Y-you don't say."

Apparently, Ruti still discussed things with an imagined version of me. It was a little

embarrassing, but I couldn't help feeling glad that she still relied on me some.

"Heh."

"What is it?"

"You looked happy, so it made me happy, too." Ruti's face was absolutely adorable as

she said that.

Just then, there was a rustle outside.

"Rain?"

Through the window, I saw that the weather had abruptly turned.

"A passing shower, I guess?"

Ruti peered outside, too. There were people walking around, but they quickly hurried

under the eaves of nearby buildings. The sky had filled with dark clouds out of

nowhere.

"I wonder if the plantation is okay…," Ruti muttered as she listened to the heavy rain.

No matter how much political talent she possessed, it looked like what she really

wanted to do was tend to her herb plantation.

"I'm back."

"Welcome home."

Rit greeted me at the door when I came back to the shop.

I took off my wet cloak.

"Here you go."

Rit took my mantle and gave me a fluffy towel. It felt great to dry my face.

"Thank you. The rain came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, I was in a big rush to bring in the laundry that was out drying," Rit replied with

a smile.

When Rit first moved in, we'd been embarrassed to wash our underwear together, but

now we handled all our laundry collectively.

Of course, we still got flustered seeing each other in our underwear in bed, but the

laundry was just part of our everyday life now.

"All right, it's a little late, but I'll start making lunch."

"Hmm…" Rit peered into my eyes for a few moments. "Red?"

"Yes?"

"Can we eat outside? I want to have one of your packed lunches, too."

Outside? In the rain?

"Yeah."

"But it's raining."

"It's a lot lighter now. This is just a normal shower; by the time the food is ready, it will

probably be only a light drizzle. It might even stop altogether. We could eat under a

blue sky."

"Hmm… Well, if that's what you want, then we can do a little picnic for lunch today."

Rit smiled with clear excitement.

"Let's walk together under an umbrella again!"

I flushed a little, remembering how we'd taken a stroll shoulder to shoulder under an

umbrella.

After a twenty-minute stroll, the rain had all but stopped, just like Rit predicted.

We didn't really need an umbrella, but we kept it up the whole way rather than lose

the excuse for being so close together.

"We're here."

Rit's excited voice rang out among the rain-soaked trees.

We were sitting on top of a little hill.

It wasn't quite a panorama of all of Zoltan, but it offered a nice view just the same. A

townscape shrouded by a cloudy sky offered a unique quality.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever come here before," I said while looking around.

There was a mysterious warmth to the leafy trees, and it was a tranquil spot.

I spread out the lunch I had packed.

The rain had ceased, but I set the umbrella over the basket in case a splash fell from

the trees, or it suddenly started pouring again.

"Thanks for the meal!"

Rit broke into a big smile as she started munching on one of the sandwiches I had

made.

"Delicious!"

"Ah-ha-ha, glad you like it."

Seeing her enjoy it, I broke into a grin.

"Then I'll help myself, too."

I picked up another one of the sandwiches. It had a slice of juicy red tomato, crunchy

lettuce, and scrambled eggs. The feel as I bit into it was good, and I was quite pleased

with the taste, personally.

There was bacon-and-mushroom stew in the tin container. I was confident warm

soups tasted even better when enjoyed outside in winter.

"See, it's nice to eat somewhere like this every once in a while, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it makes the lunch taste better."

"Your cooking is always great, though."

Rit partook of the stew with gusto.

"Yeah! This is the best."

We had a lovely meal.

"Ahhhh. So good."

Rit sighed deeply beside the empty lunch box.

"I'm so happy."

"Ha-ha-ha."

If she was happy, then so was I.

I cleaned up the containers and looked down at the town. Observing the familiar sights

from a fresh perspective was enjoyable.

"This is a good spot," Rit remarked, eyes focused on Zoltan below.

"Yeah, it really is."

I hadn't known there was such a nice place so close.

"I've investigated all sorts of locations I want to go with you." Rit puffed out her chest.

It was so cute that I smiled again.

"Well then, I guess there'll be more spots like this one."

"Mhm, there are a bunch."

"I'm looking forward to it. I'll make the lunches, and we can go see them together. It's

always a joy to go out with you."

"Hooray!"

The two of us looked at each other and laughed.

It felt like we'd been grinning and giggling the whole time we were out on our little

picnic adventure.

""Ah!""

We both gasped at the same time.

The rain clouds were breaking, and blue peeked through.

Light pierced the gloom, making the rain-soaked Zoltan glitter.

The sky steadily grew, as if pushing away the clouds.

It was the sort of scene you could find in any town, a perfectly normal thing. But this

particular beautiful vista was part of our home.

I had come to love this scene. It didn't lose out to the great continental fissure, the

castle in the sky, or any of the other breathtaking scenes I'd beheld on my adventures.

"This…" Rit broke into a gentle smile. "…is what you and Ruti protected. I think this is

why Ruti doesn't mind the things you are worried about."

"Ha-ha-ha… You noticed?"

"Heh-heh, of course. I think about you every day."

She was right. I had been fretting over Ruti.

"Ruti only just came to Zoltan and gave up on being the Hero, and so much has happened

already. It was almost like it was following after her… The recent trouble would've been

the standard sort of royal intrigue in Central, but it was an unprecedented disaster for

Zoltan."

"I never would have imagined I'd end up taking command of Zoltan's army."

"You looked really cool leading all of them."

There was a brilliance to the way Rit fought. It wasn't just simple strength. There was

a splendor to how she wielded her swords that gave her comrades courage.

If it weren't for the fact that, for some reason, her plans never seemed to work out, she

would surely be a top-tier commander.

"Mrh, I feel like you just had a strange thought."

Noticing the slight change in my expression, Rit puffed out her cheeks as she wrapped

me in a hug and pushed her forehead against mine.

Oww! It hurt a little bit, so I squeezed back and shifted my head to her shoulder. With

our cheeks touching, we sat there for a while.

"Getting back to that conversation," Rit whispered sweetly in my ear. "Why don't you

invite Ruti to have a picnic here."

"Ruti?"

"Yeah, just the two of you. Brother and sister. That will probably take care of all of your

concerns."

"You think?"

"Mhm. It's okay. I'm sure Ruti will like the view."

"…Yeah, she would."

Letting go, we looked at each other. Rit's eyes were the same beautiful blue as the sky

breaking through the clouds.

"Thank you, Rit."

"Heh-heh. My pleasure."

Right now, the smile on her face wasn't that of the hero princess who gave Zoltan

courage. It was an expression reserved just for me.

"Ha-ha… I don't know what I'd do without you anymore."

"Then that makes two of us… I don't know what I'd do without you, either!"

Our laughter echoed into the sky.

Night fell. After I took stock of the medicines, I returned to the living room.

"Good work today."

Rit greeted me and handed me a steaming mug of hot milk.

"Thanks."

There was honey mixed into the drink.

"I tried to copy how you do it. How did I do?"

"Mmm, it's delicious."

I wanted to say something more intelligent, but when I imagined her making the

honey milk for me, the happiness that welled inside me was too strong to offer much

more.

"Hooray!"

Seeing how excited she was made me happier.

I took another sip to hide my grin.

There came a knock at the door.

"Hm? Customers?"

"It's way past business hours by now."

Rit went to check.

Who could it be? I wondered.

"Yarandrala, Tisse, Mister Crawly Wawly!"

They must have wanted to stop by.

"And Prince Salius and Lilinrala."

"What?"

I hurried over to the entrance.

"We came to visit."

"Good evening. Sorry for the late hour."

Yarandrala and Tisse both greeted us. And behind them…

"Evening, Red. There's a nice moon out tonight."

"We're coming too. So you really do run an apothecary."

…Prince Salius and Lilinrala were both standing there.

"What are you two doing here?"

"Nothing too special. I just got the urge to have your cooking one more time before we

left," Prince Salius explained with a wink.

"Leave, as in…?"

"It should only be two or three more days. We'll set sail once we finish the last of the

resupplying."

"What do you intend to do with the demon lord's ship?"

"There's not much we can do with it. I just turned it over to Zoltan. There are plenty

of resources in it, and the armored hull can be used for scrap metal if nothing else, I'm

sure." Prince Salius shrugged.

The ironclad ship that was the symbol of Geizeric's power had finished serving its role.

"It's fine. That was Father's ship. I'll set out on my own journey with my own vessel."

"I see."

"That's enough of that. We can save the chatting for later."

Lilinrala held up a bag, showing me what was inside it.

"You sure brought a nice spread."

There were all sorts of ingredients in it, vegetables, beans, meat, and fish.

"Use whatever you like."

"Cockatrice meat, queen onions… Oh, there's rice, too."

Rice was rare in Zoltan.

Zoltan had plenty of water, and I was pretty sure the climate suited growing rice well

enough. However, the area had been settled by residents of Avalonia, so there wasn't

anyone with the know-how to raise the crop properly.

This rice was most likely imported.

"Hmm, I can do a dish I always wanted to try with these."

"Ohh, that sounds good."

Lilinrala broke into a grin.

Ugh, I saw the rare ingredients and just…

"But I'm no chef. I don't have the skill to be cooking for a prince and admiral of a great

country."

That said, they'd gone out of their way to visit for a last memory of Zoltan.

And when I considered the sad state of Lilinrala's cook, my efforts didn't seem so bad…

"It's fiiine. You're cooking has my seal of approval after all." Rit puffed out her chest

confidently.

"Okay, if you say so, then I guess I can't refuse."

"You really do make a good couple."

There was a warmth in Prince Salius's eyes as Rit blushed.

Maybe it was because I was in my home, but I'd reflexively responded like I always did

around Rit. It felt like I had been slipping up like that for a while now.

I really had let my guard down once the fighting was finished.

Unlike us, Prince Salius and Lilinrala were smiling and relaxed, but there was still a

certain line that they did let down.

But that was fine for us. Being like this was part of the happiness I had achieved here

in Zoltan, after all.

First up was the rice. I knew how to cook it, but… the instructions claimed it was better

to use fresh water. Was it worth it to fetch water from the well?

As I started to head outside, Mister Crawly Wawly leaped up.

"Oh, what is it?"

He was waving his legs as if to stop me.

"I went to get some water."

"Tisse."

She entered the kitchen after Mister Crawly Wawly, carrying a bucket in each hand and

one more on the top of her head.

"When it comes to rice, you can leave it to me."

She looked deadly serious as she set the buckets down.

Where did that come from?

Seeing my confusion, Mister Crawly Wawly shook his head.

"Ah, that's right. I should explain things in the proper order."

"Please do."

"I love oden."

"I know that much."

"There's a type of oden called mochi kinchaku."

"I've heard of it before, but I've never had it."

"It is a common oden in the south seas. Anyway, the point is, as an oden lover, I am also

knowledgeable regarding mochi kinchaku."

"I see."

"And the mochi of that mochi kinchaku is a rice cake. So you may call me Rice Master

Tisse."

"I see…"

For some reason, Tisse was particularly high-strung today.

"We won't be able to use all of this rice in just one meal. Rice swells up quite a bit from

cooking, so it will be fine. We can take the leftovers to Oparara for use as mochi."

"Uh, Tisse… I'm not super familiar with it, but I don't think mochi is made with normal

rice."

"…Hmmm…"

Tisse stared into my eyes.

"Darn."

"Eh?"

She said it with such a serious look that I couldn't help chuckling. Mister Crawly Wawly

swayed with mirth, too.

"Just kidding."

Her expression was unchanged throughout, but she washed her hands and moved

next to me.

"So what are you planning to make?"

"I was thinking of trying an oyako bowl. I was taught how to make it a long time ago."

"Going for a novel dish in a situation like this? You're quite aggressive."

"I can do a flavor check, and if it looks like it won't work, I can always fry the meat

instead."

"As expected of you. Then let's try this oyako bowl. How would you like me to assist?"

"You want to help? You can just wait in the living room if you want."

"The truth is, I leveled up during this last battle, and I put one point into the Cooking

skill."

Her level was lower than Ruti's or Danan's, but higher than Rit's. She was one of the

highest-level people in the world.

Most likely, she would never level up again as long as she stayed in Zoltan.

"Should you really have spent such a precious point on Cooking?"

"Your cooking is absolutely delicious. I want to make delicious food like you do."

Mister Crawly Wawly waved his arms in agreement.

"Mister Crawly Wawly leveled up recently as well, and he also took the Cooking skill."

"Really?"

Looking at the spider, he waved his right leg at me to confirm Tisse's statement.

Cooking was a common skill that anyone could take, so naturally, it was available to a

spider with the Warrior blessing.

Still, even with how intelligent he was, I wouldn't have expected Mister Crawly Wawly

to put his point in Cooking. He was likely the first spider to have ever taken that skill.

"I was thinking of writing a cookbook for spider food with Mister Crawly Wawly

someday."

"A book…"

Tisse hummed happily beside me.

"So, what should I do?"

"Hmm, can I ask you to take care of preparing the ingredients, then? I'll work on

cooking the rice while you do that. You can start by cutting the cockatrice meat into

bite-size chunks."

"Sure thing. Slicing things is a specialty of mine."

Tisse looked quite confident.

The two of us focused on the food for a while in silence.

"I would never have imagined I'd be doing this," Tisse admitted, eyes on her hands.

"Hmm."

"I have a strong affinity with my Assassin blessing, and I have a talent for it. I'm quite

proud of that fact."

"Yeah, I would agree. I've never encountered an assassin as strong as you."

"Yet right now… I'm cooking a meal for a foreign prince."

"I'm sure there are assassins who have disguised themselves as chefs, but there

probably aren't many who have actually cooked."

Royal culinarians probably had much higher Cooking skills than the average person,

and they surely possessed the Chef blessing, too.

No matter how masterful someone was at disguise, there was no copying blessings.

"Life is a strange thing." Tisse smiled as she set out the neatly cut meat. "But it's fun as

well."

"Yeah, I agree."

The two of us shared a smile and then focused on our task.

This world was filled with conflict.

While we were gathered around the table eating, one of the galleons stolen by

mercenaries was attacked by a kraken, and every last person aboard was devoured.

On a distant battlefield in the west, the allied army lead by the Bahamut Knights was

on the verge of winning a terrible three-day-long fight against the forces led by the

heavenly king of the water, Altra.

We had no way of knowing about that story while sitting in the shop's living room,

however.

It was not until much later that I heard of the struggles in the world outside.

""Thanks for the food.""

Rit and I both said our usual pre-meal line.

"Thank you, Demis, for this day's sustenance."

"Thank you for the food."

Lilinrala sped through a quick prayer while Prince Salius mimicked Rit and me.

"I've had rice before, but this is an unusual dish."

"It's called an okayo bowl. If I remember, it means parent and child. I had it once long

ago, and I think I replicated the flavor. Admittedly, the meat was chicken instead of

cockatrice."

"I see. Egg and chicken meat, so that explains the name." Prince Salius nodded to

himself.

"But if it's cockatrice meat, then it isn't parent and child anymore," Lilinrala objected

with a grin.

"Wasn't the first cockatrice supposedly born to a chicken? So it still works," Rit chimed

in.

"That's right. According to the biologist Jikhan's bestiary, 'Beware, the cockatrice is

born of a rooster's egg. The rooster lays the egg at age seven, after which the egg is

warmed for nine years by a toad. Thus roosters and toads must be kept well apart,'"

Tisse added.

Prince Salius twisted his head.

"As soon as you have roosters laying eggs, it's clearly wrong. And a toad warming an

egg for nine years? Isn't that obviously impossible?"

"Probably," I said with a grin. "Apparently, cockatrices are made by casting special

magic on chickens. The reason it's easier to get their meat than that of other monsters

is that people raise them. Although, it's a dangerous job. At least a few people die every

year."

Cockatrices couldn't really be tamed. Supposedly, as far as they were concerned, their

owners were just food who brought them other food.

"So, in this case, the egg is the parent, and the meat is the child, huh?"

Lilinrala stared at the bowl in amusement, then lifted a big spoonful of egg and meat

and took a bite.

"It's good."

I was glad to know that even a long-lived high elf approved.

"It's a little different from the bowl I tried years ago, but it's not bad."

"You've had it before?"

"Some six decades back or so? I'd honestly forgotten the flavor, but it came back to me

when I had a bite."

"You know, with the right trigger, humans can also recall things from surprisingly long

ago."

"Sixty years is already exceptionally lengthy for a human as it is… I'm sure I'll recall

this taste long after you all are gone." Lilinrala suddenly stopped eating. "Red, Rit,

Tisse, and I guess I should add you, too, Yarandrala."

"What is it?"

Lilinrala lowered her head deeply, and her silver hair swayed. "I really owe you all. I'll

never forget this debt. Once the issue of succession is settled, allow me to thank you

properly."

I see… So that's why she came here. Awfully upright for a pirate.

"Why was I added as an afterthought?" Yarandrala questioned.

"Because it's only natural for a high elf to help her friend," Lilinrala replied.

"That's rich. Playing the friend card only when it's convenient." Yarandrala laughed

wryly and then waved her hand. "It's true, though. I'd help no matter what trouble you

were in, so you don't need to thank me."

"I had a feeling you'd say that. So, Red, what can I do to repay all of you?"

Lilinrala looked at me.

"It's a long way from Veronia to Zoltan, and with the fighting against the demon lord's

army still going on, an admiral can't slip away from the front lines for that long."

"It's the Elven Corsairs' code to repay our debts."

"If Prince Salius takes the throne, Veronia will join the allied forces, right? As fellow

residents of the continent, that's enough for us," I said.

"We do intend to repeal the nonaggression pact with the demon lord. And I'm sure we

can get some support for Salius's claim from the Kingdom of Avalonia if we swear to

support their side. Calling it even if we join the allied army is a cheap price to pay."

Prince Salius nodded in agreement. "This is all thanks to you. Your fight has provided

a large boon to the continent. It's certainly the sort of achievement worthy of a proper

reward."

"We were just fighting to protect the small little place where we live. It's not anything

worth crossing the world to repay," I replied.

"But…"

"Besides, I've already got everything I want."

I glanced to the side. Rit was there eating her oyako bowl with a look of bliss. She'd

stopped when Lilinrala thanked us, but when she realized that the conversation was

going to keep going, she couldn't help but start in again.

Noticing my gaze, Rit smirked. "I mean, it would be a waste if it got cold."

Maybe it was because she was a princess, but she did not seem to restrain herself at

all around Prince Salius.

"True. If you want to thank me, then let's focus on the meal I made."

"I see. That was rude of us. We can leave the conversation be for now. If I let the

moment when this food was most delicious slip away, I won't be able to return to

Veronia."

And so, for a little while, we all focused on food.

Two days had come and gone since that shared meal.

Zoltan was surrounded by a towering mountain range to the north and east.

The sky over the sea was clear and blue. It was a warm day for winter, and there was

a strong wind.

"Mm, that's a good wind," Lilinrala said.

"Queen Leonor and the two Asura demons are gone. We have more than enough of a

chance at winning the throne… But the nobles who supported Leonor will not roll over

for us. They'll try to restore the old king's lineage through some distant member of the

royal family married a foreign royal."

"So the battle has only just begun?"

"Perhaps, but there's a tailwind to set sail with. There's no better omen for a sailor."

Lilinrala seemed delighted.

Today was the day that she and Prince Salius would be setting off from Zoltan.

They'd finished their resupplying, and the last sailors were headed to the galley

floating on the sea as people from Zoltan bid them reluctant good-byes.

They were apparently not used to those sorts of cheers from people of other countries,

because several of the pirate-like sailors were blushing and getting teary-eyed or

clutching the handkerchiefs they had been given like precious treasures.

Lilinrala grimaced a bit while watching them, but there was a definite gentleness to

her expression.

"This is a good town. I won't forget it. Be well."

Seeing that Prince Salius had finally boarded a boat after exchanging a few last words

with the mayor and the other diplomats, Lilinrala bid her farewell to us and left.

We wouldn't be meeting them again for a long time. At the very least, not until the war

with the demon lord was over. Even then, we might never reunite. Zoltan was a small,

distant little backwater after all.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes, this is fine."

I turned and saw that Mistorm had a gentle smile as she leaned on both her staff and

Yarandrala.

"If you don't go to Veronia now, you probably won't be able to see Geizeric again."

"I know, and that's all right. We met, spent many years together, and went our separate

ways. That story ended long ago. This wasn't about clearing the ledger of my history

with Leonor. It was a fight for Prince Salius and Zoltan's future."

"That's probably true. What about you, Yarandrala? Are you sure you didn't have

something you wanted to say to Lilinrala?" I inquired.

"Of course not. We'll surely meet again. Remember, high elves live longer than

humans."

"I see…"

The ship sailed into the distance. They were far enough that even if we shouted, the

words wouldn't reach.

Mistorm let out a little sigh.

"It just hit home again that my tale is finally over." There was a bit of happiness and

sadness in her voice. "All that's left is to be the old granny who gently nudges fledgling

adventurers taking their first steps down the right path. I think I'll officially disband

our party now, and maybe I should relinquish my B-rank and register as a D-rank

adventurer."

"The hero who saved the country becoming a D-rank adventurer?"

"It'd make for nasty comments if a B-rank adventurer tried to get involved with

rookies, wouldn't it?"

"True."

"You know, I thought I heard Leonor and the princes mention that they knew you,

Red…"

"…Yeah…"

Mistorm smiled. "But at my age, it can be hard to hear sometimes, so I didn't really

catch most of it."

"I see… Thank you."

"There's nothing to be grateful for. If anything…"

Mistorm glanced down for a moment. When she raised her head, she stared me

straight in the eyes.

"Thank you, Red. You and your friends saved Zoltan."

"We didn't want to lose the town where we lived and the friends we could reach. It was

all completely selfish."

"Zoltan's only a small dot on the map, so a reason like that is more than sufficient…"

When Mistorm smiled, her face looked a bit older than when I'd first met her.

"Look after things."

On the day Prince Salius and Lilinrala left Zoltan, Mistorm made good on her word and

delivered the official notice of disbandment to the Adventurers Guild.

The D-rank adventurer known as Retired Mistorm.

She was no longer involved in major incidents. Instead, she kept rookies from

underestimating goblins and lent them a hand on their first quests.

Her quiet final years seemed happy, and I didn't think that was so bad.

Some things had changed, but I could return to the normal life I had fought to protect

together with Rit and Ruti.

The Gray Vulture was a merchant vessel in the service of the army of the Kingdom of

Avalonia.

A piercing thunderclap split the heavy rain, and the crew hurried to their battle

stations.

"Prepare the ballista!"

The ship that had been accompanying it to provide protection was already surrounded

and could not move.

It was just a matter of time before they were captured.

The Gray Vulture was the only vessel left that could fight, but it was weighed down

with supplies, leaving it no match for the approaching pirate boat.

"Damn you, Veronian dogs!"

The captain, Lord Jamie, a member of the Bahamut Knights, cursed the enemy ship.

This sort of pillaging had been going on for a while. It took advantage of the fact that

Avalonia couldn't afford to declare war against Veronia and fight on two fronts.

Slowly, the piracy was leeching supplies to the front lines, and word of pirate trouble

had started to reach the leaders of the allied forces.

"Are they trying to start a war with us?"

Many nobles in Veronia believed their nation should join the fight against the demon

lord. However, if the alliance were to attack Veronia, then even they would have no

recourse but to join the demon lord's side.

"All the more reason we can't fail here! We must escape no matter what it takes."

A steel bolt fired from the ballista. Unfortunately, the enemy was a group of skilled

raiders led by a naval combat elite. Were Lilinrala not around, this pirate captain might

have been leading Veronia's navy.

Avalonia's marines fired the ballista over and over, but the approaching corsair deftly

maneuvered, avoiding any effective hits.

"Curses…! Draw swords! If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get!"

The Veronian ships were already upon them. If it descended into hand-to-hand

combat, the Gray Vulture's defeat was assured.

Just then…

"Captain! Another boat from behind!"

"What?!"

Lord Jamie hurriedly looked to stern. Through the rain, he spied a large shadow

approaching.

"That's… a Veronian galley?! It slipped behind us somehow!"

Their retreat was cut off.

Lord Jamie's hand trembled, and he gnashed his teeth.

With all options sealed, he resolved himself to fight to the end.

Surprisingly, the galley did not slow, passing alongside the Gray Vulture.

"We are part of the Veronian navy! We'll take care of these pirates!" the one-eyed high

elf standing at the bow shouted.

With its stout ram, the galley slammed into the side of the Veronian corsair. There was

a loud crackling, and the pirate ship shuddered.

"Wh-what are you doin' attacking your allies?!"

The pirates fell into a shocked panic.

The galley that had rammed them was flying the colors of the Kingdom of Veronia. Its

marines were led by Lilinrala, Fleet Admiral of Veronia's navy. Caught without ever

understanding what was going on around them, the pirates swiftly surrendered.

"What is going on here?"

Lord Jamie was just as confused as his foes were.

A man and a few guards from the galley leaped down to the deck of the Gray Vulture.

The tanned man flashed a big white smile.

"Thank goodness you're safe. I am Prince Salius of Veronia."

"A Veronian prince?! A-apologies for my rudeness, Your Highness. I am Bacchus Jamie

of Avalonia's Bahamut Knights. I never expected I'd have the honor of meeting Your

Highness in a place like this. Please forgive my indecorous outburst."

"Sir Jamie, it's a pleasure to have been able to fight alongside a warrior of the great

Bahamut Knights on this wide sea."

"Y-Your Highness…" Lord Jamie's bewilderment had not subsided yet.

Veronian pirates had attacked them, and yet it was the Veronian navy and a prince that

had come to the rescue.

Lord Jamie and the rest of the Avalonian soldiers were at a loss, and they were all on

guard for some sort of trickery.

Seeing that, the prince addressed their confusion.

"It is true that there is no alliance between Veronia and Avalonia. But right now,

humanity is fighting against its greatest threat, the demon lord. This ship is carrying

supplies for the soldiers who are fighting for all of the continent, is it not?"

"Y-yes, Your Highness…"

"Then it is only right that we come to your aid."

"…Is that Your Highness's personal judgment?"

"It will someday become the official stance of the Kingdom of Veronia. Lord Jamie,

should you find your way back to Avalonia, I should like if you would convey a message

for me. On my honor, I swear that when I take the throne, the Kingdom of Veronia shall

join the allied efforts."

Lord Jamie could not believe what he was hearing. However, Prince Salius's confidence

left no room for doubt.

Hope surged in Lord Jamie's heart.

That day was a turning point for the fate of humanity.

The Kingdom of Veronia had been set to join forces with the demon lord, yet Prince

Salius swore to have his country join the allies instead. Humanity would finally be

united in its battle against the invasion from the dark continent.

With that, the demon lord's army would soon be routed, forced to fall back and

establish a new front line.

Several occupied lands would surely be liberated in the process.

Lord Jamie's ship safely made it to the allied army's base.

The delivery of supplies kept countless wounded and starving soldiers alive.

And it was not just Lord Jamie's vessel, either. Shipping boats rounding the south of

the continent were no longer troubled by Veronian attacks. The war with the demon

lord's army shifted to a new front.

""Welcome!""

Red & Rit's Apothecary lies in the working-class part of Zoltan.

Guests were greeted by their cheerful voices at the door.

Inside was a nice, organized shelf with medicines lined up on display, and a small but

lovely watercolor landscape painting on the wall.

If you brought a drug to the counter, Red would happily give you a detailed explanation

of what it did. And should there be anything specific you were after, Rit could find it

for you in no time.

After your purchase, if you peeked back into the window, you'd spy the two of them

celebrating together happily.

Regardless of the events changing the world, Red and Rit still managed to enjoy their

slow and happy lives.