Abandoned Retired Warrior Decides to Return to Farming

“······haha.”

I shook my head slowly and smiled in vain.

What did I say now?

And what have you just been thinking about?

it’s her, it’s her

It’s Aeris. I don’t know if it’s anyone else, but it’s not as good as her.

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knowing that, I was staring at her in my f*cking clothes.

“No, it smells a bit.”

“Smell?”

“Yeah… it seems to come from Aerith for some reason. Do you know what it is?”

“······yes?”

She paused for a moment as she listened to me, then put her arm to her nose and started sniffing.

Aerith only tilted her head for a while while taking it.

But then he looked at me again with an expression that he had something to think about and—

“Huhuh.”

– Laughed.

The sound of laughter tickling your ears. She covered her lips and smiled softly.

It was a lovely smile, as always.

But if there’s another thing, even though it’s a familiar smile that I’ve seen hundreds or thousands of times,

Oddly enough, it felt unfamiliar, like seeing it for the first time.

“Really. Where the hell did you learn such a naughty joke?”

“·················ogue.”

“Cael, no matter how much I say things like that, do I get hurt?”

I couldn’t answer her question.

Does this ‘smell’ really have anything to do with you?

Maybe that smile that always smiled has a different meaning.

I’m afraid that this relationship that we’ve been together with will all turn against me this time too.

The mouth did not fall.

Didn’t it make sense in the first place?

For Aerith, I don’t think that’s possible.

It’s not because she’s a virgin. It wasn’t even because of the original heroine.

As a colleague, as a neighbor next door.

From now on, all the possibilities I can think of are,

Because it was like denying a relationship with her like that.

“Serine, Lucia. come here.”

My words echoed quietly through the inn.

All eyes were focused on me.

Serine and Lucia, the staff of the inn, and above all, Aerith, who was in front of me, looked at me.

I closed my eyes and ran away from the gaze.

“yes? I haven’t even eaten half yet…”

“Serine.”

“Huh!? Come on, if you’ve eaten that much, you’re telling me to eat in moderation now-“

“Come by my side. right now.”

A voice that was astonishingly resolute came out to himself.

Is it because of that?

Serene didn’t ask any more.

quadang-

With the sound of the chair being pushed back, Serin moved to my side in an instant.

Instead of a sword, she raised a spoon and looked around.

“······master?”

But as she looked around, she immediately looked at me with a bewildered voice.

It wasn’t because there had been.

It was because there were only those who thought they were allies in front of him now.

“Hey, Kael. What the hell is going on?”

The staff called me as if they were bewildered.

“… Mr. Kael?”

And Aerith looked at me with a terrified face.

But I couldn’t answer any questions.

I don’t even know what this situation is right now, so what should I say?

In the end, I asked her a little more directly than before.

“······· Aerith. Let me ask you again.”

“·················ogue.”

“I smell this scent right now. Is it just my imagination?”

At those words, there was silence in the inn.

Neither Serin nor the staff said anything about this unknown tension.

He only rolled his eyes and looked at Aerith and me alternately.

I, too, waited for Aerith’s answer, which was quivering.

I wanted her to smile as usual, asking what she was talking about.

Yeah, the answer I want is yes too,

“······no.”

And it wasn’t no.

*

After washing up, Serin was sitting on the bed and looking out the window.

It was still raining outside.

The stem has weakened a bit, but it doesn’t look like it will stop for a while.

“Oh, have you washed everything?”

Serin looked at me and asked, stretching.

I grabbed my clothes and towels and got out of bed.

“Then I’ll wash up too.”

“okay. I’ll be out for a while.”

Because there is still something I want to ask.

Perhaps she noticed the meaning of my omitted words, as she was going to the bathroom, she stopped and stared at me.

“Are you going to Aerith for that matter a while ago?”

“Well, that’s it.”

“Umm…”

After hearing my answer, Serin smiled bitterly.

“master. The staff have already talked about it. The odor must have come from the process of draining the pig’s blood.”

With those words, I remembered what had happened earlier.

I heard that the meat was made from wild boar caught by the staff.

And in the process of helping Aerith from the side, he explained instead that blood could splatter or stink.

So I couldn’t ask any more.

The smell was faint in the first place, it could have been my misunderstanding because of it, and above all, I didn’t want to suspect Aerith.

“Besides, it’s not anyone else, it’s Aerison, isn’t it just an illusion? Because neither I nor Lucia said they couldn’t smell anything.”

“That’s… it is.”

I nodded my head in agreement.

But even after Serine went into the bath, I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

Was the familiar smell just the smell of animal blood?

But if that were the case, why was she wet alone?

Besides, even though it was so wet, was it cut enough to leave the smell on your body?

“······ha. I do not know.”

As the doubts pile up one by one, the doubts never cease.

Besides, more than anything else, the answer to my previous question was more of a concern than anything else.

It was as if he knew the meaning of my words and said them.

I finally left the washing Serine behind and left the room.

The best way is to check it yourself again.

If you have to be alone like this, your doubts will only grow.

smart-

As I was thinking about it, someone knocked on the door.

Is it Aerith? Or was it Shizu who returned from the imperial family?

Without realizing it, I opened the door with a little nervousness,

“Hurray. I’m here to play, Kael!”

In front of me was Lucia, who was smiling like a prankster, waving her hand.

Lucia and I climbed up the inn’s roof through the window.

With Lucia’s magic, something transparent over her head blocked the rain,

We sat on the roof side by side and looked up at the sky while admiring the pouring rain.

“Wow. I can’t see any stars!”

Well, what’s the weather like?

But, as it is, Lucia’s smile was bright, unlike the darkness.

Seeing her like this, who would believe that she is the Demon King?

“Lucia, are you really not in charge of anything?”

“yes?”

At my sudden question, she turned to me.

Those dark red eyes narrowed like a red full moon.

“Cael.”

Instead of answering my question, Lucia put a smile on her lips.

She asked me as if expecting something.

“Does Kael trust me?”

“uh.”

“yes? Are you a demon king?”

As soon as I answered her, she giggled in embarrassment.

“Hehe. Isn’t the answer too quick? I’m glad that Kael said that.”

“That’s what my colleagues around me looked like. Well, is it funny for a hero to say something like this to the demon king?”

“no! not funny Not funny at all.”

Lucia was waving her hand in denial, but others would laugh at it because it was ridiculous.

They risked their lives and sealed each other, but now they are sitting next to each other.

“Hehehe. pleased. I heard that from Kael.”

Having said that, Lucia twisted her hair with her fingers.

Even in the dark night sky, her silver hair was shining brightly.

“Lucia, so?”

“······yes?”

“Why are you suddenly setting the mood for something that doesn’t suit you?”

Lucia’s appearance now was markedly different from the words and actions she usually used to say.

There must be a reason why you came to me in the first place.

I’m still upset about Aerith, but I’m accelerating that. this motherf*cker

“Eh? did I?”

She tilted her head and smiled again like a child.

But even looking at her like that, I couldn’t help but smile.

“Ahaha. Grandpa will love it when he hears it. You used to nag me every day to set the mood.”

“·················ogue.”

“Does Kael like this too? So, shall we do this the next time we go on a date? Okay, how are you?”

“·················ogue.”

“Hehehe, can’t you just say something?”

When I didn’t answer, Lucia looked at me and said in a trembling voice.

It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of Lucia’s weakness.

But, as usual, I couldn’t accept the absurdity.

There should not be any setbacks in the situation where the plan was not far away.

But Aerith was anxious, and Lucia seemed to know what it was.

Because I’ve been trying to avoid my answer somehow.

She received my gaze and smiled with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

“Ehehehe…”

I’d rather lie around.

Then I would be angry, but it was painful for me to watch as I kept my mouth shut with such a face.

“Lucia. I honestly don’t know what to say. you and serene And Aerith is now a precious companion to me.”

“······Uh.”

“So, can you be honest about this question?”

Lucia nodded her head without saying a word.

Seeing her like that reminded me of the first time I came to the village.

How did she know where I was and come to her?

I looked at her trembling eyes and asked softly.

“Can I still trust you as colleagues?”

I put my hand on the scabbard and calmly waited for her answer.