I Finished Saving the World, But Then I Picked Up a Girl With Amnesia - Chapter 24

“Hero-san! It’s the sea!”

“It sure is the sea.”

After parting ways with Master, we followed the directions she gave us. About half a day of traveling later, we finally arrived in a populated area. From there, we spent another half a day bouncing along in a carriage and reached a massive port town. Numerous ships were docked in the harbor, white sandy beaches stretched out underfoot, and the radiant sun shone brightly above.

Having trudged through a seemingly endless wilderness, teetering on the edge of collapse, I never expected to find myself in such a large, oasis-like town in just over a day. Master had mentioned, “That town should be perfect. It’s one of the necromancer’s bases. If you seek refuge there, you’ll be safe.” Coincidentally, we had planned to meet Necromancer-san next, so this was extremely fortunate.

Red Hair-chan, seeing the ocean for the first time since losing her memory, was leaning forward with excitement, completely enchanted by the view.

“Hero-san, Hero-san! This is my first time seeing the ocean!”

“That’s wonderful.”

This feels nostalgic somehow. Knight-chan, being a princess from a well-off family, had naturally experienced seaside vacations and swimming in the ocean. But Sage-chan, who had never left her village, had been just as overjoyed as a child when she first saw the sea.

If I were to bring her now, she’d probably complain, “The salty sea breeze is so annoying,” and not enjoy it at all… The melancholy of a father watching his daughter grow up washes over me.

“Red Hair-chan, don’t ever lose your pure heart. Stay just the way you are, okay?”

“Huh? Oh, okay!”

But, well, thinking about it carefully, staying the same wouldn’t be good either. My main goal is to help her recover her memory, after all.

“This town really is immense. It feels as lively as the royal capital.”

“Yeah, it really does.”

That’s probably true.

Centered around the port, the town was overflowing with trade goods, with numerous shops lining the streets. Restaurants and entertainment venues were plentiful, and the cheerful chatter of people filled the air.

It was a town I had never visited before, but knowing Necromancer-san was involved made sense. If she had chosen this town as her base, it was no wonder it had developed so much.

I considered explaining these details to Red Hair-chan, but she was too captivated by the view of the ocean to pay attention. She seemed so happy, and that was all that mattered.

“Hero-san! Look, look! There are food stalls over there! They smell so delicious already!”

Ah, yes, of course. It’s good to see her appetite is alive and well.

Honestly, I’m relieved. I was worried she might still be feeling down after the little bird incident, but it seems Master’s emotional care for Red Hair-chan was more than effective. In fact, her profile somehow looks more dignified than it did yesterday.

“Hero-san! What’s that thing that looks like ice!? It has green sauce on it!”

…More dignified? No, maybe that was just my imagination.

“Hold on a second, Red Hair-chan.”

“Oh… Right, sorry. You’re right, there’s no way we can go to every single stall and eat everything, huh. I’m sorry, give me a moment. I’ll narrow it down to three.”

“Ah, no, that’s not really what I meant.”

“It’s okay!?”

“Could you stop eating my lines, at least?”

As long as it doesn’t completely annihilate my wallet, she’s welcome to eat as much as she likes, but that wasn’t the point.

“If we’re going down to the beach, how about trying out the ocean?”

“The ocean?”

Red Hair-chan tilted her head curiously.

“Yeah. Since we’re here, why don’t we go buy swimsuits?”

Her cheeks, understanding the implication, turned redder than her hair.