The Matter of My Party Members Being Aware of My Desire to Be Banished - Chapter 19

Since the royal capital is so vast, we simply entered the first inn that caught our eye in an attempt to secure a room… but to our surprise, many places were fully booked.

After visiting a few more establishments, we finally found an inn with available rooms, but…

“I’m sorry, young master. Today, we have a particularly high number of guests. There are only two rooms left, and both have single beds.”

“Two rooms, huh…”

There are four of us, and there are two single rooms.

Either way, it looks like two of us will have to share a bed. We all wanted to relax in our rooms in the capital…

“What to do…”

“This place is good, isn’t it? If we go looking for another place, there’s a high chance they’ll be full too.”

Honoka, who was next to me, chimed in. Though she had been tagging along as I searched for lodging, it’s reassuring to get her opinion when I’m feeling indecisive.

“That’s true. Well, we should probably split the rooms by gender: me and Shion, and you and Marn-san.”

“…”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Honoka?”

Honoka is giving me a sharp look, as if she wants to say something.

“No, it’s nothing, really… Shi-chan has it tougher than I thought. I should at least hand over the room to him.”

“?”

I didn’t quite catch her mumbling at the end, but…

“Then we’ll take the two single rooms, please.”

And like that, we successfully secured our lodging for the night.

◇◇

“Mmm~! This meat bun is delicious~! The meat inside is so juicy, and the juices are soaked up by this bread-like thing, making it so yummy~!!”

Honoka beams with happiness, her hands on her cheeks.

After securing our room, I had been accompanying Honoka on her food tour. This was as expected, though.

“Yeah, it’s really good! The meat inside is high-quality too.”

Familiar foods from Japan become a little more luxurious in the royal capital with better ingredients. They’re a bit pricey, but definitely delicious.

“The food in the royal capital is amazing after all~. Oh! And, Rokkun, I love your cooking the most!”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks.”

Honoka seems truly sincere when she says that; I can tell by the even happier face she makes compared to when she was eating the meat bun.

“Hehe~. Ah! Hey, Rokkun! Let’s try that next!”

What Honoka is pointing at is a stall piled high with a huge amount of skewered meats. Its striking visual appeal and the delightful aroma of spiced meats being grilled have been calling out to us.

It does look incredibly tempting, but when Honoka hastens to try it, I stop her.

“Hold on, hold on. Finish the meat bun first, all right?”

“Oka~y. Mmm~!”

Honoka takes another big bite of the meat bun, her expression brimming with satisfaction.

It’s really satisfying to watch Honoka eat. When I cook, her hearty appetite often prompts me to make a little too much.

I want to let her eat her fill, but I’ve got to make sure she doesn’t run out of her allowance in one day.

“Look, you’ve got something on your cheek. Let me know if you’re thirsty since I can produce water anytime. And if there’s any food you want to bring back as souvenirs for everyone, I can store them in my ‘Storage.'”

“Thanks~. Rokkun, you’re kind of like my big brother.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. You’re like the caring big brother type.”

“Then Honoka is the little sister who loves food and can’t be left alone.”

“Hehe~”

Honoka grins from ear to ear.

…This feels more like an outing with siblings than a date.

But whether it’s a date or an outing, as long as it’s fun, that’s all that matters. I doubt Honoka is really aware of such things anyway.

“The royal capital really is something else, eh?”

“Yeah, it is.”

With a meat bun in hand, if I look out over the city, it’s still bustling with people. Where we are now is lined with food stands, brimming with vibrancy.

Merchants and passersby alike all wear smiles of enjoyment.

“It feels quite peaceful too.”

“The royal capital Farnifal is, as you can see, a prosperous nation. Gold, status, fortune… it’s said that everything exists here. But behind the scenes, there’s human trafficking, bandit gangs, noble’s dark side… there’s a lot going on.”

Shion said that, so I was a bit on edge…

But so far, the royal capital looks lively like this, with strong adventurers at the guild, and it seems like a great place overall.

“Rokkun, are you setting up some kind of flag?”

“Eh!?”

Am I setting up a flag!? I really don’t want to!!

“Hehe. Just kidding! Even if you do set a flag, we’ll quickly snap it or prevent it from happening, so it’s all good!”

Somehow, Honoka’s words carry an odd sense of conviction.

Ah, don’t snap my flag of wanting to be banished!

“I wonder if Shion and Marn-san are having a good time.”

“I bet they are… Looks like they went that way.”

Honoka glances briefly behind us.

“Honoka?”

“Nuh-uh! It’s nothing. Now, chew chew. Phew! Finished the meat bun! Next stall, here we come!”

“Hey, slow down! I’ve only had one bite!”

“C’mon, let’s go~!”

I’m pulled along by Honoka through the crowd.

Looks like it’s going to be a loud and lively day.