Published at 12th of February 2023 12:50 pm

Chapter 294: Waving Hands

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

『Oi, that person beside Eric-sama, was that the noble-sama who has come to the village?』

『He is, isn’t he? I mean, he is also bringing a maid-san along. The Sylford house’s maid-sans clothes shouldn’t be like that』

As I was walking down the village road with Eric, I heard the faint conversation of the villagers talking about us, maybe they found us unfamiliar.

「I feel like strange gazes are coming in our direction? Are we being watched?」

「Well, guess so. Especially Mina who stands out」

「Eh? Me?」

Eric started to talk when Mina tilted her head with a puzzled look.

「It’s already a well-known fact that the Slowlett house is coming to our territory. So if they saw me accompanying an unfamiliar maid and kid, they would know that the two of you are people of the Slowlett house」

At any rate, we had passed this road on a carriage that has the crest of a Dragon in an impressive manner before. There should be times when the maids of Eric’s house went to the village to shop, but they probably also realize it since even with the same clothes the design is different, and even our faces are unfamiliar to them.

Meaning, it’s natural for the villagers to guess that we are the nobles of the Slowlett house that came from outside the territory.

「But, when we went to the royal capital, we didn’t get this much attention though……」

「That’s cause it’s a place where all sorts of nobles gather. So no one will care if a noble and their maid is walking down the street」

「Well, there was also a time when Mina was in a state of high tension and she didn’t care about the surroundings……」

「Th, there’s nothing I can do about it! That was my first time in the royal capital after all! Or rather, Alfried-sama didn’t even feel a little tense or anything?」

「I was calm enough to realize such gazes on us」

I was overwhelmed by the neutral European-like structure of buildings and the large castle, but I don’t get completely overwhelmed due to the crowd of people like Mina.

「Gununu, it’s frustrating that I can’t deny that, but it’s going to be different here」

Fuh, it’s not like I went through the ‘commute rush’ back in my previous life just for show, you know.

「Well, for the villagers here, we were just unfamiliar people who came from outside. So if you just ignore the villager’s words alone……」

『Is that the noble of the Slowlett house? That Dragon Slayer-sama son?』

『But I’ve heard a rumor that the son of the Dragon Slayer-sama is a handsome boy.....』

「Hey! What’s with that last remark!?」

When I unconsciously shout so after hearing them say the female villagers were surprised and they start to leave.

「Alfried-sama. Didn’t you say not care about them?」

「No, but I care about it now! I can’t help but care about it!」

I don’t know whether the people in this world tend to get more guts or free time the more they live in rural areas. I think that there is such a tendency, but is it just me I wonder?

As I was thinking about such a thing while being puzzled over it, Eric faintly smiles while putting his hand on my shoulder and say,

「……Alfried, live strongly」

「Shaddup, ‘loner’」

The moment I say that, Eric grabbed my collar.

「What did you say!? A guy with a dead-fish-like eye!」

「Aaaah! Now you said it! Even though you’ve been hanging around in the hallway since this morning, wanted to ask me to play with you! I know about it since Mina told me, y’know!?」

「Y, you think I would do such a thing! Who’s going to play with y――」

『Oh? Is Eric-sama fighting?』

『Was it true that the Sylford family is on bad terms with the Slowlett family?』

For some reason, I realized that a lot of villagers suddenly looked toward us when Eric and I had our quarrel.

As I was surprised at the gathering crowd of people, Mina comes closer to us and whispered.

「Hey hey! The two of you! The aim of this time’s trip is to show the surrounding people that you are all in a friendly relationship, wasn’t it? It will raise rumors that you are on bad terms with each other if you were to fight now, and both of your parents will be angry, you know!?」

「「……t, that’s right」」

Not good, at this rate people will say that the Sylford and the Slowlett house are on bad terms again, and I will end up being scolded by Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan.

Naturally, having that kind of rumor for the second time won’t be good. That should also be the same with Eric.

Eric and I immediately made eye contact and nodded to each other.

Then, Eric use the hand that he used to grab my collar to wrap it around my shoulder

「Hiiii! Gross!」

「Shut it. I also don’t want to do anything like this with you」

When I faintly scream after he did that, Eric quickly responded.

Nothing I can do about it. Though I can only feel being wrapped by something like a snake by his arm, I have to endure it now.

「That’s right! The weather is so nice today! I was waiting to invite and guide you to look around the village!」

For a moment, I didn’t know who this person talking beside me is, but the person reflected in my eyes is without a doubt, Eric.

「The heck, you should have woken me up earlier if so! I was worried you’d take me to some strange place!」

「Hahahaha! Well, the time waiting for your friend is also fun in itself! By the way Alfried, want to go to the river? There is a splendid bridge that won’t lose to a city bridge over there! I definitely want to show it to you!」

「Ooh, really! That’s interesting! You really have to take me there!」

Eric and I walked down the road shoulder to shoulder looking to be on friendly terms with each other while having such shameless exchanges.

◆

「Oi, it’s fine to stop now, right?」

「Yeah, it’s fine now, there are no more villagers around us」

After Eric and I walked for some time, we’re saying that and quickly separated our shoulders.

「What happened earlier didn’t happen. That was the best course of action for Eric and I」

「Yeah, that’s right. And so, I won’t touch on what happened earlier, don’t worry」

Eric and I nod to each other. I wiped the uncomfortable area around my neck.

Thereafter, Mina says with a complex expression on her face,

「……somehow, I don’t understand whether the two of you are on good terms or bad terms with each other. But for some reason, when I look at the two of you, it has a close resemblance to the relationship between Torr-kun and Alfried-sama」

Well, Eric is already in the same bad company category as him after all. So it’s understandable for Mina to think like that.

「Hm? Who is this Torr?」

「You’ll know him if you visit our village」

The person named Torr, no matter how I talk about him, I can only describe him as a brat and loser. So rather than saying such unproductive things, it will be far easier to meet him and talk with him directly.

Though I really can’t imagine at all, just what kind of result will come out when Eric meets with Torr.

「Other than that, is that the bridge you mentioned earlier?」

「……oi, didn’t you said not to touch on what happened earlier?」

「Well, I didn’t mean it that way so nothing I can do about it, yeah」

It’s true that I don’t want to mention what happened back then, but there’s nothing I can do if I accidentally say it and I couldn’t find any other words to say.

「Well, fine then. That’s right. That’s our village’s biggest bridge」

At the place Eric’s finger pointed to, there was the large river and in addition, there was a large bridge over it.

「That’s amazing. It feels much bigger than when I saw it from the carriage」

Just as Mina says, it feels even more impressive looking closely like this compared to when we saw them from afar in the carriage.

It has wide enough space to let three carriages line up side by side and it continues all the way to the other side.

The bridge uses red bricks and the supporting parts are arched and decorated with some ornaments, making people feel that it’s really like a bridge from a fantasy world.

「It’s great. How long is it?」

「I heard from my Father that it’s around 150 meters」

Ooh, it’s amazing that there is such a bridge in a village.

I’m convinced now when Eric asserted that this bridge won’t lose to any bridge in the city.

As I'm looking over at the bridge, we head directly to the bridge.

It’s troublesome to walk all the way to the center of the bridge so we stop at just the right spot, we just lean on the bridge’s fence - to prevent people from falling - and stare at the scenery. I can see the sea where the river flows in the distance, the blue color is solely painting the scenery it’s beautiful. The weather today is also nice and the wind is blowing moderately so it looks like some boats are out on the sea.

「Ah! That boat over there is the one where Elna-sama and the others are on, right!」

When I look at the place where Mina energetically pointed to with her finger, I saw a familiar boat returning to the harbor.

And as I try to gather my magic power to my eyes and look at it, I saw Nord-tousan talking happily with Egar-san, Elna-kaasan, and Natasha-san looking after Sylvio-niisan, maybe he got seasick again.

「Un, that’s Elna-kaasan and the others. Maybe, Sylvio-niisan got sick so they return early」

「How do you know so much?」

Eric curiously asks as he tilted his head when I explained the situation.

「That’s cause you will be able to see quite far ahead if you gather magic power into your eyes」

「Eh? You can even see at such a distance? It’s kinda scary somehow」

Mina, it’s not that I don’t understand how you feel, but please stop with your act as though you’re pulling away from me. I want to desperately clarify myself, but I feel like I’ll just get into a situation where I can’t get out so I decided to keep mum.

But still, Sylvio-niisan got sick again, huhー.

As I move my gaze around while thinking about some random things, I suddenly felt like I met eyes with Nord-tousan.

「Hm?」

Was it my imagination? It’s like I met eyes with Nord-tousan just now.....no no, that’s just my imagination. I’m sure he was just casually looking at the village since they were already close, right?

Setting aside conspicuous places where there is good visibility like the sky of the royal capital, there is too much of a situation where people's gazes can meet. Putting it lightly, the distance between us is in kilos so to say that our eyes met is.....

As I was thinking about such things, Nord-tousan was waving his hand while smiling wryly.

And as I reflexively turn to Elna-kaasan, I saw her waving her hand while softly smiling.

For now, I also wave my hand at them in response since they are waving their hands.

「Alfried-sama, who are you waving your hand to?」

「It’s Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan」

「Don’t tell me, they can also see us by using the method of gathering their magic power to their eyes or something else?」

「Probably」

I can’t imagine those two being unable to do something on this level. The moment Mina realizes that she’s being watched, her body stiffens a little.

Even if you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ll get nervous if you know that you’re being watched by your boss, huh?

「F, for now, I will also wave my hand」

「I don’t understand the situation but I’ll also wave 」

Me, Mina, and Eric peacefully waved our hands to the faraway Nord-tousan and Elna-kaasan.

I feel like I’m able to appeal a little to them, that we’re getting along well with each other.

here

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