Volume 4 3: Dragon-san Makes a Plan
The villa was a two story house, a short walk from the lakeside.
Thanks to the money that I earned from my job as a Hunter, I had managed to finally buy it and make it our own.
For now there were only rooms for Nectar, Aru and I, a kitchen, bathroom, living room and all of the other daily necessities, but we could always expand this place so that it could accommodate as many people as need be.
When Mikoto arrived at the villa, I lead her to one of the rooms on the second floor.
Just by looking at Mikoto’s shimmering golden tail, I already knew that this was going to be a great day.
According to Elvie’s words, during the spring break Mikoto went to a lot of different places, travelling as much as time and money allowed her to.
Since so many people were visiting this place, the people in charge were looking for someone with a vast knowledge regarding hot springs, so who wouldn’t be better at this job than someone from the Eastern Countries, with their vast and rich bathing culture?
After all, hot springs are God’s gift to humanity.
While I was thinking that, I could feel a surge of magic in the vicinity, and I knew that another guest has arrived.
Heading into the hallway at the ground floor, I could see both Ligurila and Senjiro entering through the front door.
Ligurila shook her golden hair while carrying only one trunk with her.
「Thank you for inviting me here, Lava.」
「Welcome, welcome! I hope that you had a pleasant journey!」
We exchanged pleasantries and I shook Senjiro’s hand, but for some reason he looked really tired.
Looking at his luggage, I could see that he was carrying only one small cloth bag, like the kind vagabonds used to carry around them.
「I don’t know about pleasant, but I’m glad that it is over.」
「First of all, congratulations on your promotion to Rank 5!」
I congratulate him, and to that Senjiro’s face twists somewhat strangely.
「For now I have accepted that promotion, but I don’t think I deserved it. There’s still a lot of room for improvement.」
「No, no, no. You well deserve it. It was thanks to you that both the monsters at the borders and the ones at Melias were exterminated, and those were no small fries, but second and first class no less! If it was on me to decide, I would make you nothing less than a hero!」
「It was only natural, since aside from us, there is no one as strong as you at the Guild for the moment.」
Ligurila says something like that and then adds: “That’s my Senjiro for you.”.
I think that Ligurila was the one who was the happiest about Senjiro’s promotion.
But as expected, hearing Ligurila praise him, his ears were moving slightly, telegraphing just how overjoyed he was.
historical
「It’s so nice that we could come to the hot spring place as nice as this one. Especially right now, while I’m waiting for my promotion.」
I was glad that Senjiro seemed happy to be here. It was a nice change of pace for him, one that he really needed and hopefully wouldn’t come to regret.
Part of the reason for inviting them here was so that both Ligurila and Senjiro could have quality time all to themselves.
However, due to all of his recent achievements, involving monster extermination at the border and the Melias incident, he was forced to go to the capital city of Ballow so that he could be granted the title of the Rank 5 Hunter at the Guild’s headquarters. It was a rough time for him.
I knew just how tiresome and exhausting such a ceremony could be, because I had to go through that myself in the past.
However, Ligurila said that she would stay with him at the capital and that the two of them would use Teleportation from her house as soon as the ceremony had ended so that they could come here.
Her official reason was that she had some business she needed to attend to at her shop, but that excuse wasn’t fooling anyone and I knew that she was doing it for Senjiro’s sake.
Seeing just how happy he was at the moment, he must have been pretty much devastated when he thought that he wouldn’t be able to do to the hot springs with Ligurila.
However, the disappointment in Ligurila’s eyes at that moment could have been even greater than his.
「Now that you are here, why don’t the two of you go relax in the hot springs? Their properties are perfect for recovering the magic you have lost.」
「Back in my country, such hot springs would often be places of various pilgrimages. So it’s even more amazing that one such spring is right here, Lava-dono.」
Seeing Senjiro’s grey tail shake happily I couldn’t help myself but laugh just a little bit inside.
「You know, I have a guest here that comes from the Eastern country as well.」
I blurted something like that and once Senjiro rose from his bag he looked at me curiously.
「Are you talking about that foreign exchange student that was together with Aru at Signos Academy?」
「That’s right, she’s one of Aru’s senpais. When I told her about the open-air bath she started to wag her tail and it was just so cute! I can call here if you want. Then you can talk.」
「Umu, if it’s fine with her, then by all means.」
Said Senjiro with a serious expression after hearing my explanation.
「Okay, please come this way. For the time being, I have prepared your rooms right next to one another.」
I said while I lead the two onto the second floor, and when I turned around I could see Ligurila smiling in a mean manner.
「Ara, I don’t mind staying together in one room, you know?」
While she said that, Ligurila intertwined her arm together with Senjiro’s, to which he was shocked at first, and then his face blushed like crazy.
「I’m sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. After all, it would be a bad example for Aru-dono.」
「Now, now, don’t be so shy? Why is it not good? We must only take care not to be seen, am I right?」
But since one of his hands was filled with luggage and the other one was entangled with Ligurila’s arm, it was impossible for him to oppose her.
There were lots of things in this world and culture that Senjiro needed to familiarize himself with.
However, it would seriously set a bad example for Elvie and the rest, so I would like those two to show at least some degree of moderation.
While thinking like that, as soon as we got into the hallway I cast a glance at Senjiro.
「This smell, where is it coming from......?」
Just when I was thinking that this situation couldn’t get any more awkward than it already was, I heard some light footsteps and when I raised my head I saw Mikoto looking down the stairs from the second floor.
「Ah, Mikoto, perfect timing. There’s someone here that I would like to introduce you to.」
Saying that, I realized that for some reason Mikoto was looking down the stairs with a look of utter surprise written all over her face.
Senjiro’s expression was also rather weird, as if saw a ghost.
But soon that expression changed to joy.
「Are you Mikoto, by any chance? My, look at how much you have grown!」
I was surprised to hear him say those words, and in his native tongue, no less.
That is because I never mentioned Mikoto’s name to Senjiro before.
That is why I asked him with my voice full of hesitation.
「Sen-san, could it be that you know each other, by any chance?」
「Who wouldn’t know her!」
Senjiro answered in an excited manner, to which Ligurila came forward and butted in, seemingly dissatisfied.
「Ara, and who this little girl might be?」
Senjiro, having Ligurila’s voluptuous breasts pressed against him, looked confused for a moment, before he finally spoke up.
Then a shadow was cast over his figure.
The cause of that was Mikoto, who jumped over the handrails and waved her wand at Senjiro, blowing him away.
「Just how long are you going to stare at me, you stupid idiot ––––––!!」
Maybe it was just me, but if I was to meet a person from the same town as me, I would be overjoyed and I would like to talk about the many things that we would have in common.
It was surely a shock to see that Mikoto would attack him only a few seconds after they met, but what came as an even bigger shock to me, was the fact that Mikoto jumped down the stairs while wearing a rather cute swimsuit.
...... Wait, whaaaaaaaaaaat!?