I jumped when I heard Brandish’s voice—the sa one I had heard in Freya’s palace. The shock was so great that I pushed the chair backward with my feet.
"W-Wahh!" The startled sound escaped as I realized I had lost my balance. The rest followed the laws of gravity, ending with a rather loud thud.
"Rick! Are you okay?!" The girls outside my head spoke in unison with the one inside it, all of them worried about .
"I-I’m fine. I just got distracted for a mont," I replied to all four of them.
I could hear the people at the other tables laughing at my fall.
’Geez, that’s the second accident I’ve had today. Are you sure there isn’t a hidden luck stat sowhere and I’ve got zero points in it?’
I asked myself, but instead, I heard Brandish’s voice answer.
’T-There is no luck stat. Y-You’re probably just having a bad day.’
’Thanks for the explanation, Captain Obvious.’
"Honestly, sotis you really have your head in the clouds. Be more careful from now on," Sarah told .
"Right, I’ll be more careful," I said, pulling myself back into my chair, not wanting to explain about Brandish—at least not yet. I knew her, and even so, this situation had caught off guard.
’Sorry, Rick. I didn’t expect you to react like that,’ Brandish said, her soft voice filled with guilt.
’Don’t worry about it, Brandish. I’m fine. It’s not like a fall like that would kill ,’ I replied, though I was still curious. ’But what happened? You usually talk to through text ssages only.’
I heard a slight pause, and then Brandish spoke, her voice tinged with shyness. ’Lady Freya. She said it would be... better if I communicated with you by voice... to help with my shyness.’
’I see,’ I simply replied, though I knew that was likely just the official reason. Knowing Freya’s nature, I suspected she had another objective in mind.
It was hard to believe this was all just to help the girl with her communication issues. Freya had probably enjoyed seeing her all flustered and shy, and given that order purely for her own amusent.
Even if the intention behind it wasn’t exactly noble, I couldn’t deny that I liked the change. Brandish’s voice was light, soft, and very pleasant to listen to. I could say it was perfectly suited for the role she held.
’Well, at least we can talk again, right, Brandish? It’s been a while, and I hope we can continue working together,’ I said to her ntally in a positive tone.
’Y-Yes... I think... the sa. It’s good... to work with you, Rick,’ she replied, her voice carrying a shy but cheerful note.
Sarah stood in front of , holding out spoonfuls of soup and giving very little choice in the matter. So I kept accepting each bite she fed , taking the opportunity to clear up my doubts with Brandish.
’About the Affection level... is it a problem that Sarah’s is this high?’ I asked her.
’A-Ah, about that... don’t worry too much. The girls’ Affection levels can fluctuate a lot depending on the situation. It usually depends on your actions, but in Sarah’s case, I think her emotions simply intensified because she was away from you for so long.’
’Hmm...’ I looked at the red-haired girl gazing at so lovingly while treating with all the affection in the world. ’Maybe it’s not so bad being treated like this.’
’I believe she should return to normal after so ti. But now that one of your Valkyries has reached Affection Level 20, you can receive rewards when they hit that milestone. In fact, I think Sarah already has one waiting for you. It should be in your inbox.’
’I see.’ I rembered all the ssages from Freya and decided it wasn’t the best mont to open them. No one could see it, but I didn’t feel comfortable checking them in public. Opening it here would feel like opening xv*deos in public. ’I’ll look at it later.’
At that mont, footsteps approaching our table caught my attention. I was sitting with Sarah, Alicia, and Diane when the innkeeper approached us, accompanied by two other people.
The first was a woman with dark brown hair tied back. She had a beautiful figure, with full breasts and a slim waist, covered by a modest dress. I guessed she was his wife—and I had to admit, Joseph had good taste in won.
The second person accompanying them was a child. He had the sa shade of brown hair as Joseph, and so of his facial features resembled the tall man, so I assud he was his son. The boy seed to be avoiding eye contact with us.
"How’s the food?" Joseph asked as he approached our table. Only then did I notice that my bowl was already empty.
"It was very good," I replied. Alicia, who had also tasted the soup, nodded in agreent.
The woman beside him brought a hand to her face, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips. "I’m glad you enjoyed my cooking."
Joseph smiled and introduced the other mbers of his family. "This is my wife, Ingrid, and this is my son, Carl."
Sarah finally took her eyes off for a mont, noticing the little boy standing with the couple.
"Your wife saved our son’s life earlier today. Sarah, you will always have our gratitude," Joseph said to the red-haired girl, who imdiately grew embarrassed.
"N-No, you don’t have to thank that much. I just did what any normal person would do."
"I doubt a normal person could defeat a ghost. Carl, thank Sarah and apologize for the trouble you caused."
"Thank you... and sorry for causing trouble," the boy muttered reluctantly.
I could swear that all the n in the hall were looking in my direction—not with envy this ti, but with expectation. The conversations at the other tables had stopped, with all attention focused on our exchange with Joseph.
"Rick, Sarah told us that she’s part of a party with her husband. So that ans you’re an Awakened as well, correct?" he asked, more out of courtesy than curiosity. The answer was obvious—just like where this conversation was heading.
"That’s right."
Joseph looked straight in the eyes and said, "Then I would like to ask you a favor, as the mayor of this town."
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