Chapter 7: A Day Out with Cyril
Afternoon in Flowtier.
I was having tea at a fancy open cafe.
There is no place like this in Ligaleo. I sipped expensive tea and opened a book.
The title of the book was “Anthology of Poetry by Daniel Volume 4.” Daniel is one of the most famous poets in the Kingdom, and his newest volumes were being publicized in the book store.
They say great poetry helps nurture the soul. Under the warm sunlight, having tea at a cafe, I read the anthology.
Whoa, whoa, whoa… this is just too perfect. I’m like one of those chic high-class men on his day off.
I turn the page gently.
Henry: “I see.”
Next page.
Henry; “Oh, uh huh. I see.”
More pages.
Henry: “Uh huh. Yup, I get it.”
I close the book abruptly.
I shouldn’t have bought a book of poetry just to look good. I have little to no education about this so I can’t even tell if it’s good. I should have stuck with tourists pamphlets showcasing the best eateries in Flowtier.
But if I can’t read this, I have little else to do here. I guess I’ll just finish this tea and head out.
...but it feels like such a waste. The tea price also includes the price of the section you’re sitting in. It was a really expensive tea because of that.
Cyril: “OH—, hey, isn’t that you Henry? How’s it going?”
Henry: “Huh? Oh, Cyril, hey.”
I heard a familiar voice and turn around. We’ve went on several expeditions and adventures, so we got to know each other better.
Today, she was not in her adventuring gear, but in casual everyday attire. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen her in normal clothes.
Cyril: “You have good taste picking out this cafe. This is one of my favorite spots.”
Henry: “Oh really? I just randomly chose this place.”
I thought I would look cooler sitting here.
Henry: “Are you shopping right now?”
Cyril: “Yes, just looking… wait, hey, that book! Is that one of Daniel’s anthologies?! I actually came to buy that book!
…..really?
Henry: “You read these kinds of books?”
Cyril: “Of course I read them. Great poetry really nurtures your soul, doesn’t it?”
Damnit. I think she’s goading me.
Henry: “Here, you can have this one then.”
Cyril: “What? Really? Are you sure? Oh, do you have photographic memory that helps you memorize books in an instant?!”
Henry: “I just thought that it looks cool to read poetry and bought this, but I have no clue what any of it is talking about.”
Cyril: “Pff…”
Cyril couldn’t contain her laugh.
She suddenly bursts out hysterically and isn’t trying to stop any time soon.
I hit her with the anthology on the head.
Cyril: “Owie—-“
Henry: “Like that would really hurt.”
I said “hit” but it was more like placing the book on her head. Cyril picks up the book off her head.
Cyril: “Geesh, Jend’s like this too, but you have no idea how to treat a lady.”
Henry: “Is that so? If you bring a lady here, you can show me how I should treat her.”
Cyril: “What did you say?!”
Cyril throws a fit, and I try to calm her down.
Cyril: “Ohh! Excuse me—. Could I get a rose hip tea and cookies?”
The waitress answers, “Sure thing!”
Cyril sits down across from me after she orders.
Henry: “Hey, who said you can… oh never mind.”
Cyril: “I got what I came here for, but it would be a waste just to go back now.”
Is that right?
Cyril puts the Daniel’s Anthology carefully in her bag.
Henry: “Hey, are you okay with this?”
Cyril: “What do you mean?”
Henry: “I mean, what if Jend sees us sitting together like this at a cafe?”
Jend is a great guy, but romance always brings out different sides of people.
I don’t know any to fight or argue with him.
Cyril: “Why should it matter if Jend sees us?”
Henry: “What do you mean, why. Aren’t you guys going out? I know we’re in the same party, but he wouldn’t appreciate his girl hanging out alone with a different man.”
Cyril: ????
Wait, why are you tilting your head.
Cyril: “um, Henry? I think you have a big misunderstanding.”
Henry: “What?”
Cyril: “I’m not dating Jend at all.”
Henry: “Wait, really?”
Cyril: “Yes.”
Whaaaat, are you kidding me—.
You’re adventure partners. It’s just the two of you. You both get along just fine, so I thought...
Cyril: “Besides, Jend is already in love with someone else. The whole reason why he wants to become a Hero of Legend is because she said, ‘If I’m going to be with anyone, it would be with a hero, no exceptions!’ This was a while back, but he hasn’t forgotten it.”
Henry: “Yeah, you shouldn’t tell me those things without permission from Jend.”
Cyril: “Oh it’s okay. We’re in the same party, so we’ll eventually talk about it. Besides, anyone who knows him knows this fact.”
I see. So that’s why he’s trying to become a hero.
Well, Cyril did say it was a long time ago, so that girl may not even be thinking about that now. Right now, half the heroes are women, and that would mean she can only marry four men in this world.
Cyril: “He says, ‘Even if I can’t become a hero, maybe with the Heroic Warrior title, I’ll have a better chance when I ask her out’ is what he told me.”
Henry: “And that explains why he wants to move up in the world.”
I’m a little glad that it’s a straight forward, easy reason to understand. I rather that than, ‘I want to be a hero everyone respects’ or ‘I’m going to be the one who protects humanity.’
I don’t mind helping him become a Heroic Warrior for his particular reason.
As far as the Adventurer ranks go, the church determines that, so getting him to understand how to get noticed by them will be the first step.
Cyril: “Wait, just because I’m single doesn’t make me an easy target. You understand, Henry?”
Cyril crosses her arms in a defiant gesture.
Henry: “What are you doing?”
Cyril: “This is the Ms. Cyril means business pose.”
You are way too impulsive and blurt out the first things that come to mind.
Henry: “Not to be rude, but that thought didn’t cross my mind.”
Cyril: “What do you mean? Are you saying that I’m not attractive at all?!”
Henry: “Well—…”
She has a cute face but nothing on her chest, and she’s short. So, all in all, I’m not feeling a pull towards her. To me, she’s more like a little sister who’s always getting into trouble.
Henry: “Maybe if you were, you know. Maybe if you were just a little bit more… then maybe you’ll be more attractive?”
Cyril: “A little more like what?”
Henry: “Like breasts?”
Oh ****. Her eyes are like icy daggers now. She’s won’t stop looking at me with those eyes.
Henry: “Oh Cyril, your cookies arrived.”
Cyril: “OH! Yaaay—“
She suddenly got into a better mood. She’s more about the food than the beauty stuff, huh. Well, that is more like her anyways.
I smile as I watch her eat and drink, as I sip the rest of my lukewarm tea.
<<<<>>>>
I‘m sipping the cold water I asked for and relax.
The water in this city is amazingly refreshing.
The water comes down from the nearby mountain, Altohirun and a river cuts through the city. There is no shortage of water here. Most restaurants here serve water for free, so the volume and quality are maintained well.
The only cities without water shortages are those with enormous mageworks incorporated into their cities water system, and the other few and far between minority of cities with similar geographical advantages.
Cyril: “Oh that’s right! Henry, could you tell me more about.. was it Ligaleo? ...where you stayed?”
Henry: “Huh?”
Cyril pops a question on my while carefully savoring her last cookie.
Henry: “I don’t mind but why?”
Cyril: “Oh, it’s because I’m going to the front lines one of these days, and accomplish huge heroic feats!”
Henry: “Yeah, no. Don’t. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Cyril: “I don’t care. I’m going regardless.”
Henry: “No, seriously. Reconsider, yeah?”
Cyril: “I refuse.”
Wh-why is she being so stubborn about this?
Henry: “Well in that case, I might as well tell you to help you change your mind.”
Cyril: “It won’t change anything, but please tell me anyway.”
Alright, where should I begin.
Henry: “Well, for one, you’ll see that they have two fortified walls - an outer and inner wall.
Cyril: “You see that occasionally in older fortified cities or when the population grows and they expand as a result.
True, but Ligaleo is different .
Outside the inner walls, you’ll only see soldiers, mercenaries, and former war related veterans run all the inns, shops and restaurants. You know why?”
Cyril: “Is it because they prefer to be closer to the outer gates for easier access for traveling?”
Henry: “It’s because the outer wall is breached at least 4 times a week, and to protect normal civilians from getting injured.
The corruption is so thick there, that the magical field set on the outer walls have reduced effectiveness. Especially on nights when you don’t detect demonic creatures in time, it is easy to have the walls breached.
Henry: “So we are tasked with making sure that no demonic creatures reach the inner walls and take them out. Someone once said ‘the people are the castle and they are the walls. And there it’s the people themselves that make up the actual defenses and walls of the fortress. This isn’t an exaggeration, but we carried it out literally.
Cyril: “Nooo… really?”
Good. She got the picture.
For any adventurers, there is no such thing as a good night’s rest. It is impossible to have a day off outside the inner walls.
For women, not enough rest messes with your skincare.
…Ugh, I just had a flashback of that idiot swinging that Morningstar around screaming, “You are the enemies of beauty care!” And smashing them to pieces. I wonder if she’s doing alright.
Henry: “Other than that, you can’t just adventure freely like you do here. The Grandes Church rounds up all the adventurers in that area, and determines the groups and rotation for exterminating demonic creatures.
Cyril: “Oh that sounds like a bummer—…”
Henry: “Well, it’s not like you can’t put in requests. They’ll be flexible to a certain extent.”
The adventurers do not directly work for the church and so you can quit any time you want, but you’re in an area where running amok freely will cause more harm than good, so they will move quickly to enforce order.
But as a result, the church commands a formidable and organized force that can coordinate easily with the residing military, so there are reasons things are run this way.
Henry: “And other than that, it’s things like getting completely surrounded by demonic creatures every time you set foot outside the walls, and they’ll all be upper-tier demons, and buying good food would cost you an arm and a leg. Stuff like that.”
I hope some of those stories would help deter her from going. I mean, I never want to go back if I can help it.
Cyril: “But it’s easy to earn merits, right?”
Henry: “Yeah, that’s true.”
Cyril: “And many people became heroes there, right?”
There was one who saved the city from eminent demise. Another who saved 1000 adventurers. An assassin who took down the demon general and forced them to retreat. These were all adventurers who accomplished amazing feats.
But even if they had the ability, they wouldn’t have become heroes if they were not given an opportunity to use their gifts.
As long as you have the strength and ability, going there offers ample opportunity to show off those skills.
Cyril: “Well, it’s not as if I want to go there right this second. I’m going to work hard on our expeditions, and when I think I gain enough strength…”
Henry: “Most people who think they can make it there usually find out that they’re wrong.”
Cyril: “Oh stop worrying. It’ll be fine!”
She’s being way too optimistic. I guess it’s much better than pessimism but…
If she really intends to go, I’ll do my best to stop her. Just because you’re young doesn’t mean that you have to travel that hard of a path.
Henry: “Hey, I told you my stories, so you should tell me something. Like the best places to go in this city.”
Cyril: “Oh, okay. How about this one alleyway where the cats all gather together.”
I think refills are half-price.
Remembering these things, I order more food, and we have a great time sharing stories.
I enjoy talking to Cyril - the way she gets really into stories and knows how to make her stories flow.
So the rest of my day off with Cyril went something like that.
================================
~Discord~ https://discord.gg/CdjxzQBvRt
================================
======
Credits
======
Semi-retired Adventurer Lives Leisurely
Written by Hisagushien
Translated by: ChonkyBoomer
Japanese Title:
セミリタイアした冒険者はのんびり暮らしたい
作者:久櫛緑（ヒサグシエン）
http://kuontenrin.ehoh.net/
Original Source:
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n1161ft/7/