“I guess we’ll have to find out once we’re up there. We’ll fly slowly at first.”
“Yes, please.”
Rio called for Aishia, but when he looked around she was nowhere to be seen. “Aishia... Huh?”
He had wanted her to carry Miharu instead, since he figured it would be better than having someone of the opposite gender do it, but...
“If you’re looking for Aishia, she left already,” Masato said, pointing at the sky; Aishia was already quite far up. She seemed to be warming up for the flight, as she showed no signs of coming back down.
“Haha... Erm, do you mind if I’m the one that goes with you?” Rio asked Miharu nervously with a dry laugh.
Miharu nodded with curiosity. “Huh? No, I’m fine with that.” She had yet to realize what Rio was being self-conscious about.
“Umm, I’ll have to carry you...” Rio admitted with difficulty, and Miharu finally understood.
“A-Ah, I see. That’s right.” Her cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment.
“Ahaha, maybe not after all. I’ll call Aishia back and get her to carry you.” Rio laughed somewhat awkwardly and brushed it off, preparing to move upward and call Aishia back down. However, not wanting to be rude to Rio, Miharu spoke up in a fluster.
“N-No! I-It’s okay, I don’t mind!”
Rio turned back with a strained smile. “You don’t have to force yourself, you know?”
“I-It’s fine, really. I don’t mind at all, if it’s you. I trust you, so... please.” In a tumble of words, Miharu stopped Rio and bowed with embarrassment.
“...Umm... Then, excuse me.” After much contemplation, Rio decided that rejection here would be rude. He slowly approached Miharu in order to pick her up. With her acknowledgment, Rio nodded and picked her up, bridal-style.
“Umm, a-am I heavy?” Miharu asked with a bright red face.
“Not at all — you’re very light. Like a feather, as the saying goes.” Rio shook his head with a grin.
In reality, Miharu was dainty and light. She had a soft, feminine body that Rio inadvertently felt through her clothes, despite the fact that she was wearing a thick outer coat — borrowed from Rio — over her uniform. To be honest, Rio was struggling quite a bit internally, but he desperately feigned composure to avoid being distracted by her body.
“I’ll focus on flying as safely as possible, but make sure you hold on tight anyway.”
“O-Okay,” Miharu nodded with a squeak, clinging to Rio timidly. She leaned her weight into him gently and clutched at his clothes. Their faces were almost close enough to touch.
Rio purposefully tore his gaze away from Miharu to speak to Aki and Masato standing to the side. “We’ll be off, now. Make sure you lock up properly.”
“Right. Let me fly when you get back!” Masato waved his hands with a carefree laugh.
“...Please take care of Miharu.” Aki bowed her head while keeping a close eye on their faces, having sensed the peculiar atmosphere flowing between the two of them.
Rio gave a faint smile and nod before kicking off from the ground and rising into the air. The sight of Aki and Masato’s figures on the ground grew smaller and smaller.
“Waaah, it’s amazing.” Miharu ogled at her surroundings as she tightened her grip on Rio.
With a faint smile at the look of bewilderment on Miharu’s face, Rio turned to call out to Aishia, who had been waiting in the air from some point. “Let’s go, Aishia.”
“Okay.” Aishia closely watched Miharu being carried by Rio, before nodding.
◇◇◇
Miharu watched the endless scenic view from the skies in a daze. “...Wow, we’re really flying through the sky,” she murmured in wonder, several minutes after the flight had begun.
“Is it prettier than the view from the ground?” Rio asked with a smile tugging at his lips.
“It’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful before,” Miharu answered in a breathy voice, captivated by the picturesque scenery before her.
“I’m glad to hear that. It’ll be a while until we reach our destination city, so feel free to enjoy it all you want. You’ll see a lot of different types of scenery on the way.”
“Yes!” Nodding happily, Miharu’s eyes darted about as she enjoyed the view.
Seeing her made Rio shift his gaze, too, and he similarly enjoyed the scenery. At the end of his line of sight was the ridgeline of the mountains and the surfaces of the lakes in the distance; they sparkled from the rays of sun shining between the clouds. They continued at that leisurely pace for half an hour or so until they reached their destination of Amande.
“Aishia. We can’t descend right into the city, so we’re stopping in the forest instead.”
“Got it,” Aishia replied, and they they landed together in the forest.
“Sorry, Miharu. We’ll be going on foot from here. The ground is hard to walk on, so I’ll carry you until we reach the road,” Rio said.
The area was covered in dense vegetation and mossy undergrowth, making the footing terrible for walking on. While Miharu had an overcoat on, she was wearing her uniform skirt and leather shoes underneath, which would make the journey difficult.
“O-Okay. Thank you,” Miharu replied, nodding nervously.
“I’ll be running a little, so it may be a little bumpier than when we were flying. Be careful not to bite your tongue. Let’s go, Aishia,” Rio said to Miharu and Aishia, before making a gentle leap forward. Despite the fact that he was carrying Miharu, he was crossing several meters in a single stride.
“W-Wow. Amazing... Is this a type of sorcery, too?” Quietly tightening her grip around Rio, Miharu widened her eyes at what was clearly a display of superhuman abilities. Aishia was also following behind Rio with agile movements.
“I’ve enhanced my physical body and abilities through a technique called spirit arts. I’m also giving myself a little push by controlling the wind to help my movement and landing. Let me know if it’s too fast for you,” Rio said out of consideration for Miharu.
Miharu shook her head calmly. “I’m fine. It’s not even shaking that much.”
The group arrived at the road leading to Amande only a few minutes later. After checking there was no one else around, Rio gently lowered Miharu to the ground and handed her a necklace. “Before we go into the city, please put this on.”
“Okay. What is it...?”
“An artifact that changes your hair color — people with black hair will draw attention around here. It’ll return to normal once you remove the necklace, so there’s no need for any concern about that.”
“I understand,” Miharu said, nodding, then put on the necklace as requested. Once she did, the necklace automatically started to absorb Miharu’s essence and instantly changed her hair color.
“...Wow, it really changed.”
“It suits you. ...Just so you know, the city we’re about to head to is called Amande. Shall we go now?” Rio complimented Miharu shyly before starting to walk at a relaxed pace. Miharu and Aishia followed after him.
Ten minutes later, they were out of the forest and had reached Amande.
Miharu gazed in wonder. “...There’s a lot of people.”
They had entered the city to find huge bustling crowds, as the morning markets were still open. Stalls were lined everywhere, overflowing with clamoring liveliness.
“This is a trade city, so it’s particularly busy. Most of the kingdom is uninhabited land, so people tend to swarm cities like this,” Rio explained.
“I see... I’ll have to be careful so I won’t get lost,” Miharu said with a mix of awe and worry as she watched everyone making their way around the crowds.
“Don’t worry. Miharu should just do this,” Aishia said, then suddenly grabbed Rio’s left hand.
“Umm...” Rio showed a look of bewilderment as Miharu blushed with embarrassment.
“Now we won’t get lost,” Aishia offered simply. She was right, but both Rio and Miharu were
too overcome with embarrassment to reach for each other’s hands.
“You’re not going to hold it?” Aishia tilted her head in question. Her expression made them doubt themselves, wondering if they were the weird ones for being so self-conscious.
“Ahaha. Then... excuse me.” With a bemused smile, Miharu softly took Rio’s hand.
“Let’s go.” Aishia nudged Rio — making Rio chuckle with a smile — then the three of them finally set off.
However, both Miharu and Aishia were both incredibly beautiful girls that instantly drew the attention of the men around. They sent glares filled with hatred and envy at Rio, as he was holding both their hands.
“...Haha... Okay, you two — put on your hoods. It seems like we’re standing out,” Rio suggested with a twitch in his face, unable to withstand the gazes.
◇◇◇
In the central business district of Amande...
“Apparently, this store has all the daily necessities for women,” Rio explained to Miharu and Aishia as he stood in front of a towering building. He had asked a female stall owner if there were any shops that stocked all the necessities a woman would need; it was fine if it was a higher price as long as it was of a decent quality. All the female stall owners had pointed to this store.
“What a wonderful building...” Miharu said as she looked up at the four-story building.
“It’s called the Ricca Guild, and it’s a direct branch of the trade guild that’s famous even in the neighboring kingdoms. The governor of this city, Liselotte, is also the president of the Ricca Guild.”
There were several stores owned by the Ricca Guild in Amande; the city could even be considered the base for the guild.
This store should have all kinds of useful items in stock.
Rio recalled the last time he had visited Amande several years ago. Specifically, the rumor he had heard when he dropped by the city on his way from Strahl to Yagumo.
Yes — Rio unilaterally knew about the girl named Liselotte. The talented young woman was the daughter of Duke Cretia, the great lord of the Kingdom of Galarc. She was also the first person to bring the processed food “pasta” into this world. It was clear that Liselotte, or perhaps a person working with her in the shadows, was using knowledge from Earth.
The scale of the Ricca Guild had grown exponentially in the few years Rio was away from the Strahl region. It had even become a leading trade guild in several neighboring kingdoms as well; they would have certainly developed numerous new products in the last few years.
There was no way for Rio to make the daily life items modern Japanese women used, so this was the perfect solution for Miharu to do her shopping.
Just before they entered the building, Rio spoke up. “Okay, I’m leaving the rest to you two. I’ll come back to this store in around an hour. Just leave any interpreting to Aishia.”
Since it was a branch specializing in female-targeted products, it was difficult for Rio to enter as a male. She probably needed to buy underwear and other such things, so he figured it would be easiest to leave the chaperoning to Aishia.
“O-Okay...” Miharu nodded timidly.
“Aishia, please take care of Miharu... And make sure you don’t leave this store.”
“Yup, leave it to me.” Aishia gave a sincere nod.
...Well, I’m sure it’ll be fine. They wouldn’t be able to shop at their own pace with me around anyway.
Rio decided to trust the two of them. While he still had some concerns, he knew he couldn’t be too overprotective. The store’s security seemed reliable enough that the chance of strange customers would be low.
“See you later, then.”
With that, Rio let go of Miharu and Aishia’s hands.
◇◇◇
After parting ways with the girls, Rio began to gather information in the area around the building where Miharu was shopping.
Information spread slowly in this world, as the methods of communication weren’t very advanced. Because of that, the most well-informed people were nobles, merchants, and guild members. They took in all kinds of information because of their contact with large numbers of people, as well as their ability to collude with others like themselves to create their own intelligence network. That was why common folk, like Rio, were unable to gain much information by just remaining passive. In order to find the information he wanted, he either had to be in contact with many people on a daily basis or proactively approach those with the knowledge.
At present, Rio was effectively gathering information by going around the stalls and talking to the merchants. He wasn’t part of a guild and had no noble acquaintances, so the only way he could gather information was through the merchants available to him. By purchasing their products and chatting them up under the guise of a casual conversation, the merchants were more willing to talk. While he wasn’t likely to gain any information of high secrecy or reliability, his efforts would likely be fruitful nonetheless.
Rio visited a stall that sold grilled skewers and ordered a fair amount before addressing the female store owner. “Has anything of importance happened recently? I was really surprised when those pillars of light appeared the other day.”
“Oh my, haven’t you heard? People say that was the sign of the hero appearing,” the stall owner replied as she grilled the meat.
“The... hero?” The word hero took Rio by surprise, making him widen his eyes.
“You know of the sacred prophecy at least, right? The one about the great hero that appears alongside the six pillars of light. Since the exact events of that prophecy occurred, the rumor is that the hero has appeared, too.”
“Right, there was something like that. I see...” Rio nodded with comprehension.
The people of the Strahl region believed in the deities known as the Six Wise Gods. While Rio himself was not a man of faith, he had received classes during his time in the Royal Academy, so he could still vaguely remember the details of the sacred texts.
It might be related to how Miharu and the others appeared in this world... Or maybe they were dragged into the fray? If so, does that mean the two people with them... are the heroes? Rio thought, immediately breaking down the information and making his own hypothesis.
“Was there anything else that stood out recently around here? I was thinking of going to the Kingdom of Beltrum in the near future...”
“Hmm... They had a slightly larger scale skirmish with the Proxia Empire to the north just a while ago, but that’s just business as usual.” The female stall owner hummed as she answered, then remembered something. “Oh, that’s right. If you’re heading to the Beltrum Kingdom, then you’ll have to pass through the western road, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.” In Rio’s case, he would be flying over it with spirit arts, but he nodded anyway.
“Several adventurers have gone missing recently after heading out on missions along the west road. It isn’t unheard of for people of their line of work to run away, but even skilled adventurers went missing, so it’s been a bit of a hot topic. You look young, but your outfit says you’re an adventurer, too. Be careful out there.”
“...I see, thank you very much.” Rio thanked her and carefully stored their conversation away in his head.
After that, the stall owner continued to chat up Rio even without his prompting; she was a rather talkative person, something that Rio was grateful for since his aim was to gather information. However, most of her chatter was unrelated to the topics he was interested in, so Rio decided to wrap up their talk and retreat when she started to bring up the desire to introduce her daughter to him.
Rio went around a few more stalls afterward, but was unable to gather any new information before he returned to Miharu and Aishia.
◇◇◇
Rio currently stood before the Ricca Guild’s store.
Hmm... I said I’d be back after an hour, but is it okay to just walk in? It was a store that specialized in a wide range of daily items for women; as a man, it almo
st felt like a forbidden holy ground, making him fearful of intruding.
At that moment, Aishia stepped out of the store by herself. Miharu was nowhere to be seen.
“Huh... Aishia? Where’s Miharu?”
“Haruto returned, so I came out to get you. Miharu is still shopping,” Aishia replied succinctly.
“Oh, okay. But... how did you know I came back?”
“We’re connected by a path, so I know when you’re close by.”
“I see... Come to think of it, Sara and the other spirit folk mentioned something like that.”
Rio tried to remember what they had said about contract spirits when he was in the village — something about how the contract owner and contract spirit were deeply and spiritually connected by a path. Aishia had only just awakened, but Rio wondered curiously if she would become more sensitive in terms of their connection as more time passed.
“Miharu will become concerned, so let’s go back quickly.” Aishia grabbed Rio’s hand and tried to go back inside the store.
“Right, yeah. Umm, is it... okay if I go in, too?”
Well, it should be fine with Aishia there, Rio thought, allowing himself to be dragged along. If there was an issue, he could just leave again anyway.
Surprisingly, he could spot some other men that were accompanying women inside the store. Each of them seemed rather uncomfortable to be there — Rio could empathize.
When Rio and Aishia entered the store, the gazes of the men who had been standing by as chaperones were naturally drawn to Aishia’s beauty. However, the women they were accompanying keenly noticed the change in the men and sent them a few admonishing signs, such as clearing their throats and the like. The men awkwardly pretended like they hadn’t been staring, even though they were still sneaking looks. Perhaps a similar thing had been happening while Rio was out gathering information too.
“Miharu is on the fourth floor.”
Aishia ignored the looks from all the men and guided Rio. Their linked hands must have stood out, as the attention of both men and women in the store was on them. The men were shooting glares of envy at Rio, while the women seemed to be staring at his face in admiration.
Eternal You (Premium) Page 12