Chapter 84

“Once work’s done, let’s go back to that ‘home’ we went to before, eh? I’m pretty beat today. I’d rather eat there instead of in the mess hall at the barracks.”

“Ah, that house? Yeah, Gazelle must be tired too.”

“Alright, it’s decided. I’ll make sure to call ahead and have dinner prepared. Takumi, come to my office after today’s training.”

“Alright, got it.”

That mansion that Gazelle and Felix bought still hasn’t been officially moved into. Normally, including me, we go back to the dormitories that are adjacent to the barracks. Both of them are the number one and two of the Black-winged knights. If a regular member like me were to move, it’d be settled with just one document. But for people in responsible positions like them, various procedures and applications are quite complicated. Therefore, only the servants are currently living in the annex of that mansion; no one is living in the main building. That’s why we have to call the servants in advance when we’re going to the mansion.

…Still, “home,” huh? I really have to decide what to do with my life…

“Welcome home, Gazelle-sama, Takumi-sama.”

After finishing our work and training at the knight brigade, Gazelle and I both walked to the mansion. Last time, we went home by carriage as part of a surprise for me. Turns out, the mansion is near the knight brigade, and surprisingly, it’s closer on foot! Because when walking, you can take roads that cars can’t, and shortcut through unpaved narrow paths.

We were greeted outside the gate by the same middle-aged man as last time, neatly dressed in a three-piece suit. “Hey, thanks. But really, you don’t have to greet us every time. Takumi and I aren’t like the previous tenants; we’re commoners like you. Isn’t it cold waiting outside?”

“Thank you for your concern. However, I’ve been timing it with the end of your duties at the knight brigade, so I haven’t been waiting too long.”

“Is that so? Well, don’t push yourself too much.”

Gazelle exchanged pleasantries with the servant, and we went inside.

The fireplace in the living room is burning red, warming the room cozily. As I gazed at the flickering flames, the servant who was talking to Gazelle spoke to me.

“Do you like fireplaces, Takumi-sama?”

“Yeah, I do. The houses I’ve lived in before, and even the dormitory at the Knights’ Order, didn’t have them.”

To my response, the servant gave a gentle, warm smile. “Indeed, the flames in a fireplace are quite wonderful. They have the power not just to warm the body but also to comfort the soul. So, if you’d like, I’ll bring you some tea after dinner and your bath, and you can relax here.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. After all, this is your home, Takumi-sama. Please feel free to do as you like.”

The servant once again gave me a warm smile. Yet, that smile made my heart ache with a pang of guilt. The emotion was clear—it was guilt.

… Because, the atmosphere no longer felt like one where I could say, “I’m going back to my original world!”

At least I, in this situation, don’t have the mental strength to say something like that.

Wait a minute… Are we already done with the contract for this mansion? Like, have we already paid for it?

Feeling awkward, I glanced at Gazelle to gauge his reaction. Gazelle looked back at me, asking, “Hmm? What’s the matter?” with a smile.

His smile left me at a loss for words.

I really can’t say, “What will happen to this mansion if I go back to my original world?” in this situation, can I?

… Wait.

Speaking of which, I hadn’t really thought about it, but… What do Gazelle and Felix actually think about me going back to my original world?

What if both of them have forgotten about me going back? No, that can’t be. They’re not like me; they wouldn’t forget something like that.

I realize I’ve never directly asked them what they think. I’ve been acting on the assumption that I have to go back, especially after the Demon King granted me his immense magical power…

Could it be that Gazelle and Felix want me to stay and that’s why we bought this house together? … No, that can’t be. When I asked them to research the sending-back ceremony, both nodded.

So, they’re okay with me going back to my original world? Seriously? Then, why did we buy a house to live in as a trio? Is it to make the last memories in Ritzheim? Wait!

That time when Gazelle and Felix said let’s stay together, that meant, “Since Takumi will be going back to his original world anyway, we don’t have to choose sides, so let’s stay together,” right?

So, the reason why they’ve been acting strange lately is because of that? … Oh my god, that’s really shocking!

Couldn’t they try a bit harder to keep me here?

No, well, it’s true that I intended to go back to my original world, right? But that’s because I thought I had to go back since my parents and older brother in my original world are worried about me… Wait, that’s not right, is it?

Come to think of it, I’m probably considered dead in my original world. So my family isn’t worried about me at all.

…Huh. Does that mean my family in my original world isn’t worried about me… and even in this world, no one needs me?

But that’s just how it is.

From the beginning, I was that kind of person.

In this world, everyone treats me so kindly. They don’t blame me even when I fail… I’d completely forgotten about it.

Right, in my original world, I didn’t even have friends, let alone a lover… On my days off, I’d just stay in my room and play games all day, a complete shut-in… I tried doing part-time work thinking this isn’t the way to go, but that didn’t work out either… The only one who was kind to me was my older brother.

But even he probably thinks I’m dead… Maybe he even feels relieved that I’m gone.

Ugh… I feel like crying all of a sudden…

“Takumi, is something wrong?”

While I was deep in despair, Gazelle peeked in at me.

I lifted my head in surprise. I hadn’t realized I’d been silent for a while. Not just Gazelle, but the servants also looked concerned as they stared at me.

I waved one hand at the two of them and managed to put on a forced smile.

“No, sorry. I was just spacing out.”

“Really? It’s been getting cold lately; you sure you didn’t catch a cold?”

As he said this, Gazelle brushed aside my bangs with his fingertips and gently touched his coarse palm to my forehead.

“Hm! No fever.”

“Takumi-sama, if you’d like, the bath is ready. Would you like to freshen up before dinner? There’s some time before the meal.”

“Oh, that sounds good. It’d feel better to clean up after training.”

The bath, huh. But that might be a good idea. Soaking in the tub might help me recover from this shock. Grateful for the servant’s offer, I nodded.

“Alright, I’ll do just that. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Not at all. It’s thanks to the efforts of the Black-winged Knights that we, the citizens of Ritzheim, can live in peace. It’s no trouble if we can assist in that.’

“Haha, hearing that makes our job as knights feel worthwhile. Well then, Takumi, shall we go?”

Saying so, Gazelle took my hand.

Wait, what? Gazelle, where are we going?

I thought I was going to the bath…?

“Gazelle? Where are we going?”

“What are you talking about, Takumi? We just talked about it, it’s the bath, the bath.”

“—Wait a minute. Are we taking a bath together?”

Did we discuss that? That’s a bit weird, isn’t it?

Confused, I stared at Gazelle, who just grinned.

“It’s more efficient if we both go in together. We can go to dinner right after.”

“Well, that’s true, but… No, it still feels wrong somehow…!!”

Gazelle forcefully pulled my hand and we both headed to the bathroom. As we walked down the hallway on the first floor, we reached the bathroom that I’d used the last time I visited this mansion, and it was quite spacious.

The floor, walls, and laundry basket of the changing room were all uniformly white. A large mirror covered one wall, making the place feel like a small public bathhouse. Gazelle, who led me into the changing room by hand, started undressing quickly before I could say anything. As he briskly took off his jacket and shirt, a faint smell of sweat filled the air.

His body, now exposed, was covered in supple muscles and it was evident that he was full of vitality. Under the bright light, his sunburned skin, along with the scars and burns on his back and abdomen, were clearly visible.

Without any sign of embarrassment, Gazelle quickly took off the rest of his clothes, neatly placed them in the laundry basket, and picked up a coarse cloth to wash himself.

“Alright, I’m going in first.”

“…Yeah, okay.”

It seemed like avoiding a joint bath with Gazelle was inevitable.

Hmm… But if I think about it, the barracks have a communal bath. I’ve been bathing with the other members of the squad, so Gazelle must feel the same way.

It’s probably just me who’s making it weird.

I’m too conscious of the fact that it’s just Gazelle and me alone, yeah.

“Okay.”

Honestly, I wanted some time alone to recover from the shock, but it can’t be helped.

With that decided, I also started taking off my clothes.

The inside of the mansion was well-heated, but being naked made me feel the cold air. I picked up a coarse cloth and eagerly opened the sliding door leading to the bath.

“Hey, I’m already in!”

Gazelle, who seemed to have finished washing his head and body while I was dilly-dallying, raised one hand from inside the bathtub towards me. I raised my hand in response and sat on the chair placed at the washing area, starting to wash my head and body.

The bathing area was even more spacious than the changing room. The walls were covered with intricately designed tiles, and a large bathtub with a smooth, white texture was semi-embedded into the floor. Even with Gazelle inside, there was still plenty of space. Probably, it could easily accommodate five large men.

I took the bar soap that was provided and started to wash my head, face, and body. The soap seemed to be mixed with fragrant oils; each time I scrubbed my body, a gentle citrus scent filled the air.

“It smells good,” I thought as I washed. Suddenly, I felt someone’s gaze and turned around. Gazelle was leaning on the edge of the bathtub, grinning and watching me. “Is something wrong, Gazelle?”

“No, just enjoying the view.”

“True, it’s a nice bathroom.”

Gazelle chuckled oddly as I nodded.

“No, not that… never mind. Hurry up and get in.”

Though I thought I had agreed with him, Gazelle seemed to contradict me for some reason. Why?

Confused but having just finished washing myself, I got into the bathtub as Gazelle beckoned. As I slowly submerged myself, my fingertips tingled, perhaps because my body was colder than I thought.

Ah, this feels good…

“Takumi.”

As I closed my eyes and submerged myself up to my shoulders, Gazelle called my name and moved closer, embracing me at my waist.

The feeling of skin touching through the lukewarm water was different than usual, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Hm, Gazelle…”

“You have a beautiful body, Takumi. For someone who fights on the front lines, you hardly have any scars.”

“Is that so? I don’t have muscles like Gazelle; I’d prefer you not look so much.”

“That’s what’s good about you. Despite not having exercised specifically for it, you can fight against bigger guys and monsters. Is that the mystery of your fighting skills?”

I returned a vague smile.

Sorry, Gazelle, it’s all thanks to the cursed sword I have…

While I stayed quiet, feeling awkward, Gazelle began to play with my damp bangs with his fingertips.

“Also, your hair has a beautiful color. It’s even the color of our Black-winged Knights.”

“Lord Audley, whom I met today, also complimented me like that.”

At my words, Gazelle instantly grimaced, looking displeased.

“Takumi. I think you know this, but don’t let your guard down around that noble, okay?”

“Eh?” I was puzzled. “He seems friendly at first glance, but…he’s quite suspicious. I’ll try to pull some strings to get you out of that dinner party, so be careful.”

Really? Is that so?

Sure, he did come across as a bit pushy, but he went out of his way to praise the Black-winged Knight Order. Isn’t he a pretty decent person?

“I didn’t particularly think so… He came to appreciate the Black-winged knights today, didn’t he?” 

“What are you saying? That’s just him putting on airs. It was obvious that you were his real target,” Gazelle said, looking exasperated.

“Is that so?”

Sure, Lord Audley was very friendly towards me, but would he really go out of his way to meet me? We didn’t really talk about anything significant today.

Well, if Gazelle insists, maybe it’s better to be cautious? Last time during the escort mission, I was the only one in the knight order who didn’t notice that the merchant was a bad guy.

“Understood. If Gazelle says so, I’ll be careful.”

“Please do. Seriously, Takumi, you’re a bit careless and have low self-esteem. It worries me,” Gazelle said with a bitter smile, pushing aside the bangs sticking to my forehead. “I don’t know how aware you are, but you stand out more than you think. Even without these obsidian-like eyes and ebony-like hair, you have good looks. Plus, you’re usually dignified, but sometimes you act naturally, which is cute.”

“…Uh, thank you…”

“Haha, you’re blushing. Really cute.”

Teasingly, Gazelle poked my cheeks. As a retaliation, I formed a squirt gun with my hand and shot water at him. The surprised Gazelle closely inspected my hand.

“Oh, what’s this? How do you do it?”

“Never seen it before? Like this…”

“Ah, I did it!”

I taught Gazelle how to make a squirt gun with hand gestures. His face looked childlike while mimicking my hand movements.

Ah, right. Gazelle lost his parents when he was a child.

He survived and made it to the capital with fellow villagers. They then lived in the slums as children. Probably never had the luxury of a proper bath there… perhaps there were no adults to teach such games.

Feeling this, a pang of sadness welled up inside me. 

Unintentionally, words slipped out.

“…Gazelle. You know I came to this world from another, right?”

Gazelle, who had been playing with the squirt gun, abruptly stopped.

“…Yeah.”

Gazelle, who had come from a village to the royal capital, and me, who had come from Japan to this world. We were alike in that neither of us had the choice to leave our hometowns.

That’s why, I felt the urge to confide in Gazelle, just a little.

“In the world where I originally came from, black hair and black eyes were not uncommon at all. They were very ordinary.”

Gazelle widened his eyes at my words. In front of him, looking quite surprised, I continued. “So when people like Lord Audley make such a fuss about it during the day, I really don’t know how to react. It confuses me.”

“…I see.”

Gazelle became silent.

He seemed to be mulling over the meaning behind my words.

Well, it’s understandable.

For Gazelle, just the fact that I came from ‘a different world’ was already unimaginable. On top of that, I told him, ‘In the country where I was from, people with black hair and black eyes were not uncommon.’

If someone I was close to in my original world had suddenly told me the same thing, I would’ve been bewildered too.

It’s incredible how calmly Gazelle is taking it in.

There was a moment of silence that followed. As I nervously wondered what to do, Gazelle muttered as if speaking to himself.

“…Ah, I see. If you say you came from a different world, then that explains it. In the past, there was a ‘hero’ who also had black hair and black eyes after all.” 

“Gazelle?”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. I was just surprised. But now I see… that explains why you don’t pay much attention to your appearance.”

Muttering to himself, Gazelle then looked at me intently with his golden eyes.

“Eh, what’s up?”

“Hey, would it be okay if I asked about your hometown and family?”