"How many desserts should I bring.." Zia muttered to herself as she bit on her nails.
"What are you two doing, go prepare your necessities first!" Alice shouted at the two of us, I mean I am not doing anything at all except waiting for your orders madam.
"What you looking at me for, go prepare your stuff!" Alice shouted towards me.
"Yes mam!" I stood up and saluted before looking at the two other people next to me with bubbles on their mouths.
"Zzzz." Elise and Sharica with closed eyes snoring together.
"Got a problem?!" Alice stared at me and asked while smiling which was creepy.
"No, mam!" I shouted before running towards my room.
Upon entering my room, I went to my closet which had little clothes honestly and most of these clothes were rather clothes that I was forced to buy.
It has been a month or so since we had arrived at this world, and honestly I am adapting fairly well since there was little stress compared to when we were in our original world.
Well, thinking like that was like not appreciating our original world, it's better that I focus on moving every single thing I have on this room since we probably won't be staying here anymore.
... After 20 minutes have passed, I finally came out of the room only to see two people on the originally busy table we were in, the two people had bubbles on their mouth as usual.
"Hey, wake up." I shook Sharica slightly in order to wake Elise up, especially considering how she needs loads of rest as a child.
"Mhm, five more minutes." Sharica muttered under her breath, knowing this pattern I slowly picked up Elise from her embrace before kicking the chair she was sitting on.
"Wa-" Sharica immediately was surprised by the chair falling off and woke up.
"What was that for?!" She shouted as she glared towards me.
"Nothing at all." I said while glaring back.
"What do you mean, nothing?" She stood up and we immediately entered a glaring contest.
"How about you two calm down!" Alice suddenly arrived between us and hand-chopped our heads.
"Oof-" We both almost shouted in pain but managed to suppress it remembering the sleeping beauty on my embrace.
"I'll take her from you." Alice said before grabbing the sleeping Elise and took proper care of her, before sitting down on a chair. [A: I forgot what the word was for keeping a child calm while carrying.]
She was so focused on Elise that her whole aura changed, her aura was so bright that everyone in the inn wanted to run off silently to not disturb her.
After seeing her sit down, me and Sharica nodded to ourselves before sitting down respectively on our chairs and became absolutely silent.
The silence continued until 20 minutes later when Zia arrived, her face could be described by one word, shocked.
"What's with this light?!" She wanted to shout before the convenient Bear, Kanna arrived and managed to seal her mouth before she could do so.
"Shh, can't you see!" Kanna whispered to Zia, before she looked around the inn and noticed everyone was nodding.
"What happened here?" Zia asked in a low voice as she approached us.
"A goddess has descended." Sharica and I immediately threw that response towards her.
"Well, not that I can deny." Zia said as she looked at Alice, who was for some reason focused on the sleeping Elise.
"Sit down for now." I said to the standing Zia, who nodded and sat down next to us before the silence once again continued.
After another 20 minutes had passed, Alice suddenly moved and all of us in the inn immediately stared at her with a shocked face.
"Wha-" We all were about to shout as we stare at Elise who was supposedly sleeping.
"What is happening to her?" I asked as I look at the event that was occurring in front of us.
In front of us was a true miracle, Elise whose hair supposedly black slowly turned into platinum white similar to Elise's hair.
Every single one of us had our mouths open as we watched what is happening, it took two minutes before a cute voice can be heard.
"Mama?" Elise woke up and stared at Alice's eyes while tilting her head.
"Good morning, my little angel." Alice said as she kissed Elise's forehead.
"Mhm." Elise shook her head happily before she suddenly got a shock.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked.
"Why is my hair white?" Elise asked while touching her hair cutely.
"Nothing is wrong at all." Alice said while smiling towards us.
"Yeah, nothing is wrong at all." All of us nodded as we felt a shiver on our spines.
"Well, then can you sit down?" Alice asked the confused Elise, who then nodded and sat down on the seat next to her.
"How about we start discussing our plans for now?" Alice said as she smiled, it was creepy how her personality changed after the battle.
"How long will the trip take?" I asked first, otherwise it would turn into another awkward silence.
"If I had to say then it would take a day or two to arrive in the city." Zia responded with a serious answer.
"Hmm... what's the shortest route?" Alice asked while taking out a map from somewhere. [ A: I totally didn't forget about the item bag.]
"About here." Zia grabbed a quill pen and drew a line on the west side of the town, actually, the pathway on the western plains were leading straight towards the city.
"Well, all pathways are meant to lead to a town or city. These pathways tend to have signs if they split somewhere, those paths are the shortest way to the location." Sharica explained after noticing my surprise.
"Makes sense." I nodded after hearing the explanation, I was expecting something similar to those isekai novels I read where you had to enter a forest or something.
"Well then, will we walk towards the place?" I asked another question.
"What do you mean walk, are you a masochist?" Alice shouted while looking at me with disgust.
"Mama, what's a masochist?" Elise asked with an innocent aura.
"Ugh, no it's nothing!" Alice's words immediately backfired which caused us to laugh.
"Hmm?" Elise tilted her face curiously but nodded anyways, what an obedient child.
"Well, we will take a carriage towards the city, don't worry." Zia said.
"Papa, can I play with Alinz and Rosela?" Elise suddenly interrupted our discussion and asked with a bored face.
"Of course." I nodded before taking out the two little ones and they immediately chased each other.
"Sharica, can you take care of them." Alice asked with a worried face.
"Mhm, no problem." Sharica nodded before chasing after the three.
"Well then, can we afford a carriage?" I asked after the noisy ones were gone.
"Who do you think I am?" Zia asked proudly.
"I don't know." I said as Zia's face crumbled into despair.
"Are you an idiot, managing to forget our royalty status?" Zia said, which reminded me of our new identities which were members of the royal family.
"I totally forgot." I said before pulling out a peace sign.
"Anyways, when do you think is the best time to depart?" Alice asked.
"The best time would be in an hour from now, it's the time where most merchants leave therefore it is considerably safer at that time." Zia said before we all nodded.
"Well then, we shall meet here in a hour." Alice said before standing up and going after the four who had left the discussion, we all nodded and went our own ways.
"I wonder what I should do." I muttered while sitting on the table.
"How about you tour outside one more time?" The convenient bear had appeared out of nowhere and suggested.
"Hmm.. maybe I should." I accepted the suggestion and ignored the bear as I exited the inn.
Speaking of which, I haven't tried out the stalls here. I wonder if they taste good, considering the fact that there is a celebration today for the successful defense.
Most of the stalls were located in the center of the town, which is the destination I am currently walking to right now while walking I notice a few people gazing towards me, not hostile gazes but gazes of respect, for now, I'll ignore it.
"Mi-ister can I get your autogra-?!" Or so I say, when suddenly a young girl approached me and bit her tongue holding a paper and a quill pen.
I smiled at the girl before taking the quill pen and signing, afterwards, she smiled back and ran towards a woman who seems to be her mother.
It seems nowadays we are famous, not that I really care as I walk towards the center of the town.
After a while of walking, I finally arrived at the center of the town where there were tons of people and stalls by tons I mean literally tons.
The center was similar to a marketplace right now, there were stalls from left to right with people lining up as if they were going to a concert.
I looked around and saw one stall that interests me, this stall had little people, or rather it feels like most people are avoiding the stall for a reason.
"It's best you don't buy from her, her foods are poisonous." As I was approaching the stall, someone came up to me and whispered but I ignored it and still approached the girl.
Upon arrived on the stall, I was immediately greeted by an unusual smell by unusual I mean the good way. I looked at what the pink-haired little girl was selling and saw what seems to be pork cheeks, head and liver turned into a sizzling dish, it seemed interesting as it looks cheesy.
"What is this dish called?" I asked the little girl who seemed depressed.
"Ah- sorry, it's called sisig." The little girl suddenly was surprised to see me but still answered.
"How much is one plate?" I asked thinking it was a dine-in especially with the tables and seats placed in front of the stall.
"One plate... was it 15 or 20..." The little girl seems to actually not know the price herself, which was quite funny.
"I'll take 2 plates for 50 silver coins, is that fine for you?" I asked.
"Ah- that's too much!" She said, I wonder how she knows that its too much.
"You can take it, little girl." Suddenly, a soft voice came from behind, I looked behind and saw Alice together with Elise standing there.
"O- When did you two arrive here?" I asked in surprise.
"About a minute ago." Alice said while Elise nodded cutely.
"Anyways, as she said, just take it." I said as I handed out 50 silver coins, before taking a seat.
"Speaking of which, I heard rumors about the food here being poisonous." Alice said as she placed Elise on the seat next to her before sitting down herself.
"Yeah, I heard about it also. I wonder if it truly is poisonous." I said as the little girl arrived holding two plates in both of her hands.
"Thanks for waiting, here's your food" The little girl said politely as she places the two plates on the table, similar to a waitress on high-end restaurants which got me curious, not only me but I could visibly see interest in Alice's eyes.
"Do you mind talking with us?" Alice said ahead of me, while biting onto the food despite the rumors about the food being poisoned.
I looked at her for a few moments and saw no signs of poison before deciding to take a bite myself, the food was absolutely delicious, the meat had blended in with the cheese extremely well while the fresh heat on the food gives you some kind of spiciness. [A: I have eaten sisig but forgot how it really tasted.]
I looked back at the little girl and saw visible signs of relief, most probably she was afraid that there might be poison on the food.
"Mhm." The little girl then nodded before taking a seat with shaky hands.
"Well, don't be afraid, I am just curious about something." Alice said after noticing the nervousness of the little girl, the little girl then nodded before relaxing herself.
"How about we introduce ourselves first, I am Einz Silvia while she is my spouse, Alice Silvia, and finally our daughter, Elise Silvia." I said as I looked at Elise who was eating without a care of the world.
"Mhm." The little Elise noticing my gaze suddenly stared at me before smiling, she looks like she is enjoying the food well.
"Mmm, I am Kaleen." The little girl, Kaleen said, she seems quite mature for her age.
"Kaleen huh, how old are you?" Alice asked this time as she continued eating her food elegantly, for some reason I feel like Alice had changed a lot since then.
"12 years ol-d." She was about to finish her words before biting her tongue.
"You are still quite young, where's your parents?" Alice asked while wiping Elise's cheeks which got dirty.
"They both left me behind." She said with a teary face, it must have been painful to be left behind by the ones she had trusted.
"I won't ask further, but do you mind telling us why people say that the food here is poisonous despite it being delicious." Alice asked while smiling, activating her holy aura that was as bright as the sun.
Immediately, people gazed at us because of her absolutely dazzling aura.
"I don't know at all, it started some time ago and because of it, I have nowhere to sleep. The inns kept kicking me out since they didn't want someone like me to live there, despite how many times I try to prove myself, no one trusts me." The little girl, Kaleen, cried before Alice stood up and hugged her while combing her hair.
"There, there." Alice kept comforting the little girl before Elise stood up cutely and hugged the little girl as well.
"There, thar?" Elise tried to comfort which was rather effective.
"How about you join us as our chef." I suggested after remembering that we had no one that can cook in our party, and considering her circumstances, it is the best route.
"But-" The little girl was about to find a way to refuse despite her face telling otherwise.
"No buts, you are coming with us." Right as she was about to continue talking, Alice had closed her mouth with one of her fingers and stared at the girl as she said.
I feel like she is more like a prince right now, I wonder what happened to her.
"Bu-." The little girl was about to talk once again but Alice shut her down immediately.
"I said no buts." Alice said while looking at the little girl, the little girl who had no way of refusing instead smiled happily with tears on her eyes.
"Mhm, please take care of me." She said as we all nodded.
"Take care?" Elise tilted her head before Alice patted her head and picked her up and feeding her.
"Go prepare another plate for yourself." Alice said.
"How can I d-" Kaleen was about to refuse once again but Alice immediately shut her down.
"Go prepare another plate for yourself, do you hear me." Alice said while smiling brightly, it was creepy even for me.
"Ye-s!" Kaleen immediately said before running off.
"Thank you." A soft whisper can be heard as she smiled at us with tears on her eyes, causing us to smile at her.
Illustrations:
Elise, on sailor uniform.
Kaleen, on sailor uniform.
Ahh~ my brain overheated thinking of the plot for this one.
New chapter, yay!