After I finished my quest, I’m on my way back to the Inn with the streets illuminated by the street lamps.
It’s a different feel each time I walk around this town… this town truly is beautiful… this world… I think it is different from earth… all the people that I’ve come across are rather accepting and nice to me… but why..? are they inclined to act that way to me? I’m a useless person… I don’t have any redeemable qualities whatsoever, but why are there still some people that act like that to me… Mika…
I then noticed that I’ve already arrived at the front of the ever-lively Inn.
I’m already here again…
I then went in and continued to walk to the Inn’s counter, greeted with aunt Loris’ cheerful attitude and smile.
“Aah, Dian! You’re back!”
“Y- yes, aunt Loris…”
“Aww, look at you! You must be tired after all of that adventuring, right?” She said worryingly.
“I’m… not that tired, honestly, haha…”
“Don’t you lie to me, young man! You should hurry and get a rest in your room!”
“Truly, aunt Loris… I’m just hungry, haha…”
I just want to lie on the soft and comfy bed… I’m starting to get a little dizzy as well…
I reached into my pouch and took out 3 iron coins, then handing it to aunt Loris.
“The regular one, hmm? Do you want to eat for the night or have breakfast instead?”
Can I order a night meal and breakfast..? I’m so hungry right now, and I will be starving if I don’t eat breakfast the next day…
“Aunt Loris, I’d like to ask… can I order a night meal and breakfast..?
“Oh, certainly! The price will be 5 iron coins.”
“O- Okay then…” I said as I took out 2 iron coins and handed them to aunt Loris.
“Excellent! Here’s your usual room key!” aunt Loris said cheerfully as she gave me the key to room 21.
Room 21… beside Bella’s room… I’ll not see her for a couple of days starting tomorrow, huh…
“Talk to her, Dian.” Aunt loris said with a serious look on her face.
“..?”
“Isabella will depart the next morning, right? You two will not see each other for a while… so, stay by her side just for this one night, Dian. Cherish it while you still can…”
“…”
For a while… I had just arrived in this town for 3 days… and we will not meet each other again for a while…
“…” I silently nod to aunt Loris, I then continue to head towards my room.
Bella is an A rank… and adventurers with B rank and higher have to participate in the raid… but why..? honestly…
There I am, now arrived in front of Bella’s room, room 20.
Room 20… Bella is probably still prepping for tomorrow’s raid…
I slowly reached my hand towards the door, readying myself to knock the door.
…
Bella…
Bella… why did you have to…
Clack
Bella’s door suddenly opened and I saw Bella with her usual clothes in front of me, looking mildly surprised.
“D… Dian..?”
“Bella…”
We both silently and awkwardly stared at each other with a lot of things that we wanted to say written on our faces.
“I- I…
“…”
“I want to…”
What is this tightness in my chest… I just want to wish her safety for her departure… these words that I wanted to say… why is it so… difficult...?
“D… Dian..”
“Y- yes..?”
“C- Come on in first…” Bella whispered with a bright red face as she meekly signaling me to come into her room.
I then came into her room with my heartbeat thumping really fast and filled with butterflies in my stomach. Bella closed the door after I entered and she then sat on the side of her bed.
“…”
“…”
We both return to our awkward atmosphere in silence.
“D- Dian…” Bella said to me shyly as her hand taps beside her, signaling me to sit right next to her.
“!!! O- okay…” I said as I nervously sat on a reasonable distance beside her with my head facing away from her.
“…”
“…”
I need to tell her right now… she needs to prepare for tomorrow morning… now is the time for her to sort out her prep…
“B- Bella!”
“Y- yes, Dian...?”
“I- I just wanted to say… that… I hope you’ll be okay… and nothing bad happens to you on your trip tomorrow… a- and…”
N- No, that’s not all that I wanted to say… why is it so hard!
“Dian… look at me…”
I slowly face my head towards Bella, and I saw Bella with her usual cold-looking stare and her empty, emotionless face, to now eyes glisten with tears and a very red and sad face.
“I… didn’t want to participate in that monster raid quest… I still… want to be here…”
“T- Then-“
“But it’s impossible...”
“Wh…”
“I was already filled in by the mayor… it’s impossible to cancel it…” Bella said with tears flowing from her glistening, bright-blue eyes, unleashing her emotions I’ve never seen from her before.
“Bella…”
“I’m the second strongest adventurer in this town… I will get participated in it… even if I don’t want to…” Bella said as she wipes the tears flowing on her face.
Why… I don’t believe all of this… Bella… please… don’t cry…
I then held her hand which she used for wiping her tears. She looked at me with a little bit surprised.
“D- Dian..?” Bella said, looking a little surprised as she stares longingly at me with her glistening and sad eyes.
“Please… don’t cry, Bella…”
Why did I…
“Seeing you like this… hurts me… I want to see more of your smile… your kind and gentle smile like you showed me back then… so please, don’t be sad…” I said with tears running on my face as I held her hand even tighter.
“!!! …” Bella was taken aback by what I said, then she looked down to the floor as she tightens her hand as well.
We then stay silent for quite a while, comforting each other by holding hands, we can only feel regret and sadness, helpless in front of unchangeable destiny. After a few minutes, Bella’s tears stopped.
“…”
“…”
We both then stared at each other again, now with Bella’s stunning, bright-red face as she stares at me longingly.
“W- We’re done here, right?! I- If so, I’ll head out! You have to prepare for tomorrow, right..?” I said as I quickly stood up and face my head away from Bella out of embarrassment.
“…”
I felt something tugging my mantle and when I look, I saw Bella, holding onto my mantle with a shy look on her face.
“C- Can we hold hands again..?” Bella said nervously with a face redder than a tomato as she meekly looks down to the floor.
“W- What?!”
H- Holding hands?! C- Come to think of it… I held her hands for a really long time… her hand felt so warm and soft… oh, god… I feel even more embarrassed now…
Aunt Loris… I…
I looked back to Bella and she looked at me with eyes that are wishing for something. Reminded by what aunt Loris was saying, I sat back down with my even faster heartbeat as I am reluctant to see her face out of embarrassment. Bella puts her hand beside her and I put my hand on top of hers after.
This… is not too bad…
“*giggle*…”
“W- What is it?!”
“Your hand… warm…” Bella said with a sweet and stunning smile on her face full of happiness.
N- Not fair… that smile is too precious…
“Y- Yours too… Bella…” I said with my red face as I quickly avert my sights to the floor.
We both held hands in silence, enjoying our time together without a word, I too for the first time saw her with a precious smile on her bright and happy face.
…
“Be careful on your trip tomorrow, Bella…”
“Y- Yes… don’t worry…” Bella said with her sweet smile.
Ugh… seeing her smiling with her face like that is so unorthodox… she is like a goddess…
“Umm… one more thing…”
“Y- Yes?! What is it, Bella?!”
“We won’t see each other for a couple of weeks… so… I want our next time meeting…” Bella said shyly as she tries hard to say her last sentence.
“Y- Yes..?”
“I want our next meeting… I want to… to hold hands again with you…” Bella said with a quiet and gentle voice as she covers her red and embarrassed face with both of her hands.
“O- Okay…”
Bella then looks down, grips her hand, and showed me her pinky finger.
“Promise..?”
“Uhh… I promise…” I said as I entangle my pinky finger with hers, making a pinky promise.
“*giggle*” Bella softly giggles with a priceless grin on her elated face.
Bella… she’s too much…
“A- Alright, then! I’ll go back to my room, Bella!” I said as I head to room 21 in a flash with my very red face.
I unlocked the door and entered the room, then I close the door behind me.
“haa… haa…”
No… I can’t do that… Bella should be with a person that is better than me… I’m sure there’s a person worthy of her perfection… unlike me… if Bella was to be with me, I’ll just be a burden… I’m worthless… why did I even say those stupid things to her..? I’m such a fool… did I really think I can make her… happy..?
I slowly walked towards my desk and lit the candle on top.
Knock Knock Knock
“Excuse me…” Said a voice that I’m unfamiliar with outside the door.
Who’s that..?
“Yes, in a minute!” I said as I drop off my backpack and my sword on the side of the bed.
As I finish dropping off my stuff, I hurriedly open the door, and I saw a young girl with black hair and a pair of black cat ears, I could also see a black tail with a white-colored tip. She wears a maid-like uniform, holding a wooden tray with food on top of it.
“Your meal, master…” She said as she hands me the wooden tray.
Master..? what a weird way to call customers… then again… she is wearing that outfit… so, she is a maid..?
“O- oh, uhh… thank you…” I said as I take the wooden tray.
“I hope you enjoy your stay, master…” She said as she bows to me for a second, and then head back downstairs.
I feel really weird, being called ‘master’… this is the first time I ever encounter a maid-like profession in this world… I mean, I saw them when I enter the Inn, serving the customers with ale and other things... but I never pay them any mind.
I closed my door and set the tray on my desk.
I then sat on the desk and I could smell a wondrous aroma coming from the plate, I then saw that it is the same menu like yesterday, soup with lots of vegetables, meat cutlets, dan a side of bread. I did not mind as I started eating the dish and it still tastes absolutely lovely.
I wonder… I could increase my mastery for my [Absorb] since the last time I saw my [Special Skills], my [Absorb] is around 92%... I know I’ll get nothing out of it, but I can hopefully level up my [Absorb] faster… 『Absorb』!
DING!
[Absorb] – Activate
DING!
[Absorb] – Failed
Yep… it’s clear that I won’t get any new skills now… but, I know that my [Absorb]’s mastery increased, even for a little. I can’t wait until I reach level 2 with this… I wonder what skills I’ll get..?
I then finished the lovely dish with a full stomach. I closed my room’s wooden window, blew off the lit candle on the table, then I then stood up from the chair I was sitting on and crashed myself onto the soft bed, closing my tired eyes and relax my weary body.
Tomorrow’s plans… I’ll take the rank raising test at the Adventurer’s Guild. Liam told me that I can do it, and there will be several obstacles that I’ll have to go through… I don’t know what obstacles it’ll be… I’m scared… what if I failed..? I wonder… if I truly succeed with this method… will I be able to do it until I reach B rank and above..? then, if I reach it, will Mika know that I’m here..? I’m scared… what if I never see her again… I… don’t want that to happen…
Mika… please, be okay…
Zzz
Zzz
