As expected of a regional specialty town, the streets of Gra clearly had many buildings that looked like Western-style confectionery shops and cafés. Some even had heartwarming signs reading "Chocolate Specialty Store."
I love sweets. I love whipped cream, I love red bean paste, and I absolutely love chocolate. I like it so much that I always keep a stock of chocolate bars as nutritional supplements. I love chocolate more than three meals a day.
If I had the time, I'd browse every shop at leisure, but unfortunately, this trip doesn't allow for that kind of extended stay.
Since a flag was raised, the town had a somewhat restless atmosphere, but it didn't bother me much since I was used to it. If this had been right after I became a Hunter, I would've been too on edge to even think about chocolate. It was a prime example of how even someone without special abilities could get used to things through sheer accumulated experience.
On the other hand, Tinno, dressed more plainly than usual, seemed somewhat tense.
She loved sweets just as much as I did (though I keep my sweet tooth hidden). Normally, whenever we went to eat sweets, she'd light up with such excitement that it was infectious. But maybe she hadn't had much experience walking through towns where flags were raised.
"It's okay, Tinno. You haven't strayed far from the Imperial Capital much, so this might feel unfamiliar, but when you travel, you see flags all the time. Haha… I've honestly lost count of how many I've seen by now."
"…Eh!? R-Really…?"
And in most cases, Luke and the others would charge in headfirst and end up in terrible situations. That said, I was always in the back and had my Barrier Ring, so I came out virtually unscathed every time. Still, watching my childhood friends get battered wasn't exactly pleasant.
Tinno wasn't the type to dive headfirst into danger, so I was relieved about that.
But since it was her first time, she couldn't help but be anxious. Seeing her cast nervous, darting glances at the restless crowd around us — it looked a little strange compared to the composed Tinno I knew.
My Hunter experience actually surpassed hers. This was the perfect chance to show her what I could do.
"If it's really bothering you… I know. In times like this, close your eyes and cover your ears. Take slow, deep breaths and think about something fun."
"………"
And if someone approached and said something to you, just fold your arms and pretend you're deep in thought, nodding along. That's the secret to escaping reality.
There's only so much one person can do. There are plenty of other capable Hunters out there, so just leave anything outside your own responsibility to them.
Feeling Tinno go quiet, I got a bit carried away and continued.
That's right. I'd been thinking about this for a while. Tinno overthinks things — she's too serious. She was certainly a brilliantly talented Hunter, but at this point in time, there were plenty of Hunters more capable than her. If she took on too much and broke down, there'd be nothing left.
"I know you're trying your best, Tinno, but you're still young, and I don't think it's good to shoulder too much. At worst, you've still got Liliz and Citry, so try to lighten the load a little. You've looked awful since yesterday, and I'm worried about you."
"!! Y-Yes… Thank you very much…"
The dark circles had faded, but the fatigue was still hard to hide.
At my words, Tinno lowered her eyes, looking a little embarrassed.
§ I took Tinno, who had perked up slightly, on a stroll through town.
The main shop we were heading for was located along a stretch of the main street. It was a café with a decidedly fashionable storefront. There were plenty of passersby, but thanks to the raised flag, there were no customers inside. Perfect.
This trip wasn't just about the parfait. It also doubled as mental care for Tinno.
Truth be told, I'd been concerned about how hard Liliz had been on Tinno for years. Knowing Liliz's personality, she probably hadn't let things get too rough — but eating sweets together should at least make the conversation easier.
…Well, well. Sweets aren't exactly my thing either, but for a junior's sake, I had no choice.
We were led to a bright, sunlit seat with a view of the whole street.
Just like the exterior, the interior was incredibly stylish. This was clearly not the kind of place a Hunter would normally visit.
Even from my experienced eye — having scoured every Western confectionery shop and café in the Imperial Capital — this place looked promising enough to get excited about.
Tinno's expression had completely returned to normal, her eyes sparkling as she looked around the shop eagerly. Bringing her here had clearly been worth it.
As I smiled warmly at the wholesome sight, Tinno spoke up timidly, looking at me from under her lashes.
"Mastaa… um… Citry-nee-sama asked me to hold onto some money for you. She said to spend it however you like."
"………"
What was this? Was Citry my guardian or something? …I at least wanted to keep up appearances.
I felt my enthusiasm deflate a little at Citry's meddling, but the anticipation for my first chocolate parfait was still going strong.
I made sure not to let my excitement show as I ordered the parfait we'd come for. The sweet aroma filling the shop filled me with relief at having left the Imperial Capital.
This whole thing had started from a negative impulse — running away from a meeting — but I hoped everyone, including Liliz and Citry who'd come along, could enjoy this vacation together. …I'd worry about the mess that would inevitably be waiting when we got back once we actually got back.
"Mastaa… thank you. Um, I… I caused you to worry…"
"Don't worry about it. I don't think you're a burden at all. Besides, I'm always the one causing you trouble, Tinno."
"That's… not true at all."
No one could beat me when it came to relying on others, but being relied upon by someone else felt pretty nice from time to time.
Tinno had become a Hunter half because of our influence. Why would I resent being depended on? …If anything, I wouldn't mind her leaning on me a little more. Whether I could live up to that was another matter entirely, though.
I sat with Tinno, who had started to smile a little, as we waited for the parfait. Our conversation, as expected, revolved mostly around Hunter-related topics.
Not exactly ideal date material, but I had no intention of pointing that out. Tinno was serious — dead serious about becoming a top-tier Hunter.
And I, while lacking in knowledge, had plenty of experience to draw from and could at least talk about it.
"Huh!? Mastaa, you've never been injured in combat before?"
"Because Luke and the others were strong."
Tinno's eyes went wide, and she spoke in surprise.
Anthem would put up barriers, I had my Barrier Ring, and most attacks simply never reached me in the first place.
On top of that, with my Mana Material absorption rate being absurdly low, I was never particularly conspicuous on the battlefield. And if there was nothing for me to do there either, there was simply no reason to get hurt. I'd even sat in a corner watching from the sidelines on occasion. A Hunter with that kind of experience was probably rarer than hen's teeth across the entire Treasure Hunter industry — and I might be the only one.
"Impressive, Mastaa… I could never do something like that."
For some reason, as we talked, Tinno's admiration for me only grew. I really wasn't worthy of that kind of respect.
Feeling slightly guilty about this misplaced admiration, I smoothly slipped in a word of support for Liliz.
"…Not getting wounded isn't something to be proud of. If anything, you should be training your mind so you can keep going even when you do get hurt. So yeah, Liliz's training might be tough, but I really think it's for Tinno's benefit. She might be harsh, but Liliz isn't doing all this because she wants to bully you —"
"Huh? Yes. Nee-sama has been very kind to me. I truly feel fortunate to have met both you and Nee-sama."
"…Citry's not a bad person either. Her sensibilities are just a little… different. You know how Alchemists are like that? And she's not doing any of it because she wants to bully you —"
"…? Yes, Citry-nee-sama is… well, she does touch my body a little — just a little — when you're around, Mastaa, which is embarrassing, but it's not like she's bullying me or anything — she doesn't touch me all the time, so…"
…Huh? Was there actually no problem?
Tinno's reaction was lighter than I'd expected. I thought she'd been worn down by the pressure from Nee-sama and Citry-nee-sama, but there was no hint of forced politeness in her tone. Besides, Tinno was not the kind of person to lie.
I tilted my head inwardly but decided to double-check just in case.
"…You're not having a bad time, are you? If anything comes up, just tell me and I'll deal with it."
"Yes, I'm fine. Actually… the one that's most likely to break me mentally is Mastaa's demands — no, I know that Mastaa is, um, thinking about my well-being, but…"
Tinno looked down and mumbled an explanation. Had I done something? Was there something harder than the training where she got forced to drink lure-lightning potion and then struck by lightning?
I'd certainly made a few incompetent decisions, but I'd never done anything with malicious intent.
Wait. But then, what had been causing her to look so off all this time?
Setting aside the past, I hadn't demanded anything of Tinno this time around. Looking back, I'd been more harmless than ever.
Just then, Tinno's expression suddenly changed. She nearly jumped out of her seat, then, seeing that I was watching, hurriedly sat back down.
"S-Sorry, Mastaa. Just now — outside, there was a voice — I mean — I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but the voice was loud, and Nee-sama's training has made me reflexively listen in —"
"What's wrong?"
A voice from outside? How good were her ears? I had my back to the window and didn't notice a thing — what exactly did it mean to be a Hunter?
To my utter confusion, Tinno's face flushed red to the ears, and she launched into a rapid-fire confession.
"I… didn't fully believe what Mastaa said. But, I mean, with everything that's happened before, what might be easy for Mastaa could be life-or-death for me, and Mastaa should've been with us the whole time — S-Sorry. I… feel so… embarrassed about myself…"
She clenched her fists tightly against her knees and shrank into herself.
I felt bad for her — she was clearly mortified — but I had no idea what was going on.
All I understood was that Tinno hadn't trusted my words at all, and that the sight of her beet-red face, combined with how it contrasted with her usual composure, made her look her age and very, very cute.
In her excited state, Tinno completely missed the timing of the server approaching with an extravagant parfait on a tray.
"I've made up my decision! I will never, ever doubt Mastaa's words again!"
Tinno declared with a resolute lift of her head.
But I had no memory of doing anything that warranted such trust. Besides, I was an idiot, and being trusted too much was its own problem. And on top of that — I'd heard those very words from her several times before.
Sorry for betraying your trust over and over. It's all my fault.
"I feel like I've heard that line a few times before."
"Th-This time, it's for real, Mastaa! If Mastaa says crows are white, then they're white! Mastaa's will is my will!"
The emotional whiplash was a bit much, honestly. Well, as long as she was happy.
I was about to封 all my questions away and respond with my usual nonchalant "Yeah, yeah, sure," when Tinno spoke again, fidgeting with her fingertips.
"So, Mastaa. Forgive my presumption, but… I don't think I'd understand even if you told me, but… for the sake of future learning, would you mind if I asked? Those Hunters outside were just talking about it… How did you drive the orcs out of the fortress?"
"…Yeah, yeah, sure."
…What was she talking about?