Surprisingly (or perhaps not), the atmosphere inside the carriage had grown calm and leisurely in the days since their departure. There hadn’t been a single unusual incident, let alone a demon attack. Noel and the others had remained vigilant for the first three days, but staying on high alert indefinitely was tiring. By the fourth day, they’d seemed to realize it was pointless and had completely let their guard down. That included their caution toward Allen as well.
Of course, it wasn’t as if all suspicion had vanished, but considering he was still, from their perspective, a man they had just met, their level of trust was more than generous.
As Allen was thinking about all this, Noel muttered listlessly, “Hmm, looks like the sun’s about to set, but nothing happened again today.”
“Honestly, I’m bored.”
“Right? I’m not asking for an attack or anything, but I kind of wish something would happen.”
It wasn’t just that they’d let their guard down. They were bordering on complete laziness.
Allen gave a wry smile and shrugged. “Well, I think nothing happening is a good thing, personally. I mean, if you ignore the fact that it makes me a freeloader.”
If nothing happened, then there was nothing for a guard to do. And if someone brought that up, he really wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
“If you put it that way, then I’m even more useless,” said Mylène. “Actually, you’ve been quite helpful in a lot of ways.”
“Yeah, I agree. Regardless of whether Mylène is useless, I never imagined we’d be able to bathe while traveling. That alone makes you worth every coin.”
“Hmm, you really think so?”
It was nice that they were happy, but all he’d done was pour water into a hole in the ground and heat it up. To be told that alone made hiring him worthwhile left him feeling a little unconvinced.
“No matter what you think, we think you’re useful, so that’s that. More importantly, like I said earlier, the sun’s about to set,” Noel said.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
She was insinuating it was about time for their bath. He couldn’t help but wonder just who she thought she was, some kind of noble? But then again, considering her current status, that wasn’t entirely off the mark. Maybe her behavior wasn’t so strange after all.
As Allen was entertaining these silly thoughts, the carriage slowly came to a stop. Apparently, they’d be camping here for the night.
“Come to think of it, you’re a queen, aren’t you? Yet you seem totally fine with roughing it. I mean, not that this is the first time.”
“It is a little late to bring that up. Honestly, it was rough at first, but I’ve gotten used to it. Do you know how long it took us to reach the capital?” she asked.
“The capital?”
“Oh, I didn’t mention that, did I? We were on a trip to the royal capital.”
“Yeah. We had some business there. This is basically the return trip. Or a detour, really,” Mylène added.
Allen wasn’t particularly surprised. That was what he had assumed anyway. But what did surprise him slightly was the fact that they had told him at all. Until now, neither of them had shared anything beyond the bare minimum. Maybe this meant they trusted him now, at least a little.
“A detour, huh? Mind if I ask what the business was?” he inquired.
“That depends on what you mean. But in any case, I don’t plan on telling you why we went to the capital,” Noel answered.
“Yeah, that’s obviously a secret,” Mylène agreed.
“Hmm, I see. That’s too bad.”
Clearly, he hadn’t earned that level of trust yet. Still, while he was curious, it wasn’t something he truly needed to know.
“Then how about why you’re heading to the Frontier town?” he asked.
When he asked the question he’d really wanted to ask, Noel went unexpectedly silent. Honestly, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had immediately brushed it off, so her hesitation was strange. The silence meant she was conflicted.
After a few seconds of thought, Noel let out a sigh. “Well...if I end up feeling really good after tonight’s bath, I might let it slip.”
“I see.”
So basically, she was saying, “Let’s make the bath extra nice.” That much he could definitely handle.
“All right, then. Guess I’ll have to put in some extra effort tonight.”
As Allen pondered how to make the bath as satisfying as possible, he gazed out the slowing carriage window and allowed himself a small smile.
“Phew... This really is a lifesaver. Honestly, I wish we could hire you permanently, not just temporarily,” Noel commented.
“Agreed. Having you around is a massive help,” Mylène added.
“I’m honored you think so,” he answered.
Their praise wasn’t about his swordsmanship, but his ability to make baths. So it wasn’t that satisfying to hear. Still, judging by Noel’s expression, tonight’s bath seemed to have pleased her more than usual. He had put extra effort into it this time, just as she’d asked. That much at least was gratifying.
As he thought about that, Allen handed out the food he’d prepared for the two of them. The meal was simple. It wasn’t that Allen couldn’t cook, but he wasn’t capable of anything fancy, and more importantly, they lacked proper ingredients. Even so, the two of them smiled in a way that seemed genuinely heartfelt.
“Wow, you really think of everything, huh?” said Noel.
“You’re so helpful,” Mylène agreed.
“Honestly, it’s not the kind of meal that should make you that happy,” he answered.
“Just being able to eat something warm like this makes it a feast,” said Noel.
“I’m tired of preserved food,” said Mylène.
Maybe that was just how it was. Allen still couldn’t quite relate. “You’re the Elven Queen, right? Don’t you usually eat better stuff?”
“Not really, actually. There isn’t much ‘cooking’ for us, after all, though the food’s still tasty enough without it.”
“Elven cuisine is mostly raw ingredients,” Mylène explained.
Their words reminded Allen of something. Back in the Elven Forest, meals mostly consisted of fruits and the like. That was good in its own way, but he had felt something lacking at the time. Given that, it made sense that simply having cooked food would feel like a luxury to them.