However, while looking at her carefree smile, Shouzou understood that it would be meaningless to verbally explain the meaning of resting or the importance of refreshing oneself.
If that’s so—
“Moko-san, can I task you with finding time several times a day to talk with Lalaine-san?”
“Nn? Why?”
“What with all the new staff that we’ve hired, her shyness must be making her feel overwhelmed. That’s why I want you, who has already earned her trust, to help ease her nervousness.” Lalaine nodded so furiously she seemed like a head banger in a rock band during a live show.
“Leave it to me~” Moko pounded her chest.
“All right, take a breather or two, then get back to work. Feel free to take it easy till then.” Shouzou refilled their cups, made Moko sit next to Lalaine, then rubbed her fluffy head.
“I’ll be leaving Lalaine-san in your care then.” With that, Shouzou left the break room—
Sitting in a row, the two of them sipped at their tea. The two of them were enveloped in an atmosphere that made it hard to initiate conversation.
This was what Moko was thinking.
(So it was Lalaine who was on Occhan’s mind......) She is someone who makes other people want to protect her, and she’s really pretty, and she is so knowledgeable about quests and adventurers, and the two of them talk together a lot, so perhaps it’s only natural. But on the flip side, Moko found herself feeling slightly envious.
In contrast, this was what Lalaine was thinking.
(He rubbed... her head... and also worried... about her well-being......) Although she thought it only natural for him to be worried about the energetic and busily working Moko, somehow Lalaine found herself feeling slightly jealous.
Both of them shot a glance toward the other, and their eyes met.
“Ehehe......”
“Fu, fufu......”
In the end, that was it, and a conversation did not blossom between them—
★
After noon had come and went, the adventurers in the lobby grew sparse.
As the staff split into two shifts for lunch, half of the reception counters were left unattended.
Shouzou reached out to the bento filled with his wife’s love, just about to take a slightly belated lunch.
“I-I’m back~......” Sofie returned from her rounds, looking noticeably dispirited. Upon sitting down at her seat, immediately she planted her face onto her table. Shouzou could not help but to call out to her.
“Sofie-san, have you had your lunch yet?”
“Eh? Oh, is it already lunchtime......” The face that Sofie lifted up had “no appetite” clearly written across it.
“I was also just about to start eating. Would you like to join me?”
“Eh...... Y-Yes sir! Please allow me to join you!” While seeing her being all flustered from the corner of his eye, Shouzou returned his bento to his attaché suitcase and stood up.
Sofie always ate her lunch outside. She also frequently ordered takeout and ate it inside the guild, but sitting down at an eatery outside would probably be better for having a conversation. Even though he was bringing in outside food, if he ordered a drink, then the place probably wouldn’t mind.
With Sofie in tow, Shouzou made his way toward her favorite place.
They eventually stepped into a cozy tavern located one street away from the main avenue. In the evenings, this place was frequently filled with Iron and Copper-ranked adventurers, and even for this time of the day, they composed the majority of the customer base.
Sofie ordered a stew filled with vegetables, with bread as a side.
While waiting for the food, Shouzou dived right in.
“It seems that today’s customer was quite the tough nut to crack, hm?”
“...Yes. It was a caravan that visits this city often, but—”
Treia’s prosperity was due to the adventurer industry. So caravans would come visit, either going to large shops that they partner with, or going to guilds directly in order to post their quests.
In most cases, these are quests that can be fulfilled within the few weeks that they are in town, so that they can bring the materials back to their base town and sell them there for a profit. Then there’s also a smattering of bodyguarding quests to accompany their travels.
This time, it seems that Sofie had gone straight to a caravan that they had no prior contact with, without an appointment. However, her expression was enough to deduce that it had ended in failure.
“What I should have done was just give my greetings today and make a promise to come again another day......” Sofie shrunk in on herself.
Shouzou asked her a few questions. Based on her answer, it became evident to him that the reason behind her failure was—
“It sounds like the person you were talking to was someone who ‘cannot be reached with words.’”
“Um no, he replied to me in the same language I used. Did my account of the meeting make it sound like he couldn’t understand me?” When Sofie paid her visit, the caravan’s person in charge happened to be not there. But the person that she ended up making her sales pitch to was someone who kept replying to her about things completely unrelated to what she was saying.
“I meant that in a metaphorical way. Even when using the same language, there are times when conversation fails between two people. If it is a simple matter of your meaning not getting across, then it is possible to reconfirm each other’s understanding and thus bridge the gap. However, against someone who cannot be reached with words, whatever you do would still end in failure.” Thinking this the right opportunity, Shouzou explained all this to her as such.
The food finally arrived, but Sofie was mulling over what Shouzou had just said so deeply that she had to be reminded to eat.
“What should I do then, when I happen to bump into someone like that?”
“Don’t engage them. That’s the best way.”
“But this time, I couldn’t really do that......”
Not only this time, but isn’t that quite impossible to insist on? Sofie thought doubtfully.
But Shouzou replied nonchalantly.
“That’s not quite true.” But before explaining why... Shouzou offered several countermeasures for when it really cannot be avoided.
Sofie listened intently to every word he said, all while waiting impatiently for his explanation.
“—and well, that’s about it. With that in mind, now I’ll tell you what you should be doing.” Sofie leaned forward in eagerness.
“You should have broken up the conversation quickly, and made an appointment to speak with the person in charge directly at a later date.” Although seeing the logic in that, Sofie was thinking that sometimes trying to break up a conversation was much easier said than done.
“What’s important is not that part, it’s the second part. Even if the conversation ends up being dragged out for a while, as long as you manage to set up the appointment with the person in charge for next time, then your goal will have been accomplished.” It did not even have to be with the person who cannot be reached with words. On the way out, you could even just grab anyone else to set up the appointment for you also, concluded Shouzou.
Sofie sighed heavily all while feeling deeply impressed.
Her respect for Shouzou rose again, while at the same time—
“I... really still have such a long way to go......” She felt ashamed that she had become conceited over finally being of some use.
Her lowered head suddenly felt Shouzou’s large hand on top.
“Don’t let it get you down. You are steadily growing every day. And today you just learned something new again.” Shouzou’s way of rubbing her head was both slightly ticklish and also very comforting.
Her late father, Elunheine, had also frequently rubbed her head in the same way.
“Well then, the afternoon’s going to get busy. Make sure to eat up and refill your energy.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll try the caravan one more time!”
Shouzou’s smile and encouraging “That’s the spirit!” seemed to superimpose with the image of her late father.
Sofie had trouble suppressing her quickened heartbeat—