And so Naro packed his things and left the house with Ray.
“There’s a lot of human scent. Strange smells are mixed in too.”
Even though they hadn’t entered the plaza yet, Ray sniffed and looked precisely toward the plaza. Today was the first time he learned that dragons had a good sense of smell too.
Before entering the plaza, Naro was a bit nervous. Since coming to this world, he had lived alone the whole time, so this was the first time he’d come to the plaza together with someone like this. Since Garnet, the village chief, had learned of Ray’s existence, perhaps some people had already heard about it.
“So this is what’s called a plaza.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Ray stood at the entrance of the plaza and looked around curiously as if it was fascinating. Reading the curiosity reflected in his eyes, Naro secretly swallowed his laughter. He thought it was indeed good that he brought him along.
As they walked through the plaza together in earnest, people’s gazes gradually gathered on Ray. It was perhaps natural that attention would focus on a handsome man with an exceptional physique and strong, sharp features.
“Naro, I think I understand one human custom.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Humans seem to like making eye contact. I don’t know how many people have made eye contact with me just now.”
Ray nodded as if he had gained a great realization.
“That’s probably because Ray is handsome.”
“Handsome?”
As expected, Ray seemed not to understand. While wondering how to explain this, they arrived at Ron’s shop that sold bread.
“Ahjussi.”
“Ah, Naro.”
Ron naturally welcomed Naro. But soon his gaze turned to Ray as if water was being absorbed into a sponge.
Ray stared intently at Ron, and Naro, standing beside him, was restless. It was positive that Ray was actively studying humans, but since there was that incident in front of Garnet last time, he couldn’t completely relax.
But Ray unexpectedly didn’t do anything particular. He even bowed his head in greeting.
“Ah, I heard from Garnet. You’re living together with a cousin who came from another country?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“By the way, your cousin is quite tall. Nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you.”
“My younger brother is still clumsy with the Empire language! S-sorry!”
But Ron laughed it off heartily, saying it was fine and asking what there was to apologize for.
“Then should I give you the usual amount today?”
“Ah, that… can I purchase just half of what I usually buy today?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t that be okay? We’re grateful if you buy anything. Wait just a moment.”
While Ron packaged the bread, Naro took out his coin purse from his pocket and let out a sigh while checking the amount he brought. Ray didn’t miss Naro’s expression and kept watching him the whole time.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
“Ah, and Naro.”
Before leaving, Ron stopped Naro.
“I roughly heard what that bastard Anton did to you, but there haven’t been any other incidents since then, right?”
“Yes? Ah, no.”
Come to think of it, hadn’t Garnet said something like this before too?
“Ahjussi, is something going on?”
“Hm? It’s not that, but the village has been a bit unsettled lately. I didn’t know, but apparently that bastard Anton was working as a lackey under some noble’s child. Either way, since a guy like that suddenly got seriously hurt, the atmosphere is really uneasy. Well, you said nothing happened to you, so that’s good. But still be careful.”
“Yes, I will.”
Anton was a noble’s child’s lackey? Then was the reason he came to Rodelus Village and acted like a total nuisance as if he’d only live today all because he had strong backing? Indeed, while watching Anton’s rampage, people had pointed fingers saying what the hell that bastard was relying on to act so recklessly. If Ron’s words were true, it all made sense.
“Naro, aren’t we going?”
“Yeah, we should go. Next we’ll go buy meat and vegetables.”
While moving, Naro explained honorifics to Ray as well. But Ray, who understood and absorbed everything well, showed no particular reaction only to honorifics for some reason. It felt like he didn’t understand the concept of showing respect to someone and found it unfamiliar.
Naro didn’t particularly want to rush him either. Most of the people in Rodelus Village were kind-hearted, so they would understand if told he wasn’t yet familiar with the Empire’s customs. Still, hadn’t he voluntarily greeted Ron earlier? That alone was quite a positive development.
He thought they could shop peacefully and return home like this. But before long, Naro realized his thinking was too complacent.
Ray said outright in front of a street vendor selling handmade crafts, “Are there people who pay money to buy something this ugly?” and Naro had no choice but to bow his head and apologize to that merchant.
And that wasn’t all—he said to the uncle who ran a flower garden, “Naro, that human has hardly any head hair. The variety of humans is really diverse,” making Naro break out in a cold sweat. Since everyone in the village knew that the flower garden uncle was worried about his hair loss, Naro apologized to him again with tears in his eyes.
“Let’s just buy meat and go home…”
“Okay. But Naro, you look quite tired, should I give you a piggyback ride?”
“No.”
Strictly speaking, that fatigue was all caused by Ray too. But Ray, who couldn’t properly know his own mistakes, seemed quite happy to be out in the plaza. Although tiring things happened, he still thought it was good they came out together.
“Ahjumoni, I came to buy meat.”
“Naro, welcome. Nice to meet you too, young man.”
Andel also greeted Ray warmly, perhaps having heard from Garnet.
“So what should I give you today?”
“Just one chunk of this and this, please.”
“Okay. But today you’re buying much less than usual? This amount won’t be nearly enough for two people to eat.”
“Ah…”
Naro’s lips moved slightly as he unconsciously tightened his grip on the coin purse.
“We have some left at home, so it’s okay.”
“Really? Then that’s fine.”
Andel skillfully prepared the meat. Naro stood in front and waited slowly. But his face as he kept looking into the coin purse wasn’t very bright. Ray stuck close to Naro’s side and didn’t take his eyes off him.
The two people who finished shopping returned home together.
“How was the plaza today?”
After entering the house and organizing the luggage, Naro asked. He thought Ray would chatter about how this was, how humans were fascinating, but Ray was unusually quiet. Naro stopped taking out vegetables and looked at Ray. He who had come to his side at some point was staring down at Naro very persistently.
“Ray?”
“Naro, are you in a bad mood?”
“Hm?”
Ray raised his hand and poked and stroked Naro’s cheek. At the somehow ticklish touch, Naro smiled a bit awkwardly.
“I’m not? Why suddenly?”
“Your expression has been bad since earlier.”
Naro rubbed his face unnecessarily. He didn’t know his troubled mind had shown so clearly on his face. Only after Naro smiled several times saying he was fine could he escape from Ray.
When he first became human, it was difficult because Ray tried to stick close even when cooking, but now when Naro made food, he sat properly on the bed and waited. And when it was time to move the food to the table after finishing making it, he would come over and lend a hand.
“Naro, praise.”
Of course, Naro wasn’t unaware that it was all to receive praise, so he smiled and stroked Ray’s hair.
“Then let’s eat now.”
Naro and Ray sat facing each other familiarly. Naro tried to take a spoonful of soup, but when Ray didn’t even pick up his spoon, let alone eat the food, he stopped.
“Ray, why aren’t you eating? Are you sick?”
“Why is there more of my food? Yours is less, Naro.”
There was a difference in the amount of food placed on the table for each of them. Ray’s portion was far more.
“We always eat like this.”
Ray was a dragon, and even now as a human he was a very sturdy and robust man, so the amount he ate was never small. In contrast, Naro ate less than that, so there was always a difference in the amount of food between the two.
“No. Naro’s food is much less than usual.”
Naro hoped he’d just let it go, but Ray’s insight and perceptiveness were quite considerable, more than he thought. Ray was right. To match the amount Ray ate, Naro had reduced his own portion and put it on Ray’s plate.
“The truth is I haven’t had much appetite lately. This is enough for me.”
“…”
“Really. So let’s eat quickly.”
After urging him several times, Ray finally picked up his utensils. After finishing dinner and cleaning up, night had already arrived. Naro, who came in after confirming that the pharmacy door was locked properly, naturally approached the bed.
Ray was sleeping in his dragon state. Ray would return to his baby dragon state and sleep about once every three times, probably to replenish his strength or stamina. Listening to the sound of steady breathing, Naro gently stroked his scales. After carefully covering him with a blanket, he sat down at the desk again.
“Hmm, it’s tight because there are two of us after all.”
Naro scratched his head while looking at a notebook. It was a kind of household account book and ledger that Naro had started writing when he began the pharmacy. He recorded income and expenses without missing a single day and organized it to be easily understood at a glance.
