“Haaah…….”
On the way home, I bought bread from a street vendor to feed Belly for dinner. I did this because it seemed like I wouldn’t take a single step out if I just went back to my room. Even in this state, I felt quite proud of myself for taking care of Belly, which improved my mood for a moment, but it soon sank again.
When I crawled back home, Belly looked at me with round, surprised eyes.
“……Smell of alcohol.”
“Haha. A customer spilled alcohol on me.”
I laughed weakly, changed my clothes, and headed to the communal bathroom to shower. To be honest, rather than washing, I just wanted to collapse on the bed. However, the smell from my body was severe, and with sick Belly there, I couldn’t not wash my body teeming with germs.
The way back after finishing the shower felt like a thousand miles. My limbs drooped as if heavy weights were attached to them. It would have been nice if there was a private bathroom instead of a communal one…….
“Haa……. Right, Belly. That’s dinner for today.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t have an appetite.”
I lay down on the bed where Belly was sitting and curled up my body. Everything was bothersome and tiring. I had clearly scrubbed clean enough to make my body turn red, yet it seemed like a foul odor came from my breath. It was as if a bunch of mold emitting a musty smell had grown inside my body.
Why am I suddenly like this?
Right now I just wanted to disappear somewhere. When I squeezed my eyes shut at the overwhelming despair, my consciousness separated from reality. It was the solitude I had so desired.
Flap. Flap. But before I could completely disconnect from reality, the sound of turning pages continued to ring in my ears. It was the sound of Belly turning pages. He sat on the bed reading a book, paying no attention to my strange condition. Right now, his indifference was welcome.
At the comfortable sound like a lullaby, I slowly fell asleep as if flowing. Just before falling completely asleep, I felt a gaze looking at me, but I couldn’t stop falling asleep.
A dream as soft as down gently wrapped around my worn-out spirit, and a few hours later I was able to wake up feeling quite better. My mind was almost fully awake, but my body was still immersed in sleep. I couldn’t move, but my senses were clearer than ever.
I wanted to continue being immersed in that somehow cozy state, but it was time to get up. However, at that moment, something ticklish touched my cheek. At first it just carefully tapped once. It was a faint contact like down touching.
When I stayed still, it touched my cheek more boldly. It was somehow a curious contact. Like a cat tapping something it sees for the first time, somehow mischievous.
“Mm…….”
At the ticklish feeling, a voice close to acting spoiled flowed from my mouth. Then it quickly disappeared as if it had taken fright.
Only then did I slyly open my eyes. I saw Belly sitting with his back turned, reading a book. It was no different from before I fell asleep.
“What time is it……?”
Not long after waking up, my voice was deeply buried and rough. To drink water, I crawled on the bed and stretched my arm to the table right next to it.
Since there was no running water in the room, drinking water was always prepared. Today was the same, so I gulped down water from the water bottle. As the cool water entered my stomach, only then did my mind become alert.
“8 o’clock.”
Belly was diligently reading his novel as if he hadn’t touched my body just moments ago. As if he believed he could deceive me by doing that, even though there was no other presence in the room besides him.
I smiled brightly and sluggishly approached his side to sit down with our butts touching. Of course, Belly flinched as if he would jump up at any moment.
“S-suddenly what.”
“Is it interesting? This…….”
He was reading <The Lily of Enchantment> again today. Even though it was a book somewhat difficult for a child to read, Belly read this book quite frequently. Perhaps because it was a book I had read enjoyably too, seeing him read it made me feel good.
“I really like this maid.”
“……Really?”
“Yeah. I like this master too, but I like this maid. She’s not afraid and keeps approaching the master……. She seems submissive and fragile, but at the same time she has backbone.”
“You like that kind of thing?”
“Yeah. Always acting submissive while also going against the male protagonist’s will for his sake is the highlight of this novel.”
I leaned on Belly’s shoulder and went on about the book. Why I liked this character. What parts of this novel were interesting. Even though I rambled on with my impressions, Belly quietly listened to my words.
“Ah, sorry. I kept talking thoughtlessly again. Isn’t it boring?”
Talking only about what you like is bound to be an ordeal for the listener. When I looked up at Belly apologetically, he mumbled a response.
“……No.”
“You find it interesting? Really?”
Belly sharply turned his head and pushed my body. Since I had been leaning against Belly with my strength relaxed, I collapsed weakly on the bed.
I could have been hurt by Belly’s behavior, but a smile crept onto my face. Just looking at his actions, it seemed like he was roughly rejecting me, but that was only on the surface. Even now, Belly kept glancing to see if I was hurt. Really, the more I looked, the cuter he was.
* * *
The days were becoming full spring. The nameless flowers blooming along the roadside and the flowering trees in full bloom were emitting enough pollen to induce sneezing.
This world had an appearance close to medieval fantasy, but it also had aspects similar to steampunk. In other words, industrialization had progressed to some extent.
Everywhere had maintained water systems, and culture similar to England during the Industrial Revolution was noticeable. Since industrialization was progressing, pollution should have been serious, but magic had also developed dazzlingly in step with it, so there was little contamination. To me, who had lived in the 21st century, it was truly enviable.
However, weapons were curiously archaic. Was it because of magic? Even though there were steampunk-like aspects, at most there were only cannons. Even though they had the technical capability to make guns if they could make cannons. If I had knowledge about guns, I might have opened a weapons shop.
Anyway, it was spring.
It had already been over a month since Belly started staying by my side. Now I had gotten used to nursing Belly, so working the day after not sleeping much wasn’t difficult. Moreover, perhaps because that nursing had paid off, Belly’s physical condition had definitely improved compared to the beginning. Though he hadn’t completely recovered.
“Hey, Jay. We have some leftover food today, want to take it?”
“Wow! Yes!”
Luckily, I was able to take leftover food from the tavern where I worked. The dormitory meals were nutritious and tasty, but sometimes people want to eat out. Moreover, this tavern’s food was quite famous for being delicious. There were even customers who came to eat the side dishes rather than the alcohol.
The chicken braised in wine gave off an appetizing aroma even while inside the bag. When working at the tavern, there were times when I received such unexpected benefits like this. ……Somehow I felt pity for myself just now. I felt like a horse eating carrots.
So I was happily going home while dangling the paper bag giving off a delicious smell. The thought of feeding Belly delicious food naturally improved my mood. With light and cheerful steps as if flying, I quickly reached my destination.
“Huh?”
But…… what greeted me was an empty room without any sign of presence.
“Belly……?”
I carefully placed the bag containing food on the table and looked around every corner of the not-so-spacious room. Did he get scared and go under the bed again? But even there, Belly had not even a trace. A chilly air unpleasantly floated in the room.
“Did he leave……?”
Belly’s body had improved much more than when I picked him up. Since he had recovered to some extent, perhaps he left because he no longer needed my help.
It was natural. Since Belly didn’t particularly like humans, there was no way he would stay by my side. My chest area churned and I plopped down on the bed.
“But at least a goodbye…….”
It seemed my thinking that Belly had opened his heart during this time was my delusion.
But I couldn’t resent Belly for leaving. Because I hadn’t approached Belly with a pure heart either. It was also funny for me, who had approached to see an interesting novel, to resent him. Being left alone like this was also a natural course.
“Well, yeah…….”
I didn’t want to become friends or family. So this sense of betrayal and loneliness I was feeling now was unjust. Because we were a relationship of nothing. I was just a shabby extra who didn’t even know Belly’s real name.
“……Let’s just eat.”
If I ate snacks while reading a book, this feeling would get better soon. Surely it would. Books were what always stayed by my side.
“Ah, come to think of it.”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t properly used the reader that appeared last time until now. I wanted to check it right away, but after nursing Belly and working at the tavern, I was too exhausted to have time to look at it.
Right, let’s check it properly this time.
It was also stupid that I hadn’t checked it until now. Isn’t it normal to check immediately when you obtain a new ability? I had definitely been continuously focused on Belly.
When I tried to use the Glutton, a guide on how to use it spread out in my head. It felt a bit strange, as if a part of my brain had become a computer.
Well, whatever’s good is good. It was better than not knowing how to use it at all. Anyway, thanks to that, I activated the Glutton without much difficulty.
