Chapter 59
After finishing breakfast, Clael and Reina decided to go out for a quick round of greetings.
The first person they visited was Mrs. Lottel, who lived near the shrine.
Mrs. Lottel had been looking after Reina since she was a child.
She had often given advice on problems that Clael, as a man, couldn't really handle.
A prime example was when Reina first got her period... That was when he truly realized how powerless men could be in such matters.
"Oh my! Reina-chan, you're back!"
"It's been a while, Auntie."
Mrs. Lottel took Reina's hand, overjoyed at their reunion.
"My, my, did you grow a little taller? You've become so mature!"
"Oh no... you're exaggerating, Mrs. Lottel."
Reina had been away from town for less than half a year.
There hadn't been any drastic physical change in such a short time.
(Well, maybe mentally she's grown from being around others her age...)
She must have met the capture targets at the academy.
The fact that she came home for summer break like this suggested that her relationship with the capture targets hadn't progressed much, but love does help girls grow.
So it wouldn't be strange if there had been some kind of change.
"I'm sure the Priest is also relieved to have Reina-chan back... Oh?"
Mrs. Lottel turned her face toward Clael... and suddenly stopped speaking.
Her gaze was fixed on his neck—around the area with the bug bite.
"That mark... could it be..."
"Ah, it seems I got bitten by a bug last night."
"...I see. Must've been a big one."
"...?"
Mrs. Lottel gave a somewhat awkward half-smile.
What was with that weird reaction?
It was the same look his mother had when, in his past life as a Japanese man, she suddenly cooked red rice for his sister one day.
"Reina-chan. You're still fifteen, so don't go overboard, okay?"
"It's fine. I'll be sixteen next month."
"Oh, then that's reassuring... No, wait. You still need to restrain yourself until you graduate from the academy."
Mrs. Lottel was saying something to Reina in a lecturing tone.
Clael had no idea what she meant, but Reina seemed to understand, so it must be something only women would get.
"Well then, see you later. I'm planning to make stew tonight, so I'll share some with you."
"Thank you very much. See you later..."
After parting with Mrs. Lottel, they headed to the next acquaintance.
Next stop was their usual clothing shop, run by the flamboyant shopkeeper Oratorio.
"Oh my, Reina-chaaaan! Welcome baaack!"
"It's been a while, shopkeeper."
"You came back for summer break, huh? I'm so happy!"
The flamboyant shopkeeper appeared in his usual effeminate manner, and they celebrated their reunion.
"The Priest was so lonely while Reina-chan was gone, you know. The other day, for example... Oh my."
Oratorio turned to Clael with a gleeful expression.
It felt like he had noticed the bug bite mark again... Or was it just his imagination?
"...So you had a fun night, huh? Well, I get it—it's been a while since you two met."
"...What are you talking about, Oratorio-san?"
"Mmhmm, no need to hide it. But Reina-chan is still a student, so you have to keep things decent, okay?"
"Yes, I understand."
"...?"
Reina nodded at Oratorio's words.
Clael tilted his head in confusion.
They continued making rounds to greet the townspeople... and the reactions fell into two categories.
Either they made weird faces like Mrs. Lottel and Oratorio, or they were simply happy to see Reina again without noticing anything odd.
A few young men even flew into a rage and attacked Clael... but they were punched and dragged away by a plushie bear that appeared out of nowhere.
Clael had no idea why people reacted like that, but he finished the round of greetings with Reina.
By then, the sun had set, and it was evening.
Clael and Reina lightly restocked groceries at the market before heading home... but on the way, they ran into someone familiar.
"...Roywood."
"Oh, Clael!"
It was Roywood Belen, a former classmate now working as a guard.
Roywood seemed to be on duty, wearing his guard armor and patrolling the area.
"Hello, Roywood-san."
"Oh, Reina-chan. Things got pretty wild yesterday, huh?"
"I'm sorry for the trouble."
"Don't worry about it. It's part of a guard's job."
Reina bowed politely, and Roywood raised his hand in a laid-back manner.
Apparently, there had been quite a commotion when Reina returned, but Roywood, as a guard, had calmed the others down.
"Hey, Roywood. What do you think this is?"
"A bug bite, right? It's getting hot, so be careful."
"...Yeah, thought so."
With his friend's response, Clael tilted his head and began the walk back to the shrine.