Side: Amahashi Kakeru

Foreigners weren't exactly a rare sight in a provincial city these days, but my companions and Noctia still drew the eye.

Back in the other world, Pricia, Sanctina, and Filia had been famous for their looks alone. Just like when Kitamura had made a fuss over them during the day, they tended to pull in men's stares. I had no idea how Noctia had been treated, since she was from the demon race.

Naturally, they'd been collecting glances on the way here too, but none of them seemed bothered.

It being dinnertime, the family restaurant was reasonably crowded. Even so, after about a ten-minute wait we were shown to a table that seated five.

What impressed me, though, was that none of the four were gawking around the place; they all gave off an air of being used to this sort of thing.

"Order whatever you like. This side's the alcohol, this side's the sweets."

Thanks to their magic item, they could apparently read Japanese too, but they'd told me there was plenty they could read without understanding what it meant. On that front, a family restaurant menu had photos, so it was easy to follow.

A princess and a Saint from the greatest power in that world, plus an elf and a Demon Lord, all poring over a family restaurant menu—the scene was maybe a little surreal. Then again, dressed casually as they were now, they just looked like foreigners, so nothing really stood out.

I went for the drink bar, while they ordered wine, and we added some desserts and a few things that looked like they'd work as snacks to go with the drinks.

"Not a bad place at all."

"It is, isn't it. A shop where children can come even at this hour…"

Pricia and Sanctina glanced around the interior and offered their impressions.

In the other world, children didn't really walk around outside after dark. There were taverns and the like, but kids apparently never went in or out of them.

The alcohol arrived right away, and I brought my own drink over from the drink bar, and we all started in.

"It's good."

"It is."

Noctia and Filia each took a sip of wine and looked faintly surprised. Not by comparison to some top-shelf liquor, I figured—more by comparison to the atmosphere of the place and the price. When it came to the quality of drink a commoner could get, I'd say Japan came out ahead. I'd never had alcohol myself, so it was pure guesswork.

Hopefully this would take their minds off things a little.

Side: Sanctina

There was a lot you only understood once you went outside and walked around on your own two feet.

Streetlights everywhere, a city bright even at night. A woman able to walk alone—one surprise after another. What a wonderful country this was.

I was thinking back to the time after Kakeru-san was summoned.

It was when the nobles and the bishops had grumbled that the new Hero was a man who'd never so much as been in a fight, and that raising him into the role would be a struggle.

We'd been taught that the Hero's duty was to fight the demon race and save the human race, and—just as I was the Saint—I'd believed that was simply how things were meant to be.

And so, back then, I hadn't realized it: that Kakeru-san had no reason at all to fight for that world.

The Kakeru-san of now looked like he was enjoying himself. He'd returned to the land of his birth, and eating out was surely a pleasure for him.

I said a prayer for happiness in Kakeru-san's days ahead, and took a sip of my drink.

Oh my… it really was delicious. I didn't think the place was so very high-class, but the wine struck a good balance between the taste of fruit and the taste of the liquor itself.

The dishes and glasses seemed fine ones, too. In the other world, to drink wine of this quality, you'd be going to the sort of establishment frequented by people of some standing.

And yet this looked like a tavern where commoners gathered. Comparing the differences was its own kind of fun.

"Don't hold back—help yourselves to refills."

At Kakeru-san, all smiles and clearly enjoying himself, Pricia-san and the others looked happy too.

As we were doing that, the food and dessert arrived. Every bit of it looked delicious. Though, seeing this much wine and food, I did start to wonder whether the money would be all right.

Well, talking about money now would be tactless. I took a bite of the cake I'd ordered.

"…It's sweet, and it's delicious."

The cream and the sponge were soft and fluffy. The fruit, too, was just sweet enough—exquisite. It varied by country and region, but I'd have thought luxuries like this were fairly precious. This must be a prosperous country.

Sweets like this, that even a commoner's child could eat. It was like a dream.

"Glad you liked it."

"It's not as if I led a life of constant extravagance, either. Even after I took up that work, I kept on with my real vocation—my research."

Listening to the cheerful voices of the people around us, Noctia-san began to speak about herself.

That Kakeru-san was worried about how we were doing—everyone was aware of it. Each of us had our own thoughts on the matter, but we'd resolved to set aside pointless conflict while we were here.

Noctia-san, who had been with us the shortest time and about whom we knew the least, was probably trying to show that by speaking about herself unprompted.

"Research, huh…"

"That's just what scholars and researchers are like. As for my research topic—another time."

It was true that, since coming here, she'd shown no sign of dissatisfaction with her life. It was a far cry from the reality of the demon race as I'd heard it described.

Were all the demons like Noctia-san? No—surely not. She'd taken the Demon Lord's throne without wishing to. She must have had the power and the qualifications for it, but to put it another way, one ought to assume there'd been something forcing it upon her.

"It's comfortable here. It makes me not want to go back. Honestly, even if I returned, I'd just be forced into things I don't want."

When Pricia-san let that slip in response to Noctia-san's words, Kakeru-san looked startled.

Even if we went back, we had no freedom. I didn't know about Filia-san, but Pricia-san would soon be married off to the royalty of another nation, and I was fated to serve god, unwed, my whole life.

"I'm, honestly… not all that eager to hurry back either…"

I could tell Kakeru-san felt responsible. That was exactly why it was better to lay our true feelings out early.

"I never said I wanted to go back, either."

"Everyone…"

When Filia-san, last of all, revealed how she felt now, Noctia-san couldn't help laughing at the flustered Kakeru-san.

"Ufufu, how funny. Whether we want it or not, we've become a community bound by fate. I'll keep up my research. Having the means is no bad thing. When the time comes, we can decide then."

A community bound by fate. Maybe Noctia-san's phrasing fit best of all. That it didn't feel so bad, surprisingly, might be because I had little left holding me to that world.

"In that case, I'd like to find work."

"True…"

Pricia-san and Filia-san had begun to think about what came next, too. Noctia-san was the exception, since she had her research, but the rest of us had nothing to do.

Kakeru-san still looked bewildered, but I was starting to have fun.

I wanted to know more. About Kakeru-san, and about this world.