The Hero and Kehma

And so, three days passed.

In those three days, about 4,500 DP came in from Hero Wataru alone. Plus, three days' worth of room fees at 75 gold coins. And 25 gold coins in food costs… We're rolling in it! Absolutely rolling in it!

Oh, 10 of those gold coins from food were from the first day when Rokuko and I were invited to eat with him, and he treated us.

By the way, we provide sandwiches for breakfast as a service.

Still, the suite is amazing. It's a windfall just like when Haku-san comes to visit. Even without tips to Rokuko, DP income comes in directly. In Haku-san's case, for whatever reason, our daily income from her is 0 DP.

"Hey, Kehma. So, when are you going to give me that ring? I've been waiting, you know."

"Hmm, ring? What was that about again?"

"Did you forget?! … Y-you know, the partner thing."

"Ahh, ahh, that. I remember, I remember. Yeah. So, what kind do you want? Gold, silver, with decorations?"

"Whatever Kehma thinks suits me is fine."

Leaving it to me… that's the most troublesome option… Oh well. It's a present, after all.

Rokuko has blonde hair, golden eyes, and fair skin, so I think a vivid red would suit her. Roses would probably look good on her too. Or maybe I could even process a gemstone into a ring… Ah no, I'm a bit worried about the durability. Maybe I should look into fantasy metals. Orichalcum and such are expensive in DP, but the amount needed for a ring should be relatively cheap.

"It'll take some time, is that okay?"

"Yeah, um, yes, I'll be looking forward to it."

Rokuko fidgeted as she left the room.

Is she holding in having to use the bathroom? No, she doesn't need to use one, so that can't be it.

By the way, when I asked Ichika what "partner" means, she said it means "companion." While partner can refer to a marital relationship, it's also apparently used for pairs of adventurers who get along well. They sometimes wear matching accessories (not necessarily rings), she said.

So maybe Rokuko was jumping to conclusions when she thought it was a proposal… No wait, the hero himself confirmed it was.

… Yeah, that's it. Unless I'm just being conceited, Rokuko… might be in love with me?

I have no idea when that kind of element came into play though. If that's the case, honestly, I don't feel bad about it. Rokuko has cute legs that are just my type.

But let's say I hypothetically made a move on her — Oops, I can already feel the murderous intent from the hypothetical Haku-san. What's with my imagination? It's way too vivid.

"Well, I got results again today. Look at this, playing cards! My second box!"

"My, how wonderful. By the way, what kind of magic does Hero-san use?"

Nerune was chatting with the hero at the reception desk.

Since then, there's been no sign of the hero making moves on Rokuko. Even when he happens to pass by Rokuko in the inn, he just raises a hand in a light greeting.

Hmm, what is this guy plotting? It's bothering me so much I can barely sleep… Damn it. How dare he disturb my peaceful slumber.

"So, the A-Rank meal again today?"

"Hmm, I've had it three days in a row, so I think I'll have something different today. The B-Rank, please."

"Shall I bring it to your room?"

"No, that's fine. I'd like to eat in the dining hall today. The system of buying meal tickets is quite nostalgic, after all."

So it seems he won't be having the A-Rank meal today. Too bad.

Well, it's still one gold coin. He's spending gold coins left and right, but being a hero, or rather an S-Rank adventurer, must pay pretty well… Not that I'd want to risk my life working to earn that much, though. If I can just laze around and sleep, that's good enough for me.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

I was taking a pre-sleep nap before my main sleep when Rokuko came in eating pudding.

"Kehma, the hero is looking for you."

"… Not Narikin?"

I have a bad feeling about this.

I mean, as far as I know, I should only have met him as Narikin. Why is he looking for me?

"Yeah, he's looking for Kehma. Something about having something to discuss regarding Niku."

"Ugh, this sounds like it's going to be a pain… Can't you tell him I'm not here?"

"Well, the regular adventurers were all too eager to help, saying things like 'That guy? He's always sleeping at this inn,' and 'Kehma? Oh, that slacker,' and 'He's a big shot around here, probably knows more about this dungeon than anyone.' They were giving him all sorts of helpful information, so it's probably impossible."

Apparently he treated everyone to pudding. How generous. No wonder the adventurers were so loose-lipped.

Tch, I let my guard down.

Also, what's this about wanting to talk about Niku…? Ah, could it be that? After being rejected by Rokuko, did he fall for Niku at first sight?

"… I guess I have no choice. He's calling for me… Is he in his room?"

"He's waiting in the dining hall."

What does he want to talk about in front of everyone?

"… He tried to take Niku to his room, but Niku refused, so he's waiting there instead."

"Well, that hero doesn't seem like the type to forcibly drag someone to his room… Still, he tried to bring Niku to his room, huh."

I woke myself up a bit and headed to the dining hall.

I didn't really want to meet the hero looking like this if I could help it, but oh well.

Meeting him as Narikin in the first place was just to scope things out. I had a faint hope that my true identity wouldn't be discovered, but still.

When I entered the dining hall, Niku immediately came and clung to me.

The surrounding gazes gathered on me.

"Goshujin-sama."

"Hey, there there. What happened?"

When I patted Niku's head, her tail and ears swayed happily with a "～." I felt soothed. Alright, let's go back to my room and sleep.

"… Are you Kehma-san?"

The hero stopped me. Read the room, damn it.

"That's right. And you are?"

"Wataru Nishimi. I wanted to talk about that girl, but… my purpose has changed."

Judging from Wataru's line of sight, he was probably looking at my hair.

… Now then, has he figured out I'm Narikin? I didn't even change my voice.

"It's a bit hard to talk here, would you mind coming to my room?"

"Sure. Should I bring Niku along?"

"… Um, well, yes."

Hero Wataru seemed slightly flustered. For now, I took Niku with me to the suite. Some onlookers said things like "Aww, why not here?" but I ignored them. A conversation with the hero isn't the kind of event you show to background characters.

On the way, Wataru spoke to me.

"… You're Narikin-san, aren't you?"

"Wrong. I'm Kehma."

"Your voice is exactly the same! And you said you went out for restocking!"

"Didn't Narikin say he has a scar on his face? Do I look like I have anything like that?"

"Ah, true, you don't… Wait, no, I never actually confirmed that with my own eyes!"

Tch. He didn't fall for it.

"You! You're Japanese after all, aren't you?!"

"My parents were Japanese. I know a lot about Japan. Though I don't know everything."

"… Oh, I see."

He was obviously disappointed. I never said I wasn't Japanese though.

And with that, we arrived at the room.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Um, I asked you on the way here, but… is that young lady's parents also Japanese? She has black hair. Though she has dog ears."

"Niku was something I picked up, so I don't know. What about you, Niku?"

"… I don't remember my past. But if I'm the same as Goshujin-sama, I'd be happy."

What a good girl. I patted Niku's head.

"… So you really are Japanese, Narikin-san."

"I'm not Narikin, I'm Kehma."

"Then, Kehma-san… Do you know what 'Niku' means when you gave her that name?"

Hmm? What 'Niku' means? It's one of the common names for slaves, right? When Niku once said "I'll do my best to not be an embarrassment as a Niku," I asked her about it.

I also checked with Ichika just to be sure. Apparently it's slang with a wide range of meanings. While it can mean things like 'pet' or 'body pillow,' for adventurers in particular, it can also mean 'meat shield,' 'meat wall,' or 'bait,' 'decoy.'

Because of those disposable connotations, it's apparently not a very good meaning. When I asked Niku if she wanted to change her name, she said she didn't want to change the first name I gave her, and that she'd work hard to live up to the name, so it wasn't a problem.

… No, I don't intend to treat her as disposable, you know? She's my precious body pillow.

Since being a Dungeon Master is my main job, a bit of bad reputation doesn't matter. So I've just left her name as is, since that's what she wanted.

"I know, but is there a problem?"

"Heh… So you knew and still gave her that name."

WHAM! The table was smashed apart.

It was instantaneous. The table, which I had made quite sturdy, was split in two originating from where Wataru's fist struck. It was bent into a V-shape, completely destroyed.

A moment later, cold sweat broke out all over my body. What the hell, suddenly smashing the table—what's with that?!

But then I noticed Wataru also had an "Oh no, I did it" expression on his face. Meanwhile, Niku had taken a position to shield me while holding a Golem Knife ready, glaring at the hero.

This girl is so cool.

"… I misjudged my strength… I'll pay for it. However, aren't you ashamed to use such a small child as a shield?!"

"… Including the nuisance fee, 500 gold coins."

To my muttered words, Wataru lost his composure saying "Eh?! W-wait, um, c-can I pay in installments?" Alright, 500 gold coins secured.

"Ahem… I didn't think you were the kind of person who would lay hands on such a small child! I can't leave Rokuko-san in your care! Stay away from Haku-sama's little sister!"

Eh, lay hands? What's he talking about? Does he think 'slave = doing lewd things'? Is his head stuffed with cotton candy?

"The lolicons I knew would say 'Yes Lolita, No Touch' and absolutely never lay a hand on children…! They were, in a sense, real men among men…!"

I don't know anything about that! … Ah, but in terms of 'touch,' I guess I have been touching her. As a body pillow, though.

"Goshujin-sama, should I defeat him?"

"Stop. He's a hero."

And Niku was going at her own pace. In fact, she seemed fully prepared to win against the hero.

She's really grown up.