The Warmth of Another

We walked from the portal back to the shop, and I unlocked the rear entrance to let us in.

"Go ahead and head to your rooms."

"Understood."

I sent Azu and the others back to their quarters and stepped out to check on the shop floor.

Mina was right in the middle of restocking.

"Owner! Welcome back!"

"I'm back. How's the shop been?"

"Business dropped off a bit once the cold really set in."

Mina talked while she restocked the shelves.

Having worked at a diner, she was a hard worker.

"Can't be helped this time of year. Kaimol may have already told you, but you can buy burning stone and firewood with the employee discount. Make sure you're staying warm."

"If you don't light the hearth before bed, you'll freeze to death, right?"

Mina said it with a laugh.

"Owner, welcome back. That letter you sent gave me a scare."

"Kaimol. Sorry for leaving you in charge again."

"It's fine. I'm used to it by now."

Kaimol had appeared while I was talking to Mina.

The shop was just as Mina described. Sparse customers, quiet.

This time of year, the only buyers were people stocking up on fuel like burning stone and firewood, or customers buying winter provisions and food.

Adventurer-grade goods didn't move at all.

"True, I've been away from the shop more and more lately."

"I'm used to it. I've gotten a pretty good handle on procurement, too."

"Oh?"

Kaimol had been with me since I took over the shop, making him the most senior employee.

Diligent, hardworking, good with numbers.

He was the employee I relied on most.

He made mistakes now and then, like that soap ordering mistake, but well within tolerance.

"Keep it up. Where's Sara?"

"We had a lull, so I sent her on a meal break."

"Got it. I'll leave the rest to you."

With that, I left the shop in their hands and went back through the rear.

I checked the ledger. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Mina had said customer traffic was down, but thanks to last year's expansion, sales were actually up.

No danger of running in the red.

Aroma oils and scented candles were selling better than I'd expected.

Probably because people spent more time indoors during winter.

I'd been about to place an additional order with Ramiza the alchemist, but it turned out Kaimol had already taken care of it.

With nothing left to do, I locked the ledger back in the safe.

"Might be time to leave the shop to them for good."

I muttered to myself.

If the shop could run without me, there was no need for me to be here.

I'd never intended it to go that way, but with how often I'd been away, the employees had stepped up naturally.

New ventures were gradually taking shape, too. I needed to start thinking about that as a real option.

A person only had one body. Unfortunately, you couldn't do everything.

I headed upstairs.

Passing the room Azu and the others shared, I could hear plenty of noise from inside.

They'd been through a lot. They were probably unwinding.

A few more steps brought me to my own room at last.

I opened the door, stepped in, and hung my winter coat on the rack.

Sank into the chair.

Leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

Finally, a moment's peace.

I sat like that for a while, gazing upward, until a knock came at the door.

"Come in."

It was Elza.

She sat down on the rug as she always did.

"What is it?"

"I finished putting things away, so I thought I'd bring up what we'll need if we're doing the farming."

"A bit eager, aren't you? We haven't even secured the land yet."

"No, no, not at all. If we put fragments of the Elemental Stone in the backyard garden for now, it won't go to waste."

"… Will that be enough?"

"Well, it does have an effect. And if we tend it properly, I think we'll see real results."

Elza had a point.

She was knowledgeable about spirits, and tools for a home garden wouldn't cost much.

"All right. I'll get them ready. We don't carry fertilizer, though. I'll give you some money, so buy it from Ramiza's place."

"Why not come with me?"

"Hmm."

I'd been glued to the chair since sitting down, but it was still light outside.

There was time enough for one more errand.

Going together was fine.

"Let's go, then."

"Great. I'll get ready."

Elza left the room.

I shifted my weight forward, stood up.

Grabbed the coat I'd just hung up and put it back on.

In the brief time it had been hanging, it was already ice cold.

I waited by the back door, and Elza came downstairs.

She wasn't in her usual priest robes. Instead, she wore warm winter clothes.

A wool sweater on top, a long, heavy skirt on the bottom.

Underneath that, she had on black tights or something similar.

Having grown accustomed to seeing her in vestments, the change was refreshing.

"Does it suit me?"

She pinched the edges of her skirt and lifted it slightly.

Her legs below the knee came into view.

"It suits you well."

"Thank you. I bought it with the money you gave me. Azu-chan and Alexia-chan bought new clothes too, so look forward to seeing them."

Elza released her skirt, walked over, and looped her arm through my left.

"H-hey."

"It's cold. Let's stick together."

Elza's soft warmth pressed against my arm.

It was true that being this close kept the chill at bay.

But this made us look like a couple.

I tried to pull free, but there was no winning a contest of strength against Elza.

We ended up walking like that.

Elza was a beautiful woman. As a man, I didn't exactly mind, but I couldn't seem to relax.