I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace (WN)

Chapter 2426 - Stargazing Wine ①

If Bell were to run through the streets, it would cause a commotion, but walking all the way outside the city from a house located near the center of the royal capital would be far too far.

And so, for when we go on walks, I have the area outside the capital registered in the teleportation magic tool. It is just outside the west gate, so there is a bit of distance to the southern hill, but with Bell’s speed that is no problem.

After making some quick preparations, I teleport together with Bell and Sieg-san to the registered location. The sun has already set, and it is dark all around, so I activate two floating illumination magic tools and adjust their direction so they shine forward like car headlights.

[Bell, it’s dark, but are you okay?]

[Gau!]

Well, Bell can see in the dark anyway, so there’s no problem, but if it’s pitch black, neither I nor Sieg-san can see ahead…… actually, if Sieg-san uses her special magic, she can see at night about as well as in the daytime, so this is mostly for me. Since I can’t see ahead, it’s a bit worrying, so I decided to light the path.

At my signal, Bell dashes forward at considerable speed, but with the anti-fall and motion-dampening magic tools active, it’s completely safe and very comfortable.

[She really is fast. At this rate, we should reach the southern hill soon.]

[Yeah. Still, it’s a fair distance, and it’s longer than our usual walking route, so going straight there should be fine.]

I give a light reply to Sieg-san, who is riding behind me. Bell’s body is very large despite her being young, and even with both me and Sieg-san riding, there’s plenty of room. Thanks to the magic tools, it’s stable on her back, so we don’t need to press close together the way you would when two people ride a horse.

It feels like a bit of a waste, but realistically, if there were any shaking, I’d definitely be the first one to lose balance, and then I’d probably end up being the one clinging to Sieg-san.

[……Hmm, it’s not that it’s necessary, but it does feel a bit of a shame.]

[Hm? What does?]

[Well, in romance novels, when people ride together, the man and woman end up pressed close and become aware of each other, right? Being in a similar situation but without that feels like a bit of a waste.]

[Ah, I kind of thought that too.]

As a side note, Sieg-san reads a lot of novels. She’s the one who first showed me the bookstore, and she seems to have always read quite a bit. She prefers stories with narrative elements, like novels.

Before, she mostly read adventure tales and the like, and hardly any romance, but after we became lovers, she started reading romance novels now and then.

After that conversation, Sieg-san quietly slips her arms around my stomach from behind and presses close.

[Like this, perhaps?]

[I don’t know what the perfect answer is supposed to be, but this feels pretty nice.]

[Hehe, I like things like this too. Then, until we reach our destination, let’s stay like this……]

It is not a tight embrace. She isn’t clinging to me, but with her arms gently around me, the warmth of her hands, the heat of her body against my back, and her soft voice right near my ear……

It isn’t just soothing, this gentle closeness that makes me think “I’m really happy” feels unbelievably pleasant.

It did not take long before we arrived at the hill. There were no trees or anything else blocking the view, making it an excellent place to see the stars.

Since it was a fair distance from the royal capital, it seemed no one else had come all the way out here to watch the meteor shower. It appeared that, although rare, monsters sometimes showed up in this area as well, so it would likely be difficult for ordinary people to come.

As for us, there was no problem at all, monsters are very sensitive to those stronger than they are, and they almost never pick fights with stronger creatures. So among the monsters that inhabit the Human Realm, there are almost none that would attack when Bell is present. A few dangerous types, like wyverns, which are low in intelligence and aggressive, might attack regardless, but such monsters do not live near the capital, so we could watch the stars in peace.

Once we got off Bell and found a good spot to lay down the sheet after discussing it with Sieg-san, Bell immediately laid down like she had been waiting for this, wagging her tail and staring at me with eyes full of expectation.

[……You just had dinner, so only one, okay?]

[Gau!]

To summarize the look Bell was giving me: “See? I laid down nicely and became a backrest. I’m a good girl, right? Reward, please.”

Smiling wryly at that, I took from the magic box what Bell was certainly hoping for, a hunk of meat larger than my arm, and placed it before her.

What it was, essentially, was something like beef jerky. It was made from the meat of an Agisauro…… a monster that lives in the Demon Realm. I’ve never seen one personally, but based on the illustrations, it looks like a Tyrannosaurus-like creature. It’s processed into a treat for large pets, and it’s one of Bell’s absolute favorites.

Humans, by the way, can’t eat it. Not because it’s poisonous, but because…… it’s absurdly hard. So hard that even steel literally cannot dent it. So hard that if someone strong were to swing this jerky like a club, they could smash iron armor with it.

[Gau~~]

Lynn and Sela also refuse to eat this jerky because it’s too tough, but for Bell, it seems to have the perfect chewiness and flavor, making it the best treat ever. Whenever she gets some, she cherishes it and eats it slowly, savoring every bit.

Watching Bell happily gnaw at her jerky, I smiled, then leaned back against her body with Sieg-san as we gazed up at the sky.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Calm down, Kaito! Keep it gentle, keep it heartwarming! You’re already flirting a little, but you can still turn back! Sure, drinking together under the stars with your lover…… it’s a perfect situation for flirting! But there are noble ladies out there suffering stomachaches because of you, you know!!! In a situation like that, don’t you feel the least bit guilty about flirting with your girlfriend?! Alice also said something concerning, so let’s focus on that instead!!]

? ? ? : [Ah, that part’s fine. Last chapter, I…… err, Alice-chan hinted to Kaito-san that “when Kaito-san gets involved, the trouble multiplies, so please behave and just enjoy your date with your girlfriend”. Kaito-san is also someone who switches gears quickly, so he took the hint properly. He’s letting me handle things while he enjoys his date.]

Serious-senpai : [W- Why did you have to add that unnecessary clarification……]