Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 239

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 239 – In the Coastal City of Strohm

Time flew in the blink of an eye.

This was something Ain had noticed ever since he arrived in Ishtalika.

What’s more, lately, it seemed to pass even faster than usual.

It was only the beginning of fall.

In a normal year, this would be a time when official duties would begin to wind down, but this year was different for Ain.

The summer heat still lingered, and the sky was clear and blue as far as the eye could see.

There was a slight coolness in the breeze, and it was quite chilly in the mornings and evenings.

“Wow.”

Today was the first day of moving.

Ain let out a voice that was both amazed and surprised from the gap in his open mouth.

In front of him stood a mansion that was bigger than he had imagined.

It had the same pure white exterior that was characteristic of Ishtalika, and there were… twelve floors if he counted correctly.

The garden was full of flowers and trees, and there was even a large fountain.

The gate was much thicker than that of an ordinary noble’s mansion, and the outer walls were also high.

Ain was surprised to find that before he knew it, the royal knights were standing guard at the gate as if it were their duty.

“It looks twice as big as the former Grand Duke Augusto’s mansion.”

“It’s about three times as big. And it’s not ‘former’; it was destroyed by Ain, wasn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

Ain nodded in agreement with the woman standing beside him, Krone.

Perhaps because she wasn’t working today, she was dressed in a long-sleeved sweater that covered her neck and a knee-length skirt. It was her casual wear, so to speak.

She was so charming that Ain wanted to hug her, but he couldn’t do that here.

…Still, three times as big? That’s surprising.

“Hey, isn’t it a little too big?”

“Ain-sama. Ain-sama. You say it’s too big, but His Majesty and the others will be staying here, right? Besides, you’re going to have parties here sometimes. In that case, I think this is only natural.”

At that moment, Chris spoke from Krone’s other side.

She still wore her pure white knight’s uniform, her golden hair adding a touch of color.

Ain nodded in understanding, trying to accept the size of such a large mansion, but …

“No, no, no. It’s still too big, isn’t it?”

“But it’s all our workplace, isn’t it? There were many archives and offices in the castle, right? Were there any useless rooms in there?”

“…No.”

“Right? This mansion isn’t just Ain’s residence. It’s also an important economic center for the coastal city of Strohm. So it makes sense that it’s so big.”

It was not exactly a government office, but it was true that important information was gathered here.

Hearing this, even Ain understood.

“His Majesty is supposed to arrive soon, so this will be the first party hosted by Ain-sama.”

“C-Chris? What do you mean?”

“What do I mean, you ask? His Majesty is coming, which means Lloyd-sama and Warren-sama will also be there. It’s official business, so we can’t just stay here and do nothing, can we?”

He had a lot to do right after taking up his new post.

He hadn’t even set foot in the mansion yet.

…Right now, standing between two people with no idea what to do was not a good look.

“The news of Ain’s transfer has been announced, but the official ceremony has not yet taken place. I suppose such ceremonies will be held in this mansion as well.”

That’s right. Ain remembered.

Since Ain arrived in Strohm, no major official duties have been performed.

For the time being, Warren’s plan was for Ain to actually live there.

Eventually, the royal family would gather, and such ceremonies would be held on a grand scale.

“There are a few things we need to think about, but for now, shall we go inside?”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Is this my room?”

Ain’s room was in the middle of the top floor, which was extremely inconvenient to access.

He met Olivia, who had already entered the mansion, and she showed him to his room.

“Yes, that’s right. Isn’t it about twice as big?”

“It seems to be.”

The room was divided by walls, creating a space similar to a living room.

The atmosphere was similar to Ain’s room in the castle, but the larger size gave it a more open feel.

In the center of the room were two large sofas facing each other, which could accommodate many people.

In the back, there was a large desk and bookshelves lined up along the wall, already filled with many books.

There also seemed to be a terrace with large glass doors leading outside.

“I think the desk is for working in the room. Ain’s office used to be on the floor below.”

“Just for a little work? It’s a pretty nice desk and bookcase for that.”

“If it improves the efficiency of your work, then it’s necessary.”

“…I suppose so.”

Despite being the Crown Prince, Ain still worried about finances.

Olivia told him that it was necessary, and he finally agreed.

“Ara. The back looks like a bedroom.”

Olivia walked ahead happily, urging Ain to follow.

At the back of the room, separated by a wall, was the bed that Ain would use.

Yes, it was a bed, but…

“I-isn’t it a little too big…?”

He was surprised when he saw the mansion, but he didn’t expect to be surprised by the bed as well.

Even compared to the beds in luxury inns, the bed in this bedroom was even bigger.

He couldn’t help but wonder how many times he would be able to roll over in it.

There were several pillows placed at the head of the bed, adding to its luxury.

Even if it was used by a couple – or even a family with two children—it still felt spacious.

“Fufu. If you feel lonely sleeping alone, you can call Krone-san.”

“Mo-Mother!”

“Or… Chris is fine too, and I’ll sleep with Ain anytime.”

(Mother, too… Hmm.)

Hmm. It wasn’t like that, but when he thought back to when he slept with Olivia as a child, he couldn’t help but smile.

Come to think of it; there was a time when he was that age… He cherished the memory.

However, when he thought of Chris, who had been given permission by a third party, he couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Watching Olivia press her finger to her glossy lips, Ain thought to himself.

“Looks, personality, emotions… and bloodline. The only problem is she’s a bit of a klutz.”

“Mother? Did you say something?”

“…No, nothing.”

Olivia’s words reached Ain’s ears as he was lost in his memories.

However, it didn’t seem to be anything important, and Olivia dismissed it as nothing.

Then Ain slowly walked over and sat down on the bed.

“Oh, it’s the same as the bed in the castle.”

He tried sitting down a few times to check the feel and realized that it was the same as the bed in the castle.

For Ain, who liked firm beds, it was the perfect feel.

“I think they were made by the same craftsman. I’m sure Krone-san took care of it for you.”

“She is a very capable assistant who always helps me.”

“Yes, she’s a very nice girl.”

Saying that, Olivia sat down next to Ain.

A sweet scent like an aphrodisiac wafted from her hair.

“H-huh…?”

Then suddenly… something unexpected happened, not only to Ain but also to Olivia.

Tree roots began to emerge from the soles of Ain’s feet.

“Ain? Why are you suddenly growing roots?”

Olivia asked Ain with a smile. But Olivia’s attitude changed immediately.

That’s because tree roots began to appear at her feet as well, intertwining with Ain’s roots.

She blinked repeatedly, her eyes fixed on the tree roots spreading out at her feet.

“Uh, um… Ain? If you want to be spoiled, you don’t have to go that far…”

“No, it’s not that! I mean, I don’t mind being spoiled by you, but I don’t understand why these roots are coming out…”

He denied Olivia’s misunderstanding while trying to be considerate.

Why did the roots come out? Even Ain himself didn’t know.

By the way, Olivia’s actions were also unconscious, but she didn’t seem to mind very much.

Even as they stood there, the two tree roots continued to intertwine as if trying to become one.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Ain. This… absorbing is a bit…”

“Absorbing…! Why, such a thing…”

When he was told that he had absorbed her, Ain suddenly stood up.

Then he drew the sword he had tucked into his waist and quickly cut off the roots coming out of him.

“Mother! Are you okay…!”

Before he knew it, Olivia’s breathing was ragged, and her face was flushed.

A thin layer of sweat glistened on her neck, and she could feel the heat spreading through her body.

Ain placed his hand on Olivia’s shoulder and quickly laid her down on the bed.

“Y-yes… I’m fine… right?”

Even as she spoke, Olivia’s hands clutched at her chest, intensifying Ain’s fear.

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from Olivia’s neck.

The first stroke was filled with concern, the second with care.

“…”

However, Olivia seemed to be tickled by Ain’s touch and twisted her body, smiling weakly.

Her breathing naturally became more sensual, and Ain’s hands quickly became shy.

When he saw her neck turning red, Ain’s eyes were immediately captivated.

This was something that even Olivia, whom he had called his mother and loved dearly, could not help. It was probably due to the way Ain was born, as well as her lack of memory of her previous life.

“Being absorbed by the World Tree… Should I be happy as a dryad?”

“Don’t be silly. I’m going to call Martha-san. Is that okay?”

“Yes… I suppose so. I’m a little sweaty, so I’m going to change. Can I borrow your room for a moment?”

“Of course. If you want, you’re welcome to rest here.”

With that, Ain hurried to Martha’s room. …But he didn’t know where she was waiting. So Ain decided to go out into the hall and call her name.

Then, just like in the castle, she appeared out of nowhere and hurried to take care of Olivia.

“What was that just now?”

Meanwhile, after Ain left, Olivia pressed her hands to her ample breasts and was confused by her racing heartbeat.

She didn’t look like she was in pain at all but rather seemed to be filled with a special sense of fulfillment.

Ain thought Olivia was in pain but in reality,

“The World Tree… It really is diabolical for dryads, isn’t it?”

Ain’s thoughts were wrong.

Ain thought that it was because Olivia was desperately trying to control her body.

She could feel an irresistible tremor running through her body from the sweet stimulation, and she was overwhelmed by the pain of trying to suppress it.

Describing the World Tree as diabolical, Olivia let out a deep, sensual sigh.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Olivia-sama, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I think so. When I wiped off the sweat, I could feel the tension in my body.”

“I see… I’m glad to hear that.”

A few minutes after the root incident.

Ain left the mansion with Chris and was on his way to run some errands.

It was a rather amusing story that the Crown Prince was running an errand, but it was something Ain had requested himself.

“I don’t know why, but I understand my mother very well. Maybe it’s because we’re both dryads or maybe it’s because I’m like a part of her or something like that.”

“Now that you mention it, Ain-sama was born from a split, so it’s not surprising that you understand. If I may point out your mistake, it’s not a dryad; it’s a world tree.”

“W-well, it’s acquired after all.”

Ain scratched his head with a half-smile in response to Chris’ remark.

“By the way, Marco-dono was very generous in allowing me to accompany Ain-sama.”

“Probably because he can keep an eye on the situation from this distance?”

“…W-what do you mean?”

“It’s an old story, but in the territory of the former Demon King… I mean, the former royal capital, Marco was the only guard. Back then, he could sense anyone who got close enough. So I think he thought that if we went to… um, let’s say the Adventurers’ Guild, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

In the end, when Ain visited the former royal capital, Marco easily hunted down a monster called a Lamprey Rabbit and presented it to Ain.

Even from a distance, the aura of a mighty warrior that he exuded left a lasting impression on Lloyd.

“Changing the subject, isn’t it unnecessary for Ain-sama to go there in person?”

“The members of the Adventurers’ Guild wanted to visit me tomorrow. But I have some free time, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to check out the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“I see… Oh, is Krone-san still meeting with the Commerce Guild at the mansion?”

“Yes. But I heard that the people who came to the mansion are from the August Trading Company.”

The two of them enjoyed their conversation as they walked through the streets of the coastal city of Strohm.

Even though it was a developing city, there was already a wealthy neighborhood called the Noble District, and naturally, Ain’s mansion was located there.

After walking for about ten minutes, the two of them left the Noble District and entered a busy main street.

As they looked around at the cityscape, they were immersed in an atmosphere unlike any other city they had visited before.

It was evening. Although it was autumn and the sun set early these days, perhaps due to the location, it felt like the sun set a little later than in the royal capital.

The wind carried the scent of the sea, and Chris fidgeted with the ends of her hair, not knowing what to do with herself.

“…I-I think it’s getting dry…”

It was a common saying that sea breeze was bad for your hair.

In addition, strong sunlight on hair weakened by the sea breeze can cause damage.

“It’s fine, isn’t it?”

“Eh… um… did you hear that?”

Chris probably meant it as a soft murmur to herself, but Ain’s keen senses picked it up easily.

Hearing her muttering about her appearance, Chris looked down and blushed.

“…Eii, eii.”

“Eh, wait. Chris? What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Just when he thought she was looking down, Chris reached out and nudged Ain.

But Ain brushed her hand away as if it were nothing.

“Mmm… That’s embarrassing!”

“…How unreasonable.”

Considering that she was standing right next to him, Chris should be the one who felt embarrassed.

But Ain didn’t say anything.

He knew she was just trying to hide her embarrassment, so he smiled wryly and changed the subject.

However, he was glad that Chris was acting so naturally around him, and he smiled softly to himself.

Actually, considering that Chris was his bodyguard, this attitude might not be appropriate. But…

(…After all, it hasn’t been made public, but Chris is also a member of the royal family).

Ain thought about Chris’ lineage. Nowadays, it was secret information that only the royal family and a select few know.

In fact, when it came to the purity of her blood, she was of a higher lineage than the current royal family.

In other words, her position didn’t matter. Although he was higher in rank as the crown prince, they were both members of the royal family.

“Ain-sama? Are you thinking of something strange?”

“Nothing at all. Your Highness Princess Christina.”

“What?! I told you to stop because it’s embarrassing!”

Even if she said it’s embarrassing, she couldn’t deny the truth.

Ain teased Christina as if to retaliate for her hand slap, then showed his white teeth with a satisfied expression.

“Mmm…”

“Don’t be sulky. …Ah, look. I can see the Adventurer’s Guild building—Huh? There’s a lot of people there.”

With Chris sulking next to him, Ain notices the Adventurers’ Guild coming into view.

The building was quite large. It was a four-story structure made of sturdy wood, which gave it a natural look.

Now that he thought about it, Chris’ description of the coastal city of Strohm was exactly right: it is like a condensed version of Ishtalika.

In some places, there were facilities and streetlights that seemed to embody the pinnacle of technology, like the magical city of Ist.

In other places, there were taverns and guilds reminiscent of the adventurer’s city of Baltic.

And if they walked a little further, they would probably reach a large port like Magna.

Perhaps because it was a newly developed city, the cobblestone streets and the exteriors of the buildings were still clean.

After considering the cityscape, Ain approached the crowd in front of the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Yes. Thank you, everyone. After all, I can’t stop. I have to keep growing… In a way, I think that’s the meaning of my life.”

(…Huh?)

Ain was surprised by the man’s voice that reached his ears.

The voice was clear and light, reaching Ain’s ears like a spring breeze.

“Everyone has to think about how to live. Are you just going to be an adventurer without a clear goal? Or will you just be a merchant without ambition? That’s no good. If there’s such a thing as bad luck, it’s the days when you don’t take action. That’s my belief.”

Looking up, he saw a man standing in the middle of the crowd.

He was sitting on a chair in front of the Adventurers’ Guild, his legs crossed dramatically, his elbows resting on the armrests, and speaking in an exaggerated manner.

“Haa… Light-sama. You look so cool today…”

“Those melancholic eyes… And the wonderful way you speak only words of wisdom. You are too wonderful…”

Looking at the crowd, nine out of ten were women.

They seemed to be attracted not only by his appearance but also by his words, nodding fervently in agreement.

Although he couldn’t fully agree with the overly dramatic words, even Ain could understand why, considering his appearance.

His appearance was that of a handsome man, rivaling Dill in his human days, and it was no wonder the women were in such a frenzy.

His hair was as clear and red as rubies, and his mole was prominent. His name, Light, seemed to fit his appearance perfectly.

“Today, I hunted a green wyvern by myself and brought it back. I’ll be able to make a bag out of it soon. So, if you want, I will give you a present. Take it.”

Seeing Light boasting about his day’s catch, the girls showed interest in the word “present.”

“It’s just a lizard, isn’t it?” Chris muttered next to Ain.

“Light-sama! What’s the present?”

One of the women shouted, and he made a “tsk, tsk, tsk” sound and pointed at her. It seemed like he wanted someone to ask him a question.

“Well, it’s nothing special, but you can eat with me. With this Light. Together.”

(… Oh, yes.)

Ain held his head in his hands, knowing that it was special for them but insisting that it wasn’t.

Glancing to the side, he saw the light fade from Chris’s eyes, and when he looked at her neck, he saw goose bumps forming.

“Do you want to watch the sunrise and have breakfast together? Or maybe enjoy a leisurely lunch together? Or maybe enjoy the night view and have dinner? Whether this ordinary time spent with this Light can become something special is up to you.”

Such provocative words were enough to have the desired effect on the girls.

Surrounded by cheerful shouts, Light waved his hand as if to say, “Calm down.”

“Ain-sama. Let’s go inside.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Ain gently tugged at Chris’s sleeve and decided to leave the area.

He walked past the crowd and put his hand on the thick door of the Adventurer’s Guild.

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