Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 295

TN: Please read my translations only on my website since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!

Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 295 – When the Festival Was Ruined

Strohm was a city where the major cities of Ishtalika blended together in perfect harmony.

During the festival period, especially, merchants flocked here from all over the continent.

“Speaking of which, what happened to the Ist Trading Company?”

“Huh? Graff-san is keeping a close eye on them, though.”

“…It certainly seems like business is tough for them.”

“The Ist Trading Company was funneling funds directly to the Ancient Biological Research Institute, after all. They can’t just claim ignorance.”

Ain smiled wryly as he held a skewer of grilled meat he had bought from a night stall. Its savory aroma wafted out as sauce dripped onto the stone pavement.

The crowd on the main street in Strohm was incomparably denser than usual. Yet Ain and Chris moved with nimble ease, shoulder to shoulder, weaving through the crowd.

“I wonder how that whole issue will turn out…”

“Hmm, I guess it’ll just have to work out somehow.”

“Oh, wait! You seem surprisingly lighthearted about it.”

Pulling her robe hood low over her head, Chris looked up at Ain.

“I was sure you’d say, ‘Of course I’ll go!'”

“Well, even I have my limits. I really want to, but there are so many other important things.”

Mainly, governing Strohm. But he couldn’t do the same thing he did with the Red Fox.

Maybe it would be faster if Ain took Marco and Cain to search.

(But I don’t have that luxury right now.)

Saying “whatever happens, happens” wasn’t resignation; it was accepting that he had no choice but to let things take their course.

He twisted his lips beneath the hood and stuffed a skewer into his mouth to distract himself.

“Lately, I’ve figured out a way to boost our fighting power when push comes to shove. Are you interested?”

“…You mean that cheeky man-eater?”

“A-ahaha… Well, yeah, that’s kind of it. He’s a good kid in his own way, though.”

As a parent, he desperately wanted to support her.

Ain knew Chris had gotten to know the Man-Eater’s personality well during their recent confrontation. But that one was just a little twisted.

“—Whoops, sorry about that, brother.”

“It’s fine.”

Suddenly, a man who looked like a traveler bumped shoulders with Ain.

Chris glared at the man before turning back and immediately asking Ain with concern,

“You’re not hurt, right? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Also… I think he’ll be back soon. But, ah, look.”

“Huh? …What!? Why is this flower here?”

“He’s actually a pretty good kid. He returned the wallet that was stolen, you know?”

As Ain said this, Man Eater peeked out cheerfully from the collar of his shirt.

It spat out Ain’s wallet, placed it in his hand, chuckled smugly, and vanished.

Ain checked the contents of the wallet and chuckled to himself at Man Eater’s good work.

“It was stolen? Then we should immediately go after that man—”

“I think that’ll be fine, too.”

Taking her hand just as she was about to dash off, Ain spoke softly.

“Because…”

“S-sorry. I couldn’t hear you. Could you say that again?”

“Sorry, sorry. Um…”

Then, Ain leaned close to Chris’s ear.

He was wearing a hood, so it was no wonder she couldn’t hear him clearly.

“Actually, the Man-Eater brought us something good.”

Hearing him so close, Chris could feel his breath and the vibrations of his voice, which made her blush.

She snapped to attention and pressed her hand to the ear closest to Ain and took a quick step back.

“Huh… Why’d you back away?”

“S-s-s-sorry! It’s just…it’s still too much for me to handle! But I’ll try my best to get used to it!”

“No, no, no. I’m not entirely sure what you’re talking about. But, hey, the ‘good stuff’ is this.”

“…Paper?”

Chris’s hands, faintly flushed, trembled slightly as she unfolded the paper that Ain had handed her.

“The inn’s room number? Oh, right. This paper is the receipt from the inn where he’s staying.”

“Yes, so if we show this to someone along the way… Ah, there they are.”

Noticing the knights standing nearby, Ain approached them with Chris.

“Excuse me?”

“Hm? What is it?”

The knight had noticed the two figures in robes but hadn’t recognized them as Ain and Chris yet.

“Check on the person staying in this room later. I think it’s a habitual pickpocket stashing stolen goods in there.”

“…I’m afraid I can’t just do that on a whim. Besides, without any evidence—”

“He was caught red-handed. Right, Chris?”

“Yes, caught red-handed.”

“Ch-Chris…? Could it be that you two are—?”

Ain placed his index finger to his lips, shushing the knight and smiling.

He quietly showed the knight the under of his hood. Chris followed suit beside him, revealing her face.

“My deepest apologies! I never imagined—”

“We’re incognito, so keep us a secret. Got it?”

“…My deepest apologies once again. I’ll send knights to the relevant inns immediately!”

“Yeah, it’s been a busy day, but I’ll leave it to you.”

As he watched the knight’s retreating back, Ain called after him in a relaxed tone.

Then, Chris flashed a gentle smile and spoke in a cheerful voice.

“Well, that’s one job done on our secret outing. Fufufu.”

“I meant to do this from the start, you know? The night market was just an excuse.”

“Ahaha—yeah. I know better than anyone that the latter was the real reason.”

Seeing Ain pout, Chris smiled at him happily once more.

Unable to think of a rebuttal, Ain raised his hand in mock displeasure and tugged at Chris’s hood.

“Whoa… W-wait a minute! What are you doing all of a sudden?”

“I just felt like I lost to Chris, and it hurt a bit.”

“Seriously? You did all this just because you were upset?”

“All right! Let’s go to another stall!”

“Ah, wait! Don’t leave me behind!”

How many night stalls did they visit after that?

They gave up counting halfway through and simply immersed themselves in the festival.

Beyond the food, they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the atmosphere of the festival, embracing even the slightly shady stalls lining the streets.

Honestly, it still wasn’t enough.

Without needing words, the distance between them naturally closed until the weight of his hand on hers felt almost heavy.

But then something happened that threatened to spoil the festival.

It was around dinnertime when they looked at their watches, thinking it was time to head back.

“Hey! That looks bad, doesn’t it?”

“Someone call a knight!”

The sound of commotion grew louder. It wasn’t the typical festive noise, but an unpleasant sound carrying a tense, ominous air.

“…I wonder what happened?”

Chris turned toward the source of the voices.

Then, before she did, Ain noticed the cause of the commotion.

“Yeah, that definitely looks bad.”

“Ain-sama? What exactly—”

“A rich-looking guy is holding a knife to a little girl.”

“Huh… This isn’t just bad; it’s terrible!”

But what did “rich-looking” even mean?

Before she could interject, Chris squinted and looked in that direction too.

The man holding the knife was dressed in high-quality clothing, and Chris could tell from his attire that he was of high status.

“A merchant, perhaps?”

“I think so. Let’s approach slowly.”

“Yes, understood.”

The onlookers weren’t egging the man on but were looking at the girl he was holding with worry.

“If it comes down to it, could you help?”

Of course, to stop the man.

“No, help or not, I’m the one who’ll do it, so Ain-sama can’t. Ain-sama is supposed to be the one being protected.”

“…Being the one being protected is a bit… hmm, but I understand.”

The crowd maintained a circular distance from the merchant.

Ain and Chris blended into the crowd, trying to see what had happened.

If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!