
Darren and his friends are on their way back to Friedlich. During the trip, things felt very awkward between them.
Darren looked at Tomatsu's attitude which became colder than usual. He seemed to be thinking about something, and it seemed to bother him.
Tora also looks strange. He remained silent during the journey. Darren had tried to get her to talk, but she seemed to have no intention of chatting. He didn't even look at Darren.
Only Shiro looked normal. He walked side by side at Darren and he whispered softly that Tora had been acting strangely ever since they came out of the Dungeon.
"Is this the effect of the battle?" Darren Mumbled. "A fierce battle can indeed interfere mentally. Tora might still be a little shocked by that."
Their journey took half a day and they could only reach Veronheim City, still very far from the castle.
"We seem to have to find an inn" Darren said as he looked at the slowly darkening sky.
"I agree with you, Esema-sama," Shiro said, while the others did not look so concerned with Darren's choice.
They walked towards a pretty good inn in the city. The location is not far from restaurants and baths, so they can be there at any time.
"I've booked four rooms" Darren said as he approached his three friends who were waiting in the waiting room. "Each of them will have their own room."
"W-Is that okay, Esema-sama?" Shiro looked worried. "I mean, this inn is pretty good. It's not cheap either."
Darren replied with a smile. "It's okay. After all, my salary in the castle is also more than enough. At least, as a good employer, I have to make sure both of my colleagues can sleep comfortably."
Shiro was a little taken aback by Darren's words. As usual, he still felt bad for Darren. He sometimes wondered if he was really a child.
Everyone has gone into their rooms. Darren gets a room at the end of the hallway, and Shiro's room is next to him, and then Tora's and Tomatsu's rooms next to him again in quick succession.
Darren put his body on the bed. Folding his hands under his head, he looked into the void of his mind.
Silence... It was as if memories from the past had reappeared in a fist.
"I miss my mom" Darren said in a soft voice. "What are their news now?"
Tok... Suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"Who?" Ask Darren loudly.
"It's me" replied Shiro from behind the door. "Can I come in?"
"Yes. Just go in."
Shiro opened the door. He saw Darren lying on his bed with a gloomy face.
"What's the matter, Darren-sama? You look moody" Shiro asked. "What a fight that makes you tired."
Darren just nodded slowly without looking. "Yes, maybe."
Shiro walked over to Darren. He sat next to Darren on the bed. Just being around him, Shiro could feel the sadness in Darren.
"Darren-sama, if you have any complaints, you can tell me," Shiro said softly. He hopes this will make Darren's heart better.
"Hm, yeah. Thanks, Shiro. But I'm fine," Darren replied, turning his face into a smile. He realized that Shiro was watching him.
"By the way," continued Darren. "It's dinner time. We'd better get Tora and Tomatsu."
Shiro nodded. His heart felt calmer after seeing Darren smile.
Tok, tok, tok, Darren knocking on Tora's room door.
"Tora, do you want to eat?" He spoke a little louder to be heard through the door. "It's your night."
But there was no response from Tora. Darren was confused. He waited a few more moments and knocked again.
Geck, tok, tok. "Tora, are you okay?"
But Tora did not answer. Darren thinks that Tora may still be in shock and wants to be alone for a while.
"What about Tomatsu?" Darren asked while looking at Shiro.
"Tomatsu-sama said that he would not. He said, just go by yourself, "Reply Shiro.
Darren sighed heavily while shaking his head due to their attitude.
"Huff, it seems like we better leave them alone for now. We can bring him some food later" Darren said. "Come, Shiro."
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As soon as they left the inn, it was already night but the hustle of the city did not decrease at all. The activity there is still the same as during the day. Many people passed by, some sold snacks, and some shops put beautiful lanterns on the doorstep.
"The crowd," Shiro said as he looked at the street of the city full of light.
While Darren feels uncomfortable because he does not like the crowd.
"Let's go straight to the restaurant. I'm hungry" Darren said.
They arrived at a restaurant near there. The place is pretty good for a cheap restaurant. There are plenty of food available and alcoholic beverages.
A servant girl approached them. "What message do you want?"
Darren turned towards Shiro. "What do you want, Shiro?"
Shiro replied, "I have the same message as you, Esema-sama."
After a long wait, their food finally arrived. Two servings of steak meat with some vegetables on the sidelines.
Shiro looks ravenously eating it, while Darren starts to look glum. He thought about Tora and Tomatsu acting strangely.
"Eh, yes. What's up, Shiro?" Darren looks dazed.
"Are you okay? Is the food bad?"
Darren shakes. "Ah, no, no. I'm fine, and the food is good, too" he said as he directly cut the meat and devoured it.
Shiro. He knew that Darren must have been thinking about something and he wasn't very good at hiding it.
"Darren-sama, if there is anything you can talk to me," Shiro said softly.
Darren just glanced at him and then smiled knotfully. "Yes, thanks Shiro."
After finishing their dinner, Darren did not forget about Tora and Tomatsu. He bought food and wrapped it up for the two of them at the inn.
During the trip back to the inn, Darren always showed a look of unease. The crowded city situation really bothered him.
"Is this town never deserted, huh?" Gerricks Darren. He saw a lot of people passing by.
Shiro. "Darren-sama, don't you like the crowd?" Ask.
Darren shook his head lazily. "The crowded places just make me dizzy."
There was the sound of a small laugh coming from Shiro's mouth. "It turns out Darren-sama is a funny person huh."
"Hey, hey, what's so funny. So nolep people are funny," Darren replied in a joking tone. Now his feelings are better. "Here you go, let's hurry back. Tora and Tomatsu may be starving already."
Darren quickened his footsteps, and so did Shiro. As he was about to enter the front door of the inn, Darren accidentally saw Shiro who seemed to be interested in something.
A small cart with some toys lined up for sale. Shiro seemed to want such a toy.
"Do you want to, Shiro?" Tanya Darren offered.
Shiro looked surprised. He didn't expect that Darren would catch him.
"No, no, I don't. anu..." Shiro tried to deny.
Darren smiles. "It's okay. If you want, I can buy it for you."
Shiro just kept quiet while looking down embarrassed. But soon, he couldn't turn down Darren's offer. He nodded his head slowly.
Slowly Darren walked up to the merchant with Shiro following him from behind.
"Where do you want?" Darren showed me different types of toys.
Shiro was embarrassed, but he chose. His attitude is similar to that of a child.
"That one," Shiro pointed at a small doll made of wood. With beautiful carvings and shiny colors, the toy is good too when viewed.
Darren turned to face his merchant. "This is mas. I'll take three, yeah."
Shiro straightened his ears, he was a little shocked at Darren's words.
"Buy three?" Her thought.
"of course. One for you, one for me, and one for Tora" Darren replied as he received the little dolls. "May Tora like it."
Shiro smiled happily as he received Darren's gift doll. Although the shape is small and hard, but Shiro grasped it continuously and did not let go.
"Be careful, Shiro. That thing is hard. If you hold it too firmly, your palm can get hurt" Darren said as he entered the inn.
Shiro only laughed a little and his face looked very excited. Darren was satisfied to see it.
"I will take good care of this doll, Darren-sama," Shiro said.
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Upon returning to the room, Darren gives Tora and Tomatsu their dinner.
Tomatsu only opened the door and received the food without saying much. After that, he closed the door again.
Meanwhile, Shiro delivers his food to Tora. Just like Tomatsu, he just opened the door and accepted it without leaving a single word. Even he did not struggle at all when Shiro gave him the wooden doll.
Darren became increasingly concerned about their circumstances. He kept thinking about it until he went back to the room.
"What's wrong with them?" He muttered while lying on the bed. "But my feeling is that this is not a magic effect. Maybe it's a psychological influence, though I'm not sure."
Darren. He walked to a table and sat in a chair. Under the light of the oil in the room, Darren was intending to try the magic that he had just imitated earlier.
"Elemental Park: Non-Eucl..." But before he tried, someone broke Darren's door in.
"T-Tomatsu?" Darren surprised. He felt Tomatsu sort of radiating a different air. "W-What do you want these nights for?"
Tomatsu walked straight to Darren and stopped in front of him. The look of his eyes that were very serious combined with his beautiful face, making the atmosphere tense.
Darren becomes confused as to what happened, until Tomatsu suddenly opens his mouth.
"You're not from this world, are you?"
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"Eh? EEH!?"