Uketsukejo ni Kokuhaku Shitakute Guild ni Kayoitsumetara Eiyu ni Natteta

Chapter 43: The Trip Home

T/N: Changed it to match the chapter’s contents. いざ帰省, what I did isn’t the literal translation but it’s pretty much the same thing. The actual title has more of an ‘inviting’ vibe though, idk if that makes sense. Might change it in the future if ever.

The morning of the day we planned to visit.

We arrived at the train station.

When I think about going to Garnet-san’s parents’ house, I end up restless while feeling a mix of joy and tension.

But—

“Uoooo! Just wait, Marin! Dorami’s coming now!” (Dorami)

Dorami seems to be the most restless.

It’s probably because she was looking forward to the trip yesterday. She spent the entire day carrying around her backpack and was so excited that she couldn’t fall asleep.

Even so, she managed to wake up earlier than usual, got dressed, and then couldn’t stay still as she gazed at the scenery outside the window.

Well, I’m not that different. The only thing I did differently is that I didn’t carry around my backpack yesterday.

“Dorami’s first~” (Dorami)

Dorami boarded the train and sat in one of the booths.

I sat next to her while Garnet-san sat in front of me.

“Your seat is over here~” (Dorami)

Dorami revealed the folding table by the window and placed the flower pot on it.

Momochi seems like it’s feeling good being bathed by the warm sunlight.

“Dorami, I’m going to store my backpack so give me yours.” (Jade)

“Thank you~” (Dorami)

“Garnet-san’s too.” (Jade)

“Thank you. I’ll leave it to you.” (Garnet)

I put everyone’s luggage on the rack and sat down.

Just then, Dorami was staring at my and Garnet-san’s face.

“What’s wrong with the two of you?” (Dorami)

“What do you mean?” (Jade)

“Your face is different from usual.” (Dorami)

Even though it was our long-awaited trip, she seemed to be wondering why I seemed all stiff.

“That’s because I’m nervous…wait, ‘the two of you’?” (Jade)

Looking at her closely, Gnaret-san’s expression is also stiff.

“Are you not feeling well?” (Jade)

“That’s not it, my heart’s just beating really fast.” (Garnet)

“Do you have a heart disease?!” (Jade)

“Eh?! That’s bad!” (Dorami)

“Please rest! I’m going to run to the apothecary right now!” (Jade)

“B-but the train is already departing!” (Dorami)

“It’s okay! My legs will be able to catch up!” (Jade)

“It’s not a heart disease, I’m just nervous.” (Garnet)

T-that’s it? Phew…

But, why is she nervous? For Garnet-san, it should just be as always.

“Garnet-san, are you not good with trains?” (Jade)

“If you’re scared, Dorami will hold your hand!” (Dorami)

Dorami squeezed Garnet-san’s hand tightly.

That’s unfair! I want to hold it too!

“Thanks, but I’m not afraid of trains. I’m nervous about going home.” (Garnet)

“…Are you not on good terms with your mother? Dorami will help you reconcile!” (Dorami)

Garnet-san gave the concerned Dorami a smile.

“I’m on good terms with my mother, I’m just nervous about introducing my lover to her.” (Garnet)

T/N: I’m considering changing ‘lover’ to something else. Current candidates are “partner” and bf/gf. I might also just decide to use them interchangeably.

“Then, should we act like we’re just friends this time?” (Jade)

Garnet-san shook her head.

“I want to introduce you properly. You’re the person I love, after all.” (Garnet)

“Me too! I’ll make sure to be a person she’ll acknowledge so she can feel at ease!” (Jade)

As I got excited, the train suddenly began moving.

It’s finally time.

Dorami looked out the window—wanting to arrive at Garnet-san’s home as soon as possible.

“By the way, did you remember to bring Dorami-chan’s jacket?” (Garnet)

“I did. Though, it’s pretty hot right now so I stored it in my backpack.” (Jade)

The weather in Garnet-san’s hometown is cooler than the capital’s, so I prepared this yesterday.

“Jade bought a really cool one! Dorami will wear it every day when it gets cold! She’ll also wear the gloves that Jade and Garnet will give her~” (Dorami)

“Jade-kun, have you already finished knitting the gloves?” (Garnet)

“No, I’m practicing with the muffler before the gloves.” (Jade)

“Good idea. Scarves are easier to knit than gloves, after all.” (Garnet)

“That’s what I thought too, but it didn’t really go as well as I expected… Do you want to see it?” (Jade)

She nodded so I took out the woven muffler from my backpack.

It’s shabby and full of gaps. It won’t be able to stand the cold.

“It’s better than the muffler I first knit.” (Jade)

Garnet-san told me in a gentle voice.

“This is the 10th muffler though…” (Jade)

“I said something unnecessary…” (Garnet)

“Not at all! I’m really happy that you care about me!”

Thanks to her, my motivation has been reignited.

I need to improve quickly so that Garnet-san won’t have to worry about me again!

“By the way, Garnet-san, have you finished knitting yet?” (Jade)

“Not yet. Before that, I need to check the size of your hands.” (Garnet)

“Alright. Next time, I’ll have to ask a craftsman to make a plaster sculpture of my hand.” (Jade)

“I don’t need something like that. Will you let me touch your hand?” (Garnet)

“Of course! Please touch it as much as you like…!” (Jade)

Garnet-san held my hand while my heart was pounding.

She slid her thin fingers between mine and put our palms together. Then, she squeezed each finger to check the thickness.

I’m happy but I’m also embarrassed that my heart is pounding so much.

“Do you want to touch mine too?” (Garnet)

“N-no, umm… I’ve managed to memorize it perfectly from just now…” (Jade)

Though, I actually really want to touch it.

But, I don’t think I’d be able to stay sane if I touch any more than this.

“Are you going to hold Dorami’s hand too?” (Dorami)

“I am.” (Garnet)

“Can I check too?” (Jade)

“Go ahead, go ahead~” (Dorami)

Dorami smiled as her small hand felt ticklish.

“Is that it? That was actually pretty fun…” (Dorami)

“We’ll have to measure you again next year. Dorami-chan is still growing so you’ll need new gloves every year.” (Garnet)

How nice~

I also want my hands to grow bigger each year.

“Dorami can’t wait for your (the two of them) gloves!” (Dorami)

“Don’t set your expectations too high. I’m not that good at it.” (Garnet)

“It doesn’t matter if you’re bad at it! Any gloves that you two make for Dorami will be just fine for her~” (Dorami)

Though she says that, I still want to make her a proper pair.

If it’s full of gaps, she’ll just end up feeling cold.

“If you don’t mind, I can teach you how to knit.” (Garnet)

“Thank you very much!” (Jade)

I took out my knitting set and sat next to Garnet-san.

At a distance where our shoulders are so close to each other, I’m losing focus. But, I have to focus on knitting right now!

Just like that, under Garnet-san’s guidance, I was diligently knitting a muffler—

Guu, guuuuuu.

After going through several stations in one day, Dorami’s stomach rumbled.

She glanced at the shelf—at the picnic basket.

“Would you like to have lunch soon?” (Garnet)

“Yeah!” (Dorami)

“No objections here!” (Jade)

Dorami put the flower pot on the chair and I brought the basket to the table.

The contents of the basket were egg sandwiches, ham and cheese sandwiches, and—

“What kind of sandwich is this?” (Dorami)

“It’s a jam sandwich. I made it using my homemade strawberry jam.” (Garnet)

“Yay~! It’s a sweet sandwich~” (Dorami)

After paying our respects to the food, I bit into the strawberry jam sandwich. My cheeks instantly melted with how delicious it was. [1]

Just then.

The conductor rushed into the train car.

While the passengers were confused about the situation, the conductor raised his voice.

“Are there any adventurers here who are five-petal class or higher?”

“What happened?” (Jade)

When I stood up, the conductor looked relieved.

“Phew… With Jade-sama here, there’s nothing to worry about! Some Iron Eaters seem to be blocking the tracks ahead of us and the adventurers from this town can’t defeat them.”

An Iron Eater is a monster equivalent to the five-petal class.

It’s a monster whose main diet is iron and because of that, it’s also as tough as iron.

Their main habitat is typically near iron mines so there shouldn’t be any of them around here…

It does look like a huge caterpillar so there’s also the possibility of that large bird mistook it for food. Brought to the sky, it attacked the bird and then fell onto the tracks.

Anyway.

I need to defeat the Iron Eater as soon as possible!

“However, since this isn’t a formal request, it’ll be difficult to pay Jade-sama… Of course, we can at least make your fare and onboard services free of charge, but…”

“Don’t worry about the money! Anyway, guide me to the monster! I want to defeat it quickly!” (Jade)

“I’ve never seen Jade-sama’s true face before…”

T/N: Not literally.

“I just want to secure our safety as soon as possible!” (Jade)

“As expected of the Selfless Hero!”

“Cheers to the Selfless Hero!”

The passengers applaud.

But, I really just want to continue traveling with Garnet-san.

If something happens to the train tracks, the train will end up flipping over and we wouldn’t be able to return home.

Then, Dorami stared at me with eyes that just seemed to yell ‘Rely on me!’.

“Do you need Dorami to support you?” (Dorami)

“Yeah. Your support will give me strength.” (Jade)

“The source of Jade-sama’s power is our support!”

“It’s proof of his love for the people!

“Alright! Let’s all cheer for him together!”

I got out of the car while the passengers cheered me on.

I walked along the railroad tracks—led by the conductor—and found a silver capital lying on the ground.

It was clinging to the rail and eating the iron.

“That’s the monster!”

“Got it!” (Jade)

I ran at the iron worm, pried it off the rails, then crushed it with my fist.

The ether that came out was absorbed into my Flower Crest.

“It’s over!” (Jade)

“S-so fast…”

“Because I’m used to it! Luckily, the damage to the rails doesn’t seem so bad…” (Jade)

“It’d still be better to replace it, just in case.”

“I guess so.” (Jade)

“Fortunately, the rails are stored at the station so it won’t take more than a day of work… Jade-sama, are you in a hurry?”

“No, you don’t have to worry about me. Safety comes first!” (Jade)

It’s absolutely unacceptable to endanger the passengers just for my sake.

I parted ways with the conductor and returned to the train.

There, I was greeted with applause. Dorami was heaving as if she couldn’t lose to the passengers.

“Thanks, Dorami.” (Jade)

“You’re welcome!” (Dorami)

“Dorami-chan’s voice was amazing.” (Garnet)

Garnet-san praised her. The applauding passengers also agreed, “The young lady’s voice was definitely the loudest!”, “I know her! She’s Jade-sama’s companion!”, “Even though she’s so young, she’s already that great,” and so on. Dorami was absolutely delighted.

She looked a little embarrassed while eating the sandwich and while trying to keep a straight face, she said, “Having a meal after all that cheering feels great…”

Well then, it’s time for the lunch I’ve been wanting for so long.

“Thank you for the food!” (Jade)

The conductor arrived and then talked about the rail repairs as I savored the sandwich.

Night.

We stopped at a small town.

It’s going to take some time to replace the rails so we wouldn’t be able to go to Garnet-san’s home today.

“Sleepy…” (Dorami)

Dorami was dozing off while we walked.

She was talking the whole without taking a nap.

I need to take her to the inn as soon as possible.

“Where is the inn?” (Garnet)

“Over here.” (Jade)

“Have you been here before?” (Garnet)

“Several times when I received some quests. If we go straight down this road, we’ll find an inn.”

“Jade is reliable.” (Dorami)

“You can travel with peace of mind.” (Garnet)

“You’re praising me too much…!” (Jade)

Feeling embarrassed, I took them to the inn.

We arrived at an old inn.

“This is the only inn in town.” (Jade)

“It’s small…” (Dorami)

“It’s a small town in the countryside. Having just one inn is already enough. Travelers rarely come here, so they usually make their living with the bakery.” (Jade)

“C-could it be that we’d be able to eat that bread here…?” (Dorami)

“Yeah. They gave me some freshly baked bread for breakfast.” (Jade)

“This is the best inn ever…!” (Dorami)

Even though she just ate an ekiben, she’s already hungry.

I entered the inn with Dorami and Garnet-san and headed straight to the counter.

When I rang the bell, an old man came out from the back.

“Welcome. Oh, if it isn’t Jade-sama. Long time no see.”

“It has. I’d like to rent two rooms, are there any vacancies?” (Jade)

“I’m sorry. There was a sudden influx of guests so there’s only one room left…”

“Got it. One room, then.” (Jade)

“Certainly. It’s the room to the right after going up the stairs to the second floor.”

I took the key from the old man and handed it to Garnet-san.

“I’ll come and pick you up tomorrow morning.”

“What are you going to do?” (Garnet)

“I’m going to camp outside.” (Jade)

“You’ll get sick if you sleep outside.” (Garnet)

“Thank you for your concern! In that case, I’m going to run to the next town!” (Jade)

“You work yourself too much…” (Garnet)

“This is just exercise for me! I’ll go sleep in the inn at the next town and come pick you up tomorrow morning!” (Jade)

“You don’t have to do that. Just stay in the room.” (Garnet)

Eh? Stay in the room?!

That means… staying in the same room with Garnet-san…?

I’m happy! I’m very happy but…! I’d be too nervous and I won’t be able to sleep!

B-but, it’d be rude to reject her invitation, isn’t it?

“T-then, I’ll take you up on that offer.” (Jade)

With my heart pounding, we headed to the room.

There is only one small bed in the small room.

“There’s no bath.” (Garnet)

“There’s a public bath nearby, but it’s closed at this time. There’s also the option of buying the entire thing though…” (Jade)

For times like this, I have 30 million Gol in my backpack.

I don’t know if they will sell it but this should be enough to become the owner for at least one day.

“That option’s no good. Let’s take a bath tomorrow.” (Garnet)

At Garnet-san’s suggestion, we decided to take a bath tomorrow.

“Then, all that’s left is to sleep…” (Dorami)

Dorami put the flower pot by the window and collapsed on the bed.

Garnet-san sat on the bed while I lay down on the floor.

She looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“…What are you doing?” (Garnet)

“I’m going to sleep…” (Jade)

“It’d be better to sleep in the bed.” (Garnet)

“But, there are no furniture stores in this town…” (Jade)

“I’m not telling you to go buy one.” (Garnet)

She can’t possibly mean—!

“Y-you mean to sleep in that bed?!” (Jade)

“We’ll be able to sleep together if we stick close.” (Garnet)

“B-but, is that okay…?” (Jade)

Garnet-san nodded, though she looked a little embarrassed.

“But, since I haven’t taken a bath today, Dorami-chan has to be in the middle.” (Garnet)

C-could she be concerned by her smell?

“There’s no need to worry! Garnet-san smells good, after all!” (Jade)

“Then… Jade-kun can sleep next to me.” (Garnet)

It became like that.

No, that’s not what I meant!

What I just said sounded like I wanted to sleep next to her!

It’s true though.

But the hurdle is too high for me!

And since it’s come to this, I can’t just say that I want Dorami to sleep in the middle too…

“T-then, excuse me…” (Jade)

I turned off the Light Mushroom’s lights and lay next to Garnet-san.

Our shoulders and hands were touching. Her body temperature was being transmitted directly to me and her smell wafted through the air…

I can’t sleep like this!

In the end, my heart was pounding so much that I wasn’t able to sleep.

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Translator’s Corner:

[1] – It’s a common stereotype how Japanese only call food ‘美味しい (oishii)’, and the author is probably trying to avoid that cause he uses “美味しそうにほっぺたを緩ませる” a lot. It literally means, “It’s so delicious that my cheeks melted”. He uses it so much though and it’s a problem cause it sounds weird in English…