A fourth chapter today, woohoo! Getting a bit of a reunion. Please enjoy.

The Preceding Hero's Inn Search ～Failure Part～

Having arrived at the Free City of Galarie, we first searched for an inn to stay at but,

「Ehh!? This place also has no vacancies?」

Due to the fact that the main matches of the Martial Arts Tournament that was on a global scale was going to happen in a few days, all of the inns had no vacancies.

「Sorry 'bout that, the inns 'round this area have had no vacancies since three days ago, ya see」

「No way……」

Receiving the apologetic sounding apology from the inn's proprietress, I departed from the inn.

「How was it? ……Wait, I guess there's no need to ask that.」

「She said that all of the inns around her are out.」

After saying it out loud, it was an understandable reason. With such a large-scaled festival, there was no way tourists from around the world wouldn't gather.

「I guess we took it a bit too lightly.」

「How about we try relying on this area's church?」

I see, that's a good idea……is what I would like to say, but personally, the church is a bitー.
There isn't anyone else as decent as G.o.d, but in my own opinion, I would like to decline things becoming troublesome at the church which is said to be the house of G.o.d.

「If worst comes to worst, we can just stay on the airs.h.i.+p again.」

「That's true. ……Well then, first off, we should have a meal.」

「Uwahー, you're making a really delighted looking face. Well, I guess you'll enjoy it after easily putting it in your stomach.」

Since it would be troubling if she were to overeat, I swore in my heart that we would go to a cheap store.

「Yas.h.i.+ro-aniki, I'm gonna go ahead of you and go to the territory estate.」

「To the territory estate? Why would you do that?」

「The one managing the Magic Clad Martial Arts Demonstration is Feudal Lord Oisast. The victors of each district need to report to the reception at the territory estate.」

For the Feudal Lord to be managing the Martial Arts Tournament……No, well, there's not really anything to say.

「Well then, I guess we'll temporarily split up here. What should we do for the meeting place?」

No matter where you looked, the vicinity was filled with people. It would be best if it were a place that stood out as much as possible but……

「Come to think of it, there was a water fountain on the road we just pa.s.sed through. Should we go with that?」

「If it's that, I feel like it's a bit small……」

「Then……」

Kuon and Bernadette looked for things that looked like they could be a landmark, but none of them really hit it off with me. The other places were also filled with probable things.

「……Jeez, how about that Coliseum over there. Isn't that fine?」

「It's a bit far but……Okay. If it's there, it doesn't feel like we'll lose our way.」

What I pointed at was the gigantic Coliseum that seemed like it could accommodate half of the tourists that filled up this town of Galarie.

Both Kuon and Bernadette nodded at my proposal.

「Well then, see you later!」

Jumping up as soon as she said that, Kuon headed to the territory estate while hopping up and down on top of the buildings.
I understand that doing that was definitely faster than going through the crowds of people, but even if she didn't do such a conspicuous thing……

Ah, I saw her underwear.

「Uwah, Kuon-san really is amazing.」

「Yeah, to think that she would move like that despite wearing a mini-skirt and a fundos.h.i.+. Is it a thing where she's not embarra.s.sed because it isn't panties?」

「Just what in the world are you talking about!」

「Eh? Weren't you talking about how amazing it was that she wasn't embarra.s.sed after showing off her underwear?」

「I was not! I was talking about how amazing her jumping ability was!」

Bernadette glared at me while her face was red. ……Wh, what could it be. I'm getting a thrill even though I'm being glared at.

「Tahaha……W, well then, how about we randomly go around the eateries.」

「What an obvious change of topic……Well, that's fine. I'll slowly lecture you about this matter while eating a meal.」

*Bis.h.i.+* (forceful action). Bernadette pointed her finger at me.
It can't be helped. Since I am self-aware of how lacking in delicacy I am, I'll just resign myself and receive the lecture.
By no means was it because I was looking forward to Bernadette's lecturing now that she had gained a personality like that of an Onee-san who had just moved into the neighborhood.
Not that at all.

「Well, now that it's decided, let's decide a store! Quality or quant.i.ty, if we had to pick one, it definitely has to be quant.i.ty, right?」

Bernadette stuck her hand into the slit on her thigh and pulled out a pamphlet.

「Quality or quant.i.ty, huh……Since it's mentioned in the pamphlet, the taste shouldn't be bad, so a vote for quant.i.ty.」

「As expected of you, Yas.h.i.+ro-san, you really get it. As I thought, eating until a full stomach is what a meal is.」

When I replied to her, Bernadette smile with a broad grin.
You really do love eating food, don't you.

「Now, let's go, Yas.h.i.+ro-san!」

「Wait, oi……Well, whatever.」

My left hand was caught──No, gripped by Bernadette and pulled.
Even though I was forcibly dragged along, when I tried to resist, I mistook that delighted-looking profile of hers as poison and stopped caring.
The pulling power on my hand lightly, but firmly gripped me.

「……Why are there……so many people.」

In the town of Galarie, a young lady walked while making a dignified expression that had a bit of a frown.

With every step forward that she made, her characteristic red hair swayed. Her red hair that was bundled together into two tufts followed her like the afterglow of tail lamps on a dark night.

Looking closely, her manner of walking was also wild, and one could perceive that she was irritated.

「……I've totally gotten separated from Kaito and the others!!」

The young lady continued to walk forward while having somewhat teary eyes.
To be frank, she was Akane of the Second Generation Hero Party.

The story was short.
Although she went to go sightseeing with Amagi Kaito and company, once she took a stroll, she strayed away from them before she knew it, and became lost just like that.

Normally, for better or for worse, she would usually take some kind of action, but since being all alone in an unknown land was disheartening, she became unable to have her usual thoughts.
Therefore, she was advancing forward for the time being while becoming teary eyed.

「To begin with, it's because that 『Witch of Time』 said that she wanted to come to this city that things went wrong! What～ do you mean 「……Something terrible will occur in that land. It cannot be left as is」. Isn't not knowing what will happen despite being able to see the future totally a fatal flaw? Also, Kaito is also being a Kaito! Even though he knows that I have no sense of direction…………っ!?」

Her grumbling that seemed like it would continue on for eternity suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

With her eyes wide open in shock and her mouth hanging open, ahead of where she extended her trembling hand and pointed index finger was──,

「Wha, w-w-why are you here!!」

「Uoh, the f, frenzied pigtails!?」

「Who the heck are you calling frenzied!」

Holding hands with an awfully big breasted woman, the young boy that they had been summoned to this world together with and then had separated from right after that……Yas.h.i.+ro Yuu had a surprised appearance just like Akane.