After parting with the Saint with whom I spent the night.
The week at the sin city known as Sinital was not as indulgent and sinful as one might think.
The services provided by the hotel were excellent, and there were various gambling establishments and entertainment venues scattered around.
Although noisy parties were held every night, there wasn’t much that I found enjoyable.
Instead, I made acquaintances with some of the locals, who were quite relaxed and cheerful in nature, akin to natives of this Sinital.
“Our citizens also engage in illegal gambling. It’s mainly for outsiders.”
“Is that so?”
“In reality, not many people actually want to do it, you know?”
For example, my friend Sohelin, with whom I was currently conversing, said so.
Sohelin was the son of a pawnshop owner in Sinotel, and he wore expensive clothes and jewellery that unmistakably indicated his wealth.
Being somewhat knowledgeable about luxury and extravagance, I could tell how expensive his clothes were.
“With so many gambling establishments around, don’t you ever feel tempted? It’s fascinating.”
“Do you really think people want to participate? Many end up ruining themselves by entrusting even their underwear to our pawnshop. It’s heart-breaking to witness.”
“True.”
To the citizens of Sinital, the outsiders who come for gambling are like moths rushing into a flame.
The most exhilarating pastime for the citizens of the sin city was nothing more than the parties held throughout the city.
Parties adorned with alcohol, lights, and magic, filled with glamour and the scent of wine.
I had been to one of Sohelin’s parties upon his invitation before, and it was somewhat challenging to adapt with so many people constantly approaching for conversation.
It was tiresome dealing with strangers incessantly, unlike conversing just the two of us.
“Sentimental, you’re leaving Sinital today, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Some friends I met at a party were insistent on inviting you again, but I guess they’ll be disappointed.”
“If they decide to visit the City of Adventurers, they’re welcome to. Just let me know beforehand.”
“Would they actually go? They’re the kind who hardly even glance outside the Sinital, considering it dull and suffocating.”
I had already checked out of the hotel.
Despite spending a week here, it seemed this city didn’t quite resonate with me.
People were friendly, and the food and drinks were enjoyable, but overall, it felt too chaotic and overwhelming.
“So are you heading straight back to the City of Adventure?”
“Well, I still have a week of vacation left, but… hmm, there’s nothing else that comes to mind, so I guess that’s the plan.”
The month-long vacation was meant to experience life after retirement.
Luxury in the Empire, the idyllic life in the Dragon’s Ridge, and the entertainment in Sinital were all part of a vacation with different themes.
And none of them truly appealed to me.
Perhaps setting no specific ‘purpose’ from the start and merely relaxing was the initial mistake.
In the end, even if vacationing in a foreign city is enjoyable, it can be exhausting and tiring.
“Feel free to visit Sinital again anytime. You don’t even have to book a hotel; we can accommodate you in our house.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Or if you want to see those friends again, you can stay at their place. Frankly, with you around, they wouldn’t have to worry about lodging, partying every night.”
“Haha, I think that might be too much for me.”
And so, the vacation in Sinital came to an end.
***
“…Back here again.”
The City of Adventure, with its grandeur and mysteries.
Returning to the lodging of the hero party, I lay down on the familiar bed and gazed up at the ceiling.
There was nothing predetermined about what to do here, or where to go. I simply came here because I wanted to rest.
Though I fled from here wanting to leave, now that I’m back, it feels like there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, even amidst my weariness and conflicting thoughts.
Even the thought of such things was tiring, so I quietly closed my eyes.
I tried to quiet my mind and waited for the world to quiet down, surrendering myself to the darkness.
“…What do I want to do?”
For some reason, sleep wouldn’t come.
Not because it was unfamiliar, but because it was too familiar.
Perhaps this familiarity felt strange because it was so familiar.
Since undergoing transformation, my body always maintained peak condition, so the inability to sleep wasn’t a physical issue but a mental one.
Even though my mind felt like it could die from exhaustion, my body was perfectly fine, so I couldn’t simply fall asleep and lose consciousness.
Thus, I realized that even resting properly was something my body couldn’t do.
If I was an ordinary person, wouldn’t I be able to force myself to lose consciousness, like forcibly shutting down a malfunctioning machine?
After lying in bed for a while, lost in thought, I heard a noise from somewhere.
With the keen senses of a Rogue and the enhanced performance of my body, even the slightest sound was easy to catch.
The more I became conscious of the sound, the louder it grew.
It seemed like someone was still in the lodging.
The Hero was on an adventure, the Saint was traveling around on behalf of the Goddess, and the Elf had returned to the forest.
“Is it the Wizard?”
For the first time in a while, I returned, partly to greet and partly to investigate, so I got up from the bed and headed towards the direction of the sound.
And standing in front of the door where the sound was coming from, I realized it wasn’t the Wizard.
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, there was one more person here.
The Plague Doctor.
I had brought her here and momentarily forgotten about her.
After hesitating for a moment, I simply knocked on the door.
“Yes?”
“Doctor. I came to say hello since I’m back…”
“Oh, Rogue…? Come in.”
“Um…”
As I opened the door, a floral scent wafted in.
The Plague doctor’s room was adorned with various pots of flowers and plants.
From herbs used in alchemy to small pots commonly grown for aesthetic purposes, the variety was quite extensive.
“Hehe, it’s been a while. Did you enjoy your vacation?”
“Um. Doctor, have you been staying here the whole time?”
“Yeah. At first, I thought about going back to my hometown, but my heart wasn’t in it. So I thought it would be nice to have someone to look after the house until my colleagues returned… That’s what I thought.”
“Ah, thank you. Doctor.”
“Don’t mention it. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Ah, yes.”
The tea the doctor brewed had a subtle yet deep fragrance.
Although I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about tea, I could tell it wasn’t your average tea.
It smelled more profound than the expensive teas I had encountered in restaurants with the emperor, or the ones I had drunk at the emperor’s villa.
“It’s delicious…”
“Hehe, I’m glad.”
“Then, are you living here alone?”
“Occasionally, the Wizard visits, but… yeah. The Wizard spends a lot of time in the workshop. It feels like living alone.”
Despite having senses sharper than anyone else, the doctor’s presence was fainter than anyone else’s.
Her smile, her voice, seemed as transparent as if they would dissolve and disappear like foam if I accidentally opened a window… Such transparency was present in the doctor.
“You’ve done a good job looking after the house. Doctor.”
“Hehe, likewise, Rogue. You’ve worked hard on your vacation.”
Drinking the tea the doctor brewed made me feel a little more relaxed.
Like her name suggested, being surrounded by her transparency felt healing.
My tangled thoughts melted away as if unravelling like a lie.
After drinking the tea and returning to my room, I lay back down on the bed.
Then, I closed my eyes.
This time, I fell asleep not long after.
I wandered around the city as usual.
I visited the adventurer’s guild, chatted with Darami, visited the alchemy guild, visited the Rogue’s guild to see some strange people, went to the Upper Management to have a light meal, or listened to stories about various goods.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought.
It was even somewhat pleasant and refreshing.
“What’s this…?”
“Why, why are you so sentimental, Sentimental?” (TL Note: A Pun?)
“Ah, Darami. It’s just… I felt more comfortable than I thought.”
“I, I feel really comfortable when I’m with you too, Sentimental! Hehe.”
“Yeah, thank you.”
Hmm.
Of course, I still want to retire.
Just thinking about finishing the vacation and dealing with the hero’s tantrums makes my head ache.
And thinking about fully gearing up and going to the Great Labyrinth just makes me feel lazy and not want to do anything.
But, what should I say?
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to just stay like this for a bit.
That thought started to occur to me.
Have I finally lost it?
“Darami.”
“Yes, yes?!”
“Do you ever feel like you want to quit your job or just feel too tired to do anything?”
“Before I met Sentimental, I felt like that every day…?”
“Ah. No. Um. Like right now, for example?”
“I, I’m actually really happy right now! I’m doing a bit of adventuring, and everyone at the alchemy guild is so kind….”
After saying that, Darami hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head deeply like a child confessing to mischief and said,
“W-Well, when I’m really tired or hurt, it’s really tough and I feel like quitting sometimes…”
“But?”
“But still, because it’s something I love to do…”
I don’t understand.
I’ve never done anything as an adventurer or a Rogue because I ‘liked’ it.
It wasn’t something I did out of dreams or aspirations.
It was just something I did out of duty or necessity.
So I shouldn’t be able to relate to what Darami is saying.
Why?
‘Why do I relate to this…?’
After parting with the Saint with whom I spent the night.
The week at the sin city known as Sinital was not as indulgent and sinful as one might think.
The services provided by the hotel were excellent, and there were various gambling establishments and entertainment venues scattered around.
Although noisy parties were held every night, there wasn’t much that I found enjoyable.
Instead, I made acquaintances with some of the locals, who were quite relaxed and cheerful in nature, akin to natives of this Sinital.
“Our citizens also engage in illegal gambling. It’s mainly for outsiders.”
“Is that so?”
“In reality, not many people actually want to do it, you know?”
For example, my friend Sohelin, with whom I was currently conversing, said so.
Sohelin was the son of a pawnshop owner in Sinotel, and he wore expensive clothes and jewellery that unmistakably indicated his wealth.
Being somewhat knowledgeable about luxury and extravagance, I could tell how expensive his clothes were.
“With so many gambling establishments around, don’t you ever feel tempted? It’s fascinating.”
“Do you really think people want to participate? Many end up ruining themselves by entrusting even their underwear to our pawnshop. It’s heart-breaking to witness.”
“True.”
To the citizens of Sinital, the outsiders who come for gambling are like moths rushing into a flame.
The most exhilarating pastime for the citizens of the sin city was nothing more than the parties held throughout the city.
Parties adorned with alcohol, lights, and magic, filled with glamour and the scent of wine.
I had been to one of Sohelin’s parties upon his invitation before, and it was somewhat challenging to adapt with so many people constantly approaching for conversation.
It was tiresome dealing with strangers incessantly, unlike conversing just the two of us.
“Sentimental, you’re leaving Sinital today, right?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Some friends I met at a party were insistent on inviting you again, but I guess they’ll be disappointed.”
“If they decide to visit the City of Adventurers, they’re welcome to. Just let me know beforehand.”
“Would they actually go? They’re the kind who hardly even glance outside the Sinital, considering it dull and suffocating.”
I had already checked out of the hotel.
Despite spending a week here, it seemed this city didn’t quite resonate with me.
People were friendly, and the food and drinks were enjoyable, but overall, it felt too chaotic and overwhelming.
“So are you heading straight back to the City of Adventure?”
“Well, I still have a week of vacation left, but… hmm, there’s nothing else that comes to mind, so I guess that’s the plan.”
The month-long vacation was meant to experience life after retirement.
Luxury in the Empire, the idyllic life in the Dragon’s Ridge, and the entertainment in Sinital were all part of a vacation with different themes.
And none of them truly appealed to me.
Perhaps setting no specific ‘purpose’ from the start and merely relaxing was the initial mistake.
In the end, even if vacationing in a foreign city is enjoyable, it can be exhausting and tiring.
“Feel free to visit Sinital again anytime. You don’t even have to book a hotel; we can accommodate you in our house.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“Or if you want to see those friends again, you can stay at their place. Frankly, with you around, they wouldn’t have to worry about lodging, partying every night.”
“Haha, I think that might be too much for me.”
And so, the vacation in Sinital came to an end.
***
“…Back here again.”
The City of Adventure, with its grandeur and mysteries.
Returning to the lodging of the hero party, I lay down on the familiar bed and gazed up at the ceiling.
There was nothing predetermined about what to do here, or where to go. I simply came here because I wanted to rest.
Though I fled from here wanting to leave, now that I’m back, it feels like there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, even amidst my weariness and conflicting thoughts.
Even the thought of such things was tiring, so I quietly closed my eyes.
I tried to quiet my mind and waited for the world to quiet down, surrendering myself to the darkness.
“…What do I want to do?”
For some reason, sleep wouldn’t come.
Not because it was unfamiliar, but because it was too familiar.
Perhaps this familiarity felt strange because it was so familiar.
Since undergoing transformation, my body always maintained peak condition, so the inability to sleep wasn’t a physical issue but a mental one.
Even though my mind felt like it could die from exhaustion, my body was perfectly fine, so I couldn’t simply fall asleep and lose consciousness.
Thus, I realized that even resting properly was something my body couldn’t do.
If I was an ordinary person, wouldn’t I be able to force myself to lose consciousness, like forcibly shutting down a malfunctioning machine?
After lying in bed for a while, lost in thought, I heard a noise from somewhere.
With the keen senses of a Rogue and the enhanced performance of my body, even the slightest sound was easy to catch.
The more I became conscious of the sound, the louder it grew.
It seemed like someone was still in the lodging.
The Hero was on an adventure, the Saint was traveling around on behalf of the Goddess, and the Elf had returned to the forest.
“Is it the Wizard?”
For the first time in a while, I returned, partly to greet and partly to investigate, so I got up from the bed and headed towards the direction of the sound.
And standing in front of the door where the sound was coming from, I realized it wasn’t the Wizard.
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, there was one more person here.
The Plague Doctor.
I had brought her here and momentarily forgotten about her.
After hesitating for a moment, I simply knocked on the door.
“Yes?”
“Doctor. I came to say hello since I’m back…”
“Oh, Rogue…? Come in.”
“Um…”
As I opened the door, a floral scent wafted in.
The Plague doctor’s room was adorned with various pots of flowers and plants.
From herbs used in alchemy to small pots commonly grown for aesthetic purposes, the variety was quite extensive.
“Hehe, it’s been a while. Did you enjoy your vacation?”
“Um. Doctor, have you been staying here the whole time?”
“Yeah. At first, I thought about going back to my hometown, but my heart wasn’t in it. So I thought it would be nice to have someone to look after the house until my colleagues returned… That’s what I thought.”
“Ah, thank you. Doctor.”
“Don’t mention it. Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Ah, yes.”
The tea the doctor brewed had a subtle yet deep fragrance.
Although I wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about tea, I could tell it wasn’t your average tea.
It smelled more profound than the expensive teas I had encountered in restaurants with the emperor, or the ones I had drunk at the emperor’s villa.
“It’s delicious…”
“Hehe, I’m glad.”
“Then, are you living here alone?”
“Occasionally, the Wizard visits, but… yeah. The Wizard spends a lot of time in the workshop. It feels like living alone.”
Despite having senses sharper than anyone else, the doctor’s presence was fainter than anyone else’s.
Her smile, her voice, seemed as transparent as if they would dissolve and disappear like foam if I accidentally opened a window… Such transparency was present in the doctor.
“You’ve done a good job looking after the house. Doctor.”
“Hehe, likewise, Rogue. You’ve worked hard on your vacation.”
Drinking the tea the doctor brewed made me feel a little more relaxed.
Like her name suggested, being surrounded by her transparency felt healing.
My tangled thoughts melted away as if unravelling like a lie.
After drinking the tea and returning to my room, I lay back down on the bed.
Then, I closed my eyes.
This time, I fell asleep not long after.
I wandered around the city as usual.
I visited the adventurer’s guild, chatted with Darami, visited the alchemy guild, visited the Rogue’s guild to see some strange people, went to the Upper Management to have a light meal, or listened to stories about various goods.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought.
It was even somewhat pleasant and refreshing.
“What’s this…?”
“Why, why are you so sentimental, Sentimental?” (TL Note: A Pun?)
“Ah, Darami. It’s just… I felt more comfortable than I thought.”
“I, I feel really comfortable when I’m with you too, Sentimental! Hehe.”
“Yeah, thank you.”
Hmm.
Of course, I still want to retire.
Just thinking about finishing the vacation and dealing with the hero’s tantrums makes my head ache.
And thinking about fully gearing up and going to the Great Labyrinth just makes me feel lazy and not want to do anything.
But, what should I say?
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to just stay like this for a bit.
That thought started to occur to me.
Have I finally lost it?
“Darami.”
“Yes, yes?!”
“Do you ever feel like you want to quit your job or just feel too tired to do anything?”
“Before I met Sentimental, I felt like that every day…?”
“Ah. No. Um. Like right now, for example?”
“I, I’m actually really happy right now! I’m doing a bit of adventuring, and everyone at the alchemy guild is so kind….”
After saying that, Darami hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head deeply like a child confessing to mischief and said,
“W-Well, when I’m really tired or hurt, it’s really tough and I feel like quitting sometimes…”
“But?”
“But still, because it’s something I love to do…”
I don’t understand.
I’ve never done anything as an adventurer or a Rogue because I ‘liked’ it.
It wasn’t something I did out of dreams or aspirations.
It was just something I did out of duty or necessity.
So I shouldn’t be able to relate to what Darami is saying.
Why?
‘Why do I relate to this…?’
