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“Master! I did it! I earned some money!”
“Yes, yes, good for you.”

After safely borrowing the books and returning to the guild, Momo was already there, brimming with excitement after completing her quest. The amount of money she had clenched in her hand, like a child with pocket money, was quite impressive for a morning’s work. She must have really put in the effort.

“Good job, Momo. You sure earned a lot!”
“Oh, Ms. Hoshikawa! Yes, I got a bonus just for carrying a bunch of stuff!”
“They must’ve been pretty generous with the pay. It must’ve been an easy job for you,” I chimed in.
“No, no, not at all! I was moving around so much that I’m starving now!”
“Then, how about we grab some lunch? Always eating at the guild can get a bit dull. Let’s find a place outside.”
“Oh, I know a great place! It’s a bit of a walk from the guild, but…”

✦✧✦✧✦

“Welcome! …Oh, it’s Nana. Long time no see! Day off today?”
“Hello, Madam! Is it okay if it’s just the three of us?”
“Three? Nana… if you’re planning to turn yourself in, you should do it sooner rather than later.”
“That’s not it!!”
“So everyone sees you this way, huh.”

The place we were brought to by the guild staff was a cozy little restaurant about a five-minute walk from the guild. The interior wasn’t very large either, but it was clean and had a calming atmosphere. The smell lingering in the air—were they baking bread?

“The freshly baked bread here is fluffy and delicious, especially when paired with the stew. It’s just amazing…”
“M-Master, Master! Let’s eat already! Let’s!”
“Calm down, calm down. The food’s not going anywhere.”
“Haha, what a funny group. I’m Itokawa, the owner of this place. Nice to meet you.”
“Itokawa… Does that mean you’re an Outlander too, Madam?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, that’s right. So, you’re Momose, and the white-haired one must be Laika, right?”
“We’re being talked about, huh?”
“Well, kind of. Mostly because the glasses-wearing one over there got all excited.”
“Ah, haha…”

The guild staff, pointed out by the shop owner, scratched her head awkwardly, shrinking in embarrassment. I hadn’t witnessed it personally, but I could easily picture the scene—her rambling on in a hurried, excited tone. Should I file a complaint with the guild for leaking personal information?

“Well, even without Nana causing a fuss, it was only a matter of time, you know? After all, you’re getting a lot of attention from that trial, and I heard even the Saint has taken a liking to you.”
“That’s hardly something I desired, but I didn’t expect the rumors to spread this much…”
“Still, you’re such a mature kid! I can totally see why Nana dotes on you.”
“Right? Little Laika is an amazing find!”

“That’s not a compliment I appreciate at all! So, shopkeeper, what’s today’s recommendation?”
“Alrighty, the daily lunch special is what I’d suggest.”
“Then I’ll have one of those, with a smaller portion. What about you two?”
“I’ll take the same, but make it large!”
“I’ll have the same as well, regular size, please!”
“Got it! Large, medium, small—okay, just give me a moment.”

After leaving cups and a pitcher of water for us, the owner tightened her apron and disappeared into the kitchen. Taking a sip of the water, I noticed it was remarkably cold, especially for well water. They must have gone through the trouble of transporting water from the mountains and refrigerating it.

“If they put this much effort into the water, the food’s bound to be great.”
“Totally! By the way, how old is Ms.Itokawa? She looks really young.”
“Momo, it’s not polite to ask a grown woman her age. But I’d say she’s not that different in age from me.”

Apparently, even to an Outlander’s eyes, the shopkeeper seemed quite young. Managing a restaurant at that age was impressive, especially since the place didn’t appear to be struggling.

“Well, putting that aside, care to explain what these rumors are all about, guild staff?”
“Ahahaha… It’s not all my fault…”
“It may not be entirely your fault, but you’re partly responsible, aren’t you? I don’t want weird rumors spreading and attracting troublesome people.”
“Master, I think that ship has already sailed.”
“…Yeah, I’m starting to get that feeling too.”

At this point, I already knew too much—the truth about the Saint, the bandit leader, and even the hidden dealings of the Umravolf family. While further complications might just feel like minor additions, it would still be best to avoid them if possible.

“By the way, what’s going on with Mr. Nova? Master, you haven’t told me anything about it.”
“Oh, the verdict is supposed to come out tomorrow. Depending on what they decide, maybe we should start picking out a headstone?”
“Come on, don’t say such ominous things!”
“No need for a headstone, really. In Aldebaran, criminals are usually buried in the convict’s graveyard, so…”
“Is that how it works? Well, either way, I doubt this will take much longer. Momo, you should start getting ready too.”
“Ready? Ready for what?”
“For our departure. There’s no reason for us to stay in Aldebaran anymore, is there?”
“……Ah.”

The only reason we stopped in Aldebaran was to get Momo’s arm healed. Now that the treatment was complete and the intervention with Nova—our payment for the procedure—was almost done, there was no reason for us to remain in the city.

Considering the ghost ship, a massive ticking time bomb, was lurking here, we needed to leave as soon as possible.

“Right, I get it… So, Master, let’s make this city our base!”
“What do you mean ‘so’? Absolutely not.”
“W-Why not!? Aldebaran’s a great city, I like it! I’ll be so sad to leave!”
“Exactly! I haven’t gotten enough of my little Laika intake yet!”
“Because of dangerous people like her, that’s why!”
“Ahh, can’t argue with that.”

I couldn’t tell Momo the real reason. If she learned the truth about the ghost ship, she’d be the type to act. Even knowing it’s impossible, she’d still search for any way she could to ‘save’ others. And there’s no guarantee she wouldn’t do something irreversibly reckless. Even without taking action, knowing such a thing could weigh heavily on her.

“…Anyway, this is final. If you refuse, I’ll drag you out of here myself.”
“That’s… There’s no way you could with your strength, Master…”
“Seems like you and I need to have a long, serious talk, don’t we?”

It seemed that the longer we stayed, the more attached she’d become to this city. Even so, I had to persuade her to leave. This city was far too dangerous.

――Wait, so what if it was dangerous? Could it be that I was the one who developed a strong sense of attachment to Momo?

“……No, that’s ridiculous.”

I let out a heavy sigh and downed the water from my glass in one gulp.

Outside, the sky was a clear, cloudless blue. Yet inside the restaurant, a heavy, oppressive silence hung over us.

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