Chapter 67 Night At The Rune Gaia Palace
"Sigh..."
I turned off the hot water tap tightly, vigorously drying my head with a towel while reflecting on today's events.
The frequent incidents of missing persons in the Rune Gaia Kingdom...
We had gone to the town below the castle to conduct inquiries about the incidents. We engaged in a skirmish with suspicious men in red robes and successfully captured them.
Later, we handed over the red-robed men to Fran, who had the job ability to read memories. After conducting further inquiries in the city, I returned to my room, only to find that it was already dark outside.
――Knock, knock, knock
The sound of light knocks on the entrance door brought me back to reality.
――This knocking style... it's Maia.
I put on the robe that had been prepared in advance, even though my hair was only half-dried.
Upon opening the door, Maia was indeed standing there.
Maia had just taken a bath, her silver hair flowing down more lustrously than usual, and her deep blue eyes gazing up at me. She looked good in her light-colored nightwear.
"Adel-sama, I apologize—"
Maia stiffened as she looked up at me.
"What's wrong?"
"..."
"Maia?"
"Ah, sorry. Your appearance after the bath, Adel-sama, was quite striking."
It's not like it's uncommon for her to be at the Silver Apple Inn...
Well, I suppose it's rare for her to go straight to my room in a nightgown.
Perhaps due to her bath, Maia's cheeks were slightly flushed.
Is she okay? Hopefully it's not a fever or anything...
"So, what's up?"
"Well, Cress-sama gave me some incense to give to you, Adel-sama. It seems it helps you sleep well."
"I see, that's thoughtful."
I accepted the small bottle handed to me by Maia.
Staring at the pale green liquid inside the bottle, I stifled a yawn.
"Adel-sama, you look tired."
"Mm... Yeah. Maybe I'm just on edge in this unfamiliar place."
At that moment, Maia lowered her gaze in thought, then lifted her face as if she had an idea.
"Adel-sama, may I come in?"
"Huh?"
"Well... You seem tired, so how about a massage or something?"
"But Maia, aren't you tired too? It wouldn't be right."
"No, no, I'm perfectly fine. You defeated the enemy all by yourself in today's battle, so please."
Maia rolled up her sleeves, deliberately showing her fair arms.
Maia can be stubborn at times. She probably won't take no for an answer.
With a slight sigh, I decided to accept her offer.
"Oh, please come in."
Inviting the slightly meeker Maia into my room for some reason, I closed the door.
"Adel-sama, please have a seat on the bed!"
"You don't have to say it so dramatically. ...Well, sorry, but please."
"Okay. Excuse me then..."
It seemed like Maia straddled my back as I lay face down, but strangely, I hardly felt any weight.
The only sound was the faint creaking of the bed.
A gentle scent of soap tickled my nostrils, followed by a comforting pressure on my back.
"Does it hurt, Adel-sama?"
"No, it's just right."
"Hehe. Talking alone with Adel-sama like this feels nostalgic."
It's true that for the past two years since meeting Maia and starting the (revenge agency), we had spent a lot of time together, but lately, it felt like it had been a while since we had this kind of moment.
After some trivial conversation, Maia murmured in a slightly serious tone.
"Are the group in red robes we captured today the (Apostles of Salvation)?"
"When we encountered them, they mentioned something about 'neutralizing and capturing.' In any case, we should be able to gather some information by tomorrow."
"Fran-chan also said that she can search memories after a night. It would be great if we could find the whereabouts of the missing people."
"That's right..."
Recalling the anguished expressions of the families and acquaintances of the missing persons during the investigation, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
The organization known as the (Apostles of Salvation) is currently shrouded in mystery regarding their objectives.
However, if they not only attacked King Zeios but are also involved in the missing persons cases, it cannot be overlooked.
It's the same as the previous requests.
Regardless of the country, we cannot let those who spread unreasonableness go unchecked.
"Hehe."
"What's wrong?"
I heard Maia's laughter and turned my head back to look behind me.
"Oh, it's just Adel-sama, I think."
"Did I say it out loud?"
"No, but I understand what Adel-sama is thinking."
Maia said, and the hand pushing my back stopped.
Instead, her palm gently rested on my body as she continued speaking.
"I have been serving Adel-sama for two years now. That will never change in the future."
Her voice was very gentle.
* * *
Chirp chirp...
As morning came, my consciousness awoke suddenly from sleep.
"...Why am I sleeping in the same bed as Maia?"
I remember Maia opening the incense given by Cress after the massage yesterday.
It was an incense that Maia said would help you sleep soundly.
I'm sure I had told Maia to go back to her own room before that...
"So, we ended up falling asleep together?"
I muttered to myself while still looking at Maia sleeping next to me.
Just to be sure, I checked my and Maia's clothes, but they weren't particularly messy.
However, something about this person didn't feel right.
――Knock, knock, knock.
There was a sound of knocking on the door. It seemed like someone had arrived.
"Maia, wake up... or rather, move away."
"Mmm."
"H-hey..."
As I tried to shake Maia's shoulder to wake her up, she sleepily wrapped her arm around my neck.
Just as I tried to untangle her arm, the entrance door opened almost simultaneously.
"Good morning, Adel-san—"
Cress, who had turned her eyes towards me and Maia, were frozen in place.
"Oh?"
"Adel and Maia, getting along well."
Behind her, I could see Fran with a smirk on her face and Teti wagging her tail happily.
"I see."
Cress's mutter indicated some sort of understanding, and I realized it was definitely not a good sign.
As I pondered how to clear up the misunderstanding, Maia was quietly snoring by my side.
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