High & Half and the Town of Wheat (5)

After leaving Zaints and Jideer and entering the Small States, we boarded a boat traveling eastward upstream along the river to Lake Tsiar.

Then, after resting for a while in Fokka, a town in the Republic of Tsiar, we took another boat, this one traveling southwest downstream, which carried us close to the Duchy of Travoyia, where Jampemon lay.

Since I'd traveled this route once before, it was an incredibly smooth journey.

Unlike traveling on foot, the scenery changed fairly quickly during the boat trip, so Win, still a young child, looked around without getting bored, his eyes sparkling.

After getting off the boat and walking a little, Jampemon was right there.

Unfortunately, unlike when I'd visited before, the wheat had not yet reached its harvest season, but the fields stretching as far as the eye could see were still magnificent.

Since we'd become travelers right after meeting, Win and I still hadn't gotten to know each other very well.

My impression of him was that he was a difficult child to pin down.

He seemed fond of me, and he always reacted openly to what went on around him, but I was troubled by how little of his own will he showed.

Ah, yes—in other words, Win was a little too perfectly well-behaved and undemanding.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but if he'd become that way because of his upbringing rather than his inborn temperament, it wasn't exactly cause for celebration.

When a child that small already knows how to behave, thinking too deeply about it only makes me sad.

Of course, our relationship had only just begun, and we had far more time than ordinary humans did, so there was no need to rush.

We could take our time getting to know each other. It wasn't as though there was any other way, anyway.

Five or six years had passed since then, so of course the gate guard had changed, but the procedures for entering the town were remarkably smooth.

When I showed the guard my master blacksmith's license along with the document issued by the blacksmiths' guild of the Duchy of Travoyia, he seemed satisfied immediately and let me into town.

Apparently, the sword I'd forged in this town was still displayed at the blacksmiths' guild, and was even occasionally exhibited during town events.

So apparently the gate guard had seen the sword I'd forged, too.

No, no—it was rather embarrassing, or maybe just awkwardly flattering, really.

Of course I was proud of how the sword had turned out, and happier to see it displayed than treated shabbily, but all the same, it still made me feel terribly self-conscious.

I received a very warm welcome from the guard and entered the town of Jampemon.

Jampemon looked much as it had a few years ago, and I carried Win in my arms, relying on my memories to find the inn.

But even if a town remained unchanged, its people changed.

"Welcome! Are you staying the night? Food... Ah, you're the elf—Eisa-san!?"

The girl who greeted me with a startled cry was Nonna. She had grown a head or two taller than I remembered—or perhaps even more—and had developed a distinctly feminine air.

She was still at an age where "cute" suited her much better than "beautiful," though.

Ah, apparently she remembered me, too.

I gently rubbed Win's back to soothe him after the sudden loud voice startled him, then nodded with a smile.

"Long time no see. You've grown! We'd like a room, please, and we're hungry, so we'd like meals as well. For both me and this child."

My words deepened the surprise on Nonna's face, and although she seemed bewildered, she led us upstairs.

The room she showed us was the same one I'd stayed in before.

The room cost the same fifty copper coins per night as before, but the meals had gone up a little in price: ten copper coins for breakfast and fifteen for dinner.

Even so, considering the quality of the food I remembered, it was still incredibly cheap.

"Um, welcome back, Eisa-san. Um... is that your child?"

Nonna asked hesitantly as she handed me the room key.

Remembering that something like this had happened before made me feel nostalgic.

Last time, I believe she'd asked whether I was an elf.

"It's a long story. For now, he's my child. ...Well, he'll be my adopted son, but yes, he's my child—and he's a boy. Win, can you say hello to big sister Nonna?"

I asked Win that while still holding him, then set him down after confirming that he nodded.

Win stood on his own and looked up at Nonna,

"I'm Win."

He said it softly, then hid about halfway behind my leg.

The gesture was so cute it almost defied description.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought so—Nonna felt exactly the same, and...

"Yes, nice to meet you, Win-kun. While you're staying at this inn, you can tell me anything!"

She said.

Good. This was going well.

This would make it much easier for me to ask her to look after Win while I worked at the forge.

Nice assist, even if she hadn't intended it.

"Ah, that's right. The reason I came to this town is that I'm looking for someone to care for this child—Win—while I work at the forge. It can't be just anyone; it has to be someone I can trust. That's when I thought of you."

Seeing my chance, I patted Win on the head and launched straight into the matter at hand.

She hadn't said 'anything' to me specifically, but now that she had, it would be hard for her to refuse.

Of course, if she said she was too busy with work, I'd accept that without complaint and look for someone else I knew.

"I'll pay you well, of course, so if you're willing, could I ask you to look after him? I plan to stay in town for a year or two."

Still, I didn't think there was much chance she'd refuse.

I didn't know whether she was happy that I'd trusted her enough to ask, had simply succumbed to Win's cuteness, or was looking forward to the compensation, but Nonna looked delighted at the prospect.

Nonna placed a hand against her cheek,

"Yes, I'd be happy to. I'm so glad you remembered me, Eisa-san. Ah, I'll ask my mother just in case, but I'll make sure she says yes! Win-kun, let's wait here at the inn together for Eisa-san to come home from work!"

she said with a smile.

It was an incredibly reassuring answer, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Win still seemed unsure what was happening, as was only natural, but he would get used to it soon enough.

I would work alongside him to help him adjust to his new surroundings.

Once I had relaxed, I suddenly remembered how hungry I was.

Having spent several years growing up in the forest, Win still didn't seem inclined to ask for food on his own, but I was rather curious to see how he'd react to the food at this inn.

After all, the food here was delicious enough to satisfy even me, and Nonna had also said she'd prepare something easy for a child to eat.

I gave Win's head another light pat and went into the room to unpack our things.

My heart raced with anticipation at the thought of the life ahead of us.