Chapter 15
――Evening.
The carriage carrying us arrived in the town of Merba right on schedule.
I got off and headed for the inn district, with MP still perched on my shoulder.
I’d stayed in this town for about two years before.
So I knew my way around pretty well.
“Wow, so this is Merba, the town with the Great Labyrinth~.”
MP looked all around like a tourist, eyes sparkling.
Even the unremarkable scenery she’d seen from the carriage had moved her.
This town was chaotic but lively, and I suppose it was quite exciting for MP.
“What’s that~?”
“That’s the church’s clock tower. You can tell the time from anywhere in town.”
“That person’s a beastfolk~. It’s my first time seeing one~.”
“People of all races gather in this town.”
“Master, something smells good~.”
“Let’s buy one, then.”
Whenever something caught MP’s attention, she’d point at it and ask me about it.
If she went around looking so defenseless, people might think she was easy prey and some unsavory types would come over.
But no one but me could see MP, so there was no problem.
“I thought you knew a lot, MP. I’m surprised.”
“I only know about mana management~. I’m completely clueless about everything else~.”
MP answered while munching away, locked in a battle with a grilled squid as big as MP was.
MP’s hands and face were covered in sauce as MP desperately took bite after bite.
With MP doing that right beside me, the smell of the charred sauce tickled my nose, and my stomach growled too.
“Hehe. Would you like a bite too, Master?”
“Is that okay?”
“Yes! There’s no way I can finish it all~.”
“Then I’ll have a bite too.”
“Here you go—say aaah~.”
I’d bought this grilled squid for MP after MP had followed its smell and flown over to the food stall.
I liked the crunchy tentacles, but MP preferred the soft fin—the fan-shaped part at the very top.
“It’s so soft and chewy, and delicious~.”
“Here, you’ve got some sauce on you.”
“Oh! You shouldn’t have to trouble yourself over me, Master…”
“It’s no trouble.”
MP seemed to regard me as their master, so whenever I did something for MP, MP would become terribly humble like this.
But I’ve been indebted to MP so much that I intend to repay MP again and again.
When I wiped MP’s face――.
“Thank you~.”
MP’s face flushed a little.
I’d thought Gift fairies were lofty, exalted beings who were difficult to approach.
I never imagined one could be so cute and easy to get along with…
If I’d been alone, I probably would’ve kept dwelling on being kicked out.
But having such an adorable partner beside me had made things a lot easier.
I was glad my Gift had evolved, too.
I was glad I could get revenge on those bastards, too.
I was glad I kept getting stronger, too.
But more than anything, I was happy that when I turned to look beside me, a smile was waiting for me――.