Chapter 101 - Adventurer Appearance
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"Come to think of it, Aldo-san, you're a former adventurer, but do you keep your equipment and such at home?"
As I poured myself some tea and took a breath, Elgis-san asked me that.
"Yes, it's not a full set of equipment, of course, but I have a set stored away just in case."
"Heh, is that so? I'd love to see your adventurer equipment, Aldo-san."
Fiona-san and Elgis-san pressured me to show them with smiling faces.
There was a sense of teasing hidden somewhere in those smiles.
"E-Erm, that's..."
"I want to see it too, Aldo-san!"
As I faltered under the pressure from the two of them, even Flora, who was cooking in the kitchen, started saying such things.
It was the gentle smile of Flora's family, but at this moment, I felt an indescribable atmosphere.
Perhaps because I had been recognized as the villager Aldo until now, it was embarrassing to bring out adventurer equipment again...
"Right now, the armor is worn out..."
"It was certainly worn out, but you had another spare, didn't you?"
In the battle with Zoack, my armor was battered beyond repair, but it seemed my past self was well-prepared and had brought an identical spare set of armor. Flora had seen me maintaining it recently, so she understood the situation.
Honestly, I felt like scolding my past self for buying a spare set of armor instead of something more useful for daily life, but it was also true that having the same spare helped in case of emergencies, so it was complicated.
"I understand. Then, I'll bring the full set of equipment."
"Just bringing it would be a waste. If you're going to do it, please wear it."
I tried to say I'd bring the equipment as a small act of rebellion, but it seemed Fiona-san and the others' request was for me to be equipped.
"...Yes. I'll go change."
"I say, I'm looking forward to Aldo-san's adventurer appearance."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing how much the impression changes. My prediction is that he'll transform as much as Aisha-chan did."
As I gave up and headed from the sofa to the storage room, I could hear Elgis-san and Fiona-san's amused voices.
Kuh, it felt like I was being made into a spectacle, but I was happy that they were asking about my past without hesitation and showing interest.
Until now, I had consciously avoided conversations about the past, so everyone had sensed that and didn't ask.
However, that situation changed when I revealed my past myself, and Elgis-san, Fiona-san, and Flora accepted it.
The three of them recognized not only the villager Aldo but also the former adventurer Aldred.
The request just now probably came from a desire to know more about me. Thinking that, I wanted to respond as family.
"Even so, it's still embarrassing to show a side of myself I've never shown before."
Pulling the spare armor out of the storage room, I smiled wryly to myself as I put it on.
The last time I wore it was before the battle with Zoack. At that time, Flora had been kidnapped, so I was as tense as could be, but compared to that situation, how peaceful it was now.
Clad in the armor, I checked my whole body again.
Since I had been maintaining this spare so it could be used at any time, there was no dirt.
The size around the arms and shoulders was also fine. It fitted perfectly without any discomfort even when I moved my arms and legs.
Well, I should just think of it as a good opportunity to inspect the spare.
But, if I was going to show it, maybe something better-looking would have been nice. Mine was strictly practical and I hadn't been that conscious of appearance.
Bringing out even the Mithril sword would be overkill, and it would be dangerous to let them touch it, so I'd stop there. Instead, I'd just wrap the pouches and belt firmly around my waist to look at least a bit more like an adventurer.
Finally, after confirming there were no abnormalities anywhere, I stepped out of the storage room and knocked on the living room door.
"May I come in?"
"Yes, come in quickly."
I could tell from the tone of her voice that Fiona-san was excited without even seeing her expression.
I knocked on purpose to adjust my own heart.
Showing a different side of oneself in front of people was a nerve-wracking thing.
I wondered if Flora felt this way when she put on new clothes or tried a different hairstyle. I felt like I understood the strength of heart of a woman who dresses up a little.
For now, I opened the door with a sense of resignation, hoping I wouldn't be laughed at.
When I entered the living room, Fiona-san and Elgis-san had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
""............""
Both of them were looking at me with their eyes wide open.
As expected, staying silent for so long was uncomfortable.
"Erm, does it not suit me very well?"
"N-No, that's not it. It's just that the atmosphere looks quite different from usual..."
"Yes, it looks very fitting. You've transformed even more than Aisha-chan did."
Was that so? Well, I was glad I wasn't told it was uncool or didn't suit me.
"As I thought, Aldo-san's adventurer appearance is cool."
"I-Is that so?"
Being told that by Flora with a full smile made me feel shy.
Women who had approached me in the past had said similar lines, but the happiness was on a different level.
"If you walked through the village in that outfit, I think everyone would be surprised, you know?"
"Please spare me from that—"
"No! If you did that, the women in the village would fall in love with Aldo-san!"
As I was laughing and replying to Fiona-san's joke, Flora strongly denied it and clung to my arm.
Even through the armor, the sensation of Flora's soft body was transmitted, and she had a nice scent like flowers.
"Flora, that's an exaggeration."
"It's not an exaggeration. Because, Aldo-san really is cool..."
A spoiled voice that sounded somewhat like she was throwing a tantrum. Strength gathered in Flora's hands as she gripped my arm.
"...Thank you, Flora. But, it's okay. Because I'm only looking at Flora."
"Yes. Me too."
When I stroked her head to reassure her, Flora smiled in relief.
"Fufufu, acting spoiled is all well and good, but is the cooking okay, Flora? The pot is puffing out steam."
Where Fiona-san was pointing, the pot placed over the fire was puffing out steam.
"Ah, that's right!"
Noticing that, Flora left me and hurried toward the pot.
"Don't touch it in a hurry and get burned, okay?"
"I know!"
"Honestly, she's restless no matter how old she gets..."
Fiona-san raised her voice in concern like that, but her expression was very soft and happy.
The content is the Kurune and Zoack arc. I've added revisions so it can be read with good pacing, and the chronology has changed slightly, so I think readers who read it on the Web can enjoy it too. There are over 15,000 words of newly written content, so it's recommended.
At participating campaign bookstores such as Melonbooks, Toranoana, WonderGOO, and Shosen Book Tower, a newly written short story will be included.
Updates will resume from now on, so please look forward to them.