The breakfast of the esteemed hero consisted of milk tea, a roll of bread, and boiled soybeans.
Since regular prisoners weren’t served boiled soybeans, one could say that her breakfast was special. However, even so, the content was meager.
“Good morning. I have brought water and your meal.”
It was my morning duty to bring a bucket of water for washing hands and face, along with a tray of food.
“Good morning. By the way, who is that person hiding behind prison guard Wolf?”
As expected of the esteemed hero, she had already noticed Kimberly’s presence.
“Hey, Barton. This girl is amazing. How did she notice my existence?”
“Hey, no rude remarks.”
“Wow, she’s beautiful, has a great figure, looks intelligent, and seems strong-willed. She’s right up Barton’s alley, hmumum.”
I hastily caught Kimberly, who was flying in the air, and covered her mouth.
“I apologize for her rudeness, esteemed hero! You see, fairies are a species known for their lack of restraint when it comes to speaking. They tend to spout nonsensical remarks from time to time,” I explained.
The hero stared at us in astonishment, seemingly at a loss for words.
While I desperately tried to smooth things over, Kimberly managed to free herself from my grasp and spoke up again.
“You’re the hero as well?! The hero who defeated the Demon King! I had no idea. It seems like any kind of human can be locked up in this human zoo. I must admit, I underestimated it. Who knows, we might even find a king or a high priest here!” Kimberly’s voice echoed in the underground prison cell.
“I apologize for the disturbance,” I said.
“No, it’s fine… But to think there’s a creature in this world that can speak much more than Prison Guard Wolf,” the hero replied.
I personally didn’t consider myself particularly talkative…
“I am Kimberly of the fairy race, and I am the caretaker of young Barton here,” Kimberly introduced herself.
“Ah, I see. I am Fuyu Sagara.”
Kimberly spoke to the hero in a casual and friendly tone.
“Oh, so your given name is Fuyu and Sagara is your family name? That’s unique. Well, nice to meet you anyway. You can just call me Kim (Kin-san),” Kimberly said.
“Kim (Kin-san)…” the hero repeated.
“What’s wrong?” Kimberly asked.
“It’s not that, but in my hometown, there’s a famous government official called Kin-san,” the hero explained.
“Oh, really? What kind of person is he?” Kimberly inquired.
“He’s someone who, in order to pass on the family inheritance to his adopted younger brother, got a tattoo of cherry blossom petals falling on his entire back,” the hero described.
“Wow, that’s cool! Did you hear that, Barton? Even in the celestial realm, Kimberly is synonymous with being awesome,” Kimberly exclaimed.
I didn’t quite understand everything, but I envied the casual and comfortable conversation between Kimberly and the hero.
“Esteemed hero, please enjoy your tea before it gets cold,” I said.
“You’re right. By the way, did you bring paper and a pen?” the hero asked.
Without hesitation, I handed over the stationery I had brought. I also offered a book while I was at it.
I had the unusual feeling that the hero’s face was radiant and cheerful.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave for now. I’ll be back in the evening,” I informed her.
“Sure. By then, I’ll prepare a few simple magic spells,” the hero responded.
With this, I would also be able to use magic. I wondered what kind of magic spells she would teach me. I wanted to ask right away, but I decided to save the excitement for later.
Returning to my room, I immediately crawled into bed. It was break time until the fourth hour of the Fire (around 3 p.m.). I had taken a nap, but it lasted less than four hours, so I still felt like I could fall asleep right away.
As I glanced to the side, I noticed that Kimberly was already peacefully asleep, making contented breathing sounds. Seeing her sleeping figure instantly eased my tension, and I drifted off to sleep just like that.
***********
TN: the hero was talking about Tōyama no Kin-san, based on the historical figure Tōyama Kagemoto.
So this means Fuyu Sagara comes from the Edo era of Japan around 1800.
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