Cuckold Wizard’s Adventure

Chapter 618: Parting With Himeno And The Others

 The next morning, a crowd had gathered in front of the gate used to enter and exit the village.

 There, the villagers of the Dragonmen village, including Himeno and Mitono, were saying their goodbyes to Shinji and the others as they prepared to leave.

 ”You’re in such a hurry to leave, aren’t you? You could have stayed another day. There are still plenty of delicacies here you haven’t tried yet.”

 ”Himeno, it can’t be helped. Shinji-san is here for work.”

 ”That’s right. We have to go back and report our results to the king.”

 If Coral said it was time to go, he had to go with her.

 She had made that decision, and was currently talking with Himeno’s father, the village head.

 They were discussing how the village and the lord would communicate in the future, in case something similar happened again, but Himeno and the others couldn’t hear them.

 Himeno couldn’t help but think that Shinji was being terribly inconvenient, between his interruption at the banquet and his decision to leave.

 (If he had stayed one more night, I could have practiced with the master one last time… but he was sound asleep last night.)

 Himeno didn’t know that Shinji had spent a lot of time with Goddess Arian, and thought he was deeply asleep because he had worked so hard in the valley.

 In reality, it was because he had been pushed to the brink of exhaustion by Goddess Arian…

 Because the flow of time was different between the Japanese-style banquet hall she created and Shinji’s world, he had fallen asleep at about the usual time.

 As a result, he had gotten plenty of sleep and was completely recovered when he woke up in the morning.

 ”Well, that’s fine. We’ll be able to contact each other easily from now on.”

 Himeno turned her gaze towards Sylphy.

 She was pretending to be Shinji’s contracted spirit, and was usually standing behind him, but now she was on Himeno’s side.

 The reason for this is that Sylphy was tasked by Goddess Arian to become the caretaker of the ‘Valley’.

 Due to the ‘Taboo’, weakened spirits need time to recover, so she will fill in as a temporary replacement.

 Himeno took on the role of representing the Dragonmen village and communicating with Sylphy.

 There was no opposition to Sylphy’s nomination, so it was decided that they would meet regularly.

 This means Himeno can see Shinji if she asks Sylphy to arrange it.

 And conversely, Shinji can see Himeno if he asks Sylphy.

 The price for getting her to do this, of course, is the core of the magic <duplication (copy)=""> that creates Shinji’s doppelganger.</duplication>

 ”You’re right. …But even though it’s the Goddess’s command, I feel bad. I ended up separating Sylphy from Shinji.”

 ”Mitono-san, don’t worry about it. It’s natural for spirits to prioritize the Goddess’s orders. As long as nothing like this happens again, I don’t think they’ll have any trouble dealing with things without all 3 of them present.”

 ”Hearing you say that is a relief. …If there’s anything I can do, please let me know. I may be of little help, but the Dragonmen village will be there to assist Shinji-san.”

 ”Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 Mitono couldn’t possibly imagine that his wife (Himeno) was plotting adultery under the guise of practice.

 Feeling grateful, they shake hands firmly as Coral returns to them.

 ”Shinji, are you finished with your farewells?”

 ”Yes, we can leave whenever.”

 ”Alright. …Then, Himeno-san, Mitono-san. It was nice seeing you.”

 After bidding farewell to the women, Coral and her companions mount their horses and leave the village.

 With Ichiro, their guide, gone, the group of 3 continued down the same road towards the lord’s mansion.

 There were no real problems along the way, but for Shinji, it was a nerve-wracking journey.

 The reason for this need hardly be stated – Coral.

 At first, things were peaceful, but from the very first break, she began trying to learn more about Shinji by engaging him in conversation.

 The conversation and their level of intimacy seemed appropriate.

 However, to the knight who knew Coral as someone who was always laid-back, it was easy to read her affection for Shinji.

 She wasn’t showing any inappropriate behavior that would violate the etiquette of a married person, and the knight had no cause to offer an advice.

 Thus, she had no choice but to linger behind the two of them as they rode their horses, directing her imposing presence at Shinji.

 (The princess’s behavior is too different on the way there and back. If she’s going to be imposing, she might as well show a little discretion…)

 Even Shinji, who had only recently met Coral, could sense her affection.

 If she continued in the same manner upon reaching the landlord’s mansion, many would come to understand her feelings.

 That would undoubtedly cause a stir.

 Even if it’s a marriage of convenience without love, it’s not pleasant for a wife to favor another man.

 Getting involved with the family managing the rich royal territory would cause trouble for the Wolf family.

 He definitely wanted to avoid that at all costs.

 Unaware of these complicated thoughts, Coral continued her naive, love-struck girl routine.

 (He likes beef, after all. Once we arrive at the landlord’s mansion, I need to make sure to tell the chef to prepare something with beef for dinner…)

 According to the plan, they were to spend one night at the landlord’s mansion before heading to the capital the next morning.

 She was infatuated with her first love, but she wasn’t considering rushing into infidelity.

 She simply wanted to express her pure affection and show hospitality.

 From the sidelines, her affection was obvious, but Coral intended to keep it hidden.

 Therefore, even if her behavior was impeccable, she hadn’t considered how others might react if they perceived her affection.

 Such thoughts never crossed her mind.

 (There are so many other things I want to ask about. It might be nice to hear about the path that led Lord Wolf to becoming an honorary knight… I should take the opportunity to ask while I can.)

 Princess Coral enjoys a perfectly healthy journey, listening intently as Shinji speaks the words she desires, all under the watchful eye of her guardian knights.

 (Coral-sama… please, hold back your emotions…)

 (I beg you to warn her… You’re the only one who can do so now…)

 Coral, ever amused, cannot possibly discern the true feelings hidden within Shinji and her knights’ impeccable facades, allowing the issues to linger as time passes.

 Himeno is always ready to practice.

 Sylphy, having taken on the relatively relaxed role of monitoring the valley, can be easily summoned whenever needed.

 And then there’s the perpetually elated princess.

 All giddy and dear about her journey with the man she’s smitten with.