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427 p1. Secret Meeting and Returning to Goza Village [4]

「–Paula-san, it’s been a while.」

As I called out loudly, she turned her head around to look back at me while still cooking with the fry pan.

「Hmm…? Oh, if it isn’t Allen! Did you come here to eat– wait a minute, who are those beauties? By any chance…are they your friends?」

「Yes, they’re my classmates from Thousand Blade Academy.」

I nodded and turned to Ria and Rose.

「I am Ria Vesteria. Nice to meet you, Paula-san.」

「I’m Rose Valencia. Nice to meet you.」

Paula-san smiled as the two politely greeted her.

「Ria-chan and Rose-chan! I am Paula Garedzar, the dorm mother of this place. I’m in the middle of cooking right now, so please wait over there.」

「「「Okay.」」」

We sat at the dining table and waited for Paula-san to finish cooking.

During that time, Paula-san shook the frying pan skillfully, while stirring the large pot with her other hand, and cooked the vegetables in between.

(As usual, she is amazing…)

She looked cool as she proceeded to cook multiple dishes in the battlefield of her kitchen.

Three minutes later, Paula-san had finished her preparations for the night. After properly putting out the fire, she sat down on a chair at the dining table.

「Phew, that took a while. So, why are you here today?」

「Actually–」

Just as I was trying to explain the situation, Paula-san’s strong right arm stretched out.

「No– Don’t say it. Let me guess!」

「O-Okay…」

「I’ve been obsessed with detective novels recently. I’m absorbed in reading in between housework.」

「Oh, that’s great.」

Paula-san turned her gaze to a shelf. Detective novels were lined up on the shelf.

「Hmmm, hmmhmmhmm… Today is March 30th, the end of spring break. And Allen is unusually accompanied by two classmates. And each of you is carrying quite a large luggage. Hmm, I’ve got it. It’s a homecoming to Goza Village!」

Like a certain famous boy detective, Paula-san stretched out her index finger.

「Yes, spot on.」

「Fufufufu, it seems I still have my power of observation!」

She clapped her arms together and laughed happily.

「I haven’t been back for a while, so I thought it was time to return to Goza Village. And since I’m already heading back, I thought of saying hi to you as well.」

「Oh, that makes me happy!」

She smiled and then slowly scratched the back of her head.

「However… you came at a slightly bad time.」

「What do you mean?」

「Dahlia-san took Bamboo geezer and the villagers to Drestia to sell the harvested spring vegetables. Look, there’s a lot of vegetables over there, right? They gave me some when they passed through here.」

A pile of cardboard was piled up at the spot where Paula-san was pointing.

They contained onions, cabbage, bamboo shoots, etc… Spring vegetables that were in season now were stuffed to the extent.

「Ah… is that so?」

Now that she mentioned it, it’s definitely that time of the year.

「Unfortunately, it seems like we just missed each other.」

「Drestia is a city of merchants. It’s the best place to buy and sell things. It can’t be helped.」

Ria and Rose tried to console me, but it was quite a shock for me.

(I’ve been in a bit of a rush lately, so I was a little careless… I should have sent a letter first.)

As I let out a small sigh, Paula-san patted my back to cheer me up.

「Kah, ha…」

It almost felt like my spinal cord was shattered. The shock that ran through my body almost made me fall unconscious.

「Don’t be discouraged. It’s not like you won’t meet her again for the rest of your life. You should just go see her again during the next long vacation, the summer vacation.」

「T-Thank you very much…」

However, please remember to control your power a little bit more—those words only reached my throat, but never left my mouth.

「Besides, Dahlia-san said that she would stop by here again on the way back home. So I will definitely tell her that you came here. That you are doing well and even have a girlfriend.」

「G-Girlfriend…!?」

As my face turned red, she gave me a nasty grin.

「Oi oi, you are misunderstanding it. I meant girlfriend, as in a “female friend”…」

「No no, you were clearly implying something else.」

「Teenage boys are all the same…」

「Paula-san!」

While we were having such an exchange,

「Ahaha, somehow Allen seems like a normal student.」

「Yeap, it’s a fresh sight.」

Ria and Rose giggled happily.

「Well, that’s enough jokes… What do you guys plan to do after this?」

「Hmm, about that…」

If everyone from Goza Village is selling their harvest, then there’s no point in going all the way to the village.

(Hmm, what should we do…)

As I was scratching my head, Paula-san snapped her fingers.

「If you don’t have any particular plans, why don’t you stay at my place?」

「Huh, is that okay?」

「Of course! It’s not very popular these days, but this is still a dormitory. Fortunately, there are more than enough empty rooms.」

She happily made such a proposal.

「Ria, Rose, what do you think?」

「I am in complete agreement. Let’s take up on the offer.」

「Since we’re already here, we might as well accept the kindness.」

The two of them were also interested.

「Well then, Paula-san, we’ll be in your care.」

「We’re grateful for the offer.」

「Thank you.」

「I welcome the trouble!」

Thus, we ended up staying at Paula-san’s dormitory.