The next day came quietly, despite the tension of the previous night. Yusuke woke up early and went outside for a small jog in the snow. It helped him get his body moving for the day, as he was without a physical job at the moment. Departure considerations were still up in the air.
He stopped to breathe in the cold air before he returned to the inn. I want to go on another adventure... but will Father Wilhelm and Joanna be okay without me? He shook his head. I should talk to them about it.
It was the best option. There was no need to beat around the bush. He jogged back to the inn, resolved to speak his desires to the two who took him in when he first arrived in this otherworld.
He arrived back at the inn when the sun rose higher on the horizon. Since it was winter, it meant it was late morning. He returned to the sight of Wilhelm and Joanna sitting at the tavern, eating their meager breakfast of stale bread and soup. An empty seat reserved for Yusuke already had a piece of bread and a bowl of soup ready. Darnell was behind the bar counter, filling mugs with light beer for the morning.
Then, at a table next to the duo, Crina sat alone, sipping her beer. The vampire looked at Yusuke and gave him a smug smirk. He kept his face neutral and sat at the table where the priest and the nun were.
"Morning, Father, Joanna," Yusuke greeted, giving a smile that was slightly forced. "Are your legs okay?"
Wilhelm sighed as he sipped on his soup with a spoon. "Better. But Joanna insisted that I should rest more until I'm strong enough to walk long distances again."
"And exercise, Father," Joanna interjected. "We need to get you back into shape again."
The priest winced at the sharp tone, but she was right. What good could a priest of Theitomme serve, if he couldn't take care of his body?
Yusuke smiled, his lips curving in a mild yet sincere smile. He was reminded of the smiles of his past encounters. Even if the burden of fighting as Kervagta back then, and now, in addition, was heavy on his shoulders, he kept his reason for fighting in the first place deep in his heart.
Before he could change the subject, Crina walked in and sat with them. She still had a dark air around her, but it seemed only Yusuke could sense it. Wilhelm and Joanna weren't bothered by her presence at all.
"Quite the conversation you have," she began. She then continued with an introduction. "I am Crina Aquila Valent, an adventurer. I have made an acquaintance with Yusuke Iriki."
Joanna blinked, awed by her beauty. Then, she shook herself back to earth and responded. "N-Nice to meet you, Miss Crina! I'm Joanna, and this is my father-in-faith, Wilhelm!"
Wilhelm, startled by the sudden introduction, bowed slightly in courtesy.
"What a colorful bunch," Crina mused. She had always found humans entertaining. Even if their tendency to spill and waste blood needlessly and irrationally irked her a little. Blood that could have served a far better purpose.
Crina drove the conversation away from herself and to Yusuke. "If you don't mind, I have a date with Yusuke Iriki later tonight," she said, tone coy and teasing. She chuckled when the human maiden blushed at the implied meaning and corrected the presumed intention. "A bout of sparring, and nothing more."
Joanna sighed in relief. The idea that Yusuke would engage in such scandalous acts with a stranger was too much for her mind.
"If Yusuke's agreed to this, I won't question it," Wilhelm told the enigmatic woman. He didn't trust this woman yet, but he put faith in the younger man not to jeopardize their safety. Who knows what could go wrong?
"Splendid," Crina beamed. She turned to Yusuke again and said, "I'll see you later tonight, Yusuke Iriki. I hope you won't disappoint me." She left for her room afterwards.
The three watched her go. Wilhelm then turned to Yusuke, asking him, "What have you gotten yourself into, Yusuke?"
The young man looked down and sighed. She had promised that she wouldn't let these two be involved, but her stating her intentions right in front of them was out of left field.
Yusuke lifted his head and began to speak, "Father, Joanna. That woman knows who I am. No... what I am."
Their eyes widened in shock. Someone knew what he was: a man who could transform into an insect-like warrior, and it was outside of the tight three-person circle.
"How did she know!?" Joanna exclaimed, but kept her voice down so as not to alert Darnell or Debbie.
"She approached me last night, saying that she had watched me fight the orcs."
He paused, letting the information sink in to the two. Then, he continued with an announcement. "Father, Joanna. I..." he paused again, this time out of hesitation. But seeing their ears perk up encouraged him to finish what he began. "I... want to go out on my own."
To his shock, Wilhelm and Joanna looked... relieved. As if a weight had been lifted off their chest. Wilhelm spoke first, "Oh, thank the Goddess. We thought you felt you had to stay with us."
Joanna continued, "Father and I had discussed whether we should return to the Central Church with or without you. As Father said, we thought you were obliged to stay with us. But now we know that you stayed because you wanted to."
Seeing them smile urged Yusuke to smile with them. As it turned out, he had owed them nothing. They took him in out of the goodness of their hearts and had their own worries about him.
But now that the potential misunderstanding was resolved, Yusuke could depart at any time he wanted without reservations. He would miss them, certainly, but that was the life of an adventurer.
But first... Crina.