Chapter 32
"Hey, hey, how long are you two gonna keep chatting? You've got someone waiting outside, remember?"
As Clael and Erika were talking, Roywood joined the conversation.
He pointed his thumb toward the door behind him and spoke cheerfully.
"The folks outside are getting tired of waiting. Let them in already."
"Hm? Someone else is here?"
"Yeah, my party members are here too. I'll go get them."
Erika stepped outside the shrine.
After a short while, she returned with two women.
"Let me introduce them. These are my party members, Tina and Kitty."
"My name is Tina. I'm a mage."
"Kitty. I'm a rogue."
The ones who appeared were a long-haired blonde woman and a petite girl with short brown hair.
Both looked like adventurers—Tina carried a staff, and Kitty was armed with a knife at her waist.
Tina appeared to be in her early twenties, while Kitty looked to be in her late teens.
"I've heard so much about you. From Erika... like when she was drinking, or the time she shared a tent with Clael during a school camping trip..."
"Tina! Don't say weird stuff like that!"
Erika glared angrily at the mischievous mage named Tina.
Meanwhile, the girl called Kitty was wandering around the chapel, inspecting everything.
"What is that girl... ah, what are you doing?"
Since a third party had entered, Clael adjusted his tone as a priest and asked.
"Kitty, what are you doing?"
"Hmm, I don't sense anything valuable."
"Don't go snooping through someone's house when you've just met them!"
After being scolded by Erika, the girl called Kitty came back.
"How should I put it... your team is pretty unique. Are all of you women?"
"...Yes. We're the 'Fairy Sword.' An all-female adventurer party."
Erika let out a tired sigh.
They say strong adventurers tend to be eccentric... and it seemed that was true.
(Even so, they must be top-notch adventurers... to have reached A-rank while still in their teens and twenties.)
All three had different styles, but they were definitely skilled adventurers.
As Clael was quietly impressed, Tina placed a hand on Erika's shoulder.
"Erika. More importantly... did you ask about that thing?"
"Uh... well..."
"You need to ask soon. We're really in trouble here."
"............"
Urged by Tina, Erika turned back to Clael with a disgruntled expression.
"............What is it?"
"........................Let us stay the night."
"Huh?"
"Tonight. Let us stay here at the shrine."
"............?"
Clael furrowed his brow at Erika, who was blushing and averting her gaze, then turned his eyes to Tina.
"Actually, we went to the inn earlier to book a room, but... they were full, so we had nowhere to stay. Then Roywood suggested we ask to stay at the shrine."
"No place to stay, huh... well, that does happen sometimes."
It was a small town.
There weren't many inns.
It wasn't unusual for them to be fully booked.
"...Well, I don't mind letting you stay. As long as you're okay with it."
The shrine already had rooms meant for apprentice priests in training or traveling pilgrims.
There was more than enough space to accommodate three guests.
"We did it, Erika!"
"We did."
"We did not! Don't get the wrong idea!"
As the three female adventurers began bickering for some reason, Clael tilted his head, and Roywood shrugged as if to say, "Good grief..."
'Kuma~'
Watching through the crack of the door... the shrine's other resident, a plush bear, gleamed with a mysterious light in its eyes.