109: Gratitude
Liz stared at me.
I enjoyed gazing into her beautiful golden eyes, but it was usually when I was being interrogated, so I couldn’t enjoy it for long.
“…How much was it? And where did the budget come from?”
“Don’t worry, it was my own money.”
“How much was it?”
“A good time is priceless.”
Liz smiled. She enunciated each word, as if to carve them into my memory.
“How. Much. Was. It?”
“…Two hundred and forty thousand…”
“No wonder it was delicious!” Liz exclaimed.
A copper coin was one hundred Deal. A silver coin was one thousand Deal. And a gold coin was ten thousand Deal.
While a direct conversion to yen was impossible, it wasn’t an unreasonable amount for a meal, even at a one-to-one conversion. A single silver coin could get you a pretty decent meal, if you didn’t drink.
The total bill was twenty-four gold coins. Two hundred and forty thousand Deal. Split four ways, since Harken didn’t eat, that was sixty thousand Deal per person. Undeniably, the price of a high-end restaurant.
“Was it good?”
“…Well, yes.”
“Then it was worth it.” I smiled at Liz, who had nodded with a sullen expression.
“I don’t think luxury is the only source of happiness.”
Even though I was a supreme commander, even though I earned a large salary, I was a commoner at heart. But that was why…
“I wanted to do the best I could, to show my gratitude, just this once.”
“…When you put it that way, I can’t say anything.” Liz’s ears drooped slightly.
“Hahaha. It was a gesture of gratitude. No need for such vulgar talk. But I thank you. It was a wonderful time.”
I nodded at Harken’s cheerful words. However…
“I didn’t pay for Harken.”
I was glad the restaurant was understanding of undead. When I’d made the reservation, they’d only asked if he was a zombie and if he maintained good hygiene. Of course, I’d vouched for him, and that had been the end of it.
And as for Samarkand, the greater demon, they’d simply said, “Considering your height, it should be fine, but please be careful not to hit your horns on the doorframe.” A perfectly reasonable warning.
The entire staff, from the chef to the waiters, had been dark elves, but their consideration for other races… was it the mark of a high-end restaurant, or the mark of the multiracial nation of Listrea?
I hoped it was the latter.
Samarkand bowed his head respectfully.
“My master. I shall never forget this day, a day when you showed your gratitude to your humble servant. I will spend my life repaying this kindness.”
“Samarkand, please don’t sell your life for sixty thousand.”
“My life has long been yours to command, my master.” My black goat’s sense of scale was truly grand.
Rebecca smiled faintly and spoke.
“Thank you for the meal. Aside from being ambushed with it, it was a pleasant time.”
“Rebecca, you’re the most sensible one here.” I said, my voice filled with admiration.
Despite her youthful appearance, her incredibly long military career, and her multiple titles, a rarity even in the Demon King’s army—she was a model soldier and a sensible person.
Or rather, a sensible undead.
“What about me?”
“You’re… a little different, Liz. Third, at best.”
“And second? Harken?”
“No, that’s me.”
“You really have no common sense, do you, Master?”
“Hahaha. I’m a sensible person who simply exercises her authority as a supreme commander.”
“Sensible people don’t flaunt their authority.”
“What are you talking about, Liz? It’s common sense to use your authority, within reason, when you have it.”
“…Huh? What? No, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Well, she has a point. With power comes responsibility. And sometimes, you have to let loose. Wielding your authority to dote on your subordinates, within the scope of today’s events, is… within the bounds of common sense.”
“Wow, Rebecca’s being so mature.”
“Because I am more mature than you.” Rebecca glared at me. Then she sighed.
“Well, it’s strange for an undead to talk about age.”
“That’s true. If we used age as a measure of authority, the long-lived races would be too dominant. So, I judge by apparent age.”
“Wait, no. That puts me at a disadvantage.”
“Hahaha, Rebecca. Adults don’t worry about such things.”
“I’m telling you to stop manipulating the situation to my disadvantage.”
As expected of the most sensible member of the Sixth Army.
“Then how about we judge by rank?”
Incidentally, I was the highest-ranking member here.
“I see… maybe I should quit the Demon King’s army…” Rebecca muttered, her gaze distant.
Well, since all undead in the Listrea Demon Kingdom were required to be part of the Demon King’s army, it was probably just a joke.
…It was just a joke, right?
“Master, what are you doing, making a veteran who’s respected by all the armies consider quitting? If you’re not careful, I’ll tell His Majesty to scold you.”
“Please don’t.”
“Then no snacks.”
“I’d rather be scolded by His Majesty than be deprived of Liz’s snacks.”
“…I don’t know about that…” Liz pulled her scarf up, covering her mouth.
She might have been trying to hide her expression, but the way her scarf was twitching, completely out of sync with her movements, gave her away.
“But the restaurant today was delicious. The chef was skilled, of course, but the ingredients were also…”
“That meat was delicious. I don’t know what kind of animal it was, or where it was from.”
“That was Liverit sheep, a specialty of the northern region. Liverit Village is famous for it.”
“…Rebecca, what’s with the encyclopedic knowledge?”
“The Beastman Army and the Undead Army had a joint mission to exterminate the magical beasts in that area during the colonization. I have some connections there.”
“Do you have any… connections?”
“I might… why the formal language?” Rebecca frowned.
“Alright, let’s have a party! Rebecca, tell me more about it sometime.”
“Hey, what are you talking about?”
“Liz, I’d like to go on an ‘inspection tour’ of the northern region. What do you think?”
“…Ah, yes, a ‘sightseeing tour.’”
“I said, an ‘inspection tour.’”
“A matter of phrasing…”
“I want to see it.” I stopped and looked up at the night sky. The robe kept me warm, but my breath was white.
“This country… while I’m still alive…”
“Master…” Liz came closer, and I took her arm. I wasn’t quite sure how my chest was pressing against her elbow just by linking arms.
“…Um, Master?”
“It’s getting chilly. It’s the season for human warmth.”
“You’re always clinging to me.”
“Hmm? I’m just… doing what I want.”
The walk home, savoring the sight of Liz, silent, her cheeks slightly flushed, averting her gaze, yet not pulling her arm away…
…felt incredibly short.
