Old Man Isekai - Chapter 13
I made love with Maya until morning, but I still got up to go for my daily early-morning run. Maya was still fast asleep in the bed, so I softly adjusted the covers over her and quietly slipped out of the room.
As I began to run, breathing in the chilly morning air, a familiar head of crimson hair caught my eye.
"Good morning, Yuno."
"Morning."
It was Yuno, my early-morning running partner.
"You must be exhausted after everything that happened. I'm impressed you're out here running."
"Yeah, well, I couldn't really settle down. I figured it's the same for you, right? That was your first time in a real life-or-death fight, wasn't it?"
Yuno'd words seemed to melt into the chilly morning air. I fell into a reflexive silence.
(In the end, I had to let Yuno kill that guy for me... How pathetic, being worried over by a girl like this...)
Remembering that moment, I felt the sting of my own lack of resolve all over again. My chest felt heavy, and the cold air nipped at my skin. Not knowing what else to do, I found myself turning to Yuno for advice.
"Yeah... Hey, Yuno... how do you find the resolve for something like that?"
Even as I said it, I knew it was abrupt. But I needed to get this weight off my chest. Yuno slowed the pace slightly, looking thoughtful for a moment.
"That's a bit sudden. But... hmm, I don't exactly want to kill people either, so to be honest, I don't really know."
It was a blunt answer, but I knew it was honest and unfiltered. Since my consultation had ended in an instant, an awkward silence followed. Then, Yuno suddenly glanced at me.
"By the way... is Maya in your room?"
"...Yeah. She's sleeping."
I thought I saw Yuno's eyes flicker for just a fraction of a second. I pretended not to notice, keeping my eyes fixed forward as we ran.
"I see. You don't try to hide it, do you, Dai...?"
There was a searching quality to Yuno's voice. I just shrugged.
"There's no reason to hide it. I might if I were married, though."
After a short pause following my matter-of-fact explanation, Yuno murmured softly.
"Were you not married in your old world, either?"
"Nope. I was single."
I could have sworn the corners of Yuno's mouth twitched upward ever so slightly.
"Then... maybe there's still a chance?"
"...A chance for what?"
When I instinctively asked back, Yuno's eyes went wide and they shook their head in a panic.
"Nothing! Anyway, why don't we talk with everyone about our plans after lunch?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
Yuno smiled, looking a bit pleased as I gave a light nod.
"See you later, then!"
With a wave, Yuno sprinted ahead. I watched that back disappear, letting out a long breath to shake off the slight sense of unease lingering in my mind.
"Phew... Today wasn't just the usual idle chatter. There was definitely a serious vibe mixed in..."
After parting ways with Yuno, I headed back to my room and hopped in the shower to wash off the sweat. When I returned to the main room, Maya was still on my bed, breathing softly in her sleep. A glimpse of her pale shoulder peeking out from the sheets brought back the afterglow of last night.
"...Still asleep?" (Did I overdo it yesterday?)
Muttering to myself, I sat down on the edge of the bed. In the quiet atmosphere, the door suddenly opened.
"Lord Dai, I have brought breakfast."
In walked Cattleya, her movements as elegant as ever. Breakfast was neatly arranged on a silver tray.
"Thanks. ...By the way, did you bring enough for Maya, too?"
Cattleya gave a faint smile. "Yes, I have prepared for her as well."
I was once again impressed by her attentiveness and gave her a sincere thanks.
"Thanks as always. ❤️"
"Not at all. It is only natural for a maid. ♪"
I turned my eyes toward the bed.
"Maya, wake up. Breakfast is here."
I gave her shoulder a gentle shake. Maya slowly opened her eyes and let out a massive yawn.
"Mnn... yawn... Morning..."
"Morning."
As I smiled at her, Maya sat up slowly, her face still a bit groggy. The sheet slipped from her shoulder, momentarily revealing the smooth skin that carried the memory of last night. She didn't bother trying to hide it, instead staring straight at me with a soft smile.
"Do I get a good morning kiss? ❤️"
I couldn't help but chuckle at Maya's languid whisper. However, glancing at the person standing right next to us, I spoke up with a bit of awkwardness.
"I’d love to, but... Cattleya is right here, you know?"
"Eek!"
Maya jolted.
"It seems Lady Maya is so exhausted from last night's 'activities' that her head has turned into a flower garden. ♪"
Cattleya delivered the stinging remark with a pleasant, breezy smile.
"~~~!"
Maya turned beet red, unable to find a comeback, and clamped her lips shut. I stepped in to follow up.
"Anyway, let's eat!"
At my suggestion, Maya started eating breakfast across from me, albeit with a bit of a pout. As she ate, she murmured softly.
"Eating breakfast face-to-face like this... it kind of feels like we're newlyweds—"
"Ahem! In this world, polygamy and common-law wives are officially recognized. Therefore, it is not unusual for unmarried men and women to dine together."
Cattleya cut Maya off with a calm, clinical explanation.
"Hey! Don't interrupt my Master when he's—!"
"My Master is 'Lord Dai.' I am quite different from a woman who hallucinates that she has become a wife simply because she spent a single night with him."
"Hah?! You've got a lot of nerve saying that after you spent the other day marking your territory!"
As Maya’s anger flared, Cattleya countered with a cool, nonchalant tone.
"Since Cattleya is scheduled to spend a passionate night with Lord Dai today, we may very well repeat this exact situation tomorrow morning. ♪"
"What?! Dai, are you doing it with Cattleya again?! I mean, you haven't broken up with her?!"
Maya’s eyes went wide at the sudden bombshell. I gave a wry smile and spoke my honest thoughts.
"My creed is to make every woman I'm involved with happy. So, I have no intention of cutting ties with Cattleya."
For a second, Maya’s face flushed as if she were about to explode, but after a few seconds of silence, she took a deep breath and regained her composure.
"I see..."
Her words carried a hint of her characteristic bravado, but also a sense of resolve.
"How surprising. I expected you to get angry as usual," Cattleya remarked dryly.
Maya gave a small shrug. "I'm the latecomer here, so I won't say anything else. Besides—"
"Besides?"
"It's only going to keep increasing anyway, isn't it...?"
As Maya muttered that under her breath, Cattleya gave a small nod.
"On that point, Cattleya agrees..."
I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh at their reaction.
"Come on, guys. There's no way an old man like me is going to be that popular."
""Sigh...""
The moment the words left my mouth, Maya and Cattleya let out a perfectly synchronized, deep sigh.
Morning Training
After breakfast and walking Maya back to her room, I headed to the training grounds. There, as usual, Aria was swinging her sword. Even to an amateur like me, her swordplay was beautiful; I found myself staring in spite of myself.
"Lord Dai, good morning." Aria turned her gaze toward me. "M-morning! Your swordplay is as beautiful as ever." "Thank you. It is my only redeeming quality, after all."
Her tone was flat, but I could sense a trace of pride. Thinking it was a good opportunity, I asked Aria for a sparring match. She proceeded to roll me across the ground repeatedly.
(If we fought for real, I don't feel like I could ever win...)
Breakfast (Part 2)
Feeling a dull ache throughout my body, I headed to the dining hall, famished. As I took my seat—
"Dai..."
"Iris... morning. Want to sit?"
"Mm!"
As usual, Iris plopped herself down on my lap. Having her sit there while I ate had become a complete part of my routine.
"Iris, is it tasty?"
"Mm!"
"Glad to hear it. ♪"
I enjoyed my meal, healed by Iris's smile.
After Breakfast
Once we finished eating, we began to discuss the future.
"So, what should we do next?"
As I opened the floor, everyone's expressions turned serious.
"For now, our priority should be gathering information on the demons, the reasons behind the invasion, and general knowledge about this world."
"Knowledge about this world? Like what specifically?"
"The currency system, how towns are structured, the route to the Demon King... all sorts of things. We can't make a move without knowing the basics."
As everyone nodded, I paused before announcing the first item on the agenda.
"But before that... I need you all to learn the written language of this world."
"The writing...?" Yuno frowned. I turned my gaze to Maya.
"Maya, you've already learned a fair amount, haven't you?"
"Yeah, though not as much as you, Dai."
Maya gave a modest smile, and Sharon gave a light nod as well. "I think I might be able to manage."
The problem was the rest of the members. I looked at Yuno, Aria, and Iris.
"Sorry... I don't feel like I can do that at all..."
"Same here!"
"Mm...!"
Yuno, Aria, and Iris all slumped their shoulders in unison. I let out a small sigh.
"...Can't be helped. I'll teach you from scratch, so let's work hard together. You can already speak the language, so as long as you learn the words necessary for daily life, you'll manage."
Everyone’s eyes fixed on me. Their expressions were a mix of anxiety and a flicker of hope.
(I remember when I taught English to my boss's daughter. She praised me, saying I was better at teaching than her school or tutors. Well, I didn't just teach her English—I taught her "other things" too and made her feel very good! Of course, we spoke English during the act, too! She should be working overseas now; I wonder if she's doing well?)
Yuno then spoke up with a serious voice.
"I'm sorry to trouble you. I'll rely on your help. I'll pay you back for this sometime. ♪"
"It's fine. I caused trouble back at the mine, so let's call it even."
Yuno blinked at my nonchalant reply, then smiled faintly.
"Understood. Thank you. I look forward to working with you. ♪"
A more positive light began to show on the faces of my comrades, which put me at ease. We decided to hold a study session with Yuno and the others tonight.
"Alright, let's leave that there. Next... the demons."
"Do you have some kind of lead?"
The air in the room suddenly sharpened. As Yuno asked with a serious gaze, I gave a light nod.
"We might be able to get information about the demons in my room. I have an idea of someone who might know something."
"Who?"
"She should be cleaning around this time... Let's go ask her."
Everyone exchanged looks. They seemed surprised by the unexpected source of information, but no one objected.
"Well then, let's go."
Together, we headed toward my room.
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