Chapter 39: An Evening at Burke’s Home
"This is my place. Oyy, I’ve brought him home!"
Led by Burke, Jin arrived at a modest but neat little house. While Burke was calling for his wife, Jin quietly slipped flowers and a bottle of liquor out of his Item Bag. Both were gifts he had bought in advance.
He’d learned his lesson from the incident with Aria, so he’d made sure to choose flowers with no odd implications. The liquor was meant for Burke, and the flowers for his wife. If he had known a good confectionery shop, he might have chosen sweets instead, but he had yet to find a place he could trust with his own taste buds.
"Welcome! Nice to meet you, I’m Burke’s wife, Beth. Please take care of us, Jin-san."
Beth appeared at the entrance, smiling warmly. She looked to be around Burke’s age, a little plump but with a charming, cheerful air. Jin returned her greeting with a smile.
"Good evening. Thank you so much for inviting me tonight. These are just a small gift, if you’d please accept them."
Instead of using the Japanese custom of saying "it’s nothing much", Jin simply handed over the flowers and liquor. Burke, noticing, looked a little surprised—when had Jin prepared those?
"Oh my, you didn’t need to trouble yourself. But thank you! Fufu, I can’t remember the last time I was given flowers, can you, Burke?"
Beth accepted them happily, giving her husband a meaningful smile.
"Ugh… I’ll buy you Capella flowers next time."
"Oh my, you remembered my favorite flower. In that case, you’re forgiven."
Beth smiled and kissed him, while Burke looked sheepish.
It seemed Burke was thoroughly under his wife’s thumb—but their relationship was clearly a loving one.
"Fufufu, thank you for the treat."
Jin couldn’t help but laugh at the sweet scene.
"Oh dear, I forgot myself. Please, come in, come in."
Apparently, Beth had kissed Burke without thinking, forgetting Jin was right there. Flustered, she hurried to usher him inside.
"Pardon the intrusion."
Stepping in, Jin spotted a small child peeking out from further inside. Smiling, he waved gently, then crouched down to speak.
"Good evening. My name’s Jin. What’s your name?"
"I’m Nils. Are you Papa’s friend, big brother?"
The word big brother made Jin unexpectedly happy.
Nils was a boy about first-grade age—quiet-looking, but with an intelligent gleam in his eyes.
"That’s right. I even help your dad with work sometimes. You’ve got a good father, Nils."
"Uh-huh. He even bought me a picture book the other day. Wanna see it?"
"Oh, that sounds great! How about you show me later?"
"Okay!"
The tension left Nils, replaced by a bright smile as he chatted excitedly. Just then, Burke came over, scooped Nils up into his arms, and carried him toward the dining table.
"Alright, Nils, let’s go together with Papa."
Nils squealed happily in his father’s arms, laughing all the way. Beth walked over to Jin and spoke softly.
"Sorry, you didn’t need to go out of your way like that."
Did she mean the promise Jin had made to look at Nils’s picture book, or his words of gratitude toward Burke? Either way, Jin hadn’t lied.
"Not at all. I like children, so I’m happy to. And I meant every word."
He answered with a smile and followed them into the main room.
Jin sat beside Nils, across from Burke and Beth at the table. As he chatted with Burke and the boy, Beth finished her preparations, soon filling the table with her home cooking.
Colorful salads, a hearty beef-stew-like dish—everything looked delicious. But among them, one dish in particular caught Jin’s eye.
"...Rice."
What caught Jin’s eyes was a dish of saffron-colored rice topped with several kinds of seafood—a so-called paella. He didn’t consider himself so narrow-minded as to crave only Japanese food even in another world, but still, the thought of eating rice again after so long filled him with joy. Much like miso or soy sauce, rice was tied too deeply to his habits to ever truly let go of.
Once Beth portioned out the dishes for everyone, Burke raised his voice.
"Once again, welcome to our home, Jin. Enjoy yourself tonight. Now then—itadakimasu."
""Itadakimasu.""
Following Burke’s lead, Beth and Nils echoed the phrase. Their palms pressed together in the same gesture Jin always used. It looked natural, as if it had already become part of their routine.
"Haha, surprised? Ever since you told me about it, our family’s been doing it too. Anyway, eat up."
With a grin, Burke started on his food.
"Yes, please. I worked hard on this, so eat plenty."
"Then, itadakimasu."
Jin said it again, drizzled dressing over the salad, and took a bite. The tangy sauce seemed to be yogurt-based, light, and refreshing. He quickly cleared the salad, then tried the stew. It looked like beef stew and tasted just as rich and savory.
"It’s all delicious. You’re a wonderful cook, Beth-san."
Jin gave the praise sincerely.
"Hehe, thank you. But this is the one you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it? Go on, have some."
Beth smiled knowingly and passed him the paella she had saved for last. Embarrassed to be found out, Jin nevertheless accepted it gratefully and took a bite. The taste of rice after so long was bliss. He couldn’t help the smile spreading across his face.
"Uhahaha, Jin, you really do eat like it’s the best thing in the world. There’s more, so have as much as you want."
Burke laughed at his expression. Jin knew well that in such a setting, restraint would only be rude. If it was delicious, he should say so honestly. If offered seconds, he should accept without hesitation. And of course, he would finish every bite. For Jin, this was the bare minimum of table manners when invited to dine.
"Then I’ll take you up on that. It really is wonderful—rice is one of my favorites."
True to his words, he cleared his plate of paella in no time.
"Seeing you enjoy it so much makes me happy too. Let me serve you another helping."
"Thank you. The paella is great, but everything else is just as delicious."
Handing over his empty plate, Jin turned to Nils.
"You’re lucky to have such a good cook for a mom. Tasty, isn’t it?"
"Yep, it’s always tasty. Except for green peppers. Those aren’t good."
The boy’s tone dipped with the last part—Jin guessed he often got scolded for not eating them.
"If you’re picky, you won’t grow big like your dad. I didn’t like green peppers either when I was your age, but if you eat them together with your favorite dish, it’s easier. Watch."
Jin showed him by eating a piece of green pepper together with the paella. Nils copied him, pairing it with stew, and somehow managed to swallow it down.
"Well done, Nils! Tasty, right?"
Nils nodded silently. Maybe it wasn’t tasty at all, but whether out of politeness or pride, he nodded anyway. His brave little gesture touched Jin’s heart. He praised the boy warmly and ruffled his hair, earning a happy smile.
"I never thought Nils would eat green peppers. You’re good with children, Jin-san."
Beth looked impressed.
"Really? I did look after my nephew… kids in the family, you know. But Nils is the one who deserves the credit."
He patted Nils’s head again, smiling as the boy looked up at him.
"Haha. See? This is just what Jin’s like. And he’s only eighteen."
Burke chuckled wryly, perhaps recalling his own youth. Beth agreed.
"Yes, you told me about him, but still… Oh, right. Thank you for teaching us so much. That greeting before the meal—you explained it to us, and it was so wonderful we decided to make it part of our family’s routine."
"No, no, all I did was tell you about my custom. It was up to Burke-san to decide what to do with it."
In truth, Jin respected Burke’s openness. Most people would let pride get in the way of adopting something from someone younger or beneath them in rank. Accepting it sincerely took real character. Jin knew—he’d once been the same way.
"Hehe, I know. He’s a wonderful husband."
Beth said that with a smile, gazing at Burke. He looked embarrassed, but also clearly pleased.
Watching them, Jin thought once again how nice it was to see a couple so close. Some people liked to say marriage was a graveyard, but Jin had friends back home who were still happily married even in old age. For a single man like him, that kind of partnership was the ideal—and in this world, Burke and Beth were exactly that. Feeling a little envious, Jin decided to tease them.
"Hey, Nils. Your mom and dad sure are close, huh? Do you think they’ll kiss again?"
"They always kiss. Papa’s always—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Jin, don’t go asking kids stuff like that!"
Burke rushed to cut Nils off.
"Ahaha, sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. Too jealous."
He didn’t actually stick out his tongue, but if you had to put a sound effect to Jin’s sheepish look, "tehepero" would be about right.
"‘Couldn’t help yourself,’ huh!? … Pfft… hahahaha!"
Burke snapped back reflexively, but Jin’s goofy expression broke him. Soon, he was laughing outright. Beth and Jin joined in right after, leaving only Nils blinking in confusion as the three of them laughed until their sides hurt.
From there, the warm mood carried them through the rest of dinner. After the meal, Jin gave his thanks and, as promised, spent some time reading picture books with Nils.
There were stories about sages who invented what we now call magic tools, about gods granting magic to humans, about heroes and holy beasts who fought off hordes of magical monsters. Maybe they were fairy tales, but there was a lot Jin didn’t know, and he found himself genuinely enjoying them.
The tale that captivated him most was of a holy beast that could speak and fought alongside humans. Who knew if it was true—but "guardian holy beast that protects the world" was exactly the kind of romantic phrase that stirred his heart. He even made a mental note to look for books about holy beasts next time he visited a bookstore.
Later, when Beth came to tuck Nils into bed, Jin switched out with her and returned to the living room, where Burke was waiting.
"I’ve been waiting. Let’s have a drink."
On the cleared table sat the liquor Jin had brought, along with a few other bottles and some snacks. Burke hadn’t touched anything yet—he’d been waiting for Jin.
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
They clinked glasses lightly and took their first sips. They started slow, savoring the taste, then when Beth joined them, the pace picked up a little—but they never overdid it, drinking calmly as they chatted idly.
"So, Jin-san."
Beth said after they’d nearly finished a bottle between them.
"You’re an adventurer, right? Do you happen to know how Aria is doing these days?"
"I see her often at the guild. She’s always been a big help to me. I’d say she’s doing well."
"I see… that’s good."
She said the words, but her expression was tinged with sadness. Burke noticed Jin’s curiosity and explained.
"Me, her, and Aria—we’re all from the same orphanage. Things happened, and now we’ve grown distant. Guess it showed on her face."
Adventurers dying in the line of duty were far from rare. Naturally, many of them were parents, and their children were often taken into orphanages run by the Adventurers’ Guild. Aria was more than ten years younger than Burke and Beth, so they’d only had limited contact at the orphanage. Still, once Aria became an adventurer, they looked after her as best they could.
"I see. Greg-san mentioned it as well, but I think Aria-san is doing fine. She even smiles sometimes."
Jin didn’t know exactly what had happened between Aria and the couple, but wanting to encourage them, he said that.
"Smiles? Aria smiles?" Burke asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Lately, I think she’s been smiling quite a lot."
Strictly speaking, Aria only ever smiled at Jin. He didn’t think she was singling him out, but Burke and Beth knew her far better—and they knew that Aria only smiled at people she considered truly close, almost like family. For the past six years, she hadn’t shown that smile to anyone.
"…I see."
Burke murmured, his voice thick with emotion. Tears welled in Beth’s eyes. To them, it was only natural to believe Jin had been the one to bring Aria’s smile back.
"There was another one in our party, also from the orphanage…"
And so Burke began telling Jin about what had happened with Aria.
The young man Greg had once mentioned as being close to Aria was a member of Burke and Beth’s party. When Beth became pregnant, she and Burke took time off. During that break, the remaining members formed a temporary party. Not long after Beth’s safe delivery, that temporary party was nearly annihilated. The young man, along with the others, was killed. Burke and Beth blamed themselves, convinced it was their fault. Because of that guilt, they could no longer face Aria. That was the turning point—Burke retired as an adventurer and became a soldier, while Beth also retired to devote herself to raising their child.
"So Aria… she’s smiling again. Jin, thank you."
"Yes, really. Thank you, Jin-san."
Having spoken it all aloud, they seemed lighter somehow. But Jin didn’t believe it was thanks to him alone. Without Greg, without Burke and Beth, without the warmth of those around her, Aria wouldn’t be who she is now.
"I know it’s not really my place to say this, but… if you get the chance, try talking to Aria-san. I think she’d be happy."
From the way she treated children—and even himself—Jin believed Aria was a compassionate woman, even if she rarely showed it openly. He doubted she could ever truly resent Burke and Beth, who were worried about her..
After some hesitation, the two nodded.
Jin then shared some lighthearted stories about Aria, including the whole fiasco with his near-proposal. He told it comically, and the couple, who had been growing somber, burst out laughing again.
After that, the three of them continued to share good drinks together for quite some time.
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