Isekai Kansha - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Promises and Hesitation

With about an hour left until he met with Erza, Jin decided to leave the Galdin Trading Company.
He had been invited to dinner, but since he already had plans, he politely declined. Still, Airis threw quite a tantrum.

"Onii-chan~! Let’s eat together~!"

Even as they stepped outside the shop to see him off, Airis clung to Jin, unable to give up. It might just be a child’s whim, but considering she had just arrived in the city, had no friends, and must have been feeling lonely, Jin couldn’t help but be softhearted toward her. Squatting down to meet her eyes, he spoke gently.

"Hey, Airis. I’m sorry, but Onii-chan has plans to meet someone after this. So I can’t eat with you today."

It was a conversation they had already repeated a few times. Still, Airis, on the verge of tears, whimpered. Jin added gently.

"Hey, Airis. Promises are important, right? You keep your promises with Papa and Mama, don’t you? Onii-chan has to keep his promises too. Can you understand that?"

Airis nodded slightly. Seeing this, Jin patted her head and said:

"You’re a good girl, Airis. So Onii-chan will make a promise to you too. Not today, but next time we’ll eat together. I promise."

"Really?"

"Yes, I promise. Now, shall we do the promise spell?"

"Promise spell?"

"Yeah. Airis, hold out your pinky like this."

Jin extended his hand with only his pinky raised, and Airis did the same. They linked pinkies and moved them lightly up and down while reciting the rhyme in rhythm.

"Let's make a pinky promise, you mustn't lie! Or you will get sick!"

Jin released at the right moment. Since the original rhyme could be a little scary, he had softened it for a four-year-old. Airis, slightly confused but curious, followed along.

"Fufufu, do it again?"

"Yes, again!"

The tearful expression from moments ago was gone. Together, they chanted:

""Let's make a pinky promise, you mustn't lie! Or you will get sick!""

After their pinky swear, they exchanged smiles.

"We made a proper promise. Next time, we’ll eat together, okay?"

"Yes!"

Jin patted her head and then stood, apologizing to her parents, Orto and Iris.

"Sorry, I made a promise on my own."

"No, no. It’s actually helpful—we wanted to ask for the meal anyway. Thank you." 

Orto replied with a smile. Iris nodded with a similar smile.

"Thank you. We’ll take our leave now. Next time, I’ll come just to shop normally. See you, Airis!"

After saying their goodbyes, Jin left the trading company with a smile. He couldn’t buy the miso and soy sauce this time since Airis wouldn’t let go, but he planned to return soon.

Later, as a matter of etiquette before meeting a woman, Jin stopped by a public bath to freshen up and then returned to the inn. He visited Erza’s room, and together they went down to the dining hall. He pretended not to notice the slight redness in Erza’s eyes.

"Well then, shall we start with a toast?"

At the table filled with various dishes, Jin raised his mug and said.

"Ah, sure."

As expected, Erza’s reply lacked energy. But that was precisely why Jin was here with her now.

"All right, then—‘to our meeting!’"

Saying so, Jin raised his mug. This toast was not for the sorrow of parting, but for the joy of meeting. Erza paused for a moment, unsure what to say, but then smiled and followed suit.

"Ah, ‘to our meeting!’"

They both raised their mugs.

""Cheers!""

They clinked their mugs together.

"Ah—this is delicious!"

Erza drained her mug in one go. Jin refilled it from the pitcher.

"Ah, this is good. Tonight, drink as much as you like."

Normally, Jin believed that alcohol should be enjoyed in moderation and that drinking to the point of passing out was undesirable. But tonight was different. Alcohol was a welcome release, helping to let go of sorrow and ease the heart. Of course, in such cases, drinking should be done at home, and for a woman to drink this much outside would normally be unthinkable. But Jin was fully prepared to look after Erza, so he encouraged her to drink.

"Ah, Jin, you drink too."

Following her lead, Jin drained his mug and refilled it. They raised their mugs again, smiling at each other.

And so, Jin and Erza ate and drank together. Erza got quite drunk, sharing memories of Shirin and venting her frustrations. She laughed, got angry, felt sad, and even offered blessings. Jin mainly listened, providing support.

He laughed along with Erza’s joy and blessing, and comforted her in various ways when she was angry or sad. His words and actions were not out of obligation but from genuine concern. Jin occasionally shared his own stories and experiences, spending several hours with Erza.

"Mmm~"

Erza let out a meaningless sound, heavily intoxicated, teetering on the edge of passing out. She would likely fall asleep soon.

Toward the end, Jin had replaced her mug’s contents with chilled tea instead of alcohol. Seeing the right moment, he decided it was time to wrap up. He had drunk a fair amount himself, but thanks to his Health, he was only slightly tipsy.

"All right, Erza. Let’s head back to your room. Can you stand?"

He asked, realizing she couldn’t do it alone, and prepared to offer his shoulder. But Erza’s legs had no strength. Though it was a troublesome situation, Jin didn’t mind—it was a sign of Erza’s trust in him. He asked a female inn employee to accompany them with the key, to ensure the room was secure and avoid any rumors.

Jin abandoned the shoulder idea and instead carried Erza up the stairs, almost in a princess carry.

Erza, unsure of what was happening, offered no resistance. In fact, she unconsciously clung to him to avoid falling. At first, Jin had no impure intentions, but he couldn’t help noticing her softness as he carried her. Even though his body was old, his mind was that of an eighteen-year-old. Still, becoming a predator was out of the question, though he felt a slight twinge of guilt at his reactions.

With the employee unlocking the door, Jin laid Erza on the bed. He returned briefly to fetch a glass, a pitcher of water, and a basin just in case. When he returned, the employee had tucked Erza properly under the covers.

"Thank you, Hanna-san."

Jin spoke to Hanna, a burly middle-aged woman who had worked at the inn for a long time and often helped him with meals and laundry.

"You’re diligent, you know. Even if you took care of her in your own room, no one would complain."

Hanna said with a smile, watching Jin arrange the glass and pitcher on the bedside table. Over two weeks of interacting with him, she had no doubt he would never take advantage of a drunk woman. She knew he wouldn’t even bring Erza to his room and teased him with that in mind.

"I can’t just leave it to chance. I’m a man, after all." 

Jin replied with a wry smile. Even without ill intent, he wanted to avoid any situation that might damage Erza’s reputation. And after earlier noticing his own reactions, he didn’t trust himself entirely.

"Is the room next door available? If possible, I’d like to stay nearby just for tonight, as a precaution."

Leaving Erza’s room, Jin said this while watching Hanna lock the door. Since the interior lock couldn’t be used, he still felt a bit uneasy about security.

"You’re quite the worrier. Got it, I’ll let them know."

Jin thanked Hanna, who readily agreed, and decided to rest tonight in the room immediately to the right of Erza’s. Since he hadn’t left any belongings in his own room, moving rooms was no hassle. Jin sat on the bed and displayed his Map. He selected Erza’s room and his own, setting the Alarm to trigger if anyone intruded. With preparations complete, Jin lay down and fell asleep.

The next morning arrived without incident, and Jin’s day began with radio calisthenics.

Previously, he had gone all the way to the guild’s training ground, but after beginner training, he had relaxed and started doing it in the inn’s courtyard. Lately, some of the inn’s staff had even joined him. He felt no lingering effects from yesterday’s drinking and happily completed his morning routine.

As he was finishing up and about to move on to stretches, Erza appeared in the courtyard.

"Good morning, Erza. You’re earlier than I expected. Are you feeling okay after last night?"

Today was a subjugation request, and Jin had planned to wake Erza just before heading to the guild.

"Good morning. Sorry about yesterday. I’m fine now."

Keeping some distance from Jin, Erza responded with an apologetic look.

"Did something happen? If it’s just about passing out from drinking, you don’t need to worry."

"N-no, I just… I heard from Hanna-san earlier…"

Her reply was awkward, somehow hesitant.

"Yesterday, you… carried me in a ‘marriage lift.’ And… I was, um, clinging to you."

Erza’s face flushed bright red. It seemed her embarrassed, nervous expression had been mistaken for an apology earlier.

Jin would later learn that in this world, a so-called "princess carry" (a marriage lift) is generally understood as what a husband does on their wedding night when he carries his wife to the bed. Of course, it’s also used in normal situations, like moving a sick person. But when a woman clings to someone during such a carry, the former meaning tends to dominate. Moreover, Erza had been carrying herself. With only vague memories, she had been teased endlessly by Hanna that morning. Now that she'd been told this, Erza had a vague memory of feeling happy about being carried by someone, and that it felt light and airy and comfortable.

Jin didn’t fully understand the "marriage lift" connotation, but he knew Erza was embarrassed. Her unfamiliar expression made his heart skip a beat. Remembering the feel of her in his arms, Jin himself flushed. They stayed red-faced for a few moments before Jin finally spoke.

"Ahem. Ah—Erza, I apologize for carrying you so carelessly. I’m sorry."

"N-no, it’s not your fault, so don’t apologize. Besides, I didn’t mind at all."

Erza responded to Jin’s apology, though the last part was barely a whisper, too far away for him to hear clearly. Jin, realizing he was starting to notice Erza not as his friend but as a woman, felt a bit flustered and distracted.

Knowing he couldn’t continue like this, Jin slapped both cheeks twice to reset his focus.

"I really am sorry, Erza. I… I was a little conscious of you too. I’ll be more careful from now on. Let’s agree not to let yesterday bother us anymore, okay?"

Jin decided that overthinking things would be disrespectful to Erza as a friend. He spoke with force, trying to blow away the awkward air.

"Y-yeah. Right… let’s do that."

Hearing Jin admit he’d been conscious of her brought Erza a mix of mild pleasure and slight irritation—perhaps because he said "a little" or because it was in the past tense.

Determined to recover, Erza also tried to steady herself.

"All right, then, excuse me for a moment."

Jin approached the well and splashed cold water on his face—his second wash today, aimed at cooling his head. Following his lead, Erza also washed her face in the cold well water.

Both of them seemed to regain a bit of composure after washing their faces with cold water. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Ha ha, sorry about that, Erza. I’m just not used to… well, this kind of thing."

Although Jin had some experience, being formerly an old man, it was limited and far in the past, hardly reliable. Instead, he found himself confused by having a young mind and body.

"Ha ha, this is my first time too, so I’m not used to it either. We’re even, I guess."

Erza, finally returning to a normal state after overreacting thanks to Hanna’s teasing, nodded.

"Yeah, we’re even. Well then, once we finish getting ready, let’s head to the guild early."

"Yeah, that’s fine by me. Rachel is joining us too, right?"

Since Erza had woken up earlier than expected, Jin suggested leaving soon, and Erza readily agreed.

"That’s right. We’ll probably get there before anyone else anyway, so let’s take the time to carefully check the request."

"Got it. With you and Rachel, even a D-rank subjugation request should be fine. Looks like it’ll be a proper mission for a while."

Erza seemed excited, her arms cracking as she stretched.

"Ha ha, take it easy on me. I’ll head back to the room once I finish stretching. When you’re ready, come get me. Oh, by the way, I’m staying in the room right next to yours, on the right, so don’t get confused. Then we’ll eat breakfast together and head out."

"Understood. See you later."

They parted for a moment, then met again to have breakfast together. Hanna, teasing them again, almost triggered Erza’s shy maiden mode, but Jin managed to negotiate with a single shoulder massage as a compromise. He had done the shoulder massage before when Hanna complained of stiffness.

These small, playful exchanges were likely also meant to reassure the other guests that nothing unusual had happened, protecting Erza’s reputation. Jin, noticing this, was grateful and played along to keep the mood light.

In reality, Hanna was also acting to protect Jin. After the incident with Aria, Jin had become quite conspicuous, and someone as capable and attractive as Erza also had admirers.

With Hanna occasionally joining in the conversation, Jin and Erza continued their lighthearted breakfast chat. Once finished, they were seen off by Hanna and headed to the guild.

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