Chapter 72: Hero meeting (III).
Kein's POV
We welcomed Avery Williams into my home and she was just staring at everything that was inside. Stopping for a few seconds at some paintings at the wall before continuing her walk.
"Such lovely artwork! Pretty awesome, back then I was more into digital art than traditional since the materials you usually need are expensive but seeing these make me want to try." (Avery) smiles really wide and hearing her talking about digital made me smile remembering the other side of art that I admire.
"The materials here are fairly expensive but their quality is high." We might have come from different times, her from 2020 and me from 2045 but we still have some things in common to talk about. "Mm... digital art is really something to behold, though if you'd want to try traditional art we could hold some painting lessons here and there when I'm free."
"Really?!" (Avery) asks excitedly, her eyes glittering but then pulls me over to her side when she takes a quick side glance at the princess.
Rose was mostly just quiet the whole time we were walking probably because we're talking about something she doesn't know. "Hey- I know we're having a nice conversation here and all but are you sure it's okay to talk about this near the crown princess?"
"You know we have to be careful about spilling out your identity here." She whispers in my ear and I could see Rose watching us carefully, I... really have to be careful on how to approach Avery now because I don't want any complications.
"Relax hero, she already knows what I am." I tell her to put some fair distance between us because this woman doesn't know what that is.
Avery blinks at me in shock mixed with surprise. "What?! She knows you're- you know?" she points at me and then at Rose. "Transmigrated or Reborn or Reincarnated?" she whispers at me closely, our face inches apart and I nod.
"Certainly, if she doesn't know I wouldn't have replied so casually and acted aloof upon your topics." I tell in an answer, Rose was being an observer in all of this, probably waiting to get into a safe private space first before taking off her shawl and talking comfortably there with no servants slipping in and gossiping.
Her eyes went up and down looking, stopping at our hands. "You both have paint in your hands... Was I interrupting something important? Perhaps some date or something. You know at this point if you were dating the princess I wouldn't be surprised."
"Well- we're sort of dating." I sigh looking over my hands forgetting to wash off the paint before heading off to meet Avery and I guess Rose also forgot to do that as well. "And I had to welcome you, we couldn't have kept you waiting outside the estate."
"Usually reincarnated people have this weird story of always getting a princess in their harem- actually do you even have a harem or are you not into that?" (Avery) nudges my arm and I shake my head.
Never in my life would I be into that idea, I still don't understand how people would be able to entertain and love so many without getting tired of all the attention grabbing and jealousy that would come with that kind of relationship. "I'm not into that stuff Avery, are you into them?"
"Oh geez my question got all backfired on me." (Avery) laughs at the question and shakes her head. "I'm not into that either, but I didn't want to assume I might think the world changed you and all. Some parts of this world have it legalized, not going to lie with your good looks you could snag three girls or more."
"I haven't been doing any adventures outside [Puronia] lands and for the snagging I would like to not have any comment on that." I looked away feeling really guilty and uncomfortable at that topic but mostly it was because she was right.
I have indeed snagged... a few but not at the same time. I could never.
We saw Alfred not too far away and he opened the door for us in the private room he prepared for us and we went in. "There's tea and biscuits on the table, milady. I will see myself out now." (Alfred) bows and I gave him an affirming nod opening the door into the room.
Avery continued on with her story about her ventures while we listened. "I've been adventuring more on [Sprivanto] than [Puronia] since that place is more close to the demon land territory where the Demon Lord resides and it's technically our job to slay her."
"It's the reason I was summoned here and everything after all."
The Demon Lord, I've known so little information on them seeing how the academic records of [Puronia] had little knowledge towards it. Why? Because the demons seem to have appointed a new one just a few months after the heroes were summoned.
I've heard Knights were trying to capture some demons in order to torture them wanting to now what kind of demon they were but... for the whole year there wasn't any demon sighting nearby.
They were hiding inside the Demon Dungeons that the new Demon Lord has built for shelter, many theorized that humanity has won over them and now they cower in fear but I digress.
Demons are smart and prideful creatures, they would rather die in honor than say humans are something of a greater being than them.
Avery sat down onto one of the couches and Rose could now comfortably take off her shawl in the side before sitting down as well. I made sure to lock the door for privacy and to sit beside my girlfriend.
"Oh you two look so cute together! I haven't been able to say hi frequently in the castle and when I'm usually summoned there by the king it's usually another order to try and finally kill the Demon Lord." (Avery) looks towards Rose with a stiff smile and Rose breaks out of her shell once she takes her shawl off knowing that we were in a safe space.
"I-I also have to apologize for leaving that heavy burden on your shoulders hero, the demon and human kingdoms are not in friendly terms with one another." (Rose) lowers her head slightly in apology towards Avery.
"You don't need to lower your head-" I held her shoulder and quickly pulled her up to sit straight. Avery nodded along with my answer, it seems that she's not really fond of royalty lowering their head at her too.
"Kein is right your highness, I might be summoned because of some silly quest but thankfully you guys summoned a hardcore gamer and grinder of exp. Now I'm practically enjoying attempting to actually kill the Demon Lord." (Avery) gave her a smile of reassurance and I could imagine the things she went through.
Fortunately for me I've been lucky that my stroke of fate I've been put into a body where luck seems to have me in favor for giving a wonderful family and friends, no silly missions as well as quests. "Though I actually haven't killed her since it's only been a year since I've been summoned. I've got some more grinding to do plus it's kind of complicated right now- me and the Demon Lord... I mean."
"Father has told me you've been kicked out of the Demon Dungeon where she lies at the top of it. The books in our kingdom would just show demons as something to be horrified with, dark in color of the skin- different unnatural color of eyes and scary sharp teeth." (Rose) would go on to explain the characteristics of demons in an exaggerated manner.
I have already read about them but I've seen a few captured demons, they're just like humans they can feel emotion and pain just physically different.
"Stories to scare children of demons going to kidnap them in their sleep, seeing that I've never seen one and had a proper conversation with them- I don't know what to believe." (Rose)
"Oh no princess, they're not that bad. The books in your kingdom are biased towards them, I don't know what kind of history provoked that to happen but I couldn't help but sleep on that part of the history lessons they gave me." (Avery)
"I can imagine the kind of adapting you had to do." I saw the tea and biscuits that Alfred had prepared for us and I took the tea pot pouring the hot drink into the jade cup filling it to the brim. "And please help yourself with some tea and biscuits."
"Oh tea- I don't drink tea. I'm actually more of a coffee gal... you know caffeine is addicting but I can't find them. Those are rare on the market these days, not to mention expensive." (Avery) laughs a little about not finding any coffee but I have good news for her.
I took off to grab some grinded coffee beans that were actually in another small pot and stirred it into the hot tea. The Hills family owns some huge acres of land that produces coffee beans as one of our primary agricultural businesses, where it's managed by good hard-working farmers that've been paid fairly.
The smell of the grinded coffee being blended with the tea, Avery's eyes widened and stared at the cup I was stirring.
"N-No way is that coffee?" she asks pointing at the cup, once I was finished stirring the teaspoon into it no matter how hot it was she immediately took it in her hands and started blowing on it.
"Bottoms up!" (Avery) with no hesitation started to chug the drink not thinking of the consequences that comes with it.
"Be careful that's hot!" (Rose) was the first one to warn her and I shake my head at these coffee addicts just treating coffee as some sort of shot. "Oh dear... is her mouth going to be okay?"
Oh Rose... I don't know if she's going to be okay entirely.
Avery gulps down the last of her drink and sticks her tongue out in pain.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! It hurts but it's so worth it!" Doing a small victory dance she holds out her cup towards asking for another drink. "A-Another cup please?"
I raised my eyebrows and gave her the look.
"You think I'll give you more after the stunt you pulled?" I told her and took the grinded coffee bean powder out of her reach just in case she did anything that would get her hurt in the name of coffee.
I swear is this really the same clumsy girl that managed to cut a wyvern in half in one shot?!
Rose sighs looking at me before walking up to her and casting a basic healing magic to cool down her tongue and heal the burn on her mouth. "Please... let your drink cool down a little before chugging it."
"S-Sorry…"
This hero is like a child sometimes… but I guess that's because she probably is.
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