Chapter 263:
A Smile Is Powerful
“Oooh, I never knew ryce could be so delicious.”
“Yeah, it really is good.”
Rose and Delos couldn’t stop smiling as they munched their onigiri. They were both already on their second rice ball, so that must’ve meant they really liked them. I was relieved. And Rose sure was talented, too. This was her first time making onigiri, but by the second rice ball, she already understood how to squeeze with just the right pressure to form perfect little domes. She’s just good at everything she tries.
“Think we should bring some of these to Tableau later?”
“I think they’d be good for him. He can eat them with one hand.”
How would Tableau feel about getting such an unfamiliar food for lunch? I had a feeling it would just make him uncomfortable.
“So, d’ya have any other dishes with ryce in them, hon?”
“I make gyuu-don a lot.”
“What’s that?”
“You put white rice in a bowl, then you top it with meat and vegetables braised in a flavorful broth.”
“Oh, that sounds lovely, too.”
“It is really good, and very filling as well.”
“Really, hon? Well, I’d like that.”
Rose and Druid started chatting excitedly about rice. She asked him what sorts of rice dishes he’d eaten, which was a little embarrassing for me since he even included the ones I’d messed up.
“Well, thanks for lunch.”
“No problem. I’ll just go make some tea.”
“Thanks. You know, you’re a really good cook.”
“Thanks back at you. I’m flattered to hear that.”
At first, I’d cooked because I had to, but now it was a hobby of mine. Druid and Rose had a lively conversation while Delos and I relaxed. The gathering just made me feel warm and cozy.
“Should we head back?” Druid asked after he’d had his fill of rice and conversation.
“Sure. Sora, Flame, Ciel?” I called out to my creatures, who were playing around the room.
“Pu! Pu, puuu.”
Mrrrow.
Flame was already asleep. I looked around and found it curled up next to its bag.
“Sorry it took so long.” I put Flame into the bag, followed by Sora and Ciel, who’d leapt into my arms. They were both in high spirits from playing with Delos the whole time. But was it okay for them to get too attached?
“Thanks for everything,” Rose said.
“Oh, no, thank you! I loved learning something new about cooking.” The dishes Rose had made with Hatow’s proper sauce were delicious and easy to prepare. Once I got a bottle of the stuff, I planned on cooking them myself.
When we left Rose’s shop, the sun was much farther away than it had been the day before. I looked at the tiny basket in my arms, which contained three of the onigiri we’d made that day. We were planning on stopping by the sibling-run shop we’d gone to the previous day.
“It’s pretty cold, huh?” Druid said.
“Is it? I feel like yesterday was colder.”
Druid gave me a questioning look. It concerned me a little, so I reached up and touched his forehead. It wasn’t hot…
“When we get back, you should drink one of Flame’s potions. You never can be too careful.”
“Okay, I’ll do that. And you can wipe that worried grimace off your face. I’ll be fine.”
I had a worried grimace on my face? Apparently, I sometimes made the most grotesque faces without knowing it. Druid poked my cheek and laughed. It was a relief to see him acting normal again.
“Huh?” I happened to glance over at the park in the plaza and saw someone familiar sitting on the bench. Druid followed my gaze. Unless I was mistaken, it was Priya, master of the adventurer guild.
“That’s Guild Master Priya.”
“So I was right.”
Priya looked like there was something on his mind. Hmm…maybe the best thing to do would be to pretend we didn’t see him? Or should we lend an ear?
“We don’t belong to this village, you know,” Druid told me. “I’m not sure how much we should get involved in its business…”
He was right. We were travelers. That meant sometimes we would need to get involved, but other times it would be best that we stay out. That was a lesson Druid had taught me. I studied Priya’s face and saw that his eyes were full of sorrow.
“Mr. Druid…should we give him a treat?”
“Hm? A treat?”
“Yes. We happen to have the perfect thing.” I lifted the basket and showed it to Druid.
“Ha ha ha. You’re right, we do.”
We walked into the park and approached the bench where Guild Master Priya was seated. Sensing our presence, he looked up, seeming faintly surprised to see us.
“Good afternoon.”
“Ah…hello.” He appeared flustered to be talked to so suddenly.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Huh?”
“Your lunch.”
“Oh, um, not yet…”
“Then here’s a little treat.”
“Um…a treat?”
“That’s right.”
I pushed the basket toward him, but he was too flustered to take it, so I set it down on his lap instead. There. Mission accomplished.
“What is this?”
“Onigiri made from rice.”
“Oh, I see… Made from ryce… Huh? Ryce?”
Would he be okay eating it? His reaction seemed a little listless. Was Guild Master Priya not feeling too well, either? I reached out and touched his forehead. He didn’t feel particularly hot to me.
“Um, what are you doing?” Priya asked.
“I think she’s checking to see if you have a fever.” There was a hint of laughter in Druid’s voice. Was I doing something funny? I glanced at him behind me, but he shook his head to tell me it was okay.
“You don’t seem to have a fever, sir.”
“Yeah…um, so why were you taking my temperature?”
“Because you looked a little out of it.”
“Oh…sorry about that,” Guild Master Priya chuckled lightly. Something in his smile made my heart uneasy. It was almost like he was…
“You’re so doom and gloom.”
“Pfft!” Druid burst out laughing behind me.
For a few moments, Guild Master Priya looked stunned by my words…then he squeezed his eyebrows together. “Well, I’m dealing with a lot.”
I think I struck a bad nerve. He looks even more doom and gloom now, too. The whole thing just made me sigh in frustration. That earned me a glare, but it wasn’t a harsh one.
“I have nothing to offer, and I can’t possibly understand what you’re going through. But you’re just being a downer!”
“Bfffttt!” I heard a strange noise behind me. I looked around to see that Druid had turned his back and his shoulders were shaking violently. If he thinks it’s so funny, he should just go ahead and laugh it up.
“But I can’t just laugh it off with everything that’s going on!” Priya’s voice was suddenly much louder. I shivered a little, but not out of fear. I couldn’t be afraid when he was on the verge of tears. “You’re just a kid. How could you possibly understand?”
When his quiet murmuring reached my ears, I was filled with immense sadness. But I couldn’t let on to him that I felt that way. Comforting him would be too difficult—I couldn’t even try. Instead, I would have to tell him what I’d seen during my travels.
“Yeah, I told you I didn’t understand.”
He glared at me again…but he still looked like he was about to cry. I held his gaze and smiled, which earned me an odd stare from him.
“The guild master in Oll—the town where the monsters were going berserk—he was always smiling, and so were all of his comrades.”
“What?”
“The only time I saw any pain in his eyes was when he thanked me after everything was over. He was so thankful…but in so much pain.”
“What?” Priya looked utterly bewildered as to why I’d suddenly changed the subject. But I ignored his confusion and continued.
“Before they stood up to fight against the big criminal gang, the captain of the watch and the guild master were both smiling—having fun, in fact. The people around them were smiling, too, even though some of them looked perplexed.”
Guild Master Priya just kept staring.
“When my life was in danger, everyone around me kept smiling. Even though I was scared, that helped me hold my ground and fight. And with a smile on my face, too.”
A smile is a powerful thing. It might be a bluff at first, but it will give you strength and good cheer.
“Please, sir, eat your lunch and get your strength back. Especially with everything that’s going on.”
I couldn’t possibly understand the sufferings of those above me, so I couldn’t advise him on that front. But there was one thing I’d just had to tell him about: the power of the smiles of all the guild masters and captains of the watch I’d met so far. Because I knew those smiles meant something.
“Well, goodbye then.” With a smile and a bow to the stunned guild master, I turned to walk away with Druid, who gave my head a gentle pat.
“But I…”
We heard him start to say something, but we left the plaza without looking back.
“Hmm, so… Let’s pick up your gloves, then go back to the inn and make onigiri?” Druid asked.
I nodded. “Yup. We just keep getting more things to do, don’t we?”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
I’m not so naive as to believe that a smile will solve all your problems. But if you want to keep the doom and gloom from crushing you, a smile is very important, even if it’s a forced one. Sometimes you need those, too.
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