Early on the morning of my fifth day in the Hydra Kingdom, I went to see the old man again for another chat.
"I see. So you're heading back tonight?"
"Yes... Ah, but I'll be sure to come by and visit again sometime."
"Hah! Hahaha! You really are a conscientious one. Even though I was the one who asked, I never truly expected you to show up every single morning."
"Oh, it was nothing. I had plenty of spare time, so..."
As it happened, I had visited the old man every morning since we first met. He seemed to have a job of his own, so we never talked for very long; it was usually just light conversation and pleasantries.
"Oh, that's right! Since you're here, why don't we have some tea?"
"Hm? Oh, sure."
"I have an acquaintance who eats these rare snacks. Among them, this is my personal favorite."
"...Is that a senbei?"
"Umu, so I'm told."
The old man launched into his usual rhythmic banter, and before I knew it, the topic had shifted entirely. I had grown used to his pace over the last few days, so I didn't mind.
More than that, I was surprised to see a senbei in a place like this. I wondered if the old man’s acquaintance was a former Hero-role.
"This senbei and green tea combo is simply irresistible. Here, let’s have some together."
"Thank you very much."
With a wide, wrinkled grin, the old man handed me a yunomi filled with green tea and a senbei. I accepted them and sat down to eat with him.
The setting was the coast, yet I felt as though I were relaxing on a traditional engawa. He reminded me of an elderly relative back home, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. After my parents died and I was taken in by other relatives, I hadn't seen much of the rest of my family. I wondered if they were still doing well.
"Mmm. This is delicious."
"Isn't it? And the sea breeze is quite refreshing."
"Hah! You understand! It's this wind that makes it special!"
It was nice to occasionally just relax and gaze at the sea. As I sat there munching on my snack, the old man spoke up in a gentle tone.
"You really are a good man. You sit through an old man's idle chatter without showing even a hint of boredom."
"Talking with you is fun for me, too. I feel like I'm learning a lot."
"Hahaha, is that so? Truly, you're a pleasant youth. I'm not the type to complain about 'young people these days,' but it seems most people are constantly chased by time. Time is finite, so it’s somewhat inevitable, I suppose... but I don't care for it much."
Coming from Japan, I felt like the people of this world actually used their time quite meaningfully, but from his perspective, they seemed to be in too much of a hurry.
The old man was right, of course. For humans, time was finite, and its flow was irreversible. Though, I did have a few acquaintances who seemed perfectly capable of turning that physical law on its head...
"Do you mean that because time is limited, it’s all the more important to maintain a sense of peace?"
"Exactly. Rushing and feeling impatient aren't necessarily bad things. However, if you let yourself be chased by time, everything becomes a vicious cycle. Sometimes it's vital to pause, catch your breath, and make sure your feet are still on the ground."
"Those are profound words."
"Fofofo. If you're the type of person who can appreciate that, you'll be just fine."
There was a weight to his words that only someone who had lived far longer than I could provide. I carved his advice into my heart, resolving to never lose my own peace of mind.
Fortunately, I was blessed with wonderful people around me. If I ever became too impatient, there were plenty of friends who would pull me back or reach out a hand. That was a truly happy, precious thing.
"Well, that aside... I'll say it again, young man. You're a fine catch!"
"Huh? Er, well, thank you?"
"Umu. Tell me, how would you like to become my son-in-law?"
"What? Uh... do you mean for your grandchild or someone?"
"U-Umu... O-Oh, yes, something like that!"
His reaction at the end was a bit suspicious, but I decided to take it as a sincere compliment.
"...Um, well, let's just leave that topic for another time..."
"How cold of you. Though, perhaps that's the secret to your popularity."
"Is that how it works?"
"I suspect so."
"...Pfft."
"...Heh."
"Ahahaha!"
Something about our exchange was just funny. We looked at each other and laughed. He was such a bright, energetic old man that his mood was contagious. Conversations like this were never a chore; if anything, I genuinely enjoyed them.
"Oops, look at the time. I'd better be going."
"Do you have work?"
"Umu. There are some noisy fellows who insist on working an old man to the bone."
"It just shows how much they rely on you, I'm sure."
"Uumu. I’d much rather retire, but I suppose I'll get to it."
"Right. Thank you for the treat today."
The old man stood up and scratched his head. I thanked him for the senbei and tea and stood as well.
"Umu. You take care, now. Be sure to come back and chat with me again."
"I will. I'll come visit. Please take care of yourself too, sir."
"Aye... Until then, may we meet again."
"Yes. Take care."
The old man slung his fishing rod over his shoulder and walked away with a bright smile. I waved until he was out of sight, then took a short walk along the beach as the morning sun began to rise before returning to the inn.
I had said my goodbyes and informed the old man that I was returning to the Kingdom of Sinfonia. My business in the Hydra Kingdom was officially concluded—or so I thought.
In reality, there was one more item on my schedule that had been decided by the flow of events, even if it wasn't strictly intentional.
Around noon, I stepped out of the inn to meet my appointment: Shia-san.
Because I had asked her to treat me to a meal as an apology for the previous incident, she was hosting me for lunch today. Shia-san was dressed in her usual sailor uniform and black robe. As expected, she refused to meet my eyes.
"Sorry, Shia-san. Did I keep you waiting?"
"...It doesn't matter. I'm already a woman bound by your despicable schemes."
"N-No, we're just going for lunch... right?"
"What?! Are you saying you won't stop at just that? You... you monster!"
Seriously, someone needs to disable this person's Negative Filter! She’s making me out to be an absolute villain!
"...Let's just get this over with."
"Right. By the way, what are we eating?"
"Hmph. 'Do you even have the taste to pick a restaurant that can satisfy me?' Is that what you want to say? Go ahead, act composed while you still can. I'll make sure you can't maintain that attitude for long."
"..."
We're just going for lunch, right? Why is she acting like we're about to duel?
She’s hopeless. No matter what I say, it’s being automatically converted into the most negative interpretation possible. Just what kind of arrogant, overbearing person has she turned me into inside her head?
Dear Mother, Father—I ended up going to that meal with Shia-san like we promised, but her Negative Filter is in top form. For some reason, everything I said—was being automatically converted for the worse.