"...Well, we should be safe now."
"...Haa... Haa..."
I left the school and, once we reached the main street, I let go of Lisha's hand.
Lisha was on her knees, panting heavily.
But honestly, considering everything that had just happened, I couldn't blame her for running away. I was sure Souji and Hinata would grill me about it later. As for Matsuda... well, I couldn't care less.
First and foremost, I had no intention of getting involved in the God-Demon War, no matter what anyone said. I had finally attained this peace, and I wasn't about to let it go.
As I thought so, I stood by Lisha's side and spoke to her.
"Listen, Lisha, the God-Demon War is a battle in your world. Even though I have the blood of Asteris, it has nothing to do with me, someone living in this world."
"..."
"So, I won't risk my life for something like that—"
—Growlll...
What interrupted my words was an incredibly cute sound.
"..."
"..."
Silently, I looked down at Lisha. She had her face turned downward, and although I couldn't see her expression, her white ears were now flushed crimson, visible through her golden hair.
Oh girl...
"...Have you had lunch?"
"...I haven't."
Lisha replied with a voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz. It occurred on me that she probably hadn't eaten since having the breakfast I prepared for her, which meant she had been searching for me all this time.
I had no intention of getting further involved with Lisha or meddling in the affairs of Asteris. And getting too close only led to unnecessary emotional attachments.
However...
"Fine."
"What do you mean?"
I took Lisha's arm, and she gave me a puzzled look. I was sure it was around here...
"Come on, let's go."
I led the bewildered Lisha, and we headed to a world-renowned junk food brand called Mc on the main street.
Mc was known for its reasonably priced hamburgers and had established its dominance in the world market. In Japan, it had solidified its position with pork cutlet sandwiches. II remembered being really excited to eat at Mc as a kid. When I returned from the other world and had Mc again, I couldn't help but shed tears.
As we entered Mc, we heard its distinct entry chime: Ding, ding. Lisha and I made our way inside.
"Welcome! May I take your order?"
We were instantly greeted by a Mc employee with a radiant Mc smile. Lisha squinted as she looked at the menu.
"...What kind of food is this?"
"In simple terms, it's food where meat and vegetables are sandwiched between pieces of bread."
"I see... but they all look the same to me."
"Well, basically, it's just that the fillings inside are different."
Lisha murmured as she examined the menu in front of her. It seemed this would take some time.
"Excuse me, I'll have one pork cutlet sandwich set and an iced coffee. The set drink will be tea."
"Of course. Please wait over there."
"Huh? A set? Huh?"
"Come on, let's go. The line's forming behind us."
I led the bewildered Lisha to a table and, without much of a wait, received a tray with a pork cutlet sandwich set. Lisha, with her paper-wrapped pork cutlet sandwich and golden-brown fries in front of her, stared wide-eyed, her eyes darting back and forth.
"...How am I supposed to eat this?"
"For now, unwrap the paper like this."
Since tearing the wrapping paper to shreds would be disastrous, I carefully unfolded the paper from around the pork cutlet sandwich. While I had already eaten lunch, the savory aroma of the pork cutlet sandwich triggered my hunger once again. Mc truly was great.
I wish they had Mc in the other world...
"Here, now you can eat."
"Um, what about forks and knives?"
"Ah..."
Now that I thought about it, Lisha was a quintessential sheltered girl, raised with a silver spoon in her mouth—or should I say, gold-plated spoon? I had a tendency to lump her together with the saints I had known during my hero days, who were more active and independent.
"With this type of sandwich and fries, you eat them with your hands. Just open your mouth wide and take a big bite."
"What? That's so... indecent!"
"I don't think it's indecent at all."
"Exposing the inside of one's mouth to the opposite sex, who isn't even your spouse, is nothing short of indecency!"
As Lisha blushed and spoke, she sounded so embarrassed. By the way, in the social circles of nobles, it was considered shameful for ladies to expose their mouths, and they cover their faces with a fan even when they laugh.. Well, what a pain in the ass.
"Listen, Lisha."
"What is it?"
"There's a saying in this country, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' It means that when you're in a different place, you should respect and follow that place's culture and customs."
"That's..."
"Even a 'saint' like you should consider it rude to refuse the proper way to eat a pork cutlet sandwich in this country, don't you think?"
"..."
As I remembered the past and stared into the distance, Lisha seemed to have made up her mind, and her voice reflected that.
By the way, this was sophistry. While respecting the culture of a place was important, it didn't mean you had to bend your principles. In the past, I once narrowly avoided eating a caterpillar offered to me as a treat in a village I had saved from monsters. Even if they looked at me with sparkling eyes, I couldn't do it. I mean, it was still alive.
Before losing your manners, you'd lose consciousness.
"...I understand."
Lisha unwrapped the paper around her pork cutlet sandwich and then froze. Well, if she really needed that much resolve, I should have asked for a knife and fork. If it were a Mc in a world like this one, they'd probably provide them if I asked.
"――!"
While I pondered these matters, Lisha took a bite of the pork cutlet sandwich. She parted her sakura-colored lips and took a big bite.
Oh, the sight of Lisha, who had an air of mystery about her even in appearance, eating a pork cutlet sandwich like that was rather surreal.
With a slightly embarrassed expression, Lisha chewed and swallowed her food.
"It's delicious!"
"Oh, really?"
As expected of the world-famous Mcc. The power of a global chain was not to be underestimated. Seriously, they should consider expanding into other worlds.
As I sipped my coffee, I urged Lisha to try the fries.
Lisha took a bite of the fries and widened her eyes in astonishment.
"...Are these... potatoes?"
"Yeah, they are. Tasty, right?"
"I'm surprised. I should be used to potatoes."
"These are modified potatoes created with Japanese technology, and they're prepared using the refined cooking methods of a major corporation. It's not a fair comparison."
"Magic modify?"
While looking bewildered, Lisha continued to eat her pork cutlet sandwich and pick at the fries.
Mc, capable of captivating even a saint from another world. If Mc ever seriously expanded into other worlds, it would undoubtedly conquer all the eateries and become an unstoppable force, even against heroes. Maybe the 'M' in Mc stood for 'Maou's M (Demon Lord)'... By the way, Matsuda's 'M' was definitely an 'M.' He seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown.
While I was foolishly musing about these things, I noticed that we were attracting quite a bit of attention.
Lisha was engrossed in her pork cutlet sandwich, but her presence alone was enough to draw considerable attention as she was a golden-haired beauty. To see such a girl enjoying a pork cutlet sandwich at Mc was indeed eye-catching. Even the gazes directed at me were relentless, as if I were part of the spectacle.
What was this? We had gone through the trouble of escaping from school, but it seemed like the situation hadn't changed much after all.
"Or rather, your clothes is problematic..."
"What are you talking about?"
Lisha, with her tea-sipping gesture, still wore her pseudo-nun-like clothes. Her beauty, golden hair, and porcelain-like white skin aside, this outfit that occupied a significant part of her body attracted attention no matter where she went. Coupled with her mysterious aura, her level of attention was like double, no, make it triple!
"Hey, Lisha, don't you think you should change those clothes for something less conspicuous?"
"What are you talking about? This is the traditional Holy Goddess Church uniform. Moreover, it's a top-quality magical item created through embroidery, stitching, and dyeing, capable of manifesting magical spells and withstanding battles."
Lisha proudly declared, puffing out her ample chest.
Well, I get it. After all, despite the flashy spills yesterday and half a year of running away, she still looked pristine. And please stop puffing out your chest; you're getting a lot of attention from the guys around us.
"It's all well and good, but your outfit stands out too much. It's practically like you're saying, 'Attack me, please,' with all that attention."
"That's... True. The escorts have told me the same thing."
They told her that? That person must have had a tough time... They must have been exceptionally capable.
"But, I don't have anything else with me now, and I don't even know where to buy them."
"Well, surviving for half a year like this is quite an achievement..."
Even as a princess, they should know a bit more about the world. In my eyes, the stock of that escort has risen significantly.
"Well then... where are we going after we finish eating?"
"Where? It's pretty obvious. We're going to a clothing store."
Originally, I had planned to say goodbye after giving her lunch, but if I just released Lisha like this, the demon that attacked her yesterday would undoubtedly find her immediately. That would mean combat occurring within my living area, which was far from desirable.
For now, I would use my phone to look for a clothing store in the vicinity.
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