City of Slumber Chapter 8

Luckily, Henry found the amulet in one go.
With just persimmon fruits and fish caught by Armand, I remained hungry, but tomorrow we're planning to reach the town.
I'll be able to eat something decent for the first time in a while.

"Miriam, what's that injury?"
When Armand pointed at her injury, Miriam smiled ehehe.
"When I tried to take a nest with swallow chicks in it, I was pecked by their parents"
"Hou"
"Armand was also pecked by parent birds"
"Hey!! Henry, don't say something unnecessary!!"
Henry is laughing with a stupidly broad grin.

"This guy, when he called out to a young woman to hit on her, her parents leaped at him in anger. Then, when her father was about to beat him, he ran away in panic"
"Playboy?"
I involuntarily raised my eyebrows.
"Is that what you think?"
Henry was stupidly laughing, but Armand coughed violently.
"I didn't think she was a minor. She had strong make-up. I thought she was fifteen… I just called out to her a little because she seemed depressed!!"
A desperate excuse.
The worst.

"Miriam~. What were you planning to do after getting ahold of the chicks~?"
"Yeah!? That, wasn't it a kidnapping!?"
I feel I've seen a movie about a woman who kidnapped a daughter of a man she'd had an illicit affair with.
I guess there were more complex adult emotions at play there.
If I had to say, it feels closer to when Genji from Genji monogatari kidnaps Wakamurasaki.
"I was thinking of kidnapping them to grill and eat them"
"To conform to nature's providence and kidnap, she sure is different!!"
"But, we are the same. We want food and we want women."
"I am different from you!! Don't lump me with a beast like you!!"
I feel like from Henry's standpoint, he seduced a vulnerable girl.
But, talking about kidnappings, there's a common pattern the victim is a girl.
However if it's a woman who's kidnapping, targeting a boy sounds good.
How mysterious.
From a woman's perspective, I wonder if there's worth in kidnapping girls.
A man kidnapping a boy… No good, nosebleed…
But looking at Western crimes there's something like that.
No, I wasn't looking at foreign crimes with unscrupulous eyes!!
Ah, but kidnapping a boy…
Leaving aside my moe preferences, Miriam's conversation with others continues.

"Then, which do you think is more delicious, male or female"
"I don't think wild birds are delicious"
"Aren't the eggs the most delicious"
"I'm worried about infections"
The talk is progressing with resolution to eat the swallows.
"Tomorrow. Should we go to swallow nest once more?"
"You can't!!"
When I shouted, the three of them looked this way surprised.
That's too brutal…
We got the amulet, so it's alright to stop the search!!

"Armand. Water…"
"Oh? Ah"
It seems the gourd-like plant Armand is holding is a water bottle.
After holding it to his mouth, he passed it to Henry…
"Alice-chan…?"
"B, b, bee el!!"
"What's bee el…?"
When Henry finished drinking water from the bottle, he tilted his head puzzledly.
Armand didn't seem to grasp the meaning of it either.
"What? That!? Is it some important item!?"
"That's right, it's important. It's an important thing!!"
Miriam seems to be gradually grasping the meaning, she's watching me with a complicated expression.
Her eyes say she's sulking I prefer BL over her.
"It's not an item…"
Otome game's capture targets are earnestly listening.
"So, what should we do…?"
"First of all. Henry, you need to be in that position. Then, Armand…"
"Wait!! If you go too far too fast with bee el, it'll be bad!!"
Suddenly, Miriam retorted with something ambiguous.
"Bad…? Is it so serious…?"
Henry inquired with a serious look.
"That's right!!"
"Miriam, don't interrupt!!"
"Alice-chan, here…"
Called by Miriam, we took a break outside of the room.
"Why did you interrupt it!!"
"It's no good!! If they realize, they will invariably refuse!!"
"Eeeh!! Then what should I do?!"
"Love!!"
"Love…?"
"Wait for love to sprout between them!!"
It's a sound reasoning… An absurd, sound reasoning.
As expected of otome game's heroine!!
"By the way, in that case how can love sprout between them?"
"That… Look forward to it…"
"Does that include a bust-up massage no questions asked!?"
"These hands won't be used on men!!"
What's with that!?
So it's a thing that will be used on me!?
"In the first place, there's no need for such bust-up massage"
Certainly that's true, but…

Chapter end