Chapter 254: Overnight Stay

Since I had already received a gift, I was thinking about leaving Mount Edelgius… but then Yato-san called out to me.

“It’s way too lonely to leave already! Father and Mother also wanted to see you again, so you should stay overnight!”

“B-but… if we stay, I might not make it back in time for tomorrow’s farm work…”

“Drake and Marjis can’t just turn back immediately! They already flew a long distance just to get here, and carrying passengers on top of that!”

He had a point. I had planned a day trip for my convenience, but considering the burden on Drake-san and Marjis-san, a day trip would really be pushing it.

“Huh? Marjis and I don’t mind going back—”

“Drake, shut up! If an accident happens, we can’t take responsibility!”

“True… but it would be a disaster if something went wrong.”

“So, you should stay here for the night! Sato, you agree too, right?”

“If Yato-san says it’s fine, then yes, it might be better to stay overnight. Drake-san and Marjis-san have already done a lot, so it’s best they rest before heading back.”

“Yay! We’re staying overnight! I’ll go tell Ashros right away!”

With that, Yato-san dashed off from the reception room.

It felt a little like I’d been forced into it, but even with rest breaks, expecting a 20-hour round-trip flight in one day would have been extremely taxing.

Even driving a car is exhausting; flying in the air makes accidents a real possibility. So, it was a good suggestion to stay the night.

“Ashros gave permission! Sato and Sheila, you can use the second-floor rooms!”

“Then Marjis and I will head back to our family home. We didn’t go home this winter, so even one day will be nice!”

“Understood. Drake-san, Marjis-san, thank you for today.”

I waved in thanks at Drake-san, and Marjis-san bowed politely. Then, Sheila and I headed to the second-floor rooms.

Opportunities to stay in a mansion like this were rare, so even though it was primarily for rest, it felt like a very valuable experience.

A dragon attendant guided us to our rooms. Each of us had our own room, and both were incredibly spacious.

Sheila looked slightly overwhelmed, but after placing her things down, we regrouped.

Yato-san had disappeared somewhere while we settled in, leaving the two of us alone in the large mansion.

“This is amazing. The royal castle was impressive, but Yato-san’s mansion feels different.”

“Yes. I’m used to working in large buildings at the royal castle, but this has a sense of history and gravitas.”

As we shared our impressions, Ashros-san passed by, looking busy.

“Hmm? Sato-san, Sheila-san. What are you doing in the hallway?”

“We didn’t know where to go, so we waited here for Yato-san.”

“You can relax in your rooms. The young miss is looking for something in her room, so it’ll take a while.”

“I see. Then we’ll wait in the rooms.”

“Good. I’ll join you later, so please be ready then.”

As Ashros-san walked away, I considered returning to the room, but it felt too vast to feel comfortable.

“…Sato-san, you don’t feel like returning either?”

“You feel the same, Sheila-san? It’s too big and unsettling. There are all sorts of expensive things lined up—it feels uncomfortable for someone like me.”

“Exactly the same! Let’s just chat here while we wait. Once the search is over, Yato-san will come get us.”

“Yes, let’s wait here.”

So we waited in the hallway, chatting. Normally, Sheila and I discuss future plans, but there were so many things we wanted to do that the conversation never ran out of topics.

As our discussion heated up, Yato-san finally appeared, carrying a sphere—probably the object he had been searching for.

“Sato, Sheila! What are you doing in the hallway?”

“We were waiting for you, Yato-san. It’s boring alone, so we talked while waiting.”

“I see! Sorry to keep you waiting! I was looking for this, so I got delayed!”

“That sphere—what is it? It’s not a jewel, right?”

Unlike the jewel we saw before, it didn’t look pristine.

It was rather dirty and worn, so I doubted it was a jewel.

“No! This is a Crystal of Recorded Images—a crystal that preserves past images!”

“Wow, such crystals exist?”

It was probably like a video camera. I didn’t understand exactly how it worked with crystal, but I was interested in cameras from this world.

“I wanted everyone to see my childhood recorded in it!”

“That sounds amazing. I’m curious to see Yato-san as a child.”

From my perspective, she still seemed like a child, but as a dragon, she only looks young. She must have lived a long life, so imagining her as a newborn is fascinating.

I was excited to see the footage, and simply being able to use the Crystal of Recorded Images seemed promising.

The stage was set for an interesting overnight stay full of new discoveries.