Chapter 7: [Chapter seven] Charming?

Nice going, me.  I just made a total fool of myself and now Yahanaseara looks like she's two steps away from outright bursting into laughter.

Because seriously, who the hell accidentally makes themself come off like some kind of psycho murderer? I already knew I was awkward, but this is just...

"...?"

And now she's just looking at me with those gleaming emerald eyes and grinning like I'm the biggest moron ev-

God damn it I'm doing it again.

"...just to confirm to myself," I mumble, "you aren't struggling to keep from laughing in my face."

"Er, no?"

A cute little tilt of her cute little head, and an expression that makes it more than clear that she has no idea what the hell I'm talking about.

"Why would I be?"

"No reason, just my pessimism tainting my perception of reality again," I sigh.

Yup, just my brain convincing me that the entire world is against me.

"And it's not that you were smiling at me," I further confirm, "that's just your default expression."

"No," she shakes her head, "I was smiling at you."

"Huh?"

And she still is.

"...mind if I ask why?"

"Because from the moment I first manifested my physical form before you, you have showed me nothing but kindness."

And now she's positively beaming.

"But in front of those strangers downstairs, you came off as extremely intimidating."

"And that's something to smile about?"

"Yes," she nods. "I find the contrast between your outward actions and your inner kindness to be very charming. Even moreso, now that I know that it was entirely accidental."

"........."

Oh God, she thinks that my social ineptitude is CUTE.

"Yes, that describes it perfectly!" Yahanaseara claps her hands together. "It is extremely cute!"

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh I said that out loooooud

"C-..." I raise a hand in defeat. "...can we maybe drop the subject now?"

"Ah, you are embarrassed?" she asks. "That in itself is also cute..."

And now she actually is laughing and that tingly feeling in my chest is back whyyyyyy

"But very well, I shall refrain from bringing it up any further. Far be it from me to enjoy myself at your expense when I am already imposing on you as it is."

"...thanks," I sigh.

After taking a few moments to pull myself back together, I push up from off the bed and give the room itself a quick once-over.

There are two beds centered in the room just like I'd requested, with the one closest to the window having already been claimed by myself. There's also a couple of chairs circling a table at the other end of the room, as well as a door that leads to an adjoining bathroom.

Great, this room is just as nice as the one I got here a few days ago.

"Here you go," I say, handing Yahanaseara one of the menus that the clerk gave me earlier. "Go ahead and order whatever you want, it's all on me."

Come to think of it, did they even have menus back during her time?

"Thank you," she nods before immediately poring over the magically-treated paper. "I am even further in your debt."

Well I guess that answers that.

As one might expect of someone who hasn't eaten anything in over a millennium, Yahanaseara goes over the entire menu over and over and over again before finally making up her mind about what to eat. On the other hand, I just pick the first thing that sounds good.

Dessert takes a little longer to choose though.

Because it's important.

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Very important.

After that's settled, the actual ordering process is pretty simple. I just walk over to the door and tap on the enchanted crystal that serves to alert the staff downstairs that room service is desired, wait less than a minute for them to sprint to our room(more likely than not thanks to my scaring the hell out of everyone when we came in), and then tell them what exactly we want.

A fairly painless process, though the look of fear in the eyes of the poor girl who showed up at the door really kind of wasn't.

But whatever, that's enough social anxiety for now.

"Alright..."

I walk over to my bed and take a seat on its edge.

"...while we wait for our food, let's decide on our next course of action."

"...course of action?"

As casually as breathing, Yahanaseara leaps towards her bed, pushes a hand down onto its surface, uses it as a pivot to rotate herself in the air, and then just kind curls up into a relaxed position where her folded legs are resting underneath her as she sits.

Just the acrobatics involved are impressive enough, but the way her clothes and fluffy hair swirl around with her and trace her movements make it even more of a treat for the eyes.

Ahem.

"Yeah," I clear my throat. "I have a couple of ideas as to what we ought to do next, but I'd like to hear from you first."

"Oh."

Her expression suddenly clouds over.

"As much as I appreciate your consideration, I have no input to even give," she says with a melancholy smile. "I know nothing about the state of the world since I was sealed away, nor do I have a home to return to."

"I, uh..."

Well damn.

"...I guess I'll just go over what I had in mind, then? And you can always speak up if you have anything to say."

"Very well," she nods.

Now to try and broach this topic in the least upsetting way possible...

"Okay," I clap my hands. "So I was thinking about looking into the people who built that tomb where I found you."

"Why?"

Good.  She isn't lashing out again.

"I just want to make sure that there isn't anyone still living who has a vested interest in you not escaping from there," I explain. "Because the last thing I want is for someone else to seal you away all over again."

"...I had not even considered that possibility."

A cold look of determination that belies her youthful appearance.

"How would you go about determining this?" Yahanaseara asks.

"I'd start with the library where I did the research that led me to that tomb in the first place," I reply. "It's about a day and a half away from here by carriage, in a town that's a little bigger than this one."

"I see," she nods. "And there you would do more... research?"

"In order to find out what happened to them, yeah. It's probably just me being paranoid again, but better safe than sorry, you know?"

"My debt to you only continues to increase..."

"Meh, don't worry about that," I shrug. "This's also satisfying my own academic curiosity, so it's not like my motives are a hundred percent altruistic."

The contents of that tomb might've been fried, but now I have an actual living primary source from that time, sitting right across from me! I'm getting giddy just thinking about all the information that's just floating around in that adorable fluffy head of hers, not to mention her own unique perspectives as an Elemental Spirit...

"...eheh... eheheh..."

No. Stop that, me. No maniacal triumphant cackling in front of Yahanaseara, I don't need her thinking that I'm completely off my rocker.

I didn't creep her out just now, did I?

No, I should be safe. She's got the same benign smile as before, so-

"My Savior truly is cute..."

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