Sousetsuka

18-39. Ringrande in Another World (3)

"...Err? Ah right, I'm staying at Hayato's place."

I got up at the crack of dawn, like always.
I got disoriented from the unfamiliar room for a bit there.

"Unyuu~, Hayato-nii~."

Hayato's kid sister, the little Aika is hugging me in her sleep.
I carefully get out of her grip and watch Hayato's sleeping face in his futon below.

I rarely ever saw such a peaceful defenseless face when he was still a hero.

"So here is where you're supposed to belong."

I brush Hayato's sweat covered hair and kiss him tenderly on the cheek.

I almost tried to cast Livelihood magic to tidy up myself but stopped short when I recalled Satou's warning, 'Your mana doesn't recover in Earth, so please don't overuse it.'

"Losing access to something you take for granted is quite a blow."

I sighed once before heading to the washroom.
I'm still a lady even though I've turned myself younger to match Hayato's preference, I can't stand looking disorderly before my beloved.

"This world may lack mana, but it sure has many handy objects."

Water comes out just by pulling the Jacuzzi lever, superb.
And you can even adjust its temperature.

"You don't need maids or attendants with this thing around."

I comb my hair and put on a thin lipstick.

"...It doesn't look good."

I look like a kid trying too hard.
I wipe the lipstick with my hand and wash my face again.

"My, Rin-chan? You're up so early."
"Good morning, mother in law."

I wasn't surprised since I knew she was there from her presence, but seeing mother-in-law's reaction, maybe I should have.

"Rin-chan, aren't you taking a morning shower?"
"A morning show-er?"

What is that?

"Are you not going to wash your hair in the shower?"
"...Hair?"

My hair does feel a bit stiff to the touch.
Right, Satou warned me about the high humidity.

Hayato's household is that of a commoner I heard, is such a luxury all right so early in the morning?

"Allow me to take you on that offer, mother-in-law."

I want to always show my best before Hayato.

"Oh, make sure you use my shampoo, not Hayato's cheap one, dear."
"Thank you, mother-in-law."

Mother-in-law smiled as she left the washroom, I got into the bathroom myself.
I've used it already yesterday, it's so clean and easy to use.

After thoroughly washing my hair with mother-in-law's damage care shampoo, I finished it with a wonderful rose scented 'treatment'. Apparently you wash your body not with shampoo but with a different kind of liquid soap.
This world really puts an emphasize on beauty care. Let's call a purveyor and ask for my share too.

After washing off the excess, I was about to leave the bathroom when the door was opened.

"Uwaa, Rin."
"Morning, Hayato."

Hayato hurriedly looked away.
A gentleman like always.

"My bad, Rin. Didn't notice you were in there."
"Don't you want to wear something first? It's all laid bare."

His body looks younger than the Hayato I know.

His forged steel-like body has turned back into a softer one that fits his age.
Apparently god Parion's divine work turned it back to the time he was summoned.

"Owaa, I-I'm putting them on."

Hayato forgot to close the door as he left with his clothes in panic.

"He didn't have to get so flustered..."

I look down on my body.
Flat with no undulations.

"And he just brushed it off with 'my bad' when he saw my bare body back then."

I felt like I lost and threw my towel at the washroom's door.



◇



"So good!"

The Japanese-style breakfast mother in law made was very delicious despite its simplicity.
The taste of salted well grilled salmon and the sweetness of rolled omelet. I'm not too fond of the so called miso soup but I've gotten used to it from Satou's and Lulu's frequent cooking. The miso soup mother in law made has deep fried tofu as well as vegetable called eggplant in it, very filling.

"Oh I'm just glad it's to your liking. We got that pickled radish from Satou-san. I can't believe he made them himself, he really loves to cook doesn't he."
"Ufufu, Satou is so good people even call him 'Miraculous Chef'."

I received the yellow pickle mother in law offered.
My, it really is good.

"It's so crisp and tasty. What manner of vegetable is this?"
"That's daikon radish."
"Daikon!"

I stood up without thinking from the shock.

"My? You don't like daikon?"
"Ah no, I just didn't have many opportunity to have one in my homeland so--"
"Don't worry about finishing it if you don't like it, okay?"

In the duchy capital where I was born and raised, there is this deeply rooted superstition that says orcs will come visit you if you eat daikon. As my wet nurse was one of the believers, I never ate daikon until I went to study at Royal Capital.
I seem to have developed an aversion to it, I didn't notice that I rarely had daikon until mother in law pointed it out.

But--.

"No, delicious food bears no sin."

I took another bite of the pickle to show it.

"Foreigners really do eat the side dish separately, don't they."
"Speaking of which, Hayato always ate bread and main dish mixed in together."

Must be the difference in culture.
Mother in law offered me to give eating rice and side dish mixed together a try, but I couldn't erase the feeling of it being a bad manner thus I refused.

"By the way Hayato, are you going somewhere today?"
"Me? Well I'm thinking of having a stroll around neighborhood--"
"Listen now! Rin-chan won't be here forever, take her to a department store or amusement park, will you!"

I don't mind a simple stroll so long I'm with Hayato, but I've come to another world and all, might as well look at many things.

"Amusementpark! Aika too! Aika wanna go with Hayato-nii too!"
"Aika is going to Puicure museum with mom, okay."
"Puicure! Aika's gonna go see Buakku!"

Mother in law winked at me before taking Aika out of the dining room.

"Well, Rin. Let's go."

I grabbed the slightly bashful Hayato's outreached arm and replied with a smile.



◇



"The main street is a bit far from here, let's take a bus there."
"Bus? Is that like a stagecoach?"

I recall taking that thing called 'Taxi' with Satou here.

"That's right. You wait here at this bus stop, and it's gonna come for you in no time."

Hayato looked at the signboard and his wristwatch, then he he whispered, 'It's coming in three minutes.'

"Three minutes?"

Hayato taught me how to read the clock.
One period is two hours, split into 120 minutes. I think people in Hayato's world are a bit too impatient.

The huge stagecoach called bus really did come in three minutes.

"That's amazing Hayato! This country's transportation is so strict with time."
"Yep. Buses often miss their times for a bit but trains are almost entirely right on clock."

I don't get the point of being so punctual but I'm just happy to see Hayato boasting.

"Aren't we going to sit?"
"That's priority seating. They're reserved for the old and the handicapped."
"That's simply wonderful."

I wonder if this is the so-called community spirit?
Something Shiga Kingdom and Saga Empire lack.

Though, those who don't feel well shouldn't ride on a stagecoach with its intense shaking.

"Next~ Stop~."

A voice came from a speaking tube then the bus stopped.
That sure sounds quite nasal, wonder if the person's caught a cold.

"Mom! This seat's empty!"

A small boy jumped in right as the bus entrance was opened and went to the priority seating.

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

The boy looked so happy as he called his mother, the mother looked troubled before telling the boy, 'We can't sit there'.

"Why~?"
"That's called priority seating, see. They're for people who don't feel well or the handicapped."

It's the same explanation as Hayato earlier, but the boy looks like he doesn't get it.

"Look there, even that onee-san is standing isn't she?"

The mother looked at me standing close by.

"It's true!"
"I wonder if Yu-kun can stand too?"
"Un! I can stand! I'm a big kid!"

The boy proudly stood up.

"Good boy."

He was looking at me like he was expecting something, so I patted his head and praised him, the boy then shyly hid behind his mother's skirt.

Wonder if this is how it's going to feel like if I have kids with Hayato?

"Next~ Stop~"

The bus stopped with the same nasal voice.
It stops more often than a stagecoach. Though stagecoaches often don't stop at all, just slow down.

Hayato whispered to my ear, 'Two more and it's our stop.'

His voice sounds as reliable and soothing as ever.
I feel like getting spoiled and lean my body on Hayato's.

"Are you getting tired?"
"No, it's just a bit crowded here."

Hayato didn't mind my excuse.

"Pardon me."

An old woman with a walking cane walks to the priority seating.

"My?"

Just as the old woman was about to sit down, she noticed a pregnant woman with a bulging stomach and turned to look there.

"Have a seat."
"Oh, please don't worry about me."
"Don't say that. Take it for the child in your stomach."

"Ah! It's empty!"

A bad mannered girl took the seat while the old woman and the pregnant woman were debating.
Both of them had an indescribable look on their face to see the mannerless girl.

"That's the priority seating you know. Kids can't sit there."
"I don't care. I get here first, so it's mine!"

The boy earlier chided the girl.

"What's this zamasuka! How dare you brat pick a fight with my girl zamasuka!"

An aunty with a weird speech pattern came closing in the boy like she was going to hit him.

"Punishment time zamasu!"
"Stop that."
"You must be the stupid parent of this evil brat zamasu! What kind of education you gave him zamasuka!"

The mother stood before her kid blocking zamasu.
Zamasu started to verbally abusing the calm and collected mother.

"Stop it. Even just listening is unbearable."

I ended up interrupting since no one else did.

"What's this zamasuka! You shitty foreigner brat!"
"Quite some dirty words there. Really giving yourself away."

Zamasu raised her hand and made a motion to slap my cheek.
It's slower than a new recruit's practice swing.

I'd throw her down as I dodge and--,

"Halt."

Hayato grabbed Zamasu's arm, stopping her.
That's my hero. Zamasu is far from being a threat, but I'm really happy to have Hayato protecting me, I can feel the love.

"Let go zamasu! Sexual harassment zamasu! Molester zamasu!"

Zamasu is getting noisy.

"Lame. Like anyone's gonna molest an old hag like you."
"Aren't you sexually harassing the boy yourself?"
"I feel sorry for the kid, raised by a toxic mother like that."

Girls in sailor uniforms sitting behind us provoked zamasu.
Just as zamasu was about to talk back, she finally realized the condemning gazes from the people around.

"H-how revolting! We'll get stupider if we stay around these folks zamasu! Let's go ahead zamasu!"

Zamasu dragged the girl's arm and left.

"What a troublesome mother..."
"I will be careful not to turn into that."

The old woman and pregnant woman exchanged words as they saw zamasu's back off.

"Umm, please have my seat."

Another person who was sitting on the priority seating offered the old woman her seat, and the pregnant woman took the other seat.
The bus arrived at our destination while it was enveloped in a warm atmosphere.



◇
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >


"That's quite the crowd. Is there a festival going on?"
"It's always crowded around this area, but yeah, it's a bit more than usual--"

Hayato looked around and stopped his sight at a banner.

"Seems like there's a famous politician making a speech. These people are probably here for that."
"Come to think of it, your statesmen are elected."

I feel like choosing commoners will turn into a mobocracy that prioritizes short term profits, but judging from this country's prosperity, it might not necessarily a bad governmental system.

"That's a huge building. Is it for the administration?"

I've come across five, six storied buildings along the way here and this one is even bigger than them.

"Nope. That's a bank. That place there is where we're headed, come."

Hayato pointed at a building behind it.

"That's dept store. --No wait, think they call it something else nowadays?"
"Hayato-chan! Here, over here!"

Hayato's childhood friend, Yumiri was standing in front of the department store.

"What's the meaning of this?"

I can tell my voice is chilly.

"Wait didn't I tell you? Me alone's just gonna invite trouble, so I got Yumiri to tag along."
"Trouble?"
"A high school boy walking around with a silver haired blue eyed foreigner loli's sure to make certain people report me."
"You mean like getting mistaken as a kidnapper?"

Hayato affirmed me.

I chose this appearance to match Hayato's taste, and now it's become my obstacle to have a date alone with him.
I'll go ask Satou for a magic item to make me look like an adult through illusion.

"Hayato-chan, should we look for children clothing first?"
"That's a good idea. Her current clothes aren't really good for amusement park or park."
"Is there anything wrong with this?"

I chose it among the clothes Satou offered.

"Nope nothing. But they're uh, kinda unfit for a daily wear."

According Yumiri, my clothes are that of the 'Dress code necessary to enter a high class art museum or a restaurant', not what ordinary folks wear in daily life.
I suppose it's like wearing the clothes for coliseum to take a stroll in the city if it were Shiga Kingdom.

"Rin-chan, come look here."

Yumiri brought me to a place where children sized clothes are lined up neatly.

"Ready made clothes are the norm here huh."
"Tailor made was the norm back there was it."
"It is."

Dressmakers would come to the duchy castle if I just asked the servants, thus I had no experience in this kind of shopping until I attended the royal academy.

"Are all these skirts so short."
"Really? Aren't they normal?"

Now that she mentions it, Yumiri is wearing a short skirt too.
Skirts at Shiga Kingdom and Saga Empire are normally long to the ankles, above knees feel too on the nose.

"Well I suppose it's long compared to those girls there..."

Girls that are just about to come of adulthood wearing skirts so short you could see their underwear are dancing in front of some sort of machine.

"Rin-chan, how about this culotte skirt here? You won't have to worry about your underwear being seen with this."
"Hayato--."

I tried asking Hayato only to find him sitting on a bench with a black board--smartphone in hand.

"Ahaha, Hayato-chan is always like that."

Yumiri laughed in disappointment, but I won't let myself lose to a smartphone in my date.

I brought the clothes before Hayato and asked for his opinions.

"Hayato!"
"Hm? Rin, you done shopping?"
"Not yet. What do you think of this?"
"Looks good I guess? I'm sure you'll look good in it."

"What about this one?"
"That's also good, but the culotte one would fit you better, Rin."

"Hayato-chan picked clothes for real!"

I went to the changing room and changed into the clothes Hayato said fit me.

"How do I look?"
"Cute. A jacket to match it would be good."
"Jajaan. I've picked some that suit it!"

Yumiri brought about five jackets.
I tried them all one by one and decided on what to buy by the time Hayato looked tired.

"You're gonna buy that many? Hayato-chan, is your budget all right?"
"Well they're children clothing, I got some special allowance from mom, it's gonna be fine."
"Children clothes are expensive these days you know."

Hayato's eyes popped open when he saw the price tags.

"Rin, sorry. Please pick only one."
"I've got money with me, though?"
"You can't use gold coins here."
"I know that much. Satou had them exchanged already."

I took rolls of notes from my handbag.
Paper money is so nice and light compared to gold coins.

"Uwaa, don't take out so much money here."

Hayato hurriedly put them back in my handbag.

"Rin-chan, you dropped something--a black credit card?"

Yumiri picked up a card I dropped when I opened my handbag.

"Oh right, Satou told me to take it with me. He also said to use it without reserve on places where it's usable, is it here?"
"Ah, it is--I think, right?"
"Eeh, I've never used a credit card before, I don't know."

Hayato and Yumiri passed the card around.
I took it off them and asked the clerk, 'Can I use this here?'

"Yes, you can."
"Good, then I'll pay with that."

I passed over the card and the clothes.

"Uwaa, a black card?"
"Never seen one in a children clothing store."
"Wonder if she's a kid of some rich foreigners."

I could hear the clerks gossiping in whisper.
The card Satou gave me seems to be something special.

"Please enter your PIN."
"PIN? Not sign?"

I only needed to sign whenever I shopped around as a member of duchy family.

"Entering your PIN on the machine here is the norm today."
"Hmm~."

Wonder what's the PIN?

"Ah! Isn't it the four digit numbers written on that envelope earlier?"

I checked the enveloped as pointed by Yumiri and found the numbers, entering it on the machine.

'Pit', after that sound, the clerk returned the card.

And that's all the payment it seems.
It's very handy.

I'll go ask mother in law or Satou on how it works later.

Afterward, we bought shoes and accessories.

"Rin-chan, do you have enough underwear?"
"Arisa gave me lots, I'll be fine."

There were some that would make courtesans blush, but many were normal.

"But, you're right. We're here and all, maybe I should buy some Hayato likes?"

Hayato blushed and said something like, 'Don't joke about that', 'That's a sexual harassment', it was funny.

"I'm getting parched. Let's head to acdo and grab something to drink."
"Acdo again?"
"That's the only place with pecari now."

Pecari is the carbonated sports drink.
I've drunk a lot of carbonated beverages in the duchy capital, but sports drinks have these unique sweetness to them.

"Is that okay with you, Rin?"
"I don't mind. Do they sell blue tea?"
"The tea here isn't blue. They have reddish brown tea."

Oh yeah, Satou said something about that too.

"That's fine."

Hayato took my bags and led me to this restaurant called acdo.

We had inventory and Item Box back then, so this situation is a first to me.
It's like a scene out of a love story, I'm getting excited.

I noticed the reflection of my loose expression on a show window and hurriedly fixed it.
I couldn't keep my mouth from smiling however.

"At acdo you see, you can order through an app without queuing up."

Yumiri said that before tapping on her smartphone.

"It seems that people in this world would have a tough time living without smartphones."

They're handy but it's a bit concerning how much everything depends on them.

"Nah, it's not that big of a deal."

Hayato laughed as he said that.

"Eeh, I can't even study without a smartphone. Hayato-chan, yours is giga bigguag set, pecari and potato L size right?"
"Ou, the usual stuff."

I can feel Hayato's and Yumiri's long term closeness from their conversation, a bit vexing.

"Rin-chan, which one do you want?"

Yumiri showed me the menu.

"I'll have this cheese, nugget? This square shaped food here."
"Nuggets are deep fried poultry meat."
"Ah, the stuff Satou often made."

That raises the bar.

"You receive your order here."

Apparently you go and take your order when the board above it show your number.

"Yumiri, pay with this."
"I'm sorry, Rin-chan. You can only use cards registered on the app."
"Really?"
"Don't worry, here Yumiri."

Hayato handed Yumiri some notes and small change.

"Yumiri what's the difference between that and a credit card?"
"Umm they're alike I think? This is called a debit card, it withdraws the money you have saved in the bank."

There seems to be a lot of payment methods in this world.

"Our number's here."
"Acdo is so fast."
"It is fast food."

Looks like our order has been completed while we were chatting.
Hayato brought his and mine, and we sat down on an empty table.

Unlike taverns in town outskirts, there is not even a speck of dirt on the table, and the floor is squeaky clean.
This establishment appears to be quite a venerable one.

"How do you eat this?"
"You unroll it like this, then you eat it like that. The sauce won't spill out if you do that."

I ate as Yumiri taught.

"It's good but the texture on this meat is quite novel."

The spices come out well and good, but the dry texture is unlike any meat I know.
And yet, it mixes well with the cheese and the soft bread.

"And these, nuggets? Also got a novel texture to them."

They can't match the fried food Satou makes, but they're good in its own way.

"Rin-chan, try putting this ketchup and mustard here, it'll taste even better."

I gave it a try as Yumiri showed.

Ketchup is like the sweet sauce in my world, while the yellow mustard has this contrasting bitterness to it.

"The taste changes depending on the ketchup, interesting."
"Dipping in both is pretty interesting too, y'know."

Hayato used a long sliced potato as a spatula and offered it to me.

"It's a bad manner, but so good."
"Rin, give this a try too."

Hayato put the potato under my nose.

"I'll have it."

I bit on it, for some reason Hayato and Yumiri turned red.
Is that something to be bashful about in this country?

"My turn to feed Hayato."
"O-ou!"

"M-me too!"

After watching me feeding Hayato potato, Yumiri frantically pushed a bunch of potato on Hayato's face.

"--Fuga."

She pushed it with her eyes closed the potato ended up going into Hayato's nose.

"Awawawa, I'm sorry. Hayato-chan, are you okay?"

Yumiri knocked her drink off the table when she hurriedly took a handkerchief out of her bag, but crisis was averted thanks to its lidded design.

"I'm so sorry, Hayato-chan."
"Don't mind it, Yumiri."

Hayato conformed the downhearted Yumiri.

I felt a bit unamused watching them.
I'm really petty if I do so say myself.

I looked outside the window while lightly poking fun of myself and saw the so called famous politician starting their speech outside.
I can't hear what's being said from here, but the enthusiasm is very high there.

"--Oh?"

A flame erupted in the blank zone in front of the politician.
Men in black clothing went up the stage as the people started panicking.

It looks like this world isn't always peaceful.

"Hayato, we have a situation."

Previous Chapter

18-38. Ringrande in Another World (2)

Satou here. There's this phrase, 'don't count your chicken before they're hatched', rather than wasting your time imagining what you'd do after succeeding, you should use that time to prepare yourself so you can grab that success.



◇



I brought lady Ringrande who has turned into a little girl to Japan.

"--wait, nah no way."

Hayato who saw through lady Ringrande's identity right away told himself it couldn't be right since the notion was too out there.

"Oh I know, you're Rin's and Satou's daughter right?"
"I'm telling you it's really me!"

Lady Ringrande got in a bad mood at Hayato's reckless remark.

"'Me'--?"

"Huh? Satou-san?"

I heard a familiar voice behind Hayato while he was talking.

It's Tachibana Yumiri, Hayato's childhood friend.
As I was in adult mode when we first met, I clad myself in an illusion of adult figure to account for us meeting again.

"Are you with your daughter today? Uwaa, she's so pretty! Your wife must be quite a beauty, Satou-san."

She was excited when she saw lady Ringrande.

"Hi there, my name is Tachibana Yumiri. What about yours?"
"What's with this woman?"

Contrary to the friendly Yumiri, lady Ringrande took on a thorny attitude.

"Yumiri is my childhood friend. Be nice to her."
"This girl is? Hmmm?"
"I-it kinda feels like she's evaluating me, Hayato-chan."

Yumiri was flustered to receive Lady Ringrande's un-little girl-like pressure.

"It's Ringrande."
"Eh?"
"My name. You asked for it right?"

Lady Ringrande introduced herself to the puzzled Yumiri.

"Ring-ra-den-chan? It's such a gorgeous sounding name, isn't it."
"No! It's Ringrande, Ringrande!"

Lady Ringrande corrected her irritatedly.

"Ringranden?"
"That's one too many n! Ah, whatever. Just call me Rin."

Seemingly finding it a pain, she gave up.

"Nice to meet you, Rin-chan."

Yumiri greeted her with a smile.

"So, why's Hayato-chan hugging Rin-chan again?"
"What's wrong with two lovers hugging."
"Eh! H-Hayato-chan's turned into a lolicon-san!"

Hearing Lady Ringrande saying that, Yumiri started panicking 'Oh no, oh no'.

"Calm down, Yumiri. Rin is just teasing you."
"Eh? Oh it's just a joke. It's Hayato-chan after all, so I thought."

The last part was said in whisper so low I could barely heard it with Eavesdropping skill, Hayato probably missed that.

"So, what's your relationship anyway?"
"Hayato-san, do you mind if we change place?"

It's not something you talk about in front of entrance.
I mean, the neighbouring married women have been whispering at each other while looking at us for a while now.

"Ah, my bad."

Hayato led us in his house.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
◇



"Now then--Thanks for coming, Rin. How's the other doing?"

Hayato prioritized asking his old companions.

"They're doing way too well for themselves. I invited Mary too, but she said she has her position as an imperial family, so."

The little sister of Saga Emperor, Lady Maryest was hesitating until the very end, but judging from her behavior, she's probably gonna come here too once she's done with the transfer of power there.

"Loreiya lazed around all day drinking expensive liquor in a big temple."
"That sounds like Loreiya alright--Satou, please tell her to turn it down a notch once you go back."

Hayato asked me with a nostalgic and amazed look.
Parion Temple priestess Loreiya has gotten herself engrossed in dragon spring liquor and fairy wine tasting if I recall right.

"Wy is busy with remodeling the dimensional submarine, Jules Verne."
"Is she eating well? Wy tends to forget her meals, I'm kinda worried."

Last I saw Archer Wiyaryi, she was hard at work trying to remodel the ship so it could endure travelling between worlds and help with otherworld saving effort.

"Nono is working as an ambassador of United Nations to coordinate talks between countries. Seina is doing her best helping Nono visiting each countries."
"United Nations! Hayato-chan, you know someone so high up!"

Yumiri sounded surprised at the term United Nations.

"It's probably not the same United Nations you have in mind, Yumiri."

Secretary Nono is acting as a liaison officer of a peacekeeping cross-national organization, not the UN of earth.
Scout Seina is doing her job as a skilled female spy.

"Rusus and Fifi are the same as ever. They're doing live training with lesser dragons and young true dragons."
"Dragons, that's extreme... wait, they got that strong? Guess I wouldn't be much help even if I got resummoned there now huh."
"That's not true. We'll never stop being the attendants of Hero Hayato (you)."

Hayato's joke was met with a serious tone by Lady Ringrande.

"Rin-chan, were you one of Hayato-chan's attendants when he was a hero?"
"I am."

Lady Ringrande puffed her flat chest.

"Wahee, Rin-chan, you're so great despite your size~"

Yumiri sounded amazed.

"Yumiri, Rin was an adult woman with a dynamite body when I was there, y'know?"
"Quit it with that vulgar hand gesture!"

Hayato used his hands to gesture her past body line, and Lady Ringrande elbowed him for that.

"Rin-chan turned into a kid from adult?"
"Yes, I did it to match Hayato's preference."

She turned to look at Hayato.

"What do you think?"
"Frankly speaking--you look like a very expensive out of reach life-sized bisque doll."

Hayato clenched his fist and shouted, 'Hell yeah, a real life Yes Lolita, No Touch!'

"My? I'm a [Legal Loli], so you can touch me, you know? Or rather, go ahead and do it."

Lady Ringrande clung to Hayato and rubbed her cheek.
Hayato overloaded after shouting, 'Little girl's cheek rubbing!'.

"W-wait, you can't do that. We have Minor Protection Law! You're prohibited from doing perverted things to minors!"
"Who cares about that."

Yumiri's desperate appeal was shut down by Lady Ringrande's casual remark.

"You caaaaaaan't!"

The flustered Yumiri desperately flailed around.

"Ara ara, and here I thought Hayato-chan finally made his move on Yumiri-chan, we had guests."

The door got opened as Hayato's mother came back.
I handed over a box of cakes from my Storage and apologized for intruding during her absence.

"Hayato-nii."

Hayato's little sister slipped through the gap of the opened door, zoomed inside and froze when she saw Rin.

"Who?"
"I'm Rin. And you?"
"Masaki Aika, I'm three year old."

Aika-chan did her best to name herself when asked.

"Nice to meet you, Mother in law. I am a daughter of Oyugock Duchy of Shiga Kingdom, Ringrande Oyugock. I have come to Japan to propose to Hayato."
"Ara ara, what a cute little lady you are. I'm Hayato's mother, Sakura. Ufufu, Yumiri-chan has got herself a rival, I see."

Hayato's mother smiled cheerfully when she saw Lady Ringrande's ladylike greeting.

"Mama, what is a propose?"
"It means, 'let's get married' from a lover."
"No! Hayato-nii is marrying Aika!"

Aika-chan got between Lady Ringrande and Hayato after she heard that explanation.
With both her arms spread, resisting to the bitter end.

"You're really close with your sister, Hayato."

Ringrande looked envious.
She might have seen her own sister Sera on Aika-chan.

"Sure am, Aika is my treasure."
"Ehehe, Aika number one!"
"Ou! Number one!"

Hayato lifted Aika with both his hands and spun around.

"That's dangerous, stop it. I can't believe you didn't even prepare tea for our guests, you boys are hopeless."
"Allow me to help."
"It's all right. You're our guest Satou-san, take it easy."

Hayato's mother brought Yumiri to the kitchen.

"I learned a new game today!"

With a huge smile on his face, Hayato cheered on Aika-chan as she played a game, while Lady Ringrande sat next to him with a complicated look.

"--Satou."
"Yes?"

She whispered and called me.

"I've made a mistake. I thought Yumiri would be my greatest obstacle, no, it's that girl all along."
"I don't think you need to worry, Aika-chan is Hayato's biological sister."
"That's not going to do much. She can just get adopted by some random noble and then they can get married."
"That may be true at Shiga Kingdom--"

I explained to the seriously pondering Lady Ringrande that you can't get married to close relatives under Japan's law.

"Satou-san, here's your tea. And for Hayato-chan, pecari."
"Aika too, pecari!"
"I have one here for Aika-chan~."
"Waii. Yumiri-chan love."

Looks like it's one without carbonated water for Aika.

"Satou-san, are you staying for long this time?"
"Yes, I have checked in for a week at our hotel."

I plan to go on a sightseeing tour using this chance to visit earth.

As I was having a chat with Hayato, lady Ringrande seemed to get along well with his mother and little sister (Aika), they're having fun chatting.
At the rate this is going, I can probably leave her in this house by tomorrow.

I intend to do something about disasters and disputes I saw on the TV earlier.

"Satou."

Lady Ringrande called while I was thinking.

"What is it?"
"I'm going to be a daughter of this house!"

Thus she asserted out of the blue.

"Oh, I'm super okay with that."
"Won't it cause you trouble?"
"Satou-san has your work cut out for you, right? Our house is open to Rin-chan while you're staying in Japan."

I see, in that case.

"Hold on! What about her room."
"Of course, it'll be your room, Hayato."
"No no, that's not good."
"Why? We would huddle up together when we camped and all."

Lady Ringrande said that like it was nothing to Hayato who was getting incoherent.

"Good grief, virgins are really..."

Eavesdropping skill caught Hayato's mother whispered that.

"You won't make a mistake just from sleeping with a little girl, will you? Or what, are you saying I have a damn pedo as a son?" <TLN: Yes, she really said that.>
"Of course not! I'm Yes Lolita, No Touch!"
"Okay, okay. Yumiri-chan is gonna get disgusted at you if you keep saying that."

His mother roughly cut down Hayato's resistance.

"Aika too! Aika wanna sleep in Hayato-nii's room with Rin-chan!"
"Ufufu, you two are so close already."

Aika grabbed lady Ringrande's arm and insisted.

"Some things were a bit off from my expectations, but I've cleared the first hurdle now."

Lady Ringrande grinned boldly.

"I'll make Hayato fall madly for my charm in one week!"

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

18-37. Ringrande in Another World (1)

※ Please refer to Hayato's side of story in [15-Interval 1: Hayato Masaki]

Satou here. Whenever I'm not buried neck deep in work, I sometimes think of how naive my overlook in life is. Though when that happens, I'd just go invite my friends to karaoke or camping, forgetting it all away.



◇



"I'm home! We've gone and taken care of the crisis in that parallel world, Bejigard."
"Welcome back, Arisa. Satou-sama, it didn't take long this time around, did it."

Princess Sistina who was house sitting the isolated island palace welcomed us.

My power as a god has been funnelled into repairing this planet's defensive system, thus I don't have the same transcendental power as when I was hunting Space Kaijuu just before I ascended to godhood.
I can get back into that state if I want to, but I'm afraid having that omnipotent feeling 24/7 would prompt me to have some weird idea, 'I gotta guide mankind!' or something.

"Immaback~?"
"Requesting three times more meat than usual nanodesu!"
"Pochi, that's unbecoming."
"But but, Pochi is tired with vegetable-tasting meat nanodesu."

The world we were at was predominantly plant based, so we couldn't find many things that provide animal-based protein.
I've got lots of meat in my Storage, but they rot easily in that world for some reason, so I could only cook a little bit of them.
As a result the beastkin girls were having a serious meat withdrawal.

"Really?"
"Yes, Mia. That was good in its own way, so I report."

The veggie-loving Mia and Nana who has no particular likes or dislikes seem fine with it.

"Ufufu, I'll go get them ready for you right away."
"Lulu-sama, leave the preps for the feast to us maids!"

Lulu followed after the house fairies, Pochi and Tama ran after them, and even the prim and proper-looking Liza walked toward the kitchen with her tail swaying left and right. Her tail is honest.

"Welcome home, Ichirou-nii."
"I'm home, Hikaru. Any problem here?"

Ancestor King Yamato, Hikaru came out of a gate.
Looks like she sensed my return.

"Naturally not, our keen eyes are on the watch after all."

Kagura--Dragon God AkonKagura replied as she yawned.

It's Kagura the sleepyhead we're talking about here, I'm sure she's left the world to the seven gods and demon god to take care of while she must be taking a nap somewhere herself.
The proof is in Kagura turning away and whistling after reading my mind.

I pat Kagura's hair and head to the garden.

Under a western-styled gazebo in the garden is high elf of Boruenan Forest, my beloved Aze-san, depressed demon lord Shizuka and saintess Sera. The former magic soldier, Zena-san is apparently visiting her home at Seryuu City right now according to my Map.
Other Bridal Knights are patrolling their usual routes above ground.

"We're back."
"Satou!"
"Welcome home, Satou-san."

Aze-san stood up with a smile, Sera-san walked up to me smiling.

"--Oh crap."

Only depressed demon lord, Shizuka desperately trying to hide some thin books (tln: doujin) on the table and failing at it.
I saw an illustration of naked men together, but I pretended not to see it and stood and chatted with Aze-san and Sera while waiting for Shizuka to clean them up.

"Has anything of note happened?"
"Well--"

Aze-san faltered a bit.

"Something wrong?"
"No, there is nothing."

It was Sera who strongly denied.
I asked Aze-san with a glance, but she only responded back with a faint smile.

"The only thing that happened was my imprudent elder sister getting dead drunk and showing her shameful state."

The topic closed with what Sera said, changing to our saving of parallel world Bejigard.
Hearing Sera's sister, Lady Ringrande's state being like that worries me but since Sera doesn't seem wanting to continue the topic, I'll go have a look at her myself later.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
◇



"Rin, you really shouldn't drink too much~."
"What! Your' drinking too Loreinya! Why cannyae' I!"
"Geez~, you're not even speaking right see~?"

I could hear the voices of former hero Hayato, Lady Ringrande, and Priestess Loreiya in the canteen.

"Waatt! You there! Come here and pour me a cold one!"
"Don't go bother people~ when you're drunk you hear me~?"
"Yes, I'm a bother, I'm useless~."

Loreiya bound Lady Ringrande's arms as she tried to bother a butler-fashioned waiter.

"I'm just a woman Hayato dumped."

Lady Ringrande started sulking.

"Liquor is bad for you on an empty stomach."

I took out some snacks out of storage and put it on the table, then full of nothing but empty liquor bottles.

"Satou, come and drink with me."

Lady Ringrande pulled my hand and sat me down.
She's pretty drunk, she's being all touchy feely.

I glanced at priestess Loreiya asking for help, yet she ended up getting touchy feely with me on the other empty side herself.
By the time I managed to escape from the soft hell, both of them were wasted.

"Your excellency, I beg your pardon for our temple personnel."

Some temple people came to fetch Loreiya.

"Ringrande-sama, please don't sleep here, go to your bed."
"...Un. Carry me."
"I'll call someone."
"No, you carry me, Satou."

Lady Ringrande is being spoiled today.

I offered her my shoulder, she demanded me to carry her in my arms instead.
I was going to use [Magic Hand] but failing to her sweetly whispering, 'Hayato you dummy', I did as requested.

"Okay we're here. I'll leave a cup of water here, make sure to drink it before you go to bed."

You won't get a bad hangover so long as you stay hydrated.

"...Un."

Lady Ringrande nodded obediently.

Now then, time to go back--.

"Uwaa."

She suddenly pulled my arm and dragged me to bed.

"With so many women around you, you're already used to this right?"

Lady Ringrande took off her clothes.

"Make me forget... Hayato."

I was about to lose for a moment there when I saw her moist eyes, but I managed to escape when my beloved Aze-san's face flashed on my mind.

"Don't play around too much now."

I put her to sleep with magic, asked a maid peeping on the door to help with Lady Ringrande's clothes and made my escape.

Now that I've found out the reason for Lady Ringrande's sulking, I just need to consult with the girls who are expert in love problems.



◇



"I see~"

I explained the circumstances and asked for a solution.
The advisers being Arisa, Mia, Kagura, and Aze-san.

"You should have just taken her invitation right then and made her forget."

Kagura went straight with some problematic remarks.
That is not an option when I have Aze-san.

Though, the person in question herself is--.

"Oh, I'm sure Satou and Rin's children would be so cute."

--Said something like that.

"No, you can't!"
"Nn, can't."
"But why? Rin is a good girl, you know?"

Aze-san could only tilt her head in confusion at the prompt refusal of the impregnable pair, Arisa and Mia.
Her senses as a super long lived being would occasionally shock me. She doesn't have a desire to monopolize, or more, she thinks it's better to always have children of the one she likes around her forever. She said this while I was still an ordinary human, and it's stayed the same even now that I'm an ascended god.

"Men are a creature who spreads their seeds around. He'll start disliking you if you shackle him too much now."
"N-no master won't."
"Nn, no worries."

Kagura teased Arisa and Mia with a mischievous look.

"Right, master?"

Arisa and Mia looked up at me worryingly, so I immediately affirmed them.

"Kagura, I can't agree with your opinion."
"How come? Ethics from your commoner days are meaningless to the you now, don't you realize?"
"That's just irrational!"

Arisa protested Kagura's remarks.

"Even in mother's nature, it's only natural for males with power to make children with many females."
"Leap of logic."
"Yep. Don't liken us to animals."
"Not like there is much difference though."

Kagura grumbled from her godly point of view.

"Satou. Rin loved the previous hero, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did."
"Then how about you take her to that child? You can do it right, Satou?"
"I could do that yes..."

I told Aze-san about the differences in cultures and societies between this world and earth, so letting them see each other wouldn't solve the problem.

"Something like that won't be a wall between two people who love each other."
"Indeed. Love transcends space and time."

Kagura who rode on Aze-san's coattail looked at me with amorous eyes.
Well, I get what they're trying to convey. I'm only here due to her love after all.

"Nn, agreed."
"The only issues would be language barrier and family registers, right master? I'm sure you can take care of them."

Mia and Arisa are in agreement with Aze-san.

"Translation ring for Japanese will sort out language issues, and you can just use mind magic for the family register, no?"

That can be done.

"But that's not where the problem lies."

Hero Hayato did not love Lady Ringrande to begin with.

"Does this hero have someone he loves already?"

Arisa shyly raised her hand at Kagura's question.

"What, it was Arisa huh."
"Really?"
"Yes, apparently he prefers small girls."

I answered Aze-san's question.

"So, this Hayato-san likes shorter and slender girls?"
"Well, that's one way to put it, in other word he's a lolicon."

He's a Yes Lolita, No Touch gentleman.

"I don't really get it but isn't a difference of ten years like a small margin of error?"
"Nn, margin of error."

Mia agreed with Aze-san.
How very like of long lived races.

"It's not when it comes to humans."

Giving birth at young age poses a big burden to the body, and there's also a problem with ethics.

"Then just make her younger. Make Rin the age this lolicon hero prefers, and all is well."

Kagura spoke like it was no big deal.

"Come to think of it, potions that turn you younger exist, don't they."
"No need for such a thing, Ichirou can simply control her age."

Well, yeah I can do that.

"But there is no guarantee Hayato will respond favorably even after Ringrande-san--"
"Naturally. We merely give her the means to. Whether Rin can make him falls for her younger self or not depends on her effort."

It's more interesting that way, thus spoke Kagura.



◇



"So this is Hayato's world!"

Thinking I could at least offer her Kagura's idea, I talked to Lady Ringrande who readily agreed to it, thus I turned her back to around elementary grade age and brought her to earth using Unit Arrangement.

She's wearing clothes Arisa styled. Which looks more like a magical girl than a real grade schooler.

I haven't created Lady Ringrande family register yet.
I used a fake passport for her ID instead.

"And, where's Hayato at?"
"Please calm down, we're heading to Hayato-san's home now."

We moved from the highest floor of a tower mansion I had prepared as a base camp.

I called for our taxi before our elevator ride down.
I had our destination registered on the taxi app, so it was simple. I also got my credit card registered already, so no issue with payment either.

Of course, I got this smartphone and credit card through legal means. As there are nations where you can buy nationality with money. I plan to get Lady Ringrande's family register through this method as well.

Our taxi arrived at Masaki household in ten minutes.

"So here it is."

I told Lady Ringrande who was looking for a door knocker, 'You push this button here' and pointed at the intercom.

"Yes, who is it--"

Lady Ringrande's eyes turned bright when she heard Hayato's voice.

"--Satou? Sure been awhile huh. I'll be there in a bit."

Looks like the elementary schooler-sized Lady Ringrande wasn't shown in the intercom.

"What's up--"
"Hayato!"

As the door was opened, Lady Ringrande tackled and hugged the high schooler hero Hayato.

"Uwa--Loli girl?"

Hayato smiled broadly before asking me for an explanation with his eyes.

"I'm here for you!"
"Wait, are you Rin?"
"I am!"

Lady Ringrande happily hugged Hayato who realized her identity right away.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

18-36.  A Boy in Labyrinth City (10)

--Stampede?

Is a huge herd of monsters coming our way?

"Directive to students. Run up the pillar stairway and stand by at the top, so I direct."

Instructor pointed at one of the pillars.

"Shouldn't we run away from here?"
"Unable to run to a safe spot at your exhausted states, so I foresee."

Instructor replied to noble lad Rojim.

"'Hurry' so I inform."

Harry?
Someone's name?

"She's telling us to make it quick. Let's run to the top!"

Lachesis pulled my arm toward the pillar, followed by everybody else.
Looks like Lachesis could understand that kind of word just like my little sister.

"Oy, instructor isn't going up?"

Pointed out by Zaki, we all looked down and saw instructor staying on her spot.
She's holding a shield as tall as she is, not sure where she took that from.

"Instructor! Come on up!"
"The stampede's coming!"
"Worry not so I inform."

The explorers who shouted to us about the stampede ran past instructor.
Followed by other explorers with a dire look on their faces.

"Oy, move out the way."

Someone spoke from below the pillar.
I don't know him.

Apparently several other explorers have given up trying to get out, taking shelter on this pillar instead.

After we moved out, those guys went for a suspension bridge toward the next pillar.

"You!"

Rasa muttered that and grabbed the arm of one of the guys going toward the bridge.

"What's your deal?"
"Aren't you from the same village as Gon's? Where's Gon's group?"

I remember now.
He's the guy who invited Gon's group to his party.

"Those guys ran off ahead."

'Get off', he shook Rasa's hand off, and continued on.

"Didn't they come here?"
"Nope."
"I see... Well they're with Gon and his shield, they must've taken another route."

He doesn't seem worried.

"You think Gon and the rest are fine?"
"I'm worried, but there's nothing we can do."

Zaki shook his head at my words.

"It's a herd of monsters."
"And it's not only goblins. There's Maze Ants and Maze Giant Rats too."

Sagu and Jimu spoke as they watched the stampede.

"Monsters! Keep your speed below legal limit so I declare!"

Instructor shouted out some unintelligible stuff.

"What?"
"That's a shielder's Taunt skill."

Instructor held her shield aloof.

"Look at that!"
"There's lights around instructors? Are those magic arrows?"
"So many?!"
"It's like the Legend of Founder King."

Dozens of magic arrows emerged around instructor, then with a swing of her sword, they all shot out toward the monsters.
But they weren't enough to even put a dent on the countless monsters.

"No good. There's a huge gulf in numbers."
"That's not true! Look!"

The magic arrows that got close to the monsters burst open.

"That's so cool! Each arrow kills multiple monsters!"

Lachesis spoke in excitement.
She seems unaware at her pulling my arm.

"She did it! Those monsters stopped!"

The vanguard monsters fell down from the bursting magic arrows, and the trailing monsters behind them tumbled down creating a chain reaction.
Instructor then poured down magic arrows at them.

"Whoa... So that's the power of a veteran explorer..."

Priest apprentice Yuto talked in delirium.

I get him.

Her power is so overwhelming like it's straight out of hero tales.
The end came into sight as the fight between instructor and the monsters turned into a one side beat down.

"She won by herself."
"Yup."

Rasa nodded at Zaki.

"Ah! It's Keros!"
"And Shina too."

Other explorers who ran from the stampede are coming here from another path.
It's hard to tell from this far out, but Keros and Shina are among those explorers.

"I don't see Gon anywhere..."

Shina is shouldering Keros who's wounded all over.

"Something real bad there."

Ratkin Neze muttered that.

"What's bad?"
"Dunno myself."

Neze looked puzzled for not understanding what he means himself.

"Why do those guys keep looking behind them?"

Rasa looked like he realized something hearing Yuto saying that and put his ear on the pillar's wall.

--What?

I mimicked him.

It's faint but I can hear some deep thumping sounds.

"Oh no! Instructor!"

Rasa shouted at instructor below us.

"There's something coming from that direction! Probably a big one!"

Instructor jumped up to where we were instantly and stared at the pointed direction.

"This is stumping so I inform."
"For instructor to say that--."

Rasa's words were erased by a loud thundering sound.

Something came out breaking the walls behind Shina's group.
A giant worm-like thing. Wriggling string-like matters are attached to its tip

"Huge!"
"What the heck's that?!"
"That's an Area Master, or its kin, so I guess."
"Area Master? But there's no Area Master in the first Area! That's just common sense!"

An old explorer man who brought the stampede here denied instructor.

"Rejecting reality thrust before your eyes because it does not conform to established notions is a fool's errand so I assert."

The explorer gnashed his teeth, 'Gununu.'

"We gotta run!"
"Yeah! This pillar won't do any good against that giant thing!"

Noble lad Rojim agreed with Zaki.
The older explorers pushed us aside and ran below after hearing their conversation.

"Instructor! Can you win against that, instructor?"

I asked instructor while running after those explorers.

"It is not possible with my current equipment so inform."

Not even that amazing instructor could...

"Keros, keep at it!"

I could hear Shina's voice, they were closer than I thought.
I turned around and saw Shina running while lending Keros her shoulder.

"Oh crap, it's gotten so close already!"

Rasa is looking at the [Area Master] that's coming our way while crushing down pillars and walls in its path.
Shina and Keros are gonna get swallowed by the [Area Master] at this rate.

I ran out.

"Sharon!"

While hearing Rasa trying to stop me behind.

"Eh? Sharon?"

I took Keros' other shoulder and helped them run.

"I'll take it from here. You're hurt too, Shina."

Rasa who also ran here took Shina's side but Keros was heavier than he thought and he tumbled down.

"Rasa, I'll do it."

Zaki came too.

"Sharon, behind you!"
"--Lachesis?"

Lachesis ran here and jumped at us, tumbling us all down.

"Uwaa, what are you doing?!"

Something mowed down right above us at high speed.

Breaking down all the walls and pillars nearby.

"That thing shot its tentacles here!"

Zaki's voice explained what happened.
A tentacle growing out of the giant worm's tip could reach far out.

"Thanks, Lachesis."

If she hadn't braved danger, we would have died then.

"Save it for later. We've got to run."

I shoulder Keros and run with Rasa who's pulling Shina's hand.
Zaki and Lachesis lead the way while watching out behind us.

"It's coming!"
"I shan't let you so I inform--Flexible Shield."

Several translucent shields showed up behind us and blocked the tentacles.

"Hurry on now."

Another tentacle got around the shield but instructor cut stopped its advance with her greatshield and sword.

"Oh no, if this keeps up..."
"Zaki, focus on your front!"

We put our trust in instructor and ran at full speed.

A loud sound exploded behind us, instructor got blown above us.
Around 10 tentacles assaulted her.

"Instructor!"
"--Watch out!"

Lachesis pulled me as my eyes tracked instructor.
Then a tentacle thrust the spot I was at.

"You saved me again."
"Forget about that now--."

I saw a tentacle coming at Lachesis while tearing down the ground.

Normally I wouldn't have made it.
Even if I pulled her down, we'd just get torn along.

--Ground Shrink.

Using my last resort skill, I barely managed to save Lachesis in time.
But doing that was apparently too much while shouldering Keros.

"Sharon!"

I crashed down the ground with Keros.
My body won't move from the recoil of using Ground Shrink.

"Run! Lachesis!"

Before another tentacle came.

Lachesis ran off.

Yes. That's good.

Lachesis stopped next to a big pillar.

"How could I run away here!"

She hit the pillar with her palm and shouted seemingly mad.
A wave of purple light ran across Lachesis's body.

"Come forth! Knight of Gold!"

With her shout, the pillar's surface undulated and a golden colored shining hand came out of it.
A hand gigantic enough to hold my whole body in its palm.

After the arm, the upper body of a giant knight manifested.

"One time isn't enough is it... Then one more!"

A wave of purple light ran across Lachesis's body once again, then the giant knight finally fully emerged.

"Haa haa haa--Come forth! Knight of Gold!"

By Lachesis' command, the golden knight moved out.

It took on the giant worm's tentacles.
But it couldn't stop them and fell down.

"Now!"
"I got it!"

Urged by Lachesis, Rasa, Zaki and I dragged Keros away.

"Lachesis you too!"
"I can't. That would turn back into soil if I did."

Lachesis's face is full of sweat.

"--Ah."

The giant worm twisted its body and shook its tip.
The golden knight entangled in tentacles got thrown onto a nearby pillar, breaking some walls along the way.

"Kuuuuh."

Lachesis groaned while holding her body as if she could feel the knight's pain.

"Lachesis!"
"I'm fine. This much is, nothing!"

Lachesis glared at the giant worm as she clenched her teeth.
A drop of red fell down her lips.

"Student Lachesis, well done so I praise."
"Instructor!"

Instructor who got blown into a rubble came back.

"You can win with golden knight's help, right instructor!"
"Negative. Student Zaki, just us two cannot hope to win so I evaluate."

We can't? Even with that giant knight and instructor?
Is that giant worm that strong?

"T-then..."

I mustered my strength and got up.

"I will use my all to help."

My little sis' would get mad at me if I did nothing while leaving everything to the girls.

Instructor gently tapped my shoulder.

"There is no need to so I inform."
"I can act as a decoy at least."
"That is not what I mean so I correct."

Instructor pointed ahead.

Two figures made a rapid dash toward the giant worm.

"Running Dragon Kiiiiiiiick so I inform!"
"There's two of us so it should be Double Running Dragon Kick so I correct!"

The two figures crashed onto the giant worm's head at incredible speed.
They're riding bipedal running lizards.

"That's--"
"They are my sisters so I inform."

As the giant worm shrieked, four pillar-like translucent stakes got driven onto it from above.

"Are we late?"

A blond beauty that looks exactly like instructor landed on top of  a nearby wall.
There are also three other blond beauties. With the two on running lizards and instructor included, there are seven of them in total.

"No Adin. You just narrowly made it so I inform."
"All good then. Do you need a break?"
"Negative. Requesting my participation so I tell."
"Okay. Let's go with 'Formation C'. Do you have enough mana?"
"Yes Adin. I can cast one more advanced level spell so I tell."

"Form-ation-C?"
"'Formation C'. Caster Mode so I explain."

"...Why in English."

Lachesis muttered while keeping the golden knight hold the giant worm down.

The instructors readied their wands.

"""Divine Lance."""

Gigantic lances around thrice their size showed up next to them.
Later on, I was told it was an advanced level force magic spell.

"Knight of Gold! Stop at nothing to hold it down!"

By Lachesis's command, the golden knight pulled the giant worm's tentacles with its crumbling arms.

"Shoot!"
"""Yes Adin."""

The giant lances shot out all at once, piercing the giant worm one after another.

"""Divine Lance"""

Second volley, third volley, fourth volley, they went and skewered the giant worm.

"...Whoa."

It's like a scene straight out of myth or hero's legend.

Our instructor, Seis, had run out of mana, so she just watched over her sisters.

"I'm at, my limit."

I held Lachesis as she fell down fainting.
I almost couldn't breathe from the pain when I received her, but it's better than letting her down after her great effort.

"Are you okay?"

Rasa looked down in amazement.

Beyond him, the giant worm is rampaging around from the pain while scattering its bodily fluid everywhere.
The golden knight is still holding down the other end of its tentacles.

Then as it finished its mission, the knight crumbled down into soil.

"It's over so I report."

By the fourth volley, the giant worm stopped making any noise.

"We made it."
"Spare me from something like this next time please."

Rasa and Zaki laughed at each other.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
◇



Things were quite messy afterward.

Fortunately enough, Gon whom we all thought had died survived.
Instructor Huit found him buried under a wreckage.

Though he paid a huge price for his survival.

Gon lost part of his right arm from the elbow down, and stayed in the party using an artificial arm now.
Keros who was scared witless of the labyrinth retired and went back home. Shina apparently is working as an employee in the party's home base.

As for us--.

"Sharon! Time to go to our party formation ceremony!"
"I got it. Where's Rasa?"
"He went ahead."

After the beginner's course, we all decided to form a party together.
Unfortunately, noble lad Rojim and his servitor had already decided on their party beforehand, so they declined, but all other members are old faces.

"Huh? What about Lachesis?"

Lachesis was nowhere to be seen at the diner where we met up.

"She went there, said she got stuff to take care of or something."

Ratkin Neze pointed at the back of the diner.

"I'll go take a look."

I've got a bad feeling about it somehow.

"--Lachesis-sama. You have used your Authority at last."
"How did you know?"

Lachesis is talking with a person wearing a deep purple robe behind the building.
It's the hooded man from before.

"I have been informed by your guard."
"Guard? Don't you mean watchdog?"
"It appears there is a slight misunderstanding. Us, the cult is--"
"I don't want to hear it. Go home."
"Now that you have used your Authority, you should return to the cult and beg your sisters for their teachings."
"I told you already I'm not going. I only used my Unique Skill because it was a life or death situation. I'm never using it again if I can help it."
"Lachesis, cease your selfishness--"

The man grabbed Lachesis's arm.

She's gonna get taken away at this rate.

I ran out with that in mind.

"Lachesis!"
"Sharon?"

Lachesis sounded perplexed.

"Let's go! Lachesis!"

I held out my hand to her.
Lachesis tried to take it but the man's hand was in the way.

"Get off me!"

Lachesis shook off the man's hand.
And gripped mine.

"Lachesis-sama!"
"I'm not going back! You guys go home and tell sisters. I will live in labyrinth city!"

As she ran with me, Lachesis looked back and shouted at the man.

"Are you sure?"
"Yes! I'm feeling pretty great right now!"

Lachesis smiled at me.
I smiled back.

We ran together.
Toward our friends, fellow labyrinth explorers.



◆◆◆At a certain village◆◆◆

"Reina-san, could you be--"
"No I'm not! You've got it wrong, Akindo-san!"

Reina's shout erased Akindo's stunned voice.

"Err, um, right! Remake! There was a retelling version! It's not a rebroadcast or the initial broadcast one!"
"...Right."
"I'm telling the truth okay?"

Reina cutely tilted her head.

"Yes, let's go with that."
"It's the truuuuuuuuuth."

Reina's shout echoed in the village's outskirts.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

18-35. A Boy in Labyrinth City (9)

"Huh? Lachesis?"

Morning, I ran into Lachesis on my way back from my daily running regime.

I tried to get closer but noticed she was with other people behind a building.
Those people Lachesis is talking to are hiding under their robe hoods, looking real suspicious. I've never seen deep purple robes before.

Thinking she might be having trouble, I stealthily sneaked closer.

"We are seeds left behind by gods."
"I am me. Don't call me a seed."

I could hear them talking behind the building.

Judging from the tone, they seem to know Lachesis at least.
But maybe not in that good of terms.

"Let us go back to the 『Mansion of Freedom』. Your parents are waiting."
"You mean foster parents you cult prepared?"

Cult? Not temple?

--Niisan. You shouldn't eavesdrop. Young ladies have a thing or two they want to keep secret.

My little sister's words suddenly flashed on my mind.
Or so she said when I came across her talking with someone.

"--I'm not like elder sisters!"

I turned my sight back and saw Lachesis running to the opposite direction.
Looks like they had a disagreement while I was thinking about my little sister.

Wonder what's going on with Lachesis?

Wonder where had she been living, and how it was like?

It's bothering me for some reason.

"--Oy, Sharon. Hey, Sharon!"

The knowledgeable Zaki is standing in front of me.

"Err?"
"What's up with you? You've been spacing out all morning."

The quiet Rasa look at me with upturned eyes.

Right, I'm now in the square where beginner course is held before I was aware.

I can't recall what I've been doing with Lachesis occupying my mind.
Considering my damp hair and full stomach, I think I took a bath at the riverside and had breakfast with Zaki and Rasa after that.

"You caught a cold or something?"
"My bad, I was spacing out for a bit there."

I apologized to the worried Zaki and Rasa before we moved to our group's meeting place.

"Good morning."
"Ou! There you are!"
"Morning~ I still wanna sleep more~"

Yuto, an apprentice priest of Zaikuon Temple incapable of casting sacred magic, the small ratkin Neze, the big dogkin Tegu, as well as--the gloomy looking Lachesis were there.
Noble lad Rojim and his servitor Sagu haven't arrived yet it seems.

"Good morning, Lachesis."
"--Yeah."

She replied back halfheartedly to my greeting.
Looks like the thing this morning is weighing on her mind.

"So--"
"Students, gather round so I command."

Just as I was about to ask Lachesis, the beautiful instructor interrupted with her loud voice.

"Let's go, Sharon."

Urged by Rasa, I went to where instructor was.

"Today we shall hold a mock group battle with me as your opponent so I inform."
"Eeh, dunno how strong you are instructor, you're not gonna win vs this many people, yeah?"
"Student, Neze. There is strength in number indeed, but so is in level so I correct."

Despite our incredulity, instructor easily made a short work out of us all while giving advice on how to improve our combat.

What surprising was--.

"Next up, we shall practice fighting against tentacled monsters."

She used magic to control several ropes, making them move like a creature that twine our limbs and taught us how to deal with such monsters.
She also used [Flexible Shield] magic to represent sturdy monsters, or made cloth and firewood float like flying monsters, and many other kinds of monsters.

We were lying on the ground all beat by the time it was break time.

"Professional explorers are really something else..."

I whispered as I looked at instructor while gasping for breath...
I thought she was a warrior, turns out she could even cast magic.

The noble lad, Rojim and his servitor, Sagu refuted my thinking.

"Fool, don't use that as a standard. You won't see many explorers at that level."
"Young master is right. You'd be hard pressed to even find someone so skilful in Shiga Kingdom."

There's six other like her in this very place though?
Is it cause they're sisters?

"Breaktime is over so I inform. Second turn will feature Hell Crabs and Sand Worms so I notify."

Completely unlike the interesting sounding names, the practice from noon on was hellish, forget Lachesis and Zaki, even Rojim and priest apprentice Yuto who had been training since childhood were laying on the ground by the end.

"Standing up until the end is impressive, so I inform. Do continue your basic training from now on, so I encourage."

The last one standing, me, finally gave out with that praise from instructor.



◇



"Sorry, it's my fault."
"Don't mind it. Everybody else couldn't walk either, their legs were trembling and all."

Now that the practice is over, we make our way to the stall square.

"Tomorrow's the real thing!"
"Ou~, labyrinth at last~"

Ratkin Neze and dogkin Tegu are right, the last day will be in the labryinth, with instructor leading the way for us.

"Let's get something hearty today."
"Hum~, money's getting tight so I'll just grab the usual."

We couldn't work during the course, so our finance is getting to dangerous level.

"Ah! It's Gon's group."

Zaki pointed at the big Gon, grumbler Keros and Shina accompanying them.
Gon is holding a giant shield, Keros has an eyepatch on him for some reason. All three have more bandages on them than the last time we saw them.

"Are you hurt, Keros?"
"Sharon huh--Just a cut on my eyelid. I can see just fine soon."

I called out to him out of worry, and got a cold reply.

"And you Gon, that new equipment looks great."
"I've been selected as a shielder, see."

Unlike yesterday, he seems to be in a good mood today.

"But isn't it dangerous. I mean, that last shielder got hurt really bad too. If even Gon ended up like her..."

Shina who had just lost her friend expressed her worry.

From training today I learned that shielders are heavily equipped but they also get hurt the easiest due to their role of aggroing monsters.

"Hmph, like I'd let some monster do me in. I've been selected and all. I'm gonna show 'em my best!"
"But still, try to not get hurt."
"Hmph, guys who don't even earn anything in the labyrinth got no business preaching me!"

Looks like my concern touched Gon's pride, he left with perked up shoulders.

"Are they gonna be alright?"
"They're getting wounded again, guess labyrinth really is dangerous."
"He's one sturdy guy, he'll be fine."

We looked at their back for a bit before joining up with the others who had been waiting for us and had a meal together.



◇



"This is the minimum amount of luggage you should carry into the labyrinth so I inform."

The following morning, we had gathered at the usual space when the instructors gave us our provisions.
Which is six torches, two tinderboxes, a smoke bomb and a flash bomb, two spare water bags, a few rags and a rope. The rags are apparently for stopping bleeding and markings. Also three portable food. And finally several sacks to hold gathered materials.

"Hey this isn't water? Liquor?"
"That Beria Liquor disinfects wounds so I correct."

That's quite extravagant for a disinfectant.

"Once you have disinfected your wound, use either Beria Salve or Magic Potion depending on the severity so I inform."
"It's all Beria."
"Yes, student Neze. Half of the explorers survive thanks to Beria's amicability so it has been acknowledged."

Oh right, we did some daily Beria Leaf gathering didn't we.
That was only a few days ago, but it felt like ages ago. We were with Gon, Keros and Shina back then.

"We will now distribute medicine supply so I declare."

The instructors gave one Beria magic potion and one Beria salve to each of us.

You sure we can have these for free?
Think they're worth several silver coins or so.

"Master has donated a great amount of cash for the sake of rookie explorers' survival, fret not so I inform."
"Master?"

Felt like my little sister said something similar before.

Next to me Lachesis whispered, "Why is it in English."
Lachesis who was moody yesterday is looking a bit livelier today, she's probably excited for the labyrinth diving.

"--What?"
"It's nothing."
"You're weird."

Lachesis looked at me quizzically when she noticed me staring at her.
I'm a bit afraid she's gonna hate me but more importantly, I'm just glad she's looking better.

"In addition to those, mappers should bring pens and papers with them, so I inform."
"I have them with me!"

Zaki showed papers strung together and black coal sticks.

"Student Zaki, smartly done, so I evaluate."
"Hehehe, thank you, instructor."

Zaki looked bashful from the praise.
Apparently he couldn't work on his map during the time we got in the labyrinth that time, so he learned from his failure.

"Executing final reminder--"

After checking with some of us if we had carving knifes on us, instructor led the way to the labyrinth.


<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
◇



"As you can see, the competition for good hunting grounds is fierce, thus you should avoid them in your first two, three years so I recommend."

Affirming the instructor's words, there are several parties waiting in the marsh area for Maze Frogs and meadow area for Maze Beetles, every time monsters come out of the gushing holes, they will rush from all directions to be the first to hunt them.

"Well, we don't have enough levels anyway."
"Yes, student. Either spot requires late 10s or early 20s so I estimate."

I recall that former soldier old man who retired in my village was level 8, how many years would it take me to get there I wonder.

"Hey, so, can't we just hunt weak monsters in the same area?"
"That is one option so I inform."

The instructor affirmed Neze's idea.

Having strong explorers around would be reassuring when you get in trouble.

"However, you must also consider the fact that people limit their hunting activities while they wait for the next gushing, so instruct."
"Because it's not profitable?"
"Yes, student. The only things you obtain after a hard struggle will be magic cores and materials with low demands so inform."

Apparently there's better places than that.

The instructors let us hunt once as a trial, and the result was one copper coin, around Maze Moth worth, despite the higher difficulty.
We managed to not get seriously hurt thanks to heavily armored Rojim and the big Tegu, but we would have suffered more with our daily ware armor otherwise.

We left the crowded marsh area and went to the goblin maze in the first area.

"Uwaa, it's awesome. There's a maze on the bottom of the ravine."
"I can see passages inside those pillar-like rocks in the maze."
"They look more like towers than pillars?"

We looked down at the goblin maze from atop a ravine.

"There's so many suspension bridges between those pillars."

Those bridges range from looking really sturdy to really frail it's probably falling if you get on it.

"You should remember the general shape so I advice."

According to instructor, this maze houses countless gushing holes where goblins--referred as demi goblins by instructor--from the lowest rank to upper rank like fighting and warrior goblins roaming around.

This doesn't seem like a [Profitable Ground].

"The only thing worth anything out of goblins is their core after all."
"What about goblin oil and goblin liquor?"

I overheard about it in the stall square, you can buy goblin oil cheaper than animal oil so it's pretty popular among low level explorers as lantern fuel.

"That oil doesn't get dropped by goblins ssuyo. Labyrinth oil merchants extract that off goblin corpses ssu. And only poor explorers drink goblin liquor ssu. On top of tasting bad it also gives you a tummy ache ssu."

Servitor Sagu replied.
Is that weird speech pattern his actual personality?

"But then why are we here?"
"Because it is optimal for the purpose of [Gathering Magic Cores] for your bronze badges, so I inform."

Apparently there's some competition here too but it's not as fierce as with the Maze Moths and Maze Rats in the main passages.

"Well then, let us begin the final phase of the course so I inform."

We advanced through the goblin maze led by instructor while taking detours around spots where other explorers were fighting.
Sometimes coming across other explorers around our age when we crossed the suspension bridges connecting the pillars.

"Be wary of shadows, so I warn."

Instructor struck a pillar shadow as she stepped forward.

"--Gugya."

A jet black goblin fell out of it.

"Shadow goblin!"
"Careful now! Their weapons are laced with toxin!"
"First strike win! Get 'im!"
"Got it!"

Neze took command as we all hit the shadow goblin all at once with our weapons.

"What a mess. No formation or anything."
"Wasn't young master super ready to leap yourself there."

The noble lad Rojim and his servitor Sagu opted to keep watch on the surroundings instead of participating.

"I believe you have been taught during the course. About how shadow goblins are the leading cause of mortality among rookie explorers by far so I fear."

Instructor spoke as she looked over us.
It's hard to tell since her expressions don't really change much, but it seems like she's concerned about us.

We kept hunting [Stray] goblins while polishing up our coordination, and once we got the hang of it, we looked for a group of three goblins and engaged in a group fight.

"That's a high ranking one."

A high ranking goblin showed up at the other end of the maze.
I quickly hid behind the wall before it found us.

"It's alone, we will make it a practice against stronger foes so I declare."

With instructor's command, we went up against the Goblin Grappler.

"It's huge..."
"Tell me about it, can you really call this goblin."

The high ranking goblin is big.
Towering over me and Zaki, about as big as the huge dogkin Tegu.

"Grapplers attack fast and hard so I warn."
"Understood. --Come, you Goblin Grappler!"

Noble lad Rojim hit his shield with his sword to attract Grappler's attention.
Pro shielders would have [Provoke] skill but not us with our low levels.

Rojim and Tegu alternately act as shielders, while servitor Sagu support them by hindering grappler.
I, Lachesis, and priest apprentice Yuto attack from the sides, Rasa and the small Neze slice at grappler's ankles from behind. Zaki who can't fight well is in charge of occasionally stabbing grappler with his short spear, drawing its attention.

"Dammit, it's so tough."
"My blade doesn't work."
"Mind how you swing your sword, so I advise. Compose yourself and recall your training so I inform."

Grappler's thick skin is unharmed by our weapons except for Rojim's prized sword.
The dagger my little sister gifted me could damage it, but all I could manage with each strike is a shallow wound.

A barrage of attack from grappler's unnaturally large fists and long arms proved to be very powerful, even the big Tegu got blown away along with his shield when he took it head on.

As I was watching Tegu, my lower body suddenly received a powerful shock.

I crashed and rolled on the ground.

"Sharon!"

I can't breathe.

No broken bone.

There's a dull pain on my waist.
It's a kick. I probably got hit by grappler's kick.

"Kuuh."

Priest apprentice Yuto fell down near me.
He got blown away along with me it seems.

Even my trump card, Ground Shrink, is useless against attacks coming from my blind sides.

As the grappler shifted its focus at Lachesis, the two shielders hit it with their shields luring it away.

"Sharon, can you move?"

Rasa ran up and checked my condition.
Zaki pulled Yuto.

"I'm fine. It wasn't bad enough to take magic potion."
"You sure?"

Rasa looked at me worryingly.

--Rom-niisan, don't even try to save medicine to your grave, okay?

My lil' sister words flashed on my mind as I endured the pain.

That's right. Getting slower from the pain would only cause trouble for everybody.

"No wait, I'll take one after all."

I pulled Beria magic potion plug and gulped it down.
I almost vomited from the grassy smell, but I bore with it.

"--The pain is going away."

I can move now.

Rasa and I returned to battle.

"Sharon, stop its right arm please. Our shielders won't last long at this rate."
"On it."

I followed Lachesis's order and struck at the grappler's right side along with Rasa.
The two shielders really have slowed down from fatigue.

"Ugyaaaaaaa."

Ratkin Neze rolled on the ground.
Grappler foresaw his attack and counterattacked.

Yuto and Zaki also returned to battle, reducing Lachesis's load.

"Dangit, how is it still fine after that many slices."

Zaki spoke half crying.

"Don't give up!"

I encouraged Zaki.

"Keep your spirit up! It may be strong, but this goblin is nothing compared to our instructor! Remember our training with instructor!"
"You're right! Compared to that hellish training this is nothing!"
"I ain't gonna lose to some grappler!"

Following Yuto, Rojim heated up.
Looks like Zaki wasn't the only one getting dispirited.

"It's getting weaker! Look how slower it's now!"

Lachesis shouted.
This might be the first time I saw her being this proactive.

"Just a bit more!"

Noble lad Rojim shouted.
Bathed in his own sweat, looking like he's gonna fall down anytime.

"Wooooooooo!"

Dogkin Tegu also yelled out loud.

Grappler launched a fierce assault on the two.
It's really intense. This grappler can still keep going it seems.

"Its movement is getting rougher."

Rasa muttered.

"Now--"

Rasa leaped in when grappler made a large swing, stabbing at its exposed side.

Grappler swings its backhand fist at Rasa who's stopped moving.

--Watch out.

I tackled at Rasa's legs, saving him from grappler's fist.

The two of us rolled down together.

Lachesis and Yuto stopped it as it was about to attack us again.

"This'll finish it!"

Noble lad Rojim pierced grappler's neck deep.

"Student Rojim, evasive action!"

Rojim couldn't react to instructor's warning and got hit by grappler's fist.

"--Young master!"

Sagu who took the hit for Rojim got blown away.

"Nuooooooo!"

The other shielder, Tegu stopped grappler with a ramming attack.

"Just a bit more! Don't let up your attack!"

We won't last for long with one of our shielders down.
We gave up on defending and jumped on grappler all together.

Yuto got blown away by a random fist swing, but the power was lacking compared to before.

"Wooooooo!"

I lunged at an opening, using my whole strength to spring up and cut at its carotid artery.
Bluish black blood gushed out, dirtying my shoulder.

Grappler fell down as it tried to attack me back.

"Is it dead?"
"Hold it, keep your guard up. It might be pretending."

After stabbing grappler body with short spears from a safe distance and confirming its death, it finally hit us that we had defeated it.

Not even grappler who survived getting its throat pierced could keep going after getting its carotid artery sliced it seems.
My little sister taught me that living beings have these arteries as their vital points.

"I'm beat."
"Can't move anymore."

Shielders Rojim and Tegu sprawled on the ground, followed by everyone else.

"Warning. Relaxing too much post battle is ill advised so I inform."

Instructor who had been watching our fight spoke.

"Students besides Sharon are to hone their stamina outside labyrinth so I recommend."

Yup, I'm confident in my stamina.

"Apologies, instructor."
"Taking a break is fine. What important is to keep watch on your surroundings still so I add."

Instructor stopped Yuto as he tried to get up and said that.

"We really beat it."

After a breather, Zaki said that while looking at the corpse.

"So you can deal with stronger monsters as long as you split up the roles."
"Yea, we really went and did it."

"That line of thought is dangerous so I warn."

Instructor called us out while we were praising each other.

"You should avoid fighting higher ranked foes inside labyrinth as much as you can so I inform."
"But we won?"
"That is because I prevented other monsters from joining the fray so I add."

Instructor produced a magic light and lit up the other end of the passage.

Over there--.

"Goblin corpses?"
"Yep. But, something's weird. Those are high ranking goblins."

Several corpses of higher ranking goblins lay there.
There's even a few grappler corpses, the same one we struggled with just now. As well as shield, sword fighters and wand bearer mages.

"Had they joined the fight..."
"--Retreat. No, we'd be wiped out."

We all had a bitter look on our faces.

"Sharon, that."
"Shadow Goblin corpse..."

Rasa pointed at a shadow goblin dead body holding a toxic dagger someplace away.
I realized how lax I had been, sending a chill down my spine.

"If instructor hadn't been here..."

Lachesis's mutter made us all imagine our death.

"Have you understood now, so I inquire."

We all nodded at instructor's question.

"Only explorers who secure safety margins return home in one piece so I instruct."
"""Yes, instructor."""

It was the thing taught during the course yet we only realized the true meaning of it now.

"Very well, let us return--"
"MOVEIIIIIIIIIT!"

Someone ran out of the other side of the passage while screaming that.
Countless shadows are moving behind them--.

"It appears a stampede has broken out so I warn."

I felt like there was a hint of unease in instructor's voice there.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

18-SS2. Grand Witch's Secret

"Good afternoon, Satou-san. Give me the usual please."

As I was tending the Hero Store at Fortress City Akatia, a girl wearing a wide cap witch hat who named herself a pupil of the Great Witch, Tia-san came by.

"Good afternoon, Tia-san. You mean energy drink, isn't it."
"Thank you. Yep this is it, I really can't go on without this~."

I noticed her coming from the dot in my Radar so I had prepared the energy drink beforehand.

"So like, Tia-san."

Arisa who was having a chat with me spoke to Tia-san with her cheek still sticking on the counter.
Tia urged at Arisa to continue on with her glance as she gulped down the energy drink.

"How come you don't look your age?"

Arisa asked while staring at Tia-san's youthful face.

"--My age? But, I do?"

Tia-san replied back while tilting her head in confusion.

"I mean your real age is--"

Tia-san swiftly blocked Arisa's mouth.

"Don't you know that disclosing a lady's age is an unladylike behavior?"
"Yes ma'am."

Arisa consented mimicking Nana's speech.

"But how come you look so young then? Are you maybe like, taking a lotsa rejuvenation medicine?"
"I'm not. --I mean, where would I even get my hands on a supply of rejuvenation medicine? They rarely get dropped even in Bloodsucking Labyrinth, let alone other labyrinths. I've never heard one being dropped in this Sea of Trees' labyrinths at least."

I believe there's a recipe for rejuvenation medicine in Elven Village's Forbidden Archive, but I should keep my mouth shut else it'd get bothersome.

"Then, how?"
"It's thanks to the vast amount of mana from Source."

Tia-san said something problematic.
Wait, are you saying that I'm gonna be young forever due to ruling over the continent's biggest Source at [Valley of Dragons]?

"Mana? Come to think of it, I'm kinda growing up really slowly too..."
"Nn, friend."

Arisa who looked as shocked as me at the realization had her shoulder tapped by Mia who participated in the conversation before anyone realized.

"T-that cannot be! What's gonna happen to Arisa-chan's indulgent body then!?"

Arisa shouted out loud while striking 'The Scream' painting pose.

"You alrite~?"
"What's wrong nodesu?"

Tama and Pochi who overheard Arisa's shout came out of the backroom.

"I-it's nothing."

Arisa replied back with a shaken voice but then she got taken aback when she saw Tama's and Pochi's childish figures.

"Right right, now that you mention it... These girls haven't really been growing up either."

Speaking of which, they've been getting enough rests and meals for their growth spurt phase, yet these two look exactly like they were when we first met.
Though not on the level of Arisa and Mia, these two possess mana (MP) far beyond common men due to their radical rate of level up.

"Perhaps the rapid level up hinder their growth?"
"Oh it's okay, it'll be fine."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
Tia-san who overheard my whisper flapped her hand in the air.

"There's nothing to worry about, their bodies will adapt to it over the years and take forms that fit their ages best."
"I-is that true?"

Arisa reacted to Tia-san's revelation.

Oh good. Even though the level up was done for their safety, I was panicking for a bit there thinking I'd obstructed their growth.

Though it was too early to celebrate.

"Yes, I believe you're growing up about half the normal rate."

Arisa's expression stiffened up like stone when she heard that.
Seemingly finding the atmosphere awkward, Tia-san put her emptied cup on the counter and hurriedly took her leave after saying, 'That was good'.

"Nyo wayyy~"
"What's the matter, Arisa?"

Lulu and all the girls gathered here with all the racket Arisa was making. The manager of Hero Store, Roro is apparently taking a siesta together with the hamsterkin children.

"Lulu-oneesama~"

Arisa hugged Lulu and talked about what just transpired.

"It's okay, Arisa."
"It is?"

Lulu soothed Arisa while combing her hair.

"The term Master put to make us his bride was 『In 5 years』 wasn't it? It's not five year older."
"I see! It is! Lulu genius! As expected of my onee-sama!"

Arisa brightened up and started dancing after taking Lulu by hand.

"Genius~?"
"As expected of Lulu nanodesu!"

Lured by Arisa's excitement, Tama and Pochi also started happily dancing around them.
They probably didn't really follow the flow of conversation at all, they were just happy to see Arisa livened up.

"Besides, growing slower means--."

Arisa looked at me and smiled deeply.
Why does that smile rings an alarm to my Crisis Perception skill.

"--Master will be forever a shota!"

Arisa made an exaggerated pointing gesture at me.

"Mwu?"

The nearby Mia looked puzzled.
She sent me an askance glance, but you can't expect me to understand Arisa's acrobatic thought process, can you.

"Meaning, once we have enough of lolishota fun, we'll get straight to oneshota!"

I silently shook my head at that Arisa-like reckless remark.
While inwardly vowing to find out ways to accelerate growth--.

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