Chapter 239 - Shizuka's Future and Lini's Future
Before heading home, we walked through the street lined with market stalls. It was bustling in the morning, but now the foot traffic was light. Fam and Sam walked ahead, followed by me and Lini holding hands, with Mizuki on my other side. Lini's rabbit ears, which usually stood up straight, were folded in the middle. She stared at the ground, not lifting her head.
"What's wrong, Lini? If there's something you want to eat, I'll make it for you today."
"Meat."
"What about vegetables?"
"I hate them."
"Don't lie. You were eating carrots just the other day."
Just because the rabbit-eared race shared traits with rabbits didn't mean they were herbivores; they ate the same things as humans. This was true for the other races as well.
"Well, fine. I'll make you nikujaga. I'll put extra meat in your portion. And I'll add carrots and onions, too."
"..."
Lini stopped walking, and her hand slipped from mine. When I turned back, she was looking down, her shoulders trembling. Dark spots, like raindrops, appeared on the ground at her feet.
"Lini... I've lost my place again..."
She wiped at the tears streaming down her cheeks with the palm of her hand, but they wouldn't stop.
"Lini..."
She had been sold by her mother, who worked in Heilong's entertainment district, Longhorn Street, and I had received her as part of a quest reward. Her mother's whereabouts were unknown. Even if we knew where she was, I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to return Lini to her. Her father was even more of an unknown. From the moment they met, she and Shizuka had gotten along well and were often together. In a way, Shizuka had become a substitute mother for her.
"Just because Toratsuna is here doesn't mean you'll lose your place, does it?"
Lini shook her head.
"I can't stay there. I don't want to be in the way... And they'll go on a journey, just like you, Mash."
"You don't want to stay and watch the house for Marina?"
This time, she gave a small nod.
"I don't want to wait. I don't know when you'll be back. You and Shizuka are both so weak. You might never come back. I don't want to wait alone. It's scary."
In Marmie's mansion, the only person she could truly open her heart to was Shizuka. But that was unavoidable. The environment was completely different from what she was used to, and she hadn't been living in the mansion for long. And I had misjudged her character. I thought she was the type to get attached to anyone quickly, but she had been observing people carefully. And she had chosen Shizuka, who had lived a life similar to her own mother. It wasn't a light choice. I should have taken her repeated questions of "You won't abandon me?" more seriously. I placed my hands on my knees to bring myself down to her eye level.
"Hey, Lini, do you want to come with us?"
At my words, Mizuki's eyes widened.
"Mash, that's just not possible, is it? Lini is only seven years old!"
Fam, who had stopped to wait for us, turned around.
"Master, I'm against it as well. She's still a child."
"You're a child, too!"
"Hmph! I'm an adult!"
After raising her voice in protest, Fam quickly looked away.
"You've been regretting it all this time, haven't you..."
"Fam..."
Fam kept her gaze averted, but Sam looked over at me. Her eyes were downcast, and I couldn't tell if she was bewildered or pitying.
"Master, I will go ahead and do the shopping. Sam, let's go."
With that, Fam took Sam and left.
At a street stall, I bought some grilled meat skewers and Ayran. We stood at the corner of the street, and Lini, Mizuki, and I ate. Lini held the wooden cup of Ayran with both hands and drank it down in gulps.
"Feeling better?"
I wiped the white foam from around her mouth, and she gave a small nod.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's only natural that you'd feel that way, Lini. I'm the one who should be sorry..."
She shook her head.
"It's okay. I know I'm being selfish. I know you and Shizuka have to defeat the Demon Lord for the goddess. And I know you have to make sure you can live for more than ten years. Lini can't get married until you're still alive then."
Lini said this with a serious face, making it impossible to tell if she was being earnest or joking.
"Heh, I'm not going to die that easily. And you're allowed to be selfish."
I took her empty cup and handed her a meat skewer. The three of us bit into our skewers together. The meat was juicy, and the spices sprinkled on the surface mixed with the juices to create a delicious flavor.
"This is good. What kind of meat is it?"
"It seems like beef. Isn't it a bit tough?"
As Mizuki said, it was quite chewy. As I worked my jaw, Lini, who had swallowed her mouthful of meat, looked up.
"Lini, I've decided. I'm going to become an adventurer when I grow up. I'll have Marina teach me magic, and Wake teach me swordsmanship."
"I see... You don't have to push yourself. Just take it one step at a time."
I wasn't confident if Lini's resolve, and my words, were the right ones. But as Mizuki said, I couldn't continue to travel with Lini. There were people like Yuuki and Clovis who were after our lives. And in dungeon exploration, a single wrong choice could mean death. I couldn't take her to a place like that. These were all things I should have considered more carefully when I took her in. I reached out and stroked her head. Her hair was soft, and I could feel a comforting warmth from beneath it.
When we got back to the house, Hyakka and the other members of New World were in the dining room, along with Rinko and Airi.
"H-Hyakka!"
It had been five days since we last saw each other. I spread my arms wide to embrace her as I approached, but she held up both hands to block me.
"Hyakka... why?"
"You're so annoying every single time!"
"This is only the second time!"
"Ugh... fine. But no kissing in front of everyone."
She reluctantly opened her arms. I embraced her without hesitation. Of course, I kissed her too.
"Mmmph, mm-mm, mmm..."
She muffled her protests and tried to escape, but I chased her lips. In the end, Hyakka shoved me away.
"Jeez! I told you I didn't want to!"
Hyakka wiped her lips.
"Why do you always wipe it off?"
Rinko and Airi stared at us, frozen in place with wide eyes.
"What in the world are you two...?"
"Hmm? Didn't Hyakka tell you? We're lovers."
When I glanced at Hyakka, she blushed and looked away awkwardly.
"Then what about her?" Rinko asked, pointing at Mizuki.
"I told you about her, didn't I? She's my girlfriend, too."
"..."
Rinko and Airi looked at each other.
"WHAAAAAT?!"
As the two of them were reeling in shock, Etowan from New World stood up.
"Who cares about that right now?! You guys went to Clovis's place, didn't you?! What happened? And why is an enemy dog-ear here?"
He huffed and sat down roughly.
"Well... our exploration of the 49th floor of the Crystal Palace isn't going so well," Hyakka said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"You couldn't find the area guardian's room, could you?"
At my words, the members of New World exchanged glances, then turned their wide-eyed gazes to me.
"How'd you know that?"
"The 49th floor was remodeled to block the path to the area guardian's room. I met Ko-kun, Toratsuna, there."
"Huh? I thought you went to Clovis's place?"
"I'll have to explain everything in order. But first, why don't we all have dinner?"
At that, Rinko's eyes lit up.
"Are you cooking, Mash? What are you making?"
"I'm thinking of trying my hand at nikujaga."
"Potatoes! They exist in this world too!"
"Probably some past transmigrator managed it. But the people of this world think they're cursed or something, so they don't eat them. That's why they're only circulated among the Earth Dragon race."
"I-I'll help!"
Rinko bounced on her feet as she followed me. Her figure overlapped with Lini's, who was sitting quietly in her chair.
While we ate, I told them about our trip to the city governed by the Leafclout family, the battle in the dungeon, wandering through the 'World of the Holy Oil Jar', reaching the Crystal Palace, and finally meeting up with Toratsuna.
"So that makes eight of the heroes summoned by the Five Goddesses. And in the end, you still don't know the goal of the Messiah, Yuuki and Clovis. I see," Rinko said, frowning as she glanced at Sam.
"She says she was enslaved and forced to do everything under orders, but is it really possible she knew nothing at all?"
"Hmph, Sam would not lie about something like this."
Fam inserted herself between them, as if to shield Sam from Rinko's gaze.
"And you're saying that Yuuki isn't a bad person either," Rinko said, turning her attention to Mizuki.
"He turned his hostility on us and unleashed his Divine Blessing. You can't just say a guy who was clearly trying to kill us has his reasons," Etowan added, crossing his arms in agreement with Rinko.
"I think I understand what everyone is trying to say. But I want another chance to talk to them."
Mizuki's shoulders slumped, but she voiced her thoughts. The gazes of everyone in the room turned to me.
"It's certain that Clovis and his group have information we don't. It's possible they even have information about the ten-year lifespan that's been placed on us. I want to create one more opportunity to talk."
"A discussion, huh..."
Rinko and Airi sighed and looked at each other.
"Clovis seems to be seeking something for his own selfish reasons, just like the god who transferred us to this world..." Airi said. Regardless of her thoughts on Clovis, it seemed she also held a low opinion of the gods.
"Have they returned to this city?"
"Who knows? We haven't seen them. But next time, we're joining in. Unless we can break through the special skill of that tiny one, Oi was it? We don't stand a chance, so we're all going."
The members of New World nodded in agreement with Airi's words.
Marmie, Toratsuna, and Shizuka entered the dining room.
"Tora-kun! It's been a while! We were worried about you."
Rinko and Airi cheerfully welcomed Toratsuna. He was no longer dressed like the beggar we had first met; his hair was cut, his beard was shaved, and he looked refreshed. Seeing him like this, he looked his age.
"You've lost a little weight."
Rinko patted him on the back and ushered him inside. Shizuka, who was next to him, made a scissoring motion with her index and middle fingers, opening and closing them as she approached me.
"Did you cut his hair?"
"Hee hee, he looks cool, doesn't he? I can do yours too, Mash."
Indeed, the cleaned-up Toratsuna was tall, with a slender jaw and sharp eyes, looking quite handsome. She was wearing makeup too. Her eyes looked bigger and brighter than usual.
"Ugh, I don't know why a guy like that would fall for Shizuka."
"That's so mean!"
"More importantly, you're wearing makeup to look like Mizuki again. Stop it!"
"Could it be that you're just now noticing my charms?"
As Shizuka poked me with her elbow, Patricia passed by and rushed to Marmie's side.
"Welcome back. I was so worried."
Patricia bowed her head deeply.
"...Mm. It was very inconvenient without you, Patricia. Were you well?"
"Yes. I spent my time preparing the house's luggage so that Lady Marmie could return at any time. However, those people have been running wild."
Patricia glanced over at the members of New World. It seemed they had been using this house as their base of operations while we were away.
"...If you don't like them, Patricia, you can just call Wake and have them thrown out."
"But, Miss Hyakka is..." she said, her gaze shifting towards me.
"...Don't worry about it, Patricia. Just throw them out."
I wondered if Marmie had some kind of grudge against Hyakka and the others. As I was thinking that, Shizuka pulled on my arm.
"I have a favor to ask you, Mash."
Her expression was unusually serious.
"What is it?"
"I'm thinking of becoming an adventurer with Ko-kun."
"Really? But will you be okay?"
Until she went with us to the 49th floor of the Crystal Palace, she had never acted as an adventurer. She had leveled up by joining Levante at that time, but she hadn't participated in combat.
"We won't do anything dangerous. We plan to go to the guild and take on herb gathering quests or extermination quests on the lower floors of the dungeon."
I studied her expression. Her sincere gaze hadn't changed; she seemed to be serious. I let out an inward sigh of relief. If she had said she was going to go back to selling her body like she did on Longhorn Street, it could have complicated things with Toratsuna again.
"So, about Lini."
I looked at Lini. She noticed and looked back at me.
"If Lini agrees, would it be okay if we took her with us? I promise we absolutely won't do anything dangerous, and I'll make sure we never get separated from Ko-kun..."
"That's..."
As I murmured, Lini trotted over to us.
"Lini, is it okay if I stay with you? Won't I be a bother?"
"I've never been on an adventure either, so... but..." Shizuka said, scratching her cheek as if to hide her embarrassment.
"I know. At night, I'll sleep by myself. I won't get in the way."
Lini hugged Shizuka, burying her face in her stomach.
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