Chapter 465 - Chapter 413 Please Take Care of My Daughter
Sunday
It was Sunday.
I was already used to coming to Mion-san's house and making lunch, so I decided not to dwell on it. Today's lunch wouldn't be make-your-own hand-rolled sushi on the spot, but rather prepared beforehand, based on their preferences.
Buying sashimi for the fish was easy, but I diligently prepared everything else: thinly sliced cucumber, sliced onions, lettuce, tuna mayo, and, with Mion's help, tamagoyaki.
"That was delicious again today. And Mio helping with the cooking…"
Shizuku-san's eyes welled up a little. I suppose it’s a big deal considering her usual self, even if she could do it if she put her mind to it.
"By the way, the training camp is in August, isn't it?"
"Ah, yes."
"Well, please take care of Mio during that time."
"Yes."
Yata-sensei will be there, and we probably won't be acting separately, so it should be fine. My only concern was that the lodging would be a guesthouse managed by Gold-onee-sama, Bell-buchou's uncle.
"So, Shou-kun, are you going to your parents' home for Obon?"
"Yes. My sister and I are going to our paternal grandfather's place."
I'd never even seen my mother's parents' faces. In fact, do they even exist?
When I suddenly wondered about it in third grade, I asked my dad, but he just smiled wryly and dodged the question. I sensed an atmosphere that told me not to ask again, so I hadn't since.
"Could you also take Mio with you?"
"Ah, sure. You want to come, right?"
"Mmm."
If that's the case, it's perfectly fine. Though she might get terribly bored…
"Ah, Tsubaki-san is coming too, right?"
"No, I'll be taking time off as well," she said with a smile. Is that okay? Shizuku-san is smiling too, so I guess it is?
Well, Mashiro-nee and Miki will be there, so it won’t be a problem.
………
……
…
"Alright."
"Woof!"
Waking up in the loft of the old tavern's backroom, Lupi immediately came over, wanting affection.
Yesterday, after accompanying True and the Selkies on their fishing trip, I logged out, so I wanted to be back at the mountain cabin by nightfall.
"Shou-kun, Lupi-chan, hello."
"Welcome, Mion."
Outside, the Selkies were chatting happily, and True "Kyoo~" noticed me and jumped into my arms. Then there were Sweee and Shal…
"~~~♪" "Nya!"
"Ah, you went to gather Camlus Fruit. Alright, let's eat first."
Lately, thanks to the Selkie children learning my recipes, preparing meals in bulk or variety was no longer a struggle. So, teaching them new recipes would be good, but today I couldn't think of anything specific, so I just made the Aqua Pazza I'd prepared some time ago.
For Raz and Sweee, I made a compote from the Camlus Fruit they'd gathered.
"Shou-kun, aren't you going into the cave you found yesterday?"
"Hmm. With the ring issue, I think I'll hold off until we can access it from above. Besides, I need to get my equipment in order and think about who to take with me."
The fact that there was a door requiring authority meant that, conservatively speaking, enemies as strong as a Maroon Wraith were likely to appear. Since it was at the northern tip of this island, I felt like it might be the last place to go, and my current equipment was a bit unreliable.
"You're right. I think it's better to go well-prepared."
My Blacksmithing skill had broken its level cap, and I'd also acquired [Crafting (Blacksmithing)], so I wanted to make a better Ken-nata and composite armor. There was also the question of who to bring beyond that door. Lupi and Raz would definitely come, but what about Sweee, True, and Shal?
"Well, next Wednesday, I'll probably go beyond the waterway with Pan and the others."
"Should we introduce that forest fairy?"
"Ah, the Ghillie Dhu seem a bit shy, or rather, timid, so I don't want to force them." They weren't even island residents yet, and I hadn't uploaded anything about them to the short video channel.
As we were talking, "Kyoo~" "Hm? What's wrong?…Oh, it's Azure-san."
The blue dragon visible in the southeastern sky gradually grew larger and landed on the embankment as usual. Today, she seamlessly transformed into her human form and ran over.
"Sorry for the sudden visit again today."
"No, no. You seem to have come from a different direction today, though…"
"I found it. The island Nina-san told me about."
"Eh?!"
According to Azure-san's explanation, it was larger than this island, shaped like a 'C', with a tower-like structure in its center. And around it were several islands smaller than this one.
"From above, it didn't look like anyone was living there."
"Um, did you fly straight here from the island with the facility?"
"Yes. Mostly straight, I think?"
"Were there any places to land? Like a sandy beach or a port?"
"I think the northeast part was a sandy beach. I can't be absolutely sure, but that's how it looked."
Then there's a possibility of an Uninhabited Island Start there.
If Mion could start there and I could go pick her up with a transfer magic circle…
"So, Shou-kun, what are you going to do? Do you want to go now?"
"Ah, um, not without a lot of preparations first…" She probably means 'riding with Azure-san right now,' but first, I want to check if Mion can do an Uninhabited Island Start on that island.
It's 500 km southeast of my island. And since the island has a distinctive shape, it should be easy to find, assuming the direction is correct.
"Oh, before that, I need to report something. About the piano I was entrusted with, even our dwarf acquaintances seem to have a tough time with it. They understand its functions, but they don't know if the correct notes are being played."
"Ah…"
"It means there's no one who can tune it."
I was trying to remember the professional name in real life, but Mion-san's explanation reminded me: a tuner.
"So, from what I heard, the plan was to commission someone who could do it, right? Would that be in the Necropolis?"
"Um, that's the intention, but it would be after forming a guild, and could you give me some time to iron out the details for that too?"
"Okay, okay. Then I'll leave it with the dwarves for a while longer. As for the southern island, just give me a shout if anything comes up."
I need to confirm if Mion can do an Uninhabited Island Start from the southern island, but first, I need to pinpoint its location on the map.