Bonus Short Stories

Alex’s Stroll ft. Clotho

On a certain day with great weather, while Clotho was enjoyably bobbing up and down inside the fountain in the middle of the Kelvin Residence’s front garden, Rion came by with Alex in tow.

“I’m so sorry, Clotho, but can you take Alex out for his walk? Something urgent came up for me,” she said, lowering her head.

Apparently it was now time for the wolf’s daily stroll, but Rion had suddenly become unavailable and therefore was going around with him looking for a substitute. Normally at a time like this, one of the maids, Ellie or Ruka, would have done it instead. Or, if they happened to be available, Gerard or Sera would also have leaped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, everyone had their own business today and had already left the house. That said, Alex loved his walks very much, so skipping it was entirely out of the question.

Clotho accepted the request without hesitation, changing part of its body to form a reassuring “NP!” Rion grabbed the tentacle it offered as a hand and shook it vigorously in delight. This was how the curious sight of a slime riding the head of a giant wolf going out for a stroll together came to be.

Truth was, all the residents of Parth had gotten used to the sight of Alex on his walks by now and it was common knowledge that he lived at Kelvin’s house. There wouldn’t actually have been a problem if he just went out by himself, but Rion had been so flustered that this thought never occurred to her.

“It’s Alex! You’re out on a walk with Slime-san today!”

“Arf!”

“Let me ride, let me ride!”

“Me too, me too!”

As soon as he hit the town, Alex was swarmed with children. He was the largest creature in town and his fur was nice and fluffy thanks to Rion’s devoted brushing. Add to this Alex’s own love for playing and winsomeness and there was no way that he wouldn’t be a draw. And normally, Rion would also join in on these fun and games.

“Wow, Slime-san’s so squishy!”

“And it stretches so much!”

The children’s curiosity-filled gazes gathered on Clotho, who was perched on top of Alex’s head. Because the volume of the slime’s body was far greater than its appearance suggested, the boys discovered that they could stretch it literally as far as they attempted. Additionally, it had a “moreish” texture and was wonderfully chill to the touch. Of course the children jostled each other for the opportunity to play with the slime.

“Wait, Slime-san is making words!”

“Whoa, you know how to read?!”

“Hey, I listened properly in class! Of course I can read! Ehe he!”

“It says, ‘Put your hand inside.’ You want us to put our hands inside you, Slime-san?”

“Aww, I wanted to read it!”

Clotho shook its body slightly in response to the heartwarming sight. When a girl mustered the courage to stick her hand in, the slime took out a flowery decoration from its Storage and let her pull it out.

“Oh, I love these flowers! They’re so pretty!”

“That’s amazing! Let me try too!”

As it turned out, Clotho had been using its clones to go around gathering wildflowers and weaving them into decorations. It must have practiced this quite a lot, as it had a lot of these decorations in Storage. The children milled around excitedly, each one pulling out another piece in a seemingly endless stream. The sight was like magic in their wondering eyes.

“Awooooo!”

Jiggle, jiggle.

The attention between the children became split into two. Some of them went to dote over Alex as the others went to be surprised by Clotho. This was, in effect, an idol competition to see who was more popular among the children! Burning with rivalry, Alex proceeded to retrieve the snacks he kept in his shadow—he had a tidy stash to enjoy during his walks—as Clotho started using its fluid body to mimick animal shapes. The two remained neck and neck as more and more children of the city gathered around, causing a bit of an ad hoc mini festival. The word “stroll” was no longer in either of their minds. The only thing that mattered now was how to be cuter and how to draw even more attention. This was nothing less than a battle for the status of being the mascot of the Kelvin Estate!

“Hmm? Was there a festival today? Or was it you again, Mel? Did you draw another crowd with your eating antics?”

“Nope, it wasn’t me. But it does look like they’re having fun.”

This day, Parth was quite a bit livelier than usual.

The Goddess’s Gourmet Tour in Trycen

The Trycenian Gourmet Guide

Even against the backdrop of the many famous and popular establishments that we have introduced so far, the one we wish to highlight in this article is especially unique. This restaurant located within the Warrior Nation of Trycen, known for its expansive deserts and wasteland, handles an ingredient that some would call rare, bizarre, or a delicacy, depending on who you ask: snake meat. The general reputation of Trycen’s cuisine is quite unflattering, but we assure you that this is a view propagated only by phony critics unfamiliar with Trycen’s food scene. This specific snake meat shop can be found within the capital city, tucked away down a narrow alleyway slightly removed from the large avenues. However, allow us to warn you ahead of time: the food and the public order at this place are both rather unsuitable for the casual visitor. Women should particularly refrain from making the trip alone—if you truly wish to come for the challenge, we highly recommend that you hire tough bodyguards. This is the one thing that you must comply with. Our publication assumes no responsibility whatsoever for—

On the day Kelvin and his group infiltrated the capital of Trycen, they scattered throughout the city in order to gather information about the current state of the country. While she was in the middle of canvassing her area, Melfina, the goddess of this world, laid eyes on a store that she thought she recognized. Just in case, she immediately fetched a gourmet guide from the mini Clotho that had been accompanying her.

“There’s no mistaking it. This is the snake meat store featured in this article!”

It was an enormous stroke of fortune indeed. Melfina, who was an avid gourmet, happened upon an establishment that had caught her attention quite a while ago. Her next order of business was obvious. Before she even had time to think about it, her feet had already set off with steps lighter than stepping on air. The next thing she knew, she was actually inside.

Uh-oh, I inadvertently grabbed a counter seat. But coincidentally, my outfit today is inconspicuous, and I am out here for the sake of gathering information. If I simply stood up and left, it would draw untoward attention. Tucked-away stores like this are actually a pretty good place for picking up conversations between locals. In short, staying here and actually putting in an order would be the best course of action!

A shock ran through Melfina. She was convinced that her realization had been divine in nature, never mind the question where such a divine revelation would be coming from if she, the sole deity charged with the management of this world, was on the receiving end of it.

“Oh fuck me, that’s one hell of a looker right there. Hey, you wanna try talkin’ to her? She’s here alone, which definitely means she’s asking fer it.”

“Heh heh heh— Hic! I can just ‘taste’ her already. You sit tight, imma go land her real quick!”

One of the drunks within the store stood up to approach Melfina with unsteady steps that made it clear he was already quite sloshed. He reached out to clap a hand on her shoulder.

“Heyyy pretty. You got any plans for tonig—”

“Hi, I’m ready to order. I want a large serving of ‘Deadly Poison Snake ~Topped with Honey from the Grim Reaper Ant That Brings Death~’ together with a full tankard of ‘Deluxe Poison Julep’ please.”

Both the shop owner, a man behind the counter who had a huge scar on his face and a stern-looking appearance, and the drunk froze in astonishment. After a brief pause, the former replied, “Gimme a while” and disappeared into the back. The latter was still coming to terms with the revelation that this store that he had been frequenting for years had a secret menu that he had never heard of until now.

Wh-Where did those dishes come from? And what was with those gaudy names? Boss, weren’t you someone who approaches all food in a solemn and straight-laced way?!

The drunk was shocked on so many levels that he completely forgot about picking Melfina up and simply stumbled back to his own seat.

“Uh, what happened, bro? You didn’t even speak to her.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, uh... I don’t feel like it anymore...”

The goddess continued waiting while humming cheerfully under her breath. When the dramatic and shocking dish was brought out, she attacked it with gusto and polished it off. Not many knew this, but this was the day when a small revolution took place in this tucked-away famous store.

The Black-Clad Siblings’ Discourse on Bathing

There were plenty of very intimate families in Parth. For example, there were adventurers who grew close and started a family, with one such example being the couple that ran the Fairy’s Song. Here and there were those who had successfully tied the knot despite coming from very different statuses. There was even a mother and daughter pair who ended up working together at the same place, living out their days happily and in fulfillment. This was a city filled with as many unique stories as there were people.

However, among that number, there was one that was particularly miraculous. By curious chance, two complete strangers both came over from another world and became siblings. This was a first even for this world, despite how long its history was. And what’s more, as it turned out, this brother had a sister complex and this sister had a brother complex.

“Whew, all refreshed!”

“Yay, all refreshed!”

The owner of the Kelvin Estate, Kelvin, as well as his younger sister, Rion, had both just enjoyed a bath that left them feeling fully invigorated. They were wearing comfortably loose clothing and had towels hanging around their necks. There was still a bit of dampness on their hair and their bodies emanated a slight warmth.

“What’s this? That’s quite the slovenly look on both of you. Did you just have a bath?”

“Oh hey, Azgrad. Back at it again, I see.”

“Good evening, Azucchi.”

As the siblings walked down the hallway, they bumped into Azgrad, the man who had just recently started up the Dragon Knight Mercenary Group. His skin shone with sweat, indicating that he had probably been facing off against someone—Dahak, in all likelihood—down in the training room just now.

“Come on, ‘Azucchi’? Really?”

“It’s a pretty good nickname if you ask me, ‘Azucchi.’ Really sets off that scary face of yours.”

“Mh-hm! Kel-nii sure gets it! It’s the contrast that makes it cute!”

“You siblings...”

“That aside, you’re all drenched, man. You wanna hit our bath? We ourselves took a dip just now.”

“The water temperature’s just perfect!”

“Oh, you sure? I’m really grateful for the offer. That place you put me in is top-notch, but it doesn’t have baths.”

Azgrad had gone on his fair share of subjugation expeditions where he could not bathe for several days on end. However, that did not mean he disliked the practice. In fact, he was quite fond of it, and would take baths quite readily when the opportunity presented itself. However, a question suddenly rose in his mind. Kelvin and Rion both seemed to have gotten out of the bath just now. That could only mean—

“I’m probably wrong but I’m asking just in case: Did you two enter the bath together just now?”

“Of course. Why?”

“Sure we were. Why?”

Azgrad suppressed the urge to clutch his head. It was true that Rion appeared young, but from what he had heard, she was close to reaching the age of adulthood. Although the two before his eyes were siblings, they were also man and woman. In the first place, he could not comprehend why they were acting as if what they were doing was normal. It wasn’t as if Azgrad himself had never done the same before, but that was far in the past. If asked whether he still continued the practice, he would immediately answer “no.”

“No, no, no, that’s strange. Aren’t you two a bit too close for your age? I swear it’s going to become a problem down the line.”

“What a coincidence. You’re saying exactly what Sabato and Goma said, Azgrad.”

“Sabato and Goma? You mean, from the Gaunian royal family? No, it doesn’t matter who they are. Anyone would say the same.”

“You make me sad, man. Listen up, ‘Azucchi.’ It’s because I have a little sister—Rion—that I’m an older brother. And it’s because she has an older brother that she’s a little sister. We can’t be one without the other. We’re both crucial to the relationship. So, to put it plainly, bathing together is the default! Right, Rion?”

“That’s right, Kel-nii!”

“Like hell, you stupid siblings! Ugh, I feel like you’d get on really well with that idiot Kilto Gaun...”

Seeing Rion glomp onto Kelvin happily caused Azgrad to sigh wearily. He even found himself doubting whether this was actually the man that he and his order had suffered such a crushing defeat against.

“So you’re saying we have a kindred spirit in Gaun?! I’d love to meet him one day! And here I was, thinking that us commoners would have different value systems from royalty. I guess maybe the difference isn’t all that major after all. The world’s such a mysterious place sometimes.”

“So mysterious indeed. Oh, Kel-nii, want me to give you a massage in the parlor? Efil-nee taught me how to do it.”

“I’m already looking forward to it! All right, Azgrad, we’re off then. Feel free to help yourself to the bath!”

“Bye-bye!”

The harmonious pair of siblings disappeared down the hallway, leaving Azgrad doubting his own common sense. He attempted bringing Shutola to mind.

Yeah, that’s definitely not happening...

Surprisingly, he ended up being quite embarrassed.

Maid Induction at the Kelvin Residence

In war, things happen that no one could have predicted. Even Princess Shutola of Trycen, who was touted as being able to read a thousand moves ahead, and Colette, the holy Oracle said to be loved by the gods, did not possess omniscience. As such, they could hardly be blamed for not being able to predict the lieutenant general and prided white dragon of the Dragon Knight Order ending up as apprentice maids at Kelvin’s house.

Today was these two’s first day at their new duties. All the maids of the residence were gathered inside a room for the morning briefing. The Head Maid, Efil, had just finished briefly introducing the newcomers to Ellie and Ruka to the newcomers and yielded the floor for them to make their own greetings.

“Um...I’m Huba, and I will be doing my best to serve Master as an apprentice maid going forward. Nice to meet you.”

“My name is Rosalia. I’m sure there is much I do not yet know, but I will apply myself to the fullest. It is my pleasure to meet you both.”

Whereas Huba’s face was red—possibly due to being the only one present with a short skirt—Rosalia looked the very picture of seriousness.

“Wow wow wow! I never knew we were getting new people! I love this surprise, Efil-sama!” Ruka exclaimed, practically bouncing off the walls from having her first ever juniors. Of course, whether she was in any position to act like a senior, being an apprentice maid herself, was somewhat debatable, but no one here would be tactless enough to bring it up now.

“Ruka dear, calm down. As a maid, remember that you must always be in control of yourself,” Ellie chastised, despite looking quite happy with the news herself.

Huba fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. “Um, are you sure I don’t look weird in this? It’s my first time wearing such frilly clothes...”

“It suits you wonderfully,” Efil replied reassuringly.

“Yep, yep! It looks a bit different from mine, but that’s part of what’s cute about it!” Ruka skipped circles around Huba, gushing about how great the outfit was using the full range of her vocabulary. To sum it up, cuteness was indeed a factor, but she also thought highly of how it looked really easy to move around in.

Rosalia plucked the edge of her own skirt gracefully. “Mine is the same as everyone else’s, it seems.”

“It is,” Efil confirmed. “In your case, the emphasis was less on ease of movement and more on bringing out your elegance. I consulted with both Master and Mel-sama and they both agreed.”

“Ughhh, why does Rosalia get the special treatment? That’s so unfair...”

“Don’t cry, Huba. It’s okay,” Ruka said in consolation, reaching up as high as she could to pat the older girl’s head. She looked so happy about getting to do this that Huba couldn’t bring herself to refuse the gesture and therefore suffered it in silence. Honestly, though, she thought being comforted by a little girl to be quite embarrassing in and of itself too.

“Well then, that should suffice as the first meet-and-greet. Rosalia and Huba, you two will be learning the basics starting today. The training period will be a week long, during which you are to learn the technical skills and mindset necessary for being a maid. If you are worried because everything is so new to you, do not be. I will take it upon myself to ensure that you reach the appropriate standards!” Efil declared, her eyes burning with motivation. For some reason, the fist she clenched also seemed to be on fire.

Nope, I’m willing to bet that her fist is actually burning. A sense of foreboding shot through Huba. However, this was, at the end of the day, merely work as a maid. As someone who had survived actual battlefields, she thought this place would be easier just by merit of not requiring her to constantly be fearful for her life. This was Huba’s first impression.

“Wow, Efil-sama is burning!” Ruka exclaimed, clapping her hands energetically.

Ellie placed a hand on her cheek. “Is this perhaps a backlash from the prior cooking class that came to a lamentable ending?”

“Are you talking about that time Grandpa Gerard warned us not to go near the kitchen, mommy? Did you go look? I asked Rion-sama about it, but she only smiled at me and shook her head.”

“No, dear, I didn’t go look. But I did see the end result. It was, how should I put it? One wrong step, and I’m afraid someone might have died. I fully understand how Efil-sama feels,” Ellie said before lowering her face and falling silent.

Someone might have died?! Huba thought in growing alarm. What on earth happened in that cooking class?!

This was, after all, the lair of that Grim Reaper. Although the job ahead of her was technically that of a servant, she had just lost to one such servant the other day. She shuddered to think what life-threatening duties she would be coerced into performing under the pretext of it being part of the job.

“First, let’s start with cooking. I will teach you. It’s okay, it will work out well this time. F-Failure will not be forgiven!”

Efil’s lines were meant more as encouragement for herself, but Huba interpreted them entirely differently.

“Cooking, is it? I’m looking forward to it. Hm? What is the matter, Huba? Why are you trembling?”

“R-R-Rosalia, please save me when things get dangerous...!”

“What do you mean?”

After this, Efil successfully taught Rosalia and Huba how to cook without any dark matter being generated in the process. At the end, the Head Maid had a truly liberated look on her face, as if something that had been weighing heavily on her had finally been lifted.

Fishing Competition Between the Demon and the Sword Guru

“Kelvin, let’s go fishing! There’s no time like the present! I’m ready anytime!”

Just as Kelvin was about to leave through the front entrance, Sera approached him, all decked out in fishing gear. The invitation had come entirely out of the blue.

“Sorry, Ange invited me to go shopping today. I mentioned it last night, didn’t I? She’s already waiting out there in our garden.”

“Oh, right, you might have...I think?”

“Let me guess: you were so engrossed with polishing your fishing rod that it went in one ear and out the other? Ha ha. But yeah, so, I can’t go fishing today. Sorry. Let’s go together on our next day off. Oh, but Efil is also coming along on today’s shopping trip. You wanna join us, Sera?”

Sera crossed her arms and thought about it, but realized that accepting would probably be a breach of manners. Out of consideration for the other two, she said, “Nope, I’m good! But in exchange, buy me a didgeridoo!”

“Uh, what’s what?”

“If you don’t know, then a kacapi will do!”

“You mean the one with protruding front teeth and green—okay I’m pretty sure that’s not it.”

As compensation, Sera decided to instead look forward to what Kelvin would buy her. She stood there on the porch with her arms crossed, watching Kelvin walk off in a confused consternation while considering what she would be doing now.

“Fishing is still pretty fun when I’m by myself, but it can’t beat going together with someone else. But everyone is gone today...” Sera groaned thoughtfully.

Abruptly, a savior came to Sera in the midst of her predicament!

“Ha ha ha! You appear troubled, young lass. I, too, have once dabbled in the art that is fishing. Come now, allow us to pit our sk—”

“All right, guess I’ll go for a walk with Alex today! Maybe a good song will come to me on the road!”

Sera strode off, humming under her breath, leaving behind a dark knight standing speechlessly with a fishing rod propped on his shoulder.

“Now hold on a moment! I even went to the trouble of grabbing my gear. Don’t ignore me!”

“Oh, if it isn’t Gerard. What’s with that getup of yours?”

“Uh... Are you purposely asking me that in spite of the flow of the conversation? Is this bullying? Are you perhaps a sadist by nature?”

After listening to the guru’s explanation, the demon nodded understandingly. “In other words, you wish to challenge me in fishing! I applaud that reckless ambition of yours!”

“I’m...not sure where that condescending attitude of yours is coming from, but I warn you that you take me lightly at your own expense. Let me tell you, I was once called ‘Bait Killer Gera-chan’—”

“What’re you doing back there, Gerard? Come on, keep up!”

“You’ve already gone ahead?! I’m begging you, please listen to me when I talk!”

That day, many people witnessed a dark knight running at full speed with a fishing rod on his shoulder. Strangely enough, he ran with a light spring in his step, as if he had returned to his youthful years, harkening back to that foregone day in his adolescence when he first met his now late wife.

◇ ◇ ◇

“But, how? How did you keep getting bites as soon as your line hit the water? Are they stupid? Are the fish stupid?”

In sharp contrast, the same man emanated deep despair while making his way home. The competition had been so one-sided it was not even worthy of the word itself. Sera’s technique was so far beyond Gerard’s that not even once did he see the sliver of an opportunity to catch up. As mini Clothos had immediately put away all the fish they landed, even they did not know exactly how much the difference was. However, it was at least enough to completely crush Gerard’s spirit.

“What are you saying? The fish aren’t stupid. If you throw your line thoughtlessly, you’ll just scare them off and make them wary. What you have to do is maintain a state of being constantly aware of where each fish is. Then you throw the line and hook their mouths before they notice and pull them straight up out of the water! Like, you go whoosh, fuu, and hup! Easy, right?”

“I’m sorry, I cannot comprehend what you are saying.”

“But hey, at least you have more talent than Kelvin. You managed to catch two!”

“Whereas you caught a number in the double digits...”

The demon laughed loudly as the dark knight’s shoulder slumped dejectedly. The youthful way home ended up being slightly—no, quite sentimental indeed.

Ice Princess and Sighing

Sighs hung in the air surrounding a party of five adventurers having a slightly late lunch inside an eatery on the Western Continent. This group was none other than the party led by Sylvia, the Rank S adventurer who had participated in an exhibition match with Kelvin not too long ago. Accounts of the fierce fight had already spread throughout this continent, adding awe to the stares that the party was receiving on top of the usual admiration of and attraction to the shapely features of Sylvia, Ema, and Ariel.

Seeing Sylvia sigh yet again, Nagua snapped a finger as if he suddenly understood something. “Ah, all the stares are bothering you and making it hard for you to eat your food in peace! Say no more. I’ll go chase the annoying flies aw—”

“Sit down, you stupid dog! Don’t you dare go cause trouble again!”

“Ack!”

Ema grabbed Nagua by the back of his neck just as he was about to stand up to scatter the surrounding crowd and slammed him back down into his chair. The strength coming from her thin arms was so overwhelming that Nagua almost vomited from the impact.

“That’s not the reason why Sylvia’s feeling so down,” Ema said, wiping a tear from her own eye as if she was fully channeling with her friend’s emotional state. “She’s lamenting the fact that we haven’t found a single clue so far despite having arrived on this continent so many days ago. As a friend who’s been with her since childhood, I can tell.”

“Is that really it though?” Ariel asked wryly, exchanging a look with Kokudori.

“Well, now that we have two wildly varying claims, there’s no other way to settle this than to ask the person in question,” the dwarf posited. He then turned to their party leader. “Why are you sighing, Sylvia?”

As everyone’s eyes gathered on her, the silver-haired girl mumbled, “This isn’t yummy. Efil-san’s food...is ultimate and supreme. I miss Parth...”

Both Nagua and Ema froze in surprise at this answer that, if they had stopped to think in earnest, they should have seen coming from a mile away. Naturally, Ariel and Kokudori burst into laughter at the sight. After a slight delay, Sylvia, whose mind was still filled with thoughts of Efil’s cooking, tilted her head quizzically, not quite understanding the laughter.

After a short pause, Ema said, somewhat begrudgingly, “Let’s head for the Academic City, Lumiest, next. The world’s biggest library is located there, and it is a gathering place for people from all over the world. We’d probably have the best chance of finding a clue there. And, uh, Nagua, you can cook the meals when we camp on the road. The only thing you’re good for is cooking anyways. And if you, Efil-san’s disciple, do the cooking, then Sylvia would enjoy eating it. You’re happy and Sylvia is happy. Everyone becomes happy.”

“Huh?! Why’d you assume that I’d be happy too? And don’t come relying on me only at times like these. In the first place, I’m not even that maid’s disciple. But sheesh. If there’s no one else to do the cooking, looks like I have to do it after all. Gah, what an absolute pain. Oh, it’s such a pain,” Nagua replied.

Both of them were looking off to the side while speaking. Neither of them were honest with their feelings.

“In that case, as a fellow disciple of Efil-san, I offer to help with the coo—”

“Give it a rest, Ariel. You might think the “blowing yourself up” punchline is funny, but it’s a real danger to the rest of us.”

“Nagua has a point. Ariel, everyone has things that they are good at and bad at. When it comes to cooking, please just leave it to the two of us. You just sit tight and hold your spoon ready. Please.”

Even before Ariel could finish her sentence, Nagua and Kokudori had already interrupted her with petitions for her to cease and desist. And the former was so desperate to convey his earnesty that he even unconsciously grabbed her arm.

“I-If you say so...” the elf replied, turning redder and redder by the second.

“Oh? You really get it?” the beastkin asked in slight surprise. “Thank the goddess.”

Sylvia looked up. “Mm? Your face is kind of red, Ariel. Caught a cold?”

“I...just might have. I think I’ll return to my room first.”

Both Sylvia and Nagua looked on with puzzlement as Ariel stood up and left by herself.

Ema sighed. “Why are the two of them so slow on the uptake on these things?”

“It is pretty frustrating to watch,” Kokudori agreed. “I can’t help but imagine how much easier things would be if they became as honest and open as everyone over in Kelvin-san’s party.”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure they have their own problems being like that. They’re a pretty rare case too, I’d venture to say.”

Although it hadn’t been long since Sylvia’s party arrived here on the Western Continent, it was already clear that the path ahead would be quite rocky indeed.