Journey

The carriage rattled and rumbled along the main road.

“Ooh!”

“Meeeow!”

Each time a small animal like a mouse or a rabbit peered out from the bushes on the side of the road, Pochi and Tama nearly leaped out of the carriage. And each time they did so, Liza was there to hold them back by their belts.

The carriage was rolling along no faster than a family bicycle, but it would still be dangerous if they fell and got dragged under the wheels.

“Pochi, Tama, you’ll fall out if you lean over the sides, so please keep your backs against the coachman’s box.”

“Yes, sir.”

“’kaaay.”

The two responded in the affirmative and situated themselves on the left and right sides against the back of my seat.

I knew they would behave only until something else caught their attention, though.

The breeze was a little chilly, but it felt nice with the warmth of the sunlight.

Since this was a fantasy world, I had expected some random monster encounters, but in reality the journey was actually quite peaceful. This was probably thanks to the efforts of Zena and her comrades on their patrol.

However, when I checked the map, I saw monsters lurking farther away from the road. Understandable—it was probably impossible to eradicate them completely.

For about an hour after we left the city, our surroundings resembled more of a random smattering of trees than a full-on forest, but we had left that behind and were now journeying through a very hilly area.

In the distance on our left, I could see the mountains leading to the Cradle of Trazayuya, where the Undead King Zen had held Mia captive.

The occasional tree or shrub poked its head out from the sea of weeds between the road and the foothills.

Before we’d reached this uneven area, we’d encountered other travelers in wagons or on foot, but most of them had gone west at a fork in the road.

Down the west highway was Seiryuu County’s mining city, and beyond it, the road crossed two more counties into one that was apparently a very prosperous area for trade. Most merchants would be heading that way.

According to my map, there were still a few other carriages on the south highway besides ours, but none that I could actually see.

There were counties and baronies to the south, too, but because of the relaxed laws there, merchants tended to keep their distance.

The trader who’d filled me in on all this had added that things were safe enough in the Ougoch Duchy, which was famous for the night view of its canals, but any farther than that and one would find cheap prices and a market tightly controlled by local sellers.

There were more villages near the west highway, too, so that probably factored into its popularity as well.

“Meeeat?”

“Sheep, sir!”

Following Tama’s and Pochi’s stares, I saw a distant hill where a shepherd was herding a large flock of sheep.

The two waved frantically toward the hill, but apparently the other person couldn’t see us, as they gave no response.

The shadow of what seemed to be a small sheepdog ran about, skillfully keeping any errant sheep from straying too far. It seemed to be an ordinary dog, not a beastfolk person. I hadn’t seen any dogs or cats in the city, but I guess people did have them in this world after all.

While I enjoyed the view, the mostly straight road turned into a wide curve along a hill.

The carriage swayed and rattled over a rut. Behind me, I heard small shrieks from Lulu and Mia and curses from Arisa, but I let them pass on the wind, pretending not to hear.

Since the road was obviously just dirt, not paved with stone or asphalt, it was natural that carts would leave ruts and furrows along the way. However, because no two carts followed exactly the same path, some areas were so rough they threatened to damage the wheels.

The horses proceeded along the road at their own discretion, but in order to avoid these ruts, a coachman had to fine-tune their course.

Even with the assistance of my skills, I still didn’t have enough experience to avoid all of them.

While I made such excuses to myself, Arisa poked her head in from behind me, propping herself up on Pochi’s head.

“Be more careful with your driving!”

“Don’t ask so much of me. I’m still a beginner.”

I brushed off Arisa’s protests noncommittally.

Pochi didn’t look too pleased about being used as a step stool. “Arisa, you’re heavy, ma’am.”

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just that you were in the perfect position for me to climb on top of you, so I couldn’t help it.”

Apologizing, Arisa removed herself from Pochi’s head, snuggling into my shoulder instead. This might have made my heart pound if she were a beautiful woman, but since the girl was so young, she just seemed like a spoiled child.

At that moment, I caught wind of a querulous little gurgle. I was probably the only one who’d heard it, thanks to my “Keen Hearing” skill.

This must have come from Lulu. Even the sound of her stomach grumbling was cute.

I checked the map for a good place to stop for lunch.

“It’s almost lunchtime. There’s a stone slab on the next hill that seems like it could protect us from the wind—let’s stop and eat there.”

My proposal was approved with a unanimous cry of joy.

After we’d made our way up the weed-covered path, I stopped the carriage in a sunny area near the megalith.

“All right, here we are. Everyone, it’s time to take care of the horses and prepare our lunch.”

As I spoke, I climbed down from the carriage and fixed the stoppers in place, similar to the parking brake on a car.

Because I’d already assigned roles before we arrived, everyone set about their work without needing any further instructions.

Pochi and Tama hopped down lightly and pulled out tools from the storage space under the coachman’s box to tend to the horses.

The overcoats they normally wore in public must have been inside the carriage, because now they were wearing white shirts and matching poufy shorts. Tama’s shorts were pink, while Pochi’s were yellow.

“I’ll take care of your hooves, sir!”

“Dig, diiig!”

“Be careful not to get stepped on by the horses, you two.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Rogerrr!”

I warned the girls to be careful as they dug the dirt and stones out of the horses’ hooves. The horses snorted indignantly, as if to protest that they would never have been so careless.

“Nana and I will look for rocks to build a stove.”

“Great, thanks.”

Clad in light-brown leather armor, Liza headed over to gather some of the smaller stones near the large slabs.

“Master, I will be back, I bravely report.”

Nana was the next to speak as she descended from the coachman’s box.

Her long blond hair was tied back in a loose ponytail with a ribbon. She wore a scarlet dress, the likes of which would never be seen in modern Japan, with sleeves that puffed out at the shoulders and a dark-red vest that threatened to burst open from the pressure of the generous bosom underneath.

Naturally, I made sure to mentally record the bouncing that resulted when she hopped down from the carriage.

I didn’t want her nice dress to get dirty while she gathered rocks, so I discreetly pulled out an apron from Storage under the shade of the carriage and handed it to Nana.

I felt eyes boring into my back and turned around to find Lulu. It seemed as though she had been waiting for a chance to speak.

“Master, I brought the bag.”

“Thank you, Lulu.”

I accepted the Garage Bag from Lulu and offered a hand to help her down from the carriage.

I was accustomed now to her moment of hesitation before accepting my hand, but the fact that she still turned red every time really revealed her shyness.

Lulu stepped onto the ground, her fine black hair swishing smoothly. I caught the briefest glimpse of her white legs as her skirt fluttered in the air for a moment. Although the white dress she’d worn in the city had suited her better, Lulu was now wearing a cream-colored shirt and a dark-blue skirt for the journey. Most likely, the white fabric would have gotten dirty too easily.

Arisa was next to approach the coachman’s box from the interior of the carriage, striding up with a confident gait.

“Master, help me down, too!”

Arisa’s outfit, a dark-red jacket over a fluffy pink top and bottom, seemed unsuited for travel. She reached out her hand and issued a demand in a rather spoiled tone.

Her violet hair swayed in the wind. She normally wore a cloak or a blond wig to avoid attracting attention in public, but she had left those inside the carriage.

It was no big deal, so I reached out to help her down.

…Then, on a sudden hunch, I leaned my head to the side.

An instant later, Arisa’s face was where mine had just been, with her lips puckered. That was close.

“No more casual sexual harassment, please.”

“Aww, I’m only trying to serve my master in accordance with my oath! You’re so cruuuel.”

“Shush.”

Arisa’s response was so absurd that I flicked her lightly on the forehead to scold her. Judging from the way she rolled around on the grass dramatically clutching her head, I doubted she felt much remorse.

The wording of our particular agreement did nothing to prevent harassment. I had to be careful not to rely on the contract as a deterrent, much to my frustration.

If Arisa were at least twenty years old… Well, I probably still wouldn’t welcome her advances, but I might not mind them so much. But she was the age of a kid in elementary school—I was definitely not interested.

Really, though, Arisa’s personality reminded me of something from the middle of last century. I didn’t know how old she was before she was reincarnated here, but she didn’t seem to want to say.

“Satou.”

Finally, Mia the elf appeared, speaking up with a bright smile. Her pointed ears peeked out from underneath her light blue-green pigtails. She wore an outfit that looked like a light-blue version of Arisa’s.

With her current healthy complexion, it was hard to imagine how weakened she’d been when I’d rescued her from Zen.

She’ll have no trouble enduring the long journey to her hometown in this state.

“Do you want me to help you down, too?”

“Mm.”

Standing at the ready with her arms outstretched, Mia nodded happily.

I lifted her by her delicate waist and set her down carefully. Unlike with Arisa, I had no need to worry that she might try anything.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Mia smiled bashfully as she thanked me, then plodded over to the large rocks.

I took a bucket and a small barrel of water from the Garage Bag to give the horses a drink.

Incidentally, I had given the girls an equivocal description of the Garage Bag as “a magic bag that can hold a lot of things” at the beginning of our journey. Just to be safe, I instructed them to keep it a secret so thieves wouldn’t try to steal it.

“Mission complete, sir.”

“Dooone!”

“Good work, you two.”

Pochi and Tama approached to report the completion of their work, and I patted them both on the head.

Just then, Lulu returned from inspecting the undercarriage.

“Master, there are no issues with the wheels or the axle. They had bits of weeds stuck to them, so I cleaned them off.”

“Great. Thank you, Lulu.”

Since our inspection was over, maybe now would be a good time to feed the horses—no, maybe I should make them a bit more comfortable first.

“Lulu, can you help me unharness them?”

“Certainly, sir.”

With Lulu’s help, I released the horses from the yoke and hooked the reins to the carriage.

I checked their faces where the bits had been attached, but the horses didn’t seem to have any scratches. It was probably fine.

“Master, can I help you with anything?”

Arisa dusted off her clothes as she approached me. There was a faint red mark on her forehead; I’d have to take care to be gentler with my forehead flicking from now on.

“Yeah, give salt and fruit to the horses, if you would.”

After I withdrew a small trough and a sack of feed from the Garage Bag, I handed Arisa two pieces of fruit and a small pouch of salt.

The fruits were a reward to the animals for their hard work. The veteran coachman had warned Lulu and me not to forget to supply cart horses with salt on a long journey.

“Okay. Mia, come help me.”

“Mm.”

Arisa called out to Mia cheerfully. The elf girl, who was gazing at the megaliths, nodded and began tending the horses with Arisa.

“Pochi, Tama, isn’t that dangerous?”

“We’ll be all right, ma’am.”

“Fiiine!”

I followed Lulu’s nervous gaze and saw Tama perched atop Pochi’s shoulders to wipe down the horses’ backs with a dedicated towel. It did look dangerous at first glance, but Pochi’s feet were planted firmly on the ground, so they should be safe.

Maybe I should pick out some materials and build a stepladder?

As I contemplated this, I prepared lunch for the horses in the trough: a mixture of grains and straw. It was a simple meal, but for cart horses it would be top class.

The horses finished off the fruit from Mia and Arisa in no time at all, then plunged their heads into the trough to chow down with fervor.

“They’re munching, sir!”

“Yummyyy?”

Pochi and Tama plopped down in front of the small trough to stare enviously at the food within. Their eager gazes seemed to make the animals uncomfortable.

For the sake of the horses’ mental health, I sent Pochi and Tama to find rocks we could use to hold down the blankets we’d sit on during lunch. The pair readily agreed and zipped away, excited to have received another assignment.

“Excuse me, Master. Is it all right if I use some of this thick fabric?”

“Sure. Are you making an apron?”

“I want to touch up the straw cushions.”

After washing the horse drool off her hands in the water bucket, Arisa wiped them clean with a handkerchief as she made her request.

I had hastily crafted some straw cushions to help protect the girls from the vibrations of the horse-drawn carriage. The makeshift pillows were simple bundles of straw with cloth wrapped around them like sushi rolls.

I had tried to buy some premade cushions at a shop, but no one was selling them in Seiryuu City, and since ordering them would take too long, we had concocted a solution ourselves.

“So the straw isn’t quite cutting it, huh?”

“That’s not it. The actual cushioning is fine, but the straw is starting to pop out and scratch my bottom from all the shaking.”

Arisa shook her head.

I see… So it was the durability that was lacking.

“Well, why don’t we all work on the cushions while we wait for lunch to be ready, then?”

I reached into the Garage Bag and pulled out a large sack filled with firewood, cooking utensils, and ingredients for Liza, and then I gave the Garage Bag itself to Arisa. The straw cushions were bulky, so I figured the children might need that bag for carrying them.

Then, since Lulu had nothing to do, I brought her with me to deliver the cooking supplies to Liza.

On the bare soil a short distance from the carriage was a stove of rocks, looking much sturdier than I’d been expecting. I spoke to Liza and Nana as they reviewed their work.

“This is more impressive than I expected.”

“Yes. We need something of this caliber to prepare stew for so many people.”

Lulu handed the cooking utensils to Liza.

“Ms. Liza, shall I prepare the firewood?”

“Yes, thank you.”

As Lulu started arranging the firewood in the stove, Liza perused the cooking supplies.

“Master, my work is completed, I report.”

“Yeah. You did great.”

Nana reported to me rather proudly, and I answered her with appreciation.

“Master, is it all right if I start the fire now?”

Lulu had finished loading the stove with firewood and was holding flint in one hand.

“Hold on, Lulu. Use this instead.”

Because lighting a fire with flint was a fairly difficult task, I handed Lulu the Tinder Rod I’d brought along.

“Ah, I’ve never used this Magic Item before. How does it work?”

“Fire comes out of the tip when you press down on that raised area.”

Lulu looked flustered when I handed her the tool, so I explained how to use it.

“Wow, how remarkable! Being able to make fire this easily is like magic.”

“Well, it’s a Magic Item, after all.”

Lulu’s eyes widened with surprise at the convenience of fire at the flick of a switch.

When Lulu stayed with her aunt on her mother’s side in the city, they’d had only flint, and when she was Arisa’s attendant in the castle, she wasn’t allowed into the kitchen. This was her first contact with a Magic Item for creating fire.

“Have either of you ever cooked before?” I asked Lulu and Nana.

“I’ve kept watch over the fire and peeled vegetables and such, but I’ve never done any proper cooking.”

“Number 3 had all the cooking duties, so I lack hands-on experience. I am learned in the basic operational sequences of cooking, but I do not have any recipes registered to my library. I would very much like to install them, I wish.”

Liza seemed to be the only one who could prepare a meal, but these two would at least be able to lend a hand.

Nana’s choice of words was strange as usual, but I understood what she was trying to say. I wonder if filling a homunculus with knowledge is as easy as installing an app on a smartphone.

I was sort of curious, but appeasing everyone’s hunger took first priority.

“I’ll task you two with helping Liza, then. I request you do as Liza tells you and make us some delicious food.”

“We’ll do our best.”

“Yes, Master, I confirm.”

Apparently, Nana’s peculiar manner of speaking was rubbing off on me a little.

“Liza, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Understood, sir.”

After a quick discussion of the menu, I left Liza in charge of the kitchen.

Halfway between our makeshift kitchen and the horse-drawn carriage, Arisa and Mia were struggling to spread out the blanket they’d gotten from the Garage Bag, so I went over to help them.

Pochi and Tama arrived right on time with rocks, which we set on each corner to weigh down the cloth, creating our rest area.

Arisa piled the straw cushions on top of the blanket.

“Okay, Pochi and Tama, please remove the cloth from the straw bundles. They should come off if you untie this string.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Aye-aye!”

“Mia, if there are any pieces of straw in the unwrapped bundles jutting out, please remove them.”

“Mm.”

Arisa delegated assignments to the younger girls.

Next to Arisa, I laid out a sewing set, bundles of various cloths, and tanned goatskin leather.

“Hmm? What do we need leather for?”

“If we use this for the part you sit on, straw won’t poke out there, right?”

“Yes, that’s certainly true, but is it all right for us to use something as expensive as goatskin leather?”

Arisa tilted her head uncertainly.

“Sure. I wouldn’t want everyone’s rear ends to get all scratched up just to save a little money.”

“That makes sense. They wouldn’t be soft to the touch anymore!”

Arisa nodded with a big smile, but that was nowhere near my intention. I had no plans to touch anyone’s behind, least of all theirs.

“If we can use the leather, then we won’t need the thick cloth. Master, can you cut it into pieces about this size? My hands are too small to use such large scissors very well.”

“Sure. I’ll take care of it.”

I cut the leather to the size Arisa had specified and handed it to her.

Struggling with the large leatherworking needle, Arisa sewed the leather piece to the cloth that Pochi and Tama had removed.

This is the perfect chance to show off my reliability as a master with my “Sewing” and “Leather Crafting” skills.

I threaded a needle of my own, then stitched the leather and cloth together effortlessly. The speed and accuracy of my fingers would put a sewing machine to shame.

“I-incredible! How can you be so absurdly fast with that needle…?”

“Amazing, sir!”

“Amazingly amaziiing!”

Heh. All this praise feels pretty good. After I finished, I tugged on the needle to tighten the seams when…

“…Huh?”

“Mm?”

For some reason, the thread slid right out, and the leather and cloth separated.

I voiced my confusion in unison with Mia, who’d been watching at my side.

“Why?”

“…What do you mean, whyyy?!” Arisa howled toward the sky.

When she was more or less done, she regained control of her breathing and pointed out my mistake.

“Honestly! You forgot to knot the end of the thread!”

A knot… Somewhere in the back of my mind, I vaguely remembered reading this in a textbook long ago. I must’ve learned something about it in home ec way back when.

I would have to let Professor Arisa teach me the basics of sewing.

I guess just having the skill wasn’t enough to make up for a lack of basic knowledge after all. Reality is cruel.

On my next try, I was able to finish properly and bask in everyone’s praise. Then we bound the completed leather-backed cloth to the bundles of straw.

I couldn’t help but note that Arisa tested my work each time to make sure it was free of mistakes.

There was some yellow cloth amid the fabric we’d bought in Seiryuu City, so I prevailed upon Arisa’s know-how to create a palm-size chick plush toy. I used little balls of felt for the stuffing.

I gained the relevant skill, but my “Sewing” skill alone seemed to be enough to make a stuffed animal, so I didn’t bother allocating any points to it.

“Meeeat?”

“What a plump little bird, sir!”

Tama and Pochi must have been hungry, because they were eyeing my newly made plush toy with relish.

“Mm, cute.”

Mia squeezed the toy a few times with pleasure.

“Master!”

Nana abandoned her work at the pot and rushed over, though her face was impassive.

What’s going on?

“Permission to care for this larval creature, I request.”

Without taking her eyes off the toy, Nana grasped it in both hands, pleading with me.

“You like it, do you?”

“Yes.” Nana nodded emphatically, her expression still blank as ever. “So remarkably soft and round… Indeed, it is very cute.”

She rubbed her cheek against the little stuffed chick. Despite her unchanged expression, she seemed very happy.

I guess she is technically less than a year old.

“I’ll give the first one to you, then, Nana.”

“Mrrrr…”

“Don’t be angry, Mia. I’ll make one for you, too,” I reassured Mia, who was sulking about the loss of the stuffed animal.

I built a rabbit out of white cloth for her, then a little Pochi doll for Tama and a Tama doll for Pochi.

“It’s a tiny Tama, sir!”

“Mine’s a tiny Pochiii?”

Pochi and Tama showed each other their dolls with huge grins.

“Bunny.”

“Yeah, it’s a rabbit.”

Mia contentedly embraced the rabbit plush she’d received.

Arisa and the nearby Lulu and Liza, who were preparing the food, were looking our way with interest. I guess I’d probably be stuck making dolls for all of them soon, too.

Meanwhile, signs that lunch was nearly ready were beginning to waft through the air.

I put away my stuffed toy–making tools and worked with the younger kids to lay out tableware on the quilt.

“Is it readyyy?”

“I’m sure it will be soon, sir!”

Tama and Pochi hovered around Liza as she finished up with the food, watching her intently. Their impatience was clearly reaching a fever pitch, since they were rocking back and forth rhythmically. Their tails were busily wagging away, too, of course.

“Mm, smells good.”

“Ohhh, my stomach is about to start sticking to my back!”

The delicious aroma drifting over from the pot had captivated Mia and Arisa as well. Apparently, Pochi and Tama weren’t the only hungry ones.

“The food is ready, everyone.”

“Need heeelp?”

“I’ll carry it, sir.”

At Lulu’s call, Tama and Pochi rushed over, wiping the drool from their faces with their arms.

The two of them clamored around the huge pot as Liza lifted it, but it was far too big for either of them to carry, so Liza simply brought it over herself.

Pochi and Tama trailed eagerly behind her, gazing up at her with excitement.

The younger kids finished setting the table, and with a chorus of “Thanks for the food” (a custom Arisa had spread to the others), the meal began.

Mia knew the phrase, too. She explained that a hero who had lived in her Elvish village before she was born, which in Mia’s case meant at least a hundred years ago, had popularized the custom.

Today’s lunch was a quiche and pickled vegetables courtesy of the Gatefront Inn, along with stew made by Liza and company. The stew contained beans, potatoes, onions, and dried meat.

The somewhat oddly cut potatoes were probably the result of Lulu’s and Nana’s handiwork.

I ate a mouthful of the thick, creamy stew. Overwhelming saltiness hit my tongue first, followed by the strong flavor of potatoes and dried meat. A moment after that, the sweetness of the onion brought a bit of relief from the harsh salty taste.

The beans resembled large fava beans, but their softness and delicious flavor bore a closer resemblance to edamame. I’d love to boil these beans and try them chilled as a snack with a beer someday.

Compared to meals made by more skilled chefs like the ones at the Gatefront Inn, this meal was more like the heartily seasoned cooking of an unrefined bachelor, but it was still appetizing in its own way.

“It’s delicious, Liza. Lulu, Nana, you did great, too.”

“Much obliged.”

Liza responded to my words of praise with a prim expression. But deep down, she was probably pleased or embarrassed, because her tail was beating the quilt. Those tails sure are a dead giveaway.

Nana nodded expressionlessly with the stuffed toy in one hand, but Lulu seemed self-conscious.

“Liza’s cooking is always so good, sir!”

“Liza’s the beeest!”

Pochi and Tama praised Liza, too, spoons clutched tightly in hand.

“Mm, good.”

“Maybe a bit salty, but it’s delicious.”

Mia and Arisa also voiced their satisfaction.

“Master, the wheat porridge is pleasing as well, I report.”

Nana, the only person with a different meal, gave her conclusion in her usual deadpan.

We weren’t bullying or excluding her, of course.

Homunculi like Nana had weak stomachs for the first six months or so of their lives, so she had to either receive MP directly or stick to a liquid-only diet.

This information was also documented in the journals of Trazayuya, the person who’d designed the homunculi; I had no doubt it was true.

When she had been Zen’s subordinate in the Cradle, they had entered a facility called the “regulation tank” to be supplied with magic and nutrition.

Nana had already passed the six-month period, but given the circumstances, we thought it best to keep her on a liquid diet for a while to see how she would fare. The plan was to introduce solid food gradually to avoid any issues.

If I had skills like “Magic Manipulation” or “Practical Magic,” I’d be able to restore her magic myself, but none of our party members could use those skills, and I thought it would be better for her to eat with the rest of us anyway.

“Will that be enough for you, Nana?”

“Master, it is not a problem, I affirm.”

Nana seemed perfectly content, but I decided to offer her fruit water later to cleanse her palate.

Everyone seemed to be eating happily, save for one individual.

For some reason, Mia was extricating the pieces of dried meat from her stew and setting them aside in a smaller dish.

“Mia, don’t be fussy. Just eat it.”

“Elf.”

Yeah, you’re going to have to say more than that if you want me to understand.

As if she’d heard my thoughts, Mia mumbled the word meat and drew a little X in the air with her finger.

“Oh, so elves don’t eat meat? Yep, that’s how fairy races ought to be!” Arisa commented happily. True enough, it did seem appropriate for elves to be vegetarian, but Mia was tilting her head uncertainly at Arisa’s comment.

Right—since there’s a real elf right in front of me, I should ask a question that’s been bothering me for years.

“Mia, if elves don’t eat meat, what do you have bows for?”

“Monsters.”

That made sense. So they were for self-defense and hunting monsters?

Before the beastfolk girls had gotten strong enough for close combat, I’d instructed them to attack from far away by throwing stones. It would make sense for elves to teach their children to fight from a safe distance with archery or magic.

My thoughts had veered a little offtrack, but if not eating meat was part of her race’s culture, it would be best to respect that.

“Well, if you’re not just being picky, it’s all right.”

Mia’s attention shifted away from me, as if she’d noticed something else. I tried to follow her line of sight, but all I saw was grass swaying in the wind.

At any rate, I’d have to tell whoever served meals from now on not to put meat in Mia’s portion. She seemed able to eat vegetable stew in meat stock without a problem, so we probably wouldn’t have to prepare an entirely separate dish like you would for someone with allergies.

Pochi and Tama finished off the little bits of meat from Mia’s dish as she removed them.

Now then, it was time to sample the food they’d prepared for us back at the Gatefront Inn.

The quiche had stayed faintly warm in my Storage—impossibly so, in fact, considering the temperature of the air outside. Storage provided some solid insulation.

I’d have to try a performance test on the journey. If I could transport stew and the like and keep it warm, preparing meals would be a cinch.

As I contemplated this, I absently broke off a bite-size piece of quiche and popped it into my mouth. The Gatefront Inn’s handiwork was superb, as always.

Both Liza’s stew and the innkeeper’s quiche were delicious, and we all happily ate our fill.

The conversation as we shared lunch together might have been the best spice of all.

After we all washed the dishes and cleaned up the meal, we took a break for about an hour.

A part of the reason we were in no hurry was so we could let the horses fully recover, but I also wanted to let the kids play for a while, especially the young Tama and Pochi.

“Private Tama! Private Pochi!”

“Aye!”

“Yes, sir!”

Good answers. They were facing me, but their ears twitched whenever they heard something rustling in the nearby bushes. They looked ready to break into a run across the grassy meadow at any moment.

“I have an important mission for you! Go and investigate that giant stone at once!”

“Aye!”

“Sir!”

I watched as they zipped away like a pair of arrows. “I’ll call for you when it’s time to leave, so don’t go too far!” I called after them, just to be safe.

At the sound of a clear little tone, I turned to see Mia playing a reed pipe. The melody was complex enough for an expert.

“You’re very good, Mia.”

“Oh?”

Mia tilted her head as if unsure of her own skills, though she seemed to appreciate the compliment.

“Princess Mia, I would like to learn the reed flute as well, I entreat.”

“Not ‘princess.’”

Nana had called Mia “princess” when she was still Zen’s servant. Mia held no ill will toward Nana herself, but she strongly disliked the title “princess.”

“But Princess Mia—”

“Nana, Mia doesn’t like being called ‘princess,’ so please don’t do it.”

“Yes, Master. I shall henceforth revise her designation to ‘Mia,’ I affirm.”

…That was easy.

Apparently, the name had been only a habit.

Nana’s expression as she practiced the instrument was relatively focused, though still blank. When Mia and Nana huddled together, their similar faces made them look like a pair of especially close siblings.

As I admired the two of them, Arisa’s voice rang out behind me.

“Lulu and I are going to take a stroll around the rocks to walk off our lunch. Won’t you join us, Master?”

“Yeah, good idea. Liza, would you like to come, too?”

“Yes. It would be my pleasure.”

And so, the four of us took a walk around the enormous megalith.

About halfway up the hill, I saw Pochi and Tama scampering after a rabbit. Maybe we’ll have grilled hare tonight?

During our stroll, Arisa announced that she wanted to explore the top of the stone slab. Just to make sure it was safe, I decided to climb up first.

I scaled the side by using footholds like an ordinary person would.

“You’re rather nimble, aren’t you?” Arisa’s comment reminded me of Zena.

I had Liza give Arisa a lift so I could pull her up next to me.

“Wow! What a nice view.”

Arisa cheered and began investigating the megalith, and I warned her to be careful not to fall before pulling Lulu up.

Just as I was helping Liza, Arisa called out to me excitedly.

“Master! Come here! You have to see this!”

“What’s all the fuss about?”

“Just get over here!” I shrugged and joined Arisa. Lulu and Liza seemed just as perplexed by the sudden outburst.

She beckoned emphatically as I approached.

“What did you want to show me?”

“Look at that!”

I followed Arisa’s finger, but all I could see were fallen megaliths. What did she want to show me that for?

“What should I be seeing, exactly?”

“Come on, look closer!”

Aha. Now I understood what Arisa was getting at.

“A stone torii?”

“It’s hard to tell because they’ve crumbled now, but I think there used to be three of them here. I wonder if there was a shrine or something?”

Why, I wonder? There was something familiar about the stone Shinto gateway.

—What?

As I gazed at the shrine gate, my vision blurred.

—Don’t forget, Ichirou. We’ll always be together.

An image filled my mind like a flashback.

What is this memory?

—No matter the world, no matter the era, you’ll always be Ichirou.

Though the memory was mostly in black and white, the little girl’s hair and eyes were highlighted in rich color.

Hidden in shadow, her face was impossible to see.

—I wonder if reincarnation is real?

When did I ask that question?

And what was her answer?

—Of course it is. But it’s no good if you stop at reincarnation.

…Now I remember. Behind her, I could see the Shinto shrine near my grandfather’s place in the countryside.

Then was this girl with the strangely colored hair that childhood friend of mine?

—Humans and gods have very different life spans. They would need divine intervention to be together.

The girl wearing a shrine maiden outfit was performing a traditional Shinto dance.

No, the Kagura dance. A dance dedicated to a deity who fell in love with a human.

—If it’s you…… I’m sure you can……

The girl, whose face I couldn’t see, reached her small hand toward my cheek—

“Snap out of it, Master!”

When I came to, Arisa’s face was right in front of my eyes.

“Huh? Arisa?”

“Honestly! How can you doze off in a place like this? You could’ve fallen!”

I apologized to Arisa and slowly looked around.

What happened just now?

I checked the log, but I found no record of a psychic attack or anything similar.

I tried to compose myself and search my memories, but I was positive the Shinto shrine entrance near where I’d played during my childhood visits to the countryside had just been the normal red.

And the childhood friend in the flashback had looked totally different from what I remembered. She’d had colorful hair and eyes like an anime character. At the end, she even had rainbow-colored hair.

Come to think of it, I had made a little doujin game set at that shrine back when I was a student. I didn’t remember having such a strange conversation in real life; those must have been lines from the game.

Maybe the fatigue from so many days without sleep was starting to catch up with me.

“You’re spacing out again.”

“Sorry, sorry. I was just remembering a shrine I played at when I was little.”

That seemed like an easier explanation than “I was having a flashback to a fan game I made.”

I shook off the daydream, staring at the remnants of the stone shrine gates.

Information began popping up around the ruins. I had assumed it was just the remains of some megalithic civilization, but its real identity was much more surprising.

I decided to explain it to Arisa.

“It’s a broken Travel Gate.”

That was a gimmick often found in games to give the players a shortcut through a long journey, but this one had been destroyed a very long time ago.

“Can you fix it?!”

“Definitely not.”

Arisa had asked me that question with enthusiasm, but I shook my head and responded briefly but firmly.

There was nothing about it in the data I had on hand, and there was no way I could reconstruct something I didn’t understand.

The idea of shortening our journey video-game-style was definitely appealing, but I wasn’t about to throw myself into some unknown destination.

Liza’s eyes lit up when she spotted some edible wild plants in the shadows of the megalith, and our stroll turned into collecting them.

A number of small white flowers were growing near the other plants. According to the AR display, they were known as winterblooms.

“Lulu, come here for a second.”

“Yes, what is it?”

After I picked one of the white flowers, I placed it in Lulu’s hair.

“Yep, it really goes well with your black hair. It’s cute.”

“…I-I’m sure that’s not true… It’s an insult to the flower to put it in hair like mine.”

Lulu didn’t seem to take compliments very well. Her gaze wandered anxiously as she deflected my comment.

That’s right… I’d forgotten she was considered ugly according to the beauty standards of this world.

What a waste… From my perspective, she was an unrivaled beauty.

“Oh, I know! I’m sure it would suit Arisa much better!”

Lulu tried to remove the blossom from her own hair, but I stopped her and decorated Arisa’s and Liza’s hair the same way.

Matching the others must have made Lulu feel better; she didn’t try to take out the flower after that. Overall, she seemed happy enough, so she probably hadn’t truly minded my putting it there.

We had our pick of as many herbs as we wanted. Most likely, not many people knew about this place.

That said, since we didn’t want to strip the place bare and leave nothing for the next person, I made sure we stopped before we took too much. I did wish I’d brought along my Garage Bag, but I used my overcoat instead to carry the plants back.

I could use my AR display and “Analyze” skill for details about our haul, so I didn’t have a chance to break out the books I bought in Seiryuu City, Edible Plants on Your Journey and Encyclopedia of Medicinal Herbs.

In addition to the diverse edible flora, we found small amounts of various medicinal herbs to help stop bleeding and prevent headaches.

Following the whistle of the reed pipe, we made our way back to the carriage where Nana and Mia were waiting.

Judging by the positions of the dots on the map, Pochi and Tama would be back soon, so I asked Lulu to ready some tea.

Liza and I stored the wild plants in the Garage Bag.

Under Mia’s guidance, Nana had gained some proficiency at the reed flute herself. This seemed to have awakened Arisa’s competitive spirit, as she was shouting and ripping up one of the weeds underfoot.

“I’m not about to lose! I’ll show you the powers I learned from playing with neighborhood kids until middle school!”

Arisa tooted determinedly on her reed pipe.

She was skilled enough for a child playing around, but she couldn’t even begin to compare to Mia. I plucked a similar piece of grass for myself and gave it a shot.

It was too late now, but I doubted picking a reed and playing music with it really merited the “Instrument Crafting” skill.

I played a single bar on the makeshift instrument and stopped.

A snort of laughter escaped Arisa despite her best efforts. Lulu wore a complex expression but refrained from making a sound. Liza judiciously resisted displaying any visible reaction, and Nana was expressionless as always.

“…Satou?”

Mia regarded me incredulously, as if she couldn’t believe her ears.

…Don’t look at me like that, okay?

I hadn’t planned on allotting any points into the new skills I’d gotten, but at Mia’s shocked reaction, I decided to put a few into “Musicianship.”

I just thought it might be useful for chanting spells, since that seemed to require a sense of rhythm. Definitely not because I was mortified at being tone-deaf. Not in the least!

Bwa-ha-ha, behold the power of a level-10 “Musicianship” skill!

“Yikes. You sound like a really talented player doing an impression of a really bad one!”