Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?, Vol. 2
And…
The way things are, I’ll never get a chance to be the one protecting her…
Masato believed that getting closer to her required tenderness and consideration. Or at least, he had a nebulous concept that was similar.
But to put those feelings into specific action required a good deal of self-confidence.
Everyone knows that it’s better to be nice to your mother, to be thoughtful. But the power to do that and think This is the right thing to do was rooted in confidence.
And confidence stemmed from strength.
At least at first.
“…I’ve gotta get stronger,” Masato said in a whisper. He let the words linger in the air.
“Pffft! ‘I’ve gotta get stronger.’ Hearing a guy say that with a straight face is hilarious!”
“Wh-what’re you laughing at?! See, this is what really pisses me off about girls!!”
Masato spent a few minutes seriously thinking about whether the experience he’d gain from defeating Wise (who was still laughing) would be enough to make him level up.
Mornings were spent battling, earning enough money to live on. The daily grind for living expenses progressed smoothly, and when they looked up, they realized the sun was directly overhead. Noon. The party went back to town for lunch.
The town the party was operating out of at the moment was just a set of inns without a name. It lay on the road between the starting town, Catharn, and the capital city farther inland. Just a transitional point along the way. There were a few houses and shops, but it was mostly travelers passing through, which kept the place bustling.
So.
“So where should we get lunch?”
“Mm… Anywhere’s fine. Just grab something at one of these stalls and eat on the Adventurers Guild terrace.”
“Sounds good to me. They’ve got free refills there.”
“Pay a set price and drink as much as you like! The more you drink, the more you save!”
“Well, savings are always good. Let’s do that.”
By unanimous decision, they elected to use the Adventurers Guild like one of those restaurants that let you bring in outside food. They grabbed some fast food from a street vendor and headed toward the guild.
The Adventurers Guild was an association that provided a number of services to adventurers. It had branches all over the game world, wherever you might go. The guild branch in this inn town was smaller than the one in the city, but it functioned the same way.
When Masato’s party reached the guild, they found it full of adventurers. Burly warriors, robe-clad mages, people of all jobs.
“Pretty crowded…”
“It is noon, after all… Any empty seats…?”
“Oh, looks like that table just opened up.”
“I’ll nab it for us! Leave it to me!”
Before they could say anything, Porta’s tiny body slipped off through the crowd, claiming the empty table. She was as quick as she was cute.
Thanks to Porta, they had seats, so the rest of them got drinks and joined her.
“Well, everyone, let’s dig in.”
“““Thanks for the food!”””
The room was loud but not too loud. It was an enjoyable lunch.
Fortunately, the seats they’d found were right next to the quest board. As Masato munched on his burger, he glanced over the posted quests.
The tasks on the board ranged from eliminating specific monsters to delivering specific items; lots of generic stuff.
Don’t suppose there’s a quest that could somehow power up just us kids…
Normal quests would spread the experience evenly among the entire party, so Mamako would be strengthened just as much as them. At this rate, they would never catch up.
Which meant they had to focus on the rewards. A quest that granted boost items that only the kids could equip, or items that would work only on Masato himself, that would be ideal.
He looked around for anything like that…
“…Mm?”
And his eyes locked on one request.
RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS FOR SCHOOL TRIAL ACTIVITIES.
An unusual request. Like the header suggested, they’d be going to school. They’d be students attending that school.
Anyone accepting this quest would be required to take classes in return for the SP used to raise stats and learn skills. And it said these SP could be exchanged for items that would strengthen the children.
That was it! That was exactly what he was looking for.
“This! This is it!”
He wasn’t supposed to rip the quest posting off the board, but he did anyway, and he slammed it down in the middle of the table, gesturing at it.
“Guys, look at this! Isn’t it perfect? We should definitely do this! C’mon!”
“Wh-what the…? Is this…? Huh? School?”
“Attend school, take classes, and get SP…?”
“Um, Ma-kun. What was SP again? Mommy can’t remember.”
“Remember how you get a few points every time we level up? Those.”
“Oh…right… I didn’t really understand it, so I just let them be…”
“Whaaat?! We’ve gone up a bunch of levels and you haven’t used any SP?! Yet you’re still that strong?!”
All mothers are notorious for hoarding points for ages without ever using them. You’ve just gotta let them do it their way. No point in arguing. That aside…
“But doesn’t it sound great? This could be a huge win for us,” Masato insisted.
He was certain this would pay off for him, so he was getting a little intense.
“Hmm… I’ll pass,” Wise said, looking bored.
“Are you kidding? You can’t not do this! Don’t be a doofus!”
“What’s a doofus? It sounds kinda cute, so maybe I’ll let it slide… Anyway, I just thought…”
“…Thought what?”
“I mean, we got permission to get out of school to play this game, right? So why the hell would we go to school in the game? It just sounds like a giant pain in the ass.”
“Th-that’s actually a pretty good point…”
The game they were currently doing a full dive in was being run by the Japanese government, and as test players, they were being excused from a number of obligations.
What was the point, then, of submitting themselves to those exact same obligations within the game? Wise was making a lot of sense, and Masato could totally understand her point…
“Um, can I say something?” Porta asked. “There’s a thing I’m curious about.”
“Uh, sure, what is it?”
“It looks like only children can join in this quest. So Mama can’t join us! I don’t think that’s fair!”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! That’s what it says!”
Porta pointed to the request. The bottom of it read, ONLY OPEN TO CHILDREN FROM ELEMENTARY TO HIGH SCHOOL. It was in such fine print that almost nobody would even notice it was there.
That left Mamako out completely. Only the three children would be able to accept the quest.
Since the goal was to strengthen just the kids, that actually worked in Masato’s favor…
Or would it? They were a party, Mamako included. Even if it was his mother, it hardly seemed fair to leave someone out like this.
But…
“Oh, I think it sounds lovely,” Mamako said. “Ma-kun, Wise, Porta, I think you should do this together!”
She didn’t seem to mind at all.
“Um…? Mom, are you sure?”
“Of course! I don’t see a problem.”
“No, but… We’re here so you and I can adventure together, right? So if we do something that leaves you out… I mean…”
Masato’s expression darkened. He was starting to feel guilty.
Mamako beamed, her smiling face as bright as a sun trying to banish each and every shadow.
“Mommy thinks Ma-kun should be able to do anything he wants to. What’s most important is how you feel.”
Her unshakable conviction easily drove away his worries.
“…You’re sure about this?”
“Yes. Don’t you worry. Porta, you don’t need to worry, either. If you want to go to school, say so. Just say how you really feel. Okay?”
“Unhhh… I…I want to go to school!”
“See, now isn’t that nice? …That leaves you, Wise…”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!”
Wise’s face twisted into an expression no girl should ever make. Eyes locked to the request, she suddenly let out a bloodcurdling shriek. This was Wise, right? It was Wise. The horror.
“Wh…whaaaaat?! M-M-M-Masato! Masatooo!”
“Would you mind not calling my name out? People will think we know each other. It’s embarrassing.”
“To hell with that! Look! At the request! Here!”
“Yeah, yeah, what is it?”
Masato wanted desperately to pretend she was a complete stranger. Wise’s display of surprise was so dramatic she seemed on the verge of spraying snot out her nose. But he looked where she pointed.
At the space below the fine print.
Sample items obtainable with SP: Strength Stemma, Prevenire, Stuffed Animal, etc.
For some reason, this sentence alone was written by hand.
“Um… So what?”
“So what?! That’s a Prevenire! A Prevenire!”
“You can yell that word all you like, but I still don’t know what it is. I guess that means it’s time for our item expert to explain. Porta?”
“Got it! A Prevenire is an accessory that completely prevents magic from being sealed. If she equips one, she’ll never have to worry about getting sealed again!”
“Yes! I neeeeeed one of those more than anything!”
“R-right… That explains why you’re blowing a gasket.”
“Also, the Strength Stemma is an emblem that raises attack power. You stick it to your body like a temporary tattoo.”
“Oh? Nice. I could use one of those.”
“And—and the Stuffed Animal is also amazing! It raises your Item Creation success rate! I…I really want a Stuffed Animal…”
Porta clasped her little hands together, hopping up and down with excitement. She. Was. Too. Cute.
The exchange items gripped the party’s hearts!
“I told you this was gonna be great! If we do this quest, all three of us can get the items we’re after! All three of… Uh…”
Hang on.
The items listed as examples of what would be available were a little too specifically what his party members were after.
Hmm… That sure seems a little contrived…
It had certainly gotten all of them on board.
“Let’s head to the quest location! Yay!”
“Prevenireeeeeeeeee! You will be miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!”
“Wise. I think we’ve all had enough of your ridiculous hype. Please try to consider the feelings of your party members. Even Porta is mildly perturbed.”
“N-no! I-I-I’m okay with it, just… Oh, the carriage is here!”
After several minutes putting up with Wise’s obnoxious behavior, they were all extremely ready for the arrival of the carriage that carried passengers from town to town. Haste was in order, so they were taking a four-horse express carriage direct to their destination. All aboard!
Inside the carriage compartment were long benches, like a train. There were two passengers already waiting inside.
When Masato saw them, he found himself saying aloud, “Whoa… She’s gorgeous…”
He was referring to a girl with long blue hair.
Her gaze was directed slightly downward, and seen in profile, there was a real elegance to her, like an aristocrat’s daughter. Maybe even a princess. Either way, she was gorgeous.
She was wearing proper pure-white attire. At her side, there was a simple, well-used staff. Judging from her equipment, she was a Priest or a Cleric and would be focused on healing spells in combat.
Next to her was a grown woman with similar features. Presumably her mother. She, too, retained her youth and beauty, if not quite to Mamako’s extreme degree.
She was wearing an extremely flashy outfit embroidered with gold thread, like a nouveau riche archbishop. Her staff, too, was studded with jewels.
But it was the girl who drew the eye.
An elegant, beautiful, young healer… That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what a heroine should be!
A girl like this deserved to stand at a hero’s side.
Instead, by some terrible mistake, he had his mom.
If this beautiful healer joined his party, and one thing led to another, and she and Masato became close, that would be living the dream.
“Yo, Masato, what the hell? Hurry up and get in.”
“Huh? O-oh, right. Sorry.”
This was no time to be staring. With Wise poking him in the back, Masato hastily clambered into the carriage.
Masato’s party lined up opposite the healer duo. From the front, Porta, Mamako, Masato (who’d wanted to avoid sitting next to Mamako but had gotten pushed into it and left with no choice), and finally, the weirdo who wouldn’t stop yelling “I’m coming for you, Prevenireeeeee!”
With all passengers on board, the carriage took off.
“Now we just have to wait till we’re there.”
“Yes… My, this carriage’s gentle rocking certainly is soothing. It makes me want to take a nap!”
“Yeah… Wow, two of us are already out.”
Wise had been screaming a moment before, but now she was sound asleep. On the other side of Mamako, Porta was having trouble keeping her eyes open.
Mamako put her arm around Porta, laying her head down on her lap.
“Hee-hee, Porta’s fast asleep… Ma-kun, won’t you join her? Have a little nap on Mommy’s lap, just like the other day.”
Mamako patted her thighs encouragingly, offering her lap.
Her lap was so undeniably comfortable that part of him wanted to just keel over naturally and bury his face in it, but… No, wait, wait.
“D-don’t do that! I can’t! I could never! And seriously, did you have to add ‘like the other day’? It was bad enough already.”
If someone overheard them, it would be beyond embarrassing.
Masato glanced toward the girl in the seat across from him, and she had her hand to her mouth. She was quietly giggling. She’d heard everything. He was doomed.
But then she said, “You’re certainly close to your mother.”
“Oh… Um, no! Not really! We’re not all that close!”
“That’s just not true! Ma-kun and Mommy are very close! We even went in that hot spring together!”
“Aughhhh! Why would you bring that up? She’s gonna get the wrong idea…!”
“A family hot springs visit? How lovely! You really are close!”
“…Huh?”
He’d been expecting all this to creep her out, but apparently she was genuinely impressed. Thankfully. It seemed she was really pure of heart.
In his mind, she was immediately promoted to angel status.
“Oh, excuse my manners,” she said. “My name is Medhi. I’m a test player… By any chance, are you all…?”
“Oh, yeah, we’re…”
“Yes, we’re test players! I’m Mamako. On my right is my son, Masato. The girls sleeping are Wise and Porta. So nice to meet you!”
“Um, wait, Mom, I was about to answer…”
“Oh, you’re all test players?” the woman next to Medhi interrupted. “Then I’d better introduce myself, too. Pleasure meeting you. I’m Medhi’s mother, and I’ve been calling myself Medhimama here. I do hope we’ll all get along.”
Neither of them seemed to mean anything by it, but Masato had now been interrupted twice in a row. Seriously.
Having introduced themselves, the two mothers quickly began chattering away about everything from life in the game to your typical…whatever the mom version of watercooler talk was.
But if they were keeping themselves distracted, that was ideal. This was his chance.
R-right… Just gotta get Medhi talking!
This was his chance to forge a bond between them. Masato fixed his gaze on the smiling angel in the seat across from him. Her face was really far too beautiful. And the swaying of the carriage was definitely making her rather ample chest bounce around like… No, no, eyes off.
Masato gritted his teeth, wrangled his courage, and was just about to speak when…
The mothers’ conversation assaulted his ears.
“Oh, really? You’re adventuring as a party of four? We’ve found two was perfectly adequate, but perhaps the more the merrier. How many quests have you completed? Ten? Twenty?”
“Oh, not at all. I believe we’re maybe at five. They can be so difficult…”
“Really? I suppose so. The two of us have completed thirty, but it certainly wasn’t easy.”
“Thirty already? How impressive. You have my respect.”
“It’s hardly worth that! But, well… Out of all the test players, I think we may be the top-ranked party. At least, I feel like we are. Oh-ho-ho-ho!”
They weren’t exactly talking quietly. Medhimama in particular was quite loud.
“Oh, I know! If you like, I’m happy to share the trick to making good progress in this game.”
“A trick?”
“Yes. Just do exactly as I say. There’s nothing difficult about it. My daughter just does whatever I tell her, and she’s become ever so strong. So… Well? How about it?”
“Um… I appreciate the advice, but…”
“No need to stop there! I’m sure you want to know more.”
“W-well…”
Medhimama appeared to be overpowering Mamako, who was now unobtrusively tugging at Masato’s sleeve.
She seemed to want his help, but there was no way he could…
No, wait, perhaps this was his chance. Masato steeled his nerves and valiantly thrust himself into mom talk.
“Um, uh… Do you mind? I have a question.”
“Oh! Your son seems interested. You see, the basis of it is…”
“N-no, not that… Um… I was wondering where the two of you were headed.”
Well, he was only really interested in where Medhi was headed.
Medhimama seemed slightly disappointed but answered anyway.
“Our destination? Well, obviously, we’re headed to the school town Mahweh. I’m planning on having Medhi attend the school there.”
“Oh, really?! Same as us, then!”
This allowed the two parties—or more importantly, Masato and Medhi—to share the spotlight for a while. That was a good thing. He’d have been quite upset otherwise.
This must be destiny’s hand at work.
A boy and a girl, coincidentally on the same carriage. Bound for the same place, for the same purpose.
After spending that time together, they would support each other, growing closer and closer, until they found themselves always together…