Chapter of Magic Stone, Episode 3: A Restful Weekend

I avoided turning on the TV after waking up because I wanted to enjoy the afterglow from playing in my dreams for just a little bit longer.

I sat on a chair and relaxed as I sipped on a warm drink. With night to look forward to, I returned back to my normal daily life.

“Would you like something warm to drink, Marie?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful. I feel like royalty, having drinks served to me in the morning.”

Like with the TV, my habits had been changing as of late. Nowadays, I woke up with an elf from a dream world next to me, who would reply to me whenever I spoke to her. It was as if my dreams had been extended, and even my life after waking up was becoming somewhat enjoyable. I spent less time yearning for night to come, and the only part of my routine to remain was my morning drink.

It was already quite bright outside, but it was still a bit too early to prepare breakfast. I got up from the bed to begin enjoying my day off and decided to warm up some milk in the kitchen. It may be a bit childish, but I did love me some warm milk. I drank it every once in a while, but its simple yet delicious flavor surprised me sometimes.

I wondered whether an elf would prefer honey or sugar, but I ended up going with the former. Fruits were just about the only sweets available in her world, and honey was a luxury item that was hard to obtain in large quantities. Considering this, I was sure she’d enjoy the honey and milk.

Ding! I took the two mugs out of the microwave and brought them to the bedroom—that is, I walked past the low cabinet dividing it from the kitchen. The elf was sitting on the edge of the bed, quietly observing the world outside.

The word “picturesque” came to mind, and it was perfectly fitting for the scene. The morning sun was shining through her white hair, each strand radiating like silverwork. Her pale skin and amethyst eyes made her seem like an art piece or a fairy. It almost felt like talking to her now would ruin the picture-perfect sight, and I felt a small lump in my throat as I spoke.

“...Here. Be careful, it’s hot.”

“Oh, thank you. Sorry, I was a bit out of it.”

“It’s okay. We went through so much earlier. Drink some, it’ll help you relax.”

A gentle fragrance filled the air, and her purple eyes peered into the cup with curiosity. She took a tiny sip to taste, then broke into a cheerful smile.

“Oh! This faint sweetness is so tasty. It doesn’t have any odor, either. What type of milk is this?”

“It’s cow’s milk. There isn’t much of it where you live, but I think it’ll become more common over time. I don’t think it’d taste just like this, though.”

With that, I sat on the bed next to her. It seemed she was staring at the little birds on the balcony through the window. They chirped at each other, then flew away after making eye contact. The spring sky was reasonably clear, and it seemed to be a good day for an outing.

As I thought about it, the elf looked over at me.

“You said you have the day off, but does that mean you lost your source of income?”

“Uhh... Well, it’s not like contractual labor. It’s more like I’m in a state of permanent employment for someone. I get to take two days off every week.”

She seemed to be thinking about it, and I suspected that, in her mind, I had a master that was making me work. Though, I supposed my boss and superiors were somewhat like that... I’d say it wasn’t quite the same. Maybe I’d teach her about Japan’s societal structure some time in the future.

She seemed to like the warm milk, and she happily continued taking little sips from her mug. I also took a sip, and it made me feel a little fancier than usual.

“What do you say we go to the library later? It’s basically an athenaeum that’s open to the public. I’m sure it’ll come in handy for studying Japanese, too.”

“Sure, I don’t mind. But shouldn’t we prioritize actually speaking the language?”

“Yes, but I thought if you found a book that interested you, it may help you learn faster.”

The elf nodded and seemed to understand my reasoning.

In my case, the desire to converse with Marie was my motivation for learning Elvish... though it would’ve been a bit embarrassing to admit that to her face. But I know curiosity and interest are powerful things that can make learning much more efficient.

She was completely relaxed by the time she finished drinking her milk, and we decided to go out for breakfast soon after.

As soon as we left the condo, Marie stiffened slightly. Although her ears were hidden under her hat, people turned to stare at her otherworldly appearance. To top it off, those vehicles known as cars that she didn’t quite understand were all over the streets. Just when I was beginning to wonder if she’d be okay, the girl slowly took a step forward.

“Oh, don’t look so worried. I’m an elf who gets to spend time in the world of humans. I’ll be okay so long as you’re here with me.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Now then, would you like to hold hands?”

Marie seemed slightly embarrassed, but nodded in response. There was a notable height difference, but I felt like there wasn’t much distance between us at all. I felt her slender fingers as our hands intertwined, and she whispered, “Okay, let’s go.” That was all it took for my footsteps to become that much lighter.

“Yeah, let’s go around and walk along the riverbed. We could drive there, but I’d rather enjoy my day off and go on a walk with you.”

“My, aren’t you a smooth talker. Do you always talk like that with... Hmm, no, you probably don’t. You would probably just make them yawn with those sleepy-looking eyes of yours.”

Did my face really look that sleepy? Though of course, I was far from capable of smooth talking anyone, and I’d probably look ridiculous if I ever tried. It’d be cruel to expect such things from an ordinary Japanese guy like me.

We began seeing more trees along the way as it grew a bit darker outside. We continued walking a bit farther to find a promenade along the riverbed and walked through the carpark gantry onto the dirt path. There was a newer walkway that was better maintained, as this side just had flattened dirt. But to the elf, she still couldn’t quite consider it to be “nature.”

“Aw... They’ve even built things on the river. It’s pretty, but the spirits here don’t seem very energetic.”

“Flood control is very important in this region. There used to be a ton of flooding incidents way back when. I heard it’s been happening since the Edo period, so they’ve been working hard to keep the rivers under control for nearly four hundred years.”

Marie sighed with a look that was a mixture of surprise and exasperation. She then stared at the river again, her gaze moving from the top of the stream to the bottom. Her face looked as if she could see the brave souls who’d stood up to those floods in the past.

“So, you can see water spirits too, right? Do you know what they’re saying right now?”

I leaned onto the fence next to Marie and asked her as the wind rustled her hair. However, she shook her head sideways and said, “I can’t quite hear their voices. I think I need to interact with them more. I’m thinking of giving it a try when I have some time, but—”

She suddenly stopped for some reason, then stared at something in front of me. Thinking it odd, I turned around, then saw something that was a common sight in the downtown area.

There sat a cat, looking up at us from the base of a tree. Judging by the collar around its neck, it didn’t seem to be a stray. It was probably just out enjoying a morning walk.

“Oh, a cat. Now that I think about it, there aren’t any similar animals in the other world.”

“Aww, so small! You’re called a ‘cat,’ are you?”

The cat meowed affectionately, then looked up at Marie with its round eyes. Its nose was light pink, and its fur seemed soft and fluffy, like a little chick covered in down feathers.

“Are you a boy? What’s your name?”

Marie seemed very much like the half-fairy elf she was as she slightly squinted her eyes and whispered quietly. Marie was much calmer than most girls my age, which was probably because she’d lived for over a hundred years.

“Hehe, so cute and tiny. Are there many of these cats around?”

“Yup. This is the downtown area, and a ton of people own cats around here. There are some strays here and there too, of course.”

Marie hadn’t noticed because she was looking at me, but the cat stretched its body, then decided to walk over to her. It leaned in toward her outstretched finger and took a sniff. She seemed a bit surprised as she realized what was going on, then slowly broke into a smile.

“Ahhh...”

“I think it’s giving you a greeting. Don’t touch it yet, though. Cats will let you know when they want to be touched, so you need to wait.”

She wriggled a bit as the cat’s fur tickled her skin, then looked at the cat with a sparkle in her eyes. I think I heard that cats tended to like people with a calm demeanor and small stature. Marie was of a slighter build, so maybe she was more likely to be liked by them.

The cat eventually moved in to nudge its face against her fingertip. Marie looked up at me wordlessly, but her eyes said, “Well? Can I touch it now?!” I couldn’t help my lips from curling into a smile as I nodded in response.

“Okay, cat, I’m going to touch you now... Ohh, so soft...”

As she gingerly stroked the cat, it pressed its face against her as if to demand more petting. She scratched the cat between its chin and collar with her slender fingers, to which it meowed in bliss. Its movement seemed to become much more relaxed, and it began purring audibly. The vibration caused by the purring seemed to be overwhelming for her, and she leaned back to look up at me with wide-eyed glee. I’d never seen her purple eyes so round, and seeing her cheeks go pink with childlike excitement was almost too cute for me to handle.

The cat seemed to be getting comfortable, because it rolled over and revealed its stomach to Marie. Seeing this, her joyful smile grew into absolute elation.

“Hehe, you like being rubbed here, don’t you? Mrooow.”

An elf who was so engrossed with petting a cat was a peculiar sight. The image of Marie meowing like a child looped in my head. It was as if she wanted to destroy my cheeks from smiling so much.

I was at a loss for what to do. I tried so hard to contain myself, I was starting to quiver.

The cat eventually seemed to have enough, because it stood up and walked away with a final “mew.” The elf watched it walk away with a disappointed look and didn’t stand back up until several minutes had passed.

“Ahhh... Did you see that? So adorable!”

Her cheeks were red as she spoke with a joyful voice, and she ran her fingers up and down my arm as if she were still petting the cat. The ticklish sensation was too much, and I finally burst into laughter.

“Pfffaha! Yeah, that cat was adorable. That was great!”

“Right? Riiight? It was incredible! Sigh... I wonder if that cat will play with me again... Oh, let’s come back here again, Kazuhiho!”

There was a look of determination on her face, as if she were taking on an important mission. She seemed proud of discovering this meeting place with the cat, and I nodded in response.

I took her hand, which was now warmer than earlier, and decided to keep walking down the promenade.

＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋

There were many public facilities like libraries in this region, among them being a terrace where you could read books. But those places were more common in areas that were more recently developed, so they would’ve been a little too far of a walk. I was only there today to find something Ms. Elf would enjoy, so I took her to a local hole-in-the-wall.

“Ah! I-I wasn’t surprised by the automatically opening doors or anything... I merely had a vocal reaction because the glass moved is all.”

I didn’t mind her surprise; I figured she would be.

Marie seemed to be pushing back against modern Japan or something...

She looked around several times before entering the library. There were few people inside since it had just opened for the day, but the building was nicely air conditioned. The walls were lined with arts and crafts made by children and flyers featuring different books. The elf girl stared at them with great interest, so I looked along with her. She seemed to be drawn by the colorful paper. She took a pink origami piece in her hand and let out a sound full of amazement.

“This ‘library’ place is far different from what I had imagined. I thought it would be darker and dustier. Sunlight is basically poison for books, after all.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that. I’ve never been to athenaeums myself, but I think you’re right that leather and paper are sensitive to sunlight and heat.”

Books in the other world had to be written by hand, so they were naturally quite expensive. Only those with a social standing such as nobles and sorcerers were allowed to enter a facility similar to this. There were some stores that sold books to the general public in the cities there, but they were still far from being considered mainstream. The fact that libraries here seemed to be geared toward children had also greatly surprised her.

“Let’s check the directory first... Hmm, I think a book with tons of pictures would be good... Now, where’s the children’s section...?”

“Your world must be quite advanced if children can read books.”

Right, there was no printing technology in her world. But you could say only valuable information was stored in their books as a trade-off. At least, I thought that was what she meant, but Marie shook her head.

“No, I’m talking about the literacy rate. Only about thirty percent of the population can read in my world, and books are usually only used by nobles and us sorcerers.”

“Oh, that’s right. But not being able to read doesn’t really affect life over there, huh.”

It was a given for a sorceress like Marie to know how to read. Their mission was to unveil the mysteries of the secret arts, so deciphering those bundles of information was an elementary part of their role. As for nobles, they had a duty to learn so they didn’t get cheated by deceptive wording in contracts when managing money and properties. The general population didn’t have such important missions or jobs to do, and was more concerned with what to eat that day.

I supposed the only other type of reading people would need to do would be on their status screens. But even in those cases, they could simply have other adventurers or their guild teach them what each term meant. I doubted any of them found joy in the act of reading. This mentality could probably be flipped upside down if such a thing as manga existed in their world, though...

“Okay, Marie, let’s head to the children’s section for now.”

“...Hold on just a minute. Do you intend on making me read a book written for children?”

“Ah, I just thought there may be something you’d like there. If there isn’t, we can walk past that section and keep looking around.”

She narrowed her purple eyes, and I realized I’d put her in a somewhat unhappy mood. I could tell she was apprehensive about looking at books for kids as a Spirit Sorceress.

In the end, I invited her to just check it out, and she followed me reluctantly.

As soon as we entered the reading room, a familiar sight entered my vision. Though it’d been some time since I’d been here, I’d visited the place often since I was in elementary school. The nostalgic sights and smells brought me back to those bygone days...

One thing I appreciated was that the receptionist greeted us without persistently staring at the elf girl. It was great knowing she was considerate of people’s personal space so they could come in to read peacefully.

“Huh, I recognize her...”

If I remembered correctly, I’d spoken to the same receptionist a few times in the past. But today was about Marie, so I decided to leave the catching up for later.

“Beautiful... So many colors...” Marie uttered with wonder as she walked between the bookshelves.

The rows of books all had colorful spines, and the elf glanced at each one with a look full of curiosity.

Then, she froze. I turned to face her, and her purple eyes were locked on to a single point on a bookshelf. I took a few steps back to see where she was looking, then realized what had captured her attention.

There was a cat on the cover of one book.

It was looking at us with its clear, round eyes and looked just like the real thing, albeit wearing a nice hat. Marie had just played with a cat earlier, revealing a side of her that I didn’t get to see often.

“Did you find a book you like?”

“N-No, it isn’t like that. It’s just that the vivid colors happened to draw my eye.”

I replied with an “mhm” as I picked up the book she was staring at. It was heavier than I expected, and it was clear by looking at the back cover that it had been published overseas.

“Why don’t we check it out? It’s nice and colorful on the inside, too.”

“I said I’m not interested...”

She kept shooting curious looks my way as she said so. I smiled at the way she tried to hide her interest and flipped the page over. Then, the feeling of the cat’s story coming to life could be felt through the open pages.

“If I remember correctly, this series is about a cat that goes on adventures in different countries. It was much more popular before, and I remember it being checked out all the time,” I told Marie while she stared into the book.

Then she directed her round eyes at me. “What, it’s not popular anymore? But it’s such a beautiful book...”

“There are trends in picture books, too. But it’s still possible for it to become popular again... Why don’t we take a seat for a little bit?” I gestured toward the round chairs nearby, and we sat down next to each other.

It had become much brighter outside, and the sunlight reflecting off the ground had warmed up the room. It felt a bit strange that an elf from a fantasy world was holding onto my sleeve in the middle of a room full of picture books.

“This cat looks just like the one I saw this morning. It’s so cute, but the book...”

“Why don’t you give it a read? Books actually want people to read them, you know.”

I flipped to the next page, and the cat had stepped out to begin its adventure. The elf moved in close enough that our cheeks were nearly touching, then peered into the picture book.

“I wish I could, but... I still don’t understand how to read the characters.”

“This is a custom in other countries, but I hear you’ll have a nice dream if you read before going to sleep. If you pick a book you like, I can read it to you back home.”

Marie blinked a few times, then turned to me. “We’re allowed to borrow these books? But someone might dirty them, or even steal them!”

“True, but we’ll take good care of them. We can only borrow them for a limited time, so let’s come back to return them together.”

She tugged on my sleeve a couple times with the same expression she was showing the cat earlier. I imagined she was thinking about unraveling the world inside the picture book before drifting off to sleep. I told her it was decided and closed the book, then offered it to her. She held it preciously in her hands, her smile seemingly brightening the room as she adorably replied, “Okay!” Even the receptionist seemed to be blushing and enjoying the elf’s happy expression.

“Thank you! I can’t wait!” It was almost as if flowers were floating and dancing around Marie’s head.

“All right, then let’s go look for something else you might like.”

I decided to skip over the fact that it was usually children who had books read to them before bedtime...

In any case, I actually wanted to read to her. I could picture her sleepily rubbing her eyes while asking me to read one more chapter... Hmhm, I couldn’t wait.

As I watched Marie enthusiastically compare two picture books, I had a thought:

Hm, so Marie is interested in illustrations...

When I thought about it, enjoying art was something reserved for a select few, like nobles. It was a profound form of entertainment that most wouldn’t consider to be for children. That must have been why Marie realized its charm in this library for the first time.

Thinking about it further, I realized many children first learned language from picture books and anime. In that sense, anime may be a good way for her to learn Japanese, too. But I had to avoid boring her with something that was too childish. I needed something interesting and enjoyable for both children and adults...

Then, it came to me.

“Hm, that might work. I think I’ll rent a movie on the way home.”

Right as I uttered to myself, the elf girl stood up from her chair with books held carefully in her arms. After taking her time to decide, she settled on three of the books from the picture book series of the cat she’d found earlier. Actually, she kinda did remind me of a cat herself, with her whimsical nature and the way she sometimes stared at me with those jewel-like eyes.

She looked up with a questioning expression that only confirmed her cat-like qualities in my mind. She stood there with her head tilted, and I placed my hand on the hat atop her head. It’d be nice if she let me pet her head to my heart’s content like that cat did for her...

“You’ve been thinking for a while. Couldn’t find anything else you like?”

“Well, I did find a book with a frog on it. It was quite unfair. Who wouldn’t have a hard time deciding?”

I followed her gaze to a book with a smug-looking frog featured on the cover. I made a mental note that she seemed to be fond of cheeky characters like those.

Maybe that meant she’d like some brand merchandise of the characters? It may be fun taking her to that huge facility that was hard to tell if it was in Chiba or Tokyo... This was giving me all sorts of ideas for places to take her in the future.

“Well then, let’s check out those books at the reception area.”

“All right, let’s get going, then!” The elf still seemed to be in the world of picture books, because her footsteps were light as I took her to the reception desk.

The woman at the counter greeted us, received the books Marie presented, and then smiled. Her hair went down to her shoulders, and she had a calm demeanor about her.

“Excuse me, I’d like to check these out.”

“Of course. It’s been a while, Kitase-san. I see you have a cute girl with you today.”

I’d come to this place a few times before, so I was already acquaintances with the receptionist. We didn’t seem too far apart in age, and judging by the ring on her finger, she was a married woman.

“Uhh, she’s a relative from overseas. She seems to like picture books, so I think we’ll be back every once in a while.”

“Ah, I look forward to it. Then, may I ask your name?” Her silky black hair wavered as she leaned a bit over the counter to peer at Marie.

I realized that was a good opportunity for some basic Japanese practice, so I translated the question to the elf and quickly taught her a few phrases. She repeated them to herself a few times, then began speaking clumsily.

“H-Hallo, my name, is, Mariabelle.”

“I’m Kaoruko Ichijo. It’s nice to meet you, Mariabelle-chan.”

Marie reached out for a handshake, which seemed to be a habit from the dream world. Kaoruko seemed enchanted by the elf’s pale, slender hand for a moment, then stood up from her chair in a fluster. It seemed she, too, sensed something fantastical from Marie.

Marie’s beauty seemed to be straight from the world of fables. If I were to compare her to a mythical creature, I’d say she was most akin to a unicorn. Kaoruko may have become hesitant to touch such a work of art.

It was timid and awkward, but the two finally clasped each other’s hands. It seemed to be a bit much for Kaoruko, because she let out an “Nn!” and squirmed around a bit, with Marie twitching in surprise.

I could see where Kaoruko was coming from, though. Marie really was like a cute little doll. I got that just from seeing her move around, so touching her was enough to make one tremble.

The elf looked at me with a puzzled expression. “Kazuhiho, why did she put ‘-chan’ after my name? Did I not communicate my name correctly?”

“Oh, no, I guess that’s just something you put at the end of a cute girl’s name.”

She tilted her head questioningly, so I gave her a quick lesson. I told her that Kaoruko put “-san” at the end of my name because it’s used to address men and women who are of similar age or older. Conversely, “-chan” is mainly used to address people who are younger.

Marie nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Kaoruko to speak. “Nice to, meechu, Kaoruko, chan.”

Oh, right... Kaoruko would be younger from the elf’s perspective. But not only did Kaoruko not mind being addressed that way, she was about to get KO’d by Marie’s cute, stuttering speech. She tightly wrapped her arms around her own body, then raised her head after letting her emotions settle down. Strands of her black hair were out of place on her face, but she seemed to regain her cool receptionist demeanor.

“...Kitase-san, it’s far too much for me to handle when she directly addresses me with my name like that.”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s quite troubling for me because she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing.”

Kaoruko looked at me with eyes full of empathy. I was feeling a strange sense of happiness to find someone who understood my pain, when she suddenly seemed to realize something and her look turned to one of suspicion.

“D-Don’t tell me you two have—”

“N-No, no, we haven’t... I wouldn’t even have the guts to do something like that.”

“So, you would do something if you had more courage, then?”

Oh man, I definitely shouldn’t have said that...

But... it made me consider her question. In my mind, I wanted to avoid destroying my relationship with Marie above all else. It wasn’t really a matter of if I’d make a move or not, or whether I had the guts.

“She’s a really sweet girl. I’d never think of doing anything that’d disappoint her.”

“Yes. I know this isn’t my business, but I think you should maintain that relationship for a while... Now, about your library card. Have you changed your address since the last time you were here?”

Oh, now that she mentioned it... I’d actually moved once since the last time I came here.

I pulled out my driver’s license and began the paperwork for an address change. As I handed her my license, Kaoruko had a look of surprise on her face.

“Oh...? This address... So you live there too?”

“Huh? Are you saying you live there as well?”

Her eyes went wide and she nodded.

Now that was a surprise. I never realized we lived in the same place.

Marie tugged on my sleeve, and I looked down to find her giving me a dubious look.

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, I just found out she lives in the same condos as me. I think she’s married, so she probably lives with her husband.”

“Ah, so she’s a neighbor. Those condo buildings have houses below and next to them, so it’s hard to tell who lives where.”

It was true that the concept of getting to know your neighbors was dying out in modern society. I’d personally never had that sort of relationship with my neighbors, and I couldn’t say I was really interested in having one. So while our condo had a management association, I didn’t attend their meetings for the most part. I told Kaoruko as such, and she nodded in agreement.

“The management association is mainly about cleaning and fire drills. No one is obligated to attend for social purposes.”

“That’s true. I tend to spend all my free time on my hobbies, anyhow...”

I wasn’t too big on social relationships. Being considerate could be tiring, and I’d have to worry about not giving people a bad impression of myself.

But, wait... why didn’t I feel any aversion to being with Marie, then?

“Hm...?”

She seemed confused as our eyes met, but I didn’t have the answer. I’d never felt that being with her was bothersome, and even taking care of her was enjoyable for me. I really didn’t expect to find such a question buried in my thoughts...

As I thought about it, Kaoruko spoke to me. “Would you two like to go somewhere together sometime? Um, I’d like to get to know Mariabelle-san better, if I’m being honest.”

“Oh, uhh, I see...”

I was a bit taken aback by her invitation. It was a strange situation. This woman I hardly knew had invited us to hang out, and her eyes were completely fixated on Mariabelle and seemingly ignoring me. I couldn’t help but feel oddly let down. It was sorta like a girl talking to you just to ask you to give a love letter to some other guy.

Still, I decided to consider her offer.

“Okay, sure. Can I get your contact information then...?”

Interacting with other people may have been a good way for Marie to study Japanese. This might’ve also lead to her going to the library to talk with Kaoruko while I was away. With that in mind, I decided to take her up on her offer.

But man, exchanging contact information with a woman did make me kinda nervous. Just the act of adding each other on social media was apparently an incomprehensible exchange from the elf’s perspective. She blinked several times, then caught a book in a fluster as it started slipping down.

“H-Hey, what are you doing?”

“Well, she says she wants to get to know you better. That’s why I’m giving her my contact information. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No, of course I don’t mind, but...”

Her soft fingers slipped in between mine under the counter. I felt as if she was depending on me as she tightened her hands around mine, and my heart started beating faster for some reason. It felt as if a little bird had landed on my finger.

“It’s okay, I’ll be by your side through and through. I think you’re about to make your first friend.”

I remembered she had a bit of an introverted personality. She avoided crowds and interacting with others, so she was kind of like me in that sense.

She unconsciously squeezed my hand, then finally looked up to me. “All right, then. Are you going to teach me the proper greeting for this situation?”

In the corner of the book room, the elf awkwardly spoke words of greeting. When I thought about it, that was her first time interacting with someone who wasn’t me. Actually, would that cat have been the first...? Or the waitress, maybe...

The two shook hands again, and it seemed like the elf had taken one more small step into the world of Japan.

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We left the library with the bag of books in hand. Some kids walked in as we were leaving, and I smiled and wondered if they were heading for the children’s section, too. Marie had a similar reaction while walking next to next to me now that she understood what sort of place the library was.

The sun was almost directly overhead now, and it was a good time to start thinking about what to eat for lunch. I turned to Marie, who was hugging the book bag in her arms, and said, “I want to stop by a shop before we go home. I can also hold on to the books, if you’d like.”

“Sure. I can hold the books myself, though.”

I had already begun reaching for them, but got shot down. I retracted my hands that had nowhere to go, and Marie said, “You can be a bit overprotective at times, you know. I think you’re forgetting that I am far older than you.”

Of course I remembered, though maybe I was starting to forget as the days went on.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but there was still a sense of dreaminess to her. Her gaze lowered to the books in her arms, and then she let out a happy sigh.

“Haah... It was so adorable... I feel so fortunate to be able to take such cuteness home with me. These libraries are wonderful places, aren’t they?”

“There’s a limit to how many books we can check out at once, but we can borrow them as many times as we want. Let’s come back and find books together again.”

She nodded and smiled warmly. It seemed the girl let her guard down and showed me that beautiful smile whenever she was excited about something. I smiled at the sight of her holding the books preciously and continued walking with her. We couldn’t hold hands with her carrying the books, but the happy aura emanating from her was putting me in a good mood, too.

When we got back to my room, I decided to take out the DVD I picked up on the way home. Marie was staring at the packages lining the store shelves earlier, but she seemed more enthusiastic in the library. I thought I should hold off on watching live action movies with her until she became a little more accustomed to Japanese and other forms of entertainment.

First, I had her sit on the bed, put a cushion behind her back, and then played the video on my LCD TV.

“Is that the ‘rental DVD’ you rented in that store earlier? What is it going to show on the TV?”

“Yup. Picture books show still images, so these are basically moving images. It’s a bit bright in here, so I’m going to close the curtains.”

A drink and some popcorn would’ve been nice, but I didn’t want to spill any on my bed.

And so, the video started playing. It was a movie for an anime that was well-known and enjoyed by children and adults all around Japan. Many families watched it together, and many people who grew up watching it still enjoyed it into their adulthood. Since she liked cute picture books, I was sure she would enjoy this one, too.

Sure enough, she let out an excited noise as the cheerful opening music began playing. The happy tempo and lighthearted tone were aimed at children, but the elf widened her eyes with joy.

“This music is so cute...” she uttered, then leaned a bit closer.

Unfortunately, my TV wasn’t very big because it was designed for one person. But it wouldn’t fit in my room if it were too big, so there wasn’t much I could do about that. It wasn’t really an issue if we watched it from a close distance, anyway.

The blue sky was displayed as the music ended, and then it slowly began introducing the characters. I particularly enjoyed how expressive the characters were. They could even evoke annoyance or portray laziness with a simple expression. It was part of what made the characters seem more human, despite being just characters in an anime.

I personally didn’t watch much anime, but the liveliness of the characters alone made it enjoyable. This girl, too, seemed to be immersed as she stared and blinked repeatedly.

“The pictures... You were right. They’re moving... Is this magic?”

“No, I think it’s mostly hand-drawn. A bunch of people got together and made each of those moving pictures like craftsmen.”

I didn’t think even magic could make something like this. It was full of the creator’s soul, which could be said to be the core of any good story, and was what drew its viewers in so strongly. It was like a picture book in that sense, and whether she wanted to be or not, the elf was pulled into the story.

There was no magic in my world, but this had something to it that wasn’t too far off. The worlds created within these fictional stories had a sort of mysterious charm of their own.

“H-Hey, what are those kids saying? Can you teach me, Kazuhiho?”

She looked between me and the TV screen restlessly, and it was clear to see she was captivated. I wanted her to become more interested in Japanese, so I didn’t explain everything, though. I told her the basic flow of the story, then let her figure out the rest from the vibes of each character. She seemed to somewhat understand what they were saying, nodding here and there in response as she lost herself in the story. She let out a quiet cheer during the peaceful scenes and reacted in surprise at the mysterious characters. Before she knew it, she’d grown to care about the young protagonists.

“Hehe, that person reminds me of you. His sleepy-looking face looks just like yours.”

“Huh, you think so? I think he’s more awake than I am, though.”

We continued watching and laughing together, and she tugged on my chest when asking to explain something to her. As we repeated this, we naturally ended up in a position where I was holding her in my arms. Her soft, slender body was leaning on mine, and her beautiful white hair was touching my chin. My body eventually grew warmer as we watched the movie in comfort.

“It’s almost like I’m inside the story...” the girl spoke quietly, in a slow and relaxed tone.

“Yeah, I know the feeling. It was like that for me, too.”

My voice was calmer than usual, and the elf looked slightly up toward me. I’d also relaxed my body and begun enjoying the movie before realizing it.

However, with a good story comes even greater conflict.

As night settled in, the distinct mood of Japan after dark showed itself, and the elf’s body grew tense. The loneliness depicted by the protagonist walking by himself seemed to spread to Marie, and she held me tightly. Her soft body was pressed against mine, and I could feel her heart thumping like that of a little bird’s. She had a somewhat sweet scent to her, and being in such close proximity with her made the aroma all the more prominent. I suppressed the feelings it invoked and hugged her back softly, then whispered to her from above her head as if I were the narrator.

“Ah!”

She raised her voice as a cute character joined the story. It was just the type of creature she was fond of, and it made her embrace me a little tighter. She was completely absorbed in the story, and her gaze went back and forth from the TV to my face with a look that asked me to explain what was going on. I didn’t know why, but it made me want to laugh ever so gently.

The characters eventually overcame their conflict through hardship, and the girl let out a sigh of relief as it came to a happy conclusion. Her body finally moved away, which was a bit of a shame, but I was also glad to see the happy smiles on the characters’ faces.

The same opening song played at the finale, and I grinned seeing Marie sway her head side to side along with the merry music. She continued watching until the music ended, and when the ending message showed up on the screen, she was finally allowed to leave the world of the story.

She didn’t move for a bit, so I asked her, “How was it?” But that may have been an unnecessary question to ask. There was a dreamy look to her when she finally turned to face me, and it seemed she now understood the draw of watching movies.

“Yes, it was very entertaining. I didn’t understand most of the conversations, but I’m glad I was able to experience that.”

With that, she jumped into my arms as if to express her high spirits. Maybe she was invigorated from watching the movie, because there was a surprising amount of power to the movement, and I ended up being pushed down onto the bed. She sat on my stomach and looked down at me with those beautifully glimmering purple eyes.

“It was as if those pictures were alive. Such a strange feeling.”

“Yup. It’s because they weren’t just pictures. They were telling a story,” I whispered to the girl as she pressed her cheek against my chest with a fascinated expression.

I felt like touching her white, flowing hair, and I gently pushed some strands behind her ear with my finger. She seemed to enjoy it, because her eyes narrowed sleepily as she let out a warm breath.

“Yeah... Umm... Ah... I like books too, but I like using my imagination more. Because imagination is limitless, you know? I think what we saw was more like being shown around the world of someone else’s imagination.”

“Ah, that’s a simple but interesting way to put it. There are many forms of entertainment like that in Japan. I think you’ll be able to enjoy many more of them once you learn more Japanese. There will be so many things to enjoy, you wouldn’t be able to count them all.”

The elf suddenly lifted her head and broke into a beaming smile.

“I’m definitely going to learn it. It’s a downright shame I can’t understand it now, and it makes me sad. Say, was that something I could enjoy again? I’d like to rewatch it, if possible.”

“Yeah, you can watch it as many times as you want. I’ll show you how to use the remote. I’ll go make a light meal for us, so go ahead and knock yourself out.”

That was good to hear. It seemed she now had an interest in both anime and literature in Japanese.

It had been a while, but I enjoyed watching it with her, too. Though, the most fun part of all was seeing her reactions.

As I made preparations in the kitchen, that merry opening song began playing again. I could hear the elf humming, and when I turned around, I saw her swaying along with the music. I almost laughed at the precious sight, but I needed to resist the urge and focus on cooking. If there were no one else around, I probably would have been doubled back in laughter already.

I wanted to make something we could eat while watching movies, so I decided on pancakes. They were easy to make, and I already had honey I could use.

As I cooked, Marie asked me questions from the bed, like what the meanings of certain words and phrases were, along with the detailed nuances of their usage. One thing I noticed was that she never asked the same thing twice. She had a brilliant mind to begin with, and she now had the charming world on the screen to guide her motivation. She was basically cramming all the info she could before, but this way, she would learn naturally while enjoying herself. I was sure she would pick up knowledge like a sponge absorbing water this way.

Yeah, I definitely made the right choice.

I placed a tray on her lap and had her eat the pancakes that had been cut into portions. Despite being absorbed in the story, she let out a “sooo delicious!” and melted into an adorable smile.

After enjoying the anime and pancakes, she flopped back onto the bed. She wriggled her body left and right, then reached out for my hand as I got closer.

“Sorry, I’m so happy I can’t get up right now. Can you help me?”

I laughed and told her I’d be happy to, then took her slender hand and lifted her to a sitting position at the edge of the bed. I always thought she looked like a doll, but she really did in that moment.

She dreamily let out a warm sigh, then looked at me with half-lidded eyes.

“That countryside was so pretty, with such a wonderful nightscape. Was that part of Japan, too?”

“Yeah, but I think it was from a long time ago. Actually, I think my grandpa’s house looked like that place.”

Marie’s eyes snapped open, and she stared at me. Her expression had changed from a minute ago, and it was now full of anticipation.

Hmm, I was planning on taking her somewhere during my vacation in May, so maybe that was the place to go.

“Then, would you like to go there for my vacation next month? We’ll need to take a mini-trip before that to get you accustomed to it, though.”

“Oh, oh, I want to go! That is, if I wouldn’t be bothering anyone...”

She seemed to be dying to go, but she was mature enough to be considerate at the same time.

But still, I’d already made up my mind. She was clearly raring to go, so what sort of man would I be if I didn’t make it happen?

“Then let’s go to the countryside where my family lives. I hope you look forward to it, Marie.”

Her face seemed to glow with joy as she leaned in to hug me.

I could totally feel her breasts when she pressed against me from the front like that, and, well... it just made me freeze up awkwardly.

When Marie took a bath that day, I could hear the theme song from the anime coming from the bathroom. It was just so adorable, I suspected she was trying to break my face from making me smile so hard. Luckily, she couldn’t see me, so I was able to get away with grinning like an idiot.

I chuckled to myself as I continued cooking.

Tonight, I was making some keema curry with a little extra spiciness. I added garam masala to the onions as they began losing their opacity, and an appetizing aroma filled the kitchen.

＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋ ＋

Our eating schedules dictated that we have light meals in the morning and lunchtime in Japan, then heavier meals at night and for lunch in the other world. The two worlds may have been different, but I seemed to share the same stomach in both of them, which was why I had a total of four meals. It was just the right amount with my daily caloric intake being equivalent to three full meals a day.

“Actually, that may be eating a little more calories than three meals’ worth. Though it’s not like I’ve been keeping track, anyway.”

Regardless, I had a feeling I ate a little more than the standard.

I wondered if Ms. Elf would be troubled if she gained weight. Personally, I thought she was a bit on the thin side and could use a little more meat. But maybe it’d be healthier to eat delicious food and work it off with exercise rather than worrying too much about the calories.

I sampled a bit of the spices in the frying pan and adjusted the taste. I had some white wine to enjoy as I tasted my cooking, which was a privilege reserved for whoever prepared the food. Cooking always tasted best fresh, so I was thoroughly enjoying the pre-meal snacks and drink.

Suddenly, my feet felt strangely unstable.

“Hm? It definitely shook just now. An earthquake...?”

Earthquakes weren’t an uncommon occurrence in Japan. I was already quite used to them, having experienced them since I was young.

I stopped the fire on the stove and turned on the TV next to the bed. The emergency tone was playing right when I tuned in, and it seemed to be a magnitude 4.0.

“That one was kinda big. I’m a little worried because people say the foundation is a bit weak around here, but... it should be fine for now.”

I nodded to myself, and then I heard the bathroom door being opened loudly.

Opening the door right next to the bedroom revealed a sink and dressing area, with a toilet to the left and bathroom to the right. I was watching TV, but naturally, my eyes slowly moved to the source of the noise.

“You’re done already? That was fas—”

I turned around to find Marie’s still-wet body there, and, of course, she wasn’t wearing anything...

I let out an awkward oof. Her slim body, beautiful figure, feminine breasts, and colorful...

“Aaaaaahhh!”

“Kyaaaaaaaaahhh!”

I didn’t even have time to run. She screamed even louder than I did and jumped at my chest. I could feel our frantically-beating hearts and her body, warm from the bath with her soft, bare skin, right under me... but I needed to look up. Up!

“I-It shook! The bath just shook! Why?! Ahh, I’m scared! I’m so scaaared!”

“Oh, y-yeah, it was... an earthquake. I-It’s okay now. That was just a little tremor.”

“No, no! How can it be okay? The ground just shook. What if everything collapses and we get crushed?!”

In reality, I really was about to get crushed already, but by another, more bountiful force.

Even now, her fresh-out-of-the-bath smell and the feeling of her bare shoulders made me painfully aware of her femininity. My thoughts were so turbulent that the earthquake was the least of my problems.

“Okay, but Marie, your clothes!”

“Huh? A-Ahh! C-Close your eyes! Or, wait, just keep looking up at the ceiling!”

I would’ve liked to tell her it was no problem, but it took all my willpower to restrain myself.

I could feel her body finally move away from mine, and I heard the bathroom door closing.

Peace at last...

I sat heavily on the bed, and then my body went limp as I lied down. I was exhausted.

After some time, I noticed the elf had left some water droplets and her scent on my chest. I muttered between heavy breaths, “I... I did it... Good job, me...”

Sheesh. Didn’t see that one coming...

I realized I’d completely forgotten about earthquakes. Japan was one of the world-leading, earthquake-prone countries, and it was my fault for not giving her a heads up. I should also have taught her evacuation routes and how to deal with them when they occurred.

I let out another heavy sigh, but by then, I was finally able to stand up again.

When she came out of the bathroom, we both lowered our heads in apology. To be honest, I was just glad she wasn’t upset at me.

Marie was in her pajamas now, sniffing the smell of the room. She somewhat reminded me of the cat we’d seen in the morning. It seemed the spices I used for dinner were still foreign to her, and she was trying to find the source of the unfamiliar scent. That behavior, again, reminded me of the cat.

“So that scent is from your cooking. Is it just me, or does your food smell stronger and stronger each day?”

“It’s a dish that’s becoming recognized as traditional Japanese cooking, called curry. This one’s a bit different than the typical kind, though.”

Most households used store-bought roux, but I had used a ton of spices commonly found in traditional Indian cooking. Hm, maybe she would have liked what was considered “normal” curry better? But I’d made sure to not make it too spicy, so it should’ve been all right.

She looked at the food curiously, so I handed her a plate. I wasn’t a big fan of naan, so I made some yellow-colored rice to go with it instead. It wasn’t so much that I disliked it, but there was just something about eating curry with bread. I mean, why not just eat curry bread at that point?

The elf continued sniffing where she stood. It seemed to make her salivate, because she made an audible gulp. Her stomach then let out a cute growl, which she couldn’t hide with both her hands holding her plate.

That was what I loved about spicy foods. Just smelling them stirred your appetite and made your stomach growl. Your body automatically gets ready to eat, and it wouldn’t be satisfied until you did.

“That’s odd. I suddenly feel so much hungrier. Is it because of the strong scent?”

“Yeah, I used a bunch of different seasonings for today’s dish. They say hunger is the best spice too, so I’m sure you’re going to enjoy it. I’m a bit worried if it might be too hot for you, though.”

She seemed a bit confused, but I could also tell she wanted to dig in already.

And so, we moved over to the table next to us. I noticed the faint smell of soap as I got near her. We each pulled out a chair, sat down, and said “itadakimasu” together. Her pronunciation had become much more eloquent, probably because there were so many opportunities to use the phrase.

“Nn...?!”

She scooped some curry with her spoon and took a bite, and her eyes widened. She sat there frozen for about ten seconds, then finally began chewing again. She swallowed it down with some water, then turned her round, purple eyes toward me.

“It’s... spicy? Tasty? Hm, which is it? I’m not sure how to describe it, but...”

Marie trailed off, then stared at her curry. She gulped, and then, as if she couldn’t resist the temptation any longer, she took another bite of the spicy curry.

“Mmm... It’s spicy and it’s tasty. Oh, wait, the chicken is fragrant and tastes somewhat sweet, as well. M-Mmm, so delicious!”

“Ah, it looks like you can handle it. I’m glad.”

She seemed to have entered a loop of alternating between spiciness and tastiness.

It felt like I’d been checking the elf’s reaction more often whenever we ate lately. Watching her expressions was entertaining, though I knew it would be rude of me to say as much. I also wanted to know what types of flavors she enjoyed eating. I thought a part of me felt it would be a waste if I didn’t catch her reactions, in that case.

“Nnngh, it’s so hot! But I can’t stop eating... This curry is just bursting with flavor!”

“Now that I think about it, the desert region in the other world uses similar-tasting seasonings. Food spoils faster in hot weather, so maybe that’s why they tend to use so many spices.”

Marie looked at me with rounded eyes, then stared at the ceiling for a minute. She chewed slowly as if to savor the taste, swallowed, then shouted, “Ah!”

“That country... I mean, that monster at the oasis! I can’t believe it just happened yesterday, and I was so busy enjoying my time that I forgot about it again!”

Yeah, I thought she might’ve...

Then, as if she had gotten over it already, she looked at me with her damp hair wavering in front of her face.

“Do you think we’ll wake up in the same place as before?”

“I’m not sure. I have sometimes woken up in a different area before... but if I had to guess, I’d say it’d probably be in the same spot.”

Hm, the curry didn’t taste half bad, if I said so myself. There was a definite kick to the spice, but it was balanced out by the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Yup, I thought, Chicken definitely goes best with this curry.

My carefree attitude seemed to peeve the elf. She kept chewing and enjoying the meal, but her brows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes.

“You know... Mmg, mm... You seem awfully relaxed about this, but... Gulp... I hope you realize that, even though we can come back here, we’ve still been facing mortal danger.”

“I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think it really counts as mortal danger. I mean, we can go back to the oasis without anything to be afraid of now.”

I doubted there was any chance of us taking down that mysterious giant snake. Marie seemed to know this, which was probably why she seemed so flustered.

But seeing that I maintained my carefree attitude, she let out a “hmm” and mulled over what I just said. She seemed deep in thought, so I decided to help her out.

“Here’s a hint: There’s something we can do today that we couldn’t do yesterday.”

Marie pouted with a spoon hanging out of her mouth. She was clearly a bit unhappy about being unable to find out what I was getting at. Suddenly, though, her expression turned into a smile.

“Oh, I know! You got your long-distance movement skill back. You can use that to get us out of danger now!”

“Exactly. That’s why there’s nothing to worry about.”

She raised her arm triumphantly, having protected her pride as a spirit sorceress.

And so, I opted to let Ms. Elf enjoy the day as much as possible. It was often said that time was money, but I was now clear of the restriction that allowed me to use the skill only once per day.

“I’ve heard there’s one condition in which skills can become unusable, and that’s when the presence of a great, aberrant entity is nearby. Maybe the gods have decided not to interfere, because the god of travel didn’t respond to my call when we faced the arkdragon. The monster we faced yesterday shouldn’t be a problem, though.”

“Hmm, I see. Either way, we’ll have some time before the enemy shows up, so we should be all right. You always look like you’re on the verge of falling asleep, but it’s good to know you do think about these things.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve prepared a few ways to escape from situations like that, just in case. The problem is...”

There were still some unanswered questions pertaining to the oasis. Marie was astute enough to figure out what I wanted to say before I could voice it and waved her spoon as she began talking for me.

“Yes, the problem isn’t how to escape from there, but what to do about that child. It seemed to be a half-beast, and the chains around their hands and feet tell me someone was forcing them to summon that monster on us.”

“I don’t know how a child summoned a monster like that, but that magical catalyst must have something to do with it. I really want to find out what the deal is. So, I was wondering...”

She nodded and inched closer, and we talked with hushed voices, as if embroiled in a secret meeting. About a half an hour later, our plans had been made.

I rinsed off my sweat after taking a bath, then headed toward my bed. I suspected I’d be spending slightly less time in the dream world than usual.

There was one more request from the elf for me to fulfill before going to sleep. She was already on standby in bed and looking at me with an expectant expression. There was a bit of shyness in those glimmering, jewel-like eyes as they looked up at me.

Yes. I still had to read her a book, as I’d promised earlier in the day.

“I get to enjoy a story as I fall asleep? I can’t wait!”

I was looking forward to it myself. Although I’d never read to someone before, I was sure she was going to appreciate the experience.

Marie moved her head closer to my pillow as I sat down next to her. I tapped her forehead playfully, then held the book above us and began unraveling the world within.

It was the book we’d borrowed from the library during the day. Out of the wide selection available, the elf had chosen the one with the lovable art style that I held in my hands.

The binding was thick and sturdy. The smell of paper filled my nose as I opened it, and the black cat that was the main character was there looking at us.

“Hehe, let’s begin, then... The Black Cat and the Country of Night.”

The elf clapped her hands in the dim illumination of the downlight.

It was a colorful book, despite the low lighting, and the black cat’s eyes seemed to draw us right in. Perhaps that was just how picture books should have been.

I couldn’t help but notice there seemed to be a sense of foreignness to the colors, and that in combination with its unique writing style seemed to whisk its readers away to some other place.

“One day, the black cat awakened to find...”

I could tell Marie was looking up at the book with great interest. Her mind seemed to be inside the world between those pages as she followed the cat with her eyes. It felt like our hearts were beating together with an equal amount of excitement. We were ready to embark to unknown lands with growing anticipation for the story to come.

“But the stormy sea shook violently, thunder boom, boom, booming...”

It was interesting how the black cat somehow seemed more human than some human characters I’d encountered.

Despite the character’s charming appearance, however, it seemed the fate that awaited him could hardly be called smooth sailing. He was tossed around at the mercy of his fate like the waves of the ocean, but he bravely faced it head-on. The book kept us guessing about what would happen next, and we just had to keep turning the pages to find out. It was just that good.

After we got through several pages of the adventure, I heard Marie yawning cutely next to me.

“Wait,” she whispered in my ear and complained. “Your voice is making me sleepy... but I want to know what happens next...”

I grinned, but it was too dark for her to notice. In fact, she already seemed to have her eyes closed. I tucked her in up to her shoulders, and she let out a comfortable sigh.

It felt like I’d been spending more time in this world ever since Marie came over here. There wasn’t much that appealed to me about Japan until then, and I’d mostly enjoyed spending time in the dream world. But ever since the elf girl arrived, I’d learned to find excitement even in this world. Through her, I seemed to be realizing just how fascinating Japan could be. The promise I made with her to take her to my grandfather’s place was just a part of that.

I didn’t realize it before, but both worlds were full of fun and excitement.

Zzz...

I smiled at the sleeping girl next to me, then quietly closed the book.

Good night, Ms. Elf. We’ll continue the story again tomorrow.

I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders and settled into the warm bed. I knew a comfortable sleep awaited me, which was one of the perks of springtime.