Chapter of Ancient Labyrinth, Episode 1: Shopping with Ms. Elf

Slowly, I awakened. I was in the usual room, at the usual place, in the usual Japan. Sunlight was peering in through the curtains, and I could hear the faint sound of the wind from outside. The birds were chirping to welcome the morning, heralding the start of a new day. I glanced at the alarm clock to find it was eight in the morning. It seemed I had slept in a little later than usual. I yawned, thinking about how I’d had another nice dream last night. Yes, all the events and conversations that had occurred earlier were contained within my dream. It was so realistic, and the half-fairy elf was so cute, that I always looked forward to my fairytale-like dreams. But this place, Japan, was always awaiting me upon waking, which left me with a bit of a melancholy feeling.

“I’m off work today. I could have slept in a little longer.”

I moved the blankets as I muttered, placing my feet on the flooring that was cool from the start of spring. Ever since I was young, I’d always looked forward to my dreams. I could enjoy the fantasy world I loved so much whenever I wanted, so it was easy to see why I always wanted to leave work on the dot, despite being a salaryman. Though, of course, I couldn’t tell my bosses it was because I wanted to go back to dreaming.

“Mm, what a nice dream.”

Oh, that wasn’t me who just spoke. I turned around to see two outstretched hands poking out of the blanket. The figure then sat up, revealing a girl with white hair. Her silk sleepwear had changed into fluffy pajamas, her long ears peering out from her slightly disheveled hair. Mariabelle the half-fairy elf. The girl I had been walking with in my dreams had awakened here in Tokyo, as well. She tossed the blanket aside, lightly hopping to her feet as if to show off how fully awake she was. She then readjusted the blanket and her pillow and quickly stepped over to me.

“Well, that was another fun dream. And tomorrow, we’ll be raiding the ancient labyrinth that’s been sealed for several thousand years. I’m sure it will be just brimming with treasure. Ohh, what if I can’t sleep from all the excitement? Hehe, this is like a dream come true.”

The girl cheerily speaking before me was a lot smaller than she was in my dreams. It wasn’t that she had actually shrunk in size, but instead, I had gotten taller... or, rather, I had returned to my original height. For some reason, I aged more slowly in the other world. It was certain that everything that had happened earlier occurred in my dreams. But along the way, I’d found out that the dream world actually existed. I think it all began when I had woken up with this elf girl one day. Though, I still didn’t know why all this was even possible.

“Good morning, Marie. Speaking of dreams, do you remember the tea leaves from Arilai? The ones that Zera guy gave us.”

“Oh, I completely forgot. But we were planning on eating in this world, so we’ll be having that tea tomorrow after we go to sleep, right?” Mariabelle tilted her head with a confused expression as she replied. It seemed she still hadn’t noticed. I turned to the right and changed directions, then walked toward the bed basking in the morning sunlight. Then I pointed at the object on the stand at the base of my pillow.

“Question time. What do you think that is?”

“Huh...? Oh! Why are there tea leaves from Arilai here?” I wished I could play the ding ding ding! sound effect in response to her getting the answer right. The opening was narrow like a milk bottle, and there was a soft piece of cork-like wood being used as a stopper. It was wrapped with a coiled piece of string, too, so there was no need to worry about spilling its contents. It had a very uneven and lumpy design not found in modern items, indicating that someone had made each of them by hand. In any case, why was something from our dreams here? I decided to explain to the girl with the round purple eyes before me.

“As you know, we can only bring food and drinks, like bento, into the dream world. I ended up experimenting a bit and found out I can take things from there, too.”

“Wh-What? That can’t be...!” Marie shook her head, the news dawning on her. She gripped the neck of her pajamas, her bunny-ear slippers turned inward toward each other.

“Oh, but it can. This means that from now on, we can bring the highest quality luxury goods to this world without spending a single yen!”

“Yaaay!” She did a little hop, disregarding all manners. But I thought it was understandable for her to be that happy about it. Arilai produced high-grade tea leaves even by the standards of the modern world, and we had often enjoyed their incredible fragrance. Even the highly disciplined elf could hardly wait for tea time, and she began busily making preparations. I was also thrilled to think we had gotten it for free. Money was important to have in the other world too, but I was happy with having the bare minimum there. I mean, I wouldn’t want to work even in my dreams. “Hehe, I feel lucky even after waking up. Come on, let’s brew some tea. I’m sure it’s going to be delicious.”

“Sounds good. The fragrance is really strong, so it might be good to make some adjustments.”

“Hmhm, I can’t wait! Oh, I know. If we’re going to have some toast with it, let’s try that thing we bought the other day. You know, those fruits simmered in sugar.” Ah, she meant jam. It was something that could be found in just about any shop, but to her, it was something different entirely. Sugar was likely very expensive in the past, and in the fantasy world I love...

“The food tastes horrific. I can see now that the seasonings and preparations are far from sufficient. There’s hardly any sugar, salt, or spices used there.” Marie spoke with a serious expression, as if she was appraising some documents. I could tell she had gotten very accustomed to this room from the way she briskly opened the bread bag and tossed some bread into the toaster. She opened the refrigerator to find some strawberry jam awaiting her. Seeing the cute little illustration printed on the jar, she smiled and took it into her hand.

“We have plenty of seasonings now, but cooking in the other world is a lot of work. They probably think it’s fine as long as they’re getting the necessary nutrients.”

“Wrong. They’re simply ignorant about delicious food. Case in point, I never would have become so nitpicky with food if I had never met you.” The girl puffed out her cheeks with the jam bottle in hand as she closed the fridge. She then noticed I was preparing to cook something and peered at me curiously.

“Oh, a small... frying pan?”

“It’s a cooking pan I bought a long time ago and forgot about. I got a little excited when I first started living alone.”

It wasn’t uncommon for me to use something two or three times, then completely forget that it was on one of my shelves. The small cooking pan on the stove was boiling some water. Then, I put a spoonful of tea leaves in the pan, dispersing a flowery aroma into the air. I placed the lid on top to seal in the fragrance and let it simmer for a while. I added some milk from there, turning the liquid from amber to a creamy color.

“Now I just need to strain the tea leaves, and... Oh, I don’t have a strainer. I guess I could just use the kyusu.” Unconcerned, I transferred the contents of the cooking pan into a kyusu teapot and poured it into cups. It didn’t affect the flavor, so I saw no reason to fuss about the small details. Besides, a kyusu’s straining mechanism was very well thought out. The toast seemed to be ready too, and the girl was busily preparing the table. I placed the cups I had prepared too, and our breakfast of ambiguous splendor was complete.

“It’s a shame we woke up from our dream. We were having so much fun enjoying the luxury.” I told the girl as I took my seat, and she blinked at me with a perplexed expression, plate in hand. After some time, she finally spoke again.

“Do you really not realize it? Well, I suppose it would be hard to notice when you’re used to living here. In any case, let’s eat.”

“Huh? Okay, itadakimasu.”

Somewhere along the line, it had become our custom to put our hands together and say that greeting before each meal. Marie repeated the same Japanese phrase, then picked up her teacup. Her lips were vivid even without makeup, and they had a sort of luster to them. It seemed she was a bit sensitive to heat. Her pale skin made her lips stand out like flowers as she blew at her tea in an attempt to cool it down. The sugar container next to the table was something we had bought together on a whim. She was into fragrant things like tea, and we had been getting more and more items related to that sort of lifestyle. I thought it was great. It was fun seeing her developing a daily routine, getting little knickknacks she liked, brewing tea in the morning, and getting into the habit of saying greetings like itadakimasu. Thinking about it, my daily tasks before meeting her consisted of “preparing bento and going to bed.” Though, I figured eating and sleeping wouldn’t really count as daily tasks.

Marie took a sip from her milky-white cup with pink accents and her lips curled into a smile. The tea leaves had transferred fully into the hot water, and the milk smoothed out the flavor. The milk also served to soften the fragrance, which was perfect for the strong-smelling tea leaves from Arilai. I heard the sound of slippers flopping against the floor, and I heard Marie’s high-pitched voice.

“Mmm... So sweet and delicious! This just won’t do. An elf shouldn’t be so accustomed to luxury like this. Ohh, but I can’t help it. I can’t go back to a modest life living in nature now.” She wrinkled her brows as if it was almost too much, looking cute as she shook her head in denial of her original lifestyle. Then, she put her cup down and reached for the newly purchased bottle. The strawberry jam had been simmered in sugar, and it still had little remnants of seeds in it. She scooped it up with a spoon and spread it on toast slathered in butter. Her lips parted, and then she bit down on the edge of the toast. She immediately began squirming.

“Ah, so sweet! Mmm, delicious! Wow, it’s boiled down to a pulp, but it still retains the fruit’s sour-sweet flavor. Kazuhiho, we were definitely right to buy this. I’m starting to realize that products with a lot of stock on the shelves actually tend to be really good. I’m sure there are very dedicated fans for these.” Her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and she explained as if she had just discovered a great treasure. Then, she made the greatest discovery of today’s breakfast yet. When she took a sip of tea with some bread still in her mouth, the piece of bread, the sweetness of the jam, and butter’s rich flavor seemed to overtake her taste buds.

Behind Marie was the view of the city full of concrete, known as the Koto Ward. I had always stared out at the sight without thinking, so it was interesting to see Ms. Elf there, squeezing her eyes shut and making a face as if she was shouting a silent scream. It was as if the fantasy world had come to Japan, and even the inorganic concrete seemed to be full of life today.

“Wha, hey, this is...!” She glanced back and forth between the bread and tea, her finger pointing at each in a fluster. I couldn’t help but break into a smile, then laughed out loud with toast still in hand.

“How can you look at a lady and laugh like that?! Hmph, I see you’re trying to make this poor elf forget her discipline by spoiling her with luxury.” I got the sense that she had already forgotten that a long time ago...

“Sorry, that wasn’t my intention. If you wouldn’t mind, could you pass me some of that elf-approved jam?”

“Okay, but be careful. This is very sweet, and really delicious despite its deceptively cute appearance. If you use too much, it just might make you scream.” She offered the jam, and I took it in my hand. But Marie didn’t let go, and I looked at her with round eyes in turn. “This is a good opportunity to bring this up. I think Japan is very extravagant. It’s full of delicious food, fun, and things I still don’t know about. So, I don’t want you to apologize. In fact, I want to thank you.” She smiled at me as she asked if I understood, backlit by the morning sun. There were still some bread crumbs on her lips, and birds could be heard chirping outside the window.

How strange. It made me think that maybe this world, which I once thought of as completely uninteresting, was actually a fun and amazing place, after all. Maybe I was spacing out. She was apparently expecting a reply, because she nudged me under the table with her bunny slippers. I nodded.

“That’s good, and I’m glad. I want you to enjoy it as much as possible.”

“Don’t mind if I do. Now, let’s eat. The delicious bread is going to get cold.”

She finally released the jam bottle, and I received it carefully. I opened the lid and smelled the sweet aroma of strawberries, and I had a feeling it was going to be absolutely delicious.

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

I placed my arms on the brown fence and looked at the surrounding scenery. The sky still had remnants of its morning’s colors, and it was soon to turn into a beautiful blue. The river flowing before me was illuminated with the spring sun, dyeing the rows of trees with recently fallen cherry blossoms. The sound of the flowing river somehow felt different from its counterpart in the dream world. That was likely because they were constructed with concrete here, and there weren’t any boulders or rocks for the water to hit. I loved the uninhibited nature in the fantasy world, and I really loved enjoying the scenery as I spent my time fishing. As for the girl, she had changed into a laced one-piece dress for going out and was crouched down for some reason. Looking closer, I realized there was a cat with tiger stripes squirming around on the ground. The girl’s braids were wavering around at the same time, and the cat was reaching both paws toward them.

“Oh my, just look at you. Your tummy is so round. It must be full of tasty food, huh? I’m envious!”

The cat purred audibly as it continued to wriggle around slovenly, seeming as if it was about to giggle out loud. They continued on like this for some time, but the cat seemed to be satisfied after a while and stood up, then meowed as if to thank her. Marie waved goodbye, and then they parted to enjoy their respective days off. And so, the cat went back to its stroll. The girl walked over to me, not even trying to hide her smile as she said, “So adorable.” I reached out my hand, which she squeezed lightly, and I began walking along the riverbed with the humming elf girl.

“Seems like you’ve really been getting along with that cat. And your hair looks good on you, by the way.”

“Hehe, thank you. I never really paid too much attention to my hair, but everyone has a different hairstyle in this country. I thought I’d try changing things up, too.” She wiggled both her braids as she said so. Her characteristic long elven ears were currently hidden with the magical item Wridra had given us. Thanks to that, Marie was able to enjoy the culture of trying out different hairstyles. “I’ll have to thank Wridra. I’m a bit surprised, though. I thought she would want to come to Japan with us.”

“She said she wants to observe the campsite tonight. They should be explaining the plan on raiding the labyrinth at the night meeting.”

She made a noncommittal noise, and she seemed to still have some doubts as she tilted her head. I felt that her instinct was correct. Wridra didn’t say it outright, but she probably decided against coming here out of courtesy for us. I still distinctly remembered the side profile of her face the previous night. Her expression told me she wanted to come play with us, but had reluctantly given up on the idea. Thinking about it, maybe she was actually a kindhearted woman. Though, she did kill me immediately after we first met, so I couldn’t say much about that.

“Speaking of which, I was surprised when you chose Labor for your secondary skill.” Marie blinked in response. That day, the staff created by the Arkdragon and Neko bestowed a secondary skill, which was different from primary skills, to her. Marie had gained an additional skill slot as a result, and she had selected Labor without hesitation.

“Of course I did. I’m a spirit sorcerer, and when I fought alongside you that one time, it became painfully obvious that I should learn to utilize spirit magic better.”

“That one time? Oh, when we fought those bandits. Now that you mention it, you were shooting magic using those spirits.” She had controlled multiple spirits back then to pin down a monster that was estimated to be around level 100. I suspected this wasn’t something that anyone else could do.

“We’ll have to think about coordinating even better from now on, right? To do that, we’ll need to forget about conventional methods and make the best use of our advantage of having a spirit sorceress on the team. More specifically, not with destructive magic that has a high area of effect, but with spells that will let us maneuver more efficiently.”

“Hmm... I can’t really picture what you’re getting at, but coordinating with you sounds fun. You do have a lot more available options compared to most.”

Marie proudly puffed out her chest. Marie did, in fact, have more than double the amount of options in any given situation compared to other sorcerers. To be more specific, I was referring to the wide array of offensive spells and spirit magic that she could use when the situation called for it. I suspected she’d be able to demonstrate a great deal of prowess as long as she had the time to make preparations.

“But we’ll be constantly moving forward in the labyrinth, so we might not have time to prepare for the most part. Like at a hall closed off with a door. Maybe I should buy some time in such cases.”

“Oh, I was thinking about that, too. You’re good at maneuvering around without taking any damage, so I think we’ll make a good team.”

I was looking forward to it. This feeling reminded me of how I would feel when I played games. Customizing skills and specializing in order to efficiently take out enemies. Even if I failed at first, there was nothing better than overcoming the obstacle by adapting and improving over time. I’d lose sleep―or rather, I was already asleep, and I would find myself completely engrossed in the process. And unlike studying for a test, the results came immediately. The girl seemed to share my sentiment, her eyes twinkling like precious gemstones.

“Ahhh, I can’t wait! And with Wridra with us, there’s no risk of losing. That means we can experiment with trial and error as much as we want!” We looked at each other and snickered evilly.

“My, my, how wicked you are, Ms. Elf.”

“Oh, but I’m nothing compared to you. You’re far worse, considering your face has the appearance of being harmless.”

With that, she bumped her butt into me from the side. As we continued messing around, the automatic doors of the local supermarket slid open.

The girl stared at some carrots inside a grocery bag critically while saying, “Hmm...” She flipped it over to stare at the price and fidgeted with it some more. Judging by the look on her face, it seemed she wasn’t just intrigued by the transparent bag around it. Before her was a picture of farmers, with the caption, “This was grown by us.” Below it, there were details of how they operated a farm within the city. I translated it for her in Elvish, and she made another ponderous noise.

There was a reason we were at the supermarket that morning. It was my day off, so I wanted to spend it in leisure. I had asked her if she’d like to cook with me, and she replied immediately with, “Sure!” She’d often asked me about recipes in the past, so I figured she was interested in cooking, but she seemed more eager than I had expected. And so, I decided to have her start off by trying something simple.

“Okay, I’ve decided. Today, I’m going to cook this carrot grown by this Sato person. Now, to pick out some potatoes.”

The carrots went into the basket with the photo of the smiling farmers in the background. There weren’t many people around yet, but many eyes were turned toward the elf girl with the mystical air about her. I could see several of the employees in the back saying, “Did you see that cute girl?” I smiled and didn’t really find it to be a cause of concern. Although they did glance over with feigned disinterest, they never came to bother us. It made me realize how reserved, or I supposed, how committed to service Japanese people were. As I thought about this, Marie turned to look up at me.

“Kazuhiho, did we get all the vegetables we need?”

“Yeah, now we just need the meat and the roux.” She replied with an “Okay,” then gripped the shopping cart and proceeded through the well-lit store. Her eyes looked around busily with the music playing throughout the store and all the vivid signage lining the aisles. I continued following her, not minding when she occasionally stopped to look at something that caught her interest.

Marie stared at a bag full of white “hanpen” with a perplexed expression as she asked, “So, about this curry thing. What’s different about this one from the one you made before?”

“Well, that one was traditional curry, and this one is more of a Japanese style. It’s been refined so it can be made cheap, easy, and tasty.” Marie tilted her head, making a noncommittal noise. She didn’t know the difference between traditional and Japanese-style curry. I actually wondered why Japan was so obsessed with refining and improving everything. Making food taste better than the original is a given, and in some cases, they end up being imported the other way. Like fruits with ridiculously high sugar content, for example. “Speaking of refining, beef is a good example. It’s called wagyu, and it’s so delicious that I hear it’s gaining a lot of popularity overseas.”

“Wa-gyu...” She awkwardly uttered the unfamiliar term, and her pale purple eyes slowly turned toward the shelves. It was the meat section, which was full of packs of wagyu. Anyone could tell at a glance that wagyu was on a different level than other marbled steak.

“Looks deliciou—Ah, that’s pricey!”

“Yeah, unfortunately, the price matches the flavor. Huh, I guess you’ve gained a sense of finances already.” I told her I’d treat her to it on some special day, but her braids shook side to side as she looked up at me.

“N-No, thank you... I don’t think I’d be able to enjoy the taste in peace. So, which meat do we use for the curry?”

“We’ll be simmering it for a while anyway, so we can get something cheap. Let’s go with this minced meat for today.” I pointed at a different one, and she let out a sigh of relief. Come to think of it, she and I had a similar sense of finances, so I supposed she had the sensibilities of a commoner like me. Now, we just needed to get the curry roux and some ingredients for our bento.

With our modest haul in our shopping basket, we headed toward the cashier. The lady at the register seemed a bit troubled as Marie stared at the beeping scanner with her purple eyes, seemingly curious about how the barcodes worked. After making several input errors, she finished ringing us up. What surprised me most was that the lady jogged over to us and handed Marie a piece of candy afterward.

“She said it’s a present for you. It’s a tasty snack.”

“Oh, thank, you. The shop was very, clean.” She stumbled slightly as she spoke in Japanese, and the onlookers around us reacted with an “Oooh.” The worker smiled happily upon hearing Marie’s response and went back to work.

And so, Marie’s first time grocery shopping ended up being a heartwarming event without incident. The sky was brighter than earlier when we stepped outside, with more cars driving around.

“Oh? I thought we were done shopping?” Marie asked when I stopped in front of the convenience store. It was brightly lit to welcome customers in, and the interior could have given the blue sky a run for its money.

“In this country, there’s a rule that says you gotta reward people for going shopping with you. Just like the candy that lady gave you.”

“My, that’s wonderful. So, does this place have those rewards you speak of?”

One could certainly say that. There were all sorts of goods available here, and it was an extremely convenient place for locals, too. I went straight to the register and ordered one vanilla ice cream. Then, I quickly changed it to two orders, because I knew I would get envious when I saw how much Marie was enjoying her ice cream. With two ice cream cones in hand, I stepped back outside. I debated on where to eat it, but decided to disregard proper manners and eat while walking around. I handed Marie her cone, and she gave me a bewildered look.

“Umm, can you teach me how to eat this? Knowing you, I’m sure it’s delicious.”

“You’re right about that. You can either bite right into it or lick it.” I demonstrated by licking my own ice cream, and then the girl moved her lips closer to hers. Hesitantly, she scooped up a piece of the white ice cream with her tongue. It had a shade of yellow to it, which seemed indicative of the rich flavor. Its wavy structure melted away upon the tongue and dissolved into milky deliciousness. Vanilla was my favorite ice cream flavor, with its simplicity that made one appreciate the richness of the flavor all the more. That convenience store carried great ice cream, and it was hard to believe such a delicious treat was readily available on the street corner. The girl had stopped walking, and she swallowed a mouthful of ice cream before giving her impression.

“Ah...! S-So sweet, delicious... Why, y-you, you made me let my guard down by telling me it was just a reward for going shopping with you!” Her words implied that she was upset, but she had a strange expression on her face, with flushed cheeks and wonder in her eyes. Yup, women were definitely the cutest when they were eating tasty or sweet foods.

“Would you go shopping with me again if there are more treats like this waiting for you?”

“I like shopping. I wouldn’t mind if there’s no reward, but... Oh, never mind. You need to carry through with promises, and rewards are important to have. I don’t mean to sound harsh, but that’s to be expected in exchange for labor.” She looked up at me with a look as if to ask, “Understand?” I nodded in response, and we slowly made our way back home. All the way back to my room, the girl continued to educate me about the deliciousness of ice cream.

As expected. I was really glad I ended up buying her some. Now, on to the cooking.

I usually cooked in the evening, but doing it while it was still bright out was a refreshing change of pace. The girl next to me had a piece of cloth tied around her head, the image of which was reminiscent of home economics classes. However, her long ears pointing straight up gave her away as an elf, and I was too old of a businessman to relive my grade school days. There was a determined look to her face as she tied the strings of her apron.

“Okay then, let’s wash them in order. Then we’ll peel off the skin and chop them into pieces. This part isn’t too different from what we do in the other world.” Marie was staring at the potatoes with a critical look as I explained, then replied, “Got it,” while turning on the faucet. I’d been worried about her at first, but it seemed she was getting used to modern devices over time.

I was particularly worried about her using kitchen knives, but she’d always cooked for herself, so it didn’t seem to be a problem. Still, it seemed to be in my nature that I couldn’t help worrying about her anyway. I mean, anyone would feel the same when they were with a girl like her.

“You’re a bit too overprotective. When will you realize that I’m not a child anymore?”

“I know that already, of course. Oh, you should make sure the blade isn’t pointed toward your finger. Like this.”

“As, I, was, say-ing, I’m far older than you, and a very competent spirit sorceress... Ah, m-my eye. I need to put the knife down... Waaah, help me, Kazuhiho!” Ah, so the great spirit sorceress needed help. Tears began streaming down her face as the onions irritated her eyes. I quickly took the knife from her hands in a fluster and began preparing the meal instead. I could hear her blowing her nose behind me. She sniffed, red around the eyes. Seeing her like this, it was hard to believe she was over a hundred years old. Considering her strait-laced personality, I doubted she was lying about her age, though. It was a bit troubling to find she had gained a distrust for onions because of this incident. Seeing her pacing back and forth around the onion but maintaining a certain distance reminded me of a child’s behavior, too.

“What do you wanna do? Should I go ahead and cut it?”

“I’d like to learn how to cook, but unfortunately, I’ll have to pass on the onions. I suspect elves don’t like onions in general. We probably just aren’t compatible.” Yeah, humans probably weren’t compatible with onion juices in their eyes, either. Though, you could avoid this by holding the knife at an angle so the juices would fly away from the eyes. I gave her such pieces of advice as we proceeded to make preparations for the meal. After slicing ingredients into bite-sized pieces, Marie looked up at me, as if to ask if she was doing okay. Each time she did, I replied with some simple advice, and the colander became filled with vegetables. The ventilating fan spun noisily as we cooked the vegetables in a large pan. Then, we added some water and skimmed the foam... though there didn’t seem to be any need to explain all that.

“The ingredients are nearly cooked through, so let’s add the roux we bought.” The girl began breaking the roux apart with her fingernails and put the pieces into a large pot with a serious look on her face. If she had been wearing a different outfit, she may have looked like she was in the middle of performing alchemy. As she began mixing the roux with a ladle, the kitchen became filled with a scent that was softer than that of traditional curry. I could see Marie’s nose sniffing the air, seemingly enjoying the unique and faintly spicy aroma. And so, Ms. Elf’s cooking was complete.

“Ah... It smells so good... It’s making me hungry... Wait, it’s done already?!”

“Yup, it’s ready. After all, Japanese curry was created with convenience and deliciousness in mind. Not that traditional curry is too hard to make, either.” Even the traditional curry I made a little while back didn’t take too much time. It did take some effort to draw out the sweetness from the tomatoes or adjust the spice levels, but the actual cooking could be done in the time Marie finished taking a bath. Popular dishes had a tendency to become more convenient over time.

“Hm, I do understand that. They try to avoid as much hassle as possible in the other world too, but I think they sacrifice flavor in the process.”

“I agree. It seems like over there, they don’t care about food as long as it’s edible.”

“Those people are just lazy. They think heating ingredients is all there is to cooking. Wait... I feel like that’s all we had to do for this curry.” She looked perplexed as question marks popped up over her head, but she was right. That was pretty much all there was to the actual cooking process. But if I had to guess, the environment in which spoiled ingredients was the norm was more to blame. The fantasy world was great, but it was terrible when it came to preserving foods, too. The people there had no interest in improving food variety, either, so they tasted oddly harsh and unappetizing.

A beeping noise signaled that the rice was done cooking, and Marie snapped out of her musing. Then, I had her taste the curry on a small dish, and her purple eyes widened.

“Wow, it’s sweet! I thought it was the same curry as last time, but... Mmm, the aftertaste is so comforting...”

“This sort of gentle flavoring is a trademark of Japanese cooking, I think. All right, it’s ready.”

We high fived, and our first cooking project together was complete. I looked at the clock to find it was just in time for lunch, and I happened to have someone to test the flavor for me, too.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The moon could be seen up in the sky, as if it had been carved out of a blanket of darkness. The dragon continued staring at it, completely motionless. There was nothing but stillness, save for the light breeze blowing by occasionally to rustle her black hair. Occasionally, some passersby spoke out of curiosity to the black-haired beauty in unusual clothes. But to her, they sounded like nothing more than chirping birds. Worries about women exploring labyrinths or invitations to go out for a drink didn’t stimulate her curiosity in the least. The man currently standing before her introduced himself, claiming he was going to be a hero one day with an intolerable demeanor. And so, Wridra simply enjoyed the view of the night.

It was a peaceful time of nothing but blackness, and there was no need to think about anything. A sight that had always been there since ancient times and had existed since before the world was born... The young man hassling her eventually gave up after being ignored for some time, visibly irritated as he left.

There was no doubt a certain other boy had potential, however. But the black-haired dragon knew... She couldn’t provide him a place of peace like the hot springs or the joy he felt singing with the elf. So she looked up to the sky as usual, waiting for time to pass without wavering. At least, she planned to, until...

“Hey there. Nice moon, isn’t it? It’s so round and pretty.”

Wridra displayed emotions for the first time as the voice called out to her. Her eyes widened, and her vivid lips, which resembled ripened fruits, parted slightly. And when she turned, there was the sleepy-looking, yawning face of the boy, as expected.

“You surprised me. What are you doing here? I thought you were enjoying your time in the other world.”

“It’s such a nice night, I wanted you to enjoy some good food. I cooked something with Little Ms. Elf. Would you care to have some?” With that, he sat down next to her. She was speechless for a moment, but a feeling of amusement seemed to erupt from within her, spilling out in the form of laughter. A thought crossed her mind. Even when dealing with a dragon, this human and the elf only thought about how to entertain her. Most would only scheme and try to take advantage of her, leading to their own eventual ruin.

“Hah, hah, hahaha! I cannot turn down an invitation like that. But if this food fails to satisfy me, know that your drowsy-looking face will be no more.”

“I wish this sleepy face could be fixed, but... Yeah, please follow me, then.” He spread a blanket that smelled of dust over her shoulders. It fended off the night air, and the warmth that enshrouded Wridra made her feel a bit happy for some reason. She didn’t actually require any sleep or food. She had been controlling her magic to such an extent that she didn’t need them, but she felt strangely tempted by the boy’s offer. Resting her head on the boy’s shoulder, she quietly looked up to the night sky. Perhaps it was due to the dry desert air, but the stars seemed more beautiful than usual that night. She continued to enjoy the colors that seemed to indicate the vastness of the world, and the boy’s sleepiness seemed to spread into her. There was no need to say or think anything. Wridra simply felt this time was for enjoying the silence and the night itself, and her eyelids grew heavier. She blinked slowly, thinking she couldn’t possibly be falling asleep so quickly... and then the dragon dozed off. So easily and without resistance, like a baby. The boy, who was left awake, also looked up to the sky and let out a sigh, releasing a white puff into the cold night air.

“The night sky is so pretty. Oh, did you fall asleep already?” he asked.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

“Nnnnnn!”

“Mmmmmm!”

It seemed like it was going to be an eventful morning already. There she sat, gripping her spoon along with Marie with her brows deeply furrowed. But I did understand how she felt. Curry was among the top of beloved lunches in grade school, and it made kids excited for lunch since the morning whenever it was on the menu. The curry they were stuffing their mouths with had a distinct spicy flavor that came with a hint of sweetness. As for me, I was enjoying their reactions so much that I hadn’t even taken a bite yet.

“So gooooood! Are you kidding me?! It’s delicious!”

“Ahh, I can’t believe I made this! It’s just the right amount of spice, and I can’t stop eating! How odd, I’m considered a light eater even among elves.”

It was incredible how just their presence alone could make a meal tastier than it would’ve been if I’d eaten alone. The draconian continued to throw food into her mouth with great vigor, then chewed with a satisfied expression. The elf took careful spoonfuls into her mouth, then placed her hands on her cheeks and let out a satisfied “Mmf.”

“It tastes extra good when you know you made it yourself, doesn’t it? It’s even better when you eat outdoors. It might be fun to go camping by the riverside when it gets warmer.”

“Good idea! This might even be good to eat in the ancient labyrinth.”

“Yes, a brilliant idea! I am all for it!”

Yeah... I dunno about that. I wasn’t sure if I wanted the revered ancient labyrinth, which had been untouched for thousands of years, to be filled with the smell of curry. I’d have been pretty disappointed if that were to happen, to be honest.

“Oh well. Do you want seconds? I made plenty, since Wridra was coming.” It really was satisfying watching her eat, and her plate was cleared off in mere moments.

“Yes, I do!” she responded as she handed me her plate enthusiastically... Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn’t going to fix my sleepy-looking face after all. I figured that was better than not meeting her standards, though.

“So, how was the camp? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?” I asked as I scooped more rice onto her plate, and Wridra crossed her legs in her black one piece, showing off her beautiful thighs.

“Indeed I did. It seems there was an intruder. The higher ups were flustered about it, but it felt as if there was something else going on, as well.”

“Huh... Oh, I wonder if the intruders were those bandits. Remember those bandits we dealt with a little while back, Marie? I think they went into the labyrinth ahead of us.” When I spoke to her, she came to from her dreamy expression.

“Oh, right, I remember them. But they weren’t that big of a group, so I don’t think they’d be able to take on the forces of Arilai. The best they could hope for is to sneak around and pocket a few valuables.”

She was right about that. But considering how Wridra said the higher ups were in a fluster, it might not have been ordinary jewel thieves we were dealing with. In that case, they would fall into one of two categories. Either they were a bunch of fools acting recklessly... or they had some method of dealing with an entire country. Judging by the look of things, it was slightly more likely to be the latter. I didn’t want to get into that and interrupt our pleasant mealtime, but it seemed like there were going to be many layers to this labyrinth situation. That being said, the added difficulty only made it more exciting. I grinned, walking over to the table with an extra large plate of curry in hand. Wridra urged me to hurry with her eyes, and when I placed the plate on the table, the ear to ear smile on her face told me the labyrinth had already been forgotten.

“Hah, hah, it’s finally here. Itadakimasu!” She immediately began scarfing down the food. As usual, her appetite was even greater than any man I knew of. Maybe it was better to worry about how much curry was left instead of the bandits. The big batch of curry that had filled the pot to the brim seemed so reliable earlier, but seeing Wridra waving her tail gave it a paltry impression for some reason. There wasn’t much I could do about that, though. She was the legendary Magi Drake, after all. While that thought crossed my mind, Marie presented her plate to me with a shy expression. Yeah, that pot of curry wasn’t going to last long. I peered into the now-empty pot and did a double take.

It couldn’t be... I made enough to last two whole days. I glanced at the table to find the draconian and elf leaning back in their chairs, rubbing their bellies with satisfied expressions. Wridra had eaten pretty much two days’ worth of food. She had stuffed her seemingly bottomless stomach full of food, but it somehow only resulted in a slight increase in her waistline. Curry became cumbersome to wash off if you let it sit, so I decided to clean up right away. As I began running the sink water, Wridra slowly sat up in her chair.

“About the labyrinth tonight—I will not be forming a party with you two.”

“What do you mean? Aren’t we going to have fun together?” Marie blinked, but couldn’t sit up due to her overstuffed stomach.

Wridra stared at her for a moment, then began braiding her waist-length hair and replied, “Of course I am.” Her naturally straight black hair became bound in moments, and a string appeared to tie it together in the end. She showed off her hair, braided to one side, and it was more apt to say she looked cool rather than cute. The two of us clapped, and the dragon smiled charmingly.

Wridra was busy with her getup, so I decided to answer instead. “I think what she meant to say is that there’s too much of a level difference. Marie, you and I are already 40 levels apart. Add Wridra into the equation, and you would barely get any experience at all.”

Marie nodded to signify her understanding. Despite that, my explanation apparently wasn’t sufficient, because Wridra cleared her throat to speak.

“That is also true, but I do not have the bracelet required to form a party. I have no intention of going out into civilization to obtain one, either.”

“Oh, then there’s nothing we can do. It would take several weeks just to register if we start now anyway. Chatting through mind link in a part would have been fun, though.” Marie looked disappointed. Seeing the elf’s pouty expression, Wridra stirred a bit.

“Hah, hah, fortunately, I have a connection with the staff I have given Marie. Not only will it support her magic, but we will be able to communicate just the same as we would with that so-called mind link chat.”

“Wow, how advanced... Could it be that staff is amazingly powerful?”

I scrubbed the pots with a scrubbing brush as I absentmindedly thought about their conversation. I hadn’t heard of any item that was connected to a dragon in the first place. Dragon parts, which were extremely durable and heat-resistant, were used in all sorts of weapons and armor. But most of those materials were from lesser dragons, and those creatures couldn’t compare to one of legendary status like Wridra.

“Hmhm, of course. I am somewhat meticulous, and the equipment of this world is made up of nothing but toys compared to my creations. However, I shall behave in this world. There is someone prone to nagging nearby, after all.” Her chuckles echoed behind me, and I wondered if I really was that much of a worrywart. I’d certainly looked on with apprehensiveness, but I didn’t think I’d voiced my concerns out loud... Though, I did appreciate that Wridra had made it a point not to draw unwanted attention. I twisted the faucet shut and wiped my hands with a towel. When I walked back to the table, the two ladies greeted me with a “Welcome back,” and a “Good work.”

“Then, you’re gonna be Marie’s tank as we originally planned. It’s an honor and a relief that you’re going to be watching over us.”

“You keep me satisfied, such as with that curry earlier, so I do not mind. There is no need for thanks, of course, but... you do not have many of those days off, if I recall. I do appreciate the gesture, but you need not treat me to such meals so often.”

Huh? Since when had she gained such an understanding of my work situation? Suddenly, I was reminded of the sight of her sitting at the oasis alone. She had done so out of consideration, giving Marie and I time alone together. She was feared by many as the Arkdragon, but I considered her far kinder than most humans. Although, we didn’t need her to be considerate like that to us now. Marie happily took a desk calendar in hand to show her the reason why.

“Hehe, don’t worry about that. Just look at this calendar full of days off! You may not know this, but May is a wonderful month that’s full of holidays.” That was why there was no need for Wridra to worry. I only needed to work until Tuesday, and then I would get consecutive days off on Golden Week. Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, Children’s Day, and then Saturday and Sunday would give me a total of five days off in a row. It nearly made me dizzy with excitement. But unfortunately, Wridra didn’t seem to understand the significance of this, coming from the perspective of someone who basically had days off every day of the year. She responded to our smiling faces with a neutral, “Huh.”

“Oh, right. I also got us tickets. Since I have several days off in a row, I wanted to invite you to my home in the country, like I mentioned a while back... Do you remember?”

Marie responded to my question with a high-pitched exclamation. She had come to admire Japan’s countryside full of greenery from the influence of the anime she’d been watching. So, naturally, I wanted to grant her wish and take her there. Marie stood up from her chair almost unconsciously, her cheeks started to turn pink, and her purple eyes widened as if they forgot how to blink. I watched her in confusion, and then she ran over to me across the flooring, tackling me in a hug. She was surprisingly powerful for her small frame, and it made my chair bend back at an angle. I quickly hugged her back in a fluster.

“Yes, yes! I want to go! Oh my goodness, I’m so excited! Umm, thank you!”

“Haha, I’m glad. Though, there really isn’t anything there. I don’t think they even have convenience stores.” With that, I pulled out an envelope from the bag next to me. Inside were tickets for the shinkansen, “Hayabusa.” I placed them on the table. They weren’t cheap, but I wanted Ms. Elf to experience riding a bullet train firsthand. I also wanted to get her some boxed lunches from the station, a specialty on trips such as these, and let her enjoy a vacation to the northeast. As I considered all that, an important realization hit me. Something totally obvious had completely slipped my mind: I’d only purchased two tickets.

“That’s right... Uh, Ms. Wridra. I’m sorry, I ordered the tickets on Friday, and I only got enough for two.”

“Hm? I do not mind. You were not expecting me in the first place. I can hardly blame you for not being able to predict the future. Go enjoy some time alone together.” It seemed she was in a good mood from the meal, and she nodded magnanimously. That was a huge relief. I was glad she didn’t get angry at me. I was impressed by the ancient dragon’s maturity. Marie took the ticket in her hand, flipping it over and observing it.

“What is a shin-kan-sen? Is it different from the car we usually ride?”

“Yeah, it’s faster than the trains we went on before... I think it’ll be easier just to show you.” With that, I looked it up on my smartphone and selected a shinkansen video. The footage uploaded on a video site displayed the distinctive silhouette of the shinkansen Hayabusa, which promptly took off at breakneck speed. The sight of it speeding away under the blue sky with a pastoral and mountainous background was inspiring. This was something that didn’t exist in the dream world, of course, and the girl raised her voice with her eyes glued to the screen.

“Ah! So fast! Wooow, how can it go so much faster than a bird? Whoa, wait, wait a minute. We’re going to ride on that?!”

“Of course. I got tickets, after all. You get the special window seat.” She looked adorable as she glanced back and forth between my phone screen, then to me, and back again. As I was feeling good about making the reservation, I heard Wridra’s voice mutter from next to me.

“I want...”

“Hm?”

“I want to ride it too...”

We froze. Wridra had a faint smile on her face, tears running down her cheeks. W-Wait a minute. Didn’t she just say she didn’t mind, all mature-like? I could hardly voice the question, standing motionless, and the draconian began to sob openly.

“W-We can go on a trip again some other time. We can go together then!” I tried to cheer her up in a fluster, my voice cracking involuntarily. She was staring at the ticket. Her emotions always showed on her face easily, so it was very obvious what was going through her head. There were two tickets. Marie’s windowside seat was already accounted for. So, what about my seat? Marie and I both gulped audibly at the same time.

“K-Kazuhiho wouldn’t lie about something like this! Next time, for sure! Okay?”

“I wonder when this ‘next time’ would be. Ah... Surely you would forget about me by then. They say what happens once happens three or even four times. Children of men do not care about some lonely, ancient dragon like me. I am no different from some rock on the ground.”

Oh no, she was now sitting with her face down and knees up against her chest. We turned pale, and all we could do was flap our lips uselessly. In the end, she wouldn’t let up until I signed a written pledge stating we would take her next time. Even then, she kept making me repeat my promise.

The room was illuminated only with indirect lighting, with thick curtains covering the windows. The once lively room was covered in an orange hue, indicating that it was time to go to sleep. And in that room, a girl was lying on the bed. She probably didn’t realize it, but she was brimming with female charm as she stared at me with a spot next to her open on the bed. It was as if she was calling to me. She seemed different from usual in the dim lighting. Her clear-cut features, her full, flushed lips, and her collarbones peeking out from her clothes seemed to obscure her actual age. The bed creaked as I placed my knee onto it and took the spot next to her, and she put her arm around me. Marie lifted one leg and placed it on top of my thigh as usual. She ran her fingers through her hair, and I could smell a faintly sweet scent. The elf was quieter than usual. She stared at me wordlessly, her eyes slightly moist. She squeezed me a little tighter, and her silky hair tickled me a bit.

Ah, I see. She’s waiting.

Tentatively, I parted her hair with my fingers and she froze. She stayed motionless with her eyes closed, confirming my suspicion that she was waiting for me. I kissed her on the forehead, and she felt the heat of my lips that she had been anticipating. Her face softened, but then she hid her face under the blankets, so I couldn’t enjoy her cute expression anymore. Only her beautiful white hair was now visible, but I could tell her long ears were a shade of pink.

“Hehe, good night. Let’s do our best at the labyrinth.”

“Good night, Marie. Sweet dreams... Oh, I guess we’ll be watching the same dream.”

We laughed, then listened to each other’s heartbeats. I could feel the warmth of the blankets and softness of her body. Our body temperatures gradually rose, getting ready to fall asleep. Watching her blink sleepily was lulling me closer into dreamland, as well. As my eyelids grew heavy, I heard a creak from behind.

“Mm, so cozy. This is as nice as those hot springs.”

With that, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. Maybe it should have been considered unfortunate, but it seemed draconians disliked wearing clothing when going to sleep. The sensation pressing up against my back was torture for me as a man, and it pulled me back slightly from my sleepy state.

“You two are simply too adorable. You have begun to awaken my maternal instincts.” She spoke softly, as if out of consideration for the comfortably sleeping Marie. Her whispered breaths felt ticklish against my ears.

“Maybe I’m just imagining it, but I think you’ve always had strong maternal instincts.”

“Fool. You say that, but you know nothing of dragons.” With that, she tightened her arm around my stomach. She pressed her hips against me from behind, and my sleepiness seemed to become more and more distant. But no, I had to go to sleep early tonight with the imminent raid on the labyrinth, or I’d be in for a scolding.

“Good night, Wridra. Thanks for everything.”

“Hah, hah, if I can relish in moments like these, being a bodyguard would be a small price to pay. The meals and conversations were enjoyable, indeed. Fwah... The drowsiness emanating from you is too powerful. It almost feels like the effect of some sort of magic.” With that, she let out a yawn and nestled her head up against me. The inviting warmth of the blankets quickly drew her into the realm of deep sleep.

I was the only one left awake. I watched Marie, who was quietly breathing in a comfortable sleep. As I stared at her long eyelashes, a thought crossed my mind. Maybe she was already a lot closer to me than I had assumed. In fact, I couldn’t imagine her not being by my side. Which was strange, considering we had only been spending time together for a month. I also seemed to realize that she wasn’t actually a child. Maybe that was why I was so drawn to her. So much so that I couldn’t stop these feelings. As I listened to the soft breathing sounds from both sides, my eyelids began to grow heavy, too. I eventually joined them in sleep, and snoozing sounds from the three of us could be heard echoing throughout my bedroom.