Chapter of Midsummer, Episode 4: Shopping During a Sky Voyage

“Here is your aplai flowering tea.”

“Thank you. Wow, this smells nice.” I received the bowl from the street stall, and I was enveloped in a strong, flowery scent. The tea in this desert country had a characteristically strong aroma, and Marie and I frequently enjoyed it when resting.

I held a bowl in each hand, and when I turned around, my eyes met with Marie’s, who was watching over our belongings. She did a little wave with her hand, and I approached her while avoiding the other people, so as to not spill the tea. We then walked over to the shade by the side of the vegetable stall and took a seat together.

“Thank you. Mmm, it smells so good. You can’t find this kind of scent even in Japan,” Marie noted.

“I think Japanese people aren’t big fans of strong smells. They tend not to pair well with food, and we aren’t really used to it. Flowers are a big part of the culture here in Arilai. Just like those offerings we saw at the Manor of Black Roses, there are a lot of flowers being cultivated here. It’s kind of odd, considering we’re in the middle of the desert.”

Polypetalous flowers could be seen on the bottom of the bowl, giving it a cute accent. I found the culture distinct to each region fascinating, and those variations were some of my favorite things to experience in my travels. We had tried various tea leaves in Japan, and I came to find out that Marie was a fan of strong-smelling tea.

I took a sip of the lukewarm tea, and the scent of flowers passed through my nostrils. It felt as if the scent helped alleviate a small portion of the heat. Just then, a semi-transparent jellyfish appeared in the air before us. It latched on to Marie’s finger like a baby, then moved closer to our earthenware bowls.

“Hey there. You’re that ice spirit, aren’t you? Thanks for all the help you’ve been giving us.” I touched it with my finger, and it was cool to the touch. The spirit, which had been a godsend during Japan’s summer, immediately chilled the bowl upon coming in contact with it. As expected, the tea was cold when I took a sip, and the desert heat was staved off even further. It seemed we were starting to learn how to live comfortably in the desert before we knew it.

It was obvious from all of the belongings we were carrying around that we had just finished shopping. We lined up some leather straps, a saddle for two like those used on camels, and woven baskets in front of us. Our plan was to put them on Roon the Magic Stone, and if all went well, we would fly straight to the ancient labyrinth.

“Ahhh, shopping is so fun!” Marie stretched, and my eyes were naturally drawn to her bare skin peeking out from under her clothes. She was so full of life as we went around several general goods stores to check out their wares, and I reaffirmed in my mind that women really did love shopping after all.

“Do people ever tell you it’s strange that an elf loves shopping so much?”

“Oh, that’s a prejudiced view, you know. Some elves are just like humans, and I just enjoy evaluating and picking out items. It’s not as if I have wasteful habits or anything.” She leaned against me with her shoulder, then placed her head on me for some reason. I could see there was sweat on her head as she rested it on my shoulder, and it wasn’t the scent of flowering tea I smelled, but the sweet smell of Marie herself.

“Hee hee, this is fun. Not just the shopping, but we’re going on a desert date on Roon after this, right? Oh, I can’t wait! Let’s stock up on some tasty drinks later.” I couldn’t help but smile at her happy expression. She was just so adorable. I already knew full well how cute Marie was, but I was powerless when she was so affectionate and full of excitement in contrast to her usual serious demeanor.

But the moment didn’t last long. Her expression grew cloudy soon after, and she looked rather annoyed. The reason being...

“Ahh, what a coincidence. If it isn’t Kazuhiho and Marie. Woo, get a room, you two! Hey Doula, check it out. We should be all lovey-dovey like those tw—urgh!”

“You really are an idiot. There are no horses around, so I’ll kick you to death instead!” The woman delivered a knee into Zera’s stomach, and I saw his face on the verge of vomiting up close, completely ruining the sweet mood from moments ago. I watched as emotion faded from Marie’s expression.

“Doula, and Zera... Ha ha, funny seeing you two here,” I said.

“Ohh? Kazuhiho, I’ve never seen you look so glum. Gah ha ha, didn’t mean to interrupt the two of ya. My bad!” The tall man speaking in an aloof tone was the person we just so happened to save from the ancient labyrinth, and we had helped each other many times since. He was cheerful and friendly for someone who was from a prestigious family, though he sometimes had a tendency to be a bit too frank.

Zera noticed all of the things we had purchased, then poked the woven basket and asked, “What’s with all this stuff? Oh, you two finally decided to start living with each other, huh? Where did you buy your house?”

“Oh, no, we were thinking of putting these on our ride.”

Though, we had been living together in Japan for a long time now. Marie was unfazed, and she and Doula exchanged looks that said “Yup, he’s a fool,” and “Agreed.” Zera crouched down in front of me, unconcerned by the women’s wordless conversation.

“Hey, let me know if you’re looking to buy a house. The Thousand household is actually pretty well known, so I think I can hook you up with some nice property. There are a lot of places around here that outsiders don’t know about. You’ll regret it if you end up buying a bad one.”

Marie and I exchanged looks. Come to think of it, we had been saving a good deal of money, and I felt like we could buy a house if we weren’t too picky about it. I had thought we would have only been staying in this country temporarily, but I was starting to feel guilty about being taken care of at the manor. Though, there was one big reason we couldn’t buy a house.

“Oh, never mind. You two aren’t from this country, huh?”

“Right, so the best we could do is rent a house.” We weren’t from Arilai, so we couldn’t get our own land here. But not owning a house also meant we could visit other countries on a whim, which was a nice advantage to have.

“Well, you can always come stay at my place whenever you want. Actually, why don’t you just join my team? Then you could stay at my place without feeling bad about it.”

“No! If you’re going to join a team, you should join mine. Otherwise, even your brain would end up being nothing but muscle, like Zera’s.” I thought we were here to go shopping, but for some reason, we were being recruited into other teams. Though, these two were planning to get married, so I assumed their teams were going to get merged anyway. As I wondered about this, Marie softly whispered to me.

“Say, why don’t you bring up that special mission with them? Zera may be like this, but he can be dependable in a way, right?” She had a point; it would have been a good idea to gather information for our mission. I was curious about their situation, and we still hadn’t had lunch yet. Since we were here, it may have been a good idea to go to the nearby rest area.

And so, I decided to talk to Zera.

There were rest areas all around the road, making it easy for shoppers to eat food they bought from the stalls right away. But Marie wasn’t a fan of the spices used around here, so we usually brought our own boxed meals.

You just had to pay a small fee to have a thick blanket laid out for you, so you could sit with your legs crossed and enjoy some delicious food there. The tea shop from earlier was walking around to sell to customers, so we had no issues getting drinks. The seat under the tree shade was a bit pricey, but Zera paid for us this time.

A dopey-looking sign that read “Kazuhiho” was put on our belongings, and the black cat munched away at some food on its plate.

“I heard about the raid team being reformed from the old man. He stopped by my house not too long ago, and I thought there was something fishy about it, so I went on a walk to talk to Doula about it.” Our eyes widened. So Aja had gone to see Zera after visiting us. That meant he had visited Puseri from Team Diamond, Zera from Team Bloodstone, Doula from Team Andalusite, and our Team Amethyst.

What surprised me was that Zera thought this situation was dubious, just like Marie did. I thought a skilled fighter like him would have been totally onboard, but he furrowed his brow as he took a big bite of his chicken. Doula seemed to find his reaction strange as well, and she looked at him as she licked some oil off of her fingers.

“Fishy how? Tell me what your instinct tells you.”

“Well, let’s see... If they need elite fighters, my dad’s Team White Beryl would be the strongest in the kingdom. They’re even stronger than Team Diamond, now that Zarish is gone. But the old man didn’t pay them a visit. This mission is a direct order from the king, right? That explanation was iffy, too. And why did the king put in a request like this in the first place? He seems more concerned about the hiding bandits than the treasure, and our troops would drop from about three hundred men to fifty. This has fishy written all over it.”

Marie and I were impressed. Although Zera spoke and acted like a child at times, his instincts were extremely sharp when it came to anything related to combat. This was likely a skill he had acquired as a leader. There was a glint in his eyes under his short, black hair as he opened his mouth to speak again.

“A small team of elites may sound good, but it would be pointless if there’s no coordination. You two haven’t even worked with Team Diamond before, have you?”

“No, never. We haven’t even seen them fight.” We had been pretty close since that incident, but he was right about us never seeing them in combat. And considering how the higher leveled teams hadn’t been called on, Marie may have been right when she said there were far too few teams being recruited, even if they were going for a small team of elites.

What could all this have meant? My theory about the possibility that they were trying to preserve their main forces was starting to seem more likely. But at the same time, this begged the question as to why. Maybe they were considering enemies other than those in the ancient labyrinth.

I chewed on some rice balls as I considered this further, and then Zera spoke.

“Come to think of it, my old man has been out and about a lot lately. Maybe he’s been getting summoned by the royal family, but... hmm, we haven’t really talked since the engagement.”

“Ah, you two got engaged? Congratulations!” The usually sober-looking Doula blushed a bit upon hearing my words of congratulation. Her fiery red hair was tied back, and there was a sort of feminine air to the way she averted her steel-colored eyes.

“Ngh! D-Don’t be a fool. I won’t marry into Zera’s house until much later.”

“Hm? But we’re already living together, so what’s wrong with congratulating us?”

“Hey! You didn’t need to mention that... I get embarrassed sometimes too, you know...” Doula turned a deeper shade of red, but I didn’t really understand why. Marie and I lived together too, and there wasn’t anything embarrassing about... In that moment, the sight of Marie with her bath towel undone and the times we had kissed each other flashed into my mind.

“Urgh...! Don’t, look right now...”

“Ah, sorry...” We immediately looked away, and I felt like I understood why Doula had reacted the way she did.

As for the black cat, it was eating away at some food with its butt pointed toward us. The negative aura in the air and the sound of plates loudly clinking told me that Wridra was probably going to harass us for this later on.

After we finished eating, Doula and Zera followed us to the riverbed.

They were interested in the flight-type Magic Stone and wanted to see it in person. If I was in their shoes, I definitely would have wanted to see it, too. And so, I had Roon emerge from the Magic Stone like it had earlier, and when it revealed its sand-colored skin, the two drew closer with great interest.

“Whoa, so this is the Magic Stone I gave you guys. This is really cool.”

“I wonder how it flies... Mariabelle, have you figured how it works?” Doula asked. The two touched it and asked more questions without reservation, and they even helped us put the riding gear we bought earlier onto Roon.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know much yet either. It’s closer to a monster than a creature, and we haven’t had a chance to do much research into flying insects.”

“Oh, I see. I don’t think these wings are powerful enough to support its flight, so maybe it’s powered by magic or some sort of flying arts. How curious.”

The women went on with their lively discussion. Zera and I couldn’t keep up with it at all, so we focused on the physical labor. We were split between the intellectuals and physical labor sides, but I hereby declared my brain wasn’t made of muscles. Though, all I really knew how to do was swing my sword.

Anyway, I was glad to have an adult like Zera helping me. The process required a lot of physical work, and considering how big Roon was, I wouldn’t have been able to handle it myself. I tied the leather strap tight and secured the saddle for two. We couldn’t use nails for obvious reasons, so straps were our only option. I was sweating profusely as we worked under the blazing sun. Then, Zera flashed his pearly white teeth.

“Ahh, this is so much fun! I lose track of time when I start working with my hands, you know?”

“I know how you feel. It’s really exciting when your work starts coming together.” I thought it would have been some intense physical labor, but we were making great progress, thanks to our combined efforts. Once the saddle was secured tightly, we went on to install the footholds, life line, and storage area for our bags.

Roon had its wings spread out, but it didn’t have many moving parts, other than its transparent feathers. This meant that we could tie it up with ropes without worrying about restricting its mobility, but we did have to consider weight distribution and wind resistance.

“All right, I think that does it. You should be fine as long as you don’t go way too fast.”

“We did it! Thank you so much for your help.” I bowed, and Zera placed his hand on my head. He started rubbing my head roughly, and I started to get dizzy from the sheer force of his strength.

“Don’t worry about it. You know, I think of you as my little brother. I wasn’t kidding when I invited you to my team, and I’m more than happy to take on that special mission. Let’s take it easy, yeah? So no need for the formalities and being reserved and all that.”

I blinked. He would probably have been about the same age as I was in Japan, but he was a man who led a massive team, and he came from a respected family line. Yet, he didn’t act like snobbish in the slightest, and his smile showed just how genuine of a person he was. Doula’s face appeared next to his, wearing a similar, friendly smile.

“Yes, as I mentioned before, there’s no need to be modest. That’s why I’m going to start calling Mariabelle, ‘Marie.’ By the way, I’ve taken a liking to calling you, ‘Sleepyhead,’ so that’ll be your name from now on.”

Urgh... It was just my face that looked sleepy, so I would’ve preferred a different name. Doula seemed to notice the hesitance in my expression and smiled gently.

“Would you prefer I call you ‘Phantom’ instead?”

“Ah! No, thank you. Sleepyhead is fine!” Doula laughed cheerfully. She had seemed a bit high-strung when we first met, so I found it interesting how much people could change. I thought that maybe it was thanks to the man next to her, and I relaxed as I spoke again.

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. We haven’t decided whether to take on that special mission yet, but let’s do our best if we end up working in the labyrinth together.”

“All right, that’s the spirit! I still think there’s something fishy about this job, but it’ll be fun as long as you’ll be there. That’s just my hunch, anyway.”

Marie lowered her head, looking a bit nervous. “Um, in that case, I’ll be sure to voice my complaints without holding back if Zera says anything dumb or gets in our way. Is that okay, Doula?”

“Of course. You would be doing me a favor if you knock this dummy down a peg and set him straight.”

“Hey now, we were just talking about working together in the ancient labyrinth! Why are you all ganging up on me?” Seeing Zera look rather glum, we all burst into laughter.

Now, it was time for us to depart.

We were a bit reluctant to go, but we had to leave soon if we wanted to make it to the ancient labyrinth before sundown. I wore the desert goggles we had prepared and sat in the back seat. Marie and the black cat turned around to face me from the front. Doula and Zera smiled reassuringly at us from below.

“See ya later! Reach out to us if you need anything!”

“We will! Also, we hope you invite us for the wedding!”

We smiled as Doula’s face turned red immediately, then gave the order to the Magic Stone. Its transparent wings vibrated rapidly and we flew off, leaving a column of water in our wake.

We rose about ten meters into the air, and the scenery changed completely. A sand-colored cityscape that seemed nice to live in and a stretch of desert land appeared before us. I raised my voice in fascination, but Marie still clung to my arms in fear.

“Ahhh, we’re so high up! I feel butterflies in my stomach!”

She scooted her butt closer to mine and pressed against me, seemingly feeling helpless.

“Hold me tighter,” she ordered as she turned toward me. I pulled her thin waist toward me and left no space between us, which seemed to give her the comfort she was seeking. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Good, I should be able to manage now. Keep up the good work, Mr. Seatbelt. Also, I hope we’re not too heavy for Roon.”

Apparently, I was now recognized as a seatbelt. But not only did I not mind, I was pretty happy with my position. I got to hug a cute girl like Marie, after all. The Magic Stone seemed unconcerned, too, and it just responded with that roon sound as it vibrated its wings. It seemed to say “No problem at all!” Judging from the wide smile on Marie’s face, she was all ready to go. And so, we were off to enjoy the journey through the sky toward the ancient labyrinth.

I gave the order, and Roon glided through the air.

It was the very picture of a fantasy world. I looked all around me as I considered the thought.

The desert stretched far across the horizon, and the vastness of the blue sky reminded me of space itself. Sailing through the skies on a hatched Magic Stone was quite a rare experience in Japan... Actually, it was pretty rare here, too.

The saddle was secure thanks to the leather straps, and it didn’t seem like it would come loose from a bit of speed or shaking. I could tell Marie was growing less tense as she held me, perhaps thanks to the footholds we had installed. She was gradually getting used to it.

Her white hair flowed loosely, and she turned to me with her goggles over her eyes. I could see her mouth flapping, but it was hard to hear her with the wind blowing in my ears. Still, I figured out what she was trying to tell me right away.

Something floated around her finger, and I realized they were white feathers.

They clung on to her finger, refusing to be blown away, and their numbers increased as time went on. Once a good amount of them gathered up, she blew on them, scattering them into the air like dandelion fluff. But Roon suddenly went off-balance and wavered as the wind blew loudly. I quickly held Marie in my arms as the turbulence shook us.

“Oh, it seems we’ve lost our balance after all. If we think of this like an airplane ride... that would make you the control tower. I want you to guide us so nothing gets in Roon’s way.” She poked the air with her fingertip, causing a swirl of current there. Then, a white bird emerged from that point. It had a comb atop its head, and it stared with its beady eyes. It tilted its head, as if taking in its master’s orders.

The order was a highly advanced one. It had been tasked with adjusting the windbreak in a streamline shape to make our flight more stable. Marie took her staff, which had been secured to the footing, and sent her magic into the bird, then gave it an encouraging pat on its comb. It gave out an energetic cry, ran off, then flew into the air.

I cheered in surprise. The wind that had been blowing so violently stopped completely. Marie turned around with a sly smile on her face, and all I could do was pat her on the head.

“That’s amazing! I knew you were a genius, Marie.”

“Hee hee, you’re complimenting me too much. Is it really that amazing? I didn’t think it was that impressive.”

“You say that, but you know even the other elves can’t do this,” I said. She had been playing it cool just a moment ago, but her smile immediately returned again. The sun was still shining strong despite having set quite a bit, and the bird from earlier flew ahead of us. After smiling at each other for some time, we both looked up at the bird at once.

“We can finally talk again. We could probably even soften the sunlight with some help from light spirits.” There was no doubting how impressive Marie was. We were able to live through the hellish summer heat without an air conditioner thanks to her incredible skills in handling spirits. But she did it out of a desire to live comfortably, so it was hard to say whether she was a hard worker or a loafer.

I could hear her negotiating with the spirit with that same cheery tone from earlier. The language of elves sounded like a beautiful song, so I couldn’t help but listen. The negotiation with the light spirit ended quickly, and it was as if we were immediately shaded under a leafy tree.

“I did it! Hee hee, now we can enjoy the desert skies to the fullest.” Marie removed her goggles and let out a big yawn. She then turned to me halfway, smiling at me in wait of my compliments, with the black cat peeking out of her robe. Her eyes were alight with curiosity, and she turned to the side to take in the sight.

“Oh, wow! Look, look, the desert looks so beautiful from above. I hated it so much when we were walking on foot... I guess I’m quick to change my mind when it suits me.”

“But I’ve never traveled in such comfort like this before. At this rate, we might not even need the fruit juice we prepared.” Marie made a face, as if to say she would be drinking that, and I chuckled. I brought it out of the bag and stuck a straw-shaped twig into it. The jellyfish-like spirit came floating up to us and chilled the drink for us, making me realize all at once that I pretty much didn’t have to do any work.

I slowly looked at my surroundings as we continued to fly with that unique roorooroo... sound in the background.

The winding snake-shaped river was called the Dry River due to it usually being dry like its name suggested. The bright, sandy region ahead was known as the Gabalia Desert, and it was full of life despite its seemingly barren appearance. As I explained such things to Marie, the sun continued to set further and further.

An ancient mountain dragon wriggled far off on the horizon. It laid in wait with its mouth wide open for the swarm of bats returning to their cave.

“They’ll get eaten if they accidentally mistake it for their cave.”

“My, how scary. They’ll get swallowed up whole if they take a wrong turn? I sure hope we aren’t lost.”

“Don’t worry, we aren’t. We’ve been following the road this whole time. As long as we keep flying this way, we should get to the oasis. We can get there faster if we speed up, but... what do you think?”

“No need to rush. Let’s enjoy the view of the desert and take our time.” Marie leaned on me, and I agreed with her sentiment. Her stomach felt warm against me, and her heart rate was a lot calmer than before. It seemed she was finally able to relax and enjoy our journey in the sky.

Marie looked at me, her long hair wavering gently.

“So, do you want to accept that special mission?”

“Hm... I can’t say for sure yet, but I am curious about what sorts of monsters are on the third floor. Setting the mission aside, I honestly just want to go have fun.”

Marie laughed in response. “Well, I can agree to that. It’s not that I just want to have fun, but the Sorcerer’s Guild would scold me if I just sat by doing nothing. Though, if you insist, I suppose I could play with you a bit.” Marie gestured with her fingers at “a bit,” but I couldn’t help but feel she invited me to go out and play all the time. I gave her a look that said “Didn’t you say you wanted to go to the labyrinth to lose weight?” and she couldn’t hold in her laugh any longer.

“No, that’s not it. I’ve actually been getting a salary for my work, you know. It may seem like I’m just playing around, but it’s all part of my job. In other words, you’re the only unemployed one in this world. So, take that! Are you envious?” Marie’s playful jab was effective, despite her cute face. She was already positioned with her head on my shoulder. It would’ve been no surprise if our lips happened to touch. But her smile was so cheerful and innocent, it felt a bit unfair.

“I wouldn’t want to work even in my dreams. I mean, we both have stable jobs, so don’t you think we’re a good match? We’ve been pretty fortunate getting income without really planning for it, too.”

“Yes, we’ve received plenty of treasure, so I’m grateful that we’re able to live comfortably. That’s why I don’t think we need to go out of our way to take on this mission if we don’t want to. So, how about this? We’ll gladly join the raid team, but we won’t do the special mission,” Marie said, then flashed a grin. As for me, I didn’t ridicule her idea or laugh at it. After gathering information on this for some time, I had come to realize there was more to this mission than met the eye. There had to be some sort of hidden truth and agenda behind the conflict with bandits over the Magic Stones we were led to buy on a surface level.

“Are you saying we should enjoy what we can without getting too caught up on the mission? I don’t mind, of course. Though, maybe my opinion doesn’t hold much weight, being jobless and all,” I said jokingly in agreement to her suggestion.

Nothing good came from getting greedy. It was much less stressful and fun to go in with the mindset that things would be fine even if we failed. If the mission happened to succeed as a result, then all the better. And so, we decided to return the S-rank mission card without using it.

Our direction had been decided. As long as Aja and Hakam allowed it, we would join the raid on the third floor of the ancient labyrinth. I announced this to Marie, and she smiled with satisfaction.

“I have a feeling every day would be nice and easy if I was with you. Maybe someday, Doula would start calling me Sleepyhead, too.”

“Being really busy at work in Japan is enough for me. I wouldn’t want to be tired even in my dreams. Oh, since we can’t go to the sea here for a while, how about we make a trip to the sea in Japan?” Marie and the black cat turned around immediately. There was clearly expectation in those purple eyes, but there was a strange mixture of modesty there, too.

“I want... to go, but are you okay as far as finances go?”

“Well, a certain elf didn’t ask for a new fan when I got my bonus, so we’re okay on that front. Let’s see... I’d say the sea, a river, or the mountains would all be nice places to visit in the summer.” I asked which one Marie would prefer, and she embraced me with her arms around my neck. Then, she spoke to me with some hesitation.

“I feel like letting you spoil me right now. Is that okay?” It was absolutely okay. In fact, I would have preferred it that way. Marie glanced up at me, then contemplated something. Then, maybe she had given in to temptation, because her lips curled into a smile.

“Have you decided?”

“Yes, I’d love to go on a trip. I think the sea would be nice after all. What do you think, Wridra?”

“Meow, meooow!”

Come to think of it, Kaoruko and I had been deciding the destinations of our trips up until now. Marie and I didn’t know much about going on trips, so discussing it with Kaoruko when we got back may not have been a bad idea. And I hadn’t told the girls yet, but Obon was approaching soon. It was a wonderful time in which I would get six consecutive days off, including Saturday and Sunday. We had just gone back to Aomori recently, so why not take them where they wanted to go this time?

“It’s mostly decided, then. We’ll raid the third floor of the ancient labyrinth for fun, then prepare for our trip during the day. Agreed?”

“Yeeeah!”

“Meooow!”

And so, our journey through the sky in the dream world went on with lively excitement.

The route to the oasis was usually a sweaty and miserable ordeal on foot, but it took less than an hour to fly there. We may have even been able to arrive in half the time if we picked up the pace. With the chilled drinks and cheerful humming, the ride had been incredibly enjoyable for me. Though, if you asked me, it should have been this comfortable when you remember it was supposed to be a dream world.

I looked down at the ground below and saw a building up ahead. It was the remains of the fortress made for the Magic Stone excavation site. Large mountains laid in wait ahead of us, and we would soon arrive at the oasis where the ancient labyrinth was located. “That was quick!” Marie cheered.

§

“Ah, this is kind of scary...” Marie’s voice echoed throughout the ancient labyrinth. The path was brightly lit thanks to the light spirit, but there was no one in sight. In fact, there weren’t even any monsters around due to the floor having been cleared. Even the black cat’s footsteps sounded loud as it walked around.

“Come to think of it, horror is a big theme of the summer, too. Remember that thing we saw before?”

“Um... Do you mean that horror movie? Wridra seemed to enjoy it too, but I can’t understand the appeal. Why would anyone want to be scared? And even going so far as to pay money for it.”

The cat meowed as if in protest, or maybe to convince Marie that they were actually quite enjoyable. I could have started telling scary stories here, but she probably would have gotten seriously angry, so I decided against it.

Our shoes clacked against the ground as we walked through the path of the second floor. I thought about how we could have gone straight to our destination if Wridra’s main body had been there. But with the lack of enemies to fight and the Magic Tool’s map at our disposal, we made our way through with ease.

“We’re probably almost there. It must be past six in the evening, so we should sleep as soon as we arrive,” I said.

“Right, today is Monday, isn’t it? I was in the vacation spirit, so that’s a shame.”

“Well, the excitement leading up to the vacation is part of the fun. I have to work to support myself over there, so we can’t do much about that.”

As we continued our conversation, the staircase leading underground grew brighter and brighter. The natural light was like that of the sun, and it had a warmth unbefitting of the ancient labyrinth. The orange light of the evening coming in through the peep holes around the spiral stairs was created by the woman representing life, known as Shirley. Soon enough, we arrived at a hall that was as big as several Tokyo Domes, with a thick, vibrant forest and a flowing river.

“It’s a wondrous sight no matter how many times I see it. Hard to believe this place is in the depths of the labyrinth.”

“Hmm, I guess our travel destination is decided,” Marie said. I wondered what she meant and turned to her with a questioning look, and she replied as if the answer was obvious.

“I mean, there’s a forest and river here already. With those two already checked off, that means the sea is our only option left for our vacation trip.”

“Ah, I guess you’re right. Then, it might be fun to camp out and have a barbecue while we’re here. Food cooked out in nature becomes all the more delicious, you know.” The other two seemed interested in outdoor cooking, so I decided to tell them more about it as we descended the spiral staircase. I explained the joy of having a meal in the great outdoors, grilling meat and vegetables with a beer in hand, and they gulped audibly.

“Guh...! I hate to admit it, but I’ll end up an overweight elf at this rate.”

“Wha?! I don’t think you need to throw in the towel so early. I’m sure we’ll get plenty of exercise on the third floor, and we’ll be going to the sea, too.” It was important to get plenty of food and exercise. Maybe we were a bit too lax for people who were about to step foot into uncharted territory. Though, if you asked me, there was nothing wrong with a raid team that just cared about having fun all the time.

When we emerged outside—no, out to the second floor’s hall, a footpath surrounded by trees appeared before us. We stepped out onto the soil covered in leaves and glanced up at some wild birds searching for their sleeping spot for the night. When we got through the woods, we arrived at a resting area.

There, we were surprised to find two familiar figures beside the gently flowing river.

The black cat that was leading the way rushed out toward the woman sitting there. Her slender arms scooped up the cat, and her long, black hair swayed as she turned her eyes toward us. The woman was tall like a model, and she had a motherly air about her...

“Ah! Wridra!” Marie sprinted forward, much like the cat had just before her. I was just thinking about the raid on the third floor, but the members of Team Amethyst happened to be assembled now.

The former floor master Shirley was also floating there, so I waved at her as I walked over to my friends. Although she couldn’t speak, she mouthed the words, “Welcome back.”

It had been... about two weeks since my last visit.

The elf and the dragon were reunited as the sun was setting, and their cheerful, lively voices could be heard. It was strange how happy it made me just watching them get excited to be in each other’s company again. Although Wridra was a legendary being, to Marie, she was simply a close friend that she got along well with. There wasn’t a hint of fear in her demeanor as she clung to the Arkdragon’s side.

“Wridra! Why are you here?”

“Hah, hah, what choice did I have? I could not sit idly by as you planned a Japan trip. Besides, I have been helping Shirley here quite often.”

I wondered what she meant by helping Shirley. Maybe with managing the forest here? No, Shirley was once the being that managed the ancient forests and presided over the essence of life, so the help had to be for something else. I decided I would ask about it later.

It seemed Wridra’s taste in fashion had changed since spending time in Japan, because she was now wearing a casual attire of shorts and a black tank top instead of her usual heavily armored dress. She wore it very well, but the “dragon” kanji on her chest was riding that fine line between cool and weird.

She didn’t have to worry about other people seeing her here, so her draconian ears, horn, and impressive tail were on full display. The tip of her tail twitched up and down, perhaps in response to her emotions. The black-haired beauty grinned in response to Marie’s joyful expression.

“Now that you got your so-called bonus, it should be no problem for me to visit you in Japan. You are quite generous, after all. I am certain you would not refuse.”

“...Yeah. I hope you’ll take it easy on me,” I replied, but Marie and Wridra were the best of friends, so it seemed my input didn’t have much weight. They went on with their girls’ talk, discussing how they wanted to go to the sea for the trip after all.

My eyes were drawn to the transparent hair flowing in the air. I turned around to find Shirley smiling gently. It had been a while since I last saw her, and she seemed more beautiful than ever. Her white, gothic dress closed tight up to her neck. The skirt flared out at the hem, and her shirt covered her down to the sleeves. It seemed the heat didn’t bother her in her soul form.

“Hey there, good evening. You undid your hair, huh?”

Her long hair flowed about her as if she was underwater. She kicked off of the ground and weightlessly glided over, then stood next to me. Her beautiful, sky blue eyes moved right up to mine, and I looked up at her at a slight angle. She twirled her hair with her fingers, which told me she was a bit self-conscious.

“I think it looks great on you. The flower hairpin suits you really well, too.” Shirley’s lips curled awkwardly, and she quickly hid her face behind her sleeves. She shyly took one step back, then glanced at me again. I had a feeling she was actually enjoying the compliments.

“Well, I’m sorry to ask for a favor so soon after arriving, but we need to get some rest soon. Would it be okay if we spent some time hanging out here tomorrow?”

Shirley blinked at my question, then nodded right away. I may have imagined that hint of sadness in her expression, but I was a Japanese salaryman. It was almost night here, so it was probably a little before seven in Japan.

There was roughly about twelve hours of time difference between Japan and the dream world. That was why we tended not to be too active at night unless I had no work the next day. Of course, since I was already dreaming, I would feel fully rested when I woke up again.

“So, let’s continue this conversation on the other side. Wridra, would you mind going on a date with Marie during the day?”

“Hm, we shall take a walk through Japan for the first time in quite a while. Come to think of it, it may be a good idea to take photographs of that garden Shirley showed an interest in.”

Shirley immediately turned around in reaction to Wridra’s casual comment. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing upon seeing her rare expression full of intense fascination. As the manager of the forest, maybe she was naturally drawn to gardens, a place of harmony between people and nature.

Birds could be heard hooting in the dark forest.

It seemed that before I knew it, desert owls had made Shirley’s forest their habitat. It was hard to believe a deadly battle had taken place here not too long ago.

The crackling fire was the only source of light in this forest. The dull pocket of light felt like it was somehow disconnected from the rest of our environment. I could hear the gentle sound of the flowing river, and a harmonica probably would have added to the mood, if I knew how to play one.

I placed a blanket on the ground and laid on it. I had reunited with old friends again, but unfortunately, it was time for me to wake up. Marie laid down using my arm as a pillow, and she stuck her knee between my legs as usual.

She let out a cute yawn, then nuzzled her sleepy face against me. Our stomachs touched, and I felt her warmth that was characteristic of when she was feeling sleepy. I felt as if I could fall asleep comfortably like this even without a blanket.

“Nnh, I’m sleepy... I’ll look forward to... the farm tomorrow...”

So, she remembered. I chuckled, and Marie’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. I had learned recently that there was a time when Marie disliked sleeping. That was pretty hard to believe now.

I felt a presence behind me after a delay, and Wridra put her arms around me without modesty. I had gotten used to being in such close proximity with her, despite her fine features and lovely, long black hair.

“Hmm, my heart races at the thought of being back in Japan after all this time.”

“Oh? But you’re always there as the black cat. I guess it’s different when you’re there in the flesh.” I turned around slowly, and Wridra was watching me with her elbow on the ground and her head resting in her hand. I saw her almond-shaped eyes blink in the firelight, then narrow into a smile.

“Yes, of course. It has been quite stressful being unable to chide you two. Hah, hah, I could throw water on you now that I have my body.”

All I could do was ask her to take it easy on me. I did realize that I shouldn’t turn around to look at her too much. Maybe it had to do with her being an Arkdragon, but she had never made a habit out of wearing clothes to bed. Feeling those mounds of a woman and mother against my back, I felt a small urge to take back my thoughts from earlier. It seemed it would take a lot more time before I got used to this.

By the time I put the blanket over us and the fire grew smaller, I felt myself getting sleepy, too. The senses in my extremities felt dull, and my eyelids grew heavier from the quiet breathing coming from behind and in front of me. When I looked up at the night sky, a semi-transparent woman floated above me instead of the stars.

“Hey there, Shirley. Sorry we couldn’t stay long today.” She shook her head. The somewhat puzzled expression on her face could have been due to our sleeping configuration. After all, the three of us slept with our bodies touching so we could all go to Japan together.

I couldn’t touch her in my corporeal form. But as her finger tickled my hair, it almost felt as if she was patting my head. There was a faint warmth and ticklish sensation there. Feeling as if I could sleep more comfortably than usual, I whispered to her before falling asleep.

“Good night, Shirley.”

Her lips moved to mouth back “Good night,” and my consciousness faded away.

Now, I hadn’t noticed that Shirley had positioned herself in such a way so my head was practically on her lap. The three of us began to fade away from existence, and her eyes widened at the sight of our outlines growing faint.

Maybe it was because we mentioned the Japanese garden earlier.

Shirley looked around for some reason, and then, as if she had given in to her curiosity, she wrapped her arms around my body and leaned onto it as she closed her eyes. We all vanished into thin air... and no one was left in the forest.

An owl hooted again in the forest where no one was present.

§

How odd...

It was a nice, refreshing morning, but my body felt heavy. Not to mention, I felt a bit of a chill, and I could see an elf and a black-haired beauty looking at me worriedly. Actually, Wridra didn’t really look worried.

Marie placed her hand against my forehead, which felt nice and cool against my skin.

“You don’t have much of a fever, but you don’t look so good. Maybe you caught a cold?”

“Hm, how interesting. Not to worry, companies have such a thing as pee-tee-oh for times like these.”

I was surprised Wridra knew about PTO. Luckily, my throat and nose were fine, but it seemed like it would’ve been a good idea to call in today. If my symptoms were really bad, it would have been best to go to the hospital.

“Hm... I guess I should. But I don’t recall ever catching a cold while I’m sleeping...”

With that, I rose to a sitting position. We were in my condo in Koto Ward, and the sun was shining brightly through the curtains.

People said summer colds were rough, so I wished I hadn’t caught one. One thing that caught my attention was the strange thumping sound around my chest. It sounded different from my own heartbeat. Maybe I was just imagining it...

I got up from bed and started slowly making my way toward the bathroom.

My head was in a bit of a daze. I didn’t even notice the finger touching my shoulder.