Chapter of Midsummer, Episode 11: The Correct Way to Spend a Day Off

A glass of iced tea was placed in front of me, and I said, “Thanks.”

Marie watched my listless face with a tray held against her chest, then sat down in the seat across from me.

The blue sky could be seen through the window on this weekend morning, and it looked like clouds would appear once the temperature rose. Marie was wearing an outfit appropriate for the summer: a camisole that hung off of her shoulders with lace and shorts that revealed her thighs.

“You seem down today. Are you okay?”

“Hmm, do I? You might laugh, but I was really looking forward to the third floor. I thought we’d run into powerful opponents and fight a desperately close battle. But then...” I sighed, then Marie gave me a strange look as she took a sip from her glass of iced tea.

The third floor really had been a disappointment.

The enemies there were definitely stronger, and there were more formidable foes there than ever before. But that also meant there were more enemies that immediately knew Wridra and Shirley’s true nature. This meant that the monsters fled right away, never to be seen again. As for the great Arkdragon in question, she went back to bed to take a nap after eating breakfast.

I watched her sleeping comfortably, then picked up the glass on the table and presented it to the jellyfish-like creature floating in the room. It dropped some ice free of impurities into the glass, chilling the iced tea even further. Ice spirits sure were convenient. Though, it was drawn to the freezer for some reason and drifted over to it occasionally.

“The third floor feels strange, doesn’t it? I was especially bummed that we couldn’t fight that Heat Dragon,” I said.

“But it’s better if we can get through it easily. It gives me more time to read the books, look at the wall art, and enjoy your cooking, so I don’t mind at all,” Marie replied as she moved to tie her hair back. There was some morning anime playing now, and I realized her hair style resembled the character in the show. She combed through her hair with a brush that was close by, then bundled it to each side to make pigtails.

There was something magical about her appearance, with her white hair, pale skin, and eyes like precious stones. In fact, she really could use magic. The story in the anime was about saving people using magic, so her hairstyle was a fitting choice in that sense. And so, I brought over ribbons from the shelf and decided to help her out.

But with this hairstyle, it was hard to hide her long ears with the Magic Tool. In that case, it would probably have been better to add volume to the sides, but then she wouldn’t have resembled the character as much. As I went back and forth on this pointless conundrum, Marie was letting her feet dangle under her.

“It’s not as if you didn’t get to fight at all. The weak enemies that couldn’t recognize Wridra attacked us anyway,” she said.

“True. But personally... I’m not sure if you’d understand, but a man wants the thrill of a close battle.” She made a face as if to say she had no clue what I was talking about, and I nodded. I figured it must have been hard for a girl to grasp the concept of what I sought in a dungeon.

Our exploration through the labyrinth had continued for a few days since we’d started. Contrary to my expectations, things were moving rather smoothly. I just wished our peaceful time there would be compromised every once in a while. As I mentioned before, I just wanted to experience a difficult battle.

One of the distinct features of the third floor was that the number of intelligent monsters had increased. Many of them could think and act of their own will, meaning their attack patterns also increased in variety. We had conducted meetings on how to deal with them each time, discussing the locations of the weak points of their magic amplifying organs, how to destroy them, and the order in which we should defeat the enemies.

“Doula sure is reliable, isn’t she? The raid teams each have members with varying personalities, but she takes charge during the meetings really well.”

“I was surprised. Her level may not be all that high, but she’s very skilled when it comes to leading people. Maybe it has to do with her being a healer.” Her Team Andalusite focused on supporting the other teams with healing and putting up barriers. This meant her ability to assess the overall picture and determine how to provide backup came in handy. In that sense, maybe it was ideal for a healer to take charge overall.

Doula directed everyone toward the goal and made sure Zera didn’t get too tense. They were perfectly in sync with each other, almost like a married comedy duo.

“It all works out thanks to the firepower we have as a group. Us, Team Diamond, and that man Gaston. All the pieces fit together to make a cohesive unit.” Marie’s pencil danced across her notebook.

The main roles were divided as such: Eve and Zera’s team were on scouting duty, Puseri’s team would defend the vanguard, Doula’s team would support from the back, and our team would scan for enemies and act as a mobile attack unit.

Zera’s team was the most flexible and would rearrange unit placement depending on the enemy’s numbers and characteristics. Add in Marie’s ability to reshape the terrain, and you had yourself a simple fortress. Marie’s true strength was in group combat, and the fact that she could scan for enemies with Prison Keeper was a huge boon to the team.

“Hmm, I heard there’s about forty of us in total. Maybe that’s the best size for us to coordinate as a group,” I said.

“Yes, I think the fact that we don’t have many people dragging us down is a big factor. As you mentioned before, just having more people doesn’t necessarily translate into an advantage.” When the team size got too big, the Pareto Principle could come into effect. Those who thought they didn’t need to put in the work would just flee when faced with danger. This was the act of someone who couldn’t take on responsibility to begin with, but that attitude also lowered the morale of those around them. In this case, it was better for them to not be there in the first place.

“It makes sense why Sir Hakam and Aja the Great insist on working with small elite teams when you think about it that way. I didn’t expect working in teams to be so interesting.”

We still had to figure out how to accept consumables and food. It cost far too much time to go back to the base on the second floor every time we needed something. But considering the danger, it was difficult to send just a few people at a time, so we had no choice but to move together with everyone.

“There’s one more issue we have to deal with. We split up whenever we go to sleep, right? Doula has asked me several times if we can all rest together,” Marie said.

“Right, things could get bad if they get attacked while we’re away.” That was actually the biggest headache right now. It was thanks to Wridra and Shirley that we weren’t getting attacked by powerful enemies. I was worried about them moving away from the others, but for some reason, there hadn’t been any night ambushes so far. This was an unexplored ancient labyrinth we were talking about. There should have been monsters that roamed around the area, so it was strange that we hadn’t encountered any.

As I mentioned this, Marie looked up at the ceiling.

“Now that you mention it, there’s something special about the third floor. It doesn’t seem like monsters are respawning as they usually do. It’s as if they vanish.”

“Vanish... It doesn’t seem likely, but that’s the only explanation I can think of.” Marie wrote “Monsters vanished” into her notebook, like the title of some suspense novel. If they really disappeared, where could they have gone? Did they flee like the Heat Dragon?

She continued filling the notebook with our current situation, questions, and issues. It was in our nature to become engrossed in such things, and we realized it was already eight o’clock.

“Oh, goodness. It’s almost time for you to get ready for work.”

“Hm, I completely forgot about Wridra. Can you wake her up later?”

“Okay!” Marie replied. I turned around to go and get dressed.

My commute wasn’t too long, but I didn’t like waiting until the last minute. Wridra was still fast asleep, but since she was visiting, I decided to start my day early.

I was curious what Marie and Wridra would do together though. Just looking up at the sky, I could tell it was probably going to be a hot day, but I couldn’t imagine Wridra reading a book indoors.

Well, there was no point thinking about that too deeply. They always found a way to enjoy themselves, so they would surely figure out some unique way to pass their time. I tightened my tie and put my hands through my suit sleeves.

§

*Ding dong*

The tall woman stood with her finger stretched toward the bell button with a surprised look on her face. It seemed this was her first time ringing a doorbell, and her obsidian eyes were alight with curiosity.

“Hm! That is as satisfying as the sound of splitting bamboo. I doubt anyone would mind if I press it again.”

“Please don’t. It’s embarrassing, and they might mistake us for some door-to-door solicitors.” The one who spoke up to protest was a head shorter than the first woman, the sunlight reflecting off of her white hair. She furrowed her brows as she tugged on the black-haired woman’s sleeve. This motion accentuated Wridra’s ample breasts, but she didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

She wore a casual outfit with a tank top that revealed her shoulders and skintight jeans, but her model-like figure looked good even in the eyes of other women. Despite her looks, she sometimes acted like a child and ended up embarrassing her companions like this.

Moments later, they heard footsteps from the inside, and then the door opened.

The bespectacled woman was Kaoruko Ichijo. Her black hair came down to her shoulders, and she greeted the two in a clean-looking blouse that wasn’t too different from the outfits she usually wore when working at the library. As she opened the door, her usually gentle and straitlaced demeanor loosened into a smile.

“Welcome, you two. Please, come in.”

“Excuse us.” The two were accustomed to Japanese culture by now, and they bowed their heads before entering. Marie had visited Kaoruko’s condo before, as they lived in the same complex, but it was the first time she had brought Wridra with her. Despite this being her first visit, Wridra was far from nervous.

“Yes, don’t mind if I do. Ah, Kitase told me to give this to you.” Kaoruko accepted the colorful box of snacks, and her eyes widened. Wridra had black hair and black eyes, but she had prominent Western features. That was why Kaoruko was surprised by Wridra’s Japanese gesture. Still, she blinked her eyes and smiled.

“That’s very kind of you. Oh, is this a souvenir from Grimland?”

“Yes, we had a lot of fun there thanks to your advice,” Marie said with a smile, and Kaoruko’s face turned pink. Marie had seemed cautious when they had first met, but she had softened over time as they saw each other at the library and enjoyed meals together, and Kaoruko felt like she was some kind of lovable fairy these days. It made her truly happy that she worked at the Koto Ward library.

Ah, what a wonderful perk! To think, I can even invite them over to my place! Kaoruko was getting emotional as she shouted internally, while her two guests tilted their heads in confusion.

Now, Kaoruko had chosen her room as a married couple, so unlike the Kitase household, the layout was designed for family use. That was why it was a 2LDK instead of 1DK, and it included extra storage space with design elements that made it easier to live in. The elf and dragon looked around with great interest.

The subdued interior was fitting for Kaoruko, and the place looked quite cozy. The sofa and large TV were perfect for viewing movies. They looked at the door beside the living room.

“Ah! So this is one of those rumored walk-in closets!”

“Ah! To be able to store clothing without folding it is quite a luxury in Japan!” The door slid open, and Marie and Wridra were awestruck. Kaoruko felt that they looked like a pair of cute sisters together, but she made a puzzled face as she wondered who was spreading rumors to them about walk-in closets.

“Come to think of it, you didn’t have one at your condo. Oh, are you staying at the Kitase household too, Wridra?”

“On occasion, yes. I cannot help but visit because his cooking is so good, but I worry about the cost of food. I am certain he does not make much income.”

Marie stared at Wridra as if to say, “But you’ve been eating your fill in cat form.” Yet, she wasn’t aware that Wridra worried about food costs, so she tugged on her black tank top.

“You should stop worrying about that and come over more often. Um, it’s fun being with you, Wridra, and I like going out with you like this.”

“Hah, hah, I must admit that is nice to hear. It does make me somewhat uncomfortable to receive so many kind words, but perhaps the three of us, including Kaoruko, could go on a picnic.” Kaoruko twitched at the unexpected suggestion. Ever since moving from Hokkaido to Tokyo with her husband Toru, she hadn’t made many local friends. Being invited to go out reminded her of her student days, and her face flushed with excitement.

“Absolutely! I love to cook too, so I can bring sandwiches in a picnic basket!”

“Oh, how fun! Then let’s all go out together when our schedules align.” They all chatted together like old friends and enjoyed the weekday afternoon together.

§

Her purple eyes widened at the rows of books lining the shelves. They stretched nearly up to the ceiling, and there were shelves on either side. It seemed this corner of the room was where they kept Kaoruko’s personal belongings, like novels, manga, and a computer on top of a desk. Combined with the video game console in the living room, it was clear she had a variety of hobbies.

“Wow, so many books!” Marie exclaimed.

“They’re not the kind that would be in the library though. I may not look it, but I’m a big fan of manga.” While Marie stared in awe at all the books, Wridra stood at the door and scratched her cheek. One could tell she was unamused without even looking at her face. She knew that Kitase and Marie often lost themselves in stories and wouldn’t budge once they started reading. She had experienced it many times as a cat, and so she sighed as she was reminded of the boredom.

“I prefer watching movies over following text with my eyes. Hm? This book has quite a colorful cover.”

“Yes, that one is purely for entertainment purposes, unlike most of what you’d find at the library. Japan is known for its manga. The one you’re holding is about boxing. Are you familiar with it? It’s a sport where you punch the opponent like this. It’s fun seeing the protagonist grow stronger through hard work.”

Seeing Kaoruko throw out a couple jabs, Wridra furrowed her brows with a displeased expression and said, “Hm.” She had no interest in such tiresome things as books in the first place. But it was hard to return it back to the shelf after getting such a recommendation, so she reluctantly began flipping through the pages. Then, her obsidian eyes widened slightly.

“Hm, there are more pictures than text. Hm, mhm, so these cloud-shaped objects contain the characters’ dialogue.”

“Yes, but have you never read manga before? I suppose they aren’t too common outside of Japan.” Perhaps dexterous Asian artists were most suited for drawing and putting together panels into a cohesive story. Manga had a deep history, spanning back to examples such as the Choju-giga from the Heian period. But the manga mentioned here were more commonly read for entertainment, and Kaoruko’s comment was strictly referring to manga sales outside of Japan.

Hm... Unlike a novel, the story is easy to understand just by following the drawings. It seems as if the characters themselves truly are talking. And these lines here make it seem as if the characters are moving.

Wridra began to develop an interest in manga and continued turning the pages.

The protagonist of the story was a timid character who got bullied by others. As he spent his days without joy, he came across the sport of boxing. It wasn’t that he wished to become stronger, but it was more like he was curious to discover the extent of his own potential. With the guidance of a boxer he could rely on, he delved deeper into the world of boxing.

“Hmph, what a pathetic man. Why not bite his abuser’s legs rather than cry about it? A man who simply curls up and takes the abuse is not a man at all.”

“You say that, but I think it’s wonderful when someone is giving their all for something. I just want to cheer them on so badly, my body starts moving on its own,” Kaoruko said, looking a little embarrassed, but Wridra continued reading while looking rather upset.

After some time, the timid boy went through a change. Just for a moment, his expression changed to that of a man, and he showed a glimpse of the talent that his boxing senior had seen in him... When Wridra turned the page again, she realized she had finished the volume.

“Here’s volume two,” Kaoruko said.

“Ah, I thank you. It ended right when things were getting interesting. How pathetic it is that they would be so stingy with the number of pages.” Wridra stood in place as she continued reading, then suddenly picked up a cushion from nearby and sat on the ground. She sat with her legs crossed, leaning over slightly in full-on reading mode.

“Unbelievable. She’s not going to stop reading, is she?” Marie said.

“It seems she won’t be moving for some time. I’ll bring some tea over.”

“My thanks,” Wridra said without even looking up. But strangely, the iced tea and snacks next to her somehow disappeared over time.

She occasionally swayed side to side, and the sight of her being so focused on reading manga was an unfamiliar one even to the elf who lived with her.

Wridra had turned into a page-turning machine, so Kaoruko called over the bored-looking Marie. She held a laptop in her hand, and Marie peered at the strange-looking monitor.

“Is that...a game?”

“Yes, it is. A character shows up on the screen, and you move it around with a controller... Wait, are you not familiar with games?” Marie shook her head.

Come to think of it, Kitase didn’t play games at all, but instead went out, cooked, or read novels in his free time. Rather, he didn’t feel like playing games because he had far more fun going on adventures in the dream world.

“My husband and I play together on his days off, but it just collects dust otherwise. Would you like to play with me?”

“Oh, but I don’t know how to play at all.”

“You’ll get used to it as you play. Give it a try!” Marie wasn’t sure what was going on as Kaoruko sat her down and showed her the screen.

She raised her voice in surprise as scenery more vivid than the real world spread out on the other side of the screen. The characters lined up there were equipped with armor, swords, and staves, and they reminded her of the atmosphere in the dream world.

“You can move your character with this button.”

“Oh, it moved! What? How? I’m sorry, could I have a minute? I need some time to process this.” Kaoruko was astonished that Marie really didn’t know what video games were, and she watched as the elf took several deep breaths to calm herself. She did look like a sheltered rich girl or some sort of lovable fairy and didn’t seem like the type who would play video games.

Maybe her parents were really strict about this sort of thing.

The thought crossed Kaoruko’s mind, and she wondered if she really should have been teaching Marie about games. But in the end, she let Mariabelle decide for herself. She would play with her if she was interested, and they would do something else if she wasn’t.

Marie took a deep breath, then turned back to Kaoruko.

“I think I get it now. It’s like a picture that moves, isn’t it?”

“Ah... Right, something like that... I think.” Marie’s tone was a bit more casual than before, perhaps because she was preoccupied with trying to understand the nature of the video game. But Kaoruko was pleased, as it made her feel closer to Marie.

What a strange girl, she thought as she handed Marie the controller. She looked taken aback by its weight for a moment, but the fact that she could control the characters freely seemed to pique her interest greatly.

“The main classes are tank, healer, and attacker. Which one would you like to try?” Kaoruko asked.

“Huh?!” Marie looked up at Kaoruko with wide eyes. The sight was so adorable, Kaoruko had to make a conscious effort not to swoon. When she was younger... No, she was still a huge fan of yuri novels, but she decided not to mention that out loud.

Marie was awestruck. She never thought it would have been possible to go on an adventure through such wonderful worlds using a controller. The fact that she could select a class freely was incredibly intriguing to her as well. Her face was pink with excitement as she replied to Kaoruko.

“Healer! I’ve always admired healers! How wonderful it would be to stay back and support everyone!”

“Oh, that’s quite a strange thing to admire. Then, please use one of my sub-characters. If you end up liking the game, you can make your own character from scratch. Kitase-san is very lenient when it comes to your requests, so he just might buy it for you if you ask.” Marie played through the tutorial with Kaoruko’s guidance.

With her intelligence, she was quick to learn how to heal and support the tank even when an enemy unleashed a powerful attack. Soon enough, she learned advanced techniques, such as casting spells while walking and continuous incantations.

“Hm, I can get an extra turn if I do it this way. Maybe I can throw in another attack here.”

She’s frightening! Kaoruko thought as she watched Marie mutter to herself and smile as she picked up new strategies.

After playing for an hour or so, it was time to go into battle. Kaoruko’s knight led the party into a dungeon.

Although Kaoruko was surprised by how quickly Marie was picking up the game, she was quite a skilled gamer herself. She knew how to keep an eye on the overall picture, and she was even composed enough to watch and enjoy Marie’s growth.

It was a good thing they were sitting next to each other as they played as well. They could speak to each other directly, so they could communicate better than if they were playing online. And so, Marie looked at the horde of monsters before them and spoke.

“Oh, it’s fine now. I’ll handle the rest of them, so you can go on ahead.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll gather up the mobs for you.”

They were terrifyingly competent and streamlined in their methods as they mowed down the foes. They were having fun playing an unusual game of “how efficiently can we defeat all the enemies,” and their enjoyment only made their performance even better. The dungeon was cleared in record time.

Kaoruko blinked and stared at the score displayed on the screen.

“Mariabelle-chan, you’re so good that you make my husband’s gameplay look like trash.”

“Hehe, I got the hang of it. But you were so quick with making calls. It was satisfying seeing you cut off useless allies right away. It was wonderfully played on your part.”

She’s frightening! Kaoruko thought again.

Anyone could clear games as long as they put in the effort. However, whether a game suited someone or not really depended on the individual, so it was natural that there would be a skill difference between one person and another. It was also true that the Spirit Sorceress who had accomplished much in the ancient labyrinth was quite compatible with this game.

Kaoruko felt that Marie was more reliable than anyone she had ever met, and it seemed that together, she could finally achieve her dream of clearing the high difficulty content.

Kaoruko groaned in front of her computer. The air-conditioned room was comfortable even in the summer, and Marie was chewing a mouthful of freshly cooked yakisoba next to her. It was considered bad manners to eat in front of the game screen like this, but in Kaoruko’s eyes, it seemed like Marie was enjoying this brand-new experience. She stared at her guest and thought, We shouldn’t challenge the highest difficulty stages when she just started two hours ago, right?

Anyone who had experience playing games would say that it was a bad idea. It looked like a standard, casual fantasy game in appearance, but it was far from it. The game was designed so it was impossible to clear with luck alone, and one needed to learn the enemies’ various attack patterns and how to deal with them. The average player would require months of practice before they could finally say, “Maybe I can beat it...in a month or so.” Rumors say there were some who had gotten so deep into it that they lost their jobs.

Kaoruko still didn’t know the depths of Marie’s abilities. It was her day off today, so she just wanted to have fun spending time together. But now she had to know if her gaming partner truly was talented. She smiled at Marie.

“Marie-chan, what if I told you this was all just child’s play up to this point?” She explained that there were greater heights to strive for, a world in a whole different dimension, and Marie’s eyes lit up.

The sun set slowly, and Kaoruko’s room was unusually heated.

The sound of buttons clicking reverberated endlessly, with Marie’s and Kaoruko’s voices thrown in the mix. Wridra sat with her legs crossed in the corner of their vision, but unlike usual, she remained mostly still as she continued to read manga.

If the ice spirit had been here, it probably would have turned tail and run. Mariabelle’s expression was just that intense as she opened her mouth.

“Not on my watch! I’ll negate that damage!”

“No way! Your timing was so perfect I didn’t even see my HP decrease!”

“Keep your guard up. The next attack is coming.”

“O-Okie!”

The party was in a swell of excitement, with messages such as “This healer’s crazy” and “What a god” appearing on screen. However, not only did Marie not join in their celebration, but she clicked her tongue in frustration. She was annoyed by the fact that the others were wasting time typing such things in the middle of a fierce battle.

The original plan was for Kaoruko to support Marie. In fact, that was what they had done for the first hour or so. She had taught Marie about the enemy attack patterns and how to deal with them like a teacher would a student, which was evident by the notebook full of notes next to her. But Kaoruko had underestimated the girl’s learning abilities.

Marie’s talent had already manifested itself in the second battle. Their goal before was to practice together, but they were now aiming to clear the challenges before them. Not only did she learn how to keep herself from getting knocked out, but she started playing in a way that covered her allies’ mistakes.

As Kaoruko’s eyes spun dizzily, the boss’s HP gauge drew increasingly closer to zero. Once the boss reached this final stage, it began dishing out terribly wicked attacks. The boss started throwing out area-of-effect attacks that covered every direction, and as those who failed to evade them fell one by one, Marie gave up on resurrecting her allies and called out with a powerful voice.

“Take this! Arrow of Light, Quintuple Shot!” She unleashed five bolts of light, explosive sounds of destruction followed, and the screen went dark. Kaoruko stared at the monitor in confusion, then became speechless as an animation began to play.

“Huh? Wha? But they just added this content...” But seeing the enemy fall apart and the celebratory messages scrolling by in the chat, she found herself in a further state of stunned amazement.

Kaoruko felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around with her glasses still askew. Marie stood there with a confident smile, gesturing for a high five with her small hand. Their hands clapped together, and a smile spread over Kaoruko’s face as the sense of accomplishment finally set in.

“Marie-chan! We did it!”

“Hehe, great work!” They cheered and hugged, jumping up and down after having overcome the intense battle. The hours of struggle and perseverance had finally come to an end, and Wridra even put her manga reading on pause to look up at the two. Though, her expression was that of annoyance at all the noise they were making.

When they looked outside, they realized the sun had set long ago.

Wridra finally finished reading her manga and slowly rose from the sofa. But the other two looked at her, and their eyes widened.

“Huh? Wait, Wridra’s face looks really gallant right now!”

“Why do you look like you just fought a battle?!”

Some sort of change had come over Wridra after she went through dozens of volumes of the boxing manga. There was a dauntless expression on her face, and the light shining on her made her look like the protagonist of a sports manga.

“I have an inexplicable urge to shadowbox. Hm, the string for that fluorescent light seems perfect for punching.” With that, she swung her arms around, her fist snapping forward like she was cracking a whip. Seeing this, the other two burst out chuckling, which escalated to holding their sides as they laughed out loud. Though, perhaps Wridra really did have the ability to become the world champion...

And so, their computer screen displayed a message stating they had obtained legendary equipment, along with a massive number of friend requests.

They hadn’t actually achieved much of note, but they finished their weekday with a sense of accomplishment.

Having finished his work for the day, the man finally arrived at his condo and looked up. He heard cheerful laughter from the floor above and recognized the familiar voices.

“Ah, Marie had mentioned she would go over to her place. I should bring over the pears I bought.” He pictured their happy faces as they ate the pears and smiled. Those smiles would surely make the summer heat more tolerable. Kitase pressed the elevator button, having no idea that Wridra’s dramatized expression would be awaiting him.