Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Volume 2 E-Book

Makishima Suzuki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 347

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Kazuhiro and Marie decide to invite Wrida the magi drake to Japan to offer her some rest from her demanding job of raising children. Kazuhiro takes his two guests on a trip to the hot springs, where they all grow closer and promise to continue adventuring with one another even in the dream world. However, the time for them to challenge new labyrinths is approaching...

Along with the elf, it's time to say, “Welcome to Japan, Ms. Magi Drake!”

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Chapter of Arkdragon

Prologue

Episode 1: Conquering the Ancient Labyrinth

Episode 2: It’s French Cuisine, Ms. Elf

Episode 3: License to Explore

Episode 4: The Arkdragon’s Pulse

Episode 5: Time to Rest, Lady Arkdragon

Episode 6: Illusion

Episode 7: Welcome to Japan, Ms. Arkdragon

Episode 8: Duel

Episode 9: Sorcerer’s Guild Leader

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Chapter of Arkdragon: Prologue

Thunk, thunk, thu-thunk.

We walked through a town in the Desert Country of Arilai with the light sound of drums echoing around us. Something that sounded like an ocarina joined in the melody, making the mood more relaxing and cheerful.

This country had been developed by carving spots into rocky mountains along their slope. In such desert lands as these, water was crucial for survival, and so was resisting the infernal heat of the sun’s rays. This was why people pumped water out of the sand-colored river flowing from the back of this place.

I explained this to the elven girl as we weaved around people wearing turbans on their heads, and she simply replied with a mildly disinterested, “Huh.” Her pale purple eyes showed a glimpse of intellectual curiosity, but they were clouded by the sun directly above us.

“So how do they deal with this heat? That’s more important than their history or culture right now.”

Her eyes glanced over to me as she slightly lifted the hood of her robe covering her head. The sunlight accentuated the contrast between her skin color and shadow, making her white skin seem almost too bright.

My attempts to pique her curiosity with conversation were thwarted by her absolute hatred for the overwhelming heat. I wished it wasn’t so hot, but I was the one who invited her out to the desert region, so there wasn’t much I could say about it.

The girl’s name was Marie. She was of half-fairy, half-elven descent. Her full name was Mariabelle, and she was quite a rare species around these parts. However, no one dared bother her with the way she was holding her sorcerer’s staff with both hands, wearing an obviously irritated expression on her face.

Those who sought to unravel the mysteries of the ancient ways, known as sorcerers, were valuable and powerful not only in this country, but throughout the entire world. Marie was of an even rarer class known as a spirit sorceress, and she’d shown me just how priceless her abilities were just a few days ago.

She was staring at the city with a neutral expression, but then she directed her purple eyes toward me.

“This place sure is strange. I’ve never seen so many people taking naps on the street like this.”

“It’s because the sun is directly overhead. One of the interesting things about these desert countries is how they have different hours of operation, I think.”

“You don’t seem all that interested with that sleepy-looking face of yours. Besides, I can hardly believe it’s cooler just in that building.”

I chuckled and shrugged, saying, “Who knows?” then reached my hand out for hers.

Even in these harsh environments, people lived on. For all the time they’d pressed on, they’d surely developed some culture for entertainment and joy down the line, as well. Wouldn’t it have been interesting to see what sort of culture they’d produced?

“What’s that knowing look for? If you’re trying to trick me again, it’s not going to work, you know.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to trick you. I’ve heard you can enjoy some delicious tea in that building. Come on, let’s go check out some Arilai culture. My treat.”

Marie was in a bad mood due to the heat, as I’d expected, and turned her head away with her nose in the air. Though, it seemed she preferred to have some tea in the shade rather than stand out in the sun, because she placed her fingertips in my outstretched hand.

We were greeted with a “Welcome!” as we stepped into the rest area. The stone-paved floor was polished smoothly and lined with multiple human-sized carpets. There were people sitting on these carpets, enjoying some tea and food.

The air smelled of incense... No, it must have been some sort of spice. It made the back of my nose tingle, but it was a refreshing and interesting sensation that reminded me of smelling herbs.

There was an exotic atmosphere to the place, but the girl was surprised by something else entirely: a light breeze had blown in, cooling the heat on our skin.

“Oh, it is a bit cooler in here! How is it that the temperature is so different in here than it is outside?”

Now, now, you’ll find out soon enough...

I ordered two cups of tea along with some fruit and steamed chicken, then led her toward some empty seats.

The walls, which were a burnt sand color, seemed to be made of sculpted stone. There was a window positioned somewhat higher than normal, which was where the warm air seemed to be exiting.

Marie was still looking around curiously, so I pulled up a rug and invited her to sit with me.

“Here, take a seat. We might be able to get a glimpse of their culture.”

“I don’t see what we can learn by just sitting down...” she muttered to herself as she removed her boots and sat on the carpet. It seemed her feet were hot and tired from all the walking, because she let out a big sigh. “Nnh, it feels so nice! Wait a minute... What’s going on here? I never imagined the floor would be so cool to the touch.”

As I also removed my shoes and went barefoot, I could hardly believe how the heat disappeared almost instantly. The sweat seemed to withdraw from my body, and it was nice and cool, just as Marie had mentioned.

In reality, it wasn’t as if the AC was on, but the gentle sound of flowing water was coming from around and below the building, which helped alleviate some of the heat. I succeeded in making the girl’s eyes widen as I told her so, which made inviting her here worth it after all.

“I’m surprised this place has such an abundance of water despite being in the desert.”

“There are streams full of water in the upper layers. The people use the water that flows down here.”

Marie seemed impressed as she lowered the hood of the robe that was covering her face. Her lustrous white hair and long ears appeared, her radiance catching the attention of those around us. Even the beads of sweat on her skin were like accessories that emphasized her natural beauty.

I heard sighs from all around us as people admired her from afar.

I wanted her to relax and enjoy herself, so I placed a cushion behind her back and had her lay down. The looks she received were easier to ignore this way, and it allowed her to stretch her limbs out in comfort.

“Ahh, I feel so rejuvenated... So, this is the secret to spending time in the desert. I learned something useful today.”

“It’s kind of like how being in the shade of a tree feels cooler. Trees prefer cooler temperatures, too, so they absorb water from the ground, which is dissipated through their leaves. We just happen to benefit from this natural process, as well.”

“Hmm... I didn’t know that. Dissipation... You mentioned something about that before. If it’s this effective at cooling things, I’d like to find a way to put it into practice with spirits, too.”

That wasn’t a bad idea. I told her she should give it a try, since she had the ability to use Spirit Sorcery.

As we talked, our tea and food were brought over to where we were sitting.

“So, this country’s culture is to lie down and forget about the heat by enjoying some food. That’s the correct way to pass the time, if you ask me... Oh, you probably shouldn’t use that red sauce.”

Marie sniffed it a couple times, made a face that told me she would heed my warning, then pushed the sauce bowl aside. She then picked up a whitish piece of chicken meat and tossed it into her little mouth.

“I would be happy if you could at least introduce salt to them. Oh, but the herbs they use do give the dishes a refreshing aftertaste.”

Salt was quite valuable. Come to think of it, how would they have even made salt in desert regions? I made a note to look into that sometime...

It seemed Marie had gotten used to the practice of eating food with her bare hands. She complained about getting grease all over her fingers at first, but now she was eating chicken without utensils or hesitation.

The herbs served to remove any odors, so it seemed the food was tasty even to an elf’s sensitive palate. The chicken was just what we needed for our tired bodies.

The tea lingering in the cups was amber in color, and a fragrant aroma wafted up into my nose. Appreciating the smell, I was glad I’d chosen the one that was a little pricier.

Before me was an elf, relaxing and enjoying herself, and fragrant tea leaves that could only be found in desert countries like this one. It was quite the luxurious day.

I enjoyed the otherworldly atmosphere as I looked around the rest area.

As expected, the labyrinth seemed to be a hot topic among the people. I couldn’t blame them, considering an ancient labyrinth had suddenly appeared within a long-forgotten excavation site.

What did surprise me was that there was no hint of fear on their faces as they discussed it. I figured most people would be scared if a dungeon appeared so close to their homes.

I continued listening, and the reason soon became clear:

That site had apparently been used for the magic stone excavations in the past, and it had been about two hundred years since that great source of income had been cut off. There was a sense of fervor in the citizens as they spoke of tales from those times of great wealth.

Marie was also listening with her long ears. She leaned in to whisper to me.

“So it is a big deal that the labyrinth was discovered. We’re outsiders here, but we’re supposed to get a special permit to explore it, right?”

“Ordinarily, yeah. If they turn us away because this land is theirs, they’d have less adventurers coming in to their region.”

Although, with adventurers who were associated with any guilds, there had been cases where they were turned away with some payment for their troubles. As for us, Ms. Elf was in the Sorcerer’s Guild, so I doubted that would happen.

I mulled over the thought as I sipped some of the tea.

Yeah, that’s good...

There was a floral aroma that came with the flavor.

“Once we get that permit, let’s report back to the guild at once. I sent a messenger bird, but I’ve been out for a while, so they may be worried.”

“Yeah, we should let them know you’re all right. We can head to the ancient labyrinth after that. I’m looking forward to it.”

After I told her as much, Marie turned her calm gaze toward me.

“About that... We still don’t know if I can participate in the exploration. I hear the labyrinth has a high difficulty level, so it’s likely that my rank isn’t high enough to get approval.”

That... was a factor I hadn’t considered.

I crossed my legs and listened to her explain. According to Marie, the Sorcerer’s Guild checks a new labyrinth for its difficulty level, then assigns people who are adequately qualified. Even if we were the ones who discovered it, we may be barred from participation if they didn’t think we could handle it.

“Of course, they wouldn’t simply pass up an opportunity to unveil the secrets of ancient wisdom. In that case, they typically choose a substitute to investigate it instead. That way, they wouldn’t be wasting any time or resources.”

“Wait, you mean they might choose someone besides you? I don’t want to go exploring with some stranger. If that happens, I’m going to pass too.”

“Not much can be done about that. The discovery of a labyrinth that has existed since ancient times is almost unheard of. We still don’t know what they’re going to decide.”

So just be prepared, she added.

In other words, there was a chance we’d have to give up on exploring the labyrinth completely.

Well, I guess we’d just have to roll with the punches there. If I protested too much, it may have negatively impacted Marie’s future at the guild.

The citizens continued gossiping about how the royal family had sent a scouting party, and how the refinement method of magic stones had been discovered. It was mostly just conjecture, but as people who knew the facts of what was happening, all we could say was, “Rumors are pretty crazy.”

“The refinement method of magical stones... Do you think they’re talking about Mewi?” Marie whispered in my ear.

I nodded. “Probably.”

I didn’t expect the common folk to know about that, but I listened in on their conversation anyway.

Mewi was a boy from the Neko tribe we’d rescued from a group of bandits just a few days ago. For some reason, he was able to control the objects known as the magic stones.

I found rumors interesting because the more they were discussed, the more convincing they seemed. Out of the various ideas the people came up with, the most likely one to be true was the first one circulated. That became the starting point, which then became a line, and each iteration would be compared to other points in the story to check if everything made sense. Then, eventually, these vague ideas began to take form.

We continued eavesdropping with interest, but we didn’t realize there was another ear listening.

Forgotten in my shoulder bag was the present given to us by the Arkdragon. Legendary beings whose levels surpassed 1,000 were capable of using magic we couldn’t even comprehend. The dragon scale inconspicuously glowing with a bluish-white hue was connected to the depths of the Nazul-Nazul Ruins. Only lizardmen lived in the now-empty underground city, and only we knew of the magi drake who resided further in, beyond a secret passageway.

The dragon took a deep breath, then uttered to herself as she examined her surroundings.

“So, they’ve opened the door to the labyrinth. How carefree they are, ignorant of the accursed land that lies within.” She let out a sigh.

Then, another image entered her vision. It was the group that was conducting a preliminary search of the labyrinth. Among them was a radiantly glowing stone.

“Hah, hah, I suppose I will let them have their bait and return to their country for now. It seems they have become quite skillful in battle by now.”

No one yet knew who she meant by “they,” but her joyous grin seemed to be in anticipation for whatever change was about to come.

The look in the Arkdragon’s eyes then seemed to take on a smile of a different nature. She turned and directed her gaze at her feet, then stretched out her wings and covered her surroundings.

This way, no one could interfere. She wanted to keep the beautiful sight that was about to occur all to herself.

Cracks had begun audibly forming in the eggs she’d been warming for so long. The hatching that occurs once every millennium was a fantastical sight to behold.

The obsidian eggs resembled diamonds with geometric lines cut into them as they emitted a grandiose radiance. The shells had become transparent enough to reveal the whelps inside. They each laid in different postures, with some opening their mouths toward the sky, and others curled up as if they wanted more sleep.

There was clear maternal love in the Arkdragon’s eyes as she smiled, watching over her adorable children.

“Hah, hah, a sight which only comes once every one thousand years... Perhaps I should have shown them, as well.”

Surely, the looks on their faces would have been quite entertaining. They would have raised their voices in wonder, and perhaps they would have thought of their own futures as they looked at each other, turning red in the face.

As both a magi drake and a mother, it would have been an unforgivable mistake to show her own children’s birth to others, but at the same time, she had the feeling it would have been an unforgettably enjoyable experience.

“No matter. If they wish it, we will certainly meet again someday. Now, my children, it is time for you to awaken.”

The magi drake let out a breath from her nose, then moved her face closer to the eggs. As she did so, she knew she was also changing herself.

The resounding crack was the noise of a new life entering the world. At the same time, it was the sound of the dark future awaiting them that even she hadn’t anticipated...

Chapter of Arkdragon, Episode 1: Conquering the Ancient Labyrinth

A bird cried out with a high-pitched chirp. It flew up into the sunny skies, to an altitude a normal bird couldn’t possibly reach. There were forests and rivers in the view below, and more farmlands appeared as it came closer to the center of the nation.

Fertile lands had been protected since ancient times, and even now, there were farmers working hard at planting seeds. Little did they know, right beneath their feet was an underground city where the magi drake rested.

Beyond them and past the smooth hills, the main road could be seen. The bird continued straight ahead, descending toward its destination with an accuracy much unlike an ordinary bird. Even the soaring castle walls were no use in barring the bird from entry. It easily flew over the wall and approached a large black building—the pride of the Alexei region, the Sorcerer’s Guild.

Waiting on the roof of the building was a middle-aged man. The bird flapped and folded its wings as it landed upon his outstretched arm. The man, who quickly fed the bird a piece of raw meat, had been a servant of the guild for many years.

“You came all the way from Arilai? That’s pretty impressive, considering you had to fly over two countries!”

He beamed, then removed the letter attached to the bird’s leg. It was a piece of paper made from grass, with small letters written all over its surface.

“Ah, it’s from Mariabelle. Elven magic’s precise and powerful as usual. Haven’t really seen her in a good minute... Ah!”

As he walked through a doorway, a hand reached out from the shadows and snagged the letter out of his grasp like a hawk. The middle-aged man was just about to yell angrily, but he fell silent when he caught sight of the tall, muscular man with silvery-white swords at his waist, wearing sunglasses with a sword crest on it.

“L-Lord Sven, the Anti-Mage... I have a duty to deliver that to the leader first. I’m sure you know this, but even you must follow procedures.”

“Hmm... I see. Good work. I’ll be handing this to him personally, then.”

The servant’s eyes widened as Sven began unraveling the letter. This was information from a faraway land that had been sent with powerful magic; it was highly likely to contain important information.

The middle-aged man reached out in an attempt to retrieve the letter, but a silvery-white sword floated in the air as if to get in the way. The sword was without a handle, and Sven himself hadn’t uttered a single incantation to activate it.

Before he knew it, the servant had another sharp blade pointed directly at his back, as well. He swallowed nervously, but refused to back down.

“W-Wait. Please, wait! This is the Sorcerer’s Guild! Do you realize that?!”

“Yup, I do. If it wasn’t, I’d have already... Oh? You don’t look so good. Did you eat something bad or something?”

The man named Sven was smiling, but the predator-like eyes behind his sunglasses made the servant feel incredibly uneasy.

Unlike most Sorcerers, Sven was a combat specialist who excelled at conquering labyrinths. A mere servant hardly stood a chance against his gaze that could pierce through even monsters.

As the servant sank to the ground, his colleagues noticed what was happening and rushed over. Sven continued reading the writing on the letter, unconcerned.

“So the sender is that elf girl. I had a feeling it was her. She hasn’t returned for a few days now... What? An ancient labyrinth was discovered?!”

A vein bulged in his head, and in that moment, a large hole formed in the wall. It took the servant a full three seconds before he realized Sven had punched through it.

“I was wondering what the geezers had been clamoring about for the past few days. Hah, did they think they could hide this from me? Those morons!” He spit on the floor, then walked away, looking ready to kill whoever dared stand in his path.

The two floating swords rotated in the air and followed after him into the darkness. The metallic sound of swords being sheathed could be heard from the distance, and the servant let out a sigh of relief. He realized he was trembling in fear while embracing a colleague, and they quickly separated.

“H-How?! How did he know it was Mariabelle’s familiar? I only received it a minute ago!” he shouted and also spit on the floor, to which his colleague responded while wiping the copious sweat from his forehead.

“That must be his rumored Oracle. I’d never want to mess with him. He has the power to read the future, you know. Especially if that future is related to labyrinths.”

Sven, the Twin Blade Magic Swordsman. There wasn’t a Sorcerer in Alexei who hadn’t heard the name. He was a master of conquering labyrinths, capable of slaying monsters with ease even when working solo.

However, due to his problematic personality, careful consideration was needed when sending him to foreign countries. He couldn’t be exiled due to his exceptional talent, and his tendency to take and retain treasures for himself had been a source of many headaches for the Sorcerer’s Guild.

Perhaps the biggest headache of all would come from the fact that he’d found out about Mariabelle’s message...

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

Suddenly, my eyes opened. I was wrapped in soft, warm blankets, and the light of the spring morning was shining through the curtains and illuminating my room.

There I was, in the familiar sight of my condo. The air in my room was still chilly, and I blankly stared at the window while missing the world in my dreams.

“Oh... It’s morning already. I wish I could keep playing around instead of going to work.”

Oops, that probably wasn’t something a grown man should be saying out loud...

Winter had already passed, but the blankets were still dangerously cozy. I thought it was even warmer than usual, when I noticed the girl clinging to my chest.

“Oof, I need to hurry up and get used to this already. If I crush her by accident, I won’t get away with just a scolding...”

I was just your average employee at a company, but apparently, I was also a bit peculiar. I realized this when a girl and I were defeated by a magi drake’s breath attack.

My story began as I awakened with her in my condo in the Koto Ward. Now that I knew my dreams weren’t just dreams, we’d been living together as we traveled between Japan and the fantasy world. We weren’t really doing any grandiose activities, though. We spent our time studying Japanese, making friends with monsters, and celebrating our discovery of an ancient labyrinth, so we’d been taking it relatively easy.

As for me, I felt pretty lucky to be able to gaze at her fantastical white hair and long eyelashes every morning. I never thought I’d be able to spend time with a half-fairy elf, and I often questioned if I wasn’t still in a dream.

I’d been staring at her with those thoughts when Marie stirred in her sleep. She breathed in, and then she quietly opened her eyes. The sight of her waking from her sleep always reminded me of a blooming flower. The amethyst of her eyes was so beautiful, they took my breath away.

Some said that if you were to ever see a half-fairy elf, you would never forget it, and I had to agree. Actually, I thought there was something about her that even surpassed the rest of the elven race...

She yawned as if to shake off her drowsiness before she spoke.

“Good morning, Kazuhiho.”

“Good morning, Marie. It’s a nice morning, isn’t it?”

Marie’s leg, which had been resting on my own under the blankets, moved away. I was slightly disappointed, because I was enjoying the warm, soft sensation.

However, I looked up at the clock to find it was already past seven in the morning. Missing the warmth of her body already, we both slowly began waking up.

I blew at the steamy cup of tea before me. Right next to it was toast with a sunny-side up egg and bacon on it, but I wanted to save it for a little bit later. Because of this, I first brought the teacup up to my mouth.

“Hm?” I furrowed my brow.

I’d used the same amount of sugar and milk as usual, but it tasted duller this time. The teabag I used was pretty cheap, but I didn’t expect the flavor to be so thin.

I looked across the table and found Marie was making a similar face. Then, her eyes widened as if realization had struck her.

“Oh! Maybe it’s because we just enjoyed the tea from Arilai. We must have gotten used to their fragrant tea leaves.”

“That must be it. I’m surprised our palates have changed so quickly. Maybe we can think about the tea leaves in this world together sometime soon.”

She nodded happily.

Marie was wearing cute sky blue pajamas, her skin and hair seemingly glowing in the morning light. Her colorful eyes seemed to naturally draw in my gaze. She took another sip of her tea before directing those eyes toward me.

“What sort of stores can you get tea leaves at in Japan? Only the upper class has access to them in the other world.”

“You can find them in specialty stores and department stores. They’re much easier to obtain over here. But if you’re looking for quality, they do tend to get pretty pricey.”

I didn’t mind splurging on major events like New Year’s or vacations, but I wanted to try and be frugal for daily expenses.

“I see.” Marie nodded, agreeing with this sentiment. “Well, I’m not looking for anything expensive, either. I actually think being able to eat bread and meat in the morning is luxurious in itself, but I should keep that to myself.” She smiled as she reached for a piece of toast.

Thinking about it, breakfast wasn’t a common thing in the other world. The bacon was covered in oil, and it looked and smelled delicious. The elf girl sniffed the aroma coming from the lightly burned fat.

We put our hands together and said, “Itadakimasu!” which was one of the few words she could say with perfect pronunciation. It hadn’t been long since she started learning Japanese, but she was quick to pick up anything related to eating.

It looked like the square toast may have been a bit difficult to eat for her tiny mouth. She moved her hair aside and took a bite. The bacon hung from her mouth because she hadn’t bit through it fully, and the yolk oozed out of the egg. She let out a silent scream as the yolk dripped down to her plate. I’d seen her eyes widen like that many times, but it never failed in making me feel happy.

“It’s just the two of us eating here, so it’s not a big deal if your table manners aren’t completely perfect. Why don’t you dip your bread in the yolk that dripped onto your plate?”

The girl nodded as she chewed, savoring the piece of bread soaked in yolk. There was some yellow stuck to the side of her mouth, which she licked up with her pink tongue.

“Mmm, the bread is fragrant and crispy, and it goes so well with these runny eggs.”

“People don’t really eat eggs in the other world, huh? I guess it’s because they spoil easily, especially in the desert region where we last left off.”

That was right, we had to consider such topics rather than just tea leaves and food. I thought about the sun-baked land of Arilai and spoke to Marie, who was taking another sip of her tea.

“About what we were discussing earlier... I’m sure you’ll be able to participate in the labyrinth exploration. I’ll be with you, too. Besides, we have a big advantage.”

“Advantage? You mean because we’ll be okay if we die?”

“Hmm, I don’t think we should rely on that, so not quite. Just think about it: Everyone else has to worry about things like keeping watch while sleeping and food preparation while exploring labyrinths. As for us...”

Seeing what I was getting at, she let out a loud, “Ah!”

That was it. Normally, we’d need about a week’s worth of food, but we could go in there empty-handed. There was no need to keep watch, so we could participate with a much smaller party. And just as Marie had mentioned, we’d simply wake up here if we did happen to be defeated, then restart again from the same spot.

“That’s incredible! You’ve had an unfair advantage, playing by those rules all this time. It’s no wonder your level is so high.”

“Maybe so. I’ve been heading straight into dangerous situations without ever worrying for my life. But it’s easy to get separated in a labyrinth, so we’ll have to form a party. I don’t think we could cheat like before.”

By “cheat,” I was talking about the time I helped her level. That time, we’d gone out without forming a party and I weakened enemies to the brink of death, then removed myself from combat right before Marie dealt the killing blow. That allowed her to obtain all the experience from the battle for herself, raising her level by 5 in a short amount of time. It was a highly effective method, but she waved her hand at me dismissively.

“Not only was that mind-numbingly boring, it actually hurt my conscience. I’m sure it will be much more fun to communicate with you via the Mind Link Chat. I’m starting to look forward to it, hehe.”

“Let’s do that, then. You have an ability that increases your experience gain now, so it should be much easier to level up.”

She threw the last piece of toast into her mouth, wiped her fingers with a tissue, then spoke. “Now that I know we have an advantage, I need to work hard so they don’t appoint someone to explore the labyrinths in my stead.”

That was the biggest issue for us right now. According to her, you usually needed to be at the “High Sorcerer” rank to explore high-level labyrinths. It seemed the guild was concerned for the safety of their members. I didn’t have to worry about that since I didn’t belong to any such association, but they couldn’t afford to put their rare and valuable Spirit Sorceress in danger.

“You said ‘usually,’ so does that mean there some exceptions?”

“Of course. Exploring ruins in another nation is an incredibly rare opportunity. As I said before, the higher-ups want to obtain ancient knowledge above all else, but the authority to decide as much lies with whoever discovered it. There’s been one special case where the person who discovered the ruins was given the right to investigate.”

One of the criteria for such an exception depended on whether or not that person in question was reliable. Otherwise, there were cases where a substitute was selected in their stead, as Marie had mentioned in the dream world.

“There’s only one way for us to prevent that. We need to make them realize how capable we are,” she said as she raised her pointer finger.

It wouldn’t be long until the conquest team departed. They’d set forth for the labyrinth as soon as the scouting team discovered the Magic Stone. Marie didn’t have the time or level necessary to qualify as an High Sorcerer, so she was right that we had to find some other way to gain approval.

“All right. I’m going to leave for work soon, but let’s figure it out together later.”

“Okay. I wouldn’t be much of a Sorceress if I just gave up now. Let’s find a way so they won’t take us lightly.”

She motioned her small fist toward me, and I bumped it with my own. It was exciting that I could continue thinking about our adventure, despite being back in Japan and no longer dreaming. Marie seemed to feel the same way as she smiled warmly at me.

“There’s just one more important thing to take care of before I go. I’m going to teach you how to make lunch, so follow me.”

She blinked. It may have been a bit sudden, but I couldn’t just leave a young girl in my home without anything to eat. Though, she was actually an elf who was over a hundred years old, I did still worry about her.

“I-I don’t mind, but I haven’t learned how to use this kitchen yet. I would prefer something that doesn’t require the use of fire.”

She hopped off her seat and followed me. I lived in a 1DK condo, meaning I could walk from my bedroom to the dining room, then to the kitchen in only a few steps.

I pulled the refrigerator door open. I felt her sticking to my back as she peered in with me, which made me feel a bit happy.

“Is that... chicken? It’s covered in white stuff.”

“That’s yogurt. I let it sit overnight so all the flavor is soaked in by lunchtime.”

Most guys who lived by themselves didn’t really cook... Well, I’d actually heard that that had been changing as of late.

It was more economical for me to cook, and I had to think about her nutrition as well. I could just buy side dishes and bento, but I preferred to make our meals for the most part. I also had to think about saving time since I worked full-time, but I had resealable plastic bags to help in that regard.

Inside one such bag were some grated onions, basil, garam masala, and some other stuff I had on hand. The oven would be used later, so most fragrant vegetables would have gone well with it.

“I want you to use the oven to cook this around noon.”

“I’ve never used an ‘oven’ before. Are you sure it’ll be all right?”

“Should be, yeah. All you need to do is press this button and set the timer.”

I pressed the button to demonstrate, and her purple eyes went round.

“Wait, you’re saying it’s that simple?”

Of course it was. If everyone in a condo used ovens from the olden days, then everyone would be constantly starting fires.

“I thought I would have to start a fire for sure. It seems many things can be resolved with a press of a button in your world,” Marie said, looking at me with wonder.

She did have a point, considering I pressed a bunch of buttons on my keyboard all day for a living...

She was still in her pajamas as she peered into the oven. She learned the controls in no time. Being the reliable elf and Spirit Sorceress she was, it seemed learning to operate a microwave oven was no challenge at all.

“After you put it all on a plate, you need to cook it for twenty minutes. You should eat it with some of that bread, too. Be sure to use these mittens when you take it out, since it’ll be very hot.”

“Okay, that shouldn’t be too hard. The food probably won’t taste very good with such a simple process, though.”

Oh, I don’t know about that...

I figured it’d be better for her to taste it for herself rather than answer her right away. I was already looking forward to getting off work so I could hear what she thought about it.

I looked up at the clock to find I had to start getting ready for work immediately. I quickly told her how to arrange the dish, then rushed to get ready. As I was changing from my pajamas into my suit, I heard Marie’s voice from behind me.

“While I start working on that plan we talked about earlier, I’m going to study some more Japanese and see if I can communicate with spirits in this world, too. I’ll take care of the dishes and laundry, so have a good day at work, okay?”

It made me feel like I was married to a beautiful housewife... but we seemed like an older male and a young girl from an outsider’s perspective, so she may have been more like a sister than a wife.

Once I got ready, I handed my house key to her and stood at the entrance. “I’ll be going now. I’ll arrange a way for you to contact me soon in case of an emergency.”

As I said so... perhaps it was because she’d gotten used to us being together all the time, but she seemed a little sad. And maybe I was, too. I distinctly felt the pang of missing her already. She’d always been somewhere within my sight for the past few days, the two of us enjoying conversations with each other.

“See you later. Work hard, okay?”

A guy couldn’t ask for better words of encouragement. If all I had to do to come home and talk to her again was get some work done, then you could bet I’d work my butt off.

Marie waved her hand, smiling in the rays of the morning sun peering through the curtains.

And so, Kazuhiro reluctantly went to work...

Mariabelle had been slowly acclimating to life in Japan: she cleaned the dishes, wiped them with a dish cloth, then placed them in the dish tray; she dusted the floor with a broom and hung the blankets up on the balcony. Despite her small stature, this was effortless work for someone who’d grown up in the forest.

Compared to how she had to fill the bath with water before, this was almost too easy. While there were some tasks in the human world that could be easily completed with the use of Spirit Magic, it was forbidden to use unless necessary. The issue with human society was that even if something was inefficient, one couldn’t oppose customs that had already been set in place.

But her daily life had now become quite enjoyable. Kazuhiro sought efficiency like her, and he’d carefully consider whatever spur-of-the-moment idea she’d come up with.

Speaking of which, the efficiency of some gadgets such as the refrigerator and microwave oven were astounding...

Mariabelle wholly used her free time to study Japanese, so she happily sat down in a chair. She swung her feet back and forth as she produced a notebook and some stationery. The pen case and pens featuring different characters were so cute, just looking at them put her in a good mood.

She smiled, then raised her fist triumphantly and proclaimed, “I will learn enough so I can watch and understand anime!”

It sounded like something a foreigner obsessed with otaku culture would say, but it was the best source of motivation one could ask for. As she learned more of the language, she could understand the messages behind the works and what made them enjoyable.

Her studies started with basic phrases used in daily conversation, and then she branched out to more advanced topics. There were no shortcuts to learning a language, and it all came down to becoming as familiar with it as possible. And so, step by step, she kept at it... until she realized it was about lunchtime.

“That’s right, Kazuhiho taught me how to cook with the oven. It might take a while, so I should get that started now.”

She hopped up from her chair and walked toward the refrigerator. After setting the oven to preheat, she took the yogurt-covered chicken out of the fridge. She cut some unpeeled potatoes and lined the bottom of a heat-resistant tray, placed the chicken on top, then sprinkled on some herbs as she’d been taught. With the press of a few buttons, the cooking had begun.