Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Volume 3 E-Book

Makishima Suzuki

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 394

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Welcome to Kazuhiho's home!
After earning the right to explore the ancient labyrinths, Kazuhiho and Marie depart for the raid on the labyrinth along with their powerful new ally, Wridra the Magi Drake. Meanwhile, in Japan, Kazuhiro prepares to invite Ms. Elf to Aomori, the home he grew up in and the place where his grandfather currently resides. Kazuhiho can hardly contain his excitement for the labyrinth, and Marie can hardly contain her excitement for the bullet trains.
More adventure awaits in volume 3!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Chapter of Ancient Labyrinth

Prologue

Episode 1: Shopping with Ms. Elf

Episode 2: Begin Raid

Episode 3: Fun in the Ancient Labyrinth

Episode 4: The Room, Spirit, and Kakuni

Episode 5: Amethyst Squad’s Formation

Episode 6: Hanging Out in Aomori

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Chapter of Ancient Labyrinth: Prologue

Clack, clack! The sound of stakes being pounded could be heard echoing in the air. The men swinging the mallets were sweating profusely as they worked, but they didn’t let the relentless heat of the desert wear them down. She gave them sidelong glances, impressed by their vigor, as she continued to walk down the grassy path.

There was something unique about plants in desert countries. They were thick at the trunk and looked similar to palm trees, and they were growing all around the area. As long as the desert was blessed with an oasis, it had the potential to be more like an enjoyable getaway in some southern country. Many people were in the middle of putting up their tents, however, which did somewhat detract from the scenery. Yet, beyond the many trees ahead, an emerald waterfront could be seen. It was the source of blessings upon the desert, and its glimmering sight was like a beautiful jewel. Those blessings were, in fact, just as valuable as a pool full of jewelry here in Arilai. The view of the girl placing her hand against the giant tree covered with scale-like bark was quite picturesque. Her long ears were twitching, as if in response to the sound of the knocking mallets, and her pale skin made it clear she wasn’t of the human race. Her cloud-white hair was flowing in the wind, glistening all the brighter in the sunlight. The girl turned around slowly, showing a glimpse of her pearly teeth.

“The oasis looks so beautiful from here. This place was filled with monsters not too long ago. I’m glad they’re gone now. Now I can enjoy this view in peace.”

With that, the girl reached out expectantly. Her skin was pale, and her fingers slender. Her arm was enshrouded in her sorcerer’s robe, while her other hand gripped an impressive staff. I reached out to meet her awaiting hand, and she held it without hesitation. As I wondered what would happen next, she pulled me several steps closer. I found her eyes directly in front of mine and felt my chest beating loudly. The purple crystals before me were more dazzling than the oasis itself, and her soft, pale lips could charm anyone who gazed upon them. I’d always been troubled by how cute and feminine she was, despite her nearly childlike youthfulness. She then pointed her finger toward the waterfront.

“Take a look! The view is so wonderful. Let’s camp here for the night. We need to hurry before those sharp-eyed humans take our spot.”

“Oh, right. We’ll be taking on the ancient labyrinth tomorrow, so we’ll need a camping spot, too.”

“Don’t tell me you were thinking of camping out in the open without a tent like usual. Do you want to show off our crude lifestyle to everyone here?” The girl looked at me dubiously and squeezed my cheek. I couldn’t help but feel ticklish as she pinched me with her soft fingers. In any case, I’d thought elves were a species whose lifestyle involved being one with nature, but maybe my understanding wasn’t quite right. As I mulled over this thought, a big pair of eyes stared right at me.

“We’re here as the representatives of the Alexei region. You can’t keep looking like a sleepyhead forever. Pull yourself together.”

The thing was, I was born with this sleepy-looking face, and it wasn’t something that I could just fix so easily.

The unrelenting girl that was repeatedly pinching my cheek was Mariabelle, nicknamed Marie. She was a half-fairy elf, which was said to be a species that was so beautiful, they would appear in your dreams once you laid eyes upon them. Although she had the expressiveness of a young girl, she was actually over a hundred years old and a spirit sorceress, which was a highly uncommon class. It was often said that one shouldn’t judge others by their appearances, but that saying apparently applied to elves, too. Her mystical nature never ceased to amaze me.

“Your face is so stubbornly sleepy-looking. Don’t forget that we were the ones who discovered that ancient labyrinth. We can’t give up this nice spot to anyone else.” The girl pouted her lips as she moved her face closer. The male mind was rather complicated, I had to admit. All I could think about was how adorable she looked despite her unhappy expression. Though, of course, if she was actually upset, my mind wouldn’t be preoccupied with such careless thoughts. Ah, but this was troubling. She was so heated up that she wasn’t paying attention to the distance between us. Her lips were directly in front of me, parting and closing as they uttered complaints at me. I could feel her breath and smell her sweet scent, which nearly snapped me out of my drowsy expression.

“Understand, Kazuhiho?” Marie asked and tilted her head as she stared into my eyes. It seemed she finally gave up on forcibly changing my face, and her soft fingers moved away from me. I rubbed my cheeks as I looked around, and I suddenly understood why she was being so insistent.

It was said that this was once an excavation area in which people searched for magic stones. That explained why the rocky mountains were arranged in a ring shape, as if a hole had been bored right down the middle from above, and there were mine shafts visible here and there. It seemed groundwater would seep out of the rock walls after the people struck a water source by chance, which ended up making the temperature in just this little corner unbelievably comfortable. The trees in this area had been blessed by this environment long before we even arrived, which was why they’d been able to grow so freely. Anyway, I wasn’t one to turn down an opportunity to help out an adorable girl. I plopped my shoulder bag down on the rocky ground, then turned around.

“Let’s hurry and go rent a tent, then. Would you mind waiting here to reserve our spot, Wridra?” I called out to the dark-haired woman who had been observing the view below until now, and she quietly turned to face us. Her pale skin peeking out between her equipment was different from an elf’s, and it seemed to accentuate the color of her lips, which was that of a ripe fruit. The woman’s name was Wridra. The horn on her forehead and the tail wavering behind her both made it clear that she wasn’t just an ordinary, pretty lady. Most people would have been surprised to know that she was actually an Arkdragon whose level was over 1,000, if they could even believe it in the first place. We became traveling companions in an unexpected turn of events, and I was still struggling to believe it myself. Who would’ve guessed I’d be adventuring with someone who’d killed me? The dress-like armor she wore was a matching black in color, and its amazingly intricate details came into view as she approached. She was a full head taller than us, and her lips curled into a smile after she swept her hair away from her face with one hand.

“No, I would not mind. That rock seems like a good spot to sit. I will be resting here, so you two go on your precious date hand in hand.” She spoke in an alluring tone of voice, but the very air about her was different from that of a human’s. This feeling she gave off was likely due to her draconian heritage, but she seemed even more amiable and charming than a human as she smiled. It was strange how dramatically the impression she would give off changed depending on her mood. As I was lost in thought, I felt Marie give my hand a tight squeeze.

“Well, there isn’t anything wrong with holding hands. I don’t know how it is for draconians, but children do it all the time, and it even has the advantage of keeping us from getting separated.”

“Ha, ha, I did not mean to mock you. Though I do find the children of men and elves such as yourselves adorable.” Wridra chuckled, clearly amused, with the unconcerned demeanor of someone with children of their own. The half-fairy elf beside me furrowed her brow at being treated like a little kid, then turned toward me with a displeased look in her eyes.

“Forget her dumb comments. Let’s go. Not on a date, but just a walk.”

With that, she tugged on my hand and began walking. Marie stuck her tongue out at Wridra as I stumbled after the elf, and the draconian cheerfully laughed out loud at the girl’s brashness. Now, it was time for our date... I mean, time to go rent a tent to spend the night in.

The hot wind brushed our cheeks, and the ground underfoot changed to dried sand as we put more distance between us and the oasis. But when I looked at Marie’s face beside me, she seemed to be faring much better than she had when we were traversing the desert region before. She had been complaining nonstop on the way. Her pale purple eyes were looking around curiously, and her ears were perked up as if to listen to the noises around us.

“There’s cloth everywhere. I suppose that’s to be expected... Look, they even have cloth ceilings put up between the tents!”

“They must be for providing shade from the sun. I don’t know much about camping in desert countries, but they’ve come up with some pretty creative solutions. I didn’t expect them to have countermeasures for the sun before putting up defenses.” That went to show just how harsh it could be to deal with the heat rays slowly roasting your skin. The cloth billowed and directed the wind from the oasis toward us, which pleasantly cooled my sweat-covered skin. Men carrying bags of sand walked past us as they spoke to each other.

“Man, this place is nothing like the rumors. I heard it was crawling with monsters and so hot that it’d shrivel you right up. We must be blessed by the Land God to have such a great campground here.”

“You can say that again. I bet we’ll dig up loads of magic stones in no time, too.” We watched the two laugh amongst each other and began walking again. The “Land God” they mentioned referred to one of the gods that were worshiped within each country. Supposedly, there was a god for every country out there. I’d traveled far and wide, but it seemed that culture never changed no matter where I went. There were theories on why this unique practice came to be, but there were so many of them that I couldn’t tell which one of them was true. I asked Marie about it, and the girl looked at me with her big eyes. For some reason, she seemed to be in a good mood.

“Oh, I’m surprised you don’t know that when you’ve traveled all over the lands. What if I told you that we, the highly capable sorcerers from the Alexei region, have pretty much figured it out?”

“What? Really?! I wanna know!” Maybe I had some sort of medical condition. I couldn’t help myself from being fascinated with the fantasy world, which was probably why I put so much effort into learning the different languages. Marie smiled, seeing me so curious for her answer, and ran her hand through her white hair with a satisfied smile.

“The bracelet both you and I are wearing. That’s a part of it. Skills, magic, and levels. Wouldn’t you consider them unworldly? It’s said that they’re powers bestowed to us by God. No one even knows how long they’ve even been around.” I nodded thoughtfully in response. Nobody in this world really doubted the existence of a divine being. Much like me with Over the Road, a long-distance movement skill that borrowed the god of travel’s powers, there were many people who had received similar blessings. A horse-like animal passed nearby, pulling a noisy cart loaded with many bags. It seemed the setup for the tents was mostly done, and they’d moved on to carrying cargo. Marie extended her arms outward as if to gesture toward the busily working passersby.

“Take this place, for example. It’s going through all this development as if they’re trying to build a new country here. But that’s never going to happen. Now, why do you think that is?” Huh, that line must’ve been from the influence of that quiz show she’s been into lately. TV had been a very useful tool when it came to Marie’s Japanese studies. It was a good resource for learning societal norms and served to stimulate her curiosity. I could almost hear the theme song as she posed the question, and I furrowed my brow as if I was a contestant on the show.

“Hmm, could it be... because there’s no god here?”

“That’s right. It seems a bit strange that there’s always a god in each country, doesn’t it? But you can think of it the other way around, too. Maybe countries are only created wherever there’s a god.”

I nodded in thought as I felt the bracelet on my arm. This system with levels and skills seemed all too similar to video games in modern Japan. That was why I figured this world was all part of a dream. But it seemed there was actually a legitimate system in place to explain all of it.

“So, that begs the question, why do they lend us their power?”

“Agreed. The same goes for the god of travel you often ask for help from, but it’s not like we can ask them directly. Nor are there any records left in books we can reference, so we don’t know when this all started. As a sorceress, I find it a bit of a shame that all we can do is speculate.” She looked frustrated by this, but I had a feeling her questions would be answered someday.

Beyond this base and on the other side of the oasis was a gaping hole that led deep underground. There lay the ancient labyrinth, which was, as the name suggested, a large maze that had existed for thousands of years. The roaring sound of wind could be heard from its entrance. There was a primitive scent to the wind coming from there that gave one the feeling that it was the breath of an ancient civilization reawakened. Perhaps the answer could be found within. Thinking about it, I couldn’t wait to set off on our adventure. But preparing the tent was the immediate priority, so I contained my feelings and began walking again.

In any case, we arrived at the general goods store. The owner and employee were there, still hurriedly transporting and unloading their wares. I looked around and saw what seemed to be a tent, so I called out to the man who was inspecting the products.

“Excuse me, do you happen to have any spare tents? Also, how much are those tea leaves from Arilai on that shelf over there?” Marie glanced at me as if to ask why I wanted tea leaves, but I decided to hold off on explaining until later. The owner, who was a burly man wearing a turban around his head, turned in response. There was a dubious look on his face, likely because we clearly appeared to be children. Not to mention, my skin color made it obvious that I wasn’t from around here, and I was with an elf, who were known for being difficult to deal with. He let out a dismissive “Hmph,” and continued looking through his goods again.

“Um...”

“Look. As you can see, I’m a merchant that’s working with the Arilai government. That means I don’t carry any cheap goods, and I’m clearly busy. I can’t afford to delay opening the shop by wasting time talking to some kids.”

“What’s with your attitude? We may not look like it, but we’re a part of the raid team. You should know it’s thanks to us discovering the ancient labyrinth that it’s being raided to begin with.” Marie furrowed her brows angrily at the excessively rude treatment. Though, she was an elf who disliked humans to begin with, and I thought she’d become a lot calmer since. She’d been interacting with the neighbors in Japan as of late, so that may have been helping. The mood between the merchant and the elf girl grew more tense as I considered these things, and I moved in between them.

“As she just mentioned, we’re the ones who discovered the labyrinth. You can easily confirm with someone in charge if you don’t believe us. Could you please sell us a tent that could fit three people or so?” I bowed my head, and the man seemed to consider it. He then slapped his knee and stood up. But, to be honest, this was where things got a bit tedious. Unlike in Japan, there were no price tags on the items; only the market price agreed upon by the merchants. He looked over me head to toe, no doubt trying to figure out how much he could squeeze out of me. These sorts of negotiations were a total pain. I just wanted to have fun in the fantasy world and relieve some work-related stress. That should’ve also served to explain why I spent my days traveling around instead of interacting with others.

“Let’s see... There’s a big demand for tents right now, and they’re flying off the shelves for a pretty penny. This goes for that one there, too. I’d say it would cost ya about...”

“Don’t try to rip off a couple of foreigners. It’s embarrassing.”

He was suddenly interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. I turned to find a large man standing there, baring his white teeth with a smile. His muscles were bulging out against the leather armor enveloping his body, and his black hair was buzzed short. His eyes were nearly gray in color, and they had clearly seen plenty of battle in the past.

“L-Lord Zera of House Thousand! My apologies, we aren’t open quite yet...” The man disregarded the stammering merchant and glanced at his surroundings. Once he scanned the campgrounds with his sharp eyes, he opened his mouth again.

“The tents are all done setting up. These are leftovers, aren’t they? Most people here came in big groups, so no one needs smaller tents like these. Tell me, am I wrong?”

“Oh, no, these simply haven’t had a buyer yet. They certainly aren’t leftovers... Haha... I must say, as a merchant, I do admire your keen eye, Lord Zera.” We watched, wide-eyed, as the merchant seemed to visibly shrink. I caught an object that Zera offhandedly tossed toward me, and I realized it was the bottle of tea leaves from earlier. I looked up again to find his lips curled into a grin.

“Props for finding an ancient labyrinth in a place with nothing but sand and sunlight. That’s a token of thanks from me. The battlefield is full of riches, and these greedy merchants have more than enough. But at the very least, they only carry the highest quality tea leaves. Enjoy it with that girl there.”

“Th-Thank you! Um, how much do I...”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. I may not look it, but... Oh, I guess you could tell by the merchant’s reaction. I’m decently well-off, and I’m one of the top three highest skilled among the raiding teams.” He was bragging quite openly, but he somehow didn’t give off an unpleasant impression due to his casual attitude. His body was tall and muscular and seemed to contain an inner heat, somewhat reminiscent of a black panther. Zera stared at us for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“Now that I think about it, setting up the tent with just you two kids would be hard work. I know! I’ll have one of my men lend a hand, so go set it up in a jiffy. Where are you guys staying?”

Whoa, this guy is so nice! I wondered if I should be wary of him trying to pull a fast one on us, but he gave off the impression of someone pampering some clueless tourists, and all I could do was nod repeatedly. He ended up being true to his word. The sound of stakes being pounded into the ground rang out for a while, and the tent was soon constructed. I found myself somewhat in awe to find out there were such kind people out there.

A dim light was lit, and many tents became filled with illumination. The view from atop a plateau reminded me of the lantern floating ceremony called “toro nagashi.” Looking up, I saw the sky to the west had been dyed a madder red, and the faint outline of the mountains could be seen in the distance. The now-constructed tent had a circular structure at the base with a pointed ceiling. There were multiple layers of cloth spread out, seemingly to help guide the flow of wind. It looked very Asian in design, which I found interesting. Not to mention, there was some incense burning to keep the bugs away, which added to the similarity.

“It’s pretty chilly here. It’s strange how quickly it gets cold at night in the desert.” Marie had already changed into her silk sleepwear, sitting in a chair while brushing her white hair. Our tent was different from what was considered a three-person tent in the modern sense, and it was named as such by the standards of residents who lived here. I was surprised to find that even with the chairs and sleeping gear we had borrowed in use inside, there was still room to spare.

“Hmm, I’m so used to camping outdoors that this feels overly luxurious.”

“Oh, but if you ask me, I’d say you’re just too primitive. Normal people understand that a proper bed and fireplace are basic necessities. As a side note, I think a TV and a bath are also necessities. Actually, there’s more. Anime, snacks, Japanese food... Oh my, there might be more than I can count.” The girl had been counting the items on her list with her fingers, but she let out a “Hmph,” and went back to brushing her hair. Hmm, it seemed Ms. Elf’s standards were steadily becoming more luxurious. Maybe it was just me, but I liked it when cute girls asked me for things. Some people might have thought I was some sort of weirdo, but surely a lot of men could understand where I was coming from.

“This must be how people end up spoiling their nieces.”

“Hm? Did you say something?”

The girl turned with a dubious expression and walked across the carpet as she approached me. The fluffy fabric seemed to be a bit ticklish on her bare feet, or maybe she was just thrilled by the luxurious texture, but she strode over with a bounce to her step. She then plopped on top of the bed with little regard for proper manners.

“Ahhh, so comfortable! I thought that Zera person might have been all talk, but it looks like he really is rich. Here, hurry up and join me. I want you to feel how wonderful this is too.” She scooted over with her butt and face still facing my way, making room for me on the bed. I did wish she would realize how painful it was for me as a man when she urged me to hurry while in that pose.

“He really took good care of us, lending us all this furniture. Oh, I can tell this one’s really expensive by the texture.”

“Ah, so you can tell, too. Have you heard? Zera even brought servants with him. Most wealthy people tend to be difficult to deal with, but that man is different. I feel like we’ve gained so much without doing anything!”

Marie, who had a moderate amount of worldly desires for an elf, had an admiration for luxury goods. That would explain why she left the forest she came from, but I couldn’t say anything as she happily writhed around, and I actually found it rather adorable. I lied down too, and she rolled over and leaned on me without hesitation. It seemed that she was getting more and more comfortable with being physically closer as of late. In fact, her face was so close that I could almost hear her breathing from her pigmented lips. And of course, it was clear to see she was in a good mood from the look on her face.

“Nn, so soft and warm. It’s definitely important to have extravagance in your life. Don’t you agree?”

Yeah, there was certainly an extreme juxtaposition between that brilliant, flowery smile and the words coming out of her mouth. Though, I did sort of get where she was coming from. The smell of incense, which smelled somewhat like spices, wafted in the air, and the sheets and blankets felt very nice against my skin. With the girl beside me resting her head on my shoulder, I couldn’t help but feel happy with the experience.

“Hm, maybe I’m the one who got too used to finery.”

“What are you talking about? Hehe, but I don’t mind. I’ve really come to like the bed and incense.” Having her rub her head of soft hair against me was the epitome of luxury itself. Her feet, which she was lightly kicking up and down, lifted up under the blankets. Then she muttered, “Hup,” and placed them on top of my thighs. Her thin waist was right there when I outstretched my hand, and she pressed her stomach against me. I could feel her softness along with her body temperature, but it seemed I was the only one who felt a bit embarrassed by it. She put her forehead on my shoulder, then giggled. Then, seemingly overcome by the warmth of the blankets, her eyelids grew heavy. She was full of energy just a minute ago, but we did walk quite a ways to get to this place. As a spirit sorceress with poor stamina, she must’ve been exhausted.

Between the tent’s covers, I could see Wridra the draconian sitting in front of the fire and looking up at the clear, navy sky. Her side profile accentuated her pointed chin, and she blinked her long eyelashes. I wondered if the view from those eyes as clear as the skies was different from what we saw. There was a fantastical element to the sight, and I couldn’t help but stare as sleepiness began to overtake me. Her true identity was that of an Arkdragon, a creature that was far out of reach for an ordinary human. But somehow, it felt as if I could reach her if I stretched out my hand. My thoughts became muddled, and under the Arkdragon’s kind watch, my vision darkened as if I had fallen deep underwater.

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

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

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

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

“Mm, what a nice dream.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Oh, a small... frying pan?”

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

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

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

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

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

“Huh? Okay, itadakimasu.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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