Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Volume 4 E-Book

Makishima Suzuki

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

Seitenzahl: 376

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Take down the master of the ancient labyrinth!
The undying floor master awaits deep within the ancient labyrinth. The raid on the labyrinth has been full of turmoil, and a third faction makes its appearance. It seems someone is interested in Mariabelle...
Meanwhile in Japan, Wridra returns for a visit for the first time in quite a while. Wridra and Marie decide to wear kimono and tour Japanese gardens...!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Chapter of Slavery

Prologue

Episode 1: Land of Dreams and Magic

Episode 2: Temporary Retreat from the Ancient Labyrinth

Episode 3: The Hero Candidate’s Encounter

Episode 4: Meeting with Unagi

Episode 5: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Episode 6: The Elf and the Dragon’s Japanese Garden Date

Episode 7: Operation Hall Wipeout

Episode 8: The Undying King

Final Episode

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Chapter of Slavery: Prologue

He exhaled, his breath coming out in a white puff and dissipating. They had only descended one level, but the temperature in the ancient labyrinth had dropped dramatically.

The light of his torch flickered in the wind, the fire struggling to stay ablaze. He could see the labyrinth’s cold interior within the pocket of light it provided, but everything beyond its range was only complete darkness. The scenery remained unchanged no matter how much he walked, and he began to feel as if he hadn’t moved forward at all.

Suddenly, it felt as though he was the only one there.

His companions were silently walking beside him, but he couldn’t feel their warmth or sense their presence at all. He squeezed himself, pushing back the inexplicable forlornness that threatened to overwhelm him.

“So this is the second floor, huh? Sheesh, talk about a depressing place,” he said out loud in an attempt to brush off the loneliness.

What could have been lurking along this dark path? There was a constant feeling that someone was watching, along with a looming sense of dread. No matter where he went, how far he walked, or whether he was sleeping or awake, they were always there. He felt as if he had become a child afraid of the dark again and wished he could turn back and leave this place. He wanted to relax in front of a fireplace with a strong drink and sleep until the morning. These thoughts had been whirling around in his head.

Due to his fear, the man failed to realize a simple detail. His companions should have been following right behind him, so why were they completely silent?

The pace of his walk gradually slowed. His heart drummed in his chest, his breathing growing shallow. And yet, he struggled to turn around, and his feet eventually stopped walking completely.

Was something waiting just behind him? He felt as if something was watching but couldn’t bring himself to turn around. He couldn’t take another step forward, as his companions became more distant, and the area grew quieter still.

No, he couldn’t turn around.

The big finger extending silently toward him was so pale it was nearly translucent, and he would have surely screamed if he had looked. A light veil fluttered around the being, but it made no noise and couldn’t be sensed. Its enshrouded body was clear, as if it was made completely of ice.

The finger loomed toward the man from behind... It seemed the floor master intended to take his soul back to its nest.

Just then, the light of the torch that had been flickering in the wind finally went out. The area went pitch black, and only nervous, repeated breathing could be heard. Unable to turn to face the presence of death creeping up from behind, he let out a final sigh, and the silence fell completely.

The raid on the second floor was proceeding with great difficulty. The floor master, Shirley, had been appearing out of nowhere to impede their progress.

Still, with Gaston’s leadership, Team Ruby had successfully defeated Shirley once, but then came a report that the floor master had appeared in a completely different area at the same time. Since then, the raid parties hadn’t been able to find an effective method to take on that floor, and they had been continuing a fight with no foreseeable end.

In the depths of the dark labyrinth...

The floor master drifted around like mist, phasing through the stone floors and rooms.

Its presence was as cold as ice, and one’s soul would surely be ripped out of their body with just a touch of its finger.

The raid team’s countermeasure for an encounter with the floor master was for soldiers to hide behind a wall and cover their eyes and mouths, curling up tight and not making a sound. Therefore, raids on the second floor were soundless, voiceless, and filled with a frigid atmosphere.

A secret grave had appeared at the floor master’s destination.

The sight seemed unfit for such a horrifying monster. Shirley softly stroked a chair with flowers carved into it, and just for that moment, the creature’s ethereal form took a solid shape. Its side profile could be seen clearly for that brief moment, then changed into icy, inorganic bones.

As the floor master watched, a stone coffin slowly opened with a grinding noise. There seemed to be humidity in this room only, as the coffin was caked with moss, and there was a moldy scent in the air. Gnarled fingers peeked out from the opening, followed by a terrifying face with missing lips. The monster absorbed the freshly harvested soul, and skin began coating its bones with a crackling sound.

Some time later, the raid parties would be naming this terrible creature... Reaper.

Chapter of Slavery, Episode 1: Land of Dreams and Magic

The rain fell lightly, running down the plastic umbrella and falling to the ground.

June officially marked the rainy season, and rain had been falling incessantly in Tokyo’s Koto Ward.

It had been getting more humid by the day, with the temperature-humidity index rising consistently. But this didn’t seem to concern the girl who was staring at the hydrangeas much.

Her long-sleeve shirt and navy skirt made her seem somewhat like a college student. Judging by her height and facial features, she seemed to be about fifteen. However, her non-Japanese appearance made it rather hard to tell her actual age.

Her skin was pale, and her silky, waist-length hair was whiter than the vast rain clouds in the skies above. These features, combined with her big amethyst eyes, gave her a fantastical impression that made even random passersby suspect she was a fairy. Here in Koto Ward... or rather, in Japan, she somewhat stood out. But the look on her face made it seem that she was as unconcerned with the curious stares from strangers as she was of the rain.

She leaned in to look at the flower bed with interest.

Before her were rows of hydrangeas with their vivid, joyful colors. Some strains were a refreshing blue while others were a classy purple, and some of them had a mix of colors despite being the same strain. This seemed to intrigue Mariabelle, and she continued to stare with fascination.

Suddenly, something else caught her attention.

A snail inching forward, then a frog that she noticed was right next to her feet. The green frog seemed to be taking shelter from the rain, and it remained unmoving as it inflated its vocal sac.

“My, how cute. You’re a frog, aren’t you?” The frog stopped making its throat bubble when Mariabelle whispered to it, then looked up at the girl with its black eyes. It cocked its head curiously, perhaps because it recognized the adorable girl as a half-fairy elf. Although she lived in Tokyo, she was a bit different from the average human.

She crouched down, locking eyes with the frog. This seemed to be their greeting method, and when she extended her finger, the frog hopped up onto it. It waddled forward, then looked up at the girl again with its beady eyes.

Just then, a shadow loomed over Mariabelle.

The girl and frog both looked up to find a young man standing there. He had black hair and black eyes, and he gave a rather drowsy impression.

“Hey there, Marie. Made a new friend?” His voice was as soft as his facial features. The girl nodded in response.

The young man leaned in as Marie showed him her new friend, and the black cat that was at his feet meowed.

Perhaps this was a strange introduction, but the black cat was the Arkdragon... well, the Arkdragon’s familiar, and the young man had the rare ability to travel between dreams and reality. His name was Kazuhiro Kitase, and he worked for a living here in Tokyo. The reason he had gained the ability to visit the dream world was still unknown to the two of them.

“Yes, we just became friends a minute ago. But I don’t think we can bring him home.”

“Yeah, his home is right here. He’s a creature that loves the rain.” The girl responded with a “Huh.”

The frog was inflating its vocal sac again and seemed to be enjoying the rain, just as Kazuhiro had explained. When Mariabelle pointed toward the spot where she had found the frog, it hopped back toward its home.

These two had been living under the same roof for two months now. Since they were together even in their dreams, they had been spending effectively twice as much time in each other’s company than normal.

In a manner that was rather fitting for his sleepy-looking face, Kazuhiro had first met Marie in the dream world. From his perspective, he “thought it was a dream, but it turned out to be real,” and the elf girl had been living there all her life.

He and Marie had lost their lives to the black cat, or rather its master, the Arkdragon, and then they woke up together in this world. That was how Kazuhiro had realized his dreams were actually a very real, separate world.

But the situation didn’t end up progressing into something grand, and they primarily just spent the majority of their time in leisure, enjoying each other’s worlds.

If they wanted to, they could have used their advantage over others to rise up in society, but they were satisfied with their current lives, so they opted not to. Additionally, the distance between them had been closing with each passing day. So much so that the elf secretly thought they would eventually end up stacked right on top of each other.

Then, a bag from the library appeared in front of the girl. It was the sleepy-looking young man who held it in his hand.

“Let’s go home for some reading.”

“Yes, let’s. I’m getting used to the letters, so I will read to you today.” The girl’s face softened into a natural smile. It was an unconscious reaction to the thought of having some of the quality tea they had brought back from the dream world while listening to the rain and reading.

When she reached out, his hand was there to squeeze back, their fingers naturally intertwining with each other. The spots between her fingers felt sensitive as they were touched, and a ticklish sensation ran up her waist. It occurred to her that the reason why she didn’t feel anxiety in either the so-called real world or the dream world was because it was immediately overshadowed by the fun she was having whenever he was around.

“Let’s go, Kazuhiro-san.” With that, they began to walk, the cat roaming around as if trying to figure out which one’s umbrella would keep it out of the rain more effectively, eventually settling on the spot right between the two.

In the rainy season, it would rain for a long, long time, but the elf thought to herself that she didn’t find the weather as unappealing as people made it out to be.

They would likely spend the entire day together again.

And after whatever activities they entertained themselves with, they would challenge the ancient labyrinth, where screams echoed within.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The elevator door opened, and the black cat exited first. She left wet paw prints in her wake, then turned around to face us in front of our room’s door. The cat blinked her big eyes and meowed cutely, as if asking us to open it.

“One second, Wridra. I need to wipe your feet first.” With that, I opened the door. As the cat waited patiently, Mariabelle said, “Excuse me,” and slipped past my arm. Then, I watched her as the sound of a splashing fish emerged from her fingertip.

As made evident by the ultramarine fish swimming through the air, Marie was a spirit sorceress. Her powers may not have been all that rare in the dream world, but it was a different story when it came to using such powers in Japan. Despite this, Marie stood there in the dim, unlit main entrance as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

“I’m having Undine absorb the pent-up moisture in the air. And this is a gift from a different spirit.” With that, she breathed onto her fingertip, and the room became filled with an elegant, flowery scent. It smelled rather familiar, and after thinking about it for a moment, I finally opened my mouth.

“Oh, it must be the spirit of cherry blossoms. I didn’t know they were still around,” I said as I wiped the cat’s feet. Marie removed her shoes and turned around. Her satisfied expression made it clear she was happy about being able to control spirits even in Japan. Her abilities had been improving by the day, and she may have been able to control them here just as well as she could in the dream world.

“That’s right. I made friends with many of them, so I think they’ll be around for some time longer.”

“The scenery in Aomori was pretty incredible. I didn’t think we’d be able to enjoy it here, too. I don’t think we’ll need to buy any expensive fragrances from now on.” The girl cocked her head curiously, and I explained that fragrances here were condensed aromas from things like flowers. The black cat hopped onto the flooring and meowed without turning around, as if to thank me for wiping her paws. Anyway, we were able to enjoy books or movies without the unpleasant humidity, thanks to the elf’s powers.

“Oh, I’ll prepare some tea. I think some cookies would go well with that one, but would it be bad manners to eat while reading?” I laughed lightly as I entered the room, then placed the library book down and answered her.

“It should be fine as long as you don’t drop crumbs everywhere. Just be very careful. Kaoruko’s the receptionist at the library, remember? She might be really scary when she’s mad.”

“Of course. Books are very rare and precious, after all. Normally, lending them to others would be very unusual and not allowed. Though, a sleepy-face like you probably wouldn’t understand.” What did my face have to do with it? I thought about responding as such, but my protests likely wouldn’t have reached her long ears. I actually liked how she currently looked, without her hat and with those ears exposed. It was almost like a fantasy world had appeared in my room... or maybe that was a bit dramatic.

She turned on the stove with practiced hands, her little butt pointed toward me. She had gotten more accustomed to the kitchen ever since we started cooking together.

When I looked outside, the rain was still coming down, beads of water rolling down the window. It wasn’t that I hated the rain, but it became sort of tiring having the same weather every day.

I sat down on a chair and took a book in my hand, but as I was flipping through the pages, the cat leaped up from below. Our eyes met, and she meowed as if to say the book was in the way, demanding I clear room for a sleeping spot.

I didn’t know very much about familiars, but by the looks of it, she looked like just an ordinary cat, and she seemed to be getting adjusted to luxury, since she now refused to lay on the cold floor. As I wondered to myself if all familiars were like this, the cat stepped in place several times on my pants, then curled up while purring loudly. Unable to stand up or move now, I placed the book back on the table without reading a single page. Though I had lost my ability to move freely, I no longer needed to worry about the cold of the rainy season.

Marie walked over with teacups in hand, then stared at the cat and made a remark.

“Now that I think about it, Wridra hasn’t joined us in a while. I wonder how long it will be until things settle down with her children.” The cat looked up sleepily, then meowed repeatedly.

“Four more days? Okay. Then we should rejoin the raid on the second floor once you get back.” The cat responded with a drawn out meow of affirmation.

It had been a while since Wridra joined our party. We were told this was an important time for her whelps, and she was doing some ritual to ensure their stability. When she tried explaining what raising dragon whelps entailed, she started going off about things like “transferring the dragon core” and “giving form to nebulous beings,” which I had a hard time understanding. I reached for the cup and nodded.

“I guess it’s like maternity leave. We’ll be fine; take all the time you need.” The cat closed its eyes sleepily and meowed softly.

And so, we’d been rather casual with our attitude toward the labyrinth. We spent our time in the dream world reading or going on a stroll, and we only visited areas that were completely safe. Without our powerful tank, Wridra, I wasn’t certain that I would be able to keep Marie safe. And so, we’d been taking it easy in the dream world, too, but once Wridra returned on Thursday, we would likely be taking on the second floor together.

The rainy season was a great time for reading, but I had to push the books out of the way so the cat could have a sleeping spot. With nothing to do now, I called out to Marie as she moved to sit down in a chair.

“Would you like to watch a movie with subtitles to help you with reading practice, Marie?”

“Oh, that sounds nice. Then, I’ll read to you later tonight instead. I’ll put you right to sleep after, so look forward to it.” Huh, I didn’t think I’d ever be put to sleep by an elf. I did wonder if we would be able to go to the dream world together if I fell asleep first, though. Either way, I had a sneaking suspicion that Marie would be falling asleep before me.

Well, the cat was already asleep, eyes narrowed and its body completely unmoving. I debated on what to do for a minute, then scooped the cat up in my arms and stood up.

The rain continued to come down softly on the other side of the window. According to the weather report, it wouldn’t stop for quite a long while. The air was chilly and made me want some sort of warmth on my skin.

It was my day off, so I figured it should have been fine to let myself be more lax than usual. And so, I picked up the TV. The nice thing about LCD TVs was that they were lightweight, and I easily picked it up from the shelf separating the table and bedroom.

I tossed some cushions and brought over a blanket, and my preparation for a weekend of relaxation was complete. Undine the water spirit swam around and regulated the humidity, which was a comfort only we could prepare.

“Come on over, Wridra.” Seeing the cat refuse to budge, Marie pursed her lips, then picked it up and sat down next to me. She scooted her small butt between my legs and leaned back against me as if it was completely natural. I was glad she seemed to rely on me, but this just meant I served as an adequate backrest. Still, I could feel her warmth with her back pressed against me, and I was enjoying the front row seat where I could see her long ears twitching happily. I didn’t dare say that out loud, though.

The elf girl turned around and looked at me expectantly, which was the signal to begin. I took the remote in my hand, and the story that was unfamiliar to her began to play.

A thick book appeared on screen and opened up, as if to indicate this was a story from a long, long time ago.

This presentation piqued Marie’s interest as a huge fan of picture books, and her lush lips curled up into a happy smile.

The sunlight peering in through the window was faint in the rainy season, but as the movie started, the presence of the rain seemed to fade away. This was how stories were meant to be. They would draw you in, making you forget about everything else, even if that story had a tragic beginning.

There once was a man who was born into a privileged bloodline, and he was one day struck down in a twist of fate. A curse had fallen upon him, changing his appearance to that of a hideous monster to match his violent behavior.

As the prologue ended and the screen faded to black, I heard the crunch of Marie biting into a cookie.

When the scene changed, she was in for a surprise. Not just the vivid color of the animation, but the expressive, lively people and animals and their emotions all represented in a song. The girl and the cat hadn’t seen such a display before, and their eyes were like saucers as they stared.

“This is what you call a musical movie. Songs are even better at conveying emotions than just words. They’re pretty common overseas.”

“I’m surprised. It’s so different from Japanese anime. They sing with such beautiful voices, and I can’t tell what they’re saying, but they seem to be having fun.” Come to think of it, I found it odd that she thought it was that different, but at the same time, I knew what she meant. It was common knowledge that the culture and techniques of animation had originally come from overseas, yet Japan’s animation had a distinct character to it, and its style could be greatly affected by whoever was directing it.

“Maybe the difference comes from the strong influence of manga culture. The presentation is just so different... Oh, manga might be perfect for your reading studies, Marie.” Marie tilted her head at the unfamiliar term, and I thought to myself that there was a possibility I might have been leading her directly into otaku culture. The curiosity in her pretty eyes made me worry even more, but the movie continued to play.

There was one detail about this story that drew Marie’s attention in particular. The beautiful heroine of the movie absolutely loved to read. Just like Mariabelle, the elf who lived in Japan.

Her pale purple eyes stared at the girl on the screen with great interest and glared at the villagers who made fun of her for her love of books.

“I hate people who try to prevent others from learning. They must be jealous of others becoming smarter than them. Why don’t they just try to learn themselves?”

“These people are busy living their day-to-day lives. I think there are a lot of countries where people can’t make the time to learn how to read and write.”

“I disagree; intellect is very important. You can’t become a fine adult without learning all sorts of things. Do you know anyone who didn’t study at all that turned out well?” I was taken aback. She did have a point. But to be honest, I didn’t want to study anymore, and I just wanted to enjoy movies or reading on my time off. I thought Marie was the same? She seemed to notice the look on my face and blinked her big eyes.

“Oh, I’m fine on that end. I’ve been keeping up my studies on Japanese characters. But you... You’ve been totally relaxing, and you’re even munching on a cookie.” She moved a cookie toward my mouth as if telling me to open wide, and I had to give in. I parted my lips and allowed her to put the cookie in my mouth, and I enjoyed its buttery fragrance and crispy texture as I accepted the label of a slob.

It seemed a crumb was left on my lip. She wiped it with her thumb and smiled at me, then turned back toward the movie.

Boy, that actually got to me. I’d never had a girl wipe my mouth with her soft, smooth thumb like that, and it felt like my body was growing warm.

I didn’t notice at the time, but her face was supposedly bright red after she had turned away from me, too. She silently mouthed, “What did I just do?” to herself and squeezed her thumb. Maybe it was thanks to this that I was able to stay warm despite the weather.

Now, the aforementioned woman ended up meeting the monster, and the story finally moved along. But since the monster had been alone for so long, his arrogant attitude hadn’t changed one bit. Of course, he ended up being aggressive toward the heroine as well. Marie was quite critical of his behavior.

“What is with him? Such an unpleasant man. Doesn’t he know how to be kind to a lady?” It seemed she already disliked the monstrous fellow. Not just because of his appearance, but because she couldn’t stand his combative demeanor. And yet, having an ugly side made him seem more human. So despite the fact that the characters were a collection of drawings, they seemed to be living, breathing beings.

Spending time with a complete stranger was like reading through a brand new book. As the monster grew to know the heroine, he began to reveal more of the side of himself that he usually kept hidden. It was nothing special. Getting entranced by how lovely someone’s surprised or laughing expression looked was a normal experience that anyone could relate to.

It wasn’t just the heroine who didn’t know the monster had such sides to him. Even he himself didn’t believe he had human emotions inside him.

As the story progressed and they overcame many hurdles, he began showing a new expression altogether. Who could be cursed to be so unsightly and laugh so genuinely? In fact, even before his curse, no one had been so close to him or spoken to him like this. Before he knew it, his attitude toward the girl had changed, and he held her hand protectively. There was a definite tender love for a woman in his kind touch.

“I can’t believe such a monster seems cute to me now,” Marie said, her initial impression having been completely changed. He had seemed like a big, hideous monster at first, but now he gave the impression of a lovable animal. His sharp fangs now seemed charming, and she wanted to feel his fluffy fur with her hands.

The girl and the cat were both leaning forward with great interest, cheering on the two main characters of the movie. Watching such an unusual pair grow closer by the day was like watching a flower grow over time.

Though, it would have been nice if it was all sunshine and rainbows...

The girl and cat knew from experience that stories came with hills and valleys. Ups and downs gave depth to stories, and the unsettling music was enough to scare Marie as trouble arrived.

“Wh-What’s with that man?! He’s trying to get in the way of their love! This is why I hate cocky men who only care about training their body. He even brought a gun! Does he have no pride?” This title was a musical, and the overall mood had been cheery. That made the change in the tone all the more apparent, and the man creeping up to kill the monster seemed cruel indeed. Marie looked surprisingly fearful, her hands gripping her blanket tightly.

Yet, she couldn’t look away out of her desire to see how it would all end. After all that time watching over them, she wanted them to be happy. Just as she wanted to see scary fairy tales through to the end even late at night, she had become engrossed in the story. I found myself absorbed by the sight of her.

Back within the movie, it was a night with a sky full of stars.

After overcoming many hardships, the monster that had once seemed so fearsome was now showing the lady respect, politely bowing and extending his hand toward her. He seemed more reliable than usual while dressed like a gentleman, and the woman loved him in turn, gently taking his outstretched hand.

His courteous attitude and expression of reverence was unfitting for his appearance, but the two of them were so close that it seemed natural.

There was no one there to celebrate their union, but her smile was enough.

His sharp claws could hurt the one precious to him. The monster’s expression seemed worried by the thought, but she returned a tender smile. Ignoring his hesitation, she moved in closer and urged him to dance with her.

And under the starry skies, they began stepping into a dance.

They had forgotten about dispelling his curse, and they only saw each other in their eyes. Without even exchanging a word, emotions flowed into each other with only small gestures. In that moment, all their troubles and fun conversations had come to fruition.

As graceful music played in the background, their lips finally pressed against each other.

“Ahhh! My goodness! I can tell what they’re thinking without any words!” We’d been cheering for them all this time. Marie knew just how precious something could be when it was obtained after working hard. The elf and the cat were drunk on the bliss of the small miracle in the starry night, tears pouring down their faces... Or so I thought, but as the credits played, they rolled over listlessly.

The girl pressed her face against a cushion, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Wh-What’s wrong?”

“This is awful. I can’t believe it. That big, scary monster was so adorable. I didn’t expect a kiss to dispel his curse and turn him into a plain, boring prince. Unbelievable... I don’t think I can stand up from the shock...”

Wh-Whaaa?! But I thought he looked handsome as a prince. Ah, even the cat is nodding in agreement.

I did see where she was coming from. The audience fell in love with the character in his monster form, so I couldn’t really blame them. Marie was so disappointed that he had changed his appearance at the very end that she was changing the shape of the cushion with her own face.

“You were rooting so hard for them. Girls really care about image, so this must be rough for you,” I said as I touched her shoulder, and she turned around, sobbing.

“Yes, it really is. They had such a wonderful kiss, too. But I also...” She stopped mid-sentence and froze. She remained motionless, staring at me without saying anything. Her face began turning red for some reason, and then she covered her own lips with her fingers...

I watched her, wondering what the issue was, then let out an, “Ah!”

“D-Don’t say it. It’s nothing! I’m taking a bath!” She pushed my face away with her hands before I could say anything. I watched dully as she put on her slippers and jogged away.

Yes, that was right. We, too, had kissed before. It had only happened once, at Hirosaki Castle in Aomori. It seemed like the cherry blossom spirits had used their powers, but the memory of that first experience was still clear in my mind, and I could distinctly remember her smooth lips. My face also began to grow hot after a delay.

As she mentioned earlier, Marie had probably gone to prepare a bath. The water heater played a little tune to indicate it was ready, and I stood up. I tried to calm myself as I began fixing the positions of the TV and cushions back to where they originally were. I was sure Marie felt the same way, with her back turned in the dressing room and her long ears having turned completely red.

Even when the tub was filled with hot water, Marie didn’t come back to the room.

When I slid the door open, the light from the bathroom was leaking into the dim dressing room.

The bathtub was full of steam, and I could smell the scent of the bath additives from here. I took a deep breath, then called out to Marie, who I assumed was soaking in the tub.

“Marie, think I can bother you for a minute?”

“Sure, of course. Um, sorry for getting so flustered earlier. Please understand I wasn’t trying to avoid you or anything.” She replied in a calm voice, which was quite a relief. I sat down on the floor, leaning my head back against the wall. Meanwhile, the cat wasn’t in the mood to deal with this, so it was sleeping on the bed. Or maybe it was doing so out of courtesy. Marie and I didn’t have the opportunity to talk like this often, so I appreciated the gesture.

I listened to the sound of the water splashing as I asked a very ordinary question.

“Did you enjoy the movie, Marie?”

“I enjoyed it very much, of course. It was wonderful. That scene where they danced together with that graceful music will stay in my memory for a long time. I liked it so much that I’m thinking of watching it while you’re at work.” The story was both kind and cruel, just as a fairy tale should have been. I was glad she ended up liking it, and I could picture her closing her eyes and enjoying the memory.

Was it magic that dispelled the curse or their love? No one knew for sure. Feeling the afterglow of the heartwarming movie, I uttered to her.

“I’m glad. Then, maybe we can go visit some time.”

“...Visit? What are you talking about? That movie was just for entertainment, wasn’t it?” Maybe my comment was too out-of-the-blue. In my mind, I could see her tilting her head with a cute little wrinkle between her brows, expectantly waiting for an explanation.

“That story is really popular. So much so that you can find the real thing near here.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, but that wonderful castle can’t be here, can it? This is Japan, after all.”

“Hm? Oh, it is. The actual castle is here and the characters, too.” Marie stopped talking for a while, and I heard a loud splash as she stood up in the water.

“Such a splendid castle couldn’t actually exist in real life. Don’t you know that was all fiction?”

“It’s so popular because you can actually see that fiction with your own eyes. Though, it’s always crowded for exactly that reason. Why don’t we go visit it this weekend?”

“Nnh?!”

We had the rare ability to go back and forth between dreams and reality, but even the elf was surprised to hear that dreams could become reality. Her purple eyes were surely wide with shock and staring at me through the steamy glass.

“Y-Yes! Let’s go! I’d love to!”

“Meow! Meow!” Wait, when did the cat come over? It’s on my knees and rubbing its face against me... Haha, the whiskers tickle.

Perhaps once Wridra returned and it stopped raining during the weekend, it would be a good time to go. It would surely be crowded, but even that might be part of the fun for them.

As I explained this, Marie was getting so excited that I could see her face right up against the fogged-up glass. Um, I can kinda see her... womanly protrusions, so she shouldn’t get so close...

“Promise! Promise me you’ll take me to that world!”

“Of course. I’ve actually never gone myself. Wouldn’t it be exciting, Marie?”

“Yes!” she replied, and I couldn’t contain my joy for some reason. I could invite her into this world. It was strange to think about even now, but I felt like this fact had brought me so much happiness. Well, picturing the sight of me leading her to a big theme park by the hand, maybe anyone would have been looking forward to something like this. Even if there was a big crowd, the half-fairy elf would surely make an obvious comment like, “There are so many people!” with a cheery smile.

This all depended on the weather, but I stood back up now that the weekend plans were set.

We were back on normal speaking terms again, so as I thought about preparing dinner, I heard a small voice from the bathtub behind me. It was so faint that I could hardly hear unless I really listened. Maybe she had been talking to me this whole time.

“S-Say... Do you clearly remember that one time in Aomori?” Judging by the squeak in her voice, it didn’t seem like she was simply asking for my feedback on the trip. It was also likely that she was remembering the moment our lips touched. Her voice sounded like she wouldn’t be able to sleep for a while, and my own heart was pounding in my chest.

“Um... I remember. That was a fun trip. Marie, you, uh, we...” Oh no. Just as I was about to tell her my honest feelings, the beating in my heart grew more frantic. I found it hard to speak, and I leaned back against the wall, sliding down to the ground again. At that moment, I was incredibly grateful that she couldn’t see my face. I wished I could hide my head under a blanket.

Though I couldn’t tell at the time, Marie was pressing her hands against her chest with her face bright red. She tried to calm her quick breathing by sinking into the bath water, then let out a long sigh with her face toward the ceiling. With our backs toward each other, the wall standing in between us, she hugged her knees and opened her mouth.

“Well, this might be a strange question, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Um, have you ever... done the same thing with someone else?”

“Huh? No, I haven’t! Although, maybe I should be embarrassed by that, considering my age.”

“O-Oh... Good. Ah, my gosh, my face is so hot I might pass out.” She seemed to be squirming on the other side of the foggy glass, as I could hear her splashing lightly. After taking a few more deep breaths, I sensed she had turned toward me.

“Just so you know, there isn’t much of a kissing culture in my village. And there have been many attempts to court me before, but I turned them all down. It’s not that people haven’t tried, just so you know.”

Ahh, I couldn’t really find a response. It was the first time for her, too, and just knowing that made my heart start thumping again. We both breathed in and out several times with the wall between us, and I spoke after finally regaining my composure.

“Then as each other’s firsts, I guess we shouldn’t be so embarrassed. Sometimes I think about how we’re so similar. Even though we lived far apart, it’s like we’ve always been together.”

“I know exactly what you mean. I suppose it’s comparable to being childhood friends. Like an old, familiar relationship.” We pointed at each other as if to say, “That’s it!” and laughed. It felt comfortable, and relief washed over us as we lightly chuckled together. The familiar feeling was so strange, considering our differences in origins, race, and culture.

“I think even our tastes are similar. So, how about I put some extra effort into making us some dinner tonight?”

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it. Did you know? There’s something similar about your cooking and your grandfather’s cooking, and it makes me feel fortunate whenever I eat it. I think everyone should have a childhood friend who’s good at cooking. There’s nothing better than experiencing so much fun in a day.” It was such an offhand comment that I laughed out loud.

There was nothing to it. It was our first kiss, so we had been overthinking it far too much. At the core of it, we were just two people who enjoyed each other’s company, and the term ‘childhood friends’ did indeed seem appropriate.

“Hm, I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I burned our dinner now. All right, time to whip up something delicious,” I said to myself, then noticed the cat had evacuated back to the bed, and it was staring at me with an uninterested look.

It was completely dark outside already, and I felt the weekend waning away.

Chk, thunk, clack.

The meal I quickly set on the table was a familiar recipe, the hamburg steak. It was popular among adults and children alike, and on top of that, it was even easy to make. Truly an ace of the cooking world.

Maybe that was a bit overboard, but the elf was so happy about it, she seemed reminiscent of an excited child with a knife in one hand, a fork in the other, and a towel wrapped around her neck.

“Wow, it looks delicious! So much sauce, and that smell of meat... It even has a fried egg on top! This is pure extravagance!”

“That’s a bit dramatic for an egg, don’t you think? But there’s nothing better than freshly cooked food, so I recommend you dig in.”

“Oh my, we should hurry, then. Come on, Wridra, you need to say it, too.” The cat meowed with annoyance, eager to start eating right away.

Saying ‘Itadakimasu’ at the dinner table had already become routine for us, and there was a glass of red wine next to Marie as if it belonged there. Most people may have assumed she was underage, but Marie was actually over a hundred years old, and she looked a little sad when there was no alcohol, so I couldn’t afford not to serve her some.

The knife sliced through the meat easily with hardly any pressure applied. It was obviously going to be soft since it was made with ground meat, but she was taken aback by the amount of fat that overflowed as she cut into it. She seemed to have taken my earlier comment to heart and hurriedly put the piece of hamburg steak into her mouth. She easily chewed through the soft meat, and the juices that erupted with each bite made her eyes go wide.

“Nnnnnnh!” When onions cooked to a nice caramel color, soft ground meat, and bread crumbs were mixed together, they underwent a transformation. They created a fluffy yet buttery-soft texture and drew out the rich umami of the meat.

“Mmmmmm!” Marie chewed some more and held her cheeks as she groaned. The soft-boiled yolk and sauce entangled with each other to create an even greater depth of flavor. Umami flooded out with each bite, and her mouth was filled with happiness.

She hurriedly reached for the glass of red wine and tilted it toward her lips, filling her mouth with its rich flavor that complimented the meat perfectly. The wine really suited the meat. Marie stared at me as she chewed with a look that seemed to ask, “Is this really home-cooked food? Are you some sort of genius?” ...She really could be a bit overdramatic at times.

“Ah, so good! I can’t believe I’m being treated to such a meal when it’s not even a special day or anything. Wait, is this some sort of commemoration for the day we kissed? It’s not, is it? Th-Then, if I asked you to make it again, would you?”

“Hm? Yeah, of course I would. Not like it’s expensive to make, either.” I was surprised by her suddenly fast-paced speech, and I thought I heard her slip a rather scandalous comment in there, but when I replied to her as such, she reeled back from my bluntness as if she’d been punched.

But really, ground meat was rather cheap in price. You just had to be sure to mix it well, and it was easy to cook, too. It was extremely popular among kids, and I wasn’t surprised to find Marie loved it so much.

“How about we add these to today’s bento...?”

“Yes, let’s! It’s settled, then. You can’t change your mind now.” She nodded several times, and the issue was settled. All the while, the cat was stuffing its face frantically, not paying a bit of attention to our conversation.

I wasn’t sure what to say next, so I went on to ramble a bit.

“Oh yeah, a lot of people like to put cheese on their hamburg steaks. The cheese melts onto the meat and gives it an even richer flavor. Let’s give it a try next time...” I trailed off, noticing that the two of them were staring at me intently.

You’d better. If you’re lying, I won’t ever forgive you. Their looks said as such without words, and the intensity made me gulp hard before I even managed to take a bite of my food.

The cat was purring comfortably.