NOVEL NEXT Episode 21: What JK rubbed up against
After dismantling the temporary shelter, I returned to my base.
Take a high school girl with you.
Chikusa was weak and slow, so Musubi carried her by hanging him with a string.
“I’m home, Matsukaze. Oooh! Come on, give me a hug, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, you’re so energetic.”
When Matsukaze, whom I hadn’t seen for a long time, tackled me passionately, I held him in my arms and licked his face, flailing around in his arms even more violently than an eel.
“Uh, Ukatama, thank you for staying at home.”
When I said this to Ukatama while holding the rampaging Matsukaze, it quietly nodded and hugged my leg.
Was it you too?
I can’t move.
“Mofumofu! It’s so fluffy… wow…”
Chikusa approaches me unsteadily. and,
“Grrrr!”
“Afun”
Matsukaze violently headbutted the high school girl who approached her.
“Here, Matsukaze. Sorry, I think it’s because I’m excited.”
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu…
Chigusa burst into tears.
When Matsukaze, tired from the rampage, had finally calmed down, I had him meet her face again and say hello.
This time, Chigusa wasn’t attacked, but she kept her distance with a salty look on her face.
I’m sorry.
“There is something! In the forest of the divine tree!! In the unexplored realm of death!?”
When I gathered myself and went to the base hut to leave my large luggage, Chigusa shouted.
“I don’t have to be that surprised.”
“It is said that it is impossible for anyone but the gods to push aside the monsters and trees in this forest and cultivate it?”
“That’s right. You seem to be an expert on another world.”
“Hehe, hehe, not that much.”
This child may have a livelier personality than I expected.
Well, in that case, I might get along with Mystia. Is it just right?
“Well, just sit down.”
“Tables and chairs! Isn’t it just tables and chairs! Civilization! We live in perfection! They’re trying to make it comfortable!!”
“I’m going to make some tea now.”
“Tea!!?”
“That’s true. It’s homemade, or rather, it’s grass picked nearby and mushrooms that grow on trees.”
It’s made by Mystia, so it’s not toxic. It’s a little bitter though.
“That’s how tea is made.”
I don’t think you’ve ever chewed bamboo leaves and made tea. I grew up in the city.
It seems like her stomach is upset, so it would be best to give her something warm to rehydrate.
Quickly start a fire and boil water.
“Ah, by the way, the toilet is in the shed over there.”
“There’s a toilet!? Is there!?!!”
“Because it’s Western-style.”
“Yo, u, shi, ki! Maybe a toilet seat in a private room …!?”
“It is”
“It’s a big victory!”
It’s kind of funny how you’re always surprised…
“It’s too civilized… Ah, but paper! I have paper, though!?”
“Oh, really? But where?”
Empty-handed, Chikusa looks like she has no luggage.
“…Nyal Futagun”
He muttered something.
Just as I was thinking that, a piece of poor paper came out of the shadow of Chigusa’s hand over the dining table.
“Oh, it’s magic.”
“I can store things in the shadows…”
“Isn’t it amazing?”
I was impressed. But Chigusa laughs gloomily.
“It’s of no use… I can hide it all I want, but when I put some expensive jewelry in there, I suddenly get accused of smuggling in a certain town using appraisal magic, and not only am I penniless, but I’m also the owner of the lord of the town. Fight against…”
“ah”
“If you want to buy six months worth of bread as an individual, you have to apply to the Adventurer’s Guild and check if it’s appropriate…”
“Have you been caught up in the turbulent waves of society?”
It seems that something in the social system that makes even working adults a formidable enemy has attacked high school students.
Even though they don’t teach you about it in school, the social system suddenly attacks you.
“I mean, on the contrary, the system is so solid that it’s amazing.”
“If you create a system like that, it seems that paying taxes and bribes will come in handy to avoid it…Also, it seems like it will be useful for getting favors with famous adventurers like this…”
“Ah, that’s it…”
There’s no need to monitor the whole thing, and I don’t even have any intention of using it, just to make some money and create a good cause in case of an emergency.
It seems like someone in power would do it.
“This world isn’t a democracy, and if you don’t have connections in a guild or something, no one will tell you about the bad things…”
“The hardships of freelancing…”
Even if you have great abilities, you have no experience working in the workforce, so you will have trouble with such a system…
Let’s change the topic.
“Well, actually, I’m not the only one here, there’s an elf as well. If you wait for about three days, she’ll come back. Don’t worry, she’s the same woman. She’ll guide Chigusa to the human village. I think he will.”
I’m sure Mystia can be relied upon.
That’s what I thought…
“……cormorant”
Chigusa burst into tears.
“Ugh, I don’t want to go back!”
“W-what happened?”
“If I return empty-handed, I’ll have to go to the dungeon and earn money while running away from the palace guys and being treated as a nuisance by both the guild and the adventurers!”
“ah……”
It seemed like the situation was more pitiful than I expected.
I’m in a similar situation, so I understand how you feel.
In my previous life, I was tired of working with no future in sight.
I thought there was something wrong with my younger self, struggling to work with people who were trying to tell me things like, “Everyone is paying for it,” and just trying to figure it out.
Even though I made a decision to change jobs, this time I felt blocked in all directions, and I didn’t know if I could trust my boss or co-workers.
I can understand why people would dislike such a society.
This girl faced something like that when she was a high school girl.
…No, it wasn’t a high school girl. It seems like it’s been about three years.
“Recently, I haven’t been able to taste food anymore… It’s painful to eat… Ugh…”
I can’t overlook that anymore.
“…In that case, you can stay here.”
I couldn’t help but say that.
Chigusa is stunned.
“Huh?”
“You can stay here. I’ll build you a hut too.”
Chigusa leans forward
“H-really? Is it okay?”
“Well, well…I’ll just have Chigusa do what she can. If that’s okay.”
The high school girl’s face turned pale.
“Do you mean… brother’s footrest, chair, etc…?”
“No, I can do something else with you.”
“I-I’m only worth skin and bones…I’m so small that I can’t even use a hanger rack…”
“Let’s stop trying to become furniture for now.”
This kid is a little scary. Is it Edogawa Ranpo?
“Your dark magic is amazing. You were amazing at stopping the brown bear and hiding. I can’t believe you can keep things in the shadows. That’s amazing.”
“…That’s not true. Hehe hee hee.”
I’m grinning. This kid is pretty lazy…
“I can’t use magic. I think there are a lot of things I’d like to ask of you. If you can do it for me, please come and stay here.”
Chigusa nodded with tears streaming down her face.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuu, let me do it…!”
This child came from the same hometown as me, and yet she faced hardships.
I want to help you. I thought so.
“Also, I actually wanted someone to serve as a taster. There are a lot of recipes I want to try.”
“Are you even going to give me food!? God…!?”
Since the number of seasonings has increased, the number of things I want to make has increased.
The old man likes to feed the young people.
“Now I can stay in the dark and not be killed by the sunlight…!”
“Hitsuri…? Well, there are elves of the same sex, so don’t worry. It would be good to learn a lot from her.”
“I-I was incorporated into the lower ranks…! So, are you a dark elf or something like that?”
“I was told you were a high elf.”
“The light…!!?”
Chigusa says apologetically.
“By the way, uh…um…you might get angry if I say something like this…”
“Tell me.”
“What, what was your name? No, it’s not. I remember asking, but if I misremembered it slightly, it might be rude, so I’m sorry.”
“Soujiro is fine.”
“Ah, hey! Soujiro-sama, please take care of me, maaaaah!”
“I don’t mind calling you anything… calm down…”
“Ah, this… it’s been a long time since I’ve spoken, and… my throat just gave up…”
I silently offered her tea, and Chigusa drank it with a frantic look on her face while breathing heavily.
…She’s a strong-willed child.