“Yeah, figures. It’s ridiculous to ask someone to to do something they don’t understand.”
As someone who has experienced that for himself, Shinichi wryly smiled.
A skilled teacher from Falandia tried to teach him before, but he couldn’t learn a thing. Indeed, he was clumsy, talentless, and struggled because of the language, but there was something else that obstructed his learning, something that was even more incomprehensible than the otherworld’s language.
“It looks like we really have to use something that already exists. I have too little spiritual power, so it’ll be too inefficient for me to make them myself, so…”
As her master became thoughtful, Youko inferred the various meanings hidden behind his words and wryly smiled.
But while she understood the necessity and his intent, and though she knew that it was easier this way, she also thought that it wasn’t a matter to be taken so lightly.
“…If you’re done thinking, how about playing around a little for a change of pace? This is that sort of place, after all, so we should play while we can. Yes, that female teacher does say some good things, doesn’t she?”
“Right… We never were able to visit places like this much. Something might just come to mind if I see various things, so… Sure, why not.”
“Alright!”
Youko happily nodded, and Shinichi moved away from the fence with her on his shoulders.
As he took his first steps on their stroll, Shinichi wondered where they should go.
As to whether he could actually have fun like the others, however, that was something that only ‘god knew’.
Such an expression would normally end in jest, but alas, Shinichi was the sort of troublesome man for such words to prove true.
──He was just loved that much… by trouble.
“Come on,
“Umm, but isn’t that person having a hard time already?”
“It’s fine~ This is part of his job!”
Myuhi pulled along a hesitant girl with a beret hat, and together, they jumped.
“Wow, it’s Nyani-nya!”
“W-Woah, amazing.”
In the next moment, a soft, fuzzy feeling enveloped them, and the pair of girls broke into smiles.
This mascot was a character based off of a calico cat, designed in that characteristic anthropomorphic three-head-body-ratio of the characters here.
This character that went by the name of Nyani-nya was one of the most well known characters of the Nyazda series.
Even a girl like Myuhi – though perhaps not in terms of age – proved no exception to the common sense that girls loved cute things.
Of course, that applied to the girl called Lavi-chan too.
『Nyao, what lively children. But you shouldn’t hug me out of the blue like that its dangerous, nyaa. None of you better try to copy them, okay, nya?』
As expected of a pro.
Despite being surprised, the mascot calmly continued his act and played along.
The voice was somewhat childish and cute, but it also came from inside the costume properly.
Perhaps due to the explosive popularity of a talking, jumping, and even eating character, the only non-talking stuffed characters nowadays were those of local governments’ with limited budgets.
Popular theme parks would even have a voice actor for each character.
“Okay~ Can we take a picture?”
『Sure thing, nyaa.』
“Lavi-chan, please take the picture for us!”
“Y-Yes!”
Switching the function of the terminal, they hugged Nyani-nya from both sides and took several pictures.
Those fosters of theirs were needlessly high-performance, yet because of that, they could take the picture from multiple angles.
Despite only taking the picture from an arm’s length, their whole body was properly captured in the photographs.
“Send me the data later too, okay? Alright, Lavi-chan, onto our next stop!”
“Huh, ah, wait. Oh, thank you so much! Please do your best!”
After getting their picture, Myuhi dragged the girl away, while the girl thanked and encouraged the mascot.
Though she could not allude to what was ‘inside’, she could not help but admire the mascot’s hard work.
Although these character costumes were easier to use than before, wearing them was still hard work.
Lavi, or more precisely, Aristel, was the kind of girl who’d show concern for that.
“Look, Lavi-chan! Look at all the cute toys they have!”
Their next stop was a fancy store with a wide variety of character-inspired hats, stuffed animals, and accessories.
“Ah, you’re right! Every one of them is so beautiful, how wonderful!”
Genuinely thrilled by that, Aristel and Myuhi explored the store, shopping for accessories, enjoying the touch of the stuffed toys, and generally just immersing themselves in the shopping experience.
It was hard to believe that until just recently these two were just fellow students and academic rivals at the same school, as they were acting as though they’d known each other for years.
Though that might’ve actually made it easier for Aristel since Myuhi was not under her.
“Ah, I’d like two of this Nyani Waffle please!”
After buying various items and leaving the store, Myuhi bought pastries from a mobile store in the park.
She matter-of-factly handed one to Aristel, causing Aristel to be flustered.
“Huh? Ah, I can at least pay for myself!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, I can treat you this much. More importantly, let’s ride on that next!”
“Eh, ehhh!?”
Myuhi dragged her along again, and this time, Aristel was made to ride a small steam-engine-like vehicle.
The passenger car was designed with freedom in mind, so they looked like trolleys with seats and a roof.
As exclusive park vehicles that rode on rails inside Nyazdaland, they were less an attraction and more a means of transportation for the vast world of Nyazdaland.
“You’re so forceful, Myuhi-san.”
There were less people than usual, so they were easily able to get a seat, but Aristel was unhappy.
“You just hold back too much, Lavi-chan! …Yep, delicious!”
Myuhi sat next to her with a leisurely smile and enjoyed her waffles, while Aristel still seemed mad, but that was actually only on the surface, and before long, she too ate her waffle with relish.
“By the way, why Lavi-chan?”
Aristel knew that Myuhi couldn’t call her Ari-chan since she was in disguise, and calling her that would be no different from exposing her.
But then again, it was doubtful if anyone would believe Myuhi even if she said that she was Aristel F. Padyuel, as her disguise was just too good.
“Lavi, rabi, rabbit… You’re Alice, and this is wonderland. I figured your alias just had to be a rabbit.”
In other words, she just wanted to give her a name with that background.
Giving out names was something Myuhi started because of the character she was playing, but she’s grown fond of it now.
“???”
However, a girl from Garesto couldn’t possibly know of that reference, so Aristel failed to understand.
Myuhi just told her not to mind it, and before Aristel knew it, all that was left of her waffle was a wrapping paper.
“Was it good?”
“Y-Yes! Earth’s cuisines are so delicious!”
“To be more precise, this is Japan’s, but yeah. When it comes to taste and variety, I’d say Japan is up there at the top.”
“You know a lot, huh.”
“Ahaha, it’s because I lived here for awhile before coming to the academy… Other countries too, of course, a little. That’s why I really feel that this country excels in entertainment and food.”
Public order too, Myuhi added with a smile.
Before her mission to infiltrate the school, Myuhi lived in several Earth nations before finally living a normal life in Japan. At the time, Mumei was just sending investigators to various parts of Earth and had no big jobs.
‘Regardless of what work we do in the future, it wouldn’t hurt to know Earth,’ so their leader told her that and sent her away. Of course, Myuhi knew what the general thought of and hoped for behind that order, but she didn’t nod her head.
“…It’s impossible for me to live in a city now, you know…”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing. But, how is it? Is it it fun here?”
“Yes, I loved the trips to study Earth’s culture the other year and last year too, but it was before
Aristel’s face had been so bright until now, but suddenly, a shadow was cast on it.
“But?”
“I can’t help but wonder if this is really alright… Shouldn’t I be watching over Rizet and the others?
I gave them strict orders, but I can’t help but worry that they might be causing problems somewhere again.”
“…Ah, them.”
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