Jigglypuff's Diary

Terms:
Extended leave -> Vacation. 

Extra Chapters:
Also, remaining extra chapters will be posted this week. So this week will be another four chapter week.


Volume 4 Chapter 3: The Road to Gimuru 1

The Next Day

On a bright and clear day, Ryouma met up with Elia’s group by the east gate, and left the town. Sebasu then took out a covered wagon and horse from his Dimension Home. And since Elia’s rimel birds were out, Ryouma took his as well from his Dimension Home.

When he did, the rimel birds seemed to recall that they were all from the same flock, and starting from the nightmare and phantom rimel birds, the other rimel birds followed, and they all flew through the skies together.

“Seventeen rimel birds flying sure stands out…” [Ryouma]
“They seem to be having fun, so just let them have their way for now. Rather than that, Ryouma-san, you seem to have two more rimel birds than before.” [Elia]
“Yeah, just last year the rimel birds suddenly laid some eggs. That really took me by surprise. How about yours?” [Ryouma]
“All my rimel birds are female.” [Elia]
“Oh, I guess it can’t be helped then.” [Ryouma]

The two continued to chat as they watched the rimel birds until the carriage was ready to depart. Just like yesterday, Sebasu took the role of the coachman while two sat on the sides and three sat on the front and backseats. They sat facing each other. Ryouma’s seat was situated the furthest back as it also doubled as a lookout for the rear of the carriage.

The carriage drove, and the rimel birds meandered. They followed the carriage from the skies, and from time to time, they would perch themselves over the carriage’s roof.

Inside the carriage, Ryouma took out the necklace that Elia asked him to keep three years ago. He couldn’t give it back to her yesterday due to the large number of people in the area. But now that they were alone, he could safely give it back.

“Elia, here’s the necklace you asked me to keep.” [Ryouma]
“So you brought it with you. Thank you.” [Elia]

With a smile, Elia received the box containing the necklace. Then she put it away in a small item box. After that she whispered to Sebasu, and had him take out two slimes from his Dimension Home.

Those two slimes were none other than the heal slime and scavenger slime that Ryouma had lent Elia. As Elia hugged the two slimes, she made an expression that seemed somewhat lonely.

“These two kids have taken good care of me these past three years. Thank you for lending them to me.” [Elia]
“So you received these two from Ryouma too.” [Michelle]
“The heal slime healed us whenever we got injured while training. It was really a great help. Thank you.” [Riera]

As they said that, they began to caress the slimes. Ryouma fell into a deep thought upon seeing that.

“Ryouma-han?” [Miyabi]
“…Elia, if it’s not too much trouble, could I have you continue raising those as your slave demons?” [Ryouma]

Ryouma’s words shocked Elia.

“I’d be happy to, but… is it really alright?” [Elia]
“Of course. Everyone seems to adore them, and I still have my own heal slimes. So how about keeping them as your own slave demons?” [Ryouma]
“Thank you so much, Ryouma-san!” [Elia]

Like a blooming flower, a smile was drawn on Elia’s face, and Ryouma smiled in return. But because of this turn of event, the discussion was turned toward the heal slimes’ magic.

“So Ryouma-han, I take it you want to gather all the magic using slimes?” [Miyabi]
“Of course, but the journey will be long… I’ve managed to gather some lower classes, middle classes, and even higher classes in these past three years, which all total to 12 different magic attributes. But from there, the slimes still continue to evolve into slimes that can use several magic attributes, and I still see new slimes here and there, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to gather all the slimes or whether I can even gather all the slime variations.” [Ryouma]
“I think being able to gather 12 types is plenty amazing.” [Kanan]
“What sort of slimes can use multiple magic attributes?” [Elia]
“For example…” [Ryouma]

As he muttered that, he brought his hand near the floor of the carriage. When he did, the shadow cast by his hand began to wiggle. Then not long after, it began to stretch itself up, turning into a three-dimensional object. When the five girls saw that, they were scared out their wits, causing them to jump, and shaking the carriage.

“It’s alright. Please calm down.” [Ryouma]

Ryouma picked the extended shadow, and let it ride over his hand. Then he stretched out his hand for the other to see.

“I’m sorry for scaring you. This is one of the slimes that can use multiple magic elements, a shadow slime. It can use both dark magic and light magic. It specializes in in controlling shadows through the combined effect of the two elements, light and darkness. It also has the ability to move through shadows. Because of that, I normally have it lurking in the shadows as a bodyguard.” [Ryouma]
“I-I see…” [Michelle]
“I didn’t notice it at all.” [Riera]
“The shadow slimes seem to inhabit forests with plenty of magic power and dark places. Like other magic-using slimes, they don’t feed on normal food, and instead naturally absorb magic power while lurking within the shadows. Because of that, they’re extremely hard to find. In my case, I was only able to find one by coincidence, and was able to immediately capture it. I don’t think an opportunity to catch a second will ever present itself. But the shadow slime began increasing itself one at a time, and just recently, they managed to reach 10.” [Ryouma]

They continued to talk about slimes after that, but as the trip was long, they also talked about other things.

“How long will your vacation be?” [Ryouma]
“About five months.” [Riera]
“That’s long! Is it really that long!?” [Ryouma]
“When the academy was first founded, the vacation provided was only about two months, but the thing is there are also students who would take up to a month just getting back home. But in exchange for the long vacation, there’s only one or two rest days at most in each week for three years.” [Riera]
“If it’s like that, then isn’t it too short?” [Ryouma]
“The facilities of the academy can be used freely, so self-study is possible. Also there are many who use their free time to work and get money to pay their school expenses. Moreover, there’s an exam at the end of the long vacation based on the course one wishes to take, so considering that its preparation for that, it’s not so bad.” [Elia]
“So it’s like that…” [Ryouma]

The group continued to talk of various things like this. When the carriage had begun to descend the mountainous road, Kanan, who was sitting facing Ryouma, stopped talking, and just stared at his face wordlessly. Ryouma grew concerned of that unmoving gaze of hers, so he decided to ask her.

“Kanan-san, is there something on my face.” [Ryouma]
“That’s not it, but… Do you mind if I touch your hair or your face for a bit?” [Kanan]
“Eh? Ahh, well… I don’t mind.” [Ryouma]

Kanan’s odd request caused Ryouma to tilt his head, but thinking a request of this level was no problem, he let her. When he did, Kanan immediately reached for Ryouma’s face and hair.

“Excuse me…… Oh… Ohhh!” [Kanan]
“W-What is it!?” [Ryouma]
“Kanan, what’s the matter!?” [Miyabi]

Startled with a mix of agitation, concern, and emotion, Miyabi raised her voice as she asked Kanan what was going on. In response, Kanan only turned her neck toward Miyabi as she said.

“Since yesterday, I’ve been thinking that Ryouma’s hair and skin are really pretty~ When I touched it, it was even better than I expected! Please teach me what methods you use!” [Kanan]
“My skin and hair?” [Ryouma]
“Now that you mention it, he sure is a lot more attentive than our male classmates,” [Riera]
“Sorry, let me touch ya lil’ bit too…… You’re right! His skin really is smooth!” [Miyabi]
“Right!? Craftsman normally end up with rough hands and dry skin, and yet your skin is like this! Please tell me why your skin is so pretty!” [Kanan]
“Ahh, if it’s that then…” [Ryouma]

Hearing Kanan’s girly words, Ryouma began to explain.

“It must be because of the soap I’m using. I mentioned yesterday that I was make medicine, right?” [Ryouma]
“You did.” [Kanan]
“I studied medicine under my grandmother, but I wasn’t able to learn everything. Right now, I’m studying and researching on my own with the books I inherited from her. Because of that, I’ve been making the medicines whose recipes were written down. Among those are the improved soap and the beauty lotion. My grandmother is a girl after all, so she researched that sort of medicine when she was young. If you’d like, I could let you try it out.” [Ryouma]
“Is that alright!?” [Kanan]
“So long as you let me know your thoughts, I don’t mind presenting you some soap and lotion. I’ve confirmed that they’re safe to use, but the effects will vary depending on every person’s skin. If you notice anything, please let me know immediately. Everyone else as well, if you all don’t mind.” [Ryouma]

I’m not sure if the other four were also interested, but they modestly accepted. Then around that time, the rimel birds suddenly began making a commotion.

“What’s going on?” [Michelle]
“It seems there’s something nearby. Sebasu-san.” [Ryouma]
“I don’t sense any nearby humans or magical beasts.” [Sebasu]
“I’ll take a look at the situation through the Rimel Birds.” [Ryouma]
“Me too!” [Elia]

Ryouma and Elia began to use Sensory Link to see through the rimel birds as they ordered them to search the surrounding area. Immediately, two rimel birds at the top of the carriage stood up, and flew. The image the rimel birds were seeing were then sent to Elia and Ryouma’s minds. A few minutes later after scouting ahead, Elia was able to confirm that there were 10 men wearing shoddy clothing and armor fighting against three magical beasts.

“That’s…” [Elia]
“Did you find something?” [Riera]

Elia’s face stiffened at Riera’s question.

“There are B Rank magical beasts ahead. Three ogres. They’re currently in the middle of a battle.” [Elia]

Those words sent the atmosphere within the carriage into a turmoil. The ogre may be a weak, B Rank magical beast, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a dangerous magical beast to them. So it’s not strange at all for them to be so tense.

But while the girls seemed to be in a panic, Ryouma, who had been ordering his rimel bird to fly quickly to see the situation, spoke.

“Everyone, please don’t worry. Those ogres are Uncle Harold’s… They’re the slave demons of someone I know. I’ve also confirmed the presence of my acquaintance, so I’m not mistaken. From their clothing, the enemy seem to be bandits, so it’s just a bandit subjugation request.” [Ryouma]
“I’ve also confirmed it.” [Elia]

Hearing that, the tension immediately loosened. Then Riera asked how the situation was.

“Do they need assistance?” [Riera]
“There’s an overwhelming gap in strength. I don’t think there’s any need to worry about them.” [Elia]
“That’s right. But the bandits that have run are headed here, so I’ll just go out for a bit.” [Ryouma]
“Ah, wait!” [Kanan]

As Ryouma said that, he jumped off the back of the carriage. Then ignoring Kanan’s attempt to stop him, he ran off.

Ryouma has already gone through this road many times, so he already had a good grasp of the bandits’ escape routes. And considering, there’s Sebasu and the rimel birds to protect the carriage, there probably won’t be any problems. Ryouma ran to the place he saw through the rimel birds.

A minute later, the running bandits’ figures entered Ryouma’s sight. At the same time, he also saw the man they were up against. Ryouma readied himself to break through.

The bandits numbered 5, but it seems there were still some men coming from behind them. As Ryouma confirmed that, he shortened the distance, and the battle between Ryouma and the bandits began––– or at least that’s what should’ve happened.

“If you don’t want to die, then…” [Bandit 1]
“Huh!?” [Bandit 2]
“Aniki!! Ugh!” [Bandit 3]
“Wh–!” [Bandit 4]
“…” [Bandit 5]

But what happened instead couldn’t even be called a fight. As Ryouma passed through them, he used his magic power-clad fists to knock every single bandit out.

Magic Battle Technique ‘Sleep Fist’

By cladding the fist with the poison magic, ‘Sleep Shot’, a kind of magic that shoots out a lump of magic power that causes one’s foes’ to faint, one is able to make his enemies sleep with magic and fighting techniques. This is a technique that Ryouma became able to use in these past two years, an anti-personal magic catered for arresting people. Depending on the situation, Ryouma also has the ‘Paralyze Fist’, which can paralyze people or the ‘Poison Fist’, which could worsen people’s health.

Ryouma struck a daunting pose as he towered over the unconscious bodies of the poor bandits. As he sent the shadow slimes to surrounding tree’s shadows, he remained standing as he waited for the other bandits to reach him.

When the other bandits saw their friends sleeping by Ryouma’s feet, they stopped. But with three ogres behind them and a burly, old man dressed in a shirt a size smaller than he should be wearing, chasing after them as he beat the bandits that were too slow barehanded. The bandits didn’t have the time to think, and they had no choice but to attack Ryouma. Their resistance, however, was futile. Some were faster, and some were slower. But such things didn’t matter as they were all destined to reach the same end.

Before them was Ryouma. Behind them were the ogres. And then by their sides were the shadow slimes, lurking. They were already completely surrounded. 

The Tereshi Diner was a big restaurant, so the travelers that came to this city would often eat and drink there. At a corner of that restaurant’s warm atmosphere were Elia and the others, chatting as they enjoyed their tea.

“So Sebasu, did you know that Ryouma-san was here?” [Elia]
“I did hear that Ryouma-sama has gone through the mountainous road many times, but I wasn’t aware that he would have his cart open in this town today.” [Sebasu]

At that time, Sebasu saw Ryouma’s figure working within the cart through the opening between the people lined up. It was there, that he first realized that Ryouma was in town.

Incidentally, the reason Ryouma was in this town was because Elia had once sent him a letter, informing him that she would use this path to head to Gimuru. Because of that, Ryouma decided to subjugate the bandits in the area. Him deciding to open a cart in this town came after that.

The rumored person they heard of this afternoon is none other but Ryouma. Sebasu was already aware of that. When Elia found out that he knew, she complained and told him that he should have told her. Right around that time though, Ryouma entered the store. Promptly, he was brought to where the girls were sitting, and the clerk called the girls attention.

“Excuse me. I’ve brought your companion.” [Clerk]
“Sorry, I was late.” [Ryouma]

After a quick bow, Ryouma called out to Eila.

“Elia, it’s been a while. I did mention it just a while ago, but it’s great to see you’re doing well.” [Ryouma]
“Indeed. It really has been a while, hasn’t it? Ryouma-san, are you doing well too?” [Elia]
“I did mention it in the letters, but yes… I’m doing fine. By the way, these people are your…?” [Ryouma]

After Elia smiled at Ryouma, he turned to look toward the other girls. The one who received his gaze was Miyabi, who waved her hand.

“Ryouma-han, long time no see. D’ya still remember me?” [Miyabi]
“Miyabi-san, right? Long time no see too. Of course, I remember you.” [Ryouma]
“So ya remembered me, huh? Ta tell ya the truth, I was sort of wonderin’ what I should do if ya didn’t.” [Miyabi]
“Don’t worry, forgetting you won’t be possible, since the impression you left was quite strong.” [Ryouma]
“The way ya talk makes me wonder exactly how it is you’re remembering me, but eh, whatever. That aside, how long are ya planning ta keep on standing? Take a sit.” [Miyabi]

Having been told that, Ryouma took a seat, then he began his introductions to Michelle, Riera, and Kanan.

“My name is Ryouma Takebayashi. I believe the two of you have already seen me back there in the cart, but in any case, I am the owner of the meat bun selling cart and the restaurant, Slime Den Restaurant at Gimuru. But considering that the management is mostly taken care of by the head chef, I suppose it might be better to refer to me as an investor instead. I normally spend my days at home, researching and manufacturing things. When I’m not, I’m out gathering materials and ingredients for my research while carrying out adventurer work. In any case, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” [Ryouma]
“A pleasure to meet you as well. I am Michelle Willdan. I’m the eldest daughter of the Willdan Household, but please refer to me as Michelle. My hobby lies in magic formation research.” [Michelle]
“So Michelle-san is a scholar of Magic Formations.” [Ryouma]

When Michelle heard Ryouma say that, her eyes sparkled.

“Are you familiar with magic formations!?” [Michelle]
“I know a little from my grandmother, but it’s nothing more than a little introduction.” [Ryouma]
“As Magic Formations is unfortunately a study that’s widely unpopular, there are few people that know of its existence… Which is why I’m so happy to know that I have some to talk about it with now, Ryouma-kun!” [Michelle]

As Michelle began to grow excited, Riera remonstrated her.

“Calm down, Michelle. We haven’t finished introducing ourselves yet.” [Riera]
“Oh, sorry, please excuse me.” [Michelle]
“Seriously… I’m sorry, Michelle has a tendency to sometimes prattle on like this.” [Riera]
“Please don’t mind it. There are many people like her amongst my acquaintances, so if anything, it’s actually relaxing.” [Ryouma]
“Thank you.” [Riera]

Said Riera as she sighed, then as her expression stiffened, she introduced herself.

“Please pardon my delayed introduction. I am Riera Clifford. There’s no need to be polite with me either. So please just call me Riera. In the future, I plan to become a knight… By the way, a while ago, you mentioned that you did adventurer work. May I know what rank you are?” [Riera]
“My rank? It’s C.” [Ryouma]

After Ryouma said that, Riera thought to herself for a bit, then she said this.

“I see… If you don’t mind, I would like to have a duel with you should the opportunity present itself. I want to know my current strength.” [Riera]
“If you’re fine with me, then anytime. There is a good place for that very purpose in Gimuru after all.” [Ryouma]
“Thank you.” [Riera]

Riera bowed, and the next one, Kanan, spoke.

“Next up is me. Name’s Kanan Shuza. My family’s been working as magic tools craftsmen for generations. So I’m studying both as a magic tools craftsman and as a jeweler. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” [Kanan]
“It’s nice to meet you as well.” [Ryouma]
“By the way, I heard you mention just a while ago that you manufacture things. Can I know exactly what it is you make?” [Kanan]

Ryouma appeared to be a little troubled as he answered Kanan’s question.

“If I were to put it briefly, a lot. Medicines, smithing, woodworks. I also make kitchenware such as pots and knives, and even the steaming baskets I used in the cart from before. I make weapons too, but I’m usually making things that are needed for daily life or farming tools… If there’s anything I specialize in in particular, then I guess it’s medicine and magic staves.” [Ryouma]
“You really do make a lot. Ah, as for me, I specialize in grinding jewelry.” [Kanan] 

Hearing that, Ryouma asked.

“Kanan-san, do you make jewels right from the grinding stage? A jeweler I know buys his from a specialist that specializes in grinding, which he then uses to create his ornaments.” [Ryouma]
“There are people like that, but the Shuza Family works from the grinding stage to the engraving stage. Because of that members of our family are able to create products all on their own. Part of the reason is because of the necessity in ensuring that the materials used are compatible for magic tool purposes, but it’s mostly because our family’s made up of stubborn craftsmen who don’t want others interfering with their work. Of course, there are also cases where several people work together to make a single product, but that only really happens between a pupil and a master that’s been together for a long time. We don’t really buy jewels from external sources.” [Kanan]

It was in this way that the introductions concluded, and Ryouma and the others got to know each other. There, Ryouma finally ordered. And Michelle asked him a question.

“Do you frequent this store?” [Michelle]
“Yes, actually. I usually have my meals at this restaurant whenever I drop by this town. At first, I was planning on having the leftovers of the cart for supper, but since nothing would be left for met to eat, I decided to eat out instead.” [Ryouma]
“Well, that meat bun really was delicious after all. Still… you seem to be famous here for some reason, and not just because you’re a regular or anything. Is there something going on?” [Michelle]

This is actually something that the others have also been itching to ask.

At first, they thought it would be rude to just enter the store without ordering anything, so they figured they should order something light while waiting. But when they entered the store, and mentioned they were waiting for Ryouma, the female clerk they were talking to realized that they had already eaten some meat buns from the cart, and she told them that they didn’t have to forcefully order something if they’re only waiting for Ryouma.

It shouldn’t be strange to see customers who take up seats without ordering to be a nuisance, but despite that, no one saw them as a bother.

“It’s probably because I order a lot and come here frequently. Moreover, I also helped out a lot of times with the expansion of the town. I used my earth magic to create the area they are building the new lodging on now, you see? Also, each time I would come here, I would order food enough for 10 persons’ portion.” [Ryouma]

Hearing that, not only Michelle, but even Sebasu and the others were shocked.

“10 peoples’ portions every time?” [Michelle]
“Ryouma-san, did you always eat that much?” [Elia]

Having been asked like that, Ryouma explained himself.

“No. I eat the same as a normal person. A single person’s serving or maybe two at most. The one eating the remaining food is… I think the three of you who dropped by the cart might have noticed it, but there is another person working at the cart alongside me. The one who eats a lot is that.” [Ryouma]
“…There was another person?” [Elia]
“There was. But he was working by the cookware at the back, so he didn’t stand out.” [Riera]
“I saw him too. That guy had the same face as Ryouma. Is he your twin?” [Kanan]

Ryouma chuckled when he heard Kanan’s words.

“We’re not twins. Actually, he’s not even human.” [Ryouma]

Everyone else except for Sebasu was shocked. Sebasu had met Ryouma many times in these past two years, so he already had a good grasp of the situation.

“He’s actually a slime.” [Ryouma]
“A slime?” [Kanan]
“It’s a mimic slime, a slime with the ability to mimic. I have it mimic my appearance to help out with the cart whenever I put it up. And instead of a salary, I feed it a lot. It may look like a human, but it’s really a slime deep inside, so its digestion is really fast.” [Ryouma]
“So that’s why you’re ordering 10 people’s portion every time…” [Michelle]
“They even gave us some ‘service’ thanks to that.” [Miyabi]
“It’s because I’m an important customer. Besides the people of this shop are all good people and really adaptable.”

As Ryouma said that, the food finally came. The waiters lined them up before Ryouma, and Ryouma paid them in chips. Then he began to eat. As he was eating, he asked something that bothered him while they were introducing themselves.

“By the way, why is Sebasu-san the only escort? Is that really ok?” [Ryouma]

The one who answered that question first was Michelle. She threw her chest out as she said.

“It’s true that there are nobles who like to bring escorts and helpers in groups whenever they travel, but I hate that sort of stuff. Besides, my mom is a researcher of medicine, and my dad’s a researcher in the field of magic formations, so there’re plenty of times when they go out to gather ingredients and test out their magic. Because of that, I was also advised to put importance on field work. Accordingly, I normally go out by myself. Besides, Sebasu-san is here too, so there shouldn’t be any problems.” [Michelle]

The next one who answered was Riera.

“I might be a noble, but I was still born to a knight family. If it’s just one or two, I’m fairly sure I can protect myself. Besides, if anyone from my family were to ask for escorts when going out, my family would scold them saying, “If you’re aiming for a knight, then you shouldn’t be on the side of the one’s being protected, but on the side of the one’s protecting! Don’t be naïve!”” [Riera]

Riera smiled as she said that. Following after her, Kanan spoke next.

“Me and Miyabi aren’t nobles to begin with, so we never had any escorts from the start. Even without escorts, a girl can still travel safely as long as she pays to ride a stagecoach. Unless you’re carrying a lot of money, or carrying something valuable, or being target by someone, a commoner wouldn’t really bother hiring an escort.” [Kanan]

Hearing their replies, Ryouma was able to understand. After that, they spoke about a lot of things such as when Elia and Ryouma first met or when Elia and the other girls first met. Ryouma was eating while they were talking, so he was mostly just listening.

Around the time when Ryouma finally finished eating, they were a lot more familiar with each other, and could speak their thoughts unreservedly. It was then that they decided to travel together to Gimuru tomorrow.

“We’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s meet by the east gate.” [Elia]

Ryouma and the others left the store. Then the girls’ group randomly picked a place, opened the Dimension Home, entered it, and then passed the night.

Within Sebasu’s Dimension Home that was wonderfully partitioned with a partition screen, inside a room where five beds were lined up, were five girls talking amongst themselves.

“Who would’ve thought we’d actually meet with the rumored Ryouma-kun in this town? Although we did plan to say hi once we got to Gimuru, it seems our plans were pushed forward a bit…Well, what do you all think?” [Michelle]

As Michelle said that, Riera and Kanan began to think. Elia and Miyabi waited for them to talk.

They have heard all sorts of things about Ryouma from Elia and Miyabi, who would sometimes talk about him. But the things they heard were things were all unbelievable things such as a boy who was a year younger than them but could cast intermediate dimension magic or someone who could kill D Rank magical beasts barehanded. This caused Michelle, Riera , and Kanan unable to decide whether what they were hearing was true or not.

It’s not that they suspected Elia and Miyabi to be lying. It’s just that the stories they heard were really hard to believe. Because of that they made it one of their goals in this trip to meet Ryouma in person.

Kanan was the first to speak.

“How to put it… He feels like a normal older brother. The type that could be seen anywhere… I can’t see him being as strong as the stories say.” [Kanan]
“But his body seems to be well-built. He mentioned being a C Rank adventurer, so he should have at least that much strength. In any case, I like how he didn’t look at us with perverted eyes.” [Riera]
“His eyes aside, I’m more interested in his research rather than whether he’s strong or not, but I couldn’t ask him about it at all today… That slime of his sure surprised me though. It’s my first time knowing about a slime that could become anything it eats. If it eats a goblin, it will become a goblin. If it eats a dragon, then it can turn into a dragon.” [Michelle]
“He called it a mimic slime, right?” [Elia]

The conversation would sometimes stray, but their impression of Ryouma wasn’t bad.

The three who hadn’t met Ryouma until now, especially for Riera who had only heard of rumors of a queer and unknown young man, were wary of him. But after their first meeting, they were at least able to understand that he didn’t seem to be a dangerous person, allowing them to relax their guard.

Even though it should have been a given that Ryouma wouldn’t be a dangerous person as he only came to know Elia thanks to her ducal family acknowledging him, it could be said that Riera having her guard up is due to how serious she was and how strong her feelings were for her friends.

In Michelle’s case, she didn’t’ think of Ryouma as anyone dangerous at all. The only thoughts she had regarding Ryouma was her interest in him as a researcher. From what she’s heard, Ryouma’s an intellectual. Moreover, the chances of him being an alchemist is high. Because of that she can’t help but be restless, eagerly hoping to have a chance to talk with him about magic formation research.

She may not have any proof that he’s an alchemist, but from what she knows, Ryouma is the most mysterious person around Elia. As Elia’s friend… As a researcher… There were many reasons why she wanted to meet him. And now that she’s able to meet him, she can’t help but rack her head, trying to think of a way to bring alchemy up in a conversation.

As for Kanan, she didn’t hold any special thoughts regarding Ryouma, and was mostly interested in him for being a friend’s friend. Because of that, she never had any preconceptions or bias when they met.

Like this, the girls continued to talk about their impressions until the night grew late. When they reached a point where they could stop, they went to sleep, and retired for the day.

This is also the extra chapter for the week, so a huge thanks to all the donors for making this chapter possible.

The coachman was the butler of the Jamil Household, Sebasu. And the ones inside the carriage were the daughter of the Jamil Household, Elialia Jamil and her friend and classmate, Miyabi Saionji. Also within the carriage were the eldest daughter of a count, Michelle Willdan, the knight and eldest daughter of a baron, Riera Clifford, and the magic tool craftsman apprentice, Kanan Shuza.

Dressed in inconspicuous clothing, these five young girls have left the capital, and have been travelling with Sebasu-san on a carefree trip.

“It won’t be long till the city of Gimuru.” [Elia]
“Right~” [Miyabi]
“If everything goes well, we’ll be there within 2 days.” [Michelle]
“I’m looking forward to seeing the matches being held at the arena.” [Riera]
“As for me, I’m most interested in Elia and Miyabi’s friend.” [Kanan]

These five young girls made use of the academy’s extended leave to go on a trip. And are now happily talking about the things they are looking forward to in Gimuru. The reason behind choosing their destination as Gimuru is partly because of Elia’s promised reunion with Ryouma. However, that’s not the only reason they’re going to Gimuru.

In the past two years, thanks to the all the efforts of Gimuru’s hired earth magicians and workers, Gimuru was able to complete the new town to the south where the arena is, making the place much more lively than what it used to be. They, especially Riera who aims to be a knight, hope to see the matches of the many adventurers and people that take pride in their skills.

Although this trip might be a carefree one, as three of the young girls are daughters of nobles, they are being accompanied by the head butler of the Jamil Household, Sebasu, who acts both as their coachman and bodyguard. Of course, the young girls’ parents had all given them their approval to go on this trip too.

Some time later as the carriage continued to proceed toward their destination, Elia looked out the window. As she gazed at the scenery outside, she muttered, saying

“I’ve heard rumors of bandits attacking while on the road, but I can’t feel even an inkling of such presence.” [Elia]
“Gimuru has gotten popular lately, causing the tourists and merchants to increase. Because of that the number of bandits have also increased. However, Gimuru isn’t one to take that lying down. In order to deal with them, Gimuru put up requests against the bandits with relatively high compensation. As soon as the rumors circulate, the adventurers gather, and the bandits are dealt with. But in the unlikely situation that we do happen upon some, please rest assured, I will be here to protect you young ladies.” [Sebasu]

A first-class magician such as Sebasu could easily deal with bandits while protecting five people. And even if the carriage were to be ruined, Sebasu could still run away with the group in tow with his dimension magic.

“Moreover, the path we’re taking is safer than the other paths. There should be little chance of bandits appearing here.” [Sebasu]

As he said that, he took the reins of the horse, guiding it toward one of the many roads leading to Gimuru. The path the carriage was headed for was the path that crossed over a mountain.

“Sebasu-dono, why is this path safe?” [Riera]

Having been born to a family that has served as knights for many generations, Riera possessed a wealth of knowledge when it came to dealing with bandits. It should have been common sense that bandits preferred the mountain roads, where they could lie in wait at an opportune place for some unknowing prey. She could not understand why Sebasu would judge the road they were taking to be safe.

At Riera’s question, even the other four couldn’t help but pay attention to Sebasu.

“This is something I happened to overhear at Kereban, but apparently, there’s an adventurer that‘s been frequenting this road lately. He goes around subjugating the bandits even without receiving a prior request. Moreover, he makes sure to deal with all of the bandits, not leaving even a single one untouched. Such actions have apparently stricken fear into the hearts of the bandits, causing most of  them to stay clear of this road.” [Sebasu]

When the five girls heard that, they were able to understand. Afterwards, they began to talk amongst themselves again. As they did, Sebasu happily watched over them as he drove the carriage.

As their carriage continued through the mountainous road, they passed through other carriages, and even the travelers that were resting by the road. When noon came, the girls had to stop their carriage as well in order to rest and have lunch.. As they ate, they talked about the people passing by.

“This road sure has a lot of people passing through it, huh?” [Kanan]
“I know right? They’re probably gatherin’ here caused they heard that the road’s safe.” [Miyabi]
“Because of that rumor?” [Kanan]
“Most likely. Besides, with this many people passing through here, it won’t be so easy for the bandits to attack either. Well… being safe is nice and all, but I’m a bit worried about the lodging once we get to the next town.” [Michelle]
“The next town’s not that big either too. It’d probably be better if we hurry, huh?” [Riera]
“I don’t think hurrying now would make a difference though.” [Michelle]

They ate like that as they talked amongst themselves. When they finished eating, they began to move again. And fortunately, they were able to make it to the town, before the sun had set.

This town is called Mek. It’s mostly just a stopover town for people to rest while on their way to Gimuru. And as it’s only a day’s distance from Kereban, a lot of people heading to Gimuru drop by.

It was on this town that a problem appeared.

“My deepest apologies, but there are no longer any free rooms…” [Clerk]
“I see…” [Elia]

The six left the inn that refused them. Just as they had feared, they weren’t able to get an inn.

This village is an inn town, so there’re many inns in it. But at the same time, there are also a lot of people heading for Gimuru. Moreover, that already overwhelming number was further increased because of the rumor that’s been circulating. There are some new inns being built, to allow the town to accommodate more people, but unfortunately, they aren’t done yet. As a result, the town’s inns are being constantly filled with people.

If the three daughters of noble lineage were to announce their presence, it would be possible to forcibly take some rooms, but their personal values wouldn’t let them do that. Because of that, they had no choice but to go around to look for an inn. In the end, they were refused, and they finally had no choice but to sleep inside Sebasu’s Dimension Home.

Because they gave up on staying at an inn, the girls weren’t able to experience one of the joys of travelling which was to stay at the inn of the land they are visiting. So instead, they went around to see the gorgeously decorated lively town, window-shopped at a souvenir store, and when they’d whetted their appetite enough, they went to eat supper.

“Does this town have any specialty?” [Kanan]
“There seems to be a lot of delicious restaurants.” [Michelle]
“But because there’s plenty of delicious restaurants, it becomes a dilemma which one to go to.” [Elia]
“Then in that case, I’ll go and ask.” [Kanan]

As Kanan said that, she went to a nearby shop’s clerk, and she began her inquiries. She came back after a while.

“I got some info~. There’s a bar near the west gate of this town called “Woodsman.” There’s also a restaurant with delicious cooking at the east gate at a restaurant called “Tereshi Diner”. And then if we want to eat a variety of foods, the clerk said to go to the northern part of the town as there’re many carts gathered there.” [Kanan]
“Regardless how delicious the cooking may be, it’d be better not to go to the bar.” [Miyabi]
“It’ll be a pain if we get caught up with some weird guy after all.” [Michelle]
“So that leaves the carts or Tereshi Diner.” [Riera]

There, Elia asked Kanan this.

“I wonder what kind of food the cars serve.” [Elia]
“Ah~…… It’s because Elia’s a lady after all.” [Kanan]

As Kanan said that, Riera began explaining.

“They generally have a lot of food on stick. There’re also plenty of soups and drinks. And then, there’re also places that properly serve food. And even if the disdh is the same, the taste can change depending on the store. A good cart can provide really delicious food.” [Riera]
“Oh? Riera, have you gone to carts before?” [Elia]
“I don’t go that much, but before I enrolled into the academy, my dad sometimes took me. Dad says it’s convenient to eat at those sort of places because it makes it possible for him to have an honest conversation with his subordinates, so because of that, he frequents the food carts.” [Riera]
“So that’s how it its.” [Elia]
“Since Elia doesn’t seem to have any experience with the food carts, how about we eat there?” [Michelle]
“If everyone’s alright with it, then please.” [Elia]
“I’m fine with it! It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to eat from a food cart.” [Kanan]
“I’m alright with the food carts too, but I don’t think that’ll be enough to have our fill.” [Miyabi]
“Then in that case, we can go there to taste some food from the carts. Then if that’s not enough, we can just go eat at a proper restaurant.” [Riera]
“Perfect! As long as we pay attention to the amount we order, there should be no problem.” [Elia]

Like this, the girls headed for the northern part of the town where the carts were gathered.

With Kanan in the lead, the girls headed for the area where the carts were gathered. When they got there, they were greeted by a large, rectangular plaza that ran along the town’s outer walls.

The plaza of the town can be entered through the side road from the main street. Meeting the people entering from the side road are the over 40 carts lined up. There are many customers going around between the carts and the side street. With the hustling and bustling and enthusiasm all together the atmosphere area was like that of a festival’s.

“There are so many people.” [Elia]
“I haven’t gone to food carts all that much with my dad, but from what I’ve heard, one of the joys of eating at food carts is finding a delicious one amongst all the rabble. With this many carts, there’s bound to be one that’s delicious.” [Riera]
“Let’s go and find a delicious place ta eat at already.” [Miyabi]

At Miyabi’s words, the five of them went to take a look at the food in the carts. Meanwhile, Sebasu nonchalantly made sure that there were no suspicious people around them.

When they found something that caught their eye, the five of them went along with Sebasu-san toward that cart. At first, Elia couldn’t calm down as she impatiently carried the skewered meat to her mouth, but after a while, she finally showed signs of getting used to it.

When everyone had their fill, Michelle said this.

“Hmm… I think I’ll finish after one or two more. As expected, we won’t be able to go see all the carts.” [Michelle]
“I think I’ll do the same.” [Miyabi]
“Right… then what should we eat? We’ve already eaten all sorts of skewered food, so…” [Elia]
“I’d like to eat something that fills me up more.” [Kanan]
“Then in that case, how about that cart over there?” [Sebasu]

As Sebasu said that, he pointed toward a cart with a long queue waiting on it. As the cart was hidden by the crowd of people, the six of them couldn’t see the cart. However, there was a sign that was raised up high where the food being sold was written.

“Slime Den Restaurant, special meat buns?” [Michelle]
“From the town of Gimuru… I think that might be…” [Elia]
“Yes. It’s the name of Ryouma-sama’s store.” [Sebasu]
“By Ryouma, you mean Elia’s friend, right?” [Riera]
“Yes. Some time ago he mentioned in his letter that he had employed someone whom he turned into a head chef and opened a store with… But I didn’t know that it was a cart.” [Elia]
“Don’t you think the store’s name might just be an imitation?” [Kanan]

The possibility that Kanan mentioned does exist, but Sebasu promptly denied it.

“That’s genuine. It’s most likely Ryouma-sama’s cart. I also haven’t heard anything about Ryouma-sama’s cart, but he probably came here to spread word about his store.” [Sebasu]

The papers for a cart can easily be done. Moreover, finding a place for one won’t be hard either. Because of that, it’s not strange to have just one or two cooks operating one. Moreover, by spreading word of his own store to all these people heading that are heading toward Gimuru, the possibility that a lot of people might come to his store shouldn’t be hard to imagine.

Hearing that, the five understood. In that case, the next problem would be the taste.

“I’ve never heard of that meat bun dish he’s talking about. What kind of cooking is it?” [Elia]
“It’s seasoned grilled meat mixed with all sorts of ingredients and then packed in a bread. However, the bread used is completely different from a normal bread. The bread used is made not by frying, but by steaming, so it’s extremely soft. And with the juice of the meat permeating into the bread, the taste of the ingredients become superb. I’ve had the pleasure of eating it once, and I have to say, it was absolutely delicious.” [Sebasu]

When Sebasu answered Riera’s question, everyone suddenly became interested in the meat buns.

“It kind of sounds delicious.” [Kanan]
“Shall we go try it? We’ll be meeting him later, so it’ll also serve as a good topic for conversation.” [Riera]
“Still, the line’s pretty darn long…” [Miyabi]
“Moreover, there also seems to be a limit on how much one can buy.” [Michelle]

On the store’s sign was pasted: only two per person. This is to spread the store’s meat buns to everyone, please cooperate.

“Just two, huh? Then I guess I’ll go buy some dessert somewhere. Can you guys buy my portion too? Of course, I’ll buy dessert for everyone.” [Michelle]
“I’ll lend ya a helping hand. Carryin’ six people’s worth of food’s bound to be a handful, right?” [Miyabi]
“Then in that case, I’ll come along too. Riera-sama, please take care of our family’s young lady.” [Sebasu]
“Leave it to me.” [Riera]

Like this, Michelle, Miyabi, and Sebasu left to buy dessert. The ones left in that place were Riera, Elialia, and Kanan. They were lined up at the end of the queue.

Riera felt something amiss when Sebasu chose to leave Elia, whoe he was supposed to protect the most, but her thoughts were interrupted when the other two called out to her.

“What’s the matter, Riera?” [Elia]
“Keep going. The queue’s unexpectedly fast, so if you stop, we’ll become a bother.” [Kanan]
“A, Ah… Right.” [Riera]

What Riera was pondering about was actually what would happen if a situation where she can’t handle occurs. But changing her way of thinking, Riera followed the line. Just as Kanan had mentioned, the line was actually quite fast. At this rate, it shouldn’t be long before it becomes their turn.

The three waited for a while, then their turn finally came. The cart was being operated by two black-haired men who cooked the food and served the customers. The two had the exdact same face and appearance, so they were clearly twins. With Riera in the lead, the three of them closed in to the clerk. The clerk called out to them.

“Welcome!” [Clerk]
“Six meat buns. There’s three of us.” [Riera]

Said Riera as she ordered the meat buns. But as the clerk was about to respond, the clerk suddenly stopped mid-speech.

“Unders––––“ [Clerk]

Before Riera, who became wary of the clerk, could say something, the clerk muttered.

“––––––––Elia?” [Clerk]

When the three heard that, they were more or less surprised, but the one surprised the most was the one whose name was called, Elia. When Elia took a peek at the clerk who called her name, she felt that it was a face she had seen before.

As she tried to recall, she spoke the name of the person that came up in her thoughts.

“Ryouma-san?” [Elia]
“So it really is Elia! It’s been a while!” [Ryouma]

Elia nodded her head to confirm the clerk’s, Ryouma’s, words. And then she smiled.

These two have been keeping in touch with each other through their letters, but letters aren’t able to show one another their appearances. Moreover, they were both going through a period of growing up, so after not having met for three years, they had grown up, and weren’t able to recognize each other with just a glance.

The both of them were taller compared to three years ago. Elia had grown to around 160cm, while Ryouma was half a head taller. And more than anything, Elia’s body was become much more rounded like a woman’s, while Ryouma wasn’t fat by any means, he was body is built with muscles. It can’t be helped that neither of them were able to recognize each other.

Although they were surprised at the sudden reunion, Ryouma and Elia began talking to each other while her friends were left dumbfounded at the realization that the rumored friend was actually the man before them. But then,  a man’s voice sounded out from behind them.

“Hey, hurry up––“ [Man]
“Ah, yes!” [Ryouma]
“We can’t talk here, huh?” [Elia]

As Ryouma filled the paper bag with meat buns, he asked Elia.

“Elia, where are you staying at today?” [Ryouma]
“Actually, we couldn’t find an inn because of all the people. So we’ll be staying at Sebasu’s Dimension Home instead.” [Elia]
“Oh… I’m going to close soon, so if you don’t mind, how about we meet later?” [Ryouma]
“Yes, let’s. But where…” [Elia]
“Let’s meet at the Tereshi Diner to the east of this town. That restaurant’s being run by a pair of now married, former adventurers, so it’s safe.” [Ryouma]
“Alright. I’ll see you then.” [Elia]
“Thank you for your patronage. Next customer!” [Ryouma]

After finishing their quick exchange, Elia and her friends left Ryouma’s cart. And just as they left, Michelle and the others who had gone to buy desserts arrived. Elia and the others explained to them what had just happened at the cart.

After eating the meat buns and the desserts, the six of them all gathered at the Tereshi Diner to meet with Ryouma. Speaking of which, the meat buns were a huge success. 

At a day like that, the gods opened a feast in the divine realm with Ryouma.

“More wine! Don’t hold back! Just drink and drink!” [Tekun]
“Tekun, aren’t you drinking too much?” [Rurutia]
“Isn’t it fine? I won’t get drunk. Instead, why don’t you tell that to Gayn?” [Tekun]
“Mn~? I’m not drunk, you know~?” [Gayn]
“You are!” [Tekun & Rurutia]
“He is drunk, right?” [Rurutia]
“He’s drunk… completely. Ryouma’s cooking and snacks are delicious, so we’ve been drinking nonstop~. But really… this liquor here is the sacred wine, so drinking lots probably can’t be helped… It’s great that the cooking matches it though. Ah, do you have any more of this Japanese-style Hamburger?” [Tekun]
“There is. The meat was cheap, so I bought lots and made lots. Please feel free to eat as much as you want.” [Ryouma]

This feast is something that became common practice after Ryouma received the treatment for the demon king’s influence and around the time when Ryouma started receiving pointes from Tekun on how to make his staff.

At the start, Ryouma was wondering whether or not he could find a way to thank Gayn, Tekun, and co. for helping him out, so he filled the magic tool box that he got from his grandparents with cooking, and then entered the divine realm.

But before the food comes wine. And when there’s food and wine, then it’s a feast. Said the God of Wine, Tekun, who was also naturally a wine aficionado. It only took him a moment to prepare the liquor and the place.

As Rurutia enjoyed the sweets back in Earth, it could be seen that the taste of the gods and the humans aren’t that much different. Because of that even the gods that were lacking in pleasure enjoyed the feast. And since the gods seemed to be happy, Ryouma brought food again the next time he came. And again, and again… That repetition continued for some time until it finally became common practice amongst them.

The gods that took part in the feast were generally the four gods, Gain, Kufo, Rurutia, and Tekun, along with Ryouma. But after holding the feast a few more times, other gods started participating as well. For example, the God of War from before joined. And even the God of Magic. After that, even the husband and wife, the God of Farming and the God of the Land, joined.

At the start, Ryouma was at a loss when the gods he knew started to increase. But lately he’s gotten used to it.

And today, a god Ryouma hadn’t met yet, showed up.

“Hey.” [Tekun]
“Oh my.” [Rurutia]
“Why are you here?” [Kufo]
“Well, that’s unusual.” [Gayn]

Muttered the gods as the they looked behind Ryouma. A moment later, Ryouma turned around. What entered his vision was the face of a young girl. Their eyes met.

“Eh!?” [Ryouma]

When Ryouma noticed that the girl was point-blank him, he took a step back, but the girl only continued to stare at Ryouma without saying a word.

When Ryouma had taken some distance, he saw the full body of the girl standing there in front of him. Ryouma thought the girl to be cute, but emotionless. The girl almost seemed robot-like with that deadpan face of hers.

The girl looked to be below 10. Her straight, silver hair extended past her waist all the way to her knees. Clad in a dress black as the dead of the night, the girl released a mysterious, overwhelming pressure. Ryouma and the girl continued to look each other in the eye wordlessly.

“If this keeps up, we’ll end up wasting time. Ryouma-kun, that child’s name is Meltrize. She is a god just like us.” [Gayn]
“Pretty rare, eh? For you to show up.” [Tekun]
“I was interested.” [Meltrize]

The little girl responded to Tekun’s inquiry with only a few words as she continued to stare at Ryouma. Ryouma was bewildered at the girl’s behavior, but he decided to introduce himself anyway.

“Greetings, my name is Ryouma Takebayashi.” [Ryouma]
“I know who you are.” [Meltrize]

Said Meltrize with an expressionless face.

“My name is Meltrize. I am the God of Death and Sleep. It’s a pleasure.” [Meltrize]
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Meltrize-sama.” [Ryouma]
“Meltrize is fine. Rather than that, I want to hear you sing.” [Meltrize]
“…Sing?” [Ryouma]

While Ryouma was surprised by the sudden request, Tekun stood up.

“Oh? Missy, you wanted to hear a song? If that’s the case, then I can sing enka–.“ [Tekun]
“No need.” [Meltrize]
“Ok…” [Tekun]

Tekun’s proposal was flatly rejected, so he had no choice but to dejectedly sit back down. Tekun came to like Earth’s enka, so he started enjoying singing it during the banquet.

“What I want to hear is the song that you sing during the night.” [Meltrize]

Hearing that, Ryouma finally understood what it was that Meltrize wanted to hear. But at the same time, he was troubled.

“Could it be you’re referring to the Cursed Song?” [Ryouma]
“Right.” [Meltrize]
“That song’s a bit…” [Ryouma]

When Ryouma got back to Gimuru, he sometimes practiced the song in the abandoned mine. But despite that, he wasn’t able to control the Cursed Song once.

“There’s no need to worry. We’re all gods here. Your magic won’t harm us.” [Meltrize]
“Then in that case…” [Ryouma]

With those words, Ryouma’s fears were swept away. He took out his guitar from the Item Box, and he began to sing.

“Then… One song.” [Ryouma]
“Sing, sing!” [Tekun]
“Hyu! Hyu!” [Kufo]

While Tekun and Kufo were egging Ryouma on, Ryouma sang the Cursed Song. They were still having a banquet, so Ryouma chose a quiet, but warm song. The effect was lessened, but it’s not like the Cursed Song can’t be used unless the song’s depressing.

And just as one would expect, even Tekun and Kufo kept quiet when the song began. They all quietly enjoyed Ryouma’s performance.

When Ryouma finished singing, the gods broke out in an applause. All but Meltrize who only approached Ryouma.

“Was my performance able to satisfy the young miss?” [Ryouma]

As Ryouma jokingly asked that as if he were a gentleman, a sinister and vigorous black smoke erupted from Meltrize’s, which wrapped itself around Ryouma.

“What are you–!?” [Ryouma]

Just as Ryouma thought he had offended the god, a black smoke appeared, and Ryouma began to struggle. But then, Rurutia’s voice reached his ears.

“It’s alright, Ryouma-kun! She is only giving you her divine protection; it won’t hurt you!” [Rurutia]
“Divine protection!?” [Ryouma]

Hearing that, Ryouma finally noticed that neither the black smoke nor Meltrize held any ill will. Ryouma has the divine protection of Kufo, so he should be able to tell whether Meltrize wishes to harm him or not.

“But… divine protection? I’m grateful, but why me again?” [Ryouma]

Ryouma’s question was answered by Tekun.

“There doesn’t have to be a reason for us to give a divine protection, you know? She pretty much just came to like you, so she’s give you her divine protection. It’s the same even for the slimes. If I like one, I’ll give it my divine protection.” [Tekun]
“But you actually did give my drunk slime your divine protection.” [Ryouma]
“I thought it was pretty strange seeing a slime who actually enjoyed to drink, but when I saw it evolve, and saw it become able to make alcohol. I thought, well isn’t this amusing? That little girl over there is the same. She’s giving you her divine protection because she likes your song.” [Tekun]

Hearing that, Ryouma looked at Meltrize. When he did, Meltrize nodded wordlessly, then she began explaining.

“That song… I don’t hate it. The sound is filled with magic power and is relaxing.” [Meltrize]

Ryouma didn’t know whether the song being relaxing had anything to do with the sound being filled with magic power. Meltrize realized Ryouma’s confusion, so she tried explaining.

“…I am the god of sleep and death, so I feel most at home at places where there’s plenty of dark attribute magic power. Your Cursed Song spreads dark magic power in the area. And the area affected by that magic power is comfortable to me. There are many people better than you when it comes to playing the guitar and singing, but there’s no one else who can sing a song as comfortable as you.” [Meltrize]
“So that’s how it is…” [Ryouma]

Ryouma wasn’t able to understand to what extent it was pleasurable, but he did understand what Meltrize was trying to say.

After that, Meltrize joined the banquet. As she ate, she began to teach Ryouma the details of the divine protection of the death god.

“My divine protection will make the usage of dark attribute magic power somewhat easier. So as long as you put in the effort, you should be able to control the Cursed Song. Also, although it’s really just a little bit, but you should also gain resistance against curses and dark magic.” [Meltrize]

Hearing that, Ryouma, who had little resistance toward curses, was elated. So he figured he could at least bring out more food, and sing as a form of appreciation.

And this is going somewhat off topic, but this is Meltrize’s first time joining the banquet, so he didn’t know what she liked. To remedy that, Ryouma had everyone taste all the food in the banquet, and he found out that Meltrize enjoyed food like pepperoncino which had strong sharp taste.

He also found out that contrary to her appearance, Meltrize actually liked to drink.

It was in this way that Ryouma enjoyed his time with the gods. Until finally, the time for the banquet to end came.

“Oops, guess it’s time.” [Tekun]

Said Tekun as he looked at Ryouma. A bead of light had already began to shine around Ryouma due to the time limit being reached. As this is something that everyone had already gotten used to, it’s now being used as a sign to end the banquet.

From there on, Ryouma began to quickly clean everything up as he put everything back into his box.

“Then… next time again.” [Ryouma]
“The next one’s two weeks from now.” [Rurutia]
“You’ve already managed to do the basics of making a staff, so next time, depending on your progress, I’ll teach you the next step.” [Tekun]
“Don’t push yourself too much~” [Gayn]
“Let’s meet again.” [Meltrize]
“It’s hard, but do your best.” [Kufo]

Like this, the banquet for the day ended, and Ryouma left the divine realm.

After Ryouma had left the divine realm, a heavy atmosphere unlike that of a while ago filled the presence of the gods. Even Gayn who was acting a little drunk just a moment ago was suddenly sober. Amongst that group of gods, the one who spoke was Kufo.

“Well then… I guess the break’s over.” [Kufo]
“Right. It’s going to become busy again… But it’s still good since he Ryouma found that thing while it was still in that stage.” [Rurutia]
“True… It’s embarrassing as a god, but not one of us was able to notice the fragment left behind by the demon king. We would have probably fallen behind if Ryouma hadn’t found it, so our work’s actually been reduced a lot as we’re able to deal with it before it turned into a disaster.” [Tekun]
“It’s been such a long time since we were this busy… I hate this sort of busyness.” [Rurutia]
“That’s because there’s nothing fun about working ourselves to the bone looking for the hidden fragments of the demon king.” [Gayn]

The other gods nodded to Gayn’s words, showing their agreement. Ever since Ryouma found the magic gem that housed the fragment of the demon king, the world of the gods has been buzzing in busyness.

Even if it is true that the demon king’s fragment that Ryouma found was well hidden, it still doesn’t change the fact that the ones responsible for governing this world are the gods. Which means to say that the gods were negligent. So it’s only a given that they would start working to find a solution as soon as they found out about the matter.

If it were a human they were dealing with, they would have been able to settle the issue immediately. But the opponent right now is a demon king. Although rotten, it’s still a former god. Finding the fragment is difficult even with the power of god. It takes a lot of time and effort to find, making the work a chore. The gods’ bodies may not be capable of breaking apart, but they do still accumulate stress and fatigue. So in order to restore their energies, they have a banquet whenever Ryouma comes.

However, they did not explain to Ryouma about that part. All they said was, “We’re trying to see if there’re any more fragments,” keeping any information under wraps. And because Gayn and the others were too busy except during the banquet, they decided to exchange information after the banquet before going back home.

“Speaking of which, what’s going to happen to Ryouma? You’ve been letting him drink some of the god’s wine that’s been diluted with normal wine, right?” [Tekun]
“The influence of the demon king sometimes comes out, but I don’t think it’ll get any worse than this. As for the sacred wine, he’s only drinking enough to contain the strength of the demon king, so there shouldn’t be any other effects.” [Gayn]
“With the sacred wine as treatment, we should be able to keep most of the harm to Ryouma in check, right?” [Rurutia]
“Well, he has gotten better, right? Besides, it’s better than completely sealing it up. If we were to completely seal it up, then Ryouma’s soul would also have to be sealed… That would be putting the cart before the horse.” [Gayn]
“Even a moment of sealing would cause a person to become crippled after all.” [Rurutia]

Hearing that, Meltrize, who had just met Ryouma today, was shocked. But with her unsociable expression and unchanging tone, that shock was by no means visible from the surface.

“Was that fragment that strong? I heard he hadn’t spent much time with the fragment.” [Meltrize]
“…A normal person wouldn’t be affected as much, but if it’s Ryouma we’re talking about, then the situation is a bit different. I talked to you about Ryouma’s previous life when I woke you up, right?” [Gayn]
“You did. It is visibly strange.” [Meltrize]
“Umu. I’ll leave it at that for now, but because of that world’s god pulling strings, Ryouma’s soul has become able to easily absorb the power of gods. We’ve managed to treat it for now, so it’s safe now, but the demon king’s power did begin to influence Ryouma’ soul. It will take some time before Ryouma fully recovers, but we can only call it fortunate that we didn’t find out before it was too late.” [Gayn]
“Also, Fer Noevir mentioned that he might have figured out a hint from that case regarding the abnormality of the recent otherworlders.” [Rurutia]

Tekun reacted to Rurutia’s words.

“What? I didn’t hear anything about that.” [Tekun]
“Oh? Maybe it’s because you went ahead that time? Well it’s a separate issue from the demon fragment, and there’s no proof either, so we probably forgot to inform you.” [Rurutia]
“So what did he say?” [Tekun]
“Isn’t that the reason why we were sometimes unable to predict the grow of the otherworlders that were sent to our world, is what he said.” [Rurutia]
“So the god from the other world is doing something to the people being sent here?” [Tekun]
“Well, it’s not impossible. We already know after all that that god has changed the destiny of many people already. It wouldn’t be strange if some of those people were to come to this world.” [Gayn]
“But why would he do that?” [Meltrize]

The gods fell into deep thought at Meltrize’s question. In the end, Gayn said this,

“I don’t know. The god from Earth is a level above us. Moreover, there’s no merit in him attacking other worlds as his own world is safe… There were some otherworlders that caused disasters, but there were also those that benefited our world. So I can’t think of his actions as an invasion.

Moreover, there were also people that lived ordinary lives until the end. I can’t think of any reason for him to be doing this on purpose. As of now, the most I can say is that it’s a coincidence.” [Gayn]

“And while there might be many gods who don’t interfere with gods of other worlds, there aren’t many who would willingly give the magic power of their world to another god’s. Because of that we can’t afford to pursue the matter, lest risk angering the god of earth, and losing a source of magic power for this world. Which would then greatly affect this world’s vitality…” [Rurutia]
“When that happens, the world might not be destroyed, but a lot of problems will certainly come up… Wait a moment, this.. and even that too! Isn’t everything the fault of that demon king!?” [Kufo]
“I can’t say everything, but it is true that this world was invaded, and that the magic power became easily exhaustible. If it weren’t for that demon king, we wouldn’t have had to borrow power from the god of earth. But saying that now won’t change anything. Right now, what we have to do is decide on how to solve the problem.” [Gayn]
“Then… should we start the operation now?” [Tekun]
“Umu. Let’s go look for the fragments of the demon king. As for me, I’ll go check up on the others that couldn’t come to me, and then I’ll go back to my own search.” [Gayn]

As Gayn said that, he vanished from that place.

“I’ll go back too.” [Meltrize]
“Don’t forget to contact me when you find a fragment. Also, come to the next banquet too, alright, missy?” [Tekun]
“Sure.” [Meltrize]
“How unusual. Not only did the sleepyhead Meltrize wake up, but she’s also actually going out do something.” [Kufo]
“Pepperoncini… was delicious. Also… I’m not a sleepyhead, I’m the god of sleep.” [Meltrize]
“You realize that in the mortal word’s time, you slept 500 years straight until you actually had to deal with this recent matter, right? Isn’t that plenty to qualify you as a sleepyhead?” [Kufo]
“…I’m going home.” [Meltrize]

As Meltrize said those words which, although her face remained expressionless and the tone normal, seemed to carry a hint of dissatisfaction, she vanished.

After that Kufo, Rurutia, Tekun, also disappeared one after another. And they all busied themselves, searching for the demon king’s fragments until the next time when Ryouma comes to visit again.

TL Note: Meltrize is pronounced mel-tree-ze. The ze is like the ze from zen. Also, extra chappie tomorrow.