Arafoo Kenja No Isekai Seikatsu Nikki Chapter 30

Ossan, quickly returns home *DISCLAIMER: I DON'T REALLY KNOW j.a.pANESE, THESE ARE MACHINE TRANSLATIONS THAT I TRY TO PUT INTO PROPER ENGLISH. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. *I HAVE A DISCORD SERVER IN CASE YOU WANT TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN I'M ABOUT TO POST A NEW UPDATE.  *Yeah, also I put too many unnecessary translator notes, which are pretty much reminders for myself at this point, unless you actually know j.a.panese and can correct me, which I would appreciate.

Christine woke up in a plain room made out of wood. Looking around, one would be able to see a table placed near the bed, an antique dresser alongside the wall, and a simple vase without any flowers in it.

She vacantly stares at the ceiling, but as time pa.s.sed, she gradually started recalling her present condition. 

The girl couldn't remember anything after defeating the Wuant, but now, she finally understood that she was staying in an inn room until this morning.

"How… How did I get here… Ah, Zeros-san!"

She could only a.s.sume that the suspicious-looking magician brought her here.

When she abruptly tries to get off the bed, intense dizziness a.s.saulted her. As a result of the fast level-up, her body is in a state of disharmony, and such symptoms are the signs that the optimization process hasn't finished yet. And so, she falls down on the bed once again.  

"Ahh～～……"

She lets out a weird moan before burying her head in the pillow. 

Despite trying to stand up, she can't help but feel extremely tired. 

(It's okay if I give him my thanks tomorrow, right?)

It was impossible to properly convey her grat.i.tude in her current condition, so she decided to give priority to her recovery for the time being. 

As she covers herself with the sheets and closes her eyes, she could hear the hustle and bustle coming from the dining hall on the first floor. And after a while, a calm breathing could be heard from the room of the old inn.

Christine had fallen asleep again. 

The next morning, as soon as she woke up, Christine immediately changed her clothes and dashed out of the room. When she went downstairs and headed towards the dining hall on the first floor, there were several mercenaries having their breakfast. There, as she recognized the faces of the people she was looking for, the fact that she was safe finally started seeping into her brain.

"Have you woken up, Christine-sama? How is your body?"

"I was really worried when you suddenly disappeared in front of our eyes."

"I'm alright now, Izzard, Syll. Corsa and Soctas, I'm glad you're fine, too."

"I would go anywhere to save you, my lady."

"That's right. Well, honestly, I was quite on edge at that time."

She was relieved from the bottom of her heart to see that the knights, who were so close to her, were safe, but she had come here with another purpose in mind.  

"Izzard, where's the person who saved me?"

"That magician? I haven't seen him after he brought you here, Christine-sama. We should probably try asking the ladies who were accompanying him."

The young man, who happened to be the leader of the knights, calls out to the three women having breakfast on the table in front of him. 

"Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but do you guys know where that magician is? Christine-sama wants to thank him."

"Ahh?… The old man? Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him anywhere."

"Yeah. Is he still sleeping?"

"Ah, if you're looking for mister, he went back home last night."

"""Ha?"""

When Iris informs them that Zeros had left Ahhan village last night, the three people who were completely unaware let out a dumb voice.  

"Wait a minute, Iris! When did Zeros-san leave?"

"You were having a meal when I happened to see you yesterday, right?"

"Yeah. Then we rested for a little while and decided to go back to our rooms, but when we were climbing up the stairs he told me that he was going to take the day off."

"It takes half a day to get to Santhor, right? Is he insane? He'll be the perfect target for bandits…… well, no. It's probably the opposite."

"Yeah, I don't think there are any bandits that can defeat him. He returned unscathed from the deepest layer of the mine, after all."

Even though Zeros left the village late at night, they weren't worried in the slightest. On the contrary, because he was so ridiculously strong, they thought, 'I'd like to see if there's someone capable of killing him.'

They were treating him terribly even when he wasn't there. 

"Did Zeros-san say anything else?"

"Hmm… He said that because it would be troublesome to get involved with a n.o.ble, and they would persistently try to scout him to work for them or something, he was gonna disappear before they tried to talk to him, I think?"

"So, I won't be able to give him my thanks… Hmm, do you know where he lives?"

"Hmm? No clue~. Mister said that he was an 'inn vagabond' or something, right?"

The knights didn't know what to say to the discouraged Christine. Magicians tend to be self-centered people that are completely apathetic towards others, and Zeros quickly vanished without bothering to hear the words of grat.i.tude of the girl he saved, bringing an awkward atmosphere to what was supposed to be a refres.h.i.+ng morning.

No one knew where the middle-aged magician was. 

"Well, they say magicians are that kind of narcissistic people, you shouldn't worry too much about it."

"But, he saved my life… I really think I should properly convey my grat.i.tude… as a person and as a n.o.bleman."

"We're talking of Zeros-san though, maybe you shouldn't expect much from him to begin with."

"Don't torment yourself with that, aight? Mister just wants to live a carefree life in the first place, you know~?"

Christine just wanted to say her thanks but won't be able to now because the person in question suddenly vanished. She was quite dispirited after that, and no matter what they said, they couldn't lift her mood. 

The middle-aged magician had hurriedly left the village and now they were feeling like that. 

—

And, the responsible for said incident, at that time had long arrived at the gates of Santhor, and was humming while smoking a cigarette…

Incidentally, it will take some time for the abandoned mine near Ahhan village to be officially recognized as a dungeon. An investigation team composed of skilled mercenaries was sent to ascertain the veracity of the information, so after some procedures and formalities, it took three months for the dungeon to be officially acknowledged. 

Taking full advantage of that opportunity, it took several years for Ahhan village to become revitalized.  

Around that time, the interior of the abandoned mine expanded even more and the number of monsters increased. Naturally, they didn't know that the cause of that was a certain uncle ma.s.sacring monsters with wide-range annihilation magic.

The victims that were instantly turned into ashes were efficiently absorbed by the dungeon and became its nourishment, providing it with a new source of power. 

This dungeon will continue to expand and become an indispensable place for the people that bet their lives fighting monsters to make a living…… Until the day the dungeon core is finally destroyed. 

Later on, that dungeon will end up being known as 'Ahhan Great Labyrinth'.

Time goes back a little, and the place moves to a tavern in the city of Santhor, where many uncouth hoodlums gather, ordering alcohol as they please, messing around with each other, and occasionally starting fights. 

In this tavern, where the guards are frequently called to stop said brawls, a group of mercenaries is drinking alcohol, trying to forget this morning's disgrace. They are the mercenaries that tried to pick a fight with Christine. 

After being threatened by Zeros, they fled and came to this city, half a day away from Ahhan village. Though, only one of them still has this morning's incident weighing in his heart, drowning his troubles in alcohol. 

"f.u.c.k! That magician… It gets me so f.u.c.king angry every time I remember that s.h.i.+t!"

"Oi, haven't you said enough? Just give up…"

"Wasn't that mithril sword all f.u.c.ked up too? Even if you had s.n.a.t.c.hed it away, it was useless anyway, you dumba.s.s hahaha!"

"The f.u.c.k you know. Maybe it was that son of a b.i.t.c.h pulling a snow job on me, y'know?"

There were two reasons why he thought Zeros was lying to him. First, it was impossible to prove that he actually had the appraisal skill. Second, when he unsheathed his sword and thrust it before his neck, he said:— 'leave the sword and disappear.'

Even if someone were to claim that they have the appraisal skill, there wouldn't any way to verify it unless there was another person with said ability. 

In addition, there's the possibility that Zeros pulling out his sword to intimidate them to be merely an act. In which case, the story about having the appraisal skill is likely to be a lie. But, more than anything else, it was his shady appearance that made this mercenary misjudge his true strength. 

"Aight, let's say you're right. You have any confidence in your skills? Dude didn't seem much of a magician, y'know?"

"Ahh… I hated that he pulled out his sword before I knew it."

"That's the kinda man you shouldn't pick a fight with… if you value your life."

"f.u.c.k! I know that!!"

All the mercenaries here were of low rank. Instead of raising their levels, they've come that far only taking advantage of other people's hard work. 

They would secretly follow the mercenary escorts of merchants, who naturally seemed to be strong enough to reliably protect them, and whenever the escorts had to defeat monsters that appeared on the way, they would make their entrance and aim to steal their prey, attacking when the monsters were already weakened, the so-called 'parasitic method'.

They thought they were being really clever, but such a thing made them lose the Guild's trust, resulting in being unable to advance their ranks. 

But even then, they resented the Guild and continued to act in such a way while trying to hide it from them. These kinds of people were everywhere.

A man drinking at the counter approaches them. He was a black-robed magician. 

"What a funny story, did you really think you would get stronger if you had a powerful weapon? It really makes me laugh."

"The f.u.c.k you say!? You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, are you picking a fight with us!?" 

"Ha, the likes of mercenaries losing to a magician aren't even worth calling 'enemies', don't you think? Well, it made me laugh quite a bit, so I will also tell you an interesting story."

"Haa? You're a magician too, right motherf.u.c.ker? And what's that about an interesting story, ah?"

"Before that, you want to get stronger than you are now, right? I'll tell you how if you answer me this: how do you think one can get stronger than others?"

The mercenaries exchange glances. The magician they encountered this morning was just as suspicious-looking, but this one looked even more suspicious in a different sense. Moreover, he was wearing a hooded robe despite being indoors. They also doubted he would simply give them that kind of information just because he listened to their story. 

"Ah! You just have to talk. You don't seem to have enough gold to say you'll pay for it, after all. Let's have a drink. Including that entertaining story from before, it's fine if you answer my question, right?" 

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you're just tryna make us drink, don't you?"

"How rude. It's just a thing I don't need anymore, so I'm trying to give it away to someone who might find it useful. You can also just give it to someone else, you know? It might sell for a surprisingly high price."

The mercenaries looked at each other again. The magician in front of them seemed to be giving them something he didn't need, but they have no clue what the object in question was.

But getting stronger will obviously lead to having the possibility of making more money than what they currently earn. 

Although they were unscrupulous, they were also wary of the man, and planned to continue pulling the aforementioned underhanded method in the future as it was the safer option… or that's what they should have thought, however, they were too drunk and didn't think deeply about the magician's story. 

"Then, first show us what you wanna give us, we ain't got no clue, y'know?"

"Ah, that's right. Here it is."

The mercenaries are surprised at the magician who suddenly produced something from the empty s.p.a.ce. Ignoring them, what he puts on the table is some sort of amulet with countless black stones inlaid onto it.

"Well then, did that satisfy your curiosity? Please get me something to drink, will you? Ah, and by the way let me say this, it doesn't matter if you steal it or not, as you need to know how to properly use it in the first place."

"Tch, oi! Bring some ale for this magician!!"

So the man shouts, and after a while, a well-built aunty brings in a wooden mug filled with ale, roughly putting it on the table. 

No, it might be better to say that she slammed it against the table with all her might.

The table shakes due to the impact but not a single drop of alcohol is spilled.

"…… Can you really run a business with that att.i.tude?"

"We're full of mysteries."

"The food is delicious but the att.i.tude is really s.h.i.+t…"

"You're still single, right?"

"I-I was almost pushed down by that aunty… naked… it was scary."

Gazes full of sympathy and compa.s.sion gather on one man. He was so terrified that he looked like he was about to cry. Especially because the woman had an incredible physique. She was a fox-eyed* aunty with a body so fat she could've easily been a Guinness record holder. The floor creaked with every step she took, making people wonder just how much did she weigh. And, in all honesty, no one wanted to be ravished by such a woman.

(*T.N: fox eyes refer to having scary slanted eyes like this: )

"W-Well, do what you want, I don't care. So? How do I use this thing?"

"Iyaa～, this is quite delicious, isn't it? Ah, how to use this? You just have to wear it and pour mana into it and it will bestow you with power."

"It's okay if I try it, right?"

"Go ahead, I don't need it anymore."

The man squeezes the amulet in his hand and pours mana.

　――Dokun!

Thereupon, he was completely filled with a sense of euphoria, and at the same time, a violent torrent of power suddenly welled up inside his body and appeared to start becoming hotter and hotter as the power began to overflow within him. 

"Hahaha! This thing! This is amazing, I feel filled with power!"

"Seriously? …I want it too."

"Is that so? I have three more, but…"

"""Give it to us!!"""

The men approached the magician. And as expected, he handed the same amulet to each of them with a cramped smile, drawing towards them as if to take a closer look at their faces.

"Well then, it's about time. I'll excuse myself now, I have work to do."

"Oi, you're leaving already?"

"It's work, after all. My boss is quite a tiresome person, so I wouldn't want to be late."

"So you have it hard too, magician…"

"Indeed. We'll meet again if fate allows it."

"We'll be making bank by then."

"……If that's good then I'm glad."

The magician splits from the group and leaves the tavern. After that, the men continued making noise until the next morning. 

After exiting the tavern, the magician enters a building in a nearby back alley, where several hoodlums were waiting for him. 

"Success?"

"Yeah, it went well. The rest is up to you, I guess?"

"Those guys are truly pitiful. They never even thought they were being used as test subjects in a human experiment, really."

"That garbage will give you results, so let's sleep and wait."

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you still have a job left."

"It will be depending on your report. Therefore, please present me with outstanding results. For the sake of your country."

(*T.N: This guy is talking with a super polite speech btw, I just couldn't find a way to properly translate it into English.)

The magician exits the building and walks leisurely through the back alley without minding the other men's presence on the slightest.

These men lightly nodded at each other and disappeared as if they were erased from the face of the planet. 

"However, I couldn't give a d.a.m.n about that…"

The magician mumbles before floating an eerie smile in his face and disappearing into the darkness. Now only silence wrapped around the back alley.

Zeros arrived at the city of Santhor around the time the morning sun was starting to rise. It was supposed to be a refres.h.i.+ng morning, but he was abnormally fired up in a different sense. 

(First, I have to make the desiccator, then the stepping thres.h.i.+ng machine, the refrigerator, and… Ah. There was that thing too. Since they're a magically modified species*, and their descendants will carry their DNA, then…  Hmm, although I can raise a whole population from a single egg cell, I wonder if there's another species that's more suitable.

[*T.N:  変魔種, the kanji literally reads 'strange demon species', but the character for demon can also imply that we're talking about magic, so I just went with that. Also, sorry that this sentence, and whole paragraph, are kinda confusing to read, I'm pretty sure here Zeros is talking about the homunculus he wanted to make, and it probably was written intentionally ambiguous because it's the MC rambling about dangerous things as always and whatnot, so I did kinda stretched the author's words a little.]

Dwarves… They're lolis with beer-barrel bodies, so yeah, morally rejected. Next, beastmen*… rejected as well, they're a bit too wild, and I'd actually prefer to obtain a high elf's genetic information instead. It would be ideal if they were female too, but I have no idea how I'd be able to make it work in the first place, and, the chances of success are pretty much fifty-fifty.

[*T.N: 獣人 jyuujin. As in human-beast hybrid, i.e, straight up furry s.h.i.+t; an anthropomorphic animal]

I also need extra hands to help me manage the fields, so that's why a skilled and versatile type of person would be perfect but on the other hand, it would also be kinda disappointing that they are a jack of all trades, master of none.

Well, it's okay even if I don't hurry with the production of the homunculi, I should first focus on figuring out how long does rice take to mature. Given that it's a type of weed, it should have grown by a substantial amount by the second day, and in the first place, it could be harvested several times in a year. Seriously, this country…

I have to make rice a staple food. But, to make sake I need kouji, and neither miso nor soy sauce can be made without it as well.

Ahhh, j.a.panese sake! This one craves for j.a.panese sake. To all the G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses! I beseech thee, divinities of this world, so, please!

Those guys caused many troubles for our former world's G.o.d, and then they reincarnated and threw into this world without any sort of aid, and expect us to be elated about it! And because I'm not a kid, I wasn't gracefully bestowed with a cheat, right? Of course. They robbed us of our lives and made us reincarnate while pretending not to notice our suffering, like corrupt politicians, they prattle about things like 'good grief, we gave you a body with your previous memories, what else could you possibly want?' They're all the f.u.c.king same, isn't it!?

…Huh? What was I talking about again?)

And so, quite an amusing situation was happening inside his head, which seemed to only be filled with j.a.panese sake. 

"In any case, preparing the right equipment is the top priority, otherwise the sake will…"

Making sake was first in his order of priorities. He ran all night through the highway for that strange reason. 

Looking at him, the young guard stationed at the gates directs a gaze full of mistrust towards Zeros. And it's to be expected, as he looked like a suspicious middle-aged man mumbling to himself in front of the city gates. 

Naturally, a person restlessly wandering around without entering the city will arouse suspicion, and after a while, a couple of guards start walking towards Zeros. 

"That magician over there, come with us to have a talk for a bit."

"Eh?… You mean me?"

"Is there anyone else besides you? You've been acting suspiciously since a while ago, mate."

"Even if you say that I seem suspicious… That's just how I look, I'm not really a dangerous person."

It seems that the person in question at least realizes how shady his appearance truly is.  

"You look suspicious because you're acting suspiciously! Now, just hurry up and come!!"

"If it's just talking, then… I understand!"

"Let's listen to your story then. Come on, get walking!!"

"Ah, can I have breakfast first? I ran all night from Ahhan village, so I'm really starving right now, you know?"

"Haa!? You have quite the galls, old man!"

Thus, Zeros was taken away by the guards. He was released only three hours later.

Needless to say, he ate a good breakfast as an apology for the false accusations. 

On the way home, Zeros stopped by a magic items' shop to sell magic stones. He had only come once before, but the facade of the shop had already a frightfully flashy makeover, and honestly, he was hesitating whether he should go in or not. 

"The last time I was here, the horror vibe was pretty intense, it was really eerie, and yet… What the h.e.l.l happened here?"

The former witch's abode-like facade had a complete 180º turn in ambiance, like those before-and-after photos, and it looked more like a j.a.panese coffee shop*, or maybe a bit like a maid cafe.

(*T.N: kissaten, they look like cla.s.sy coffee shops https://www.jalan.net/news/img/2017/05/1706_kyusyu_area6_022-670×443.jpg)

A clerk wearing a frilly maid outfit appears from the store while he was hesitating. It was the rude bespectacled clerk, Cootie.

(*T.N: I s.h.i.+t you not, that's her name クーティー, though google translate insists it's 'Cutie', so that's probably the pun there.) 

"Ah! You're the person from that time… Uhh… Who are you?"   

"I don't think you have to remember my name as I'm not really a regular customer, though? More than that, what's with the shop's exterior?"

"The manager's whim. She started saying things like 'I'm changing the shop's atmosphere to fulfill the customers' demands.'"

"A bit late to notice, isn't it? But… umm, maybe the change was too extreme, don't you think? There's not even a trace of the previous appearance."

"The people from Hanba Constructions worked hard, after all."

The face of Naguri, the dwarf, laughing heartily, surfaces in Zeros' mind. They're really hard-working, always finis.h.i.+ng at the precise expected completion date. And the next day or even on the same day, the move to the next 'HOT'* site. They are truly the embodiment of the aphorism 'Carpe Diem'*.

(*T.N: Yeah, it says HOT in the raws, don't ask me.
And, the term used is 現場主義者[genbashugisha], which can be literally translated as 'someone whose principle lies within the actual spot' and I found one person on the internet defining it as: 'doing what you think it's important [in your heart] instead of only sticking to logic and theory', therefore carpe diem.)

"They were saying something about the next job and stuff, but they meant here, huh?…"

"By the way, what brings you here? We don't buy stolen magic stones, you know?"

"You are still saying that… You really want to make it seem like I'm some sort of thief, huh?"

"Yes! Absolutely!"

Cootie, a clerk who would say outrageous things to a customer's face with a perfect smile.

Zeros decided to ignore her false accusations as he probably could be retorting back to her infinitely. 

"Is the manager here?"

"She is, but she stayed until late at night gawking at the account book. Hmm, I think she's sleeping on the counter?"

"…… You were inside the shop a moment ago. Didn't you see her?"

"If I saw her? Hmm, I was taking a nap inside, so I dunno, hehe."

For some reason, Cootie is talking with long pauses between her words. After a slight time lag, their conversation seemed to be reaching an end.

(*T.N: not sure about that last sentence; 会話が成立している様で、わずかにズレが生じている。)

"Well, It would be ideal if you could buy some magic stones from me. I got more than I expected to have, this time around."

"Are you stealing them from somewhere again? Please surrender yourself to the guards!"

"Alright, let's talk with the manager. It's a shame that the clerk will be fired though…"

"Manager! We have a customer~!"

She enters the store and reports the manager, Belladonna. Her personality switched as if nothing happened.

As Zeros went inside the shop with a tired expression, he could see that the interior was equally as flashy as the exterior, which started giving him a headache. 

There were decorations such as stuffed toys, placed here and there, and lacey curtains along with arrangements of imitation flowers. The girl's power was quite intense. Before, only the interior of the store was normal, but now, it was as girly as the exterior. 

"Manageeeerr~ pleaa~see wake up~. We have a customer~…… Candy-saa~n."

"Who's that!!?? C-Call me. By. My real. Name. Right now!! My name is Belladonna! The true name of my soul!!"

Setting aside the fact that her soul is named after a poisonous plant, the manager apparently had some sort of complex with her name and was running the shop under an alias. 

Nevertheless, despite being a magician who looked like a high-cla.s.s prost.i.tute, her name was awfully adorable. If we ignore her appearance, that is. 

"Manager, we have a customer. It's the thief-san from that time."

"You're still saying that, why don't you fire this irresponsible clerk?"

"Oh my, welcome. It's been a while, isn't it? You haven't come recently, but it's everything alright?"

"Manager. why are you speaking like a cabaret hostess, huh~?"

"I'm not speaking like that, what are you saying? But well, maybe I'm something like a moth*? Sprinkling perfume every time I open my wings or something like that? Well, I'm nothing like some evil woman, you know?"

(*T.N: it seems like it's a j.a.panese pun because it's not hard to mix b.u.t.terflies and those weird exotic moths, and the kanji for both look kinda similar, I guess?)

Zeros was about to retort with 'No, you pretty much look like a cabaret hostess, you know?', but didn't dare to say it out loud as the manager was glaring at him in a terrifying way. She had an incredible intuition. 

"Would you buy magic stones again?"

"E-Ehh… However, I'd also like to bring some acquaintances later to help me sell them, and not crash the magic stones market."

"Honestly, I'm afraid to ask just how many monsters you defeated." 

"I'm sorry, but would it be possible to arrange the amounts a little? Most of the magic stones are from Worms and spiders, anyways."

"Did you go to the abandoned mine near Ahhan village? Then… How about 15 Worms' stones and 20 Spiders' stones?"

Surprisingly, only a few were purchased. They were also troubled because a single magic stone was 10 times lighter than an ordinary one. 

Incidentally, Zeros collected all the magic stones of the monsters he defeated with the 'Auto Collection' function that appeared in his status display, as it seemed to have remained as it was from the time of the game and became a skill he used to indiscriminately collect magic stones. Which, was one of the things he noticed when he was detained by the guards.

"It's all good, then. It's a deal."

"Hm? I haven't said at what price I was buying them for."

"I have that much trust in you. I'm grateful that you're willing to buy them."

Zeros wasn't attached to money… but to sake. For that reason, he sold the magic stones at a barely reasonable price and got a meager amount of money from the sale. 

After that, he bought deep-fried bread at nearby stalls and pa.s.sed by his usual tobacco store to buy cigarettes on the way home.

"Ah… I should've gotten an ashtray. It seems like I'm forgetting basic manners… How embarra.s.sing."

He noticed that he was walking around while smoking and throwing the b.u.t.ts of the cigarettes on the street. Adults that forget their manners in public are the worst, but still, this uncle couldn't stop smoking…

While strolling around the city, he entered the old town district, pa.s.sing just in front of the a.s.sociation*. His house is next to the church, on a newly paved road, so he could peek at the fields at the back.

　―――Imdyyiiinnng!! Gohaaaaa!!

The children were energetically pulling Mandrakes again, and in turn, they're screaming heartily. 

Humans can adapt to the most difficult situations, and so, Luceris no longer took any mental damage whenever the children harvested the Mandrakes. Well, in the first place, they never caused any damage to the children, and as would expect, the children were bored, but not to the extent of pulling them up just for fun… probably.

For some reason, it feels like there's something they're missing as a person.

"Ah! Uncle![Ossan]"

"Oo~ii, uncle[Occhan]."

"Did you bring souvenirs?"

"I want mea~at, me~eeaaaatt!"

The children find Zeros and come running to where he is. Naturally, their objective was to receive souvenirs. 

"Of course I did. Here, this is deep-fried bread."

"Woooa~ahh, Thanks, uncle[occhan]."

"Thank you, uncle. Let's eat!"

"Danke, uncle."

"Haah… Haah… meat… it's meat… He he he, it's been a long time since I had a dose."

Grabbing the paper bag, he rushes inside the church. It's not a big deal, but one has to wonder just where did that last kid learn those words. Do they have an adult nearby with dangerous symptoms? 

"Hey! Don't be so rude! I'm sorry about them, Zeros-san, and welcome home."

At her nonchalant greeting, Zeros gets speechless for a moment. 

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just been a while since anyone has said 'welcome home' to me."

Such an uncle, who's lived alone for a long time, was really happy because of her casual greetings.

"Hm? Greetings are just basic manners, and it's natural to worry about those around you, isn't it?"

"So that's how it is. But, it can really warm someone's heart, especially for a single person like myself."

Even in his former world, there was no one who would say 'welcome home' whenever he returned from work. His routine consisted of turning on the lights of a dark house, preparing a bath and a meal, and then watch TV. Of course, there were days, he didn't feel like doing all of that, but he wouldn't have felt lonely if there were anyone by his side. 

Playing online games was his hobby, but that also had a great influence on his increasing feelings of loneliness.

"If it's that much, I can greet you like this every time."

" I'd feel like flying up in the sky. However, that would make me misunderstand things, especially when it comes from a woman with such a beautiful voice like you, Luceris-san."

"…Are you making fun of me again?"

"No, no. I'm completely serious, you know? Well, I don't want to interrupt your work for too long, and I also have a lot of things I have to do, I will excuse myself, then."

"Thank you for your hard work. Please let me know if you ever need something, we are neighbors after all."

(*T.N: d.a.m.n, neighbor-zoned)

"Will do, thank you very much."

Luceris watches Zeros leave with light steps, and quietly heaves a sigh of relief as he disappears from view.

"I'm glad, I'm really glad you're safe…"

"Sister, that's love, you know?"

"Not admitting it yet? Stubborn~"

"Gotta be carelessly honest 'bout your feelings, 'else off with your head!"

"What does 'off with your head' mean? It's about meat, right?"

The children loitering around Luceris, give her advice(?).

"Where did you kids even learn those words… You were normal up until now…"

"Neighborhood uncle!"

"Big brother in the back alley!"

"Master of the tavern!"

"That gloomy hikikomori big brother[aniki], and sometimes that big bro who buys that weird stuff from that skinny uncle!"

The old town district was truly a poor environment for the children's education. From this day on, Luceris will have a hard time trying to educate them. 

It was unlikely that the surroundings would change, moreover, the children's ability to adapt to their environment was incredible. 

Nevertheless, their futures will depend on Luceris' education.