Chapter 113 Strategy Meeting
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I finished the marinated tuna on impulse, leaving the vinegared rice and vegetables. That’s when Ichika’s rolled omelet shone. The dashi-maki tamago, tasting just like the egg sushi, paired with the vinegared rice—this combination was exactly like the taste I loved as a child in my past life. I finished Ichika’s dashi-maki tamago, which had a refined sweetness like dessert, and said, ‘Thank you for the meal.’
”So, when he tried to protect me yesterday, he said, ‘The one I love,’ and… when I asked him about it later that night, he blushed and confessed. Thinking it over, I realized I truly do like many sides of him. So… I accepted. He was so happy that I… well, I kissed him—and he fainted.”
”Wait, wait, wait! Hold up, stop right there!?”
My brain refuses to process this. It’s like someone just dumped an infinite stream of data into my skull.
So the idiot confessed first, and then Hinagiku-san knocked him out with a kiss? What the hell is that?
You’ve defiled her—my childhood friend, defiled by you, Hinagiku-san! Should I congratulate you? No—no, it’s way too early to wrap the wedding gift. Maybe I should forge them a matching pair of katanas instead… no, wait—
What the hell am I supposed to do!?
”If you’d told me earlier, I could’ve cooked red rice today!”
”Tatara-dono, is that… relevant?”
Right, maybe not. Red rice is for celebrations. I’ll make it tomorrow, feed it to those two idiots together—it’s lucky food, after all.
”For now, I have to forge them matching katanas. A pair blade—two halves of one edge. Perfect for newlyweds.”
”Tatara-dono, please calm yourself.”
Maybe I should design them as concept weapons—two souls resonating, amplifying each other’s strength. Damn it, a new project just landed in my lap. I’ll need to start planning their house next. Maybe the merchant guildmaster can introduce me to an architect…
”Master, the omelet’s done—what troubles you, degozaru?”
Ichika appears right on cue. Perfect timing. I can discuss the red rice plan with her tomorrow.
”Ichika, did you hear? Hinagiku-san’s officially dating someone.”
”…Truly, gozaru? Hinagiku?”
”Y-Yeah. It’s true.”
Ichika looks straight at Hinagiku as if she doesn’t believe me, but when Hinagiku nods, her jaw practically drops.
Guess it hits harder when you’ve known her longer.
”Wait, Hinagiku, seriously—gozaru!?”
”I said it’s true! Is it really that surprising!?”
”Maybe Hinagiku doesn’t realize, but even Okusama had given up hope for your marriage prospects, degozaru! We all thought you’d die alone!”
”What!? Is that really what you all thought of me!?”
Honestly, we used to call her ‘fat tengu’ and ‘pig-biku’ half-jokingly, but it wasn’t looking good.
I might actually have to report this miracle to my mother-in-law.
”When all we see is your zero housework skill and battle-only specialization, plus your lazy face around the house—you just look like a dried fish, degozaru. Would you marry that?”
”Ugh… b-but he said he likes those parts of me too!”
”Ah, beauty in imperfection,” Ichika and I mutter in unison.
That idiot—he’s fallen so deep he’s rebranded flaws as charms.
If they stay together long-term, she’ll need to fix those habits or it’ll eat away at them.
Little disappointments pile up until they break something big.
”How far do we correct her? Maybe ignore the terrible T-shirt collection?”
”Wouldn’t her fashion sense tank her image entirely, degozaru?”
”Can’t rule it out. At least train her to groom… properly, down there.”
”That’s personal preference, degozaru. Some even like shaving themselves.”
”That’s not a ‘special ability,’ that’s a niche hobby!”
”For some reason,” Hinagiku says, voice tight, “I feel like I have every right to be mad right now.”
Damn it. I never expected the lack of dirty talk with her to backfire like this.
While we’re bickering like fools, Ichika sneezes from cooling sweat. I send her off to bathe.
I’ll need Ethelena and the others’ input on this later anyway.
While waiting for them to finish their bath, I prepare the meal.
Two large bowls of vinegared rice for Hinagiku and me. We’re the only ones who eat that much—well, Yohira might, but her manners make her go for smaller refills instead.
For Ethelena and the others, I use smaller bowls.
Once the rice is flattened, I drizzle the marinade sauce, sprinkle sesame, then layer lettuce and onion. On top: marinated tuna and an egg yolk. Done.
Fresh wasabi ready to grate. Real wasabi loses its flavor after thirty minutes—last dinner, it was gone in one.
Those drunkards even made wasabi tea. They ate it like snacks. This last root… it deserves better. I’ll serve it properly with the tuna.
”Wow, it’s actually ready right after the bath.”
”He always keeps his word.”
Ethelena and Yohira emerge from the bath and eye the spread.
Didn’t I say I’d have everything ready?
Ichika will be a bit late, so we’ll wait.
Feels wrong to start without her.
”Hinagiku-san and I have large bowls; everyone else has small ones.
Each has a refill dish so everyone eats the same amount.”
”Could this be… your consideration for me?”
”Pretty much. You eat plenty, Yohira, but you were trained to use small bowls. I took that into account.”
”How thoughtful… still, I’ve moved out now. Maybe I’d like to try eating from a big bowl too.”
”I see. Next time I make a rice bowl, you’ll get one.”
”Promise, then.”
Yohira beams. Maybe it’s the joy of doing something she couldn’t back home.
Soon Ichika returns, hair damp, and the meal begins.
”The deep flavor of soy mixed with sake and mirin, sealed within the tuna—heavenly. The sweetness of the greens, the sharpness of the onion, and the fiery brightness of fresh-grated wasabi cleanse the palate with every bite. Even the rice, turned to sushi rice, adds elegant acidity, while toasted sesame gives a nutty depth. Break the yolk, and the richness of egg brings yet another layer. Truly, a complete meal in a single bowl.”
”Peak form, degozaru.”
”At this point, hearing that food report has become part of the ritual.”
As Hinagiku unknowingly performs her food review, we each dig in.
I snap a picture first and send it to Mother-in-law through the magic word processor.
Later I’ll add the voice recording of Hinagiku’s review—along with the news of her new relationship.
I scoop a bite—tuna, onion, lettuce together.
The crisp crunch of vegetables, the soft, tender flesh of the fish, the sweet-salty blend of sauce and moisture.
A spoonful of vinegared rice follows, its gentle sweetness harmonizing with the tuna’s umami.
A touch of salt keeps the flavor refined.
Finally, I break the yolk—mix it through—the soy-based sauce and egg intertwine into sheer bliss.
A rich, high-grade egg like this doesn’t get overpowered.
I sip the miso soup.
The sweetness of onion and smooth flavor of white miso unfold, supported by clean, subtle broth.
Yohira’s expression softens in nostalgia as she drinks—maybe the dashi’s the same as Lady Torakuma’s home.
Before I know it, the tuna’s gone, leaving rice and vegetables.
That’s when Ichika’s omelet shines.
The tamagoyaki tastes like the egg sushi I adored as a kid—soft, sweet, comforting.
A perfect ending, delicate as dessert.
Thank you for the meal.
Once the dishes were cleaned and everyone’s laundry returned to their rooms, I called them back into the living room.
From here on, it was time for Operation De-Dried-Fish Hinagiku.
Sure, she’d finally started dating that idiot, but that wasn’t the finish line—it was the starting point.
Marriage would be the mid-game. Sharing a grave? That’s the true end goal.
The idiot’s the eldest of five, a natural caretaker.
He can handle a bit of mess, but he’s still human—there’s a limit.
Our mission is to push that limit farther away, or at least make sure it resets once in a while.
That’s what this meeting’s for.
And no, I can’t do this sober.
I bring out the cider I bought from Albard-san’s orchard—made from his apples—and a dish of cream cheese mixed with dried bonito and sardines. Fuel for strategy.
”Right,” I begin. “Hinagiku-san just reported that she’s officially dating my childhood friend.”
For a moment, Ethelena and Yohira just blinked, the words not landing.
Then, like thunder delayed after lightning, realization hit—and shock bloomed across their faces.
Yohira in particular looked as if she’d long given up hope for Hinagiku, whose laziness had achieved near-artistic levels.
All the more reason her surprise was genuine.
They each offered their congratulations, polite smiles and all. I cleared my throat.
”Now then, onto the real issue—how do we make sure Hinagiku-san doesn’t get dumped? In other words, how to de-dryfishify her—specifically, how to teach her household skills.”
”Tatara-dono,” Hinagiku protested, her brow twitching, “you make it sound like I’m some kind of—”
But the rest of us had already gone silent.
The air turned heavy.
”She’s got what feels like negative household skill points,” I said. “So what do we do?”
”Can’t you make some equipment that cancels negative skills?” Ethelena asked.
”If it were an actual skill, sure,” I said. “But this isn’t about stats. It’s a lethal combo of natural clumsiness and a lazy lifestyle.”
”My lord speaks the truth, degozaru,” Ichika nodded. “When we lived in Hizuru, Hinagiku shirked every bit of housework. This is the result, degozaru.”
”Then perhaps,” Yohira offered, “we could make something to help her do housework instead?”
”Like a golem? I could manage that,” I said, rubbing my chin. “But that wouldn’t fix the root issue…”
”You people talk like I’m some kind of lost cause!” Hinagiku snapped. “Keep this up and I will cry!”
Even with Ethelena’s ideas, Ichika’s input, and Yohira’s suggestions, we weren’t getting anywhere.
Hinagiku had once nearly destroyed the kitchen. Melted the washing machine.
How does someone even melt a washing machine?
Her household ability wasn’t just zero—it was negative infinity.
She defied physics like a super robot that runs on guts and friendship, firing -100 million degree beams.
Even Yohira, who once shattered plates from over-scrubbing and tore laundry trying to untangle it, had improved since moving in.
But Hinagiku? No sign of progress.
”Wait—did you say golem?” Ethelena asked.
”Yeah. During the attack yesterday, I used Creation Magic to make traps. Finished the skill and unlocked ‘Golem Crafting.’ I’ve been using them for reconstruction today.”
I pulled up my inventory and summoned them—a chubby, miniature version of myself leading a handful of smaller ones.
They raised their stubby hands in greeting.
”Whoa—adorable!!” Ethelena squealed.
”Adorable? This?” I blinked.
”Utterly so,” Yohira said with a fond smile. “It captures your essence perfectly. I want one.”
What the hell am I supposed to feel about this?
”Ta—!”
”Ta—ra—!”
And then they spoke.
”Kyaaaaaa!! They talked!!” came the simultaneous chorus of screams—each from a different flavor of shock.
Ethelena clasped her hands beside her face, eyes shining like she’d just met a Moomin.
Yohira gasped too, but hers was pure delight—she lifted a golem onto her palm, and the little thing gently brushed her nose.
Ichika’s reaction sounded like something out of an old-world meme, and Hinagiku… well, she was just frozen solid.
”Tatara! Tatara!” Ethelena bounced in place. “What are these? They talk, they’re cute—can I have one? If not a golem, then at least a plushie that looks like this! It’s too perfect—your round little self, toddling around! I’ll take care of it, I promise! Please, please, please! Just one!”
”Calm down, Ethelena. You’re acting like Dahlia or Hinagiku when they go into meltdown mode.”
I’d seen her mana-deprivation frenzy before—but this was new: a cuteness frenzy.
Noted for future survival reference.
”Master,” Ichika asked, “why this shape, degozaru?”
”No idea. It just came out like this.”
Honestly, it felt like when I’d made divine statues. Like something guided my hands.
Maybe the world itself had already ‘recognized’ this form.
Which raised a disturbing question: why was my chibi self recognized by the world?
”What can these little Tataras actually do?” Yohira asked.
”They’ve got basic Crafting skills, even at this rank. During restoration, they helped sort belongings, tidy the mayor’s office, make tea—you name it.”
”Too competent,” Yohira muttered.
And it’s true. They don’t even need mana refills like normal golems—but the small ones still draw from the leader’s mana.
Probably because they have skills.
Even so, how are they burning through mana that fast?
”Tatara-dono!” Hinagiku burst out. “Why are they talking?”
”No clue. All we know is they can only say ‘ta’ and ‘ra.’”
”Even their words are Tatara! That’s perfect!” Ethelena laughed.
”What does that even mean, Ethelena?”
She just grinned. I didn’t get it.
”Maybe,” I said slowly, “we could have the Tataras help train Hinagiku out of her bad habits. Supervision, gentle correction…”
”Like some fluffy little creature only children can see,” Ichika teased.
”Please don’t make it sound like a ghost mascot.”
”Still,” I sighed, “I can already see the future where Hinagiku somehow destroys them.”
”Hard to deny that, degozaru,” Ichika agreed without hesitation.
That hurt. Coming from the person who’s known her the longest, it really hurt.
”I—I can do it if I try!” Hinagiku blurted.
”Then do it,” Yohira said softly. “You managed just fine back in Hizuru, did you not?”
Ah, right—Ichika once said Hinagiku used to look like a flawless, high-class lady back then.
”Th-that was…” Hinagiku stammered.
”Were your parents helping you?” Ethelena asked.
”No, that can’t be it,” I interjected automatically.
”…”
”Bullseye, degozaru,” Ichika muttered.
Yeah. Definitely need to make a housework-assist golem as part of her dowry.
”…Tatara,” Yohira asked quietly, “how are you feeling right now?”
”A little despair,” I said. “The kind that piles up grain by grain… until you stop hoping.”
”Tatara driven to despair—what terrifying power that must be.”
Well, with cider in hand, the “strategy meeting” had already turned into a tipsy confession circle.
Not that real solutions were likely to come out of it anyway.
Still, that cider—made from apples grown at the old man Albard’s orchard—was damn good.
The cream cheese mixed with bonito flakes and dried sardines paired with it perfectly.
”So,” I asked, changing the subject, “you didn’t manage to catch Tatia today?”
Honestly, I just wanted to steer away from the hopelessness of Hinagiku-san’s domestic skills.
But even then—how did Tatia get away from this group?
”This time she got the better of us,” Ethelena sighed.
”Yeah,” Yohira added. “Who’d have thought she’d ditch her knight uniform and dress like… a normal girl?”
”Wait—Tatia? In casual clothes?”
I couldn’t picture it. Tatia, who always wore her knight’s garb crisp and proper, in girlish clothes?
”The neckline was quite open,” Yohira said matter-of-factly. “You could see her cleavage.”
”Cleavage,” I repeated flatly.
”She looked like a thief cat—no, more like your kind of ‘gyaru,’ Tatara,” Ethelena teased.
”Gyaru Tatia,” I muttered, brain short-circuiting.
”The skirt was about as short as Ethelena-sama’s,” Ichika added. “And she had her hair tied up—gave her a totally different aura, degozaru.”
”Short ponytail… mini skirt…”
Information flooded in, but none of it connected properly.
Even with my Crafting skills, my mind’s blueprint refused to stabilize.
Cute, sure—but it felt wrong, somehow.
”She blended into the crowd easily like that,” Yohira said. “Nearly impossible to spot her.”
”She must be serious,” I muttered. “To abandon her knight pride just to escape…”
The thought made me feel a little guilty.
”Tatara, please.” Ethelena’s tone softened. “I need your help catching Chi-chan.”
”…And what exactly can I do?”
”I want your medium and small Tataras to find and corner her. Can they?”
I hesitated. My little golems were great as a swarm, but against Tatia? Terrible matchup.
”…They probably can’t catch her,” I admitted.
”Huh? Why not?”
”Their Movement stat’s only three. They toddle around with short legs, go ‘techi-techi’ like wind-up toys, and when they trip, they just—splat.”
”That’s… actually adorable.”
I’d seen it happen once—one tripped while helping in the mayor’s office.
The others rushed to pick it up. Cute, yes. Useful for a chase? Not so much.
”To find and track a target, though…” I extended my arm. “Come.”
A shape swooped down from the perch—my falcon-type golem. It landed gently on my arm, careful not to scratch.
”This one’s a messenger golem for the mayor,” I explained. “But its scouting ability’s top-notch. Better to rely on it.”
”Enormous!” Ichika blurted. “No explanation needed, degozaru!”
Yeah, thanks for the commentary.
”With this guy, even if Tatia equips her aura, we’ll still catch her. The only ones who could outrun it right now are Hinagiku-san or Dahlia in full gear.”
Its movement speed was absurd. Even Yohira was impressed.
”Appraisal says Hinagiku barely beats it in speed,” she noted. “But the golem wins in overall mobility.”
Hinagiku blinked, clearly surprised.
As the fastest among the crow tengu, she wasn’t used to being compared.
Even I thought she’d outpace this thing after how she handled that monster last time.
”This golem’s name is Cipher,” I said, stroking its steel feathers. “It’ll track Tatia from the air.”
”It can do that?” Yohira asked.
”Yeah. Disguises will be tough, but…” I trailed off, pulling something from my inventory.
Tatia’s old estoc—the boss drop she’d used before I forged Andrea.
I fed the lingering trace of her mana into Cipher.
That should let it track her even if she changes clothes.
”How about it, Cipher? Can you do it?”
It let out a sharp cry—affirmative.
”Good. Now, for the others…”
I grabbed some materials—levitation stones and thin mithril plates—and started tinkering.
The result looked like a hoverboard, a smaller cousin of the hover stretcher I’d made during the attack.
”Try this,” I told one of the mini Tataras. “Give the floor a push.”
”Ta—!”
It hopped on, kicked the floor, and glided forward with a soft swish.
”…Still too slow for pursuit,” Yohira said. “But at least it won’t trip.”
”If you scaled this up for people, it’d probably sell,” Ethelena mused.
”It would,” I agreed. “But we’d need the Minister of Internal Affairs to regulate it before accidents start piling up.”
Honestly, it was a straight homage to the hover scooters from my previous world—complete with the same safety concerns.
Kids speeding downhill, crashing into pedestrians… yeah, déjà vu.
”We could also make animal-type golems for them to ride,” I suggested, “but that’d be inefficient.”
Better to give the animals tracking and detection skills themselves.
A cat-type model could blend into the city naturally.
”Still, since the small ones have Crafting skills, they might help seal off escape routes,” I added.
Ethelena, Yohira, and Ichika exchanged looks that screamed ‘we’re not doing that.’
Fair. Even if they tried that inside the city, the vigilantes would haul them in.
”Maybe some tracking practice first?” I suggested.
It couldn’t hurt to test them indoors.
”Wait—you can train them?”
”Sure. Just have one follow someone around the house. Ethelena, could you walk a bit?”
She blinked, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll try.”
”Thanks. Small Tatara—’Follow Ethelena.’”
”Ra—!”
The little golem chirped bravely and began toddling after her.
”…It’s painfully slow,” Yohira observed.
”Too small,” Ichika agreed. “Its stride is half a finger’s length, degozaru.”
”Watching this actually hurts my heart,” Hinagiku murmured.
The poor thing ran with all its might, legs pumping, yet barely moved forward.
It looked like a child or pet trying desperately to catch up with its parent—and then:
”Ta—!?”
It tripped, flopped forward face-first with a soft plop.
Ethelena stopped mid-step. Of course she did.
”Ta—ta—!” the little golem cried, reaching its stubby hands toward her.
”Wait, wait,” it seemed to plead. The voice trembled—almost sad.
Why does a golem sound so heartbreakingly real?
Ethelena rushed back, scooping it up and holding it close.
She apologized softly, rubbing her cheek against its smooth little head.
”…That’s terrifying,” Yohira whispered. “You can’t just walk away from that.”
”Anyone who ignores that is a monster, degozaru,” Ichika said.
”Even I’d feel guilty,” Hinagiku admitted. “It sounds too much like a child’s cry.”
It wasn’t strategy—it was accidental manipulation.
And somehow, that made it worse.
Still… for the record, its armor didn’t even scratch.
”Yeah… small Tataras just aren’t cut out for tracking,” I sighed. “If they tried following someone through a crowd, they’d probably get kicked by accident.”
Each one was barely fifty centimeters tall, maybe half a kilo—light enough that most people wouldn’t even notice stepping on them.
Cute, sure, but fragile.
”Sorry, little one,” Ethelena murmured. “I pushed you too hard.”
”Ta—!”
”Oh, you forgive me? You’re such a kind boy.”
The small Tatara chirped brightly, and Ethelena smiled as she patted its head.
Seeing her stroke a tiny, chubby version of my face was… weirdly complicated.
”Even if one tackled Tatia, I doubt it could hold her,” I said. “If she took off, it’d just splat against the ground.”
”Wouldn’t that make her feel guilty enough to come back down?” Yohira asked dryly.
”…Maybe,” I said, rubbing my temple. “But come on, it just looks like me—it’s still a golem.”
”Let’s test the psychological pressure factor,” I said. “Hinagiku-san, help me out.”
”Eh? O-okay… to the garden, then.”
She stepped outside, and I summoned twenty of the little ones—enough for a small army—and had them form a loose circle around her.
”Alright. Capture!“
”Ta—!!”
They leapt as one, only for Hinagiku-san to shoot into the sky in reflex.
The Tataras rained down in a pile, one after another, until they formed a small hill of squishy bodies.
”W-w-w-wait!?”
Hinagiku landed again and rushed to help them up, lifting the one that had been crushed on the bottom—
and immediately, the others latched onto her in a wave of stubby arms.
Together they weighed maybe ten kilos, but Hinagiku managed a calm, almost resigned expression.
”Tatara-dono,” she said evenly. “This is… excessive. The emotional impact is far too great.”
Below her, little faces looked up, hands clinging to her wings, voices full of joy as they squeaked and hugged tighter.
They thought they were playing.
They’d clearly decided she was a friend.
If they did this to Tatia, she’d probably just melt instead of fighting back.
”Yeah,” I sighed. “They’re hopeless as capture units.”
”By the way, Master,” Ichika asked, “these were the same ones that helped rebuild the district, correct?”
”Yeah. Thanks to them, we finished in six hours.”
”That’s… incomprehensible,” Yohira muttered.
”Basically like having a hundred crafters working nonstop,” I said. “With that many hands, it’s possible.”
”People will probably start rumors about housework fairies,” Ethelena said with a laugh.
”Nah. We closed off the commercial district during reconstruction—no one saw much.”
We’d sealed the area for safety.
A few onlookers might’ve peeked in, but not enough to spread stories.
”Although…” I remembered aloud, “after the work was done, on the way to the mayor’s office, the leader didn’t want to go back into inventory. So he walked beside me.
The way he toddled behind… people might’ve thought we were a family of ducklings.”
I reached over to pat the leader’s head. It looked up and chirped, “Ta—.”
”I’m pretty sure I heard someone call it cute back then,” I said.
”Then it’s only a matter of time before word spreads,” Ethelena replied.
”Really?” I said, absently stroking the golem’s head. It gave another cheerful “Ta—!” as if demanding more.
Maybe it was the cider talking, but thinking felt… fuzzy.
Still, if rumors did spread, it’d probably be about the remote-controlled model I gave the judiciary chief, not these little guys.
Everyone’s brains were turning to mush anyway, so we called it a night.
Hinagiku headed for her bath, followed by Ethelena—who declared she’d wash the dirt off the golems herself.
I figured hosing them off in the yard would be faster, but decided not to say anything.
I wrapped up a few small tasks in the forge and workshop, and before long, footsteps approached.
”I’m home, Master,” came Dahlia’s calm voice.
She entered, wiping dungeon dust from her armor.
”Welcome back. You were down there a while, huh?”
”Yes. And here—these are today’s drops.”
She handed me a small mountain of loot.
A mixed bag, as expected when Tatia wasn’t around to organize.
”…Wait. Elemental cores? Multiple attributes?” I frowned. “How deep did you go?”
Elemental cores were drops from spirit-type monsters.
In the main dungeon, Cavern of Eternal Night, they only appeared past the 45th floor—strong magic users with devastating attacks, but paper-thin defenses.
A single opposing-element spell could obliterate them.
Dahlia’s mana blade and Sazanka were perfect counters.
”Forty-nine floors,” she said. “The floor forty boss wasn’t difficult—just smelled atrocious.”
”Figures.”
With Dahlia’s skill, she could reach floor eighty without breaking a sweat.
The fiftieth floor’s puzzle boss might slow her down, but that was about it.
”Fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, ice… six elements,” I said. “Not bad.”
”They’re low-grade cores.”
”Still, they’re enough for new magic device prototypes.”
High-tier cores rarely showed up before the fiftieth floor unless Tatia was there.
Those required slaying rare ‘Spirit Kings’—one for each element.
It was smarter to go deeper for those later.
”Mana stones too,” I noted. “Perfect timing. I was running low.”
”I recalled your use of mana-infused construction material during reconstruction,” Dahlia said. “So I gathered as many as possible.”
”You’re a lifesaver.”
Between the hover stretchers, traps, and repairs, my reserves had been dwindling fast.
Now, at least, we were back in the green.
”Dahlia, there’s something else I need from you.”
”Yes, night service?”
”…No, you damn fool. If you’re tired, just say so—I’ll postpone it till morning.”
She gave me a half-lidded look. “You’re cruel sometimes, Master.”
What was that reaction supposed to mean?
”Anyway,” I continued, “by noon tomorrow, deliver a package to Central Administration. Then assist the city mayor.”
”Deliver and assist?” she repeated.
”Yeah. These.”
I pulled a case from my inventory—the one I’d finished right before she came back.
Inside lay the magic sword Rue, a prototype teleportation gate, a set of mana markers, and the conceptual blade Yakukiri.
”…Master, what are these?” she asked quietly.
”The sword ‘Rue’—commissioned by the mayor for Calmys-san. The teleport gate and mana markers are prototypes. And Yakukiri is a conceptual weapon.”
”I want the sword,” she said without hesitation.
”Too bad. Materials came from the client’s stockpile—no skimming, got it?”
Dahlia pouted faintly. Typical. She loved magic devices too much.
”And your second task—the mayor wants you to help test those prototypes.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You mean… I’ll be the one conducting the field trials?”
Notes:
• Ichika – The fox girl. Kunoichi.
• Hinagiku – A tengu woman as Ranka’s potential companion. She stays with Tatara’s group after travels. Joins household scenes only. Linked to Ranka by shared gluttony jokes. No direct tie to Tatara beyond cohabitation. Cheerful eater.
• Yohira – Torakuma’s first name.
• Dahlia – The automaton.
• Calmys – War God’s knight, Mayor’s guard chief, whip-master hiding as a swordswoman; sharp tongue, big-sister vibe to Tatara, grants him and Ethelena church protection.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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