Chapter 212: 197

【190th day】

「Souya, let's you and I go to a faraway land」

「Like I've told you, we can't」

The three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

As some famous person once said, time flies when you're with a beautiful woman.

Huh? I feel like I've mentioned this before.

And for some reason, Lanseal was all set on eloping.

「Maria is originally from the left continent, right? Then we should go there too」

「No. Ea's not keen on that, and I still have some adventuring to do」

「I thought it would be a good opportunity to see my mother's homeland though」

「Now that you mention it, Verxina-san was from the left continent, huh?」

From what I understand, His Majesty's father was deeply in love with her.

What a strange connection.

「I've heard that she came to this land with Medimu-sama」

「With Otou-san………」

I have a feeling that I've heard something about that before, but I don't know the key details.

「If I recall correctly, my mother hired Medimu-sama, who was a mercenary then, when she ran away from some king」

「So Otou-san used to be a mercenary, huh?」

I may or may not have heard snippets of something like that.

「His sworn brothers are apparently still working as mercenaries. Their names are………………terribly long so I forgot them. Sorry」

I've heard such a name before as well, but I've also forgotten it because it was too long.

More importantly,

Before my eyes was the sexy outline of her back and waist. And a silver tail swishing lazily.

「Fufu, what's the matter?」

「Hmm～ No, it's just……」

I petted the fluffy tail.

It was a demonic tail that made people want to stroke it for all eternity.

「It may be a bit strange coming from me, but……」

「Hmm?」

Lanseal rubbed her cheek on me, kissed my ear, and whispered sweetly to me.

「There's a rumor that laying with a silver-haired beastkin brings good luck」

「I know」

「Oh, you knew about it? Where did you hear it from?」

「No, it's because I'm actually experiencing it right now」

「Well played」

We switched positions. I was now on top, and Lanseal was beneath me. I hugged her from behind and pressed my lips to her neck.

Laying with a strong, beautiful woman satisfies my base desire for dominance.

The urges of a male beast. Right now, I don't have enough reason left to exercise any kind of self-control.

I lifted up her hips. She turned her head back and looked at me with eyes moist with desire.

「Souya, Souya」

We've had enough of a break. It's time for another―――――――

『Knock, knock』

I heard a voice coming from somewhere. She was emitting the knocking sounds herself.

『………………』

I froze.

What incredibly bad timing do you have to have to interrupt things just when they're getting good?

『Knock! Knock! Souya-san! You’re there, aren’t you?! Souya-san!』

「Lanseal, sorry」

「It’s okay」

In an instant, Lanseal was back to her usual self. And she was already putting on her maid outfit.

She sure changes tack quickly. Or rather, what a shame.

『Souya-san! I know you're in there! Please open the door! Hey, open up!』

There was a thumping at the door

「I'm coming to open it, so give me a minute!」

I put on a fresh set of clothes and then went to the door.

「How did you get here?」

I opened the door and there stood a drum-shaped A.I. pod. The word "angry" was displayed on the screen right in the middle of it.

『What were you doing, Souya-san?! Why didn't you send word?!』

「Didn't Melm inform you guys?」

『He did, but it's still worrying nonetheless~!』

「Yeah, yeah, my bad」

『Hey! Reflect on your actions a little harder!』

「It's not like I had any way of contacting you guys!」

『Even so, I think an apology is in order~!』

「Yeah, yeah, my bad」

『There's zero sincerity~!』

As usual, she’s such a pain in the ass.

「Tch, I'll reflect on it」

『Reee!』

「Hey hey, that's enough of that」

A chiding voice rang out.

Behind Makina was a fishman carrying a net over his shoulder.

「Geto-san!」

It's been a while since I've seen Geto-san. I have this feeling that I've seen him somewhere quite recently, but that's probably just my imagination.

「Hey, it's been a while」

「What's going on? What are you doing in a place like this?」

「Makina was being annoying, so I helped her with the search」

『Hang on~, isn’t "annoying" really terrible~?』

「Even the wife and child are calm. It's not something you need to make such a fuss about anyway」

『The relationship between Makina and Souya-san runs deeper than that of family! It's thicker than blood, and more intense than any flavor! Isn't that right? Right, Souya-san? Right?』

「By the way, Geto-san, how did you manage to find me?」

『No way, you're ignoring me completely?!』

In a lot of ways, entertaining Makina will get me nowhere, so I'm ignoring her.

「I gave you my god's tentacle in the past, remember?」

「Ohh, that」

That dried-up tentacle, huh? Even now, it's in the pocket of my pants. Strangely enough, no matter how many times I lose track of it, it's always close at hand. It's a mysterious item.

「Around here, the only things that smell like the abyss are my granddaughter and the tentacle I gave you. ………Or at least, that's how it's supposed to be, but there was a strange presence in the city that I mistook as yours」

『Souya-san, about the person he thought was you……it’s the hero you met at the ramen stall』

「Huh?」

What's with that?

Why does Khius smell like a being from the ocean………………no, wait.

「Geto-san, was that person alone?」

「He was by himself」

『Yes, there's no doubt about that』

The face of the magistrate had flashed across my mind for a moment, but I guess I was wrong. For a hero of Elysium to have the same presence as a being of the abyss……I don't know what connection there is between the two, but I'll put that aside for now.

「By the way, hey」

Geto-san held the net out in front of him. In it was a live crab.

「I showed this to your people and the golden cat at the store, but they said it was disgusting and gave it back. If you don't want it either, I'll throw it away, but what will you do?」

「!?」

Isn’t that a snow crab?!

「Of course I'm going to eat it! Isn't that obvious?!」

「Right?! You’re obviously going to eat it, right?! The others said it’s gross because it looks like a spider, that it has too many legs. They kept yammering on about how it made them feel sick. Yet they're perfectly fine with shrimp. What exactly is the difference?」

There's a big difference between shrimp and crabs, but the fact remains that they're both delicious.

「I was just starting to feel hungry, so let's eat it right away. Here, come on in, come on in」

「Ohh, I'm coming in」

「Souya, ummm………………」

Lanseal's tail had fluffed up to several times its usual size.

Why on earth……

「Look, Lanseal, it's a crab. Let's eat it」

「I won't eat that! Not something so creepy! What's with all those long legs?! Disgusting!」

「Ehhhh」

I thought that I had raised her affection level, but she rejected me with all her might.

「It's delicious though」

「I'm not going to eat it, you hear?!」

「………………Yes」

That kinda bums me out.

『Alright then, Souya-san, Makina hasn't made it in a while, so Makina will make nabe(hotpot)』

Makina barged in, then swiftly made her way through the narrow confines of the room to the kitchen. Her autonomous moving capabilities had evolved. Or rather, something bothered me.

「Makina, did you slim down?」

Makina dismantled the crab in no time. She set about the preparations for the nabe with terrific skill.

As expected of a cooking robot.

『Fufu~n, so you noticed, huh? Makina ran into many problems exploring this underground city with Makina's original size, so Makina utilized the transformable multi-layered armor to increase Makina's strength and toughness, making it possible to shrink and change Makina's size to some extent. Makina has evolved yet again!』

I know it's a little late to say this now, but this is the kind of modification that would make the eyes of the technicians of our original world roll back into their heads if they ever saw it.

Is her final form going to be a giant robot or something?

「Somehow, it's hard to feel comfortable in such a cramped space」

Geto-san sat down at the table and I joined him.

Still terrified of the crab, Lanseal sat on my lap and hugged me tight.

「You guys are in that kind of relationship, huh?」

Geto-san has gotten the wrong idea about us. No, I suppose he's not wrong.

Also, Lanseal, stop snuggling up to me in front of others.

「Geto-san, what kind of marriage system do the fishmen have?」

Why I had asked that question is a mystery even to me.

「We practice monogamy(one man, one wife). Our men risk their lives hunting for the woman who will become their wife. It's a harsh life. We must face fish as big as the castles on land after all. And it's not enough to just hunt and kill. A fishman must prove that he's brave, that he cares about his fellow hunters, that he respects the lives of his prey, and that he's grateful to our god. It's only when he has proven all of these things that a priest will finally allow him to marry a woman. But there's a problem with this, and as I’m one of those priests myself, it concerns me」

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「What's the problem?」

It's primitive, but I think it's a marvelous tradition that shows appreciation for their fellows and life.

「It's only after a priest has allowed it that a man can express his fondness for a woman. In our culture, it's considered shameful for a man to show his feelings for a woman openly」

「Ahh, I see」

I could picture what the problem was.

「It's a terrible thing when a valiant hunter is rejected by a woman and falls apart completely. The priests would never divulge such things and the women would never speak of such a sordid subject, but……… Well, I've personally seen this happen several times, so I believe it's important for both parties to express their feelings to each other first」

Lanseal interjected.

「Yes, I think it's important too. It's a bother when a man you don't like tells you that he likes you」

She was pretty frank.

「Well, I think I'll suggest that to my god when I die. That said, the ocean has been very peaceful lately, and there have been no wars. Who knows when that will happen?」

「Umm, Geto-san, I don't mean to be rude, but how long do fishmen live on average?」

「Hmm? We don't grow old like you do. We're ageless」

「Eh?」

I wasn't expecting agelessness.

Does that mean he'll live forever?

「However, we're not immortal. A spear in the right place will kill us, and many of us die from mistakes made while on the hunt. The ocean is a harsh place, and if we get swept away by the tide and end up in its depths, we'll be crushed to death. If we fall into the flames inside the ocean, we'll get burned to death. Disputes between family members often lead to war as well. The life and the death of the ageless. Naturally, it's my god who makes sure that there is balance between the two」

「Ohh」

It may sound brutal, but I find it easier to understand and neater than what's on land.

「By the way, I heard that you guys practice polygamy, but are you doing okay? Most of the stories I hear on land are about men failing because of women」

「Eh, polygamy? Who did you――――――」

『It’s done~!』

A crab nabe was placed on the table.

『Makina has added lots of mushrooms and vegetables as well, so go ahead and dig in!』

It was miso nabe. I saw leeks, shiitake mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and crab. Yes, crab.

Ladles for scooping, small bowls, and spoons were also set out on the table.

『Itadakimasu』

Geto-san and I put our hands together. Geto-san took the lead.

He stuck the dragon scale on his forehead, and then filled his bowl with vegetables and crab legs. As I expected, he went for the crab legs first………and he ate it, shell and all, like a crunchy snack.

「Mm-mmm」

A deep crease appeared between his brows.

「Deep. Compared to its usual taste, this one has much more depth to its flavor」

He ate vegetables, broth, vegetables, crab, and then more crab.

「Makina, it's delicious」

『Thank whoops~!』

At Geto-san's compliment, Makina expressed her joy with something incomprehensible.[1]

I then scooped for myself a good helping of vegetables and three crab legs.

First, the broth.

「Slurpp」

It has a deep flavor. I can taste the mild deliciousness of the miso. The flavors of the vegetables and the crab have seeped deeply into the broth. I should try the crab right away. I mean, when was the last time I had crab in Japan? It's been more than a decade. Is it okay for me to have something so luxurious?

「Err」

Lanseal was still frozen in place.

I kinda wish she'd get off my lap as she's in the way a little.

「You're not going to have some?」

「Is it edible?」

「Here you go」

I deshelled a crab leg and held it towards Lanseal.

「Ugh」

She pulled away from it. However, with a look of firm resolve, she took a bite. She chewed on the exposed flesh and then swallowed it.

She put on a perturbed expression.

「Huh? It's……delicious?」

「Yes, it's delicious」

「Souya, can I have one more?」

「Sure」

I deshelled another and fed it to her. The princess wanted vegetables next, so I fed those to her as well. As I was feeding Lanseal in that manner, it was almost impossible for me to eat anything.

I won't say who, but I can tell that someone's blood runs in her veins.

Is gluttony hereditary, I wonder?

「Well, what now?」

I said out loud in the relaxed atmosphere that followed the meal.

『No no, Souya-san, you should go home. Even if you still need to lay low, at least show your face to the others. Even if they don't say so, everyone is worried about you~』

「Well, you're certainly right about that」

「Souya………sorry, I'm going to go lie down for a bit」

Having eaten too much, Lanseal tottered unsteadily towards the bed in the back.

「Well, I'm heading home. I found a shortcut to the underground waterway near here, so I can drop by your home anytime」

「Yeah, feel free」

You're always welcome

Geto-san got up from his seat and left the safe house. Makina was doing the dishes.

「Well then, I'm going to go home for a bit. What about you, Makina?」

『After Makina has washed the dishes, cleaned up the place, and tweaked the decor a bit, Makina will go home. Here you go, Souya-san』

The belly of the pod opened up and an arm extended out.

I accepted the new pair of glasses and the penlight.

『Makina has provided you with a map showing the way home. Along the way, there are spots where the ceiling is very low, so please watch your head, alright?』

「Got it」

I received more equipment from her, grabbed a lantern, and then left the safe house.

I made my way through the musty, dark underground passageway.

A locator showed me the route home on the LCD display of my glasses. I only had to follow it, so there was no chance of me getting lost.

Makina was right, there were places along the way where the ceiling was low.

I found a spot that was partially submerged.

I came across a few rooms that resembled the safe house. Curious, I went into one of them and found some scribbles that I had seen before.

“We were not destroyed by the beasts. We were destroyed by our own foolishness”

Underneath those words, I found the doodles of a child.

A monstrous beast and a giant fighting it.

This place was once inhabited by people.

When I tried to picture that, I felt a sense of romanticism as well as a sense of loneliness. I cut my exploration of the ruins short and hurried home.

Eventually, I noticed a different kind of light.

The quality of the air had also changed.

The smell of human life, the metallic stench of the workshop, and the wafting aroma of soap. I had made it to the basement of my home.

As I walked up the stairs, my ears picked up happy voices.

「How's that, Ea? I came up with it myself. This aurora sauce!」

「No way……who knew that ketchup and mayonnaise mixed together would taste so good…… I had never considered that possibility at all」

「Fufu~n, how's that? Isn't it awesome~? I've won, haven’t I~?」

「Wait a minute, Maria. Did you really come up with this on your own? You didn't ask Tortch or something like you did last time, did you?」

「Even if I did ask Daddy, I'm the one who made it, so I'm the one who came up with it!」

「That's not fair! Then I'll ask Onii-chan too!」

「You can't do that!」

Ea and Maria were bickering amicably.

「Hey, I'm home~」

I poked my head out of the stairway and gave a greeting.

『Ah, welcome home~』

The two glanced my way for a second, then resumed their bickering. Ea and Maria had reacted as usual.

Well, I do wish they'd pay me a little bit more attention.

「Oh, you're alive」

Regure also gave me a half-hearted response.

「You're still here?」

「………………I'm gonna have my babies here」

「Please don't」

That'll probably bring His Majesty here. His Majesty is always welcome, but he's probably going to punch me at least once. I wonder if I can survive that.

「Oh, welcome home, dear」

I was greeted by an elf I didn't recognize.

She was baby-faced and adorable, and had huge breasts despite her petite stature.

She's probably a friend of Maria or Ea.

「Oh, welcome to my ho―――――」

And then,

The part of my memory that was missing slammed back into its place in my brain like a high-velocity fastball.

In that one moment of shock, I remembered everything.

I’m a married man.

It was a sham marriage at first, but I believe our relationship is more genuine than any other couple's right now. We've overcome so many hurdles. We've laid together so many times. We've made to each other so many vows.

There should have been no way I would forget any of that.

「Urkk」

And then, I remembered the greatest betrayal of all.

I had laid with Lanseal.

I had been unfaithful.

「S, sorry, Rana, I'm sorry」

「Eh? What's the matter?」

Feeling overwhelmed when Rana started towards me, I took a step back. And once I had retreated, all that remained was to run.

There was nothing else I could do.

I ran away.

[1] What Makina is aiming for is “あじゃじゃしたー(Ajyajyashita)” which is a quick, hurried way of saying “ありがとうございました(thank you). She instead says “ありゃりゃしたー(Aryaryashita)”. “ありゃりゃ” means “oops” or something similar, so what she said is not a thing at all, though it could be construed as “I did an oopsie”. Either way, what she’s saying is totally inappropriate for that situation, so I combined part of what she was going for with part of what she actually said to express how messed up what she said is.

I’m sure some of you noticed it before the reveal, but yeah, Souya had lost all memory of Rana after using his powers to kill the assistant. The author hinted at it several times over the past few chapters. Other than the one time in this chapter that was about Geto-san, every time Souya had a feeling that he had said, thought, seen, or heard something before, it was something to do with Rana.

And you know what this means, right? This is just like that time with Sanperie. Souya used a bit of his powers then, and he couldn’t remember his sister’s name until he was reminded of it. Then he used Wild Hunt and forgot his sister. This time, he used more of his powers, though not to the level of activating Wild Hunt, and he forgot Rana until he was “reminded”. Which can only mean that the next time he uses Wild Hunt, the person he’s going to forget is……

“Reee” definitely wasn’t a thing when this chapter was originally released, so naturally, that’s not at all what Makina said. But it’s surprisingly appropriate for something that’s been around for a long time in Japanese that always gives translators trouble. And that’s when the character shouts, “Angry(the emotion, not the word)!”. Of course, it’s simply meant to be “an angry sound” like “a screech of anger” or something, but it’s kinda hard to get that across or know how to put it in writing when the character is supposedly saying it. Reeee, however, gets the anger and frustration across perfectly, I feel. XD

Souya has forgotten his grandfather and sister so far, but to be frank, we didn’t really know a lot about them, so while those were impactful events, they didn’t really tug at our heartstrings all that strongly. The stakes are massively real now that the next in line is a character we know so very well… Well, stay tuned...

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