Serving Meals In Another World (Light Novel), Volume 1 Interlude 2

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Volume One, Interlude: Stern Prime Minister, Long-Bodied Dog, and Tenshinhan

“Whine.”

A dog. Yes, a dog.

An unusually long-bodied dog stood before me.

The creature twisted its elongated torso, exposing its belly for some reason, staring up at me intently with round black eyes.

Not particularly large.

A dog small enough to fit within both arms.

Its fur was brown. And yet its owner insisted the color was gold. Granted, the fluffy fur around its tail and the drooping fur near its ears did look somewhat golden, but everywhere else was unmistakably brown.

In this country, where gold was widely recognized as a noble color, claiming "gold fur" on such flimsy grounds seemed, frankly, a rather reckless assertion.

“Yip!”

Even after I stared at it for some time, the dog made no attempt to move, continuing to lie there with its belly exposed. It let out a high, wheedling whine through its nose, presumably demanding to be petted.

With its tail swaying enticingly from side to side and its short legs tucked up, it was undoubtedly the sort of sight most people would call adorable.

“Hmph.”

I cast a cold glance toward this beast that seemed to have entirely forgotten its animal nature, and firmly resolved to ignore it.

Settling onto the "veranda," I began reviewing my notes.

With lunchtime approaching, perhaps because the bustle of the meal had yet to begin, the place was unusually quiet and peaceful. The only sound reaching my ears was the faint clucking of chickens from the coop out back.

That atmosphere loosened something in me, dissolving away my usual tension. The place the residents called a "veranda" was utterly indefensible from a security standpoint, but in peaceful times, it was probably an ideal spot to relax. With no wind and the gentle spring sunshine pouring over the veranda, the warmth was almost unbearably conducive to sleep.

As Prime Minister, constantly busy attending to this kingdom’s affairs, how many quiet moments like this have I truly had in my life?

Much as I disliked admitting it, this old house was remarkably relaxing.

The quiet atmosphere and the veranda itself certainly contributed to that feeling—but the main reason was that this place was overflowing with things that interested me.

I was so fascinated by these things that, if I weren’t Prime Minister, I could easily imagine spending my life studying them. Magical devices were one such interest. Of course, there was no chance of that dream ever becoming reality. Even so, I had always sought opportunities to work with magical tools and had done what I could to keep myself involved with them.

So when news reached me that a strange, otherworldly structure had suddenly appeared in the castle garden, caught up in the Saint’s summoning, my heart raced far more at the prospect of unseen magical devices than at the tedium of the aftermath processing.

These days, whenever I found a spare moment between duties, I visited this house—a treasure trove of magical devices—to conduct research. It had become one of my few precious ways to unwind.

The memo in my hand contained information about the otherworldly magical devices found in this house. Every single one, remarkable. If we could replicate them, the Kingdom of Gilberta would prosper all the more.

As I carefully reread today’s notes, my mind drifting toward the profound history of magical devices and their prospects and development, something brown kept flickering intermittently into my field of vision, breaking my concentration. Each interruption grated on me considerably.

“…Why do you keep approaching me?”

“Woof!”

Before I knew it, that dog had settled itself right beside me.

Why, I wondered? I had never gone out of my way to pay attention to this dog called Leon, nor had I ever given it any food. I was certain I had done nothing that would make it grow attached to me.

And yet, for whatever reason, the moment this dog spotted my face, it came trotting over, tail wagging side to side.

The dog, perhaps realizing that waiting on its back wasn’t earning it any petting, now rested its head on my thigh, staring intently up at me. The warmth radiating from the dog against my thigh was, admittedly, pleasant, and I found myself somehow unable to muster the will to drive it away.

I had been told that this breed was called a dachshund.

According to its owner, dachshunds were hunting dogs with short legs and long bodies, ideally suited to catching prey in burrows. Yes… Unbelievable as it seemed, it was apparently a hunting dog.

…The way it sprawled out with its short hind legs stretched straight behind it, completely limp and relaxed, hardly made it look like a hunting dog. Nor could I imagine it ever becoming one. I questioned whether those short legs could even run fast, and besides, its plump, rounded torso resembled nothing so much as an oversized sausage.

According to its owner, it had gained considerable weight from all the treats given to it by maids and soldiers since arriving here. She lamented that its waistline had completely disappeared as a result. Notices have since been issued throughout, forbidding unauthorized treat-giving to this dog.

—Perhaps it would suit this creature better to be the hunted, rather than the hunter.

Utterly unaware of my thoughts on the matter, the dog let its tongue loll lazily from its mouth, pressing its nose against my palm with an air of complete contentment, insistently nudging for me to pet its head.

“…”

My brow furrowed involuntarily.

I rubbed the space between my eyebrows with my fingers.

It irritated me beyond reason that my precious time to relax was being consumed by thoughts about a mere dog. I rose briskly to my feet, moved a short distance away, and sat down again.

The dog raised its head to watch my movement, but almost immediately hopped up and settled right back beside me. It rested its head on my thigh once more, staring at me persistently with a whining "whine.”

—I owe this creature no obligation to simply give in and pet it.

I ignored the dog for a while, but it refused to give up. It kept insistently pushing its nose against my hand, gazing up at me with pleading eyes, demanding to be petted.

Each time, I bore with my notes fluttering wildly in protest, but my irritation gradually mounted, and I stood again to relocate.

The dog simply watched me with round eyes once more, hopped up, and trotted lightly over to my side again with brisk, cheerful steps.

“…”

Scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub!

“Fwuff, huff, huff.”

Having finally reached the end of my patience, I ended up somewhat roughly tousling the creature’s entire body.

I had expected it to dislike this, but contrary to my expectations, the dog wagged its tail as though it might snap off entirely, making strange breathing sounds while squirming with what appeared to be tremendous joy.

—Guh…! I’ve made it happy…!

Having never interacted with small animals before, I had no idea what they enjoyed or what they found unpleasant.

…No, that was merely an excuse. The fault lay with me for failing to conduct research and consider the matter before taking action.

Filled with regret, I observed the dog closely.

The dog, somewhat overexcited, dashed in circles around the veranda in high spirits, occasionally lowering its head and raising its hindquarters toward me in some sort of pose. All the while, its tail whipped back and forth so violently that its entire hindquarters swayed along with it.

“Mr. Luvan, Leon’s asking you to play with it.”

“…Hm. You.”

At that moment, the dog’s owner—Akane, the summoned Saint’s older sister—appeared.

“That pose, with the rear raised and the tail wagging, is how dogs invite you to play. … Mr. Luvan, Leon seems to have taken quite a liking to you!”

“It’s simply your dog imposing itself upon me of its own accord. I have no intention of being taken with it.”

At that, Akane, for some reason, started giggling and said, "I see," before informing me that lunch would be ready soon.

Lately, I had taken to occasionally having lunch at this house. Sampling rare foods was another thing that piqued my interest. The cuisine of the other world was fascinating, with cooking methods unlike any used in this region and seasonings I had never encountered before.

Then, as if suddenly recalling something, Akane clapped her hands together and invited me to a drinking gathering that evening.

“Mr. Dazil’s coming too, and I’ve prepared some rare snacks for today, so do join us.”

“You remain quite enthusiastic about drinking, don’t you?”

“Ahahahaha. Drinking alone never leads to anything good! Drinking together with everyone is always best, which is why I’m inviting you all! Ahahaha—”

I eyed Akane suspiciously—for some reason, her eyes had welled with tears, and her manner of speech had grown oddly stilted. This girl was terrible at hiding things. Something must have happened.

Having said her piece, Akane pointedly averted her gaze from me and wandered unsteadily back toward the kitchen.

Watching her retreating figure, I let out a small sigh.

…I should gather information from the Saint, the guard knight, and the security soldiers.

Akane was the keystone connecting the Saint to this world.

The Saint was still young and depended on Akane, who was both her older sister and a parental figure. Akane was indispensable to the Saint’s mental well-being. Therefore, protecting Akane’s peace of mind would ultimately help preserve the stability of the entire world.

…No. Was that really it?

I rejected my own line of reasoning.

The Saint, and Akane… We had placed the fate of this world on the shoulders of such innocent young girls. Having committed such a grave wrong, wasn’t it only natural that we should devote ourselves to serving them? No matter how grandly we proclaimed that we acted for the sake of the world or the kingdom, in the end…

I gritted my teeth and rubbed at my temples with a finger. Then, amid the confusion, I set down the dog that had settled into my lap, stood, and headed toward the living room.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“…What’s this? Nothing’s ready yet.”

Stepping into the living room, I found the dining table still entirely bare.

Suspicious, I opened the sliding door leading to the kitchen and found Akane and her guard knight busy at work.

The guard knight, noticing me, bowed his head slightly and informed Akane.

“Ah, Mr. Luvan, sorry about that. Food’s always best fresh, so we never finish it until right before eating. Would you mind sitting and waiting a bit?”

Saying this, Akane briskly stirred the contents of a large bowl with cooking chopsticks.

Watching her, I suddenly had an idea and approached her.

“Hm? Mr. Luvan?”

“The cooking utensils of another world are rather fascinating in their own right. …Allow me to observe.”

Initially taken aback, Akane gave a distracted "Well, alright then," and resumed her cooking.

“Hmm. …Akane, are those eggs?”

“Yes. Today’s tenshinhan—or rather, crab omelet on rice, so we’re using eggs.”

“Whine. Whiiine.”

“And this can?”

“Canned crab! Today’s dish is going all out with canned crab! Normally, I’d use a cheaper alternative called crab sticks, but I can’t get any of that here.”

“Whiiiine. Whine, whiiiine.”

“Hmm, and dried mushrooms as well?”

“Yes, dried shiitake mushrooms. The soaking liquid’s delicious too, so I use that as well.”

“Whine whine, whine, whiiiiiine.”

An involuntary, heavy sigh escaped me.

Adjusting my glasses with a finger and doing my best to arrange my twitching face into something composed, I turned to the guard knight standing at attention behind me and asked:

“You. Jade, was it? …What exactly are you doing right now?”

“Sir… I’m currently guarding the person under my protection.”

“I see. In that case, I’ll keep watch here. …I have a new assignment for you. You will look after that dog for a while.”

I pointed toward the dog, whose mournful whining could be heard through the narrow gap in the sliding door between the living room and kitchen, its nose pressed into the crack. The sight of only its nose poking through was, admittedly, rather comical.

“It seems to have pent-up energy to release. See to it that it’s thoroughly worn out.”

“…Understood.”

The guard knight’s expression flickered with brief dissatisfaction, but he scooped up the dog as instructed and left the kitchen.

That left only Akane and me. Once that high-pitched, wheedling voice fell silent, the kitchen suddenly grew quiet.

Then, standing beside me, Akane could no longer contain her laughter and burst out. She laughed loudly, doubling over, clutching her stomach. I found myself feeling rather displeased about it.

“—Honestly. That dog is just as troublesome as its owner.”

“Pfft, hahaha…! S-Sorry about that. Both the dog and I seem to be causing you constant trouble… hehe.”

“It behaves that way because you spoil it constantly at home, no doubt.”

“No, it’s not usually like that. It gets especially clingy whenever you’re around, Mr. Luvan.”

Akane said this, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, looking thoroughly amused.

“…That makes it sound as though I’m the one spoiling it.”

That was absolutely not the case.

If anything, I spent most of my time deliberately ignoring the creature.

“Dogs, you see, instinctively pick out the person most likely to spoil them.”

“…”

—Utterly incomprehensible, all of it.

Feeling a faint dizziness coming on, I rubbed my temples.

“Add the crab, which has been stir-fried and allowed to cool slightly beforehand, and the dried shiitake mushrooms to the beaten eggs, then mix everything together. In a small pot, combine the liquid used to rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms with soy sauce, sake, sugar, and chicken stock powder. Bring it to a boil, then thicken it with potato starch. And that completes the soy sauce gravy.”

After briefly explaining, “That’s pretty much all the preparation done,” Akane rolled up her sleeves with determination and took her place in front of the now-heated "wok.”

“Chinese cooking comes together in no time once you start the final steps.”

I had no idea what "Chinese cooking" referred to, but Akane appeared unusually fired up about it.

She turned up the flame on the "gas stove" and poured in a generous amount of oil. Then, pouring the egg mixture from the bowl into the pan, a lively sizzling sound erupted as the oil reacted with the moisture, and the golden eggs spread into a round shape, their edges bubbling up.

I glanced at Akane. Her expression was intensely focused, her brow furrowed deeply as she kept her eyes fixed on the pan.

Gradually, the eggs began setting from the edges inward as heat cooked through them.

In step with that, Akane’s expression grew increasingly stern.

—Just what was going to happen next?

Perhaps this "Chinese cooking" she spoke of was something involving this kind of tension, some fearsomely difficult or dangerous technique?

No, even accounting for that, Akane’s demeanor seemed extraordinary.

It looked as though she were about to accomplish something truly exceptional. Yes—the air of a master craftsman about to execute some secret, once-in-a-generation technique.

Could it be—the very essence of otherworldly cuisine, about to be revealed before me, right here?

…Was I, perhaps, witnessing an extraordinarily precious moment? Arriving at that conclusion, my heart gave a sudden thump.

Caught up in the tense atmosphere Akane was radiating, I too found myself growing tense.

I clenched my perspiring hands and swallowed hard. Just then, Akane finally made her move.

It was right as the eggs reached the perfect half-set point.

Gripping the wok’s handle with all her might, Akane began to rock the pan back and forth.

The eggs inside traced circles along the pan’s surface, dancing within it. Confirming this, Akane declared with resolve, "Alright!" psyching herself up.

My heart pounded with anticipation.

At last. At last, the very essence of otherworldly cuisine—!

Akane bit down on her lip, seemed to hold her breath, and with a powerful flip of the pan—sent the eggs flying into the air with a pop.

The eggs, launched skyward, traced a beautiful arc through the air—and landed back in the pan.

…In other words.

The eggs had simply flipped over in the wok.

“Yesss!”

Akane pumped her fist, cheeks flushed with satisfaction over the result.

…So, all that tense buildup had apparently been for nothing more than flipping eggs.

“…That’s all?”

“Huh?”

Akane looked back at me with a vacant expression.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but that expression somehow reminded me of that dog.

…I closed my eyes, crossed my arms, and began a thorough consideration of my own foolishness.

On the dining table sat a dish called “tenshinhan”, consisting of white rice topped with eggs and covered in a glossy sauce, alongside another dish called wakame soup, made with wakame seaweed and green onions.

“Hiyori said she’d be a little late today, so let’s go ahead and eat without her.”

At the table sat Akane and Jade. In this household, everyone shared the same table regardless of status or position.

I had experienced this style of sitting on cushions laid out on the floor several times by now, so I was used to it.

“Yip!”

“Jade. …I believe I entrusted the dog to your care earlier.”

“My apologies. It’s just… Leon seems to be particularly fond of you, sir.”

I looked down at my own feet.

There, beneath the table, sat the dog, tongue out, staring up at me with round eyes, lying prone.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Luvan. I tried shooing it away several times, but…”

“…Honestly. Nothing to be done about it, I suppose.”

“Thank you very much.”

Akane’s expression, upon saying that, seemed unusually delighted, causing my brow to twitch involuntarily.

…I decided to put that aside and concentrate on my meal.

I dipped my spoon into the "tenshinhan.”

It sank easily into the fluffy egg, and lifting it drew thick strands of glossy sauce along with it.

I brought it to my mouth. Just as it looked, the egg was light and fluffy, while the crab meat inside delivered a rich, savory flavor. The saltiness of the somewhat strong soy-based sauce, combined with the sweet egg carrying crab flavor throughout, tempted me toward one more bite, then another.

“…Mm.”

This time, I readily took another bite.

The crumbly white rice mingled with the thick, glossy sauce, blending together smoothly in my mouth. The crab’s flavor was so prominent that it nearly concealed another, more delicate savory note. I discovered its source upon biting into a piece of that brown mushroom—shiitake. Chewing through the mushroom, which had apparently been dried and then rehydrated with water before cooking, released a burst of savory broth from within. The intense savoriness of that broth was what gave the entire dish its underlying depth of flavor.

—Ah, I see, that’s why the soaking liquid gets used.

It was remarkably logical.

Next, I brought the soup to my mouth as well. Along with the broth, some seaweed called "wakame" entered my mouth too. Its slight sliminess combined with a satisfying, crisp texture wasn’t unpleasant at all.

Chicken bone broth, perhaps? Its light flavor, seasoned simply with salt, provided a welcome reset from the "tenshinhan’s" richer taste.

“How is it?”

“Hmph. …Not bad.”

—I may not mind eating this dish again sometime.

Thinking that, I briskly worked through the rest of the "tenshinhan" with my spoon. It was just the right amount for a midday meal, and the plate emptied in no time.

Timing it well, Akane brought out green tea as I finished. Taking a sip, sweetness and astringency spread across my tongue. The refreshingly crisp green tea, enjoyed after a meal, left my mouth pleasantly cleansed. I let out an involuntary, satisfied breath.

At that moment, I felt something settle onto my lap.

Glancing down, a yellow ball had been placed there. Apparently the dog’s doing.

Having been put in good spirits after enjoying such an unusual otherworldly dish, I must have, at that moment, been genuinely not myself.

Without giving it much thought, I picked up the obtrusive ball and… tossed it away, off into the distance.

Akane and Jade exclaimed in unison, ““Ah,”” their startled voices overlapping, right at that instant.

—Tatatatatatatatata!

The short-legged, long-bodied dog took off at a speed far exceeding my expectations, tremendously excited, and leapt after the ball.

The dog snatched the ball up in its jaws and immediately came running straight back to me.

It dropped the ball at my feet with a soft plop, sat down, mouth wide open, long tongue lolling out, breathing rapidly with intense pants. Then it stared straight at me.

Tail wagging furiously, eyes narrowed as it gazed up—despite being a beast, it somehow appeared to be smiling.

“Mr. Luvan…”

“…Say nothing further…”

—To think, I of all people…!

An overwhelming sense of defeat washed over me.

To have, of my own volition… of my own volition, offered the dog a game…!

After that, the dog joyfully kept pressing the ball against me, nudging my hand insistently with its nose, begging me to throw it. Its persistence eventually exceeded my patience, and I found myself throwing the ball with full force out into the garden, purely to be rid of it.

But the dog shot off like a bullet, retrieved the ball in no time at all, and the whole affair simply repeated itself. In the end, I had only stirred up trouble for myself.

The dog’s face practically glowed with trust and affection for me. When it looked at me with those moist, shining eyes, my face twitched involuntarily.

Those round, dark eyes continued staring straight at me even now.

Within them, no ulterior motive whatsoever—only, purely, anticipation for play.

A thought crossed the corner of my mind: the faces of the nobles I regularly deal with, their intentions unreadable, their eyes murky and clouded.

“Woof!”

The dog let out a cheerful bark.

Out of habit, I raised a hand to rub at the space between my brows—but stopped myself.

I let out a long sigh.

With that same hand, I picked up the yellow ball and threw it as far as I possibly could.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“…So. You’re now bringing your precious little pooch into your office to work, is that it!?”

“It somehow sniffed out the location of my office without my knowledge, and no matter how many times I send it back, no matter how many times its owner retrieves it, it keeps returning… there’s nothing to be done.”

Dazil had been laughing nonstop ever since arriving in my office. So much so that he was now leaning at an angle, one hand pressed to his side.

“…Hff, but, hehehe, that’s no reason to put it on your lap while you work, is it!?”

“It whines at a high pitch from the floor until I put it up. …Far too noisy to get any work done. Once Leon is on my lap, it settles down obediently. There’s no particular problem with it.”

At my words, something apparently struck Dazil’s funny bone again, and he crumpled to the floor, barely able to breathe.

I could hear him making rude remarks about how “even a demon could fall ill” and "reformed by a dog", but I pretended not to hear him.

I stroked the smooth fur of Leon on my lap.

Its coat, thanks to its owner’s diligent daily brushing, felt pleasantly soft and settled comfortably against my hand.

Leon, apparently enjoying the petting as well, narrowed its round eyes contentedly, its body going almost entirely limp, as though ready to fall asleep at any moment.

“…Hmph.”

As long as it didn’t interfere with my work, there was no particular issue.

I even felt that stroking Leon while I thought things over helped me work more efficiently. In fact, I was processing my work faster than before.

…That was why there was absolutely nothing wrong with this “little friend” of mine dropping by for a visit.

Warm sunlight streamed in through the window.

The spring sunlight fell over Leon as well, illuminating its plush, fur-covered body brightly.

—Oh.

—So its owner had been right, after all. It really was gold-furred.

I gently stroked the area around its neck.

Leon nuzzled its nose against my hand, gave its tail a slow, contented wag, and then, looking thoroughly at ease, drifted off into a nap.

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Serving Meals In Another World (Light Novel), Volume 1 Chapter 6

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Volume One, Chapter Six: Fava Beans and an Invitation to Fantastical

Snip, snip, snip.

I endlessly worked the knife into the fava beans pods in my hand, making little cuts. Once the strainer emptied out, I’d grab another handful of pods and crack them open with a satisfying pop. Inside, wrapped in a fluffy cushion-like lining, sat plump green beans. I roughly tossed four fava beans into the empty strainer. And then, back to making cuts, over and over.

“What’re you doing?”

“Prepping—I’m going to salt-boil these fava beans… this way the skin comes off easier, and the salt soaks in better… huh?”

“Hm, just beans. Boring.”

I jerked upright and hurriedly looked around.

The voice had spoken so naturally that I’d answered without thinking, but on reflection, there shouldn’t be anyone else here besides me.

The lights were off in the living room, and outside the window was pitch black, nothing visible. The house, wrapped in complete silence, wore a different face from its daytime self.

I scanned around for a while, but nothing seemed out of place, so I chalked it up to my imagination and turned my attention back to the fava beans in my hands.

My hands were brightly lit by the kitchen fluorescent light, yet against the surrounding silence, everything somehow felt dim.

—Drip.

The sound of water dripping from the faucet echoed.

The silence was almost painfully loud in my ears.

It had been a long time since I had felt this tense. I continued working carefully, trying not to make as much noise as possible.

No one could find out.

Right. Tonight, after a long time, I was alone.

After a long while—a secret evening drink.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

The flickering incandescent bulb lit up the still-cluttered pantry as usual. Among the shelves, I rummaged through the one holding dried foods, searching for something to snack on. Glancing at the beer cases, I noticed the stock had dropped quite a bit. The result of handing over beer every time Dazil requested one during our drinking sessions.

And tonight’s snack was fava beans, of all things. If I served these to Dazil, alongside beer, the single most unbeatable pairing after edamame—boiled immature soybeans in their pods. Oh, just imagining it was terrifying.

But there was no way I could choose not to eat fava beans, a seasonal delicacy that only appeared in early spring. And after all the effort it had taken me to find fava beans in this other world, I didn’t want that effort to go to waste either.

To save the beer… Mr. Dazil, I’m afraid you’ll have to be sacrificed. Yes. My condolences.

I would keep it a secret from Jade too. I admired his diligence, but he didn’t need to push himself just to join me every single time.

—So, swallowing my regret, tonight would be a solo drinking session, just for me.

Ah, it can’t be helped, it can’t be helped, I repeated to myself as I resumed rummaging through the dried-food shelf.

Just as I found what I was looking for and turned to leave the pantry, a jar of plum wine caught my eye. Last year’s batch still had a young, easy-drinking, refreshing taste.

“…”

—Alright. Let’s drink some plum wine too.

Plum wine was surprisingly versatile, the devilishly good all-rounder that went with just about anything. Surely it would go well with fava beans too.

I carried a few beers and the bottle of plum wine back to the kitchen.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Once everything was ready, I headed into my room.

A bed, a closet, a small bookshelf, a slim decorative shelf. That was all the furniture in my tatami-floored room. Ever since moving into this house, I’d been so busy every single day that decorating my room had never even occurred to me.

…Although, to be fair, I wasn’t particularly interested in interior design, and adorable little ornaments and trinkets had never really appealed to me.

It was a room with only the bare necessities, and I thought it was rather unfeminine, but perhaps that was simply another part of who I was.

There was, however, one place in that room that I particularly liked. My window was a bay window, with about thirty centimeters of space extending from the frame. It was narrow, but I could sit there like it was a bench, and on sunny afternoons, I sometimes read there.

And on a clear night like this, it was the perfect place to drink while gazing at the stars through the window.

—If I leave the light on in my room too long, the patrolling soldiers outside might get suspicious.

Thinking that, I turned off the room’s light, and since total darkness would make moving around difficult, I set out a small aromatherapy candle at the edge of the bay window and lit it. A birthday gift from a friend. One of the few distinctly feminine items in my room.

The candle flickered softly to life, tinting my vision a gentle orange.

—If I’m drinking in my own room, I don’t need a guard, right?

Halfway through eating a fava bean, I suddenly recalled the reason I’d ended up with guarded drinking sessions in the first place, and, somewhat defensively, told myself that.

Shaking my head lightly, I peeled the skin off a still-steaming fava bean and popped it straight into my mouth. The moment it hit my tongue, the bean’s sweetness and fragrance rose up through my nose. Softly boiled, the fava bean had just the right amount of salt.

Still chewing, I decided to start with a beer and cracked open a can with a pshh.

Tonight’s beer, poured into a glass, was one known for its crisp, dry finish.

Sipping a bit of the foam first, then gulping down the golden, fizzy liquid, I felt a sharp tingle of bitterness settle at the base of my tongue.

“Phaaah!”

I let out a breath mixed with alcohol.

That first sip of beer was always the best.

Premium beer’s smooth, mellow taste was great too, but this sharp, tongue-tingling kind had its own appeal.

Gulp, gulp, gulp—I drank it down quickly, and once the glass was about half empty, I followed up with another fava bean.

The beer’s bitterness melted into the bean’s sweetness, settling my mouth into comfort.

—Ahh. This really goes with beer.

Fantasizing about edamame-fava-bean hybrids in my head, I ate one, then two in quick succession, then gulped more beer. The beer tightened up my sweetened mouth again, and this cycle was already becoming addictive.

Before I knew it, the glass was empty, several empty beer cans lined up, and the tray had a small mountain of fava bean shells piled on top. Wondering what to drink next, I glanced sideways at the plum wine bottle.

The amber-colored liquor, lit by the candlelight, looked utterly enticing.

Alright, plum wine next! I decided firmly, and got out a ceramic cup.

The night still had a chill to it. My toes were feeling a little numb from the cold. …Times like this call for a hot water mix, without question.

I filled the kettle with water and switched it on, and set out a plate of cheese-tara—dried fish snacks with cheese—I’d grabbed from the pantry earlier.

I loved pairing cheese with warm alcohol. Smoked cheese was good too, but this camembert-stuffed cheese-tara was pretty excellent.

The kettle clicked, signaling the water had boiled, so I poured about half a cup’s worth of hot water into the ceramic cup.

Pouring plum wine into the steaming cup released a soft, lovely plum fragrance. The amber liquor swirled and dissolved into the clear hot water.

When making a hot-water mix, water goes in first, then the alcohol. That was an ironclad rule. The order made a huge difference in how the aroma came out. Since I added the alcohol afterward, it mixed naturally with the water, which meant I didn’t have to stir it.

The piping hot water settled to just the right temperature with the plum wine, warming my hands nicely as I held the cup.

Breathing in the sweet-tart plum fragrance, I blew on it gently and took a sip. I felt warmth spreading gradually inward—through my mouth, down my throat, through my esophagus, into my stomach.

I let out a warm, satisfied breath. Watching the amber liquid shimmer in the candlelight, I pulled both feet up onto the bay window, curling up and hugging my knees.

Pressing the warm cup of plum wine against the back of my slightly cold feet, I soaked in the warmth while picking up a piece of cheese-tara. This camembert-stuffed one is a favorite, one I always keep several bags of in stock. Something I could never actually enjoy if Dazil got his hands on it—it would vanish in an instant—so this was a long-awaited treat, finally within reach.

The cheese melted gooey and rich in my mouth, warmed nicely by the hot drink.

The rich cheese flavor and creamy texture mingled with the savory taste of cod, which grew stronger with every bite—I nibbled at the cheese-tara with my front teeth like a squirrel.

—Ugh. I can’t stop.

The cheese-tara on the plate practically begged me to eat more. To resist the temptation and stop myself from devouring the whole plate, I took a sip of the hot plum wine, warming my mouth pleasantly and happily.

—That’s when it happened.

“Hm, that looks tasty.”

Something unidentifiable… suddenly appeared in my room out of nowhere.

The instant I noticed It, all my cozy warmth vanished in an instant, and goosebumps prickled across my entire body.

What had appeared in the middle of the room, on the tatami, looked at first glance like a beautiful young girl.

Its coloring was terrifyingly pale. Its hair, more platinum-white than gold, waved beautifully, soft and flowing. Reaching down to Its waist, it drifted like feathers with every slight movement. Its eyes, framed in platinum, held the color of a clear, boundless sky. Sparkling with a brilliance more precious than any jewel, those eyes seemed to hold the power to see straight through everything about me. A straight, elegant nose bridge. Its plump lips, ripe and red as fruit, glistened moist and vivid—the only vividly colored feature amid Its pale skin and faintly-colored hair.

Calling It "doll-like" was nowhere near enough.

Its beauty was unmistakably, unquestionably not human.

I learned, for the first time, that people can feel genuine fear at the sight of something too beautiful.

A soft laugh echoed.

Sitting on the tatami, looking up at me perched in the bay window, the Being seemed to find something amusing.

“Say. Give some of that to me as well.”

With thin, delicate fingers that looked as though they might snap, It pointed toward the plum wine bottle.

A white dress, layered thick with lavish lace, heavy enough to look burdensome, dragged across the tatami with every small movement, rustling softly. The dress covered Its entire body from Its slender neck outward, spreading endlessly in every direction, its edges dissolving into darkness, impossible to trace.

…Overwhelmed with tension, I swallowed hard.

Something utterly unknowable, close enough to touch.

—This was something I shouldn’t dare defy.

Sensing that instinctively, I carefully set the cup down on the bay window with trembling hands, and lowered my feet to the floor to fulfill Its wish. Slowly, cautiously, I made my way across the room. I needed to prepare a glass for It.

Opening the glass door of my decorative shelf, several glasses were displayed inside—gifts from a friend who knew how much I loved to drink. Especially beautiful glasses reserved for solo drinking sessions.

Thinking one of these would suit a hot plum wine mix, I reached for a glass—

“No need for hot water. As it is, unaltered, is fine. —Also, I want the fruit inside the liquor as well.”

At Its words, I stopped reaching for that glass. Then, my eyes fell on the glasses I’d received recently from the herb merchant. Having delivered him the plum syrup the other day, I now had two glasses—the red and the green ones. Their size seemed just right for including a plum fruit alongside the liquor.

I picked up the green glass, approached the plum wine bottle to pour, opened the lid, and used the prepared bamboo cooking chopsticks to pull out one plum.

I dropped the plum into the green glass with a soft plink, then poured in the amber liquor with a splash.

“Is that my drink, then?”

I realized It had come right up beside me, unnoticed.

Gazing at the glass with eyes full of anticipation, It took the glass right out of my hands and examined its contents.

The candle’s faint glow refracted through the green glass’s pattern, transforming the amber liquid into a beautiful shade of green.

“Ho. What a nostalgic pattern this is. Chiko blossoms, is it? Beautiful as ever. A vessel of the ancient people… fitting, for me.”

Then, bringing Its lips gently close, It swirled the glass for a moment, as if savoring the aroma. Whatever scent drifted up from the swaying plum wine must have met Its expectations, because the Being narrowed Its sky-colored eyes, framed by long lashes, and stuck out Its tongue just slightly to taste the liquor.

“…Heh.”

It laughed softly, then this time tipped the glass back properly and took a proper sip of the plum wine.

“Ahh… Sweet, this. And still young.”

“Is it not to Your liking?”

Wondering nervously if the ten-year-old batch would have been preferable, I asked timidly. It smiled gently and shook Its head.

“Being young is a fine thing. There are fools who only value what is old, but that fresh, green period is fleeting—something to be savored only in that moment, precious precisely because it cannot last. …Heh. I’ve taken a liking to it. Pour me more.”

Pushing the glass toward me with a gesture, Its expression looked genuinely pleased.

Relieved, I refilled the glass with more plum wine. The Being then pointed at my own cup and said, with a sly grin, "You too, hold your own cup. I have no interest in drinking alone.”

I hurriedly picked up my cup, and It shuffled closer before pressing Its glass against mine.

The two vessels clinked together with a high, clear sound.

“Humans call this… a toast, do they not? It’s been quite some time since I’ve shared a drink with a human, but I haven’t forgotten.”

Saying this with evident pride, It took another sip of the liquor.

Perhaps growing tipsy, Its sky-colored eyes grew misty, Its cheeks relaxing softly—a sight that eased, if only slightly, the fear I’d felt toward this Unknowable Being just moments before.

I finished off my now-cooled plum wine in one go and prepared a fresh hot water mix. The warmth of the steaming cup gently loosened my fingertips, which had grown cold without my noticing.

The illustration’s description: The Being is looking at a glass with a plum at the bottom.

“So this is the snack, then? Hoh. What’s this? White, thin, and long. Smells of fish… and milk.”

Having apparently rummaged through the tray’s dishes without my noticing, It picked up a piece of cheese-tara, examined it with obvious fascination… and took a bite off the end.

“Hmm, this is…”

Whether It liked it that much or not, It polished off the rest of the cheese-tara piece in quick succession, then licked Its fingers clean. Letting out a satisfied "Mm," It reached for two, three more pieces, happily nibbling away.

Cheeks relaxed, utterly absorbed in savoring the cheese-tara, It looked, for once, exactly like the young girl It appeared to be—an oddly endearing sight.

By this point, most of my earlier fear toward It had faded considerably.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

It answered with a piece of cheese-tara still dangling from the corner of Its mouth. The mismatch between Its beautiful appearance and Its casual mannerisms was, honestly, a little funny.

“Who are you?”

At my question, It blinked blankly for a moment, then said, "Ah. Right," glancing upward in thought before turning back to me with a bold, sly grin.

“Isn’t it obvious just by looking? …Here.”

It turned Its back to me and gave Its body a little shake.

Amid the swaying of Its beautiful platinum hair, something strange flickered briefly into view. "This should make it clearer," It said, giving a small shudder and tensing something around Its back.

Instantly, having grown comfortable with Its easygoing manner and having let my guard down, my mind went blank at the sight before me.

—It was a sight far too fantastical to be real.

What appeared were iridescent, shimmering black butterfly wings.

As if to show them off to me, It slowly opened and closed them two or three times. The black wings shifted through all colors of the rainbow depending on how the candlelight caught them. And, perhaps scale dust, something sparkling scattered into the air, dusting the black wings with glitter.

Overwhelmed with shock, I couldn’t think of anything at all for a while, just staring. After several minutes, my frozen mind finally began working again.

A humanoid form with butterfly wings. Exactly like…

“A… a fairy?”

The word slipped out of me in sheer astonishment.

It smiled broadly and confirmed it.

“That’s right. And not just any fairy, mind you. —A queen. Impressive, isn’t it?”

Narrowing Its beautiful sky-blue eyes, as if It’d just told an amusing joke, It pressed a delicate hand to Its mouth and shook with quiet, amused laughter.

Apparently, It had no name.

But going without a name was inconvenient in various ways. So, on a whim, It’d have whoever It took a liking to at the time give It a temporary name to use for a while.

…And this time, It left the naming to me, so I named It Titania.

—The name of the fairy queen from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, incidentally.

She—Titania—repeated the name a few times, then flashed a radiant smile, saying, "What a lovely ring to it." That smile drew a small smile out of me too.

But Titania’s expression quickly shifted into something more complicated, and, scratching her cheek with a finger, she muttered quietly:

“I’d forgotten you came from another world. That anyone could look upon me and not recognize me at a glance… perhaps I’ve grown complacent, having lived so terribly long.”

“…From another world?”

“Hmph. You were summoned here from a world other than this one, were you not?”

Her sharp ears having caught my question, she answered with an oddly proud tone. Titania explained that among the fairies, it was well-known news that a Saint had been summoned from another world several months ago.

“The miasma troubles us fairies as well. Many of my kin go mad, driven wild by its taint. Everyone had been eagerly awaiting a Saint capable of purifying it… I, being bored, thought I’d come take a look at this rumored Saint myself.”

With a childlike look on her face, Titania explained that this was why she’d descended to human settlements for the first time in a long while.

“While wandering about searching for this Saint, I caught the scent of some delicious-smelling alcohol. Couldn’t resist, and came straight here.”

“You… like alcohol?”

“Oh, absolutely!”

Titania answered instantly. "Liquor is a wonderful thing,” she added with a delighted smile.

Noticing her glass had emptied, I poured her more plum wine.

Watching happily the alcohol being poured, Titania took a sip the moment her glass was full, licking the liquor off her lips.

“I favor sweet drinks. …Though I don’t dislike strong ones either. Especially the fruit soaked in this liquor—that, I love the most.”

Titania took a little bite of a plum and let out a soft, blissful moan.

Her cheeks flushed rose, gazing rapturously at the fruit as she chewed—an expression somewhere between sensual and adorable, in a perfectly balanced sort of way.

“Ah. Delicious, simply delicious. Give me another.”

“Yes, yes.”

I scooped out another plum from the bottle and dropped it into Titania’s glass. She happily picked it up with her fingers, nibbling at it with her small mouth, trembling with delight at the taste.

Watching her adorable behavior, I found myself softening—but a question that had crossed my mind slipped out.

“Titania, are you famous? …I mean, famous enough that everyone would recognize you instantly?”

After all, the way she’d spoken earlier had made it sound as though there was no one who didn’t know her.

At my question, Titania lifted her gaze from the plum, and her expression suddenly shifted into something doll-like, unreadable.

“Well, yes. The Platinum Fairy Queen is famous enough to appear in fairy tales, and even in children’s songs.”

Saying that, Titania curved her sky-blue eyes into crescents. "Shall I sing for you? Though I warn you, my song carries the power of enchantment, so I can’t guarantee what happens to you afterward," she said with a laugh.

That expression on Titania’s face, combined with her beauty, was somehow… terrifyingly eerie. Nowhere in it could I find anything resembling human emotion, anything warm. —Her expression smiled, but her eyes held nothing at all.

…Where had the adorable fairy from a moment ago gone? Remembering the fact I’d nearly forgotten—that I was dealing with something inhuman—sent a chill through me.

Careful not to let my voice shake, I politely declined.

…I couldn’t let my guard down while talking with her, not even for a moment.

Carried along by Titania’s cheerful, lighthearted tone, if I let myself relax, I felt like the conversation could veer somewhere terrifying without warning.

She had a similar air to the cunning witches from old fairy tales I’d read as a child—even talking with her left a constant, deep chill somewhere inside me.

“…Besides, I’m known as one who sneaks into human homes. I go in, do as I please, and make off with the finest liquor in the house. Human parents even tell their children to hurry to bed, or the Fairy Queen will come and carry them off… hehehe.”

Titania rapturously crunched through a plum, seeds and all. Noticing she’d run out, she gazed discontentedly at her empty glass.

Sensing something ominous in the increasingly glazed, unsettling atmosphere emanating from her, I hurriedly handed her another plum.

“…Munch. Delicious. Don’t misunderstand, though. What I actually take from human homes is only ever alcohol. I don’t steal human children. Well, I have cursed a human or two who refused to offer me their liquor.”

“Cur… sed…”

The Fairy Queen sneaked into human homes night after night to steal their liquor… and cursed anyone who refused to give her a drink.

Only now did I fully grasp what exactly stood before me, and I found myself trembling.

I wanted to reach back in time and scold my earlier self for nearly letting my guard down around this innocently-munching-on-plums Titania.

If, just if, I’d mishandled things from the moment I met her—what would have happened? Might I have been cursed?

Horrified by that thought, I bit down hard on my lip.

Whether or not she noticed my inner turmoil, Titania simply remarked cheerfully, "Good thing I didn’t accidentally curse you," munching on a piece of cheese-tara with an easygoing expression.

“This sort of thing should be done only to those who understand who I am. That’s the pride of an inhuman being. Flashing the threat of a curse, watching a human’s face twist in fear as I make off with their finest liquor—that’s the proper way to enjoy it. There’s no fun in doing it to someone who doesn’t even know who I am. …How careless of me, doing something so uncouth.”

—This queen has terrible taste!

Seeing my face stiffen visibly, Titania laughed again, genuinely delighted, combing her hair with her fingers as she crunched down another plum and swallowed.

“Ho ho. Don’t make such a frightened face. As an apology, I’ll grant you one wish. It’s rare for me to do such a thing. …Consider it special, yes?”

“Huh?”

“Heh, curses aren’t the only thing I bestow… Come now, a wish. You must have one. Human desires never run dry.”

After saying that, Titania tilted her head to one side and pondered for a moment. Then, as though she’d thought of something, she suddenly looked up. “That’s it!” Her face lit up, and with a mischievous grin like a child who’d just come up with a prank, she leaned in close to me.

—A sweet, floral scent tickled my nose. Her beautiful face, wearing a sly grin, drew close before my eyes.

“A young human female like you surely has one or two males she fancies. If you’d like, shall I use my charm magic to make you his captive?”

“No, no, no, no, no. Wait just a moment.”

Alarmed by Titania’s outrageous suggestion, I hurried to stop her.

“What, you don’t want it? …How picky. True, one bewitched by the spell grows dazed, loses the ability to think clearly, and comes pursuing you relentlessly wherever you go, but he won’t stray to another, so it’s not a bad deal for a female, I’d think.”

“No, it’s absolutely a bad deal! Being pursued relentlessly wherever I go sounds terrifying!”

“Hmph. Boring.”

Titania pouted, lips pursed, clearly dissatisfied.

At least she seemed to have given up on the charm magic idea, which relieved me.

But my relief was short-lived, as a certain fantasy crossed my mind.

—A man with black hair and gold eyes, gazing at me with dazed, intense eyes, pursuing me relentlessly.

Perhaps triggered by the phrase "a male you fancy," his face suddenly surfaced in my mind for no reason.

—Why is Mr. Jade’s face popping up now!?

Watching me flush pale and red by turns, thoroughly flustered, Titania grinned boldly and pointed straight at me.

“You do have a male you fancy, don’t you?”

“I do not!”

“Liar. Be honest, human child. Ah, could it be—that armored male always at your side? He seemed rather fond of you too! My charm magic would be entirely unnecessary, then.”

“…! What are you even saying!”

My cheeks burned hot at Titania’s words.

—W-why am I getting this flustered!?

Trying desperately to calm myself, half out of spite, I grabbed a fava bean from the tray, roughly peeled it, and shoved it into my mouth.

Ah, the fava beans really were delicious, but—I should’ve prepared something sweet too…!

Well, whatever, I thought, eating one, then another in quick succession, when I felt an intense stare on me. The source of that gaze was, of course, Titania, watching me with obvious curiosity, sneaking glances my way.

“Say. Say. That’s a bean, isn’t it? …Just an ordinary bean, right? Beans aren’t that delicious, are they? Why are you eating so many? Is it good? Well? Is it?”

Titania tugged at my sleeve with her fingertips, her voice taking on a whining, needy tone.

I stopped eating fava beans and stared intently at her.

An innocent, childlike fairy. A cunning, witch-like fairy. A terrifying, unknowable monster of a fairy.

Which one was Titania’s true form?

“Come now, you. How is that bean? Answer quickly.”

“Just try it yourself.”

Today, I’d been thoroughly tossed around by Titania’s constantly shifting moods, and had finally ended up spiraling into strange fantasies of my own accord—my mental processing capacity had long since been exceeded.

Utterly exhausted, I unconsciously answered curtly, peeled a fava bean, and shoved it into her persistently pestering mouth.

The instant after, I remembered exactly what kind of being I was dealing with, and regretted it immediately.

…If I’d upset her, there was no telling what she might do to me…!

A cold sweat trickled down my back.

“Nn. Mmf… Hoh! Indeed a bean! And a remarkably delicious one at that!”

Oblivious to my inner panic, Titania’s cheeks flushed rose, and she seemed to have taken quite a liking to it, cradling the plate of fava beans and eagerly digging in with delight.

…My reckless behavior just now hadn’t even registered as an issue to Titania, apparently.

“These beans… Ah, they’re those things the magic trees fling around in spring, aren’t they?”

“Huh?”

Titania said something odd again, and I let out a dumbfounded sound involuntarily.

“Old Treant told me. Come spring, more humans start wandering into his forest home, so he scatters plenty of these beans to drive them off. Aims them right at their backsides, apparently—old Treant bragged about how amusing it was, watching humans clutch their rears and flee in undignified panic. He did say that lately, for some reason, humans had been coming all the way there carrying baskets… But who would have thought these were so delicious! That old geezer’s quite something!”

…That’s definitely not what that Treant elder intended, is it?

I stared intently at the fava beans, wondering if any of them had perhaps once struck someone’s backside.

…These came sold in their pods, so I’d like to believe otherwise.

After that, I continued drinking plum wine alongside Titania, who kept demanding one plum after another. But honestly, I was starting to hit my limit.

Setting down the plum wine cup, I pulled out a small bottle of clear sake from the back of my display shelf. My head was thoroughly muddled, and sweet plum wine wasn’t going to get me anywhere near drunk enough.

I craved something sharp and strong. Ah, I desperately wanted to feel something solidly, undeniably real against my skin. Something real, free of fairies, magic… curses and backsides!

Wanting to forget even a little of the reality currently surrounding me, I sat on the bay window and looked out at the night sky.

Apparently, it was a new moon tonight. Perhaps thanks to the absent moon, the stars shone more brilliantly than usual.

“Ah. What a beautiful night sky. Look, you. The spring migration.”

Titania, having come to sit beside me without my noticing, gazed up at the night sky together with me, following where she pointed.

There, against the star-speckled dark sky, something were swimming leisurely through the air. They had a round body, large fins fluttering, undulating gracefully as they moved forward.

—There were quite a lot of them. Blocking the starlight, occupying a portion of the night sky, they made it look as though a black river were flowing through that one section, obscuring the stars entirely.

“Ho. How admirable. It seems they’ve noticed me and come to pay their respects.”

Just as Titania said, a few of them—the ones swimming at the front—gradually drew closer toward us.

Starting out roughly the size of a grain of rice, they grew larger and larger the closer they came. Just how big would they get? Right as they seemed to fill the entire visible span of the window, they—poof—vanished.

“Eh?”

At the sheer absurdity of it, I let out an involuntary sound, and the very next moment.

A black shadow suddenly covered the window outside, and there—an enormous eyeball, bigger than my own head, rolled into view!

“…Eek…!”

A scream slipped from my throat involuntarily.

It rolled its massive eye around, scanning the room, before finding Titania and fixing its gaze on her. Then, just as suddenly—poof—it drew back and vanished again.

“There now, you. Don’t just sit there frozen. Open the window and look. One doesn’t often get to meet those—it’s worth seeing, I assure you.”

Titania said this while sipping her plum wine, gazing up rapturously at the star-filled sky.

Having slid off the bay window and collapsed onto the tatami from shock and fear, I forced my limp body to move, cautiously opening the window.

Leaning slightly out from the bay window, I searched the cold spring night sky for it.

I didn’t have to search long—it was right there.

—If I had to compare it to something, it was like an impossibly enormous goldfish.

Definitely not a carp. It was one of those bright-red goldfish with the round bodies you’d see at a night festival stall. Its neatly arranged, glossy red scales sparkled beautifully in the starlight. Its huge, flamboyant tail, like a flowing red dress, sent gusts of wind rattling the window with every graceful flutter.

Several of them danced through the night sky as if swimming through water. Countless flashes of red wove in and out of the darkness, drawing near then pulling away, as if playing a game. After circling for a while, they each approached Titania one by one, seemingly exchanging words—their mouths opening and closing repeatedly—before returning to the group in the sky.

The many creatures swimming through the starry sky gradually receded into the distance. They joined up with several companions that had come to meet them, then swam away through the heavens, happily twirling as they went.

The whole scene was breathtakingly fantastical—beautiful enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I stared at them, utterly lost, forgetting myself entirely.

Just moments ago I’d been longing for something solidly real, and yet this beautiful sight had completely captured my heart.

A quiet, welling sense of awe spread warmly through my chest. I tilted my face slightly upward to hold back tears threatening to spill.

“For reasons unknown even to me, they migrate north once spring ends. They travel eternally along the border between spring and summer. …Gentle spirits, only encountered during this particular season, traveling the boundary between seasons. Humans consider it a blessing, believing they carry summer with them.”

“Summer…”

“Having witnessed them means summer’s winds should be blowing in within about a month. The lovely end of spring.”

“What are they called?”

“Ho. I don’t know any name for them. Only humans bother naming such things. It is simply what it is. A flying fish that travels the seasons, I’d say.”

“…I feel like you could stand to learn a thing or two about sentimentality, Titania.”

“Ho ho. You’ve grown rather bold with me, haven’t you, speaking to the queen this way.”

Titania chuckled, “How delightful! Simply delightful!” sipping more plum wine as she watched the creatures disappear into the distance.

As for me—after such an unending string of bizarre occurrences, my body trembling, breaking into an unseasonal cold sweat, and finally, my very heart shaken by that fantastical, beautiful sight—I was utterly, completely spent.

Tonight alone, I felt like I’d experienced more than enough of this other world’s true flavor. I’d thought I’d gotten used to the bizarre after the whole Lord of the Mountain incident—how naive I’d been.

—What on earth was tonight, really? Maybe this is divine punishment for trying to sneak a solo drinking session behind everyone’s back again. …Yes, that must be it. Punishment for neglecting Mr. Dazil! Forgive me, Mr. Dazil! I only wanted to ration the beer and quietly savor some fava beans in peace!

—My prayers, it seemed, went entirely unheard by the heavens.

While I sat there brooding, Titania’s cheerful voice reached my ears:

“Heh, you seem to still be deciding on your wish, and it’s grown quite late tonight. You may tell me next time. When I return, do serve me delicious alcohol again. And snacks too, of course. …Ah, that’s right. The other day, you and that armored male were talking about throwing away the fruit soaked in this liquor! Those are mine now, so I forbid you from disposing of them! I’ll curse you if you throw them out! Never, ever throw them away! Understood?”

And with that, the whimsical, terrifying, and yet impossibly beautiful Fairy Queen cheerfully declared, "I’ll bring a friend along next time, soon!" and vanished into the night sky, leaving a trail of shimmering light in her wake.

Left alone, I collapsed onto the tatami, sprawled out limply.

“Fr… friend…?”

…Somehow, I felt like I’d just been told something truly terrifying.

Imagining a future where creatures like Titania came dropping by regularly for fun, I shuddered.

Wanting to shake off that thought, I vigorously shook my head.

…Enough. I’ll take my bath tomorrow and just go to sleep now. And I’ll forget all of this happened, I decided firmly.

But despite the overwhelming exhaustion, my mind, still buzzing with excitement from such an unreal experience, showed no signs of settling down for sleep.

I stared blankly up at the ceiling and muttered to myself: doing bad things really doesn’t pay off.

The Translator’s Corner

In this chapter, it was difficult to decide on a pronoun for Titania. “It” was fitting right at the beginning, when Akane met Titania. But leaving “It” up permanently didn’t seem like the best solution. There was also the option “they,” which generally suited Titania with her archaic way of speaking, but “they” doesn’t sound very good. So I chose “It” for the start section, and then, when Akane gave “the being” a name, I switched to “she.”

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