Chapter Ninety-four: The First Chiki-Chiki Bombshell Endurance Race Begins
As I swallow hard, my mind, drowning in a whirlpool of confusion, surfaces. My tongue unconsciously licks my dry lips. I guess the fact that he’s telling me this means he’s somewhat opening up to me, but I have no idea how to respond…
“Um… I’m not sure if it’s my place to comment, but… do you not get along with your brother?”
“Our relationship wasn’t bad. In fact, my brother was a good man… He was kind to me even when I was a troublemaker.”
“Sounds like he was a great brother… My younger brothers and I were always fighting.”
My voice, when it finally came out, still had a slight tremor. Mr. Ville’s response lacked its usual cheerfulness, tinged with a hint of shadow… and perhaps nostalgia. He must be a good person. Being kind to his younger brother already makes him a good older brother. Maybe it’s because we’re close in age, but my brothers and I used to have daily all-out brawls over snacks… But if that’s the case, it doesn’t seem like they have a bad relationship where they can’t face each other…
“My brother is a man of integrity and perfectly suited to be the heir. It was decided he would inherit, but many wanted to prop me up instead…”
“Huh? But why did they do so if your brother would have been the perfect heir?”
Still, the word "heir" came up so casually… Are they in some kind of business or a family of artisans… or maybe even quite important people…?
“…It’s probably because he was born to a concubine, while I was born to a legal wife. In the end, I got fed up with all the drama and left home on my own… Now I don’t know how I could face them if I went back…”
“Whoa!”
I was tilting my head, wondering how things could have gotten so awkward when the brother seemed nice and they got along well… Then Mr. Ville, shoulders slumped, explained the circumstances, leaving me utterly flabbergasted. What’s with these bombshells being dropped one after another!? They’ve been hitting non-stop! My mental state is in ruins, I tell you, ruins!
…Wait, isn’t this story straight out of a period drama? And the fact that this kind of family drama came up… Doesn’t that mean Mr. Ville was from a really good family? Could it be that this world is like a Western-style period drama? Was I summoned not to a European fantasy world but to a European historical drama world?
If that’s the case, I’d prefer to be in the bumbling sidekick role!
…But wait a minute? If that’s true… what role does a saint summoned from another world play…? Maybe a miracle-working beauty who secretly arrived with prohibited cargo from overseas or some southern barbarian country…?
…
…Well. No matter how you look at it, I’m definitely on the side that gets taken down by the shogun or the elderly nobleman or some peach-boy samurai and his three animal friends. Thank you very much indeed.
“…”
“What’s wrong, Rin? Is something bothering you?”
“Ah, no… it’s… it’s nothing…”
I wonder what the right response is here? There’s so much I want to say and ask, but I can’t put it into words… Mr. Ville noticed me silently averting my gaze and asked me directly, but in the end, I couldn’t say anything, Mom…
An awkward silence filled the Camping Car.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to ask about the thing that bothered me most…
“We’re back! We had so much fun! Here, souvenirs!”
“We’re home… It was… fun!”
Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria poked their heads through the cabin door energetically. Both of their eyes were sparkling, and their cheeks were rosy… They must have had a really good time. Their faces were practically screaming "We’re satisfied!" In Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria’s hands were souvenirs… bottles of alcohol and what looked like baked goods.
“Rin, you said you’d make dinner for us!”
“We bought… drinks and dessert!”
“Wow! Thank you so much! Once Mr. Xenon gets back, we can start dinner.”
“Did someone call me?”
“Whoa!”
As I was receiving the wine bottles and simple baked goods, and mentioning the name of the person who hadn’t returned yet, Mr. Xenon suddenly poked his handsome face out from behind Mr. Ed. Surprised by this unexpected event, I let out a strange cry and took a step back. In the corner of my vision, I could see Gomamiso’s fur standing on end, probably startled by my scream. Mr. Xenon in front of me also had his eyes wide open, as if to say "That was unexpected…" in response to my reaction. Come on now… If an ordinary person who can’t sense presence suddenly has someone appear right in front of them, of course, they’ll be surprised!
“I ran into Ed and Aria on my way back, so we returned together. I’m sorry for startling you.”
“N-No… It’s okay. I’m sorry for being so surprised.”
In Mr. Xenon’s hands, which were lowered apologetically, was a basket that seemed to contain fruits. He must have bought it as a souvenir. Everyone is so kind, really… This is a great party that’s nice to the cook!
Well then. Despite the little mishap, everyone’s here now!
“…Sorry for the strange talk before dinner.”
“No, I’m glad you told me…! I just have something I’d like to ask you after dinner…”
“I understand. We’ll make time for that… But first…”
“Yes, I know. First, let’s eat!”
I felt a light tug on the hem of my clothes. Following the source with my eyes, I saw Mr. Ville’s fingers pinching the edge of my outfit. He whispered an apology in a voice low enough that others couldn’t hear, and I lightly shook my head in response.
If anything, now that he’s told me the story, I understand why Mr. Ville is reluctant to go back, and I’ve come up with some ideas… When I said there was something I wanted to talk to him about, regardless of its validity, he readily agreed!
Mr. Ville, who responds quickly to his party members’ concerns, is truly a capable leader.
…If only it weren’t for the sound of his growling stomach, we could have ended on a more serious note…
But it’s true that we’re all hungry!
“Alright, it’s dinner time! We’re having a fry-up party, so let’s get in the mood and go all out!”
Now, let the fried food party begin, yahoo!
Thank you!
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