「Hehe. I’m glad you enjoyed it. That’s the most important thing.」
Loa was wearing a lewd smile as she casually stroked my lower abdomen.
That slight stimulation caused the second round to start preparing.
That’s how we were in our room… 「I’m home!」
The loud voice of the maids echoed from downstairs, and I hurriedly put on my pants.
「Master, let me do the buttons.」
Loa didn’t flinch and, in a flash, fastened all of my buttons.
If she’s this fast, maybe she could undo them just as quickly? I wondered.
「That would be unbecoming.」 Loa read my mind. 「…You’re right.」 She might be right.
We went downstairs together to greet the maids. 「Welcome home.」 「Welcome back, Master.」
「Sousuke, Sousuke! There’s a lot of stuff, so can you store it?」
It seems that the fact that we were upstairs didn’t raise any suspicion. 「Thanks. I’ll be right there.」
I went outside and put away the giant basket that Mashiro had given me.
I was impressed by the item names and quantities displayed in the ‘Inventory’ window. “It really is a lot.”
“Nah-hah-hah! That’s what you get when you have us on the job!”
Shozi gave me a peace sign.
“Hm. Full effort all the time, use ‘Basic Healing’ when tired. The more you move, the more you lose weight. Perfect.”
Chiyu, who had been looking at the chicken coop, nodded contentedly.
“Well… We heard that Chiyu-san had managed to get Souzou-san’s body in shape in a short time, so we thought we’d try a little harder too…”
Shinfu fidgeted with the end of her ponytail, looking embarrassed.
I see, so there was a reason for them to be so enthusiastic about gathering items.
Chiyu’s healing magic also restores stamina, so by alternating between exercise and recovery, it’s possible to train at an incredible speed.
In the process, it might even help with weight loss by getting rid of excess fat.
In the end, it’s still going to be exhausting, so you need to be motivated.
Also, since I worked out, I’m really hungry, so I have to be careful not to replenish the calories I burned too quickly.
“Oh, I have something to tell you, Shouko.” “Huh? What’s wrong?”
Shouko, who was stroking Mashiro to comfort her, looked at me. “Do you know about the Dream World?”
“What about Sera? Did you meet her!?”
“I met her, but we’re not together. I’ll explain everything to everyone.” We headed toward the dining table.
Shouko suddenly leaned in close. “So! What about Sera!?”
Usually, she would be complaining about being hungry by now, but today she was serious because of her friend’s story.
I told Mashiro’s group about what happened this morning.
After finishing the rough outline of the story.
“Oh yeah! You said something about a barrier or something! Like the kind of thing in manga where you make a box or a place that enemies can’t enter?” “Yeah.”
I see, she’s an otaku and understood right away, but normally, people wouldn’t understand what a barrier is.
”…So you’re saying you can draw a line to separate inside and outside and restrict entry and exit within a certain range?” I nodded to Shinko’s thoughtful expression.
“That’s the right interpretation of the spell. The restrictions are pretty flexible, and it seems like it can block insects, beasts, and even people.”
“So, it can block any new monsters that get added?”
Chiyu had grasped an important point.
“That’s right. The strength needs to be tested, but it seems like you can set it to block anyone who isn’t allowed, so I think it can block monsters too.”
“Hey, hey, does that mean I can include Seirin too?” The servant’s eyes were shining with hope.
No one was forcing her to find friends, but it was fine to be happy about becoming friends with someone she had unexpectedly run into again.
「Honestly, it depends on the dream world. I’m in favor of bringing her into the party, considering that more monsters might be added in the future, but…」 「Huh? Is there a problem?」
「No, I just want to discuss it with the whole party first. Besides, weren’t we told to bring her here first?」
「Got it! Let’s go, Sōsuke!」 She’s about to jump out right now.
「Of course we’ll go, but let’s do it after we eat. I already gave her some food, and with the barrier, it’s safe.」
「Oh, yeah, that’s right. Sorry, I got excited.」
She scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed.
「No, it’s natural to be happy knowing my friend is safe.」 「…Yeah, thanks.」
「Besides, even if we can’t become friends, I thought we could form a cooperative relationship.」 「A cooperative relationship?」
「Something like, in exchange for you surrounding our base with a barrier, we’ll give you what we produce.」
「Oh, I see. Even if we can’t live together, we can still help each other out.」
If this is what cooperation means, then it’s a healthy relationship, and I welcome it.
However, I want to avoid our help becoming a one-sided thing, so I need to be careful about who I choose to be my partner.
Now that Shouko has calmed down, I’ll hear everyone’s opinions.
Chiyu said, “It’ll be helpful for defense. I agree.”
Shion said, “If I actually see it, I’ll understand how amazing the ability is, so I agree too.”
Shinfu said, “If we can form a cooperative relationship, it will be very beneficial for us as well. Besides, Shouko-san is a close friend of hers, so I think we can trust her.”
Loa said, “Are you asking for my opinion as a temporary member? …If that’s the case, I will cast my vote in favor as well. With a barrier, we can take in unwanted guests, so it’s wonderful.” Everyone agreed. “Thank you, everyone!”
Shouko looks happy that her friend was accepted.
「For now, Mikoto and I will go meet with Yume-kai in the afternoon.」
「Great! That means lunch… Wait, doesn’t it smell really good in here!?」
Mikoto sniffs the air and peers into the kitchen.
As she says, the scent of miso and soy sauce fills the air.
「Hehe. The Micron-chan group found a soybean field. Roa-chan did a great job harvesting, and Sohju-kun crafted the miso and soy sauce, and then I cooked it up…!」
Today, Shion seems a bit more energetic.
That alone must have made her very happy.
Indeed, the aroma of miso soup at the dining table alone is enough to make one happy.
It’s been seven days since we lost the normalcy of Japan.
While it may seem like just a week, even a few days of travel can make one miss home.
In a situation where one can’t return freely, it’s not surprising that such feelings would be even stronger.
Does it sound exaggerated to feel like we’ve regained a bit of our daily routine thanks to the miso soup?
「…Fried pork with ginger is Sou-kun’s favorite dish. I’m worried I’ll be caught in his stomach trap again.」 Senyuu seems to be concerned about something.
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at my childhood friend.
Incidentally, the fried pork with ginger, which was well-coated with the sauce, and the miso soup with tofu and seaweed were both delicious. I’m really grateful to the head chef, Shion.
After the meal, I go to meet Mochiko in the dream world.
Sorry, I posted this by mistake.
Since deleting it would be awkward, please consider this as the December 28th update…
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