Chapter 463
Side Story: Little Girl’s Secret Base
Illuna said to the a.s.sembled group of young girls in front of her.
“Everyone! We will now begin Operation Secret Base Sleepover!”
“Oh!”
“…Oh!”
Following s.h.i.+ and Enne’s applause, Rei, Rui, and Ro clapped in the same manner with their transparent, though soundless, bodies.
They were currently in the castle courtyard, which was the favorite playground of the little girls, and in a corner of that courtyard, a secret base was built.
It was built with cardboard, cloth, duct tape, wood, and nails, and was quite an original structure.
Inside, there were two rooms: one with plenty of s.p.a.ce, and one smaller room used as a storage room.
The floor was covered with cardboard boxes, and leisure sheets were placed on top of the cardboard boxes, making it perfect for protection from the cold.
There were also several windows for ventilation.
The only drawback was that it got a little warm when everyone was making a lot of commotion together.
This was mitigated by the introduction of a fan that spins using magic power.
Incidentally, these cardboard boxes were not left over from something that was stored in them, but rather an item from the DP catalog called a “cardboard box” as was.
Since it was derived from Yuki’s previous life, they were actually quite expensive, along with the duct tape, but when Yuki was told that the young girls wanted to make a secret base, he replied “if you think about a secret base, then you will need this!” and prepared a large quant.i.ty of cardboard boxes for them to use.
Later, out of Yuki’s frustration, he added several features to the base.
The first floor was furnished with a table, chairs, shelves, and other simple furnis.h.i.+ngs, while the second floor was furnished with blankets and other bedding for the number of people who could stay overnight.
As for lighting, several lanterns that glow with magic power were installed to illuminate the room even at night.
There was a kitchen attached to the outside of the secret base, and Yuki had installed running water to the kitchen, so cooking was possible.
The adults had a little discussion about whether to allow the use of fire, but Yuki said, “There is recovery magic available and Elixirs have been distributed and placed over there as well, so I think everything should be fine.” and warned them that if they used fire in a strange way, they would be scolded. “But they know better than to do so,” Lefi a.s.sured, and so they were allowed to place the cooking tools there.
Yuki helped a little with the second floor of the secret base because it would be dangerous if they made it too weak, but the rest of the base was built entirely by the young girls.
The small size of the base made the girls feel a little cramped, but that didn’t stop them from being thrilled.
Although it was true that the girls were able to use magic, they were basically high-spec, smart, and were influenced by a certain someone, following the creed of “Give it your all for fun!”. This was the reason why the girls have created the strongest secret base in the world.
***
“First, I’ll tell you about the flow of this operation and some precautions!”
Illuna addressed everyone in front of a small whiteboard set up on the first floor.
This whiteboard was often used for some kind of strategy meeting like today’s one.
Just recently, it was used for Operation Hide and Seek, Operation Field Trip, Operation Treasure Hunt, and so on.
All the members liked it because it created an adult-like atmosphere.
Illuna was the facilitator at these events.
Enne was basically pa.s.sive, and s.h.i.+, Rei, Rui, and Ro, who had been born in the dungeon, were quick to go off on tangents, so they themselves understood that the meeting could not proceed without Illuna, who was a solid person.
“–Yes, here’s how it’s going to go. Questions, please!”
“…Yes. What about food?”
“Big brother said curry is the way to go in a situation like this, so curry it is! Layla said to be careful with the fire!”
“I’m afraid of fire because of its strong power. I’ll be so embarra.s.sed if I get stuck in a fire.”
“Hmm… Fire is strong, but we should not avoid using it. Everyone, be careful.”
The little girls, who had been taught over and over again how to be afraid of fire, warned each other and nodded to each other.
“Okay, next question!”
“Yes! Let’s hold a meeting to discuss a card game!”
“Good idea! I’m sure we’ll have a lot of fun, there will also be fun card games available. I’ve prepared myself to stay up late today!”
“Oh, Illuna, you’ve been napping a lot today! Ready for a late night!”
“…hmm. Great physical fitness management.”
“I’m not as fit as everyone else, but it’s a strategy to have lots of fun!”
Illuna was not lacking in physical fitness, or rather, she was quite fit compared to other children of her age, but for her, it was only these young girls to whom she could evaluate her physical fitness.
s.h.i.+ and the Wraith girls, who were born in a dungeon, were cla.s.sified as monsters, and Enne was a magic sword. They were physically stronger than ordinary children.
So, Illuna judged that she was comparatively weaker than the others.
“…I’m getting excited. Let’s make curry soon, curry. Then we’ll eat it, take a bath, brush our teeth, and play a lot.”
“Wow, looking forward to it! Rei-chan, Rui-chan, Ro-chan, we can play together for as long as we want today!”
At s.h.i.+’s words, the Wraith girls twirled and danced happily in the air.
Since they had no physical bodies, they were remarkably tireless, which was why during the long nights they had a lot of free time.
“Alright, let’s start cooking! Enne-chan, you do the chopping, and s.h.i.+, you wash the vegetables! Rei-chan, Rui-chan, and Ro, please prepare the rice! Big brother has prepared the magic ingredients, so please look forward to it!”
And so the girls began “Operation Secret Base Overnight”.
They cooperated with each other and finished cooking with some difficulty. When they tasted the curry they cooked by themselves, they couldn’t help but say, “It’s delicious!”
Then, after soaking in the waterfall hot springs at the j.a.panese style inn and brus.h.i.+ng their teeth, it’s time for the most exciting time of the day.
Yuki also joined the girls in their secret base, not the usual throne room, and played with them until they were satisfied, and then fell asleep.
–Yuki wished them to enjoy their lives freely and happily.
However, at this point in time, they were already enjoying their days to their heart’s content and enjoying life to the fullest.