Chapter 9 :Traveling companion
*As a result of the previous chapter, the comment column is completely filled with ‘Bo-x!’…..
“Well……. Nice to meet you.”
“!?”
When Reiji gave his greetings, the girl shivered with a start and was hidden behind Tena’s back in the blink of an eye.
“Eh?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. This child extremely shy.”
Tena apologetically explained to Reiji who was surprised at being suddenly avoided. Hidden behind Tena was Lili, a girl with chestnut colored hair who was approximately 10 years old.
Originally, she was the girl who was almost made into a sacrifices by the group worshiping the Evil G.o.d, and after getting picked up by Anri, she helps with the housework as the younger sister of Tena.
“Lili, this person is Mr. Reiji. It’s alright, he is not a scary person.”
“Scary person…..”
Reiji instinctively expressed a wry smile thinking of Tena’s follow-up. He was considering if he is scary, but if anything, he is more of a delicate person with few scary elements. If he was a muscular macho guy, it would be inevitable to be scared.
Receiving Tena’s follow-up, Lili timidly brought her face out and bow with a bob of her head.
“Ni, Nice to meet you.”
“I am Lili.”
Although there is still a little tension in the air, Tena gently stroke the Lili’s head, who somehow finished the greeting.
“Then, let’s have the meal.”
Saying so, Tena guided Reiji to the dining table.
“Oh, it’s amazing!”
Seeing the dining table, Reiji unintentionally raised a voice of admiration. Cream stew full of meat and vegetable is in a round bread, with steak and salad included. It was a menu considerably better than the things Reiji had imagined from the level of culture and civilization in this word.
“As there’s still a lot, please have another serving without reservation.”
“Ah, Thank you.”
Reiji who was a little happy blushed shyly to Tena who saw him smiling. However, it was unavoidable upon seeing so many cuisine when his hunger had exceeded the limit.
“Then…… Itadakimasu.”
“Itadakimasu.”
“Itadakimasu.”
To the orders of Anri, Reiji, Tena and Lili followed respectively.
“Phew, thank you for the meal.”
“Ah, I can’t eat anymore as expected. I’ve unintentionally eaten to my limit because it was delicious.”
“Hehe, thank you.”
Actually, the quant.i.ty Reiji ate was fairly large. Having a second helping of the steak, bread and stew, he ate approximately 2 person’s portion. He probably was hungry to that extent.
“I’ll brew tea for after meal.”
“No, not at all.”
There were 2 person at the other side of the dining table who was staring at the state of those 2 with disgusted eyes. However, the expression of one of them cannot be seen due to a mask.
“…….”
“They seem to be on good terms, Lili.”
“That’s right, Anri Sama.”
Although Tena is only displaying her nature as an obliging person without particularly deep intentions, it can’t be helped that a different nuance is seen when the other party is a man.
“Ahem!”
When Anri clears her throat, Reiji and Tena turns towards her.
“I intend to talk about your future. Tena can put Lili to sleep and come back.”
“Eh? But…..”
Tena raises a question to Anri’s words. Although dinner was a little later than usual today, it isn’t time to sleep yet.
“It’s okay, so please.”
“I, I understand.”
When Anri asked once more, Tena nodded while looking puzzled.
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
2 person, Anri and Reiji returned the greeting respectively to Lili who gave a quick bow while saying good night. Receiving that, Tena and Lili left the room together. (TN: Actual pa.s.sage says Tena and Anri, I suspect it’s a typo)
Waiting until the their footsteps become inaudible, Reiji opened his mouth to speak.
“……Are there some words you do not want her to know?”
Reiji asked a question like that to the blatant action of urging her to leave a while ago. He considered that she had asked Tena to leave her seat by bringing Lili to bed in order for her to not hear their words.
Sure enough, it was right.
“That child is cute.”
“However……I will twist it off if you touch her.”
“Where!?”
Reiji shuddered to the dangerous threat that doesn’t specify a definite spot.
“Because it’s late, I’ll put up with you, so sleep separately.”
“The trust for me is zero!?”
Reiji unconsciously forgot to used honorifics and placed a Tsukkomi. (The guy playing the normal person in a 2 person comedy)
However, if he stays at the all-women household of Black Rose Mansion, it would be said that the meaning of the correspondence was justified.
“Well, if you do not accept accommodation, parting is also acceptable.”
Therefore, Reiji agreed thereupon.
“Still, say that I challenge the trials of the letter in question, how do you think it should be done specifically from tomorrow?”
“On the letter, the first trial was written as ‘making a demon king of this world recognize your ability. Though I can introduce you to the demon king, I think it’s impossible to make them recognize your ability now. As to cheating the request to recognize your ability, you should avoid it because you do not know what kind of action the Evil G.o.d will take.”
As Anri had said, the present Reiji does not have any powers that can be specially mentioned excluding magic that randomly triggers. Although his physical ability went up considerably compared to the time in his original world, but that is only it.
Reiji doesn’t know how powerful the demon king is, but when talking about whether there is an ability to the extent which a king of a race recognizes in the present Reiji, there would be nothing to say but no.
“Then, how……”
“Train? Doesn’t the time frame for that counts in years…….”
The image for training formed by Reiji is similar to att.i.tude and weight training , but he doesn’t know how long it will take if such a thing is being done. Even if he takes several decades and return to the original world, the place for him to stay will disappear. For Reiji, he wanted to clear the trial and return to the original world as soon as possible.
“There is a good place near here.”
“Perhaps…..is it the dungeon according to the story?”
There is said to be a good place and when hearing Anri’s history, Reiji remembered the dungeon according to the story.
“Yes, for short term training by actual combat over there, it is also safer than other places.”
“The demon king stays in the demon race territory.”
“Demon race territory, Such a place……”
Reiji’s face clouded over imagining the severe trip judging from the sound of it.
Anri understood his intention from seeing Reiji a.s.sume a gloomy look and gave him an advice.
“I think it is indeed severe alone. You should gather comrades in the town nearby.”
“Tena!?”
Tena who returned suddenly interrupted the conversation. Reiji was delighted and surprised with those words and raised his voice.
“Not allowed.”
However, the request of Tena was rejected with a word from Anri.
“Wh, Why is it?”
“Anri Sama, Please! I want to help Mr. Reiji.”
“Though you have just met, why?”
Anri is puzzled by Tena’s persistence.
Although she considered love at first sight, it does not seem like romantic feelings was held for Reiji despite seeing Tena’s appearance.
“……That, I do not know as well, but I do not want to leave Mr.Reiji alone at any rate.”
Tena answered after a long silence to Anri’s question.
Complicated feelings for Reiji which even Tena herself cannot understand was caused by the fact that she superimposed him and Anri unconsciously.
Tena having become the attendant of Anri, bought from the place when she was sold as a slave who was about to die of illness and cured with divine protection granting skill was by chance. The strong impression of being saved when she was about to die has taken roots in the innermost depths of Tena’s heart now.
Black hair and eyes that is rare in this world similar to Anri, and subsequently, impressions of common features such as being thrown in from a different world to this world all alone are also overlapping, Tena felt that she wanted to return the favor of being helped by Anri herself at that time by helping him. Although it might be a meaningless compensation act, the feelings embraced unconsciously at one point in time are not easily erased.
“In any case, It’s no good because of various dangers.”
“Various….”
Seeing the fleeting glance towards Reiji’s direction while saying these words, it was apparent that a certain portion besides simple safety of the body was being said.
However, Tena who was pure did not notice it.
“It’s alright. I can also use dark magic too, and won’t be a drag to Mr. Reiji!”
“I cannot feel a.s.sured with just that.”
Tena who receives Anri’s stubborn denial falls down.
After the exchange was repeated a while, Anri who have partially given up reluctantly stated a certain condition.
“If that’s the case, reach 10 levels of the dungeon. I will accept your trip with him if you can achieve it.”
“Un, Understood!”
Tena nodded vigorously although she flinched a little to the condition Anri stated.
Turning to face Reiji as she is, she reported gripping both his hands.
“Although I’m just a burden to shoulder, will you take me together too?”
“Ah, I was saved. Of course, there is no reason to decline. Please take care of me.”
Reiji nodded while blushing to the soft touch on his hands.
Anri grumbled something when seeing such a sight while casting a sidelong glance.
Anri “………… it is not.”
Tena is added as a comrade. But I do not want to hand it over so easily.