WM – Chapter 185: Takatsuki Makoto enjoys

Sa-san was looking at me with a bright red face. 

She played games in my room often, but in our world, we didn’t get this kind of mood when we were alone.

A lot of things happened after reuniting in this world, but we haven’t crossed the ‘line’.

It is mostly because of me being a coward though.

“Takatsuki-kun…” (Aya)

The modest chest of Sa-san was sticking right onto mine. 

I could feel the rapid beating of her heart.

I am sure it is the same with me. 

“Sa-san…” (Makoto)

I gulped.

Not doing anything here would disqualify me as a man.

More so when my own feelings and body are already on overload.

I moved my hand to the buttons of her clothes, and each time I took one off…her white skin slowly showed up.

“I apologize for interrupting your training, Hero Makoto-sama! Captain Ortho has sent a message stating you have used a spell that incapacitated 10,000 monsters, so to please rest for tod—eh?” 

““Eh?””

Sa-san and I turn at the sudden intruder. 

The knight that seems to be a subordinate of Captain Ortho had their mouth wide open.

They were looking at my undone clothes and the face of Sa-san. 

My hand had stopped on the 3rd button of Sa-san’s clothes.

“““…….”””

A chilling cold blew through the inside of the ice house.

“A-Apologies for the interruption!” 

The knight that had come to relay the message of Ortho-san ran off with astounding speed.

““……””

And we two were left dead silent. 

“…Hey, Takatsuki-kun.” (Aya)

“…What, Sa-san?” (Makoto)

“…Do the Sun Knights know about this place?” (Aya)

“…Heroes are supposed to be on standby for any emergencies, so I have told Ortho-san my training location.” (Makoto)

“I see.” (Aya)

“Yeah…” (Makoto)

“…”

“…”

Sa-san and I looked at each other in silence for a while.

“S-Shall we go back?” (Makoto)

I ask.

“…Yeah.” (Aya)

Sa-san nodded.

Sa-san and I returned to the tent while holding hands.

◇◇

I returned to the tent and had entered my futon, but by the time I noticed, I was in a vast space.

Looks like I have been called.

“Hello, Goddess-sama.” (Makoto)

“Oh my, if it isn’t Makoto who couldn’t manage to eat the meal in front of him.” (Noah)

“Mako-kun, Sofia-chan is feeling lonely, so give her some attention, okay?” (Eir)

The ones in my vision are Noah-sama with a grin on her face, and Eir-sama with a troubled expression.

But they seemed to be different from usual.

“…What are you two doing?” (Makoto)

The two of them are inside a kotatsu and around a pot. 

“You can tell by looking, right? It is a hotpot. Don’t just stand there and come eat.” (Noah)

“A lot of food is sent to me at the end of the year, but I can’t finish it all alone. I have gotten a nice duck, so I am having Noah help me out.” (Eir)

“It is not the end of the year yet though?” (Makoto)

“Uhm, this is Divine Realm talk here. It is different from Makoto’s world.” (Noah)

“I see…” (Makoto)

So there’s an end-of-year for the Divine Realm too. 

It didn’t really click to me, but I was reeled in by the tasty smell of the hotpot, and I slowly put my legs in the kotatsu.

I peek at the inside of the pot that is making boiling sounds.

Chinese cabbage, spring chrysanthemum, carrots, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, potherb mustard, in a soy sauce soup as base.

At the side of the pot, there’s red and glossy duck meat. 

“Here are your chopsticks, Mako-kun. Duck meat gets hard if you heat it for too long, so just heat it up a bit right before eating it. Eating the duck meat alone is tasty, but I recommend eating it together with vegetables.” (Eir)

Eir-sama gives me a detailed lecture. 

Looks like the Water Goddess is strict on the rules of hotpots. 

“Isn’t it fine to just eat the hotpot as you want?” (Noah)

On the other hand, Noah-sama goes at her own tune as always. 

The personalities show here.

“I will eat too then.” (Makoto)

For now, I do as Eir-sama says and grab one piece of duck meat and put it in the hot soup.

After heating the meat slightly, I wrap it around potherb mustard, and put it in my mouth.

(Wa?!) (Makoto)

The meat juice explodes in my mouth, and an exquisite taste spreads within it. 

My vision was filled with stars and the scenery turned rainbow colored.

It was like happiness in a bite, and my head was getting dizzy. 

W-What’s this?! 

I haven’t eaten anything like this before! 

“Oh my, it is rare to see Makoto getting this surprised.” (Noah)

“It is a first class product of the Divine Realm called the golden duck. The catchphrase is ‘one bite will send you to heaven’.” (Eir)

“Is that something that’s fine for a human to consume, Eir?” (Noah)

“If it is Mako-kun, it should be okay, right? Mako-kun, put up Clear Mind just in case, okay?” (Eir)

“…Tell me that before I eat, Eir-sama.” (Makoto)

I felt like I would seriously get sent to heaven.

I can see an angel pulling on my clothes and all.

After that, the strange sight of eating a hotpot together with two Goddesses continued.

“By the way, what business did you have today?” (Makoto)

I was looking at Eir-sama wrapping up a piece of duck meat while I asked this. 

There’s no way they just called me here to accompany them in their hotpot, right?

“Hmm, what was it? Eir said she had something to tell you.” (Noah)

Noah-sama was eating vanilla ice cream even though we are in the middle of a meal. 

“Isn’t the dessert the last thing to eat?”, is what I asked, but she responded with: “I eat whatever I want whenever I want!”.

She is the goddess of freedom… 

“Right! I had something important to talk about. It is about Ira-chan!” (Eir)

Despite Eir-sama saying it is an important talk, her hand isn’t stopping.

Soba that was heated up separately was being put into the hotpot. 

Soba?

“Hey, Eir, isn’t the last thing to do on a hotpot to drink the soup?” (Noah)

“Tsk tsk tsk, you don’t get it. Ending the duck hotpot with soba is the best option.” (Eir)

“Heeh, really?” (Makoto)

Noah-sama and I look inside the pot with interest after the explanation of Eir-sama.

The juices that came out from the duck meat mixed with the soy sauce soup, and it was letting out a tasty smell.

In that time, soba was placed on each of our bowls, and there’s vibrant green spring onion and sparkling shichimi sprinkled on it. <Shichimi: blend of seven spices>

“Here you go.” (Eir)

“Thanks, Eir-sama.” (Makoto)

“Tasty! This is pretty good, Eir.” (Noah)

I placed my hands in front of the bowl, and Noah-sama was already slurping on the soba.

The three of us enjoyed this blessed duck soba. 

Haah, it is calming.

(Hm? I feel like we are forgetting something.) (Makoto)

I think Eir-sama was still in the middle of her talk…

“Right, about the matter of Ira-chan staying descended in the Mortal Realm this whole time!” (Eir)

“Did you hear the side of Ira-sama?” (Makoto)

I thought I must listen to this, so I corrected my posture.

“So, why is Ira staying inside the Oracle all this time.” (Noah)

Noah-sama urges her to continue.

“It seems like Ira-chan has been lamenting the fact that she couldn’t stop the dark era in the mortal realm 1,000 years ago. She said that that’s why she is in the mortal realm, so that she doesn’t do a wrong prediction. It is true that you can’t see clear details of the future when in the Divine Realm.” (Eir)

Eir-sama was cleaning up the tableware. 

“I will help you, Eir-sama.” (Makoto)

“It is okay, it is okay. You can stay in your seat.” (Eir)

Is it really okay to have a Goddess doing the cleaning…?

Or more like, this is the room of Noah-sama, so shouldn’t Noah-sama be the one doing that?

I looked at the Goddess I follow, and she was eating her second serving of ice cream.

“What?” (Noah)

“Nothing…” (Makoto)

She seems to be having fun, so let’s just leave it be.

“But you know…if you watch the future from the mortal realm, there’s the chance to miss the bigger picture.” (Eir)

“Or more like, is it okay? Isn’t it in the gray zone in terms of the Divine Realm regulations?” (Noah)

Noah-sama retorts to the worried voice of Eir-sama.

The Divine Realm regulations that show every now and then in conversation.

To put it roughly, it is apparently ‘the Holy Gods must not directly intervene on the matters of the mortal realm people’.

It seems like what Ira-sama is doing is decently dangerous.

“I would like her to be a bit kinder to Princess and me though.” (Makoto)

Ira-sama speaks really harshly to us two.

Eir-sama reacted to those words of mine.

“It is okay. I told Ira-chan to be kind to you and your group, Mako-kun!” (Eir)

Eir-sama gave me a big thumbs up and a wink.

“Thank you very much.” (Makoto)

I lowered my head and gave my thanks.

It is true that she didn’t bother us at the last meeting.

I see, so that was thanks to Eir-sama.

At that moment, I saw Noah-sama going ‘mumumu’ and making a complicated expression.

“What’s the matter, Noah-sama?” (Makoto)

“Aren’t you trying to gain points with Makoto, Eir? You must not convert Makoto, okay?” (Noah)

“There’s no way I would be able to win him over with just this much.” (Eir)

Eir-sama said amazed.

But it seems Noah-sama was worried and she approached me.

“Here, Makoto. You can eat this ice cream.” (Noah)

“I don’t wanna. It is just the remains of what you ate, Noah-sama.” (Makoto)

Noah-sama gave me the ice cream she had been eating for a while now. 

“Haah? Are you saying you don’t want to eat what I have put in my mouth?! What a cocky believer. Here, just eat it already.” (Noah)

“Hey, don’t forcefully push it into my mo—mgh!” (Makoto)

Noah-sama scooped out ice cream she had already eaten with the spoon she used, and drove it into my mouth.

A cold and sweet taste spread in my mouth.

It certainly is tasty. 

“See! Tasty, right?!” (Noah)

“If possible, I would have liked a new one rather than an already eaten one though.” (Makoto)

“What did you just say?! Take another bite!” (Noah)

“Don’t wanna!” (Makoto)

“You two really get along well.” (Eir)

Eir-sama laughed while watching the exchange of Noah-sama and me.

At that moment, the scenery grew hazy.

Looks like time’s up.

“Well then, Noah-sama, Eir-sama, thank you very much for the talk and the hotpot.” (Makoto)

“See ya, Mako-kun. Do your best in the war☆.” (Eir)

“Don’t lower your guard, Makoto.” (Noah)

I nodded at the two Goddesses. 

The war hasn’t even begun. 

Gotta keep a level head. 

While I was thinking that, my consciousness faded.

◇◇

It was morning already.

It is noisy for some reason.

[Eavesdrop].

“Aya, spit it out! What did you do with Makoto last night?!” (Lucy)

“What, Lu-chan? I didn’t do anything~☆.” (Aya)

(Geh.) (Makoto)

It is about me. 

“Lies. I can smell the scent of Makoto from you. Also, the hair on your clothes is from Makoto. The evidence is on you!” (Lucy)

“Hawawawa.” (Aya)

Lucy’s deductive prowess was pushing back Sa-san.

Should I be showing up here? 

(Alright, five more minutes.) (Makoto)

Back to sleep.

“Oh my, you are awake, Makoto.” (Lucy)

“Takatsuki-kun is up, huh.” (Aya)

How can they tell?! 

There’s a partition in the tent! 

Damn it, can’t be helped. Now that it has come to this…

“Ah, I have seen the future of My Knight trying to run away. Grab him.” (Furiae)

“Princess?!” (Makoto)

Don’t use your plot relevant ability for something like this! 

…After that, I was caught and made to spit out everything that happened.

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