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—It was the next day.

<<Are you doing okay over there? Are you eating properly? Taking baths? Getting enough sleep?>>

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. You worry too much, Chihiro. I’m an adult, you know. I’ve got it under control.” (Lanpeach)

<<I’m concerned because you tend to act in ways that go beyond our imagination. You’re not drawing too much attention to yourself, right?>> (Chihiro)

“Not at all, I’m totally under the radar. Even if I wanted to stand out, I’m pretty mediocre.” (Lanpeach)

He couldn’t help but laugh at Chihiro’s words, which were like those of a worried mother. Next, she’d probably ask if he had a handkerchief or enough tissues.

<<Are there any strong monsters over there? Should I send Dry your way?>> (Chihiro)

“Dry should stay there and keep hunting monsters to level up. You’ve got good equipment, but don’t push yourself too hard.” (Lanpeach)

<<She is currently in the mid-layers of the Aso Spirit Ward, taking down insect-type monsters in droves. They’re quick and strong, but their defense is weak and they have low HP, so you can earn easy money from them.>> (Chihiro)

“Watch out for kamikaze attacks. Stick to using magic and avoid close combat as much as possible.” (Lanpeach)

It seems Dry is focused on leveling up. It is true that if they are going by the beta version’s leveling system, the insect monsters in the Aso Spirit Zone would make for a good hunting ground.

<<When will Papa-shan come back? Today? Koume ish waiting.>> (Koume) 

“Well, it’s going to be a while. Be a good girl and wait, okay? I’ll bring you a present when I return.” (Lanpeach)

<<Kay! Koume will be a good girl, sho come back shoon. Will you be back tomorrow? Will Papa-shan be back after my nap?>> (Koume)

“No, it’ll take a bit longer. I’ll be back after you’ve slept through around six nights.” (Lanpeach)

He felt guilty for making little Koume wait so innocently, but it couldn’t be helped. Papa-shan’s on a business trip. 

However, like a doting father who’s on a solo assignment, he worried that if he stayed away too long, she might forget his face.

“You’ve got a lot of family, don’t you, old man? I’m surprised. Are you married by any chance?” (Touka)

“Well, I do have a home in the slums, so I’ve got a lot of people around me. But I’m just a sad lonely bachelor.” (Lanpeach)

Calling his large apartment complex ‘home’, Lanpeach ended the call on his smartphone with special features added by the Snow Rabbits, and sat down. 

Many people would probably consider it worth spending 10 billion Elle for a smartphone capable of long-distance communication that surpasses the jamming effects of Element Powder, but Lanpeach remained oblivious to its value.

On the table before him was a steaming bowl of freshly cooked white rice, miso soup with tofu, perfectly cooked omelets, and ham and eggs. All of it was made from natural ingredients and looked delicious. Although there were a lot of eggs, it was an appetizing breakfast.

“As expected of a million Elle. The food is top-notch. I thought it was just an overpriced room.” (Lanpeach)

He picked up the rice bowl and put some in his mouth. It had a subtle sweetness, and the flavor of the rice was clear. It was the first time he’d had rice in a while, possibly even the first time in this world. He was moved.

“We make sure the food is worth the price so it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. Here you go, Mimi-chan.” (Touka)

“Tha you… Zzz…” (Mimi)

Touka held the rice bowl she had filled from the rice pot and handed it to Mimi, who was sitting in her chair, swinging her little legs back and forth. Even though she was drowsy, the rabbit skillfully ate while keeping her eyes practically closed.

Touka naturally served herself some rice as well while humming a little tune. There were three portions of breakfast for some reason.

“Hey, it is a bit late to ask, but why is there a portion for you too?” (Lanpeach)

“In the Ultra Suite Room, a personal hostess is assigned to you. And since I’m a party member, I’m eating with you.” (Touka)

Touka said this while starting to eat herself, but it didn’t make much sense to me.

“That reason doesn’t make much sense. Is it just my imagination that it sounds like a flimsy excuse?” (Lanpeach)

“Come on, it’s fine. Don’t be so stiff, old man. But are you really fine with me not telling you the secret of the golden key? Won’t you regret it? Do you know how to get into the Graveyard of Swords?” (Touka)

[Yeah, Soldier, do you even know how to use that key?] (Libra)

[I’ve never seen this key before, but I’ve used something similar. I’ll need to check, but I’ve got a pretty good idea.] (Lanpeach)

Libra asked this while sneaking an omelet from the side, happily munching on it. It seems she’s willing to eat natural food. She’s quite the extravagant support character.

“Eeh~, then I won’t get to find out your true identity in return. This little one is an Artificial Spirit, right? How can it eat? It even seems to have a sense of self. Where did you make it?” (Touka)

“I bought it at a store around here. It was on sale, so it was cheap.” (Lanpeach)

“There’s no way such a sophisticated Artificial Spirit would be on sale! Artificial Spirits are like robots; they don’t move until they’re given instructions, and when their spirit stones run out, they stop working. I’ve never seen a rabbit that sleeps and eats!” (Touka)

Mimi said she found the miso soup hard to drink. She licked it tentatively, shivering as it burned her tongue. It seems that rabbits aren’t good with hot drinks. 

Wait, didn’t she just say something strange?

“What?! Is this not normal? Everyone around me is like this.” (Lanpeach)

The minor villain finally realized something was off. Libra whistled innocently, looking off into the distance.

“That must mean you come from somewhere different! Where? Where are you from? Could you be from outer space? Am I making first contact? Uh, Me earthling~.” (Touka)

“Why are you the one speaking broken Japanese? Hey, how much would this rabbit cost if you bought it?” (Lanpeach)

“There’s nowhere that sells it to begin with. Some Artificial Spirits can hold simple conversations, but they’re mechanical. If you say  something like, ‘Alex, heat the bath’, or ‘Turn on the room lights’, they would respond in a slightly considerate way, but they follow a set pattern.” (Touka)

“I see… I didn’t know that.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach glanced at Libra with eyes that said ‘you were keeping silent on this, weren’t you?’. 

She clung to him with a smirk.

[Now now, it’s just a little more advanced technology. It’s what you’d call ‘lost technology’ from the past thousand years. The kind where they still have the ability to make them, but it’s considered unnecessary, so it was stopped.] (Libra)

[Aaah, like how you don’t need a feature that lets them slack off, sleep, or build nests. Even if AI technology advances, putting it to practical use is a different story, huh.] (Lanpeach)

[Exactly. So, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Just explain it away as a rich man’s hobbyist Artificial Spirit.] (Libra)

It was a lie. Libra told a bold lie to Lanpeach with a sweet smile that could captivate anyone. 

With modern technology, it’s impossible to create an Artificial Spirit like the one made by the Space Library. But she couldn’t resist the allure of fun. Well, the strength of that allure is set on the standards of Libra though.

[In that case, let’s say I have a wealthy sponsor. Maybe that Sage is backing me or something.] (Lanpeach)

The minor villain concocted a plan that would make Sage faint if he ever heard it while overwhelmed by the softness pressed against him.

“I’m just a man with a base in the slums. This was given to me by my sponsor. So, I don’t have any shady connections.” (Lanpeach)

He answered while munching on his meal, and Touka gave him a suspicious side-eye. 

It was a vague enough reply to be questioned. But the trick to lying is to keep it abstract, so you can layer new lies over it as needed. Getting too detailed with your story only makes it easier for someone to spot inconsistencies later.

“You’re definitely lying, aren’t you? Could it be that you refuse to tell the truth unless someone asks you in ‘space language’?” (Touka)

Then, Touka asked a wild, out-of-the-blue question, with a serious face.

This kid’s personality is definitely not normal, is what he thought as he popped the last omelet into his mouth. 

Suddenly, the internal phone in the room rang.

“Hello~, this is Lanpeach’s room. Oh, Dad? Why am I here? Well, I’m playing hostess. Yeah, yeah, old man, you’ve got a guest in the lobby.” (Touka)

“You’re just going to say it’s because you’re the hostess if I point out why you answered the phone, aren’t you? Well, whatever. I’m glad they arrived sooner than expected.” (Lanpeach)

‘Just as I finished my breakfast’, is what he said as he grabbed Mimi, who was trying to crawl into his backpack, and grinned.

◇◇

“Yo, Lanpeach! Long time no see, gahahaha!”

When he arrived at the reception lobby, a chubby man greeted him with a hearty laugh. This man was none other than Krita.

“Thanks for handling Sage’s subcontracting. Are you working seriously?” (Lanpeach)

“Of course, in my own way. If you’re staying at Tsurugiya House, it must be for the Ultra Suite Room, right?” (Krita)

Krita, who had once been emaciated, had gained back the weight he lost. Despite losing all his assets, he was now energetically doing small subcontracting jobs for Sage. He must have a heart made of diamond.

“What. Is Tsurugi House that famous?” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach was slightly surprised by this unexpected statement as he sat down across from Krita. 

Touka for some reason sat beside him with sparkling eyes and had an expression that clearly said ‘This sounds interesting’. Lanpeach decided to not comment on this.

“Huh? You didn’t know? Tsurugi is one of the families that controls the Surface District, known as the Armed Families. Right now, the head of the family isn’t interested in power struggles, so they’ve fallen from prominence. They run a dojo and are only interested in honing their martial arts. The old man, his daughter, and even his son-in-law have no interest in power struggles.” (Krita)

“The Armed Families… There was something like that?” (Lanpeach)

In the game, Lanpeach had just glossed over such details, and  it was still possible to clear the game even without remembering settings like this. He thought maybe it would be better to learn more about this world.

“And, if you stay in Tsurugi House’s Ultra Suite Room, you’re given a golden key. If you’re qualified, you can enter a dungeon called the Graveyard of Swords. It’s said that you can obtain a treasured sword there, but only one person every few decades gets it.” (Krita)

“So it is famous, huh? I was bragging about it just yesterday.” (Lanpeach)

“At that time, I thought, ‘This guy really doesn’t know anything’, you know?” (Touka)

Lanpeach’s face flushed with embarrassment. He had created  one more page on his dark history by declaring, with a mysterious air, information that everyone else already knew.

Krita looked with pity at the minor villain that trembled with shame and placed a gun on the table.

“From the looks of it, you really didn’t know… You could have found out if you’d just done some research.” (Krita)

“Gathering information isn’t my job. So, is this what I ordered?” (Lanpeach)

“Yeah, it’s the gun worth 7 billion Ele in total. Please confirm it.” (Krita) 

“Good job, Krita. I’ll allow you to buy these materials as a reward.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach picked up the gun and chuckled.

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