“…The Wind Cannon, Beethoven. Its power and accuracy has reached the desired levels. No visible burden on the machine. Results are great.” (Juo)

Looks like it went as expected and Juo-san’s mood was on rise.

“I have created something good. As dawn of the mass production of Kukulkan, we will crush something like the Demon Lords…!” (Juo)

Is it really okay to mass produce something like that?

Won’t it turn into the last war?!

“Creating just that one machine blew away a whole year of the budget of our laboratory, so it won’t be possible though.” (Juo)

“Ain’t that too much?!” (Haine)

How much is one year of budget?!

How much is that one year specifically?!

No wait, I don’t want to hear it! For a super commoner like me who feels pain in his pocket when treating a cute girl to train lunch boxes, there’s no doubt the numbers she would say would be able to stop my heart!

“Hyue, looks like operating it is going smoothly. Next, I want to check the maneuverability and the chassis…” (Juo)

“……”

“…Hyue?” (Juo)

Hyue, who was inside Kukulkan, wasn’t making a single sound.

“This is…” (Haine)

“Isn’t there something wrong?!” (Karen)

We obviously end up getting worried and run to the robot, forcefully opening up the hatch.

When we did that, Hyue fell out from it with her eyes going around in circles.

“Hyue?!” (Haine)

“Hyue-chan?!” (Karen)

Karen-san and I had released her together, but Hyue was completely unconscious.

“……Looks like the drastic divine power consumption and the recoil gave her a double punch. I thought I solved the drying up of divine power with ethereal, but looks like the recoil was…… Should I strengthen the shock absorber in the cockpit?” (Juo)

“Don’t just calmly analyze it and help her out! Isn’t she your sister-in-law?!” (Haine)

“Who is her sister-in-law—–?!!” (Hyue)

“Woah?!” (Haine)

Hyue revived with a roar!

To think she would react to the word sister-in-law even when she is unconscious. Does she really dislike it that much?!

“…Hah…Hah… How disgraceful. I lost consciousness huh. Beethoven is the strongest trump card of Kukulkan. If I faint every time I shoot it, it won’t be of use in actual combat.” (Hyue)

“We can solve the problem by increasing the defense of the cockpit. Let’s leave the test operation here for today and return to the laboratory.” (Juo)

“No, not yet…” (Hyue)

Hyue stands up, but it looks like her legs are unsteady.

“We simply tested shooting the main armament. The test firing of the other sub-weapons, and their effect on the chassis, and its endurance to continuous firing. We are going to test them in combat. There’s way too many things we have to test.” (Juo)

“That will be when the cockpit is improve—” (Juo)

“No! It is more efficient to bring out to light as many problems as possible to fix them all at once. For the sake of that, we have to continue testing!” (Hyue)

“No, wait.” (Haine)

Unable to take it, I enter to stop her.

“Even if you are to do that, you should put a break in between, Hyue. The recoil of the bombing has caused more damage to you than expected.” (Haine)

“…Even while I am doing this, who knows when the Demon Lord will attack. When that happens, we can’t have Kukulkan be unfinished. We have to prepare for an attack as soon as possible!” (Hyue)

Saying this, Hyue tried to enter the cockpit again.

As I thought, I could feel quite the hurry from her.

The threat of the Demon Lords.

The hero shoulders the duty of crushing them.

The five heroes that protect the five nations were all struggling with this pressure. However, I felt severe hurry from Hyue that was one step higher than that.

“…”

A hand grabs the hurried Hyue from the collar.

“?!”

And then, forcefully takes out Hyue who was trying to ride Kukulkan.

“Uwawawawawa?! What is the meaning of this?! …Karen-dono?!” (Hyue)

Being dragged out, Hyue was confused and turns her head back.

She realized that the one who grabbed her collar was Karen-san.

“What’s the matter-de gozaru ka, Karen-dono?! As you can see, I am currently busy—!” (Hyue)

“Hyue-chan, let’s play.” (Karen)

“Eh?” (Hyue)

Hm?

“Hyue-chan, do you understand in what situation you are in? I have come here, you know? I am a guest, you know? Moreover, I am visiting here as the representative of the Light Church, the light hero. Isn’t it a matter of course that a hero of the same rank should be entertaining me?” (Karen)

“No, but, as I said…!” (Hyue)

“Fighting is not the only duty of a hero. That’s why, Hyue-chan, cancel your current plans, and play with me. Doraha-san as well, let’s go together!” (Karen)

“Yes, Karen-sama.” (Doraha)

Doraha agreed and Karen-san grabbed the hand of both as she pulls them.

“Wait! Did you two hear what I said-de gozaru ka?! I have an important duty to…! Aaaah~~~!!” (Hyue)

Being dragged away without a say in the matter, the echoes of Hyue’s cries fade away in the distance along with her figure.

……

…That was Karen-san being considerate.

“…Thanks. You were a great help.” (Juo)

On the other hand, the ghost Juo had entered the metallic robot that remained.

“Hyue has been completely into the development of this lately that I thought she needed a break already. She is a serious girl after all. If someone doesn’t force her, she won’t take a break.” (Juo)

“Wouldn’t it have been fine for you to be the one to tell her?” (Haine)

“It is not possible for me. She hates me, so she won’t listen to what I say no matter what.” (Juo)

Right.

Hyue’s hate for Juo is quite the thing after all. Must be her brocon acting up there.

“That’s why I was surprised when Hyue requested me to make this. I thought she wouldn’t ask me for anything ever.” (Juo)

Juo-san seemed to be in deep thought.

“That’s just how strong her resolve is. She is a hero and plans on protecting Rudras Metropolis at all costs.” (Haine)

“It would be nice if that were all there is…” (Juo)

The meaningful mutter of Juo-san bothered me.

But Juo-san smoothly activated the robot and prepared to return.

“I will be returning to the laboratory and improve this little one. This is probably the first and last time Hyue will be relying on me after all. Gotta do my best.” (Juo)

“Please don’t push yourself, okay? You are also busy, right?” (Haine)

She is the bride of a wedding that is soon to come after all.

There’s no doubt she should be busy with the wedding preparations and all that.

“…No worries. The preparations for the wedding are being done by other people.” (Juo)

“Oi oi.” (Haine)

“Shiva-sama is the same. We want to concentrate on our jobs. We are a couple that think the same way.” (Juo)

Saying this, she operates the robot and leaves.

…As always, she is a person that is hard to grasp.

Now then, let’s go after Karen-san, Hyue, and Doraha.

• 348: Bug eating relationship

“The completion of Kukulkan… the completion of Kukulkan……! Is getting further away…!” (Hyue)

“I-It is okay, Hyue-chan! The Demon Lord-sans will wait while we are having a break and playing around!!” (Karen)

Hyue has been like this the whole time she had returned to Rudras Metropolis. And the city was also still in their festive mood over the marriage of their Founder.

Is this going to continue all the way until the wedding?

Karen-san, Hyue, Doraha, and I were in the middle of walking through the tumult of people.

“That robot is currently being improved by Juo, so it is not as if progress has been stopped. Taking a break is also part of work. Hyue, you have been working all this time lately, right?” (Haine)

In order to reduce the burden in Hyue’s heart even if for a little bit, I decided on hurting my pocket again.

If she eats something good, her heart should naturally gain some respite as well.

Because there were a number of stalls taking advantage of the festival, I bought snacks for all of our group.

I distribute this candy in a stick to all four of us.

“Wa~, so good! Even ordinary candy can give the feeling of delicious when eaten at a festival!!” (Karen)

Karen-san licks the candy in a stick and turns it around to enjoy the taste.

“It is a popular product of Rudras Metropolis, the lethocerus candy-ni gozaru. I also like it a lot-de gozaru yo.” (Hyue)

“Hm?!” (Karen)

The tongue of Karen-san that was licking on the candy had stopped.

“After cooking the freshly caught lethocerus from the water spots, they enclose them in candy-de gozaru. By the time your tongue gets tired of the sweetness of the candy, you can taste the saltiness of the insect-de gozaru.” (Hyue)

Now that she mentions it, insect food is common in Rudras Metropolis.

“But this lethocerus candy isn’t that good. Looks like they were stingy in the production cost and used lethocerus that’s not fresh-de gozaru. That’s why they made the candy non-transparent. They are making it so you can’t confirm the state of the inside before buying it-de gozaru yo.” (Hyue)

The ones selling have also thought it thorough.

We are tourists that just bought it without noticing that.

Well, I just bit on the candy normally and ended up crunching on the lethocerus that’s inside though.

…It is true that there’s a skeletal sensation to it. And there’s also the squishy feeling that comes out after biting it all.

As expected of the water bug that is said to be the strongest underwater, the stretchiness of its meat is nice. It is true that this serves as quite the nice stimulus when combined with the sweetness of the candy.

“…Uhm, Haine-san. If you want, you can have mine too…” (Karen)

Karen-san slowly offers me her candy.

If I remember correctly, Karen-san was always in tears when insect food came out huh.

No, but…

“Is that okay? You know…” (Haine)

“What?” (Karen)

“Karen-san licked that candy quite a lot, so if I were to put it in my mouth…” (Haine)

Karen-san must have reached to the conclusion of ‘indirect kiss’. Her face turned completely red.

“Never mind! I will take responsibility and lick it all!!” (Karen)

Is what Karen-san said as she brings the candy back to her mouth.

“Uh…sweet. It is good…! But when I finish licking this candy…!!” (Karen)

“Ah, it is okay-de gozaru yo, Karen-dono. I will eat it.” (Hyue)

Hyue says and bites on the lethocerus candy that Karen-san has in her hand.

Looks like she already finished eating hers.

“Eh? Is that okay, Hyue-chan?!” (Karen)

“Food differs from each nation after all. Forcing yourself to eat wouldn’t be good for either side. Nom nom.” (Hyue)

And so, the candy that Karen-san was licking, is now inside the mouth of Hyue.

In the past, Hyue had happily done her best to show the prided insect cooking of Rudras Metropolis to her new comrades.

Maybe she has noticed the differences that come from being raised in different environments.

“…Well, it can’t be helped-de gozaru yo. But the candy itself isn’t that good either…” (Hyue)

Hyue looked slightly dissatisfied as she bites onto the candy.

Seeing this…

“Hyue-chan! As I thought, I will be eating it!!” (Karen)

Karen-san pulls the candy out of Hyue’s mouth.

“Feeh?!” (Hyue)

“This is the taste that Hyue-chan likes, right?! Hating on the food that a friend of mine likes is not something that a hero should do! More so, saying that I don’t like it when I haven’t even eaten it yet! Nom!” (Karen)

Is what Karen-san declares as she bites on the candy that had gotten pretty small already from being inside of Hyue’s mouth.

“Wuh… the sensation of something that’s clearly not candy has come out… It is okay. I am the hero that was okay even when directly holding a lizard!” (Karen)

Lizard?

Just what in the world happened, Karen-san?

Lizards remind me of newts, and those are poisonous, so I don’t really want to eat them.

“…Karen-dono, when the body of the lethocerus shows up, crunch on it without hesitation-de gozaru. Even if you lick it, it won’t be taste of anything-de wa gozaranzo.” (Hyue)

“Understood…!!” (Karen)

*Gabu*

“Feeh?! What’s with this sensation that I have never felt before?! And this jelly-like meat that’s coming out!” (Karen)

“That’s the taste of the lethocerus-de gozaru yo. Since it is a fitting bite-size, it has been established as a sweet in the stores-de gozaru.” (Hyue)

“Incredible! Incredible! To think I would be able to meet a taste that I haven’t experienced before; this is truly cultural exchange!!” (Karen)

“I am happy to see you are happy-de gozaru! But as I said before, because this is not that good of a product, next time, I will be treating you to the best hand-made lethocerus candy-de gozaru yo!!” (Hyue)

“Really?! I am so happy!” (Karen)

Karen-san is truly a genius in getting along with people.

She broad-mindedly accepts the different values of other people, and puts love and effort in it.

Karen-san is probably a big core for why the five Churches that didn’t get along at first are now joining as one, and even the Demon Lords are joining those ranks.

…By the way, Karen-san and Hyue were exchanging that candy like crazy. Is it okay because they are girls?!

My heart was throbbing just from watching it though!

By the way, Doraha didn’t show much opposition to the lethocerus inside the candy and ate it completely -with stick and all.

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