Chapter 357: Carol and Kikkori

As we could no longer enter the dungeons, we spent our time shopping and sightseeing.

Thankfully, we were able to sell the magic stones and traps we disarmed from the dungeon exploration so we obtained quite a bit of money. In fact, Kanesha’s magic stone sold for 50,000 Sense. It was quite a strong monster after all.

After about three days, Neete contacted me and told me she wished to return to My World. She probably got tired of the suite room. Suzuki had paid one week’s worth of stay in advance so I felt it was a little wasteful but it was better to consider her wishes.

I told Suzuki that she had decided on her next destination and had left town.

We were visiting tourist destinations every day but there still seemed to be many more destinations in Nihon Street.

“Master, look at this. Isn’t this the phantom training equipment, the Kondala? I read about it in a book in Demon Lord-sama’s library.”

“No, that’s a rickshaw. You could say it is a horse carriage but one pulled by a person instead of a horse? You could ride on one at tourist destinations to slowly travel around town and listen to explanations about the area.”

It was definitely not the heavy Kondala – – the manual ground roller. (TL: Reference to the Star of the Giants anime training equipment where they pull a heavy ground roller)

“Master, what is that red item?”

“That’s a Torii. Inari Shrine is written on it so it is meant to worship the gods of harvest. In my world, the Inari Shine is the god for the entire industry so many places give offerings to it. There was one near my home as well. The fox was respected as the messenger for the Inari god so there may be fox figurines as well.”

“Ichino-sama is knowledgeable.”

Carol said with interest.

It was natural that I would know a lot about it. I prayed to the shine countless times for success in my job interviews and I even requested for ceremonial cleansing for around seven times.

When I went for my fifth time, the Shinto priest had already recognized my face and said ‘I see you’ve not succeeded yet’.

“But would it be all right if they display the existence of the Inari shrine so blatantly? Religion-wise.”

I thought to myself but when I entered the shrine, there was a Goddess status displayed in the shrine.

It was Torerul-sama with fox ears and fox tail.

“Oi!”

I unconsciously retorted out loud.

A Lost Person (Transmigrated person) definitely did this.

In the first place, this world has actual brown fox races. The receptionist in Florence’s Adventurers Guild was one.

Won’t the Goddess Church be angered if they do something like this?

“Ah, there’s an explanation below. Um, a Lost Person apparently received permission to do so as their clear reward after clearing a dungeon. Along with a signed note. The church can’t complain if the Goddess permitted it.”

By the way, the explanation said ‘This signifies the hope for the Beast race and Hume race to hold hands and work together’ but it was definitely the personal interest of a Lost Person.

… Torerul-sama was the perfect Goddess to do so as well.

Was this person previously offered as a sacrifice to the God?

They didn’t do any work at all and as punishment … that might be the reason.

For now, the three of us donated to the donation box and prayed by clapping our hands twice just like at a Shinto shrine. It was not a Goddess statue in a dungeon so I was not transported to the Goddess space.

“Heh, was this a church dedicated to fox-eared Torerul-sama?”

“It’s not a church. They said it is a Shinto shrine.”

“ … A place where the Goddess lives?”

Eh? I heard some familiar voices.

Turning around, I saw the mercenary trio, Kikkori, Insep and Chuuto.

“Ichinoho-san! Eh? Did you perhaps reach town before we did?”

Chuuto asked in a joyful tone.

“Yeah. Ah, Haru and Carol, this is the first time you guys met. These guys are mercenaries whom I worked with, Kikkori, Insep and Chuuto.”

Kikkori and Chuuto lightly bowed when I introduced them.

I was about to introduce Haru and Carol but Insep butted in.

Interrupter-kun was back again.

“Ah, is this girl the younger sister Ichinojo-san was talking about?”

“I was about to introduce them. This is Haurvatat and that is Carol. They travel with me. We were traveling separately for various reasons in the Principality of Nicplan and Shiraraki Kingdom but we regrouped in Goats Rocky.”

Haru and Carol bowed when I introduced them.

Kikkori laughed when he heard that.

“I knew it. File’s daughter? You have the same eyes as your father.”

“Yes, File is my father.”

Carol looked at Kikkori and replied.

“I was friends with File … how should I put this? I heard about you countless times from the letters File wrote to me so you feel like a daughter to me … haha, some dust got into my eyes.”

Kikkori rubbed his eyes and looked pleased to have met Carol.

While Kikkori was rambling on with Carol, Haru was having a mock battle with Insep and Chuuto on the shrine grounds.

I wondered if it was all right to fight on the shrine grounds but apparently it was the role of fighters to dedicate fights to the Goddesses. Although I felt that only Setolance-sama would be happy to receive such offerings.

Of course, the three of them were using wooden swords.

Haru was proficient in dual-wielding but this time she fought against the two of them combined with a single sword. To be safe, I forbade the use of skills. Even I could kill monsters using Slash from a knife-hand gesture. Killing with a wooden sword would be simple.

The three of them held their respective weapons and probed their opponents while closing in on each other.

Insep and Chuuto made the first move.

They attacked at the same time from left and right.

They were coordinating with one another. A simultaneous attack from left and right would certainly be difficult to block with a single sword. However, that was only if Haru could not move.

Haru first closed in on Insep and deflected his wooden sword away. Within that time Chuuto’s attack reached her but there was no way Haru would fail to block a single attack. She stopped Chuuto’s attack with her wooden sword.

After that, I could hear the sound of wooden swords striking each other repeatedly.

That was not Haru’s style.

Haru fundamentally does not receive attacks at all. She specializes in either using her speed to make the opponent lose sight of her and defeating them or avoiding her enemy’s attacks and hitting them with a counter-attack.

But this time, she was receiving and deflecting more attacks and Haru kept her attacks down to the speed where Chuuto and Insep can barely react to.

She looked like she was having fun.

In the Advanced dungeon, the Trapdolls appeared so we rushed to clear the dungeon during the early stages and Haru was incompatible with the Demonic Elephant Kanesha so she didn’t get to fight much.

Their sword match lasted for 10 minutes until Carol and Kikkori finished their talk.

“Haa, haa, as expected of Ichinojo-san’s companion … I don’t feel like we have any chance of winning.”

“To be capable of fighting both Insep and me until this stage … it’s as though you have received the divine blessing of the Goddess of War Setolance-sama.”

Insep and Chuuto praised Haru with ragged breaths.

Yes, she did receive Setolance-sama’s divine blessing.

“Both your movements are not bad as well. Do you want to fight three versus one next time? I would face you with dual-wield then.”

Her breathing was slightly disordered but Haru looked as though she had plenty of room to spare.

Insep and Chuuto shook their heads while smiling.

【Ichinojo-sama, Rarael here. Haurvatat-sama and Carol-sama’s clothes are ready.】

A voice rang directly in my head.

It felt similar to hearing the level up message but unlike that inorganic message tone, hearing a female voice whisper in my ear was a lot more exciting.

I could tell that Haru was happy to hear messages from me too.

“Here, Haru, have some water. Stamina Heal and Clean as well.”

I urged her to hydrate, recovered her stamina with Stamina Heal, and wiped off her sweat with Clean.

Lifestyle Magic did not have much cooldown time so I followed up with Stamina Heal and Clean on Insep and Chuuto as well.

“Fuu, that felt good. Thank you very much.”

“ … My gratitude.”

Insep and Chuuto thanked me.

“Sorry, Kikkori, Carol. Could you continue your conversation another time? Something cropped up.”

“It’s okay, we’ve finished talking about most matters.”

“Carol’s glad that she was able to hear a lot of things regarding her father.”

Kikkori looked as though he wanted to talk more but Carol seemed extremely satisfied.

Kikkori seemed to be a father who couldn’t bear to part with his daughter.

Using Thought Trace, I sensed that he was feeling half happy and half lingering attachment.

I asked where they were staying so we could visit them next time.

Kikkori and the others remained on the shrine grounds while we moved to a place with nobody.

Along the way, I spoke to Carol.

“ … Ah, Carol …”

Should I call her father File-san?

I stumbled on my words because of my thoughts so Carol looked up at me and said.

“Carol’s father loved Carol very much. Before she was born and even after she was born. Carol is extremely happy to know that.”

There was no need to use Thought Trace, it was clear that she was overjoyed.

After all, that smile on her face was telling.