Volume 5 - CH 2

Chapter 2 – Vending Machine Corner and UFO Catcher

“Wataru-san, Wataru-san, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, eh? No, you were all so beautiful… Ah, um…”

Oh no, I was so shocked that I said something outrageous.

“Oh, you’re so out of the blue; it’s a little embarrassing.”

“Ufufu, Wataru-san, you can say such a thing, too, huh?”

“But my skin and hair have become so smooth. It makes me happy when people compliment me.”

I-I have to change the subject.

“Everyone, after taking a bath, it’s time for a beer.”

I handed out the beer I had bought to the ladies. I show them how to open the pull-top, and they drink the beer with gusto right in front of me.

Some might say milk, coffee milk, or fruit milk after a bath, but I decided on beer because… something is more likely to happen when you’re drunk.

“Phew, it’s the best. Beer for a dry throat after a bath. You should all try it.”

“Puhah, it’s delicious. Beer, huh? It’s more like ale, but it’s cold, sizzling, and delicious.”

“That’s right, Alessia-san.”

Seeing this, the other ladies also gulped down their beer in one gulp… They all seemed to like it. I would be happy if the beer in a yukata after taking a bath is now firmly established.

“Phew, then, let’s rest a bit, and I’ll show you around the ship, okay?”

“Yes, please do. But the beer tastes good, so please let me rest a little longer.”

“Yes.”

While taking a break, I look at the ladies who are sharing their impressions of the baths; they are all happy. They look good in their yukatas, and it makes me glad I bought the Fortress.

“Master, that shampoo and body soap is amazing. I feel so refreshed.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased.”

(Uufufu, let’s have a nice, relaxing lovey-dovey night tonight, shall we?)

(Yes.)

I was going to watch a movie or play the slots tonight, but I guess I’ll have to change my plans. I’m so full of energy.

“So, shall we get going?”

“Yes, please.”

“We’ve seen most of this floor, so let’s go upstairs.”

I walk with the big-breasted beauties in yukata in tow. But I can’t see them because they are behind me… I want to see their cleavage, though.

“This is the vending machine corner. Various vending machines are gathered here. This is juice; this is beer; this is shochu-highball; this is one cup. This one serves food like the one in the picture. You can see the cup noodles, right? Then this is ice cream.”

Wow, there is manga on the bookshelf in the vending machine section. I want to jump on it, but I have to hold back… Since I won’t be able to stop reading it once I start.

“You put a copper coin with the price written on it in this slot, press the button for the product you want, and the product will come out in this slot. We will have dinner at a restaurant, so why don’t we have lunch at this vending machine?

“Sounds fun.”

“First of all, since it is a meal, please choose what you want to eat from the three vending machines and the cup noodles.”

The meal vending machines have a pretty good selection: roasted pork fillet onigiri and fried chicken, grilled onigiri, hot dog, takoyaki, fried potatoes, karaage, edamame, taiyaki, jambalaya, Neapolitan, Chinese-style fried rice, mapodon, soft cutlet sandwich, mince meat curry, sweet and spicy pork yakiniku donburi, hamburger set, and more. The menu is quite extensive.

I gave Ines and Felicia three silver coins each as their allowance for the time being.

“Ufufu, thank you, Master.”

“Thank you, master.”

“No, no, it’s for the vending machine; use the money changer over there.”

The money-changing machine is also of otherworldly specifications and even accepts platinum coins… Platinum coins, huh?

“Wataru-san, what are these onigiri?”

…That’s right, there’s no rice around here. How can I explain rice?

“Well, it’s the staple food where I live. You have to try it to understand how it tastes.”

“Fufu, well, I’ll give it a try.”

“Well, maybe we should all buy different ones and taste them for each other.”

“Oh, yes, let’s all give it a try.”

They would each buy a different one, taste it, and then make a full-fledged selection. When I look at the vending machine to make my choice, too, my doubts turn to certainty.

All of them have gone up in price. Probably the price of the ferry plus the lack of money in ten-yen units, so it’s rounded up… Well, it can’t be helped, I can buy things from another world, this level of price increase is rather on the cheap side, isn’t it?

“Oh, Dorothea-san, wait a minute.”

“Hmm? What’s the matter, Wataru-san?”

“The one that Dorothea-san was just going to buy is a dessert, you know.”

“…It’s in the shape of a fish, though?”

“Yes, well, I don’t know why either, but it’s sweet, so if you want to try it, you’d better buy it after dinner. By the way, I like it.”

“Fufu, I’ll try it after dinner.”

I said and chose another menu item. I asked Rimu what he wanted to eat, too, and he chose the roasted pork fillet onigiri, fried chicken, and Donbei kitsune udon noodles. Rimu said he also wanted the minced meat curry.

I showed the ladies how to open the containers, and we all shared. I wanted to eat my first Donbei and roasted pork fillet onigiri in a long time, so we went our separate ways.

I slurp up the udon, chew on the onigiri, and wash it down with the soup… It’s the best. It’s cheap, but it’s the nostalgic taste I’m used to living alone. I was so excited that I could not stop eating the udon and onigiri.

“Master, as expected, it’s bad manners to make so much noise.”

“Hmm? Oh, Felicia, you’re right. But when you eat noodles in this soup, it is good manners to make noise. It tastes better that way.”

Wow, everyone is looking at me with super skeptical eyes.

“It’s true; by slurping vigorously, the soup goes into your mouth together and tastes better. Try it, and you’ll understand…”

The stares hurt.

Then Carla-san slurps the noodle with her fork.

“Delicious.”

Carla-san, you are really a goddess; everyone’s skeptical gazes loosened. Then the ladies resumed eating. Sharing the food, they bought new dishes for themselves and ate the ones they liked.

…Huh? Is everyone drinking beer? Oh, and shochu too, even one cup of shochu is…

“Um, everyone, it’s lunchtime, so please drink in moderation.”

“Ufufu, I’m sorry, but the beer Wataru-san offered us was so good.”

“That’s good to hear, but the dinner is a buffet. I think it’s better to enjoy the drinks slowly after dinner.”

“What do you mean by a buffet?”

“That’s a good question, Claretta-san. A buffet is basically an all-you-can-eat meal with a variety of dishes on display. You can eat as much as you want until you leave the restaurant during dinner time.”

Oh, Carla-san’s and Claretta-san’s hands stopped moving.

“No matter how much I eat, the price stays the same?”

“Yes, the price stays the same, so the more you eat, the more you get. You have to be in good shape before you go to the buffet.”

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes, a variety of dishes, some you may like, some you may dislike, but you will be satisfied with the food. By the way, Alessia-san, you can also eat all the fried shrimp you like, you know?”

“That sounds like a lot of fun, but let’s not drink now. Is that okay with you girls?”

“””””””Yes.”””””””

Alessia-san is truly a leader, and she is keeping everyone together. I’m wondering if Ines and Felicia are following suit, too… Both of you, don’t forget that you’re my slaves, okay…?

“Well, when you’ve finished eating, I’ll show you the rest.”

I wait a little while until everyone has finished eating and continue guiding them.

“Let’s go then, though there isn’t much more to go.”

“Fufu, I didn’t expect to walk so much on the ship tour. It is amazing that there are still places to visit.”

“Haha, it’s a big place, isn’t it? At the back, there is a restaurant. We will have dinner there. You can buy tickets from this vending machine. By the way, this restaurant serves a buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so if you are so inclined, give it a try. By selecting breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or each two of them, you can get a discount. Of course, you don’t have to eat here every time, so please use the vending machines or the food in my pantry ship.”

“Um, so if I buy two in a set, I save a little money?”

“Yes, Alessia-san is right.”

Well, for Girasole, who is an A-rank adventurer, a few copper coins are just like a margin of error.

“Well, I guess we’ll go out on the deck next.”

“Wow, it’s amazing. It’s windy but very spacious.”

“It’s really spacious. Wataru-san, is it okay if I use this place for training?”

“Yes, it’s fine. There are several decks, so you can use anyone you like. But, Dorothea-san, please don’t try to fight with each other because you will get into trouble.”

“I understand.”

“I’ve given you a rough but general description of the facilities. Dinner will be at 6:00 PM. Please do not be late. After you decide on your room, you are free to do as you please, okay?”

“Yes, let’s do that. Let’s all choose our rooms.”

After all, everyone seems to have chosen a Western-style room that they are used to. I hope they will have a chance to get used to Japanese-style rooms. Isn’t it nice to be in a Japanese-style room with beautiful women in yukata?

Carla-san and Claretta-san are sharing a room because they feel lonely alone.

“Wataru-san, when we’re free, is it okay if I take a bath again?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Wataru-san, I want to buy a stuffed toy. Will you join me?”

“The ufo catcher, right? I can’t say I’m good at it myself, but I can help you.”

“Thank you.”

We moved to the game corner and tried playing the ufo catcher game.

“Which stuffed toy do you want, Claretta-san?”

“They are all cute, so… I want all of them if possible.”

“…It will cost quite a bit of money, you know. And I don’t know if it will be the same here, but the contents of the ufo catcher are changed regularly. If you get hooked, you could end up with a room full of stuffed toys.”

“I want that.”

If it’s what she wants, it can’t be helped, can it?

“Well, let’s start with the basics. Think about what is easy to pick up, the center of gravity of the stuffed toy, where it is likely to get caught, and whether the crane can reach that far.”

I heard that there are various techniques, such as three-point hooking. I can only say the obvious. I’m sorry, Claretta-san.

“Okay, then, how about this one?”

“Well, the stuffed toy on the side is in the way, and the arm doesn’t seem to go all the way in… Then, you might get it if you aim at the neck of the stuffed toy over here.”

“I see. I’ll give it a try.”

After several failed attempts, the crane finally lifts the stuffed toy… and everyone watches breathlessly. Slowly, the stuffed toy is carried into the hole by the crane.

“Kyaa, I got it, I got it, Wataru-san.”

“I’m happy for you, Claretta-san.”

I didn’t know that a ufo catcher was such a wonderful thing. Every time Claretta-san earnestly checked the position of the crane and the location of the stuffed toy, her chest… jumped with joy when she got the stuffed toy; it was the best.

“I’m getting the hang of it. Carla, check the depth position, please?”

“Yep.”

In the end, Claretta-san didn’t give up until she got all kinds… I tried to stop her when she ran to the money changer, but she didn’t stop. Let’s hope they don’t replace the stuffed toys.

No, no, let’s hope there will be a change of stuffed toys… at least once in a while; otherwise, I won’t be able to see this spectacle anymore.

Holding twelve stuffed toys, including the duplicate ones she had taken, Claretta-san asked with a smiling face.

“When is the stuffed toy swap going to take place, Wataru-san?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. I don’t really know much yet about this skill.”

“I see, so we just have to wait and see. Wataru-san, you have seen other stuffed toys, haven’t you? What kind of stuffed toys have you seen?”

“Eh? Well, as I recall… there was a large stuffed bear and various kinds of animals, dolls, things, and most things that can be made into stuffed toys.”

“Fufu, is that so? If it is changes frequently, I can fill my room with stuffed toys.”

“It would cost a lot of money, so you shouldn’t do that.”

If Claretta-san were in Japan, her room and car would be overflowing with stuffed toys.　

“I’m an A-level adventurer. This is nothing for me.”

“I-I see.”

“Fufufu, that’s right. Thank you for helping me, Wataru-san.”

After saying that, she returned to her room with Carla-san; it seemed that she would arrange the stuffed toys in her room…

“Master, is everything okay?”

“What does Felicia think?”

“I think the amount of money is okay, but that addiction is dangerous.”

“I agree, but I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Ines is right.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we rest in our rooms until dinner?”

“”Yes.””

Author Note:

The ferry I referred to does not have a vending machine corner. I like vending machine corners, so I set them up on the ferry, and I hope you will forgive me if some of you find it strange.

The roasted pork fillet onigiri on the vending machine menu has now been replaced by something else, but I liked it so much that I decided to put it there. Also, I changed the alcohol vending machine so that it is available after 11:00 p.m.

I have also added a few new products, so there may be some discrepancies, but I appreciate your understanding.