“Ouch!?”
As soon as she understood who the customer I mentioned was, Meguri-san let go of Tadashi as if throwing him, and Tadashi was slammed to the floor by inertia.
Then, Meguri-san tidily straightened her disheveled clothes.
“Hey! You stand up too!!”
Meguri-san, as if kicking a corpse, kicked Tadashi, who was writhing in pain, and instructed him to stand.
In a sense, it was a terrible act, but it just showed how rushed she was. After all, the presence was getting closer and closer.
“Ah, Himik is here too.”
Among those presences, I also sensed a familiar one. I’m guessing she’s probably Amili-san’s bodyguard and Shiik and Miik’s supervisor. While we’re at it, the rumor is that she’s already more of an acquaintance in the shopping district than I am.
Himik, the fallen angel who has settled into her role as a housewife, but originally a Seraph. I recall her and Evia discussing that her combat power was comparable to Evia’s full strength. It’s probably not a coincidence that she’s with Amili-san.
“Mom, go a little easier on me. Even I feel the pain, you know?”
“I wouldn’t do this if you weren’t doing stupid things,”
And then, while rubbing her lower back, Meguri-san, while saying various things, tidied Tadashi’s clothes. You wouldn’t believe they were wrestling just moments ago.
“They’re here.”
And just as Tadashi’s clothes were being tidied, the presence stopped in front of Memoria’s store.
Along with the tinkling of the bell that signaled the opening of the door, I heard footsteps entering the store.
“Giro, are you here? Evia told me to bring the three of you.”
The one who entered at the front was Himik, carrying a large amount of groceries in her eco-bag, dressed in a cooking apron. If it weren’t for the wings on her back and her Western features, you could say she looked like a Meiji-era housewife. I’m happy to see her looking so fitting.
“Ah, I’m here. Thank you for coming all this way.”
“It’s fine. I came by on my way to do some shopping. I plan to make oden today, so please look forward to it.”
And then, with a sunflower-like smile, she held up her shopping bag, which contained radishes, chikuwa, kelp, and, just as Himik said, ingredients for oden. The temperature inside the company is generally kept at a comfortable level, with almost no changes in temperature from cold to hot. Regarding the expenses that trouble the company, such as heating and cooling costs, they can be resolved with a single word: Dungeon. Therefore, even seasonal dishes are made just because one feels like eating them.
While we were all having a pleasant conversation like that, a shadow suddenly cut in.
“Enough about dinner. I want to get to the main point. Human King.”
Not her usual hood and casual attire, but rather dressed as if she were about to attend a royal ball. I don’t mean to speak ill of Memoria’s store, but it’s like a Western noble visiting a convenience store. Even without looking, I could tell she was meticulously made up and her movements were careful. Usually calm and collected, she now seemed to be suppressing a slight excitement.
“Yes, yes, I rushed over when I heard Tadashi’s mother had arrived, and I don’t like being held up here, do I, Shiik?”
“Yes, Miik. The first impression is crucial. It’s unpleasant to be put on hold in a place like this, isn’t it, Miik?”
It seemed the Twin Angels felt the same. Occasionally, I’d run into them with Tadashi or see them eating out, and they were usually dressed in more modern, casual attire then… Why kimonos? Was it to match Himik, or is it the kimono that directly appeals to the tastes of the Angel species? I’m not sure, but the Twin Angels were dressed in muted colors. Regardless of whether it’s Shichi-Go-San, they are magnificent women with their makeup done impeccably. This tells me how much effort they put into meeting Meguri-san. Although not much time has passed since the contact, they’ve still made such preparations.
“Originally, we were scheduled to meet at a proper restaurant, but…”
“If the plan has changed, it’s no problem. I was always prepared.”
Honestly, the plan has been completely ruined. I had thought of meeting at a nice restaurant instead of Memoria’s shop and formal introductions. However, the information that Meguri had come to the company reached Amili-san. I could have predicted this would happen.
“My shop isn’t a restaurant, but…”
“Frankly, I can only apologize.”
I wanted to let out a big sigh about what might happen next, but my opponent is one of the Seven Generals, the Machine King. Due to the matter of status, I couldn’t say such a thing even if my mouth were torn open. The best I could do was to quietly express that this was out of place for what seemed to be an introduction between two families.
Apologizing for her feelings, I quietly moved aside.
“This is Tadashi’s mother, Meguri Kaido.”
I tried to lighten the mood with a slight joke, but it’s no exaggeration to say that everyone in this Demon Lord’s Army knows her. The Machine King, Amili Mazacraft. The aura she emanates, or perhaps I should say the atmosphere she surrounds herself with. It’s a level of power that would make an ordinary person falter if they witnessed it. The Twin Angels exuded a similar atmosphere. Honestly, I’m very curious about Meguri-san’s reaction.
“…”
“…”
Who would have predicted that they would fall silent? Are they carefully searching for words? Or perhaps…
“I am Amili Mazacraft, and I have been dating Tadashi Kaido with the intention of marriage. I apologize beforehand for the formality of this greeting in such a setting.”
A slightly tense atmosphere permeated the air, but the ice broke when Amili-san lowered her head slightly and greeted first.
“I am Meguri, Tadashi’s mother. Please accept my apologies for the delay in this greeting.”
Both of them spoke politely and sincerely. Only Tadashi, looking at his mother as if to say, “Who is this person?”, managed to read the atmosphere and refrain from saying anything.
“I have heard the circumstances from my son. Ms. Mazacraft, you are pregnant with my son’s child.”
“Yes.”
This is not the kind of topic one would discuss in a general store, but I had no right to interrupt here. I maintained a stance of quiet observation, while nudging Tadashi with my elbow to “be strong.”
“And I have heard that you are also dating other women besides me.”
“That is correct.”
While this exchange was taking place, the conversation progressed. Amili-san’s pregnancy and her relationship with the Twin Angels. Meguri-san continued the conversation with words that showed no hesitation, as if all that was hidden had been revealed.
“Nice to meet you, Mother.”
“We are the Twin Angels.”
“Shiik and…”
“Miik and…”
“We go by Miik.”
At that timing, the Twins also stepped forward to greet her. To an observer, it might look like a group of small girls who have dressed up to attend an event, but unfortunately, everyone here is older than I am. I realized that I was witnessing a truly rare scene and pondered what to do next. As a matchmaker, this is where the real work begins. I want to somehow mediate and help them build a good relationship, but it’s also true that this isn’t the time for me to butt in. What should I do? What should I do?
“Jiro-san.”
“Yes, Memoria?”
To me, who was lost in thought, Memoria, unusually, put on a full sales smile.
“It’s almost time for this to become a hindrance to business, so I’d like to ask if we could move the location?”
“You’re right, it’s a bit awkward to stand here and talk.”
She said to me. She is also a merchant. This is a general store, not a cafe. Although they serve tea and cookies, it is by no means a restaurant. With her kind permission, it’s currently marked as “under preparation.” Although only the minimum necessary self-introductions have been made, the tour of the company is still underway. It might be a good opportunity to interact while guiding them.
“Since we’ve all introduced ourselves, this is not something that can be settled by standing and chatting. How about we change the venue?”
Once decided, things moved quickly. I, too, put on a sales smile and started to guide the conversation.
“I have another shop prepared. Meguri-san, you don’t yet fully understand our situation, so could you please explain various things to Amili-san and Shiik-san and Miik-san on the way? For example, how you met and what you do in your daily lives.”
“Yes, it would be biased if I only relied on what my son told me. Could you tell me about it if you don’t mind?”
“No problem, I don’t mind.”
“We also have no objections.”
It seems we can avoid hindering business.
“Himik, what about you?”
“I’m just here to guide. As long as Giro is by your side, there should be no problem. I’ll return home and prepare dinner.”
I felt a bit apologetic about just guiding, but it seemed she was genuinely on her way to do errands. After exchanging greetings with the Twins, Himik said goodbye to everyone present and left.
“By the way, she’s also Senpai’s wife.”
“Oh, she looks happy too.”
I overheard the conversation between the mother and son at that moment, but I’ll ignore it for now. Enduring the grinding pain in my stomach with sheer willpower, we left Memoria’s shop.
“Will you be able to leave work on time today?”
“Yeah, according to the schedule, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“I see, then I’ll also leave early today.”
At the shop entrance, I exchanged such words with Memoria, who came to remove the “under preparation” sign, and we resumed our stroll through the underground mall. Moving through the shopping street with elegantly dressed girls is quite eye-catching.
“This is where I met Tadashi.”
“Isn’t that a Gachapon?”
“Affirmative. I encountered something extremely interesting from this world’s culture. Tadashi knew about it, and it was the trigger for our first encounter when he told me about it.”
“I never thought my son’s hobbies would be useful someday.”
However, Amili-san didn’t seem to care about the glances, and she was recounting her encounter. A girl surrounded by the Machine King, the Human King, and a Seraph. I can sense the curious stares, wondering what important person she is. Ah, I’m sure Evia will be angry about this later. I’ll make sure to involve Tadashi and make him take responsibility. Along the way, shop staff I know noticed and silently asked what was going on, and I repeatedly returned their glances, signaling that I’d explain later.
“You are residents of a different world than Amili-san’s world.”
“Yes, Mother-in-law. We lived in a world called Heaven.”
“At first, we faced Tadashi as enemies, but when we were wounded and about to die, he saved us with his kind heart and negotiated with the Demon Lord’s Army, not as prisoners, but as protected individuals.”
“We were deeply moved by his kind heart and wished for him to be our Hero, so we stay by his side.”
After Amili-san’s encounter, it was the Twin Angels’ turn to tell their story. It hasn’t been that long, but yet it sounds like a story from long ago. Unlike me, who listened from the side, Tadashi, unsure of what stories would emerge, intently listened to the women’s tales with a trembling heart. The exchange felt less like a friendly chat and more like they were gauging each other’s sense of distance. The conversation progressed with Meguri-san, Amili-san, Shiik, and Miik at the center, and I hoped that with this cultural exchange, everything would proceed without any issues, but…
“Yo! Isn’t that Jiro? What a coincidence running into you here!”
Just when I least expected it, an event occurred.
“Oni King.”
“Machine King, it’s rare to see you so dressed up.”
It was Instructor Kio, the Oni King, Raidou, who is also our instructor here at the company.
Today’s Word: The timing of playing your hand should be carefully considered.
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I am also currently serializing another work: “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” The box of Pandora has been opened again, but we’re fighting back with various things at our secret base!! Please check that one out too!!
