It has been two years since the Razekamamiya Kingdom was established.
Ririka was diligently cleaning the temple as usual today.
“Oh? Ririka, what’s wrong? You don’t seem as energetic as before,” an older woman, who was also cleaning the temple, approached her.
In fact, Ririka had just been called to a room in the temple.
And who had called her, you ask? It was Silvia, of course.
Silvia, who appeared suddenly as usual, had approached Ririka while she was cleaning and said she had something to talk about.
Ririka had just returned after their conversation, but she seemed a little confused by what Silvia had told her.
The older woman seemed to have noticed this subtle change.
“Ah, yes. I’m alright. It’s not that I’m not energetic, I was just thinking about something,” Ririka replied.
“Ah, I see. It’s no wonder, since Silvia-sama called for you,” the woman said, nodding.
Among the regulars of the temple cleaning activities, the relationship between Silvia and Ririka was already common knowledge.
Perhaps because Ririka was close in age to Silvia, she was settling into the role of a confidante.
Initially, she was seen as a confidante, but that rumor quickly disappeared when Ririka vehemently denied it.
Instead, the rumor that spread was that she was a confidante.
As there was no basis to deny this, Ririka had left it as is.
In fact, the conversations she had with Silvia when called upon were mostly small talk, so the rumor wasn’t entirely wrong.
She thought it was a bit conceited to believe she was relied upon, but she hoped that talking with her would at least alleviate some of Silvia’s worries.
This was her thinking, at least, until she was called by Silvia just now.
***
Since hearing Silvia’s story, Ririka found herself unable to focus on her cleaning. In the end, she simply returned to her inn.
Back in her room, she pondered the conversation she had with Silvia.
However, her thoughts remained jumbled, and she was in a state of distress when she heard her name being called from outside her room. It was Sally, the party leader.
“Leader? Please, come in,” Ririka called out. With a click, Sally entered the room.
“I’m sorry to bother you while you’re relaxing,” Sally said.
“No, it’s fine. I was just thinking of doing something else to distract myself,” Ririka replied. It wasn’t a lie; she had been contemplating going for a walk to calm her unsettled feelings.
“I see…” Sally said, then fell silent.
Ririka tilted her head, puzzled. It was very unusual for Sally, who had a straightforward personality, to act this way. Because of this, Ririka waited for Sally to speak.
Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Sally finally opened her mouth.
“…Suddenly, I have something I’d like to talk to you about, Ririka, or rather, I need your advice.”
“Okay,” Ririka responded.
“Actually… I’m finally getting married…”
The words carried a strangely heavy atmosphere, and for a moment, Ririka didn’t understand what was being said. However, as Sally’s words sank in, her expression shifted to a smile.
“That’s wonderful! …Wait, it’s not wonderful?” Ririka asked, tilting her head again at Sally’s somewhat downcast expression, despite her apparent joy.
“Well, yes. Marriage, I suppose, is the inevitable end for some, and I thought, why not, since there’s someone interested,” Sally said, trailing off. Ririka listened, a slight smirk on her face. After all, Ririka had met Sally’s fiancé several times. They had seemed quite compatible then, and it seemed her prediction was correct.
“B-but! That’s not all I wanted to talk about today!” Sally exclaimed, as if noticing Ririka’s reaction and in a hurry to change the subject.
Finally, after Sally calmed down, Ririka was able to hear the real reason for her visit. The issue was who would become the party leader after Sally’s marriage. Sally had originally formed the party, and she had always been its leader. However, with Sally leaving, leadership became a problem.
“So, I was hoping you, Ririka, would take over as leader?”
“Is that what this is about…” Ririka said, nodding in understanding. In the past two years, Ririka had become the longest-standing member of the party. There had been several changes in membership. Therefore, Sally’s proposal was, in a sense, reasonable.
…However.
After a moment’s thought, Ririka shook her head. “I’m sorry. Could I decline?”
Sally looked surprised for a moment, then pondered. “…May I ask why?”
Ririka nodded and began to explain.
“Actually, today I spoke with Silvia-sama…”
Sally knew that Ririka and Silvia had spoken on many occasions.
“Did she say something?”
“Yes. She asked if I would be her assistant.”
Sally looked astonished. “It seems Silvia-sama is expecting a child, and some physical tasks will become difficult for her, so she wants me to help her with them.”
“That’s incredible!” Sally exclaimed.
“Yes, I was surprised too.” In fact, Ririka had likely been stunned for a full five seconds when Silvia told her.
“It was a sudden request, so I asked for some time. But if the leader is leaving, I thought I might accept it.” Ririka had no intention of staying in the party without Sally. Her continued career as an adventurer was solely because Sally was the leader.
“I see. If that’s the case, then I can’t help it,” Sally said, nodding in relation to Silvia’s story, seemingly oblivious to Ririka’s underlying feelings. Ririka didn’t plan to tell Sally everything, anyway. It was too embarrassing.
***
Ultimately, the party was not disbanded, but both Sally and Ririka left. To avoid the chaos that ensued the last time they both left at once, Ririka would be leaving with a slight delay. Silvia had agreed to wait, as her pregnancy was still some time away, granting her that grace period. However, Ririka also promised to assist Silvia during this time. A member who had been with the party for a long time was chosen as the new leader. While they seemed nervous at first and struggled in some areas, Ririka believed they would become a good leader. Under the new leader, Ririka continued her adventuring activities until the day finally arrived.
“Sally, congratulations!!” Sally, dressed in a pure white gown, was being congratulated by many people. The crowd surrounding her now were friends and acquaintances who had rushed to celebrate her marriage. The sheer number of people gathered was a testament to her character. Of course, Sally’s former party members were also present. Ririka watched Sally’s happy scene with immense nervousness. The reason for her distress was that Ririka had been chosen to deliver Sally’s wedding vows. Silvia, having somehow heard about it from Sally, had approached Sally directly, without going through Ririka. Sally had readily agreed. By the time the news reached Ririka, she was already in a situation where she couldn’t back out. By the way, seeing Ririka’s strained expression upon hearing the news, Silvia calmly remarked, “Think of it as a good experience. I’ll be assisting you properly.” Silvia was currently beside Ririka, fulfilling her role as an assistant. This situation was also a major source of Ririka’s anxiety. Ririka wanted to escape, but remembering Sally’s joyful expression, she knew she couldn’t.
Despite nearly failing multiple times, Ririka managed to complete the vow ceremony with Silvia’s timely assistance each time. Silvia watched Ririka, who looked utterly exhausted, with a smile. Then, a guest approached the weary Ririka. It was Sally, the day’s bride. “Oh, welcome. Is it alright to leave your husband unattended?” “Ah, it’s fine. He said if I told you to have a good time, then he sends his regards,” Sally replied. Sally and Silvia exchanged a few words at the doorway before approaching Ririka. Seeing Ririka utterly drained, Sally burst into laughter. “I knew it would be like this,” Sally said, having struggled to contain her laughter during Ririka’s extremely nervous vow delivery. Ririka, too tense, hadn’t noticed at all. “Really. What are you doing making the bride worry about you?” Silvia chided Ririka, who was holding her head. “Oh, come on, don’t say that. I’m glad you did it, Ririka,” Sally said gently. “Is that so? That’s good, Ririka,” Silvia added. “Ah. Yes~. Thank you~,” Ririka replied, unable to muster more energy to respond to the two teasing her.
From this day forward, as Silvia’s assistant, Ririka’s name as a Shrine Maiden began to spread rapidly, albeit limited to the Fifth Floor.
