Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Henderberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class)
Position: Warrior.
“Faith?”
“Yes, faith.”
I repeat Memoria’s words as if to ponder them, but unfortunately, as someone from an ordinary family living in modern Japan, my knowledge of faith is limited to equating it with religion.
“Is it related to the ‘Luck’ stat?”
“You’re starting from there?”
So, I ask about the connection.
I feel sorry for Memoria, but in times like these, a shop with no customers provides a comfortable situation for asking questions, which is helpful.
She puts her hand to her chin, thinks for a moment, and then begins her explanation.
“Then, do you know the scope of what the ‘Luck’ stat influences?”
“…Like having good luck in lotteries?”
When asked about the scope of Luck’s application, I can’t immediately grasp its broad meaning.
So, I offer an example that is close to me.
“It has that kind of meaning, but the main focus is different. The ‘Luck’ stat is a quantification of how much you are perceived by imperceptible external factors.”
“Imperceptible external factors?”
“Yes… In your world, something familiar might be, say, gods. There are others, aren’t there? Beings that may exist but cannot be seen.”
With that analogy, am I thinking of beings from fairy tales?
While gods are indeed familiar, I have no idea what they look like, and in the life I’ve lived, I’ve never met one. In a world where admitting to meeting one would immediately make me seem crazy. In Japan, other such beings might include dragons, oni, ghosts, and in a sense, elves.
At least setting aside gods, I’ve encountered the rest to an extent that I can’t call them rare these days…
“Ah, there are,” I say.
“Luck is the numerical value representing being perceived by such beings.”
“…Sorry, I’m not quite getting the gist. What does ‘being perceived’ specifically mean?”
“It means exactly that. To have your voice reach a god and for them to know you. That’s all it means.”
“…Is it like sales performance?”
My analogy might be bad, but it’s the only way I can think of it.
“It’s like being recognized by beings called gods, and by offering prayers and sacrifices and worshiping them, they remember your face, and you receive help.”
“It’s meaningless if greedy emotions are shown, but generally, your understanding is not wrong.”
“It’s not wrong?”
If that’s the case, it makes sense that my Luck wouldn’t increase, and would even decrease.
The closest thing I do to prayer is probably saying “Itadakimasu” and “Gochisousama” before and after meals. Even then, it’s directed towards the farmers who grew the ingredients and the cooks who prepared the meal, not towards any god.
“That’s harsh.”
“Life isn’t always convenient, you know.”
“Even for vampires?”
“Vampires face more hardships than humans.”
“I bet.”
The element of Luck cannot be ignored, but that doesn’t mean I can just start worshiping gods and expect them to accept it.
So, I make a light joke and decide to end this conversation for now.
“Then, what will you do for your lover, the vampire, who is working overtime in this harsh world?”
“How about helping with closing up and then having dinner together?”
“Then, let’s settle on that, with the added bonus of tonight’s rights.”
“Understood, Princess.”
“…Not bad.”
Memoria’s pupils, with a faint smile only at the corners of her mouth, show joy.
Putting that aside, I move to carry the spoils I brought in deeper into the store.
“Then, I’ll go and put away the sign outside. The spoils should go to the back storeroom as usual.”
“Understood, understood.”
Familiarity breeds ease.
I pretty much know where to put which type of spoils. Even in situations like this, my enhanced stats come into play, and carrying large loads isn’t a struggle. I reduce the number of trips by carrying as much as the aisle width allows, covering distances that would normally require multiple trips.
Within five minutes, the unloading is complete, and I return to the shop.
“Suella?”
“Good evening.”
As I returned from the back storeroom, my other girlfriend, who wasn’t there moments ago, was present. She smiles at me as I emerge from the storeroom and greets me.
“I met you outside the shop.”
“Yes, I finished work early today, so I thought we could have dinner together. I heard from Kaido-san that you were here.”
She holds the shop’s sign in one hand, likely having helped with closing up. Wearing a modern skirt and sweater instead of a suit, Suella asks Memoria where to put the sign and places it in its usual spot.
“In that case, shall we all go together?”
“That sounds good.”
“Thank you.”
Until now, the plan was for Memoria and me to go, but Memoria nods to me, suggesting it’s fine with Suella present.
In that case, there’s no time to return to my room. I ask them to let me put my equipment in the shop, and the plan changes slightly, increasing the number of people from two to three. Finally, after locking up the shop, we head out into the underground facilities at night.
Naturally, I find myself with beautiful women on either side, but I’m used to it now, and it only results in a little teasing.
“Hey, Jiro! You’ve got two beauties fawning over you again today!”
“Envious, aren’t you?”
“Tch! I have my wife waiting for me at home, why would I be envious?!”
As we walk, we exchange jokes with a familiar goblin who, without hiding his drunken aura, cheerfully pats me on the shoulder.
“Oh, Suella. You’re working late today? Oh, and Memoria is with you too.”
“Yes, I finished surprisingly early today and thought we’d have dinner together.”
“How envious. My husband is working again today. Could you say something to Evia-sama for me?”
Since the relationship between me and my girlfriends is common knowledge, the Lizardman woman speaks to me without any strange looks.
“You’re from the medical team, aren’t you?”
“Yes, it seems you overdid it quite a bit. My husband told me.”
“Thank you for your care.”
Honestly, it’s hard to distinguish between Lizardmen’s faces, but I know this one. She’s the one who, upon first impression, loved the Osaka-style clothing and brought “Osaka Obachan” (a term for a middle-aged woman from Osaka, known for her strong personality and distinctive fashion) into this otherworld. It’s impossible to forget this Leopard print-clad Lizardman woman adorned with purple accessories. Well, her cheerful personality and her love for talking, similar to people from Osaka, make her fun to talk to.
“I know men have a tendency to overdo things, but it’s not good to push yourself too hard. It’s always the women waiting who suffer for it. Understand that clearly. Suella and Memoria, make sure you hold onto your men tightly and don’t let go!”
Her words are reasonable, but she leaves like a storm without listening to our side of the conversation.
“…”
After seeing her off, we look at each other and laugh.
“Where should we go for dinner…? How about Master’s place?”
“If that’s the case, I know a place I’d like to go.”
“Where is it?”
“This way.”
Having made no plans and going with the flow, I suggest a safe option, but today Memoria proposes a place she wants to visit. Since we have no particular destination, we follow Memoria’s lead, venturing deeper into the area.
“An Oden shop?”
“Yes.”
And there it was, nestled in a corner. A shop with a wooden sliding door exuding a retro Showa-era atmosphere, and a white cloth blind with elegant calligraphy proclaiming it an “Oden Shop.”
“Whoa, I didn’t know a shop like this existed.”
“I didn’t know about it either.”
“It opened recently, so I thought, why not?”
Despite having frequented this facility many times, I hadn’t noticed this shop. Suella seems to be the same; it doesn’t seem like a matter of misremembering. And the idea of a shop in this otherworld run by a Japanese person making Japanese cuisine is certainly intriguing. So, we decide to enter.
“Welcome.”
As we open the smooth-sliding wooden door and step inside, a gruff voice emanates from behind the counter. Greeting us is the shop owner, an elderly Dark Elf dressed in a white chef’s uniform. There are no other staff members; it appears he’s manning the shop alone.
“There are three of us, is that alright?”
“Please, to the counter in the back.”
Though I had sensed it from the shop’s size, it is indeed cramped inside. The shop, capable of seating at most ten people, has only three other customers besides us. A Goblin, a Lizardman, and a Demon, a rather unconventional combination of patrons, are already tipsy and pay us no mind. The shop owner, perhaps to distance us from their boisterousness, ushers us to a spot away from them. Even during this, his hands move swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he prepares a platter of Oden, and judging by him serving it to the noisy group, he’s managing fine on his own. Well, using body reinforcement for cooking is not an uncommon sight. And should I comment on the fact that I’m the only Japanese person in a shop with a Showa Oden bar atmosphere?
“Here is the menu.”
“Thank you.”
“When you’ve decided, just let me know.”
It’s better not to. My intuition whispers that dwelling on it might lead to unnecessary complications. So, I take the menu the shop owner quickly hands me. A quick glance reveals it’s not much different from the Oden restaurants I know. The text is written in both Japanese and the local language.
“Shall we get the assorted platter?”
“Yes, I don’t really know, so I’ll leave it to Jiro-san.”
“I also only know it as a dish from Jiro’s country.”
“Understood. For drinks… we might as well have some Japanese sake. Excuse me.”
“Yes.”
I inwardly wonder how Memoria even thought of coming here. The Oden shop, entered out of curiosity, emits a pleasant aroma even from across the counter, due to the shop owner’s dedication. This inevitably builds anticipation within me, and I place our order with the shop owner. Then, the serving, utilizing body reinforcement, is once again displayed before me. Under the yellow fluorescent lights, an assortment of Oden and Japanese sake is laid out on the counter table before us. I place small plates in front of Suella and Memoria. First, I pour them some sake.
“Well then, cheers.”
” “Cheers.” ”
We clink glasses.
“Oh, this is good.”
“Yes, this is my first time trying it, but…”
“It’s quite good.”
The shop is meticulous, and the food is meticulous as well. The distinct flavor of the broth and how well the ingredients have absorbed it are genuinely delicious. The karashi (mustard) as a condiment is also a nice touch. The two of them seem to enjoy it as well, their chopsticks naturally moving towards the next dish. We slowly eat our three-person portion of Oden while drinking sake.
“You know, I was curious about what Memoria said earlier. What kind of gods do you two have faith in? Is it perhaps the Overgod Ruine?”
As we ate and our stomachs became somewhat full, I brought up something that had occurred to me. In this world, religions differ by country, and consequently, the gods are diverse. The gods of Isal that I know are only the Sun God and the Overgod of the Moon, Ruine. This question arises because there might be other objects of worship. I wonder if everyone in the Demon Lord’s Army worships the same god.
“Ruine-sama is indeed an object of worship for us Dark Elves as well, but my tribe worships the spirits, who are children of Ruine-sama.”
“I worship Ruine-sama. Some vampires worship other beings.”
“Is that so? I thought everyone in the Demon Lord’s Army worshipped them.”
My prediction was half right and half wrong.
“Most do. My tribe is a bit special; we have a lineage that easily produces spirit mediums, so our object of worship naturally changed. Therefore, it’s not considered common.”
“Is that how it is?”
So, exceptions do exist after all. This is a good opportunity. While I’m at it, I might as well hear about various things.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Henderberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time Employee).
Magic Aptitude: 9 (Quasi Demon Lord Class).
Position: Warrior.
Word of the day: To connect, words must be spun.
This concludes this installment. We ask for your continued support of this work.
