I apologize for being a day late again.
Things have been a little hectic.
I might be late again this week, but I’ll do my best to keep posting, so please treat it favorably.
“Is this some kind of weird religious solicitation?”
I stopped my drink, which I had tilted, and asked back in a slightly more sober tone.
At first listen, it definitely sounded like they were trying to sell me something that might or might not grant good luck or ward off evil.
Kaido’s story seemed like one of those urban legends you often see on Twitter or SNS.
If it were just that, it would be just another piece of gossip.
“No, no! It sounds like a real story, and apparently, some of our testers were approached.”
I can’t really believe it’s true if it’s based on someone’s direct experience.
What Kaido’s saying is also hearsay. It falls within the realm of rumors.
“I’ve heard that story too.”
“Kitamiya, you too?”
“Yes, I heard it at a gathering of mages.”
“Indeed, I know nothing of it, gozaru.”
“You wouldn’t come to such gatherings, would you?”
However, the fact that more people know about the story increases its credibility.
I turned my attention to Kitamiya, who chimed in that she had also heard it, and she began to speak, tapping her chin as if trying to recall the details.
“I didn’t hear the full story, but apparently, someone suddenly approached them and said they were possessed by something evil. The girl who was told this initially ignored them, but they persistently told her to come to the shrine.”
“That’s not a pleasant thought.”
If it were some kind of bad religious recruitment, it wouldn’t be a laughing matter, and it’s certainly not a topic for Christmas.
“Well, as I expected, Kaido’s story ended with a ridiculous outcome.”
“Hey!? Senpai, aren’t you being a bit harsh!?”
“Idiot, why should we be listening to stories about weird religious solicitations on Christmas? You should choose your topics more carefully.”
“That’s true. Perhaps a brighter topic would have been better.”
“Aw, Kitamiya-chan, you joined the topic too.”
“I just went along with the flow of the conversation.”
I felt bad cutting off the topic just because it was unpleasant, but I also thought it was strange to get worked up over such things on a festive occasion. So, intending to bring up the next topic while keeping it only vaguely in my memory, I was interrupted.
“Sorry! I’m late!”
“Ah, Katsu!”
With Katsu’s late arrival, that topic became unnecessary.
“Sorry, Himik-san. I couldn’t help with the cooking.”
“It’s fine. You must have been busy too. It can’t be helped.”
I watched Katsu apologize to Himik, with whom he was supposed to have been preparing earlier, and approached him holding a glass of juice, Minami.
“You’re late, gozaru~ Did something happen, gozaru?”
“Just a small family matter.”
“Is that so, gozaru?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s fine, gozaru. Well then, Katsu, hold out your glass, gozaru!”
“Ah, thank you.”
Minami tried to find out the reason for his lateness, but Katsu brushed it off as nothing important, and I felt a sense of unease that he wouldn’t reveal the reason.
“Everyone, hold up your glasses! Let’s toast, gozaru!!”
Matching Minami’s excited tone, I raised my beer.
“Merry Christmas!!”
With the cheers of the excited members, our glasses clinked, and the Christmas party finally began in earnest.
It wasn’t a planned event, but time flowed by as we played casual games like cards and King’s Game.
“Alright, it’s almost time for the main event, present exchange!”
“Let’s go, gozaru!!”
And with alcohol, people tend to lose a bit of their shyness.
Although I felt that my resistance to alcohol increased with my stats, I still got drunk.
However, the drunkenness wasn’t so bad that it dulled my thinking.
But depending on each person’s constitution, Kaido and Minami were the most excited among us.
It was good for the mood, but I wished they could be a little quieter. As I looked forward to what would happen next, I watched the two, who looked like they were about to pop crackers and fire them off wildly, with a wry smile.
Then, a box as big as Kaido could hold was brought out.
“Inside this are numbered capsules. The numbers correspond to the presents over there, so the number you draw will be your present! For the order of drawing, it would be ladies first, but that’s boring, so I prepared this. Min-chan!”
“Understood, gozaru!! Come forth, Bingo Machine!!”
Minami, standing next to Kaido like an assistant, energetically placed a large bingo machine on the table.
“As you can see, it’s an ordinary bingo machine, gozaru!!”
“It’s not a Giant-made bingo machine, is it?”
“No, I did consider that, but I thought it might be too much of a joke, so I decided against it this time, gozaru.”
“You considered it?”
Given how well-made it was, I suspected the Giant group, who always had to add some kind of demerit to things, might have been involved. But it turned out to be just a regular item bought from a store. I mean, if it were a bingo machine from those perverted geniuses at Giant, something important might have been chipped away with each spin. It was good that I checked.
And then, they received equally unremarkable bingo cards, and Kaido and Minami explained to the Otherworlders, who were looking at them with confusion, how to use them.
“Now, we’ll spin this, and balls with numbers will come out. You’ll then put a hole in the place with the corresponding number, gozaru!”
“And if you get a line, it’s bingo, gozaru! The people who get bingo will draw a prize lottery, gozaru!”
The Otherworlders, Suella, Memoria, Himik, Shiik, and Miik, nodded silently and stared intently at the cards, while the two of them acted like hosts of a variety show. I hoped the party would continue in this cheerful atmosphere.
The first to get bingo were the Twin Angel group, who truly had Heaven’s luck on their side.
This bingo card, with a blank space in the center, has five rows and five columns, totaling twenty-five squares. The minimum number of balls to get bingo is four, but Shiik achieved bingo in four balls, and Miik in five.
“What is this? Can you tell, Miik?”
“I don’t know, Shiik. This looks like… a weapon?”
“Katsu, there are no cooking utensils as presents, gozaru. And definitely no pressure cooker, gozaru.”
“Well, I heard none of you cook, so I thought it might be useful if you had it.”
“But a beginner cook won’t use it much, gozaru.”
“Still, it’s convenient to have. Himik-san also found her new one easy to use!”
“What would have happened if it had landed on me, gozaru?”
“…A blind spot.”
“Katsu.”
What Shiik drew was a pressure cooker prepared by Katsu. It was a rather good quality item bought with his part-time job earnings. It was apparently recommended for housewives, as it could not only be used for simmered dishes like pork belly stew and nikujaga but also to cook rice. However, it was unfortunate for the angels from the Otherworld, who had never cooked before, to receive it. Seeing Shiik recognize the pot she took out of the box as a weapon, I couldn’t help but feel that the choice of present was a bit off. Well, I prayed that Kaido would cook me a good meal with it, and we moved on.
“What is this? It smells nice, Shiik.”
“Yes, it really does. Is it flower-scented, Miik?”
“It’s bath salts. I chose ones with various flower scents. They’re quite good, so use them carefully.”
“They’re beautiful. We don’t have many things like this in our world.”
“Suella-san, would you like me to tell you where to buy them?”
“Yes, please do.”
Next, Miik drew bath salts in a beautifully wrapped basket. This present had been prepared by Kitamiya, and it reflected her refined taste. I thought the Otherworld scents might be hit or miss, but the Twin Angels showed their genuine delight. Suella, Memoria, and Himik also looked a little envious, suggesting that it was popular among the female group. However.
“Kitamiya, what were you going to do if the Leader or Kaido-senpai got that, gozaru?”
“It’s fine. Jiro-san can just give it to Suella-san or someone else, and Kaido-senpai has a use for it now, doesn’t he?”
“The fact that it turned out well is quite significant, gozaru.”
“Would you like me to shut up that smirk on your face?”
As Minami said, if it had landed on us Japanese men, it would undoubtedly have led to a situation where we’d have to give the present to someone else. So, in a way, this outcome was good. The different presents increased the anticipation of what else might be there, and the awkward atmosphere caused by the pressure cooker was dispelled as we moved on.
“Number thirty-seven, gozaru!”
“My Lord, is this correct?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Hmm, then, Minami, I have bingo.”
“Tsk, as expected of an angel, your luck is unrivaled, gozaru!”
“I am a fallen angel.”
“No, I don’t think that’s the issue here.”
Following them, Himik achieved bingo on the seventh ball. After confirming that the paper with a horizontal line of holes was correct, Minami reluctantly offered the box to draw the lottery. Himik reached in and took out a ball. And the present with that number was…
“What is this?”
“Ah, that’s mine, gozaru! Heh heh heh, you drew mine, gozaru? I really splurged this time, gozaru!!”
Himik drew the number prepared by Minami. And Minami’s present was quite large. It was significantly larger than the other presents. As everyone watched with apprehension, wondering what she had prepared, Himik took out a retro game compilation pack from the paper bag.
“Heh heh heh, this is a masterpiece retro game compilation pack, gozaru!!”
Even I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic looking at these games. They were so nostalgic that they could be described as releasing pixel art and polygons in this era where visuals were so beautifully rendered and realistic. And the game consoles looked brand new.
“Himiq, how did you prepare these?”
“Heh heh heh! You can find them all in Akihabara, gozaru!!”
“My Lord, what is this?”
“Simply put, it’s a plaything.”
“I see, a plaything… Is it a plaything?”
“…I’ll teach you how to use it later.”
“Understood, please do!”
However, while these might be nostalgic for us Japanese, they were just boxes to the Otherworlders. Himik’s head was filled with question marks as she examined the box from every angle, trying to figure out what it was. I feared she might try to use it like building blocks, so I told her I’d explain later and had her put it back in the bag for the time being. And with the fourth turn, I was really hoping someone from our Japanese group would get a turn.
“Ah, me! It’s bingo!”
As if my wish was granted, the fourth turn was Amelia. She achieved bingo two balls later than Himik, on the ninth ball. Amelia proudly held up her bingo card and reached into the box. She showed the drawn number to Kaido, and the prize he brought out was…
“What is it, what is it…? An envelope?”
“Ah, that’s from me.”
“Memoria-san’s prize? What could it be?”
Amelia, holding the beautifully addressed envelope, looked at Memoria questioningly and asked if she could open it. Permission granted, she opened it and looked inside.
“It’s a discount coupon that can be used at our trading company. There’s no expiration date as long as the company doesn’t go out of business.”
“Whoa, is that okay? And it’s a 70% discount. Is that the cost price?”
“? I heard that people give gifts that are enjoyable and useful to anyone who receives them. Was that not acceptable?”
“I don’t think it’s unacceptable. Some people give lottery tickets too.”
“Ahaha, I was a little surprised, but I’m happy! I’ll go shopping at Memoria-san’s store next time!”
“Yes, please tell me when you do, and I’ll even procure items that aren’t usually stocked.”
It was a discount coupon for Toris Trading Company, Memoria’s family business. It wasn’t like the coupons we know, however. It was more like a gift certificate. With the knowledge of a sage, Amelia, who could read, write, and speak the local language fluently, held a letter. It was an introduction that allowed her to purchase a considerable amount of goods at a low price, within the scope of Memoria’s authority as the sole heir. Katsu, who was known for his frugality, looked on with envy, though I pretended not to notice. For Amelia’s family, who were not in the best financial situation, this was a significant benefit, so she was genuinely delighted. Perhaps because she wasn’t very familiar with the custom of Christmas, the gifts were a bit unusual, but I thought it was acceptable.
“Alright, let’s move on to the next one!”
The party was still building up steam, and we were ready to move on.
Today’s Word: Rumors are just rumors; it’s best to keep them in the back of your mind.
This concludes today’s update. If you found it interesting, please leave a review, rating, or bookmark.
*The first volume of the novel has been decided to be published by Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. The ebook version was released on October 31 of the same year. The second volume will be released on December 19. The content includes revised and expanded versions of the story posted on Shosetsuka ni Narou, along with an unreleased interlude. Please check out the new books!
Also, a manga adaptation has been decided to be serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
