“Ah, it’s already this late. Back to work tomorrow, huh? Holidays really do end too quickly. Jiro-kun, you didn’t use Lord Valse’s power to shorten your date yesterday, did you?”
“I didn’t. If I were to use it, I’d use it to prolong it.”
My vacation ends today.
Tomorrow morning, the days of being chased by work will begin again.
Since Instructor Fushio’s return, the internal forces of the Demon Lord’s Army have visibly stabilized.
A large army of undead was on the brink of collapse, and many were coveting its power, but with their leader’s return, it didn’t fall apart and returned to its original formation.
With that settled, the next thing to consider is war.
“If I could do that, I wouldn’t be in trouble. Even a High-ranking Spirit can’t do everything.”
“Evia-sama, but—”
“There’s no ‘but.’ If you enjoyed your holiday, you need to work diligently to make up for the rest.”
The members of the Tanaka family, as they are now, are all gathered in the living room.
Despite the approaching war, there’s such brightness.
Keiri, who occupies a three-seater sofa by herself and buries her face in a cushion, is chided by Evia, who sits on a nearby armchair, leisurely savoring her tea.
I’m sitting cross-legged in an area with carpets.
“Ugh, hearing you say that suddenly changes my mood.”
“I understand how you feel.”
“I understand, you fools.”
Even during this time of rest, I’m constantly checking information. Smartphones and tablets are easy to carry and convenient at times like these, and Evia and Keiri are no different.
The three of us are at home, each with a different device in hand, checking for changes. It has become our habit to commit this information to memory.
Memoria is also securing information through merchant routes and has recently been experimenting with various supply routes. She’s doing this on her laptop.
“Laziness corrupts people. There’s no benefit to be gained from being lazy.”
“So, it’s about having a good balance?”
“I get it.”
Himik and Suella don’t gather information as diligently as we do. Himik, who handles household affairs, and Suella, who is raising children, are both quite busy.
Therefore, we share our respective information with them to a degree that doesn’t violate regulations.
Amidst all this, I’ve been casually glancing at the progress of my work and reports, devoting the rest of my time to family matters.
Normally, my workplace crackles with tension, so having time to relax and let my guard down like this is a good thing.
However, it’s hard to tighten up again after loosening up.
To use a simple analogy, it’s like the pain of transitioning from Sunday to Monday.
During my “black company” days, I genuinely questioned the very concept of Monday’s existence, so you can imagine the extent of that pain.
For Keiri and me now, as soon as today’s date changes, tomorrow will be business as usual, or even busier, depending on world events.
“Ideally, I wish things could stay peaceful like this forever.”
“Suella, if that were the case, our jobs would disappear, wouldn’t they?”
“Perhaps, but being able to spend time with my family without conflict. I think such moments are wonderful.”
Suella, who has finished feeding the children and put them to bed, sits next to me. The distance to the crib isn’t that far, so they can hear our conversation.
“Originally, our company was established to strengthen dungeons, which are defensive facilities. If there’s peace, the need for dungeons would diminish. Or, now that they connect Earth and this continent, there might still be demand for them even if it’s peaceful?”
“As long as the world’s integration isn’t complete, the demand for dungeons will remain. As generations pass, the sense of belonging fades, and in Suella’s generation, it’s only a biological instinct to return home. It’s the same for me. However, the current state of the world is indeed distorted. If the gods didn’t somehow maintain a balance, even the basic structure of the world couldn’t endure. Maintaining the current everyday life that Suella speaks of is difficult.”
The state of the world, true peace.
It’s turning into a philosophical discussion.
“Evia. If the world were to unify and its balance were to change, do you think it would become peaceful?”
Himik, who has brought new drinks for everyone, asks about the most crucial point of this philosophical topic: the hypothetical outcome if the battle between Isal and the Demon Lord’s Army were decisively resolved, win or lose, and the world unified.
Evia takes a replacement cup from Himik, hands over her empty one, and stares at the steaming cup. She ponders Himik’s question for a few seconds.
“The victor will be bestowed glory and prosperity, while the vanquished will face chaos and decline. A peace that mixes and suppresses these will likely descend.”
“So, it would be peace on the surface? The common citizens on the victor’s side would be at peace, while problems would remain for the citizens on the vanquished side?”
“Yes, it would probably be as Jiro says. The victors would be better off, but the vanquished would be subjugated. This isn’t a problem that can be solved by discussion. No, the outcome between the gods themselves can’t be resolved by discussion. How can we below them possibly resolve it through discussion?”
She declared that ideal peace would not arrive. What remains is the result of a disaster called war.
“…I just wish they could live in a world where my children can do so safely.”
I understood. I understood perfectly. But we, who are enjoying happiness, must strive to ensure that happiness continues forever.
Suella looks at her children sleeping peacefully in their crib, and everyone present becomes of one mind.
“My children would also prefer a country governed by peace rather than one rife with constant war.”
“From my perspective, I’d prefer to conduct negotiations with Earth in a peaceful environment. If war lingers in the background, I’d constantly be on edge, wondering when military support might be offered.”
I shrug my shoulders to lighten the mood, responding to Evia’s slightly dark joke. War is about to begin.
I’m not so optimistic as to deny that possibility. The more information I gather, the more elements that deny it are eliminated.
“It’s not just that country, is it, Giro? I’d love to visit this country.”
“This country?”
“Yes! Apparently, the sea is beautiful and you can enjoy various marine sports!!”
However, we can’t just be pessimistic. Himik brings up a tablet displaying a travel article, with “Amazing Travel Deals from Airport Company” written at the bottom right. Various photos are displayed, stimulating the desire to travel.
“I’ve been researching places I want to visit outside of Japan someday!!”
And there isn’t just one destination. Himik even pulls out a notebook with various travel magazines, each with sticky notes, detailing where she wants to go.
“Travel! That sounds wonderful! The kids who travel abroad constantly brag about it, so I’ve really wanted to go too!!”
“If diplomatic relations stabilize, our business’s sales channels will also expand. Pre-trip scouting of merchandise is important.”
“This place looks good. I’d like to go too.”
“Dark Elves seem to prefer nature. However, I think it would be nice to enjoy the cityscapes and sightseeing here.”
“Isn’t Evia’s primary goal sweets? Like wanting to taste authentic chocolate?”
“Is that a problem?”
Keiri is the first to jump at the idea, and Memoria, while making excuses about work, also picks up a magazine. Suella picks up a magazine that seems to offer natural sightseeing and looks at it with Keiri. While she likes bustling amusement parks, she prefers natural tourism, like seeing the aurora, beautiful seas, or hidden caves. Himik acts as a guide for their questions, recommending everything, while Evia uses levitation magic to pull magazines focused on gourmet food, despite the general topic of tourism.
“No, it’s not bad.”
“And what are you looking at?”
“Well, if we’re going on a trip, I was thinking it would be nice to take a long break and travel around the world.”
I, myself, am holding a magazine about world cruise trips, the kind that only retired people or wealthy individuals with too much time on their hands could afford. Even the cheapest cabin is quite expensive. Naturally, traveling the world by ship takes a long time. My position as General, dungeon management, and territorial management of the dungeon island has become a mess after only a week away, so I can’t imagine what would happen if I were gone for years.
“Perhaps, if we keep earning, we might even be able to personally own a luxury cruise liner.”
“Indeed. With your earnings, it won’t take long. Given the size of that island, it’s possible to build a shipyard there. If we use it as a facility to reward subordinates, the maintenance costs could be expensed. Then, we can leave the construction to the Machine King. He could probably build one or two ideal ships.”
“That’s a surprisingly specific plan.”
“If we’re going to go, I don’t see anything wrong with tasting sweets from all over the world. That’s all.”
Even if it’s a pipe dream now, it might become possible if we stay alive. That’s the mindset of those with long lifespans. I agree with that way of thinking. Even if we are busy now, we might eventually have time to leisurely enjoy ourselves like that.
“Oh, you all seem to be discussing something fun. How about we start with building a merchant ship and a passenger ship, with the Toris Trading Company as a sponsor?”
“We’ve gone from personal matters straight into business. What do you think about that, Memoria-san?”
“If it’s beneficial for both public and private interests, I don’t see any problem. Besides, wouldn’t there be various issues if Jiro-san managed it alone?”
“Be careful, Jiro-kun. Merchants have a very keen sense for making money. Memoria-san will consider how to ensure profits for both you and the Toris Trading Company, but she’s still quietly reaching for benefits within the Demon Lord’s Army.”
“Keiri, that’s not a good way to put it. While Memoria might have her own intentions, I think she’s also saying it because she wants to go on a trip with her family soon.”
“Hmm, what is the truth, Memoria?”
“Both are correct. We have the intention of establishing sales channels on Earth to some extent as a trading company, and privately, I believe that by securing travel funds and conducting preliminary research, we can plan for a more enjoyable trip.”
“You’re quite clever.”
“I am a merchant. I don’t work for free.”
At that moment, I deeply wish that no one here would ever be missing. The atmosphere becomes a little noisy, but it’s a fun time. They pick up magazines, saying, “I want to go here,” “I want to eat this.” It’s a casual family moment.
“If it’s about travel, leave it to me! I’ll get you access to everything from hidden gems to classic tourist spots through my connections!”
“Wait, Kirika, my stomach, my stomach!”
If my mother joins the conversation, it’ll get quite chaotic. If this isn’t a reason to smile, what is?
Today’s quote:
A holiday is to replenish our energy for work to come.
Thank you for your continued feedback and typo corrections.
If you find this interesting, please leave a review, rating, bookmark, etc.
This chapter concludes the current arc.
A new chapter begins with the next installment!
I am also currently serializing another work:
Pandora Pandemic Panic: Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, But We’re Fighting Back with Secret Bases and More!!
Please check it out!
