New chapter begins!
From here, it will be Part 13, Chapter 11.
That day, Kousuke was at Vermilia Castle, having been summoned by Shurein.
It was extremely rare for him to be called rather than to drop by casually, so Kousuke headed towards Shurein with a hint of surprise.
Shurein had already returned to the castle after confirming with Kousuke beforehand with the management layer.
It seemed she had only come to check Kousuke’s availability, and was not there for more than an hour.
Shurein has been quite busy lately, juggling child-rearing and the management of the village and the tower.
When Kousuke used the Teleport Gate to head to Vermilia Castle, a vampire was already there.
Perhaps having been informed by Shurein, the vampire bowed once upon seeing Kousuke and offered to guide him.
Kousuke, who had not been told where in the castle to go, immediately nodded in agreement.
By the way, accompanying him are Kouhi & Mitsuki, then Silvia, and finally Nana.
Nana happened to run into Kousuke as he was about to leave the management layer and came along.
The place the guiding vampire led them to was not Shurein’s usual office, but a place that resembled a meeting room.
There, Shurein was already present, along with other people.
These were the members of Igirid, led by Lang, who is currently their representative.
Kousuke had been informed by Shurein that Lang had become the representative of Igirid about five years ago, and had met him before.
Seeing him, Lang hastily stood up, but Kousuke stopped him.
“It’s fine as you are. We’re starting the talk soon anyway, right?”
“Well, that is true… but why don’t you at least let us greet you properly?”
Shurein said this with a bitter smile, but Kousuke shook his head and replied,
“No, your seated position is fine.”
Kousuke felt that standing to greet or sitting to greet made little difference, but he stopped it simply because it felt a little too formal.
Before he could say anything further, Kousuke quickly sat down in the chair that seemed to have been prepared for him.
Shurein, watching this, gave Lang another bitter smile and said,
“Well, Kousuke is just like this, so please give up on expecting more.”
Lang, who had been unsure of what to do since arriving, was bewildered.
Shurein, after reassuring Lang, then looked at Kousuke and said,
“I know you dislike formality, but could you at least let us exchange proper greetings?”
“Ah, yes. Sorry.”
Kousuke had things he wanted to say, but he apologized honestly.
If he pushed his own way here, it might set a precedent for how to treat an Avatar.
Though the atmosphere became slightly awkward from the start, Kousuke decided to change the mood and initiate the conversation.
“So? I hadn’t heard the details, but I was told there was something you needed me for?”
“Haa. I apologize for summoning you here like this.”
In response to Kousuke’s question, Lang spoke in his usual Igirid dialect.
Igirids working in Kusatsu are made to correct their regional dialects before taking on duties, but their usual speech patterns are still distinct.
Kousuke, accustomed to Igirid’s way of speaking, waved his right hand and replied,
“No, I’ve already thanked you enough.”
“Is that so? Then, let me state the reason for this meeting. We have a request for you, Kousuke-dono.”
“A request?”
Kousuke had been interacting with Igirid for a considerable time, yet this was practically the first time they had made a “request,” so he tilted his head.
He glanced at Shurein, but it seemed she hadn’t been informed of this either, as her expression showed a slight surprise.
Whether he noticed Shurein’s reaction or not, Lang nodded towards Kousuke and said,
“Yes. We would like you to visit our homeland, Kousuke-dono.”
“…What?”
The suddenness and the unprecedented nature of the request made Kousuke respond with a look of utter disbelief.
However, he was still better off than Shurein, who was speechless with surprise.
Little is known about the lives of the Igirid, who are said to live underground.
It is said that this is because the Igirid never guide other races to their dwelling places.
In fact, even vampires who had been acquainted with them long before Kousuke did, had never been invited to the underground.
It was for reasons like these that Shurein was so surprised.
Kousuke, having received such a rare proposal, looked concerned and felt he had to confirm one thing.
“Ah, well. I’m happy about the invitation itself, but why so suddenly?”
It has been over twenty years since the Igirid began being accommodated at Amamiya Tower.
Since they had never said anything like this before, Kousuke’s question was natural.
“Kousuke-dono has looked after many of our companions. You can consider this our way of repaying that kindness.”
Lang answered Kousuke’s question.
“I’m happy to hear that, but didn’t you say that you could never return to your homeland?”
Kousuke recalled Shurein mentioning something like that when the Igirid first came.
Given that, it seemed unlikely that he, an outsider, would be able to visit the Igirid homeland so easily, even as a thank you.
Kousuke voiced his thoughts, and Lang shook his head and added,
“This is also the wish of those who are there. So, Kousuke-dono, please don’t worry about us and go with your companions.”
“Ah, so it’s not a solo trip.”
“Of course.”
Lang responded with a nod to Kousuke’s unintentional, candid remark.
Looking at Lang’s face, Kousuke’s expression became serious, and he crossed his arms.
“I’m happy about it, but it’s just too sudden…”
“Is it difficult, then?”
Hearing this from an Igirid with doll-like features made it hard for Kousuke to refuse.
Furthermore, not only that, but there was also backup from another party.
“Isn’t it fine? It’s a valuable invitation, so let’s definitely go to the Igirid homeland.”
Shurein’s face clearly showed her desire to see the underground world.
Seeing Shurein, who was clearly intent on coming along, Kousuke thought about the children and said with a bitter smile,
“Ah~. Well, it seems that’s how it is, so I accept your invitation. However, I can’t go immediately, so is it okay if we adjust the date properly at a later time?”
“Of course.”
With Lang’s firm nod to Kousuke’s words, the visit to the Igirid’s original village was decided.
Suddenly, we embark on a journey to the underground.
When the Igirid first appeared, I mentioned that they couldn’t return, and yes, I remember that clearly, haha.
However, since it relates to future plot points, I cannot answer any questions.
It would be a spoiler.
I’ll just say that there is a proper reason for it.
Also, regarding the Igirid dialect, it is not meant to be any specific regional dialect.
If I were to say anything, please think of it as Igirid language.
