Arisugawa saw his mother in the stylish appearance of his companions.
After they had their fill of playing, they returned to their lodging. Pauline, who seemed to have taken a liking to the radio, was listening to it incessantly, but then I realized it wasn’t the radio after all. She was sitting on the bed, staring intently at the television. Come to think of it, I was so surprised by the shower and clean toilet that I hadn’t even noticed the television. It was placed on a dusty shelf in the room. It was an old model, without a remote, operated by a dial. And it was black and white. Still, I was astonished to see a tool of civilization after so long.
“Welcome back, everyone! Look at this, this box! It shows tiny people inside!”
“Whoa, what is it, amazing!”
Piyo circled the box, looking at it as if it were a wonder. Sharin also gazed at it with curiosity.
“Did this exist in your world too?”
“Yeah, well, it was in color. It’s an old model, though.”
Sharin didn’t quite grasp the significance but was impressed nonetheless. Laughter could occasionally be heard from the black and white screen, suggesting a comedy show was on.
“And now, for our next pair, the most popular comedic duo in Audiya, here are Ortia and the two of them!”
As the host announced them with great enthusiasm, a female Centaur and a male Servitaurs appeared from the back of the stage. The man, greeting the audience with “Hello, hello,” started approaching the spectators. The woman stopped him.
“Hey, hey, where are you going?”
“Well, there are so many cute audience members today, I just…”
“You’re supposed to be doing a skit with me, aren’t you?”
Laughter erupted at their exchange. It was a typical introductory banter. Then, they performed a well-worn skit about asking someone out on a date, delivering punchlines with good pacing, and surely eliciting laughs. The contrasting duo of the large Centaur and the petite Servitaurs was indeed as popular as expected; they were hilarious. I never thought I’d be able to watch a comedy show in a place like this.
After enjoying the TV for a while longer, we had dinner, and then I decided to head to the beach to meet Diepser. I was hesitant to go alone, but I didn’t want to involve anyone else any further. All I had to do was hand over the fragment of the Unicorn Horn I received from the sage, and it would be over.
The beach at night was, as expected, a bit eerie, but it was quiet, and the wind felt pleasant. Not many people seemed to be around today. I had come for the time being, but there was no guarantee I would even meet him. That was one of the reasons I came alone. Perhaps I wouldn’t be able to meet him. But if that were the case, it would be fine.
I went to the edge of the beach, to the place where I had met him before. It was darker there, a rocky area where the moonlight was blocked. Even with the lantern’s light, I couldn’t be sure what lurked behind the shadows. I cautiously searched for him, watching my step. Then, I saw a figure between the rocks. I was a little surprised, as I hadn’t expected to find him so quickly, but…
“Hey, Diepser, it’s me. Arisugawa. I’ve come to fulfill our contract.”
The figure turned towards me and let out a strange cry.
“Hih, ah, ugh, wa wa wa waah-”
That wasn’t Diepser’s voice. I flinched for a moment too, but it seemed I had mistaken the person. However, the one who had spoken seemed even more startled than I was, splashing water as they ran around the beach.
