“Oh, so is he a cook or something? Whenever I see someone with black hair like yours, I always assume they’re good at cooking. We have good vegetables and meat here, and my men have been getting more and more skilled,” said Doula.
“You always make everyone else cook. It’s not too late to start practicing to be a better wife, you know,” Kartina pointed out.
“Wh-What do you mean? Of course I cook...or I will, once things in the labyrinth settle down,” said Doula. Judging from her reaction, I felt she wasn’t the best at cooking and housework. I didn’t blame her, though. She was a fighter and in charge of the battlefield, not the kitchen. With her height and robust build, she looked dependable in the eyes of men and women alike. Her facial features differed from the Japanese, so Toru must have felt like there were foreign nationals around him.
I was worried about whether or not he was nervous, yet he stepped forward and bowed politely. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Toru.”
The flawless form of his bow took the women aback. While they didn’t speak each other’s language, his practiced movements as a working adult made him seem more mature than his appearance suggested. They straightened their postures in a fluster, then bowed their heads as if that had caught them off guard.
“You’re just as unusual as Sleepyhead here. Anyway, I’m sure you all watched that training session. Did you two notice anything?” asked Doula, beckoning us over to her table. On the table were many pieces, like those used in chess, and I immediately realized they represented the formation from earlier. Marie and I looked at each other, and she spoke up.
“There were far too many casualties. It might have worked, but it would be a war of attrition if another monster appeared afterward. There’s undeniably a limit to how effective a formation like this will be in the future.”
“Yeah, it definitely needs some sort of long-range support,” I added. “Some monsters like to fight with ranged attacks. The raid team has two rare and valuable Sorcerers in their ranks, along with Great Aja and his disciple. I’d like to see the power of Sorcery implemented in this unit instead of relying solely on their force of arms and miracles.”
Doula and Kartina looked at each other and marched toward us without saying a word. I had a bad feeling about it when we were both grabbed, me by my collar and Marie by her shoulders, and dragged into a nearby chair. Maybe they thought they would get more insightful feedback from us. I felt pity for Toru getting left behind, but we had skipped training, so I cooperated for a while.
There were many types of monsters, and I had played in more labyrinths around the world than anyone else out there. I was probably an outlier, considering that I had willingly explored areas no one would dare venture into, as I didn’t have to fear for my life.
As a Spirit Sorceress, Marie had read through all sorts of documents stored in the Sorcerer’s Guild and was a treasure trove of knowledge. The interesting thing about her was that she had mastered techniques no one else could use, like freely controlling terrain. This allowed her to view battles from a unique perspective and offer measures normally considered impossible.
We were busy describing useful ways to confront opponents that laid plant-based traps or enemies that could create an ice domain, not noticing the figure approaching Toru. Society considered the long-eared, dark-skinned elves an abomination, but no one here thought that way. Not only was this particular dark elf cheerful and friendly, but she was a member of Team Diamond, the most powerful group in the raid team. She came up from behind and put her arms on his shoulders as if they were close friends, then put her chin on his head and narrowed her blue eyes mischievously.
“Sup! Been a while, huh? So, I was wondering if you could make me some tasty dinner tonight. You know, that curry stuff. Wait, why are you wearing a yukata, Kazu? It’s a bit early to go soak in the hot springs, don’t ya think?” said Eve with a grin.
Toru felt her suntanned arms around him and heavy breasts pressing against his back; then he froze in place. He seemed confused about what was happening and couldn’t understand a word that the dark elf was saying. But as a guy, her enticing softness and feminine scent had the force of a cannonball through the heart. His entire body stiffened, and he mouthed, “Who is this? What’s going on?!” I wondered if Eve had mistaken him for me. Toru and I were around the same height and both had black hair, so she probably couldn’t tell the difference from behind.
I excused myself and left the table, to which Eve blinked when she saw me. She exclaimed, “Huh? Two Kazus?! Did you learn how to make an illusion with a physical form? I’m jealous... As a ninja, I wish I could clone myself too.”
“No, no, that’s not me. Can you let him go, Eve? I feel bad for him,” I said, but maybe he would’ve preferred if she stayed in that position.
She looked at me with confusion and quickly let go of him. To my surprise, she covered up her chest and had her face turn red. I guessed she didn’t mind being touchy with friends but was embarrassed that she had gotten so physical with a complete stranger. Maybe this was a rude assumption, but I didn’t think she had any shame. So I was a bit relieved by her reaction.
Meanwhile, Toru did not look okay. He had had too much excitement as he wobbled unsteadily and crumpled to the ground. I imagined that was how a young woman would react after someone had toyed with her heart.
“Ahh! I’m sorry! I mistook you for Kazu since you’re the same height and have the same hair color! Please forgive me!” remarked Eve.
“I-It’s okay. That was quite something. I’m truly grateful that I could come to this world. So this is why he enjoys spending time in this world so much... Must be nice!”
What was he saying?! That was quite the assumption, and he was a married man. What was he going to tell his wife? And he had just shouted that in Japanese, leaving Eve standing there, blinking in surprise. Toru looked like the serious type, but he was a healthy young man through and through. I sensed Marie glaring at him with disdain, which pained me because he was such a nice neighbor. Although I felt bad for him and hoped she would let him off the hook, I couldn’t look her in the eye.