MagicalExplorer
Reborn as a Side Character in a Fantasy Dating Sim
“The city’s pretty modern.”
Yukine gave her appraisal while gazing at the scenery through the limousine window.
Trees sprouted up along the main road, and flowers grew in various different places, making the whole area overflow with greenery. Between all this nature were ordinary houses of modern make. We could also make out what looked like a magic-powered monorail.
“That’s only true for certain areas. In other regions, the construction is far more harmonious with nature, and there isn’t much in the way of public transportation,” said Claris.
Apparently, cities in the empire with an exceptionally large number of foreign visitors or a large immigrant population tended to look more modern.
“Generally, we prefer architectural styles that are close to nature. That’s why even though we have the technology and money to construct buildings like those in Wakoku, we still choose to build with wood or live in tree houses. Of course, there’s some people who like living in areas with the latest magical amenities,” Ludie added.
“Hm. In other words, the capital has been developed to meet the needs of its many visitors.”
Yuika nodded at Yukine’s summary. “That explains all the lovely tourist shops. Oh, Takioto, by the way, did you know my birthday comes around every month? You get what I’m saying, right?”
She glanced at an expensive looking wand. While she was clearly joking, she was demanding a monthly present from me. Hold on, though, if that was the case…
“Does that mean you’re fine with aging twelve times as fast as everyone else?”
“If I can get a present out of it, then that’s okay with me. Age is just a number.”
“Master, my own birthday festivities will kick off about seven months from now, so if possible, I would like to get some fresh strands of your hair, toenails, and sebum.”
“You trying to cast a curse on me or something?”
Just hearing that was terrifying. Nanami wasn’t getting any of those.
“I can just give you something from the empire if you really want it, you know, Yuika.”
“You’re a really good friend, Ludie, so I couldn’t accept a gift for nothing!”
“Are you saying I’m not a good friend?” I asked.
I decided not to think about it too much.
“So where are we headed after this?” I said to Claris.
“Since His and Her Majesty will be meeting a group of Lady Ludie’s friends, they have reserved a private restaurant room to make it a more comfortable experience.”
“A first-time meeting over lunch, basically.”
If I had to give a definitive statement on whether I was nervous, then my answer was that I was absolutely terrified. A restaurant selected by the emperor had to be unbelievably high-end, right? Plus, this was the sorta thing they did for presidents from other countries and stuff. Though, I supposed it was better than meeting them in a royal audience room.
It turned out that my expectations had been basically right on the mark. We were all led into a very luxurious dining room.
By “luxurious,” I didn’t mean that it was gaudy, decked out in gold and silver. The wood, tatami mats, and walls scrolls used to decorate the space looked modest at first glance, though I assumed they were all of the highest quality. Nevertheless, everything was laid out with perfect precision, and the sunlight streaming in from an open sliding screen lent the space an ethereal, mysterious quality. Perhaps the best way to put it was that the room was exquisite.
“This place is like a traditional Wakoku restaurant.”
Everything about the room said Wakoku. If Yukine or Shion were to invite me out for “tea and snacks,” this is probably the type of place we’d end up. Of course, this room’s atmosphere was several magnitudes higher in quality than somewhere we would go on our own.
“Um, I’m guessing they were trying to be considerate and pick out a restaurant we would feel at home in?”
“Takioto’s totally right. I appreciate their concern, but I dunno if this was actually considerate of them. Personally, I feel really out of place in a room this nice,” Yuika whispered to Yukine, trying to avoid letting the daughter of the people who had invited us overhearing.
“I don’t think we need to worry about it too much. Just think of it like meeting our friend’s family. Though I feel a bit daunted looking around this room, too.”
Yukine forced a smile as she glanced at one of the wall scrolls. Yuika and I followed her gaze.
“I bet that wall scroll is worth enough to buy a car or build a cheap house somewhere.”
“They sure don’t hesitate to hang up museum-quality pieces around here.”
A short while later, Ludie’s family joined us.
As soon as they arrived, we all exchanged our hellos.
After we introduced ourselves, it was time for Ludie’s family to do the same. Really though, a simple web search for Tréfle imperial family was enough to get a run down on them, so I imagined we were all somewhat familiar with them already.
“I am Marc Olivier Lucas de la Tréfle.”
Ludie’s father was a handsome, narrow-eyed man who looked to be in his thirties. Given he was an elf, however, I couldn’t assume his age was a perfect match for his appearance. In reality, the elven emperor was over one hundred years old.
Needless to say, I knew all about him already. In the game, he stares daggers at Iori when they first meet. At the time, Iori mentions something about his back freezing up or something along those lines, but that was underselling it. I didn’t just feel stiff in the presence of Ludie’s father—I felt like I wasn’t going to make it out of here alive. Fortunately, I was the only person to whom he flashed an arctic smile. When I thought about his behavior, though, it tracked.
“Sorry about this, Kousuke. I know he may look like he’s in a foul mood, but he’s always like this, so don’t take it personally, okay? I’m Ludie’s mother, Sophia Chloe de la Tréfle. Just ‘Sophia’ is fine, no need to stand on ceremony.”
Ludie’s mother had introduced herself with a cheery smile. There was a warm and friendly look in her eyes; the temperature difference between her and Emperor Marc was giving me whiplash. That said, “no need to stand on ceremony” was asking the impossible.
Sophia bore a strong resemblance to Ludie. While Ludie did have her father’s eye color, she was the spitting image of her mother in every other aspect. When Ludie stood at her side, they almost looked like sisters.
Sophia didn’t look much older than Sis, but the truth was she was even older than her husband. The question of how much older she was than him was strictly off-limits. Sophia was also stronger than her husband (physically).
“My name’s Lilou Ines de la Tréfle. Nice to meet everyone.”
If I had to describe Lilou in a word, it would be “angel.” While strictly speaking, she was just an ordinary elf, the esteemed eroge community insisted she was divine. If this cute, innocent little thing wasn’t the definition of cherub, then who was? Her existence itself was angelic. Ergo, she was an angel (totally brainwashed here).
Ludie and Lilou had another older sister, but according to Sophia, she had business with her husband’s family and hadn’t been able to make it. Incidentally, she never makes an appearance in the game, and since she’s never really talked about, she was quite the mysterious figure.
With the introductions out of the way, it was time for the highly anticipated meal—just kidding. Ludie’s family had something they absolutely had to tell us before anything else.
“You remember saving Ludie and Claris at the hotel, I assume.”
The hotel incident the emperor had invoked had been my first interaction with Ludie and Claris. So yeah, I remembered it really well. It all seemed so long ago. There had been a traitor among the elves, and both Ludie and Claris had ended up with their backs against the wall. That had been my first combat experience… Thinking back on it now, I couldn’t believe I had made it out unscathed. I would never forget the blissful sensation that still lingered in my hand.
“You have my deepest gratitude for that. Thank you.”