I want to do what I can to help this world.
“Akky…you’ve changed,” Tsukasa said, her eyes open wide. “You’re so cool… I love you… Mmm…!”
Saying it like a whisper, she pursed her lips and leaned toward me.
“Master, our Ogre Eats has been delivered.”
Just then Shiro showed up holding a large amount of food and drinks.
We laid out our delivery food on the low table in the middle of the room: pizza, yakitori, sushi, fries, soups, sodas…
“All my favorites! Let us feast!” Tamamo launched herself at the spread of food.
“Thanks, Shiro,” I said, moving away from Tsukasa. “Tsukasa, as long as Shiro’s here, I think I’ll be okay. Don’t worry.”
“If you trust her that much…then I believe you,” she answered with a nod. “I’ve been wanting to tell you since before the building collapse. I think you have a much easier time getting close to the people of this world than I do. I think you should follow your own judgment.”
“Tsukasa…”
“Akky, I…I trust you.”
“Thanks. Well, don’t you want to start drinking?”
Tsukasa’s eyes had drifted over to lock onto her beers that Shiro had taken out.
“Everyone, go ahead and eat and drink whatever you want!’
Tamamo was already happily shoveling inari sushi into her mouth and washing it down with miso soup, so we didn’t really get the chance to say a toast. I walked over to the low table where Tsukasa and Shiro were.
“Mr. Akutooo!”
The princess walked over with bottle and cup in hand and sat down next to me.
“Let me pour your drink for you! There you go.”
With no time to politely decline, the princess poured out some dwarf-made cola into a cup and handed it to me.
“Thank you. I do love cola. Here, let me pour yours.”
Still sitting, I picked up a cup and poured her a drink.
“I’m so happy!” She started to sip.
Her drinking pace was slow. I slowed my own pace to match her tiny sips. I put Ileana and Tamamo bickering in the background out of my mind and savored the feeling of the soda bubbles fizzing in my throat…
I’m glad this world has soda, too.
I’ve always liked sweet, bubbly drinks. Good thing it was this world I got summoned to.
As I finished drinking and set down my cup, I noticed that the princess’s expression had changed.
“Princess, is something wrong?”
Her naturally happy smile, like a capital D on its side, had turned into a normal-shaped mouth as she stared back at me.
“Huh? Does something seem wrong?”
“Hmm? No, maybe it’s nothing, but, you don’t look as energetic as usual…”
As I said this, I realized maybe I hadn’t been very considerate in bringing it up.
The recent incident must have been hard on her.
How much pain had it caused her to have to take on and face a crime that wasn’t her own?
“…Um. You know, I’m not really sure if I understand…what I’m supposed to do, from now on…”
The usually energetic fourteen-year-old sat hanging her head.
“I talked with Shiro about it. And she told me I might try asking you…”
“Princess. I know you worked really hard.”
I reached out my right hand.
I patted her on her little tiara-wearing head.
“Mr. Akuto…”
“If you’re ever worried about anything, you can tell me. I’ll do what I can to help.”
If only I had come to this world and been able to say this to her earlier.
“…Hee-hee. Okaaay! I’m counting on you, Mr. Akuto!”
The princess in her pink maid outfit happily petted my right hand with her two hands.
“Aaah, I’m stuffed! Let’s get to the gaming already, my boy! Or should I say, God’s Chosen Assistant?”
“The heck is that?”
“Ahem. Lately, there are many of this kingdom’s citizens who have started referring to you as such… God’s Chosen Assistant. The one who judged God’s proxy,” answered Ileana.
“Mr. Akutooo! That’s so cool! ☆”
“Sounds like I’ve made a bad impression…but I guess it’s better than Window Mage.”
Thinking back, thanks to the high priest’s reaction to my powers, now I probably looked like someone who could acquire anything. But in reality, the acquisition skill wasn’t unlimited, and anything I acquired would always start at level one. But it might be good if I hid those weaknesses and used this as a bluff against my enemies.
“Let’s go another round! This game may be old-fashioned, but it isn’t bad. And I like that there is even a character that resembles me! Good find, my boy!”
Tamamo was talking about the game Chiyodaku Fighter.
“It’s good, right? It was made by one of the kingdom’s citizens, after all.”
It was a versus fighting game that Gobta had made.
The problems surrounding the Boucher household had been solved. I had been going every day to talk with Gobta. The flow of our conversation had led to Tamamo, and he made this game for us as a thank-you.
I don’t know about God’s miracles, but I think this everyday life is a miracle in itself. This game made by a fan of Japanese games in a kingdom of another world is a miracle.
Under the large monitor in the room, there was a computer, with the USB I had borrowed from Gobta plugged into it to play the game.
“Oh? I suppose it will be fair game, then. I appreciate you keeping your promise.”
Tamamo picked up a game controller with her oily hands and handed it over to me.
“Well, hurry up, then! Your promise isn’t completely fulfilled yet, my boy!”
“Okay, okay…”
Sitting on the cushion next to Tamamo, I turned to face the monitor.
I grasped the controller.
The air was warm and smelled of oil.
There was something nostalgic and calming about this place.