That was bad yesterday. Not the part about the Church of Minsule. That had to do with it, but what was bad was what came after I escaped from Seijyu’s clutches.
I couldn’t pick where I landed after using Bazoom to escape, so it was all up to fate.
Yesterday, I yelled as I fell, and landed on a railway track. As a train approached.
Uoh! I yelled even more and rolled out of the way, but there was a train coming from there too.
Then I went kyah, and escaped with another Bazoom from Fuuma, taking me on another trip in the sky.
The evening glow is pretty~.
That carefree attitude lasted for one second, as I panicked because I almost hit a helicopter. If I hit the propellers, I’d be minced.
Fuuma somehow used magic to dodge, and this time we landed in the ocean. A kilometer away from land.
I used Fuuma as a kickboard and flapped my legs back to land, but it was dark by the time I got there.
And it took me three hours to get home. That’s how long it took using public transportation. It really made me feel how scary the Bazoom spell is.
Well, let’s forget about yesterday. I told Seijyu I’d remember it, but I shouldn’t get involved with that type of person, so let’s forget about it and get ready to explore.
I’m planning to spend the night in the dungeon.
I wanted to get ready yesterday, but the Church of Minsule messed up my schedule. That said, I’m just packing food, potions, and stuff like monster repellent, so it won’t take long.
I bought food this morning, and I’ll buy potions in the guild. It’s the same as always, same as always. And yet, the food I make disappears right after. Why is that?
I place a plate on a table.
Fuuma’s eyes shine.
Fuuma opens its mouth.
It instantly settles in its stomach.
I grab Fuuma’s head and throw it outside.
What do you think you’re doing!? Damn horse!!
I ignore the mhe~ sound outside, and keep cooking.
I bought a lot of food, so it takes me until after noon to prepare it all.
Thanks to my useful Storage Space skill, I don’t have to eat the portable rations sold by the guild.
Eating bad food in the middle of a harsh exploration would lower my morale, and I might even stop going.
I hear the doorbell as I silently cook.
I wonder who it could be at this time, and see my landlord with the crying Fuuma.
Yes? What is it?
You brought Fuuma because it was crying? Thank you.
Yes, it’s all right. I’m not mistreating it.
I grabbed it by the head?
It’s all right, it likes that.
Yes. Well then…
I stand by the entrance for a bit, and after seeing the landlord is far enough away, I toss Fuuma out.
Back to cooking.
I keep cooking with mhe~ as my BGM, and for some reason I’m reminded of sky fighting fowl. Wouldn’t they be tasty if I hunted and cooked them along the way?
That’s my best idea today.
With that decided, I put all the ingredients in my Storage Space, and get ready to head out.
That mhe~ is getting annoying, so I’ll let it in… I can’t hear it.
Did it tire itself out from crying and fall asleep? I open the door, and see a lanky man feeding it.
This man lives two buildings away from here, and I’m pretty sure he’s a university student. I remember greeting his guardian when they moved here two years ago.
Ah, sorry, was it noisy?
Sorry for disturbing your studies.
Ah, you just got back from your part-time?
That must be tough, being a student supporting himself.
Eh? Who am I?
I’m Tanaka. We met a few times before.
He looks surprised, saying I changed a lot, and continues.
“I have a message for you. ‘I want to clear up yesterday’s misunderstanding, so please come to the Church of Minsule tomorrow’, said the saintess. If you’re not available tomorrow, can you tell me when you are?”
A friend from university once told me the world’s biggest religions hold the world’s information. Having believers is like gathering information.
That’s correct, and wrong.
He asks me if I’m going, and I stand ready after taking a step back.
They’re gathering information, but I didn’t take it as seriously as I should. I didn’t think I’d be a target, or that I’d be getting involved with them.
Even a small religion gathers a lot of information.
Yesterday’s incident led to Minsule learning about me, and in ten or so hours, they tracked down where I live and approached me.
I underestimated churches.
I gulp, tell him I’m going to stay in the dungeon today, and to tell them I’ll go there once I return. He nods and goes off somewhere.
I leave Fuuma and close the door, and then exhale and sit down. It’s winter, but I’m sweating and my throat hurts.
That was scary.
It was like I saw a strange monster.
He was a regular person, far weaker than someone who trains in the dungeon like me. But the people behind him were scary.
I said I was going to the dungeon as a way to get away, but I really don’t want to go.
Then what?
I think it’s best to explore the dungeon as much as I can.
I get ready to go, and head to the shopping mall to get more food.
◇ ◇ ◇
I buy as much food as I can in the shopping mall, and head to the weapon store.
I see the owner behind the counter, and complain about that summoned beast.
It’s a summoned beast, but it eats my food, I can’t send it back, it won’t listen to me, it gets lost, reads manga, buys stuff, it’s small, it’s fat, it’s ugly, and it doesn’t have a single redeeming quality. I say all that very fast.
He looks at me like he doesn’t understand, so I have him check the guardian beast armor.
I’m sure some malfunction happened when he repaired it. If it wasn’t for that, I would’ve gotten a thoroughbred.
And I have him check the greatsword of fortitude while I’m at it.
I’ve been using it a lot, so I’m sure it’s worn down. And I want to know how much it can take.
He checks both, and says that the greatsword of fortitude doesn’t need to be repaired right away, but it should be serviced the next time I’m here.
The guardian beast armor on the other hand, is fine, he says.
That can’t be right, I argue, but he points his pen at me and says if there’s a problem, it’s me.
How am I a problem?
Did I read the description of the guardian beast armor?
I did, it wasn’t that hard to understand.
That’s all there is, and I should let it go?
Ah, so you admit there’s something wrong with the armor.
What? I’m not listening! I’m not accepting that! That fat little summoned beast!?
I take out my phone and show a picture of Fuuma. He laughs. You gotta be kidding me, he says as he laughs out loud.
I’m gonna kill him.
I take a few deep breaths to calm down, and ask how I can get a better summoned beast.
“You gotta change yourself.”
He says like it’s obvious, but then he adds that’s the hardest part, while sipping tea.
◇ ◇ ◇
I get Fuuma after leaving the shopping mall, get stuff like potions and monster repellent at the shopping mall, and head to the dungeon.
That guy told me to change myself, but if I could do that, I wouldn’t be there in the first place.
There’s the experience built up over the course of my life, but in order to change my parents’ genes carved into me, I’d need a lot of resolve and experience.
That experience doesn’t come easily… I want to say, but I’ve experienced that once before.
The experience of losing them had an impact on my life. No matter how hard I try not to use them as an excuse, I suddenly remember them. There are some fun memories, but mostly regret.
Am I supposed to have even more experiences?
If that happens, I’ll break for sure.
I’m not strong enough to be fine after losing important people. And I don’t want to get used to loss either. I wouldn’t be a person anymore.
I watched a documentary about people meeting people who changed their lives, but I’ve never met anyone like that.
That’s all down to luck.
How would that happen? By changing my environment? Would that happen if I worked for a company?
I dunno.
As I ponder all that, I look at Fuuma walking next to me.
This dapple-gray miniature horse toddles along, attracting attention to the point where some people take photos. It’s wearing the perpetual spring scarf, and it has a holster hanging from its side with the rising dragon chakram.
It’s a stupid gluttonous small fat horse, but it can use magic and items, and it’s not scared of monsters.
…Maybe it’s not so bad.
I can’t overlook that Bazoom, but its fighting power is pretty high.
Other than its bad appearance… There’s still a mountain of problems, but I can overlook that based on its accomplishments in the dungeon.
Yes, let’s be positive.
I just have to control it well.
Strangely enough, that makes me think I might be fine with Fuuma.
It looks at me, and neighs that it’s hungry.
I take out a carrot, offer it, and a bad cracking sound echoes.
I really don’t like this thing.
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