We finished our report to the branch manager, and since we don’t really have anything to count, we have Enki become smaller and take it back home with us. But then something unexpected happens. Rumors of Enki brought people in front of the association, and there’s a crowd gathered here. Most of them are regular people, not adventurers.
I guess someone walking around with a monster draws more attention than I thought. The more sharp sighted people quickly spot Enki in my arms, and yell.
“Wah, it’s so small!”
“Eh? Is that it?”
“Kyah! It’s waving! So cute!”
There’s no point hiding it now, so I have Enki grow to about two meters, and show off that it’s not harmful. Ayane is surprisingly good at this. She takes the lead, climbs on top of Enki, and rides on its shoulders.
I guess this sight is reassuring to them, because kids that were looking on from far away come running, turning this into a festive atmosphere.
Kids start climbing it and touching it like a hero in a hero show. And Enki behaves like an adult in the face of this innocence.
If it were me, I’d be too bewildered to move.
This hero show with audience interaction goes on in an open space in front of the association for about an hour, and we manage to somehow shake off the sad voices of the children and make our way home. It was mostly Enki and my fiancees who dealt with it, but I’m tired just from watching them.
“Good work everyone. It was very sudden, but it’s a good thing you managed to deal with it.”
“Fufu, I managed to act because you took action as soon as you were surrounded.”
“I didn’t think it’d be so popular.”
‘Goh.’
“Enki is the children’s hero!”
“From that point of view, it really helps that it does not have the face and form of a regular golem. If it had the same appearance as the monster golems…”
The kids would be shocked if it looked like the golems we’ve been taking down.
“Should we clothe it to set it apart?”
“Like the others? Eh… What do you think, Enki?”
‘Goh?? Gogo…’
Enki shakes its head vigorously, completely different from its grown up demeanor from before.
“It doesn’t like it.”
“They say children take after their parents, and I believe Enki shares a lot of its senses with you, master.”
“Does it?”
‘Gogo?’
It looks like it doesn’t really get it either.
Anyway, I think it doesn’t want to become a dress-up doll like the other golems.
“Well, leaving that aside, I think Enki is tired too. It’s a little early, but how about resupplying magic energy?”
‘Goh goh.’
Enki starts gesturing, and grabs my hand instead of a magic stone.”
“Hn? It can be done directly?”
‘Gooh.’
“Okay okay.”
Golems replenish their magic energy with magic stones, but it looks like it can take it directly from me since I have Magic Stone Control. But it seems like golems like magic stones, so the other four would rather take it from them.
But Enki here prefers to take it directly. Well, I’m raising it, so I’m glad it likes me.
As I supply it with magic energy, everyone scatters and does their own thing, so I walk Enki around the house. Once we get to my room, my eyes fall on one thing.
“Come to think of it, the fishman seed hasn’t changed.”
“Gogo?”
“I got this from the nearby Heart Dungeon, but it hasn’t sprouted.”
“Gogo.”
“It hasn’t withered or rotted, so I don’t think it’s about Luck. But then how do I make it grow?”
“Goh.”
“Hn? Yes, I should try something else.”
I go look for Maki and Aira, since they probably know more about it, and see them making dinner. Ah, I haven’t thanked Aira. That’ll have to come later…
“Maki, Aira. Do you have a fish tank or fish bowl or something like that?”
“Why do you ask that so suddenly?”
“Oh dear, did you become that fond of pets? Indeed, tropical fish and goldfish do not take up much room, and if you know how to manage them, simply watching them can be quite soothing.”
“No, that’s not it. Apparently fishman seeds don’t grow on land, so I was thinking about submerging it.”
““I see.””
They think about it for a bit, wondering if they have something that fits the bill, and strangely enough, Aira shakes her head and Maki raises her hand.
“There were a few small ones used as terrarium.”
“Can I borrow them?”
“Of course. But they are small enough to fit in one hand.”
“Yes, I’ll start by putting it in water and adding salt to see what happens. If it still doesn’t respond, I’ll try adding stuff like seaweed, coral, moss, sea sand… I’ll try different things.”
And if it still doesn’t work… I’ll just leave it.
I think my mother-in-law Sakuya might just give me the answer if I ask, since she has a better True Appraisal than me, but that annoys me a little. Or more like, I want to avoid feeling like I’m losing to her.
“Gogo.”
“Hn?”
Enki pulls my arm, and when I look at it, it points at Aira.
“What about me?”
“…Ah, that’s right. Thanking Aira.”
“Oh, you remembered?”
“Sorry, it just slipped my mind.”
“Fufu, and you remembered thanks to Enki.”
“Goh!”
Maki pats Enki, and then looks puzzled.
“Thank?”
“Yes. Aira worked really hard today. She always does, but she fished out a hundred golems a few times, ran around the second floor while holding a Boss Wolf by its leash… She did a lot.”
“Just hearing about it seems incredible.”
“I keep being helped by everyone, but Aira’s efforts are on a different level… So, any ideas?”
Aira thinks about it for a bit, and then smirks.
“Then master, allow me to feed you during dinner tonight.”
“Like, you go all open wide?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Serving her master is what makes a maid happy.”
Hm, the paragon of maids. I thought something worse was coming, so it’s kind of an anticlimax. And just as she announced, when it’s time for dinner, Aira picks food and puts it in my mouth like I’m a baby chick.
Aki and Maki look jealous, but I don’t really notice it.
Thanks for the treat.
“Maki, Aira. Do you have a fish tank or fish bow or something like that?”
Bowl*