Volume 12 – That Which is Inherited
Chapter 65 – The First Princess’ Visit
Spring had come and gone in the blink of an eye, and now the rainy season was only about a month away.
Unlike last year, we didn’t have to prepare blindly without knowing how much rain to expect. Of course, weather varied from year to year, and we couldn’t afford to be careless, but it was nice to feel a little more at ease this time.
「We should probably go on one more trip before the rainy season starts. I don’t want Pochi to be cooped up for too long.」
「Bark!」
Leaning on a deck brush like a staff, I looked out over the forest from atop the roof and muttered to myself.
Today, we were cleaning the house’s exterior.
It had been a year since I was transported from Japan to this world. Over the past few days, I’d been inspecting the house again—checking for any damage or wear, peeling paint, or signs of aging.
Realistically, though, my house and everything within the property was enchanted with my magic. The house and furniture were imbued with the “indestructible” attribute, meaning that kind of wear and tear simply wouldn’t happen. At least, not as long as I was alive—and likely for a while even after I was gone.
「Still, that’s no reason to slack off on maintenance… Besides, even if it hasn’t deteriorated, dirt and grime still build up.」
「Bark.」
The building itself had no issues, but the roof had grown a little mossy, and the walls had accumulated some dirt. So, I figured we might as well take this chance to clean everything up properly. And so, today, the whole family was out giving our beloved home a good scrubbing.
「Sui, how’s the roof looking? Need more water?」
Karen’s voice called up from the yard below.
「I got all the moss off. You can go ahead now.」
「Hmm, I’m coming up.」
Strengthening her body with magic, Karen effortlessly leaped onto the roof like she was hopping over a hedge.
「I’ll rinse off the dirt with water. Sui, Chocola, you two should move to the yard so you don’t get soaked.」
「Got it.」
「Bark!」
And so, the two of us hopped down from the roof, landing lightly in the yard.
—We’d gotten so used to doing this, but thinking about it objectively, it was a pretty absurd thing to be doing casually…
「Sui, welcome back! Scrubbing, all done?」
「Yeah, it’s mostly clean now. Once Karen finishes up, we can go back up together.」
「Uuu, yay!」
Mint came barreling toward me, tackling my waist with excitement. I caught her and looked back up at the roof.
Karen conjured a massive amount of water with magic, washing away the dirt in a torrent. The sheer volume of water caused a fine mist to spray down into the yard.
「Bark! Bark bark!」
Chocola, overjoyed, immediately tried to charge straight into it—
「Chocola, no! Here!」
「Yeah, she’s right. We’re rinsing off the dirt right now… Why do you hate showers but love stuff like this so much?」
「Bark! …kwuunn…」
Held down by Mint, Chocola drooped his ears dejectedly.
「But, look, rainbow! Pretty.」
「Yeah, it’s sparkling.」
Mint placed a hand on Chocola’s back to keep him still as she gazed at the rainbow arching over the roof.
「Once the rainy season starts, it just keeps pouring. You don’t get to see many rainbows then.」
「Rainy season…coming soon?」
「In about a month. But before that, we need to celebrate your birthday, Mint.」
「Birthday…know! Mint born before rainy season!」
「That’s right. You celebrated my birthday recently, didn’t you? This time, it’s your turn.」
「Ooooh…! We, feast?」
「Of course. Look forward to it.」
「Uuuu!」
「Bark? …Bark bark!」
Mint let out an excited squeal and began spinning in circles around me.
Thinking it was a game, Chocola eagerly chased after her.
「You’re going to turn into cheese at this rate… or was it butter?」
「Ara ara, going round and round like that… Cheese?」
As I watched the two of them, Mother reappeared, having just returned from the barn.
「It’s from an old fairy tale I read once. How’s everything going? Looks like you’re nearly done with the roof.」
「The stable is fine, no leaks. Sui-kun’s magic really is impressive. More importantly… Karen, are you finished? Come on down.」
Smiling at us, Mother raised her voice toward the roof, calling for Karen, who had been using water magic.
「Hmm, I’m done. …Did something happen?」
「I just got something I need to talk to you about.」
Karen landed lightly in the yard. After glancing at me, Mother let out a sigh.
That’s when I noticed it.
In her hand, she held a flat, transparent stone tablet—a communication crystal.
「Did someone send a message?」
「Yes. From aunt.」
Aunt… Grandma Seralinde?
A memory surfaced.
She had mentioned wanting to discuss something with us.
We had agreed easily enough, saying,「That’s fine,」but since she was an important person, we figured it would take time to schedule and assumed it was still far off.
「She must have been really looking forward to it. She pushed the schedule up unexpectedly. The advance notice reached her just moments ago.」
「Mother, does that mean…」
With a wry smile, Mother nodded.
「Princess Yunia and Prime Minister Eidel. They’re coming to Sidera. They’ll arrive in ten days. They want to meet with us. What do you think?」
Yunia—Noah’s elder sister and the first princess of the Sorx Kingdom.
Known as a gourmand, her appetite for fine cuisine was now leading her straight to Sidera, in search of the dishes I had created.
-0-
Volume 12 begins!
The first princess is on her way!
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