CH 18

Rodo seemed to understand that I came from a different world.

I don’t know when I’ll disappear from this world, so I can’t set an accurate goal.

I’m worried that I can’t return to Japan, but I’m also worried about returning.

Will Rodo, who says he likes me, be sad when I return to Japan?

I don’t want to go back to Japan.

But I also want to go back to Japan.

I want to see my parents, but I don’t want to leave Rodo.

I can only choose one, but I want both.

Besides, I don’t have the right to decide.

If I can decide by myself, I can accept the regret from what I chose.

And yet, I can’t do that either.

Rodo hugged me, who can’t stop crying, and kept saying that he likes me.

I think I now have a good understanding of what a “mate” is.

There are many books about it, and they’re also drawn in picture books, so even I, who didn’t know the word, could read them roughly.

“Mates are the match to your soul.”

In a nutshell, that’s all it means.

It’s already been three weeks since I came to this world.

Maybe I can’t go back.

But the possibility isn’t zero.

…I’m scared of that.

If I can’t go back, then I can’t go back. I want to make that decision, but I can’t.

If I can go home, I have to be prepared to break up with Rodo.

It’s just painful to return to Japan after falling in love with Rodo.

While crying until I felt tired, the hands stroking my head remained warm and gentle.

I was attacked by sleepiness and I just let go of my consciousness.

────

──

When I woke up, I was in bed and in Rodo’s arms as usual.

I’m always in this position when I go to bed…today I slept before night fell.

In other words, I haven’t had dinner.

It’s dark outside, but what’s the time right now?

And Rodo is still sleeping.

(Is it midnight now?)

In this world without a clock, they’d look at the sun and stars to know the time.

But I still can’t.

I still know how to read the sun, but all the stars looked the same.

There seemed to be a star as a mark, but that’s new to me.

When they pointed at the mark, it might be possible to find it somehow, but for me who don’t even know where Orion is, I think it’s impossible.

I can’t even judge where the north, south, east, and west is.

I’m confident that I can’t reach it even if they say “2km to the north”.

I don’t even know the way to any of the directions.

When I crawled out of Rodo’s arm, that seemed to wake him up.

“Woke you. Sorry.”

He shook his head when I apologized.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

Rodo is always sweet to me.

He picked me up and put me on his lap.

Immediately after that, guru…my stomach groaned in hunger.

“Are you hungry?”

Rodo, who spoke slowly, is easier to understand than anyone else.

“I’m hungry.”

“Meal, eat. Go.” (Let’s go have a meal.)

It seemed like Rodo doesn’t cook for himself and always go to the cafeteria.

There’s a lot of dishes there so you won’t get bored.

However, this house also has a kitchen, which was a waste.

I wonder if his salary is good. I feel like I haven’t paid much attention to money.

Although he’s 156 years old, he doesn’t seem to have any life skills.

He didn’t even do the cleaning and washing.

It seemed like he hired someone to clean the house once in a while.

While being held up, I put on my shoes and went outside.

Even after knowing that I’m 18 years old, Rodo often treated me like a child by changing my clothes and combing my hair.

Because I hate it, I often do it myself, so it’ll be an offense and defense with Rodo who tried to help me every time.

When I said I’m an adult, he’d just smile as if he didn’t believe it.

However, in this world where many people have longevity, 18 years old might be recognized as a child.

“Big person, how old?” (At what age can you be considered an adult?)

When I asked that, I felt like he said it’s about 100 years old.

It’s too much, so I decided to stop thinking about it for now.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, people were sparse, probably because it was later than usual.

There’s not the usual Ren.

Without Ren, the other guys would just call out in greeting.

I heard that many people are afraid of Akinists, but many people feel that way even though they haven’t seen his cat form.

Rodo is only sweet to me.

But I know he’s not just strict with his subordinates.

If he only gave them fear, he wouldn’t be so respected.

Unlike me, who’s relieved at telling the truth, I know that Rodo has a difficult face when I’m not looking.

He might be wondering when his “mate” would disappear.

Maybe it won’t happen.

I may live in this world forever.

…but that might also not be the case.

Am I going to stay like this in this world?

Will I revert back when I return?

How old am I in this world?

…there are many things I don’t understand.

As we did the usual of sitting in my chair and eating, the people who greeted Rodo retreated and stood in front of me for some reason.

(Do they have something with me?)

They usually don’t talk to me much.

…at the beginning, I even felt outright hostility, but now, there’s no such thing.

“What?”

I don’t think these people have anything to do with me.

For the moment, I look like this and can’t work.

I hope I can earn money as a magician, but unfortunately, I just used magic for the first time today.

Work will not be possible yet.

“*****, *****?”

“********?”

They said something quickly, but I couldn’t catch it.

Moreover, they spoke one after another that I can’t catch up.

By tilting my head, I implied that I didn’t understand them.

What on earth do they want to say?

When I turned my gaze at Rodo to translate, for some reason, he turned his keen eyes on his men.

(Did they say abusive words against me?)

But their expressions weren’t like that.

Somehow, they seemed excited.

“Rodo?”

When I called out, he smiled as usual.

…earlier, why did you look like that?

“Everyone, what, say?” (What is everyone saying?)

But I asked a question first.

“Ice, make. Amazing.” (You made ice from magic, which is amazing.)

“…amazing?”

Is that so?

Even though I, a beginner, could make it so easily?

“Everyone, can, no?” (Everyone can’t do it?)

“Yes.”

I was surprised to hear the affirmation.

If you can imagine it, can’t anyone do it?

I think it’s easy if you know the process of ice formation.

What’s more, I just had water come out and imagined that it’d freeze.

Is it possible to put out ice from the beginning?

“Ice.”

The image was not water, but ice from the very beginning.

Then…

──goron.

Ice appeared on the table.

(What. So I can do it.)

It’s that easy…

Isn’t everyone just not trying it out?

Looking at Rodo──

He had a surprised face.

Even when I turned my eyes, I saw surprise in the people standing in front of me.

…is it that surprising?

“*******!”

“******!”

“What? Hurts, hurts.”

After saying something, they started stroking my head…rather, those guys even shook me up.

“*****!!”

Just when I thought I’d lose feeling in my arm, Rodo forcibly pulled the offensive hand away.

The man shouted with a painful face.

Did Rodo have a strong grip?

There’s a clear handprint on the wrist after Rodo let go of the hand.

The man apologized to Rodo, but he looked too desperate.

Rodo is──

He glared at those people, then for some reason, he picked me up and put me on his lap.

It’s quite difficult to eat like this, but…

What else can I do?

When I looked up at Rodo, food would arrive at my mouth.

Even when I said that I can eat by myself, Rodo didn’t stop feeding me.

But today, even when he knew I’m someone from a different world, he’s still on my side and he still said that he likes me, so if Rodo wanted it, I think it’s okay to stay like this for today.

When I open my mouth, food would be brought.

As expected, I was in that state until I finished eating.