CH 193

「Dear, welcome home」

「Eh?」

I was standing slack-jawed at the entrance of my home.

It seems that I had just returned from a tiring day of work.

「Yeah, I'm home―――――」

I must be really tired. I can't seem to recall my wife's name.

「Dinner is ready. After you’ve washed your filthy body, please eat it all up」

My wife replied with a blank expression.

Everything was the same as usual. But for some reason, something felt off to me. After leaving my bag, wallet, and smartphone in my room, I went to the bathroom. There was no hot water in the bathtub, so I settled for taking a shower.

「Cold!」

The water was cold. I waited for a while, but it remained as cold as ever.

「Hey! Is the water heater broken?! There's no hot water!」

When I called my wife……

「I see, so hot water comes out of there, huh?」

「Huh?」

……she said something strange.

「Just wash yourself with the water. Get on with it and eat your dinner」

「Ehhhh」

Isn't that kinda terrible? Did I upset her in some way?

Anyhow, I put up with the cold as I washed myself before stepping out of the bathroom. I wiped myself off with a weirdly coarse bath towel and then went to dress myself, but there was no change of clothes.

「Hey, there's no change of clothes」

「What? What do you mean by "change of clothes"?」

When I called my wife again……

「Well, I took a shower, so I need clothes to change into」

「I see, so you don't prepare them yourself, huh?」

「Ehhhh!」

I wonder what this feeling that things aren't quite meshing is. It's like I'm talking to an alien.

Is my wife an alien or something? Haha, there's no way.

「Please wait a moment」

It was really a moment's wait before she threw me a dress shirt and a pair of pants that were exactly the same as the ones I was wearing earlier.

I would have preferred something more comfortable, or rather, something I could sleep in, but………I'll just have to put up with it.

「What's for dinner tonight?」

「See for yourself」

When I walked over to the dining table in the living room……

「………………」

Raw vegetables, raw meat, and raw ingredients? Is that perhaps raw wheat? And there's some sort of liquid in a wooden cup and a token amount of salt on the side.

Hmm.

This is terrible.

I know my wife is bad at cooking, but huh? This sure is weird though.

「What about rice(dinner)?」

「Isn’t your dinner(rice) right in front of you though?」

「No, I meant rice」

「Ri-ce?」[1]

Something is weird after all. Putting aside other dishes, rice should be the one thing she's great at cooking……

I can clearly remember eating eggs over rice for dinner on numerous occasions. As long as I had rice, I had always been fine with just about anything as side dishes.

Huh? Wait, who made those side dishes?

「Hey, is there something wrong with you today?」

「What do you mean by “wrong”?」

「You know, everything in general. Every single thing」

Right then, there was a pattering of small feet drawing closer from behind me, which was followed by the feeling of something clinging onto my back

「Otou-sama~」

「Huh?」

Looking back, I found a little girl. Her face was completely obscured by her long chestnut brown hair. I had the feeling that she was adorable, but also strangely eerie at the same time.

「Please open this」

She had in her hands a small box.

No, rather than a box, it was more of a cylindrical pod. It gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.

「Why do I have to open it?」

「I've lost the key. So please open it for me」

「I see, you lost it, huh?」

Accepting the pod from her, I thought about what I associated as its key and then recalled that it was a spoken password.

「Please open it quickly」

「Hold on a second」

An inexplicable sense that something was off stilled my words.

「Where's Makina? Where's Lanseal? Where's Ea? Where's Yukikaze? Where's Maria? There's something wrong with our home. In the first place, why is it a modern home? Hey………………who are you?」

「We’ve failed, indeed」

Said the woman who called herself my wife.

「We’ve failed, indeed」

Said the woman who called herself my child.

「Let's try this again, indeed」

「Dear, welcome home」

「Eh?」

I was standing slack-jawed at the entrance of my home.

It seems that I had just returned from a tiring day of work, but huh? It feels like that’s not the case though.

「I’m―――――」

「Go take a bath and then have your dinner」

「Got it」

Hurried along by my wife's words, I headed for the bathroom. I left my jacket, bag………

「Huh?」

That was all I had on me. How should I put it……

「Hey, can I ask you something?」

「What is it?」

I walked out of the bathroom and posed a question to my wife.

「What is it that I do for a living?」

「You explore the dungeon. Aren't you an adventurer?」

「………In this getup?」

Are you telling me that I explore the dungeon wearing pants, dress shirt, and tie?

I mean, that raises a lot of questions in my mind.

「Is that weird?」

「It’s weird. Also, I have another question for you」

「What is it?」

I looked at my wife's chest.

The slight swellings there made me think of deflated balloons.

「Were your boobs always that small?」

「You piece of shit」

My angry wife kicked me in the shin.

That was weird. My wife would never use violence on me.

「………Who are you?」

「Otou-sama~」

「Eh, and who are you?」

A girl I don't know is nestling up to me.

「Open this box」

「What the heck is going on here?」

「I agree. Let's reconstruct the memory」

「Onii-chan, welcome home」

「Who are you?」

I found myself at the entrance and in front of me was a woman I didn't know.

No, wait, I feel like I just saw her not too long ago.

「Go take a bath and make dinner」

The young girl backed away on her crutch. Ahead of me stretched an old-looking hallway. On the wall were posters of old Western films.

It was a two-story wooden house built 40 years ago.

It looked run-down in spots, but the house had undergone a number of repairs and still could be lived in. It was certified earthquake-proof and sturdy.

I went straight to its refurbished bathroom.

After taking off all my clothes, I took a quick shower and then soaked in the bath.

「Haa～」

It felt like my mind had been cleansed.

After washing up, I put on the change of clothes that had been prepared for me and went into the living room.

On the low dining table was……

「Ummm?」

……nothing at all.

「You're not expecting me to cook, are you?」

「Oh, that's right」

She was catastrophically bad at cooking. When I opened the refrigerator, I found some leftover rice, Kielbasas(Polish sausages), eggs, and Japanese leeks.

「Is fried rice okay?」

「I like fried rice」

Alright then.

Or rather, she's not a picky eater. I have the distinct impression that she will eat anything and say that it's delicious.

I put a frying pan on the stove and got to work making fried rice.

After slicing up the Kielbasas and Japanese leeks, I stir-fried the ingredients in plenty of oil, then added some beaten eggs and let everything cook for a moment before adding the rice.

Using a ladle, I tossed and stirred everything so that it would be mixed evenly. Then I added some Weipa seasoning[2] and soy sauce before tossing and stirring some more.

After taste-testing it, I added some salt and pepper. To complete the dish, I drizzled some sesame oil over it.

「It's done」

「Okay~」

I had made fried rice for five.

「Huh?」

It's only me and her, so why did I make enough for five people?

「Onii-chan, I'm hungry」

「Alright, alright」

She was waiting by the low dining table, kicking her feet on the floor.

After setting down the fried rice, I poured cups of barley tea and then started dinner.

『Itadakimasu』

Five voices rang out.

There was her, a pair of twins I didn't know, and one more, a little girl with black hair and a spoon in her hand.

The twins were gobbling up the fried rice with great gusto.

「Oh-ho. Assistant Morniella, this has a pretty unique taste to it, indeed」

「Magistrate Jutta, I concur, indeed. This grainy vegetable sure is grainy」

「Who are you people?」

「They’re my friends」

「What strange friends you have」

It can't be helped if they're her friends. The way they eat is very crude though.

「Oh, I almost forgot. Onii-chan, I have a favor to ask of you」

「Hmm? What is it?」

She placed an A.I. mini-pod on the low dining table.

「I kinda need this opened」

「Eh?」

「I forgot the password」

「Ohh, I see. In that case―――――」

「Team member Souya」

The black-haired little girl suddenly interrupted me.

Her voice sounded strangely mature and composed. However, she had stuffed her cheeks full with fried rice, making her look comically like a squirrel.

「In my opinion………mugu, mmm, it could do………mugu, mmm………mmm, with a little bit more spiciness」

The little girl washed the fried rice down by chugging a cup of barley tea in one go.

Chew your food more thoroughly.

「As such, I would like to request some Szechuan sauce. Chinese pickled vegetables too please. Japanese pickled vegetables are also welcome」

「Do we have them, I wonder? Give me a second to check」

『No, hang on a second, indeed』

As I was getting up, the twins stopped me.

「Who are you?」

「She's an existence outside of his consciousness」

The twins were glaring at the black-haired little girl with twisted, horrific looks on their faces.

The little girl put down her spoon and glared back at the twins with an unruffled expression.

「I'm disgusted by your extremely bad taste in methods. But I’m thankful for the chance to move up the timeline and eat at the same table. Team member Souya, this is too empty a dream for you to be having. It's time you returned to reality」

The twins pulled out swords from somewhere and stabbed the little girl to death.

「Elimination complete」

「But we don't know the source of this, indeed. Let's choose a different setting」

「Understood, indeed, Magistrate」

「Now, Assistant, let's be sure to make him say the words that will open the lock in the next dream」

The twins cut the little girl in two and decapitated her.

The head of the little girl fell to the floor with a thud and rolled over. That was when it uttered its last words.

「Ajillo with small shrimp. In it lies the hint to shattering this nightmare」

Ajillo? The one that Geto-san likes?

I felt the wind on my face.

I was standing in a plain.

In the distance stood a massive structure. A dungeon shaped like a horn stabbed into the ground.

The Odoriji spire.

「Hey, Souya, is it not done yet?」

「Eh?」

Beside me was a fishman sitting in a camping chair.

「I'm talking about the pot of oil. You know, that pot of oil there. I can't wait to eat it」

「Eh, oh, right. Sorry」

Garlic and peppers had been added to the olive oil in a clay-pot. I dropped in some peeled small shrimps and left the pot over the fire, letting the flavors seep out.

Next to Geto-san, who was playing with a wire puzzle, there was a set of twins also playing with a wire puzzle.

「Assistant, what's the point of this device?」

「Magistrate, it's most likely an educational toy」

「I see, so this is used to train a child's arm strength, huh?」

「Yes, that's right, indeed」

The twins tore the wire puzzle apart with a resounding snap.

Shortly after, the Ajillo with small shrimp was completed.

「Geto-san, I'll go cool it down, so please wait for a moment」

「No, that's not a problem」

Geto-san stuck a scale to his forehead. It was a dragon scale that was said to protect against all heat and flames.

「Yeah, if you have that, then hot food is……………… Huh? Geto-san」

「Hnn, what is it?」

「No, umm, I have this feeling that you haven't gotten that at this point in time though……」

My head swam for a moment.

I forgot what doubts I had.

「Sorry, it’s nothing. Let’s dig in」

「Mmm」

「Oh-ho. I never knew seafood could be cooked in oil. Have you ever eaten something like this, Assistant?」

「No, Magistrate, this is my first time」

「I'm cutting up the bread for us to share」

I cut up the bread and split it among the four of us, and we all dipped the bread in the Ajillo as we ate.

「Mmm! This is it!」

Geto-san's eyebrows quirked up.

「Oh-ho, Assistant, this has quite the unusual taste」

「Magistrate, that's true, indeed. It's delicious, so I won't be speaking for a little bit」

The twins and the fishman fought over the Ajillo and bread. It was such an amazing sight that I was somewhat taken aback.

All the bread that I had bought to keep for later got devoured, and towards the end, they were wiping the pot with the bread as they ate.

It was a gluttonous way of eating.

「Mmm, that was good」

「Yeah, it was」

I also ate quite a bit. For some reason, I didn't really feel full though.

「Now, Foreigner, our hunger has been sated, so open this, indeed」

One of the twins pulled out an A.I. mini-pod.

「Open it?」

Oh, that's right. I have to open this. That's the feeling I have.

If I recall, the password is……

「Code break」

「Souya. Let’s see, while waiting for the food to be digested, I'll tell you a story」

「Eh?」

Geto-san started speaking abruptly, cutting me off.

No, this too is normal. This is the natural flow of the conversation from the "previous time" I heard it.

「Wait a minute, indeed. Assistant, we've lost control of this memory」

「Magistrate, somehow, there's something interfering with our control」

Geto-san carried on with the story.

「In ancient times, right after the era of gods descending on this world was over and human history had just begun.

There was a king who ruled over the beastkin.

The name of the King of Beasts was――――――――――」

「Assistant Morniella, understood, indeed. But what about you?」

「No, Jutta, I’m not going to make it in time, indeed」

「This is your just deserts for intruding so much into the minds of others. Listen to the end, won't you?」

Black blood streamed from the assistant's eyes and mouth.

「Why do you have the same curse as the prince?!」

「Shut up, you man-eating monster」

[1] ご飯(go-han) in Japanese can mean “meal”. And breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Japanese are literally that word with the time of day added in front of it, ie lunch = 昼ご飯(afternoon-meal), dinner = 夜ご飯(night-meal), and so on. But it’s actually rare to use those words in Japanese. Most of the time, ご飯 is used just by itself and which exact meal it’s referring to is inferred from the time of day or what makes sense from context.

However, it can also mean rice, the white grain that’s a staple food in many Asian countries.

Here, Souya uses ご飯 in the first question, and while he’s wondering about the absence of a Japanese’s staple food of “rice”, it’s not too weird for his wife to misunderstand and think that he was asking about “dinner”. That’s why he clarifies by using お米 the second time, which only means rice.

[2] Weipa, which can mean "king of taste", is a versatile Chinese stock used as seasoning for many Chinese dishes and Japanese style Chinese foods such as fried rice, gyoza or soups. A Kouki Shoko Co. product, it first hit the shelves of Kobe’s Nankin-machi(Chinatown) in 1953. (Pic courtesy of japanesetaste.com).

Wait, isn’t there something weird in the third run/dream? While Souya did see Yukikaze(human) a while ago on the 45th floor, he should no longer remember what is presumably his grandfather’s house, isn’t it? Also, he still remembers Yukikaze(human)’s food preferences… Why are those memories still within him? Are we really sure it’s his memories that were consumed and turned into power by Wild Hunt? I feel like I’ve belabored this point enough, so I won’t say more. Well, it’s more like I’ll be giving spoilers outright if I say more since the author has left so many hints about this already.

And while we’re on the subject, who do you think that black-haired little girl is? The way she calls Souya is very distinctive, isn’t it?

Speaking of which, it wasn’t very obvious in previous chapters, but you must have noticed it by now, given how often it appeared in this chapter. Yes, the magistrate and her assistant add the same useless phrase at the end of some sentences in the exact same way as Yukikaze(A.I.) does. Is there some significance to this? Well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it?

I’ll take this opportunity to reiterate that the “indeed” that appears at the end of some of Yukikaze’s sentences is like Naruto’s “dattebayo”. It doesn’t actually mean anything or add to the sentence and is just a quirk in the way that character speaks. In all proper translations, Naruto’s speech reads perfectly normal with nothing extra(though later on, some translators did want to express the fact he does that and used stuff like “believe it” at the end of his sentences). And that’s just how it is, you can add catchphrases to the ends of sentences that have no effect on the meaning of the sentences in Japanese. I’m using “indeed”, but that’s technically wrong, but I have to do it or you won’t know Yukikaze does something like that. Or that some other characters suspiciously do it as well.

Man oh man, what a chapter, huh? And what a long afterword too lmao. There’s so much more to come, so stay tuned!