Chapter 181: A Gathering Of Wolves, A Bunch Of Dogs IV
I went shopping for ingredients for dinner with Lanseal and Regure.
In a good mood because Regure had loved her pickles, Ea stayed home to make even more pickles.
「Souya, what's written on that?」
「Oh, this is……」
From beside me, Lanseal peeked at the note I was reading.
She couldn't read it as it was written in Japanese.
「I got Makina to list down foods that are good for pregnant women's health」
「I'm interested in that too」
「I'm fine with just eating pickles」
Lanseal was more enthusiastic about it than the woman who was actually pregnant.
「Pickles are loaded with sugar, so it's not good to eat too much of them. First off, we'll need some green and yellow vegetables」
The recommendations in the note included radishes, spinach, edamame, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and Japanese mustard spinach.
「There are some vegetables that were freshly picked this morning at Tyutyu's store, so I'll ask her to share some with us. After that……is there a place that sells mushrooms, I wonder?」
The people of this city don't eat mushrooms very often.
They used to buy them from Heures Forest, but trade had evaporated with the worsening of relations with the elves. They can't be bought through normal channels.
「Souya, if you're looking for mushrooms, Melm-sama's place sells them」
「He added more products without permission again, huh?」
Or rather, that store is owned by me and the Zavua merchant company.
Melm is just someone we’re employing as the storekeeper. At first, he was no more than a salesman, but he was doing so well that we had no choice but to promote him.
But I'll have to warn him before he gets carried away.
If a problem arises as a result of him introducing some strange products, it'd be me and the merchant company who would be held accountable after all.
「Souya, what's next? What's next on the list?」
「Next is red meat. I guess we can get that at Tyutyu's store too」
Lanseal was pressing me hard.
「What else?」
「Whole wheat flour. Beastkin bread should be fine」
「I don't like that stuff」
「It's good for the babies, so just bear with it」
I ignored Regure's opinion.
「Walnuts too. Oh, Melm had brought some over before」
I had made snacks that went well with alcohol using the walnuts and miso. Those guys should have kept a supply of them in the store for their own use.
「Hmmm………………」
We can get most of what we need at Tyutyu's store.
In other words, I'll be introducing Tyutyu and Lanseal to each other.
No, Lanseal must have met her before at Melm's store―――――I guess not. I've seen them both in that miso & seasonings store several times, so I think they must have at least seen each other before, but something tells me that it's a bad idea for me to be the one introducing them to each other. I have a feeling that it's a bad idea.
I have no idea why it may be a bad idea.
But I have a bad feeling about it.
I also have this feeling that having a pregnant Regure there might prove problematic.
「You know, Regure, aren't you tired? You should go home and rest」
「I'm not tired! I've rested more than enough in Ashtalia's castle. I have energy in abundance」
As expected from a descendant of Vindoobunikuru. She's energetic even when pregnant.
While I struggled with various things in my mind, we arrived at the store.
On a narrow street near the river that ran along the city walls stood the "A Respite From Adventuring" store.
It was a small, low-key, hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant.
To its left was a seasoning store that sold a variety of unusual products.
To its right was a noodle manufactory that had recently started to bake bread as well.
I thought about checking out the seasonings first, but………
「GI-NYAAAAaaaaaa!」
A scream rang out.
Turning in the direction it had come from, I found Tyutyu, stunned stiff with her tail sticking up. She almost dropped the tray of ramen in her hands, but Rutsuko-san caught it just in time――――――
「Tyutyu-san, what………………Kahwa!」
In the end, Rutsuko-san dropped it too.
The broth splashed onto the Gunmerry underneath……
「HOTTTttttt!」
The little one in armor screamed and thrashed about. The other Gunmerrys surrounded the suffering Gunmerry and poked him with sticks.
The peaceful store had turned into a scene of disaster in an instant.
What on earth could be the cause of all this?
「………………」
Without needing to look all that closely,
I could tell that Tyutyu and Rutsuko-san's eyes were on Regure. To be precise, they were looking at Regure's belly.
「Both of you seem to have misunderstood something, but the child isn’t mine, alright?」
「Souya! That's terrible-nya! Face the music like a man-nya!」
「Souya-san! Responsibility! Take responsibility! Or rather, you cheated?!」
What a terrible misunderstanding.
「This person is――――――」
My eyes met Regure's. She had a devious look on her face, as if she had just thought of something.
She rubbed up against me, hugged my arm, and whispered.
「D?e?a?r」
Stop it!
「NOOOooooooo-nyaaaa! The mistress position got filled-nyaaaa!」
「Eh, Tyutyu-san, what do you mean by "mistress position"?」
The misunderstanding got even worse.
「Calm down. You two over there」
At times like this, the most dependable person is Lanseal.
「I'm the one who’s Souya's mistress」
You just wanted to make that claim, huh?
「Then who's that rabbit person over there-nya?」
「Tyutyu, this person is my dear friend's very special person. I have nothing to do with the babies in her belly」
「There you go again~ There's no need to be shy」
「I’m not being shy!」
Regure was completely playing around.
Two old men watched us as they drank.
「Melm, this scene is just like the ones in the past, isn't it?」
「Yeah, Lemuria. It certainly is」
「Back then, I was loved by too many people. In a way, that was a sign that I was destined to become a king」
「All the women who flocked to you were attracted to your money and fame. It was different for me」
「All you had to offer was a pretty face, wasn't it? How many women did you have lasting relationships with? I'd bet none lasted more than three days」
「That's the fault of those women who lost confidence in themselves because of my attractiveness」
「For better or worse, you haven't changed a bit, huh?」
「And you've changed far too much」
Not even dogs can stomach(No one cares to hear) the boasting of old men.
「But Lemuria, are you sure you want to give Lanseal to this man?」
「………I don't remember giving my approval for any such thing」
I felt a strange killing intent.
Leaving that aside.
「Ah~ Tyutyu, Rutsuko-san, this is Regure. I'll say it again, but she's the mistress of a dear friend of mine」
『Hmmm………』
They both looked at me with suspicion in their eyes.
Whyyyy?
Behind them, the Gunmerry that had ramen dropped on him was dragged into the store by Dogfuru and disappeared from view.
「By the way, Souya, who's this maid-nya?」
「Eh, you don't know her, Tyutyu? She shops at the store next door every now and then」
「Nya vaguely recognize her face and her scent-nya」
Quite unusually, Tyutyu appeared rather ill-tempered.
「Yes, I vaguely recognize her face and scent as well」
Lanseal had a disagreeable expression on her face to match.
They both looked at each other testily.
Wha, what's going on?
For some reason, Rutsuko-san had a horrifyingly cold look in her eyes.
When Tyutyu took a step forward, Lanseal undauntedly took a step forward as well.
「Tyutyu-nya. Nice to meet you-nya」
「I'm Lanseal. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance」
A firm handshake.
The sounds of muscles straining.
Sharp glares at each other.
「I had heard so much about the only daughter of King Lemuria, so I had wondered what you’d be like, but you sure fall short of my expectations-nya」
「Hmmmmmmmmmm, and what exactly is it about me that fell short of your expectations?」
「Everything I thought you'd be, you fell short of」
Huh, Tyutyu has a lot more arm strength than I thought.
No, this isn't the time for that. Eh? Is this going to be a bloodbath?
「The way you speak shows your poor upbringing, you realize?」
「Huhhhh? Something like this is obviously all on purpose-nya. Nya can speak normally anytime Nya feels like it」
That's right~.
Her manner of speech becomes normal only when she's seriously angry, and it's really scary.
「You stooped so far just to appeal to men?! What a petty mind you have!」
「If you think that making an effort to be liked is petty, then you don't understand people-nya! You're ignorant of the ways of the world-nya! You're so miniature garden(箱庭)-nya!」
「Did you perhaps mean to say "sheltered(箱入り)" instead?!」
The war has begun.
This is not good.
I'm supposed to stop them, right? The two old men are just drinking while going, "Good grief." Rutsuko-san is looking at me with the eyes of a Cocytus[1], and the dog and little ones are of no help in this situation.
It's dangerous, but I have no choice but to stop them.
「Souya. Hey, Souya」
「Regure, I'm sorry, but not now」
I can't spare Regure any attention right now.
「I’d love to leave it for later, but………ugh, I'm about to throw up. Where's the toilet?」
「Wha?!」
Regure's face was ashen.
Is this because she ate too many pickles, or is it morning sickness, I wonder?
「Here, let me help you look after her」
「You can't trust Lemuria. I'll do it」
「Don't the two of you lay a single finger on her」
As if I can entrust her to the top two most untrustworthy men when it comes to problems with women.
「There's a toilet at the back of the store. Bear with it until I can get you there」
I tried to lend Regure my shoulder, but she brushed me off lightly.
「I can go by myself」
「Nya will show you the way-nya」
Led by Tyutyu, Regure made her way to the back of the store and disappeared from view.
Come to think of it, the back of the store is where the guards of the kings usually wait.
These two who are drinking way before the sun has set are still kings in the end. So there are guards on standby at the back of the store just in case.
It's a bit of a sorry sight to have guards on standby in front of the toilet. But as can be expected, they can't be positioned at the front of the store, so they'll just have to put up with it.
「So, Souya, is the child in her belly really not yours?」
「It’s not」
King Lemuria voiced his vulgar suspicions.
Melm spoke up with a predatory look in his eyes.
「What a beautiful beastkin. And that silver hair as well. That's not something you see often」
Indeed, silver-haired beastkin are relatively rare. There seems to be some weird scarcity value associated with them.
Hmmm………………might this be bad? No no no, even though she's pregnant, it's hard to imagine anything bad happening to Regure.
I've seen her fight on the battlefield. She's a fearsome warrior who's a match for a thousand. I can comb through the entirety of Lemuria and I still won't find anyone who can compare to her.
There shouldn't be anyone, but………
「Souya, it's not that I don't trust you, but……are you really sure?! Do you really have nothing to do with the babies in Regure-san's belly?」
「Like I said, I have nothing to do with them」
Lanseal was suspecting me again.
「Souya, even if you have children with other women, I'm more than willing to take care of them, you know? One of these days, Rana is going to have one anyway, so I had always planned to be your children's wet nurse. I won't be angry, so please tell me the truth」
「I told you, they’re really not mine」
Just how untrustworthy am I?
I'm not someone who plays around with women that much, am I?
「Souya-san, do you know the Japanese word “Sincerity”?」
「I know it」
The woman from my hometown had been giving me cold looks for some time now.
「You know, I've always wondered about the marriages here in the alternate world. They're wrong, aren't they? Even if the elves practice polygamy, you shouldn't follow suit, Souya-san. You should love only one woman! Just one!」
「Well, you know what they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"」
「That is that! This is this!」
Whoaa, she's not listening.
Rather than trying to argue, I should just let her say her piece.
「Don't you love Rana-san?!」
「………………I love her」
What kind of question is that, Rutsuko-san?
「I can't hear you!」
「I LOVE HER!」
Why do I have to proclaim my love loudly in public like this?
「Though I've cut ties with her, as her father, this is still a disgusting thing to witness」
「You shut the hell up for all eternity」
Melm is the last person I want to hear anything from.
「By the way, hey」
Unusually calmly, King Lemuria interjected.
「Haven't they been gone for a little too long?」
Setting aside Regure, it was odd that Tyutyu hadn't returned yet.
I had a bad feeling and broke out in a cold sweat.
I ran.
I ducked into the alleyway between the stores and made my way to the back.
「Wha……」
What greeted me was something out of a comedy skit. The guards of the two kings were all lying on the ground in heaps.
I put my finger to the neck of one of the guards.
He's not dead, but someone has knocked him clean out.
「H, help-nyaa」
「Are you okay?!」
Tyutyu had been pinned under two elves. I kicked them out of the way unceremoniously and freed her.
I took a quick look around as she got up, but………………my bad feeling had come true.
「Souya, Regure-san has been abducted-nya」
「Gah」
My eyes rolled back into my head just like Shuna's had.
[1] I love this gag so much, but it’s not even an actual creature this time lol.
The Cocytus river has been said to be one of the rivers that surrounded Hades. Cocytus, along with the other rivers related to the underworld, was a common topic for ancient authors, having been mentioned by Virgil, Homer, Cicero, Aeschylus, Apuleius, and Plato, among others. And in Dante’s Inferno, Cocytus is the ninth and lowest circle of the underworld. Yeah, it’s really more of a place than a being.
That said, given all the references to Overlord as well as the fact that Rutsuko-san is supposedly giving cold looks, the author is probably referencing the Cocytus from that series here.
Well, that’s a surprise twist. Though the callback to Shuna was hilarious. I bet you expected this arc to just be the usual comical slice-of-life arc, didn’t you? If anything happens to Regure and her babies, Souya’s gonna be in a lot of trouble! To find out what happens, stay tuned!
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