Shinka no Mi

Chapter 101: Invitation to Meeting

「Un, un.」

「Ara ara」

Boldly embracing Saria in front of my parents, I could feel my face turning red itself.

I’ve done it! I’ve completely third-wheeled my parents!

W, well, albeit momentarily, I was pretty lonely because I got separated with Saria, you see?

I don’t know who I was trying to make such an excuse for, but I could feel my parents looking at me warm-hearted as if they figured something out when I glanced at them, sweating inside.

Nnnooooooo!!! It’s embarrassing! Crap, it’s ultra embarrassing!!

How can playboys from all over the world withstand this shame!? This development is too fast for me!

As my head drowned with such trivial thoughts, Saria noticed my parents and the rest’s presence.

「Hmm? Who are they?」

「Eh!? Ah, aah. …They’re people who have destiny with me… it seems?」

「Why is it a question?」

No, I have no idea just what’s the basis for this fate thing is…

And then, Zeanos voiced out to Saria with gentle tone.

「It’s been a while, Gorilla-dono… No, Saria-dono.」

「Eh? …AH! Zeanos-san!?」

Why does Zeanos know Saria is that Gorilla when she’s in her human form!?

If I recall it correctly, Saria became a human after Zeanos was defeated…

In addition, Saria also saw that it was Zeanos in a glance… Am I the weird one for not being able to do so?

「Eh, but, isn’t Zeanos-san supposed to be…」

「Umu. Indeed, I completely vanished from this world after my match up with Seiichi-dono. …However, maybe it was fate playing pranks, not only did I meet with Seiichi-dono in the Netherworld, I also reconcile with the one person I love… Mary.」

「Then, does that mean, might you be Mary-san?」

When Saria voiced her question to the person who stationed herself beside Zeanos, Mary respectfully answered.

「Yes… I am Mary, the maid who serves for Zeanos-sama.」

Receiving Mary-san’s introduction, Saria hugged her with a smile across her face.

「I’m glaad~! So you ended up together with Zeanos-san!」

「Eh!? Uh, um… yes.」

Mary-san too, while at first she was at loss at how Saria acted, she then glanced towards Zeanos bashfully then nodded with tomato red cheeks.

…It’s because Saria and I had read Zeanos’ life story, that we knew their struggle and saw how their relationship developed.

It was the fact that the two of them were blithesome with each other that made Saria happy.

This time Lucius raised his voice towards Saria who was still hugging Mary-san.

「Heya. Do you know me? No, it’s not like you—」

「The First Demon Lord-sama?」

「How come you know!?」

The very person who asked that question, Lucius, was surprised when Saria answered. No, even I got surprised. Really, how did she know?

「Then, what about us?」

「Wait, isn’t that weird if she knows us as well?」

While Abel asked so with grins and smirk, Anna who was his comrade reproached at him.

However, Saria uttered thus with smile on her face.

「Abel-san the Hero and Garus-san the Warrior, and then Anna-san the Hunter and Liliana-san the Sage!」

「You’re kidding me!?」

「She actually guessed it right…」

Behind the shocked Abel, Garus muttered quietly.

「E, excuse me… how did you know about us…?」

As Liliana asked so with unintentional inclination, Saria made a thinking posture for a while before she opened her mouth.

「My wild instinct!」

Just, really, what the hell is that Wild Instinct?

Again and again Saria acted with Wild Instinct as her reason, and in none of the cases has she been wrong. Isn’t that already at the level of precognition? Wild-ness is dangerous.

Abel’s party floated a doubtful expression on their faces after they heard her answer.

…Well, it was Abel’s Diary that helped Saria so she could learn the human language, so it was obvious she would know their names… No, knowing her names alone shouldn’t let her guess them correctly, right?

It would be different if she could use the 『Appraisal』 skill, though.

Come to think of it, though I know it’s too late by now, both Saria and I read Abel’s diary… Essentially, you can only read a diary when it’s an exchange diary with your friends, and it’s not something you usually show to others.

And we have violated and read it, that very diary… yeah, let’s keep quiet about that. No, it’s not like there’s anything weird written in it, but it’s still something bad for the heart.

「…Me, you remember?」

「It’s Treasure Chest-san! I remember you, you know~!」

As I secretly put an end to the whole Abel’s diary’s matter, Saria was chatting with Treasure Chest.

…Un, yeah. Our encounter and… separation with Treasure Chest tore a hole in my heart. I’ll say this again and again, I didn’t kill him on purpose! It was my body being far too dangerous, even outside of my anticipation!

In the end, Saria managed to guess everyone in a single try, except for Nataliana-san’s case, which she tilted her head instead.

「Umm… My name is Nataliana. Ano.. do you perhaps know something about me?」

「Hm~… I don’t know anything about you, Nataliana-san…」

「Is that so…」

With that, Nataliana-san expression became darker.

Well, that to be expected.

After all that, though it’s said that they’re summoned due to my influence, I haven’t a clue about what the basis is.

Really, just where did the string of fate entwined us…?

When my mind was occupied by the fate with Nataliana-san, my parents called Saria out.

「Saria-san… right? Can I have your attention?」

「Eh?」

「It seems like our Seiichi has been under your care.」

「We’re really grateful for it. From what we can see, we can tell that you really treasure Seiichi… and Seiichi feels the same about you.」

Even though they’re right, it feels super embarrassing to hear it from someone else’ mouth!

Saria looked over them, showed a befuddled face for a moment, before her eyes started to gleam.

「Don’t tell me… Seiichi’s Dad and Mom!?」

「That would be right.」

「Etto… I’m Saria! Seiichi’s… bride!」

For some reason, Zeanos was nodding at Saria whose face was deep red and Abel was smirking at us.

And then dad――――

「Makoto-san, did you hear that!?」

「Yeah, loud and clear.」

「To think that such a cute and fair young lady isn’t Seiichi’s girlfriend, but his wife… today we’re having red rice!」

「You really became an adult while we weren’t around.」

「Just stop it!」

It’s not that I’m denying that Saria is my bride! I love her too!

But I never thought it would be this embarrassing to tell my parents this while I’m being hugged! The gaze surrounding me are more annoying than my fathers’! As I acted self-consciously about this, I felt someone else rushing into the arena. And looking in that direction――――

「Oi, Saria! Why are you running like——Eh, Seiichi!?」

「Ah, Milord!」

「Seiichi-oniichan!?」

Al and the girls were shocked when they saw me.

Though my head couldn’t work well due to the embarrassment, but it was indeed strange that Saria came here.

Rather, how did she know we’ll be back here?

When I tried to process that thought, Al and the others rushed over then fled towards me.

「Seiichi…! I’m glad you’re okay…!」

「Milord, I believed in you! I believed that you without fail would make the Netherworld submit to you and come back!」

「…Seiichi-oniichan, welcome home.」

It was this me who kept being thrashed around by various events successively, but I still hugged my girls back.

「Yeah, I’m home.」

They worried about me to such an extent… they’re really wasted on someone like me.

However, what’s with Rurune’s impression about me? Though, the result was more or less the same as she said, so I can’t talk back!

Watching me hugging Al, Rurune, and Olga back, Saria showed a warm expression.

However——.

「M, Makoto-san. Seiichi really has grown so much without us knowing…」

「H, he sure has… This is unexpected…」

My parents’ face became cramped as they saw me and the girls.

…Again, I forgot they were there.

◆◇◆

——Winberg Kingdom’s Royal Capital, Terveil.

「Umu~… 」

In a certain room of the royal castle, Ranze, the king of Winberg, was groaning over a single letter.

「Now then, what should I do with this…」

「Ranze-dono! I, Garrus, came over by hopping like a rabbit once I heard that you have business with me!」

「Too much information.」

The one who intruded into Ranze’s room without even a knock was Garrus, naked above the waist just like always.

Usually, intruding into a royal member’s room without notice would mean a treason, but Ranze pardoned it with just a single sigh escaped.

「Sorry for summoning you out of the blue.」

「No worries! Even without me, the Guild can operate normally!」

「Then that means you’re not needed by the Guild.」

「That hurt!」

Despite being told something rather painful, not a line on Garrus’ face show any sorrow, he just laughed it off and put his hand on his face.

「Well, put those things aside. So, what business could it be?」

「About that… The kingdom would like to request something to the guild.」

「… Hou?」

A request from the kingdom, that line alone shifted Garrus into a serious atmosphere.

「So you want to ask for the 『Effectively Train your Muscle』 lesson?」

「Like hell I do! Has your brain turn into muscles too!?」

「You don’t need to flatter me.」

「I’m not praising you!」

The serious atmosphere was just an illusion.

「If it’s not about the lesson, then just what kind of request do require of the guild?」

「No, there are many other kinds, okay!? Even without today’s summon, aren’t there things like Monster subjugations and such!?」

「Aah. We do have something like that, huh.」

「Someone, take the Guild Master role from him!」

Ranze’s retort couldn’t be any more right.

「Then, what? Just so you know, we’re completely against joining a war and things along that line, okay…」

「Don’t say it like that… I’d like you to gather every S-Class Adventurer.」

「Come again!?」

Surprised, with the serious atmosphere back, Garrus asked.

「Do you mean adventurers with ability equal to S-class? Or do you mean the adventurers with the title S-class?」

「Isn’t that obvious, I mean the adventurers who have ability and title S-class! Why would I hire those perverts from your guild who only has the ability close to the S-classes!?」

「Got that. …But, actual S-class adventurers only move according to their desire, you see.」

「Crap. Now I’m not sure whether it’s a good idea to ask the Guild.」

「Well, it’s okay! Their abilities are the real deal! But… why do you want to gather the S-Class adventurers?」

As Garrus questioned it, Ranze showed him the letter he had been looking at to Garrus.

「The Demon Lord sent us an invitation to meet」