A Tea Gathering
Part 1
“—Izayoi-chan. This is the wind that blows in your current era, the modern age alchemy……!”
Part 2
––-[Underwood], VIP Quarters. Individual room for Sakamaki Izayoi.
It was nightfall. Having awoken from a dream of his past, Izayoi couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“Ha…… That was quite a nostalgic dream.”
The roaring of the waterfall must have reminded him of that memory. The sound of the waterfall’s continuous churning into the river’s flow at the tree roots permeated the walls of this VIP room that was hollowed out from a large Tree Branch.
It must have taken quite a bit of work to have the sound tuned to a comfortable intensity to the ears and to be a merry churning sound similar to a lullaby. There simply cannot exist a more perfect use of the Huge Water Tree’s pulsation than this.
Listening to the orchestra of running water that was playing a lullaby, Izayoi reminisced his past while turning his body, as he lay upon the straw bed, to stare emptily at the carved wood roof above him.
–––– It has been a week since he defeated the Huge Dragon.
Due to the tough victory of the [Draco Greif] and [No Name]s, they were unable to resume the hosting of the Harvest Festival; hence, it was postponed for a period of time for rest and recovery.
In recognition for the achievement of repulsing a Demon Lord, the Underground City of [Underwood] have been receiving many disaster relief supplies as well as Communities who have come forth to help with the relief efforts. If this pace of progress were to continue, the re-hosting of the Harvest Festival and the inauguration ceremony for the [Floor Master] might be possible in half a month.
To help out for a speedier re-hosting of the Harvest Festival, the [No Name]s have also remained in [Underwood]. Having made their name with the business of “Handling all sorts of trouble related to Demon Lords”, they officially accepted the commission from [Draco Greif].
However, Izayoi had only happily participated in the initial two days before handing all the trivial work over to Kudou Asuka and Kasukabe Yō.
“………,”
To prevent any misunderstandings, I would like to clarify it a little. Izayoi isn’t repulsed by the idea of working on the relief efforts.
As suggested by Sala, the project to crystallize the water tree sap was an amazing sight to behold. The process of melding timber together to form a crystalline waterway with a translucent quality was simply an eye-catching and jaw dropping scene that would have filled anyone with wonderment and joy.
After all, it is a unique construction technique reserved to the world of Little Garden where Gifts were plentiful. The task to over the reconstruction efforts of the were-beasts and Eudemons, which utilizes both the classical and the avant-garde approach, it would never be a bore. Instead, it would was a refreshing sight capable of inducing a joyous palpitation in anyone’s heart.
“……Aahh. So, that’s why I’ve started to think of my past.”
Turning a one-eighty on the straw bed, Izayoi had a knowing smile as he seemed to have figured out the reason to something.
Completely awake, he was just thinking about rolling around on the bed for a while when small knocks of *kok kok* came from the room door.
“Um…… Izayoi, are you still awake?”
“Aahh, is that Kasukabe? The door isn’t locked.”
Lying on his back Izayoi invited the other person to enter.
Kasukabe’s face peeked in, opening the door to the size of a crack before pushing it fully to enter Izayoi’s guest room with a tensed expression. And in her hand, was a small package.
Seeing Yō’s expression, Izayoi immediately figured out the reason for her visit.
(……Is this about the headphones incident? )
It felt like a long time since that incident, he thought to himself as he rubbed his hair that stuck out stubbornly.
In the high humidity of [Underwood], his bed-hair was really troublesome, which would stick out in a mess from his head, just like a lion’s mane. The headphones were a tool used to clamp down the hair that stuck out…… In other words, there was no other reason for that item that can be more important than that. But, every time his gaze met with Kasukabe’s, she would always have that atmosphere and reaction of walking away as if she had just seen someone she wanted to avoid. In fact, her actions for this whole week could only be said to be very troubling indeed.
His good mood was affected by those reactions, but listening to the reasons offered by the defendant is also the obligation of the victim. So he propped himself up to put on a lofty expression.
“So, what’s the matter, at this time?”
He asked unceremoniously.
Yō sat on the ground in a seiza[18] position. Her expression was much more tense than normal, anyone would have been able to see how nervous she was then.
“Well….. Because of various matters that kept me busy, it’s a little later than intended. Actually, Izayoi’s headphones are destroyed during the invasion of the Titans,”
“Oi, the sequence of events are messed up. Start off with the reason for it being taken.”
Oh, Yō shrank in her seiza position.
Izayoi wasn’t angry, but he only wanted the events to be told in a chronological order. ……But according to her, it really was destroyed after all.
To prevent any misunderstandings, I would like to clarify it a little. Izayoi isn’t hung up about the headphones. But, it was just the passing though that “My hair wouldn’t stay down if I don’t have headphones” as he continued to listen to Yō’s sequence of events.
The incident of Calico Cat’s theft.
The incident of the Titan’s attack on the Harvest Festival.
And about the time that it was crushed under the collapsed dormitory.
Listening up to that part, Izayoi gave a bewildered sigh.
“……that sure makes you unfortunate to the point of dispelling any ill-feelings anyone can have against you.”
“Is, is that so?”
“Aahh. If it were the usual case, there would never be so many coincidences that would follow to that extent. From what I hear so far, I do not think that it is your fault at all, Kasukabe.” Izayoi said, intending to wrap up the whole topic as quickly as he can.
But Yō simply shook her head.
“That is not acceptable. The responsibility is mine. As the owner of Calico Cat, to simply end this incident would not be good for our relationship. As one who lives under the same roof, it is only right for me to display the minimum necessary etiquette as a member.”
……Uu, It was Izayoi’s turn to look at Yō clearly.
Izayoi finally caught on to the reason for Yō’s anxiety.
He did not expect to hear the words of “The responsibility is mine” to come from a girl who did not show much care about the things that happened around her. Although it was just a little, he did admire that resolve.
Yō mustered her momentum to push on with the topic.
“In addition, I’ve also heard from Leticia that those headphones were something made by a member of Izayoi’s family. Then, it should be more so for me.”
“Heh? If you put it that way, you sure did spend quite some time before coming to apologize, didn’t you?”
Yō shrank even further as Izayoi teased her.
“That is because…… it took quite a bit of effort to prepare as well as to set my resolve.”
“Prepare?”
“Mhm. To prepare an item to substitute the headphones. But due to a moment of carelessness, I’ve lost it then. ……To find that item, time passed and it was delayed for a week.”
Yō’s gaze suddenly became distant. Although the explanations have been left out quite a bit, but the problem was more than what meets the eye. The nekomimi headphones, which she had summoned, had already been found amongst the rubble of the Ancient Vampire City, safely intact. Yō had been very excited upon learning of its recovery, but after hearing word from Leticia about the story behind the headphone, the situation changed.
Leticia, who had heard the whole story of the theft and the nekomimi headphones, had looked at her with a disquieted expression while hugging her arms at her chest.
“……About those headphones, I think it would be better, no, absolutely do not give it to him.”
“It’s, It’s just as I thought right?”
“Aahh. Although I cannot guarantee about it…… it would be an irreparable mess if you were to anger him.”
“Is that so. Mhm, Izayoi looks really scary when he flies into rage.”
––-Hm? Leticia gave a baffled look.
But it seems that she did not have objections to the decision of “not giving it to him”.
Moreover, an idea of “Izayoi who likes to use nekomimi headphones” is a picture that is hard to imagine. It would be better not to douse more oil over the fire by keeping it from him.
“In the end, although I couldn’t prepare something to use as a replacement……but to delay it indefinitely would also be rude. So, I hope to compensate for it in this upcoming Harvest Festival…… Is that okay?”
Yō tilted her petite head.
Izayoi had a bitter smile that was a mix between surprise and admiration.
“Since you’ve considered about it that carefully, I will not have any objections. …… but Kasukabe, are you the kind to be so polite? According to my impression of you, you are a little more inconsiderate than this.”
“Mhm. Now, I’m in the process of my own self-reformation and will deny any praises. So, please look forward to the new me.”
*Bishi!* Giving a thumbs up, puffing up her chest and lifting her chin.
What is that? Izayoi controlled his urge to burst into laughter.
Part 3
“Actually, there’s also another matter.”
Yō relaxed her legs as her mind was now at ease after the topic of the headphones came to a close and the small parcel bought into the room was placed before her .
Within the small parcel was a golden yellow fruit and a red fruit which were purchased from the Harvest Festival.
“Although I’ve talked to Asuka before…… but it feels like we really do not know much about each other. Moreover, the three of us did not try to talk about those things right?”
“Mah, we have only known each other for three months after all. It is difficult to describe us as old acquaintances, right?”
“Nn. So tonight, we have the purpose of deepening our bonds and becoming harmonious in our relations. I think Asuka should also be coming over soon after preparing some kōcha[19].”
Just as Yō ended her words, the voice of Kudou Asuka could be heard from the other side of the door.
“Are you guys finished with your talk? I’ve brewed some kōcha, would you like to have a little break?”
“Ojou-sama, you’re just in time”
“Mhm, but my hands are full with the plates at the moment, could you help me open the door?”
"Don’t wanna!!!"
“Is that so? Thanks.”
… … … … .
… … … … … .
… … … … … … .
“––-Are you guys finished with your talk? I’ve brewed some kōcha, would you like to have a little break?”
“Ojou-sama, you’re just in time”
“Mhm, but my hands are full with the plates at the moment, could you help me open the door?”
“Okay.”
The aroma of kōcha wafted lightly into the room as Yō opened the door.
Asuka must have mixed in other spices bought from the Harvest festival in this brewed tea. Even Yō, who wasn’t familiar about kōcha, could tell that this was of high quality.
However, for the person in question who had brought the kōcha over, Asuka, was had her veins popping at her forehead even while maintaining her smiling composure.
“What’s wrong, Kasukabe-san? If I continue to stand here in the corridors, this quality kōcha will turn cold and it would be such a waste. So, would you hurry up and get out of the way?”
“O…Okay.”
Looks like someone got the time for jokes wrong there.
Asuka strode into Izayoi’s room and sat herself daintily on the chair that came with the furnishings of the guest rooms. Having placed the kōcha on the table, Asuka exchanged a glance with the two of them,
“Then, let’s start the first party among us Outlanders.”[20]
Oohh~, *Pak Pak*, Asuka and Yō started to clap.
Although Izayoi was bewildered at the girls’ team who had barged into his room to start this commotion, looking on the behalf of the good choice in kōcha and snacks, he decided to restructure his thoughts and accommodate their behavior for now.
“Mah, I’m alright with having this sort of thing being held in rooms other than your own, but since the hosts were by the girls’ team, I’ll be leaving the arrangements for the proceedings to you girls.”
“Of course. The topic has already been decided.”
“Mhm. The first topic of this party––––I guess it should be “the perspectives of our own era”.”
……Hueh? Izayoi gave a small cry in surprise.
Coming to terms with the suggestion that far exceeded his expectations, Izayoi couldn’t help but feel his curiosity lighted within him.
Being a party which he had assumed to be a high school girl’s standard of partying, it is no wonder that the unusual topic would pique Izayoi’s interest.
“That’s really unexpected. I thought that Ojou-sama and Kasukabe would not be interested in that sort of SF[21] topic.”
“Nope, that’s not true. When conversing with people living in different eras, wouldn’t you feel that it’s a very intellectual and amazing exchange?”
“Well, I’m not that interested. …… But from the vibes emitted from the two of you, I kind of get that I’ve been summoned from the distant future. And from the view that this could serve as a topic, I would believe that it is of some value.”
Kasukabe Yō, who claimed to be from the future, smiled as she looked at them in turn.
Having figured that Izayoi and Asuka gave off the vibes of people from the past, the two who were reflected in Yō’s eyes could very well be holding some commonalities.
“It’s a rare opportunity, so let’s start by the chronological order of our eras… …We will first start with Ojou-sama.”
“I see.”
Two pairs of eyes were then fixed upon Asuka.
––-Regarding Kudou Asuka, the others have only heard of her brief mention of being a “daughter[22] of a financial conglomerate”. But one cannot be certain about the way of life that she led other than the information about her being from an era marked the end of battles after the Second World War. It would then seem interesting in a certain sense.
But contrary to their interest in her story, Asuka had averted her gaze in shyness.
“Well, the suggestion is quite good…… but I’m not too clear about the trends of my time.”
“How is that so?”
“I remember mentioning it to you before, Izayoi-san. I’ve always been in the girls’ dormitory. For me, the place that I’ve lived in is only my main house and the girls’ dormitory. So, with regards to the Japanese way of life after the war, I’m really not too sure about it.”
Asuka gave a troubled laugh. A paradox of her name, she had been leading a life similar to a bird in a cage[23]. For her who had been living in a narrowed perspective of a closed off institution, this topic would be quite a challenge for her to present her available materials.
“It’s very unfortunate that I won’t be able to provide you guys with an interesting conversational material to start on. I can only provide information on things such as the Kudou family being one of the five greatest financial conglomerates or the rarely heard backdrop dealings for the maintaining of the conglomerate’s existence.”
“That actually sounds pretty interesting in its own way as well.” Izayoi broke into a laugh.
But suddenly, Izayoi asked in a very concerned manner.
“……I say, Ojou-sama. The Kudou financial conglomerate, is it on a scale large enough to represent a Japanese financial conglomerate?”
“That’s right, it seems to be the case. If even I, who am sickened by the association to my family, sees it in that way. Then it might be seen to be larger in scale to others.”
“……Hueh?”
Tilting and bending his head down, Izayoi went into a pensive state.
Beside him, Yō raised her hand to pose a question for Asuka.
“Then, there’s still another question. Is it true that females of the Shōwa period are not supposed to wear clothes that reveal anything above the knees? So there’s no miniskirts and shorts?”
“Of course. Kasukabe-san and Kuro Usagi should be more mindful about keeping a maiden’s sense of shame about these things.”
The female representative of the Shōwa period dropped the sharp comment.
Putting aside the residents living in the humid climate of [Underwood], the scene of females of the peaceful East Side revealing their legs excessively was something that Asuka would have difficulty in understanding.
But Yō, who preferred to wear clothes that permitted ease of mobility, did not intend to change and allowed Asuka’s words to brush pass her ears.
“Last question. From the perspective of a person from the Shōwa period, what do you think of the world of Little Garden?”
“I think it is a wonderful place. The water tree that grows astride the river and the residents who live in it. These are all things which would have been unimaginable in our world.”
Asuka summed it up as that.
And Yō nodded her head in agreement.
But after hearing Asuka concluding it as such, Izayoi’s expression was slightly pained.
“…… Ojou-sama. Those words just now, could it be an absolute term that encompasses everything in our world?”
“Mhm, Mhm, that’s the idea of my words.”
“Then I shall beg to differ. After all, although we definitely do not have a large tree that spans across a river’s flow……but we do have things that are on par with it in our world.”
Those words were seemingly said in an attempt to defend their homeland.
Truly, there did not exist a rule breaking miracle such as the Great Tree…… but there exists things of the same level and Izayoi’s eyes were giving off a reproachful glare.
Even though Asuka knew about Izayoi’s erudite side, a look of surprise was still present in her eyes upon hearing that.
“We have something as incredible as [Underwood] in our world?”
“Aahh. Though I may say so, it actually did not exist during Ojou-sama’s era yet.”
Asuka furrowed her brows at that. Then, how would I have known, was most likely the meaning expressed from her reaction.
Even Yō, who was munching away on a fruit, had tilted her petite head as she asked Izayoi.
“Did not exist yet, would that refer to a man-made structure? Like the Sky Tree[24] or something along those lines?”
“Absolutely not those. How can I compare those sort of things with this? To use it as a subject for comparison would be far too strange. Since we are using this Great Tree and its river as the subject of comparison, wouldn’t it be strange if we didn’t match it to a similar river landscape?”
The two others were gazed at each other as the queries continued to multiply in their heads.
Even their gazes were steadily clouded by doubt.
“…… That sort of thing, does it really exist?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s your turn, Izayoi. Hope you will tell us more about that.”
Yō readjusted her posture to display an attitude of attentive listening. Beside her, Asuka had also done the same.
Izayoi was a little hesitant but if he were to retreat now after bringing up the topic, it would not be off the mark to describe him as having lost the battle.
(Although this would surely touch on stuff about Canaria…… Mah, I guess it doesn’t matter. )
Deciding on a direction and acting fast on it are merits of Izayoi’s character.
Izayoi stared emptily at the ceiling, seemingly in his reminiscence about the past.
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