Chapter 612: The Journey, And The Ryokan.

“It’s so faaast!”

Steph was frolicking while watching the scenery flow past the window. The children sitting by the Shinkansen windows were all reacting the same way. It was like this when we rode the Magic Train too. The Shinkansen is faster, so maybe that makes it more fun. Since there were other passengers in the car besides us, I had warned them not to make too much noise. Well, to tell the truth, I was using [Silence] to erase the sound around us. To those over there, it probably looked like we were lip-syncing. Since they could hear normally if they got close, they would probably just think we were speaking in low voices. However, even if voices couldn’t be heard, they could still see the frolicking figures, so we had to be careful. I didn’t want anyone saying the children had bad manners because their parents weren’t raising them right. Kuon, Elna, Yakumo, and Arcia were sitting without complaint even though they weren’t in window seats. That was fine, but seeing Kuon intently reading the newspaper Dad bought him at the station kiosk made me feel he was incredibly unchildlike. If he were reading a four-panel manga, I could still think of him as childish, but… Well, I guess that is just like Kuon. My wives also seemed to be enjoying themselves reading fashion magazines or manga magazines bought at the station. It was about an hour to the destination, so they wouldn’t get too bored.

“Mother, I want to go to the restroom…”

“Don’t lie. You said that earlier and tried to investigate the inside of the train. No.”

“It’s really true this time!”

I could hear the argument between Quun and Leen sitting across the aisle. Earlier, Quun had said she was going to the bathroom and went to the forward car, but when she didn’t come back for a while, it turned out she was shrewdly investigating the interior of the car with great interest. When I found her, she was about to reach for the fire extinguisher on the deck, so I caught her just in time and marched her back to her seat. Since then, she has been under constant surveillance by Leen. Thinking that it might actually be true this time, Leen took Quun and disappeared toward the car with the restrooms. Quun had been snapping away with her smartphone like a trainspotter at the station too… Leen, who was restraining her, already looked quite exhausted. I hope the hot springs will heal her…

“This outfit is cute.”

“I think this one suits you better, Mom.”

“R-Really? Hmm, I prefer things that are easy to move in, but if Elna says so, maybe I’ll try wearing something like this next time.”

I could hear Elze and Elna’s voices from the seats diagonally behind me. They seemed to be having fun looking at a fashion magazine. Are they going to buy Earth clothes as souvenirs?

“Linze, can you make something like this?”

“I can. But I think a color other than this one would suit Big Sister better.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave it to you. How long will it take?”

“Hmm… I think I can finish it by the time we reach our destination.”

Ohh? I hear some conversation that defies common sense coming from behind. Buying it as a souvenir wasn’t the answer; having her little sister make it was…

“Touya-san, do we still have the Silkworm fabric?”

“We do, but…”

Linze behind me asked over my head.

“Could you please take out the sherbet-colored fabric set and my sewing box?”

Ehh…? Are you really going to sew here? No, I know she can do it, but… Just in case, I stuck my hand into the backpack at my feet so as not to be found out, opened [Storage] there, and took out the items Linze requested. Linze, having received several bolts of cloth and the sewing box, suddenly put scissors to the fabric and began cutting without any hesitation, despite the narrow seat. As if watching a video on fast-forward, Linze’s hands smoothly and accurately cut the fabric, folded it, and sewed it together. This seems to be Linze’s kin characteristic, but it’s an outrageous ability no matter how many times I see it… She’s like a human sewing machine. I once heard from Dad that there are manga artists who suddenly start inking without a rough sketch, so I wonder if it’s something like that. Linze probably already sees the finished product. That’s why she can suddenly cut the fabric with scissors without hesitation. Linze, having begun to concentrate on her own world, silently made the clothes. Woah, the arm parts from the sleeve to the shoulder are already done… It would be bad to disturb her, so I’ll leave her alone…

Almost at the same time Linze muttered, “It is done,” an announcement flowed through the Shinkansen stating that we were arriving at our destination. We took our backpacks and such down from the luggage racks and started getting ready to disembark. I received the clothes Linze completed and secretly stored them inside [Storage]. When the Shinkansen arrived at the station, we each held hands with the children and streamed out onto the station platform. Even though it was only a short hour, we had been sitting the whole time. Everyone was stretching their cramped bodies. That said, that applied to Dad, Mom, and my wives; the children and I weren’t that tired. Our bodies are small, after all… We went up the stairs from the Shinkansen platform, passed through the ticket gates, and when we came out into the open central passage of the station, a wave of hustle and bustle rushed over us.

“There are so many people, degozaru…”

“It’s the biggest regional city around here, after all.”

Yae was looking around vacantly while holding Yakumo’s hand. Lu and Arcia were also captivated by the station bentos at the kiosk. Everyone seemed overwhelmed by the large station.

“Is it the local line from here?”

“Right. Umm, this way.”

“Tsudzuri-san, tickets before that.”

“Oh, oops.”

Mom, who had started walking toward the local line ticket gates, turned around at Dad’s voice. She hurriedly headed to the ticket vending machine while pulling Allis by the hand. We bought tickets for everyone and headed to the local line platform once again.

“There are so many lines in one station.”

“There are not just ground lines but also subways running underground. Because they each have different destinations.”

Yumina was impressed that there were several lines in one station. The Magic Train in the other world just goes back and forth on one line from here to there. However, with so many stairs going up and down and escalators within the station, it feels like one could get lost figuring out what is where…

“It is just like a dungeon.”

Hilda must have thought the same thing to say something like that. Perfectly put. If humanity were destroyed by some virus or something, and new humans found these stations and underground lines thousands of years later, they would probably think it was a dungeon just like Hilda did. Dungeons in the other world are often testing grounds made by great mages of the Ancient Magic Era or research facilities made by ancient nations, so I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong. Immersed in such fantasies, we passed through the ticket gate, went down the stairs, and stood on the station platform again. Since it was a weekday and nearing noon, we didn’t see many people who looked like salarymen. There was still a little time before the train arrived, so we decided to sit on the benches on the platform and wait.

“Father, I want to drink juice!”

Linne pointed at the vending machine on the platform and begged for juice. Was she thirsty? No, I’m sure she wanted to drink, but I judged that she just wanted to buy from the vending machine.

“Here’s money. Put in the amount for the price, then push the button for the one you want.”

“Okay!”

When Linne received the money from me, she happily ran to the vending machine.

“Hmmm, this one with the picture of grapes!”

When Linne stood on tiptoes and pressed the button, a plastic bottle of grape juice fell down with a clunk.

“Father, me too!”

“To-sama! Me too—!”

Seeing Linne buy juice, the children lined up in front of me saying “Me too, me too.” Since it couldn’t be helped, I handed them money in order, but maybe I should have just given them some pocket money in a lump sum?

“Then I’ll have this black one—”

“Ah.”

Allis, whom I had given money to, pressed the button for canned coffee. And it was black coffee.

“Allis, that is coffee. It is the black, bitter stuff you dislike.”

“Ehh!? Uwah, it’s true!”

Kuon pointed it out to Allis, who had bought the canned coffee. It did have ‘Coffee’ written in small Katakana on the can. I wanted her to notice before buying. There are coffee beans in the other world too. It’s only produced in some regions and hasn’t spread much, but since I drink it occasionally, I have it ordered for the castle. I guess she knows about coffee, perhaps having had a chance to drink it in the future. Though it seems she dislikes it. Well, naturally, children can’t drink black coffee.

“Here, please buy a different one with this.”

“Can I!? Thank you, Kuon!”

Kuon took the canned coffee from Allis and handed her the money I gave him instead. As always, my son is too quick-witted…

“A smartness you wouldn’t think came from Touya-kun’s son.”

“Don’t say that. I’m actually a little sensitive about it…”

Dad, who was sitting on the bench next to us watching the whole thing, muttered softly. I think Kuon took after Dad’s lineage, if anything. Like his gentle personality. I was often told by relatives that I resembled Mom. I couldn’t help but think “Where?”, but apparently, I look like her from the outside. I’m not that outrageous, you know? Probably… Kuon, who received the canned coffee, pulled the tab, took a sip, and made a very bitter face. So you can’t drink it either. As expected, even Kuon’s taste buds were on par with a child’s.

“Kuon, come here.”

I beckoned Kuon over, took the canned coffee, and gave him money one more time. A reward for the son who accepted the coffee for Allis even though he couldn’t drink it… well, it’s not that big of a deal.

“Thank you, Father.”

Kuon returned to the vending machine with the money. While watching that warmly, I took a gulp of the canned coffee… Bitter… Eh, was Earth coffee this bitter? Could it be that my taste buds have also become those of a child?

“Shall I drink it?”

“Please…”

Dad, noticing my grimace, called out to me. The shunned black coffee passed from child to parent, and then further to that parent, finally being drunk with joy.

“Ah, it came.”

At Yoshina’s voice, I looked up thinking the train had come, but there was neither shadow nor shape of a train where she was looking. Just the tracks continuing on. Glancing at the electronic bulletin board on the platform, the departure time was indeed approaching. Could it be…

“Perhaps by sound?”

“Nn. It’s been getting closer for a while now. Clack-clack, clack-clack.”

Sakura, standing next to her, answered casually. No, I can’t hear anything at all, you know? Between the voices of people on the platform and the station announcements, I can’t discern the sound of a train coming at all. If I concentrated divine power in my ears, I might hear it, but are these two doing that calmly in a normal state…? Eventually, a train with a green line on a silver body came into our view, entering the platform. When the train stopped at the platform, the doors opened with a hiss, and passengers streamed out onto the platform. After the passengers had fully disembarked, we took the children and boarded the train. Being a weekday, the people inside were sparse, and there were enough empty seats for everyone to sit together. Just like on the Shinkansen, the children raced to sit in the window seats. The train doors closed, and with a clunk-clunk, it began to run slowly again. The children, once again without getting bored, gazed at the scenery flowing from the window of the train that gradually began to accelerate. It’s the third train just today, but they really don’t get tired of it…

“Somehow, things like this are nice, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. We haven’t been in a situation where we could go on a long trip until now…”

I unintentionally nodded at the words Yumina, sitting next to me, spoke with deep feeling. Since the honeymoon, we’ve been swamped with the Apostle of the Evil God and creating divine artifacts… While thinking “once things settle down,” it kept getting postponed and postponed. The World God told me I could return home once a year. Since the children won’t be here next year, it looks like it will be a lonely homecoming, but… Strictly speaking, I cannot take the children to Earth until the point in time when they return to the future. Because history would get messed up… If I asked Grandma Tokie, she could probably manage to adjust things, but while it’s one thing for matters involving the Evil God, I can’t cause trouble for the Space-Time God by asking her to fix time paradoxes for personal reasons. The next time Dad and Mom can see their grandchildren will be over ten years later at the earliest… hmm? No? Can the future me, from after the children have returned, use [Dimensional Transfer] to move through time as well and visit home one or two years after this timeline? If I do that, Dad and Mom can see their grandchildren growing up. The time between the two worlds would be out of sync, but if we come back to Earth here every few years, will the time eventually catch up? It might not be a bad idea. Let’s ask the World God when I get back. It might be a gray zone, though. For Dad and the others, it might become a confusing homecoming where the current us without grandchildren and the future us with grandchildren come alternately. This year from the current other world, next year from the future other world, the year after next from the current other world… No, do the current us have to come every other year? Huh? If the future us come to the past, the future Dad and Mom won’t be able to meet the grandchildren… Umm, huh? No good, my head is getting tangled… Let’s rethink this after talking it over well with my wives later… Having become passengers again, we ran through the mountains and forests with a rumble-rumble, distinct from the Shinkansen, on the local train that stopped at every station. After running for about an hour, we arrived at the destination station. It took longer than expected. From the moment we stepped onto the platform, I felt like I could smell a faint scent of hot springs. A sulfur smell, or rather… wait, is sulfur odorless? I feel like I heard the smell is actually hydrogen sulfide or something… well, anyway, it’s the smell of hot springs.

“Tsudzuri-senpai! Over here!”

When we passed through the ticket gates and exited the station, there was a woman in a kimono waving next to a minibus parked in front. The woman, who looked slightly younger than Mom, ran toward us with a smile.

“Iori! It’s been a while!”

“You haven’t changed a bit, Tsudzuri-senpai!”

So this person is Mom’s junior. She is the young landlady of the ryokan we are staying at, right? The two held hands and rejoiced in their reunion.

“Iori-san, long time no see.”

“Mochizuki-senpai, have you been well?”

Hmm? She’s an acquaintance of Dad’s too, as a junior? Does that mean they are friends from their student days?

“Everyone, this is Tsukinose Iori-san, who will be taking care of us at the ryokan. Okay, say hello!”

” ” “Nice to meet you—!” ” “

“Yes! Nice to meet you too!”

We bowed while greeting her along with the children.

“Sorry for barging in with so many people suddenly.”

“Not at all! We were in trouble because of a sudden cancellation by a group! It was truly perfect timing! I heard over the phone, but there really are a lot of children!”

“Ah, um. R-Relative’s children, you see. Everyone just happened to come to Japan with good timing. Ah, our children are this child and—”

After looking at Fuyuka held by Dad, Mom glanced at me. In response, I put my index finger in front of my mouth.

“Ah… U, um, about your son…”

Iori-san averted her eyes awkwardly as if she realized something. She probably knows that I, the son, died. Even though more than three years have passed, it’s a heavy topic to bring up.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. We’re going to enjoy ourselves today. Is the transfer that bus?”

“Ah, yes!”

Iori-san ushered us toward the minibus parked behind her. Led by Mom, everyone noisily boarded the bus in order. Only Quun tried to peek under the car again and boarded while being dragged by Leen. The inside of the minibus was a standard interior with a row of two seats on the left, a row of one seat on the right, and a four-person seat at the very back. Including the driver and Iori-san, two people wouldn’t be able to sit, but since there were auxiliary seats, everyone managed to get on. Well, Fuyuka could have sat on someone’s lap, but there was a proper child seat, so we sat her there, and Kuon and I decided to sit in the auxiliary seats. Since the auxiliary seats also had seatbelts properly, we put them on.

“Then, we are departing!”

The minibus started running slowly along with Iori-san’s voice. The children riding in a car for the first time were enjoying the scenery from the window just like on the train. If they enjoy just the movement this much, then it was certainly the correct decision not to use teleportation magic. However, to save on travel expenses, I’m thinking we can skip the Shinkansen and local lines on the way back. There are other places I want to go besides the hot spring area, too. The minibus drove along a forest road, and the scenery visible from the window suggested the atmosphere of a peaceful countryside. Eventually, the bus began to run along a road by the river, and after ten minutes, a hot spring town lined with indescribably retro shops and buildings came into view in the distance. Streetlights like gas lamps lined the street along the old-fashioned wooden houses, making it feel as if we had time-slipped to the Taisho or early Showa era. Is it because I’m Japanese that I feel nostalgia at this rustic feel? Is this that thing called nostalgia? There are several customers soaking in the footbaths. It seems there are a fair number of tourists. The bus proceeded for a while from there and arrived at a quiet ryokan built on high ground slightly away from the hot spring town. It was a ryokan with a design that looked quite seasoned, but the building itself felt new. Was it renovated recently? The bus stopped, and Iori-san got off first to welcome us as we disembarked.

“Welcome to the Hot Spring Ryokan ‘Silver Moon’!”

“Eh?”

At Iori-san’s words, I unintentionally stopped in my tracks. Not just me, but my wives and children were also blinking their eyes. To think we would end up staying at an inn with the same name as the one in Brunhild over there. Is this a coincidence? Or perhaps, divine guidance? Without understanding, we simply looked up at the ryokan with the familiar name.