第４３６堀：ピクニック (Part2)
"Riel, you're right. It would be nice if there were something interesting to see."
As Riel-kun said, the information we just discussed is nothing more than tales of the past. At the end of the day, I just need to see it with my own eyes and feel it for myself.
"Well then, since lunch is finished without any issues, shall we go and see this Magic Kingdom for ourselves?"
Jessica, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, was already packed and standing. We followed suit, gathering our belongings and preparing for departure.
"Alright, the plan was to arrive by today, right?" I asked, confirming with Popuri as I hoisted my pack.
"Yes. According to our schedule, we should arrive in about three hours."
"Ugh, three hours? Isn't that a bit far?" I groaned at Popuri's response. Don't make a Lich go for a long-distance run—I’ll start to decompose!
"Please, bear with it. From here on out, the chances of encountering merchants and travelers coming from the Magic Kingdom increase, so we have to walk. If they saw us moving at full speed without any prior knowledge, it would cause unnecessary confusion. And no, brooms and vehicles are out of the question, too."
"I know, I know. Honestly, having another Dungeon Master as an opponent is such a pain."
"It is precisely because their true nature is unknown that we cannot let them learn our abilities, techniques, or tools. My apologies to Comet-dono, but it is necessary."
"No, no, it’s not Taizo-san's fault. Well, from here on, we can just walk and chat, and the time will fly by. And since we're on the subject, I have a question for you, Taizo-san..."
"What might that be?"
"When do you think you and Hifie will have a child?"
"Pfft!! W-what are you asking!?"
"Well, I asked Hifie, but she just dodged the question. I’ve heard enough talk to know you two are 'getting busy' every day, so naturally, I’m curious about the little ones. Right?"
I looked to the others for agreement, and Yuki-kun’s wives responded quite seriously.
"Yep, yep. If you don't prepare properly, it gets pretty stressful, doesn't it?"
"Yuki-san was in a huge panic back then, too."
It wasn't the teasing response I had expected, but rather a very earnest one. I suppose the birth of a new life is just that monumental. Hearing the replies from Riel-kun and the others, Taizo-san’s expression shifted from embarrassment to concern—wondering if it was really that difficult—and they launched into a deep, realistic discussion about childbirth. I, the one who brought it up, and Popuri, the young girl without a partner, were left completely out of the loop.
"Master, you don't have a partner either. Don't act like I'm the only one who's lonely."
"Hmm. In that case, shall we try to make a child together? There is something called genetic engineering back on Earth..."
"I decline. It sounds like I would end up doing everything from the birth to the childcare."
While we were joking around like that, we arrived at the Magic Kingdom before we knew it. It was good that we made it before sunset, but there was a longer line at the gate than I had anticipated.
"Whoa, there are quite a lot of people here."
"I suppose that’s to be expected, given they call themselves a 'Magic Kingdom'."
"Come to think of it, why aren't there any of our people infiltrating already? Kirika-kun would be perfect for that."
"What are you talking about? We’ve concentrated our main forces here, so Kirika-dono and the others are dispersed toward Nogosh and Gota. We have no idea where the enemy will move next."
"Ah, right. Even though Yuki-kun's forces are top-tier, there’s a limit to how many we can move at once."
"Kirika-dono and the Dullahan Assassins are spread across the New Continent and the main continent, and they've been scattered even further due to this current chaos. We can leave our safety to Steve-dono and his group, and Kirika-dono’s team is busy doing things only they can do."
"Nothing in this world ever goes exactly as planned, does it?"
As Popuri and I muttered that while watching the line, Taizo-san and Jessica-kun spoke with the gate guards. It seemed they used their diplomatic privileges to let us through ahead of the queue. I felt a bit bad for the people waiting, but we entered the capital.
As we passed through, the gate guards saluted us sharply: "Welcome to the Magic Kingdom!"
Judging by that reception, it seems we are being welcomed. However, to my disappointment, there wasn't anything particularly novel or transformative waiting for us on the other side of the gate.
"...Where is the 'Magic Kingdom' part?"
"Who knows?"
Popuri and I, perhaps having harbored some secret expectations, let our shoulders slump. Seeing this, Eris chimed in:
"I told you, didn't I? It's different from Weed."
I knew that. But still, I had held onto a faint hope! A girl is allowed to dream, isn't she?!
"Actually, Master, you are already an old—"
"Disciple. Shall we settle things from back then right here? If you're going to say that, you're also an old—"
"Very well. I shall simply emerge victorious, just as I did that time."
As we glared at each other, we were dragged away by Riel and Ria.
***
The character designs for Volume 5 are finally finished, so I’ve posted them in the activity report. Can you guess who the new character is and who will be on the cover? I haven't even decided on the cover yet myself.
Anyway, I’ve only ever really done picnics for school events, so this is all new to me.