落とし穴１６７堀：過ぎたるは猶及ばざるが如し (Part1)
**Pitfall 167: Too Much is as Bad as Too Little**
**Side: Taizo**
Since we are both busy people, it’s all too easy to neglect sleep and meal times. If we keep that up, it’s only a matter of time before we collapse from poor health. That is precisely why we made a promise to eat proper meals and get enough sleep, even when we’re on our own.
And then…
"Hifie-san is working in the Holy Nation, so I suppose it’s my turn to look after her today."
Yes, I have another promise to keep—the one regarding Comet-dono. To fulfill it, I left my laboratory and headed toward hers. Standing before the door, I called out, "Comet-dono? How are you holding up?"
Silence.
...No answer.
Well, it’s common for researchers to become so absorbed in their work that they lose sight of their surroundings and hear nothing at all. I’m hardly one to talk, though. Among those researchers, Comet-dono is a cut above the rest. When it comes to magical research, she is far superior to me. She could easily be called the finest scholar across the Intercontinental Alliance.
However, even such a genius has her weaknesses. Namely…
"Excuse me."
Receiving no response to deny entry, I stepped inside to find a space so cluttered there wasn’t a single spot to place one's feet. She had poured every ounce of her intellect into her research, leaving her with catastrophically poor life skills. It was Hifie-san, my wife, who usually compensated for that.
"…I’m certain I cleaned this place up just the day before yesterday."
To fall into this state in just two days—it really shows how hopeless Comet-dono can be.
"Well, it can’t be helped. It’s the usual routine. Now, where is she?"
I quickly shifted my mindset and scanned the lab. I found her slumped over a desk in a corner of the room, a section I had laid out with tatami mats to serve as a break space. I was the one who introduced the idea of tatami in the lab, and after Zargis-dono, Narjia-dono, and Comet-dono experienced it in my lab, they all followed suit. It makes me happy to see Japanese tatami accepted in this other world.
As I pondered that, I approached her…
"Zzz…"
"She’s completely out. And she’s still holding her game console."
It seems that after finishing her work, she had fallen asleep while playing. A classic case of "falling asleep at the controller." I glanced at the screen of her Switch to see what she was playing…
"Pokémon, huh? Another endless endeavor."
I’ve been dabbling in the latest *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* game myself, so I suppose I’m not one to judge. But that’s beside the point. First, I have to wake her up. My promise to Hifie-san is to make sure she eats a proper meal and gets home safely once her work is done. Well, she’s a good friend of mine, so I don’t consider this a chore in the slightest.
"Comet-dono. Wake up. It’s getting late."
"…Ngh? Ah—Taizo-san?"
She was still groggy, her gaze unfocused. The moment her wandering eyes landed on the clock in the room, her eyes snapped wide open.
"Gah!? It’s already this late!? I have to grind for my rating!"
She immediately tried to resume her game, but I couldn't allow that, so I promptly snatched the console from her hands.
"Hey!? What are you doing, Taizo-san!? Those are my precious children, my comrades-in-arms who have overcome countless adventures with me! What do you think you’re doing!?"
Comet-dono snapped at me instantly. For some reason, I felt like I’d been berated as if I were a heinous villain.
"Comet-dono, calm down. It’s not like the situation is moving in real-time right now, is it?"
"Obviously! If you took it away in the middle of a battle, I’d punch you, Taizo-san, even if you are who you are. I don’t hold back on things like that."
"…Well, I appreciate your honesty. I understand the passion you have for games, but this is a request from Hifie-san. For now, you should finish your meal and take a bath before continuing. Otherwise, I’m sure Hifie-san will have some harsh punishments for you tomorrow."
"Ugh."
Comet-dono made an overtly disgusted face. It seems she is as bad as ever at dealing with Hifie-san’s anger. She hesitated for a moment, weighing whether to behave herself.
"Fine, understood. Let’s go eat."
"That’s the wise choice. If you’re not careful, that console might end up confiscated."
"I absolutely have to avoid that. Hifie is a miracle-level mechanical klutz. For some reason, she’s incredibly skilled at accidentally deleting data. When she reset my shiny Pokémon the other day, I truly felt my soul leave my body."
"Ahahaha."
"It’s not a laughing matter. Anyway, let’s go."
While we were talking, Comet-dono quickly tidied herself up and headed outside, so I followed.
*Whoosh…*
The moment we stepped out, the north wind buffeted us.
"Ugh, it’s cold."
"Well, it is the dead of winter, after all."
Indeed, the season was February. I suppose we should be grateful there wasn't any snow on the ground. Moreover, it was already past 10:00 PM, so the temperature was even lower than during the day.
"…Even though I’m a lich, why do I have to feel the cold and heat? It’s completely inconvenient. Even after dying."
"I suppose it’s because you wouldn’t be able to maintain your body otherwise. No matter how much you animate your remains with magic, the structural integrity of the flesh itself hasn't changed. If you were a zombie or a skeleton where you didn't have to worry about your body, perhaps you could cut off your sensory perception, but…"
"Ah, that’s a no-go. *Sigh*, maintaining a beautiful body is so much work."
"Haha, women have many worries, it seems."
"You can say that again. To think that even after dying, I have to take more care of myself than I did when I was alive."
It’s quite ironic. Because she is dead, if she, being the lazy person she is, neglects the tedious maintenance of her body, it would likely rot and crumble away. Well, she compensates with a magical barrier, so it wouldn’t rot that easily… but if I were to say that out loud, she might get even lazier, so I’ll keep it to myself. As long as she is active, she will get dirty, and her clothes will get soiled, so it’s better that she maintains her current level of awareness.
As I was thinking about this, we arrived at the commercial district.
"It’s so late, only the izakayas are open."
Following Comet-dono’s gaze, I saw only the sparse, flickering lights of the shops still open at this hour, giving the street a different atmosphere from its usual bustling self.
"Izakayas serve food, too, you know."
"That’s true. I believe there was a place around here that Agil frequents, the one that serves hot pot."
"Ah, I’ve been there before. It’s this way."
Hot pot is best on a cold day, after all. You get plenty of vegetables, and the meat is delicious to boot. Just as I decided on the shop and started to head over, Comet-dono called out for me to wait.
"What’s wrong?"
I turned back, wondering if something had happened, and found her staring at a shop that was in the middle of closing up.
"No, I just happened to notice that shop has 'Valentine’s Day' written on it."
"Ah, come to think of it, it is that time of year. Or rather, tomorrow is the day."
Comet-dono’s comment made me realize. Today is February 13th, and tomorrow is February 14th. It’s not a custom I’m very familiar with, but it’s the day to express your feelings by giving chocolates to those you care about.