第１０８４堀：水不足の原因発見？ (Part1)
THOROUGH DIGGING 1084: DISCOVERY OF THE CAUSE OF THE WATER SHORTAGE?
Discovery of the Cause of the Water Shortage?
Side: Agil
“Hey, can you hear me?”
It was only when Yuki called out to me that I finally realized the state I was in. From head to toe, I was covered in sand, dust, and mud—a truly unsightly mess. Not only that, but the sky had already turned completely dark.
“Ah. Yuki. So, what’s up? Oh, I guess I know.”
“It’s completely dark now. So, how long have you been investigating?”
“Hmm. It was right after Gaur brought Coral, so, uh, about six hours… I guess?”
Saying it myself, I realized how incredibly hard I had been working. Well, when I was a general in Enaria, it was common for me to work on research without eating, so I’m used to it, if you could call it that. But now, I’m enjoying a ‘wife’s life’ with Yuki and my companions, complete with three meals a day and a loving relationship with my husband. So, ending up in this state is… no, it still happens surprisingly often when I’m researching.
“Ah, now that I’ve realized the time, I’m hungry.”
“Then come back and eat.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that. Oh, but gates are really convenient, aren’t they?”
I can easily go home even from the field. How wonderful is that? Well, I’ve always liked fieldwork like this. But now, I’m married, and I’m a good woman who prioritizes my husband and family! So, I left the site in the care of the Goblin unit and returned home in one go.
““Welcome home, Agil-sama.””
As soon as I returned to the inn, which is my home, Kirue and Sasari, my perfect maids, greeted me. They immediately wiped my face and hands with a warm towel.
“It’s good to put effort into your work, but I don’t think you need to push yourself this hard.”
“Or rather, Agil-sama, why don’t you go to the site with a doppelganger? You used a doppelganger in the snowy mountains, didn’t you?”
“Ah, that’s simple. The area is safe due to the dungeonification. So I went myself, in this body. With a doppelganger, I just feel like something is always off.”
Yes, I went to that mine in the flesh. In Weed, it’s common sense to use a doppelganger, but I’m just not very good with them. It’s not that they’re bad, but when I use a doppelganger, I feel like the sensations I get through my five senses are somehow misaligned with direct experience. For a researcher, that’s fatal. A researcher questions the obvious and uncovers the truth. What to question always comes from my own senses, my own feelings, and the knowledge that supports them. I prefer not to use a doppelganger if it’s not necessary, as it might hinder that process. Of course, I got Yuki’s permission for this. I’m still a newlywed, and I certainly don’t want to die pointlessly. So, I’m working there after completing all necessary tests for toxins and the like. As for the snowy mountains… well, that was a risk of freezing to death. That really made me understand that there are things people can and cannot do.
“So you’re the same, Agil-sama. Comet-sama and Narjia-sama also don’t seem to like doppelgangers much.”
“I figured. For researchers, there’s always a sense of discomfort. Discrepancies in combat can be fixed with training, but it’s still just… different.”
“Well, please don’t overdo it. If anything were to happen, not just your husband, but everyone would cry, you know?”
“Yeah. I won’t overdo it. That’s a promise.”
I’ve finally grasped my ideal life. I have a beloved husband, good friends, and unlimited research. It’s unthinkable for me to lose all of that due to my own mistake. As we talked, the two maids, having finished wiping away the dirt, stepped away from me.
“Alright. You’re clean for now, but please head straight to the bath from here.”
“If you go back to your room, we won’t forgive you.”
“I know, I know. I wouldn’t do anything so reckless. Besides, if I don’t hurry, it’ll be dinner time.”
If I did something like that, my entire family would turn their backs on me. Making the children sick is absolutely out of the question. Even in the military, we were so careful about illness and food. Remembering the old days, I headed straight for the bath.
“Oh, Agil, you’re back?” Seraria said, pushing through the noren curtain of the women’s bath.
“Yeah, I just got back. Kirue and Sasari told me to come straight here.” I shrugged my shoulders with a sigh, and Seraria gave a wry smile.
“You were working in the mine, weren’t you? Then it can’t be helped. I’d say the same thing.”
“I figured. I agree with you on that. So, I’m going to get in the bath now, but what’s for dinner today?”
“Wasn’t it meat today?”
“Oh, nice! After moving around so much, I want to eat a lot.”
“Then hurry up and finish.”
“Got it.”
With that, I parted ways with Seraria and stepped into the hot spring. It seemed I was the only one there, and the spacious hot spring stretched out before me.
“Man, if it weren’t for dinner, I’d love to soak in this hot spring for a long time, but I can’t.”
My family could be called a large family. And everyone is doing important work, so it’s inevitable that sometimes we can’t make it to dinner. But then I’d be eating alone. No, eating instant noodles alone, that’s delicious in its own way. But still, I want to spend time with my family, you know? So, all my alluring bathing scenes are cut. Well, maybe after dinner, I’ll come back?
“So, you rushed into the bath.”
“Exactly. Oh, but I washed all the necessary parts, so no problem there.”
“Say that after you’ve properly dried your hair. Come here.”
“Alright, alright.” I said, and sat down on Yuki’s lap. Then, Yuki dried my hair with a towel and a hairdryer.
“Boo, Agil-neechan, that’s not fair!”
“Firia wants it too!”
“Onii, Hiiro too.”
“Ah, wait, wait. I’ll do it properly after dinner, so calm down.” Yuki said, soothing Aslin and the others.
Ahaha, Aslin and the others are still so innocent. You have to make full use of your small bodies, you know? Because no matter what I do, this small body of mine can’t become a ‘voluptuous figure’…
“Huh? Agil-neechan, your eyes look dead.”
“Did Onii-sama hurt you?”
“Onii, no hurting.”
“No, I didn’t mean to, but are you alright?”
“Ah, don’t worry, Yuki would never hurt me. It’s just that reality made me a little sad.” As I said that, my gaze fell upon…
“Having large breasts is also a problem. My shoulders get stiff.”
“Indeed. This, of all things…”
“Absolutely. Custom-ordering plate armor is quite a hassle, you know.”