Iris
After that, we left the handling of the pickpocket boy to the woman who helped us and made our way across the bridge, avoiding public attention along the way.
In a plaza adjacent to the bridge, there were various stalls lining up, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people. The main festival was still several days away, but this place already had the appearance of one.
Amidst this scene, we sat on a bench beside the ice cream stall designated as our meeting place.
After settling in, I took out the sewing kit I had been carrying and began to mend the torn pouch with makeshift stitches.
“How’s it going with that? Should I take over for you?”
“Mm… It’s a pretty clean cut. I think I can manage.”
Just to be sure, I patched it up with some scrap fabric, prioritizing sturdiness. Since I had been proactive with tasks that could be done while sitting, I could handle this kind of work while humming a tune.
While sewing, I glanced intermittently at the ice cream stall nearby, listening to the rhythmic sound of the spatula.
Despite it being still early in the day, a small queue had already formed at the stall, which seemed to be a peculiar ice cream vendor.
It appeared that they poured soft cream onto polished stones cooled to extremely low temperatures with magical instruments, mixed in fruits or cookies with a spatula, spread it thinly, drizzled some kind of sauce over it, then rolled it into swirls using the spatula before filling them into cups and topping them with fruits and cream.
As I was fascinated by the efficiency with which this peculiar ice cream was being prepared…
“…Something like this existed in our old world.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Yeah, I went to a shop like this once, with friends. But it’s surprising to see the exact same thing here…”
“Heh… What’s the texture like?”
“It’s…”
As I eagerly inquired, Nii-sama began to explain…
“Ah, finally found you guys. Is everything else alright?”
We were interrupted by the voice of the woman who helped us earlier from the direction of the bridge we came from.
Looking over, we saw her walking towards us with another girl.
“Yes, everything’s fine on our end. Thank you very much.”
“That’s good to hear. I handed over that little runt to the guards, so… well, he shouldn’t cause any more trouble for a few days.”
“Sorry for burdening you with everything…”
“Don’t sweat it. We were all told by his old man to keep an eye on him in case he’s up to something.”
With a wave of her hand, she reassured us not to worry, but suddenly, her expression turned serious.
“Are you guys… the Princess and Prince of the North?”
“…So you knew about us all along?”
“Well, you’re quite famous. I wouldn’t be surprised if you got sent to this world too.”
“Are you a player like us?”
“Yes, my name’s Ouka, as you may have guessed, a former player of Worldgate Online. And this is… come on, say hi.”
Standing beside her, hidden in Ouka-san’s shadow, was a girl with silvery hair mixed with pale pink, bearing white wings. She must be Ouka-san’s companion who had just called the guards.
At a glance, she seemed to be in middle or high school age.
She appeared slightly taller than me with a petite figure, but her dainty figure was evident even under a long skirt that a typical city girl would wear.
She seemed to dislike standing out, as she wore a summer coat over her clothes. However… the face peeking from beneath the hood… to put it mildly, she was an incredibly cute girl with a fragile aura.
And when she opened her mouth to speak…
“Um… Hello…”
The moment her meek voice reached my ears, the atmosphere around us seemed to change.
What a beautiful voice.
In a moment, it was hard for us to recognize what was happening.
It was like the sound of a bell, permeating the ears of the listener with a refreshing, light touch, causing one’s thoughts to melt away just by listening.
Caught up in such a voice, we found ourselves dazed.
“U-Um… Are you okay?”
“…Eh? W-We’re fine!”
“…Sorry, I was out of it for a bit there…”
“……I’m really sorry, I did it again… I’m really sorry…”
As we hastily responded to the timid voice, she lowered her head even further apologetically.
Though her voice remained as beautiful as ever, this time it didn’t captivate us as before, allowing us to listen normally. However, she had tears in her eyes, repeatedly bowing and apologizing.
…Clearly, there was some kind of power in her voice earlier.
“Stop it, don’t keep bowing like that.”
“Y-Yes, I’m sorry… I mean, um…”
At Ouka-san’s slightly stern words, the girl looked around hesitantly, then ultimately couldn’t say anything and just bowed her head.
Ouka-san sighed in exasperation.
“*sighs*… It’s my fault for making you do the introductions, so just let me do it. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
“I’m sorry, Onee-chan…”
The girl looked even more ashamed after Ouka-san apologized to us.
Those two… seemed somewhat awkward around each other.
They were clearly concerned about each other and trying to bridge the gap between them. However… it felt like they were afraid of hurting each other, a bit like the hedgehog’s dilemma.
“She’s Kirsche, my… stepsister. As you can see, she’s having problems controlling her class’s power, so please forgive her if she doesn’t talk much.”
“O-Of course we wouldn’t mind…”
Was that the feeling of being captivated with just a few words earlier?
I’m aware of classes that have the ability to influence their surroundings just by speaking, but… I’ve never heard of anything so powerful.
“…Anyway! We helped you get your wallet back, right?”
“Um, Onee-chan…?”
Trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, Ouka-san suddenly brought up such a thing, prompting Kirsche-san to hastily intervene… I see, I understand now.
“Well, it’s true that you helped, so we definitely want to thank you.”
“Alright, thanks for being quick about it. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for ten percent of all your money or anything like that.”
Ouka-san stopped Nii-sama, who was about to take out a pouch of coins, and gestured with her thumb towards the stall.
“Just… buy us a little treat. With this, we’re even, what do you think?”
With a wink, she not only dispelled the heavy atmosphere but also signaled that it was time to end the discussion about debts of gratitude. Both of us couldn’t help but relax our expressions.
“It’s a deal, then.”
“I want to try that ice cream too, so let’s eat together.”
“Now we’re talking… Well then, thanks for the treat.”
Ouka-san then nudged us forward, urging us to join the waiting line in front of the stall.
“Come on, Onee-chan…”
Kirsche-san, despite her troubled looks… seemed curious. With her wings fluttering happily, she followed us along.
“Here’s your chocolate mint!”
“Wow… It’s adorable.”
“Haha, I’m adding extra toppings for cute young ladies like you.”
“Well… I’m grateful for your generosity. You’re really skilled at this, aren’t you?”
I smiled and gave a slight nod as I accepted the cup filled with ice cream.
The chocolate mint I ordered consisted of light green rolled ice cream adorned with plenty of chocolate chips, topped with generous amounts of whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and crushed cookies, creating an adorable appearance that made it enjoyable just to look at.
Scooping up a piece of the rolled ice cream along with the whipped cream, I brought it to my mouth with a spoon.
Instantly, the refreshing scent of mint passed through my nostrils, followed by the smoothly melting layers of ice cream, spreading the smooth sensation of cream throughout my mouth…
“Mhm…!”
It’s just delicious as it looks. Unable to resist, I took another bite… and suddenly, a question crossed my mind.
“Oops, that’s a trade secret… or that’s what I wanted to say.”
As the uncle who owns the stall finished mixing the next order and waited for it to solidify, he spoke with a slightly embarrassed look.
“We don’t really know who came up with it.”
“…You don’t know?”
“Yeah. Just one day, a shop showed up in front of the Western Trade Federation’s headquarters… It spread around due to its novelty, and then shops and stalls started popping up everywhere.”
And thus, people who had originally been business rivals were added to their umbrella one after another. In fact, it seemed that this uncle used to work for another shop that sells frozen treat.
It wasn’t through coercions either. The pay and conditions were much better than before, and those actually engaged in business were satisfied.
As I kept listening to the stall owner’s story…
“…Looks like various new things are spreading in the West these days. They say it’s because of a newcomer who recently became a high-ranking member of the Merchant’s Guild…”
Ouka-san added.
It seems that new businesses like this are welcomed in the Western Trade Federation, since they’re mostly profitable and help invigorate the market, which is what a country of merchants should be.
“But… you know, like this ice cream and all, there’re lots of things here that’s similar to our old world.”
Ouka-san concluded with a frown. It seems Kirsche-san also shared the same concern, nodding in agreement behind her.
Could it be that players from Japan are involved?
…As we pondered, the ice creams ordered by others were completed one after another.
Ouka-san opted for vanilla and chocolate, while Kirsche-san went for strawberry. Both were generously topped with whipped cream.
And lastly, Nii-sama took…
“Wow, just vanilla, huh?
It was a simple white rolled ice cream with condensed milk sauce and chocolate sauce drizzled over it.
Seeing this, Ouka-san remarked, but Nii-sama wordlessly began to eat his portion with a slightly sulking demeanor.
It wasn’t that he was unhappy… he was just a bit particular about his tastes.
“Nii-sama, you only eat vanilla ice cream, don’t you?”
“It’s not like that. I just want to enjoy the texture and mouthfeel of the ice cream, so I prefer not to mix in unnecessary things.”
He turned away and savored a spoonful from his cup.
Though he seemed displeased, at his current pace, it seemed that this ice cream suited his taste. With a wry smile, I scooped up a spoonful and offered it to him.
“Instead of saying that, how about trying a different flavor once in a while? Would you like a taste of mine?”
“…Fine.”
He obediently accepted the spoon I offered.
“…How’s it?”
“………Mm, it’s not bad. I can see myself trying it sometimes.”
“I see, that’s good… Guh?!”
“Hehe, it’s payback.”
All of a sudden, a cold lump was thrown into my mouth as if in retaliation. Immediately, the rich taste of milk and the aroma of vanilla essence spread throughout my mouth.
That was a big mouthful! Surely it’s the right amount for him, but couldn’t he have considered my smaller size?!
While protesting with a glare at Nii-sama, whose shoulders were shaking from laughter, I struggled to reduce the amount of sweet ice cream in my mouth.
“……You siblings seem to get along well.”
I heard Ouka-san’s astonished voice.
Looking at her, I saw her looking our way with a bitter expression.
“You two are like lovers…”
“…Is that so?”
“…Really?”
For some reason, Kirsche-san’s face turned bright red as she said that. Isn’t this normal siblings behavior?, thought both of us as we tilted our heads.
“…Onee-chan, is that normal?”
“No way. These two just seem to get along a little too well, that’s all…”
They stared at us in complete disbelief… Is it really that strange?
We’re family, so sharing like this should be normal… With a question mark floating in my mind, I took another spoonful of my ice cream.
“So, uh… I saw you guys hanging around that big armor shop earlier, did something happen?”
“Ah… if you’re living here, there’s something I’d like to ask…”
Since they’d been living here for several months, they might know something. So, I explained to them that we are currently looking for powerful armor.
“I see… So you guys found that shop lacking, right? That place is a directly operated by the city’s guild, and most of the skilled artisans around here are contracted to supply there, so finding something better than that will be quite challenging, you know?”
Ouka-san concluded by saying that we’ll have to tailor something unique regardless of the cost.
As expected,… or ultimately, it was the same conclusion we reached earlier.
“…We still have to find that person after all.”
“Yes… He might be able to introduce us to something good.”
“You guys are looking for someone?”
“Yes, we’re looking for a blacksmith NPC who helped us in the game. We heard he’s also in this world.”
We also received a letter of introduction from Walter-san, who told us he’s living in this city, so he must be around somewhere… as we pondered about that…
“…Ah.”
“…Hmm? Do you know something?”
“I don’t just know about him. Is the blacksmith you’re looking for… by any chance, really, really huge?”
“Eh? Yes, he’s as large as a mountain…”
“Onee-chan, that’s…”
“Right… if it’s that person, I probably know where he is.”
““Really?!””
We spontaneously drew closer to Ouka-san.
“Y-Yeah… but he might be out for a bit… Expect him to get back by late afternoon or so.”
The information came surprisingly quickly, despite us expecting it to take a few days. We began to question Ouka-san, who seemed to know a lot about his movements.
“Um, who exactly are you…”
“Well, that blacksmith you guys are looking for…”
Shocked by our eager inquiries, she swallowed the ice cream she had scooped up with her spoon, gathered herself, and spoke.
“…He’s my master, The Cyclops Swordsmith, Nephilim… I’m his disciple, of sorts.”
Ouka-san scratched her cheek awkwardly.
We were left dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events, which brought us unexpectedly close to our goal…
APM - Translation 