Losing Interest in the Otherworld Hobby - Chapter 21 - Vol 1 End

 

The next day, Colt and I slept until past noon, and after taking a bath and freshening up, we decided to have lunch as a consolation party.

Unfortunately, we were accompanied by the witch girl. I feel that they have played an active part at a level that might be better than nothing, and since I feel bad about being obliged to them, I’ll settle up with them as soon as possible.

I really want to stay at home and laze around after working all night, but I should at least send off Korkor, who is a hard worker and has to work in the evening.

I get a certain amount of satisfaction while countering the usual tasteless dishes with a heap of seasonings that Japan is proud of. Thank goodness for soy sauce, soy sauce and mayonnaise.

……After the meal, I walk with a girl and a cat in the late afternoon.

I let my guard down and bumped into a troublesome person again.

“Ah, Somali miss and Erele lady!　Is it okay to go outside now?”

“Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you for worrying about me.

“Master Wohl told me. Colt helped you, too. Thank you.

“Don’t be silly, I was just looking after the house.

The young lady with a cheerful smile and the expressionless maid taking a step back speaks to us in turn. Colt looks happy to be thanked by both of them.

Next, the young lady turns to me, her mouth twisted into a smile and she is breathing hard. The maid, in contrast, bows slowly with a composed face. I was in disguise when I was a helper, so this must have been my first meeting with Glynn, but I could sense a familiarity in their gestures.

Is this ……, if not, an ambush?

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve met the gentleman next to you before. Mr. Colt, may I be introduced to you?”

In a theatrical tone, the young lady urged me to hurry. She stares at me, her eyes sparkling like a child who has found an interesting toy. She really is as inquisitive as ever.

…… But how did she find out who I really am? I was wearing a black cape to hide my face and disguise my status at the time, and I don’t think Grandpa Wal would have told on me.

Perhaps the young lady’s “curiosity skill” is the culprit. It’s a tremendous skill whose utility can expand dramatically depending on one’s perception.

Well, I feel like I’m the one who was supposed to be the object of curiosity, but I feel like I’ve been killed when it’s revealed so easily.

Well, it’s just barely acceptable that Glynn and Kroske are revealed to be the same person. At least, as long as they can hide their too high level and earthly status, they can cover up the other crazy things they do because of their magic and items. Worst case scenario, we can just change our name and base of operations.

“You are a traveler who came from outside the city a while ago.

“…… Nice to meet you. I’m Glynn, from a distant island nation. Well, it’s nice to meet you.

Anyway, let’s talk as if we were meeting for the first time. If you make too many assumptions, your skills will be detected and you’ll end up in trouble. The rest depends on how the other party reacts.

I’ll just have to wait and see what they say.

Suddenly, the cats landed on the ground from my shoulders and began to threaten the lady and the maid.

I’m trying to talk to them in a friendly manner, but what do these clunkers want?

 

<Master, they are the enemy! >>

No, the natural enemy of the human race is you demons.

<I didn’t like it from the first time I saw it! >>

No, I’ve never met you guys before, right?

<…… master is deceived>

No, it is you who are deceiving mankind in the form of a cat, isn’t it?

The fragile and weak human race is nothing to her, but this is the first time she’s been this wary of a demon girl.

<Curiosity kills cats>…so I see…the three kittens must be the worst match for the young lady who is the embodiment of curiosity. Or maybe the young lady and the maid are like the annoying fourth and fifth cat, and they are fighting over territory.

“Oh, my, you’re quite a brave cat. I wonder if the traveler owns it?”

“No, I seem to have a problem with strange guys following me around.

That’s terrible.

I’m sorry for your loss.

The sarcasm that was intended as a deterrent did not seem to work on the two wandering and bewildered bystanders. A trio of demons and a young lady and her maid. Actually, they’re more like each other, and maybe that’s why they’re so homophobic.

“Don’t mind these guys. It’s more of an honor to meet you two famous people.”

“Famous ……?”

The maid who tilts her head without changing her expression is adorable. Yes, now that I think about it, I remembered the story that Colt told me about the poor maid who could not get married in spite of her high level of beauty.

“Uh, I think her name was Thirty-Debi…”

“No, you can’t do that, Anchan! Elere-chan is very concerned about your age.

Colt advises me in a whisper. Ah, yes, her second name is Thirty Devils Thirty Devils. She is a sad single woman in her mid-twenties who is counting down the days until she reaches the age of thirty-three.

“Buhuhuh…”

I couldn’t help but gush when I compared the maid with her clear face and her second name.

“…… did you say something?”

Devil glared at me as I tried hard not to laugh. Scary, scary devil. The lady next to him turns her back and holds her mouth while trembling.

I’m afraid of retaliation if I offend the devil. Let’s just make a friendly gesture.

“Sorry, no offense. In my hometown, mid-twenties is the right age to get married. I don’t think there’s any need to rush if she’s as beautiful and good-looking as you are.

“Master Glynn, may I take that as a proposal?”

“Why?

“Why?”

Oh s**t!　The oblique reply made me chop my head again.

Hasn’t this maid become even weirder than yesterday?　Has she changed her class from a battle maid to a clunker maid? Please give me a break, I’ve had my fill of clunkers.

“…………”

The maid who took my criticism is holding her head with her hands cutely and looks happy for some reason. Despite her calm appearance, I wonder if she has a masochistic temperament.

“Ah, An-chan, you are too much of a scaredy-cat to beat up Elere-chan, aren’t you?

“Oh, my goodness, you two are so close.”

Colt seems to be horrified by my brutality. They say the devil you don’t touch is worthless.

The lady reacts like a gossipy neighbor lady. It suits you strangely.

Anyway, the maid isn’t angry, but rather pleased, so let’s leave her alone…

“By the way, Mr. Traveler, what have you heard about me?”

This time, the young lady, still smiling, asked me a question. Why is it that her smile makes me want to stain her face with humiliation? It must be her bad behavior.

“Well, I’m not a wild-eyed onlooker, no, no, no, I’m not a bother, but I’m a very confused and puzzled person…” she said. I mean, I’m told you’re a very, you know, friendly young lady, right?”

“…………”

The young lady looks shocked. I chose my words carefully, but I guess I couldn’t hide my true feelings. In fact, I’ve never heard any rumors about her, so I’m just letting my mouth do the talking.

I guess I’m a teasing character, but seeing these two makes me want to make fun of them.

“Oh, by the way, we haven’t introduced ourselves yet. I am Somali. I’m the daughter of the lord of this town.

The young lady, who pretends not to have heard of her own bad reputation, greets me with a drawn face.

She doesn’t refute the rumors, probably because she is more than a little aware of them. She deserves it.

Her facial expressions are too expressive in contrast to the squire’s, which is another point of her teasing, or charm.

“…… Oh?　I wonder if it is not customary to shake hands where you come from, traveler?”

The young lady asks in frustration. The reason is that she neglected the hand that was offered to her with a greeting.

“No, I’ve heard rumors that the young lady has a terrible skill to read personal information of people just by touching them. So I’d rather not shake her hand.

Who told you that?

I don’t know, someone told me at the bar.

“That’s a lie!　My skills don’t even have that kind of power!”

“Haha, just kidding, just kidding,…… just in case?”

I’m afraid that if her “curiosity skill” ranks up, she might actually manifest it. It’s a superpower.

“Ugh. ……”

The young lady is growling in disapproval, as if the joke about her annoying skills and personality is getting through to her. Such an impulsive attitude is desirable in one’s age.

 

“Master Glynn. I am the lady’s maid. Please, call me Elele.”

As if unusually unable to see her master in a pinch, the maid interrupted and greeted her.

“Oh, nice to meet you, maid.”

“Please call me Elele.”

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you, Herrera.”

“Please call me Elele.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you, Eleele.”

“Yes.”

Oh, you don’t have to call me “chan”.

“Uh, well, since we’re both sensible adults, I’ll call you Miss Erele.”

“…… I see, I’m sorry.”

The maid, apparently dissatisfied with my compromise, nods her head reluctantly.

Why she wants to be called by her name so much is a mystery to me. It’s a hard thing for an old man with poor communication skills to call a grown-up woman whom he just met.

Usually ladies and maids are demure characters, but these two are so aggressive. I wish they would learn more from the elegant, modest, and modest appearance of Yamato Yamato Nadeshiko Nadeshiko.

“Ah, An-chan, I have work in the evening, so I’m going now!”

Colt leaves with a low profile. I guess he was put off by the strange atmosphere between us.

 

“…… will you excuse me for a moment?”

After a beat, the lady took the maid and moved away from me.

“-Hey Elere, are you sure he’s the one?　He seems to me to be just as ordinary as reported, or rather, a plainer and meaner uncle than I expected.”

“Your honesty, young lady, is a virtue, but it will destroy you one day. What will you do if Master Glynn hears you?”

“Don’t worry. We’re this far away from each other and I’m whispering.

“……I really hope you can’t hear me.”

That’s not good, I can hear you!　At times like this, I resent my level-enhanced hearing.

I’m sorry. I’m a dull old man who no one would take seriously if I didn’t have money.

…… But anyway, it seems that I have been under surveillance for a long time. This is a rather shocking fact.

I wonder if the drug that led to this incident was traced back to her, since she is the daughter of a lord. It’s funny to imagine a Noh-faced maid watching her from the shadows, though.

It’s a terrible story, though I’m sure they have a lot going on as a family of lords. I think I did a pretty good job this time, though.

Oh, well. If they want to do it, I have my own ideas.

I’m not going to take it lying down, so I’m going to return the favor.

 

“Miss… Miss… Miss… Miss… Miss… Miss… Miss… Miss… Miss! If you don’t mind, I’d like this one.”

With a fake smile on my face, I offered a gift in a box to the young lady who came back after our private conversation.

“Oh, my, may I have it?”

“Of course. In my hometown, we have a custom of giving gifts to powerful people to see if they are in a good mood.

“It’s a rather obvious gift, but I’ll take it. May I look inside ……?”

“Please come in.”

The young lady is so curious about the contents of the box that she can’t resist and opens it right then and there.

Unaware that by observing what is inside the box, she will determine whether she lives or dies.

“Oh, what a lovely handkerchief!　The floral pattern is so carefully woven into the fabric.”

“My hometown specializes in delicate crafts. I’m glad you like it.

“Yes, I like it!　I’ll take good care of it.

“Yes, handkerchiefs are useful for many things. For example, when you cry uncontrollably or when you pee your pants because you can’t hold it in.

This is the poison I planted in the box. The young lady’s incontinence when she was chased by the bandits was revealed to stimulate her sense of shame. Enjoy the pleasure of exposing yourself to the curious eye.

“What the…?　Do you know about this?

“I was just making an analogy.　Yes, and I’ll give you a bottle of perfume.”

“～～～～!!!”

The lady’s protests are unspoken. The lady turns red in the face of the merciless blow and backs away, clutching her skirt as if to affirm my analogy. I suggest you take this opportunity to change your “curiosity” skill into “shame”.

I smile vulgarly, satisfied with the expression on their faces. A woman’s shy face is the best, isn’t it? I’d like to see it in a proper love affair if possible, but I guess I’m not worthy of it.

I’ll let this be enough payback for the lady. I don’t want her to cry again.

…… Now, now it’s the maid’s turn.

“This is for you, Mistress Erelle.”

The maid, who is watching her master in a panic with a sigh, is also presented with a gift.

“No, I, the servant, can’t have it either. ……”

“That’s too bad. It’s a traditional pastry from my hometown.

It would be impolite to refuse a gift once it has been offered to you, so I humbly accept.”

They seemed to be wary of me after seeing the tragedy of the young lady, but when they heard that the contents were sweets, they accepted them without hesitation. She really never wavers, this maid. She must love sweets at the level that her body moves before she can think.

 

I wish I could love something like crazy for once.

“This is the first candy I’ve ever seen.

The maid, who couldn’t wait to get home as well as the young lady, immediately opens the box to see what’s inside. Maybe these two are more alike than I thought.

“Those are dumplings, which are sweets made of processed rice covered with sweeteners. Feel free to eat them.”

“Well then, I’ll take your word for it. Amumuamu……Amumuamu, this is so chewy……Amumuamu.”

The maid, with her back straight and her expression unchanged, but happily continues to eat.

It’s amazing to eat something given to you by someone you’ve never met before right then and there. Even Japanese people who have a penchant for eating standing up are amazed. It’s a pity because the way she eats is so beautiful.

“Amuamu …………”

She continues to eat with a single-minded devotion. It is strange that we think she is cute when we see the defenseless gestures of an adult. At best, she is innocent, at worst, she is just greedy.

“Thank you for the food. It was very delicious. ……… you have something to say, don’t you?”

The maid, who was satisfied with her beautiful meal, asked me how I felt when I was looking at the baited hina-hina.

She was right. Now that we’ve done the preparation, let’s get down to business.

“Not that it’s a big deal, but there’s a saying in my hometown that goes <dumplings over flowers>, and I thought it was a perfect description of the current Miss Erele.”

“……What does that word mean?”

“It means that good food is more important than love.”

“-?”

I look at the maid, who has frozen up and smiles at me. She seems to have been shocked more than expected and looks a little pitiful with her eyes wide open.

The exact meaning of this saying is <<eatiness over sexiness>>, but it is too direct and uninteresting. <Dumplings rather than flowers>> is a term used to ridicule those who do not understand the elegance of the season, so it is a fitting irony for the maid who has no connection with and does not understand the subtleties of the sexes.

It’s almost comical, though, that a dull old man who can’t get a girlfriend even if he stood on his head would laugh at a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties who could get a girlfriend if she wanted to.

…… But he did it. I got carried away and prioritized retaliation over concealment of my true identity.

Oh well. These two seem to be convinced that Glynn and Kroske are the same person.

I’m getting tired of thinking about it. I feel better now.

If we can’t stay in this town, we can move to another one. But for the time being, it would be better to avoid contact with these two. We don’t want to make it any harder for them to leave us.

“I don’t know, guys. I hope you like my heartfelt gift.”

“…………”

“…………”

“That’s good. Well, I guess I’ll be going now.

Satisfied with the two scowling faces, I rush away, sweating coldly at the murderous atmosphere I feel behind me.

<You did it, Master!　You kicked their asses for Kiiko and the others! >>

<<Yes, that’s right. You should always be like this, only with Enko and the others! >>

<…… master chose Anko and his friends>

I don’t mean that at all, but it’s sad that we can’t deny the results.

I know it’s a sales pitch, but why am I running away from young and beautiful women and staying with these b******s? It seems to be a symbol of what is to come, and it makes me feel heavy.

I look up at the sky, and sure enough, dark clouds are gathering.

 

 

 

One crisis goes away and another comes back. A curse in a weak moment. A bee on a tear.

There are many proverbs that describe the continuity of misfortune. It may indicate that luck is a polarizing thing and the unreasonableness of the world in which bad luck begets bad luck.

Once you are caught in the current, it is not easy to get out.

A negative chain connected by a goddess who plays with destiny.

How can a small being like me stand up to break this chain?

 

A few days later, Colt said to me.

“There’s a bad rumor going around that you made Somali missus and Erele-chan cry because you two-timed her.”

“…………”

It’s a world of magic and levels, indeed.

I never dreamed that the day would come when I would be praised as a “woman-crier.

Let’s see… I’m sure the line you say in such a situation is like this…

“Ha, ha, ha, it’s hard being a popular guy, isn’t it?”

 

──── a wacky romp set in an alternate universe.

It looks like I won’t get bored of it for a while.

“Nyah!” “Nyah!” “…… mee!”

“Ow!”

Including these guys, right?

 

 

 

Volume 1 – End