Chapter 2 Part 2
After Rika’s confession, the heat in both of us drove us to the living room in search of something to drink.
We each drain our glasses in an instant, leaving the cups empty on the table.
The ticking of the clock’s second hand echoes softly in the background.
The ticking of the clock’s second hand echoes softly.
Normally, it wouldn’t bother me, but in the stillness of the room, it feels unnaturally loud.
"…………"
If I had to sum it up, the atmosphere is… incredibly awkward.
But it’s not an unpleasant awkwardness.
Rather, it’s the kind that comes from the mix of embarrassment, shyness, and joy that follows a first kiss—a jumble of emotions that’s hard to put into words.
"…………"
I glance at Rika out of the corner of my eye, only to find her sneaking a look at me at the same time. Our eyes meet, and she immediately turns away.
Despite the mature air she had during the kiss earlier, it’s clear her emotional maturity hasn’t quite caught up.
Realizing she was trying so hard to act grown-up makes her all the more endearing, and I can’t help but feel happy about it.
Rika, who rarely shows much expression, is likely wrestling with a storm of emotions right now.
Even I haven’t completely processed what just happened, so I can hardly blame her.
I decide to wait for her to settle into the moment, opting to stay still and let her take her time.
"We’re back~… Oh? Did you two, uh, cross a line or something?"
"Man, I’m tired… Jin, comfort me—wait, hold on. What’s with this atmosphere?"
Yūri and Lusika return simultaneously, taking one look at us and tilting their heads in confusion.
With Rika too frozen to speak, I step in to explain.
"Ha… Well, let’s just say it’s kind of like you two."
"Ohhh, I see! So Rika-chan has her age-appropriate moments, huh?"
"While I wasn’t around… But hey, good job, Rika. You’ve really embraced your girlish side."
"Ugh…"
The two of them ruffle Rika’s hair teasingly, causing her to groan in embarrassment.
Rika doesn’t resist, her face flushed red as she keeps her head down.
She’s so hunched over that her forehead is pressing into the table.
Wait, wait, wait—this is bad! The table’s creaking…!
"Ugh… wha—!?"
"Oh no!"
"Rika-chan!?"
With a loud crack, the table splits clean in half.
Rika’s head is now embedded in the floor, and Yūri stares at her, dumbfounded.
"Hahaha. Looks like the power of the Hero got a little out of control."
It’s been a while since something like this happened, but Rika used to have trouble controlling her strength and would often break things.
She must have been so embarrassed by Lusika and Yūri’s teasing that she lost focus.
"Ugh… It’s stuck deeper than I thought! I can’t get free…!"
"Haha, Yūri doesn’t have the strength for this. Let me handle it. Rika, bear with me for a second, okay?"
"Jin, no!"
"Eh? Why not?"
"…Having you touch my bare feet would be… embarrassing…"
Anyone who’d question why this is more embarrassing than a kiss, I can't understand a thing about a girl’s feelings.
That kiss was her summoning all her courage to express years’ worth of emotions directly.
If this were the old Rika, I might’ve dismissed it as nothing, but now that I know how she feels, I can’t just brush it aside.
That leaves only one person to deal with this—a clearly amused Lusika, who’s enjoying seeing this rare side of Rika.
"Well, well. Even someone as determined as Rika turns out to still be a kid, huh? I must say, this innocence is refreshing."
"Lusika, with your less-than-three-year track record of liking Jin, you don’t get to understand my feelings. Be quiet."
"Honestly, you’re not intimidating at all with just your head stuck in the floor. You sure you want to stay like that? I could just leave you there, you know."
"If that happens, I’ll force myself out using brute strength in my berserk state. —You’re okay with the house collapsing? It’d make your future father-in-law and mother-in-law very sad."
"Is it just me, or is this kind of threat… really unconventional?"
Rika’s unique brand of intimidation makes Lusika let out a small sigh before pulling out a small wooden staff.
"Alright, alright. No need to get so worked up. Look, I’ll even fix the table for you."
"…Fine. Please do."
Whew… Looks like this mess is about to be resolved.
If we can wrap this up without anyone else seeing it, that’d be perfect… or so I thought.
"We’re home! Haha! We’re celebrating tonight, so let’s party! Dad’s gone all out!"
"My, my! To think Jin would bring home not one but three brides! Oh, I’m just so—huh? A… battlefield?"
The cheerful expressions on my parents' faces vanish the moment they step inside.
Well, I can’t blame them for jumping to conclusions after seeing this disaster.
Rika’s head stuck in the floor. Lusika standing nearby with a staff in hand. Yūri sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.
That said, despite appearances, we all get along just fine.
"My apologies, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law. Things got a bit rowdy, but we’ll have it sorted out in no time. Would you mind waiting outside for a moment?"
No, Lusika! Technically, you’re not wrong, but—!
The way you said ‘have it sorted out’ makes it sound like you’re planning to dispose of Rika!
"C-Could it be that… you three don’t get along?"
"Not at all! We’ve shared so much together, and we’re really close! Right, Rika-chan? Lusika-san?"
"Yeah. They’re irreplaceable, precious friends to me."
With those words, Rika extended her only free leg toward the others.
Perhaps understanding her intent, Yūri and Lusika each reached out and clasped her foot as if shaking hands.
Is this supposed to be a display of friendship? Seriously, how did it come to this…?
Then again… maybe this does look like a show of camaraderie?
“Oh my, Rika-chan, it’s wonderful that you’ve made such lovely friends!”
“That’s right, that’s right. If you’re all getting along, then I can rest easy.”
“Yes, Auntie, Uncle.”
Somehow, it seems like we’re in the clear.
Having been neglected by her own parents, Rika had grown up in our household, treated like one of the family.
That parental bias must have come in handy this time.
“Ah, should I start calling you Mother-in-law and Father-in-law now?”
“Whichever you like, dear. Oh, but hearing that makes me so happy. Rika-chan is really going to be Jin’s bride…”
“Not just Rika, Mother-in-law.”
“We, too, intend to devote ourselves fully as Jin’s wives.”
“Oh my! Of course, you’re right. But, well, Jin can only marry one person… is everything going to be alright with that?”
“Rest assured, we’ve already resolved that issue. We’ll explain everything to you both later.”
“My, my, how reliable you all are.”
“Beautiful, intelligent, and dependable… Every one of you is far too good for my boy. Don’t you dare get dumped, Jin!”
“Yes, please take good care of our son.”
“Don’t worry. There’s no way any of us would ever abandon Jin.”
“Of course! I’ll do my best to show you the faces of your grandchildren as soon as possible!”
“Though I am a long-lived elf, I vow that he will be my one and only partner in this life.”
Laughter filled the air—everyone’s but mine.
…Can we at least get Rika out of the floor before continuing this conversation?
Unable to bring myself to interrupt the mood, we wrapped up the introductions with my parents.
---
With the greetings to my parents done and the Demon King subjugation report delivered to the king, all the major tasks had been taken care of.
…Well, all except for one very important responsibility I still needed to fulfill.
But for now, there were no more stiff, formal duties left to deal with.
And if that’s the case, there’s no reason not to celebrate such a joyous occasion.
“To my son Jin, and to Rika-chan, Yūri-chan, and Lusika-chan’s marriages! To the birth of Jin Geist, Baron of the Realm! And to the defeat of the detestable Demon King—cheers!!”
“Cheers!!”
At my father’s declaration, the entire village raised their cups of liquor high into the air.
I couldn’t recall ever seeing my hometown this lively.
The tables were piled high with vibrant salads, perfectly roasted whole chickens, spiced kebabs, stir-fried mountain vegetables, and more. The sheer variety left no space untouched.
The alcohol was top-quality, and the spices weren’t exactly cheap either.
But the reason the feast was so extravagant was that we’d brought back all these luxuries from the royal capital.
With Lusika’s magic, transporting everything only took an instant.
——.
Love this so far, hope the rest gets translated as well. Thank you for your time in translating it so far.
ReplyDeleteWe plan to resume the translations by next month, we will have more time to translate things at that time. Sorry for the delay of the release.
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