Otherworld Dagashi Shop Yahagi

The royal capital has become completely spring-like.

Flowers are blooming everywhere and the world has taken on a pastel hue.

The faces of adventurers in the dungeon had also relaxed somewhat.

It’s almost time for the Fujiru flower-viewing season to begin.

My first date with Michelle was at Mount Garju to look at Fujiru flowers.

A year had already passed since then huh.

They say that time flies like an arrow, but I’m amazed by how quickly time passes.

Of course, we are planning to go to Mount Garju again this year for our date.

We’ll pack our lunch boxes of memories full of delicious food and go have some fun.
(T/N: I don’t know why, but Author calls it Mount Gashel this chapter)

Today I’ve got a new product that’s perfect for flower viewing, so let’s make a big splash. 

Product name: Hanakushi Castella

Description: Skewered flower-patterned castellas. Eating it makes one feel slightly happy. After consumption of the castellas, the skewer becomes a weapon that deals a fixed 30 damage. When thrown, it has a 75% accuracy correction.

Price: 30 rims (1 skewer)

I’ve had this snack back in my previous life too.

They’re bite-sized castellas covered with sugar, so it has a strong sweet taste, and I think it tastes better with tea or coffee.

My memories about it are a bit faint, but I believe it was a dagashi that originated in Nagoya.

The flower petal pattern makes it a perfect snack for the current season.

[Welcome, welcome, check out our new product, Hanakushi Castellas! For tea time, flower viewing, and fighting off enemies, Hanakushi Castellas got your back. Eat and be happy, throw for the finishing move———— Have some deliciously sweet Hanakushi Castellas!]

I think it’s quite a surreal sales pitch, but I’ve gotten used to this world.

Not only am I used to it, I’m also filled with happiness.

That’s because I’m with Michelle and other like-minded friends.

Thereupon, another man with a face full of happiness came to the shop.

Marco.

The other members of Team Harukaze also came in as usual and checked out my various products.

[Good morning.]

This morning, Marco is looking unusually radiant.

He looks like a dandelion bathed in the light of spring after a long winter.

[Good morning. By the looks of it……]

[Yes. The madam escaped safely yesterday.]

It seems she has finally escaped from the mansion and moved into Marco’s apartment.

From now on, their cohabitation life of happiness and embarrassment starts.

[Congrats. How about buying some Hanakushi Castellas to commemorate the occasion? Eating it makes you slightly happy.]

[No, I’m already so happy that I could die……]

Uwahh, someone’s boasting……

[R- Rather than that, I’d like some anzu-bou.]

[You just bought a box of them the other day though.]

[I’ve already eaten them all up……]

[You ate them all, wait, that madam just arrived in your room yesterday, right?]

[About that, well, I ate them when I was practicing the love language I wanna tell to Ti…… the madam.]

That’s certainly just like Marco, using up his items in the practice simulation.

In any case, I pulled a box of anzu-bou out of the tatami room in the back.

[Are you going to be alright with that?]

[I got a kiss this morning on my way out. So, maybe…… Yahagi-san.]

[What’s up?]

[Being able to return back home with someone waiting for you is quite the happiness, isn’t it!?]

Yeah, can’t blame him for not needing Hanakushi Castellas.

But with the way he is now, is he gonna be alright?

With his head over the clouds, he could lose his life in the dungeon.

I might be a bit too concerned about this, but I guess I’ll give Merle a warning.

Having this in mind, I whispered to Merle, who was already dual-wielding the new Hanakushi Castellas in her hands.

[Marco looked like he’d be quite flighty, so do your best with supporting him, okay?]

[I know already. We’re just planning on going to a relatively easy hunting ground today. After a couple of days, Marco should also settle down. Then, we can resume our regular operations.]

Even with how she usually is, Merle has grown into a dependable leader.

Well, I guess that’s just obvious. A year has already passed since we first———–

[Ughhhaaa! A fail draw from 10-rim round choco again! The heck is going on!!!?]

Unnn, you just keep being you, Merle.

Everything seems to be going well.

Michelle was away at the deepest part of the dungeon, but when she comes back, we’ll go flower viewing together.

Marco will also have his new life with his girlfriend.

Team Harukaze is steadily growing as mid-level adventurers.

However, there was a piece of slightly disturbing news that afternoon.

The former Queen Consort, Titti, had escaped from Rondas Tower, where she was confined.

The search continues, but they still haven’t found any sign of Titti.

There’s a monetary award from reporting sightings of Titti, which is quite surprising. 

Come to think of it, there was also a 100-million-rim bounty on Michelle for being a Curse Witch.

Having bounties on their heads, I guess those sisters do resemble each other huh?

Incidentally, the bounty on Titti was just 1 million rims, so Michelle’s bounty is much higher in scale.

However, it’s said that Titti’s bounty is written with a special note that it’s for either she’s alive or dead.

I think imprisonment is inevitable because she’s guilty of having indulged in extravagance and squandering the country’s finances.

However, I feel she’s a bit pitiable, getting herself killed for such a thing.

I mean, she’s still Michelle’s little sister……

What in the world will happen to her?

At that time, I felt more like a bystander on this matter, but then I ended up becoming a related party.

I had no idea that Titti had a grudge against me.

I mean, all I said was “Shut up, Ugly”.

Well, they did say out of the mouth comes evil.

◆

Four days have passed since she had taken refuge in Marco’s apartment.

As search parties have been sniffing around the city, in all that time, Titti has not stepped outside.

However, his place had been reasonably comfortable.

Marco did all the cleaning, laundry, and cooking, so Titti didn’t have to do anything.

All Titti had to do was to pretend that she couldn’t do it, and express her remorse and gratitude.

[I’m sorry, Marco. I’m really no good. I’ve never cooked or done laundry……]

[It’s no problem, Titti-sama. I’ll do that for you!]

[I’ll learn about this little by little…… for Marco’s sake……]

[Titti-sama……]

With that, Titti didn’t have to do any household chores.

Since she plans to leave here once things settle down in the public, Titti believes that things will somehow work out for the time being.

However, she was bored being alone in the narrow apartment.

Marco considerately bought her toys from the Dagashi Shop, but they can only keep her occupied for a limited amount of time.

Titti stretched out the sheets of her bed a little to relieve her boredom.

It was crumpled and disheveled, a trace from their deeds last night.

As she stretched the sheets, Titti thought back to last night.

Marco, smelling of apricots, approached Titti, whispering words of love.

Titti accepted him.

Perhaps, she could have refused him.

If she had refused, Marco would have obediently followed her wish.

By that point, Titti should be able to tell that Marco wouldn’t betray her.

Marco is a man who offers Titti unconditional love, and Titti herself sees it.

However, though she herself couldn’t tell why, Titti accepted Marco.

(I don’t know why, but I got horny……)

Seeing how desperate Marco was in expressing himself, Titti honestly felt the desire to do it.

Perhaps she herself had started harboring love, but Titti herself wasn’t even aware of it.

However, even though she herself was quite surprised about it, the deed with Marco brought Titti more pleasure than ever before.

Fortunately or unfortunately, their bodies were the most compatible.

Remembering how promiscuous she had been last night, Titti buried her face in the pillow.

[Even though he’s just Marco……]

Titti sat still for a while, but then she got up and went to the kitchen.

""

She held no desire to cook, but she thought she could at least prepare Marco some tea when he got home.

<Translator’s Notes>

Hanakushi Castella