Chapter 266.1
Chapter 266.1
Chapter 266.1. Subquest
“Seiya, Seiya!”
“Was-shoi, Was-shoi!”
Mii-chan is dancing enthusiastically on top of the portable shrine, following the spirited shouts of the young men.
The shrine sways to and fro as they chant, and Mii-chan dances in sync with the rhythm.
Her gray hair flowed, her ice-blue eyes sparkling, and her hips swaying. She’s so cute that the world might bow down to her.
We’re soiya-soiyaing down the road. Since everyone is gathered at the banquet, only the young men carrying the shrine and Baron Hotta on the road, make it quite lonely.
We’ve been running down the road endlessly, you know? No one has come to watch, and it looks more like a punishment game. Is there anyone who wants to watch Mii-chan dance?
Oh, I spotted a frog. Ribbit, ribbit.
Perhaps startled by the shouts, a frog emerged from the rice paddy. Mii-chan, already getting bored, waves at the frog. Hello, Frog-san! It’s Mii-chan.
Upon seeing Mii-chan, the frog ribbits and hops over to the road. The sound of the green frog’s hopping is unmistakably thud, thud.
“It’s… a Bikuri Frog!”
The young men shout in surprise. They don’t see frogs like this often. It’s about 2 meters in size. I have no idea how it was hiding in the rice paddy, so it’s surprising.
“This one uses sonic wave magic for confusion, so be prepared with magic.”
“Tei”
[Stone Fire]
The stone thrown at lightning speed pierces the body of Bikuri Frog and explodes inside, turning its body into pieces.
“Huh? Wait, it was this easy?”
One of the young men was about to use magic, but it was already over before that. The young men were left stunned, their mouths agape in surprise, but immediate killing was the rule.
Since it was level 12, it’s not even a practice opponent for Mii-chan. Since the [Magic Break] incident, the monsters stopped running away. Maybe they all want to see Mii-chan’s adorable appearance.
“Oh! Countess Takano is indeed as skilled as the rumors say.”
Baron Hotta, who had taken us the staff hanging from his waist, put it away while complimenting me since the battle ended instantly. It seems the Baron is here to escort Mii-chan and the others.
The young men who were about to fight were members of the Hotta family.
“I’ve also learned some basic self-defense techniques!”
Snorting with pride, I puff out my chest. If they’re this kind of enemy, I’d rather not have them appear. It’s a hassle to defeat them.
When I reach a high level, it becomes a hassle to defeat low-level monsters, and I want to kick them away with my strongest magic.
“Indeed, you should have at least some basic self-defense skills. Truly worthy of Countess Takano.”
“Yeah, it’s self-defense skills enough to fight dragons.”
Here, I have to be humble and shake my hand.
“Isn’t that already considered combat skills?”
“Dragons vary in size, you know!”
“I see. I suppose you could defeat a small lizard.”
The satisfied middle-aged Baron Hotta nods, acknowledging that I could defeat a small lizard. Dragons have many varieties. In Mii-chan’s case, its self-defense skills are enough to defeat the smaller dragons.
I’m glad you understand.
So, shall we get to the main point?
Wearing a mischievous expression and narrowing my eyes slightly, I asked Baron Hotta.
“And what exactly is the situation here? Am I just being carried in the portable shrine?”
“Oh, well, your insight is truly remarkable… Haha..”
Baron Hotta is trying to deflect the question while scratching his cheek.
“Is someone injured and in need of healing?”
If that were the case, it would make sense. Officially requesting Mii-chan’s services can be expensive, and given Baron Hotta’s status, it might be impossible to make such a request. After all, Mii-chan is the world’s best healing magician.
But if it were through Grandpa… Well, it might still be difficult. They probably didn’t know how much it would cost, and depending on the request, Mii-chan might have helped them secretly.
However, contrary to expectations, Baron Hotta shook his head in denial.
“No, it’s not quite like that… I would like you to see for yourself.”
The Baron, who seemed a hardworking person despite his appearance, pointed to a gentle slope that led to a small mountain.
Amidst dense foliage, beyond an unpaved red dirt road, I saw a dignified torii gate.
Huh? I was starting to feel excited. It seemed like an event was about to unfold.
With her expectations rising, Mii-chan continued to dance with her hips swaying.
Passing through the torii gate and basking in the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the trees, we arrived at a small shrine.
It seemed to be an ancient shrine. While it was well-maintained, the building itself had an imposing atmosphere that wouldn’t be out of place as an Important Cultural Property or something.
“Welcome, Countess Takano. I’m honored to meet you.”
An elderly priest dressed in a white priestly robe, bowing deeply.
“I’m Takano Miu. Today, I have come as a portable shrine. It has a double meaning, I believe!”
Jumping down from the portable shrine, she energetically returned the greeting with one hand raised. While Baron Hotta and his group wore wry smiles at Mii-chan’s innocent smile, they were probably considering whether to give her a cushion.