Chapter 4

Side: Sho Amakasu

When I got home, I immediately laid out the clothes I had purchased.

“Wow. Is this what commoners wear?”

My companions, who had been wearing serious expressions, looked pleased with the new outfits. Their first impression seems good. Honestly, they could probably tell that these were different from the high-quality items they usually wore.

However, Sanctina picked up the underwear and tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled.

“What is this, Hero?”

She had a serious look on her face, as if to say she really didn’t know. It was a bit awkward to explain.

“It’s underwear. You wear it underneath…”

Seeing Sanctina blush immediately made me feel sorry.

“Underwear, huh? I suppose elves don’t use it.”

I took a sip of the barley tea I had left before going out to lighten the mood, but I almost choked at Filia’s casual comment.

I had been to an elf village in that world, but I only stopped by; I didn’t actually live there. It struck me that I knew very little about their values and customs.

Of course, I wouldn’t force them to use anything. I explained that it’s normal to use it here.

“It doesn’t look like something a commoner would wear.”

Princess Pritia was also curious about the clothing from another world. While she didn’t know about underwear, dresses were common in both worlds. In that sense, the basic aesthetic sense isn’t too different.

I was relieved to see that Princess Pritia’s reaction wasn’t negative. I think it meant she was satisfied and accepted it, taking my feelings into account.

“It’s a bit tight.”

“I don’t think it fits me, either. It’s not unwearable, though.”

The real issue was with the Demon Lord and Filia. The Demon Lord, with her exotic figure, and Filia, who also had a unique build, found the mass-produced shirts a bit constricting. But if I bought just based on bust size, the rest wouldn’t fit either.

It seems the problems were mainly around the bust and hip areas. If women heard about this, they might complain, but they were honestly just struggling. The hips could be manageable with a skirt, but the bust was another story.

Princess Pritia also had a good figure compared to Japanese women, but those two were on another level. By the way, Sanctina had a figure more typical of Japanese women.

After a moment of contemplation, they decided they could bear it for now.

Changing outfits reduced the discomfort. They looked like foreigners. Ultimately, we agreed to let them visit a store themselves once things settled down.

Filia seemed to have DIY in mind for her clothing.

But first, it was time for lunch.

I boiled some water in a large pot, adding salt to cook the pasta. The sauce was a store-bought pouch.

I could cook a bit, having learned from my grandmother, but I wasn’t skilled enough to make meals fit for the upper class that they were used to.

Plus, I had to go to high school during the weekdays, so I thought about what they could eat while I was away and bought some things to try.

The menu consisted of pasta, a fresh vegetable salad, and a soup that just required hot water.

If they could eat without stress at this level, I could have some hope for the future…

“Is there a chef nearby?”

Sanctina was surprised when I set the food on the living room table.

How should I explain this? Hmm.

“There are ready-to-eat items like preserved food.”

Magic and magical items. The other world was quite convenient in that regard. That said, it was unrealistic for commoners to prepare decent meals in under thirty minutes.

Sanctina and Princess Pritia offered a prayer before their meals, while Filia, the Demon Lord, and I quietly waited.

Customs related to living and deities varied widely in that world too.

Once the prayer was over, I quietly watched as they ate.

When Princess Pritia and Sanctina took their first bites and smiled, I felt a sense of relief.

“It’s delicious!”

“Yes! I was honestly worried about this.”

Now, it was just Filia and the Demon Lord…

“Raw vegetables. It’s been a while.”

“These are different vegetables. Is the ecosystem different here?”

It’s fine. Filia seemed happy. The Demon Lord was already pondering something, but it looked like everything was okay for now.

“If this level of meal is acceptable, I can serve three meals a day without needing any money. You can think of the variety as richer than in the royal capital of the other world.”

My companions visibly relaxed. They must have been anxious about what would happen after being transported to an unfamiliar world. But it seemed the Demon Lord had been freed from her duties as a Demon Lord.

“Do you have anything that can be exchanged for money? Like jewels or precious metals, for example…”

When the topic of money came up, the Demon Lord channeled her magical power into her right hand. A magic circle for spatial magic appeared above her palm, and she reached inside it.

As she pulled her hand out of the magic circle, there were several jewels, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

Spatial magic was a type of magic that the Demon Lord favored. She was quite skilled at it. I had never seen anyone else use it as an item box or inventory like in games.

“Sure. To be honest, I can’t bring out things that aren’t here, and the things I do have would stand out.”

There were enormous rubies, sapphires, and diamonds decorated with gold and silver. The Demon Lord handled them rather carelessly, but honestly, they were at a level where finding a buyer would be a challenge.

“More importantly, I can’t go out without some kind of identification. I look like a foreigner in this country, so if I could get a passport as identification, I could walk around freely…”

“You won’t be suspected. I have a magic item that doesn’t draw attention. I used it often when I went to the human towns. I don’t have one for each person, but I have the materials, and I can make and provide them as a form of atonement for involving you.”

As expected of the Demon Lord. Or rather, this girl. It seems she was planning to escape her position as Demon Lord from the very beginning.

Her preparations with the jewels and magic items were too thorough.

However, at that moment, Princess Pritia showed a hint of disgust.

“To flee from your responsibilities is foolish.”

“True. It is foolish. But… aren’t those who wage war all foolish? No matter how much you fight on the battlefield and try to reduce casualties, it was all in vain. Those in safe places who cause chaos and summon unrelated heroes from another world only serve to escalate the conflict further. The nobility of the human race, who have caused significant damage to both the humans and the demons, can’t be called wise. Of course, the nobility of the demon race is no different.”

Princess Pritia couldn’t hide her expression, resembling someone chewing on a bitter bug, at the Demon Lord’s retort.

The fact that she didn’t respond meant that Princess Pritia must have understood the Demon Lord’s point. However, as someone who had been caught up in it all, she probably felt the need to say something.

“Don’t expect too much from this world either. It’s all pretty much the same. It would help if you could avoid drawing attention as much as possible.”

What mattered more than the past were today and tomorrow. The future ahead.

Above all, to safely return my companions to that world, I needed the cooperation of the Demon Lord, who was skilled in magic. While it seemed she had no intention of going back herself, if I cooperated with her to survive in this world, she would likely help with my companions’ return.

A strange cohabitation with my companions and the Demon Lord. I could sense that the future might be complicated.

I was already full of war and worldly matters. I just wanted a peaceful and calm life.