Chapter 130: Daifuku
“Ah, damn it! I’m so sleepy!”
“Not enough sleep?”
“Aren’t you sleepy, Jean?”
“I’ve had plenty of sleep.”
Compared to when I was in Japan, I don’t stay up late anymore, and maybe it’s because of my life on this island that I can sleep outside without any issues.
“I feel a bit drowsy too. There must be a Spirit related to sleep around here.”
That’s what it is!?
“Even the Demon Beasts that hardly sleep are affected.”
As Shiva said, the surrounding Demon Beasts are swaying. I should take this chance to take them down.
“Um?”
Could it be that the Mental Resistance is doing its job?
While I pondered this, I swung my Zanzenken. As I moved forward, more and more Rats were huddled up instead of attacking, and nothing crawled out from the insect holes even when I passed by.
“Oh, Daifuku.”
“Dinoss?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to where I was looking.
There were two large white things lying on the ground. They looked a bit soft.
“Is that… a person and a cat?”
What I thought was Daifuku turned out to be a large, curled-up white cat and a person wrapped in a white robe. Both looked soft, resembling two big Daifuku.
The white cat had a white overcoat, but upon closer inspection, its undercoat was slightly gray. It seemed that was why it looked like a Daifuku.
“The cat seems to be a Spirit.”
“This must be the cause. But why is it here?”
“Should we try waking them up?”
If I had a staff, I could poke them.
Before that, we decided to deal with the surrounding Demon Beasts, taking down the ones that appeared to be sleeping. Maybe the task was too monotonous, but Dinoss looked incredibly sleepy.
Once we secured the area, we cautiously observed the Daifuku. Just to be safe, I disabled my Light.
“Hello~ Can you hear me?”
Shiva raised her lantern and called out, but there was no response.
We had taken out enough lanterns from [Storage] for everyone, so all of us were holding one.
“Ugh.”
“…I feel sleepier.”
“Does that mean it was noisy?”
This time, Dinoss quietly approached, but stopped before reaching the Daifuku.
“I can’t go any further.”
His hands were patting the air, indicating there was an invisible wall. When I peeked at Dinoss with half-opened eyes, I saw the cat yawning.
I quietly took out a wooden box, slightly smaller than the cat.
When I opened the lid and set it down, the cat seemed intrigued, slowly getting up and slipping into the box, fitting perfectly as if it were liquid.
I gently closed the lid.
“…”
I looked at the three of them.
“What should we do?”
“Well, even if you ask…”
“If we’re going to catch it, we should think ahead.”
“Oh dear.”
Since it was just a wooden box without any seals, I hadn’t really captured it. The proof was that only its tail was sticking out from the box.
I just wanted to try putting it in there.
“Mm!”
The other Daifuku moved.
It stretched out, and as the hood fell away, purple hair, like melted black, cascaded down.
“A girl?”
“Good morning. Are you all with Whyle?”
The face looking up at us from the ground was strikingly white, and her skin looked as soft as Daifuku.
Oh no, I can’t get away from the Daifuku. I need to make some when I get back.
“If Whyle refers to the white cat Spirit, then it’s in that box over there.”
Dinoss pointed at the box at my feet with his thumb.
“Well, I tried to leave, but I couldn’t…”
“Who are you, and why are you here?”
Shiva asked.
Though she looked cute, she had been sleeping among Demon Beasts that seemed suspicious. Everyone hesitated to get closer to the girl whose identity was unknown.
“I am Sara. —It was noisy outside while I was trying to sleep. I was so sleepy that I couldn’t help it, and the place Whyle brought me to was here. Whyle can create a Defense Barrier, allowing someone like me to come here. —Though I was in a dreamlike state.”
“You say it was noisy outside, but isn’t it noisy here too?”
“I can hardly hear anything due to Whyle’s Barrier. The noise was from a lady named Rosa who wanted to borrow Whyle’s Barrier.”
So they’re scouting here too. And it sounds persistent.
“I enjoy sleeping and having three meals a day, along with naps in the afternoon, evening, and morning. From what I’ve heard, that won’t be possible, so I declined.”
“You mostly just sleep, huh?”
Dinoss interjected.
“Yes. I can only stay awake for about two hours a day, and even then, I’m sleepy. Just now, for the first time since Whyle left, I regained my clarity.”
It seems like it would be difficult unless she were a pampered lady.
“Fortunately, I have a lovely appearance and confidence in my skin. My goal is to be a mistress who can work without getting out of bed.”
Huh?
“That’s quite a smile, and what a thing to say,” Dinoss remarked.
It seems I wasn’t mistaken in what I heard.
“Why not find a job with the Defense Barrier?”
“When Whyle sleeps, I’m the only one allowed outside. I told Lady Rosa that I couldn’t be of any help, but it seems I couldn’t convey that well due to my sleepiness.”
“Or perhaps they wanted to take advantage of your sleep?”
“Either way, I had no intention of going with them. That person was talking about dragging me around everywhere.”
Sara seems to not want to leave her bed.
“By the way, I’m sorry, but could you share some food with me?”
Sara looked at us with a troubled expression, her beautifully shaped eyebrows furrowed.