◆ Kingdom of Normitz, Town Entrance ◆
“Work or starve! If you can eat, why work? So, hey! So, hey!”
“Hey there, little lady! Come over here, come on! Hehehe!”
“Oh no, you pervert!”
What is this?
The Kingdom of Normitz. Most of the citizens engage in farming, producing fresh vegetables and fruits that are unmatched by any other country, with beautiful pastoral landscapes stretching across this green land. Above all, the biggest attraction is the King himself working in the fields. He’s known for cheerfully greeting tourists, a truly kind-hearted ruler.
Just an hour before our arrival, Roel had been telling me all this. It should be like that, but what is this? Bottles of alcohol scattered everywhere, people sprawled out on the streets, sleeping with their arms and legs wide open. Groups of men sitting on the ground, happily surrounding women.
And the worst of it all is the smell of alcohol, as if the entire country is enveloped in it.
“Ro, Roel. This is the land of hard workers, right?”
“That should be the case, but…”
In the distance, I can see vast fields sprawling across the hillside, so I don’t think we’re in the wrong place. There’s an Adventurer’s Guild, but it’s not nearly as large as the one in Avangarde, and the inns are minimal in size and number.
Roel had passionately told me that the people running those establishments also switch off daily to tend to the fields.
But the inn is empty. I don’t see any other guests, and then I hear a ruckus coming from the second floor. The sounds of a wild party echoing from the guest rooms. When I opened the door, a wave of alcohol stench rushed out as if it had been trapped inside. And when I saw Gilbert and Barm surrounding a naked woman, I was in shock.
“G-Gilbert! Barm! What are you doing?!”
“Huh?”
“Not ‘huh’! W-why are you naked…?”
Both Roel and I turned our eyes away. A strange embarrassment welled up inside me, making it impossible to look directly. I didn’t want to see it. Roel’s face was flushed red, and I knew she must be feeling the same way.
“R-Rua-chan… um, let’s get out of here?”
“No way! Hey, Barm! What happened to the request? This isn’t the time for this!”
“Oh, Rua-kun! I see, I see, come over here!”
“Over there… Aah! S-Stay away!”
Barm, who had jumped at me naked, felt so disgusting that I pushed him away with a slap. He crashed against the wall and fainted, but strangely, I felt no guilt.
“Barm! Wake up!”
“Yesss!”
“This is truly a paradise on Earth! Right, Gilbert-kun?”
“Indeed! Our stiff Royal Knights have strict rules against impure relationships, it’s just ridiculous! They might as well be Azuma’s monks!”
“Wahaha! What kind of knight doesn’t know how to enjoy a woman? A knight must know everything about what they protect! Just like this!”
“Stop it, already!”
Barm sprang up as if nothing had happened and began dancing with Gilbert, linking arms. Gilbert’s armor, which he always wore, was carelessly tossed aside, looking like it hadn’t been touched in ages.
The women around didn’t seem to mind at all, and it made me feel dizzy. Am I dreaming? If so, I want to wake up quickly.
“Roel, what should we do?”
“I want to ask you the same…”
I never expected it to turn out like this. If we were being attacked by the Demon Lord Army, we could just defeat them, I thought. But this is far from peaceful. From the inn’s window, I can see people, women, alcohol, dancing, and singing everywhere.
I even see the dance Lord Hast performed during our welcome festival in the Wizard Kingdom. It was also naked there, so maybe it’s a popular dance?
No, that doesn’t matter. The real problem is figuring out what to do first.
“Oh, are you travelers?”
At the door of the guest room stood a girl with chocolate-colored skin and pink hair. Her wavy hair reached down to her back, and she had long, upward-curled eyelashes and green eyes. Her short, bathrobe-like outfit revealed slender arms and legs. She looked somewhat out of place among the people of this country.
With a wink, the girl seemed to welcome us.
“Wooooo! Lafoule-chan is here!”
“Smooch smooch!”
Gilbert puckered his lips like an octopus while saying “smooch smooch.” I didn’t want to see any naked bodies, and I was trying not to look, but now I wanted to see even less.
“Ah, you must have been surprised. Welcome to the Kingdom of Normitz.
This country has focused on farming for a long time, but thanks to the discovery of a magical mushroom that’s easy to cultivate, everyone no longer has to work!”
“M-Magical mushroom?”
“Yes, here it is! Magic, showtime!”
Before I could even ask what she meant by “magic show,” the girl pulled a mushroom from her chest. The crowd, including Barm and Gilbert, erupted in excitement.
“Wow! Every time, Lafoule-chan’s magic amazes me!
What’s the secret behind that?! Tell me!”
“It’s a secret! Hehehe…”
What is she talking about with “secret”? She just pulled it out from her chest. With a chest that big, she could fit one or two mushrooms in there.
I often think that if a woman has such a large chest, it might get in the way during a fight. But seeing the two of them so excited, it seems men really do like that sort of thing.
If I were to be stared at like that, I’d prefer not to be big. Definitely.
“This mushroom makes you feel really good when you eat it. It can chase away fatigue and illness completely. I’ll give you one for free!”
“N-No, I don’t want it!”
“Rua-chan! What are you doing?!”
The girl forcibly stuffed the mushroom into my mouth, laughing gleefully. Watching Gilbert and Barm scramble to grab the mushroom I spat out made me feel an overwhelming anger.
“I-I’m sorry! It’s just that, even though you’re a beautiful traveler, your skin and hair are rough…
So I thought Lafoule would help you with the mushroom…”
“Lafoule-chan, please don’t cry! Hey, Rua-kun!
How could you not appreciate Lafoule-chan’s kindness?!”
That’s what I wanted to say, but I knew it would be pointless.
“If you keep playing around like this, you’ll end up in trouble…”
“Is that so? I think whether you work or not, it all comes down to the same thing.
You either work until your body breaks down or enjoy life and die without working. If you have the same lifespan, isn’t it better to enjoy it?
It’s a shame to spend most of your life working like livestock.
Are you enjoying yourself? You look like an adventurer…”
“I’m having fun…”
Being an adventurer is indeed more enjoyable than I expected. There have been unpleasant moments, but I feel like it was worth it. But right now, I can’t shake the thought of Eeks from my mind, and I can’t say such things.
I’m working hard now to grasp true happiness, but will it ever be rewarded? There’s no guarantee of that anywhere.
“When the adventurers here arrived, they looked so tired.
But now, look! They’re having so much fun! Adventurers are always flirting with death, aren’t they?
If you’re going to risk your life for a meager reward, it’s better to enjoy yourself!”
“Y-Yeah, but it’s still fun.”
“Rua-chan, let’s go…”
“Rua…?”
Roel pulled me, and we left the inn. The moment Lafoule heard my name, her cheerful demeanor vanished, and she froze in place. I’m being targeted by the Demon Lord Army, the Comet Wolf Brigade, and Phantoms, so I can’t help but feel a bad premonition, but I try not to think about it.
“Is the whole country really like this? I think there should be at least one decent person around.”
With Barm and Gilbert in that state, Roel and I decided to look for someone who might be reasonable.
Stalls lined the streets, reminiscent of the ones we saw during the Avangarde Festival. The signs depicted the mushrooms Lafoule had pulled out earlier, and although each stall had a different shape, they were all selling those mushrooms.
Mattango skewers, Mattango extract juice, Mattango candy—vendors were repeatedly calling out those names.
“Mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms, Mattango… it’s all the same.”
“How strange. I thought you’d be diving in and devouring everything, Roel.”
“What do you think I am, Rua?”
“This is payback for the other day.”
“I don’t know… I just can’t bring myself to want any of it. It definitely smells good, and I bet it tastes delicious, but…”
I share the same sentiment. My stomach should be grumbling, yet I feel no desire to eat any of it. In fact, there’s an unsettling feeling creeping in. Over there, someone is happily devouring a Mattango, but their eyes are unfocused, and it’s a bit frightening. Some people are even letting out strange shrieks, while others suddenly bolt away in fear.
“Hey, it looks like something’s about to start over there!”
I glance to the left and see a stage set up in the plaza. A group of three girls stands on it, surrounded by a throng of enthusiastic men calling out to them.
“The Flower Three Sisters are here!”
“Churippu-chan, kiss kiss!”
“Raventha-chan!”
“Barra-san, step on me!”
“Thank you all for gathering here today for us! We’re so happy that we’re going to give you a special treat today!”
“Do it! Do it!”
One of the girls speaks in a high-pitched voice, and the audience erupts in cheers as if they’re grateful for her words. I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but it feels like some sort of event. More than that, it reminds me too much of the people cheering for Tiferia and Amane during the Avangarde Tournament, and it makes me feel uneasy.
“Everyone, are you drinking your Mattango Extract Juice?”
“We’re drinking it!”
“Great! We’re so happy to hear that! It makes you feel amazing and is good for your body, so please drink it every day!”
“I’ll drink thirty cups a day!”
“Roel, I think we should leave… I just can’t understand this…”
“Yeah… it doesn’t seem like we’ll gain anything by staying here…”
“And now, for our first act! The Tango of the Maidens, turning into Mattama-mata! Here we go!”
I hear a song with a name that makes no sense, accompanied by high-pitched cheers, but I have no desire to look back. What’s more important is whether there are any normal people around.
◆ Kingdom of Normitz, Town Square, Farmland ◆
After walking a bit along a road that smells nauseating, we find ourselves surrounded by fields. Further in, there are many trees bearing fruits or something similar. I remember dealing with pests in an orchard back in Queemil, but this place is several times larger. However, it seems like no one has tended to it for a long time; there are patches of overgrowth, and weeds are sprouting here and there. Farming tools are carelessly discarded across the fields, perfectly illustrating the state of this country.
“I wonder how many people and how much time it took to cultivate all this land.”
“It’s amazing, right? This is the world’s number one agricultural nation. It’s hard to believe it’s come to this…”
Could it be that the magical mushrooms that are easy to cultivate caused this? Just because of that, they abandoned everything they had built up until now. These neglected fields are just too pitiful. As Lafoule said, working is incredibly tough. Perhaps the people of this country have grown tired of such conditions.
“I want to help cultivate it… But I only helped a little when I was a child, so I don’t know how to do it.”
“Oh, look! There’s someone over there.”
I spot a figure in the distance. A person is swinging a hoe in the field, wiping the sweat from their forehead with a cloth, repeating the same motion over and over.
“Thank goodness, that uncle seems normal.”
The uncle, with a well-built physique, is diligently working the field without noticing us. After taking a deep breath, he finally becomes aware of our presence.
“…Are you adventurers?”
“Yes, um, are you the only one working here?”
“Yes, the rest are all like that.”
“Could you tell us what happened?”
The uncle says nothing and grips the hoe again, striking the soil. After a few more swings, he looks back at us.
“You must be surprised. I didn’t want you to see me like this… I don’t know when it started, but strange mushrooms began to circulate in this country. Just one bite, and a sweet, exquisite flavor spreads through your brain, an indescribable taste. It became widely used as ingredients and seasonings, and it exploded in popularity across the nation. It’s cheap and delicious, and the cultivation method is simple. There’s no need to wake up early and toil in the fields. We took pride in our agriculture, but humans tend to drift toward the easier path. Gradually, people abandoned their tools, and now we have this tragic state…”
“No way… So, no one is taking care of these fields anymore?”
“At first, there were a few, but now I’m the only one left. It’s quite pathetic…”
“But you’re the only one still working here… I think that’s admirable.”
“Thank you… but I’m at my limit. I can’t take care of this vast field alone. If I were to die, I’d prefer it to be here in this field. Hahaha… After all, this country and these fields won’t last much longer. You two, take the fruits from that basket.”
The basket is overflowing with Momoru Fruits and other fruits. The adjacent box is packed with vegetables. I can tell that this uncle harvested everything by himself. I pick up a handful of the Momoru Fruits. I may not understand the details, but I can see the fruits of years of hard work right here. The people of this country must have worked tirelessly every day for this alone.
I’m starting to feel angry at the people who have forgotten this and are just playing around carelessly.
“Well, there’s no point in staying in a country like this. Not far from here is the Kingdom of Avangarde. The Adventurer’s Guild there is bustling, and you should be able to find work.”
“I’ve made up my mind. Uncle, I’m taking all of this with me.”
“Ah, that would be a great help.”
“Ro-Roel?”
The box is so large that it blocks my view, and it would be difficult for Roel to carry it alone. I thought I would help her, but I found myself mesmerized as she effortlessly lifted it as if it were nothing.
“Lua-chan, hurry up.”
“Where do you plan to take that?”
“I’m going to give it to the townspeople. That way, they should wake up. They need to remember that they created something this delicious with their own hands.”
“Do you think it will go that smoothly…?”
The pitiful images of Barm and Gilbert flash through my mind, making it hard to think positively. Roel’s actions make me want to tilt my head in confusion, but it’s better than doing nothing.
“Uncle, please continue harvesting. I want to distribute as much as possible.”
“Ah, okay.”
The uncle looks bewildered. For now, I’ll just follow Roel’s optimistic lead.
◆ Kingdom of Normitz, Town Square ◆
Looking around again, I see that all the shops are closed and there’s no sign of business. Instead, stalls are lined up as if to block them. The inn is the only place open, but it’s more accurate to say it’s left wide open. There’s not a single person at the counter, and I can clearly hear Barm and Gilbert making a ruckus on the second floor.
“Ugh… I drank too much… I feel sick…”
“Well, that’s tough. But don’t worry, if you drink this Mattango juice, you’ll feel better soon.”
“Wait!”
Beautiful women are offering something called Mattango juice to a man who looks like he’s about to vomit. There are several spots on the ground nearby where he has already thrown up. Amidst this, Roel cheerfully steps in. She offers the Momoru Fruit to the pale-faced man.
“I-I don’t want it… Just give me the Mattango juice… Hurry, hurry…”
The man groans as if possessed. He tries to stand but seems unable to muster the strength, clinging to the wall in desperation.
“Right… like this. Here you go.”
Roel pulls out a flask and mixes the Momoru juice with water. The Momoru Fruit, which is rich in moisture, is delicious on its own, but I remember Roel saying that some people find the flavor too strong. Indeed, it might be tough for someone feeling sick from alcohol to handle it straight.
“Ugh… this feels nostalgic…”
The man stares vacantly at the water mixed with the Momoru juice and takes a small sip.
“Hey! Don’t give me weird stuff!”
“The mushroom is the weird thing! This Momoru Fruit is something that the people of this country have researched and nurtured for years until it was finally perfected!”
“Y-Yeah. Remember, we all made this together, right?”
“…It’s delicious.”
Seeing the man gulp down the water in one go, Roel and I breathe a sigh of relief. The man, who had been unable to stand due to drunkenness, is now struggling to rise, leaning against the wall.
“It’s delicious… it’s really delicious…”
The man pulls a Momoru Fruit from the basket I was holding and bites into it. Juice drips all over his face, but amidst it all, I can see tears forming in his eyes.
“It’s delicious, it’s delicious… I didn’t know Momoru Fruits were this good…”
“That’s right! And yet, the fields and orchards are being neglected!”
“Is that so… What have I been doing?”
With unsteady steps, the man began to walk forward, each movement deliberate. There was no doubt he was heading toward the countryside.
“Is it harvest time now? Or… Have I really let things go to the point where I can’t even tell anymore?”
“Over there, Uncle is working alone. Hold onto my shoulder…”
It was nice that he was trying to muster some motivation, but in his current state, there was no way he could work. Still, I wanted to reassure that Uncle. Roel and I exchanged silent smiles, understanding each other perfectly.
“Ah, what’s that over there?”
“What should we do? Should we report it to Lady Lafoule?”
“Wouldn’t it be quicker to take care of it here?”
“What do you think?”
What a dangerous group of women they were. I had a vague sense of what they were up to, but I deliberately chose not to look back.