Chapter 20: One×One③
When I returned from the Royal Capital, I received something from the old Prime Minister. It was a Communication Orb.
At first, I politely declined it, recalling Ash’s words about how rare and expensive it was. However, he insisted, saying, “Just take it,” and it ended up in my possession.
Sorry, Ash.
Her face suddenly popped into my mind. When she showed me the Communication Orb, she puffed out her chest proudly, looking adorably smug. And now, I finally have one of my own… Well, everyone seems to have one. It’s like there’s a sale on Communication Orbs or something…
Anyway, putting that aside, this item registers the owner’s Mana and allows communication with others by registering their data as well. The one I received had multiple contacts registered, including the Prime Minister, the sender, and several others, allowing me to communicate with them.
Though I acquired the Communication Orb unintentionally, it’s not like I don’t use it—though I’m more on the receiving end, I do get messages quite frequently.
I often hear from the Tezoro Brothers, Kuroe and Kuroa. I don’t even remember registering their Communication Orbs, which means…
As I heard from Kuroe during our previous conversation, they designated a reliable successor and completed the transfer before promptly leaving the Old Capital (Bienetta).
They set off north, claiming they were going to see the ocean, but it seems they’re enjoying experiences they couldn’t have before. They had been limited in their actions due to Kuroe’s previous health issues. There must have been many things they wanted to do. Now, it seems they’re making up for lost time on their journey.
Well, at least with the messages from the Communication Orb, I can feel a bit more at ease.
◇◇◇
It was about a week ago when I received a message from them. The cool, handsome older brother Kuroe and the androgynous younger brother Kuroa seemed to finally sense the ocean, bursting with energy unlike before.
“Ichirom, how are you doing?”
“Hey, how about you two?”
“We’re great! Ichirom, listen, listen! We had an amazing experience!”
“What is it?”
“We finally ate fish!”
“Well, Bordaf could only eat dried fish.”
“Fish, huh? It’s delicious whether it’s raw, boiled, or grilled. I love it.”
“Y-you love it?! Does that mean—”
“Kuroe, what? Are you talking about sea bass? Ah, if it’s in season, it’s really tasty. The flavor is incredible, and it’s rich in fat.”
“Okay, take a deep breath and calm down.”
“Because Ichirom said he—”
“What’s with you two all of a sudden? Are you tired?”
“Ah, um, Ichirom, my brother seems a bit tired, so I’m sorry! We’ll contact you again! We bought plenty of dried fish, so we’ll share some with you when we get back!”
“Got it! Take care!”
“See you later!”
“Ichirom, we still have more to talk about—”
That was the kind of exchange we had. Right, I should ask them to bring back some kelp too, so I’ll contact them tomorrow.
○○○
“Later, we can eat pizza, pie, sweets, and meat until we’re full, so for now, just stop at about eight-tenths full—uh, maybe half.”
“Fuhahaha!”
“You can’t even say ‘I understand’ with your cheeks stuffed full of food! Seriously, this girl!”
Sena, with her cheeks bulging like a hamster, stuffed her mouth full of food and gave me a half-hearted nod of agreement. But that’s what makes Sena so incredibly cute. Yay! Sena is adorable!
Wait!? What am I… (snaps back to reality).
“Ah, I’m glad I prepared extra.”
The reason I woke up late was that I had been busy preparing meals late into the night. It was truly a case of being prepared.
As I continued my preparations, lost in thought, a delicate hand reached out like a white fish.
“Sena, you can’t eat that yet.”
Sena, having already tossed one, two, three, four biscuits into her mouth, grabbed another and dashed outside with a swift “whoosh!”