“That’s right huh. It’s also not a good story to be heard. Let’s just end the troublesome thing first.”
As I said that, Ai Fa snorted with “Hn”, then I sat down next to the kitchen range.
She sat in the cross legged position with one knee up.
(TL:http://nutritiousmovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Picture-33.png. The pic number 123 or 124)
That way of sitting is quite dignified, but it’s not appropriate for lightly dressed girls like her.
“...Can I also sit lightly too?”
After I said it, I untie my apron.
Of course I was not thinking of anything weird, but it’s because the fire, I felt hot.
But still, from the impression I received from Ai Fa’s clothes, the temperature was not that high.
I felt hot because I was thrown from Japan when it’s June, it’s slightly hot. I think...it’s about 30℃ here.
Since it’s already night, it would probably fall down more. When I removed my jacket and apron until it’s only T-shirt, the night wind blowing from the window felt pleasant.
“....Strange clothes. I have never seen a man with clothes like these, even in Shukuba town.”
(TL : 宿場町 : Shukuba machi. Although it translates as Inn town =宿場. adding 町 machi is weird. so gonna keep it as shukuba town for now. Comments if you guys have suggestion :D )
“Un, well, Of course. It’s also my first time seeing people with clothes like Ai Fa’s.”
On the stiff fur, I also sat cross-legged like Ai Fa.
“So? What did you want to ask me? To tell you the truth, because I can’t understand this situation, I don’t know have any confidence that I can explain much.”
“...You, from which land did you come from?”
That question...was the second time.
Chiba prefecture in a country called Japan...If I said that again, the talk might not advance.
While staring at Ai Fa’s wildcat-like eye, I said.
“Ai Fa. You helped me and invited me to your house. You picked me who didn’t have any purpose and invited me to this house with kindness. I am grateful to you. There is no lie in that.”
So? Ai Fa tilted her head to one side as if saying that.
“That’s why, I will speak everything honestly. After that it will be your decision.”
Then I spoke about all of the circumstances that even I myself didn’t understand.
About the country I had lived peacefully in it’s own way for 17 years.
One day, I got hit by a disaster. That ended up with me diving into the flames.
When I thought I was dead, I woke up at the forest a while ago like nothing had happened.
There were places that were similar to that forest in my world, but it’s somewhere far away and different.
“...It’s possible that I was transported to a strange land in the same world. Also the me, who should have already died, is still alive here and well. It’s too much that I can’t think logically.”
I was about to speak about all the swirling doubt in my mind.
“For example, the thing I talked about just now, this world. Ai Fa, you don’t know any country named Japan right?”
“...Don’t know.”
“Un, It's also impossible for me to understand at that point. Someone who doesn’t know Japan is talking fluently Japanese. That kind of thing is impossible in my world. Why can we communicate like this without any problem?”
“....”
“So, in this world, not only just people of Morihen, but Capital of Stone and West Kingdom also exist right? How much is the scale of the country?”
“.....Even I, don’t know much about Capital of Stone. In order to sell Giba’s horn and tusk, we have to walk to Shukuba town outside the stone walls. I only heard of Capital of Stone from there.
After thinking a bit, Ai Fa spoke quietly.
“Certainly...I think I have heard that thousand of human beings are living inside the city in Jenos Castle stone walls. The castle town that West Kingdom Selva govern, the numbers of humans living there are as many as the stars.”
“Hmm. Quite a big scale...Those Capital of Stone people, what kind of god do they worship? Do you understand?”
She returned a very suspicious expression after hearing this question.
“Of course People of Selva worshipped the West God Selva. There are four great kingdom in the continent of Amusuhorun. There are four great gods in the four great kingdoms. People without the blessing of the four great gods doesn’t exist in Amusuhorun. Only beasts doesn’t have gods. Asuta, don’t tell me you don’t even know such a thing.” (TL : アムスホルン : Amusuhorun.)
“Unfortunately, I don’t know. I have never heard of a continent, kingdom and gods with those name until now.”
I gave a bitter smile and wrapped my head in a towel.
“A race of hunters about 500 people, A weird horned wild board, If it’s only I can manage that. Yet when I think about the possibility of what would happened after I left…..It’s impossible. Unfortunately, the conclusion just went out.”
Well, I had given up on such flimsy possibility in the first place, so I wasn’t shocked that much.
But, that was because I have recognized the truth that I would probably never be able to meet father and my childhood friend again.
While looking at Ai Fa’s beautiful blue eye, I said that.
“My conclusion about the current situation….Maybe, because on god’s whim, I was transferred to a different world. There is also no problems with the communication. I wonder if it’s something that god foresaw.”
“......”
“Far ancient or far future, or a parallel world where humanity has undergone different evolution, or even a world from a fundamentally different dimension….Anyway, this is not the world I was born in.”
“......”
“I am a human from another world.”
After saying lines that aren’t familiar with my tongue, I disappointedly shrugged my shoulders.
“Alternatively, I was hit by something in the head, and become crazy….The answer is one of the two...I think.”
“....Are you admitting that you are insane?”
“I won’t admit it. Because for me, these 17 years I have lived are everything to me. If you said that all of that was a lie, then my existence is also a lie.”
While swallowing a sigh that almost came out, I said it clearly.
That was all of what I could possibly say.
“I want to hear it just in case, there was no other person like me right? Humans who died in my world, then reborn in this world. Talks like that.“
“Such a foolish story is impossible.”
“Of course. If there was a system like that, then this world would be flooded with the dead.”
I copied Ai Fa to sat with one knee and touch my chin with one hand.
(TL : imagine his hand like the thinker’s)
“That is all I can say. I will leave it to your judgement.”
“.....Understood.”
After glancing at me one last time, Ai Fa rose slowly.
“.....It’s almost time.”
“Hmm?”
“The time the meat is cooked.”
After she said it, Ai Fa removed the stone and the lid on top of the pot.
Snow white steam rose explosively.
“Uwa...The smell seems good.”
I cheerfully rose up and tried to look at the pot from Ai Fa’s shoulder.
At the bottom of the round pot, hot water and meat pieces were dancing wobbly.
The steam was amazing. The soup was also amazing. This was like a water that a soap had been thrown in.
“....Hey, of course meal is important, but is my talk already good?”
When I asked, Ai Fa scowled at me from close range.
“You are a man from another world, or you are a madman that was convinced of that….I understand that.”
“Understand huh…..Do you really believe this crazy story?”
“......At the very least, you are not trying to trick me. I know that.”
Ai Fa averted her face away from me and took the vegetables that was rolled in the ground with her hand.
Uh, It’s that vegetable that looked like a green onion.
It was cut to pieces with the knife Ai Fa had on her hand. The content was green, but the inside’s texture looked similar to an onion as expected.
Only the dry thin skin on the surface was removed, Ai Fa threw it into the pot. The mass perfectly cut into two let out a kerplunk sound.
“You are not a big liar. So probably, a crazy man.”
kerplunk, kerplunk. (TL : well I didn’t know kerplunk is legit.)
A total of six onion fell after another into the pot.
While looking at the hellishly boiling pot. I muttered “Thank you very much”.
“What’s that. You, are you happy being called a crazy man?”
“Well. At least, I am happy being called that rather than a big liar. And you also believed my words.”
“......You are a man I can not understand!”
Ai Fa said with an angry voice and took the cream potato-like vegetable. The skin wasn’t peeled and only a linear cut was made on the surface. Kerplunk.
Although the pot was deep, foam was rising to the very edge of the pot.
While stirring the pot with a wooden stick similar to a thick pestle, Ai Fa looked at me with threatening eyes.
(TL : すりこぎ surikogi. Looks similar to a pestle but I don’t know. )
“....So, what are you going to do now?”
“Hmm? What am I going to do?”
“After this, how are you going to live? Are you going to look for a way to return to your original world?”
“No, how am I gonna do that? In the first place, if I managed to return, I might still be in the middle of flames. The moment I return, I would be dead. I don’t want to return just to die….It’s hard, but I should have already died in that world.”
Nevertheless, if I could return the santoku knife to father, maybe there was a chance. When I became a fire daruma, the knife also became a fire daruma.
“Well, I can’t think of anything for now... I mean, It’s not by my will. I don’t even know if I will be able to return to my original world. After all, I don’t know what is this weird phenomenon. But I won’t be surprised by anything that comes now.”
“....I see.”
“If you regret picking up this nuisance, just say it. I will get out from here right now. At worst, I only have to camp outside with this climate….”
“If you camp in this forest, you will be killed by giba, there won’t even be any bone left tomorrow.”
Cutting my words, Ai Fa said so.
“And if you get found by Diga Sun who already saw me together with you, you who don’t even know the four great gods is violating a fatal taboo. Everything will be my responsibility.”
“Eh? Yeah, but then…”
“For a while, don’t go to places that is out of my sight.”
While stirring the pot like a witch in fairy tales, with an extremely ill-humored voice, Ai Fa said.
“At the very least, knock into your head, the sense and law of the people of Morihen. After that, die however you want.”
“Okay….Really, thank you very much, Ai Fa..”
“So why are you lowering your head! Are you happy that I say die to you!”
(TL : lol. Asuta is masochistic ? xD)
“I am happy. So much that I if you told me to get out, I would do it.”
I answered so while being careful so I don’’t make the atmosphere serious.
After that, Ai Fa took a step away from me.
Somehow when I saw her like this in this close range and if the situation stayed like this, then I felt like I have to held on my thoughts firmly.
About how I thought about my uneasy future.
About how I was in despair up until now.
And to me who was like that, Ai Fa said “Stay here”.
She also said “You are not a liar.”
I didn’t know what fate I was supposed to carry, but still, I thanked you from my heart that the first human I met after coming to this world was this stubborn woman.
“...The cooking is finished.”
She said it with a “Still a little bit angry” voice. Ai Fa then turned her back on me.
Now, she entered the door in the middle. When she came back, she brought two set of bowl and spoon like thing. There was also the so-called ladle on her hand.
Of course, everything is made of wood.
From the bottom of the steaming and foaming pot, she poured the contents scooped by the ladle in one of the bowl and gave it to me in silence.
“Thanks.”
My chest was full, but my stomach was starving.
I received it gratefully and sat down on top of the fur sheet.
While waiting for Ai Fa’s own share, I took a look at the contents of the soup curiously.
It’s a white cream soup.
It looked like clam chowder, but the smell was like nabe. (TL : クラムチャウダー)
From its white surface, Brown meat and green vegetables were peeking out.
The onions were cut into reasonable sizes, the potato was….I couldn’t see it anywhere. I wonder if it’s collapsed after been boiled for some time.
Incidentally, the soup had a little bit of cream. It seemed to be the same shade as the potato-like vegetable.
(Well, I wonder if it has the same color as potato and onion. What kind of taste does it have?)
Something that could make so much foam like that. I could only think of lye. I had seen it when I went to a village before. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye)
The so-called lye had a rough taste that obstructed the taste of the food. Because there were many flavours, no one even bothered to remove it.
(Because I have lived many years with these ingredients. The me that come from another world is bold)
In the meantime, Ai Fa also sat down with a flop.
“Why didn’t you eat? As expected , are you thinking that giba’s meat couldn’t be eaten?”
“No no. Meals have to be eaten together. It’s the custom of my world. This looks really delicious.”
Ai Fa shrugged and accepted my intention. She began to eat her own share.
After I confirmed it, I said “Itadakimasu”.
With the wooden spoon I scooped a piece of meat from the white soup.
It’s my first dinner in the other world.
While carrying the contents to my mouth, I sent gratitude to this world’s cooking and Ai Fa.
And, I shouted.
“IT’S GROSS!”.