“F-From another world!?”
Grana’s voice rang out in sheer disbelief.
For the moment, I decided the best course of action was to calm everyone down, so I brewed tea for the group and set steaming cups in front of them.
“What’s this green-colored liquid?”
“It’s green tea. I let it cool a little first, but please be careful not to burn yourself.”
“Mm. I won’t repeat the same mistake twice.”
Though Raphiel puffed out her cheeks slightly in embarrassment, she obediently blew on the tea first before cautiously taking a sip.
“…Delicious. It has a pleasantly addictive bitterness.”
“It possesses a rather unique flavor compared to black tea,” Grana muttered thoughtfully.
“If you want seconds, just let me know.”
“Ah, no need to trouble yourself. …No, that isn’t the issue here!!” Grana suddenly snapped back to reality and leaned toward me aggressively. “What exactly do you mean by saying you came from another world!?”
The armored knight grabbed at my collar with enough intensity to make me instinctively shrink backward.
Too close!! Scary!!
“Please calm yourself, Grana. You’re frightening Eight.”
“B-But, Raphiel-sama! If what this man says is true, then there’s a high possibility he’s a Hero!”
“…A Hero?”
“A legendary figure who fought against the Demon King’s army in ancient times. It’s said that the Hero also came from another world. Could it be that Eight is one as well?”
“N-No way!! I’m seriously not anything that amazing!!”
To clear up the misunderstanding, I explained my circumstances to Raphiel and Grana from the beginning.
“It happened around three years ago. I was on my way to my high school entrance ceremony when I got hit by a car. Then a god named Elnemesia from this world asked me to reincarnate here.”
“Elnemesia!? Surely you don’t mean the Creator Goddess Elnemesia-sama!?”
“Grana. Please remain quiet so the story may continue.”
“Ugh…”
Immediately silenced by Raphiel’s calm reprimand, Grana lowered her head dejectedly.
…Big as she was, she was kind of adorable in a weird way.
“And then? What happened afterward?”
“At first, I refused, obviously. But she kept begging me over and over, saying stuff like, ‘If you refuse, I’m going to be killed, so please save me!!’”
“…The Creator Goddess herself was being threatened by something capable of killing her?”
“I honestly don’t know the details either.”
She had been unbelievably beautiful, but the desperate expression she wore back then had honestly been terrifying.
Still, there was no way someone raised in a modern scientific civilization could suddenly survive in a medieval fantasy world filled with monsters.
I’d absolutely die from the stress of all the inconvenience alone.
So naturally, I protested as much—
“Then the goddess said it was a reincarnation gift and brought my old house from my previous life into this world exactly as it was.”
“I see…” Raphiel slowly glanced around the room. “So this house itself is an artifact from another world. That explains the architecture I’ve never seen before.”
“It’s just an old house that’s over a hundred years old. It’s unnecessarily huge and has way too many rooms.”
“Apparently it’s around the same age as me,” the village chief added proudly.
The old man flashed a double peace sign.
…Seriously, shouldn’t you be going home by now?
“Anyway, I happened to wake up near Papel Village, and since the house had also been transferred nearby, the chief accepted me as one of the villagers.”
“Wait,” Grana interrupted. “You’re saying this enormous house suddenly appeared near the village, and everyone simply accepted that? ‘Open-minded’ hardly feels like a sufficient word for it.”
“Well,” the village chief replied casually, stroking his beard, “when you live long enough, things like that happen.”
He said it so smoothly that it somehow sounded convincing.
Honestly, if the chief hadn’t been the sort of person who solved everything through sheer momentum and vibes, I was certain I would’ve run into endless trouble with the villagers.
I really was grateful to him for that.
Though I genuinely wished he would stop threatening me with naked dances in front of my house every time he needed a favor.
“And that’s basically how I ended up here and started living in Papel Village.”
“It’s admittedly difficult to believe…” Grana murmured.
“I believe his story is true, however,” Raphiel quietly said.
Her golden eyes drifted toward the kamidana—the small household shrine displayed in the living room.
“Both Eight and this house appear to be protected by an extraordinarily powerful ‘something.’ Perhaps even by a being feared by the very gods we worship.”
“R-Raphiel-sama, for the Saintess herself to say such a thing…”
“The gods aren’t so petty as to concern themselves with every little remark.” Raphiel dismissed the concern calmly before turning back toward me. “More importantly, Eight, I would like to hear more about your other world.”
“Huh? Sure, I don’t mind.”
And so the conversation continued.
Raphiel asked endless questions about Japan and my old life, while I answered as best I could. Before long, the sun had begun to sink low in the sky, painting the windows orange with evening light.
“Ahem,” the village chief interrupted. “Eight, perhaps it’s time you showed the Saintess-sama and the Holy Knight to their rooms?”
“Oh, right. I forgot they were supposed to stay here. But wasn’t everyone just saying it’d be inappropriate for the Saintess to stay in the same house as a man?”
“No,” Raphiel replied immediately. “After speaking with Eight, it’s obvious he isn’t an immoral person. Grana, you agree, do you not?”
“…Yes,” Grana admitted reluctantly. “Though I would appreciate it if you exercised proper consideration toward Raphiel-sama.”
“R-Right. Of course.”
And just like that, it was officially decided that Raphiel and Grana would be staying at my house.
My guests were the Saintess herself and her personal Holy Knight—the equivalent of national treasures.
I had no intention of trying anything inappropriate to begin with, but just to be safe, I chose a guest room located on the complete opposite side of the house from my own room.
“This will be the room the two of you can use.”
“Sniff sniff… It has a strange scent. But it’s a pleasant one.”
“That’s probably the smell of tatami mats. And the futons are stored in that closet over there.”
“…Futon?”
I pulled the bedding from the closet and spread it out over the tatami floor.
The moment I did, Raphiel immediately flopped down onto it.
“…This is dangerous.”
“Huh?”
“This object exists solely to corrupt humanity.”
She spoke with absolute seriousness while sinking deeper into the futon.
“To begin with, this bedding laid upon the tatami is softer than the bed I used in the temple at the royal capital. Furthermore…” She grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself in it. “This upper covering is also absurdly dangerous. It’s light, yet warm. So wonderfully warm.”
Well, the beds in this world were ridiculously hard.
Honestly, some of them were so stiff they felt more like punishment devices than furniture.
Raphiel seemed completely enchanted by her very first fluffy futon experience, but after a moment she slowly sat up again.
“Before sleeping, I would like to perform ablutions. Where’s this village’s well?”
“Ablutions? Oh, if you want to clean yourself, you can use the bath.”
“…Bath? What’s that?”
“Honestly, it’ll probably be faster to show you.”
The next place I guided them to was the bathing area.
Steam rose heavily from the enormous bath large enough for several adults to soak in up to their shoulders together, while the distinct mineral scent of the water filled the air.
“…Is this hot water? It certainly looks warm.”
“Wrong. This isn’t just ordinary hot water—it’s an onsen.”
“…On…sen?”
“My grandpa found a natural hot spring in the mountains years ago while gathering wild vegetables, so he redirected the source here.”
“…Would that not have occurred in your previous world?”
“Maybe it’s connected through some kind of godly power or something? I honestly have no clue how it works. Electricity, gas, and running water still function too.”
“…Denki… gasu… suidou…” Raphiel repeated carefully. “Those are yet more words unfamiliar to me.”
At that moment, Grana tilted her helmeted head.
“Eight-dono… how large was your family exactly?”
“Hm? It was just me and my grandfather. Why?”
“…Even so, this ‘bath’ seems unnecessarily large.”
“Indeed,” Raphiel added. “And the number of rooms throughout the house is similarly excessive. Was this place perhaps some sort of inn in your original world?”
“Correct.”
My late grandfather had run a traditional Japanese guesthouse.
That was why the house had so many rooms—and why the bath was absurdly spacious.
“Before entering the bath, make sure you thoroughly wash your body first. You’re free to use the shampoo and body soap provided here.”
“Are those some form of scented oils?”
“Ah… guess I should explain those too.”
After teaching Raphiel and Grana the proper bathing etiquette and rules for using the bath, I returned to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Luckily, the refrigerator still had onions, carrots, potatoes, and chicken, so I decided to make chicken curry.
Though “make” might’ve been overselling it a little.
I mostly just stir-fried everything together, added water, and dissolved store-bought curry roux from a certain Japanese food manufacturer.
Japanese technology truly was incredible.
“I smell yet another unfamiliar but wonderful aroma,” Raphiel murmured while staring at the plate before her. “Is this grain? And what exactly is this thick substance poured over it…?”
“It certainly has a rather unusual appearance,” Grana admitted cautiously.
“Well, first-timers usually hesitate a little, but it’s delicious, so give it a try.”
“Then let us eat.”
“…Raphiel-sama, perhaps a little more caution would be wise?”
Raphiel and Grana both took a bite of curry at nearly the same moment—
—and instantly froze.
For one brief second, the room went silent.
Then both of them abruptly restarted.
“I’ve never tasted anything this delicious before!!” Raphiel declared. “It’s completely different from the ‘cup men’ from earlier, yet equally magnificent!!”
“The tenderness of the meat, the fluffy potatoes—but above all else, this sharp spice that tingles upon the tongue!! Incredible!! I can’t stop eating!!”
“Eight, another serving please!!”
“…My portion is disappearing…”
Even though curry was one of my favorite foods.
Still…
Watching someone eat with such genuine happiness made me unexpectedly glad.
It felt strangely rewarding.
As though, for once, I’d actually done something good for someone.
◇ ◆ ◇
The following morning—
“Saintess-sama. All of us villagers pray for the safe completion of your sacred pilgrimage.”
“…Thank you very much.”
Raphiel stood at the entrance of the village beside Grana, prepared to resume her journey across the holy lands.
After all the commotion of the previous night, I’d come to see them off as well.
But strangely enough—
Raphiel refused to move an inch.
Eventually, even Grana noticed.
“Raphiel-sama, it’s time for us to depart. …Raphiel-sama?”
“I refuse.”
“…What?”
“I’ve made my decision.”
Raphiel turned toward Grana and declared her verdict with complete seriousness.
“Delicious food. Warm baths. Fluffy futons… I can no longer survive anywhere else. Therefore, I shall live here from now on.”
“““WHAT!?”””
My voice, Grana’s voice, and the villagers’ voices all overlapped perfectly.
The only person reacting differently was the village chief.
“A village where the Saintess resides…! Hohoho, this will make excellent material for village revitalization!!”
Why the hell are you grinning like that!?
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