"Sooo fast"
Steph squealed with excitement, her eyes glued to the ever-changing scenery outside the window.
The children sitting by the Shinkansen windows were all equally thrilled.
It reminded me of when we rode the magical train. Though the speed of the Shinkansen was much faster, perhaps that's what made it so much more fun.
With other passengers aboard, I had to remind the kids not to get too loud and excited.
Truth be told, though, I was using [Silence] to block out the sounds around us. To others, it probably looked like we were talking without any noise coming from our mouths. If they got closer, they'd hear us speaking in hushed tones, though.
Still, despite the silence, they'd surely notice our excited expressions, so I had to keep an eye on that. If a child acted up, someone might just blame their parents for poor discipline.
Kuon, Elna, Yakumo, and Arcia, though, sat quietly without complaining—even though they weren’t by the window. It was a relief, but seeing Kuon engrossed in the newspaper Dad bought at the station made me feel like he wasn’t being very childlike.
If he was reading a comic strip or something similar, it might still be seen as childlike, but... Well, it was still very Kuon-like.
The wives were reading fashion magazines and comics, enjoying themselves in their seats.
It would be an hour or so before we reached our destination, so the trip wouldn’t be too boring.
"Mother, I need to go to the restroom..."
"Oh, stop lying. You said the same thing earlier and tried to explore the train. No, you can’t."
"This time, it’s really true!"
I could hear the bickering between Quun and Leen from the seats across the aisle.
Earlier, Quun had said he was going to the restroom and walked toward the front car, but when she didn’t return for a while, I caught her secretly exploring the front of the train.
I had to quickly stop her when I saw she was about to reach for the fire extinguisher on the deck. After a quick scolding, I escorted her back to her seat. Since then, Leen had been keeping an eye on her.
Maybe Leen believed her this time, as she took Koon and walked toward the restroom car.
Quun had been snapping photos like a train enthusiast at the station earlier...
Leen was already looking pretty worn out from keeping her in check. I hope the hot spring will soothe her...
"This dress is so cute."
"I think this one would suit you better, Mom."
"Really? Hmm, I do prefer something easy to move in, but if you say so, Elna, maybe I’ll try one like this next time."
From the seats behind me, I could hear Elze and Elna excitedly discussing fashion while flipping through a magazine.
Are they planning to buy Earth clothes as souvenirs?
"Linze, can you make something like this?"
"I can. But I think a different color would suit you better."
"Is that so? Well, I’ll leave it to you. How long will it take?"
"Hmm... I should be able to finish before we reach our destination."
Wait... What? It sounded like an unexpected conversation was happening behind me.
Rather than buying it as a souvenir, it seemed like they were planning to have Linze make it for them... That makes sense now...
"Touya-san, we still have that silk worm fabric, right?"
"We do..."
Linze asked me over my head from behind.
"Could you bring out the sherbet-colored fabric set and my sewing kit?"
Huh...? Are they really going to sew it here? Well, I suppose they can, but still...
I quietly reached into my backpack and opened [Storage], pulling out the requested fabric and sewing kit.
Linze grabbed the fabric and kit and, despite the cramped space, immediately began cutting the fabric without hesitation.
It was almost like watching a fast-forwarded video, Linze’s hands moving smoothly and skillfully as she cut, folded, and sewed the fabric together.
This must be one of Linze’s special traits, and each time I see it, it blows me away. She’s like a human sewing machine.
Dad once told me that some manga artists jump straight to inking without sketching first, and I guess it’s similar.
Linze must already see the completed outfit in her mind. That’s why she can cut the fabric so confidently.
Linze focused entirely on her work, cutting and sewing without a sound. Wow, she already finished the sleeve and part of the arm... I’ll just quietly leave her to it...
◇ ◇ ◇
Just as Linze muttered, "It’s done," an announcement rang out across the Shinkansen, signaling our arrival at the destination.
We began preparing to disembark, taking down our bags from the overhead shelves.
I took the clothes Linze had finished and discreetly placed them back into [Storage].
When the Shinkansen arrived at the station, we all grabbed the children's hands and descended onto the platform together.
Though it had only been an hour, everyone stretched their stiff muscles. For the adults, especially Dad and Mom, it had been a long, cramped ride, but for the kids and me, it wasn't as tiring since we’re small.
We climbed the stairs from the platform, passed through the ticket gates, and entered the central hall of the station, where the hustle and bustle of the crowd swept over us.
"There are so many people..."
"Well, this is the largest regional city around here."
Yae, still holding Yakumo’s hand, looked around in awe, her head spinning as she took in the crowd.
Lu and Arcia were also distracted by the bento shops at the station.
Everyone seemed to be overwhelmed by the size of the station.
"Is the local line from here?"
"Yes. Uh, this way."
"Tsudzuri-san, before that, the tickets."
"Ah, right."
Mom turned around at Dad’s voice as she started walking toward the local train’s ticket gate.
She hurriedly grabbed Alice’s hand and rushed toward the vending machine.
We bought tickets for everyone, then headed toward the local line platform.
"Wow, there are so many routes at one station."
"Yep. There’s not just the surface lines, but also the subway lines underground. They all go to different destinations."
Yumina was amazed by the many lines in the station. Back in the other world, the magic trains just go back and forth on one route, so this is a completely different experience.
But with so many stairs and escalators around, it’s easy to get lost in the station...
"It’s like a dungeon."
Hilda, as if thinking the same thing, muttered out loud. She wasn’t wrong, was she?
If humanity were wiped out by some virus, and in a few thousand years, a new species of humans discovered stations like these, they would probably think of them as dungeons.
In the other world, dungeons were often created by ancient mages or research facilities from long-lost kingdoms, so it’s not too far off.
We passed through the ticket gates and descended the stairs back onto the platform. It was still close to noon, so there weren’t many businessmen around.
There was still some time before the next train, so we decided to sit on the benches and wait.
"Dad, I want some juice!"
Linne pointed at the vending machine on the platform, her eyes sparkling. Was she thirsty? Or just eager to try the vending machine herself?
"Here’s the money. Put in the right amount and press the button for what you want."
"Got it!"
Linne eagerly took the money and ran toward the vending machine.
"I want the one with the grape picture!"
Linne stretched up and pressed the button. With a clunk, a bottle of grape juice fell out.
"Dad, I want one too!"
"Me too!"
The other kids, seeing Linne get juice, immediately lined up in front of me, all wanting one of their own. I sighed, handing out money to each of them.
Should I just give them their allowance at once next time?
"Okay, I’ll have the black one."
"Ah!"
Alice, who had just taken the money, pressed the button for a can of coffee... Black coffee, at that.
"Alice, that’s coffee. The bitter kind you don’t like."
"Huh!? Oh, you’re right!"
Kuon, who noticed what happened, pointed it out to Alice. The can clearly said "coffee" in katakana. I hoped she’d noticed before buying it.
"Here, take this and buy something else."
"Is it okay!? Thanks, Kuon!"
Kuon took the coffee from Alice and handed me the money. I had to admit, my son’s quick thinking was impressive...
"Touya’s son sure is clever, huh?"
"Don’t say that. He’s always been like this."
Dad, sitting on the bench next to us, mumbled quietly, watching the scene unfold.
Kuon really did take after Dad’s calm nature...
Kuon opened the tab on the can of coffee, took a sip, and made a bitter face. I guess even Kuon wasn’t a fan of bitter coffee...
"Kuon, over here."
I called Kuon over, received a canned coffee, and handed him some money again. It’s a reward for my son who took the coffee for Alice even though he can’t drink it... though, it’s not really much of a reward.
"Thank you, Father."
Kuon took the money and returned to the vending machine. Watching him with a smile, I took a gulp of the canned coffee... bitter... Wait, was coffee on Earth always this bitter? Could it be that my sense of taste has become childish?
"Should I drink it?"
"Please..."
Noticing my scowl, my father spoke to me. The dreaded black coffee was passed from the child to the parent, and then to the grandparent, before it was finally joyfully consumed.
"Oh, it’s here."
At Yoshino’s voice, I looked up thinking the train had arrived, but there was neither sight nor sound of a train where she was looking. The tracks just continued endlessly.
When I glanced at the digital display board on the platform, I saw that the departure time was indeed approaching. Could it be...?
"Could it be from the sound?"
"Yeah. I’ve been hearing the 'katatan, katatan' sound getting closer."
Sakura, who had been standing next to me, answered casually. No, I can’t hear anything at all! With all the voices of people on the platform and the announcements from the station, I can’t hear any sound of the train approaching.
Maybe if I concentrate with my divine hearing, I could pick it up, but are these two really doing that normally...?
Before long, the silver-bodied train with green lines appeared, entering the platform.
When the train stopped and the doors opened with a hiss, passengers began to file out onto the platform.
After the passengers got off, we boarded the train with the kids. Since it was a weekday, there were only a few people inside, and the seats were mostly available, allowing everyone to sit together.
Just like with the Shinkansen, the kids rushed to sit by the windows.
The train doors closed, and with a 'goton' sound, it slowly started moving again.
The kids, unbothered, continued to gaze out the window at the passing scenery, not bored in the slightest.
Even though this was already the third train of the day, they still never tired of it...
"This kind of thing feels nice, doesn’t it?"
"Yeah, we’ve never really had the chance to go on a long trip before..."
Yumina, who was sitting next to me, murmured that with a nostalgic tone, and I couldn’t help but nod.
Since our honeymoon, we’d been busy with apostates of the evil gods, divine artifact creation, and so much more. I kept thinking that once things calmed down, we’d take a trip, but those thoughts kept being pushed further into the future.
The World God said it would be fine to visit home once a year. Next year, the kids won’t be around, so it’ll likely be a lonely trip back...
Strictly speaking, we can’t visit Earth until the kids return to the future. It would mess with history... If I ask Grandma Tokie, she could probably help us adjust things, but for personal matters like this, I can’t just ask the Space-Time God to fix time paradoxes. That would be too much of a bother.
The earliest my parents could meet their grandchildren would be in over a decade... wait?
Huh? Maybe? When the kids return to the future, I could use [Dimensional Transfer] to move through time and visit them a year or two from now in this timeline.
That way, my parents could see their grandchildren’s growth. The time in the two worlds would be misaligned, but if we return to Earth every few years, the time difference should eventually catch up, right?
It’s not a bad idea. When I get back, I’ll ask the World God about it. It might be a gray area...
For my parents, this might be a confusing visit home—us without grandchildren in the present, and then us with grandchildren in the future, visiting alternately.
This year from the present alternate world, next year from the future alternate world, and the year after, from the present again... Wait, can we visit from the present every other year? Oh, if we bring the future us back to the past, then the future parents won’t be able to meet their grandchildren...
Ugh, this is confusing.
I should talk this over with my wives later and reconsider...
Once again inside the train, we continued on the local train, steadily running through the forested areas with the rhythmic 'goton, goton.'
After about an hour, we finally arrived at our destination station. It took surprisingly long.
As soon as I stepped onto the platform, I could faintly smell the scent of hot springs.
It was a sulfur smell... or wait, sulfur is odorless, right? I think I heard it’s the smell of hydrogen sulfide or something... Anyway, it’s the smell of hot springs.
"Tsuuzuri-senpai! Over here!"
After passing through the ticket gate and exiting the station, I saw a woman in a kimono waving her hand beside the microbus parked right in front of us.
She looked a little younger than my mother and was running toward us with a smile.
"Iori! Long time no see!"
"Tsuuzuri-senpai, you haven't changed at all!"
So, this is the person my mom's junior? She's the young innkeeper of the ryokan where we're staying, right? The two of them were holding hands, joyfully celebrating their reunion.
"Iori-san, long time no see."
"Mochizuki-senpai, how have you been?"
Hmm? Does she also know Dad as a senior? Does that mean they're friends from their student days?
"Everyone, this is Iori Tsukino, who will be taking care of us at the ryokan. Let's say hello!"
"Nice to meet you!"
"Yes! I look forward to working with you!"
While bowing our heads, the children and I also greeted her.
"I’m sorry for suddenly showing up with so many people."
"No, no! I was actually in trouble because of a sudden cancellation by a group, so this is perfect timing! I heard on the phone, but wow, there are so many children, huh?"
"Ah, well... these are my relatives’ kids, and the timing just worked out that they all came to Japan. Oh, our own kids are this one and—"
After seeing Fuyuki in Dad’s arms, Mom glanced at me for a moment. In response, I silently placed my index finger over my mouth.
"Ah... um, about your son..."
Iori-san, noticing something, awkwardly looked away. She must know that my son has passed away.
Even though it’s been more than three years, it’s a heavy topic to bring up.
"Ah, no worries. We’re here to have fun today. Is the bus for pick-up that one?"
"Ah, yes!"
Iori-san led us to the microbus parked behind us. Following Mom, everyone got on the bus, chatting and laughing. Only Quun, as usual, tried to peek under the car but was dragged aboard by Leen.
Inside the microbus, the seats were arranged with two on the left side, one on the right, and a four-person seat at the back. It was a fairly normal setup.
Including the driver and Iori-san, there wasn’t enough room for two more people, but with the additional seats, everyone could fit.
Well, Fuyuki could sit on someone’s lap, but since there was a child seat, I decided to seat her there. Kuon and I sat in the extra seats.
There were seat belts on the extra seats, so we made sure to wear them properly.
"Now, let’s go!"
With Iori-san’s voice, the microbus slowly started moving. The kids, who were riding in a car for the first time, enjoyed the view from the windows, just like on the train.
If they enjoy just the travel itself this much, then it was definitely the right choice not to use teleportation magic.
But, to save on travel costs, I’m thinking it might be okay to skip the return Shinkansen and local trains. There are other places I’d like to visit aside from the hot spring area.
The microbus ran along a mountain road, and the view from the window resembled the peaceful countryside.
After a while, the bus started driving along a road by the river, and after about ten minutes, a retro-styled hot spring town with old shops and buildings came into view in the distance.
The old wooden houses and gas lamp-like streetlights gave the impression of having time-travelled to the Taisho or early Showa period. The nostalgic, rustic feeling made me wonder if that’s because I’m Japanese. Is this what they call nostalgia?
I saw a few people soaking in foot baths. It seems there are quite a few tourists.
The bus continued for a bit before turning off the main road and heading up a small hill to a quiet ryokan.
The ryokan had a design that seemed quite old-fashioned, but the building itself looked new. Maybe it was recently renovated?
When the bus stopped, Iori-san got out first and greeted us as we disembarked.
"Welcome to the hot spring ryokan, 'Gingetsu'!"
"Eh?"
I stopped in my tracks at Iori-san’s words. Not just me, but my wives and children were also blinking in surprise.
To think we’d end up staying at an inn with the same name as the one across from Brunhild. Is this a coincidence? Or perhaps divine providence?
Not knowing, we simply looked up at the familiar name of the ryokan.
No comments:
Post a Comment