Arc 26: What can be done for tomorrow

Chapter 260: New Relatives and Song Magic

It has been tentatively decided that the new gods would become my uncle and his children, my cousins in others words. Increasing the number of my siblings any further would be troublesome, as expected.

Well, I was opposed to making the Agriculture God, who looks nearly 40 years old, my brother, and so was making him the King’s father, which would’ve been troublesome.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, they’ve ended up being my uncle and his three children.

Uncle, Mochizuki Kousuke (Agriculture God).

Oldest Son, Mochizuki Sousuke (Music God)

Eldest Daughter, Mochizuki Karina (Hunting God)

Second Daughter, Mochizuki Suika (Alcohol God)

(ED: I swear the author got her name from Touhou)

It’s only the Alcohol God that looks younger than me in terms of age, so I guess I will be calling them “Kousuke-oji-san”, “Sousuke-onii-san”, “Karina-nee-san”, and “Suika”.

Anyway though, what surprised everyone even more than the fact that I’ll be having more relatives is that Suika was drunk. In the end, the excuse that I’ve come up with is pretty much nothing but an excuse for alcoholism namely “Unless I drink alcohol, I start having mysterious spasms”, but everyone believed me.

I’ve heard about it from Rin later, but it also seems common for dwarven children and others like them to start drinking alcohol at about the same age as what Suika would look like. Although Suika isn’t a dwarf, it might look like her mother, which is not here, is a dwarf.

「Still, the number of your relatives has suddenly increased, right?」(Yumina)

「I’m sorry. A lot of stuff happened」(Touya)

Yumina starts talking next to me as we’re walking along the road towards the east of the castle into the farmlands.

The girls already know both about me coming from another world and that my nee-sans and I aren’t connected by blood. They should understand that the situation with my uncle or cousins this time doesn’t have any meaning of “being connected by blood”.

「So then, those... relatives are the same as your sisters-in-law as well...」(Yumina)

「Ah~... Well, I guess they each have a talent in which they excel, though it’s not like their skills are related to fighting. I believe that Hunting... Karina-nee-san’s skill with the bow is the real deal」(Touya)

That’s because she’s the goddess of hunters who never let their game escape. It seems that in addition to bows, she can also use guns, snares, natas, and axes... Hmm? Doesn’t that make her quite superior compared to Moroha-nee-san who can use nothing but swords? No, Moroha-nee-san is likely stronger if it’s just about simple brute strength since she’s specialized in combat.

The four people quickly got used to this country and began doing things they wanted to do since they’re apparently saying about wanting to be my assistants. As such, I’m going to the places they’re working in right now to check on them since I’ve been wondering what they’re doing.

「Ah, isn’t that Uncle-sama?」(Yumina)

In the place Yumina points at, I could see Kousuke-oji-san thrusting a hoe at the field. He’s wiping his head in a straw hat with a towel, wearing farm work clothes and working while sweating. This scene matches him all too well. No, it’s obvious that it would be. He’s the god of agriculture after all.

「Yaa, Touya-kun, Yumina-san. Good day to you」(Kousuke)

He greets us with his slit-eyed smile as ever. How should I say it?... It looks plain.

「Are you plowing the field by yourself? You can employ people for.... 」(Touya)

「No-no, if a man doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat... is not what I mean to say, but it’s just what I want to do it myself, you see. Isn’t it wonderful to reclaim and clear the agriculture lands so that it would become new farming lands to grow food for people?」(Kousuke)

In any case, it seems he would be able to harvest everything at once if he used the power of gods, but it would be boring and he wouldn’t feel affection in what he’s doing. Though in the first place, he can’t use it because he’s prohibited to do so.

Still, as expected of the one being referred to as the Agriculture God. He appears to be making full use of his knowledge in this world as well.

I asked him what were those things he had scattered some time ago, and apparently, those were finely crushed bones of magic beasts. He explained that magic origins included in the bones of magic beasts were something-something which I didn’t quite understand. Laqshe, the Alraune whom I’ve posted as his helper, was the only one greatly admiring his knowledge.

It isn’t just the fields he’s willing to do. We can also ask him to look after the paddy fields, so his work will be really helpful. Though he’s too plain which can make someone doubt if he really is a divine being.

=========================

As we return to the town after the inspection of the farmlands, we notice some kind of noise coming from the central plaza where the clocktower is located.

「I wonder, has something happened?」(Yumina)

Yumina and I are going in the direction of the castle when we hear cheerful music for some reason. Could it be that this is...

I try pushing my way through the crowd, and there I see the figure of the Music God, no, of Sousuke-onii-san masterfully playing the guitar in front of the water fountain in the central plaza as if it’s just child’s play.

Say, isn’t that guitar one of the instruments I’ve made as per Sakura’s request? Did he bring it out here from the castle?

Having already made a piano, I’ve gone as far as making other instruments like flutes, trumpets, and castanets on the spur of the moment since I was trying to make every single musical instrument as a test back then. However, I didn’t learn to play those instruments, so I ended up safe-keeping them in the lodging house of the knight order. That’s because I was told by several knights that they were interested in them and wanted to learn how to play them.

After Sousuke-onii-san’s performance ends, the spectators send his way a thundering applause. There are even people shedding tears of gratitude among them. Was his performance really that good?

「It was an amazing performance!」(Yumina)

「Well, there probably won’t be anyone capable of winning against that musical performance...」(Touya)

Compared to my old world, music isn’t widespread as a form of entertainment for the general public in this world, so it probably can’t be helped. I think music might spread even further if we start selling instruments like harmonicas, guitars, and recorders. It might even be a good idea to have Sousuke-onii-san teach music at the school.

Leaving behind Sousuke-onii-san who’s starting another performance, we walk through the street wherein the guild is located next to the bar. Speaking of which...

「What the hell...?」(Touya)

There are men rolling around the entrance to the bar, all of whom are deadly drunk.

I avoid those men and enter the shop, and I see that Suika is there sitting at the table and drinking alcohol. Just as I thought.

A man sitting in front of her is tightly gripping his glass. He’s deadly drunk.

「Ahh~, Touya-oni-i-chan! Is oni-i-chan gonna hafe a drinkin’ contest wis me as well~? When I win, brin’ the money there~!」(Suika)

「Who do you think is going to do what you’re saying?」(Touya)

historical

I declare so to Suika who’s hoisting her glass up high while laughing heartily.

The other guests inside the shop who were already dead drunk are being taken outside and lined up there. Have all of them been defeated by Suika? Say, since when have they been drinking?

「Now-now, let’s first start with three cups for being late... 」(Suika)

「I DID NOT come to drink. Please stop drinking this much 」(Touya)

「Auu~」(Suika)

I take Suika’s cup of alcohol from her. Isn’t this girl, among the four gods that came this time, the nastiest one?

Having picked up Suika, we apologize to the bar owner. The other party is grateful though and also responds with the smile. Did the owner profit from his bar because of what had happened?

「Good grief... You shouldn’t drink too much, you know」(Touya)

「It’s cos it was a lon’ time since the last time since I had e drink, so I’ve cut loose for a bit ~nya. I’m usually more careful with it, ya see? Yumina-chan, how ‘bout we drink together at the castle? 」(Suika)

「No, I don’t have a taste for alcohol, so...」(Yumina)

Yumina displays a cramped smile and waves her hands.

How should I say it...? I did wonder if there’s something wrong with this store that allowed the sale of alcohol to someone who’s only just a child, but it seems that Suika dared to use my name on her own accord.

If I’m to say why they believed what this suspicious little girl said, it seems that they had the knights come there from the guard station. I guess I’ll have to apologize to those knights after that as well...

「Oya? If it isn’t Touya and everyone else」

After we come out from the bar, Karine-nee-san then comes out from the neighboring guild at the same time.

This person has quickly registered at the adventurers’ guild and began to work as a hunter. She doesn’t go to dungeons and is primarily handling subjugation requests, reasoning that she didn’t feel like hunting something she wouldn’t be able to eat anyway or something along those lines.

This time as well, she has probably just handled another request since there’s a wild bird that’s quite large hanging in her hand.

「Nice timing. This guy will be today’s dinner. Please give this to the head chief Clair, okay? 」(Karina)

「Got it」(Touya)

In fact, Karina-san has been bringing the various game, so our dinner has become more varied as of late. I store the wild bird received from Karina-san inside [Storage].

「Someday, I want to try hunting larger game than the ones here. It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to find any in this place, so I’m counting on you to take me other hunting grounds some time in the future」(Karina)

「I suppose so. I’ll try to probing out the surrounding area of Misumido to determine if that area is suitable so that you may go there」(Touya)

There aren’t that many large magic beasts in Brunhild after all. I’m guessing there will be a huge number of them in the area of Misumido though. There’s also the Great Forest Sea close to it.

In any case, three of the new gods here in Brunhild seems to be able to help us in a lot of different ways with the exemption of Suika.

「Muu. I feel like ya thinkin’ of somethin’ rude, ain’t ya?」(Suika)

She’s sharp. As I feared. Karen-nee-san is one thing, but it looks like I can’t make light of the other gods as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

「......King-sama, what is this?」(Sakura)

「It’s called a“microphone”. It’s a device that amplifies sounds. Though amplification isn’t its only function」(Touya)

Sakura inclines her head while looking at the microphone stand placed in front of her.

I’ve asked her and her guard assistant, the dark elf Spica-san, to come to the training grounds of the knight order in order to conduct a small experiment.

「Hmm, that’s right... I think we should start with a casual tune that’s easy to understand. The mike stand will be facing Spica-san, so may I ask you to stand a bit further this way?」(Touya)

「Yes. Is it fine here?」(Spica)

Armed with a sword and a unique shield, Spica-san stands in the center of the training grounds away from us.

「Then, Sakura, please try signing a few casual songs. Ah, do it while pouring magic power into the mike, okay?」(Touya)

「... I don’t really understand what’s happening, but okay」(Sakura)

Sakura obediently nods and then starts singing while facing the mike stand. Eh, she chose that tune?

It’s the standard tune from Japan used in famous French pop songs... Well, it is indeed casual though.

If I’m not mistaken, “Sherry” from this song doesn’t refer to the full name of a woman, but rather, it means “Dear Person” in the French language.

「Now then, may I ask you to move around, Spica-san?」(Touya)

「Yes. Ehh?!」(Spica)

Even if she’s just moving for a little bit, she moves with a staggering force. The running Spica-san herself is surprised by that. She then jumps after immediately stopping, and she flies up to nearly three meters above ground.

「My body is extremely light! It’s like I’ve grown a pair of wings! 」(Spica)

Neglecting Spica-san who’s jumping around, I ask Sakura to stop singing.

「Ah」(Spica)

The running speed of Spica-san visibly falls down. I see. As I thought. It seems the effect is only active while she’s singing. It also looks certain that the effect varies depending on the tune of the music.

「King-sama, this is...」(Sakura)

「It’s one of the bestowal magics. I call it “Song Magic”. It can apply a wide range of support magic with the help of music and Sakura’s magic power acting as a catalyst. I don’t know what kinds of effect a song will apply unless we try it out, but it’s a magic which ultimately supports one’s allies. As such, the targets’ lives shouldn’t be in danger」(Touya)

It may be able to show an effect even with the musical performances of Sousuke-nii-san, seeing as how it depends on the way it’s going to be used.

「Well then, please try singing your favorite tune, Sakura」(Touya)

「Yeah」(Sakura)

Sakura starts singing songs one by one, aiming them at Spica-san. How should I say this? Her choice of songs is stylish... There are a lot of western songs, but all of them are from the sixties to the eighties period. Well, my preference in music, especially western music, comes from my grandpa after all, so it can’t be helped for me to say that it can’t be helped. There’s probably something in them that tugged the heartstring of Sakura somewhere.

As for the effects of the magic itself, they amounted to raising offensive abilities, defensive abilities, agility, magic resistance or the bestowal of attributes. There should still be a whole lot more of different effects, but I suppose it’s fine to stop here for today.

The advantage of this magic can be summed up in this way: its effects will reach someone as long as that person is within hearing range of the music, and magic consumption is based on a per song basis with the number of allies having no effect to it. However, since its effect will wear out when the song finishes, the burden will pile up on Sakura if she sings consecutively, making it a problem, I guess.

I better prepare an item that bestows the effects of [Refresh].

The frame, which is currently being manufactured by Professor, has been equipped with a function allowing the invocation of this magic. This magic will be effective even when it’s being broadcasted through a communication device, so spreading it all over like a BGM will be ideal.

However, I’m worried that its effects cannot be divided like for example, raising the offensive abilities of the right wing formation and defensive abilities of the left wing. Also, in the end, it appears that pre-recorded music doesn’t have any effect.

I have different thoughts going on inside my head as I watch Sakura, who’s continuing to sing and is looking very happy.

TL: greujnik

TLC: Airsblue

ED: Blackswordsman