In a Different World with a Smartphone

Chapter 462: Consultation, and a Bar.

"So what are we here to talk about, again?"

"Yeah, wait. Well, welcome back. C’mon, drink, drink."

"… Did you eat something strange?"

I’m being wary of this weird Ende that I haven’t seen in a long time, because he’s usually normal…

We met at the bar next to the Adventurer's Guild for the first time in a while.

After returning from my honeymoon, I've been busy with the work that’d been accumulating over the past few days. When I finally thought I had some time to rest, I got a call from this guy. I can’t even take a break even though I’m a newlywed.

Well, I thought it was important to get along with each other, but Ende, who I met after a long time, had some suspicious behavior, and my “trouble sensor” was reacting with a Bing!.

"How about marriage? Are you doing well after getting married?"

"… Did you actually eat something bad?"

It's strange that this guy cares about someone else's marriage life. I'm a little worried. Did you get a screw loose in your head after being beaten a bit too hard by Takeru-ojisan?

As Ende started talking again, he had a face that seemed like it would let out a groan at any moment.

"Marriage has many forms in other worlds. There are various patterns, such as rituals to decide a life partner, just a contract to have a child, a religious rule, etc. But… "

"Huh …?"

"We, the 'crossers', basically choose marriage because of the other party’s racial traits. If the one we are marrying is not of the same race, it means the 'end' of our journey. The ‘crosser’ is now tied to one world and cannot cross over to other worlds. Those who are no longer able to cross are no longer "crossers''. Well, because we are a long-lived species, if the other party is a short-lived species, there are those who "cross" again after seeing off their partner in death."

"? What do you want to say, then?"

It's a roundabout way of telling me, so I do not understand what you’re trying to convey to me. Tell me straightforwardly.

Ende looked away from me and drank the ice-filled liquor in front of him all at once.

"Iwanttogetmarried!"

"Oh? ………………What! Huh!?"

Ende's words made me almost drop the glass I was holding in my hand. Marriage!? Ende!?? Yeah, this guy was the first to get a bouquet during the bouquet toss at our wedding … Is this the power of Karen-nee?

"Hey, hey, wait a minute. Of course, the other party is Mel … right?"

"It's natural. I haven't gone here or there like Touya-san."

Oops, I was dissed, good one, though. Or rather, how is this guy getting married? I can't imagine it at all. But why though …

"Mel seems to be interested after seeing your wedding, because there is no such thing as marriage in the culture of Phrase …"

"Wait a minute, no, how does a Phrase … breed?"

For the time being, there were male and female types as the Dominant Class. I don't think it makes sense that there is no such thing as marriage.

"Well, a Lower, Intermediate, and Advanced Class cannot have children, but the Dominant Class, the ones with males and females, can…"

"How do they make it?"

"A Phrase can give birth to a child by itself. Well, the child isn’t like a human child."

After asking in detail, I found out that first of all, all Phrase are born in a nuclear state. It seems that they repeat crystal evolution and grow as one life form. Therefore, when the concinousess awakens, it has already grown as an individual, and it seems that there is no such thing as a childhood.

A grown Phrase can create a new nucleus by using its own vitality. The more vitality there is, the more nuclei will be produced. In other words, if parents are young and at the cost of their lives, many Phrase will be born …?

"The Dominant Class are a little different, and can create the next generation of cores by themselves without devoting all their vitality, but it's a degraded reproduction of their children. I don't like the Dominant Class’ reproductive method very much."

"That means that you can both have children, right? Well, then … is it the same way as humans?"

I choose my words carefully and ask Ende what I wanted to have answered. No, I'm actually interested …

"Well, it's almost the same. The child is a fusion of the cores created by the two parents. Isn’t it the same for humans?"

Fusion … No, is that what to call it …? Humans are also born by inheriting the genes of their parents, so I guess it works.

"There is no concept of marriage in the Phrase species. If you want to have a child, you just get a part of the core of the person you like, and you don't live with them or stay close to them all the time. Sometimes there are such individuals, but they’re really rare. Most of the time, it's a shame that the child only has one parent and doesn't know the other parent. So even if it has siblings, most of them are half-brothers or half-sisters in human terms. "

How unromantic … Certainly, if it is such an ecology, it would be strange to be interested in the act of marriage. Mel and the other girls were also interested in food.

"Does she know what it means to get married?"

"I explained it to her. People who like each other raise children together, support each other, and live together."

Well, you missed a few details, but can we say it's almost the same …? That’s just one view of marriage, though. There are also political marriages.

"I mean, you can't have a child between Mel and you …?"

"Mel originally traveled across the world to live in the same world as me and has continued to evolve. Her body's like a Phrase, but not exactly. She has evolved and exists as a new species who is close to me. There's nothing wrong with that, just … "

Ende looks at the air with dull eyes. What is it, what happened? I'm scared to hear.

"It’s not just Mel … I told her that Ney and Lycee would also like to get married …"

"Ah!?"

What's that! Hey, didn’t you just diss me a few minutes ago!?? You're the same! This harem bastard!

When I asked, Ende replied with a face that looked like he had just eaten a bitter worm, saying that it was different from how I was .

"It's not me, it's Mel. The two girls both want to marry Mel."

“………… What?”

I suddenly heard strange words. …… Doyukoto?

"Mel wasn't the only one interested in getting married, and it was Mel, not me, who they wanted to get married to."

Um, oh? I thought it was an Ende harem, but is it a Mel harem? Mel is popular …

"Eh, but they're both female …?"

"Oh, that? Even among female bodies, the Dominant Class of Phrase can have children. Well, the gender will always be the same as the parent, and it will be difficult for the characteristics of the parents to be inherited, so it is not so much."

What is that … Then is there any problem …? No, I think it's okay to get married if you love each other even if you are of the same sex. Actually, there are such people in this world as well.

Polygamy is allowed in this world. At the same time, if you have the financial resources to support your spouse, polyandry is allowed. I hear that the Duke of some country has three husbands.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard of an example of marriage between a man and a woman about that Duke, but I think he’s looking for one.

"What are Mel's thoughts on this?"

"She wants to get married and live in harmony with them all the time. But if she really doesn’t like it, the girls will give up."

So Mel is willing to accept …? What is this pattern? At least I think Mel can be happy. In her case, marriage may be nothing more than "becoming a family”.

I'm sure her love is directed towards Ende … I don’t think she will not like getting married.

"Does Ende hate the thought of being a family with the 3 girls?"

"Hmm … I don't hate it. I've traveled to various worlds with Lycee, and I've become accustomed to Ney while living with her. Well, Ney and I still have some friction because of what happened prior … "

Ende answers with a bitter smile. I wonder……

Perhaps Ney said she would get married because of her competitiveness to Ende. I think that Lycee just got caught up.

"That means you're willing to accept them, right?"

"Yeah. I'm worried about what's going to happen, but fortunately there's a good sample nearby. You should have also comforted Elze properly before the wedding, right? Are you sure? "

Wait a minute, why am I being preached!? Are you Elze's brother! Oh no, I'm sure they are basically siblings after having trained with that man!

"Before you got married, I was forced to become a punching bag of nervousness for you. Why did I have to be beaten instead of Touya-san?"

"I didn’t know that…… sorry…"

I didn’t know that such stress was relieved by Elze in the form of punching Ende…… It's true that Elze is a type whose emotions are easy to see on her face, so I thought I was following up well at that time, but it seems that it was not enough to cure her anxiety.

Well, from a standpoint, will Ende be in the same position as Elze? As a member of a family centered around him and Mel.

"So, what? When I brought up the two girls’ suggestion, I was told that they wanted to have the same type of ceremony as when you got married. Specifically, the girls want to have the same type of food served…"

"Ah……"

I see, that's what it is.

The three girls who have learned the culture of "food" find great joy in eating. Is it natural that they are particular about it at the wedding ceremony?

The three of them can also eat almost anything, as well. To be clear, each one eats even more than Yae. There are three of them. Ende's financial burden seems to be considerable.

It seems that Mel, Lycee, and Ney are helping out with a lot of part-time work, but Ende is still just a silver-ranked adventurer. The earnings are pretty slim compared to the spent amount.

"Well, I don't mind arranging the food, but I don't think that the brides and grooms usually eat at the ceremony … Isn't their main goal to eat?"

"Yeah … I was a little skeptical when they told me they want to get married because they wanted to eat the food at the reception …"

"No. It was a conclusion after having thought things through properly. The two others had thought a lot, Endymion. Of course, I did, too."

Turning to the sudden voice, behind us stood Mel, who looked dissatisfied with her hands on her hips. She sneaked up so close before I knew it …

Her two eyes, which are the same color as her ice-blue hair, are now looking at Ende with a moody light.

"Me, Mel!? Why are you here!?"

"I've come to pick you up. Have you finished talking?"

"Oh, well. Well, Touya-san will arrange the dishes for the ceremony."

When Ende replies, Mel’s original expression changes from one of being moody to smiling like a flower.

"I'm glad! Thank you, Touya-sama! Oh, please add in a little more meat dishes and desserts."

"Oh, yes. I'll tell the servants …"

I'm convinced that "a little" is definitely not enough. There will be fewer invited guests than we had at our wedding, but when it comes to eating with these brides (?), It's better to prepare a lot more. Maybe I should ask Lu to come up with a dish that doesn't stain wedding dresses … (Note: The “(?)” was already added in. It is just showing that Touya doesn’t know what to call the three girls. If they were to be married to Ende, then they would all be called brides. But since two want to get married to Mel, then they are not Ende’s brides. So, Touya cannot give an official name for them overall…)

"Then we're done. We'll send you the invitation for the ceremony at a later date. Let's go, Endymion."

"Ah, yeah. I'm sorry, Touya-san. We’re in a hurry. I'll invite you again for another drink sometime later."

"Oh, ok. I see."

Ende was taken out of his seat by Mel who was pulling on him … and he left the bar with Mel. I sigh with the sake and the food left by Ende in front of me.

Ende is getting married … This was unexpected.

Isn't it true that Karen-nee used her power as the God of Love?

Well, the acquaintances who took the bouquets at my wedding, Ende, the boy king of Palouf, the knight apprentice Will, who joined the Knights of Belfast in Lantz, and Robert, the Pumpkin Pants Prince?

I know that Karen-nee used her power to reach the other people too, if she’s done it with Ende’s bouquet, so I am a bit bothered. I wonder if the boy king and Robert are already engaged.

"Hmm? Isn't it Touya-san? Are you drinking alone? You must be a lonely guy."

"That …"

Turning to the familiar voice that flew from my back, as expected, a red-haired, twin-tailed girl and a small red golem that followed her stood.

This is the leader of the Red Cats, Nia and her Crown Golem Rogue.

Behind them, Deputy Chief Est, his aides Uni and Yuri, and the old man of "The Red Cats" were about to enter the bar. All of them had dirty clothes and scratches everywhere, but their facial expressions were radiant.

"Oi, owner! Serve high-quality sake and dragon meat dishes for this number of people! It's a banquet tonight!"

"Why, you really are spending more than usual. Did you get some high-income profit?"

Dragon meat is traded at a fairly high price due to its rarity. Naturally, the dishes that are created with it are also expensive. However, this bar is directly managed by the Adventurer's Guild next door, so it's much cheaper to eat the meat at than at any other restaurant.

However, even if it is cheap, it still costs a reasonable amount. And there’s a lot of people, to top it all off.

"We found a treasure on Dungeon Island. They were two untouched treasure chests. There are magic stones and jewels of various sizes inside. It's a big profit!"

Uni, a ponytail girl, told me with a happy face. That's great.

Most of the treasures on Dungeon Island are the legacy of the wizard who created them, but they may also be the belongings of adventurers who died in the return after entering the dungeon for the purpose of gaining the treasures.

Monsters take back the adventurer's belongings after killing them in the dungeon and store them in a treasure chest. Depending on the monster, the treasures may be divided into those that are amazing and those that are not, and some are divided by weapons and armor.

So sometimes you'll find something unexpected, such as an ancient magic sword or an enchanted item, but magic stones and gems are big hits.

"It looks like your adventurer business has led you to profit."

"Silly. Our main business is still being a group of thieves. This is just a part-time job. If we hear stories of bad merchants, bad guys, or rotten aristocrats somewhere, we’ll steal from them."

Nia laughs after saying that. The thing is, how should I react as the king of a nation?

I was promised that they wouldn't work as bandits in Brunhild, but if I hear about them in other countries, I'm likely to be pointed at.

I catch a new figure who has entered the bar in the corner of my field of vision.

"That's that? There are so many people. Oh, there's also some acquaintances. Is there a party?"

"Gi."

Entering from the entrance of the bar is a girl wearing glasses and a purple frilled dress. Standing beside her is a small purple golem that looks like Nia’s Rouge.

Luna Trieste, formerly known as the "Lady of Frenzy," and the purple Crown, Fanatic Viola.

"Well, it's Purple. What did you come to do?

"How you’re pointing me out is terrible. It's late today, so I came to eat. This place is cheap and the sake is delicious."

Nia frowns at Luna’s words and tries to get rid of her. Luna, on the other hand, sat down in the seat opposite me, where Ende was sitting, without even thinking about it. Viola also sits next to her. …… Hey, why are you coming to me?

"I don't know why this person is left unchecked. Hey Touya-san, it's not too late now, so throw her in the dungeon."

"Luna was punished properly. Besides, she expressed pleasure when she was punished……”

"I feel sick."

Nia is seriously pulling away from Luna who has a joyful smile as if she remembered something. I understand Nia’s feelings.

"The children smiled at Luna with gratefulness. I can't live without their smiles anymore. Because of that, my weekly holidays are painful and terrible …"

"You must be lying …"

Nia turns her eyes to Luna, who is speaking with her eyes glittering. No, she’s really saying this.

I cast a "curse" so that Luna could get tremendous pleasure by having another person be grateful to her. She can't do anything that kills people, and I can't say that the curse’s effects are harmless, but she’s still in a good condition. Viola’s ability as a Crown was also lost in that process.

"Well, are you drinking alone? Have you been kicked out of your castle? Is it a divorce countdown? "

"No!"

I’m still a newlywed. Don't say something that’s so bad!

"Huh, did you do something that made your wives angry? Oh, yeah, you peeped while I was changing clothes. If you really did want to see …"

"Wait! Swear that you will not say those words again!"

I hurriedly stopped Nia, who was in a good mood, from trying to speak. Certainly, I jumped in with [Teleport] while you were changing your clothes, but it was an accident!

If the others here start to comprehend that they just heard, then they will surely blame me for that mistake.

I'm sorry! I can not be in a place like this anymore! I'm going home!

I quickly ask the tavern owner to make a bill.

Why is this so expensive …? Oh, Ende! He went home without paying! I was robbed. What a day, huh.