Can Someone from a Tradition-Ridden Village Pull Off a Narou-Style Story in a Modern Dungeon? ～The Higher Being Behind Me Is Way Too Much of a Final Boss～ - Chapter 145: Syntax (Patreon)

-Thank you DCRangeRange, Dean Dexter and CannedbreadFollow me on Patreon via Linktree https://linktr.ee/Mnotia-

It was said that god supposedly slept deep in the sea.

It was said that god supposedly had a voice that governed death.

It was said that god supposedly knew everything that had happened in every sea.

It was said, it was said, it was said――.

Every word Shiwo spoke was like telling a child an old tale.

Just as she herself had once been treated that way, she was surely doing the same to Senano.

So that old tale was somehow like a dream story, and at the same time terrifying.

One was not to approach the sea carelessly.

One was not to make light of nature.

No doubt it also contained warnings like those.

But what caught Senano's attention more than anything was that god's characteristics.

(If there really was a god with power on this scale, it should have been certified as calamity-lord-class.)

Even if it was merely an aberration, if it was born because of a Window, it was an Enri Entity.

If abilities or phenomena were added to that, its threat level increased even further.

If the god Shiwo spoke of existed as an Enri Entity, then it would probably be calamity-lord-class.

(This child was a major clue for this incident. But there was still a lot I didn't understand.)

Senano tried to resume questioning again.

But what interrupted that was a silence that pierced the ears.

At some point, both the sound of the clock and the sound of Karin preparing tea snacks in the kitchen had vanished.

In the midst of that, only the sound of a cup being placed on a saucer echoed.

"Senano-chan."

Shiwo looked at Senano while fidgeting, seeming somehow embarrassed.

Then in a small voice, she said this.

"I've gotten tired, so I'm gonna go see Onee-chan, okay?"

"...Huh?"

"A grown-up told me. They said there's a charm spell that makes you feel better. If you chant it while going to see Onee-chan, your tiredness really does fly away."

"That's――"

Just now, Shiwo spoke those words as if whispering.

"Saza yura toho kugu mahora amahara misogi na meyo."

"...!?"

There was a memory.

Not of the words themselves, but of the irregular and strangely instinctive rhythm that made her hair stand on end.

Senano had heard it many times nearby.

――Tata naga hiso kuku kotohara minashi na izu miyo.

Words Ei had sometimes chanted.

It was said to be a norito for having Sorayodo no Oohito turn their gaze upon you.

That thing, forcibly fitted to human words by a higher-order regularity outside modern linguistics, was for Ei a connection to Sorayodo no Oohito.

And for Shiwo, it was a connection to her older sister.

『Here's some Osora trivia! There are also words like furu tsuchi yura kugu kunibara shinashi na yuzu meyo!』

『I've been made to chant it all this time without knowing the meaning, but does this really have no meaning?』

『To put it simply, it's a cheat code. ^^』

『...F-for what?』

『^^』

『Ehh...』

『More importantly, why do you know the term cheat code?』

『Huh? That's, um... (flustered)』

『How cute. ^^』

■

"...!"

Shio's legs, which should have been moving briskly toward the abandoned inn, suddenly stopped, so Minako turned around.

She showed no sign of starting to grumble about being tired; with a pale face, she leaned forward and slowly rested against the trunk of the tree that looked like it would support her body best in that spot.

"Ugh, I kind of feel sick..."

"Well, well, again?"

Minako looked at Shio, then glanced once toward the sea.

Her expression was refreshed, and the same bright smile was at the corners of her mouth as always.

But Shio didn't notice that her eyes held light sunken like the bottom of the sea.

"Shio, are you okay?"

"Just a little break. I-I'm starting to feel bad again... Is there another kid wearing a box somewhere? Ever since I saw that, I've felt sick... Ugh."

"Ahahaha, that's not what's causing it. Come on, I spread out the sheet, so sit, sit."

Minako took a leisure sheet from her backpack and spread it at Shio's feet.

Almost at the same time, Shio, seemingly unable to bear it anymore, threw herself down onto it.

"Ueehh..."

"It's tough, huh, Shio."

"Ugh, my only redeeming feature was being energetic... At this rate, Shiwo's gonna laugh at me."

"Shiwo?"

"Yeah, my little sister..."

"Ohh, now that you mention it, you did say that."

Then Minako turned her gaze toward the sea again.

And immediately let out an "Ahh" as if she understood something.

"So because the order got messed up, it's trying to balance the books? I see. It's the type that can even recover."

"Order...?"

"It's about my village's fishing industry."

"That doesn't make any sense...? Ugh, I mean, any more than this is really impossible..."

"There, there. As a favor to a close friend, I'll help you again. Shio, which do you want, kelp or bonito flakes?"

"Kelp..."

"Alright, coming up!"

Minako cheerfully took out one fist-sized rice ball from her backpack.

It was wrapped in aluminum foil, reflected the sunlight sparklingly, and shone vividly.

"This kelp tsukudani is made by Yoshikawa-san at the liquor store. The sweet-salty taste is really exquisite, it's the best. If you like it, tell me. It's sold in jars in Shiome Village."

"Uu, thanks for the food..."

Even in agony that seemed like her stomach would flip over at any moment and her eyeballs would roll back from dizziness, Shio's body began moving toward the rice ball Minako held as if by instinct.

Seeing Shio grab the rice ball with trembling hands and bring it to her mouth, Minako nodded and began pouring tea into a paper cup.

"Ugh, it's good..."

"Take your time, okay. The sea properly soaks into your body, after all."

"...? G-got it..."

Shio ate with a munching, old-person-like pace.

Minako, watching her with a fond look, held down her hair swaying in the sea breeze that passed by her side and muttered quietly.

"Mm, it finally switched, huh. It held out this time."

"Munch... munch..."

"Chew your food properly, okay."

"Yeah... Huh, I think I might be feeling better...!"

Until a moment ago, Shio had been nibbling the rice ball with the complexion of a sick person, but suddenly her color returned and the size of each bite increased.

"Munch munch! It's delicious! I don't know why eating this makes me feel better every time, but it really helps! Delicious! Seconds!"

"Ahahaha! In the end, you're eating both after all!"

Looking happy, Minako held out a rice ball.

Shio took it energetically, tore the aluminum foil to shreds, took out the contents, and put it in her mouth with her eyes sparkling.

"This is delicious too!"

"Right? That's also Yoshikawa-san's bonito flakes from the liquor store."

"Yoshikawa-san's amazing!?"

"Right? That's why I had you undergo Senkai so you could live longer."

"Huh? Senkai...!?"

"Ah, um... In our village, we hold that kind of festival for someone's 88th birthday. The pronunciation's similar, right?"

"Heeh, is that so. Delicious."

Because eighty percent of her thoughts were directed at the rice ball, Shio didn't doubt those words.

At that moment, she should have thought only about eating this delicious rice ball.

"Hey, is your body okay now?"

"Yeah!"

When she had eaten about half the rice ball, Minako asked that.

With a body that had recovered as if it were only natural, Shio puffed out her chest and nodded strongly.

Her gaze was still fixed on the rice ball as before.

Therefore, her reply to Minako was half unconscious.

"You don't wanna feel like you did earlier again?"

"Well, of course. Munch munch..."

"Then let's kiss."

"Yeah. ...Huh? What did you just――"

It was the moment Shio, finally noticing how strange the words were, turned toward Minako.

A soft sensation touched her lips, and before she could understand what it was, it quickly pulled away.

In front of Shio, whose thoughts had stopped and who stood dazed, Minako wore a somewhat bewitching smile different from usual and stuck out her tongue as if licking her own lips.

"Yoshikawa-san's bonito flakes really are delicious."

"Huh, ah, just now... Huh?"

"Want some tea? If you only eat rice balls the whole time, they'll get stuck in your throat."

"Ah, ahh, yeah..."

With a "?" floating in her head, Shio accepted the paper cup.

Then, without drinking right away, she stared at the surface of the barley tea swaying inside the paper cup.

"...?"

She didn't really understand, but maybe something had been done to her.

Her dull thoughts slowly arrived at such a vague, meaningless answer.

And Shio began eating the rice ball again, as if escaping from thought.

『Ho! To think you'd directly participate in the shipping as a higher existence! You prioritized the completion of the ship over your own mystery, didn't you?』

『Osora-sama, that earlier thing was different. I just happened to find the word cheat code when I was looking something up on my phone before. That there's an act in games that lets you cheat like that――』

『Hmm, but when it comes to cuteness, this Ei here doesn't lose either!』

-Thank you DCRangeRange, Dean Dexter and CannedbreadFollow me on Patreon via Linktree https://linktr.ee/Mnotia-