“…And so, that is what happened.”
“Haa… so that’s what went on after you left my shop, huh.”
That night.
Back home, Inari called Eri on the phone. Eri laughed casually, saying, “I wish I’d been there to see it.”
“But you know, you didn’t have to force yourself to buy anything.”
“Mm. To buy something unneeded would be discourteous—both to the product and to the store.”
“Well, the shop might be happy about the sale… but anyway.”
Indeed, higher sales numbers would certainly please both the store and its staff, but that was a matter of business results and not the point at hand.
“What I mean is, improving your lifestyle isn’t about what we think—it’s about you surrounding yourself with the things you want.”
“Well, that may be true, but still…”
“There’s no need to rush. I think things like this… are often born out of connections between people.”
“Connections between people.”
Yes, Inari thought, that must be right. For example, in the anime Atsuage often watched, characters dressed up because they wanted to look cute or cool for someone. They bought new things because they wanted to win against someone. They bought something because they admired someone else who had it. Such scenes appeared often. And commercials for goods followed the same logic.
It was certain that for Inari, who had long lived in a self-contained way, such things were still lacking.
“Fumu… connections, is it. Eri, thou hast taught me something important.”
“I’m glad if I could help. Both as a maid, and as a friend.”
“Fufu, indeed. Then perhaps next time, we might go somewhere together for fun?”
“Eh!? Wow, I’d love that! Just let me know, I’ll clear my schedule!”
“Mm. Of course. Forgive me for keeping thee up so late.”
“Late? The night’s just getting started… Anyway, goodnight.”
Ending the call, Inari smiled softly. Becoming friends with Eri was surely a stroke of good fortune, a true treasure.
For now, broadening her perspective was what mattered most. With that in mind, she sat down beside Atsuage in front of the television. It seemed to be waiting for a show to begin, and Inari thought, “Let’s start from here.”
But what began was… a little much for her.
—Impossible! Your kingdom should be torn apart by internal strife! The ministers—
—The fool is you, Marshal Danza! You underestimated the bonds of my kingdom!
—Kukuku, indeed. It was all a ruse… and you are the one who was deceived!
—C-Curse you! Grandar! Crush them!
—My king, allow me to support you!
—Aah, I entrust it to you, Minister!
—Understood! Ships Seven through Thirty-Five, and One-Twenty-Five through Three-Twenty-One, fire secondary cannons in sequence! Do not let him approach!
—Good! By royal command, the time has come… awaken our guardian god… combine!
Obeying the protagonist’s command, countless space battleships began merging together. The sequence was abbreviated—clearly a shortened stock animation—but already Inari was lost.
At last, the eyes of a humanoid robot shone, and the protagonist declared proudly.
—Behold! The completed colossus… Divine Kingdom!
—C-Curse youuuuu! Grandar, destroy them…!
The newly formed Divine Kingdom, towering far above the enemy robot Grandar, opened countless gun ports at once.
—Kingdom Cannon, full burst!
—Gwaaaaahhhhhhh!
“…Mm.”
Beside Atsuage, who was bouncing up and down with excitement, Inari sat with a somewhat wistful expression. She didn’t want to spoil its mood, so she watched quietly. She watched… but…
“I understand nothing… All I can grasp is that modern anime is terribly flashy…”
—At last, now on sale! Complete Combination Divine Kingdom! Recreate all 500 battleships’ combination sequence with your own hands! By royal command, bring the legend of the Divine Kingdom to life… in your very home!—
“Is this some new kind of educational toy…?”
Were children expected to assemble all 500 parts themselves? Or was it intended for them to build it together with their parents? And what if one of the 500 pieces was lost? It seemed nothing but terribly troublesome… Such were Inari’s thoughts, already from a parent’s perspective.
“…Uumu.”
After watching through the ending and next episode preview, Inari went to the kitchen, boiled water, and brewed tea.
She had understood nothing. Not at all. But perhaps that was because she had jumped in midway. Maybe, had she watched from the beginning, her impression would have been different.
“Well… little by little. Little by little, aye. To attempt all at once is never wise.”
For now, the plan would be to set a day to go out with Eri. Hikaru… seemed unwilling to be around others, so perhaps inviting Shion together would be good too. Well, first she needed to speak to each of them. That too would be experience.
And such experiences—things she never could have gained in the abandoned village—would surely help Inari continue to grow.