“Inari, you sure think about difficult stuff.”
That was Shion’s response when Inari, during dinner at the inn, tried sharing her thoughts.
“Mm, is it truly so difficult?”
“Super difficult. Thinking about how dungeons influence the world? Sounds like something Tsukiko would be researching.”
“Indeed. Perhaps instead of fretting, I should have consulted her.”
“Maybe. But I’m glad you told me.”
Nodding, Shion leaned over the bubbling hot pot, its flame fueled by a little blue block of solid fuel. Their salad had been simple—lettuce and tomato—but with the dressing it had turned out crisp and delicious. Finishing it off, Shion tilted her head and hummed in thought.
“For me… I don’t think it’s something to worry about. Probably most people feel the same.”
“Mm…”
That much was likely true. In this era, people used the powers of Jobs and the technology spawned from dungeons to live richer lives than in “the former age.” Yes, new dangers existed—like sea monsters—but humanity was facing them while shaping a better world.
And so, very few would bother pondering “the mysteries of the world.”
“That’s why, if you’re concerned about it, and you want to know more—then I’ll think about it too.”
“I see. Thank you.”
“Because we’re friends.”
With that, Shion lifted the lid off the pot. Inside, Joshu beef sukiyaki simmered away, the aroma filling the air. Dipping the meat in beaten egg and taking a bite, sweet richness melted across her tongue.
“Mmm… delicious.”
“Mm. Local beef, was it not? Rich indeed.”
The inn’s dining hall wasn’t too crowded yet—it was still early—but glances kept flicking toward them. With two strikingly pretty girls in yukata, such attention was inevitable. Shion wore the inn-provided robe with a short winter coat, while Inari, of course, had transformed her shrine maiden garb into something similar. The pair stood out.
“Since the world changed, they say many problems have been solved.”
“Oh?”
“Environmental problems, other complicated stuff. Tsukiko said it might be because of mana.”
“Mana…”
Inari thought back. The day she had first gained a body in this world—at that moment, she had felt the air itself change, as if the world had been reset. Perhaps that sensation had been mana spreading into reality.
“Mm…”
Even after dessert fruit was finished and they returned to their room, thoughts lingered. Outside the window, the Yubatake hot spring field shone brilliantly under night-time illumination.
Now, electricity itself had shifted toward mana-stone generation. Truly, this age was one built on the foundation of dungeons. It was a testament to humanity’s strength—no different from the days when people dug into the earth, risking their lives for coal.
“The system brought humanity evolution and prosperity. But… for what purpose?”
From her last question right, one thing had been clear: the system held a will. If it were nothing but an automatic mechanism, it would never have shown respect toward her words. Where there is will, there is purpose.
“It is enemy and ally both. Hmm…”
“Thinking about hard stuff again?”
“Indeed, I was.”
“I thought so. Actually, I’ve been thinking too.”
When Shion leaned closer, Inari tilted her head with interest. A different perspective—what might it bring?
“To me, it feels like… a strict master.”
“A master? Ah… I see. That view holds weight.”
“Right? Like, humanity’s all in training mode?”
“Hah! Mm, that had never crossed my mind.”
For the first time, Inari truly felt surprised. Training for all humanity. If one set aside the question of what lay at the end, the thought did make sense.
“Training, is it… What awaits beyond that, I wonder.”
“Super awakeners battling some ultimate foe?”
“Ku ha ha ha! Yes, yes, perhaps so!”
Watching Shion strike a pose with Atsuage, Inari burst into laughter. Perhaps… perhaps that really was the truth. If the system had even drawn Inari herself into its design, then maybe this was all part of the training.
And if so—
“Mm. Then being made to dance is no ill thing. If it leads humankind to greater heights, so be it.”
With that, Inari picked up one of the room keys from the table. Enough “difficult thinking” for one night.
“Now then, I shall take a little bath.”
“Ah, I’m coming too.”
“I tend to linger long, is that fine?”
“Then I’ll just get out early and eat ice cream.”
And so, with Atsuage perched on Inari’s shoulder as usual, the two friends headed off to the inn’s large bath, where they relaxed in warmth and ease.