What If the Strongest Villain from the Original Story Became the Protagonist's Ally? - Chapter 40 - Souvenirs, and Cooking

“What… is this?”

In my room, I checked the souvenirs with Nana and Iris.

Nana grabbed a wooden carved doll from among the souvenirs arranged on the table and asked.

“That’s a curse doll.”

“A curse?”

“Right, a curse. Curse written as ‘majinai’ (charm).”

“Like Papa’s mask?”

“Hahaha! This isn’t a cursed item or anything like that at all.”

“But it’s suspicious.”

“But it’s not a cursed item… I think.”

“Yuu-san doesn’t have any certainty either…”

Well, well! This was something I randomly snatched from the Empire.

Unfortunately, my memory didn’t contain any mask with such a creepy taste. Speaking of which, in a way this was also majinai—no, was it a cursed item?

“By the way, what does majinai mean?”

“Hmm… it’s like praying to Iris and me to ward off bad things.”

“Why am I being treated the same as gods and buddhas…”

“You’re a Child of God. Let’s rely on good luck for once!”

“I’m simultaneously shouldering responsibility though?”

“I’ll run away depending on the situation.”

“That’s the worst.”

I was glared at by Iris with half-lidded eyes.

Even if you say that, I’m not actually a god…

I’m just a person with the same eyes. The same goes for Iris. No matter how vast our magical power. No matter if we summon spirits. That doesn’t change.

No matter how far humans reach with their mortal bodies, they can’t achieve mythical feats. Humans cannot become gods.

“Hmm… it feels gross somehow.”

Toss.

Nana threw the precious present behind her.

“Nanaaaaaaa!?”

What are you doing! Is this family breakdown!?

“Iris-mama! Iris-mama spoiled Nana too much and she became like this…!”

“If anything, she resembles you closely, Yuu-san.”

“She takes after her father.”

“Just like Papa.”

But Papa doesn’t throw away presents from other people. Time for a lecture. I scolded Nana about ethics and values, then continued with the presents.

“Papa, what’s this?”

“It’s a knife I selected.”

“A knife as a souvenir from going to a village?”

“That’s not something you buy for a child.”

“Heh. I don’t neglect talent education either. Because I’m the strongest. —By the way, I bought that knife in the capital.”

“What exactly is a souvenir…”

“Well… there aren’t really any specialties in a small village…”

Most things could be bought in the capital too.

In the first place, they weren’t living outside by choice. Villages were formed by people who couldn’t fit into the capital. Or those who couldn’t pay money, and so on.

So unless they were blessed with a particularly good location, they couldn’t make specialties.

They were too busy just surviving each day.

“What about this?”

Nana had already picked the next present.

She was happy about the knife and properly equipped it at her waist.

“A mask. It matches Papa’s.”

While I couldn’t find a mask with the exact same design and quality, wearing masks would allow us to play masked parent-child.

I thought this present was quite genius.

“I don’t want it.”

Toss.

Once again, Nana threw away someone’s souvenir behind her.

“Nanaaaaaaa!”

This is family breakdown!? Again!?

I drilled into Nana that she shouldn’t treat things received from others carelessly.

At least if you’re going to throw them away, do it where other people can’t see, I said.

“I understand Nana’s feelings well. I was against that too…”

“Ehhhhhh!? Masks are great! If you wear a mask and hide your face, it’s kind of cool, right!? Don’t you want to wear a black long coat and smile fearlessly!?” (T/N: Persona 5 Reference, Joker)

“What’s with that suspicious person wish? Have you already forgotten that you almost got caught when you first came to the capital?”

“I’m a man who doesn’t look back on the past. Let’s live looking only forward.”

“That’s fine, but look at Nana’s expression. She’s drooping sadly.”

“N-Nana!? Why are you so depressed!?”

“Because your souvenir selection is catastrophic.”

“She was happy and equipped the knife!?”

“Normally that would be out of the question.”

Snap, Iris declared definitively.

I didn’t know because I’d never lived properly in my entire life.

Am I… weird!?

“Grrr… something that could make Nana happy…”

I tried thinking desperately. Something I could do. And rare, and something Nana would enjoy… Hah!?

“That’s it! Nana!”

“What is it?”

“Let’s go eat something delicious! Or I’ll make some unusual dish for you!”

“Really?”

Oh. She unexpectedly took the bait.

As expected, children want delicious food and such. Adults want it too.

Thinking that, I considered what to make or where to take her to eat.

However, before I could come up with an answer, Iris said something ominous.

“—Oh, in that case… if I may be so presumptuous, shall I cook for you two?”