Pioneering the Apocalyptic World - Chapter 40

Chapter 10: The sloppy honey trap strategy and the worthless merit

The dinner was just a light banquet hosted at the elder’s house (Zagi’s house)…… Sorry that was a lie, it was like a marriage meeting…… Ugh!
The colorful dishes I’ve never seen before made my eyes shine for a short while, but next moment, not only the male elves from earlier, but also the promising youths of the village, and various other people came and not only greeted me, but also tried to court to me… !
I couldn’t even enjoy my meal! You guys remember this, a grudge over food is a scary thing!
During that time, I was curious about how Uru was doing, so I searched around, and found that she and Fricka were eating together in the corner of the room without being bothered by anyone in particular. That alone was fortunate in this disaster.
But Fricka is really a nice and considerate. Sometime I will have show my gratitude to her.

But the last part Is the one the I thought that was the worst.
One of the elders asked me while smirking, “Is there a young man you liked…? If you nominate him, I’ll send him to your room later.” and approached me with that talk! Geez.
There is a limit to being vulgar!!!
Nominations, making them go to to my room even though it’s already night… The purpose is completely ‘that’, isn’t it! Is this a brothel or something like that?
Or perhaps In their eyes I look that lustful?
Because it make my blood boil so much, I, with a super nice smile (self-proclaimed) said,

“Then please give me a Fricka.”

When I said that, the elder stiffened up and his face almost made me laugh! Hahaha!
He just said “Is that so…” and dispiritedly leaved the room, so the trouble passed…… Or so I thought, but.

“… Ahh… I-I’m really sorry.”

“No, please don’t worry about it.”

At night, Fricka really came to the room that was assigned as my bedroom, so I reflexively did a dogeza.

In the end, I called Uru, who was assigned to a room a little far away, and the three of us stayed overnight in my room.
It’s a really trivial story, but the bed in this room is the size that three or more people can sleep together with plenty of space to move around. ……What they are assuming that I will use it for…….

“Ah, Fricka, did you get home properly?”

“Yes.…When It was decided that I will spend a night away from home my little sister cried a little.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It’s okay for you go to home, okay?”

“In that case, I’ll be scolded……It would be fine if it ended with just that, but they could think ‘She didn’t became satisfied with you?’ and send someone else in my place?”

Hiiiiee!? That would be a problem, please don’t do it!!! Or rather, “satisfied “… Eh… They are seriously thinking that I will do ‘that’ with Fricka……?
Well, if this saves me from all the other hassles…

“… I’ll explain it just in case, but in this village, it’s forbidden to do anything unless that you are an married couple. In other words, if you do it, you’ll be agreeing to marriage, so please be careful.”

“… So if I don’t return you right now, they will think I’ve agreed even if I didn’t put a hand in you…?

“……”

“Hey, I’m screwed in this situation !!?”

I had no choice but to hold my head and bang it against the pillow. Sob…
Well, if I was about to be forced to marry, let’s run away regardless of their claims, yeah let’s do that… In the first place, no matter what the others people says, I haven’t actually put my hand her = I haven’t agreed to marry her…
I’m became tired of being crouched down all this time, so while being in a half-awkward state, I sat down while hugging a pillow.

“Haa… Even if there’s no merit in marrying me…”

When I whispered that, Fricka gave me a troubled look.
Furthermore, I was told by Uru in an exasperated voice.

“Rather, a type like you might have the most merit.”

“Eh?”

“Your bride… Between your special person and others, if you are asked to do something ‘as a miko’, can you truly choice fairly?”

Gununu… There is no part that I can be object about that logic…!
If everyone asks me do something now, unless there’s an emergency, I’m confident that Uru will be my top priority…!

“Do you understand that if you don’t take a firm stance against the surroundings and show that you don’t get carried away by feelings, you might have that part targeted? …… Well considering your attitude towards me when we were entering this village, it may already be too late to fake it.”

…… I guess I still haven’t lost the sense of being a “one of the many mikos(Players)”.
Judging from the reactions of the residents so far, the miko seems to be a fairly high position… Being literally treated like the representative of the God of Creation will.
However, I don’t have yet acquired the awareness of acting responsibly to my position. I still don’t understand my position in this word.
Fricka also adds a blow to the naivety of my thoughts.

“To tell you the truth, you have a high value with ‘just’ being a miko. Please be aware of that. And for that reason alone, there must be people who want to get their hands on you.”

Hahaha… Aren’t the elves too pragmatic…?
Well, if a high-ranking person were to act out of their own personal feelings or self-interest, the people below them would be troubled… Or they might even try to take advantage of it.

“Being a bride or a son-in-law and support the Miko-sama… It may sound good like that, but they want to guide the Miko-sama’s will, in other words, it’s a kind of honey trap.”

“…Ahaha… How you are honest even if It’s about things that you don’t have to talk about, I really like that part in you.”

“…………Thank you very much?”

She is making a confused face, but it’s true that my disadvantages are being reduced by your frankly honest responses and by revealing the actual situation to me. I really appreciate it.
But… I see, do they really want the power of a miko so much… They don’t even care about “me”, heh… Fufufufufu…

“…So Fricka also wanted the power of the Miko?”

“…No, I was just raised like that…I didn’t wanted anything in particular.”

Hahahahaha… That’s too a sad story to hear…

“… I want some love.”

“……”

I didn’t notice that Fricka was staring at me as I buried my face in the pillow and spilled out that phrase.

“Come to think of it, Uru, you haven’t became sluggish tonight?”

At night, she normally was exhausted and went to sleep quickly, but now she doesn’t seem to be that bad this time
Although the room’s light is dim, her complexion does not look bad..

“Umu? Yeah … I’ve been feeling a slight chill, but it’s not to the point that I feel lethargic.”

“Eh, could it be…You have been feeling that this whole time? Just rest, now!”

I am sure that Uru commented before that she starts to feel chilly around the afternoon, so that means that nearly half a day has passed.

“Mu… Then I will do that.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t noticed before. After that… what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it seems that the people in this village doesn’t like you… If you want l can send you to the base or even to Grosso village?”

A lizard may have done something in the past, but Uru herself has done nothing wrong, it would be mentally painful to her to being unilaterally hated by the people here.
To my suggestion, Uru didn’t even show a single moment of hesitation.

“Rather, for me it’s not good mentally to leave you alone here. I’m fine being with you like this.”

“… Hmm.”

In other words, that mean that I will going to screw something up……There is no element that can use to object it, but still……!

“I’m stronger than you thinks. Don’t worry about it.”

While laughing about it, Uru covered herself with a blanket and went to sleep.
Hmm, I think there’s a difference between a strong body and a strong mind… But I’ll believe in your words.

“…I’ll tell you one thing before I go to sleep.”

“Hmm?”

“…I said that things earlier… But I like the you, who doesn’t make any calculations before rushing up emotionally to help other people.”

“–”

While I was stuck thinking in how to reply, Uru fell asleep easily.
After a while, I finally muttered “good night” and stroked her head while taking care to not wake her up.

“… You two are really on good terms with each other.”

Perhaps because Uru had fallen asleep, Fricka spoke to me in a whispering tone.

“It is because since I came to this world, I’ve known her for the longest time, she is my first friend.”

“You love her?”

“Mn!… Aa… A-At least I have affection for her.”

You really say embarrassing things straight!
It doesn’t seem like she’s making fun of me because she has a serious face…
To my answer that could be taken as a try to mislead the topic, Fricka just looked down. Hmm… What’s wrong?

“Nothing, It’s just… Miko-sama places great importance on love, but… To be honest, like Uru-san, I don’t really understand that feeling… I wonder what it’s like.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, I know that I said it myself, but I don’t know about it that well either, you know?”

“… Eh”

No, I mean… I’ve never had a lover, and I’ve never had anyone I wanted to be lovers with.
Just, well, maybe, but.

“I wonder if one day you suddenly realize that you have already fallen in love. Haha…What I am a maiden dreaming about love?”

“…”

Feeling embarrassed by my own words that sounded like an adolescent girl, I scratched my cheek.
……No, umm, if you look at me with eyes like you want to say “What are you talking about?” makes me want to dig a hole and bury myself in it……

Fricka only muttered “……Is that so?” and closed her eyes, and without continuing the conversation,
she fell asleep.
You can even laugh at me, just give me a reaction…