Led away from the so-called Dungeon Sector, I walked through the streets of a Kyoto that bore little resemblance to the one in my memories.
The atmosphere was the spitting image of Wakuni from the other world, which gave me a strange sense of nostalgia... but more than that, the magic saturating the air was incredibly dense. Having known the original world, the sense of wrongness was overwhelming.
"Um, you really are Reima Kariya, right?"
"I don't have many ways to prove it, but here's my license."
As she led me along by the hand for some reason, I fished my Adventurer's License out of my wallet.
It was a rectangular card embedded with various spells. Apparently, it was supposed to grant access to rank-restricted areas and serve as an official ID, but since I only ever delved into unmapped Dungeons or Mythologies, I'd barely had a chance to use the thing.
"Well, you'd be arrested for forgery, so I suppose you're the real deal. But seriously, why are you a child?"
"...Magic is a wondrous thing, isn't it?"
"That wasn't an answer... Looking at this closely, it's quite a nasty curse. Are you sure you're all right?"
"I mean, it's a pain, but I'm managing."
I knew it was some kind of status ailment, but it really is a curse after all. I'd tried things like [Dispel], but the spell was so complex and the effects were tangled together like a mess of yarn. I hadn't been able to budge it. I suppose I had to give Tamamo credit for her craftsmanship... though I'd really prefer she used those skills for something else.
"By the way, who are you?"
"Oh, me? I suppose I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Mikoto Tsuchimikado. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Same here. I'm Reima Kariya. Nice to meet you, Mikoto."
She stopped and gave me a polite little bow with a smile. I restated my name as well, but immediately after, she took my hand again and resumed her role as a guide.
"Just curious, but why are we holding hands?"
"I've always longed for a younger brother. Probably because I'm a younger sister myself."
"...So you're casting me as the brother?"
"Only for now."
"...Well, since you're guiding me, I guess 'only for now' is fine."
I didn't particularly mind since I was used to being treated like a younger brother, but it was a bit late to start worrying about it. Speaking of which, the two who claimed to be my sisters... they weren't sisters-in-law, and they certainly weren't blood-related. What the hell were they?
As I mulled it over for a few minutes—and it was definitely far too late for this—I wondered why I had two sisters, a daughter, a mother, a younger brother, and a younger sister. None of them were related to me by blood, of course—no, stop. I'll never find my way back if I dive into that rabbit hole.
"Ah, we're almost at the Kanna house... Since it's your first time, you'll probably be surprised, but try not to get lost."
"Surprised? By what?"
As she said this and pulled my hand, I stepped into something.
It must have been a barrier. Looking back, she'd led me to a spot where there was absolutely nothing; my eyes had seen only a vast, empty void. But the moment I crossed over, the scenery transformed into an estate that looked like something straight out of a Heian-era aristocrat's dreams—though 'vast' didn't even begin to cover it.
Even looking around, I couldn't grasp its full scale. This space was entirely secluded; it was eerily quiet, save for the occasional breeze. All I could see for now was the main gate. I had no idea what the rest of the grounds looked like.
"You're surprised, aren't you? It's quite a spacious estate. Well, it's not my home, but allow me to introduce it—welcome to Valhalla, the Main House of the Kanna Clan, Reima Kariya."
And so, I set foot into the estate of the Kanna family—the ancestral home of my companion, Tsubaki Kanna. The place was saturated with a holy magic so potent that just breathing the air felt like it was restoring my mana. It was a different breed of power from Levi's Divine Realm.
And then... I didn't even know how I could tell, but I felt it. The unmistakable sensation of someone, somewhere, was watching me.
"Now then, Saaya-sama and the others are waiting. Let's go... Reima."
I didn't even have time to be dazed before I was being pulled inside the house.