It was another world, tucked away within a rift in space-time. This extremely private space, crafted by the God of World Creation, was inaccessible to outsiders without the explicit permission of a certain individual.
Until recently, nothing but an endless grassland had stretched across this world, but a majestic mountain had been added just the other day. It was the same towering peak known in the Otherworld as Mount Fuji, and a traditional Japanese-style inn stood in a prime location with a perfect view of it.
"Oh, wow... how impressive. So that's what they call Mount Fuji? It really is a magnificent sight."
"The colors are so beautiful. Is that snow at the peak? Snow... does it actually snow here?"
"...No, unless we change the settings, it shouldn't. But then again, Eden-sama created that mountain herself, so I suppose it’s pointless to apply our common sense to it."
Lunamaria spoke with open admiration while gazing at Mount Fuji, Sieglinde murmured with genuine curiosity, and Lilia replied with an expression of weary resignation. These three close friends had come to the hot spring inn Lilia received from Machina for a much-needed retreat and a reward for their hard work.
For Lilia, this trip was also intended to soothe the mental exhaustion brought on by the Hydra Kingdom Founding Anniversary Festival. Even though the festivities hadn't taken place in this specific dimension, she had suffered enough stomach pain there to last a lifetime.
"By the way, Lili, Miyama-sama's black tea brand launches today. Was it really alright for you to be here?"
"I'm not fundamentally involved in the business, after all. My house isn't acting as the point of contact this time... Plus, I had a feeling that staying at the mansion today would only result in more seeds of stomach pain flying at me from some bizarre direction. This is partly an evacuation."
"If that's the case, you'll still have to deal with whatever comes your way once we get back anyway," Sieglinde pointed out with a wry look.
Since they were in private, Lunamaria addressed Lilia by her nickname, "Lili," instead of "Milady." Lilia could only offer a bitter smile in return.
In truth, Lilia's talent for attracting trouble was extraordinary. As she said, had she stayed at the mansion, some stomach-turning incident likely would have found her eventually. However, as Sieglinde noted, avoiding it now just meant she would face it later. She was simply postponing the inevitable.
"Still, the architecture of the Otherworld is quite unique. It's made of wood, but the shape is unlike anything I've seen."
"I'm looking forward to experiencing a different culture like this. Kaito-san has mentioned how much he loves hot springs so many times that I've become quite curious about them myself."
Sieglinde smiled and nodded at Lunamaria's observation. She had heard her lover, Kaito, talk about his passion for hot springs on numerous occasions. However, since hot springs were relatively rare in Trinia, she had few opportunities to visit them.
Sieg looked quite cheerful as she thought about experiencing an authentic hot spring today. If she liked it, she hoped to invite Kaito to join her for a soak sometime in the future.
Upon entering the inn and reaching their room, however, the three were immediately met with a sense of utter bewilderment.
"...Lili, there are quite a few things here that I don't recognize at all."
"W-Well, it is an Otherworld inn, after all. If I recall correctly, we're supposed to remove our shoes at this step before stepping up."
"I see... What about that unusually low table?"
"Perhaps it's for smaller people, like those of the Spirit Race? At that height, we would have to sit directly on the floor to use it..."
It was a natural assumption. In a traditional Japanese-style inn, Lilia and her companions were surrounded by objects that were entirely foreign to them. Since they had never experienced sitting on tatami before, seeing the table and floor cushions led them to believe the furniture was intended for miniature races.
"Actually, I think that table is for us. In the Otherworld, I believe people sit on floor cushions called zabuton on top of this tatami, or they use things called legless chairs."
"I-Is that so? Sitting directly on the floor... I mean, on the tatami... The cultural differences are truly staggering."
"Sieg, you're surprisingly well-informed."
Lilia and Lunamaria stared at Sieglinde in genuine shock. To them, the tatami looked like part of the floor, and the concept of sitting directly on it was difficult to grasp.
When Lunamaria asked how she knew so much, Sieglinde gave a small, graceful smile.
"A friend of my parents was an Otherworlder. Our house actually has an engawa and a garden modeled after his home. I learned quite a bit from him. I might have even met him when I was a small child, though I don't remember him well enough to say for sure. This is my first time seeing the real thing, though."
"I see... In that case, Sieg, what is that object over there?"
"...Ah, well, I'm afraid I don't know that one."
Lilia had pointed to the television in the room, her expression brightening as she hoped for another explanation, but Sieglinde could only look on in confusion.
In reality, this inn was a copy of the one Kaito and Shallow Vernal had used, though the mechanical components had been replaced with magical ones. However, since this world was technically not part of Trinia, it fell outside the constraints of the contract between Shallow Vernal and Machina. This allowed for the placement of magic tools that were essentially perfect replicas of mechanical products. Consequently, the inn was filled with items that remained a total mystery to Lilia and her friends.
Serious-senpai: "I suspect the designs are identical, and they just swapped out the engines and electricity for magic crystals and formulas..."