Tanaka Jiro, 28 years old, with a spouse
　Wife Suella Handelberg　
　Memory Tris
　Occupation Dungeon Tester (full-time)
　Magical aptitude nine (quasi-magical grade)
　Post Warriors


I'm not interested. Fortunately, my husband makes more money than most people do. I'm very happy with my life. Don't you look so disappointed.
I was hoping you would say that.

　The magic aptitude is ten. You're not going to be able to find out what you're looking for.
　So I knew the answer to Suera's invitation to join the company.
　It's just like my mother.
　She refused without even showing any signs of distress.
　I was not disappointed, including the disgruntled father standing next to me.
　You can't help but laugh as you clap a disappointed Suela on the shoulder.

To begin with, I'm old enough to know better.　I'm not even physically fit anymore. I'll leave this kind of work to young Jiro.

　My mother went back to drink.
　You're headed to Mirrle and Smilasta, so you can't pursue the matter any further.
　As soon as you return to your seat, you start laughing cheerfully, and you want to tell her to lie behind your back.
　But I didn't.
　Because the moment you say it, the glass in your right hand will fly at high speed from the cup you hold in your right hand, and the object that has been changed into a mug will fly at high speed.
　But I know that my mother's body is still working.
　Last New Year's Eve, she was laughing about how she had beaten up all the men in the village in a brawl with some jungle natives with a bottle of alcohol in her hand.
　As proof, my dad showed me a picture of my mother laughing with the natives with special tattoos on their shoulders, and I remember seeing the men's faces beaten to a pulp without exception.
　Of course my mom was unharmed.
　And that's why I'm telling you this.
　I can tell you that my mom would be one of the best at this company.
　But I wanted to avoid working at the same place as my mom, so I kept my mouth shut.
　Maybe a supervisor might say something later, but I'm sure Mom would just laugh and turn it down if the boss asked her to.
　As it was, there was more of a surprise than trouble, but the party went on and most of the members got drunk.
　As the clock strikes midnight, you appreciate the flexibility of your office and know that you have the day off tomorrow.

What can I say, I had a spur-of-the-moment meeting, but were Suela and Memoria good?

　It will be tomorrow before I completely clean up, but I'll be putting away the dishes as soon as I can to get some things done.
　With me is Suela, who has refrained from drinking alcohol due to being pregnant with her unborn child, and Memoria, who has saved her alcohol consumption.
　The rest of the men are in the living room sleeping rough and tumble while the women are in the bedroom.
　So we're alone now.

Yeah, well, I'm a little surprised.

　Suela was more than a little flustered, but she didn't say it.

Kirika, no, your mother-in-law was a good person. I enjoyed it because she reminded me of Jiro-san in some way. And then she laughed and asked me to invite her to the wedding.
"I've been told, too,
"Even if I don't call them, they're definitely going to come to me on a hunch.

　They're going to hit the wedding venue with no questions asked.
　I can see that in my mind's eye.

I was in such a rush that I forgot to ask Muille.
"To your grandfather?
"Yeah, you know, that spirit contract you were talking about before.
That's true, I'm sure your grandfather knows the Presbyterian Church.
"As a human, I don't spend much time with Suela and her friends, so I'll have to deal with it while I'm still able to.
"But is that right, Jiro?
"What?　Memoria
"A covenant with a spirit, in and of itself, is fine, but what you're making is a covenant with a higher spirit. That is,
"Does that mean we stop being human?
"Yes.

　Somehow I made a gesture of probing for a cigarette, but stopped as soon as I caught sight of Suela.
　Instead, he scratches his head and collects his thoughts.

"It's not a big deal in and of itself. No, I'd think about it if my personality changed or my soul was painted over, but that's not going to change, is it?
Yeah, I don't hear about that.
"Well, if I'm going to be around you guys, I don't care about my body being human. My mother and father would understand if I told them.
How's that for a smart ass, my son?

　My body reacted with a conditioned reflex.
　Slowly, I looked behind me and saw my mother standing there with a grin and two beer cans.
　I thought she had fallen asleep, but did her usual instincts keep her awake?

I just thought I'd have a glass of wine with my son before going to bed, don't be so alarmed. It's just what Jiro says.

　He holds one out to me with a whimper while opening the pull-tab.


　I take it and open it and drink it with them.
　Suela and her friends are quietly excusing themselves from the table, covering their dads with blankets and putting the dishes away.

"They're good kids, aren't they?
Right?
Yeah, I don't want to waste it on you.
"What's that, you underestimate your son?
For me, you'll always be a difficult son.
"Okay.

　I'm not going to rebel if I'm not a kid.
　Even though I was a laissez-faire kind of girl, I was raised by him.
　I feel indebted to him for that much.
　So you silently gulp down your beer.

What do you mean, "Stop being a man?
"It's just the way it is, it doesn't change your appearance, but it does change your lifespan and allows you to do things you wouldn't normally be able to do.

　Maybe it's convenient in a way that I was asked.
　I told him about my contract with the spirits in detail.

Haha, I guess there's still a lot in the world that I don't know.
"Not surprisingly, you believed it so easily.
I know. After they showed me the real thing?　I'm not going to be so hardheaded that I won't believe it.

　I thought I'd be poked more, but my mom readily agreed with me.
　I was expecting her to say something more, and I let her down.
　But she does seem to feel lonely.
　The usually cheerful voice may be because people are asleep, but that's probably the reason why it doesn't show any fragments.

Hey, Jiro. How far do you think it is to be a parent?
What's the big deal?
You're going to be a parent. You're going to be a parent yourself and you should be able to answer questions like this right away.

　Still, my mom was my mom.
　If Suela or Memoria were by my side, they would probably say she looks just like me, with a wry smile.

I believe that a parent's job is to make sure that a child has a child and then watch that child become an adult, and that's the end of it.
"You want to take care of your grandchildren, too?
Of course. After all, it's only at that point that your child becomes an adult. Then it's a weight off my shoulders. I can say that my child is mature enough to raise a child. okay Jiro. Raising a child means taking on the responsibility. It's not just about paying the money. It's not just a matter of working. Children are a mirror of their parents. A child's growth can be changed by the actions of a loveless parent.
"......

　I know what my mom is trying to say.
　Of course, she's going to be a parent and she's trying to teach me what she went through as a parent, not as a son, but as a man who's going to be a parent.
　It's easy to argue with that.
　Just say I'm me.
　But I'm not going to do that.

"So you better be a great parent like me. I've been free, but I think I did the right thing raising them. After all, I've grown up to be a good, fine man who gets all those good kids.

　Speaking of which, that's the same as disrespecting my mom right now.
　Oh, when was the last time I heard my mother patting me on the head?
　Like a compliment for a job well done.

Don't tell me that.
You know, I have a devoted son who makes me feel so lucky to be your mother. She senses my love for her.
"Humph.

　What an embarrassment this mother is talking about.
　I'm embarrassed.
　As I drink my beer to escape, my mother finally starts laughing.

"So, Jiro. Just go ahead and move on. If it's your choice, I won't argue with you about it. And if you need help with anything, just tell me. Even if you're out of line with the rest of the pack, you're still my son. And I'll still have enough strength left in me to pat you on the back until I'm done with it.
I thought you were going to push me.
"Ha!　I'm not that naive. Just be careful not to get your ass beaten.
"Hey, hey, I'll do my best.

　That's my parents.
　She's going to beat me up when she's a crumbling old woman.
　And she's too clumsy to be encouraged.
　At any rate.

"Jiro.
An?
Don't be happy.


Of course.

　I can't say these words without pretending to be drunk, even though I'm not really drunk enough to get drunk with the help of alcohol.
　Oh, this might be the best beer I've ever had today.


　Tanaka Jiro, 28 years old, with a wife
　Wife Suella Handelberg　
　Memory Tris
　Occupation Dungeon Tester (full-time)
　Magical aptitude nine (quasi-magical grade)
　Post Warriors

　Word of the Day
　It's somewhat too strong, but it pushes you back.
　Thank goodness for that.