"Huh, um, isn't it too luxurious to eat such a feast until I'm full!?"
It was decided that the celebratory party would be held tomorrow, as everyone was too tired today.
By the time they arrived home, it was already quite late, so they went straight to dinner.
El, the novice Saintess from another world, let out a cry that was a mixture of a scream and a cheer upon seeing the meal laid out. Metia frowned and tilted her head, asking, "Is that so?"
"I think it's even a little plain."
"Mii-chan? Could you please not compare it to a princess's meal?"
"Even this is much more extravagant than before."
When the two people in charge of cooking complained, the (former) princess scoffed, then said something tsundere-like: "Well, the taste isn't bad."
El wore a confused expression, saying, "I don't know what to do," and then added:
"Just by looking, I can tell many seasonings were used. This is definitely delicious."
"Was the food not tasty where you lived, El?"
"No, that's not it... But I was a novice, and the clergy are taught not to 'indulge in luxury,' so eating until I'm full is just too much."
"That's not good. Growing children should eat a lot and grow big. Should I even share my meal with you?"
"No, Mei-sama. I don't think I can eat stone and iron, as expected."
Mei, who started pulling out iron chunks, was, as usual, a little out of touch, but everyone agreed with the sentiment nonetheless. With warm smiles, they all encouraged El to "eat a lot."
El nervously picked up a spoon and took a bite of the unfamiliar dishes. Her eyes snapped open, and for some reason, teary-eyed, she quickly went for the second bite and beyond.
"...I wish I could share this with everyone at the temple."
"I see. Unfortunately, you won't be able to see them again. Or rather, they no longer exist anywhere."
"Mii-chan, that's too blunt!"
"There's no point in hiding it. She came here with that resolve, so she should properly acknowledge the facts."
"No, it's alright... I was entrusted with an important duty..."
As expected, El started crying, but she never stopped eating until the end. It wasn't because she was a glutton; it was because the teaching to "eat when you can" was deeply ingrained in her.
The capital and the temple were quite wealthy, but they weren't overflowing with goods like Japan. The situation was such that they never knew when they might not be able to get a satisfying meal.
"Well, if she can eat, I don't have to worry about her. ...So, Ren? How was the new Divine Tool?"
"Yeah. It had a pretty interesting effect."
When he relayed what the Sage had told him, his companions all made dubious faces.
"Is 'interesting' really the right word for it?"
"It is certainly powerful, but the risk is too great..."
"What happens if my mother or I choose the life-span option?"
"Mei-chan, you went straight for that."
"Ah, right. When Ray-san tried it, that option didn't show up."
The option to sacrifice lifespan likely references the percentage as well as the number of years. Ten years for an elf and ten years for a human would yield a higher bonus for the latter. For races like Mei's, who have "infinite lifespan," offering a thousand years yields no bonus.
"What's the mechanism for reducing lifespan? Could using it cause immediate death?"
"I don't know that far, but the old man said it might be that 'aging is accelerated according to the number of years sacrificed.'"
If that's the case, it's not simply a matter of instantly aging ten years. If you were challenging a dungeon with the intent to die, you might be okay with sacrificing your life to the limit... though it's a dreadful way to use it, and they would stop any acquaintance from trying.
"More importantly, the problem is 'race fixation.'"
When Sion said this, everyone's faces became even more dubious.
"First, I have a question: what happens if a human uses that function?"
"The old man used it, and it worked normally. His skill levels shot up instantly."
"Wait a minute. That pervert used it right away!?"
He had used it.
It was an item he had researched himself, and it was his own responsibility, but he had quite a lot of nerve.
And the result was a significant power-up.
"That's amazing. If my father used it, would his lumberjack abilities increase instantly...?"
"Hmm. But humans using it might also be something to be cautious about."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yeah. The old man mentioned this, too: 'Is the species 'Human' exactly the same as us—the Japanese—before we transferred?'"
If they accept the restriction of race fixation, the obvious drawback is the "unavailability of the Reincarnation Stone." Other expected drawbacks include "being unable to return from a different species even after clearing the dungeon," but here, the question of "Is the species 'Human' not an 'other species' from the Japanese perspective?" arose.
"The old man looks Japanese, but he can use magic. Since he's accepted the restriction, he might 'still be able to use magic' even if he returns to Japan."
"What is that—I can't exactly call it convenient, can I?"
"A human who can use magic is impossible in Japan..."
If exposed, he would be feared and shunned, while unscrupulous individuals would try to cling to his power.
Japan is not built to tolerate magic users, so the opportunities to use it conveniently would be severely limited. This is a huge drawback.
Well, the question of whether they can even return to Japan is another issue entirely.
Then:
"...I wonder if that's all there is to it."
"What do you mean, Mii-chan?"
"Essentially, using it means 'becoming a person of this world,' doesn't it? A person who becomes that way will have this place as their home. Will they truly be able to return to your world?"
"Ah..."
Inability to return.
It's not an impossible scenario. If so, the Sage might not be able to return to Japan anymore. Knowing him, there's a possibility he understood this and executed it without saying anything, with a detached attitude.
However.
"My opinion is that it'll be fine. Because if that were the case, Iris wouldn't be able to go to Japan with her family, right?"
While it's possible, it would be too heartless.
If an effect that returns a summoned person to their original location were to activate, people could instantly die in a "stuck in a stone" scenario. It's more plausible that a transfer array that sends people from this world to Japan would activate.
Metia wore an unreadable expression at this.
"There are too many hypotheses piled on top of each other; it's confusing."
"Maybe. But if it's just a matter of possibility anyway, I think we can use it with a light heart."
"...Wait a minute. Ren, you're not going to say you've 'already used it,' are you?"
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him. Only El looked bewildered, not knowing what they were talking about.
"It's okay. I haven't used it yet, as expected. But I am thinking about using it."
"Huh, Ren, isn't that too rash? Why?"
"Because I don't want to go back to being a man anymore."
-----------------
A considerable amount of time had passed since Ren became a Succubus.
It was almost four full years since the transfer.
After being changed for this long, he was naturally accustomed to his current state. If he were to return to his original state now, he'd have to start over, this time getting used to the body of a man.
He had bitterly complained about changing from a man to a Succubus, and this was essentially the same thing.
"If I go back to being a man, I won't be able to wear cute clothes, and I feel like I'd feel distant from Furi and the others. ...And I wouldn't be able to have sex with a girl's body."
"Master. What percentage does that last reason account for?"
"Ren? Your mind is almost completely a Succubus's already, isn't it?"
"Well, I am a Succubus. And Furi, you wouldn't be able to experience the attacking side anymore, you know?"
"Ugh. ...That does cause a bit of a problem."
"Furi-san?"
"Furi-sama?"
"Ah, Iris-chan and Sion-chan would be troubled too, right!? It's not just me!"
Seeing Furi raise her voice in a fit of reverse-anger, Metia chuckled.
"I want Ren to stay this way. I wouldn't mind if you became a beautiful boy through some skill or whatever, but if you return to your original form, you'd be a different person, wouldn't you? In that case, my husband-to-be would cease to exist."
"In stories, 'unwavering love despite a change in appearance' is standard."
"Since a change in species affects personality, that's not the same person. How would I even judge that you are the same?"
That was indeed a fair point.
"So, I think I'm going to use that thing."
There were various other reasons besides the ones just mentioned.
If he had children with Furi and the others while here, going back to being a man would cause a lot of confusion for the children. They had two mothers (or many, in a sense?), and one would suddenly become a father. Would they understand that?
Also, he didn't want to study for entrance exams again if he returned to Japan. He'd rather use the Succubus's beauty to work in the food service industry or something. He might even be able to be a model.
Life without having to go to the bathroom is super easy, and he can even mostly skip meals.
"If we can't go back just by clearing the dungeon, I'll look for another way. The old man can teleport, so if we try hard enough, maybe we can manage somehow."
"That is quite a hopeful speculation."
"If you say that, the possibility of returning to Japan is itself a hopeful speculation."
"That is certainly true..."
At this, Furi sighed, "I see."
"If Ren says so, I won't stop you, and I'd be happy about it too. Then maybe I should use it, too?"
"Furi, you should think carefully. Spirits have 'infinite lifespan' in the worst case, right?"
There's a huge difference between living a long time and being unable to die.
He felt that if she were to fixate her race, it would be better to reincarnate into a long-lived but naturally aging species, like an elf, first.
"Hmm. The lifespan issue isn't troubling me right now, so I'll think about it a bit more."
"That's a good idea. ...Sion, too. You don't necessarily have to fixate your race, you know?"
"Yes. ...It's just that, thinking about it again, I do find myself thinking, 'This body isn't so bad.'"
That might be the trap set by the one who summoned Ren and the others. Even if there's resistance right after the transformation, they grow attached to the new form as they live with it. This is even more true when the current form has its own merits.
"So? What about the next challenge? Are you taking a break or continuing?"
The answer to this was also decided.
"Let's take a break for a while. No aggressive exploration until we are absolutely confident that we'll be okay."
They weren't giving up on the strategy.
But Ren and his companions' adventure was taking a pause here.
============
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