56. The Dinner Party and the Inherited Mission
"Yep, it's gotta be curry. The kind from that Indian restaurant."
Mizuki was saying that as she piled curry and other ingredients onto naan and dug in.
"If you're talking about curry places back home, most of 'em aren't run by Indians, y'know."
"Really? Then who?"
"Mostly Nepalese folks, from what I hear. You could taste that Himalayan vibe, right?"
I did the same as Mizuki, loading meat onto naan and drowning it in curry. No doubt about it—this was straight-up Indian curry.
"I had no clue... Do you get it, Mash?"
"Not a damn bit. And it's Mish, remember? Don't you start screwing it up too."
"Ugh!"
Mizuki clammed up.
Myra, Cecily, and Ira were eating the same way. Myra had piled a mountain of toppings onto a piece of naan and was trying to feed it to Ira, but Ira looked none too pleased.
"Mish-sama, I hope you're enjoying yourselves?"
Kalpana spoke up. Fam shot me a look like, Are you pulling the name switcheroo again? Things got awkward fast.
"...Yeah, we're grateful for the hospitality. But it's also kinda confusing."
"Indeed. Perhaps you should hear the tale of our wandering folk."
Kalpana nodded.
"I'm Mish, though. Wrong guy? You sure about this?"
"Yes. Shall we continue over the meal?"
No escaping it, huh. Fam was next to me, blissfully tearing into her naan with a happy grin. Myra seemed intrigued by the wandering folk and was waiting for my nod, eyeing me like she had something to say. Cecily and Ira stayed quiet, eating and listening to the flow.
"And you, Muzuki-san?"
"Huh? Me? Uh, dunno..."
Mizuki blinked in confusion at me, suddenly put on the spot. No idea how they zeroed in on us transferrees, but they were targeting us specifically.
"Sure, if you bring out some chai, we could relax and chat."
"Right away."
One of Kalpana's attendants slipped out of the tent.
"Our ancestors, the wandering folk, are said to have served Rakushel-sama as soldiers in battle."
Rakushel again. They must've heard rumors of the summoning in Rishel and come running. How'd they peg Mizuki and me as transferrees for sure?
"That so. And her descendants got punished by the gods, lost their home, and ended up wandering?"
"...You know of us?"
She looked oddly pleased.
"Nah, just a guess."
I glanced at Myra since I had no real intel.
"Such legends persist in church records as well."
Myra nodded.
Just like Rakushel's imprisonment, her soldiers got punished too? No clue when the gods' war happened, but it was probably thousands of years ago. Wagons back then? Culture and customs would've evolved. Way beyond imagining.
"When did the gods' war even go down?"
Mizuki was thinking the same thing.
"Unknown, but even among elves, it's ancient legend."
As Kalpana answered, the server brought in chai for everyone. Strong milk and cinnamon flavors.
"What's the difference from regular tea...?"
"Eh, you ordered chai without knowing?"
Mizuki caught my mutter.
"You kept calling her Indian, Indian..."
"Black tea steeps leaves in boiled water, but chai simmers leaves from raw."
"Gotcha."
I got the process, but the taste? Cinnamon, mostly.
"Does Fam get it?"
"It tastes stronger than the tea from Mateo Company before."
Was she for real? Or just bullshitting?
"Hmph. Shu-sama doubts me."
How does she read my mind like that?
"Um... may I continue?"
Kalpana prompted.
"Y-yeah. Even if punished, couldn't they just stay put without anyone noticing?"
"Our clan bears a contract crest on our arms. From our view, it's a curse binding us to wander."
Kalpana showed her arm. A pattern like a slave crest. Another curse. Our eyes met with Fam's.
"Mummy, can't you lift this curse?"
"At least call me like it sounds! Otherwise, I'll crawl back in my coffin for a millennium sulk."
Myra replied. How'd she know?
"The church has debated it. No method found to break the contract crest. Entirely different from Fam's affliction."
"Chop the arm off?"
"The contract etches into the soul. The mark merely manifests on the arm."
"Ah, got it."
I nodded to Myra.
"Our wandering is fine—we take pride. We came here to meet Rakushel-sama."
Kalpana steered back.
"Come here and you meet her?"
"Yes. My grandmother holds the divine gift of oracles, guiding our path. This time: come here, meet the goddess. A first."
"A Special Skill like that?"
"Yes. Rare case. Passes matrilineally: grandmother now, then mother or me."
Not rumors—divine intel beyond human nets. Oracle accuracy unknown, but she knew I could summon Rakushel, Mizuki's a transferree. Whose oracle? One of the Goddess Five Pillars, given her clan's millennia of wandering?
"Which god's oracle?"
"Unknown."
Kalpana shook her head.
"Perhaps not from myth."
Myra said. Maybe Rakushel herself—she's bored.
Special Skills without combat too? One tracking positions could lead to ambushes.
Such thoughts swirling, Kalpana straightened into seiza, then full dogeza.
"Please. Let us meet Rakushel-sama."
Awkward as hell. Just ask nicely. If she'd thrust out her cleavage with a sultry "Pretty pleeease~," I'd summon Rakushel a hundred times. But I started the fake name bit. Dogeza here too? Worst transferree import ever.
"...Raise your head. I'm just Mish, listening."
But she didn't.
"Meet her and then?"
"Serve her once more. Fulfill our clan's purpose."
"...That was ancestors, not you. Ancient history. Kids—what about them? Dragging 'em in?"
Kids bore crests too. No dumping them.
"Not for Mish-sama to decide. We've lived and bred for this day."
"...Fine. Goddess Sum—" Mizuki clamped my mouth.
"Wh-what're you thinking? Don't summon casually! Get serious, Mish."
She thought no summoning here.
"Screw it, too annoying. This world's Rakushel ideal doesn't match ours. Let 'em see, fill the gap. They can hype or crash—whatever."
"F-first, drink your chai and calm down."
Mizuki made me sip. It soothed me pathetically.
"Want kebab too."
Fam fetched some. A bit cold, but tasty.
"Majority vote. I'm pro-summon."
"I agree. Do what Shu-sama wants."
Fam, corn cob in one hand, ayran in the other, white foam around her mouth. Full spectator mode. I wiped it off.
"Oppose. As Mash said before hassle: Rakushel ain't their goddess. Could invite disaster."
Mizuki's take, thoughtful for them. Dropped fake names too—pointless against divine intel. Rakushel's revelation good or bad for world? Our actions' impact? Unknown. We judge first. She's right, but dogeza Kalpana won't get it.
"Mizuki and Fam cheat. I wanna know Rakushel-sama's thoughts."
Myra's eyes sparkled. Faith in her goodness—church-raised.
"Oppose. Mid-escort quest. Tomorrow unknown."
Cecily practical, bit cold. Pro 3, con 2? Wait.
"Oppose too. Cecily, Mizuki right."
Ira, her naan-topping mountain threatening avalanche. Big eater? Keeps piling and polishing off.
"Hm? Eat?"
Stared too long at Myra's naan.
"Little."
Mouth open, stuffed full.
"Mmfgh... nguh... nguh."
Chewed forever, spicy ethnic bliss.
"Three-three."
"What? Two-three, we win."
Cecily said.
"My vote invalid?!"
"Always. But today, if Mash wants, summon. You're Rakushel's called hero."
Vote what?
"...Summoning then."
All nodded. Mizuki held out last but relented. Myra's eyes blazed.
"Kalpana, head up. Summoning Rakushel now."
"Really?!"
She rose.
"Yeah. But ditch this begging. Next time, seduction. Let me grope a bit, Rakushel instant."
"...Ignores my pleas..."
Myra muttered. Next time, Fulft. Prep those tits.
"Understood. Visit this tent alone at midnight."
Kalpana replied.
"...Eh?"
Joke. Mind was on Myra.
"I'll wait."
Whole party glared.
Thank you for reading.
Thanks to those who hit like, bookmark, or rated.
Motivates me. I'll keep at it.