Chapter 1269: The Founders Invitation ⑥

Chapter 1269 – The Founder’s Invitation ⑥

Arriving at Suiren, I opened the door and went inside. We had wasted some time and it was already past dinner time, but looking at it in another way, we arrived here when it’s quite nice and empty.

[Welco———Arehh? Kaito-kun and Olivia-sama?]

[Good evening, Kaori-san.]

[Sorry to bother you.]

I greeted her lightly and took a seat at the counter, where Kaori-san served me water and talked to me.

[How unusual. Olivia-sama coming without a reservation, and there’s also Kaito-kun, who usually comes earlier in the day. Also, both of you were wearing very expensive-looking clothing……]

[Yes, actually———–]

Indeed, I may have been to Kaori-san’s restaurant many times, but I usually go a little earlier in the day or during the daytime, so today’s visit time may be unusual.

At any rate, I explained to Kaori-san the situation…… that I had returned from a wedding and that I had been talking with Olivia-san, who attended the wedding with me, and we decided to go to Kaori-san’s restaurant.

Hearing my story, Kaori-san nodded her head in understanding.

[I see, a wedding huh~~ That explains the formal wear…… Unnn? Arehh? You participated together? Olivia-sama was there too?]

[Yes, as the Founder, I wanted to see the marriage ceremony conducted by our church, so I made an unreasonable request to Miyama Kaito-sama.]

[Fumu fumu, how was your participation like?]

[I learned a lot. I was able to actually facilitate the event, so it was a good learning experience for me.]

[……It kinda feels like I’m hearing abnormal things just now, but I feel like I’d end up getting a stomach ache, so I won’t ask about this anymore.]

As she listens to Olivia-san’s words, Kaori-san’s eyes are starting to look towards the distance, but seemingly trying to switch gears, she brings out the menu with a bright smile.

[Well then, what would you like to order~~?]

[Ahh, I’ll have a Chicken and Tomato Stew Set Meal.]

[I will also have the same one.]

[Hoh, you’ve got great eyes. I’ve recently been able to procure better chicken than before, so you can raise your expectations to a higher level! Expectations for a Set Meal Restaurant, okay!?]

[Ahaha, I’m looking forward to it then.]

I chose this set meal because it was Olivia-san’s recommendation, but it seems to be an item Kaori-san is quite proud of. That aside, she has been able to stock up on good chicken? Did she find a new business partner?

[Did you find a new business partner that you can now source good chicken from?]

[Unnn. Though I say that, it wasn’t me who found them, but Akane-san who introduced them to me.]

[Eh? When you say Akane-san, you’re talking about Mikumo Akane-san?]

[That’s right. After hearing about me from you, she came to my store. Since then, just because we’re from the same homeworld, their trading company has been cooperating with my restaurant in various stocking activities.]

[……I have only recently met Akane-san…… but she immediately came to visit here huh.]

[Akane-san was quite the bundle of energy.]

[Indeed……]

If she came to her store and helped her stock up, and on top of that, acted as an intermediary for the purchase of the chicken….. Akane-san would really have visited Kaori-san’s store within a few days of meeting me.

[Even so, I see…… A wedding huh……]

[Kaori-san?]

[No, it’s just, in this world, there are a lot of long-lived species to begin with, and not many people care about the timing of marriage, so people around me haven’t really gotten married…… but that’s certainly something that slips your mind when you’re nearing your thirties……]

[I- Is that how it is?]

[That is how it is. Even when I know this shouldn’t be something you should be impatient about, you can’t just help being in a hurry about this sometimes.]

I- I don’t know why, but I at least understand that this is a topic that I shouldn’t venture into carelessly. The melancholy Kaori-san was clad in was so unbelievable that it really makes me feel like stepping into this matter with superficial thoughts would be a big mistake.

As I was thinking this, Olivia-san tilted her head and spoke.

[Mizuhara Kaori-san, do you mind if I ask you a question?]

[Eh? Ah, yes. What is it?]

[Why is it that people become impatient with marriage when their age is close to 30?]

[……I- It’s kind of hard to explain. How should I say this…… It’s like you’re feeling as if you’re gonna stay single even when you’re 30 years old……]

[If you say that, I’m over a thousand years old though?]

[That you are, aren’t you!? That’s why it’s so hard to explain this feeling to people in this world……]

I’m sure that Olivia-san has no ill will and is genuinely wondering about this, but for Kaori-san, this must have been a very difficult question to answer.

After all, when she explains this on the grounds of age, Kaori-san would be someone so young that she could be described as a child from Olivia-san’s point of view……

[Errr, Olivia-san. The only race in the world we were in was humans, and our lifespan wasn’t as long as the people in this world. Therefore, the age of 30 is a milestone for us, and many people were concerned about it. This was also the case for Kaori-san……]

[I see, so it’s a difference in common sense with the difference in the world huh.]

When I followed up on her words, Kaori-san looked relieved and patted her chest.

[Well, even if you worry about it, that’s just something that can’t be helped, right?]

[That’s true and I know that in my head, but it’s just, lots of things fill my mind…… I’m sure Kaito-kun will also understand when you get close to 30 years old. You would also start feeling like you’re getting old around then.]

[……Errr…… Because of the effect of Shi…… God of Creation’s Blessing, I’m immortal so…… I’m sorry.]

[Immortal? You talking about that one where you don’t age? That’s…… That’s cheating!!!]

The scream of Kaori’s soul echoed throughout the restaurant.

Serious-senpai : [I guess that’s how it is. Saying you’re in your 30s would make you considered rather young, at a level where you’d be counted among the youngest named characters in this series.]

? ? ? : [Among Kaito-san’s lovers, if you exclude Anima-san, after 2 years have passed, the youngest would be the 25-year-old Lilia-san.]