The Secret of Frog (4)

"Heh.. so it died huh.." Nine muttered with a fork dangling loosely over his fingers.

Nine, or in other words, a guy, who is also a girl, has black hair black eyes. Your typical shota or lolli– depending on the gender.

"I don't know. I didn't put a marker on it.. but it jumped into the sea so.."

"Rin, how was it? Your time spent with Noel," Liliath asked with a big wide smile. Long velvet hair clipped to the side with a barret, her crimson coloured eyes sparkled. She has a lissom body with proportions that could absolutely kill— and she's the person I'm engaged to. 'Engaged' is an understatement. We're already bound by a contract— demon lord contract— whatever that thing is called.

"It was alright.. I supposed," Rin replied stiffly.

"Does anyone here want more vegetables?" Prune, the silver-haired wolf-kin asked, tossing salad in a bowl. She was a human turned beastkin, a friend of mine I knew from junior high school.

"No," Jennifer-chan replied. Soft lavender hair that almost reached her shoulders. She was Miss Margrett's only daughter.

"Prune, give her more salad," Miss Margrett, the owner of the proxy room we were renting (freeloading) decided her daughter needed more greens.

"Ehh.." Jennifer-chan slurred. I guess she knew there was no use retorting here.

Everyone sat around the kitchen table, the one at the ground floor of the florist shop lot. The kiln was burning, heating the air. The smell of tea perforated our surroundings.

"Thank you for the food," Liliath muttered before digging in.

"Thank you for the food.."

Dinner consisted of salad in lime-oil dressing, the salt helped balance it together— raw fish, or sashimi with a side of soy sauce, brown bread, caramelized jerky strips, and this banana-like fruit that tastes more like pineapples than kiwi. Yeah.. it's totally messing with my mind.

"Liliath, your brother is coming over soon, you remember that right?" I brought up this topic.

"My brother.. as in the ambassador dispatched by Toren Kingdom?"

"Yeah. I met Laura today and she said something about there being another banquet for his arrival."

"That I will reconfirm with Her Highness. I believe she brought that up some time ago."

"Is she going to issue a formal letter of invitation or something? We can't just go in, barge in and try to find Her Highness right?"

"Perhaps if we hadn't declined the banquet, we would've been given direct permission by her authority?"

It's been about two weeks since the heroes returned from the dungeon. News regarding the successful power-leveling conquest spread throughout the kingdom. To celebrate this successful venture, there was a feast going to be held.. today. Yup, the one Laura talked about.

Like yeah.. what's wrong with us exactly? Everyone was celebrating like no tomorrow while here we were, having a chill family meal.

I peeked at Rin who ate the bread with her hands.

"Hmrm?" she who noticed my gaze, turned to me with her cheeks stuffed full.

I looked away.

Liliath pinched me from the side.

"Hey.."

She smiled.

I tossed a vegetable leaf into my mouth.

Kasha. Kasha.

"What's that?"

Everyone turned to the front shop. Was there someone shaking the metal grill at the entrance?

I pulled up the map. Miss Margrett got up from her seat.

"Who do you think it is?" Jennifer-chan asked.

"Someone by the name Sid," Nine said.

"Papa?!"

Papa wha? Wait, Sid is their father? Oh yeah.. I just remembered. He's the royal knight that accompanied the heroes down the dungeon.

Miss Margrett's gasp resounded.

"I'm back sweetheart."

"Dear!"

I could envision the scene of their heartwarming reunion.

"Papa!" Jennifer ran to the front.

"Looks like we have some explaining to do later," Nine said, nomming on a piece of sashimi dripping in soy sauce, "this is good."

"Jenn-chan, how have you been," Sid's voice grew closer. And if I were to describe it, his voice had the pitch in between that of the frog and Kai. Kai was one of our classmates back before we got sent to this fantasy world.

"I'm good! Papa, you have to meet these people."

"Oh, what happened while I've been away?"

"Dear, let me help you with your items. Jenn-chan, introduce them to papa alright?"

"Yes!"

Miss Margrett came back in the kitchen with a lot of items.. holy shit, that's armor.

"Um, do you need help with that?"

"I can handle it.."

A housewife carrying an armour chest-piece, large hand held bag, a greatsword in a sheath, and a backpack that was the size fit for a camping trip. It's insane..

Scrap that. I stood up anyways and helped carry the large sack bag dangling over her shoulder and the greatsword.

"Upstairs right?"

"Yes. To our room. Much appreciated."

"Okay."

I stopped just before the room. Miss Margrett arranged the items inside.

I'll be honest, I'm not really happy about the scent of sweat coming off Sid's items but.. I guess that's what I should expect considering how he's a knight. An actual knight that knows how to kill.

After that, Miss Margrett and I returned back to the kitchen to find Sid sitting beside Jennifer-chan. He was holding a hearty conversation with Nine.

"Dear, these are the new tenants I brought in a while back."

"Yes. I've read your letter. So you're Noel ei?" Sid shot me a look, a smile hung on his face.

Medium build, muscles bulging from his shirt, had a hair of dark purple hair. His eyes were a deep green colour. I get how it's normal for there to be such a colourful person in this world but.. it's something I still struggle to get used to.

"Yes. I'm Noel, nice to meet you, Sid-san."

"Aha, good one. Nice to meet you too. And these two young ladies are yours?"

I held back the urge to roll my eyes. It's entering uncomfortable territory here and I don't like it. At the same time, I didn't know Sid enough to just retort.

"Dear, please mind your words."

"Ah, yes, yes, my apologies. Sweetheart, what's up with suddenly renting out to the others? I thought you decided not to before?"

"Long story short.." Miss Margrett looked at me, then at Nine, "These people are a little special. I thought they could be a good influence to Jenn-chan. She wanted to become an adventurer."

"So how are you doing Jenn-chan? Are you getting better at shooting?" Sid caressed her hair with a grin.

"Yes!"

I took a seat when Miss Margrett did.

'It's awkward.'

'Yeah. I know right.'

"How long is your leave?'

"Until the coming of spring. Wouldn't want to miss out on Jenn-chan's graduation would I now?"

While the family was having a cherry banter, the five of us ate with wryly smile on our faces.

Sid. Stats in between 400 to 600. It's damn high, like really damn high. Notable skills in his arsenal are [Counter (S)] and [Pulse Driver (A)]. Based on appraisal, [Counter] makes it so he can return damage to an enemy with more skill and precision if he successfully parries an attack. [Pulse Driver] is a skill whereby if he locks swords with someone, he could send a pulse, or shockwave at the point of contact to weaken the opponent's grip and numb the hand.

Not like explaining these skills had any use..

"Two, four, five.. so this was the task?"

"Dear?"

"Do you people know, Her Highness Siesta?" Sid asked us.

I looked at Liliath, Prune and Nine, then we nodded. Rin remained stationary because she had no idea.

"Yes, she has something she wanted me to pass over.. I didn't know if it was the right person," he muttered the latter sentence and from the compartment in his pouch bag that clung to his waist, took out 5 letters, "Here."

"Thank you," Liliath reached out to receive the letter.

"Open it immediately, was the instruction I received."

"Okay."

Liliath distributed the 5 letters– it had the wax seal of the kingdom's insignia. I opened it and found words written in cursive Phoenic. I can read it though.

To cut the long story short–

"This.." I wanted to curse so bad.. but I couldn't find the words..

"Shit," Nine said.

"You brought this onto yourself." I told him.

"What?! They were the ones who misunderstood!"

"Nine's blessing.." Prune muttered.

"Um.."

"We have to go huh.. we don't have any proper clothes though.." the time now is 5:23 p.m. About half an hour before the banquet starts. "I know, we'll just tell Nine to go. I think she should be enough to stop the misunderstanding."

"Hah?"

"Look, nobody is going to know that you are her. Just change to your female form."

"You're selling me out aren't you."

"I will have to agree with Noel's proposal. It'll be too much trouble if we accompanied along," Liliath said, "You reap what you sow, Nine."

His eyebrows twitched.

""You reap what you sow,"" I said in unison with Prune.

Nine hung his head.

"What does the letter say?" Jennifer-chan asked.

"I heard it's confidential matter, it's best not to disclose," Sid replied.

'Remember that time Nine saved the hero from the dungeon? Now, people think that he– she's a Goddess. And it's going to be announced at the banquet that, she, the 13th Goddess, has been revealed.'

Yes. The princess was pressuring us to join tonight's banquet– on the pretense that we have to stop the announcement of Nine, the 13th Goddess.

Jennifer-chan's jaw seemed to slack a little.

Miss Margrett chuckled.

"Good luck Nine," Liliath patted his head.

"I regret this.. I regret this so much.." Nine lamented.

"You can borrow my dress if you need it," Jennifer-chan said.

"Will it even fit?"

"Your size is similar to her's so I'm sure it would… dear, we know of the issue now. Is it alright if I explain it to you later?" Miss Margrett was directing that question not only at him, but also us. Sid looked at her slightly confused.

"It's not like we're going to get found out so.. sure," I shrugged.

"I'm not getting the situation at all.." Sid scratched his head.

Like.. me neither. Was it just me or does Her Highness Siesta know where we live? Where the hell did she get that information from?!