01x04 - The Forefinger Twitches

[bunniefuu]

When people from this world

think of monsters,

it's not quite the same as

the monsters people from

my world think of.

In the world I came from,

monsters were neither people nor animals.

They were more like mutant creatures.

But in this world,

even creatures like that

are categorized as people or animals.

More specifically, humans, elves,

beastmen, and dragon newts

are all categorized as mankind.

In terms of animals and plants,

even if they look like dinosaurs,

giant lizards are reptiles,

and even if they're as big as people,

giant ants are ants.

And even though they eat people,

maneaters are plants.

By the way, dragons are called godbeasts

and are in their own category.

These creatures are not called monsters

because they're a part of

this world's ecosystem.

And so, even creatures that look like

monsters to me,

like the slime-like creature called gelin,

are considered animals in this world.

So what are monsters?

They are creatures that

look like a fusion of various species.

Among them,

many appear to be relatively humanlike.

But their level of intelligence

is no different than an animal.

I recruited talented individuals

in a world like that…

and heard something shocking

from a mystic wolf girl

who responded to my invitation.

ORIGINAL STORY BY DOJYOMARU

Okay, you don't have to raise your voice.

Don't be nervous and just talk.

Are you sure about that?

I'm sure.

Did you tell anyone else about this?

No. Nobody other than my mother.

Calm down. Breathe normally.

Don't let anyone here

know you're shaken up.

I understand your request.

I cannot promise you anything,

but I'll think about it.

-Marx.

-Yes?

She has a very rare talent.

But I will need to think about

how to utilize it.

Let's discuss this later.

Understood.

All of you,

thank you for responding to my invitation.

I want your help

in rebuilding this country.

-I'm counting on you.

-Yes.

Um…

You said you wanted to talk about

something important?

Did any of you

hear what she whispered to me

in the audience chamber?

I couldn't hear her.

Her voice was very small, after all.

I could not hear her either.

Then I guess I don't have to worry about

it being caught on the gemstone broadcast.

I'm sure it's fine.

That thing isn't very sensitive.

You seem worried about it being leaked.

-Is it that important?

-Yeah.

She can communicate with animals.

-You heard that part, right?

-Yes.

Not only can she understand animals,

but they can also understand her words

as well for some reason.

It is a very unusual talent.

She apparently spoke with a demon

with that ability.

Up until now, this world

believed that monsters could only

have the same intelligence as animals.

However, among the monsters

in the Demon Lord's Domain,

there were some who operated in groups,

used weapons and magic,

and showed humanlike behavior.

Humans differentiated

these unique monsters from others

and called them demons.

Demons behave

as though they have intellect,

but there is a big difference that

separates them from the many races

that make up mankind in this world.

Demons cannot communicate with words.

Simply put,

they do not share the one and only

language used by mankind in this world.

-You spoke with a demon?

-That's impossible.

Demons can't speak our language.

What did you talk about?

The demon I spoke with

was short and had the face of a dog.

I was in the mountain

looking for edible plants

when I bumped into him.

Before I could think, I screamed, "Help!"

Then he yelled, "You can speak?"

and seemed just as surprised as me.

Maybe he was a scout.

He was doing something like that.

Then that demon said,

"I can't bear to see ones

who share our scent be k*lled.

Run away now."

A demon said something like that?

There may only be

a handful of demons who are

like the ones who let

the mystic wolves escape.

But even if it's just a fraction of them,

if we can communicate with demons,

it may change our situation greatly.

What do you mean?

You think you can negotiate with demons

and get back land?

If only things work out that way.

Currently, mankind and its nations

are united in fighting

the Demon Lord's Domain.

DEMON LORD'S DOMAIN

MANKIND'S DOMAIN

That is because we view demons as

our enemies,

beings who can't coexist with us.

If they find out that they can

communicate with demons,

some nations from our side

may try to forge alliances with them.

No way…

I haven't heard all the details yet,

but there's enmity between nations here,

just like the world I lived in, right?

Yes, there is one nearby.

There has been hostility between us

and the Principality of Amidonia

since the previous king's reign.

PRINCIPALITY OF AMIDONIA

ELFRIEDEN KINGDOM

In order to stop the expansion of

the Demon Lord's Domain,

we are all cooperating

for the time being

under the lead of the Gran Chaos Empire.

But mankind is not exactly united,

that is for sure.

Indeed.

You're right, Souma.

Well, what I mentioned earlier

is nothing but a possibility.

After all, the ability to

communicate with demons

can shake this world.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

We have to make sure that this

does not get leaked.

Yeah.

And above else,

our country must do everything

we can to protect you.

Protect me?

Yeah.

Quite literally, you are currently

much more valuable than I am.

Your existence can change the relationship

between mankind and demons completely.

What… You're joking, right?

I want to guard her as if she's royalty.

-Can you do that for me?

-Understood.

But wouldn't that actually

make people suspicious?

True.

For now, she is still just a commoner,

so if we make a big deal

so if we make a big deal

and surround her with guards,

people will naturally think

something is up.

I see.

That can lead to people finding out.

Well then, why don't you

welcome her into the royal family?

-That's possible?

-Yes.

The quickest way would be

for you to adopt her.

But since you are not yet married,

that is not possible.

We need more than a year to prepare

for the ceremony for you and the princess.

Did you hear that?

-Don't bring me into this.

-Any other options?

You can make her your secondary consort.

Secondary consort? Her?

In this country,

to be a primary consort,

whose children have a right to the throne,

you must have a title

of knighthood or higher.

But if she's not your primary consort,

anything is fine.

No, that's not the issue.

By the way, how old are you?

I'm ten years old.

Oh, that's an acceptable age.

People have married at that age

for political reasons.

Souma, ten years old is a bit…

Why am I being accused here?

Why can't the previous king and queen

adopt her?

That's also an option…

That's great.

I've always wanted a baby sister.

Um…

I can't do that.

I already have a family.

My mom and brother who's still small

are waiting in the refugee camp.

Don't worry.

When we say "adopt"

it's more like an excuse to protect you.

If you become my sister,

your mother and brother

will become extended family,

and they can live in the castle too.

Um, if that's the case, I understand.

Marx, we'll wait a little bit

to make an official announcement

about the adoption.

If we bring this up out of the blue,

people might think that

something is definitely up.

I believe that is wise.

But I want to keep her here so she's safe.

So you want to give Tomoe a job

as a reason to keep her inside the castle?

That's right.

Since she can speak with animals,

why don't we make her

a caretaker for the horses

that draw the king's carriage?

Perfect. Let's go with that.

Will that be all right?

Y… Yes!

DEMON LORD'S DOMAIN

JUNA DOMA

Hey, what are you doing?

Can't you tell? I'm sewing.

I know that.

Why are you doing that

in my room of all places?

Well, everyone in the office is working,

so I can't relax in there.

It's about time you make my father

give up his room

and make it your own.

But it's more efficient

to sleep in the office

like I've been doing this whole time.

Okay, but why are you in my room?

That reminds me, what happened to Tomoe?

You've been all over her

ever since she came.

Mother has taken a liking to her recently

and won't let her go.

Tomoe didn't know what to do at first,

but now she's happy to have

a second mother, so it's fine.

Come in.

Hey! Stop trying to be considerate!

I see, so he's back?

Yes, he is waiting in the drawing room.

Let's go, Liscia.

Good work.

So, how did it go?

Yes…

Since you let me borrow

the royal family's wyvern,

I was able to hit all the stops

faster than I had expected.

Thanks to that,

I was able to gather

most of the food that I wanted.

Hey, that's the Hero's Sack.

Yeah.

It holds much more than it appears to hold

and whatever you put in it stays fresh.

It's such a handy bag.

I lent him it since it's perfect

for gathering food.

That's the royal family's treasure.

It's a piece of the hero's gear set.

It's a treasure… a treasure…

Whatever…

So, what are you trying to do

by going this far to gather food?

What?

Something that can

help the country a little.

Hello to everyone

in the Elfrieden Kingdom.

Hello…

This is a program

that relays information from Parnam Castle

and is called the King's Brilliant Lunch.

It's the King's Brinch for short.

It will be hosted by me, Juna Doma and…

Poncho Panacotta, yes.

Poncho, you don't have to be so nervous.

It's just that

I'm not used to doing something like this.

Juna, you seem so confident.

I wish I could be like that, yes.

I sing in front of customers

all the time, that's why.

If you visit Parnam,

please visit Lorelei, the café I work at.

I sing there from time to time.

Please stop unabashedly advertising here.

All right, the objective of this program

will be explained by this man.

The 14th King of Elfrieden,

His Majesty Souma Kazuya.

I haven't been coronated yet,

so I'm technically not a king.

Hello.

I'm Souma Kazuya, the acting king.

As you all know,

this country is currently

suffering from a food shortage.

As the top policymaker,

I apologize to all the citizens

for putting you in such a situation.

Right now, we are urgently working on

a plan to increase food production,

but that will take time.

This broadcast

was planned to introduce ingredients

that this country is not accustomed to

and show how to cook them

as a way to help as much as possible

until our food shortage is solved.

And to prove that such

unfamiliar ingredients

are actually edible,

I also have taste testers.

Okay, let's get right to it.

Poncho, what is our first ingredient?

Yes, our first ingredient is…

Don't tell me you're going to

make us eat that.

I am, actually.

Because of how it looks,

only certain regions by the ocean

use it in cooking.

But it's delicious.

You've eaten that before, Juna?

Yes, we eat it regularly in my hometown.

It's starting to smell good.

Go ahead and try it.

No way! It's delicious!

You're right! It's so delicious.

Wow, that's good.

I can't stop eating.

May I have one too?

Of course.

-It's so good!

-One more please!

It's really delicious.

The octopus that's hiding

underneath the crispy coating

is so juicy!

Dad, there were so many octopuses

caught in our net today.

Yeah, we'd usually throw them out,

but maybe we should try it.

The next ingredient is this.

Is this… a tree root?

It doesn't look too appetizing.

Can you really eat it?

This is burdock root.

Oh, you know about this, Aisha?

Don't tell me you've eaten

this root before?

In the forest,

you have to eat whatever you can

or you can't survive.

I see.

Salt on this one.

Sugar on this one.

Okay, it's done.

It's crispy and salty. How delicious.

The oil that comes out as you chew

melts the sugar

and enhances the sweet flavor

on your palate.

I want to have my mother try this.

When you eat both at once,

it's a nice sweet and salty flavor.

Your Majesty, can I have more?

Brother, Aisha seems to be doing fine.

Yeah…

Next, we have something

that is already cooked.

We have to eat this?

Didn't you say you have to eat

anything in the forest to survive?

I did say that but…

This is another story.

It's delicious.

This brings back memories.

Locust tsukudani.

Tsukudani?

-This is tsukudani?

-Yes.

It's seasoned mainly

with hishiomizu and sugar.

Hishiomizu?

Hishiomizu is a condiment

that the mystic wolves like to use.

The mystic wolves ferment salted beans

to make a condiment called mamebishio.

As it's being made,

it produces a clear fluid on top.

They skim that liquid and age it

to make hishiomizu.

Both of them have a unique flavor that

doesn't exist in this country's cuisine.

Basically, mamebishio is miso

and hishiomizu is soy sauce.

Souma, you're going to eat that?

Souma, are you crying?

How could I not cry?

This flavor is from my homeland.

Souma's homeland?

With every bite,

this flavor is making me nostalgic.

This world has soy sauce and miso.

I can enjoy those familiar flavors again.

It's not a dream.

Um, Your Majesty.

I'm sorry to interrupt you

while you're having a moment,

but can we move on?

Sorry, please go on with the show.

Poncho, what's the next ingredient?

Yes, here it is.