Chapter 213 - Pink Strategy Meeting
「Nn」
The moment I stepped into the living room, the soft scent of consommé wafted toward me.
Apparently, breakfast today is Western-style.
That's probably the safer bet.
After all, my home is a multinational large family.
It's a situation where three Japanese, two Caucasians, one person who seems to be a mix of Caucasian and Japanese, and one cat from another world all live together.
I can't exactly serve nothing but Japanese food.
So, even though there are stewed hamburgers and stuffed cabbage rolls lined up on the dining table right now, this is perfectly normal. I try to force a rational reason upon myself, thinking it's just Ayako-chan's way of being considerate.
"No, seriously, this is too much."
The menu looks like dinner.
What the hell is going on?
Since they're all my favorites, I can tell they're trying to please me.
But for a thirty-two-year-old's stomach, meat dishes this early in the morning are a bit heavy.
Why did you make such a high-effort breakfast, Ayako-chan?
Curious, I peeked into the kitchen and saw her back as she cooked, humming a tune.
Ayako-chan seems to be in an unusually good mood right now.
"Ah, Nakamoto-san. Good morning."
Ayako-chan turns around with a beaming smile, telling me I could have slept a little longer.
That guileless smile is actually terrifying.
When someone who usually has nothing but malice shows this kind of expression, I start to suspect a stroke.
Are you okay? Did an accident happen in your brain vessels and caused a personality switch?
As I tentatively approached, system messages popped up in my field of vision, flash-flash-flash.
[Affection Level of party member Ayako Otsuki has increased by 99999999]
[Ayako Otsuki's Affection Level has reached a dangerous level that requires immediate sexual intercourse]
[If sexual intercourse is not performed within twenty-four hours, it is expected that status ailments such as phantom pregnancy, masturbation addiction, or confusion will occur]
...Why?
I didn't do anything wrong.
Yesterday was just the Double Action Skill running wild; that had nothing to do with my will.
It's the fault of my invisible clone who took off Ayako-chan's panties, proposed to her, and then gave her a deep kiss without my permission. It's not my fault.
—No, it's no use; there's no way an excuse like that will work.
I feel like if I've gone this far, it'll be bad if I don't take responsibility.
"...Should I change the way I address you to 'Husband' starting from today...?"
No, keep it as it is. People will definitely suspect, "What happened between these two?"
I sat down at the dining table, trembling at Ayako-chan, who had moved past acting like a girlfriend and had begun acting like a wife.
If I don't hold her within twenty-four hours, it'll be phantom pregnancy, masturbation addiction, or confusion, huh...
Isn't that basically just the usual Ayako-chan?
She's a problem child who scares me with fake morning sickness once every two days, and on the days she sleeps with me, she fills the trash can to the brim with tissues; she's basically been in a state of confusion from the start.
In other words, it's fine to just leave it be.
As if nothing had happened, I turned on the TV and tuned it to the morning news program.
The time was 6:58.
An announcer, who looked like nothing but a college girl no matter how you looked at it, was suddenly reporting on a crater that had appeared on a road.
Crap, that's the one I made yesterday.
I remember how the asphalt cracked radially from the force of my step when I was subjugating the demi-humans.
It seems to be causing a bit of a stir as a mysterious subsidence phenomenon.
I want to believe the Public Safety people will deal with it later...
While I was cowering like a child caught playing a prank, the living room gradually became lively.
Angelica sat to my right, Rio sat to my left, Philia hugged me from behind, and Chloe sat primly on my lap.
Surrounded by women above, below, left, and right, it was like a game of oshikuri-manju.
It's too stifling this early in the morning.
I'm not an Othello piece.
Since I'm sandwiched between four father-complex addicts, am I going to turn into a father-complex addict too?
"How am I supposed to eat like this?"
"I will feed you," Angelica said, showing a smile full of maternal instinct.
However, I could feel the flames of jealousy in the depths of her eyes.
Having resigned myself, I slumped my shoulders and said, "I'll leave it all to Ange."
Since Ayako-chan had also brought the last dish and taken her seat (sitting opposite me with a vein throbbing in her temple), let's eat.
"Let's eat."
And so, a meal that was utterly shameless and lacked even a shred of table manners began.
While cutting the hamburger into bite-sized pieces, Angelica tilted her head.
"It's quite voluminous for breakfast, isn't it?"
"I think so too," Rio agreed.
Everyone's gaze was drawn, as if pulled by a magnet, toward Ayako-chan—the person responsible for preparing this meal.
"...What is it? You can eat, you know?"
"Ayako, did something happen with Father last night?"
"...Nothing happened."
"B-But, you're in a better mood than ever before, and you're so enthusiastic that you're making Father's favorites regardless of the time of day...?"
"...I'll leave that to your imagination."
Ayako-chan smiled, resting her hand against her cheek.
She was completely acting like the legal wife.
On the other hand, Angelica was trembling uncontrollably and spilling hamburger sauce all over my thigh, while Rio and Chloe were licking it off, making it a truly "unshowable!" meal scene.
"Ah—... Sorry to interrupt while things are heating up this morning, but I have something to consult you all about. Actually, I've received instructions to choose one of the otherworlders in this house and bring them along."
"What do you mean by that?" Angelica spilled sauce on my hand once again. I wanted to tell her to just put her chopsticks down first.
Since I couldn't reach a cloth, I had no choice but to have Rio suck my finger to clean the stain.
"I suspect we'll be infiltrating enemy territory. They probably found some huge hideout or something. That's why they want to use someone from another world."
"If they know the location, shouldn't Father just snipe them from afar with magic? Ayako can adjust the firepower with her debuffs right now, so there wouldn't be any unnecessary damage."
"Maybe they want to get inside and gather information?"
"Ah, I see."
"In that case, there's no choice but for me and Father to go as a duo," Angelica nodded.
The one to interject an objection was Chloe.
"Shouldn't I be the one to go? In terms of combat power, I am superior. Above all, Father and I are 'real' parent and child, so we're bound to be in sync."
I felt intense possessiveness in the way she emphasized "real."
Stop it, don't turn a peaceful strategy meeting into a battlefield.
Chloe continued in a pleading voice.
"To celebrate the reconciliation of parent and child, let's go fight together right away. Okay?"
"...Well, certainly, if we're choosing by strength, it would be you."
While I was hesitating, Philia whispered in my ear this time.
Why do you not nominate me? I pride myself on being the second strongest after you.
Her volume was suppressed to a level only I could hear.
Are you actually sane right now?
If Hero-dono desires it, I will provide any kind of service along the way. Come now, hurry up and choose me.
...I'm in trouble.
There are too many candidates, and since every single one of them wants to act with me, the conversation isn't progressing at all...