Chapter 56: Let’s Think About Whether Villagers Coming to Worship at My Home Count as Guests

It’s finished, huh~ My home...

Yes, no matter what anyone says, this is my home.

Even if the people of Caso village call it a temple!

It felt like the construction went pretty quickly from start to finish.

Though it wasn’t like it was done in just a few days.

I don’t have a smartphone, flip phone, or even a calendar after all.

When they handed over the completed building, I asked the village chief about the construction costs. He replied, "Of course we can’t take payment from Spirit-sama!" I’m not a spirit though. Lately, I feel like my conversations with the chief don’t quite line up.

When they handed it over, he said "Take your time" and left, so I thought they might not come for a while. That’s why last night I slept for the first time in the fluffy bed in the bedroom on the second floor that had been assigned to me. When I went full derone on that fluffy bed, it felt insanely good. So I slept peacefully and deeply, but...

"Why is Irina here?"

At some point, Irina had slipped into my bed.

Moreover, she was sleeping while hugging my derone form.

I was being used exactly like a body pillow.

I guess the cool sensation feels nice.

For a moment I wondered if she was naked, but she was properly wearing what looked like pajamas.

...It’s not like I’m disappointed or anything!

Knock knock.

"Hm!? Who is it?"

There shouldn’t be anyone else in this buil— I mean, my home besides me and Irina.

Logan and the others have their own housing on the 1st floor of their dedicated stable, and the Chicks have theirs on the 2nd floor.

So who could it be?

Don’t tell me a young girl from Caso village has started working here as a maid!?

I excitedly went to open the door... but I couldn’t.

Because Irina was clinging to me.

As a slime, extending a tentacle to open the door would be easy, but if a new maid saw me in this situation with Irina hugging me, it would definitely cause a misunderstanding. It might make future relations with the maid awkward.

So I decided to use a little trick.

I extended a tentacle to grab the doorknob, then before opening the door, I moved part of my slime body into it.

From the outside, it would look like I (the main body) was standing in front of the door holding the knob.

That’s right—I created a fake main body with the sent-out slime!

This way, I could hide the real me being hugged by Irina on the bed.

Alright, time to open the door.

"What do you need?"

I opened the door.

『Good morning, Boss!』

Thud!

"It’s you, Logan!"

I rolled off the bed carefully so as not to involve Irina.

I’m pretty skilled, if I do say so myself.

Not a maid at all!

『Yes! It is I, Boss!』

"So, what is it?"

『My apologies so early in the morning, but the village chief of Caso has arrived.』

"The chief?"

What happened to "take your time"? He’s showing up first thing the next morning.

I’m grateful they built it, but at least let me relax for three days or so.

No choice. I gently laid Irina back on the bed and went down to the first floor following Logan.

When I reached the first floor, I came out into the large central hall called the "Prayer Room." What an exaggerated name. Of course, the chief named it. And on the altar was my wooden statue. Even after one night, it was still a wooden statue. Naturally.

Following Logan into the Prayer Room, I saw the chief along with several other people.

"Ohh, Spirit-sama, good morning."

"It’s not ’good morning,’ Chief. You only handed the building over to me yesterday."

I replied with a bit of annoyance, but since they built my home for me, I couldn’t treat them too rudely. Logan finished his guide duty and returned to the stable.

"Hahaha, my apologies. We had intended to let Spirit-sama rest for a while, but this old woman kept insisting since morning that she had to be brought to the Spirit-sama’s temple..."

"Old woman?"

"This old hag! Who are you calling an old woman!?"

An incredibly shrill voice echoed through the Prayer Room.

Looking closely, besides the chief there were two young men who seemed to be guards, one pretty young woman, and an extremely short, wrinkly old woman even smaller than the girl.

"If you don’t call an old woman an old woman, there won’t be any old women left in the world."

"Shut up!"

"What’s this? Did you come first thing in the morning to show us an old man and old woman comedy routine?"

I let out a big sigh.

"Well, as I said, this old woman has been so noisy since morning demanding to be brought to the temple that I couldn’t refuse."

The chief also sighed, looking genuinely troubled.

"Old woman, old woman... Wait, could you be Grandma Zaida?"

The moment I said the name Zaida, everyone froze.

"...How did you know this old woman’s name is Zaida...?"

The chief looked astonished.

"...Have we met somewhere before?"

"No, this is our first meeting."

"Then how do you know my grandmother’s name...?"

I honestly answered the old woman’s question. The pretty young woman must be Grandma Zaida’s granddaughter.

"Hey hey, is Spirit-sama also a messenger of God?"

"It’s probably some kind of superpower."

The young guards were saying whatever they wanted. That’s not it at all. And why the Kansai dialect?

"Actually, when Kanta and Chiko-chan came to the spring, they mentioned that the village chief and Grandma Zaida could read, so I remembered."

"I see..."

The granddaughter seemed convinced, but the others weren’t listening. Listen, damn it.

"Goodness, Spirit-sama’s superpower is truly godlike."

"Hmm, the power of prophecy, perhaps?"

"Should we have him tell the future of Caso village?"

"That sounds good~"

No, it doesn’t. I can’t do fortune-telling.

It’s neither prophecy nor divine power. I just heard it. I was just guessing.

"Still, when I heard there was a Spirit-sama’s temple near the village, I thought the chief had finally lost his mind. But you’ve been helping the fields grow well, taking care of the wells, and even livening up the village opening festival. Since you’ve done so much for us, and now there’s a temple, I came to see your face."

Hm? The way she’s talking makes it sound like she’s been away from Caso village for a while.

"My grandmother has been away in Totemo Henppi village to the northwest of Caso, making medicinal herbs."

"Ah, so that’s why she wasn’t in the village. But getting called to another village means you’re quite skilled."

"Fufufu, I suppose so."

"You’re not even being modest..."

"Please forgive my grandmother..."

The cute granddaughter looked embarrassed.

"So, what does this skilled old woman want with me?"

"Nine days, ten days."

"Go home!"

"Ah, I’m sorry, Spirit-sama! My grandmother is like this..."

"Hyah hyah hyah."

"Hey! You promised not to be rude to Spirit-sama!"

"I’m sorry, Chief."

Why is only the granddaughter bowing repeatedly?

"Hyah hyah hyah, my apologies, Spirit temple. Now then, let’s get to the main topic."

"There’s a main topic?"

"Of course there is."

"So, what is it?"

"Won’t you take my granddaughter Sarina as your wife?"

Clatter clatter clatter!

When I looked, Irina had tumbled down the stairs.

"H-hey, are you okay? Irina?"

I asked if she was okay, but she was bleeding slightly from the nose, so probably not.

"Y-Y-Yabe! What do you mean you’re increasing your wives!?"

Irina. First of all, what do you mean "increasing your wives"?

Saying it like I already have a wife is going to cause misunderstandings, you know?

"Eeeh!? Spirit-sama already has a wife!?"

See, Sarina-san misunderstood.

"Hoh hoh hoh, Spirit-sama is quite popular!"

"Shut up!"

Seriously, what is wrong with these people? What did they really come here for?

"Chief, if you’re here for worship, that doesn’t count as a guest for me, right? I’m going back to my room."

I turned my back to return to my room, but—

『Boss, you have a guest.』

Logan entered the my home again to announce.

"A guest!?"

I really do have a guest... Flags are scary!