Black_Storm Lodge

...Click!...Shutter!...Click!...Shutter!...

"Mifumi-sama... Please stop taking pictures with your Art_Phone..."

"But there are so many new things to see in this outpost town, Vier-chan."

"I understand your excitement, Mifumi-sama. But you don't need to take a picture of every unusual thing on our way."

"I know, Vier-chan. But since we're here, I wanted to take pictures of the whole town."

"We will be late if you do that now. Besides, we will be living here for a while so you can do that anytime."

"...Munch...Munch... Please give me five of these meat skewers, Miss"

"Okay, young lady. That will be 5 large Copper coins."

"...Munch...Munch... Mhm!"

"Felin, please stop buying and eating new food at every shop we pass by."

"But I'm buying food for our dinner, Vier."

"We still have the food we bought before going to the Adventurers' Academy. They are still in your Item_Bag, right?"

"But those are for afternoon snacks."

"Sheesh... Let's keep moving, Felin, Mifumi-sama. Or we will be late."

""Just give us a minute, Vier-chan.""

"That is exactly what both of you said half an hour ago!"

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Right now, we're not just late, we're also lost.

After leaving the Adventurers' Academy around pass noon time, we went to search the place where our group was supposed to be staying.

We asked Ms. Klea, the Guild's receptionist who processes our Entrance Exam form, for the direction we're going. But even after following the map she has drawn for us, we're still unable to find its location.

...Click!...Shutter!...Click!...Shutter!...

...Munch...Munch...Munch...

I don't know if I'm just bad at reading and following the map or if I'm just too distracted from Mifumi-sama who is still taking pictures of buildings, shops, people's pets, and everything unusual for her, and from Felin who is now eating a new type of bread that I have never seen before.

Either way, there is one thing I'm sure of. We only have an hour left before sunset. And if we are still unable to find the place we're staying after that, then we will be camping at the town square tonight.

"Maybe we should try asking again for directions from the people around us, Vier-chan."

Of course, we have to try asking for directions from the other people. That is the obvious thing to do if someone is lost or when you can't find where you're going.

However, everyone we have asked so far doesn't have any idea about the place called Misato's Residence that Misaki-sensei told us about.

Now I'm even wondering how the Adventurers' Academy knows where it is but the people who are supposed to live around its neighborhood don't know where it is.

Are we perhaps in the wrong location?

"I guess we don't have any choice, Mifumi-sama."

"Mhm!... I'm gonna ask that Mister."

"Please stop for a moment, Felin."

I grab Felin's hand and stop her before she can dash towards the Mister who she is pointing at. Or more accurately to say, to the Mister who is selling another type of unusual sandwich.

"What is it, Vier?"

"Let me handle asking for directions. Just stay right here and look after Mifumi-sama. Make sure she wouldn't take anyone's picture without asking their consent first."

"Mhm!... I will look after Mifumi-sama then."

"I won't do something rude like that, Vier-chan, Felin-chan!"

After leaving Mifumi-sama at Felin's hand, I approached the food cart that Felin had pointed earlier to ask for directions.

"Hello, Mister. How much for three sandwiches... Wait, I'm sorry... That is not what I wanted to ask."

"Well, it's 3 large Copper coins per sandwich, little girl. But sure, just ask me anything."

"Thanks, Mister."

"Are you perhaps lost, little girl? Did you get separated from your parents?"

"Oi!!!... I'm the one who should be asking, Mister. I'm maybe lost but I'm not a little girl. And definitely not a child lost from her parents!"

"Ehh... Then I'm sorry, young lady..."

He probably noticed how irritated I was because he suddenly changed the way he addressed me.

"So what do you want to ask, young lady?"

"Do you know the place called Misato's Residence?"

"Misato's Residence?..."

I guess he doesn't know it either...

"Are you perhaps talking about Ms. Misato's Apartment?... The Black_Storm Lodge?"

"Ehh?... Black_Storm Lodge?..."

"You are looking for the Half-Elf, Ms. Misato, right? I mean, you're looking for her house, right?"

So Misato's Residence is not the name of the place or the building but the house of Misato herself?

"What the heck, Misaki-sensei!!!... Clarify your instructions properly!!!..."

"Are you all right, young lady? Are you mad at someone?"

Of course, I will be mad. Our group looks like an idiot for misunderstanding something as obvious as that and we wasted hours of effort because of that.

That is probably why everyone we asked before doesn't know where it is. It's not that they don't know but they are much more familiar with the actual name of the building than the name of its owner.

"Sheesh... Anyway, thanks for your help, Mister. Also, please give me three orders of what you're selling."

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Thanks to the Mister who was selling those unusual sandwiches which he called Burrito, our group was finally able to find the place where we were staying.

The Black_Storm Lodge.

"You three are late!... It's already evening. Didn't the Mana_Airship arrive just before noon?"

Well, aside from being lost around the outpost town, Mifumi-sama taking pictures, and Felin buying and eating food from the food stalls, it's no wonder we arrive this late in the evening.

But what I'm wondering right now is the person who is waiting at the entrance of the apartment building.

She is an adult woman with short black hair and long pointed ears.

A Half-Elf... Is she perhaps Ms. Misato?... Wait... I think she is kind of familiar. Have we met before?

"Good evening, Aunt Misato. I'm sorry we're late. We got lost around the outpost town."

"Sigh... Fine. I guess it should've be expected. It's your group's first time here at the Floating Island of Liber. For now, let's get inside your apartment room."

While the three of us silently follow behind Ms. Misato, I take my chance to ask Mifumi-sama about Ms. Misato's identity.

"You don't remember her, Vier-chan? I think you should have seen her before when she visited our house and the Adventurers' Guild of our town."

"Hmmm..."

She kinda looks familiar but I don't remember her.

"Well, it's no wonder if you don't remember. After all, Aunt Misato only visits our town once every two or three years."

Then it's no wonder why I don't remember her.

"Mhm!... I remember her, Vier, Mifumi-sama. She gave me some honey candy before."

If it's honey candy, I'm sure Felin will remember anyone who is involved. Anyway...

"So who is Ms. Misato, Mifumi-sama?"

"Aunt Misato is Grandma's little sister."

""Misaki-sensei's little sister?""

Both Felin and I were quite shocked and confused at what Mifumi-sama had said.

"So she is a grandma?"

"But you're calling her as your Aunt?"

"Well, it's kinda complicated."

""Please explain it to us like we're 3 years old!""

According to Mifumi-sama, Misaki-sensei and Ms. Misato are not blood-related. Misaki-sensei adopted Ms. Misato when they were still young. Misaki-sensei acted as both Ms. Misato's mother and big sister.

At first, Ms. Misato calls Misaki-sensei her mother but these days, she prefers to call Misaki-sensei her big sister.

"Besides, Even if Aunt Misato is already around 500 years old, she is still not married yet. It would be inappropriate to call her a grandma so I'm calling her my Aunt."

I guess long-lived Demi-Humans like Elf and Half-Race like Half-Elf who can live for an average of 1000 years have a lot of time in their hands.

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After our short conversation about Ms. Misato's true identity, we're finally inside our apartment room.

The whole apartment building consists of six two-story rooms. And our group will be staying at Room_No.5.

The first floor is an open space that can be used as a dining hall. We can even renovate it to be used as a store if we want to start some kind of business.

The second floor is the living space that also includes a single bedroom with enough space for two double-deck beds.

After showing us what is like inside the apartment room, our group gathered in the living room on the second floor for a meeting.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay at your residence, Aunt Misato. Also, here are some gifts we have brought from Greendale Town and a letter from Grandma herself."

Mifumi-sama released a large box and a letter from inside of her Storage_Bracelet, a Magic_Item like the Item_Bag that uses the storage skill of the Slime's Monster_Core.

"Thank you for the gifts, Mifumi-chan."

That box probably contains some Wines and Alcoholic drinks from Misaki-sensei's winery along with some other souvenirs we have bought along the way from town to town while riding the Mana_Train.

The letter is probably an introduction letter for the three of us.

Misaki-sensei told us that we should not open either of both. That's kind of suspicious but I'm not really concerned about what is really inside the large box and what was written in the letter.

"So what does grandma write in the letter, Aunt Misato?"

"Well, it includes some introduction about the three of you..."

See?... It is just like what I said...

"But most of it is about... What Misaki-oneesan called... Ummm... Vier's_Manual...?"

"""Ehh?...."""

What the heck is Vier's_Manual?!