I was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but that World is at Peace (WN)-Chapter 2254: Miyama Kaito’s Birthday Celebration Party Continues ③

Chapter 2254: Miyama Kaito's Birthday Celebration Party Continues ③

Kaori-san and Akane-san's hidden talent performance came to an end, followed by the scoring segment. Since Olivia-san, the first performer, had received a perfect score, the points awarded to Kaori-san and Akane-san here were likely to serve as a benchmark for the performances to follow.

"Now then, let's move on to the judging. Judges, please raise your score cards…… Oi, Makina, that ridiculously huge "100 points" sign doesn't count. Put that away, it's in the way."

At Alice’s prompting, Makina-san reluctantly put away the oversized scorecard that looked more like a corporate billboard. At that moment, all the judges, myself included, raised our scorecards.

"4, 5, 5, 4, 4…… That’s a total of 22 points! Not bad! Given the first was a perfect score, this one still stands out as a high score and seems like it'll be a good benchmark moving forward."

"Kurorin and Lili-tan gave 5s, and the others gave 4s. Guess we ought to hear from the two who gave full marks, right?"

"Right. Let's start with Lilia-san’s comment~~"

Kaori-san and Akane-san received a total of 22 points. As Alice said, it was a high score, though not unattainable for those who’d come later, it still set a solid standard.

"I was simply impressed by the refinement of her magic. To possess that level of mana control at such a young age, and as an otherworlder at that, is truly remarkable. And to continuously release such highly compressed water with that amount of force. Honestly, given Kaori-san's magic power capacity, that shouldn't be possible under normal circumstances. It's likely due to the unique magical aptitude often observed in otherworlders. That aspect in particular was astonishing."

"I see, thank you. Next, let's hear from Kuro-san."

Now that I think about it, Aoi-chan could use Earth Magic at a level far beyond what her mana capacity and training would suggest, and Hina-chan could enhance her body with considerably higher amplification than normal. From the perspective of people from Trinia, their magical aptitudes likely defied common expectations.

Following Lilia-san, Kuro took hold of the Loudspeaker Magic Tool and shared her thoughts.

"I agree with what Lilia-chan said, but really, Kaori-chan’s incredibly strong, isn’t she? Among immigrants from the Otherworld, she’s probably in the top tier. There were some real powerhouses, like Katagiri Daisuke-kun from 36 terms ago, and Tendouin Miyabi-chan from 88 terms back, but even compared to them, her magical skill at her age stands out. Well, Miyabi-chan’s a special case, so I’m only comparing their abilities at the same age. Kaori-chan’s got a high talent for a baby bird, so for me, that earned a high score."

"Oh? Thinking of taking her under your wing?"

"No, if Kaori-chan were an Adventurer, I might’ve considered that, but she’s a chef by trade and already quite accomplished in that field. No need to raise her up further. So this is purely my evaluation of the hidden talent performance. Also, Akane-chan’s commentary was sharp and amusing, definitely adding to the experience."

Kuro delivered her comments with her usual cheer, but there was a remark that caught my attention. She had referenced past immigrants, but when she mentioned that someone named Tendouin Miyabi-san, her tone seemed just a bit more careful, like she was choosing her words. It made me curious.

That said, I couldn’t exactly put my finger on why it bothered me, so maybe it wasn’t worth dwelling on…… I’ll ask if the opportunity ever came up.

"Now then, let’s hear from one of the people who gave 4 points…… Kaito-san, if you would."

Oh, they were asking for my comments now. I had a feeling I might be called on after giving a 4, so I was ready. I accepted the Loudspeaker Magic Tool from Ein-san and began to speak.

"It really was an incredible hidden talent, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. That said, I already knew Kaori-san was proficient with Water Magic, and I’d also heard from Akane-san before that Kaori-san was strong enough to slice through objects with compressed water streams. So considering that prior knowledge, the surprise factor was a bit lower for me, hence the 4 points."

"I see, thank you very much. Just like during the last karaoke competition, Kaito-san always manages to give surprisingly reasonable comments in moments like these."

"……What’s with that "surprisingly"……?"

"Ahaha, well, don’t worry about that…… Now then, Kaori-san and Akane-san, let’s hear your thoughts, how did it feel to show off your hidden talents?"

After hearing the judges’ comments, Alice turned to Kaori-san and Akane-san to ask for their thoughts.

"I- I was really nervous. If I misjudged the output even slightly, I think I would’ve easily pierced through Akane-san’s magic barrier……"

"Eh? Wait, seriously?! I was totally relaxed, thinking it’d be fine if anything went off course 'cause I had my barrier up, don’t tell me that after it’s all over, that’s terrifying……"

"Well, I mean, Akane-san’s magic barrier is…… uh…… errr…… maybe just a bit low in output…… like, it’s tougher than slime, I guess……? You get me?"

"If it’s weak, just say it’s weak! When you try to sugarcoat it like that, it honestly feels worse somehow…… Ah, sorry, we’re getting all rowdy here. A lot of it was done in the heat of the moment, but we had fun with it in the end. Thank you for giving us such a great opportunity."

"T- Thank you very much."

"Oh! And don’t forget about Mikumo Trading Company! Even if it's just a corner of your memory, please keep us in mind!"

"Y- You’re quick to sneak in huh……"

With lighthearted and cheerful comments, and a perfectly timed plug for her trading company, Kaori-san and Akane-san’s hidden talent performance came to an end, accompanied by applause.

<Afterword>

・Katagiri Daisuke

He was an otherworlder summoned as a Hero Actor 36 terms ago, a fundamentally kind guy with a delinquent vibe. He declined being the Hero Actor, saying it "didn’t suit" him, and had a substitute arranged and took his place. However, he felt it would be irresponsible to just walk away entirely, so he accompanied the pilgrimage to support the substitute Hero.

During the pilgrimage, he fell in love with the noble lady who had acted as the substitute Hero Actor. In the end, he received a noble title, married her, and despite saying it didn't suit him, he studied diligently, performed his duties honorably as a noble, and lived out his life to the end.

・Tendouin Miyabi

She was the Hero 88 terms ago, a noble lady from a prestigious family of the lowest peerage rank. A master of the naginata, she possessed considerable combat ability. During her pilgrimage as the Hero Actor, she met Epsilon, who had come as Megiddo's proxy, at a festival in Hydra Kingdom. They hit it off and became friends. In the end, Miyabi expressed a desire to immigrate, refused a noble title, and went to live with Epsilon.

Epsilon’s use of the naginata and preference for wearing traditional Japanese clothing are both influences from Miyabi.

She lived happily under Epsilon’s care until she passed away of old age. Epsilon believed she had sent her off with composure, but after her passing, she came to realize just how important Miyabi had been to her. Unable to bear life without her, she used a special type of magic to resurrect her, reincarnating her as a Frost Demon…… a yuki-onna-like Demon.

Normally, the souls of otherworlders are returned to their original world…… to Makina after death. However, because Miyabi’s soul unconsciously clung to Epsilon’s side, it remained in this world, making resurrection possible.

That said, unlike someone like Neun, who changed species while still alive, reincarnating a deceased person into an entirely different existence is a forbidden magic that trespasses into the domain of the Gods. Even Epsilon, a Peak Count-rank Demon, could not perform it easily. She succeeded in forcing the magic through by sacrificing "10 percent of her own power" as the price.

As a result, the strength that once rivaled or even surpassed Agni’s fell to just below Agni’s level. The reincarnated Miyabi felt somewhat self-conscious about this, but Epsilon didn’t mind at all, saying "That’s a cheap price to pay for an irreplaceable friend" and "If I’ve lost power, I’ll just train again".

Currently, Miyabi lives with Epsilon and takes care of the household chores. Due to the side effects of the forcibly performed forbidden magic, she lost most of her memories from her time in the Otherworld, but since she retains the memories from after coming to Trinia, she doesn’t mind in the slightest.

However, because of this, she no longer has much of a sense of being an otherworlder. Rather than an "immigrant from the Otherworld", she could be better described as "someone who lost their memories of her former world and was reincarnated", a unique case. Thus, when Alice explained to Kaito about the existing immigrants, Miyabi was not mentioned.

As a side note, Miyabi harbors romantic feelings for Epsilon and is fully intent on becoming Epsilon’s wife someday. However, since she has decided to wholeheartedly support Epsilon’s relationship with Ozma until it progresses, she offers Epsilon advice on romance and secretly wishes they’d hurry up and get together already.

Incidentally, according to Ozma, Epsilon’s romantic approach has become noticeably more emotionally intense ever since Miyabi started giving her advice.