Chapter 34: The Young Miss Wants to Go to the Alternative World Too.
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"Ahem... now, where exactly should I start~~"
Seeing Marisa's clear attempt to build up suspense, Aya Shameimaru knew exactly what she was after. Without another word, she waved her hand to call over Mystia, the owner of the night sparrow izakaya.
"Boss lady, two cups of sake and two skewers of grilled eel over here!"
"C-Coming right up!"
Taking a sip of the sharp, stinging sake, Marisa squinted her eyes and began speaking at a leisurely pace. "Let's talk about what I saw and heard in that alternative world. The magic environment over there is heavily dormant, so you basically can't use any spells at all. On top of that, the world itself has restrictions; if you dare to force your magic power out, your account will be permanently banned."
"Banned?" Hearing a new term, Aya immediately pulled out her notebook to jot it down. "Can you explain what that word means?"
"I heard it from Kaguya too. To put it simply, it means you are permanently rejected from entering that world ever again."
"Wow... that sounds even stricter than the Hakurei Border's rules against leaving Gensokyo."
"It's not too bad. Anyway, apart from not being able to use magic, there aren't really any inconveniences."
As she spoke, Marisa seemed to remember something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pitch-black, rectangular object. Aya had seen Sanae use one before; it was a magical tool called a "smartphone" that let people talk to each other across vast distances.
She was very surprised to see Marisa holding one too. Normally, smartphones only existed in the hands of the yokai who lived close to the signal base stations. Her eyes lit up as she pressed for answers. "Did you get that phone after going to the alternative world?"
"You bet! But since we don't have any currency from that world, we have to think up an identity related to Kihara-bro before going over. That's the only way to get him to provide us with living expenses."
"Why does that... make you sound like a side-chick being kept on a leash?"
The hand Marisa was using to hold her cup trembled violently, nearly spilling her shochu. She forced herself to look calm on the outside while panicking intensely on the inside. "No way! You're overthinking it. If you think there's a problem, go talk to Yukari Yakumo and Kaguya; they were the ones who made all the rules."
"Alright, we can leave that topic for later. Is there anything special about this phone?"
"Hehehe~ Aside from being able to make calls to people far away, you can also play games on it! Though I can't show it to you right now because there's no way to connect to the alternative world's network here.
Otherwise, I would absolutely show you how amazing the stats are on the horse girls I've been training!"
The sight of Marisa waving her phone around with wide, excited eyes truly left Aya a bit puzzled. She could not comprehend what could possibly be so interesting about a little rectangular box. Could it really be more fun than digging up people's gossip, turning it into tabloid news, and publishing it to rake in piles of cash?
Internal critiques aside, she still secretly used her camera to snap a photo of this scene, preparing to use it as the main cover image for tomorrow's Bunbun News Flash.
The two of them chatted for over an hour. Marisa shared almost everything she had seen and heard—except for her late-night escapades drinking Kihara's special milk—and she casually ordered quite a few side dishes along the way.
Aya recorded every single word without missing a beat. She then handed over the interview fee they had agreed upon. Having been filled to the brim with so much alternative-world news, her face looked so polished it practically reflected light, carrying a faint, unnatural flush of excitement.
"I knew you'd have plenty of great news to share. Let me give you a little extra for the interview fee this time!"
"Oh~ I didn't expect a paparazzi like you to be so generous, Aya! Then I'll accept it without any politeness!"
"Mmhmm, take your time eating. I'm going to step away to pick a flower."
"Go ahead, go ahead." Marisa was currently biting into a sizzling, oily piece of grilled eel. Too lazy to even lift her head, she offered a muffled, careless reply and kept her head down to eat.
By the time she finished her second skewer of grilled eel, she realized Aya had not returned yet. Her eating motions instantly froze solid.
"Oh no! That jerk pulled a bathroom ditch!"
Realizing she had been totally scammed, Marisa was just about to hop onto her broom to make a run for it when Mystia stepped out to block her path. The boss lady spoke timidly, "Marisa... um... Aya said you would settle the entire bill. You... aren't planning to run out on the check, are you?"
"Ahahaha! A person like me, Marisa, would never do such a thing! Mystia, you're really too much, doubting a person like that."
"I-Is that so? That's good then..."
"Tch, damn paparazzi Aya, she actually predicted my escape plan!"
Muttering a quiet curse under her breath, Marisa had no choice but to obediently hand over the interview fee that hadn't even warmed up in her pocket yet, even paying quite a bit of her own money on top of it.
'Curse it, no wonder that paparazzi was so generous about letting me order whatever I wanted. She had planned to trick me from the very start!'
Feeling the sting in her wallet, Marisa resolved to find a perfect opportunity to get sweet revenge on that heartless crow. If all else failed, she would just drag Kihara into it to help her deal with Aya. At worst, she could just help pin down her hands and wings when the time came.
[Bunbun News Flash:]
Gensokyo's famous Black-and-White Thief is having too much fun in the alternative world to think about home! Suspected of being deeply addicted to electronic games and unable to extricate herself, she frequently exhibited crazed behavior at the Night Sparrow Izakaya, drawing constant side-eyes from the surrounding yokai.
Additionally, this reporter managed to question her while her mind was still clear, gathering many details that the vast yokai community will find highly interesting.
The alternative world where Kihara-bro resides does not allow the use of magic power, but they have iron boxes that can run across the sky, ground, and ocean, as well as many novel tools that do not exist in Gensokyo.
Most importantly, items from the alternative world can be brought back to Gensokyo. All you yokai who love collecting things are in for a treat!
Lastly, special thanks to Eientei and the Yakumo Residence for their strong support of this paper. Plans for the second group of alternative-world tourists are currently being prepared with intense speed. If you are interested in the alternative world, you can sign up early at Eientei!
...
Meanwhile, inside the Scarlet Devil Mansion, which oozed wealth and elegance from top to bottom.
Remilia sat as usual upon her throne, which featured several height-boosting cushions tucked beneath her seat to maintain her majesty. She held the latest copy of the Bunbun News Flash between her fingers, her crimson lips forming a straight line before curling into a slight smile.
"Ho~ It looks quite fun over on Kihara's side. Though, why hasn't Flandre returned yet?"
"Reporting to the Young Miss, the Second Daughter is currently stuck on the assessment for memorizing the Transit Manual written by Kaguya-hime."
"Flandre has never liked studying, so it's only natural for her to get stuck."
The fiercely loyal head maid, Sakuya Izayoi, noticed the eager, restless spark gleaming within Remilia's eyes. She immediately understood what her mistress was thinking.
"Then... Mistress, do you need me to head over to Eientei to sign you up in advance?"
"N-No need! Who said I wanted to go play in the alternative world?"
"I understand that the Young Miss merely wishes to spread her grand majesty to the alternative world. How about... we wait until the Second Daughter returns from her trip before you go?"
Having her ego thoroughly stroked, Remilia raised her chin with immense pride. "That was my plan all along. As the elder sister, it is only natural to let my younger sister play first!"
"The Young Miss is truly wise!"
"Right, if Flandre hasn't left for the alternative world yet, go over and tell her to have Kihara come back for a visit. I want to drink his blood."
"Understood!"
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Thank you for reading.