"Have you brought your toothbrush?"
"Yes."
"Your pajamas?"
"Yes."
"Then what about extra underwear?"
"Yes! Now please stop nagging me like a mother watching her children go on their first trip."
Yuki and I were sitting in our usual café, where we typically planned our outings together. However, this time, we wouldn't just be out for the day; it was our first adventure together since she returned from Osaka, where she had a health check-up with a renowned doctor. As I promised her, we were ready to embark on this adventure.
"…Okay then."
You're lucky the place we're going to isn't a medieval setting where you'd have to wear uncomfortable clothes. Sure, I have the [Shop] where I can buy anything I want, but I'm not thrilled at the idea of her throwing a tantrum, asking me to buy her a bra using Shards instead of the cash I have in the bank.
Fortunately, I had prepared for the possibility of needing extra clothes, just in case, so thank goodness for my inventory.
"So, let me enjoy my cappuccino in peace, and then we can leave."
"But I want to go now!"
---
"Party Invite: Yuki Suou"
"Whoa. This is the second time I've seen this happen, and it's still unbelievable."
With her usual energy, she tapped 'Yes' on the screen, and my interface changed to display the list of party members.
- Masachika Kuze Lv. 26
- Yuki Suou Lv. 3
For the first time, I used the Party function of my power. The last time doesn't count; after all, she didn't even accept the invite, probably because she didn't do it soon enough and caused something like 'session expired.'
First things first, I noticed the 'Party Settings' button. I clicked it and turned on [HUD: Party Member Health Bar] and activated the voice command for [Party Chat].
I glanced at the other options but ultimately decided against them since they would take up too much space in my vision. I continued with just those two settings and then called out to Yuki, who was looking at her status with her back to me.
"Okay, are you ready?"
"Uh? Oh, yes. Whenever you are."
There was something strange in her tone, but I decided not to pry. Everyone is entitled to their secrets, and I didn't want to know what could be in her status that would cause such a reaction.
"Give me your hand. Here we go: 3, 2, 1, go!"
"Whoa!"
The first step was easy; I just had to bring her into the [White Hallway].
"What is this place?"
"This is the [White Hallway]. You see, I can create gates to other realities, but they are stationary and take months to become available."
"So, instead of making gates in different locations, you created a place just for those gates. Smart."
"Thank you. Now, if you follow me... this is where we're going."
"Okay, but quick question: where do the gates we passed lead to?"
"Alternate Earths. They are almost identical to ours, just without the supernatural elements. They also exist around the same time, from between 2010 and 2020, although there's one that's set in 2006."
She nodded and looked around. Honestly, apart from being a world that was overwhelmingly white, nothing was particularly interesting. After a while, it all started to feel sterile.
"Again, give me your hand. It shouldn't be necessary, but it's better to be prepared."
"I'm ready for the second round. The first went by a bit too fast; maybe this time will be better."
I held back my retort and then entered the gate.
---
"Thank you! Please have a great evening."
After asking some questions to the locals, Yuki and I decided to move toward our destination.
"When you told me about adventure, I wasn't imagining... this." She opened her hands toward the crowd of tourists around us.
"You know, Yuki, I'm sure your weak otaku spirit is screaming at you for not defeating goblins like your average anime fantasy protagonist, but the problem is... you're weak as hell."
"Ugh!"
"Your strong points are your high intelligence and wisdom, while your strength, dexterity, and constitution are lower than mine when I went to Kyoto. There's no way I could take you to a place like that when you're such a liability."
"Okay, okay, please stop. I know that, but I craved adventure, not this!"
Honestly, I didn't understand why she was so fixated on the idea of adventure. Sure, we weren't in an RPG fantasy world, but this experience was still amazing.
All of my previous gateways had opened in places that were either in Japan or America. This time, however, it opened in a place I recognized but had never visited: France.
What a surprise! I had imagined entering a world inspired by a show I enjoyed, but I never expected to land directly here in a setting like this. Unfortunately, there were two issues to deal with. First, Yuki doesn't know the language, although she recognized it was French. Second, I was completely blind when it came to this adventure.
Yes, I know a bit about it since it's from a show I watched and remembered fondly, but watching and knowing are two different things.
"Well, I know you don't like this, so why don't we try to solve it?"
This is more exciting than just watching.
---
"This is ridiculous."
"Yeah, I know."
"I can't believe you didn't share something like that with me."
We had just left a local bookstore, where I bought a French skill book to help Yuki learn the language. Now, she was trying to speak in French, with some difficulty.
"This is a game changer! This will make everything else so much easier! I'm sure Grandfather won't scold me because of my Chinese lessons."
"Well, I like that you're ready to take advantage of my skills for your own benefit."
"Hey, it's my right as an imouto to exploit the powers of my big brother! Anyway, you brought more books. Does this have something to do with our adventure?"
"Yes. When I mentioned an adventure, I wasn't referring to a typical Sword and Magic fantasy."
"Then what were you talking about?"
"Oh, don't worry. We will have an adventure, right? One in the style of Indiana Jones."
"Ooh! Are we going to raid temples in the jungle to find lost artifacts?!"
I just smiled at her and continued walking.
"Hey! Don't ignore me! At least tell me what we're going to do around here."
I decided not to ignore her again; I didn't want to deal with a pouting Yuki.
"We're entering the catacombs."