E-Book Bonus SS: Welcome Party for the New Members, and Hanna Bonds with Kalua and Rika.
The night Miss Rika joined our guild, <Eden>.
We held a little party in the guild room to celebrate.
"Congrats to Kalua and Rika for joining, and also on unlocking your jobs! Cheers!"
"""""Cheers!"""""
We clinked our mugs together. Zephyrus-kun led the toast.
It was both a celebration for Kalua-chan and Miss Rika’s joining, as well as their job awakenings.
Actually, Kalua-chan only joined <Eden> yesterday.
She’s a catfolk girl—black hair, black eyes, with the cutest little cat ears, and a swaying tail that draws your eyes without fail! She’s adorable! Plus, she’s about the same height as me, which makes her feel extra approachable.
She was apparently scouted—or rather, reverse-scouted—by Zephyrus-kun himself, and he brought her in with a beaming smile.
The moment the other girls saw her, the guild was in full-on "welcome mode." Though of course, touching her ears and tail is strictly forbidden.
Not that I’m not curious. I really want to know what they feel like. But alas…
Anyway, that made her the sixth member, and just when we thought, "Let’s throw a welcome party!"—
An incident. Zephyrus-kun brought another girl into the guild room.
Lady Lana was furious at him for dragging in a different girl two days in a row. She even lost her composure so much that Miss Ester had to scold her.
That girl was Miss Rika—the other star of tonight’s party.
So, what was originally going to be Kalua-chan’s welcome party became a joint welcome for both of them.
In other words, a get-to-know-you gathering.
Alright then, let’s start by checking on Kalua-chan.
I swooped in while she was devouring my cooking with great enthusiasm.
"Um, is it tasty?"
"Mhm. Very tasty. Super tasty. Makes me feel happy."
"Wow, that’s a long sentence for you, Kalua."
"Ah, Zephyrus-kun."
When I spoke to her, Zephyrus-kun also jumped into the conversation.
I don’t think what she said was that long, but apparently, she doesn’t talk much normally.
"Kalua, listen and be amazed. Most of the food here was made by Hanna."
"!! Incredible. Could she be… the goddess of cooking?"
"G-Goddess!? N-no, no way, I’m just a normal village girl! I just happen to be decent at cooking."
"No way this is just ‘decent.’ This is better than the stuff they serve at the cafeteria."
"P-please don’t say that, you’ll make the cafeteria staff feel bad."
Jeez. They’re exaggerating way too much. Still… it feels nice to be praised for my cooking.
"You’re eating a ton, are you really okay with that?"
"Mhm. If I want to eat more, I can always fit it."
"For real? That’s a convenient stomach."
"But then your belly would be in trouble… oh wait, it’s not. Huh."
Looks like Kalua-chan’s a big eater type.
But her figure’s surprisingly slender. Not even a hint of extra weight.
Seriously, where is all that food going? I couldn’t help but wonder.
I’d made a lot of food for the welcome party, but it kept vanishing into Kalua-chan’s mouth at an incredible pace.
Still, I had come over here to bond with her—though maybe it would be better to wait until after she finished eating.
"Mhm. For now, I’m satisfied."
Just as I was thinking that, she finally stopped eating. Guess she’s full? But something else caught my eye.
"Ah, Kalua-chan, you’ve got a little something on your mouth."
"Mhm."
"Don’t move, I’ll get it for you."
"Thanks."
I picked up a napkin and gently wiped away the food from the corner of her mouth.
"Ah, you’ve even got some in your hair."
Just how vigorously were you eating?
"Mhm, Hanna?"
"Ah, yes. That’s right, I’m Hanna."
"Mhm. Hanna’s cooking was very tasty."
"Hearing that makes all the effort worth it."
Honestly, if you say something like that, I can’t really scold you anymore.
"So you two already got close while I stepped away for just a moment?"
Zephyrus-kun had gone to grab a bite and returned, saying that with a grin.
Before I realized it, I was standing behind Kalua-chan, carefully combing out her hair—paying close attention not to snag her cat ears.
"Mhm. Hanna likes taking care of people?"
"I don’t really think that’s the case, but…"
"No, Hanna definitely likes looking after people. I can vouch for it. On the way here to the academy, she took great care of me."
"Geez, don’t say it like that all seriously."
Zephyrus-kun, honestly… but still, I can’t deny he has a point. Maybe I am the caring type.
I glanced back at Kalua-chan’s hair.
"Kalua-chan, do you brush your hair properly? It’s getting pretty tangled."
"Mhm."
What’s that supposed to mean? You can’t fool my eyes, you know.
"That won’t do. You’re a girl, after all. You need to brush at least in the morning and at night."
"Mhm, too much trouble."
Kalua-chan was completely unfazed. Zephyrus-kun muttered something like, "Maybe it’s from her mercenary lifestyle?"—though I didn’t really get it.
In the end, I just kept combing while chatting with her.
"So, Kalua-chan, where did you meet Zephyrus-kun?"
"Where? Um… in front of a shop."
"Right, it was in front of Marie-senpai’s shop. I wasn’t paying attention and ran into her there."
Apparently, Zephyrus-kun had been distracted. That’s dangerous—you shouldn’t walk around without looking! Thanks to that, poor Kalua-chan had her underwear seen…
"But because of that, I was able to become a 【Star Cat】. So I’m grateful."
"And you ate six bowls of curry too."
"Mhm. I’ll stick with Zephyrus."
"Hmm… well, if you’re fine with it, then I suppose it’s okay…"
Zephyrus-kun may have been careless, but it sounds like he apologized sincerely, and Kalua-chan seems genuinely grateful. So I don’t really have anything to add. But why do I still feel a tiny bit uneasy?
"Ah, that’s right. You just became a 【Star Cat】 yesterday, didn’t you, Kalua-chan?"
"Mhm. Zephyrus got me into it. A high-ranked job."
As expected of Zephyrus-kun—he really does know everything.
"Kalua-chan, congrats on unlocking your job as a 【Star Cat】!"
"Mhm, thank you, Hanna."
She puffed her chest out just a little. It warmed my heart somehow.
But there was still something I wanted to confirm.
Once Zephyrus-kun went off toward Lady Lana, I asked Kalua-chan quietly:
"Kalua-chan, what do you think of Zephyrus-kun?"
"Mhm? What do I think?"
Ah, that didn’t get across…
"Um, like… do you like him, or dislike him?"
"Mhm. I like Zephyrus."
"Li—!"
"Because he gives me food."
"…Haah~."
I felt all the strength drain out of me. Yeah… this is that. Just like how cats get attached to whoever feeds them.
"I see… well, that’s kind of a relief."
"?"
It’s fine. Somehow, I feel like I’ll be able to get along with Kalua-chan just fine.
"Then I’ll bring out some more. Please, eat as much as you like."
"!! Hanna, I love you!"
I put the comb away and placed another steaming dish in front of Kalua-chan.
Her eyes had been locked onto the food for a while now, like she couldn’t move.
It seemed she still hadn’t had enough, so I brought out my special reserve.
And in return, she told me she loved me. That’s it, I’ve captured Kalua-chan’s heart. Still… if she says ‘I love you’ just over food, it makes me a little worried.
…Come to think of it, didn’t Zephyrus-kun say he treated her to curry?
"Hey, Kalua-chan, did you perhaps tell Zephyrus-kun you loved him too?"
"munch munch… mhm. I did."
"You DID!?"
"Zephyrus looked really happy."
"He was HAPPY!?"
Wha—! A shocking revelation!
Judging from his behavior, I don’t think he took it the wrong way, but… Zephyrus-kun being happy when told ‘I love you’? Ughhh.
"Ka–Kalua-chan."
"Mhm?"
"You shouldn’t go around telling boys you love them so easily, okay?"
"Mhm. Really?"
"Really. Just saying ‘thank you’ is enough."
"Mhm. Got it."
Phew. Glad she understood. Zephyrus-kun is the type to spoil her, so if she kept saying ‘I love you’ to him, he might actually take it seriously. And if he believed it when it’s just a misunderstanding, that’d be bad. I’ll need to keep an eye on Kalua-chan too.
After that, I stayed with her, chatting until she finished eating, and Zephyrus-kun and Miss Sierra came back over.
Next, I wanted to try talking with the second newcomer, Miss Rika.
Ugh, looking at her again… Miss Rika really is beautiful. It almost feels intimidating to approach her.
But this is a welcome party. I have to make the effort to build connections. Alright—charge!
"Miss Rika, once again, welcome to <Eden>. My name is Hanna."
"Well now, how courteous of you. Please treat me kindly, Miss Hanna."
"Just Hanna is fine. Everyone calls me that."
"Very well, then Hanna. Feel free to call me however you like."
"Thank you. Then I’ll call you Miss Rika. And congratulations on unlocking your job."
"Thank you. Truly, I’m glad from the bottom of my heart."
Talking to her, she seemed like a good person. When I congratulated her on getting her job, she nodded deeply, her expression touched.
Lady Lana and Miss Sierra had said the same—that when the job you’re aiming for doesn’t manifest, no matter how hard you try, it’s painful.
Both Lady Lana and Miss Sierra struggled a lot, apparently. I never experienced that stress myself, since 【Alchemist】 manifested for me right after enrollment. But seeing Miss Rika’s look of relief, I could tell just how harsh it must have been.
I picked up the apple juice from the table and poured it into her mug.
"Here you go, Miss Rika. Please have a drink."
"Ah, thank you. …Hm, delicious. A drink after hardship is the best—or that’s what I’d like to say, but…"
? Uh-oh, why does this feel like trouble’s coming?
"Hanna, there’s something I want to ask."
"Yes, if it’s something I can answer."
She leaned in a little closer, so I tilted my head up to listen. Naturally, since she’s so tall.
"Thank you. It’s about Zephyrus."
Of course, it’s about Zephyrus-kun. What is it this time? No way… it can’t be feelings like Lady Lana and Miss Sierra, right? Miss Rika!?
"…? Huh, why did I just get a chill? No, never mind. Anyway—I wanted to ask, is Zephyrus always like that?"
That was… such a vague way to phrase it! Normally, there’s no way she’d know something like that—today was our first time meeting, after all.
So, of course, my answer was obvious.
"Yes. Zephyrus-kun is just like that."
An unexpected affirmation. Sometimes, meeting someone for the first time makes it easier to see the truth.
"I see. As I thought. I was curious—Lady Lana and Sierra both had this strange air about them too."
"Everyone here owes a lot to Zephyrus-kun."
"It seems so. To think I would actually awaken as a 【Princess Samurai】… and in that way of all things. I never would’ve imagined it."
Yes, as it turns out, today’s guests of honor—Kalua-chan and Miss Rika—also awakened into powerful jobs thanks to Zephyrus-kun’s help.
Kalua-chan became a 【Star Cat】, a combat job specializing in speed, and Miss Rika awakened as a 【Princess Samurai】, a job renowned for both offense and defense.
Honestly, given their appearances, I was shocked that both Kalua-chan and Miss Rika ended up with heavy-duty combat jobs. Truly, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
And Miss Rika—she’s tall, well-proportioned, with a sharp yet graceful figure. To be honest, she has exactly the kind of body I aspire to! Not to mention, she’s absolutely gorgeous!
Hah! I got a little excited there.
Really, though—where does Zephyrus-kun even find such beautiful people? With Miss Sierra, I know it was just a coincidence since I was there too, but the other guild members? All gathered by him. Somehow our group has already grown to seven members: one guy, six girls. Does that help you grasp just how ridiculous this is? Every single one of us was brought together by Zephyrus-kun.
Phew… calm down, Hanna. Today is a welcome party. Focus on welcoming them.
"By the way, what exactly did you do with Zephyrus-kun?"
"He had me cut down a slime."
"Y-YOU CUT A SLIME!?"
What a revelation! Another shocking new fact!
Miss Rika says she had to cut a slime to awaken as a 【Princess Samurai】.
Zephyrus-kun!? You never told me about making people slice slimes!?
And then it hit me—come to think of it, I never asked how the others actually fulfilled their job conditions either. I feel like Zephyrus-kun always brushed me off when I did. Maybe he was deliberately hiding it from me…
N-no, it’s fine. This is his guild after all. And besides, he’s the one who first taught me about Slime Pop Marathon. I have no right to complain. None at all, okay!?
Talking more with Miss Rika, I learned she was put through a whole Slime Pop Marathon in Zephyrus-kun’s room, and some other unclear activities, before being taken to the Measurement Room—where her job actually manifested.
And apparently, before that, he even asked her what high-ranking job she wanted, and told her he’d make sure she got it. How cool is that!?
"W-were you okay with that!?"
I blurted it out—asking if, you know, her heart skipped a beat or anything.
"Ah, no, it was fine. I admit he sounded pretty cool, but at the time, I was half-doubting him. To be honest, I thought maybe he was just trying to cheer me up."
Phew. Sounds like we’re safe. Looks like I’ll get along with Miss Rika just fine.
We kept talking afterward, but… everything was still Zephyrus-related.
Well, he is our only link so far.
At least, that’s what I thought—until Miss Rika suddenly asked an unexpected question.
"By the way, Hanna. That cat plush… may I ask about it?"
"!!"
The cat plush? In <Eden>, there’s only one.
It has to be the cat plush Zephyrus-kun—no, all of us—treasure so dearly: <Lucky Cat-sama>.
Since Miss Rika lowered her voice like it were a secret, I turned toward <Lucky Cat-sama> too and whispered back.
"Yes, you mean <Lucky Cat-sama>. By the way, did Zephyrus-kun already tell you about it?"
I know it’s bad manners to answer a question with another question, but this is something I have to check first.
After all, <Lucky Cat-sama> is incredibly important to Zephyrus-kun. He even offers it tributes, treating it almost like a god. If someone made a mistake and did something to it… who knows what would happen?
"…Yes, he mentioned it when I first joined. That I mustn’t touch it, and that praying to it was good."
As expected of Zephyrus-kun, he explained <Lucky Cat-sama> before anything else.
"So, about <Lucky Cat-sama>… what exactly is it? From the way Zephyrus described it, it almost sounded like an object of worship."
"That’s not wrong. <Lucky Cat-sama> is like <Eden>’s very own god."
"Is that so? Still, for some reason, Zephyrus seemed to be looking for a replacement…"
"……"
Well, that figures. <Lucky Cat-sama> gets kidnapped all the time… by us.
"So then, that Mochikko plush is the substitute?"
"Mm. Seems that way."
Next to the household altar where <Lucky Cat-sam> was enshrined, a huge Mochikko plushie was plopped down. That dumpling-shaped mochi on its head was really charming.
Actually, that Mochikko plushie only became part of <Eden> today. By the time Miss Rika came to the guild room, it was already there. Considering what we’d just been talking about…
"Wait, is that plushie yours, Miss Rika?"
"N-no. Zephyrus bought that. But, when he did, he said something that made me wonder…"
I instantly understood what was going on with that flimsy excuse of hers.
"Could it be that Miss Rika actually likes plushies?"
"Wh-what nonsense is that!? Of course not!"
She was clearly flustered.
That reminded me of when I first met Miss Rika in this room. She was wearing a cap—like a sporty, boyish one—that didn’t really suit her. Could it be that…?
"Don’t tell me you went with Zephyrus to buy that Mochikko plush?"
"N-no, not at all! I’m the daughter of a samurai. I’d never lose myself over a plushie."
This reeks of suspicion. I needed to dig deeper.
"Oh, geez. You don’t have to hide it, Miss Rika. Every girl likes plushies. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about."
"I-I’m not embarrassed or anything—"
"Here, come on, let’s go to the Mochikko plush."
"W-wait a second, Hanna! Aren’t you being a little pushy!?"
"You’re the one being stubborn, Miss Rika. You love plushies, don’t you~?"
"Wha—!?"
I could tell right away. Miss Rika definitely loved plushies.
After all, <Eden> is full of plushie-lovers—me, Zephyrus, and others.
But sometimes pride gets in the way of admitting it. Someone like Miss Rika, with her perfect figure and dignified presence, probably worries what people would think if they knew she adored plushies. But here in <Eden>, you don’t have to care. You can love them all you want.
I don’t really know what "samurai" is supposed to mean, but giving up something you love because of pride is such a waste.
"Even Zephyrus-kun, a guy, is head over heels for <Lucky Cat-sama>. So it’s not weird at all if you, a girl, like plushies too. Come on, touch it."
I pulled her over to the Mochikko plush and encouraged her to enjoy it.
"U-uh, well, I…"
She kept sneaking glances at the plush. It was obvious she wanted to touch it. She couldn’t fool me.
So I pressed her hand onto it. Then—
""So squishy~!""
We said it in unison.
Because it really was ridiculously squishy. This texture was something else!
Clearly, the work of a master.
"Ohh, this texture really is perfect."
Look—just a moment ago, Miss Rika had been so reserved, but now she was holding the Mochikko with both hands, savoring the feel.
I understood completely. I joined in too.
""It’s sooo mochi\~!""
We harmonized again. At this point, we were on the same wavelength.
What was with this Mochikko? Wasn’t it way too amazing?
Who even made this? And where did Zephyrus-kun get it!?
"As expected of Flāra, the <Heavenly Plush Artisan>. Her work is as good as ever."
"Miss Rika, you’re a plushie connoisseur, aren’t you!?"
"H-huh!?"
She even knew the name of the plush artisan. There was no escaping now.
"Th-that’s… huh?"
Then Miss Rika realized—the whole guild was watching her.
Her face flushed a faint shade of red.
"I–I mean, everyone, this is, um—"
"What's happening? I wanna touch it too!"
"Now that you mention it, I haven’t gotten a chance to touch it yet either. May I?"
"Um, if it’s alright, I’d like a turn as well—even after everyone else."
"Mm. I’d like to try touching it too."
Lady Lana, Miss Sierra, Miss Ester, and Kalua-chan all crowded closer.
Their target was none other than the <Mochikko Plushie>.
Miss Rika looked a little dumbfounded by their eagerness, but then she stepped aside to make room.
"P-please, go ahead?"
"Thanks, Rika. Mmm~, this soft, chewy thing feels so good."
Lady Lana was the first to lay her hands on it. Her cheeks relaxed into a blissful smile as she enjoyed the texture.
Next came Miss Sierra, Miss Ester, and Kalua-chan in turn.
"Me again!"
And finally, Zephyrus-kun jumped in, poking, squishing, and rubbing the plushie to his heart’s content.
"Phew. I’m satisfied."
He said this as he finally stepped back, while Miss Rika just stood there with a vacant look on her face.
"…Is cuddling plushies normal in this guild?"
"Of course. This sort of thing is totally normal. Any girl would do it. So there’s no need for you to feel embarrassed either, Miss Rika."
"…I see."
With that, Miss Rika reached out again of her own accord this time.
At first, she was a little hesitant, but within moments she’d thrown her arms around it, pressing her whole body into the soft, pillowy squish.
Ah, that looks fun. I’ll have to give it a try later too.
So we all spent a while enjoying the <Mochikko Plushie> together. Then Miss Rika said a single word:
"…Satisfied."
"Yep, we sure are~."
There was so much emotion packed into that simple line.
Then Miss Rika went on.
"I think I’ve been too concerned with appearances until now."
At last, she understood.
"Exactly. Here in <Eden>, you can hug plushies as much as you want."
"So it seems. This is truly a wonderful guild."
"Ah, but the <Lucky Cat-sama> is off limits."
"…I see. That’s a shame."
She looked wistfully toward the <Lucky Cat-sama> right beside us.
It really felt like she was opening up to <Eden>. The welcome party was a complete success.
That’s what I thought—until Miss Rika’s next words froze me in place.
"My family is a marquisate, you see. Life was rather strict in many ways… I’ve always liked plushies, but it wasn’t the sort of hobby I could openly indulge in. But here, I can finally enjoy them as much as I please."
"…Marquisate?"
Miss Rika was happily confessing her feelings, but I was too stunned to listen.
Did she just say marquisate? She’s a noble!?
Oh no. I’ve been treating her way too casually, haven’t I!?
Afterward, I bowed my head and apologized for all the rude things I’d said and done, but—
"What are you going on about, Hanna? We’re guildmates now. There’s no need for formality. Relax."
Easier said than done!
Geez! Why does Zephyrus-kun keep dragging in these high-ranking nobles out of nowhere!?
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