Teleporting with Excitement
— In the living room.
"Oh, by the way, can I have some of those dried sweet potatoes too?"
"Oh, sorry. I already gave all of them away earlier. I'll make some for you later, Grandfather."
"Ah, please do. I'll be leaving in three days, so if I can get them before then, that would help."
"Eh!? In three days?"
"Yes, that's right. Did I forget to mention it? We're leaving in three days. Next time, Little Joan, you should come visit us."
"Yes. I'll miss you. I finally have someone I can talk to about everything."
"I know. But even if we're apart, we're always supporting you. Besides, the place where we live is wonderful too. It's an enclave of the Lampail territory, and there's an ocean."
"Th-The ocean!!"
My eyes sparkle.
"Oh, so you know about the ocean."
"Yes. The country I lived in during my previous life was an island nation surrounded by the sea."
"Then… do you eat fish raw, perhaps?"
"Yes! I love it!! You dip it in soy sauce!!"
As I excitedly lean forward while talking, the two of them smile warmly.
"Then come visit us anytime. In the summer, you can even swim in the ocean."
"Wow~ I can't wait. Ah, if I visit Grandfather and Grandmother's mansion once, can I teleport there afterward?"
"Hmm, that's true. But it's quite a distance. If you go by carriage, you'd have to stay overnight along the way."
"I see~ Ah, I'll consult Assist."
— Hey, Assist-chan! Tell me.
— J: Does teleportation have a distance limit?
— A: Not really, but it tires you out. You shouldn’t do long distances for now. You’re still just six years old, after all.
— J: Will I be okay when I grow up?
— A: Yeah. But it depends on how many people you take with you.
— J: Hm? People?
— A: The number of people you can carry at once. Right now, for short distances, maybe about two.
— J: Seriously…?
— A: Yep, totally serious. (LOL)
"Joan-chan, are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. Sorry, I was just surprised."
"Did you get an answer from Assist?"
"Yes, teleporting causes physical fatigue, so long distances are impossible for now."
"I see. And what surprised you?"
"… I thought teleportation was a solo ability. But apparently, I can take two people with me over short distances."
"”… Huh?”"
My grandparents freeze.
"Fwahaha! As expected of someone so out of the ordinary! Wahaha!"
"If it drains your stamina, you mustn’t neglect your daily training. I’ll make sure Nancy sets up a routine for you until we meet again."
"Ah… okay. I-I’ll do my best…"
Somehow, talking about teleportation turned into a lecture about training. I mean, I appreciate it, I really do, but… why does this not make me happy…?
"Alright! Joan, let's test it out with me!"
"”Huh!?””
"What? I want to experience teleportation too. Lindsay, you’re curious too, aren’t you?"
"Well, I mean, yes, but…"
"Hold on a moment. Let me check how to do it."
— Hey! Assist-chan. Teach me.
— J: How do I teleport multiple people?
— A: As long as they’re touching you, it works.
— J: Like holding hands?
— A: Yep.
"As long as you're touching me, it should work."
"Oh, I see. Let's do it!"
Grandfather stood up eagerly.
"Where should we teleport? Somewhere without people would be best…"
"Hmm, what about our guest room? That should be fine."
"Alright. Then, hold my hand…. Ready? Okay… (Grandfather and Grandmother’s guest room… guest room…) Teleport."
Poof…
"Good, we made it. Are you both okay, Grandfather, Grandmother?"
"O-Oh. That was incredible. It was instantaneous."
"… What a convenient ability."
"Alright, next is Stanley's office."
"Eh? That will just startle Father!"
"That’s exactly why it’ll be fun. Wahaha! Let’s go."
Grandfather says this enthusiastically, but I anxiously glance at Grandmother for help.
"Sigh… Well, once he decides on something, he won’t listen… Besides, it does sound fun to surprise Stanley."
Oh… Grandmother is on his side.
"Alright then, here we go. (Father’s office, office…) Teleport."
Poof…
"”Whoaahh!!”"
Father and Gray, startled by our sudden appearance, jump in surprise.
"Wahaha! Success, Joan! We surprised Stanley!"
"Ahaha. The looks on your faces were priceless. Like pigeons hit by a bean gun."
"Father, Mother, you startled me!!… Wait, why can you two teleport?"
"Well, Assist told Joan that she can take two people for short distances, so we decided to test it. It was quite amusing."
"Joan…"
Ah, this is definitely going to turn into a scolding.
This is all Grandfather’s fault! I’m the victim here—!
"I want to try too!!"
… Father, that’s where you’re going with this?
Sigh… I'm getting a little tired now.
"Alright, let's go! Let's go!"
Father lifted me up excitedly.
Why is he so enthusiastic?
And Gray, why do you keep glancing over at me? Are you… interested too?
"Gray, do you want to come?"
I reach out my hand to him.
Gray quickly rushed over and firmly grabbed my hand.
"So, where to?"
"Hmm, how about the living room?"
"(I hope it’s okay… I hope no one’s there…) Alright, here we go. (Living room, living room…) Teleport."
Poof…
"Kyah!!"
Crash…
"””… Ah.””"
We arrived in the living room… but Nancy was there, cleaning.
Startled, she dropped a teacup. Now, she was silently picking up the broken pieces.
After finishing, she lifted her head, and behind her, an icy aura loomed.
"What exactly are you all doing?"
She’s smiling… but her eyes aren’t.
"””… Sorry.””"
"Do you think an apology is enough? You will explain yourselves, right?"
"A-Ah, well… I found out I can teleport with two people, so we were testing it…"
Hearing that, Nancy instantly deduced that my father had pushed me into teleporting, that Gray had looked at me longingly and got himself included, and that I had no choice but to comply.
As a result, everyone except me was forced to sit in seiza while receiving a very… enlightening lecture from Nancy.
Meanwhile, I sat in the corner of the living room, using my Repair skill to fix the broken teacup.
Getting scolded on my birthday is the worst.
And from now on… no more teleporting inside the mansion.
What do you think about this chapter?
