Eonadri. The release of "Witch Water" had been pushed back to two months from now.
Apparently, they were devoting one full month to advertising.
When I heard the details, the Warm Bento Box was selling reasonably well. That was fine in its own way.
It just hadn't become an explosive hit like the Light Orb.
"I'm confident this product can be an even bigger hit than the Light Orb!"
So the Hayarn Trading Company was going to run an unprecedented one-month advertising campaign.
The witch was also cooperating as their image girl, so they were fired up about it.
Akindura. Definitely a fan of the witch.
She was the only one who called the witch by an honorific, and she was the one who put "Witch" in the product name.
And that enthusiastic sales pitch carried a kind of pressure you don't often encounter.
The witch was still embarrassed about it, but she'd said that once she decided to do it, she'd go along with everything.
Advertising methods in this world were posters, flyers, and barking.
There were no advertising media like the TV, radio, or internet from my past life's memories.
Next there'd be a meeting to pick four from seven varieties, but that would be for another time.
The crucial development of original flavors had been put on hold due to all this.
Hayarn was focusing all its energy on preparations for that ship dungeon exploration.
As for me — I was free.
I didn't have anything in particular to do. And it wasn't like I wanted to do anything either.
So I lay around on my bed, lifting up Dagaa here and there, just killing time.
"Wof-chii!"
"Chive?"
A rare visitor had come.
She was a girl with gray hair in a wolf cut and reptile-like pupils.
She had dark circles under her eyes, but her features were sharp and pretty.
She wore a yellow hooded coat over her small frame.
She was an S-rank delver who ran a shop that looked like a suspicious warehouse.
"It's been a while."
"Yeah, yeah, right. The witch came back, so — you've got the ship, right?"
"Oh, come to think of it..."
That's right. The dimensional transfer ship Etrenge. I'd completely forgotten about it, despite being the owner.
"You forgot?"
"Sorry. I did."
"Well, I've been busy too, so it's not like I could come by easily. But anyway — I brought that interesting thing I promised you back then."
"What is it?"
If I remembered right, it had been rolling around in the warehouse.
"Heh heh — that's a surprise for after we get to the ship."
"Then let's head over right away."
We transferred to the interior of Etrenge.
A stylish entrance with a sofa and a kitchen. It had been quite a while since I'd been here too.
"Wow, this really is... it's just like the inside of the Skiar Coffin Ere."
Chive was visibly moved.
"We had it imported, you know."
"I heard about it from the witch, but this is incredible."
"The presence of a beast."
Coming down from the second floor was Nekia, inhabiting the body of a dark-skinned beauty.
Her appearance closely resembled Megadia's — this was Haiarn's original body.
Instead of the skin-tight pilot suit, she now wore a simple one-piece dress.
But more to the point — the beast's presence... she could sense that?
Chive possessed a Relic that transformed into a black beast.
"You're a spider, aren't you."
Chive murmured, looking at Nekia.
She could tell that too?
Nekia had originally been a spider monster. Her soul had been placed into a human body.
"Um, this is Nekia. She's Etrenge's helmsman."
"She's queen and helmsman."
"Queen?"
"That's right."
"Huh. I run a kinda sketchy shop. Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine. I'm counting on you."
Both of them exchanged introductions with bright smiles.
"All right, just as promised — I'll bring out something interesting."
"What's this interesting thing?"
"Hmm?"
What Chaibu produced from the black pouch was… a white cube.
"Beast. What is that?"
"It's called Chaibu. This thing here was apparently discovered in the wreckage of a ship that was said to have flown through the sky."
"It flew through the sky? Like the Etoranze?"
"Well, we'll find out soon enough whether it actually flew or not. Anyway, could you show me to the bridge?"
"This way."
The Etoranze's bridge was a white, oval-shaped space at the top of the short staircase to the second floor.
There was a raised platform with six black seats.
The seats were arranged with four on the sides — two on each — one in the center, and one at the front.
The oval space was narrower than I'd expected, and the ceiling was low.
Each seat had its own console and panel in front of it.
"Um, there should be a spot somewhere where this fits in…"
"Oh, I know where that is."
Nekia moved to the seat on the right side and pointed.
Below and to the side of the console, there was a square recess.
The shape and size — the cube Chaibu was holding looked like it would fit right in.
— Well, let's try putting it in, I guess.
Chaibu casually placed the cube into the recess.
Once it fit snugly into place, a display materialized in midair on the bridge.
Was this a three-dimensional projection of the Étranger's hull?
On the lower and upper sections of the hull — something that was clearly a blaster-type weapon was visible.
There was nothing like that before. In other words—
"The Étranger is armed...!?"
"Looks like it."
"It says 'Banish Blaster' on it."
"And it's actually a Banish!"
"Well, well — this is something else. Here, you can have that back. Looks like I can't remove it."
"Chaibu. There are other recesses too."
"Huh?"
What did she say?
"Oh, you're right — there are triangle and round ones on other seats."
"There's a diamond-shaped recess on the pilot's seat."
"R-Really..."
So in other words — the Étranger was incomplete. Or at least not fully equipped.
Did Riv know about this?
"Well, this is getting interesting. Let's go poke around the warehouse, shall we?"
"Is there still more?"
"No idea. If not, I'll search with the pouch~"
"Chive. I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me~. It's been a while since things got fun~"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it too."
With Chive handling it, it seemed like all the parts could be gathered up.
Even so — Étranger. You were incomplete after all?
The complete form of the Étranger. Part of me wanted to see it, and part of me was dreading it. What would it become?
"By the way, Wofy~. Want to take a shot at it?"
Chive suddenly said something like that.
"A shot at what?"
"The Banish Blaster. Not curious what kind of power it has~?"
"I want to try firing it."
"Nekia? That's dangerous!"
"That's exactly why I want to confirm it."
"That's true~. There are some things you won't know until you try~"
"Wof. Please. I want to verify the Étranger's power."
Nekia wore a serious expression.
Honestly, I was pretty sure test-firing the Banish Blaster would produce some devastatingly destructive power.
But the two of them had a point.
"I understand. But where should we test it? We can’t just do this carelessly."
"Good point..."
"Hmm..."
The first thing we need is a wide-open space.
And it has to be a place where firing this thing wouldn’t cause any collateral damage.
A spot that convenient—ah, there is one. There definitely is.
"I know where."
There it was.
If it’s that place, we can test-fire it without holding back.
An abandoned city site, with nothing but a massive hole and a stone monument.