Ch.346End-of-Year Stamp Rally (1)

A distinctive savory and sweet aroma wafted throughout the house.

Everyone had gone to the kitchen to make pumpkin porridge. Yes, it was from the giant pumpkin they had received from Green Beard.

“By the way, there’s so much… Can we really eat all of this ourselves?” Kana asked.

“It is a lot. But if we eat it over several days, we should be able to finish it. And think of all the money we’ll save on food,” I nodded as I spoke.

“If we keep eating pumpkin, I think our poop will come out golden,” Tina said.

“Tina… girls shouldn’t casually talk about poop like that,” Kana admonished.

“Anyway, free food! Let’s make whatever we can!” I exclaimed.

“We’ve made porridge for now. Is this enough?” Aiko-san and Eri brought over a pot filled with porridge.

“Wow… you made it well!”

Porridge is surprisingly difficult to cook properly. They did an impressive job.

“Uhuhu. I am a temple abbess, after all. I specialize in vegetable dishes. We’re supposed to avoid eating meat,” Aiko-san said.

“For someone who says that… you eat quite a bit of meat,” I said to Aiko-san.

“We’re supposed to avoid eating meat, but strictly speaking, it’s not forbidden?” Aiko-san chuckled.

“…Japanese monks seem quite liberal,” I remarked. They seemed much more relaxed than Korean monks.

“Uhuhu. That’s the charm of Japan. We even have religions like Shinto that blend Buddhism with indigenous beliefs. We celebrate pretty much every holiday,” Aiko-san explained.

“I guess so…”

They were seriously obsessed with holidays. Christmas and Valentine’s Day were on another scale there. These Japanese people… they’re always looking for an excuse to celebrate. In a way, you could call them a nation of party people.

“Anyway, let’s all eat. If it’s too bland, just sprinkle some sugar on it,” Aiko-san said.

For breakfast and lunch, we had pumpkin porridge, and for dinner, meat stew with pumpkin.

The next morning was pumpkin pie, and the day after that was pumpkin something-or-other… anyway, we kept eating nothing but pumpkin.

Plus, we had an unexpected supporter.

“Madoka. Are you there? Have a bowl of pumpkin porridge.”

I waved a bowl of pumpkin porridge toward the kitchen cabinet.

*Sliiiide*

As the cabinet door opened, Madoka’s small, delicate hand emerged. And the bowl of pumpkin porridge immediately disappeared. That Madoka… she enjoys hiding in the cabinets. I don’t know why. Sometimes she would cutely surprise me when I wasn’t paying attention, and it was so adorable that I just let her be.

And… after about two days, we ran out of pumpkin.

“We managed to finish it somehow.”

Since we had so many people living in the house, we were able to significantly reduce the amount by eating together.

“I’m not eating pumpkin for a while…”

Umi muttered while looking at the pile of pumpkin peels in the sink.

“Yeah… me neither.”

Kana made a nauseated expression.

“Even the pumpkin fairy from Cinderella wouldn’t eat this much pumpkin.”

Mika’s face had turned as yellow as a pumpkin.

“This reminds me of the old days… During the bird flu outbreak, the orphanage received a massive delivery of chicken. It was basically dumping. We had chicken at every meal. We ate so much chicken that everyone smelled like chicken droppings…”

Taiga spoke with distant eyes.

“Taigaaaa!!!”

This kid has such a sad past!! I hugged Taiga with tears streaming down my face.

*Slam!*

Just then, the bathroom door opened.

“My poop really came out yellow!! Amazing!”

Tina came out with a bright smile. No… Tina. You don’t need to report that kind of thing.

“Anyway. I guess this counts as a late Halloween party?”

I tried to wrap things up on a positive note. I don’t know who started the tradition, but Halloween is associated with pumpkins, after all.

———

Anyway, the end of the year was approaching.

Even with the year ending, I couldn’t skip training at the dojo. I had a formidable enemy in Pink Beard. I needed to get stronger.

I headed to the dojo early in the morning.

“Shota. Take care.”

Umi spoke with a tired expression. She had grown as an artist to the point of receiving commission requests. It seemed she had been working all night again.

“Umi. If you’re going to sleep, come sleep at the dojo.”

I immediately pulled Umi along.

“Huh? At the dojo? That’s a hassle.”

Umi made a displeased face. This immature kid…

“Umi!!! Take this chance to see your parents too!! Master misses you!”

I pulled Umi along.

Gonzaemon had been constantly grumbling during practice. He kept saying “she’s completely forgotten her parents since getting a boyfriend” far too often.

“Geez…”

Umi sighed and followed me.

“Let’s hurry.”

Kana was already waiting at the entrance with her bamboo sword. At first, Kana had joined the dojo with the pretext of getting closer to me and spying on her rival, but now she had completely integrated as a top student of the dojo.

“Yeah, yeah.”

I carried Umi on my back as I left the entrance.

“Mmm… Shota’s back is warm.”

Umi purred like a cat and buried herself against my back.

“Really… Shota spoils Umi too much.”

Kana spoke in a tone that suggested she couldn’t help it.

I knew why Kana was saying that.

“I’ll carry you later too, Kana.”

I said with a smile.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that!!”

Kana’s face immediately turned red as she protested.

Anyway, we all headed to the dojo in high spirits.

———

The atmosphere at the dojo was more chaotic than usual.

In the garden and yard connected to the dojo, there were unfamiliar people lying beaten and collapsed all over.

“Ah! Shota!! You’re here!”

Our dojo colleagues ran toward me.

“What’s this? Was there a fight?”

I asked, looking around the yard.

“Hmph. Shota. Your instincts have dulled. It’s already begun. The year-end dojo challenge.”

One of the students said.

“Dojo challenge…?”

“Yes. Students from other dojos have challenged us to duels. We’ve managed to drive them away on our own.”

Another student said, holding a bamboo sword.

“Ugh… we underestimated this countryside dojo… as expected of Gonzaemon’s disciples… they’re… strong.”

Someone who looked incredibly strong muttered before collapsing.

“You guys managed to hold them off!!”

That was truly unexpected.

“Yeah. Without our thumbs-up man, Kana, or you, we somehow protected the place.”

The students smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. Thumbs-up… it’s becoming trendy.

By the way, these guys who usually skip training to play tag… they’re surprisingly strong!! Our dojo members! Unexpectedly powerful!!

“Shota. Kana. And my daughter… you’re late.”

Gonzaemon said, sipping green tea in the yard.

“It has finally begun. The war.”

Gonzaemon spoke with gravity.

“The year-end dojo challenge has started. Challengers from other dojos will come in droves. We can also challenge other dojos.”

Gonzaemon explained.

“It’s quite a famous event…”

I had thought it was just Gonzaemon’s senile ramblings.

“With that in mind, I’m thinking of dividing us into defense and offense teams.”

Gonzaemon stood up, holding his bamboo sword.

“Master!! Leave the dojo to us!”

At that moment, our students said with smiles. They were basically extras, but surprisingly reliable!

No… there was someone even more reliable.

“I’ll stay behind to look after our cute daughter.”

Asuna-san, who was cradling the baby, was the most reassuring!! She was the owner of monstrous strength who could easily slice through a cutting board with a kitchen knife. She could probably handle most challengers.

“Hmm. I’ll take Shota, Kana, and the thumbs-up man as the offense team.”

Gonzaemon said.

“What about me?”

Umi, still on my back, asked.

“Umi, want to come with me?”

I shifted Umi from my back to my front and embraced her. Then I kept kissing her lips. Umi is just too cute.

“Yes. I’ll go with you.”

Umi hugged me tightly as she exclaimed. Right. Even Genghis Khan took his concubines to war. It’s the same thing.

“Good!! Then we will… go raid the Yagyu family who provoked us!”

Gonzaemon shouted.

“The Yagyu family?!!”

That’s the famous swordsmanship family that appears in many works of fiction!! The family that taught swordsmanship to the Shogun and high-ranking officials during the Edo period!!

“Then these people collapsed in the garden… were they from the Yagyu family?”

I shouted loudly.

“Yeah. Didn’t you know?”

Gonzaemon looked at me with disbelief.

“Our dojo members are incredibly strong!!”

It’s just a countryside dojo!! Isn’t it similar to a rural aerobics studio? I’m someone who seriously walks the path of kendo, but these guys aren’t. They’re just learning as a hobby!! Yet they defeated people who are serious about kendo!!

“Yes. Since they challenged us first, they must pay the price. After we raid the Yagyu family, we’ll attack the Saito family!!”

Gonzaemon shouted.

“The Saito family…?”

Kana muttered, seemingly troubled. It was her family, so she would naturally hesitate.

“Kana. Isn’t Shota your husband now? Choose between your husband and your family.”

Gonzaemon suddenly presented an unreasonable ultimatum.

“Master… it’s a bit cruel to give Kana such a harsh choice.”

I thought about letting Kana off the hook.

*Squeeze!*

At that moment, Kana hugged me tightly.

“I’m on Shota’s side. I don’t care about the Saito family.”

Kana seized the opportunity to gain my favor.

In the face of love… family doesn’t matter. I unwittingly realized the harshness of the world.

Anyway, that’s how our dojo-raiding party was decided.