Chapter 11 - The Enigmatic Endorsement of Shiitake

Chapter 11: The Enigmatic Endorsement of Shiitake
Kokkai Chuukei
.
Though this TV program that is basically a live broadcast of parliamentary proceedings has always been available since 1953, only those with really strong interest in politics watch it. But recently, it has been experiencing a gradual increase in viewer ratings.
The reason is…… otherworlders.
In order to see as soon as possible these reverse-summoned people that appear every once in a blue moon, there are now people tuning in despite having zero interest in the proceedings themselves.

Eh, so next is a report in regards to the otherworld summonings. Kindly take a look at this letter here.

Recently, the new Prime Minister has established a regular report in regards to otherworld summoning.
Just as the Diet members let down their guard, thinking that there probably isn’t any noteworthy development anyways, they are jumped by a surprise from the Prime Minister.

I’ll be reverse-summoning someone today in the afternoon, k?
by Amaterasu



……


Silence pervades the Diet hall.
There are so many points to tsukkomi that even the young Diet member now known as ‘the tsukkomi onii-san’ by the citizens does not know where to begin.

This morning, this was left in my postbox, along with a bunch of shiitake.

Why shiitake.
The Diet members’ hearts synchronized.

Wait, so exactly when is ‘in the afternoon’?!

Here comes the tsukkomi from the rebooted young Diet member.

Beats me?

And there’s the Prime Minister being his usual self.
His casual and composed figure has been bringing his support ratings through the roof.

Well, the person will come when they come, so just calm dow—


Fumu
. So this is another world.

The Prime Minister’s cool voice is overlapped by a similarly cool female voice.


……


As always, there is a female suddenly standing right in the middle of the hall.

Mu
, it’s all humans. I see, it’s as Amaterasu-sama has said.

The one looking on with a ponderous face is a tall woman with dark skin who’s running her fingers through her silver hair.
Though she is definitely beautiful by Japanese standards, it is the two ears at the sides of her head that draw all of the Diet members’ gazes.
ELF KITA━━━━(゜∀゜)━━━━!!
(T/N: ‘Kita’ sort of means ‘here it is’ or ‘here is has come’ in a super excited way. The word ‘kita’ is often accompanied by that ASCII art.)
A certain anonymous bulletin website suddenly experiences very heavy traffic, but it barely manages to not crash.
Don’t say meta things like ‘oh it’s crashed now’.

…… Welcome to Japan. I am serving as the Prime Minister of this country, going by the name of Adachi.


Umu
. I am the Elder of the elves of Irui Forest, name is Linbel.

An occupation incongruent with her appearance was suddenly brought up, but the gentlemanly Adachi-kun lets it slide.
Not alluding to a lady’s age is a rule that exceeds the boundaries of all worlds.

Is ‘Prime Minister’ a position akin to ‘Elder’?


Not exactly. If I really had to say, it’s something more like a Village Chief. The Elder would be the Chairman over there.


……I see. You have indeed aged in a rich manner.

The Chairman responds to Linbel-san’s evaluation with an enigmatic laugh that goes like
fuo fuo fuo
.

It’s true that his knavish manner is quite rich indeed.

Just now, you mentioned Amaterasu-sama. Does that mean you have been informed of the circumstances?


Umu
. In addition to explaining the circumstances, she also tasked me with passing along a message. Apparently the young girl summoned to our world in my place is well. Something about her having reached a countryside farming village and fully enjoying a life of farming.

Relief runs through the Diet members upon hearing news of the safety of their fellow Japanese.

In regards to that matter, we are truly sorry.

But as if to freeze that atmosphere, Linbel-san suddenly lowers her head deeply.
Again?
The Diet members have gotten used to it by now.

I am, as you can see, a dark elf. About 500 years ago, we lost in a war against the humans, and were chased to the depths of a forest. Well, it was what you can call a turf war, so the ones who were there at the time, me involved, have already come to peace with the results.

Here we have an inadvertent confirmation of Linbel-san’s age being over 500.
But the Diet members who are good at reading the mood due to being Japanese all pretend to not have heard it.

But recently, youngsters who haven’t even lived more than 100 years are shouting about ‘revenge’ and raising a fuss. Furthermore, to my shame, upon acknowledging that we cannot win by ourselves, they even went and dabbled with otherworld summoning. The summoning apparently succeeded, but the summoned person was nowhere to be found, and neither did they have the courage to go out of the forest to search.

It seems that the dark elf youngsters are dogs with all bark and no bite.
The hardships of an Elder like Linbel-san can only be imagined.

It was then that Amaterasu-sama spoke to us, through the spirits dwelling within the Sacred Tree, of the rage of the god of the underworld. Upon hearing that one person must come here in exchange, ‘just have an Elder do—’ ahem, everyone agreed that it is the duty of an Elder to take responsibility, so here I am.

The truth seems to have slipped out somewhere in there, but the Diet members who are good at reading the mood due to being Japanese all pretend to not have heard it.
More like, even they themselves are shoving all the troublesome tasks onto the Prime Minister, so there’s nothing that they can say.
Today, too, Japan is at peace.
・
・
・

Being an elf, that person sure has deep faith. She gave us so many vegetables and fruits as offerings.

At the same time, in Takamagahara.
Amaterasu-sama is all smiles from the offerings from Linbel-san.
Apparently Linbel-san was originally someone close to the spirits, so she has easily assimilated to the fundamentally Japanese beliefs of respect and awe towards nature.
It might seem to some that Amaterasu-sama is happier about the food than the religious faith, but that’s definitely just their imagination.

But still, Ane-ue. That elf is someone beyond high elves and, depending on the location, equivalent to elven royalty, is she not?


Yep she is.


…… Royal elves have even longer lifespans than high elves, and are almost completely unaging and immortal, right?


Yep?

Tsukuyomi-sama’s train of questioning causes Amaterasu-sama to tilt her head in puzzlement.

If you are reverse-summoning otherworlders to refill the circle of reincarnation, then what is the point of reverse-summoning a person who won’t die until the end of the world?


……

Amaterasu-sama freezes at Tsukuyomi’s final question.
Apparently she has already forgotten the reason for why she is facilitating the reverse-summonings.

……Meaty shiitake is delicious even when just frying it with butter, isn’t it?


……It sure is.

Thus begins Amaterasu-sama’s escape from reality by stuffing her cheeks with shiitake.
The thought ‘ah this sister of mine really is no good’ runs through Tsukuyomi-sama’s mind, but since she won’t change anyways he decides to merely look on with a warm gaze.
Today, too, Takamagahara is at peace.