When I got back home, I immediately spread out the clothes I'd bought to show everyone.
"Huh. So this is what commoners wear?"
Their faces had been tight with everything that's happened, but the new clothes clearly lifted their spirits. First impression: not bad. Honestly, they should be able to tell these aren't the high-end pieces they're used to, but…
Sanctina picked up a pair of underwear, unfolded it, and tilted her head a little.
"Hero, what is this?"
She looked genuinely unaware—so serious that it made the explanation awkward.
"Underwear. You put it on. The very bottom layer…"
Sanctina blushed at once, and I felt bad.
"Underwear, huh. Elves don't use it," Filia said casually, sipping the barley tea I'd left out before I went out—nearly making me spit mine out.
I'd visited elf villages on the other side, but only in passing—I never lived there. It hit me how much I didn't know about elven values.
Of course, I didn't try to force anything—just explained that here it's normal to wear it.
"These can't be commoners' undergarments," Princess Pricha murmured, fascinated by the otherworldly clothing. She might not know underwear, but there were dresses in their world, too. In that sense, basic aesthetics aren't so different.
Seeing that the princess—my biggest worry—wasn't reacting badly was a relief. Not that she was thrilled; more like she was tolerating it, with some consideration for me.
"It's a bit tight."
"It doesn't fit me either. Not so badly I can't wear it, but…"
The problem cases were the Demon Lord and Filia. With figures far from the Japanese average, off-the-rack shirts were tight on them—mainly around the chest and hips. Most women might grumble with envy hearing that, but they were honestly troubled. Skirts could handle the hips; the bust was the real issue.
Princess Pricha is well-proportioned compared to the local average too, but those two are on another level. Sanctina, meanwhile, is closer to a typical Japanese build.
After a bit of back-and-forth, they agreed to put up with it for now.
Changing clothes did reduce the sense of strangeness—they looked, to the eye, like foreign visitors. We decided that once things settled down, they'd go check out stores themselves. Filia still seemed inclined to make their clothes by hand.
But first, lunch.
I boiled a big pot of salted water and cooked some pasta. The sauce was store-bought pouch stuff.
I can cook a little—Grandma taught me—but it's not the kind of finesse that would pass for upper-class fare where they're from.
Also, on weekdays I have to go to high school, so I wanted to test some foods they could prepare themselves while I'm out.
The menu: pasta, a fresh vegetable salad, and just-add-hot-water soup.
If they can eat at this level without stress, I can see a path forward…
"…Is there a cook nearby?" Sanctina asked in surprise when I set the food on the living-room table.
How to explain… hmm.
"They're like preserved foods—things you can eat right away."
Magic and magic tools made the other world pretty convenient too. But back there, a commoner couldn't put a respectable meal on the table in under thirty minutes.
Sanctina and Princess Pricha offered their customary prayer before eating; Filia, the Demon Lord, and I waited quietly.
Customs around daily life and the gods vary wildly—that's true in their world as well.
When their prayer ended, I watched silently as they took their first bites.
The moment the princess and Sanctina smiled, I exhaled in relief.
"It's delicious."
"Yes! To be honest, I was worried."
That left Filia and the Demon Lord…
"Raw vegetables. It's been a while."
"Similar vegetables, yet not the same. Different ecosystem, perhaps?"
We're good. Filia's pleased, and though the Demon Lord had already begun analyzing things, it seemed fine overall.
"If this level of meal works, I can do three a day. You don't need to pay. Think of the variety as broader than in the royal capital over there."
They visibly relaxed. Being hurled into an unknown world had them on edge. The Demon Lord—freed of her role—was the exception.
"If it's money, I have items we could exchange. Gems, precious metals, and so on…"
As soon as I mentioned money, the Demon Lord gathered mana in her right hand. A circle of spatial magic bloomed in the air beyond her palm; she reached into it.
When her hand emerged, there were several gemstones—some I recognized, others I didn't.
Spatial magic was one of her favorites; she's good at it. I've never seen anyone but her use it like an item box or inventory, like in a game.
"It's fine. Honestly, anything that doesn't exist here we can't sell, and anything that does will draw attention."
Huge rubies, sapphires, diamonds with gold-and-silver filigree—she handled them pretty casually, but finding a buyer for those would be a challenge.
"More than that, without ID you can't go out. Do you have any countermeasures? You look like foreign visitors in this country, so if we could get you passports, you could move around freely…"
"I have magic tools that prevent suspicion and keep people from feeling anything's off. I often used them to enter human towns. I don't have enough for everyone, but I have materials. I'll make some and provide them. Consider it penance for dragging you into this."
As expected of the Demon Lord—or rather, she'd clearly planned to ditch her position and bolt at the first chance.
Between the gems and the magic tools, her preparations are too perfect.
At that, Princess Pricha showed a flicker of distaste.
"To flee one's duty—how foolish."
"Yes, foolish. But… aren't all who wage war foolish? No matter how much you throw yourself into battle to minimize casualties and bring conflict to heel, it was a drop in the bucket. Meanwhile, people in safety did as they pleased—summoned an unrelated Hero from another world and dragged him in, widening the front even further. In the end, the human nobles who caused massive harm to both humans and demons can't be called wise. And of course, the demon nobility are the same."
Faced with the Demon Lord's riposte, the princess didn't hide a look like she'd bitten into a bitter bug.
She didn't talk back—meaning she understood the point. As someone caught up in all of it, though, she couldn't leave it unsaid.
"Don't expect too much from this world either. Most places are much the same. I'd appreciate it if you kept a low profile."
Past's past—today and tomorrow are what matter.
Most of all, getting my companions safely back to their world will require the Demon Lord's magical skill. She may not want to return, but if I help her live in this world, I expect she'll help me send them home.
A strange communal life with my companions and the Demon Lord… This could get rough.
I've had my fill of wars and worlds. I just want a quiet, peaceful life, as much as possible.