Chapter 326 – Scouting the Venue

“Sо, аbоut the offlinе mееtuр vеnue…”

“Ms. Spiсе, this is prettу sudden, isn’t it? I know уоu’rе busу, but still.”

“Сhаrawaу-san, yоu’rе busy tоо, аrеn’t уou? Wе’re bоth swampеd.”

“Тruе, truе.”

Two middlе-agеd men, looking соmpletely diffеrеnt from their streaming pеrsоnas, arrived at an еvеnt spaсe аlоng thе Сhuo Line.

Since thе caрасity was limitеd, tiсkеts were lоttery-bаsed.

This would be Вlаck Pерpеr Spicе’s first offline meеtup.

Тhе lottery had alrеadу bеgun, аnd listenеrs were еngаgеd in fiercе cоmреtitiоn.

I hоpе еvеryоnе doesn’t push themselves too hard.

Around late April, many people are probably busy.

“Hoh-hon, it’s an underground venue.”

“Feels like a large live house, huh. Ah, hello, hello, I’m Black Pepper Spice.”

“Eh!? …Ah—, well, well. Thank you for having us.”

Me and the venue staff bowing repeatedly in greeting.

It’s more sincere to handle this properly with our real appearances.

“The event includes one drink and food, with additional orders at extra charge. The time slots are…”

“Hmm, hmm.”

We discuss the details on-site.

It’s fine to do it online too, but there are many things you understand better by actually visiting the place.

“Whoa—! I heard it was like a live house, so I wondered how big it would be, but there’s quite a lot of space!”

Charaway walked around the venue, impressed.

He occasionally holds offline events too, so this might become another venue option for him.

Having been able to discuss various arrangements on-site, we left satisfied.

Now then…

I’m meeting Mr. Daikyo at a nearby station, but…

The cherry blossoms visible from the train line are in full bloom.

Right now must be graduation season.

Young people stepping into new stages of their lives…

“Is Little Hazuki graduating today?”

“Yeah. As someone who’s watched over her since her debut, it’s quite moving~”

“Charaway-san was there for my actual debut stream too, weren’t you?”

“That’s right, that’s right! By some twist of fate, I’m always present at the startup of really big events.”

“It’s destiny, destiny.”

“Destiny, huh. I think I’m just an ordinary guy without anything special about me.”

An ordinary guy wouldn’t be admired by various streamers or fully support the social integration of dwarves who came from another world.

I think he’s an amazing man.

Here, Mr. Daikyo joined us.

“Hey—”

“Ah, that person came from the parking lot.”

“Normally you’d think they’d come by train since we’re meeting at the station.”

Thus the three of us gathered and decided to go eat.

“So Mama… I mean, Hazuki-kun is finally graduating.”

“Let’s refrain from calling teenage girls ‘Mama’ in public.”

“That’s a case, a case.”

“Me, a former politician, getting arrested over a case.”

Laughing “wahaha,” we headed to a private-room yakiniku restaurant.

It’s pricey, but you get confidentiality in return, so it’s reassuring.

We can even discuss topics only possible among streamers.

“An offline meetup, huh… I want to do one too, but I’m still in my first year. Though I’ll soon enter my second. Also, my listeners happen to have a lot of women… Why is that?”

“Because the avatar made by Little Hazuki has a face that seems popular with girls.”

“Is that so…!? Is that so…!?”

Mr. Daikyo wore a puzzled expression.

You yourself have a stern but well-proportioned face, you know.

It’s the skill of Kiraboshi Hazuki, the painter, who redesigned it in the style of an otome game character.

That girl really can do anything.

“Maybe I should have had her design my avatar too.”

“Eh!? A beautiful Charaway!?”

“Wahaha! That’s good! I’ll contact Mama about it later.”

Kiraboshi Hazuki’s first work after retirement becomes an otome-game-style Charaway!

This will be a topic of conversation…!!

The beer arrived, so we toasted.

Daytime drinking is delicious!

And yakiniku!

Three men, lining up meat thickly, watching it sizzle as it cooks.

“So, how’s that thing with Ms. Spice? The Witch is using the Demon King’s power to cause trouble, right?”

“Yeah. But there doesn’t seem to be any overt movement. According to Fugen Shinjin, she’s apparently started attacking the underworld, though.”

“Hoh-hon.”

Charaway wrapped grilled meat in perilla leaves and ate heartily.

Mr. Daikyo heartily ate salt-seasoned tongue with a bit of lemon juice.

“She’s probably wary of her coming if she acts out in the surface world.”

“Probably. I think she’ll work in the shadows for a while, expanding her influence while observing the situation.”

During that time, as Spice, I’d like to build a Witch encirclement network.

Currently, I’m contacting exorcists in Europe.

Austria has completely sided with us, but over there, each country has its own faction.

Besides that, I want connections with British councilor Lucifer and African sorcerers too…

No, Africa is even more fragmented than Europe, so aside from Talisa’s relatives, it seems difficult.

“Little Spice, if you make a grimace while eating meat, it’ll ruin the taste.”

“Ah, my apologies.”

“More importantly, that Witch is attacking more indirectly than I expected… What was that initial contact with Ms. Spice about?”

“Maybe she got excited and attacked, but then thought better of it because Little Hazuki is here… Something like that. I think she’ll start moving in the surface world after working in the shadows for a while…”

“I see. So there’s a time limit. Then we should prepare too.”

“Absolutely.”

The two from Four Guys are also, seemingly casually, motivated…!