After sending Dada and the other two through the door to Acid, Mika stepped back through the door herself, returning to Warehouse No. 4 in just about two minutes.

Having finished work and returned home, Mika took some time to reflect. Today had been her first real battle—or something close to it.

Though nothing disastrous had happened, her insecticide had put the other three in danger. And carelessly entering the cave only to have the exit blocked off immediately was another point she needed to reconsider.

What should she have done instead?

……

……

……Right. Next time, she’d do better.

After a few minutes of light self-reflection, she shifted her mood.

With the kids due home from school soon, it was time to focus on housework for the rest of the day.

————————

On Sunday, she spent time with her family at a chilly winter park. Though, in truth, it was mostly about searching for insects and reptiles. Recently, Mika’s intuition had sharpened—she managed to find a snake hibernating under a rock. She and the kids quietly observed it before gently replacing the rock before the snake noticed and woke up.

From that evening through her free time on Monday, she planned and prepared the entire party’s equipment for the next adventure. It would cost her a bit out of pocket, but cutting corners wasn’t an option when it came to her companions’ safety.

And so, the next day—Tuesday—Mika headed back to the other world for the first time in three days, armed with what she believed to be the ultimate anti-insecticide gear.

As usual, the three of them were lined up waiting by Acid’s door. Seeing them looking lively, Mika couldn’t help but murmur, “Haa… I’m glad.”

Today, they’d head straight to the mine using the cabin door.

“You’ve got a lot of luggage today, Mika.”

Zurah spoke up upon seeing Mika’s backpack, swollen to the brim—unlike last time. Today, she hadn’t just brought the backpack but also a container box filled with cleaning supplies loaded onto a cart.

“I realized last time that I was a little underprepared. So, let’s head to the cabin first and check our gear.”

With a clatter, she wheeled the cart and luggage into the cabin, then set down the backpack. She pulled out the contents and handed them to the three.

“Here, put these on.”

“This is…?”

“It’d be awful if you got dirty again from insecticide or Iblieth’s corpse, right? And it’d kill the mood. So I prepared these. Here, this is how you wear them.”

Though Dada’s wings and Gatt and Zurah’s tails couldn’t be fully covered, the rest of their bodies were clad in pristine white gear.

It was a lunch service set.

The easy-to-wear, front-button kappougi apron had been modified with a slightly shorter hem to avoid getting in the way, paired with loose-fitting pants. The waist was cinched with an elastic band, and the ankles also had elastic to prevent tripping. A slit had been added at the back for tails to stick out.

On their heads—round caps with elastic bands. And masks…

“……Mika, isn’t there something… off about this gear?”

“Huh? Does something not fit? I made Dada’s myself. Is it hard to move in?”

“No… It’s not that.”

Mika watched with narrowed eyes as the three tested their mobility—jumping, swinging their swords.

She pulled out a large white kappougi apron for herself and put it on over her coat, then tucked insecticide into the pockets before pushing the cart toward the mine shaft.