Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Henderberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Full-time employee).
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class).
Position: Warrior.
“Well then, I will send a messenger with contact later.”
“Yes, I will be waiting at the inn.”
Tacked on extensions to extensions, I managed to postpone the discussion to a later date by citing the physical condition of the concerned party, Suzuki-kun. This was done while brushing aside calls to extend the meeting due to meals or the need to discuss further matters.
After parting ways with the Bishop in that room, the last person who saw me off was his attendant, the Priest.
With a smile, I responded to the sweating Priest and quickly turned away. As I walked down the main street, concealing my suit with an outer garment, I sensed several watchful gazes. It seemed a few individuals were taking turns following me, but their skills were such that I considered it a minor issue. It was almost as if they were intentionally letting me know, as a warning. However, this only became a problem in that I couldn’t smoke a cigarette. I decided to wait until I returned to my room and, obediently, made my way to the inn.
My posture might have appeared unguarded, but if anything were to happen, others would move on my behalf from the shadows. With sufficient precautions in place, my thoughts turned to assessing the results of this negotiation. Calculating failures and successes like adding numbers on an abacus, I could confidently say this matter was about eighty percent successful. I gave myself a little praise for the satisfactory outcome. The stated objective of this negotiation was to meet the Hero, but it also served the purpose of conveying my stance to the country.
“The dice have been rolled. Now, all that’s left is to wait for the outcome.”
The sudden end to the negotiation, even with the promise of future talks, must have been frustrating for them. After all, while I was speaking to the Hero, Suzuki-kun, about matters I could neither confirm nor deny, I was actually conveying a message to Tris. Was your country a nation that kidnaps children from other lands to turn them into murderers? I could have sworn I saw the Priest, standing behind the Bishop, turn pale, making me want to jibe that it was like a scene from a manga. Pretending not to notice, I observed the Bishop, who was my true target. He maintained his composure to the very end, a true old fox.
If he had intervened and denied my statements at that moment, it would have negated all of Suzuki-kun’s previous training. On the other hand, confirming them could have led to a deterioration in relations between our countries. From Tris’s perspective, our country, Japan, was one with a large number of Heroes. Even if they knew about the lack of magic and magical power here, Tris viewed it as a nation with a vast potential fighting force, possessing numerous individuals with exceptional latent abilities. Nobody foolish enough would risk war, knowing that in such a conflict, forces on par with a Demon Lord would emerge.
The fact that someone like me had crossed over to this world must have led them to consider the possibility that, depending on the outcome of this negotiation, such a scenario could arise. Therefore, for Tris, who was on the verge of war with the Empire, worsening relations with Japan would be nothing short of a grave misstep. Consequently, they couldn’t afford to be aggressive towards me, the face of the negotiation, and thus allowed Suzuki-kun to be pummeled without intervention. If they hadn’t intervened, my statement could have been dismissed as Suzuki-kun’s own uncontrolled outburst, allowing the country to maintain a different perspective. Perhaps they could have come up with an explanation to silence me.
In terms of the negotiation’s battle, it was a narrowly won draw, a stalemate. However, my true objective was to warn the other party and to subtly influence the Hero. Now, I wonder how they will react. I continued towards the inn, considering the remaining twenty percent of uncertain variables.
Another Side
While Jiro was contemplating these matters, events were progressing on our side as well.
“Are they really here to pick us up?”
“Suzuki said he met them, so it’s probably true, isn’t it?”
In Isal, where entertainment is scarce compared to Japan, gossip is one of the few pastimes. This is no exception for the Heroes. There are no games, no television, and no mobile phones. No manga or magazines either. Due to their status, they lack the freedom to shop or sightsee. Furthermore, for fifteen-year-old boys here, activities like drinking alcohol and visiting entertainment districts, which are common, are refrained from by the boys due to Japanese laws. The girls, while initially pleased with Japanese sweets, have gradually found them lacking in taste and appearance compared to their usual fare. In short, entertainment options are drastically reduced compared to Japan.
Naturally, news of a potential return to Japan would spread like wildfire. And this is a fact that is circulating with certainty, unbeknownst to Jiro.
“Isn’t his skill ‘Falsehood Detection’?”
“Yeah, that’s why he was taken to the Bishop, to verify if he was a fake, wasn’t he?”
It’s a common trope for Heroes to possess special skills. In this vein, all these students have at least one skill. The skill Suzuki-kun possessed was Falsehood Detection, which allows one to discern if the other person is lying. However, it only indicates whether a lie is being told or not; it doesn’t reveal the nature of the lie. Therefore, it doesn’t uncover secrets and is a skill that can be avoided with caution.
However, the fact that no lies are being told is crucial to the current rumors. There is a means to return to Japan. This fact was causing ripples among the Heroes. The two male students were merely discussing this on their way to the cafeteria, as their training had been temporarily canceled for the day. However, deep down, they didn’t truly feel committed to saving the country and clung to the hope of information suggesting they might not have to.
“Isn’t the cafeteria unusually noisy?”
“Yeah, it is. Is that Saeki’s voice? I don’t really like her, she’s so neurotic.”
“I know, right? She’s beautiful, but her personality is so petty and inflexible.”
Amidst this, a high-pitched female voice could be heard from beyond the door of their destination. Upon opening the door, they found the girl they had imagined passionately yelling at Suzuki-kun. And one boy stood confronting the girl, seemingly to shield Suzuki-kun.
“Hayakawa, huh? Wasn’t he good friends with Suzuki?”
“I think so. Suzuki and Hayakawa went to the same junior high.”
Hayakawa Satoshi, a boy with neatly trimmed hair that suited him for soccer, faced the visibly displeased girl, Saeki Manami, who was yelling at him.
“That’s what I told you! We should wait for help, but you’re just arbitrarily sending back people who came from Japan!”
“There’s no point in taking it out on Suzuki! The Bishop chose Suzuki this time, and he said he’d come again. We just need to make sure everyone can meet next time!”
“The problem is you didn’t consult anyone! And where’s the guarantee for that! What if this was the last chance! Hayakawa! Can you take responsibility for that!!”
“Manami, let’s calm down. There’s no point in fighting.”
The two felt they had arrived at a bad timing, but the content of their conversation was precisely what they wanted to know. Not listening here was not an option, so they subtly joined the periphery of the conversation without directly participating.
“…Right, getting angry will just tire me out.”
“Exactly, there’s no point in fighting. So, Suzuki-kun. Is it true that person was Japanese?”
“Y-yeah, I don’t think he was lying.”
That choice proved fortunate, as a timely intervention helped douse the flames. And from the content of their conversation, the two who had been hearing rumors learned that they were true, and their expectations naturally rose.
“…B-but is it okay to just leave on our own?”
“What are you talking about? Are you still saying that?”
“Well, the people here are in trouble, aren’t they?”
However, like pouring oil on a dying fire, Suzuki’s hesitant remark added fuel to the situation. Saeki bared her fangs, not bothering to hide her hostility. Originally, Suzuki and Saeki were just classmates with no particular closeness or animosity. But since coming to this world, that had changed, and they had begun arguing frequently like this. Factions had formed among the students. The groups who were originally close formed factions, and this repeated until roughly three factions emerged.
The first was the proactive faction, eager to play their roles as Heroes. Suzuki belonged to this group. The second was the faction seeking a way back, prioritizing it over Heroic activities. Saeki belonged to this faction. Naturally, people in these two factions did not get along. It was impossible for them to get along, as their actions interfered with each other’s goals. Still, the reason they didn’t resort to bloodshed or violence was likely due to the common sense and temperament of Japanese people. Even if they disliked each other, they either ignored the other party, let them do as they pleased, or, at most, engaged in arguments like this.
Furthermore, the fact that people from Tris intervened prevented the worst-case scenario of internal conflict among fellow countrymen leading to a complete breakdown. The third faction, or rather, a group that couldn’t even be called a faction, comprised those who advocated neutrality or a wait-and-see approach. They were unable to do anything or didn’t know what to do. They wanted to go home but were also interested in being Heroes. This faction consisted of members with these two reasons. Miyagawa Ayana, who was admonishing Hayakawa and Saeki, belonged to this group. While it could be called neutral, it could also be described as opportunistic. Hayakawa defending Suzuki, who he was close with, while Suzuki was being blamed, was evidence of this.
And Saeki’s current protest against Suzuki was because Suzuki had jeopardized the opportunity for their return, which Saeki and her group advocated for. Saeki, who was yelling as if Suzuki were her sworn enemy, had calmed down somewhat but her eyes remained fiercely intense.
“You’re saying we should help people who kidnapped us just because they’re in trouble!!”
“Then are you saying you’ll abandon people who are about to die, Saeki from now on!”
Neither of them was fundamentally wrong. Saeki’s argument was valid from the perspective of a victim. Suzuki’s argument was valid from the standpoint of goodwill. Their viewpoints shifted based on their positions, but as people, they were not flawed. In the past, their arguments would have ended in a stalemate with neither backing down, but here, Jiro’s poison began to take effect.
“It would be meaningless if we ended up becoming murderers!! You saw those documents too, didn’t you!! We have people waiting for us back home!”
“…That’s…”
“At least, I’m going home. I’ll show you, I’m going home!”
With that said, Suzuki had no retort. Jiro’s words and actions here bolstered the return faction’s momentum. It naturally suppressed the Hero faction by forcing them to be aware of their actions. And the members of the Hero faction weren’t so insane as to nod when asked if they would ignore calls for help in favor of well-intentioned volunteer work. However, it was also true that they didn’t want to ignore the pleas for help right in front of them. The power that enabled them to do so, even with their superficial support, only fueled that desire. This had been their support, but it was beginning to waver within Suzuki.
The ensuing argument, like pouring water on fire, had a clear winner and loser. Suzuki, wishing he could shrink into a hole, cowered down, while Saeki looked down on him. There was no need to determine who was the loser and who was the winner. Hayakawa, who had been defending Suzuki moments before, could condone sending back the Japanese envoy but couldn’t defend his actions as a Hero. His opinion was closer to Saeki’s.
The argument concluded, but as a result, they had only vented their emotions at each other, without exchanging any meaningful opinions. The atmosphere only grew worse. Those who had been expecting something looked disappointed and moved on to other small talk. Amidst this, a male student who had been observing quietly stood up. Although his movement was so natural that no one noticed.
“Where are you going, Kaguya-san?”
“Your name is Miyagawa? No, I just felt a bit out of place over there.”
In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Amelia stopped the boy who was about to leave simply because he felt awkward.
“I see. It is indeed uncomfortable over there.”
“Yeah, and it looks like there’s no training today either, so I thought I’d head back to my room and rest.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Sorry for stopping you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Their conversation was brief. Amelia’s expression was a smile as she watched the boy leave.
“Should I go to my dance lesson too, then?”
She let the boy go, reasoning that it was understandable given the atmosphere, but her intuition told her something was bothering her, which was why she stopped him. As a result, Amelia dismissed it as her imagination and convinced herself that he was just his usual self. It was true that the situation was uncomfortable, and there was nothing strange about his reasoning. Thinking it was a good opportunity, she decided to leave her seat, from which she had also been observing from a distance. For Amelia, filling her free time was not a difficult task. She moved her body to the hundreds, even thousands, of rhythms stored in her mind. With dancing as her hobby, she fully utilized her Heroic physical abilities to enjoy dancing, something she hadn’t been able to do before. As a result, she was so busy that she even felt discontented by the lack of dancing time. Jiro’s instructions to secretly show the documents to all the classmates had been completed. Now, she could relax, leaving the rest to Jiro, and headed to the usual courtyard to spend her leisure time.
“Ah, I have to tell the knights.”
There, she realized that unlike in the early morning, going to the courtyard during the day required the accompaniment of a knight. Amelia changed her direction and entered a shortcut she had recently discovered. As she walked, humming a rhythm in her mind, she was getting close to where the knights were waiting. It was then.
“How are things progressing?”
“No problems. They still think I’m one of their own. Gathering information is easy.”
Her hearing, enhanced by her Heroic status, picked up a strange conversation.
“What?”
Her involuntary, hushed exclamation hinted at the unsettling content, and her body tensed as she crept forward.
“I see. So that man did indeed make contact with the Hero.”
“We haven’t identified anyone specific yet, but based on the source of the rumors, we have several suspects. It’s only a matter of time.”
“We don’t have time to spare. hurry it up. Don’t neglect to replenish your mana. If you’re discovered, it’ll be trouble.”
“Understood. I’ll replenish it later. Well, I should be getting back. The report will be as usual.”
“Hmph.”
“!”
It was purely by chance that she didn’t cry out. Concealing her presence, she slowly peered into the area and saw a man she didn’t recognize using a pendant-like tool to transform into one of her classmates she had been talking to moments ago. Amelia, having witnessed this decisive moment, held her breath and waited for the Bishop and the person she believed to be her classmate to leave.
“…What should I do?”
Then, silence descended after they departed. Once she confirmed she was alone, she was at a loss. If what she had just witnessed was the truth…
“What should I do?”
It meant that some, or perhaps all, of her classmates were fakes. Faced with this reality, Amelia felt as if a wall had sprung up before her.
Another Side END
Today’s Quote:
Things that happen in the shadows are often unknown.
This concludes this installment.
The plot seems to be unfolding with layer upon layer of hidden actions, doesn’t it? (Sweat)
I will do my best to make Amelia play a more active role from here on.
Thank you for continuing to read this work.
