I’m not doing anything wrong.
But, the moment I think there might be a mistake from here on, I can feel my stomach, which should be resilient, screaming in protest.
The thought that the company’s top executive might be watching in this venue, which triggers flashbacks of my corporate slave trauma, assaults my stomach with stress.
A gentle melody, evoking healing and slow contact, echoes in the venue. Despite couples holding hands and dancing, swayed by the atmosphere, a dangerous pressure from a distance has been building up for a while.
“What’s wrong? Your expression has been stiff since a moment ago.”
I’m supposed to be maintaining a poker face, but Kirie-san perceives my expression as stiff and points it out. I want to honestly expose my inner feelings here, but I know perfectly well that I shouldn’t.
“No, I was just hoping everything would go smoothly without any issues.”
I’ve heard it’s good to interweave truth when telling a lie, but in this case, my words are less a lie and more a refusal to reveal my true feelings.
If I were to offer a smile and say it’s nothing, it would leave room for doubt. However, by providing a clear answer, I resolve a certain degree of suspicion.
“Indeed. I also felt a sense of responsibility regarding the matter with Tachibana, but now I’m happy that things are proceeding so harmoniously.”
It’s painful that I can’t express the unsettling atmosphere lurking beneath this pleasant facade. The troubles from the Japanese side were easily noticeable and thus easier to deal with.
Conversely, this side possesses thoroughly honed dark arts that make them difficult to understand and address.
If asked which is better, I’d say I dislike both, but I must admit that being able to deal with something noticeable is preferable.
Although I said I hoped for nothing to happen, my intuition whispers that nothing *ever* happens without incident.
If it were a straightforward battle, suppression would be easy.
Considering our strength, the most capable person in this venue is undoubtedly me, followed by Keiri-san.
Any external aggression was detected and suppressed when an armed force attempted to infiltrate Evia’s dungeon.
A surprise attack via teleportation magic is also impossible.
What I’m concerned about is sabotage that would harm our diplomatic counterparts by tainting the food, thereby damaging my reputation. Therefore, I’m paying the utmost attention to cuisine, and the personnel involved have been meticulously scrutinized and trustworthy individuals have been assigned.
So, I have no worries regarding food and beverages.
Next, I must be vigilant about enchantment-based magic. The methods vary, such as using magical eyes or magic tools, but if there are men among the guests who have low magic resistance and are susceptible to such spells, and then are contacted later as part of a plan, it would be disastrous.
Fortunately, there are several ways to detect enchantments, and most of them are useless without magical energy.
Once they leave the company premises, the spells become ineffective. However, I’d prefer not to have bombs planted that can be activated at any time if magic power is present.
“Yes, truly. Peace is the best.”
Despite my outward demeanor, my mind is constantly devising ways to deal with potential troubles. I feel a bit sorry for Kirie-san, who is smiling and talking to me, as I have absolutely no room for relaxation right now.
As part of my duties, I need to respond to Kirie-san, so I appear to be standing still, but in reality, I am monitoring everyone’s movements in the venue through magic detection.
I’m so glad multitasking is possible.
“However, even though it’s another world, the instruments aren’t that different, are they?”
“Perhaps there are some commonalities as technology develops. While the instrument names and materials differ, instruments similar to violins and pianos exist in their world as well. At first glance, this world might seem culturally inferior, but it possesses technologies that Japan, or even the world, cannot replicate. Spatial interference technology and medicinal herbs are good examples.”
“Yes, during the negotiations that day, you explained many things, and I also reviewed the documents. You’re right; if we consider the fields of advancement to be different, then the technological gap might not be that significant.”
It’s quite challenging to allocate most of my thoughts to vigilance and still maintain a conversation with the remaining brainpower.
I can’t even move my eyes carelessly, and only by watching Kirie-san’s blind spots do I glance left and right, searching for anyone behaving suspiciously.
The four individuals Keiri-san warned me about are naturally targets of my vigilance, but there’s a possibility of others. I desperately wish for definitive information that there are only these four.
If I had that, I could lower my guard a little.
Normally, orchestrating something here would be too risky.
This is a place that serves as a bridge between worlds, but from the perspective of power and vested interests, there’s no need to take risks by acting prematurely and creating future trouble.
However, this applies to the decent nobles in attendance with their heads on straight.
Incidentally, I used the term “decent” to refer to those who outwardly manage their territories properly and protect their status.
It does not imply they are pure and innocent, or saintly.
It’s disheartening to think that the nobles other than those honorable ones might gamble their fortunes, ignoring the risks, to seize an opportunity for a comeback.
If successful, they can secure at least a part of the exchange route with another world. The profits derived from it, if used wisely, can generate enough income to run a profitable business.
It’s quite literally a comeback scenario.
If something like that happens, it would be considered my mismanagement, and the president wouldn’t let it slide.
I genuinely wish to avoid that.
Trouble here could become a hindrance in the future, so I can’t afford to let my guard down.
I can anticipate that something might occur, but the marriage hunting party progresses slowly without any concrete certainty.
“In the future, it would be great if such technologies could be used daily.”
“It’s difficult. The military has placed considerable restrictions on such technologies, making them hard to use by the general public. Medicines like potions might be fine, but there are extremely rare and potent medicinal herbs. Due to prioritizing profit and overharvesting, they can become completely unavailable in the future, so regulations are strict in that regard as well.”
“Similar stories exist in every world, don’t they? It’s precisely because of such failures that people can move forward, but I won’t see what lies beyond that progress.”
“It’s uncertain how many years, or even decades, it will take for teleportation magic to be used by the state.”
While observing couples engrossed in romantic conversations before me, I engage in discussions about politics, outwardly appearing friendly while covertly scanning the venue under the guise of vigilance.
Given that I don’t know Kirie-san’s true intentions, I can only inwardly chuckle at the stark difference in our emotional states.
However, merely laughing won’t bring about a favorable outcome.
The marriage hunting party is proceeding as if everything is according to plan.
But as my eyes perceive it, my mind is increasingly leaning towards a skeptical thought: could something unsettling be happening?
“Decades?”
“It seems Kirie-san and my mother would have no problem living their lives like that.”
“It’s possible. You, on the other hand, would probably live a normal life.”
“I’m half inhuman, after all.”
“You and your sister seem to have a lot of wild blood in your family.”
“I don’t deny it, and I believe this is how it should be, but I’m not surprised that my relatives have so readily abandoned their humanity.”
“When you regularly interact with supernatural beings like gods, you tend to sense their aura. That’s particularly pronounced in you. Anyone who knows what to look for can see it. Furthermore, your sister informed me beforehand that you shed your humanity to spend time with the person you love.”
“…Up to what point, may I ask?”
“A rather passionate love. I’ve only seen a few glimpses of your childhood, but I’ll just say that I remembered you from those times.”
“Almost everything.”
“Well, there’s not much I can say from my end.”
Kirie-san speaks of how the world might change in the future, interspersed with discussions about work. She suggests that while some future developments might be observable, she won’t see much further ahead. However, in my mind’s eye, I see the image of two sisters, happily laughing.
My intuition, though vague, suggests that both my mother and Kirie-san will likely live exceptionally long lives through some means.
Kirie-san, I suspect, has something to do with deities.
My mother… I have a feeling she’ll look younger suddenly.
“I wish they could have a romance like yours.”
“At the very least, I don’t recommend my kind of romance. You wouldn’t have enough lives to spare.”
“Also, without substantial financial power like yours, it’s impossible to support multiple women.”
“…In a way, isn’t Kirie-san’s perspective rather unusual from the standpoint of modern women?”
My relationships with Suella and Memoria, until my association with them, were somewhat normal… no, not really. It was the incident where I was almost killed by a golem that led to me connecting with Suella, and with Memoria, it was revealed during emergency preparedness training.
The “misery loves company” effect worked wonders, leading to relationships with both. Then, Himik ended up staying with me, claiming to be smitten with the color of my soul after an attack, also resulting in a relationship.
My relationship with Evia is, to some extent, a political marriage… but in a way, it might be the most peaceful relationship.
I’m surprised that none of the beginnings of these relationships are normal, and I sincerely wish others wouldn’t have romances like mine.
However, surprisingly, Kirie-san doesn’t seem to abhor the idea of a harem. Normally, from a woman’s perspective, a man involved with multiple women would be viewed with distaste.
“You are far more earnest in your dealings with women than the men in my organization.”
Kirie-san speaks with a smile so radiant that my experience tells me not to pry further, implying she has seen and experienced many things.
Perhaps because men involved with multiple women are common in her surroundings, she doesn’t feel the need to comment on my situation.
Whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Please continue to be the considerate Jiro-kun who cherishes women forever.”
I’m curious about what she saw to say that, but I don’t have time to ask. For a moment, the magical wavelengths in the air wavered.
Before I could even focus on the woman exhibiting that disturbance.
“Kirie-san, if you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
After excusing myself to Kirie-san, I walk in the opposite direction from the woman whose magic had fluctuated, and as soon as I’m out of Kirie-san’s line of sight, I sprint towards the source of the disturbed magical wavelengths.
And there, I found a couple, conspicuously arm-in-arm and moving towards a secluded area, seemingly to assert their closeness.
Normally, I’d ignore this. I’d cheer them on, hoping they continue to be happy together. However, there’s an unsettling malevolent magic clinging to the man.
The characteristic magical reaction is faint and difficult to detect, but once visible, I can ascertain the nature of the magic.
“Stop right there.”
And to prevent what is about to happen, I instantly draw the woman’s consciousness towards me.
Today’s quote:
Being watched makes one nervous.
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