“So this is the other world.”
The place I entered was an ordinary townscape, though it was rather desolate. It had an atmosphere like a very spacious studio set, if I had to describe it. There was no wind or insects, and for the time being, no sound either. It was real, yet artificial.
“What do you think? I worked as hard as I could on this.”
“Whoa, a completely black human shadow!”
Although three-dimensional, they were all black human figures. I’ve seen this in games before! It’s like the CEO from that famous idol-raising game. Is this the second generation? Even the deep voice is reproduced.
(This is the god I came from, right?)
“Your voice sounds like a real person’s now.”
“My boy, how did my voice sound to you before?”
“Um… I don’t remember.”
I recognized the words, but I don’t think I could discern gender, pitch, tone, or inflection. In anime, it would probably be expressed with a mechanical, artificial-sounding voice.
(But now it’s CV: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka.)
Even though it’s a town, the dormitory in front of me stands out. It’s a two-story wooden apartment building, and it’s quite spacious.
“You can look around as you please, but the second floor is the women’s dormitory. Men cannot go up there, even if they try.”
“Huh? Really?”
“For now, let me give you a tour of the dormitory.”
Wow, this voice reminds me of a news program on Sunday evenings.
“First, the park. I know you wouldn’t want to stay cooped up in your room all the time.”
“Yes, there’s a swing, a pull-up bar, a rotating jungle gym, ordinary benches, a sandbox, and even a toilet.”
“I’ve also installed a vending machine.”
“Ah, it’s the yellow one. Are they all 100 yen?”
But I shouldn’t have been able to bring money with me.
“You must have noticed the Japanese yen display and felt uneasy. It’s because of this.”
“Yes, there’s a police box next to the park… A police box?!”
“The officer inside is one I prepared.”
“Ah, this one is also completely black.”
But I can recognize the police uniform by its silhouette. I don’t know if it’s appropriate to call these three-dimensional black figures silhouettes, though.
“If you do anything strange to the colleagues I’ll be bringing over, they’ll apprehend you.”
“Uh, if I get caught…?”
“At worst, you’ll be reincarnated as a camel cricket or a larder beetle on Earth.”
That’s too awful…
“What kind of people will be coming?”
“I like a certain idol game from your world, and that’s why I’m in this form…”
“I understand.”
“So, the women will be souls who were aiming to be idols, or who have experienced being idols.”
Will they bring people from that series with three letters and two digits attached?
“And the men…?”
“They are scheduled to be voice actors, but not very famous ones.”
“Not famous ones?”
If only they could have brought the voice actor for the original CEO… well, never mind.
“This is it, this bank.”
“The draw-string pouch is its trademark. The name ‘Nesonan Bank’ sounds like a large bank from the Kansai region.”
“Well, go on in.”
As we entered together, there were ATMs lined up, eight of them.
“There’s no reception or anything?”
“Here are your passbook and card. They are from this bank.”
“My name is written on it. And the passbook… Ah, money.”
¥243,897. What a strange, arbitrary number.
“It’s different from the balance in my account from my previous life, no, my current life on Earth.”
“You couldn’t bring in-game currency, but this is the Japanese yen equivalent based on your remaining paid amount.”
“Ah, so it’s online currency. Wait, isn’t that RMT, which is against the rules?”
I guess that rule doesn’t apply in another world.
“Can I withdraw it right away?”
“You can, but payments are basically done online.”
“Huh? Oh, that’s right. This cash card also supports credit.”
It’s an integrated type.
“The vending machine earlier also supports contactless payment. Of course, if you want to buy with 100-yen coins, that’s fine.”
“Then, what’s the point of coming here besides checking my balance?”
“No, there is. You see the slot for bills?”
“Uh-huh.”
Besides the marks for bills and coins, there’s also a diamond-like mark.
“If you put a magic stone in there, it will turn into money.”
“Magic stones? From the in-game ‘Babylbarz Towers’.”
“However, your in-game possessions have been confiscated. This amount is based on the converted value.”
I see.
“If you have any problems with loss, damage, or anything you don’t understand, please use the phone provided with the ATM. You’ll be assisted by the secretary’s voice that inspired this president’s appearance.”
“Ah, the eternally young, chirpy voice of someone in their late twenties, saying ‘I’m lonely, so I’m listening’…”
“Prank calls are punishable by arrest, my boy!”
I’ll try calling once and say, ‘Can you hear me? This is a test.’
“Speaking of which, are there any cafeterias in this town?”
“There are no cafeterias. Please order online. You can order from major fast-food chains and family restaurants.”
“You have internet access at home, at the dormitory?!”
“WiFi works, but only within this subspace.”
It won’t work in the game, then.
“Huh? If there are no cafeterias…”
“There are vending machines for frozen gyoza and ramen, and ice cream vending machines.”
“You mean like the ones at amusement parks and train stations?”
The kind where you peel off the paper and eat.
“For now, I want to keep some cash on hand, so I’ll withdraw a little.”
“I had this wallet prepared for you. It’s a special gift.”
“Thank you. But it’s a Velcro closure!”
Am I a grade-schooler?
“If you don’t like it, just put it in your pocket directly.”
“No, it’s fine. Speaking of which, even though my clothes are from when I died, I don’t have a wallet.”
“There are various minor restrictions like that. In return, I’ve had your favorite guitar delivered.”
“Really?!”
I could almost cry with joy.
“Let’s consider that a part of your body.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“Well then, let’s head back to the dormitory.”
When we left the bank, there was an ice cream vending machine on the side. Taking a different route back, after going around, I found a frozen gyoza and ramen vending stall. If I don’t put in the correct amount when buying, I suppose that black police officer will come to catch me.
“Now, as we head to the dormitory, I have something important to tell you. Your life in this other world is not infinite.”
“But I have about seventeen in-game items that let me revive if I die.”
“Once you use those up, you’ll die normally. If you die too quickly, you’ll be reincarnated as something other than a human on Earth.”
I’ll have to be careful.
“But I’m not a player, I’m a summoned beast, right?”
“Summon. To put it strangely, NPCs are players in this world, and you are like an NPC.”
“If I’m ordered around…”
“Therefore, do not anger your summoner no matter what. Serve them with utmost sincerity.\'”
This seems like it could go either way.
“But a strong character, a player?”
“Your summoner can summon you, so naturally, their abilities are exceptionally high. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a good personality. If you are carelessly used up, I will show a little sympathy and consider it during your next reincarnation, but basically, it’s up to how you treat your summoner.”
…It’s about luck, then.
“I understand.”
“Don’t worry. It’s fine if you use the same language as you do when you’re in ‘Security Guard Mode’ at work, isn’t it?”
“Haha, Arubec contract employee, actually part-time, Teruyuki Iwamotor, 54 years old, single, I’ll do my best!”
I should practice from now on, like my speech patterns.
“The important thing is to be liked by your summoner.”
“Indeed, leave it to me! Shall we go?”
“Yes, we’ve arrived at the dormitory. I’ll go this far.”
He seems to be seeing me off until I enter.
“Thank you for everything.”
“The computer inside is new. Also, the contents of that package you requested should have arrived inside.”
“So, the summoning…”
“It’s not far off. After the summoning chime, you’ll be teleported in fifteen minutes.”
That’s quite a lot of time.
“In the game, summoning was immediate.”
“This subspace is special. Except for instant consecutive summons, when there’s a time gap between summoning and appearance, 0.5 seconds of that world is fifteen minutes here.”
“Then I have enough time to prepare.”
I won’t be taken away while I’m sleeping, will I?
“The bath is at the end of the hall and it’s communal. It’s not very spacious. There’s an unmanned bathhouse at the edge of town if you prefer a larger one, though it costs money.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Once you enter your room, it’s a summoning test. This time you’ll be sent to the park. The next one will be the real thing. Good luck!”
“Hah!”
After bowing politely, I entered the dormitory. There’s a management office, but no one is there. However, there’s a notice posted. Residents are to take turns cleaning, and there’s also information about garbage collection cycles…
(Oh, I found my room already!)
♪～
The music that played the moment I entered… this is…!!
“It’s a certain convenience store’s jingle!!”
Immediately after, a beautiful female voice spoke.
“This is a test. This is a test. In fifteen minutes, you will be transferred to the park next door.”
The chirpy voice is here!!
“Oh, my guitar! That’s great. The security guard’s uniform and hat are also hung on the wall. And what’s in the center of the room…!!”
I picked up a thin book.
“That’s right, what I ordered… Wait, this is an erotic dōjinshi, ‘Wagahama Fairy Mimomo de Pon!'”
I slammed it onto the tatami mat!!
“No, I did order it! I definitely ordered it, but I ordered other things too! Like sweets from a local confectionery company, and ZUZU Town clothes that come seasonally. Why, of all things, this?!”
As I was saying, this is how I came to this world.
“Mr. Iwamotor, there are many words I don’t understand that you’ve explained one by one, but I understand the flow.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
In Mamamoo, the Imperial Capital of the Mu Mu Empire, at the large restaurant “Honey Coming Days,” I heard about Mr. Iwamotor directly from him. But since it’s a story from a different world, things like computers, convenience stores, and Mimomo de Pon are incomprehensible.
“You must be tired from such a long talk. Please have some imperial-style stew.”
“Hah, thank you, Nina. May I ask, Ange, my summoner?”
“It’s okay, but the story was long, so we don’t have much time before school.”
“It’s just the right temperature, so let’s hurry.”
As we started eating, I dared to ask a question.
“Um, and then, what about your dormitory companions?”
“Munch, three more people came after that. I’ve greeted them. One young girl was so radiant, so radiant.”
“Is that so? Will the next person you summon be her?”
“Deles, are you interested?”
“No, I just thought Iwamotor would be happy.”
Well, I’m not *entirely* uninterested, though I can’t ask about it here.
“Munch munch. When I was hospitalized, a school friend taught me this game, and my level was around 72.”
“That’s a high level.”
“Apparently, her bust size is also 72.”
“…Is that a large number?”
“It’s small. She’s still in her teens.”
I managed to hear it. Good. But it’s small, huh? No, it’s not like I’m disappointed or anything!
“Deles.”
“Yes, Nina?”
“…This is an additional punishment.”
(Why?!?)
