kscans

Chapter 156 - Renovations and Investigations

The next morning, back at my house on Earth.

I woke up at seven and had a simple breakfast of bread and café au lait.

As I was clearing the dishes, I said, "Tina, I’m thinking of having the house renovated soon. I plan to stay here until the contractors come, but what will you do?"

"Then I will stay as well," Tina replied concisely. "There is nothing for me to do over there by myself."

It was true that being an adventurer alone in the other world was tough. Even in my early days, being a solo adventurer was hard. Fighting bandits, hunting giant birds with magic stones as a hunter…

There’s a limit to what you can do alone.

"Alright," I said. "I’ll call the contractors."

I made the call.

After about ten minutes on the phone, I hung up.

"They’re coming in three days. They want to measure the house and check the materials then. They said it will take at least half a month. I told them we’d be staying at a cheap business hotel starting from that day, so we can just transfer over there late on the night the work starts. Luckily, the flow of time is the same in both worlds."

At my words, Tina asked, "Won’t they find it suspicious? For example, with progress reports or phone calls about payment."

"Don’t worry," I said. "Payment is due upon completion. And I told them I don’t need progress reports. The company I hired is a major, reputable one. I also told them not to do any shoddy work or order unnecessary equipment or additional materials. In the unlikely event that something happens, I have Analysis. I’ll know right away. And if something does happen, I’ll just have to repay them in kind."

My face twisted into a grin.

Ever since I got this skill, I could figure out most things, so I wouldn’t overlook any deception related to inanimate objects.

"Understood," Tina said. "Let’s go with that. You know more about how this world works than I do."

She took a sip of her café au lait.

I set about hiding all the important things from the other world so the contractors wouldn’t see them.

Three days later.

Two or three middle-aged men in work clothes arrived in a van.

One of them said, "Hello. We’re here for the requested work. May we start measuring right away?"

I nodded in response.

The workers began to inspect the house, both inside and out. They used various measuring devices to check for deterioration and measure the overall dimensions of the house. They were doing a thorough, professional job.

After they finished, the man said, "We’re done. I was told the main work is replacing the deteriorated pillars and floors and repairing the roof, but is there anything else you’d like to have changed?"

I thought for a moment. "In that case, could you replace the toilet with the latest model? And could you make the bathroom large enough for five people?"

At this question, the contractor replied, "The toilet is no problem, but expanding the bathroom will cost more than the standard budget. It will be roughly between five hundred thousand and one million yen. Are you sure you want to proceed?"

"That’s fine," I said with a smile. "I’ve saved up plenty of money from work. I have about ten million yen. I’m thinking of using half of that, five million, for this. Even with the initial budget, it will only be about three million at most. It’s within my range."

Of course, it was a lie. I had earned one hundred million from the auctions so far.

The amount I had in the bank was fifteen million. The remaining eighty-five million was at my house in the other world. I had originally hidden it in the garden of my house on Earth, but I had dug it up and moved it.

"Also," I said, "please don’t put anything in the space between the storehouse and the house. I’m planning to build a flower bed there, and I’ve just finished preparing the ground. I don’t want it to be disturbed."

To this, the contractor replied, "Understood. Where would you like us to place the work materials?"

"Over there, in the garden behind the kitchen," I said. "You can also put things behind the bathroom. It’s spacious enough there, so I don’t think it will be a problem."

The places I pointed to were more than large enough to store even large items.

"Understood," the contractor said. "We will begin work in two days, in the morning. I was told you would be staying at a hotel during that time?"

I nodded in response.

"Understood. We will take our leave now."

With that, they left.

Now that we were alone, I said, "Well then, let’s go in two days. I have to see them off, after all."

Tina nodded in agreement.

After that, we had dinner at a restaurant and went to bed.

Two days later.

Several medium-sized trucks arrived. A number of middle-aged and young men got out.

Among them was the man who had come to take the measurements.

"Good morning. We will begin work immediately."

I nodded in response.

The workers swarmed the house and began their preparations.

We watched them for a while, then left the house, pretending to head to the hotel I had mentioned to the contractors.

We went to a coffee shop in the city.

We had a light meal of sandwiches and café au lait, and after taking a break, I said, "Well then. We won’t be able to come back here for a while. Is there anything you need to buy now?"

Tina thought for a moment. "Let’s buy some canned food for emergencies. We have all the tools we need over there. We bought a lot during the church incident."

I nodded in agreement.

We immediately went shopping and began preparing for our future activities.

*

Late at night.

At my house, the wood and equipment that the contractors seemed to have left behind remained as they were. There was nothing in the space between the storehouse and the house. Now I could go to the other world with peace of mind.

However, ever since I arrived, the way the equipment was placed seemed strangely clustered, as if it were hiding something.

I activated Analysis. Among the normal repair equipment, there was a camera. And it was running.

"We’re being watched," I whispered. "Is that a problem?"

"No problem," Tina whispered back. "There are no spells. The magic circle is gone. All the books and related materials are over there. They will go home knowing nothing."

I agreed with that. I had half-expected them to come at this time. That company was theirs. That was all there was to it.

We picked up our luggage and transferred.

*

In the basement of a certain building.

Report.

Confirmed that the target has transferred. The location was immediately investigated. Nothing was written on the ground.

We excavated the area but found no noteworthy OOPArts. The storehouse was also investigated, but it contained many items that appeared to have been discarded.

On the second floor, there was a bookshelf with books of various genres placed randomly.

However, there were signs that several books had been removed, indicating the possibility that important books were once there. But what they were is unknown.

Conclusion: Possibility of otherworld transfer via book. End of report.

Kuroda closed his eyes silently after reading the report.

You must not uncover the secrets of those involved in the auction.

The absolute rule of the underworld.

But if the other party was a being who could travel to an unknown world, it was only natural to want to know more. Of course, he had no intention of revealing everything.

Just knowing to a certain extent was enough.

He had already known the location of his house, but since there were other houses around, he hadn’t done anything rash. But when he received the report that he had requested house renovations, he saw his chance.

He had his subordinates infiltrate the contractors and install hidden cameras everywhere.

Of course, they were to be removed once the renovations were complete. He would not leave any evidence that could break their trust. As it turned out, the fact that there was movement on the first day was unexpected, and he had even been able to see footage that appeared to be the transfer.

Honestly, it was hard to believe.

Even at his age, knowing that another world existed, there was a part of him that couldn’t accept it. No, that wasn’t right. He just didn’t want to admit it.

It felt like the common sense of both the public world and the underworld was crumbling.

The wolf pelt he had brought in at the very beginning… he had thought it was harvested from a prime wolf raised somewhere.

But then came the anaconda, the crocodile, and even the differently colored wolf pelts. And to top it all off, the four-armed gorilla.

Even then, he had chosen to turn a blind eye.

Considering the profits to be made, he wanted to accept it, but his emotions screamed at him not to.

But that, too, had crumbled after seeing the recent recording.

Kuroda realized he knew nothing. Not about the vastness of the world, nor the vastness of the universe.

But he wasn’t about to immerse himself in some shady occultism.

He would think about it scientifically, or rather, mystically. That, too, had its occultic elements, but it was a hundred times better than some shady fortune teller.

Kuroda looked up at the ceiling, as if he had found what he needed to learn from now on.

*

???? Side.

In a desolate land, far from the Empire.

"The time has come," a beast muttered.