kscans

Chapter 244 - First Time in My Home

That evening.

Earth. My home in Japan.

Right now, there were five people here.

Me, Bardos, Rumily, Milfy, and Matilda. Originally, it was only supposed to be three of them, but the other two strongly insisted on coming along.

Having more fighting power wasn't a problem. But while Milfy knew what was going on, Matilda was completely in the dark, and I hadn't told her anything. That said, leaving her out would just cause problems later.

As I was wondering what to do, Bardos said, "What's the harm? It's not like it costs anything."

His answer was refreshingly simple.

He had a point. Even if she blabbed, people would just laugh her off as a crazy person. After all, even Kuroda hadn't seemed to believe me until he saw me disappear.

"Alright," I said. "Matilda, whatever happens, don't be surprised."

Matilda nodded with resolve.

At my house in the mountains, I drew a magic circle for Matilda and explained it to her. Though skeptical, she followed my instructions and stepped forward. After confirming she had vanished, the rest of us headed to Earth.

When she arrived, Matilda looked around. "So this is across the sea. It's... kind of like the countryside."

Her surprise was evident as she scanned her surroundings.

It seemed she still didn't believe me. Deciding it would be faster to show her, I led her into the house and turned on the TV. A mundane news program appeared on the screen.

Seeing it, Matilda was flabbergasted. "Huh? Why are there people in there? Is there some meaning to this? Huh? The scene changed? Huh? Why?"

As Matilda stared at the shifting screen, Milfy explained, "You see, this is called a television. It's a device that sends pictures and voices from far away. There aren't actually any people inside."

Matilda's face was a mask of confusion.

Watching Milfy patiently explain, Bardos remarked, "Brings back memories. We were just like that at first."

He was reminiscing about a year ago.

It was true. I had to explain all sorts of things to the five of them back then. Those were trying days.

"Alright," I said. "First, let's get some food. We'll eat something simple and prepare for tonight."

With that, I headed to the kitchen.

I took another look at the newly renovated kitchen and its state-of-the-art refrigerator. The contents... were, of course, empty. I hadn't asked for that much. There was still time, so I made a quick trip to the convenience store to buy some food.

When I returned...

Matilda was sitting in the massage chair. I realized I hadn't explained what it was and rushed over, but for some reason, she had a pleasant look on her face.

"Ah, Shinsuke-san," Milfy said. "This chair is quite strange. Just sitting in it feels good for some reason."

She looked refreshed.

It wasn't even on. Just how simple could they be?

"It's true that it feels good," I said, "but its true power is... this."

I plugged it in and pressed the switch.

The chair came to life and began kneading Matilda's shoulders.

"Huh?! What is this?! The chair is moving on its own?!" Matilda yelped in surprise. "Ah, no... not there..."

As it started massaging her lower back, a sweet-sounding moan escaped her lips.

It seemed her lower back was a weak spot. But this was no time to be watching that.

Milfy, with a similar expression, exclaimed, "What?! Why?! Is this chair moving?!"

Her voice was filled with shock.

Rumily, who was a short distance away, had a similar look on her face.

"This is called a massage chair," I explained simply. "When you turn it on, it automatically massages various parts of your body. This is the latest model, but they've been around in this world for a long time."

Matilda was melting into the chair's embrace. Sensing she was approaching a dangerous point, I turned it off.

"Hey, I brought back food," I said to the limp Matilda. "Let's eat in the living room. Have you forgotten our original purpose?"

At my words, Matilda snapped to attention, stood up, and stretched.

On the living room table was a mountain of various kinds of bread: strawberry jam, chocolate, red bean paste, and more. For drinks, I had placed about ten bottles of coffee.

"What's this? Just bread?" Bardos asked. "No side dishes?"

"I thought something easy to eat would be best," I replied with a grin. "Besides, it's a kind of bread you'd never get to eat over there. It'll fill you up."

Matilda picked up a loaf with a curious expression. She struggled with the wrapper until Milfy showed her how to open it. She tore it open, took a bite, and chewed a few times. Then, she began to devour it with gusto.

It seemed she liked it. The rest of us dug in without hesitation.

An hour later, the mountain of bread was gone. The four of them had satisfied looks on their faces as they relaxed with their coffee.

Amidst this, Bardos spoke up. "Hey, Shinsuke? I wasn't really listening properly, but can we trust this guy?"

His face was serious.

The other three also turned their gazes towards me.

I looked around and said, "You're right. We still have time. I'll tell you."

I explained everything.

About the man named Kuroda, the black-market auction, the rules of the underworld. I told them everything I knew.

When I finished, Matilda said, "He sounds like a very dangerous man. No, not in terms of physical strength, but... it feels like he has foresight. It seems he thoroughly investigates his opponent's position and what they're capable of, and is constantly searching for how much profit he can gain."

To this, Milfy added, "I agree. That type probably won't betray you, but there's a high chance they'll exploit your weaknesses. If that happens, I can pretty much imagine what they'll do with Rumily."

She looked at her with concern.

I had the same thought. "I've thought about that too. I want to give these to you two."

I placed two small staves on the table.

At their tips were blue stones.

As they took them, I explained, "These stones are imbued with the power of the water attribute. Over here, they have ways to counter aggressive means like fire and lightning, but to be honest, they have no countermeasures against water. They think of water as a threat, but only in terms of floods and heavy rain."

In Japan, there are dangers like arson and electric shock.

Naturally, there are countermeasures for them. You can't be at ease without prevention. But there are no countermeasures for floods and heavy rain.

Why? Because it's impossible. Among natural disasters, they cause damage over a wide area and wash everything away. The only countermeasure against something like that is to strengthen your defenses.

But even that is unreliable. An individual can protect themselves with an umbrella or a raincoat, but nothing more.

Of course, their magic had more power than a fire hose and could blow away dozens of people.

I explained the threat of water.

"Bardos," I said. "Make sure your weapon is well-maintained."

Bardos grinned and showed me his machete.

He had wanted a great axe over there, but I had warned him, "Such a large-swinging weapon would stand out over there, and it's hard to handle. Stick to something that's easy to maneuver."

Most buildings in Japan have passages that only two or three people can pass through comfortably; there's no space to swing a great axe.

Besides, this time we were going to a top-secret location. I had no idea what it would be like.

Bardos, who was already huge, would only be at a disadvantage. A machete offered more flexibility. And besides, there was no one in this world who could fight Bardos head-on.

On Earth, there's no one who can kill a bear with their bare hands.

Our preparations were perfect. Even if things got rough, it wouldn't be a problem. But knowing them, they wouldn't engage in pointless exchanges. Still, this was a precaution for the worst-case scenario.

It was still dangerous. We couldn't let our guard down for a second.

Time passed, and it became nine o'clock.

We waited at the entrance. Bardos was carrying Rumily, while Milfy and Matilda wore small backpacks. All four of them were dressed in their usual combat gear, fully prepared.

Only I was in casual clothes, though I had a long and short sword at my waist.

Then, two black vans and a Rolls-Royce arrived.

Four men in black suits got out of one of the vans. But no one came out of the other. From the Rolls-Royce, two men in black suits and Kuroda appeared. The four of them tensed up.

"We've been waiting for you, Mr. Kuroda," I said.

To my greeting, Kuroda replied, "Thank you for waiting. Our preparations are complete, so we've come to pick you up. The young lady being held by that large man is Rumily-san, I presume? And who might these people be?"

To this, I replied, "The big guy is Bardos, my former partner. From the right are Milfy and Matilda, Rumily's comrades. Due to our circumstances, I'd like them to accompany us."

Kuroda thought for a moment. "I see. Understood. You will probably feel more at ease that way. Well then, please put Rumily-san in the car at the back. You there."

A man in a black suit opened the van door.

Inside, there were no seats, only a simple cot. I confirmed there was nothing else and looked at Bardos.

Bardos nodded and placed Rumily on the cot. Milfy and Matilda got into the same car. Bardos sat in the passenger seat.

"You," Kuroda said. "No, Kaikawa-san, please come this way."

He pointed to the Rolls-Royce.

"I'll gladly accept your offer," I said.

There was no reason to refuse.

For now, it was reasonable to follow their instructions. We proceeded with Kuroda's group, remaining on high alert.