kscans

Chapter 268 - The Hunter's Life

When I woke up, I saw a wooden ceiling.

…It was the familiar ceiling of my own home. My body felt sluggish. It didn't seem like I could move yet. Just then, I felt a breath to my left.

I turned to see Tina in her armor, sleeping while sitting up. It seemed she had been nursing me.

…After that, she must have carried me here and watched over me the whole time. So much so that she even forgot to change. She was still sleeping.

I was about to wait for her to wake up when…

"…Mmm? …Shinsuke? You’re awake?!"

Her sleepy eyes snapped wide open.

I said, "…Sorry about this. You must have carried me after I collapsed."

To this, Tina replied, "…Yes, after you collapsed, I carried you all the way here. The journey was quite difficult. Adventurers were coming to the rocky mountains one after another. …It was hard moving without being seen."

I asked, "? …Why did you try to avoid being seen?"

Tina explained, "…At first, I was going to call out to them, but the atmosphere was filled with tension, so I hid and listened. …It turned out they were investigating a giant path of light from the summit of the rocky mountains. I saw it from below, too; it was very conspicuous."

"...Moreover, there were rumors that there might be an unknown monster. If that were the case, rashly joining them and explaining the situation could lead to being taken in for questioning. …Then a lecture from the Guild Master would be unavoidable."

She looked exhausted.

…It was true, I had told them the purpose of my journey. But just because I told them didn’t mean I had permission to fight. It was one thing for other monsters, but this was a situation where not just a town, but the entire country could have been destroyed.

Such selfish actions were completely unacceptable.

I said, "…Hmm? But if they know the situation, eventually…"

Tina replied, "…You don’t need to worry about that. The Guild Master came by this morning, but I played dumb. I said, ‘We were sleeping and didn’t notice.’ He seemed to want to say something, but he left."

She answered with a proud look on her face.

I asked, "…Is that really okay?"

Tina said, "It’s fine. If we achieve any more, it will be harder to move around. …That would interfere with your work as a hunter."

She had a gentle expression.

…I was grateful. Being an A-rank recognized by two countries was already enough. I tried to move my body, but I still couldn't.

Tina said, "…Oh, that’s right. There was something like a horn lying nearby. I figured you did it, so I brought it back."

She pointed to the top of a shelf.

…Sidoor’s horn was sitting there. A parting gift from him. I guess I’ll keep it as a decoration.

Case closed. Or so I thought.

With a serious face, I asked, "…Hey, Tina? …Was it a good thing that I came to this world?"

To this, Tina replied, "What are you saying all of a sudden? That’s not like you."

To the bewildered her, I said, "…Sidoor has companions. He sent the Minotaur to the border, and the giant monster that appeared in the Empire's capital was their doing, too. All of it, just to corner me. …If I hadn’t come, wouldn’t it have been peaceful?"

A weak-willed statement.

…Natural disasters are calamities that are bound to happen. No one can prevent them.

…But man-made disasters are different. They happen because of some trigger. If I hadn't been here, things like this wouldn't have…

Tina said, "…Shinsuke. Are you saying that you’ve caused trouble for other people? …That’s just conceit. Incidents caused by human malice have happened in the past, and they are still happening now. In this world, no, even in your world, it’s a common thing. Everyone wishes to erase malice, but reality is different."

"…You could say that humans live on malice. …So, isn’t it more important how you confront that malice rather than lamenting it? If it’s unavoidable no matter how much you struggle, then you just have to do what needs to be done. That’s what I think. …And at the very least, I’m happy that you came. …Because I met someone I can spend my life with."

She had a smile like a goddess.

…My chest ached. To have someone who cares for me so deeply. That alone is happiness.

More than a large sum of money, more than power. …It was dazzling. …Precious. It saved my soul. My dark feelings were instantly purified.

My sleepiness completely gone, I said, "…Thank you, Tina. …Phew. My head’s clear now. Not that I can move, though. What should I do?"

I forcibly ended the conversation.

…Any more comforting would just be painful. Just then, for some reason, Tina threw off the blanket and climbed on top of me.

To the bewildered me, Tina said, "…Shinsuke. When I saw you collapsed, I screamed so much. I yelled, ‘Open your eyes.’ But you didn't. …Please, don’t be so reckless anymore. You’ve fulfilled your promise to Sidoor. From now on, please live a quiet life with me as a hunter."

To the teary-eyed Tina, I said, "Yeah, I promise. You put up with my selfishness. From now on, I’ll earn enough so we can live without worry."

Tina wiped her tears and smiled.

"…Good. …By the way, Shinsuke. I want to continue where we left off last night. Right now."

She said something incredible, her face beet red.

I said, "…Right now? It’s still around noon, isn’t it? At least until night…"

Tina cut off my words with a kiss.

When she pulled away, she said, "…I can’t. Seeing you safe and sound, I can’t stop myself. …Please, put up with my selfishness."

Her face became even redder.

I said, "…Alright. But I don’t think I can move."

To this, Tina replied, "It’s alright. I’ll do everything. …Besides, isn’t it good to be on the side that can’t move sometimes? …Enduring the advances of a female knight in armor. There were scenes like that in the manga, too."

The goddess’s smile transformed into a seductive one.

…When I first met her, she was polite and straightforward. To think she could change this much.

It seems I went a bit too far.

I said, "…Be gentle."

I decided to leave everything to her.

Tina said, "…Fufu. …Let’s have fun today."

She kissed me, and we had fun until the next morning.

Time passed.

Japan’s current technological prowess surpassed that of other countries.

…The development and performance of new products. …The advancement of medical technology.

Especially in the medical field, the progress was astounding. People with physical disabilities, whose arms and legs couldn’t move, were completely cured with medication, and severed limbs could be fully healed with short-term treatment. …Furthermore, even parts that were originally missing could be moved with mechanical limbs.

…It was an era called the technological revolution.

Naturally, other countries sought to benefit from this as well.

…Japan’s terms of trade were a bit high, but compared to providing the technology itself, it was cheap. Thus, the world made a dramatic leap forward.

But this also led to conflict.

…The gap between rich and poor. …Racial discrimination. …Technological monopolies.

Rebellions sparked by the common follies of those in power.

It was the dawn of a chaotic era brought about by progress.

Amidst all this.

Japan, a certain city.

A young man was sitting slumped in an alleyway.

…Cruel bullying at his company. Violence from his parents. The police wouldn’t listen to him. …Only despair dominated the young man.

…‘I don’t care anymore.’ He had given up on everything and was about to let himself rot away.

Just as he was thinking that,

"…Boy. …Don’t you want to escape from this world?"

The young man looked up to see a white-haired old man in traditional Japanese clothing standing there.

Next to him was a red-haired girl in a middle school uniform.

The young man said, "…What is it, old man? …Leave me alone."

He answered listlessly.

The old man said, "…Hmph. The eyes of someone who has faced the injustices of society. It reminds me of my youth. …Boy. Do you believe in this book?"

He showed him a book titled ‘How to Go to Another World’.