kscans

Chapter 47 - Future Developments

That night, in a guest room of the castle.

We finished our dinner with Tina and the others. It was a full-course French meal. The portions were double the usual size. Yesterday’s party had been all about things that went well with alcohol and had left us wanting, but tonight’s dinner had us eating until we were about to burst. I probably ate enough for ten people.

Everyone’s reactions were a mix of astonishment and exasperation.

"Shinsuke, you sure can eat. Even with your magic depleted."

"You ate well. It must be tough for the cooks."

"The stomach of a monster."

"Tina-san, you have your work cut out for you."

"I’ll have to put in some effort myself."

Neither the prince nor the princess came today. After Tina and the others returned to their rooms, Bardos and I decided to go to bed as well. There was nothing else to do. We turned off the lights and went to sleep.

At that moment, I was thinking about something. The types of monsters in this world. The ones I had seen so far were all creatures that were described in books on Earth as beings of fantasy. I had assumed that succubi didn’t exist in this world either. But they did. There were far too many monsters that were known on Earth.

Perhaps someone had come here in the past, a very long time ago. No, the possibility was high. After all, I had come here in the modern era. That book about other worlds was written 130 years ago, but the existence of monsters had been talked about for much longer.

But if that book had been widely distributed, then Earth would be teeming with magicians and skill-users by now. But there weren’t any. In that case, it might be a case of being spirited away.

They say that being spirited away happened frequently in the old days, and there were also heresy inquisitions like the witch hunts.

If the witches were people who had returned from this world, then it would explain how they knew about magic and spells.

Such people were executed and disappeared, so it’s no wonder it didn’t spread.

In that case, the author who learned of their existence probably researched a reliable way to get to the other world, rather than an uncertain method like being spirited away, and wrote that book.

In that case, it’s probably best not to let it spread to the public. If the current church treats the existence of other worlds and magicians as top secret, and it becomes known that there are people going there, there’s a high possibility they’ll send heresy inquisitors. I can’t deny that such an underworld might exist.

I will definitely keep it a secret.

With that resolve, I went to sleep.

The next morning, at the entrance to the Royal Capital.

We had finished breakfast and were about to return to Alum, but I remembered I had left my surfboard in the port town, so we headed there instead.

We arrived at the port town. The town was even more vibrant than when we first visited. But we decided to sneak toward the beach. The reason was a poster at the entrance announcing the planned construction of a statue, and the content read ‘Beautiful Sword and Intense Thought.’

I asked Tina if they didn’t need personal permission.

"We can’t complain about something the townspeople have decided to build together. ...We don’t have that right."

Tina said with a calm yet annoyed expression.

I didn’t want to stand out any more than I already had, so we headed to the beach quickly and quietly.

At the place we arrived, seaweed was being dried. It seemed that the seaweed dishes I had made at the big banquet here had been so well-received that they were now drying seaweed to sell.

What’s more, the people diving in the sea were wearing swim trunks they had made themselves, based on my own, using mainly hemp.

The artisans of this world are truly amazing. When it comes to making hunting tools, their skills are superior to those of Earth’s artisans. I was convinced of it.

We were spotted by the people working on the beach, and it caused a commotion. But we managed to resolve it peacefully.

We retrieved the surfboard and were about to return to the city.

But a fisherman said.

"I’m sorry, but could you please wait until tomorrow morning? The kombu will be finished drying, and we’d like you to take some home as a thank-you gift."

All the fishermen bowed their heads.

We couldn’t possibly ignore them after all that. We reluctantly decided to stay one more night. We spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach.

That night, at an inn in the port town. It was the same inn we had stayed at before.

The innkeeper was a taciturn man, so we were able to check in smoothly. Dinner was more luxurious than before. Not only was there grilled fish, but also stewed dishes. As a bonus, we were served fruit—apples and pears. It seemed he knew about us.

His silence was honestly a relief; I hated commotion.

After finishing dinner, I entered one of the three rooms.

I had a feeling this pattern would be the same as last time.

And the one who came in was Tina. Just as I thought, I mused as I accepted her presence. We made some idle conversation, then turned off the light and lay down in bed. At that moment, Tina, who was next to me, spoke.

"...Hey, Shinsuke. Can I ask you something? ...When I was crucified by Harynair... were you aroused?"

Her words made my heart skip a beat, doki.

I didn’t know how she had found out, but Tina continued.

"...I knew it. It was when you said you were checking the chains for traps. I had the same thought. We didn’t know what might happen. But when you were checking, your eyes were bloodshot, and your breathing was a little heavy. You can’t tell from a distance, but up close, it’s obvious. I thought, He’s getting excited seeing me unable to move."

After a brief pause, Tina got out of her bed and climbed into mine.

Her bold action made me nervous. Tina came next to me.

"...My former self would have kept her distance, thinking you were a strange person. But now, I love you. I’m prepared to accept anything about you. Besides, if people from Earth think differently, then their tastes and hobbies are probably strange too, right? As long as it doesn’t disgust me too much, I’ll go along with your hobbies. Besides, the idea of having a secret just between the two of us makes me feel an unbreakable bond, and my heart is pounding."

Tina said, her breath heavy with excitement.

I wondered where the gallant adventurer from the beginning had gone, and her complete transformation made me feel a sense of fear, but in a way, I also had the strange thought that Tina was just a normal person too. With that thought, I went to sleep. The next morning, we received the dried kombu at the beach and headed home, my skill moving the cart.

Time rewinds to the morning after the successful subjugation of the Kraken.

In the lord’s mansion in Alum, a messenger bird was in the lord’s room.

Rosen was utterly shocked by the contents of the message. He immediately headed to the guild and demanded an explanation from the Guild Master.

The Guild Master had a completely bewildered look on his face.

Rosen calmed himself and handed him the paper from the messenger bird. The Guild Master was shocked. To think that ‘Beautiful Sword’ and ‘Intense Thought’ had successfully subjugated the Kraken. Since it was a freelance subjugation, it didn’t matter who defeated it, but the fact that ‘Intense Thought,’ especially Shinsuke, was involved made him hold his head in his hands.

He, an otherworlder, had been noticed by the king. He pondered what to do from now on. Rosen and the others immediately headed for the Royal Capital.

Their purpose was to explain the situation to the king and, if possible, to meet up with them in the Royal Capital.

He and the Guild Master had agreed to meet up and tell the truth. And so, the lord and his party arrived in the Royal Capital five days later. They had spent a day each at the banquet, the duel, resting, in the port town, and on the road back. By the time the lord and his party arrived in the Royal Capital, they were already on their way back to the city from the port town.

There was no way they could have met up.

In the Royal Castle, in the king’s office.

There were five people there. The lord, the Guild Master, the king, the prince, and the chancellor.

A top-secret meeting held in a place where only the most trusted individuals had gathered.

The chancellor had the king’s deep trust and had a keen sense of how to handle future matters. And so, the explanation from the lord and the Guild Master began.

The two of them told the truth. A false report to the king would result in more than just a loss of trust; it would be a direct path to the death penalty.

After they had finished speaking, the king said.

"A visitor from another world, Earth, you say. ...A phrase that was also in the anecdote left by the hero of 130 years ago. To think it was true. However, why didn’t you report it immediately?"

To the king, whose expression said he would not tolerate lies, the lord replied.

"It was for his sake. ...He said he did not want to stand out. We thought that if we reported it to Your Majesty, it might lead to him being invited to the Royal Capital. We also thought that Your Majesty was already aware of the other world."

The lord stated. The Guild Master had a look of agreement.

The king said.

"...Indeed, if I had heard, I would have wanted to meet him. I probably would have entrusted the Kraken subjugation to him as well. In fact, it seems he disliked standing out. ...However, he has become too famous in the Royal Capital. After all, he defeated ‘Flash’ Rodel. There is no reason for him not to become famous. Moreover, because his eyes were glowing red, he is now called ‘Red Eyes.’"

To those words, the Guild Master replied.

"...The duel with ‘Flash.’ At first, I didn’t understand how the Kraken subjugation led to such a situation, but when I heard about it here, I was nothing but exasperated. ...Speaking of which, what happened to that ‘Flash’? After all that, I don’t think he could have gotten away with it."

In place of the king, the chancellor answered the question.

"I will explain that matter. I have taken charge of this entire affair. In conclusion, ‘Flash’ has been disbanded. With their leader’s shameful behavior exposed, they can no longer operate as adventurers. As for the members’ futures."

"First, Glad of ‘Iron Wall’ has joined the royal army. He stated that he has no intention of continuing as an adventurer, and given his skill and command ability, a division has been established, and he has been appointed its commander."

"Next, the magician Matilda has left the Royal Capital. To be precise, she accepted a merchant escort mission and will be living in another town. She did not say where."

"Sister Marial has returned to the main headquarters of the Saint’s Church. She left the Royal Capital with her church soldier escort."

"And finally, Rodel has been exiled. For his rule violations in the arena, his insults toward the citizens, his past insults toward the military, and his failure and evasion of responsibility in the Kraken subjugation, he had no room for defense. Normally, it would be the death penalty, but his past service as an adventurer was taken into consideration, and his sentence was reduced to exile. He is currently in a carriage being sent to the border."

The explanation was finished.

The lord said.

"To be treated so harshly, Rodel has certainly fallen. But I’ve heard nothing good about him, so it’s only natural."

The lord stated. Everyone nodded in agreement.

The king said.

"...There was some turmoil, but things have settled down now, or rather, the atmosphere within the military has brightened. It’s clear just how much Rodel was disliked. Now then, to return to the subject at hand, our future handling of him, of Shinsuke, I propose we observe from a distance."

Everyone but the king was surprised by those words.

The king continued.

"...It’s no wonder you’re surprised. I too would like him to stay in the Royal Capital, but it seems he has no intention of doing so. They have already left the capital. That is their answer. Besides, with the possibility of the Saint’s Church making a move, it would be unwise for him to remain in the Royal Capital."

"Currently, the Saint’s Church contributes to the activities in the Royal Capital. If those people feel like it, they will interfere with us. But Alum is different. That is a region where the church has no activity. No matter how active they are in the capital, that is that, and this is this. We can make any number of excuses. Rosen, I want you to continue to watch over him without telling him the truth. If he were to find out, I fear he might never come to this world again. I’m counting on you."

The king said, bowing his head.

The lord and the Guild Master were surprised for the second time. For the king to bow his head in a request was something that should never happen. It would damage the authority of the royal family. But they all knew that the king was aware of this, yet he did it anyway. They couldn’t help but think that he must have taken a great liking to Shinsuke. The lord hurriedly said.

"Please raise your head, Your Majesty. I understand. We will watch over him quietly. So please, stop."

At the lord’s words, the king raised his head.

"Thank you. ...And, regarding the Saint’s Church, there is information that only the royalty of each country knows. First, about otherworlders. Those people have a different aspect from the people of this world."

"It is their skill acquisition speed. Normally, it takes years to learn a skill. For Tina, it was three years, for Rodel, five years. That’s the general flow. But in Rodel’s case, it seems that when he awakened to the Light Attribute, he automatically learned one skill, ‘Body Enhancement.’"

"In reality, Rodel only learned one skill on his own. From this, we can see that even skilled individuals have difficulty learning skills, but otherworlders learn them quickly just by being otherworlders. In fact, Shinsuke probably learned a skill in the arena. He had an air of being bewildered by how to use his power. And, there is a descendant of an otherworlder in the church."

At these words, everyone but the king and the prince was surprised.

There was a descendant of an otherworlder. A fact they had never known until now.

The king said.

"Even within the church, only the executives and the pope know. The person is a woman, and the proof of her lineage is her skill acquisition speed and number. According to the story, she has five skills at the young age of 20. And, in her family’s home, an item from the other world is kept as a family heirloom."

"It is said that this heirloom moved despite its strange shape and that it is impossible to replicate with current technology. From these two facts, it was determined that she is a descendant of an otherworlder, and the church bestowed upon her the title of Holy Knight. In fact, since she has the Light Attribute, it is thought that there is no problem with her being called a Holy Knight. Therefore, the church must never find out. ...Do you understand?"

At those words, the lord and the Guild Master nodded.

If they found out, the church would use any means necessary to make Shinsuke join them. And they would probably make him and that woman marry, have many children, and increase their own authority.

The two of them promised the king that they would act with even greater strictness and caution regarding the future movements of ‘Intense Thought.’

The meeting of the great men, held without Shinsuke’s knowledge.

But they did not know that Shinsuke would never join the church.

Because he was a Buddhist.

He was so stubborn that he would never join another religion.