kscans

Chapter 268 - Side Story 7: Another Dysfunctional Party

And so, we headed to the Adventurer's Tavern.

Thanks to getting a ride part of the way, we arrived quickly. After that, we went through the procedure to become adventurers, but…

"…That was surprisingly straightforward."

I stepped away from the counter, gazing intently at the dog tag I’d been given.

The metal tag was engraved with my name, the name of this town, and a strange pattern. Apparently, this pattern was a type of tally mark.

"I wonder if Marui-san pulled some strings for us."

"Who knows. Katarina didn’t seem particularly surprised, so maybe adventurer registration is just that simple here."

"It just goes to show how much of a threat monsters and similar beings are in this world."

As I was talking with Aira-san and the others through the earring, the professor, who had been looking at the quest board with Katarina-san, returned.

She was holding a single piece of paper.

"I’ve found a suitable request. It’s to thin out the ‘Bone Kobolds’ that have been appearing in a forest about an hour’s carriage ride from here."

"Understood. But Bone Kobolds… I can guess what they look like from the name, but I’ve never heard of them in a dungeon."

"As for their appearance, Katarina-san says they look like a mix between a Kobold and a skeleton. Their combat ability is also comparable to a Kobold’s. It seems to be a relatively easy job for an Awakened Person, so it should be perfect for our first quest."

"I agree. Kageyama-san, is that acceptable to you?"

"Yes. I am here as your ‘guard.’ Against an enemy on the level of a Kobold, I will absolutely protect you."

Kageyama-san smiled, but she emphasized the word ‘guard.’ Paying no mind to the still-fuming woman, Katarina-san was only watching my face and the professor’s.

…Is this party going to be okay?

The professor, our most sensible member, has currently devolved into a giddy fool, so I can’t expect her to mediate.

And since I don’t understand the language here, I’m not sure what I can do…

"Well. We need to be back in Japan by this world’s evening, so let’s hurry."

"Right. By the way, how do we get to this forest? Should we have a car sent for us? Or since we’re all Awakened, should we just run?"

I don’t know how fast a carriage is, but a distance that takes an hour should be no problem on foot. Kageyama-san’s and Katarina-san’s combat abilities are unknown, but we could even take a break along the way.

After all, we can just use the professor’s teleportation to get back to the embassy. The only concern is whether we can reliably track our target in an unfamiliar forest.

If only Erina-san were here, scouting would be a breeze…

"Transportation will not be a problem, my dear son-in-law."

"It won’t?"

Led by the professor, who was wearing a particularly fine smile, I followed her out of the tavern.

And then, after confirming that the street was not crowded, she…

"Heave-ho."

…pulled a rickshaw from a golden ripple.

No, this wasn’t just any rickshaw. First of all, it had four wheels, and they were thicker than usual. The seating area could accommodate four people, and the entire vehicle was larger than a normal rickshaw.

"This is a rickshaw I had Shizuku-san make. It can handle rough terrain without issue and is specially built to be sturdy enough not to break easily even when you’re pulling it, my dear son-in-law!"

"…So, I’m the engine."

"If you’d rather not, I can pull it."

"No, I can’t ask you to do that, Professor."

Making my grandmother-in-law do physical labor while I sat comfortably would be far too awkward.

It’s better than that weird cart with the flag we used on the way back from the Guivre subjugation, I guess. With that thought, I nodded with a sigh.

"Alright, please get on."

I deployed my [Arcane Gear], minus the weapons and helmet, and gestured for them to board.

"Um… should I pull?"

"No, Kageyama-san, I need you to be ready to react in case of an emergency. So please, take a seat."

"…Understood."

Kageyama-san nodded, looking slightly conflicted. I need to treat her like a proper guard as much as possible.

As for Katarina-san…

"…Um, I’ll be pulling, so. You should sit down too."

"■■■■■■! ■■■■■!"

She, on the other hand, had a look of great determination on her face. She grabbed the shaft… I think that’s what it’s called, the part the puller holds, and waited expectantly, as if to say, ‘Go ahead!’

Apparently, Katarina-san thought she was supposed to be the one pulling.

"Professor, please convince her."

"■■■■■. ■■■■■■■■■■."

"■■!? ■■■■■■■■!?"

"■■■■■, ■■■■■■■■■."

I have no clue what they were saying, but Katarina-san was looking back and forth between me and the seat with teary eyes.

Eventually, the professor, still smiling, picked her up and placed her in the seat. She was in the back… if you can call it that. The rear seat.

Kageyama-san sat in what would be the passenger seat in a car, the professor sat behind her next to Katarina-san, and I positioned myself between the shafts.

"Okay, here we go."

"Yes. We’re counting on you, my dear son-in-law."

Even with three women and a frame bulkier than any tourist rickshaw I’d seen, the weight was negligible. I wasn’t an ‘A-Rank Candidate’ for nothing.

What bothered me more were the strange looks we were getting from passersby. It was only natural, of course, seeing as how this thing appeared out of nowhere and was now being pulled by an Awakened Person.

…Couldn’t we have done this after leaving the city gate instead of right next to the tavern?

Feeling that the professor was getting way too carried away, I started towards the gate at a moderate pace.

＊　　　　＊　　　　　＊

As we passed through the outermost gate, the gatekeepers were conducting something like a security check. They were probably maintaining public order by checking the people and goods coming in and out.

They gave us a suspicious look, but as soon as the professor smilingly presented a letter, they broke into ingratiating smiles and let us through. Naturally, there was no baggage check.

…Connections are scary.

In any case, we were outside the city, and the number of people around had decreased significantly. I could probably pick up the pace a little.

"I’m going to speed up a bit. Please be careful."

"Understood. Please keep it under forty kilometers per hour."

"There’s no speedometer, so I can’t be sure…"

"I’m joking, my dear son-in-law."

"Right."

I put a little more power into my legs and started to run.

It felt like a light jog. I didn’t use any skills, just my own leg strength to pull the rickshaw forward.

"I just need to follow this road, right?"

"Yes, please. Also, be careful when stopping. As long as you have a firm grip on the shafts, you should be fine."

"Got it."

The road was unpaved, not with asphalt or even stone. Weeds grew shin-high on either side, but a path of packed earth was visible.

As I ran along it, I casually glanced around.

"It’s so peaceful…"

"Yes. It truly is."

As far as I could see, there were no man-made structures. The port town was already far behind us, and the wind, carrying a faint scent of the sea, rustled the grass and flowers.

Still, as I expected, it didn’t really feel like an ‘other world.’ As the professor and Aira-san had said before, you could probably find scenery like this in Europe. Actually, you might even find it in rural Japan.

Come to think of it, Katarina-san, a native of this other world, has been quiet for a while.

Wondering what was wrong, I glanced behind me. This rickshaw was built like stadium seating, with the back seat higher up, so a quick look back was enough to see what was going on.

Katarina-san was sharing a thin red blanket with the professor, which she must have pulled out at some point. Her face was pale as she stared into the void.

"…Um, Katarina-san seems a bit off. Is she okay?"

"I asked about her condition earlier, and she said she’s fine. It seems she’s just terrified by the situation of sitting down while you, my dear son-in-law, are pulling the rickshaw."

"I really wish she’d get used to it by now…"

Just how scared of me is she? I’d like her to realize by now that I’m a harmless creature.

"Well, that’s asking the impossible, Kyo-chan. You’re still an ‘A-Rank Candidate,’ you know? It’s only natural to be terrified of treating someone who can rip a Cuelebre’s head off with one hand like a draft horse."

"Was the ‘still’ really necessary?"

"Even if your personality is that of a lecherous, wimpy, socially awkward introvert! Even if you’re a perverted adventurer whose brain is directly connected to his lower body! Your strength is the real deal! Even if you’re a pervert!"

"I get it. I’ll beat you up later."

"Honestly! Stop fighting, you walking amusement park of perversion and traveling expo of lechery!"

"Mia???"

"Aira-san. I’ll leave that one to you."

"Wait a minute!?"

Mia-san’s been acting strange lately… no, wait, she was always kind of like this.

Sacrifice… I mean, Aira-san. As her older sister, please do your best to handle dysfunctional college girl number two.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it’s nothing. Just some strange people acting up…"

"Isn’t that a problem…?"

"Ah, it’s really fine, don’t worry."

I answered Kageyama-san, who was looking at me with genuine concern, with a forced smile.

"I-I see. If you get tired, please let me know. I can take over anytime."

"Thank you. But this is nothing, so please don’t worry about it."

"…Is that so. That’s amazing."

For some reason, Kageyama-san laughed in a self-deprecating way. Seriously, another landmine here?

I picked up the pace just a little and headed for our destination. At this point, searching for these Bone Kobolds was starting to seem like the easier part of the job.

Thanks to speeding up a bit, we arrived in about fifteen minutes. We stopped the rickshaw before the dense, overgrown forest.

As we came to a halt, the inertia pushed the body of the rickshaw towards me, but I held my ground and braced against the shafts. I considered using a blast of wind, but with people in the back, I held off.

My feet sank into the ground a little, but it wasn't a problem.

"We’ve arrived. Please watch your step as you get off."

"Thank you, my dear son-in-law."

"Thank you."

"Th-Thank you… very much…"

I deployed a footrest from the back of the rickshaw to make it easier for them to dismount. While keeping an eye on our surroundings, I reconfigured my [Arcane Gear], summoning my helmet, one-and-a-half-handed sword, and knives, and equipped my bracelet.

Alright, it’s time to get to work. The situation is quite different, but it’s no different from exploring a dungeon. I need to refocus.

However, I was worried that Katarina-san would get scared again now that I’m in my combat gear. I turned my gaze towards her.

"…"

But she was surprisingly calm. Looking at her exposed right eye, there was no sign of panic.

I see, so she’s a professional, too.

"Well then, I’ll go get changed over there."

Kageyama-san, holding a large backpack with a spear strapped to its side, pointed with her thumb to the other side of the rickshaw.

…Hmm? I feel like I’ve seen that spear somewhere before.

"Understood. We’ll be sure not to look that way."

"Shall I help you get your gear on?"

"No, it’s designed to be put on and taken off by one person. It’s not a problem."

After shaking her head at Professor Arisugawa’s offer, she went behind the rickshaw, so I turned my back to her and fixed my gaze forward.

"Ah, Professor. I’d like to summon [Byakuren], just in case."

"I understand."

She handed over the golem and its equipment that I had entrusted to her.

I quickly activated it and equipped its armor and weapons. A knight clad in silver armor, holding a long-handled battle axe and a tower shield, stood up. Of course, I didn’t forget my custom-made Magi Battery.

It might be overkill, but we’re facing an unknown enemy. A little overkill is just right.

Well, the fact that Katarina-san, who had just managed to switch to professional mode, was once again looking like a rain-soaked puppy was an unavoidable sacrifice.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Just then, Kageyama-san returned.

I turned to look at her and my eyes widened in surprise.

"That equipment is…"

She wore a black jumpsuit with armor of black and green, trimmed in gray. In her hand, she held a short spear about 1.2 meters long, and her left gauntlet had an additional plate of armor resembling a small shield.

[Alchemical Armor]… the equipment that Shizuku-san, Aika-san, and I created, scheduled to be supplied to the Self-Defense Force. This was a prototype.

"Are you surprised? To be honest, so am I. My superiors suddenly told me to test this out along with my guard duty."

Kageyama-san scratched her cheek with a wry smile.

I knew they had connections, but I never expected to see it here.

"My own [Arcane Gear] isn’t suited for combat, so I’m hoping this gets officially adopted. Members of the ‘Invisible Ninjas.’"

"Ah, yes. But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use that name…"

"Pardon?"

"Whyyyy not, Kyo-chan? The Invisible Ninjas is your official party name… nay, your organization’s name! You should declare it with more pride! Innnnvisiiiibleeee… Ninjaaaas!!"

"Aira-san."

"You perverted illegal architecture! Can’t you tell the difference between things you should and shouldn’t say!?"

"Did I not just get called something unpleasant myself!?"

I’m glad Erina-san isn’t here. If she were, this would have definitely gotten complicated.

As I made a grim face, I sensed a flow of mana, indicating that Katarina-san was also deploying her [Arcane Gear].

Maybe I can check out her equipment and change the subject from that name. With that thought, I turned to look at her, and…

"Pfft!?"

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

To put it bluntly, Katarina-san’s gear was like Aika-san’s [Arcane Gear], but only halfway.

No, I take that back. It was [Arcane Gear] that had one foot in the realm of an exhibitionist.

Her long, wavy blue hair was tied into twintails. It was fine that her left eye was still covered even in her [Arcane Gear] state, nothing to worry about so far.

Her top was an off-the-shoulder black kimono with gray trim. A light blue sash was tied around her waist, and below that, she wore indigo hakama, white tabi socks, and straw sandals.

So far, it was borderline acceptable. The off-the-shoulder kimono was questionable, but still within the realm of acceptable.

But why is the length of the kimono so short???

Because of that, I could see her bare skin from the side of her hakama. It seemed she was only wearing underwear beneath the kimono. What’s more, the cloth in the center of the hakama was also sparse, making it look like her groin area was about to be exposed.

And her upper body. The cleavage of her magnificent bust was slightly exposed from above. Furthermore, from the side, I could see the white sarashi wrap under her pristine armpit.

The long black gloves that covered her arms from the biceps down seemed to emphasize her skin even more.

She had two katanas tucked into her hakama’s sash, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to pay attention to them. What is this, some kind of fake samurai you’d only see in an eroge?

"My dear son-in-law!"

"S-Sorry! I’ll try not to look!"

"That’s not it! It’s a kimono! Japanese clothing! A samurai! It’s quite surprising that the [Arcane Gear] of someone from a completely different world would look like this!"

"That’s what you’re focused on!? And I refuse to acknowledge this as a samurai outfit!"

"Kyo-chan! Get your face closer! It’s hard to see through the earring! No, take out the hand mirror! I’m going to photograph her from every angle! Fuhahahaha! What is the culture of this other world like!? So fascinating!"

"You too!?"

"Kyouta-kun. When we get back, would you mind wearing a perverted Japanese outfit for me?"

"Shut up!"

"W-Wait, Professor Arisugawa, you’re making her uncomfortable! That girl is uncomfortable!"

"■■■■■…!"

"Hmm, hmm… Oh my. The base of her tail is like this…"

"Photograph her! Interview her! Ask her about her family! Her age, too!"

The hyper-energetic professor was touching Katarina-san all over while circling her. As a result, the poor dog-eared girl once again had that look of enlightened resignation on her face.

Kageyama-san tried to pull her away, but alas, the difference in their stats was too great. Realizing this, she seemed to be on the verge of triggering her ‘someone like me is useless after all…’ landmine.

Through the earring, dysfunctional number one and dysfunctional number two were shouting whatever they pleased and were of no help whatsoever.

"…Byakuren."

The knight gave a small nod at my word.

"Could you keep an eye on our surroundings for a bit?"

Seeing no other choice, I decided to bring my fist down on my grandmother-in-law’s head.

They say Aira-san and her sister take after their grandfather… but I’m absolutely certain this woman’s blood is a factor. No doubt about it.

A heavy thud echoed through the dense forest.