kscans

Chapter 215 - Reunion with the Nomads and the Whereabouts of Kō-kun

We reached the nomad encampment outside the city where Kalpana and her people were staying. Numerous tents and wagons were arranged in rows, and the horses, freed from their cargo, were leisurely munching on hay. Dinner preparations must have been finished, as the scent of spices wafting on the wind tickled my nose. The aroma only intensified my hunger, and I instinctively pressed a hand to my stomach. When Rinko and Airi saw Mizuki's face, their own expressions stiffened.

"What is it? You know her?"

They shook their heads from side to side. Mizuki, too, wore a look of bewilderment.

"Mash... who are these two?"

"Do you know an idol duo called Gleam Eye, Rinko and Airi?"

"Of course I know them, but... how can this be...?"

Mizuki seemed at a loss for further words. I had a rough idea of what she wanted to say. I couldn't quite put this strange feeling into words myself. If people like us went missing, it might make a small news story before society eventually forgot. But for famous people like them to vanish would surely be reported as major news. I couldn't help but wonder what had become of our old world after we disappeared. My best guess, however, was that every transfer—from this world's past, to its present, and probably its future—came from the exact same year, date, and time. That would mean an incident where a massive number of people vanished without a trace was occurring back in our world.

"Are you two mother and daughter? Is Mizuki an actress?"

Airi asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as if her earlier shock had completely vanished.

"W-we're not mother and daughter, and I'm not an actress."

Mizuki denied it, her face turning bright red.

"Huh? Then what are you?"

"What am I... I'm just a normal high school student..."

At Mizuki's answer, Rinko and Airi glanced at each other. "No way, she's prettier than us. Something's not right,"

they whispered, though I could hear them perfectly. Mizuki began to fidget uncomfortably.

"She's not normal. She's a precious high school girl with a magnificent bust."

I corrected Mizuki's words to clear up their misunderstanding.

"I am normal! And don't say things like that in front of people!"

she shot back. The two idols just stared at our exchange, still looking dumbfounded.

"A-are you two... lovers?"

At Rinko's question, Mizuki's cheeks flushed as she stared intently at me. It was one of those looks that left no room for argument, the kind that promised immense wrath if I said the wrong thing. Pressured by her gaze, I nodded.

"That's a total lie! No way! You're definitely doing something shady!"

Rinko shouted.

"What a terrible thing to say! Mizuki, show them the 'Mash-exclusive' mark on your mound!"

"It's not written there!"

It was gone now, but the one who wrote it was Mizuki when she'd become Mash-kun. She stomped away furiously.

After introducing Hyakka and the others in a similar fashion, we headed for Kalpana's tent. Both Hyakka and Chihiro knew who the idols were, and they both had unreadable expressions on their faces.

"There was one more person, right? The first one we met."

"You mean Shizuka?"

As I said her name, Shizuka, who had been with Reeni, approached with a cheerful smile. It felt like it had been a while since I'd properly interacted with Shizuka and Reeni. I patted Reeni's head as she came to my side, taking the opportunity to stroke her rabbit ears as well.

"Your name is Shizuka?"

Airi asked.

"That's right. Nice to meet you,"

she replied. Hearing her answer, Airi covered her mouth with her hand in surprise.

"Could you be... Tora-kun's partner?"

"Hm? Tora-kun? My partner is Kō-kun, though."

"Right, Toratsuna Kōsaka!"

What kind of Sengoku warrior name is that? I wanted to quip, but I held my tongue to avoid complicating things.

"Ah, so that's why he's Kō-kun!"

Shizuka clapped her hands lightly as if in sudden understanding.

"Hey! You really didn't know your boyfriend's name?!"

"Well, Kō-kun is Kō-kun. I'm not dating his name, you know."

"""..."""

"So, do you know where Kō-kun... Toratsuna went? We're looking for him."

'Kō-kun' sounded a bit feeble, but 'Toratsuna' had the feel of a seasoned warlord. It was strange how a name could do that.

"I don't know. He might have been... killed by Yuuki..."

"What?"

Shizuka's face instantly turned ashen. She stumbled, and Reeni rushed over to catch her in an embrace. Shizuka clung to her as if seeking a lifeline, burying her face in Reeni's chest and hugging her back gently. I had always treated the matter of Kō-kun with a bit of humor, but I was surprised to see she harbored such deep affection for him. Shizuka, too, must have been hiding her anxiety this whole time. I clenched my teeth, frustrated that I hadn't noticed her true feelings.

"Can you tell me more?"

"We didn't see it directly, and our information might be wrong..."

Rinko said, waving her hands frantically. She also seemed taken aback by Shizuka's reaction.

"Before that, maybe we should talk about Yuuki,"

Airi suggested, as if trying to change the mood. Rinko immediately nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! But I'm starving, so let's eat first!"

We headed towards the large tent where Kalpana was.

"From this point on, only members of Mash-sama's party and the other transfers, please,"

a guard said, bowing respectfully. Marmi aside, it seemed Maryanne and Reeni had no intention of leaving. Shizuka, too, had been clinging tightly to Reeni and showed no sign of letting go. Rinko and Airi shot me a sharp, almost accusatory glare.

"It's a rule that those of the chief's lineage must not show their faces to just anyone."

"A rule like that..."

Rinko started to say, but Airi quietly stopped her, likely because she saw the guard's hand move slightly toward his sword. I wouldn't have noticed the guard's wariness if Airi hadn't. They really had more experience in these situations than we did.

"Could you guide them to where everyone else is eating? We'll join them later."

"Everyone is waiting for you,"

the guard said with a smile.

Inside the tent, Famu, Mizuki, Myra, Cecily, Aira, and both Hyakka and Chihiro were already gathered. They were seated on round cushions, already starting their meal. The style of eating—placing meat and curry from the center onto flatbread—was the same as before. At the head of the group sat a woman in oriental-style clothing, with long, wavy black hair and dark eyes, flanked by two female attendants.

"It has been a while, Mash-sama."

Kalpana stood and bowed her head politely. I tried to sit next to Famu, but she took my hand and urged me to sit next to her at the head of the arrangement.

"W-wait. Before that, let me introduce the new faces."

I proceeded to introduce Marmi, Maryanne, Shizuka, Reeni, and finally Rinko and Airi, one by one. A small pang of regret hit me; I should have invited Claire, too.

"That explains it. My grandmother has received a new oracle."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, but first, please sit and eat."

I tried to discreetly move to Famu's side, but my elbow was caught. Had Kalpana become more assertive?

I took a sip of the ayran poured into a silver cup. It was tangy, a taste that stimulated the appetite. Following the skewered kebabs, I placed vegetables and meat on a piece of flatbread, topped it with curry, and brought it to my mouth. The unique blend of spices whetted my appetite even more. As I chewed, I organized the recent events and what I needed to discuss in my head. Had Myra already told Famu and the others about the results of today's visit to the Leafkraut Family? Perhaps she had also mentioned that Mizuki received a sword from Laciel. I already knew from Hyakka that their pursuit of Isark had ended in failure. I had just informed everyone that the fourth group of transfers summoned by the Five Goddesses had assembled. The problem was the last remaining group and Kō-kun's whereabouts. I needed to explain to Rinko and the others the information we had gathered on our journey so far, especially the fact that we could only live in this world for ten years. There was Kalpana's grandmother's new oracle, Yuuki's movements, and the fact that we now knew Shizuka's partner's name. I had to ask about where he was now. As I mulled all this over, my appetite began to wane. Why did I have to be the one to lead all this? It was all becoming a hassle. And yet, my hand naturally reached for more food. The aroma of the spices had me in its grip; my stomach was completely under its control.

"So, why must we eat with those who pointed their blades at my master?"

Famu spoke up, seemingly growing impatient with my silence. Maryanne, sitting beside her, nodded as if in agreement. Apparently, she had completely forgotten that she had challenged me to a duel on her first day in this city.

"Huh? What's the point of having weak allies?! And why is this person acting like a king?"

"There are other ways to test one's strength,"

Famu replied quietly. I should have told Rinko and the others not to anger her.

"Indeed. The one responsible should offer an apology by taking her own life,"

Maryanne added, her voice laced with suppressed killing intent. Perhaps it was just a bad seating arrangement, but I felt I was seeing an unexpected side of her. Maybe she'd had something strong to drink when I wasn't looking.

"Let's drop the matter of the fight. If we get summoned by the Four Regent Families again tomorrow, Maryanne, you're going to apologize with me."

"W-why me...?"

Maryanne flinched at my words.

"You're the head of the One-Land Family, aren't you? And you were the one leading the charge..."

"I just became the family head, and all I do is get scolded..."

I shifted my gaze from the dejected Maryanne to Rinko and Airi.

"So, I want to ask about Kō-kun... Toratsuna."

The two nodded. In the background, I could hear Mizuki and Hyakka simultaneously repeat the name, "Toratsuna..."

"Just one thing first. Yuuki, the elf Clovis Leafkraut, the dog-eared girl Sameim, and a small one—I think that one's a transfer—are they in the same party?"

The two nodded at my words.

"We didn't know the name Sameim, but the dog-eared girl is a new member. Yes, she's with Yuuki."

"There are three parties of transfers in this city. Are you the ones fighting against Clovis and his group?"

"Yes."

Again, they both nodded in unison. In the recent battle between their members and Levante, I felt we had the upper hand. I couldn't imagine people like them being able to stand up to a party capable of reaching the deepest part of the dungeon.

"You didn't use your special skill earlier, Mash, so we didn't use ours either. But we have them, you know,"

Airi said, as if reading my mind.

"So, what's your reason?"

"To put it simply, revenge, I guess? We came to this world three years ago, and we arrived in this city a year and a half ago. Back then, our party members were teamed up with other transfer adventurers."



"You don't mean transfers from the Five Goddesses, do you?"

Airi shook her head.

"When we first came to the city, they were the ones who helped us out with everything—finding a place to live, acting as intermediaries at the guild, all sorts of things."

It seemed that the transfers brought here by the Fifty Gods were divided into two types: those like Yuuki and Mii who obeyed their god's command and fought other transfers, and those who defied it and tried to help each other out. A big reason for this, aside from whether a transfer even had a desire they'd kill for, was likely the lack of a compulsory force behind the gods' instructions.

"Then one day, they were attacked by Yuuki's group in the Crystal Palace and killed."

I recalled that Hyakka and her group had also said that someone who had helped them had been killed in a similar way.

"Could it have been a misunderstanding?"

"It's true we didn't see it happen. But our friends wouldn't burn with such hatred over a simple mistake."

"As for Tora-kun... Toratsuna, he was exploring the dungeon solo in this city."

"Is he strong?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

Airi glanced toward Shizuka. But Shizuka's face was pale; she wasn't her usual self. Besides, she had no combat experience herself, so they probably explored the dungeon separately.

"Anyway, Toratsuna was exploring mainly the middle floors, but one day, he didn't come back. We went looking for him, but we couldn't find him."

"But we found out that Yuuki's group, who were exploring the upper floors, were on the same floor as Toratsuna for some reason that day. And one of their party members died during their exploration of that floor!"

Rinko took over from Airi.

"Of course, Yuuki's group says they don't know anything about Toratsuna,"

Airi added, clenching her jaw. After they finished, they both stared down at the floor.

"What floor was it?"

Shizuka suddenly spoke up.

"...The forty-ninth floor."

"Wait, is that true?"

Airi nodded at my question. I couldn't believe it, especially since I was about to give up on the forty-fifth floor. But he had protected Shizuka, who was likely useless as an adventurer in this world, all by himself. Perhaps he had grown that strong.

"His class wasn't Adventurer, so he couldn't choose which floor to go to on his own. There are records of the people who guided him. It seems he never went into the Area Guardian rooms, though. We saw him a few times."

"I understand. I'll go tomorrow,"

Shizuka said abruptly.

"Wait. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Kō-kun might be waiting."

"That was months ago, wasn't it?"

"But there might be a clue about Kō-kun left behind."

"Hey, let me see your character sheet."

I checked her sheet. Her class was 'Vigilante', and her level was 1. Just as I thought, she had no combat experience. Reeni squeezed her hand.

"It's okay. I'll go with you. I'll protect you."

It was a reckless expedition, no two ways about it. But explaining that to her wouldn't convince her. And I couldn't have her just taking Reeni into the Crystal Palace on their own. It seemed the only way to calm her down was to go with her until she was satisfied. I looked at Famu, Mizuki, Myra, and Marmi. Mizuki's expression was also strange after hearing about Yuuki; she was looking down, lost in thought. But the other three nodded. If we avoided the Area Guardian's room, we could probably explore while protecting Shizuka. I let out a sigh.

"Alright. We'll go with you. But Reeni, you're staying here."

"Huh?"

Reeni, who had naturally assumed she would be going, slumped in disappointment.