kscans

Chapter 30 - The Boss Battle and Matters of the Old World

After several more battles, we arrived at the door to the Area Guardian’s room.

"Okay, I’m going in, alright?"

Everyone nodded at Mizuki’s words. She opened the door and went inside. Famu and I followed, and after Myra entered last, the door closed. Particles of light gathered on the ceiling, forming a giant eyeball about two meters in size. Ten wolves also appeared on the floor. That was a lot.

"I’ll attack the Big Eye. Famu, you fight the wolves, too."

Before I could even nock an arrow, a fireball was launched. It was a large mass of fire, and it was fast. I dodged it, but the heat washed over my face. The fireball hit the floor and erupted into a pillar of flame.

"Kuh!"

Since it used magic as well, my attacks were going to be delayed. I loosed an arrow. The Big Eye deployed a defensive barrier, but the arrow tore through it and hit its mark. However, the enemy didn’t flinch and fired a second fireball.

"Mizuki!"

Hearing my voice, Mizuki dodged the fireball. Another pillar of flame rose up. The pillar from the first fireball was still there. If we didn’t take it down quickly, the place was going to become a sea of fire. I shot another arrow at the Big Eye.

"Master, the Big Eye’s weak point is its black pupil."

Famu stepped in to deal with a wolf that had come for me.

"I know, but it’s moving too fast."

The pupil was constantly moving, 360 degrees. Another fireball was launched. This time it was coming for me and Famu, so we scrambled to dodge, and I fired a third arrow. It was difficult to aim for the pupil, but since the Big Eye was a stationary target, it was easy to hit. When my third arrow hit, I realized that dealing damage would stop the pupil’s movement for a short time.

"Famu, it seems that if we hit the Big Eye, its pupil stops moving for a bit. After I fire an arrow, aim for it with your skill."

"No, I haven’t seen the pupil stop, so I don’t know how much time I have. You should aim for it, Master."

"Right. Got it."

"Then, Kikuichimonji!"

The moment I answered, Famu unleashed a slash of vacuum. It was a strike made by finding a gap in the wolf’s attack, so it couldn’t be helped, but I wasn’t ready in time. I had no choice but to fire an arrow without the support of wind magic. Famu’s skill hit its mark. The pupil’s movement stopped. Don’t rush. Concentrate, I told myself, and loosed the arrow. The arrow brilliantly pierced the Big Eye’s pupil. The monster vanished.

"Yes!"

I switched my weapons to a one-handed sword and shield, but Mizuki and Myra had already taken care of most of the wolves. Myra smashed her mace into the last one. All the wolves disappeared. As we were high-fiving, the door at the back of the room opened. We had cleared the third floor.

We returned to the inn. Myra went back to the church. I wondered if she would come with us if I asked. I couldn’t imagine it. Cecily and Aira were also back, and we arranged to meet them in the dining hall tomorrow morning. The inn had a room with a king-sized bed. It was twenty silver coins. I thought it was expensive at double the price, but since three of us could stay there, it was a good deal. The inns in this city set their prices by room type. As long as you were within the limit, the price was the same no matter how many people stayed. By the way, the king-sized bedroom could accommodate up to four people. It was probably for families. I thought Mizuki in particular would object to sharing a room, but she didn’t complain. The room was much larger than the twin room. Instead of a table against the wall, there was a separate low table with sofas on either side. We sat there, drinking the tea we had received from the Mateo Trading Company. Apparently, the tea was traded at high prices for nobles and wasn’t generally available. I had looked for chai tea in the market but couldn’t find any. I wanted to drink coffee too, but that wasn’t in the market either. I wondered if Mateo could get some for me.

"I want to see your phone, Mizuki."

Famu was talking to Mizuki.

"Huh, why?"

"I want to see the pictures you’ve taken."

"Is that okay?"

Mizuki looked at me. She was probably worried about showing things from our original world to someone from this one.

"I’ve already shown her mine."

It would be fine with Famu. If there was a problem, it was Laciel’s fault.

"I figured as much."

Mizuki took out her phone and handed it to Famu.

"I want to see, too."

"Sure, but there are no naughty pictures."

"Then let’s check your browser’s search history."

"I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Famu."

Was it okay for me to look? I’ll have her show me later.

"Master’s photos are all landscapes, but Mizuki’s has a lot of people."

Famu cut right to the quick.

"Well, I was going to school. Maybe that’s why there are a lot of pictures of my friends."

I could tell Mizuki was trying to cover for me in her own way. By the way, even if smartphones had been common when I was a student, my pictures would have been all landscapes, too.

"…They’re all humans."

"In the world Mash and I came from, there are only humans. The country we lived in, in particular, was an island nation, so historically there wasn’t much interaction with other countries, and most people had the same skin and hair color."

"If you were to return to your original world, Master, would it be alright for me to go with you?"

"Laciel would probably sort something out,"

Mizuki said, being overly optimistic.

"Famu, I’m not going back to my original world."

I absolutely did not want to go back to my old life. Mizuki looked at me as if she wanted to say something.

"Were you in a club, Mizuki?"

I changed the subject.

"Yeah, the swim team. But my times weren’t very good."

Compared to the swimmers I imagined, Mizuki’s shoulder and chest muscles were underdeveloped. But the main thing holding her back was probably her chest. Mizuki crossed her arms to hide her breasts. How was she reading my mind? Mizuki was explaining swimming, school, and clubs to Famu.

"Do you have your swimsuit?"

"Ugh… yeah. It’s in my bag. Should I put it on?"

She was being so obedient, when normally she would get angry.

"Next time."

"Okay. It’s a little embarrassing, though."

Mizuki nodded.

"What kind of swimsuit is it?"

"Um…"

Mizuki swiped through her photos and displayed one on the screen. In it, five girls in competitive swimsuits were lined up. The one who stood out with her exceptional proportions was Mizuki.

"These are the first-years on the swim team."

"…It’s lewd. They’re practically naked,"

Famu said. I thought so, too. Also, I thought it was unfair that if I said it was lewd, Mizuki would get angry, but she didn’t when Famu said it.

"Transfer that photo to my phone."

"Mmph… okay. I want one of your photos, too, Mash."

"Sure, but I don’t have any swimsuit photos."

I didn’t have any selfies, but I should have a photo that someone took of me at a tourist spot.

"…A normal one is fine."

I would use it for… material, but I wonder if Mizuki would.

"I want to see the oldest photo of you, too."

"Um, the first picture I took with this phone was at the entrance ceremony."

In front of the school gate stood a girl in a slightly oversized sailor uniform. If you looked closely, she seemed incredibly nervous. Her hands were clenched tightly. Cherry blossom petals were falling around her, creating a fantastical scene. Her parents probably took it for her. It was a really good picture. That’s right. I should take pictures of Famu and Mizuki before we leave the city. I wanted more normal, non-naked photos. As I looked at Mizuki’s pictures, I noticed something odd about this one.

"Your chest… is gone."

"Of course it is! I was in elementary school a month before that!"

I had her send me this picture, too. I probably wouldn’t use this one. Probably.

"By the way, Mizuki, have you ever climbed Mount Fuji?"

Famu asked.

"Yeah, I have. It was in elementary school, so I don’t have any pictures."

From our earlier conversation, it seemed she had gotten her own smartphone when she entered middle school.

"Did you see the sea of clouds?"

"It was clear when I climbed, so I didn’t, but I’ve seen a sea of clouds from another mountain."

Mizuki operated her phone. A picture of a mountain peak with a huge, rod-like rock sticking out appeared. The next picture was of a sea of clouds, with the characteristic silhouette of Mount Fuji poking out from it.

"Mount Hōō. Do you like mountain climbing?"

It was a mountain in the Akaishi Mountains, the Southern Alps.

"Yeah, my dad likes it, so we used to climb together a lot when I was in elementary school. After I started middle school, I had club activities, so I could only go about once a year. How did you know it was Mount Hōō, Mash?"

"Actually, I like mountain climbing, too."

It was a hobby I could enjoy alone.

"Huh, really? I thought you were a shut-in who never left the house except for work."

"Hey, you’re right, so stop right there."

"Mizuki, who is the person in this picture with you?"

Famu changed the subject.

"That’s my dad."

Famu pinched the photo to zoom in. She had gotten good at operating it without me noticing.

"Somehow, he looks like Master."

"Hey! Stop saying things like that. The only thing they have in common is their age!"

"His kind-looking face is similar. And their hobbies are the same."

"What part of this guy looks kind?! You saw what he did to me yesterday, Famu!"

"A person’s face and their actions are different. And hobbies have nothing to do with it."

I looked at the picture, too. A slightly younger Mizuki was smiling next to a middle-aged man. It was rude to say, but he was an ordinary-looking guy you could find anywhere. I had imagined a super handsome guy since he was Mizuki’s father, but I was wrong. But the man had a faint resemblance to Mizuki. She must have been raised with a lot of love. I could see that from their happy smiles. I could understand why she wanted to go back. I didn’t think he looked like me, but now that she mentioned it, I could kind of see it. It was a strange feeling. No, wait. Famu was talking about my face since I came to this world. I hadn’t looked at my own face closely since I got here. Mizuki’s expression had been harsh when we first met, but since coming to this world, her features had softened slightly, more to my liking. My face must have been influenced by Mizuki’s preferences, too. Why wasn’t I handsome?

"More importantly, Mash. What are your plans for tomorrow and after?"

Mizuki completely changed the subject. She was blushing bright red. I might get shy and do the same if someone brought up my family.

"Let’s see. It depends on Cecily and Aira. I don’t know how to act around them. I feel like they’ll ignore me."

"Don’t be so weak. You say whatever you want to me."

"That’s because it’s you, Mizuki."

"…"

For some reason, Mizuki fell silent.

"Other than that, we need to go shopping for necessities. And I think we need a day off, too. Myra says the tenth floor of the dungeon, but I don’t want to push it right now. What do you think, Mizuki?"

"I’ve never been to the tenth floor, so I don’t know, but the third floor was easy once we had the right equipment."

"Having the right equipment is the important part, right?"

"Mmph, you have a point. But I don’t think Myra would suggest something unreasonable, so I think it’s worth a try. If it doesn’t work, we can always turn back. I also agree with having a day off and a shopping day. I want to talk to Aidan-san one more time."

"Then on our day off, it will be just you and me, Master."

"Why does it have to be like that? You’ve had him all to yourself until now, Famu, so it’s fine. I want some time alone with Mash, too."

"You were alone with Master at the beginning, weren’t you, Mizuki? You were the one who let that chance go."

"Mmph, I can’t argue with that, but… can’t I?"

"Then let’s have the shopping day be for you and me, Master. We’ll do other things separately. The day off can be for you and Mizuki, Master."

My schedule was being decided without me. It seemed like it would be a pain to interject, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Is that okay? Me, on the day off? But… won’t Myra get upset if we decide without her?"

I wanted them to ask about my schedule, too.

"Big sis is…"

Famu trailed off.

"It’d be impossible with Myra in this city,"

I said, remembering what Mateo had said. It was true that when Myra was around, the number of people greeting us increased, and kids would gather around. Those precocious brats were hugging her and touching her boobs, so why couldn’t I? What an unjust world.

"Yeah. I think so, too. I heard from Aira. Myra is treated like a saint in this city, and she’s especially popular with the kids. If Mash made a move on her or took her to an inn in the middle of the city, it would be a huge problem."

"Don’t you trust me, Mizuki?"

"I do trust you. I trust that you will absolutely do something perverted to Myra."

Mizuki was correct. Come to think of it, Myra had confessed to being a shotacon. By taking Myra out, would I be saving the boys of the city? Or would I be condemned as the one who stole away their beloved boobs?