kscans

Chapter 169 - The Situation Explained

"You are truly the worst!"

Nanapon was fuming.

After Nanapon got out of the bath, I ignored the painful glares from the two girls and took a bath myself. After I got out and was relaxing on the sofa, Nanapon, who had been drinking coffee, came over angrily. Kaede-chan was currently taking a bath.

"We’re both women, aren’t we?"

"You’re half man!"

Half man... That makes me sound like a cross-dresser.

"It was a joke, but it seems you didn’t find it funny."

"It wasn’t a joke I could laugh at in the slightest! You should save that for Asakura-san."

"She doesn’t even react anymore lately, so it’s no fun."

"Just how many times have you done it..."

Almost every day.

"Well, it’s fine. I wasn’t seriously trying to look."

"How you feel about it doesn’t matter. This is a crime."

"I gave you a million yen before, didn’t I?"

"You’re the worst."

How cruel.

"Yoshino-san would have forgiven me."

"I think that woman would demand an outrageous amount in damages."

...That sounds plausible. I’ll make sure not to do it to Yoshino-san.

Just as I resolved not to fall into the trap of large breasts, the doorbell rang. PING PONG. I went to the monitor built into the living room wall and saw Yoshino-san’s face.

"Nanaka-san, go get Yoshino-san."

"Huh? The owner of the house should do it."

"I can’t, because I’m not Okita-kun."

I didn’t even want to open the front door.

"Ah, I see. Understood."

Nanapon nodded obediently, stood up, and left the living room. I stood up as well and headed to the kitchen. I grabbed the coffee maker I had prepared, brewed a cup for Yoshino-san, and returned to the living room.

Soon after, Nanapon came back with Yoshino-san in tow.

"Hey! Good morning!"

Yoshino-san greeted me cheerfully.

"Aren’t you tired from working overtime?"

"I’m not an official Guild employee, you know."

Ah, right. She's an Adventurer hired by the Chief Director.

"Hmm, well, have a seat. I made you some coffee."

"For some reason, I can’t quite bring myself to accept coffee from you without suspicion..."

Yoshino-san grumbled but took a seat at the table. I sat down across from her.

"Are you still holding a grudge about that?"

"Of course I am. A man made me drink a Sleeping Potion and took me to his room."

She makes it sound so bad.

"I didn’t do anything to you."

"Are you sure? Honestly, I’m convinced you touched me. My evidence is the way you usually look at me."

But I really didn’t touch her...

"Just a little while ago, this man tried to peep on me while I was changing!"

Nanapon provided the worst possible backup.

"Ugh... You’re a criminal."

Cut it out.

"It was an accident, an accident."

"It was definitely intentional!"

She’s so loud.

"Just sit down. And be quiet."

I pulled Nanapon by the arm and made her sit next to me.

"I’ll never forget this."

"I get it. I’m sorry. There, it’s over."

"Huh... So casual."

It was an attempt. Of course I'm being casual.

"So? I heard from Satsuki-san that you would explain everything."

I silenced Nanapon, who was trying to brand me a criminal, and got to the main topic.

"Right. Where should I start..."

Yoshino-san began to ponder.

"Is it that difficult to explain?"

"It’s more... complicated. Oh well. To put it simply, there is no demand for your custody. Frontier never made such a demand."

Phew... Safe for now, at least.

"Then what is it?"

"Actually, the president of a certain country assumed that Eleanor Ocean was a Frontier person and made an inquiry to Frontier."

Huh?

"A president? What? Was it my friend, the President of the United States?"

"No, different one... Actually, it’s a country that’s hostile to them."

Which one is that... America has too many enemies, I have no idea.

"Why would they make an inquiry like that?"

"Because you’ve built a close relationship with the United States."

"Close... We’re not that close."

"You’re always spotted at ramen shops with Harry and Claire. Plus, you’re doing business with Claire. From an outsider’s perspective, that’s plenty close."

Hmm, I guess we do seem like friends.

"I’m just being dragged along by an idiot who got hooked on ramen. And Claire tricked me."

"Well, the facts don’t matter. A mysterious witch who appeared in Japan seems to have a close relationship with America... That’s enough to make a rival nation panic."

I guess that's possible.

"So they made an inquiry... I didn’t even know you could do that."

"Apparently so. Countries that have connections can make inquiries about the Frontier areas they’re renting or about aid supplies. Of course, the Guild can too."

Huh... I didn’t know that. It's not like that’s written in any textbooks.

"And then?"

"That country asked if it was alright that a Frontier person named Eleanor Ocean was over here."

Stop making assumptions.

"Do they really think I’m a Frontier person?"

"Probably... They could easily find out that you have no official records and that a person named Eleanor Ocean suddenly appeared. And then when a mysterious witch like that starts selling items extravagantly..."

Even Claire seems to think I’m a princess from Frontier.

"I see. And what was Frontier’s answer?"

"It was something like, ‘There is no one named Eleanor Ocean in our world. However, it could be an alias, so we cannot say for sure.’"

Just deny it! What do you mean, ‘we cannot say for sure’!

"What’s that? That’s not an answer at all..."

"Exactly. And that’s when the Guild got involved..."

"From where?"

"From the Frontier people."

Huh... I think I’m starting to see where this is going.

"They want to question me?"

"That’s about right. In Frontier, it’s forbidden for their people to come over here. So they want to meet you, and if you’re a Frontier person, they’ll take you back. If not, no harm done."

"And that’s what the news report was about..."

If I were a Frontier person, the demand for my custody would be correct. But I’m not.

"That’s right. Actually, this matter was proceeding in extreme secrecy. If you were a Frontier person, you’d normally try to escape, right?"

"Well, I suppose so. I’d be captured, after all."

It would be one thing if it ended with deportation, but depending on their laws, I could be facing the death penalty. I don't know the details, though.

"That’s why they were meticulously planning it in secret."

"Did you know about this?"

"No, I didn’t. What’s more, the Chief Director didn’t know either."

"What? The Chief Director didn’t know?"

Isn’t that bad? He’s a person in a high position.

"It’s a very complicated issue, but it’s a matter of jurisdiction, or rather, a different department. The Chief Director is part of the Japanese government, so technically he’s not a Guild employee."

"Ah, I think I heard that before. What does that mean?"

"You can think of it as a liaison position between the government and the Guild. The Guild is an organization that doesn’t belong to any country."

Hmm, I don’t get it.

"Well, whatever. So that’s why neither you nor the Chief Director knew."

"Right. The flow was supposed to be, the Guild would reach a conclusion, inform the Japanese Chief Director, and the Chief Director would inform the government. But it leaked to the media before that could happen."

"That’s not good..."

"No... it’s not. And that’s what caused all this chaos. The Chief Director didn’t know. The branch managers of each guild didn’t know. And of course, the government and other foreign countries didn’t know either."

And I, the person at the center of it all, didn’t know either.

"Panic?"

"Exactly. On top of that, it was partially true, and the rumors just kept spreading. The witch named Eleanor Ocean had that much fame and influence."

Hehe... but of course. I am the Golden Witch.

"Don’t look so proud of yourself..."

"As expected of Eleanor-san, you’re a big deal."

Well, of course!

"So what are we going to do?"

"For now, you’ll have to meet with the Frontier people and undergo their questioning. That should prove your innocence, right?"

"Huh? How?"

"By... the mysterious power of the Frontier people?"

What’s that supposed to be?

"Huh? Are you just making that up?"

"No, sorry. The thing is, neither I, the Chief Director, nor Satsuki-nee-san have ever met any Frontier people, so we don’t know and can’t really say."

Ah, so that’s why Satsuki-san and Yoshino-san seemed so troubled.

"Is it possible to run?"

"You could go back to being Okita-kun and never drink a Gender Reassignment Potion again. That would be one way to escape. However, you’d lose your source of income. After all, running away would be an admission that you are a Frontier person."

That’s true. Well then, what should I do...