Extra: Hero’s Point of View
“So this is [Cave of Desires] huh…”
Wataru Nis.h.i.+mi. Nis.h.i.+mi was the hero summoned by the String territory of the Raverio Empire three years ago.
For the three years after that up until just the other day, he thought that he was summoned to defeat the demon king, with Count Brie String having him trained in hopes of that as well.
However, Wataru’s existence in the country was found out.
After somehow performing some meritorious deed, Count String thought he would be able to make an excuse… of course, this was because he summoned the hero to the country without permission.
As befitting of the term ‘hero’, his existence was unconditionally recognized as an S-Rank by the adventurer guild.
The person that attempted to conceal him as his own personal property, Brie String, was convicted.
Speaking in terms of modern j.a.pan, it would have been like privately developing a missile to arm yourself, obviously violating the Gun and Sword Control Law.
It wouldn’t end there if you considered that that weapon could be used on whole countries as well, turning into something closer to national treason.
… Well, Wataru also agreed that Count String was in the wrong.
In truth, the count desired political power, saying things like, ‘Only I am suitable for being emperor!’ For another more concrete example, when he introduced himself to Wataru with, ‘How do you do, oh hero? I am the future emperor, Brie String. For now I am still a count, however.’ There were various things wrong with that.
In the first place, what kind of secret plan could turn the current family head’s rank of count into that of an emperor? He wasn’t even part of the emperor’s lineage either, so he’d probably have to go with a coup d’etat.
In the end, the count was convicted by the actual emperor. As for Wataru, he was protected by Haku Raverio, who was said to be something like the emperor’s ancestor.
By her awfully long-lived family coupled with her beauty, Haku was rumored to be a high elf. She had already abdicated the position of emperor to her descendant, voluntarily saying that she would live a life of retirement in her imperial villa. Then again, just her body holding a beauty that hadn’t changed in the least since back when the Raverio Empire was founded demanded respect.
Moreover, her being the active A-Rank adventurer [White Winged G.o.ddess] made her an outrageous existence.
By being protected by Haku, Wataru publicly became the Raverio Empire’s hero.
After that, Wataru resigned from the String Chivalric Order that he had joined for training purposes, instead joining the Raverio Empire. With his formal position still under consideration, he was currently being treated as one of Haku’s imperial knights.
Why had that hero come to [Cave of Desires]?
An item that some merchant had brought to the imperial capital, playing cards.
Those cards were made with high quality paper that was clearly different than commonly circulated paper, as well as all of them being perfectly printed on.
The moment Wataru had seen the playing cards, he couldn’t help but start to remember his previous world that he had already started to forget—j.a.pan. Moreover, the strangest thing could be found on the playing cards’ boxes… there were bar codes. Something this world did not have, something nostalgic that he dearly missed.
Naturally, this world’s inhabitants would only recognize them as a pattern, while j.a.panese would definitely make the connection to j.a.pan.
It looked as though it were definitely arranged.
When he informed Haku about the location and his reason for going there, it turned out that it was her [Favorite] place to go incognito. Haku told him about it probably being the source of the playing cards.
She didn’t really have a reason to stop him. She just allowed him to go, as well preparing a carriage for him to use.
Then, after around half a month of swaying back and forth in the carriage, Wataru finally arrived at [Cave of Desires].
“… This is the place, huh?”
There was a poor adventurer guild branch office and an inn.
(When I’d asked before, I heard that there was supposed to be a blacksmith’s shop a little away, but I can’t see it.)
Wataru immediately headed towards the inn… however, he thought better of it and decided that he should first give his greetings to the guild, so he quickly headed to the guild to give a quick h.e.l.lo and—he was completely detained, having to accept tea.
(… S-Ranks are serious business huh, it was nothing like this a little ago when I was a C-Rank.)
Wataru grumbled to himself.
Then, he headed to the inn once again.
“W-wel, come—”
Immediately as he entered, a small girl in a dress greeted him.
“W-welcome to [Dancing Doll’s Pavilion] toooooway, I’m Rokuko the owner.”
She spoke with a ferocious vigor. However, she flubbed her words a bit.
… Unconsciously, he calmed down. A smile filled Wataru’s face.
However, for some reason, Wataru was simply unable to look away from Rokuko.
“Guest? I-is there anything you need?”
“Eh—, ah, sorry. I am Wataru Nis.h.i.+mi. Ummm, Haku-sama recommended the suite to me. And she said the meals here are incredibly delicious.”
“Eeeh!? Yesh—! P-pwease wait a moment! Ah, there’s a chair over there!”
Saying that, Rokuko dashed inside for a moment. She didn’t seem to be using keigo, but Wataru decided to not worry about it since her tone was already fairly disordered. [1]
When he entered the inn… faintly, he felt that it smelled like j.a.pan.
(There’s something here… after all.)
He thought back on the previous three years. Various things had happened… He wondered if his comrades from the String Chivalric Order were doing well… as he recollected, he stopped midway since he also remembered a trauma together with it.
Rokuko had also just returned… as before, she was still anxious for some reason.
“It’s this way.”
Rokuko called out to him with half-cooked keigo.
… Before him, both blonde hair and an adorable bottom swayed back and forth.
Even if he understood that he wasn’t being seduced, he couldn’t help but wonder. It may have been her youthfulness or maybe its shape, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her bottom. It was strange, as this had never happened to him before. While feeling slightly nostalgic, his heart thumped in his chest.
(I want to caress her—w-what am I thinking about right now!? She’s a child!)
“Guest?”
“Ah, no, i-it’s nothing!”
“Ah, uh, this is the suite. Ah, here, the key.”
“… Thank you.”
He finally realized that it looked as though she’d guided him all the way to the suite. Accepting the key from the owner, he looked into the room.
Windowpanes, wallpaper, furniture… they were all good. Although it felt as though he’d seen the design somewhere before, it felt weird to be something of this world.
However, there was a ma.s.sage chair placed directly in the center of the room. Moreover, it vibrated when you put money into the fee box. It obviously stood out as strange.
“… It’s not attached to an electrical outlet or anything?”
“Ah, guest. When would you like your meal? It’s time for breakfast right now—ah, you haven’t bought a meal ticket yet… ah but maybe you wanted to order it from the suite?”
He understood that she hadn’t practiced serving customers that well at all. However, opposite of feeling it was shoddy, Wataru found it pleasant.
“Hmm, then how about recommend me something? I’d heard even the bread here is delicious.”
“A recommendation? Then I recommend the [Melon Ro—not that. Our white bread is famous for its deliciousness.”
Melon rolls. Just now, Rokuko made an obvious verbal slip. Wataru had also heard it properly.
“… Rokuko-chan huh. Who are you?”
“I-I’m the owner of this inn you know?”
Though Rokuko averted her gaze, Wataru managed to guess to some degree.
Haku’s favorite. The fact that Haku recommended this inn. Then, the style of the inn. Thinking about all of these things and mixing them together to get his result, Wataru spoke—
“… Would you be my partner?”
“Eh, no way.”
Immediately shot down.
Footnotes:
Lazy explanation: Polite way of speaking. Think door to door salesman where the person they are talking to is their boss. With their mother standing right behind them. And insulting someone directly means eternal torture. For a more serious explanation, click here.