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Jiro Tanaka: 28 years old – Has Girlfriends
Girlfriend(s): Suela Handelberg & Memoria Tris
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Regular Employee)
Magical Aptitude: Eight (General Class)
Job Title: Warrior
“Well, I will send a messenger to contact you later.” (Bishop)
“Yes, I will be waiting for you at the inn.” (Jiro)
The discussions were successfully postponed to a later date, despite the many requests for extending the meeting and words that hoped to stop me from using meals and other things that still needed to be discussed, it was all due to the physical condition of the boy concerned, Suzuki.
I parted ways with the bishop in that room, and the last person to see me off was his valet, a priest.
I smiled at the priest, who was breaking out in a cold sweat, and quickly turned myself around.
Hiding my suit with my outer robe, I feel several eyes watching me as I walk down the main street.
Several people seem to be taking turns following behind me, but I have the skill to tell them that they are not a problem.
It could be that they are intentionally trying to warn me by making me aware of their presence.
But that is only a problem to the extent that I can’t smoke.
I decided to hold off on smoking until after I returned to my room, and I walked honestly down the road to the inn.
The gesture may seem defenseless, but if anything should happen to me, they will work behind the scenes.
With insurance in place, my thoughts turn to self-assessing the outcome of this negotiation.
If I calculate failure and success like crackling an abacus, I would say that this case was 80% success.
I was pleased with the result, and I praised myself a little.
The main purpose of this negotiation was to meet the hero, but apart from that, I also had the purpose of communicating my thoughts to the country’s side.
“I rolled the dice. All we have to do now is wait and see what happens.” (Jiro)
The negotiations ended abruptly, and even if I had gotten a promise to negotiate later, the other side would have wanted to continue negotiations.
In any case, while I was saying things that I could neither deny nor confirm to the hero Suzuki, I was in fact communicating to Thoris.
Is your country a country that kidnaps children from other people’s countries and turns them into murderers? I implied.
When I saw that the priest standing behind the bishop was gradually turning blue in the face, I thought he looked like he was in a manga.
I pretended not to notice and was looking at the bishop, my actual target, but the fact that he remained calm until the end was as expected of an old raccoon dog.
If he intervenes and denies it, it will be said that Suzuki’s previous training was for such a reason, and if he agrees with me, it may worsen the relationship between countries.
From Thoris’ point of view, our country, Japan, is a country with a large number of male and female heroes.
Even if they were aware of the fact that there is no magic and no magical power, from Thoris’ point of view, Japan is a country of great power with a large number of people with outstanding potential.
No one would be stupid enough to try to fight a war knowing that if the opponent were to get on the offensive and start a war, they have the power of a Demon King.
The fact that someone like me crossed over to another world like this means that the other side must have had the possibility in their mind that this could happen depending on the negotiations this time around.
If this were the case, a worsening of relations with Japan would be nothing but a bad thing for Thoris, who is currently at war with the empire.
Therefore, I, in the face of negotiations, could not take a strong stance on that occasion, and I guess I missed the fact that Suzuki had been emotionally beaten to a pulp.
If I had not intervened, that statement would have been nothing but the result of Suzuki’s outburst, and the country would have a different view.
Perhaps an explanation could have emerged that could have blocked me out.
As for the negotiation, it was a last-minute judgment win by reopening the negotiations, but my main goal was to warn the other party and poison the hero’s dreams.
Now, how will the other side react?
I proceeded on my way to the inn while considering the remaining 20% of uncertainties.
Another Side
~3rd Person Perspective~
While Jiro was thinking about this, things were progressing on the other side.
“Don’t tell me they really came to pick us up?” (Hero 1)
“Suzuki said he met him, so he must be sure, right?” (Hero 2)
In Ithar, where entertainment is scarcer than in Japan, gossip is one of the few forms of entertainment.
The male and female heroes are no exception.
There are no games, no TV, no cell phones.
There are no comic books or magazines.
There are no convenience stores or game centers.
No freedom to shop or go sightseeing because of their status.
In addition to this, the boys refrain from drinking alcohol and engaging in adult entertainment, both of which are uncommon activities for 15-year-old males in Japan, because they are students and therefore it is against Japanese law.
The girls were happy at first because of the different tastes and appearance compared to Japanese sweets, but they are feeling less and less satisfied day by day.
In short, entertainment is drastically decreasing compared to Japan.
In such a situation, it is only natural that if talk of a return to Japan were to circulate, it would spread in the blink of an eye.
And this is a fact that Jiro does not know and is a definite story that is circulating.
“His skill is to detect lies right?” (Hero 1)
“Ah, isn’t that why he was taken by the bishop with the intention of checking if he was lying right?” (Hero 2)
Speaking of heroes, special skills are a typical guarantee.
As in this case, each student has at least one such skill.
Among them, Suzuki had the skill of detecting falsehoods and knowing whether the other party is telling a lie or not.
However, he could only tell whether they were lying or not, but not what kind of lies they were telling.
It does not mean that the skill can tell what they are hiding, but it is a skill that can be avoided if one is careful.
However, the fact that they are not lying is important in this rumor.
There is a way to return to Japan.
This fact caused a stir among the heroes.
The two male students were merely talking as they headed for the cafeteria, taking advantage of the fact that training had been temporarily canceled today.
However, they were not really feeling the desire to save the country and were hoping for information that they might not have to do it.
“What’s with all the noise in the cafeteria?” (Hero 1)
“Oh – yeah, is that voice Saeki? I don’t like her because of her attitude.” (Hero 2)
“I know, she has a pretty face, but her personality is very rough and inflexible.” (Hero 1)
In the midst of all this, they hear a girl’s high-pitched voice coming from across the door to their destination.
When they opened the door, they found the girl, and as they had expected, was yelling at Suzuki.
Then, a boy is facing the girl as if he is protecting Suzuki who is being yelled at.
“Hayakawa—I remember you and Suzuki were good friends, right?” (Manami)
“Sure, Suzuki and I have been in the same class.” (Satoshi)
The boy, Satoshi Hayakawa, with short-cropped hair that would look good playing soccer, was facing a girl, Manami Saeki, who was angrily yelling at him.
“I told you! I told you we were all going to wait for help, but you had the audacity to make someone from Japan go back.” (Manami)
“You had a choice to bot hit Suzuki! The bishop chose Suzuki this time, and he also said he would come back. All we have to do is to make sure that we all meet him next time.” (Satoshi)
“The problem is that he didn’t consult with anyone! Besides, where’s the guarantee for that! What if this is our last chance! Hayakawa! You should take responsibility then!” (Manami)
“Manami, let’s calm down. There’s no point in fighting each other.” (Satoshi)
The two of them felt they had come at a bad time, but what they were talking about was something they both wanted to know.
It is not an option not to listen, so they put some distance, not wanting to join the conversation, but rather to quietly blend in.
“…Well, even if you get angry, you’ll just exhaust yourself.” (Satoshi)
“Oh yeah, there’s no point in fighting, so Suzuki. Is that person really Japanese?” (Ayana)
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure. He didn’t lie.” (Taichi)
The choice turned out to be a good one, as the argument cooled down, they arrived at the right time, and the two now know that the rumors were true from what they heard, naturally having their hopes raised.
“…But I wonder if it’s okay to just go home.” (Suzuki)
“What, are you still saying?” (Manami)
“Because, you know, people here are in trouble, right?!” (Suzuki)
But Suzuki spoke up as if to add oil to the fire that had been extinguished.
Saeki, without concealing her hostility, bared her fangs at Suzuki’s comment.
Originally, Suzuki and Saeki’s relationship was neither good nor bad, just classmates.
However, that changed when they came to this world, and they often argued with each other like this.
This is because factions were formed among the students.
Groups that were originally close to each other formed factions, and these were repeated until roughly three factions were formed.
The first was the faction that was actively trying to be active as heroes, to which Suzuki belonged.
The second faction was the one that was more interested in returning home than being active as a hero, to which Saeki belonged.
Of course, the people of these two factions did not get along well with each other.
They could not get along with each other, because their actions were hindering each other’s goals.
Still, the reason they did not kill each other or resort to violence was probably simply because of the common sense and temperament of the Japanese people.
And even if they did not get along with each other, they would ignore each other, leave each other to their own devices, or at best, even if they reached the extreme, they would only end up arguing like this.
In addition, the worst-case scenario between those from the same place has been avoided by having people from Thoris mediating the conflict.
The third faction, or rather the largest group of factions, is neutral or wait-and-see.
They can’t do anything, they don’t know what to do.
They want to go home, but they are also interested in being heroes.
They are a faction of members who have both these two reasons.
Ayana Sasagawa, the girl who is stopping Hayakawa and Saeki, belongs to this faction.
At best, she is neutral, but at worst, she is a weathervane.
The fact that Hayakawa defends Suzuki, who is a member of the “Hero” faction when he sees his good friend Suzuki being blamed in this way is proof of this.
And the reason Saeki is protesting against Suzuki this time is that Suzuki ruined the opportunity for Saeki and her group to return home.
Saeki, who yells at them like they are the enemy of her ancestors, has calmed down now, but her eyes are still glaring.
“You’re planning on helping people from a country that has abducted us just because they are in trouble?!” (Manami)
“So, Saeki will abandon those who are about to die!” (Taichi)
Neither of what they are saying is wrong.
Saeki’s argument is right on target from a victim’s point of view.
Suzuki’s argument is right on target from the viewpoint of someone with goodwill.
Both sides’ arguments may change depending on their positions, but they are not wrong for being human beings.
Up to now, the two sides would have been arguing over the issue, but Jiro’s venom was showing its effect here.
“That will make you a murderer, you’ll amount to nothing! You’ve seen those documents! We have people waiting for our return!” (Manami)
“……that.” (Taichi)
“At least I’m able to go home, I’ll find my way back!” (Manami)
Once that was said, Suzuki had no words to refute it.
Jiro’s words and actions are helping the momentum of the return home faction.
He is restraining the naïve hero faction by making them aware of the consequences of their actions.
And the hero faction is not crazy enough to nod when asked to kill people for volunteering with good intentions.
However, it is also true that they do not want to ignore the calls for help in front of them.
The fact that they have the power to do so, though it is a borrowed power, also contributes to this feeling.
This has been a source of support for their cause, but it is beginning to falter within Suzuki.
Arguments in this situation can only be won or lost, just as one can see what happens when water is poured on a fire.
Suzuki shrinks back, wanting to find a hole in the argument, while Saeki looks down on him.
There was no need to say who was the loser and who was the winner.
Hayakawa, who had defended him earlier, could defend him for sending back the Japanese messenger, but he could not defend him for acting as a hero.
His opinion was also close to that of Saeki.
Although the matter was settled, they only exchanged their feelings and did not exchange any meaningful opinions.
The atmosphere only deteriorated.
The people who had been expecting to see each other talk more moved on to other conversations with a disappointed look on their faces.
One of the boys, who was watching the situation, quietly got up from his seat.
It was a natural gesture so that no one would notice.
“Where are you going?” (Amelia)
“Miyagawa? Well, it’s a little hard to stay there.” (Male Hero)
The atmosphere was tense, and Amelia stopped the boy who was leaving the room for the simple reason that she felt awkward.
“That’s right, it’s certainly hard to stay here.” (Amelia)
“I don’t think we have any training today, so I thought I’d go back to my room and get some rest.” (Male Hero)
“That’s better. I’m sorry to keep you.” (Amelia)
“It was nothing.” (Male Hero)
The conversation was only a few words and Amelia had a smile on her face as she watched the boys walk away.
“Shall I also practice my dancing?” (Amelia)
She couldn’t help but see the boy off with that conversation, but she felt the need to stop him because something got caught in her intuition.
As a result, Amelia decided to chalk it up to her imagination and assume that he was the same as usual.
It was true that she did not feel at home here, and she was comfortable with what he was saying.
I decided to leave my seat, which was also far away, thinking it was the right time.
It was not so difficult for Amelia to find ways to kill her free time.
She moves her body to the dozens or hundreds of rhythms she has in her head.
With her hobby of dancing, she was taking full advantage of her heroic physical abilities to enjoy dancing, something she had never been able to do before.
Thanks to this, she was able to eliminate her free time. When, before she complained that there was not enough time for dancing.
She has finished showing the materials in secret to all of her classmates, which is the instruction from Jiro.
After that, she headed for the courtyard where she always went to spend her free time with the easy feeling that she could leave the rest to Jiro.
“Oh, I have to tell a Knight.” (Amelia)
Amelia then realizes that, unlike early morning, she needs to be accompanied by a knight to go to the courtyard during the daytime, so she changes the direction of her footsteps and takes a shortcut she recently learned.
She walked with a rhythm in her head and almost reached the knight’s waiting place.
It was then that Amelia heard,
“How’s it?” (Voice)
“No problem, they still think I’m one of their own. It’s easy to get information.” (Spy)
Her hearing, heightened by being a hero, picked up on a strange conversation.
“What!?” (Amelia)
The disturbing content of the conversation caused her to mutter in English, and her body crept to the wall to hide.
“I see, that man has been in contact with a hero.” (Voice)
“I haven’t been able to identify anyone yet, but I have a good idea of where the rumors are coming from, so it’s only a matter of time.” (Spy)
“It’s only a matter of time. Keep replenishing magic power. If they find out, we’ll be in trouble.” (Voice)
“I’ll replenish it later. I’ll be back soon. Reporting as usual.” (Spy)
“Uhuh.” (Voice)
“!?” (Amelia)
It was an accident that she did not make a sound.
She focused her attention and slowly peeked in to see a man she did not know using a pendant-like device to change into the classmate she had been conversing with earlier.
Amelia saw the decisive moment and waited with bated breath for the bishop and the person she thought was her classmate to leave.
“……What should I do?” (Amelia)
Then silence fell as she walked away, and after confirming that no one was there, she was at a loss.
If what I just saw is true…
“What should I do?” (Amelia)
If what she had just seen was true, then some or all of her classmates were impostors.
Amelia felt as if a wall had been built in front of her.
Another Side END
Note for the Day
It is more often the case that people don’t know that you are working behind their backs.
A/N: That’s all for this chapter.
Is this a development of multiple dark schemes upon dark schemes? (sweat).
I will do my best to make Amelia more active from this point on.
Thank you for your continued support of this work.
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