Volume 3 1 — Part 2(1/3)
They walked on for several minutes, but the church was still not open and Rashia and Thoria were cleaning the surroundings. When Shin and Tiera entered the church grounds, Rashia, who noticed, ran up to the two people.
“Isn’t it Shin-san! What are you doing today?”
“I came to check up on the situation. How’d the matter in question turn out?”
“Well then, please come to the orphanage. Um, that person is?”
“Ah, My name is Tiera. Nice to meet you.”
“I apologize for not having told you this sooner. I am a sister in this church, and my name is Rashia.”
To Tiera, who introduced herself while feeling a little nervous, Rashia replied with a calm expression. Was there any progress in the talks? The composure she showed now was not imaginable a few days ago.
Though Rashia was surprised about Tiera being an employee of Tsuki no Hokora, since that was the case, it was no problem to lead her into the orphanage.
Shin thought the duties of the church might be delayed, but the church seemed to be closed today. When they arrived at the reception room in the orphanage, Millie was sitting on a sofa for some reason.
“Shin-nii!”
When she realized that it was Shin who entered after Rashia and Tiera, she jumped vigorously. Seeing the state of the girl who was clinging to him with a smile, Shin expected the transfer problem to have been settled.
“Yo, you seem to be happy.”
“The orphanage was not lost! Shin’s help. Thank you!”
She seemed to be in a very good mood as her feelings, which were coming out, were reflected on her expression. For Millie, the possibility of the orphanage possibly being lost would be a big problem.
Shin waited for Millie to settle down and then sat on the sofa, as he had decided to hear the whole story after Tiera had introduced herself again.
“Thanks to Shin-san it was settled that I would take charge of this church as the next priestess without any problems. The official announcement has not yet been publicized, but I think it will be alright unless something extreme happens.”
The priest, who lives in the upper level district where the nobles live, came to the Orphanage a little while ago; he had to confirm whether or not Rashia’s skill acquisition was authentic.
When she was asked how she acquired the skill, she answered that it was the result of training. In fact, because the priest seemed to remember that it was possible to learn skills through training, she didn’t appear to be doubted in particular.
“The children were pleased, too. Really, how can I thank you enough??”
“Since I’ve already received the promised reward, please don’t worry about it too much. Ah, this is a present.”
Because he was worried that she would worry about it too much, he changed the topic by handing over the presents to Thoria. In the middle of shopping, they bought them from a peddler due to its unquestionable quality, though the peddler was surprised because Shin purchased said present in large quantities.
“Is it alright with this many?”
“Because I’ve already bought them, I’d feel rather troubled if they didn’t get accepted. Look, Millie has already taken one.”
Thoria, who reserved herself, was won over, while Millie, who was sitting and pressing Yuzuha to her chest, opened one of the bags filled with candy. When Millie took out an orange candy from it, she put in her mouth without hesitating.
“Sweeet!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Millie’s smile made everyone around her also smile.
When the reception room calmed down, the sound of a door opening was audible.
“Sensei, is that true that onii-chan has come?”
The one who appeared from the door was the girl who mobbed Yuzuha when Shin came to visit before.
“That’s no good, Melka. Because I’m busy right now.”
“Ehh, but I want to play with onii-chan~”
“Sorry. I’m having an important talk now. I’ll play with you next time.”
“Muuuu, then can onee-chan, play?”
“Eh, me?”
The girl called Melka promptly changed her target to Tiera when she was declined by Shin. Was this because she was together with Shin, or was it women’s intuition? For the little girl, it seemed like Tiera was judged to be a person whom she didn’t need to be cautious around. She had already caught the hem of Tiera’s clothes.
“Um, because it’s my first time coming today, I don’t know the games well..”
“Play?”
“Kuu..”
Looking at Melka staring at Tiera, Shin, while smiling wryly, thought “Can’t refuse that.” With a lisping voice, and upturned eyes, this combo from the little girl required immense willpower to decline. She might be cunning depending on the person, but Tiera, who rarely came into contact with children, shouldn’t be able to resist her.
“Millie, come play too.”
“S-Shin..”
“Sorry, it’s impossible.”
“T-Traitor~”
Tiera called for help from Shin, but she was taken away by Melka along with Millie after all. Was she unable to just watch anymore? Thoria too followed them to save her.
“Umm, will it be fine?”
“Well, maybe.”
Rashia answered as if it was not necessary to stop it. Though it was another matter if it was something good or bad for Tiera, Shin thought it would be a good experience for her to play with children.
“By the way, Wilhelm is..?”
“As usual, he went to investigate the bishop in question. It’s unlikely that he’s going to leave it as it is.”
“As expected, he understands it well.”
As an adventurer coming from the orphanage, Wilhelm seemed to gather information in cooperation with fellow adventurers. This way, Shin thought it was improbable for this fellow to be obediently lead by the hand.
“Shin-san also thought the same as Wilhelm?”
“Of course. Though I don’t know why the bishop thought of taking over this church, as far as I know after having heard the story, I don’t think that guy is willing to give up so easily.”
“But it’d good if nothing happens.”
“ Indeed, that’s right. Please hand this to Thoria and Millie just in case though.”
Shin took out 2 small accessories from the Item Box and handed them over to Rashia. One of them was similar to the bracelet he gave to Rashia before, and the other one was attached to a light green colored string and was a simple wooden necklace in the shape of a diamond. If one was to say it in a nice way, it had a handmade feeling, and if one was to say it in a rude way, then it looked crappy.
“This is?”
“It grants various magic skills. Just in case.”
He then explained what kind of magics were bestowed upon it to answer Rashia’s question. Because he had already told her about the damage reduction effect of her own bracelet earlier, it was omitted. The necklace got the main explanation. Although it had a plain appearance, when Rashia heard what kind of material the string and wood were made from, her mind went completely blank for a short while. One of the reasons he chose this material was because it wouldn’t stand out among the children in the orphanage compared to if it was a metal necklace.
“What can I say. Just amazing!”
“About Millie’s necklace, it has the ability to block her ability. How’s it going with the bracelet I gave you before?”
“I’m still wearing it. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to continue borrowing it, but Will asked me to wear it. Though I’m intending to return it in the near future.”
“No, I’m fine with it as it is. Since the safety of the church isn’t settled yet, there is still the possibility of Rashia becoming a target, too. The danger will be minimized if you keep wearing it.”
Rather than the problem of the continuation of the orphanage, the possibility of Rashia being aimed at was high. Therefore, besides the accessory for Millie, the bracelets for Rashia and Thoria had considerable abilities, too. They could even stand against a chosen one for a certain period of time.
“Thank you very much for everything.”
“You don’t have to prostrate yourself that much.”
historical
Though she was only half satisfied with the way she had shown her appreciation, the words were stored in her heart.
“Please have lunch with us at the very least. You still have time, right?”
“That’s right. Shall we feast?”
She probably wanted to pay back her feelings of gratitude, even if just a little. He nodded to Rashia about lunch, and they proceeded to the square where the children were.
Tiera was surrounded by several young girls, maybe playing with dolls, since some beautiful handmade dolls were placed around her. Yuzuha, who was being mobbed earlier, was seeking refuge on top of Tiera’s head. Yuzuha seemed to have learned that no one could touch it when at that location.
In contrast to the young girls, who were happy and joyful, for some reason, the boys were looking at Tiera’s group from afar. Although the boys seemed to be kicking around a round ball that looked like a soccer ball, they glanced at the girls too much, especially toward Tiera.
“The boys are kind of quiet, huh?”
“No no, that’s a normal reaction.”
Shin said while holding his laughter, to Rashia who looked puzzled. She apparently didn’t know why the boys didn’t approach the girls.
“What do you mean?”
“They are probably too embarrassed to approach because of how beautiful Tiera is.”
Though there was a boy who was mixed in with the girls, when Shin looked at him, the boy appeared to be at the age of a child who had just started kindergarten. The boys, who were watching from a distance, were equal to children approaching puberty. When one reached that age, it became difficult to freely talk to an older, beautiful onee-san. That didn’t mean that everyone displayed the same behavior, but Shin, who had similar experiences, understood the feeling of wanting to talk but being too embarrassed to do so.
“Tiera-san is indeed beautiful, even from my point of view as a woman, but I don’t think it’s that hard to call out to her.”
“Well, I can understand, because I also experienced similar things as a boy, but it’s not strange if you don’t understand it, Rashia.”
Speaking of similar patterns, there were children in kindergarten who were in love with their teacher, and primary school children who were interested in the onee-san type.
He had a wry smile when he recalled the good old memories as an adult. The world was different, but similar things seemed to happen everywhere. He told the frowning Rashia not to worry about it, and called out to Tiera who was beckoning him.
Tiera, who noticed it, kept evading the eyes from the girls that seemed to be reluctant at parting, and came over to Shin.
“Shi～n～, how could you abandon me?”
“No, hold on, I just thought that it would be impossible to reject them.”
“That’s.. certainly, it was impossible to refuse that. *Sigh* I guess it can’t be helped, huh.”
“Leaving that aside, because I’m treating you to lunch, I want to take out some ingredients. How about it?”
“That’s good. Well, since I promised to make Yuzuha-chan some inarisushi, how about I make it for the children of the orphanage as well? May I borrow the kitchen?”
Even though the sun was already high in the sky, there was still enough time. There was no problem if they overstayed a little.
Tiera also had the 【Cooking】 skill since it was taught to her by Schnee. The eyes of the children were nailed to the inarisushi which was soon displayed on a plate.
“I’m sorry. You’re the one who ended up making it, even though it was me who suggested it.”
“Don’t worry about it, since I’m the one who wanted to do it. Although I said one thing or another, it was fun playing with the children.”
The church seemed to be a place for a tranquil heart, as there were children who could approach without being timid. Even from Shin’s point of view, he had a feeling that Tiera’s expression had become softer than before.
Lunch ended and Shin and Tiera wanted to help put things in order, but Rashia’s words of, “I can’t have you do that” caused them to excuse themselves.
They left the church and returned to the guild. Because it was already past noon at that time, Tiera’s guild card should have been made.
The bar inside of the guild was crowded with adventurers having a meal. They went towards the receptionist area to avoid the crowd, and called out to Celica. Were there few adventurers receiving requests at this time? They were able to talk without even waiting.
“This is Tiera-sama’s guild card. Please check it.”
“There seems to be no problem. Thank you very much.”
Tiera confirmed the card functions without any problems. Shin also took out his own guild card at this point.
“While you’re at it, can you please register us as a party.”
“Understood. In regards to the members, there are only two people, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
In the case of a fixed party, it seemed that the guild required a party name, but they decided to not do it this time.
They were seen off by Celica and Els and left the guild. Their destination was the shopping street again.
This time, they bought preserved foods due to the acquaintances they’d be traveling with on their trip. Because they would be in the presence of others during this trip, the Item Box couldn’t be used lightly. However, since the rations were made into cards and taken along, it didn’t change the quantity compared to the normal preparation for a trip.
Besides that, it might not even be necessary since there was the remarks column in the request that stated that meals were included, but it was for emergencies. ‘Save for a rainy day, save for a time of need’ was thought, and they kept shopping.
“It’s time to go now.”
As they arranged the necessary items they bought, Shin called out to Tiera.
“Eh, but it’s not time yet.”
“No, I’m taking Tsuki no Hokora with us.”
He couldn’t leave Tsuki no Hokora as it was, before the departure.
“I completely forgot about it.”
“That’s not good, forgetting about it, at least.”
“I normally wouldn’t think about forgetting a 『House』, you know!”
That was quite natural. It was crazy to think that a 『House』could be considered a personal property item.
“S-Sorry. Look, am I not the owner of Tsuki no Hokora? So it’s only natural to think that it could be carried.”
“The old generation is weird after all. Or is Shin particularly strange?”
“That’s cruel!?”
Tiera voiced the question without hesitation with a teasing smile. While receiving the mental damage, Shin took out a light blue crystal from the Item Box.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a 『Crystal Stone』. You’ve never seen one before?”
“That is a Crystal Stone? That one is big and clearly processed, something which I am seeing for the first time right now.”
“This item is bestowed with 『Metastasis』 magic. I can move to a registered point in an instant if I use it. It a disposable one, but with this we can move to Tsuki no Hokora without any effort.”
“..That’s right. The things that Shin pulls out are all unique.”
“That’s rude.”
Did Tiera go beyond being amazed, and arrive at the acceptance state? ‘Shin clearly said that we could move in an instant with the metastasize-crystal.’ .
There were a lot of mages who have tried to reproduce the magic up till now, but they weren’t able to get even a little foothold on it.
This mystery, among the secrets of the old generation, was assumed to have already been lost.
No one would be able to expect things would came out from said item with a pop.
“Shin, I want to check one thing.”
“Ah, ok, what is it?”
“Maybe, just maybe..is it possible to manufacture this?”
Tiera had glossy eyes. It was completely different from the mood from a while ago, and Shin couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Still, he understood that the item he took out appeared to be the stuff that defied common sense, again.
“Please tell me, before I answer your question, but what would others think about a Crystal Stone with the metastasis ability?”
“..Metastasis, itself, is considered a lost magic.”
“I see.”
Shin understood with those words. If that was the case, he could see why Tiera would be surprised. Even from Shin’s experience so far, the Crystal Stone was thought to be quite valuable.
But he frankly found the ‘lost’ part in Tiera’s sentence hard to believe. He was certain that it could have been spread out to the general public, but it seemed like such a thing was likely to have been concealed. It would not be surprising, if even the country and the organization were secretly covering it up.
“Then I will also answer, yes, it’s possible to manufacture it. If, and only if, you have sufficient materials.”
“..Sigh, I guess so. For one of Rokuten, a Crystal Stone with metastasis is easy to make, huh?”
As she settled with a sigh, Tiera too, seemed to begin to understand what sort of people belonged to the Rokuten guild.
“Ahh, though it seems bad when you are dispirited, may I transfer us now?”
“Yes, do it.”
He took the defiant Tiera to an open place with no signs of life. Together with Schnee, he had confirmed that it was usable without problems. It was possible to use it soon after having woken up in this world, but he would rather not take the risk. Unlike other tools, it was unknown what would happen if it failed, so he couldn’t bring himself to use that item.
When Shin let magic power flow into the Crystal Stone to act as a detonator, the magic stored inside the stone activated itself. Their vision distorted, and shelves that lined up with goods came into view in the next moment.
The two people were certainly in Tsuki no Hokora.
“T-That’s a strange feeling. And, how are you going to carry this place?”
“Let’s go outside for a moment. Then we can start on that conversation.”
Shin went toward the door as he mumbled a bit. Because Shin turned his back, Tiera didn’t see that Shin’s mouth continued moving.
It was the familiar woods outside of the store as they exited it. Shin glanced around as he surveyed the surrounding area.
There was a green marker which was not there when he came to Tsuki no Hokora before, glowing on the map screen.
“What’s the matter?”
“There’s a rat. I think it’s time to tease that guy a little.”
Shin said that while looking at the trees or at the rat? Tiera had a question mark floating above her head. Though she wanted to retort that he might be looking for a rat in the wrong place, the opponent was Shin. Common sense wouldn’t work anyway, so Tiera stopped questioning it.
Shin finished the preparation, stopped talking to himself, and held up his hand toward Tsuki no Hokora.
“『Storage』!”
Simultaneously with those words, Tsuki no Hokora began to glow faintly. The light extended out to cover the whole store, and in the next moment, the lights were converging into a single point.
It stayed in the air for only a few seconds and then slowly flew and settled in Shin’s hand afterward. When the light disappeared, a necklace with a crescent moon shape was grasped in his hand. It shined silver and seemed to be more valuable than its poor artwork showed. The transparent glow was proof that it was not ordinary silverwork.
“This is?”
“Yes, this is Tsuki no Hokora, carry mode.”
“You really can carry it! As expected.”
Tiera’s doubt was answered while he put the necklace away into the Item Box.
Did she tire of getting surprised? Or did she grow accustomed to it? Tiera’s words contained pure admiration.
There was no reason to stay forever in a place that had gone, although Tiera looked at the place where the former Tsuki no Hokora was for a while, so they decided to head toward the departure place on the request. It was just the right time. Shin knew this because of the time displayed in the menu screen. Furthermore, it was because he was wearing a wristwatch-like item.
The other two possible applicants had already arrived. Because of that, he planned to have a conversation for a little while. They would participate in the same request for some period of time, so there was no loss in deepening their friendship.
When they entered the country in the direction of the east gate from the Tsuki no Hokora site, in a corner of the plaza before the east gate was where the departure point was located, the wagon upon which the luggage was already loaded had arrived. A group of two people who appeared to be a Dragnil and Lord race were standing on the side.
“Excuse me, this is Nack-san’s wagon, correct?”
“Hmm? That’s right..Oh, both of you adventurers are joining us, right?”
It was the Dragnil who responded. Probably because he had thought words similar prior to joining, they served as confirmation and he therefore called out to him. The blue scales that were covering its whole body gave out a really strong impression. Judging from the deep voice, it was probably a male. The longsword on his waist and the chest protector were made with some kind of skin that stood out. If he didn’t put on that much protective gear, he was probably the type who played around with speed. Or maybe, he probably didn’t need much protective gear because the scales were hard enough?
“Yes, we will be going together, although it’s sudden. By the way, I’m Shin. This here is Tiera who is made a party with me.”
“I am Tiera. I hope to get along with you.”
“Yea, my name is Gaien. It is my pleasure to get along with you along the journey. And this one here is――”
“Tsubaki, best regards”
The one who had introduced herself with a few words was a girl with crimson hair that reached her back along with red eyes. The red eyes, which were transparent in contrast to the hair which was darker in color, were observing Shin and Tiera.
Her height was considered short. At least one fist lower than Tiera. Probably about 150 cemels. Though the features were in order, it would not be strange if someone said that she was a high school student only by appearance. However, he had a painful experience because of judging from appearances in the THE NEW GATE.
Since she could work as an adventurer, he judged that they wouldn’t have any problems. He was positive that she should at least have an E rank ability.
Gaien’s level was 187, and Tsubaki’s level was 133. If one judged it only by the level, Gaien might be an A-rank adventurer. The sword on his waist didn’t seem to be for decoration.
As for Tsubaki, her level already exceeded rank E.
“Oh! Did additional faces appear? I am Nack the merchant. I hope we get along until Beirun!”
When they introduced themselves to each other, a dwarf showed up from the shadow of the wagon and started talking. Apparently, this person seemed to be the client of the request. The muscular body which differed from the usual Dwarf, was wrapped in well-tailored clothes, which gave off the feeling that something was wrong. They properly exchanged greetings, and boarded the wagon in order.
“Everyone has gotten aboard. It’s a little early, but let’s depart!”
Nack’s voice was cheerful while the whip slash was heard from the driver seat, and the wagon started to move slowly.
As the wagon with 5 people passed through the east gate, it began to advance straight north, to Beirun.
Afterwards, the news of the disappearance of Tsuki no Hokora made the higher-ups of Bayreuth Kingdom arrive at the pinnacle of the confusion. It would be a story for the future before Shin and the others knew it.
~~
The disappearance of Tsuki no Hokora.
That information was not only known to the upper echelon of the Bayreuth Kingdom, but it was spread out even to the other countries, which were monitoring Tsuki no Hokora, in a flash.
Initially, everyone had to confirm whether it was a mistake. For more than 500 years, preceding the Dusk of the Majesty, the immovable building existed without change. People couldn’t invade it no matter how powerful they were, it didn’t permit any high-level monsters to invade, not even a single step. It was the secret shop that was made with lost technology, that was Tsuki no Hokora. When it was said to have disappeared, it was impossible to believe it so easily.
However, after verifying it many times, the only answer was: “No doubt about it”. The side that received the report was still good. At the actual scene, the shock of the people seeing Tsuki no Hokora vanish before their eyes, was also indirectly affecting the superior who heard the news from far away. At this point, a strange situation occurred, where the spies who monitored Tsuki no Hokora revealed themselves in broad daylight, and ascertained each other whether the scene they just saw was true.
“What the heck just happened!?”
It was their superior who was shouting.
It was noisy in a corner inside a castle.
They had gathered in a meeting room, talking about the important matter at hand. Although they were roused up from bed before the first sunshine appeared on the horizon, no lack of sleep appeared on their faces. To begin with, there was no such margin for that, except one part.
“Well then, there is no mistake in that report after all?”
“Yes, there’s no doubt about it.”
The one who asked from that place, where the head of the table sat, was the King of Bayreuth Kingdom, Jeon Courtade Bayreuth. With blond hair, blue eyes, and 2 mels of height covered with muscles; this person had the body of a warrior.
By all means, it was a splendid king who clad himself with dignity as the ruler of his body, but it wasn’t going so well today. The agony-clad expression on Jeon face made even the prime minister worry about whether they should continue answering his questions or not. This time, it was not just a problem for Bayreuth Kingdom. Let alone the neighboring countries, an inquiry would surely come from the Empire and Imperial if they did a bad job.
“Tsuki no Hokora..Disappeared..huh?”
Everyone who gathered had a dark complexion.
The one who was, more or less, better off was the first princess, the royal magician. Jeon saw the report while knowing that it would not change no matter how many times he read it. Here was the summary.
-Report About the Disappearance of Tsuki no Hokora-
Fourth month, second day.
At the sound of the 12th bell, that indicated it was noon, all of sudden the Tsuki no Hokora begin to emit light.
After a few seconds, when the light settled, Tsuki no Hokora was already gone.
The spies for each nation were confused about the sudden occurrence, too.
This caused the situation where we mutually contacted each other.
There was no reaction from the skill detection system, though we did investigate the hollowed-out mark left in the ground.
Again, there was no sign of anything happening in the sur-->>