Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「I’ve been waiting for your return.」
Soon after returning to Wulls Azuma Workshop, Hiroshi was met by Aearis, waiting at the entrance.
「Elle？ Oh, right, Alfemina-sama must have mentioned it.」
「Yes. I am rather sorry, but I simply followed what Alfemina-sama told me to do and had things go a little my way.」
Seeing as how Alfemina had intervened through Aearis, it would seem that even the gods saw this plan as being in their interest this time around.
「Well, that’ll lighten our load, so I don’t mind. Heck, I’m grateful. But how far along are y’all?」
「We barely started, so nothing crucial. At most, I discussed this with Father and Brother, in addition to sending the message to Queen Misheila and Nazaria-sama.」
「Nah, that’s plenty far. Wait, how’dja even send it……」
「I asked the octogals to send it.」
「Ah～」
Hiroshi let out a voice of understanding at what Aearis said. The octogals loved these sorts of errands. Especially when someone as beloved as Aearis asked them, the octogals would happily run around as many times on as many unconventional errands as they pleased.
「But Alfemina’s priestess princess ain’t got any real power, right? Is it cool to do whatever？」
「Generally, I cannot command anything other than what is decided in Alfemina Temple. However, as Alfemina-sama’s priestess princess, I can ask the king, the prince, or the prime minister to do something. I can only ask them, while the ones who run the country with the actual power are the ones who determine if it goes through, but this time Alfemina and a number of things to say, along with all of your achievements, and I was able to proceed things ahead quicker than usual.」
「Kay then.」
Come to think of it, this was reasonable, but even if she only had authority without the power to back it up, Aearis could easily use her connections with powerful figures and ask them favors. Whether they would listen differed from time to time, but whether Aearis had any power or not didn’t matter.
Besides, a priestess was, by definition, a mouthpiece of the gods. If the words of a god were to be conveyed, regardless of who was in power, there came a time when orders had to be carried through without exception. In fact, most temples were distancing themselves from power for that reason.
「Well, I got most of that. Imma git a gift real quick, so sit tight mate.」
「Okay.」
Asking Aearis to wait at the dining hall she had just obediently entered, Hiroshi frisked through the storehouse for things best suited for gifts. They would generally be going to Darl, so based on the current season, something cool seemed best, and so what Hiroshi chose was ice cream that Haruna and Mio had made with obsession. And for the Darl palace, he chose three cooled plain soups that were ready to eat by merely pouring cool goat milk in, each of which were economical size, with ten meals packed in each variety. Incidentally, there were also soups for other kinds of milk as well, like cow milk.
「For starters, how ‘bout this？」
「I understand the ice cream part, but what might that box over there be for？」
「Magic powder to make cooled milk and cooled soup, mate. Darl specializes in goat milk, so it’s a seasoning that goes well with it.」
「Cool milk, you say？」
Aearis’ eyes glinted in curiosity at Hiroshi’s words. She had already seen examples of how boiling water could thaw powder into soup with instant varieties, but cold milk was on another level. After all, the powdered soup she had seen up till now hadn’t melted all that well with cold water.
「……We’re gonna test it out in the palace, so wait a bit, kay?」
「Okay. Understood.」
Comforting Aearis, who seemed to be incredibly itching to see the food in action, Hiroshi went into the transportation circle to at last show up to Darl Workshop. With unbelievably dexterity, the moment the two of them emerged in Darl Workshop, a carriage appeared out of nowhere to pick them up and take them to the palace.
「Whoa, they’re super quick on the uptake……」
「Calculating our arrival this skillfully…I am impressed with my sister Magdarena and Her Highness.」
「Wait, is it really ok fer us to get this vip treatment……」
「Actually, I think they only do this for state guests.」
The splendor of the carriage that came for them and the quality of the tea brought immediately before them. Clearly this was state guest reception. There was also the timing of the carriage, and Hiroshi was worried that he, of all people, was being treated so well. Needless to say, Hiroshi did not seem to realize how crucial he was to both Farlane and Darl.
「Thank you very much～」
The capital of Forre, Stiren. As soon as they arrived, Haruna and the others got permission to set up shop and then steadily increased their sales. Tatsuya went off on his own, going around and gathering information on things like what was going on in town or events that were being held.
「How’s storage look？」
「I think we’re about done.」
「Plenty of shops competing, and we still manage to make a sale? Wow.」
「Yeah, crazy.」
It wasn’t clear whether Makoto was impressed or grumbling, and Haruna just smiled in a rather difficult to describe way as she responded. There wasn’t a single clear difference between their shop and the others, unless you counted the taste. Still, she didn’t want to believe that was the reason.
「Miss, can I have one Kansai-style?」
「Coming ri～ght up.」
Haruna took an order and skillfully made a hotdog before handing it out. It was simply fast food, so it never took much time other than heating the sausages, and said sausages were continually being put on the flame in order to keep up with the constant flow of customers. As a result, everything was ready-made in under thirty seconds after taking an order.
「That’ll be twenty domas.」
「You got it.」
Either it was Forre’s regional character or their food was just high in general, but still, mere hotdogs should not fetch such a high price. Although there were always changes via exchange rates and food prices, but in the case of larger scale hot dog market prices, the western nations had pretty much the same prices as Japanese yen, which was basically two hundred.
「Thank you very much～」
Haruna sent them off with her usual clear voice, and the customer walked off in a good mood as they bit into the hotdog. Pulled in by the same voice, new customers showed up one by one. Compared to the peak in Wulls or Darl, this pace was far more leisurely, but still with plenty of customers.
「Ah-」
「Almost done？」
「Yeah. Ten more sausages to go.」
「Ah.」
Hearing Haruna’s report, Makoto stopped her work at the right amount of sausages, making slits in them. Today, Makoto had done very rudimentary work (such as cutting slits through bread or inserting ingredients that Haruna prepared to complete hotdogs, etc) that anyone without cooking skill (or low cooking skill) could accomplish without greatly affecting the taste. Haruna was the one doing things like seasoning it with cabbage or adjusting the cooking level of the sausages, so even if Makoto’s part were a little careless, Haruna easily made up for it with ingredients.
「But wow, you seem to be handling your feelings quite well recently, huh？」
The hotdogs finished selling without any trouble, and then Makoto asked Haruna something she had been wondering as they cleaned up shop.
「I am？」
「Yes. But it’s not like you’ve calmed down any. In fact, you seem more fiery than ever. Kinda weird. Any idea as to why？」
「Idea, huh……」
Haruna contemplated a bit. Unlike in Darl, Haruna knew this time around that she no longer had the urge to touch Hiroshi. There must have been something that prompted this…
「The moment I touched the holy water from the evil idol, I was quarantined underground for three days right？」
「Right.」
「And I sort of felt refreshed after I rampaged a bit. Since then, rather than touch him, I felt more like I want him to come to like me, no matter how long it takes. So I guess it sorta became a war of attrition.」
「……Ah, so you let it out when you play sports……」
「Well, I guess so？」
Hearing the reason Haruna gave, Makoto just gave her an exasperated look. She hadn’t thought that Igreos’ claim, of all things, could be accurate.
「Well, that just about does it then. Also, good thing Tatsuya isn’t here right now. There’s a little something I wanna ask.」
Having asked the first question, Makoto then went to another topic that was best discussed away from Tatsuya, serious in both expression and voice
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「What？」
「I’ve been wondering for a while…Haruna, do you want to go back to Japan？」
「Eh？」
「I’m not really condemning you or anything, but it seems like you and Hiroshi aren’t all that keen on getting back to Japan.」
Haruna was at a loss to answer Makoto’s oddly sharp question. In a sense, that was an answer, but Makoto wanted a proper answer while they had the chance. She added some more input.
「Thinking about it logically from an objective standpoint, no one besides Tatsuya actually has a reason to return, right? Living arrangements and food might actually be far better over here, plus there’s plenty to do over here.」
「……Well, yeah, you’re right.」
「The same goes for human interaction. You have Hiroshi with his gynophobia and probably a lack of friends, or Mio with her bedridden state, inability to go to school that often, and clear lack of relationships. She at most has her parents and family back home that she might miss. Not much else honestly.」
「……Mhm. Probably, no, definitely, you’re correct.」
「And even in your case, if you go right back to Japan from here, you’d have much more difficulty living with Hiroshi like you’ve been doing here, right？」
「……」
As Makoto brought up topic after topic that Haruna had tried to avoid thinking about, Haruna just began to quiet down, unable to speak. If they were to return to Japan, mental health was one thing, but their positions in society would greatly shift in a negative direction. That was to be expected, but then there was her love for Hiroshi and all the hurdles that came with it, so anything more was rather cruel. If Hiroshi said he weren’t returning to Japan, then Haruna may very well have to force herself to stop loving him even without proper rejection.
But on the other hand, Haruna didn’t have much reason to stay here besides her relationship with Aearis and everyone else, and her feelings for Hiroshi. Thinking of her parents, siblings, and everyone around her, Haruna also felt no reason to sacrifice herself just for her love.
「……Honestly, I probably don’t have much attachment to here or Japan.」
「Really？」
「Yeah. I have people who I never want to cut ties with in both places, and I like both worlds a decent amount, so by that logic I don’t have a preference. But…」
「But？」
「When I think of everyone in Japan, regardless of what decision I make, I need to at least go back once.」
Unlike before, with hesitation, this time Haruna spoke confidently. She seemed to have her own complicated background regarding this.
「……Is it okay if I ask you why you’re so adamant about that？」
「Even assuming I were to live here, I’d need to convey that to some people at home, or else it’d be inconvenient for them. I do need to check some things though, y’know.」
「Inconvenient? How so？」
「It’s highly likely that some people would break anything in their way to try and search for me.」
Haruna said something unpleasant with a light grimace on her face, and Makoto went immediately silent. Disregarding that, Haruna continued speaking.
「In actuality, if things drag on too long, I could totally see someone coming for me.」
「Someone？」
「A certain aunt of mine (far younger than a typical aunt), as surprising as it sounds, just so happens to be a genius scientist who’s made VR systems, android with human-like AI, and room temperature nuclear fusion reactors that fit in the pam of your hands？」
「Ah, I know about them. Uhh, I think their name was Ayase Amane? What was their relationship with you like？」
「My mom’s cousin, about two years older than her. She’s young enough that you’d hesitate to call her an aunt, but she’s been around since I was a baby, so I kinda just naturally stuck with calling her that.」
「I think this every time, but the people you know must make things really lively for you, huh.」
「And I’m not even all that special anyway.」
Haruna had mentioned yet another incredibly influential figure in her life. She herself was just a super beautiful natural airhead who was skilled at singing and cooking, but the moment her parents were involved, suddenly everything became worldwide class. Haruna appeared to have some mixed feelings regarding the connections her parents had, but as Makoto didn’t directly know anyone involved, all she could say was that it gave her those vibes.
Incidentally, the genius scientist, Ayase Amane was also the mother of twin girls, and said twins were at the same high school as Hiroshi and Haruna, two years below their class. Despite having two high schoolers as daughters, this woman practically looked the same age or slightly younger than Makoto, but her personality fit her age.
「Wait, even if she is a talented scientist, can she actually just up and move over to this world？」
「As someone who knows of some of her yet-to-be-revealed inventions, it wouldn’t be surprising at all. Seriously, you’d think a relative would get that there’s no issue with me taking detours to and from school.」
「Ah～、I see……」
Haruna would just barely enter into the “normal person” category in everything other than household affairs, not surrounded by special police or tight security; simply living a normal life at a normal school. This “Ayase Amane” was probably throwing a wrench in all of that. Judging from Haruna’s tone of voice, there were probably actually more people meddling in her life than just Ayase.
「So in addition to all that, I can make a number of hypotheses about what things will be like for us over there, but that isn’t something to discuss right now. Honestly, regardless of if my theory is true, it isn’t going to benefit us right now, plus it’s better to discuss it when everyone’s here if we had to.」
「Alright.」
Makoto nodded at Haruna’s proposal as they finished clean-up with good timing. True, she was still curious about Haruna’s little theory, but it was a drag to discuss the same thing multiple times.
「So, as it’s kinda unfair just to ask me questions, allow me to ask my own here.」
As the two of them headed for the center of the marketplace, Haruna figured it was good timing to begin a counterattack. Unlike Farlane’s market center, Forre’s wasn’t always handling high grade items, so it went along with her objective.
「You’re asking about me？」
「Mhm.」
「Well, compared to you or Tatsuya, it must sound suuuper dumb, plus a little too late, but I want to return for a pretty urgent reason.」
「What do you mean by too late？」
With a fairly serious look on her face, Makoto told Haruna something rather bitter. Haruna just cocked her head.
「Ah, from a regular person’s viewpoint, it must sound really dumb.」
「But for you, it’s a really pressing matter, right？」
「Well, yeahhh…」
「Most people would consider it dumb, but the person who has the problem considers it to be very serious, and now said problem might be too late to resolve…I’m not sure what that might be though.」
Looking at Haruna, who really didn’t seem to get what was going on, Makoto truly felt the difference in their upbringing. This was also rather too late, but she really wondered, just for a moment, if it was okay to let this girl go through the same thing she and Mio went through.
「I want to dispose of the things on my closet, hard disk, etc. You see, the combined mass of my dark past, hobbies, preferences, and fetishes slumbers in that sacred realm.」
「Dark past……」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
Makoto’s dramatic words practically made Haruna exasperated. Haruna was also at that age, so it wasn’t like she didn’t have an interest in pictures, videos, books, etc, that were embarrassing to show others. But as someone who grew up in a house of worldwide-renowned big-shots, Haruna also couldn’t just get her hands on those things so easily, so she had a rather clean upbringing despite having superficial knowledge about sex.
As a result, Haruna had lived without having to deal with the embarrassment or discomfort of parents, siblings, or male acquaintances finding erotic books hidden around her. She really didn’t get how pressing of a situation Makoto was in.
Digressing a bit, in the current year that Haruna and friends had left their world, anime-related word usage had become quite commonplace. As a result, even Haruna, who was essentially a regular person and not much of an otaku, had an idea of what Makoto was talking about.
「Even if fujoshi are recognized as a great force in the world, BL is still something normies would look at you with cold eyes for reading, y’know?」
「If you say so……」
For Haruna, who had no interest in such things, it was impossible to understand what sort of things fujoshi had to deal with. As a result, all she could do was answer Makoto’s claim with a slightly confused expression.
「Wait, you do have books, or pictures that you’d rather not have anyone see, right? Maybe not the 18+ ones, but at least R or something?」
「I had friends show it to me before, but I don’t own any.」
「Whaat? Isn’t that unusual for your age？」
「It isn’t like I don’t have some interest, but I also don’t really want them. If I keep those things around and don’t watch out, there are sure to be several people who will ask troublesome questions when I go house searching……」
「Ah, got it.」
In an environment like Haruna’s house where an unspecified amount of people entered in and out, she probably couldn’t just carelessly get her hands on even slightly suggestive material like idol pictures. When you also considered that Haruna’s parents had a decent amount of prestige in the entertainment world, 2d was one thing but products involving 3d men would risk leaving unneeded suspicion. Sensing these unique predicaments at play, Makoto just grimaced.
Haruna probably didn’t realize how pampered of an upbringing she had, and her parents probably didn’t intend for it either. But with the environment being as it was, Haruna was in fact a well-off young lady. Already accustomed to it all, she hadn’t realized it much, but observing Haruna’s little mannerisms or walking postures, or the way she ate at mealtime, Makoto could not bring herself to say that Haruna was not a rich girl, because she most certainly was. Even the taciturn mannerisms that she occasionally exhibited in her words and deeds were clearly reflecting the lack of openness she was allowed in the environment she was raised in concerning her type, sexual curiosity, etc.
「Anyway, for that reason, I’ve been betting on the time difference ever since we got sent here, and I want to quickly go back and conceal the evidence before it’s discovered.」
「Hmmm？」
「You act like this doesn’t concern you, but I’m pretty sure Hiroshi has those sortsa things too y’know? Just not as severe as Mio and I.」
「It’s not even that weird for men to have erotic books and all that, so I’m really not that concerned……」
「You don’t consider it to be indecent？」
「IIt isn’t even like I have zero interest, so I’m pretty sure it would just be wrong in many ways to ridicule people for having those things, right？」
A bit overpowered from Haruna’s extremely reasonable, upright argument, Makoto couldn’t help but nod with a serious face. She was so insistent on protecting her chastity, and maybe that created a decent perception of balance within her to be so magnanimous.
「So, you briefly mentioned Mio-chan earlier. Does she want to return for the same reason？」
「I think so, yeah. Also, when you’re as otaku to the bone as she is, it’s super difficult to change, I think.」
「Pretty much the same, huh？」
「From the way she talks, I often feel that way, yeah.」
From this area, Mio was also in a complicated position. Honestly, a healthy body with no problems was something not exchangeable, something to be grateful for. Ever since coming to this world, Mio didn’t show it on her face initially, but she was unbelievably happy to be able to taste food with her own mouth and eat it.
But once humans adjust to their environment, they quickly begin to exhibit desires of the flesh…
「Right now Hiroshi’s here and she’s suppressing it, but if given the opportunity, she’d start saying “this is a real dating sim!” and stirring things around with everyone’s romantic interests.」
「No, c’mon, you must be exaggerating……」
「Actually, it’d be great if it stopped there, but back when we took out the maneater in Ortem, she secretly went and grabbed some of Hiroshi’s test products we used for that, so she might actually start treating this like a real eroge and have Artiem, the underground elves, Nora, etc fall into a trap. I’m serious, you know？」
「Whoa……」
Haruna recoiled in shock as she remembered the test products that Hiroshi made to combat the maneater. Not a single one of them had the power to strangle a person to death, but much like what happened with tying Artiem up into a position that was not presentable, there were plenty of items among them that could make some very vivid 18+ scenes. Hiroshi should have disposed of them, but apparently this time Mio’s tenacity won out.
「W-Well, first off, we shouldn’t discuss this too much while walking, so once we meet up with Tatsuya-san and window shop a bit, let’s get back early and resume the discussion, kay？」
「Yep. I don’t think anyone would really get it by listening, but it’s not something to discuss while walking, I agree.」
The topic had turned to one that mature women probably shouldn’t discuss, so Haruna hurriedly changed the course of plans and Makoto followed along. It wasn’t like there weren’t any other serious topics to discuss, but the majority of them were better off waiting until everyone was gathered, so the two girls began talking about Forre fashion- a relatively safe topic.
Until now, Haruna and Makoto hadn’t had much time to work together due to the differences in the jobs assigned to them and their compatibility, but it wasn’t like they didn’t get along or had anything they couldn’t deal with. They were close in age after all and had much to discuss about the differing fashion of Farlane, Darl, and Forre as they walked around looking at the various shops before reconvening with Tatsuya.
「Raise your heads.」
Around the time Haruna and the others were surveying the marketplace. Andrew Misen, the envoy of the kingdom of Farlane, had an audience with the king of Forre, Gouto the Eighth, letter in hand delivered from the king of Farlane.
「Now then, I have read the letter from King Regnas.」
「Yes, Your Majesty.」
Putting power into his abdomen so as to not be overwhelmed by the astonishing height (almost 2 meters) and girth (steel flesh like that of an ogre or giant) of this “human” king Gouto, Andrew saluted him in response.
「If it is truly possible, then we would love to have it. However…」
「I understand your concern very well.」
Andrew nodded at the king of Forre. Even he would have tried to persuade the Farlane king to reconsider by putting his own neck on the line (literally) had this not involved Elena’s dagger. That was just how unrealistic this was.
Then again, he had been staying in Forre for five years by this point, polishing his eye for smithing items, plus he was an accomplished enchanter, so he was able to understand immediately just how remarkable Elena’s dagger was.
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「And my master does not seek immediate assistance on all fronts. Currently, people are discussing the making of prototype smelting forges, so he simply wishes for a bit of assistance, or at the very least tacit consent for the project.」
「I know. Crest Cave is a head-scratching problem for our country. If this plan goes well, then even if Crest Cave does not return from a dungeon, our production will not have to drop, and even if it returns to its original form, magic steel ore and mythril ore will be immediately be oversupplied, and the products will not have enough supply. Either way, our country has nothing but profit. Also, even if we fail in the process, we only have one smelting furnace. Contribution from our side would hardly cost us.」
The ministers of finance and technology nodded, affirming the king’s words. They were already contributing a large budget to researching and developing new smelting furnaces with new excavation machinery. Another country introducing new technology (albeit from the unknown continent) was something to be welcomed, not something to be evaded. No matter the outcome, no one here thought such funding would go to waste.
So it was something else that the king saw as problematic.
「What I am concerned about is whether or not we can trust Azuma Workshop.」
「Would it not suffice to say they have the support of my master as well as Darl’s Queen Mishaela herself？」
「Well, I am a man of prejudice. Unless I see them directly, I cannot determine if they are to be trusted or not.」
As the king of a country, he surely could not just trust someone based on the evaluation of another large country, even on the same level.
「I do not mind if you wish to make a new type of smelting furnace. If it will give us technological feedback, we will of course gladly accept. However, I will not have them interfering in our affairs because of that.」
「Your concerns are most valid, but if they intended that, the group would have tried to start something back when they defeated Barold.」
「You see, I am a coward. I cannot seem to erase the suspicion that they might gain influence and do as they please after digging into the center of the three great western countries.」
「I also have yet to meet them, so I cannot display enough evidence to clear your doubts. Therefore, at the very least, I ask that you permit this smelting furnace idea. Also, no matter the outcome, I ask that you do not pin anything on them.」
「I know. Our country is always supporting the development of smelting furnaces alongside new prototypes. Even I and the citizens of this country are not so shameless as to punish the introductions of items from other countries.」
Andrew bowed deeply at the king’s words. Things would have likely been different had this not concerned iron and had Crest Cave not isolated. Then again, had Crest Cave’s mines not turned into an isolated dimension dungeon, then Hiroshi would never have even considered making the new smelting furnace variant, and Andrew would never have needed to persuade the Forre king in a situation like this.
「Still, if it were to go well, how many years ahead would this innovative technology bring us？」
「Somewhere around ten years, I would imagine.」
The minister of technology answered the king’s query. Unfortunately, these past ten years had not yielded anything as auspicious as a technological revolution, but even so, the quality of manufactured goods, the amount of time for refining, and the amount they could refine at once had all comparatively increased several times since the country had stopped breakthroughs. Still, when you looked at the amount of investment in research and development and the output, you couldn’t help but feel that Forre wasn’t getting much out of it.
「Assuming this plan of yours takes off, what sort of merit does it bring your kingdom？」
「If the supply of magic steel goes up, the amount our country can buy will increase as a matter of course. Once that happens, the casualties from large monster raids will decrease, enabling us to focus more effort on securing trade routes, food supply, and other increases in production. This would also potentially become a great merit for your kingdom as well.」
「And you do not consider that we might try and invade your country with the increased production of magic steel equipment？」
「It is very laudable of you to say such a thing. If a war were to erupt between my country and yours, the increased miasms would invite a dragon lord down from Spirit Spire Mountain. His Majesty is not so optimistic to think we can handle dragon lord talons or breath with mere magic steel aromor.」
「Right, very true. Besides, if our Melkuod or Daites were to clash with your Sir Felnock or Sir Douga, imagine how much destruction it would cause. Every soldier in my country is regarded on average to have the most proficiency out of the three kingdoms, but even with magic steel swords/spears on regular soldiers, we are not so decrepit to think they would even inflict a single scratch on Sir Felnock or Sir Douga.」
Bringing up the case of the heroes from both kingdoms, King Forre expressed how meaningless fighting would be. Possessing powerful, wide-range attacks that might as well be used for targeting entire armies, these heroes were the kind that could easily hunt wyverns or cerberus. If such heroes were to clash on the battlefield without holding anything back, just one shockwave from the first attack was enough to render any regular soldier unable to battle.
「At any rate, I am currently unsure as to if we should get involved as a country. First we can follow the system and give out subsidies, but anything further will be after we observe some.」
「Of course, that is not a problem.」
「Then please convey what we just discussed to King Regnas. You may leave.」
「Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for having me.」
The king motioned for him to be on his way, and Andrew bowed before leaving the audience room. Inwardly relieved that things had mostly gone as the king of Farlane had predicted, he also felt slightly saddened that this country might be weakened by them as well.
Seeing that Andrew had gone out, the king of Forre spoke in a heavy tone.
「So, what do you think？」
「I do not think there is much of a need to be cautious with his workshop. After all, there is hardly any merit to encroach into our country with all the fetters that accompany it.」
The king of Forre raised an eyebrow at how confident the minister was. This appeared to be a fairly unexpected opinion.
「And your basis for this？」
「From what I hear, they can take on not only wyverns single-handedly, but even garvarenjia, and in addition to their battle prowess, they also appear to have the technological prowess for making comfortable settlements (even more so than what we have) with the ingredients gleaned from the monsters. With those two elements, they would be a lot better off not dealing with the troubles that accompany nobility, instead opting to seclude themselves far into the reaches of the Great Southern Forest or Spirit Spire Mountain, where they can live much more freely.」
「I do not think that is particularly sound evidence…？」
「The other conviction is just as the envoy from earlier mentioned: Farlane will be safe regardless of what happens. With all that power backing them up in addition to thwarting Katarina’s revolt, the workshop has proven themselves. If they wanted to, they could easily fake outward appearances while taking over Farlane behind the scenes and taking it easy.」
「Although I do hear that Wulls holds them in high regard？」
「I hear it isn’t much different than giving a valued merchant preferential treatment. In fact, in terms of achievements and prestige as a country, I think it might even be an admirable thing to do.」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
The king just groaned at the minister’s confident statement. Currently, the only preferential treatment present in Forre was maybe relieving real estate taxes, while Wulls’ treatment of Hiroshi’s group was so favorable because practically everything Azuma Workshop produced was something that either Azuma Workshop had that was exclusive or something that Azuma Workshop was too far ahead in with quality/performance for others to try and attempt the same thing. No one was treating the workshop with preference because of pure favoritism or meritorious service; it was simply that everyone was confident in purchasing goods from them.
The only elements of their treatment that you might consider slightly preferential were the fact they could pretty much get freely in and out of the castle and that their proposals were easier to implement than that of the other shopkeepers. However, the only proposals that dealt with all of Farlane or Wulls were really just the slum soil amelioration project and the experimental farm. In this case as well, had the workshop not acted, all of Wulls could have very well fell into wide chaos, so even if Hiroshi’s group had not proposed the plan, the king would have had them implement it at some point.
The experimental farm had come about when Hiroshi’s group brought the topic up early morning, and without it, the probability of quarantining/disposing/burning down the entire division due to suspicion of an epidemic would have been fairly high. Compared to that bad aftertaste, the country instead had lost nothing, and it wasn’t like Hiroshi’s group was gaining much monetary/societal profit from any of this.
Then again, you might say that their being able to experiment with crop cultivation all they wanted using the country’s money was a tremendous profit for them.
「What if their leader changes after ten years？」
「I can say nothing regarding that, as there is no organization that does not go through change.」
「Hm……」
Although he understood the king’s concerns, the minister could only argue that there was no point trying to be too cautious right now. In ten years from now, even if they were to successfully dismantle Azuma Workshop, there was the possibility of another organization taking over the center.
「There is not much else we can do besides finding an excuse to meet them once and determine their nature.」
「Very true. Besides, even if these guests from the unknown continent were to take over after I die, that would simply mean the king after me is incompetent. The kingdom would doubtless end up destroyed regardless.」
「Right you are.」
「Needless to say, I have no intention of allowing anyone to come to the forefront.」
The vassals around the king looked up at him trustingly. If Farlane or Darl’s core members (who were weakened, in a sense) were to hear this statement, they would have undoubtedly had awkward smiles on their face while nodding absentmindedly.
Also, these concerns of the king of Forre were in fact valid. While they had never ravaged the country or screwed up politics, a hundred years later, Azuma Workshop would be taking over the world due to everyone overdepending on their crafting/distribution as well as the related parties later using their positions at Azuma Workshop to continue to make the things they wanted to make, but that is between us.
「We’re back」
「Welcome back」
When they had finished everything, Haruna’s group returned to the base at Crest Cave and were met by Mio, who seemed to have finished her aqua breath instructing.
「Where is Hiroshi-kun？」
「Sensei just told me he’s going to be a while.」
「I see.」
Apparently he was caught up in something the queen and Magdarena asked him to do in the palace in Darl, and had yet to finish the conference in Igreos Temple.
「It seems like Sensei won’t be able to do anything tomorrow either, and I wanna test out the capabilities of the aqua breath, so is it cool？」
「Test? How so？」
「I’m going to actually go into the dungeon and confirm if we can get through the poison gas area.」
Tatsuya and Makoto just went silent at Mio’s proposal. Haruna had seemingly decided to leave the decision to the elder two, beginning the tea.
「First, could you tell me why we’re included in this too？」
「If it’s all of us, we have methods to deal with the effects wearing off.」
「Well, I certainly do get that, but……」
Mio spoke confidently, and Tatsuya just let out a grimace. Actually, inside his bag were plenty of items to deal with status irregularities. Thinking also of the environmental resistance on his equipment, there would be no no issues with the effects of aqua breath.
「And what merit is there in us participating in this efficiency test？」
「I made sure to negotiate that as well. You’ll be properly compensated, and they’ve also said that anyone from Azuma Workshop has free access to Crest Cave while it’s still a dungeon, excavation and everything.」
「I see. What kind of reward?」
「Money, orichalcum, adamantite, and some ore called hihiirogane that the dwarves have too much of.」
「So they’ve thought this out. Great.」
Makoto just grinned at how spot-on the rewards sounded. Even if there were quite a few people who could process magic steel, anything beyond orichalcum seemed to be a threshold that had not been reached by anyone in the skill department within the last three hundred years. The same could be said for refinement, of which the last known person to possess the skill died in an accident before they could convey it to anyone. Additionally, the smelting furnace, not having been maintained properly, simply ceased to function.
These metals were particularly rare in their element to begin with, so there hadn’t been much reason to panic, but after three hundred years there was sure to be quite a buildup of ore, in addition to demand for someone to carry on the processing skills for it, so the reward was to release a bunch of that ore to Makoto and the others, logically.
Then again, even if they flung out all the ore from way back, dungeons had unlimited supply in them, so it didn’t really matter that much.
「The equipment has problems with weight, sound, etc, so making the equipment with those sorts of metals seems to be something Hiroshi and I should handle, but the weapons, we can probably make super strong and flashy for everyone.」
「I can barely handle orichalcum, but my success rate with adamantite is close to zero, and hihiirogane is way too unique for us to even try.」
「This is the perfect opportunity to train, don’tcha think？」
「After we talk to Sensei.」
Now that they heard about getting their hands on high-quality material, there was no turning back. And they had too much time on their hands. Sure, it would be a bit too dangerous to go all the way to the depths without Hiroshi there, but if they were just going to a relatively close area to see if they could break through the poison gas, then surely that wouldn’t be a problem.
Without hiding their greed (in fact, they were completely open about it), the group proceeded the conversation onward. In fact, there was no doubt that even high class cuisine could never bring out as much motivation as this did.
「Then tomorrow is dungeon exploration time.」
「No objections.」
「I’ll go with whatever you guys do.」
「Then it’s a go.」
Their desires completely stimulated by the word “new equipment”, the whole group decided with unanimity to become guinea pigs. At this point, Tatsuya had completely forgotten to tell the group all the rumors he had heard. Not that this was particularly high on their list of important or urgent affairs, but had they actually discussed the information he had gathered, there was another route they may have gone, but now he had utterly forgotten it.
「Seeing as we’re exploring, is it cool if I dig through some wall for my practice？」
「Sure, why not？」
「Tatsuya-san, Makoto-san. What’re we going to find deeper in？」
「They’ve apparently found giant centipedes and other monsters like that.」
「Well, even if you say giant, they’re only about half a meter.」
Albeit on the light side, now that they were going to be exploring the dungeon, Haruna lost any opportunity to bring up the discussion with Makoto back at the food stand, so she figured since Hiroshi wasn’t even there, she figured she may as well wait until the smelting furnace deal was all over with as she got to advancing arrangements for tomorrow. The question of how badly Hiroshi wanted to return would not end up being asked until quite a bit later.
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「I’ve been waiting for your return.」
Soon after returning to Wulls Azuma Workshop, Hiroshi was met by Aearis, waiting at the entrance.
「Elle？ Oh, right, Alfemina-sama must have mentioned it.」
「Yes. I am rather sorry, but I simply followed what Alfemina-sama told me to do and had things go a little my way.」
Seeing as how Alfemina had intervened through Aearis, it would seem that even the gods saw this plan as being in their interest this time around.
「Well, that’ll lighten our load, so I don’t mind. Heck, I’m grateful. But how far along are y’all?」
「We barely started, so nothing crucial. At most, I discussed this with Father and Brother, in addition to sending the message to Queen Misheila and Nazaria-sama.」
「Nah, that’s plenty far. Wait, how’dja even send it……」
「I asked the octogals to send it.」
「Ah～」
Hiroshi let out a voice of understanding at what Aearis said. The octogals loved these sorts of errands. Especially when someone as beloved as Aearis asked them, the octogals would happily run around as many times on as many unconventional errands as they pleased.
「But Alfemina’s priestess princess ain’t got any real power, right? Is it cool to do whatever？」
「Generally, I cannot command anything other than what is decided in Alfemina Temple. However, as Alfemina-sama’s priestess princess, I can ask the king, the prince, or the prime minister to do something. I can only ask them, while the ones who run the country with the actual power are the ones who determine if it goes through, but this time Alfemina and a number of things to say, along with all of your achievements, and I was able to proceed things ahead quicker than usual.」
「Kay then.」
Come to think of it, this was reasonable, but even if she only had authority without the power to back it up, Aearis could easily use her connections with powerful figures and ask them favors. Whether they would listen differed from time to time, but whether Aearis had any power or not didn’t matter.
Besides, a priestess was, by definition, a mouthpiece of the gods. If the words of a god were to be conveyed, regardless of who was in power, there came a time when orders had to be carried through without exception. In fact, most temples were distancing themselves from power for that reason.
「Well, I got most of that. Imma git a gift real quick, so sit tight mate.」
「Okay.」
Asking Aearis to wait at the dining hall she had just obediently entered, Hiroshi frisked through the storehouse for things best suited for gifts. They would generally be going to Darl, so based on the current season, something cool seemed best, and so what Hiroshi chose was ice cream that Haruna and Mio had made with obsession. And for the Darl palace, he chose three cooled plain soups that were ready to eat by merely pouring cool goat milk in, each of which were economical size, with ten meals packed in each variety. Incidentally, there were also soups for other kinds of milk as well, like cow milk.
「For starters, how ‘bout this？」
「I understand the ice cream part, but what might that box over there be for？」
「Magic powder to make cooled milk and cooled soup, mate. Darl specializes in goat milk, so it’s a seasoning that goes well with it.」
「Cool milk, you say？」
Aearis’ eyes glinted in curiosity at Hiroshi’s words. She had already seen examples of how boiling water could thaw powder into soup with instant varieties, but cold milk was on another level. After all, the powdered soup she had seen up till now hadn’t melted all that well with cold water.
「……We’re gonna test it out in the palace, so wait a bit, kay?」
「Okay. Understood.」
Comforting Aearis, who seemed to be incredibly itching to see the food in action, Hiroshi went into the transportation circle to at last show up to Darl Workshop. With unbelievably dexterity, the moment the two of them emerged in Darl Workshop, a carriage appeared out of nowhere to pick them up and take them to the palace.
「Whoa, they’re super quick on the uptake……」
「Calculating our arrival this skillfully…I am impressed with my sister Magdarena and Her Highness.」
「Wait, is it really ok fer us to get this vip treatment……」
「Actually, I think they only do this for state guests.」
The splendor of the carriage that came for them and the quality of the tea brought immediately before them. Clearly this was state guest reception. There was also the timing of the carriage, and Hiroshi was worried that he, of all people, was being treated so well. Needless to say, Hiroshi did not seem to realize how crucial he was to both Farlane and Darl.
「Thank you very much～」
The capital of Forre, Stiren. As soon as they arrived, Haruna and the others got permission to set up shop and then steadily increased their sales. Tatsuya went off on his own, going around and gathering information on things like what was going on in town or events that were being held.
「How’s storage look？」
「I think we’re about done.」
「Plenty of shops competing, and we still manage to make a sale? Wow.」
「Yeah, crazy.」
It wasn’t clear whether Makoto was impressed or grumbling, and Haruna just smiled in a rather difficult to describe way as she responded. There wasn’t a single clear difference between their shop and the others, unless you counted the taste. Still, she didn’t want to believe that was the reason.
「Miss, can I have one Kansai-style?」
「Coming ri～ght up.」
Haruna took an order and skillfully made a hotdog before handing it out. It was simply fast food, so it never took much time other than heating the sausages, and said sausages were continually being put on the flame in order to keep up with the constant flow of customers. As a result, everything was ready-made in under thirty seconds after taking an order.
「That’ll be twenty domas.」
「You got it.」
Either it was Forre’s regional character or their food was just high in general, but still, mere hotdogs should not fetch such a high price. Although there were always changes via exchange rates and food prices, but in the case of larger scale hot dog market prices, the western nations had pretty much the same prices as Japanese yen, which was basically two hundred.
「Thank you very much～」
Haruna sent them off with her usual clear voice, and the customer walked off in a good mood as they bit into the hotdog. Pulled in by the same voice, new customers showed up one by one. Compared to the peak in Wulls or Darl, this pace was far more leisurely, but still with plenty of customers.
「Ah-」
「Almost done？」
「Yeah. Ten more sausages to go.」
「Ah.」
Hearing Haruna’s report, Makoto stopped her work at the right amount of sausages, making slits in them. Today, Makoto had done very rudimentary work (such as cutting slits through bread or inserting ingredients that Haruna prepared to complete hotdogs, etc) that anyone without cooking skill (or low cooking skill) could accomplish without greatly affecting the taste. Haruna was the one doing things like seasoning it with cabbage or adjusting the cooking level of the sausages, so even if Makoto’s part were a little careless, Haruna easily made up for it with ingredients.
「But wow, you seem to be handling your feelings quite well recently, huh？」
The hotdogs finished selling without any trouble, and then Makoto asked Haruna something she had been wondering as they cleaned up shop.
「I am？」
「Yes. But it’s not like you’ve calmed down any. In fact, you seem more fiery than ever. Kinda weird. Any idea as to why？」
「Idea, huh……」
Haruna contemplated a bit. Unlike in Darl, Haruna knew this time around that she no longer had the urge to touch Hiroshi. There must have been something that prompted this…
「The moment I touched the holy water from the evil idol, I was quarantined underground for three days right？」
「Right.」
「And I sort of felt refreshed after I rampaged a bit. Since then, rather than touch him, I felt more like I want him to come to like me, no matter how long it takes. So I guess it sorta became a war of attrition.」
「……Ah, so you let it out when you play sports……」
「Well, I guess so？」
Hearing the reason Haruna gave, Makoto just gave her an exasperated look. She hadn’t thought that Igreos’ claim, of all things, could be accurate.
「Well, that just about does it then. Also, good thing Tatsuya isn’t here right now. There’s a little something I wanna ask.」
Having asked the first question, Makoto then went to another topic that was best discussed away from Tatsuya, serious in both expression and voice
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「What？」
「I’ve been wondering for a while…Haruna, do you want to go back to Japan？」
「Eh？」
「I’m not really condemning you or anything, but it seems like you and Hiroshi aren’t all that keen on getting back to Japan.」
Haruna was at a loss to answer Makoto’s oddly sharp question. In a sense, that was an answer, but Makoto wanted a proper answer while they had the chance. She added some more input.
「Thinking about it logically from an objective standpoint, no one besides Tatsuya actually has a reason to return, right? Living arrangements and food might actually be far better over here, plus there’s plenty to do over here.」
「……Well, yeah, you’re right.」
「The same goes for human interaction. You have Hiroshi with his gynophobia and probably a lack of friends, or Mio with her bedridden state, inability to go to school that often, and clear lack of relationships. She at most has her parents and family back home that she might miss. Not much else honestly.」
「……Mhm. Probably, no, definitely, you’re correct.」
「And even in your case, if you go right back to Japan from here, you’d have much more difficulty living with Hiroshi like you’ve been doing here, right？」
「……」
As Makoto brought up topic after topic that Haruna had tried to avoid thinking about, Haruna just began to quiet down, unable to speak. If they were to return to Japan, mental health was one thing, but their positions in society would greatly shift in a negative direction. That was to be expected, but then there was her love for Hiroshi and all the hurdles that came with it, so anything more was rather cruel. If Hiroshi said he weren’t returning to Japan, then Haruna may very well have to force herself to stop loving him even without proper rejection.
But on the other hand, Haruna didn’t have much reason to stay here besides her relationship with Aearis and everyone else, and her feelings for Hiroshi. Thinking of her parents, siblings, and everyone around her, Haruna also felt no reason to sacrifice herself just for her love.
「……Honestly, I probably don’t have much attachment to here or Japan.」
「Really？」
「Yeah. I have people who I never want to cut ties with in both places, and I like both worlds a decent amount, so by that logic I don’t have a preference. But…」
「But？」
「When I think of everyone in Japan, regardless of what decision I make, I need to at least go back once.」
Unlike before, with hesitation, this time Haruna spoke confidently. She seemed to have her own complicated background regarding this.
「……Is it okay if I ask you why you’re so adamant about that？」
「Even assuming I were to live here, I’d need to convey that to some people at home, or else it’d be inconvenient for them. I do need to check some things though, y’know.」
「Inconvenient? How so？」
「It’s highly likely that some people would break anything in their way to try and search for me.」
Haruna said something unpleasant with a light grimace on her face, and Makoto went immediately silent. Disregarding that, Haruna continued speaking.
「In actuality, if things drag on too long, I could totally see someone coming for me.」
「Someone？」
「A certain aunt of mine (far younger than a typical aunt), as surprising as it sounds, just so happens to be a genius scientist who’s made VR systems, android with human-like AI, and room temperature nuclear fusion reactors that fit in the pam of your hands？」
「Ah, I know about them. Uhh, I think their name was Ayase Amane? What was their relationship with you like？」
「My mom’s cousin, about two years older than her. She’s young enough that you’d hesitate to call her an aunt, but she’s been around since I was a baby, so I kinda just naturally stuck with calling her that.」
「I think this every time, but the people you know must make things really lively for you, huh.」
「And I’m not even all that special anyway.」
Haruna had mentioned yet another incredibly influential figure in her life. She herself was just a super beautiful natural airhead who was skilled at singing and cooking, but the moment her parents were involved, suddenly everything became worldwide class. Haruna appeared to have some mixed feelings regarding the connections her parents had, but as Makoto didn’t directly know anyone involved, all she could say was that it gave her those vibes.
Incidentally, the genius scientist, Ayase Amane was also the mother of twin girls, and said twins were at the same high school as Hiroshi and Haruna, two years below their class. Despite having two high schoolers as daughters, this woman practically looked the same age or slightly younger than Makoto, but her personality fit her age.
「Wait, even if she is a talented scientist, can she actually just up and move over to this world？」
「As someone who knows of some of her yet-to-be-revealed inventions, it wouldn’t be surprising at all. Seriously, you’d think a relative would get that there’s no issue with me taking detours to and from school.」
「Ah～、I see……」
Haruna would just barely enter into the “normal person” category in everything other than household affairs, not surrounded by special police or tight security; simply living a normal life at a normal school. This “Ayase Amane” was probably throwing a wrench in all of that. Judging from Haruna’s tone of voice, there were probably actually more people meddling in her life than just Ayase.
「So in addition to all that, I can make a number of hypotheses about what things will be like for us over there, but that isn’t something to discuss right now. Honestly, regardless of if my theory is true, it isn’t going to benefit us right now, plus it’s better to discuss it when everyone’s here if we had to.」
「Alright.」
Makoto nodded at Haruna’s proposal as they finished clean-up with good timing. True, she was still curious about Haruna’s little theory, but it was a drag to discuss the same thing multiple times.
「So, as it’s kinda unfair just to ask me questions, allow me to ask my own here.」
As the two of them headed for the center of the marketplace, Haruna figured it was good timing to begin a counterattack. Unlike Farlane’s market center, Forre’s wasn’t always handling high grade items, so it went along with her objective.
「You’re asking about me？」
「Mhm.」
「Well, compared to you or Tatsuya, it must sound suuuper dumb, plus a little too late, but I want to return for a pretty urgent reason.」
「What do you mean by too late？」
With a fairly serious look on her face, Makoto told Haruna something rather bitter. Haruna just cocked her head.
「Ah, from a regular person’s viewpoint, it must sound really dumb.」
「But for you, it’s a really pressing matter, right？」
「Well, yeahhh…」
「Most people would consider it dumb, but the person who has the problem considers it to be very serious, and now said problem might be too late to resolve…I’m not sure what that might be though.」
Looking at Haruna, who really didn’t seem to get what was going on, Makoto truly felt the difference in their upbringing. This was also rather too late, but she really wondered, just for a moment, if it was okay to let this girl go through the same thing she and Mio went through.
「I want to dispose of the things on my closet, hard disk, etc. You see, the combined mass of my dark past, hobbies, preferences, and fetishes slumbers in that sacred realm.」
「Dark past……」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
Makoto’s dramatic words practically made Haruna exasperated. Haruna was also at that age, so it wasn’t like she didn’t have an interest in pictures, videos, books, etc, that were embarrassing to show others. But as someone who grew up in a house of worldwide-renowned big-shots, Haruna also couldn’t just get her hands on those things so easily, so she had a rather clean upbringing despite having superficial knowledge about sex.
As a result, Haruna had lived without having to deal with the embarrassment or discomfort of parents, siblings, or male acquaintances finding erotic books hidden around her. She really didn’t get how pressing of a situation Makoto was in.
Digressing a bit, in the current year that Haruna and friends had left their world, anime-related word usage had become quite commonplace. As a result, even Haruna, who was essentially a regular person and not much of an otaku, had an idea of what Makoto was talking about.
「Even if fujoshi are recognized as a great force in the world, BL is still something normies would look at you with cold eyes for reading, y’know?」
「If you say so……」
For Haruna, who had no interest in such things, it was impossible to understand what sort of things fujoshi had to deal with. As a result, all she could do was answer Makoto’s claim with a slightly confused expression.
「Wait, you do have books, or pictures that you’d rather not have anyone see, right? Maybe not the 18+ ones, but at least R or something?」
「I had friends show it to me before, but I don’t own any.」
「Whaat? Isn’t that unusual for your age？」
「It isn’t like I don’t have some interest, but I also don’t really want them. If I keep those things around and don’t watch out, there are sure to be several people who will ask troublesome questions when I go house searching……」
「Ah, got it.」
In an environment like Haruna’s house where an unspecified amount of people entered in and out, she probably couldn’t just carelessly get her hands on even slightly suggestive material like idol pictures. When you also considered that Haruna’s parents had a decent amount of prestige in the entertainment world, 2d was one thing but products involving 3d men would risk leaving unneeded suspicion. Sensing these unique predicaments at play, Makoto just grimaced.
Haruna probably didn’t realize how pampered of an upbringing she had, and her parents probably didn’t intend for it either. But with the environment being as it was, Haruna was in fact a well-off young lady. Already accustomed to it all, she hadn’t realized it much, but observing Haruna’s little mannerisms or walking postures, or the way she ate at mealtime, Makoto could not bring herself to say that Haruna was not a rich girl, because she most certainly was. Even the taciturn mannerisms that she occasionally exhibited in her words and deeds were clearly reflecting the lack of openness she was allowed in the environment she was raised in concerning her type, sexual curiosity, etc.
「Anyway, for that reason, I’ve been betting on the time difference ever since we got sent here, and I want to quickly go back and conceal the evidence before it’s discovered.」
「Hmmm？」
「You act like this doesn’t concern you, but I’m pretty sure Hiroshi has those sortsa things too y’know? Just not as severe as Mio and I.」
「It’s not even that weird for men to have erotic books and all that, so I’m really not that concerned……」
「You don’t consider it to be indecent？」
「IIt isn’t even like I have zero interest, so I’m pretty sure it would just be wrong in many ways to ridicule people for having those things, right？」
A bit overpowered from Haruna’s extremely reasonable, upright argument, Makoto couldn’t help but nod with a serious face. She was so insistent on protecting her chastity, and maybe that created a decent perception of balance within her to be so magnanimous.
「So, you briefly mentioned Mio-chan earlier. Does she want to return for the same reason？」
「I think so, yeah. Also, when you’re as otaku to the bone as she is, it’s super difficult to change, I think.」
「Pretty much the same, huh？」
「From the way she talks, I often feel that way, yeah.」
From this area, Mio was also in a complicated position. Honestly, a healthy body with no problems was something not exchangeable, something to be grateful for. Ever since coming to this world, Mio didn’t show it on her face initially, but she was unbelievably happy to be able to taste food with her own mouth and eat it.
But once humans adjust to their environment, they quickly begin to exhibit desires of the flesh…
「Right now Hiroshi’s here and she’s suppressing it, but if given the opportunity, she’d start saying “this is a real dating sim!” and stirring things around with everyone’s romantic interests.」
「No, c’mon, you must be exaggerating……」
「Actually, it’d be great if it stopped there, but back when we took out the maneater in Ortem, she secretly went and grabbed some of Hiroshi’s test products we used for that, so she might actually start treating this like a real eroge and have Artiem, the underground elves, Nora, etc fall into a trap. I’m serious, you know？」
「Whoa……」
Haruna recoiled in shock as she remembered the test products that Hiroshi made to combat the maneater. Not a single one of them had the power to strangle a person to death, but much like what happened with tying Artiem up into a position that was not presentable, there were plenty of items among them that could make some very vivid 18+ scenes. Hiroshi should have disposed of them, but apparently this time Mio’s tenacity won out.
「W-Well, first off, we shouldn’t discuss this too much while walking, so once we meet up with Tatsuya-san and window shop a bit, let’s get back early and resume the discussion, kay？」
「Yep. I don’t think anyone would really get it by listening, but it’s not something to discuss while walking, I agree.」
The topic had turned to one that mature women probably shouldn’t discuss, so Haruna hurriedly changed the course of plans and Makoto followed along. It wasn’t like there weren’t any other serious topics to discuss, but the majority of them were better off waiting until everyone was gathered, so the two girls began talking about Forre fashion- a relatively safe topic.
Until now, Haruna and Makoto hadn’t had much time to work together due to the differences in the jobs assigned to them and their compatibility, but it wasn’t like they didn’t get along or had anything they couldn’t deal with. They were close in age after all and had much to discuss about the differing fashion of Farlane, Darl, and Forre as they walked around looking at the various shops before reconvening with Tatsuya.
「Raise your heads.」
Around the time Haruna and the others were surveying the marketplace. Andrew Misen, the envoy of the kingdom of Farlane, had an audience with the king of Forre, Gouto the Eighth, letter in hand delivered from the king of Farlane.
「Now then, I have read the letter from King Regnas.」
「Yes, Your Majesty.」
Putting power into his abdomen so as to not be overwhelmed by the astonishing height (almost 2 meters) and girth (steel flesh like that of an ogre or giant) of this “human” king Gouto, Andrew saluted him in response.
「If it is truly possible, then we would love to have it. However…」
「I understand your concern very well.」
Andrew nodded at the king of Forre. Even he would have tried to persuade the Farlane king to reconsider by putting his own neck on the line (literally) had this not involved Elena’s dagger. That was just how unrealistic this was.
Then again, he had been staying in Forre for five years by this point, polishing his eye for smithing items, plus he was an accomplished enchanter, so he was able to understand immediately just how remarkable Elena’s dagger was.
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「And my master does not seek immediate assistance on all fronts. Currently, people are discussing the making of prototype smelting forges, so he simply wishes for a bit of assistance, or at the very least tacit consent for the project.」
「I know. Crest Cave is a head-scratching problem for our country. If this plan goes well, then even if Crest Cave does not return from a dungeon, our production will not have to drop, and even if it returns to its original form, magic steel ore and mythril ore will be immediately be oversupplied, and the products will not have enough supply. Either way, our country has nothing but profit. Also, even if we fail in the process, we only have one smelting furnace. Contribution from our side would hardly cost us.」
The ministers of finance and technology nodded, affirming the king’s words. They were already contributing a large budget to researching and developing new smelting furnaces with new excavation machinery. Another country introducing new technology (albeit from the unknown continent) was something to be welcomed, not something to be evaded. No matter the outcome, no one here thought such funding would go to waste.
So it was something else that the king saw as problematic.
「What I am concerned about is whether or not we can trust Azuma Workshop.」
「Would it not suffice to say they have the support of my master as well as Darl’s Queen Mishaela herself？」
「Well, I am a man of prejudice. Unless I see them directly, I cannot determine if they are to be trusted or not.」
As the king of a country, he surely could not just trust someone based on the evaluation of another large country, even on the same level.
「I do not mind if you wish to make a new type of smelting furnace. If it will give us technological feedback, we will of course gladly accept. However, I will not have them interfering in our affairs because of that.」
「Your concerns are most valid, but if they intended that, the group would have tried to start something back when they defeated Barold.」
「You see, I am a coward. I cannot seem to erase the suspicion that they might gain influence and do as they please after digging into the center of the three great western countries.」
「I also have yet to meet them, so I cannot display enough evidence to clear your doubts. Therefore, at the very least, I ask that you permit this smelting furnace idea. Also, no matter the outcome, I ask that you do not pin anything on them.」
「I know. Our country is always supporting the development of smelting furnaces alongside new prototypes. Even I and the citizens of this country are not so shameless as to punish the introductions of items from other countries.」
Andrew bowed deeply at the king’s words. Things would have likely been different had this not concerned iron and had Crest Cave not isolated. Then again, had Crest Cave’s mines not turned into an isolated dimension dungeon, then Hiroshi would never have even considered making the new smelting furnace variant, and Andrew would never have needed to persuade the Forre king in a situation like this.
「Still, if it were to go well, how many years ahead would this innovative technology bring us？」
「Somewhere around ten years, I would imagine.」
The minister of technology answered the king’s query. Unfortunately, these past ten years had not yielded anything as auspicious as a technological revolution, but even so, the quality of manufactured goods, the amount of time for refining, and the amount they could refine at once had all comparatively increased several times since the country had stopped breakthroughs. Still, when you looked at the amount of investment in research and development and the output, you couldn’t help but feel that Forre wasn’t getting much out of it.
「Assuming this plan of yours takes off, what sort of merit does it bring your kingdom？」
「If the supply of magic steel goes up, the amount our country can buy will increase as a matter of course. Once that happens, the casualties from large monster raids will decrease, enabling us to focus more effort on securing trade routes, food supply, and other increases in production. This would also potentially become a great merit for your kingdom as well.」
「And you do not consider that we might try and invade your country with the increased production of magic steel equipment？」
「It is very laudable of you to say such a thing. If a war were to erupt between my country and yours, the increased miasms would invite a dragon lord down from Spirit Spire Mountain. His Majesty is not so optimistic to think we can handle dragon lord talons or breath with mere magic steel aromor.」
「Right, very true. Besides, if our Melkuod or Daites were to clash with your Sir Felnock or Sir Douga, imagine how much destruction it would cause. Every soldier in my country is regarded on average to have the most proficiency out of the three kingdoms, but even with magic steel swords/spears on regular soldiers, we are not so decrepit to think they would even inflict a single scratch on Sir Felnock or Sir Douga.」
Bringing up the case of the heroes from both kingdoms, King Forre expressed how meaningless fighting would be. Possessing powerful, wide-range attacks that might as well be used for targeting entire armies, these heroes were the kind that could easily hunt wyverns or cerberus. If such heroes were to clash on the battlefield without holding anything back, just one shockwave from the first attack was enough to render any regular soldier unable to battle.
「At any rate, I am currently unsure as to if we should get involved as a country. First we can follow the system and give out subsidies, but anything further will be after we observe some.」
「Of course, that is not a problem.」
「Then please convey what we just discussed to King Regnas. You may leave.」
「Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you for having me.」
The king motioned for him to be on his way, and Andrew bowed before leaving the audience room. Inwardly relieved that things had mostly gone as the king of Farlane had predicted, he also felt slightly saddened that this country might be weakened by them as well.
Seeing that Andrew had gone out, the king of Forre spoke in a heavy tone.
「So, what do you think？」
「I do not think there is much of a need to be cautious with his workshop. After all, there is hardly any merit to encroach into our country with all the fetters that accompany it.」
The king of Forre raised an eyebrow at how confident the minister was. This appeared to be a fairly unexpected opinion.
「And your basis for this？」
「From what I hear, they can take on not only wyverns single-handedly, but even garvarenjia, and in addition to their battle prowess, they also appear to have the technological prowess for making comfortable settlements (even more so than what we have) with the ingredients gleaned from the monsters. With those two elements, they would be a lot better off not dealing with the troubles that accompany nobility, instead opting to seclude themselves far into the reaches of the Great Southern Forest or Spirit Spire Mountain, where they can live much more freely.」
「I do not think that is particularly sound evidence…？」
「The other conviction is just as the envoy from earlier mentioned: Farlane will be safe regardless of what happens. With all that power backing them up in addition to thwarting Katarina’s revolt, the workshop has proven themselves. If they wanted to, they could easily fake outward appearances while taking over Farlane behind the scenes and taking it easy.」
「Although I do hear that Wulls holds them in high regard？」
「I hear it isn’t much different than giving a valued merchant preferential treatment. In fact, in terms of achievements and prestige as a country, I think it might even be an admirable thing to do.」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
The king just groaned at the minister’s confident statement. Currently, the only preferential treatment present in Forre was maybe relieving real estate taxes, while Wulls’ treatment of Hiroshi’s group was so favorable because practically everything Azuma Workshop produced was something that either Azuma Workshop had that was exclusive or something that Azuma Workshop was too far ahead in with quality/performance for others to try and attempt the same thing. No one was treating the workshop with preference because of pure favoritism or meritorious service; it was simply that everyone was confident in purchasing goods from them.
The only elements of their treatment that you might consider slightly preferential were the fact they could pretty much get freely in and out of the castle and that their proposals were easier to implement than that of the other shopkeepers. However, the only proposals that dealt with all of Farlane or Wulls were really just the slum soil amelioration project and the experimental farm. In this case as well, had the workshop not acted, all of Wulls could have very well fell into wide chaos, so even if Hiroshi’s group had not proposed the plan, the king would have had them implement it at some point.
The experimental farm had come about when Hiroshi’s group brought the topic up early morning, and without it, the probability of quarantining/disposing/burning down the entire division due to suspicion of an epidemic would have been fairly high. Compared to that bad aftertaste, the country instead had lost nothing, and it wasn’t like Hiroshi’s group was gaining much monetary/societal profit from any of this.
Then again, you might say that their being able to experiment with crop cultivation all they wanted using the country’s money was a tremendous profit for them.
「What if their leader changes after ten years？」
「I can say nothing regarding that, as there is no organization that does not go through change.」
「Hm……」
Although he understood the king’s concerns, the minister could only argue that there was no point trying to be too cautious right now. In ten years from now, even if they were to successfully dismantle Azuma Workshop, there was the possibility of another organization taking over the center.
「There is not much else we can do besides finding an excuse to meet them once and determine their nature.」
「Very true. Besides, even if these guests from the unknown continent were to take over after I die, that would simply mean the king after me is incompetent. The kingdom would doubtless end up destroyed regardless.」
「Right you are.」
「Needless to say, I have no intention of allowing anyone to come to the forefront.」
The vassals around the king looked up at him trustingly. If Farlane or Darl’s core members (who were weakened, in a sense) were to hear this statement, they would have undoubtedly had awkward smiles on their face while nodding absentmindedly.
Also, these concerns of the king of Forre were in fact valid. While they had never ravaged the country or screwed up politics, a hundred years later, Azuma Workshop would be taking over the world due to everyone overdepending on their crafting/distribution as well as the related parties later using their positions at Azuma Workshop to continue to make the things they wanted to make, but that is between us.
「We’re back」
「Welcome back」
When they had finished everything, Haruna’s group returned to the base at Crest Cave and were met by Mio, who seemed to have finished her aqua breath instructing.
「Where is Hiroshi-kun？」
「Sensei just told me he’s going to be a while.」
「I see.」
Apparently he was caught up in something the queen and Magdarena asked him to do in the palace in Darl, and had yet to finish the conference in Igreos Temple.
「It seems like Sensei won’t be able to do anything tomorrow either, and I wanna test out the capabilities of the aqua breath, so is it cool？」
「Test? How so？」
「I’m going to actually go into the dungeon and confirm if we can get through the poison gas area.」
Tatsuya and Makoto just went silent at Mio’s proposal. Haruna had seemingly decided to leave the decision to the elder two, beginning the tea.
「First, could you tell me why we’re included in this too？」
「If it’s all of us, we have methods to deal with the effects wearing off.」
「Well, I certainly do get that, but……」
Mio spoke confidently, and Tatsuya just let out a grimace. Actually, inside his bag were plenty of items to deal with status irregularities. Thinking also of the environmental resistance on his equipment, there would be no no issues with the effects of aqua breath.
「And what merit is there in us participating in this efficiency test？」
「I made sure to negotiate that as well. You’ll be properly compensated, and they’ve also said that anyone from Azuma Workshop has free access to Crest Cave while it’s still a dungeon, excavation and everything.」
「I see. What kind of reward?」
「Money, orichalcum, adamantite, and some ore called hihiirogane that the dwarves have too much of.」
「So they’ve thought this out. Great.」
Makoto just grinned at how spot-on the rewards sounded. Even if there were quite a few people who could process magic steel, anything beyond orichalcum seemed to be a threshold that had not been reached by anyone in the skill department within the last three hundred years. The same could be said for refinement, of which the last known person to possess the skill died in an accident before they could convey it to anyone. Additionally, the smelting furnace, not having been maintained properly, simply ceased to function.
These metals were particularly rare in their element to begin with, so there hadn’t been much reason to panic, but after three hundred years there was sure to be quite a buildup of ore, in addition to demand for someone to carry on the processing skills for it, so the reward was to release a bunch of that ore to Makoto and the others, logically.
Then again, even if they flung out all the ore from way back, dungeons had unlimited supply in them, so it didn’t really matter that much.
「The equipment has problems with weight, sound, etc, so making the equipment with those sorts of metals seems to be something Hiroshi and I should handle, but the weapons, we can probably make super strong and flashy for everyone.」
「I can barely handle orichalcum, but my success rate with adamantite is close to zero, and hihiirogane is way too unique for us to even try.」
「This is the perfect opportunity to train, don’tcha think？」
「After we talk to Sensei.」
Now that they heard about getting their hands on high-quality material, there was no turning back. And they had too much time on their hands. Sure, it would be a bit too dangerous to go all the way to the depths without Hiroshi there, but if they were just going to a relatively close area to see if they could break through the poison gas, then surely that wouldn’t be a problem.
Without hiding their greed (in fact, they were completely open about it), the group proceeded the conversation onward. In fact, there was no doubt that even high class cuisine could never bring out as much motivation as this did.
「Then tomorrow is dungeon exploration time.」
「No objections.」
「I’ll go with whatever you guys do.」
「Then it’s a go.」
Their desires completely stimulated by the word “new equipment”, the whole group decided with unanimity to become guinea pigs. At this point, Tatsuya had completely forgotten to tell the group all the rumors he had heard. Not that this was particularly high on their list of important or urgent affairs, but had they actually discussed the information he had gathered, there was another route they may have gone, but now he had utterly forgotten it.
「Seeing as we’re exploring, is it cool if I dig through some wall for my practice？」
「Sure, why not？」
「Tatsuya-san, Makoto-san. What’re we going to find deeper in？」
「They’ve apparently found giant centipedes and other monsters like that.」
「Well, even if you say giant, they’re only about half a meter.」
Albeit on the light side, now that they were going to be exploring the dungeon, Haruna lost any opportunity to bring up the discussion with Makoto back at the food stand, so she figured since Hiroshi wasn’t even there, she figured she may as well wait until the smelting furnace deal was all over with as she got to advancing arrangements for tomorrow. The question of how badly Hiroshi wanted to return would not end up being asked until quite a bit later.
