Chapter 13

We arrived in the small room in the gap, but the weight on my back didn’t disappear.

It looked like Yoshioka had managed to transfer with me successfully.

“Yoshioka, you alive?”

“Y-Yes. Is this the small room in the gap you mentioned, Senpai?”

“That’s right. First off, get off my back.”

“Ah, sorry.”

The small room in the gap was supposed to have nothing in it, but right now, my sleeping bag set, snacks, and magazines were scattered around.

“It’s kind of like a solitary cell, or maybe a bachelor dormitory. I thought it would feel more mystical, but this totally ruins the vibe.”

“My bad. I told you the reason before, didn’t I? There are times when I have to kill time here for adjustments.”

“I see.”

“Just wait a second. I’m going to grab a Skill before we head to the other world.”

Just as I was about to draw a card as usual, a voice suddenly called out to me.

“Mr. Hinoharu.”

Well, if it isn’t Mr. Handsome. It had been a while.

“Ah, it’s been a long time.”

“Long time no see.”

“What business brings you here today?”

Mr. Handsome gestured smoothly toward Yoshioka.

Even his hands were beautiful.

“It is regarding this person… Mr. Akito Yoshioka. Mr. Hinoharu, you have caused quite a bit of trouble.”

Crap, was bringing a living creature a no-go?

“Was that bad?”

“Yes. I never expected you to bring a human on your back… Furthermore, crossing the walls of the world automatically grants a Gift from God. A Gift has been bestowed upon Mr. Yoshioka as well.”

I looked back at Yoshioka.

“It’s something called ‘Sage’s Egg’…”

“That is an ability that allows the use of basic magic from all systems. Depending on one’s training, it is a Skill that makes it possible to become a Great Sage who masters the magical arts.”

Whoa!

Isn’t that amazing?!

…Isn’t the difference in our treatment a bit too much, though?

“Mr. Hinoharu, I will overlook it this time as a special exception, but please do not do such a thing a second time.”

The person before me was a transcendent being.

I must not defy him.

“Regarding the future, you two have been registered as a set for the Hero Summons. Therefore, if Mr. Hinoharu is summoned, Mr. Yoshioka will be summoned regardless of where he is or what he is doing. Conversely, if Mr. Hinoharu is sent back, Mr. Yoshioka will also be automatically sent back. This cannot be changed.”

I instinctively looked back at Yoshioka, and he gave me a silent nod.

It seemed he was going to accept it without making a fuss.

“Furthermore, please keep in mind that only Mr. Hinoharu can obtain a new Skill each time he is summoned.”

I suppose that couldn’t be helped.

However, if things stayed like this, Yoshioka would have a hard time once we got to the other world.

“Um, I know this is bold of me to ask! I won’t ask for the full Linguistic Proficiency skill. Could you at least make it so Yoshioka can understand the local language!?”

I used Courage x6 to make my plea to Mr. Handsome.

(…He makes a face like a troubled dog, doesn’t he? I happen to like the creatures known as dogs, so it is difficult to refuse.)

“Please!”

“…It cannot be helped. By my authority, I shall grant him the ability to use only the language of the Kingdom of Saxens.”

“Thank you very much!”

Yoshioka and I bowed deeply to Mr. Handsome.

Once he left the room, the two of us slumped over in relief.

“Senpai, who was that handsome guy? His aura was insane.”

“He definitely wasn’t human. That is someone you absolutely must never defy.”

In any case, I was glad things worked out safely.

Let’s pull ourselves together; it was time to get a Skill.

I wondered what would come out this time.

Oh, Ninja!

Isn’t this great?!

With this, even rock climbing would become a breeze!

Maybe I’d go climb Mount Mizugaki next week.

“Heh, that’s pretty cool,” Yoshioka said, peeking at the Skill card.

Three fireballs were dancing like juggling beanbags in his hands.

…I wasn’t jealous. Not at all.

I’d pull the “Sage’s Egg” card eventually, too. Hell, there was even a chance I’d draw a “Great Sage” card right out of the gate.

“Touch the doorknob of the blue door once you’ve got your game face on.”

“Ready whenever you are.”

I figured I didn’t need to carry him on my back anymore. Yoshioka was supposed to be summoned right along with me now.

As we stepped through the blue door, we found ourselves in Clara-sama’s study.

“Welcome back, Ko…ta? And who might this gentleman be?”

Clara-sama looked bewildered by Yoshioka’s unexpected appearance.

“I’m back, Clara-sama. This is my friend, Akito Yoshioka. He’s, uh…”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t actually decided what Yoshioka was going to do in this world.

However, Clara-sama broke into a radiant, beaming smile and clapped her hands together.

“Oh! As expected of Kota. You sensed that I was short on attendants and brought along a fellow Summoned Beast. You have my thanks!”

That was a complete misunderstanding.

I rushed to correct her, but Yoshioka opened his mouth before I could get a word out.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Clara Ansbach. I am Akito Yoshioka, Kota Hinoharu’s younger brother-in-law. I look forward to our acquaintance.”

Brother-in-law?

“I see, I see. Then will you also be serving me, just as Yoshioka?”

“Yes. Therefore, from this moment on, please feel free to call me Akito.”

Yoshioka was really leaning into this.

Was he sure about this? The daily pay was only 600 Marques (roughly 600 Yen).

“Understood. I shall be in your care, Akito.”

“Ha!”

Since we were a set as Summoned Beasts, I guess this worked out?

“By the way, Akito, what sort of abilities do you possess?”

“I am merely able to use basic magic from every system.”

Upon hearing that, Clara-sama suddenly stood up.

“Wh… Akito… are you certain?”

“About what, exactly?”

“In this country, if one can use offensive magic, they can become a Knight; if one can use healing magic, they can become a high-ranking Priest. If you achieve merit in war, it is even possible to become a Baron or an Earl. You possess that much latent potential.”

Now that she mentioned it, she was right.

But we were Summoned Beasts. We were beings that would be sent back automatically once we were dismissed or after a certain period of time passed. Could we even become nobles in this world?

Still, a noble life in another world… it did have a certain charm.

…But Emi did say she hated the idea of moving. She was a city girl through and through.

“Clara-sama, since we are Summoned Beasts, we aren’t sure if we can become nobility here. Besides, I am destined to be summoned at the same time as my Senpai, Kota. For now, how about we simply serve under you?”

“Hmm. If that is the case, I shall count on you.”

And so, it was settled that Akito would serve Clara-sama alongside me for the time being.

Now that the conversation had reached a stopping point, I pulled the souvenirs out of my Spatial Storage. It was the chocolate she had requested.

I thought a standard chocolate bar might be a bit plain, so I went with a boxed set of bite-sized chocolates. They cost less than 300 Marques, but since each one was wrapped in gold foil, they looked quite luxurious.

“Here you go, Clara-sama. The chocolate you asked for.”

“Oh…”

As I handed them over, Clara-sama gazed at the box in a daze. I wondered if she didn’t know how to open the plastic packaging?

“You open it like this, by grabbing the end of this red tape and pulling.”

I hadn’t noticed it myself, but apparently, a faint scent of chocolate wafted out the moment the seal was broken. Clara-sama took a deep breath through her nose.

“Would you like to try one right away?”

The dazed Clara-sama’s cheeks flushed slightly.

“I-It is a souvenir, after all. I-I suppose I shall indulge.”

Coffee goes best with chocolate. Since we were at it, I figured I’d prepare some.

“I’ll have some coffee ready in just a moment, please wait.”

I pulled the gas stove and some water out of my Spatial Storage.

“Yoshioka, get the water boiling. I’m going to the kitchen to grab some cups.”

I grabbed the thermal underwear I’d bought as souvenirs for Egon and Jutta and headed for the kitchen.

“I’m back!”

“Oh, Kota, you’re home. Are you hungry?”

Yutta greeted me with her usual warmth.

“I’m fine. Here, this is for you. It’s warm underclothing, so give it a try. More importantly, I came to get cups for Clara-sama.”

When I returned with the cups, Clara-sama was still staring blankly at the chocolate.

“Senpai, the water’s boiled.”

I brewed the coffee and presented it to Clara-sama.

“Now then, please try them together.”

Hm?

Were Clara-sama’s fingertips trembling?

Even so, she maintained a tense expression as she slowly placed a chocolate in her mouth.

The way this woman moved was truly refined. There aren’t many people who look beautiful while eating. I found myself staring in spite of myself.

“Mngh.”

Eh?

It was quiet, but a somewhat… sultry sound escaped Clara-sama’s lips. What was going on?

“Kota… can you truly buy this for 100 Marques?”

“Ah, this is one of the slightly more expensive ones, so it’s about 300 Marques.”

“Th-Three hundred Marques… This is at a level where it could be used as a gift for high nobility! And yet, it is only 300 Marques…”

I see, I see.

In that case, I might be able to make a fortune on chocolate alone. At the very least, it looked like I could recover the 220,000 Yen I spent on this shopping trip. The weapons and armor had been incredibly expensive.

Though, doing business in Ebba-berg—a village with poor distribution and a tiny population—was probably impossible. I’d likely have to go to the Royal Capital, Dresden, or some other developed city.

In any case, my dreams were expanding. I had high expectations for my future life in this other world.