Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

<Interworld Trade>

In the end, I decided to ask the viscount to let me think on it.

When I conveyed my decision, the vice manager next to me went white in the face. It seemed delaying one’s response to a noble’s request was very rude, and I was more or less told that on my way out.

Viscount Müller was likely a man of great character—he had seen me off with a smile.

And so we had a planning session after getting back to our fancy lodgings in town. The members of this council were two—Peeps and me. We hadn’t really needed a maid attached to our room, but in any case, we had her do some shopping for us in town. She probably wouldn’t return for a while. Thanks to that, we could discuss the matters at hand undisturbed.

“Peeps, be honest. How is this war looking?”

“In all likelihood, this nation will lose.”

“I, er, I see…”

I’d gotten that feeling from the viscount’s demeanor, but hearing it come straight from the bird’s mouth was a shock. If Peeps thought we’d most likely lose, then it seemed like the best decision was to leave town immediately.

But if I said I had no reservations, I’d be lying. I hadn’t known this world for long, but I had still developed friendships—first and foremost, Mr. Marc, the vice manager of the Hermann Trading Company. Plus, the eatery I had built for Peeps was here. It was not a good feeling to imagine all of that being stolen from me.

“…What do you want to do?”

“I’d like to do something if I can. But nothing good will come of participating in a losing battle, will it? In which case, I think it would be more constructive to figure out how everyone can be happy after we’ve lost.”

“You are right—the way the situation is progressing, the end is inevitable.”

“Right?”

“However, my magic holds the potential to turn the situation on its head.”

“…It does?”

“My name is Piercarlo the Starsage, inhabitant of another world.”

“Oh, that’s what you said before.”

The first time I talked to Peeps, that was how he introduced himself. I personally enjoyed the imposing air that contrasted his cute looks. Now I could understand that exaggerated, provocative title of Starsage.

“It would not be difficult to settle a quibble between nations. Destruction is easy. However, creating something takes time. You have formed a relationship with this town, and thus, we should endeavor never to lose that.”

“I see.”

“To that end, however, I shall require your assistance.”

“You will?”

“This frail body of mine cannot withstand the burdens of repeatedly using advanced magic. Just as when we move between worlds, I must use your body as a conduit to cast it. In brief, I must remain on your shoulder like this.”

“Ah…”

I didn’t know for certain how we would settle this war, but if Peeps said he could do it, he probably had the skill. The problem, then, was our position in society. We couldn’t afford to act publicly.

That would veer us off the course Peeps advocated—ignoring everyone else and spending your time however you wanted. We would be lionized by those around us and given strenuous jobs from those in positions of power. The life we’d have would be far from the “doing nothing but eat and sleep” ideal.

“We should think of a way to resolve things as inconspicuously as possible.”

“Agreed.”

And personally, I was happy with Peeps’s position regarding the war. If trouble started in this world, it could lead to my life in Japan breaking down. Given how sharp my new boss was, I wanted to leave as much wiggle room in my life as possible.

Frankly, I wanted this world to be somewhere I could always take a break.

“Then whether we like it or not, you must learn more about magic. In addition to teaching you intermediate spells, I will give you explanations regarding advanced magic and higher. We can then decide together how to use it.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

And so for the next few days, I practiced magic and listened to Peeps’s lectures.

As a result of this otherworld sojourn, I succeeded in learning one new intermediate spell.

And it was, amazingly, healing magic.

Now that there was a possibility I’d be taking part in a war, I made barrier magic and healing magic my top priority for this practice session. Though I hadn’t managed to learn the former yet, I’d squeezed out the latter on the last day of our practice, right before we wrapped things up for the day.

I tested it out a few hundred times on a wild rat that was near death. Seeing its wounds heal was soul-stirring. According to Peeps, while beginner-level healing magic could only cure small scrapes, bruises, and simple bone fractures, the intermediate-level version could completely heal missing limbs, serious burns, and complex fractures depending on how much mana was used.

Once you learned intermediate healing magic, you would never go hungry. That’s what Peeps claimed, at least. As I watched the rat run off, his words seemed to make sense. Just moments ago, it had been on the brink of death, and now it was full of energy.

In addition, Peeps lectured me on large-scale magic. Several spells of this type, apparently, could change the shape of mountains. How on earth would that even work? The two of us decided further investigation was needed for any practical use.

Once magic practice was finished and we’d eaten and slept at our lodgings, we went home. Considering the summons from my boss, we couldn’t let our stay drag on for too long. As soon as we returned, I had to race to the office.

My destination was a conference room in the bureau’s city center office building. In that cramped, ten-square-meter space, the section chief and I faced one another.

“I’m sorry for calling you up so soon after saying you’d have a break.”

“No, I don’t mind at all.”

“When it comes to government employees being promoted, there’s usually an exam or something you’d need to take, but our workplace is a bit special in that regard. In the first place, our official titles don’t even match what we do. Considering that, roles can change quickly, like now, based on the situation on the ground.”

“Will my pay change?”

“No need to worry about that—we have a suitable amount prepared.”

“I’m happy to hear it.”

My expenses lately had been on the high side, and my next payday would be a long time coming. I wonder how first-year employee bonuses even work… My old job had had nothing like that, so I couldn’t help but be curious.

“That said, the fact is that we just don’t have enough people. I’m sorry to do this to you when you just joined, but I’ll be having you stand by as part of our combat-ready forces. As I explained last night, I’d like for you to partner with Miss Hoshizaki to canvas for new psychics.”

“I understand about needing to bring in more psychics, but…”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s just that teaming up with Miss Hoshizaki seems like overkill.”

“There are several ways to persuade psychics to join us, actually. You might use information reported to the police to find stray psychics and talk to them, or you might try to bring active irregular psychics to the negotiating table.”

“I see.”

“Would you want to do all that by yourself?”

“No, sir. I’ll gladly pair up with Miss Hoshizaki for it.”

Getting into a fight with some other psychic on my own? You had to be joking.

Love you, Miss Hoshizaki.

“An excellent decision.”

“Will I be receiving hazard pay in that case?”

“As a general rule, our work outside the office always garners hazard pay. You’re better off assuming there are no safe jobs related to psychics. Suppose a total amateur with no training was suddenly handed a cannon or a missile. That’s what a psychic is.”

“…That does make sense, sir.”

Perfect sense, in fact, given what had happened at the bowling alley. Maybe that was exactly why they were going through the trouble of gathering these psychics, employing them with the government, and using them to solve problems caused by other psychics. Otherwise, you’d need to mobilize the police or Self Defense Forces en masse. And on top of that, it was the best way to maintain secrecy.

“However, incidents like the one two days ago are rare.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do if you’d said they were commonplace.”

Incidentally, the new title on my business card was going to be lieutenant, apparently. Considering my age, it had a pretty good ring to it. By the same scale, the section chief was a chief superintendent—an awfully impressive-sounding position.

“I’d also like you to take care of Hoshizaki.”

“Sir? I feel like she’s the one who’s been taking care of me.”

“Despite how she looks, her personality is cause for concern. And she’s young.”

“…Understood, sir.”

Now that I knew how old she was, I could easily agree with the section chief.

Still, she was someone from whom I wanted to keep my distance, if possible. She certainly pricked at my conscience in an “adult responsibilities” sort of way, but staying alive had to be my first priority. After all, she was a high school girl turned mercenary out to pile up hazard pay.

“You’ll be contacted about the unofficial announcement in a little under an hour. Until then, stand by in the office.”

“I will, sir. I’ll be waiting at my desk.”

And that was how my meeting with the boss went.

Ultimately, the whole idea of a promotion sounded pretty good. Nothing about me had changed, but I could feel a groundless confidence swelling within me. This must be why other wage slaves around the world suck up to their bosses so much.

And for this workplace, the higher up the ladder I climbed, the more freedom it seemed I’d have. That would, in turn, make it easier to go to the otherworld. As a government employee, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to put my hat in the bureau’s promotion ring.

I’d probably never have it as good as those who passed the government exam, but it still got my hopes up.

After safely receiving advance notice of the promotion, I got my very own business card stating I was a police lieutenant. Miss Hoshizaki had been promoted along with me.

Without anything in particular on the schedule, I left the office. The boss had told me to take the next few days to rest and recuperate. The bureau seemed to have its hands full dealing with the aftermath of the incident anyway, and I was told that the on-site teams would likely be on break for a while. So for today, I simply took him up on his generosity.

I didn’t forget to stock up at the superstore on my way home. That said, making purchases too far out of the ordinary could put the section chief’s eyes on me. I picked out the transceivers and batteries Viscount Müller had ordered—and a few minimal spices.

Once I got back to my apartment, it was time for Peeps and me to teleport to the otherworld.

It was just a little after noon. I’d been out of the house for three or four hours. With the otherworld’s faster passage of time, several days would have passed. I doubted the war with the Ohgen Empire had changed all that much in the meantime.

If I assumed my paid vacation would last about a week, that worked out to hundreds of days in the otherworld. For now, I could be active over there without worrying about the time. At the very least, I wouldn’t have to stress about the town getting destroyed while I was out at work.

“Okay, Peeps, I’m ready.”

“All right.”

With everything I needed in hand, we moved from the apartment to the otherworld’s inn.

The familiar flooring of my room was supplanted by the hard stone of the inn. As far as I could tell from checking the scenery outside window, nothing crazy seemed to have happened. It looked like the Ohgen Empire’s invasion hadn’t reached Baytrium just yet.

But I couldn’t afford to be optimistic. We hurried off to see the vice manager.

After heading to the trading company, we were immediately taken to meet Mr. Marc. It just so happened that he had received word from Viscount Müller, and he was hoping to head to the castle as soon as we were ready. He explained it was almost certainly about the war with their neighboring country. It wouldn’t do to ignore the request, so we left for the castle, carrying only the contributions I was to make to the viscount. And so, just like that, we now sat in the castle’s reception room, facing one another.

“…I see, my lord—military provisions and raw materials.”

“Indeed.”

As part of the war effort, Viscount Müller had been given orders by the nation proper to construct frontline facilities and make sure they were prepared to feed the soldiers. This was his role as a noble of his kingdom and was separate from defending his own territory.

Such responsibilities applied not only to Viscount Müller but to all the nobles in the kingdom. Each had been tasked with various duties proportionate to the economic and geographical conditions of their lands. If any of them disobeyed, it was quite possible their noble house would be ruined.

Incidentally, the count of the next territory over had been ordered to mobilize fifty thousand troops and one thousand horses. As a freshman in this world, I couldn’t tell which of them had been levied the heavier burden. In any case, it seemed quite difficult for both of them.

“We must deliver the goods needed for the war within one month. It will take two weeks by carriage to reach the front. Procurement is already underway, but the situation is grim. Excluding the two weeks for travel, we will have two weeks to gather all the items requested. It seems impossible.”

“Is that so, my lord?”

“We’ve been making requests of the trading companies and merchants in this territory, not least of all the Hermann Trading Company. But even with all of them, we cannot meet the demand for supplies. The price of food has already begun to soar, and if we continue with force, this town’s economy will collapse before the war is even lost.”

“……”

It felt a lot more like war than I was anticipating. I could sense the full force of a nation here.

“I understand that making such a request of you, a citizen of a foreign nation, is misplaced. However, if you have any means, would you advise me? Even a small suggestion would be welcome. As you can see, we are desperate.”

As he said that, he bowed his head deeply.

Beside me, the vice manager’s eyes were popping out of his head. Nobles bowing to commoners must have been a very rare occurrence here. And that spoke to just how dire their situation was.

“…Advice, my lord?”

“Yes. Do you have any good ideas?”

I didn’t know what to tell him. If I made Peeps’s existence public, there might have been any number of ways to go about this. On the other hand, I was just a commoner without his assistance. I may have well-lined pockets at the moment, but I could only do so much as an individual.

Thinking back, however, Peeps and I had agreed to remain as inconspicuous as possible. It was probably best to avoid bringing him into the conversation. I needed to keep my dealings with Viscount Müller within the scope of what I could do alone.

And hey, every pet owner wanted to show off in front of his pet once in a while, right?

“There is one thing I’d like to confirm, my lord.”

“What is that?”

“What was the root cause of this war?”

“Ah yes. Being from another nation, you would require an explanation.”

You can never tell unless you try—the viscount was much readier to explain things than I would have expected. His face as he did so, however, was even grimmer than before. The reason rapidly became clear as he described the situation.

Only one hundred years ago, this nation had been an important power known for its excellence in magic. It didn’t have much land to its name, but it had many talented magicians and was able to go toe-to-toe with the great nations that surrounded it.

But that prominence had waned over the years. According to the viscount, the cause was a deterioration of the nation’s magical talent. Overconsumption by the privileged classes—royalty, nobility, wealthy merchants—had disgusted many talented magicians. Over time, they began deserting the country, taking its power with them.

“Sir Sasaki, do you know of the Starsage?”

“…I do not, my lord.”

A term I was sure I had heard somewhere before spilled from the viscount’s lips. That was the title Peeps had used for himself.

“Despite all this, the nation managed to remain at peace—all because a tremendously great and powerful magician continued wielding his powers for us from inside the palace. He was known as the Starsage, and it was thanks to him that our days continued to pass in tranquility.”

“……”

I decided to stay quiet and hear what he had to say. Peeps had shown no particular reaction, either. He just sat perched patiently on my shoulder like always.

“However, that ended several years ago. The Lord Starsage was the beneficiary of enormous support from the current king, and a group of envious nobles had him assassinated. Since then, this nation has seen only deterioration and decay, collapsing ever further by the moment.”

“I see…”

Peeps had been a way more amazing person than I’d thought. Now I felt even more hesitant about relying on him. I didn’t imagine it felt too great to think about lending his aid to the country that had backstabbed him. He seemed to have good feelings about this particular viscount, but that didn’t necessarily extend to the others.

And then Peeps, having escaped his assassination by means unknown to me, had ended up in a pet shop as a Java sparrow. He had stayed there for two months, while several years had passed here, and his country had entered a tailspin. Now it faced an unprecedented crisis, under attack from its neighbor.

“Did the Lord Starsage have no apprentices, my lord?”

“I am told he was an extremely busy man and had no time to train any.”

“So that’s how it was…”

In that case, even if we held out this time, the Ohgen Empire was bound to keep pressing the attack. Why, the Kingdom of Herz was nothing but their prey now, wasn’t it? Unless the Empire was truly made to understand there would be consequences, the problem would remain unsolved.

“Why was he called the Starsage, my lord?”

“Somebody once had the idea that he commanded as many spells as there are stars in the night sky, and the name remained. In truth, I know of no magician who maintains a repertoire as massive as his. Though the moniker did seem to cause him some embarrassment.”

“I see.”

Viscount Müller was correct: Peeps knew a crazy amount of magic. He’d memorized even the longest of spells down to the letter and taught them all to me with precision. And despite his alleged embarrassment at the nickname, he used it to introduce himself anyway. Adorable.

Lord Starsage—I think he might be quite fond of it, actually.

The place: still the castle reception room. The conversation: still regarding wartime countermeasures.

I’d heard the gist of things from the viscount. Moreover, we were now expected to give the best advice we could.

“I am fully aware that suggesting this will be rude, my lord, but now that you have explained the situation to me, I cannot help but think the wisest decision in this case would be to give up the Kingdom of Herz. I feel negotiation with the Ohgen Empire to be our only means of survival.”

“Mr. Sasaki!” cried the vice manager on hearing my words. It did seem an extremely rude proposition.

“No, I don’t mind,” interjected the viscount. “I, too, had considered it.”

“But, my lord…!” Losing his calm, the vice manager started casting about his gaze. It would probably be a huge mess if anyone but us heard this.

“However, I cannot risk the lives of my people on uncertain negotiations. With only one month left before I go to the front lines, I decided it would be impossible to bring the Empire to the negotiating table. In no small part because troops from other territories will be marching through my own on their way to the enemy.”

“That would indeed make it a very difficult undertaking, my lord.”

Come to think of it, he was right. Compared to modern society, things in this world progressed rather leisurely. The lack of telephones and internet meant information traveled at a snail’s pace. Like the viscount had said, just communicating with the relevant people and places would easily take more than a month. In this world, horses were still working hard to fill in for fiber-optic cables.

“But I cannot predict the future, and so I believe we should aim to minimize our risk by responding to the kingdom’s requests to the minimum degree possible. If word soon spreads that we have suffered the greatest of losses, I’m sure others will arrive at the same conclusion.”

“I see, my lord.”

“Fortunately, I have received no request to mobilize troops. The financial strain we will face instead is great, but as long as the people survive, there will be other chances in the future. We should arm ourselves if and only if it truly becomes necessary.”

Viscount Müller seemed to have considered this from many angles. Even the duty he’d been levied with was most likely the result of strenuous negotiation and compromise. Any careless proposals on my part would only display my own indiscretion. This man was very talented—much more so than a nobody like me. I sensed he was definitely the type of person meant to lead others.

“I understand your considerations, my lord. I will limit my own to provisions and other supplies.”

“I apologize—I was the one who troubled you with all this.”

“No, not at all, my lord. In fact, I apologize for making such a meddlesome proposal.”

“What do you think, then? Any plans?”

“Hmm…”

It wouldn’t be possible to bring anything from Japan. Not food to feed tens of thousands of people, at least. That would go way beyond my credit card limit. And if the section chief learned about it, he’d absolutely have questions.

Which meant I’d have to bring things in from other towns in this world.

It was possible, I supposed. I could use what money I’d saved with my business so far to buy things in bulk, then have Peeps use teleportation magic to bring it here. If we did that, we’d be able to deliver what the viscount needed to the site within the allotted time. We’d get good enough results even in just a month.

However, that plan didn’t come without its obstacles. Who would I say was doing it and how? I needed to answer those questions so Peeps didn’t end up front and center in all this.

“Come to think of it, my lord, I remember hearing rumor of a kind of magic that allows one to travel freely through space. Apparently, one can move to a faraway destination in the blink of an eye. Distances that would normally take days could be traversed in a matter of seconds.”

“I, too, have heard of this. The Lord Starsage was known for his proficiency in the spell. However, I know of no other magicians who can use it. It is apparently a very advanced technique, and average magicians are unable to learn it.”

“…I see, my lord.”

The viscount had said transferring the goods to the site would only take half the month mentioned—two weeks. If, somehow, a storehouse within his territory was suddenly stocked with the necessary goods, as if they’d appeared out of thin air, that would fulfill his need.

And what if no one was there to witness them appearing?

I’d only talked to the viscount a few times so far, but he seemed to have an outstanding character. If I forbade him from speaking of it to others, then even if a nonsensical amount of provisions and supplies suddenly appeared in one of his storehouses, would he keep silent?

Not only about that, of course, but about us as well. I felt, at any rate, that he would be a lot more accommodating than my local tax revenue office.

“……”

I shot a glance at my shoulder, where Peeps was perched. He responded with a very small nod. The Lord Starsage himself had given me the go-ahead.

“Viscount Müller, let us assume that there is a warehouse within my lord’s territory that contains enough provisions and supplies to fulfill your duties. Would it be possible to bring it all to the site within the month available?”

“It would. We have plenty of leeway when it comes to moving goods.”

“In that case, my lord, regarding such a storehouse in your territory—would you be able to keep it altogether secret and not let anyone in or out of it until the goods are to be transported?”

“Are you saying you are able to use that…?”

“If I cannot have your word, my lord, then I will need to leave this town.”

I had decided to put myself front and center instead of Peeps. Judging by what Viscount Müller had said, the title of Starsage was too serious to raise here and now. Simply suggesting that he was alive would influence the power balance so greatly that neighboring countries would cower in fear.

“Can I have your word, my lord?”

“You have it,” answered Viscount Müller without wasting another second. His next words came in a graver tone than any before. “I will prepare such a storehouse at once. I also swear to tell no one.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I should be the one offering my thanks to you, Sir Sasaki.”

And so, for the time being, I had my work cut out for me.

The viscount did as promised and prepared a grand storehouse on the castle grounds for us.

The building was about the size of a school gymnasium. A craftsman had urgently converted the entryway into a two-layered construction, and outside the only door stood a knight—one of the viscount’s close aides. The knights would be keeping watch all day and all night. These were the people who had been waiting in the wings during our audiences.

Not a soul was allowed in or out of the storehouse, including the viscount and ourselves. Those were the orders the knights had received. This way, we could do our work worry free. The only ones who could come and go were Peeps, who could use the teleportation spell, and myself.

In my hand, I held the shopping list from the viscount. Once I transported all the items written on it to our warehouse, my task would be complete. As for the sale price of each, in consideration of wartime need, the viscount would pay me rates a good deal higher than the market value.

Though it would depend on my purchase price, because of how incredibly much of it there was, I had the feeling I was going to make an absurd profit. If I failed, the risk to my relationship with the viscount was high. However, the financial merits for pulling this off were immeasurable.

And so we wasted no time heading out to stock up. Our destination: a town called Newsonia in the Republic of Lunge. I’d unlocked the name of a third country, after the Kingdom of Herz and the Ohgen Empire.

Peeps had been the one with the idea to come here. According to him, he’d visited several times on trade-related business in the past. With his teleportation magic to help accelerate the journey, we arrived with no difficulties.

“It’s lively here. Seems like it’s more prosperous than the viscount’s territory.”

“Indeed. This is a flourishing town of trade.”

I exchanged words with my beloved pet bird as I gazed at the town roads stretching off in front of me. It was on a completely different scale than Baytrium. This place clearly had a much denser population and significantly larger buildings. Maybe it isn’t a direct analogy, but it struck me as akin to the difference between a street of shops in a suburban city and a famous shopping district in the capital.

I also felt like the people coming and going were dressed in finer clothes, and there were quite a few more individuals here with horns growing out of their heads, wings sprouting from their backs, and so on and so forth. It stirred up memories of the first time I visited Tokyo and walked through Ginza and Shibuya. I could feel myself getting more excited at the prospect of stocking up in such a place.

“Peeps, do you have any connections here?”

“Let me see…”

The well-informed sparrow led the way through the streets of Newsonia. We walked for a little under an hour or so, finally arriving at a large building.

It was a store—so large as to dwarf the Hermann Trading Company’s facility. All made of stone, it stood eight stories high. Comparing it to Mitsukoshi’s flagship store in Nipponbashi only made it look all the more resplendent. Peeps’s contact was far grander than I’d imagined. I was too poor for this—I was getting scared.

“…Here?”

“This place should be able to gather and supply a good amount of actual stock. Suppliers who deal in provisions sufficient to feed tens of thousands are limited, especially now, when the prices in neighboring countries are soaring due to the declaration of war.”

“I figured as much.”

“And since we are using currency from Herz for our purchases, I would like do business here as much as possible. When a large amount of currency suddenly flows into a market, it can cause all sorts of problems. I believe your nation’s financial mechanisms would act in much the same way.”

“I gotcha, Peeps.”

If that was his take on it, I’d just have to do my best right here. I needed to be resolute in my negotiations, to prevent them from sizing me up and taking advantage.

I had to say, this was one worldly sparrow, remembering the lay of the land across nations. The more he showed off his extensive knowledge, the more curious I became about what he had been doing with his life before his reincarnation. I bet he was the type of person who’d end up in textbooks down the road. If there were any portraits of him left, I wanted to go and pay my respects. There must have been at least one if he’d been so distinguished, right?

“……”

No, wait. That was a careless wish. What if he used to be a handsome older man with a chiseled face? That would definitely make me more self-conscious in our future conversations. Feeling his weight on my shoulder and imagining a dapper man—that would be kind of rough on me. But in that case, what look would I be able to accept? And so I thought for a while about this and that, leaving my own worthless appearance to the side.

I realized I was starting to get sidetracked, so I decided to focus on the problem in front of me. Peeps was Peeps. He was my adorable pet sparrow—nothing more and nothing less.

“…What is the matter?”

“I was just thinking. How far is it from the viscount’s place to here?”

“If a wagon was to make the journey at leisure from Baytrium in the Kingdom of Herz to Newsonia in the Republic of Lunge, it would take several weeks without interruption. Riding a swift steed would still take several days.”

“That’s pretty far.”

“And yet if we were to use one of those…airplanes, or what have you, that are so prominent in your nation, it would be but a few hours. In some places, they are attempting to domesticate certain subspecies of small dragon with low intelligence to use instead of horses.”

“Would probably be faster to fly, huh?”

“Indeed—they would far outpace horses.”

So it looked like dragons existed here, too. If I was ever able to adopt one as a pet… Well, let’s just say I was as interested in that prospect as I was with getting a golden retriever. I mean, how cool, right? Soaring into the air on its back would be beyond my dreams.

“What’s this place called, by the way?”

“The Kepler Trading Company.”

“Got it. Kepler Trading Company.”

With one hand on my leather bag lined with large gold coins, I steeled myself and walked right up to the front door.

After catching the attention of a store clerk who was making the rounds, we were shown to an upper floor. Here, too, I simply introduced Peeps, riding on my shoulder, as my familiar, and nobody questioned it. It seemed this was common knowledge internationally as well. What on earth was a familiar anyway?

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Joseph, and I handle the foodstuffs for our company.”

“My name is Sasaki. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me.”

The reception room at the Hermann Trading Company was grand in its own right, but this one was beyond that. It might even have surpassed the one at Viscount Müller’s castle.

And don’t even get me started on how comfortable the sofa was. The moment my butt hit the cushion, my hips practically gave way and sunk deep into it. I wanted to sit there forever.

“I hear you’re looking to stock a large amount of food.”

“Yes, that’s right. I wanted to ask for what’s on this list here.”

No sooner had we exchanged greetings than I handed him the list containing a description of the goods we needed. It had been written out in accordance with Viscount Müller’s request and included our suggested price. As it happened, Peeps and I had collaborated to draft the list.

According to him, the Kepler Trading Company was like one of Japan’s big five general trading companies, such as Mitsubishi or Itochu. It was also an international business, with branches in many countries.

Here in Newsonia, it had an enormous warehouse where various wares from all over the world converged. Because we needed to purchase a large variety of goods, Peeps had suggested this location.

“You’re looking to order quite a lot, aren’t you?”

“I assumed your company would have this much in inventory.”

“Yes, we can indeed supply what you’re looking for, Mr. Sasaki. However, as purchasing them all at once would create shortages for other customers, it is not a simple decision for us.”

“In terms of remuneration, I believe what’s written here is sufficient.”

“We have many clients with whom we’ve been doing business for a very long time. No matter how much you offer us, if it was to cause trouble for them, we cannot easily accept.”

“I see…”

“And looking at this list, it’s as if you’re planning to start a war. Now that I think about it, we did receive reports from a branch to the south that the price of food had gone up there—and that relations with nearby nations had become dubious.”

Yikes, they’re already onto me. If possible, I’d wanted to procure everything in secret, but that was quickly proving difficult. This was definitely going to affect the major players in business circles and the market.

Now I became curious about how well-informed the man before me actually was. Still, I doubted he’d tell me directly if I asked. In that case, I’d have to pull the conversation along myself. In my opinion, momentum was crucial in deals like these.

“Exactly—it is astonishing how fast a certain nation has declined.”

“……”

If transceivers were so sought-after, then it seemed to me this world had no common form of high-speed information transfer—including magic. That said, if they’d used dragon mail as Peeps had mentioned, they could have gotten wind of things within a few days.

The viscount had said they’d confirmed an incursion from the Empire about ten days ago. For these negotiations, it seemed wise to assume news of the Ohgen Empire going to war with the Kingdom of Herz had reached them. Even if they didn’t know, they would have heard that things were already very touch and go.

“And you are correct in that these will be supplies for war.”

“Well, you’ve come from quite far away. If that is the case, though, would it not be difficult to bring the stores back even if you did purchase them here? If the war situation changes in that time, the losses could be staggering.”

“That isn’t the case—they will definitively help.”

“A reassuring judgment, indeed.”

As he spoke, Mr. Joseph’s face brimmed with a relaxed confidence. Watching him brought to mind the face of a certain representative at a large company with whom I had worked at my former job. The company had been a valued client, and I specifically remembered the man’s conspicuous pride and self-assured manner. How many times had he put me through the wringer?

“I’ve already arranged a means of transport.”

“Very quick of you. I doubt you could have done such a thing without preparing fairly far in advance. That must mean it will begin for real very soon, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, that does seem to be where things are headed.”

“…I see.”

“And so I respectfully ask for the cooperation of the Kepler Trading Company.”

I sincerely doubted I could purchase the goods if I directly mentioned the Kingdom of Herz. Considering the level of national decay and corruption I had heard about from the viscount, it wouldn’t be strange if the surrounding countries were unsympathetic. After all, it was the type of country that would assassinate a man like Peeps out of envy.

“I apologize, Lord Sasaki, but you don’t appear to be from these lands…”

“The situation lets someone like me move around more easily. And we believe that what is needed to assure a merchant’s loyalty is neither position nor honor, but profit.”

“Would you be reaching out to any other companies?”

“No, we are very much set on the Kepler Trading Company.”

“How were you thinking of paying?”

“As it says on the order form, we’ve prepared Herzian gold coins.”

“…Hmm.”

After my answer, Mr. Joseph began thinking about something. I wondered what sorts of scenarios were going through his mind. We watched him in silence, still sitting on the sofa, my heart pounding out of its chest.

A few moments later, he gave me his response.

“All right, understood. I’d like to go forward with this deal.”

“Thank you so much.”

And so we were able to obtain his approval without trouble. Relief washed over me. I’d been worrying over this and that just in case he turned me down, but all that quickly vanished from my mind. Out of respect for Peeps introducing me to this place, I was reluctant to go knocking on some other trading company’s door.

“In return, I would like to maintain a special relationship with your country. You will likely need many things after the war is over. When that happens, I would very much appreciate you coming straight to us.”

“I couldn’t ask for anything better. However, regarding this purchase, would you be able to keep it a secret for the time being? We have made a very big investment of our own, so I wanted to know if you could keep our dealings within the company.”

“Of course, yes—I understand.”

I felt this when talking to the vice manager at the Hermann Trading Company, too, but I loved how quickly and promptly deals with merchants ended. It wasn’t like talking to nobles—there was no particular etiquette to be observed, and we didn’t take very long greeting each other.

This deal, too, was a straightforward and simple affair.

Our biggest problem was receiving the goods. I dealt with it by borrowing a warehouse in the town of Newsonia, then having everything I’d purchased delivered there. Once it was all inside, we would use Peeps’s magic to send the lot to the storehouse in Viscount Müller’s castle. Ultimately, we finished transporting everything within a few days.

“Until the very end, that man mistook us for messengers of the Ohgen Empire.”

“That’s what it seemed like.”

We were conversing in the Newsonia warehouse, gazing at its now-empty interior.

“And you planned for exactly that, did you not?”

“Well, I hadn’t thought about it precisely like that, but…”

My idea had been to try to get him to think I was a war profiteer from an unrelated nation. The misunderstanding was actually because the other party read too deeply into what I was saying. Doubtless the large gold coins I’d brought so many of had also added to my credibility.

“We likely would not have had such an easy time had we been forthright and told them we were from the Kingdom of Herz. Its deterioration would be common knowledge in the Republic of Lunge. Any merchant worth his salt would shy away from investing in a nation like that.”

“I wonder if the deal worked out because we used gold coins from the Kingdom of Herz.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Suppose that when the Ohgen Empire decided it was going to invade the Kingdom of Herz, it wanted to first unload its stores of enemy currency before opening hostilities. It’s just an idea I had, but I think maybe the Kepler Trading Company’s representative took it that way.”

Nobody would think someone from the Kingdom of Herz, hated as it was by those in nearby nations, would ever grab a wad of their own country’s currency and attempt to visit a third nation to purchase military provisions. I assumed that such treatment would be even more prominent since this world’s culture regarding commerce lagged so far behind. That was part of why I hadn’t exchanged the currency for something else before trying to make a deal.

Peeps’s answer, however, took a different track.

“That was dangerous. That viewpoint is based on your own world, with its banknotes and national debts and bonds.”

“Wait, then how do you see it, Peeps?”

It gave me a start to hear words like banknotes and national debts come from his beak. How much knowledge had this sparrow gained during the few days I’d given him internet access? I felt a chill run down my spine. Had I allied myself with a more dangerous being than I thought?

“Gold coins from the Kingdom of Herz are high in purity. Compared to those of other nations, they are simply worth more.”

“Yet another thing that doesn’t sound good for a nation rumored to be on the decline.”

“I ordered them to be made like that. It can’t possibly have changed in just a few years. Setting silver and copper coins aside, gold coins and large gold coins can be melted down and reused. That is why the Kingdom of Herz still maintains an equal position in its dealings with other nations.”

“…I see.”

Peeps really was frighteningly formidable. I hadn’t thought he’d be helpful even on this topic. No wonder I had received no warning about bringing in Herzian money. Everything had been under this ultra sparrow’s supervision.

That’s a little frustrating. I’ll have to try harder next time.

“Another major factor was whether you had thought of a way to bring the purchased goods back by yourself.”

“The representative was impressed by that, too, wasn’t he?”

“The flow of goods in this world is yet immature compared to that of your own. A considerable distance separates the Republic of Lunge from the Kingdom of Herz and the Ohgen Empire. If this has been prepared in advance, it becomes an investment he simply cannot ignore.”

“But now I’m scared of him finding out.”

“You haven’t told any lies. It should pose no issue.”

“Is that how it works?”

“There is no point in worrying over it. It is the fault of he who was deceived, not you.”

What a plucky sparrow he is. As someone who is timid, I envied the way he spoke with absolute confidence about everything. Still, he had been assassinated as a result, so maybe it was best to have a little restraint. As a comparatively average man, I figured I’d continue my unassuming existence in the future.

“If we had slightly more time, we could have diversified our purchase options.”

“We barely had enough time for this as it was, so this will have to do, Peeps.”

“Indeed…”

“I guess that means we should get back to the viscount.”

“Yes. I only hope this will lighten his burden somewhat.”

We’d have big problems if we stayed too long and the Kepler Trading Company uncovered the truth. It was time to take our leave of the Republic of Lunge.

With Peeps’s help, we safely got all the provisions and supplies transported. After verifying the work was done, we were ready to open up Viscount Müller’s secret storehouse. The door, which had been closed tight for several days, was opened by the hands of the knights protecting it. Naturally, it was only the viscount and us two in attendance.

“I cannot believe this storehouse has filled in just a few days…”

“What do you think, my lord?”

Upon seeing the stacks upon stacks of provisions in person, the viscount was shocked. As the one responsible, I felt pretty good. Even though Peeps had done most of it.

“Sir Sasaki, I don’t know how I can possibly thank you for the work you’ve done. This will give us another chance, and these supplies are likely to save the lives of an inestimable number of people.”

“I’m happy I was able to carry out my duty, my lord.”

“You have saved us. Thank you, Sir Sasaki,” answered Viscount Müller, bowing his head to me.

The knights with us began to look visibly ruffled when they saw that. They immediately gave their opinions on the matter, telling him to raise his head—or that he mustn’t do such a thing toward a commoner. Apparently, the knights were themselves a noble class. It felt like I was growing quite accustomed to this sort of exchange.

The payment, which I had been wondering about, put us overwhelmingly in the positives. We’d made a profit—no, an absolute fortune. Because of Viscount Müller’s consideration for us, he’d bought everything at a significant markup. Of course, it was still low compared to the skyrocketing prices this area was seeing, but the wholesale price was still plenty high.

I now had close to a thousand large gold coins in my wallet. That worked out to about one hundred thousand gold coins. It had dropped to zero when we stocked up, but the viscount’s payment had increased our initial holdings severalfold.

Lodging at the fancy place where I’d been staying for the last few days cost one gold coin for a one-night, two-day stay. Revisiting a familiar calculation, if I assumed one year to be 365 days here, then I could do nothing but eat and sleep for the next two hundred years.

In other words, financial worries had all but disappeared from my life. In this world, anyhow.

“We will be departing shortly for the front. It is thanks to you that we can bring these goods along with time to spare. We will not have to run our horses ragged.”

“I understand, my lord. I’ll be praying for your safety.”

“Thank you.”

With his knights in tow, the viscount disappeared.

Seeing them off marked the completion of my mission. For the time being, I’d be watching and waiting for a report from him. Regarding payment for the goods, I’d received the full amount in cash from Viscount Müller. While we’d been struggling to stock all the provisions and supplies, he had apparently been selling off many of the valuables and higher-priced household effects to manage things. He was probably imagining the worst-case scenario.

As a nobleman of the Kingdom of Herz—well-known for its striking level of corruption—he must have been one of the very rare men of outstanding character. He was such a good person that it made me feel guilty as I gazed at his lonely mansion, bereft of its furnishings.

After bidding farewell to the viscount, we headed straight for where Mr. French worked—to have a delicious meal. The CLOSED sign was up in preparation for afternoon service, but I ignored this and headed inside, making my way to the kitchen. It was then that I saw the employees arguing over something with a person I didn’t recognize. Among them was the one we’d come looking for.

“Mr. French, what seems to be the commotion?”

“Ah, s-sir!” he cried out when he noticed us.

The rest of the gathering turned their attention to us as well. I actually remembered several of the ones in aprons. These had to be the staff members Mr. French had employed. I had seen them moving about the kitchen in a bustle during my last visit.

Standing opposite them were several men whose clothing marked them as townspeople. I didn’t recognize most of them, but the one in front, facing down Mr. French, was a little bit familiar… Who was he?

“And who do we have here?”

“I-I’m sorry, sir! This is my master and the cooks from the restaurant where I used to work…”

“Ah, I get it. You’re all from that restaurant?”

Now I remembered—he was the one who had been fighting with Mr. French outside that shop. What business could someone like him have here?

As I was thinking about it, Mr. French’s former master asked, “Wh-what reason does a noble have for being in a place like this, if I might ask?”

My business suit must have confused him. I recalled that I had been asked a similar question by several others—Mr. French as well as people from the Hermann Trading Company.

“I am this restaurant’s chief investor. What do you need with my manager? There are many customers waiting to enjoy this shop in the afternoon. If you need something, I would be more than happy to help. And to clarify, I am not a noble.”

“I see—you’re the owner of this shop, then?” Once he knew I wasn’t a noble, his attitude worsened. At the same time, he offered a smirk. “There is something we absolutely must discuss with this man. This is a good chance, in fact—we would like you to hear it as well, sir. It would be for everyone’s benefit.”

“…What do you have to say?”

“This man has a criminal record—he has stolen from our restaurant’s proceeds.”

“……”

Come to think of it, I did remember Mr. French saying something along those lines. He, however, claimed he’d been framed. Considering how hard he’d worked these past few months, he was probably telling the truth. The people handling the store’s accounting were dispatched by Hermann’s vice manager. If Mr. French had done anything wrong, I’d have been told right away.

I didn’t know what Mr. French was like before, but ever since I’d met him, he’d proven to be an extremely diligent worker, and he was certainly in Mr. Marc’s good graces. If he said he was innocent, then there was nothing for it but to believe him.

“If that’s what this is about, he’s already told me.”

“…What?”

My honest answer put a look of blank surprise on the man’s face. He must have thought I had teamed up with Mr. French without knowing.

I didn’t see much of a reaction from the assembled staff, either. It seemed the story of his origin had already made the rounds. Maybe the vice manager had laid the groundwork for this exact situation.

“He also insists he was falsely accused.”

“Well, we know that’s not true. After all, the money is gone.”

“That sounds like a problem for your shop, not mine. His work here, at least, has been nothing short of spectacular. I don’t know what sort of history he has, but to me, he is a valued friend.”

“Sir…,” said Mr. French, tearing up upon hearing my frank opinion.

I was pretty sure I had understood the situation. They’d seen someone they’d driven out doing well somewhere else and had come to pick a fight. I could sense it from the way the man had brought several cronies in tow.

“Then you’re fine with employing thieves at this shop?”

“No, not at all.”

“Well then, why have you—?”

“I hire no employees here. He and I are on equal terms. He receives financing from me, which he then uses to run this shop. That puts him on the same level as you—a manager. All I did was provide the funds to get this restaurant started.”

At this, the man seemed taken aback.

For a few months now, I had let Mr. French pay his own salary. Basically, I’d told him he could have at it as long as it didn’t affect the business. If this could be a place where Peeps could relax and dine on some delicious meals, that was enough for me. Mr. French and the vice manager could do as they wished otherwise. We only supplied the ingredients they needed to prepare, plain and simple.

“Is there anything else?”

“Well, I—I mean, there’s plenty of…,” the master stammered, starting to trip over his words suddenly. He must have had other complaints lined up.

“Did you pay us a visit to discuss something with him?”

“……”

“I would be more than happy to hear you out, if so.”

“Er, well, I…”

I’d gotten curious and asked—but he fell silent. I’d just have to ask my colleague in that case.

“Mr. French, I’m sorry, but do you know what he’s talking about?”

“Yes, sir. It’s about—”

“H-hey!” cried the man as soon as Mr. French opened his mouth.

Mr. French continued, ignoring him and taking a determined attitude. “Our owner may have kindly placed me in charge, but I could never pass ingredients to other restaurants. I do feel an obligation to you for nurturing my talents, but I have one to him as well for helping me when I was down. I can’t ignore that.”

The man had no response.

After that, Mr. French launched into a detailed explanation.

And as he did, things gradually became clear. The source of the problem was the huge leap in food prices as a result of the war. Apparently, Mr. French’s former employer had been in the red for several days in a row now. At first, they thought they could just reflect the rise in costs in the price of their food, but when they did, the customers stopped coming. It seemed that the taste and the price were no longer in balance.

As far as our place was concerned, we were way in the black. Mr. French explained that, at the vice manager’s suggestion, they’d made some bold changes to their menu. They now offered more expensive ingredients and meals, which had brought along a change in the clientele. Before now, they’d been catering to those of modest wealth—but now the main customers were really in the upper classes. With richer customers, they were able to raise the prices and still maintain a margin of profit, thus surviving the extreme inflation in costs.

I was struck by the vice manager’s keen decisiveness. I’d have been too scared to do something like that. That must be why he held such a high position, despite being a commoner.

They were also able to keep older customers through a takeout service with a cheaper menu. This group saw the restaurant they had patronized becoming recognized by the upper classes and were not too displeased.

On top of all that, after hastily setting up some benches out front, they’d had to start taking reservations for those, too.

“I think I understand the situation now.”

In other words, Mr. French’s former master had come here to say he’d forgive Mr. French’s past transgressions as long as he’d sell food to them on the cheap—or something along those lines. Considering their former relationship as master and apprentice, I could understand this somewhat.

After all, they still believed he had embezzled from their shop. If Mr. French’s position would rise even a little after hearing the man out, I was more than willing to lend them some of my stores. I really wanted to avoid my manager getting chased out of town by the authorities or anything like that.

“Still, I don’t think that will be possible.”

“But…but why not?!”

“The food we have here is all geared toward nobles and other wealthy people. Even if I gave it to you at the previous market prices, it would still be quite expensive. Since your restaurant caters to the general public, wouldn’t it be difficult for you to make use of it?”

“I…”

Their clientele was different. Couldn’t do anything about that. To be honest, I wished they’d done a little research before barging in here.

“I’m sorry, but I must ask you to leave for today.”

“……”

After hearing our explanation, the man and his staff left the shop dejected. I couldn’t help feeling just a bit sorry for them.

After seeing off Mr. French’s former master, we spent the next few days in this world.

During the day, I’d go outside of town and practice magic with Peeps. When the sun set, we’d return and have dinner at Mr. French’s shop. Finally, at night, we’d take a load off in the big-shot hotel, enjoy a bath in a spacious tub, and fall asleep in a big, fluffy bed.

Aided by our luxurious living conditions, I was fit as a fiddle in both body and mind. Thus I could face my magic practice in tip-top condition. With all that to support me, I learned another new intermediate spell: the barrier magic I’d been after—and the intermediate version to boot.

According to Peeps, learning it finally made me a fledgling magician. Though according to the vice manager, even just learning beginner healing magic would put one in great demand wherever one went, so it seemed to me like opinions varied. Personally, I thought I’d adopt Peeps’s attitude and continue my hard work.

The day after learning the spell, we returned to our apartment in Japan.

The sum being what it was, we’d deposited the large gold coins we’d earned from our deal at a bank. I couldn’t let the section chief get so much as a glimpse of them. Mr. Marc had introduced me to a good bank, that would surely handle my money with care.

“All right, then. I’m gonna go out for a little bit.”

“Do be careful.”

“Thanks, Peeps.”

We’d returned to Japan so I could finish up the process of switching jobs. More specifically, I needed to go have a talk with my previous employer and have them issue the required documentation.

The bureau had apparently gotten in touch with them about my intent to resign. I’d been told during my training that I likely wouldn’t draw any suspicions when going through the process. If a problem did occur, I was to immediately contact them and not try to resolve it myself.

I decided to take the train instead of relying on Peeps’s magic to get there. It was about two hours after morning rush hour, so I was able to arrive without getting caught in any congestion.

When I saw the general affairs manager and explained the situation, he said they’d already heard about it and had drafted documents for me. Those that would take longer to issue would be mailed to me in the next few days, and I’d need to check them over.

The process went more smoothly than anticipated, probably because of some kind of government pressure. Normally, the personnel department head would have come around to make an unpleasant remark or two, but neither him nor my section chief showed up. As a result, everything went without a hitch.

Finally, I headed for my desk in my assigned workspace. My colleague—the one who sat at the desk next to mine—was there to greet me.

“Mr. Sasaki, it’s true you’re really becoming a government worker, then?”

“I apologize. I know it’s pretty sudden…”

Just a few days ago, he’d invited me to go independent with him. I had no idea that I’d end up leaving the company before he did. I’d been totally certain I’d spend the next twenty years of my life here.

It was moving on a few levels. I’d worked here for a dozen or so years now after graduating, after all.

“I was really surprised. I didn’t realize you could go into government work at your age! Er, I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just that I was shocked you’d decided to go in that direction.”

“Apparently, they have a framework for employing nongovernment workers.”

“I’m really sorry for inviting you like that when you must have been so busy.”

“No, don’t be. It made me happy.”

Now that I thought about it, ordinarily, you could only find employment as a police officer before the age of thirty-five. I could probably get myself in trouble for saying too much; it seemed a better idea to conclude my business here quickly. I figured I’d be fine but didn’t want to goof up and cause trouble for my new workplace.

I wanted to at least say good-bye to my boss—but he was off-site. Out making the rounds again, it seemed, and he planned to go straight home afterward. Our pupper-related conversation over giblet hot pot struck me then in an oddly nostalgic way. Thinking back, I’d met Miss Hoshizaki right after that.

“Once things settle down with you, hit me up. We’ll go get a drink.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

I hadn’t thought anyone would reach out to me like that when I left. It warmed my heart.

From my former workplace, I headed straight for the neighborhood superstore. There, I did the day’s stocking up. I mainly stuck with seasonings and sugar this time. I’d bought quite a bit, but I could maybe, possibly, get away with the excuse that now that I had free time, I’d taken to cooking curry or baking cakes as a hobby.

Nah, that wouldn’t work. Or would it?

I couldn’t tell. Either way, it was better than buying dozens of kilograms of chocolate.

To cover the wartime use of transceivers, I also bought several packages of alkaline batteries. I would have preferred to get nickel metal hydride batteries or solar generator panels, but considering their use would be out of my hands, disposable was best. Not far in the future, I was thinking about heading overseas for a large-scale wholesale purchase.

In any case, I finished up, left the supermarket, and hurried on home. After walking for a little while, I came into view of the convenience store. Over on the side of it, in a small alleyway, I saw a figure rummaging around. It was where I’d run into the young homeless girl before. I remembered her pink pigtails and frilly clothing being very striking.

“……”

Doubting myself, I couldn’t help but look as I got closer.

And what did I find but that same girl, fishing through the convenience store’s garbage bin. No matter how many times I checked, she looked young enough to be in elementary school. Despite that, she had her head stuck in the store’s wastebasket and was rummaging for scraps of leftover food. She wore the same clothing as always—straight out of an anime. Her pink pigtails were no different, either.

“……”

The brown stains were still on her frilly skirt from when I’d met her a few days ago. Last time, I’d sensed she was accustomed to this—and now that we’d met a second time, I was certain she was professionally homeless.

“…What?”

As I was staring at her, she reacted. It seemed she’d noticed me. We were a few meters apart.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“We have, Officer.”

“……”

Her response was strangely unconcerned. I would have assumed a kid her age wandering around would have tried to look down and away if someone tried to talk to them. What inspired her totally straightforward behavior?

Also, she called me officer and not just mister, which made me happy.

“Where are your parents?”

Standing around on the road doing nothing would have seemed unnatural. After making sure no other passersby were watching, I slowly walked over to her. She didn’t seem to respond, keeping her hands thrust into the wastebasket as she watched me approach.

“They both died.”

“……”

I knew I was the one who’d asked, but that was a pretty heavy answer to just drop on me like that. The way she said it, like it was completely normal, hit me right in the heart.

Her grime-covered face and dirt-stained hair lent credence to her claim. She was still expressionless as she stared at me. Her cute features, too—including her big, almond-shaped eyes—were clearly mottled with grime, probably a result of persistent homelessness. It occurred to me that she’d be really adorable if she was cleaned up.

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to introduce you to a facility where children like you can live together. Would you be okay coming with me? You won’t go hungry, and you might be able to make friends, too.”

Last time, she’d floated into the sky. She was probably a stray psychic. If I could negotiate with the section chief and get her into the bureau, she’d probably live a much more accommodating life than most orphans. And these days, they were clamoring for new recruits. Maybe I was being a bad adult, but I decided to invite her.

Actually, to be honest, her life was at risk like this. I doubted she’d last the winter if her circumstances persisted. Even a handful of adults die from exposure every year.

“I can’t live a normal life.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Because I’m a magical girl.”

Yet another strange response. The clothing she wore was certainly magical girl in style. A cute dress with loads of frills. Her hair was pink, which wasn’t natural for a Japanese person. If she said she was a magical girl… I mean, it made sense. She probably didn’t know anything about psychic powers, so she’d arrived at the term magical girl.

“Can magical girls not live normal lives?”

“No.”

“Why not stop being a magical girl?”

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Because that’s just how it works.”

“Could you tell me who made it work like that?”

“…No.”

“Do you know more about how it works?”

“A little.”

“Who told you about it?”

“……”

After I asked her some questions, her expression grew troubled.

Now what? I was getting uneasy watching her. And then, suddenly, I remembered.

“I’m sorry for asking so many questions.”

“It’s okay.”

In the plastic bag I was holding was a treat I’d bought for Peeps: a small cake they were selling near the station. The otherworld had cake, too, but this world had far greater variety. Plus, this one came from a pretty popular place. Apparently, it had been covered by some kind of social media, and now it always had a line of customers. Unusually, there had been no line today, so I’d seized the opportunity to buy one.

I held it out, still in the bag, to the self-professed magical girl.

“Would you like some cake?”

“…Why are you giving me cake?”

“Once you eat the cake, we can go to a police box.”

“Is this like feeding pigeons in the park?”

“……”

What an awful conversation. Her question was very sharp, though, and she was right—it probably was like that. Well, less like a random pigeon and more like feeding a creature with which I had some connection. It felt the same as giving food to Peeps or my neighbor.

“I’m sorry for teasing you, Officer.”

“It’s all right. I’m more worried about you…”

“I’d like the cake, but I can’t go to a police box.”

“Why is that?”

“Everyone who gets involved with magical girls gets bad luck.”

“…Bad luck?”

The girl turned away from the wastebasket to face the pseudo police officer. With both hands, she took the paper box from the plastic bag. In response to her activity, I got a whiff of that horrid stench. She was really smelly. It was an unbelievable stink. I literally almost threw up.

She was cute, but she smelled like a veteran derelict. When walking around the city, sometimes you’d get a whiff off a passerby—and it was especially bad in the summer. The stench was exactly like that, and the moment it entered my nostrils, I nearly lost my lunch.

If I pulled a face, though, I’d lose any trust I’d earned. Instead, I kept my expression neutral.

To this desperate old dude, the girl declared suddenly, “Thanks. I really like cake.”

“Oh—”

But not a moment later, her body floated into the air. It was the same as the last time I saw it. There was a creaking noise, and next to her, the background scenery distorted. It was like a black hole had just appeared; a pitch-black space opened up immediately beside her. It was as though the world itself was being torn open.

The girl slipped inside. When she did, she began to disappear, as if the black space was swallowing her up. As always, it set my danger alarms blaring.

“Bye-bye, Officer.”

Then with a brief word of parting, she vanished entirely. She was gone, swallowed up by that dark space.

“……”

She’d gotten away from me again.

But what was that power she was using? At a glance, it seemed like she was using two at once—one to call forth that black hole thing and the other to fly. That wouldn’t fit the definition of a psychic, though. Apparently, psychics could use only a single power.

I wondered if the section chief or Miss Hoshizaki would be able to figure something out. I’d have to check with them about it the next time I found myself at the bureau.

After parting ways with the homeless girl, I went straight back to my apartment. It was only a few minutes on foot from the convenience store. I had been able to finish my work errand while the sky was still bright, and seeing my neighborhood scenery in the daytime held an indescribable freshness.

In front of my neighbor’s front door, I found a familiar face.

“Hello, mister.”

“Hello there.”

As always, she wore her sailor uniform and sat with her hands around her knees against the door. Her greeting was flat as she bent her neck up to look at me. Seemed like her mom wasn’t home yet.

Which made sense, I supposed—the sun was still up. She was probably just back from school. I thought back to my own school days, which had already grown vague and indistinct. If a middle school girl like her was home already, that meant she probably wasn’t involved in any clubs. Maybe that was inevitable, though, given club expenses and the like.

“You’re home early today.”

“Yeah, work ended early.”

“Welcome back.”

“Thanks.”

Maybe if I was married and had kids, this kind of homecoming greeting would have been a regular occurrence for me. For a second, I entertained that ridiculous thought. Unfortunately, with my fortieth birthday fast approaching, I had long lost that kind of vigor. Besides, I had Peeps now, so I never felt lonely at home.

“…Um…”

Just as I put the key into my front door lock, my neighbor called out to me.

“What is it?” I replied, turning around and seeing that she’d stood up.

“If it’s all right, do you want me to give you a shoulder massage?”

“A shoulder massage?”

“You always give me so much. I want to repay you.”

I remembered being on the receiving end of similar suggestions many times in the past. Once when I mentioned my feet hurt from doing the rounds, she had offered to give me a foot massage. Another time, when I’d had lower back pain from all that desk work, she even offered to do some chores for me.

Either way, I obviously couldn’t agree to it. We were just next-door neighbors. If I even thought about letting a minor touch me, my social life would probably fall to pieces faster than I could blink. And letting her into my apartment would be asking to get arrested for kidnapping. So I refused all her offers.

“Thank you, but the thought is more than enough.”

“Is that a no?”

“To be honest, I’ve actually been feeling really fit lately.”

“…I see.”

Maybe the healing magic Peeps had taught me had something to do with it. I’d been using it here and there when I stubbed my toe on a shelf or suddenly felt tired. It seemed to be having quite the effect on muscle pain, too—a very handy tool, indeed. Using it on a daily basis must have been healing other parts of me as well.

“Oh, right. You can have these if you’d like.”

Instead, I offered her some of the food I’d bought while stocking up. It was a plastic bag filled with several pieces of dressed and sweet breads.

“What? But it’s so much…”

“The company that makes this bread has a rewards program. I got carried away and ended up buying way too much. I’d really appreciate it if you could help me finish them.”

Middle schoolers were right in the middle of puberty. She would be needing high-calorie foods now more than ever, wouldn’t she? I’d heard of girls that age who were so self-conscious they wouldn’t finish their lunches even if they were hungry. I didn’t know whether my neighbor was that type, but I figured it was always best to be prepared.

“…Thank you.”

“No problem. All right, I have to go.”

Guilt struck me—it felt like I was playing one of those video games where you “raise” a character. How did the parents of the world feel when they raised children? I couldn’t even guess.

And so this single man hurried into his apartment, as if trying to escape these weird feelings.