Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 3 - Chapter 6

<Territory and Development>

After parting ways with my neighbor, we rode in Ms. Futarishizuka’s car back to our base at the hotel.

By getting the details of the angels-versus-demons proxy war, we had essentially accomplished the objective put to us by Section Chief Akutsu. How much we would report to him, though, was still a matter of consideration.

Hence, we added Peeps into the mix to work things out. We could easily deliver our report to the chief the next day. I appreciated how my current workplace left decisions like these—at least to an extent—to the employee’s discretion. It was like night and day compared to my old job, where they recommended meetings first thing in the morning and clocking out even if you were staying late.

I never wanted to return to working conditions like those ever again.

“I see,” said Peeps. “You’ve been through a lot.”

“Yes,” I replied. “So we wanted to hear your opinion on the matter, too.”

I was in the living space in our hotel room, relaxing and spending time with my pet bird. Peeps was perched on a small tree set atop the low table in front of my seat on the sofa. Lady Elsa had plopped herself down on the sofa opposite mine.

The privileged girl from the otherworld looked completely different in this one, now dressed in modern clothing. She’d let her fancy hair down, too, the same way she had on her last visit. It felt odd to see her like that—like seeing a famous TV comedian who always dressed in crazy outfits wearing a suit and tie on his day off. Incidentally, Ms. Futarishizuka had picked everything out for her, from her dress to her shoes.

“Not psychic powers, nor magical girls, but something else. Yes, that is quite fascinating.”

“Do they have this in your world, Peeps?”

“A proxy war between angels and demons, you say? I’ve never heard of it, at the very least. I know of things somewhat like it, I suppose, but they’re of a different flavor, so to speak.”

I was very interested in the beings Peeps categorized as “like angels and demons,” but pursuing that would derail the topic at hand, so I’d have to ask him about it some other time.

“You are more knowledgeable about this world than I. Would things not turn out better if you made your own decision rather than asking my uninformed opinion? I also know very little about this boss of yours.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I said. “My apologies for asking.”

“That said, this is all very fascinating, indeed.”

I nodded—I’d basically expected that response. He always made his opinions clear. Personally, I really appreciated that part of him.

“In my opinion,” drawled Ms. Futarishizuka as she watched our exchange, “we should drip-feed him the information, even if it draws suspicion.” She was sitting to one side of me, leaving an empty seat between us on the sofa.

“May I ask why?”

“You know how shady our boss is, don’t you? If we go to him wagging our tails and spill everything, he’ll probably just end up taking advantage of us. I bet he already suspects all sorts of things.”

I’d been feeling the exact same way lately—even more so after we delivered our previous report. And if problems did arise, it was likely my neighbor and the Abaddon boy would cooperate on a shared story to tell the bureau. That seemed like quite the bargain for gaining our help.

“I suppose so,” I eventually replied.

“For now,” she continued, “I think we should tell him it’s a psychic who can create a specific kind of space—or something like that.”

“Do such powers exist?”

“I can think of one, certainly—and a fairly troublesome one, at that.”

“How high is their rank?”

“A. And on the higher end, to boot.”

“Won’t claiming that cause a big commotion?”

“Well, if our estimate is too low, we might end up with the job.”

“Good point…”

They probably wouldn’t order the two of us to take care of a powerful rank-A psychic on our own. Even if we did investigate, the section chief would be taking the lead, and the entire bureau would be acting with a lot of caution. And with our recent lack of on-site personnel, the chief would probably be hesitant to move forward.

News of this proxy war would probably reach him soon anyway. When that happened, it would be clear our reports were mistaken—in which case, the less time we spent on this job, the better. That way, we could simply say we were poking into it in our spare time and apologize for having bad intel.

“The angel side has seen my face, though,” I pointed out.

“…That’s one thing we can’t do anything about.”

That had been entirely my own fault, and I felt really guilty about it. I should have at least hidden my face. Realistically, though, I wouldn’t have had the time. Between that and saving my neighbor, I knew I’d made the right decision. I’d have to put some thought into it for next time, though.

“Well, you do have a very plain face,” remarked Ms. Futarishizuka. “I’m sure they’ll forget it soon.”

“I think that’s the first time anyone’s ever complimented me on my face,” I said.

“That was not a compliment. Please don’t twist my words like that.”

“Is that so?” said Peeps. “In my opinion, his face has something of a charm to it.”

“…Thanks, Peeps.”

I’d meant it as a silly joke, but my bird’s backup only dealt me additional damage. As I watched Ms. Futarishizuka grinning at me, I firmly decided that joking wasn’t my thing and that I shouldn’t have bothered trying.

As our discussion on what to report to the chief came to a stopping point, Lady Elsa spoke up, her voice reserved. “…Was it all right for me to hear that?” she asked.

“I apologize for boring you,” I said. “It’ll be fine as long as you keep silent about it.”

“I…I know. I’ll take it to the grave, just you watch!” The youthful princess nodded.

At most, she’d only be sticking around for a few months, so there shouldn’t be a problem. In fact, I figured telling her some of what was going on would help her avoid getting caught up in any of it.

Incidentally, I noticed she was sitting up straighter than usual, and she seemed nervous. She’d been like that since the morning, so I’d thought of something to cheer her up. “By the way, Lady Elsa, I’d like to hold your welcome party today.”

“Wh… A welcome party?” she repeated.

“It’ll only be the people here right now,” I explained, “but we had some food brought to the other room. Would you like to head over there? I was hoping it’d help you feel a little more at home here.”

“We? I think you mean me. I prepared it all,” complained Ms. Futarishizuka.

“Yes, Ms. Futarishizuka handled all the preparations.”

I’d been counting on her for a lot lately, not just this party. I was totally dependent on her, in fact. As time went on, it was starting to worry me a little.

“Are you sure?” asked Elsa hesitantly. “A welcome party? Just for me…?”

“What did she say?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“She’s perplexed and wondering if this is really all right,” I explained.

“Ahh, what a humble, sweet girl! I should hope a certain sparrow learns from her example.”

“Unlike her, I do understand all the words you’re saying…”

“There’s no need to be modest,” continued Ms. Futarishizuka. “Eat and drink your fill.” Her expression was kind—she understood she was speaking to a child who looked as young as she was. She was just like a grandmother making food for her granddaughter. But Futarishizuka looked like a small child as well, so the whole thing was very weird. How old is she, really? I wondered.

“Um, S-Sasaki,” stammered Lady Elsa, “what did she just say?”

“She says not to be modest and to enjoy yourself,” I said.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, getting up from the sofa and bowing. “I really appreciate it!”

Ms. Futarishizuka looked on, seeming pretty satisfied.

After that, we all moved to the dining room and dug in.

As a suite in an upper-class hotel, our room contained not only a bedroom and a living room but also a dining room. Ms. Futarishizuka had probably arranged for the separate rooms out of consideration for how cramped Elsa would feel during her stay.

I had to hand it to my colleague for how thoughtful she was with details like this. Her personality had flaws, but as a working adult, I could definitely respect her.

Dinner was already set up in the dining room, and as we walked in, the steam rising from the feast on the table greeted us. It wasn’t a multi-course meal, probably to prevent exposing our situation to outsiders. Otherwise, I might have expected her to summon a sushi chef or two. That’s how incredible the spread was.

The food was a blend of Japanese and Western cooking, with dishes from nations all across the globe squeezed together on the large table, like it was supposed to be a multi-day feast. I assumed the aim was to figure out which cuisines our otherworld guest preferred. However, I very much doubted the three of us, plus one bird, would be able to eat everything.

“…This is some excellent work,” commented Peeps.

“Oh, you!” answered Ms. Futarishizuka jokingly. “This is nothing.”

I was getting the sneaking feeling that Peeps was just as excited as I was about all the food. His eyes were darting from one dish of meat to the next.

At Ms. Futarishizuka’s urging, we took our seats and picked up our chopsticks.

In the corner of the room was a bar cart containing everything from soft drinks to alcohol, allowing us to enjoy basically any drink we wanted. At a glance, I could tell the labels all came from high-quality brands.

It seemed like everyone was hungry, so we made a toast as soon as we sat down and began sampling whatever food struck our fancy.

I knew everyone present, which made it easy for me to relax and eat. It was more like a get-together of close friends than a corporate drinking party, which I appreciated. The food was so delicious, my chopsticks practically moved on their own.

“Lady Elsa, your glass is empty,” I pointed out. “I’ll bring you something to drink.”

“Really? Thank you,” she replied.

“If there’s anything in particular you like, please tell me.”

“I don’t really know anything about this world’s liquor.”

“Then why don’t I get you something from this country?”

“Really? I can’t wait!”

She’d told me that in the otherworld, despite her age, she drank alcohol as a matter of course. I’d confirmed it with Count Müller just to be sure. And I could cure hangovers with my healing magic if need be.

A little bit couldn’t hurt, I thought, moving to the drink bar. There, I found top-quality sake. Ms. Futarishizuka is just too capable! I would simply have to try the sashimi, I decided, remembering the boat of it at the center of the table. I’d love to have some squid skewers with wasabi soy sauce.

“The sauce on this meat is uniquely delicious,” commented Peeps. “I believe I could eat this forever.”

“That meat is exceptionally fatty,” remarked Ms. Futarishizuka. “Are you sure a sparrow will be all right eating it?”

“If I feel unwell, I shall cure myself with healing magic. And I would prefer that to the horror of eating bugs.”

“That’s a very persuasive argument…”

Peeps was manipulating his small golem, typically used with the laptop computer, in order to sample the foods to his heart’s content. It not only placed the food on a plate for him, but even cut it up. The sight of this strange creation walking around on the table was new for me. Ms. Futarishizuka watched it as well, looking fascinated.

Unlike the drinking parties at my previous job, which were always filled with boisterous merrymaking, we were simply eating and drinking as we pleased. It was a comparatively modest gathering, and personally, I was much more comfortable here. Even Lady Elsa had relaxed and seemed to be enjoying herself. I was sure that wasn’t mere self-satisfaction on my part.

This amicable little party continued for some time.

The food on the table showed no signs of depleting, but we had plans for later that night. Considering the difference in the flow of time between this world and the other, we couldn’t afford to neglect our interworld trade even for a day. I wanted to head over before midnight. Thinking I’d relay this idea to Peeps, I stood up.

“Hrm? Where are you off to?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka. “The restroom?”

“Just wanted to go over my plans for later,” I explained.

“Ah. Is it that time already?” she replied, looking at the clock hanging on the room’s wall.

I gave her a small nod, then headed over to my distinguished Java sparrow, who was enjoying a pleasant chat with Lady Elsa. They were sitting across the food-laden table from one another—though I supposed Peeps was actually on top of it.

“The internet is wonderful. Just wonderful.”

“That’s the clicky-clacky thing you were doing on the desk today, isn’t it, little bird?”

“Yes, that is the internet. The tool most emblematic of this world.”

Lady Elsa and Peeps were talking about the internet.

I saw a small cup sitting in front of the bird as he spoke. In it was a clear liquid—Japanese sake—which Lady Elsa had also been drinking. In fact, she had been the one to recommend it to him; she’d liked the refreshing taste. Apparently, the bird liked it, too. It made me vaguely happy, knowing my homeland’s cuisine had gone over well with them. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen Peeps drink alcohol. Up until now, he’d been quite insistent about his food, but he’d never touched liquor.

“Um, Peeps,” I said, “about our plans in the otherworld today…”

“I’m sorry,” he replied, “but could we possibly wait? Just for a short while.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, sure. But why?”

“I’d like to describe to this girl the wonders of the internet. I will likely be away from this room with you in the future. During my absence, if she can use the internet, she will be able to spend her time to greater benefit!”

“If you say so, Peeps…”

How strange, I thought. He got pretty passionate there.

He must have been responding to Lady Elsa’s desire to know more about this world. As she couldn’t leave the hotel room, I, too, wanted to give her the freedom to at least watch animal videos on the web. Those were great.

I’d started watching videos of other people’s Java sparrows lately myself. One day, I wanted to record Peeps and brag about him on social media. Bird lovers across the world would surely appreciate it.

“I shall inform you when I am done,” he insisted. “In fact, you may feel free to take a nap in the meantime.”

“Okay, then.”

I’d brought the laptop here from my apartment; it was in the living room right now. Peeps and Lady Elsa got up to head over to it. The bird fluttered into the air and left the dining room, and the girl followed him. The living room was part of the suite but was separated from the dining room by a hallway. There was no chance they would be seen, so I decided to leave them to it. She did have the Lord Starsage with her, after all.

In fact, from Peeps’s perspective, wasn’t I a bigger cause for concern? I certainly wasn’t going to betray Count Müller’s trust, but I figured it was still best if I were to keep a degree of distance from his daughter. Nothing was more absurd than quarrels between men and women. And if something happened while I was drunk—well, that would be the absolute worst.

Right after they left the room, Ms. Futarishizuka piped up. “In that case, why don’t I keep you company?” she said with a suspicious smirk.

“As long as you go easy on me,” I replied. Was she trying to get me drunk and find out my weaknesses? The possibility was there, I supposed.

But the healing spell I’d learned straight from Peeps was great for these situations. No matter how bad the hangover, poof! I’d already tested it in the past, so I knew it worked. I wouldn’t pass out drunk.

And actually, seeing as she’d been doing so much for us these past few days, I really didn’t mind the opportunity to pay her back. I couldn’t give her anything I didn’t have, but I wanted to make sure she knew I was open to compromise in our future dealings.

“I want to thank you again for everything you’ve done,” I said.

“Oh, really? Hmm. Then why don’t you empty a bottle for us?”

“Well, both of our cups do appear to be dry…”

We poured each other drinks, then downed them in one gulp.

Sake is the best! I thought. And since there’s snacks here, we might as well partake. Grilled crab with sea urchin! What is this, heaven? It’s even got caviar on the top. What’s more, I haven’t picked up a hint of that alum smell from any of the sea urchin in today’s menu. I can’t taste any alcohol, either. It’s practically ambrosia. Freshly caught! I want to shout at the top of my lungs that this is what sea urchin should taste like!

“Ahh, you make it look so delicious,” she said. “Here, have another cup.”

“You should have some, too,” I insisted. “It wouldn’t be right for me to have all of it.”

At any rate, her cup was empty, so I refilled it. Mine was, too, and she poured another round before I knew what was happening. I had to focus on letting her drink to her heart’s content—she’d be my guest today.

Bring it on. As long as I had healing magic, I’d be fine.

“You know what’s truly delicious?” she remarked. “Having this shiokara right after the dry sake.”

“Would you mind if I tried some, too?”

“Oh, these are my favorite. Right out of the ocean, additive-free…”

Owing to the curse on the back of her hand, Ms. Futarishizuka usually ended up doing a lot more listening than speaking. Now, though, she was regaling me with her extensive knowledge. I listened, pouring more and more sake into our cups. The insanely high quality of the snacks helped lend even more momentum to our drinking.

Ah, this sake is delicious, I thought.

Naturally, it wouldn’t take long to get drunk. I knew Ms. Futarishizuka was a heavyweight from our trip to the izakaya. As I pushed myself to match her pace, emptying my cup again and again, I quickly grew tipsy. At this rate, I was definitely going to be the one falling over first. I was sure of it.

But I had faith that Peeps would be coming back soon; his conversation with Lady Elsa shouldn’t take that much time.

So for now, in order to keep Ms. Futarishizuka in a good mood, I reached for my cup.

“What’s the matter?” she said. “Giving up already?”

“No, no,” I replied. “I’ll keep going until they return.”

“My, how dependable. Why don’t we have this bottle next?”

She poured from the 1.8-liter bottle directly into my cup. As I watched, I idly thought that maybe I would take Peeps up on his offer after all and have a little nap.

Feeling something bright against my eyelids, I slowly opened my eyes.

Sunlight was shining in through the window, illuminating my vision.

I wondered if Peeps was still having that conversation. A moment later, my eyes finally drifted to the blue sky outside, which told me the bird’s promise didn’t matter much anymore. Immediately, I snatched up my phone and checked the time. It was past nine AM.

“…Are you serious?” I muttered.

I was in the dining room, on the floor next to the table. The carpet was so fluffy that, apparently, I’d just decided to lie down and fall asleep on it. The perfectly adjusted air-conditioning had doubtless contributed to my pleasant slumber.

Ms. Futarishizuka was right next to me on the dining room floor, facing up. She was sleeping quite soundly. Her clothing was crooked, the edges of the fabric parting to give a bold view of her thighs and even the upper half of her chest.

Between us was a 1.8-liter bottle of sake—half empty—and two cups. Several serving plates littered the floor nearby with various sashimi and other tidbits on them. The chairs had been moved out of the way into the corner.

I began to remember the events leading up to my loss of consciousness.

“……”

I recalled giving Ms. Futarishizuka a whole lot to drink. At some point, we’d sat down on the floor to continue drinking. And then, since the carpeting underneath us was so comfy, we couldn’t help but flop down on it. I figured I could rest a little since Peeps would wake me up. In fact, he’d been the one to propose it.

But now I was staring through the window at a gorgeous blue sky.

Panicking, I got up and looked around the dining room. No sign of the sparrow in here—nor of Lady Elsa. Leaving Ms. Futarishizuka where she was, I headed into the living area of the suite.

They were both there. The princess was reclining on the sofa, sleeping peacefully. On the low table in front of her were the still-open laptop and Peeps’s carefully made golem, the latter of which was sitting unmoving like a puppet with its strings cut.

As for Peeps, he was lying on the table next to his perching tree. Right on his side, as if he’d been shot out of the air and fallen down dead. Alarm bells rang in my head, and my body moved on its own, running toward him.

“Peeps!”

Had we come under attack? I doubted it, but it was possible. I didn’t remember hearing anything, at least. And who could have taken on the Starsage himself?

“Ngh… Mm…”

“Peeps, are you okay?!” I exclaimed again.

This time, I got a response. He groaned and opened his adorable round eyes. A moment later, his legs started flailing around. What a cute reaction. But it only lasted a moment before he deftly used his beak to get himself upright. Apparently, he’d been sleeping.

He quirked his head to the side questioningly. “Mgh? Why does my head hurt…?”

“Are you okay, Peeps?”

“…What’s the matter? You look shocked.”

“Peeps, did you actually get so drunk last night that you passed out?”

“……”

He’d said he had a headache—which made the reason for his little nap pretty obvious.

Upon hearing my reply, the sparrow froze—it actually made me a little afraid his batteries had run out or something.

Just like in the dining room, the sunlight was shining in through the living room window, its morning rays falling on one side of the low table, where I could see a sake bottle and two cups. Lady Elsa must have brought them in here. She had found the Japanese sake quite to her liking, after all.

“Peeps?” I repeated.

I’d learned on the internet that sparrows had a much wider field of vision than humans; while they couldn’t see directly behind them, they could see basically everywhere else. I didn’t doubt he was looking at the morning scenery out the window, just like I had. Since we were so high up, I’d left the curtains open through the night.

“I… I’m sorry,” he said eventually. “It is as you say. It seems we drank too much.”

“Er, well, we did the same thing. So don’t worry about it.”

“I hadn’t expected to lose consciousness. I planned to wait for a chance to use healing magic to recover. But the next thing I knew… Well, here we are. I am truly, truly sorry. I have wasted our precious night hours with my blunder.”

The distinguished Java sparrow was unsteady from his hangover, but penitent. The way he hung his head in sorrow was super adorable. He was always perfect at everything he did, so seeing a more human side of him warmed my heart. Despite its relatively high alcohol content, Japanese sake was easy to keep knocking back—and with all those carbohydrates, it made you drunk faster than beer.

In other words, everyone got drunk and passed out. Now I feel bad for recommending the sake.

It had been a long time since I last drank like a college kid in a dorm room. Falling asleep on a dining room floor just before my fortieth birthday was not something I’d ever expected. If I ever drink with Ms. Futarishizuka again, I’ll need to be more careful.

On the other hand, this tragic morning scene also spoke to how much everyone had enjoyed themselves the night before. That wasn’t such a bad thing really, so I decided to leave the past behind me and turn toward the future.

“Again, I am truly sorry,” repeated Peeps.

“Don’t be,” I replied. “I’m sorry for always leaving everything up to you.”

Then my personal phone started vibrating. I took it out and checked the screen—and saw Miss Hoshizaki’s name. Calling to yell at us to get to the bureau, no doubt.

If I picked up, she’d have our location data. Lady Elsa would be staying in this high-class hotel for a while, so we couldn’t afford to have anyone from the bureau find out where we were. As the phone continued to buzz in my hands, I returned my attention to Peeps.

“Peeps, sorry to ask this so soon after you woke up, but could you bring me back to the apartment?”

“Y-yes! I shall do it at once.”

Our next little stay in the otherworld would have to wait until evening. I needed to make my report to Section Chief Akutsu, so I had to focus on my job at the bureau in the meantime.

Using Peeps’s teleportation magic to get back to my apartment, I got myself ready to head into work. As for my hangover, it was completely gone with a single healing spell; I wouldn’t be plagued by half a day of headaches and nausea. I took a shower to wash off the sweat from sleeping, then pulled on my suit.

In the meantime, I asked Peeps to go back and wake Ms. Futarishizuka—she was still snoozing in the dining room. We wouldn’t be able to take our time meeting up today, so I asked him to tell her I’d be using public transportation to get to work.

A short, jam-packed train ride later, I arrived at the bureau, this time without running into any trouble. Passing through the entrance, I headed to my desk and put my bag down. No sooner had I done so than Miss Hoshizaki called for me.

“Sasaki, I’ve got something to talk to you about. Have a minute?”

“Good morning, Miss Hoshizaki,” I replied.

“…Good morning,” she said.

She looked completely different than she had the day before, when she was in high school–girl mode—now she was done up in a suit and thick makeup. She stared at me with a hand on her hip, looking downright intimidating. She might as well have been a different person than the one I’d been watching at her school.

This, to me, was who Miss Hoshizaki really was. I even felt a little relieved. But that was exactly why her coming to me first thing in the morning had me on guard.

“I checked your phone’s location data and found out where you were yesterday.”

Huh? I thought. Why did she bother looking at that? Wasn’t she off duty yesterday?

I never got the sense she’d caught on to me during the previous day’s mission. And if she had, she would have simply come up and said something. Since she hadn’t, I’d been convinced the plan went off without a hitch.

“You were hanging around near my school, weren’t you?”

“Yes, well, I do remember being lost…”

Could there be some sort of urgent task we needed to do that morning? I’d just finished one job, and now there was another? This was really getting to me. Maybe working conditions were worsening because of our personnel decrease. At this point, maybe my best move was to focus on canvassing for new members. I planned on sticking around this place for a while, after all.

“But why did you check my location history?” I asked.

She was taken aback. “…N-no reason! It’s nothing.”

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question…”

Anyone who had the same position or higher could easily look into the location data of members who were out and about. Miss Hoshizaki had contacted me after checking it several times in the past, so this wasn’t particularly surprising.

What made me curious was her reason. If it had to do with some kind of job, I wanted to know as soon as possible. After all, this high school girl was a workaholic who would gladly do overtime late into the night for more pay. If I left things up to her, we’d be working so late I might miss the last train.

“You aren’t, um… You know…”

“I was actually about to give a report on the matter to the section chief.”

“…A report?”

“Do you want to sit in? You’d need his permission, of course.”

“……”

We frequently worked as a pair. If I explained the situation to her now, it would make things easier later. Personally, I wanted to maintain a healthy distance between the two of us, but that wasn’t how things worked in the bureau. Sooner or later, I’d have to tell her anyway.

In that case, I wanted to take the lead in giving the chief the rundown. Letting Miss Hoshizaki do it would just make more work for both of us, and I doubted he’d object.

“Is something wrong?” I asked. “I won’t force you.”

“I… I’ll come! Obviously!” she exclaimed with a nod, heading off toward the section chief’s desk before I even started to move. Her pumps clacked across the floor as she took large strides, intimidating everyone around her.

I was almost certain Chief Akutsu had heard our whole exchange anyway—his desk was right nearby. I followed Miss Hoshizaki to my first task of the day, which would apparently be a meeting.

Thankfully, the chief’s schedule was open at the moment. We went to the conference room right away to discuss what had happened the day before—just me, Miss Hoshizaki, and the chief. We took up our positions in the tiny room.

I gave Ms. Futarishizuka a call, but she said it would take her a bit longer to reach the bureau, so I made the decision to move things forward without her. I’d already brainstormed with her the night before, so nothing one of us said would contradict the other.

“…A psychic power that can produce a specific sort of space?” murmured the section chief.

“That is how Ms. Futarishizuka saw it, at least,” I said.

“And what do you think, Sasaki?”

“I have no reason to object to her theory.” The investigation of this fictional psychic was already ongoing, so he’d probably continue to push the job onto us. “She said a psychic with a similar power has appeared in the past, and she suggested they would easily merit A rank. Are you aware of what she’s talking about? If possible, I’d like you to reevaluate the level of caution warranted.”

“If the results of your investigation are true, then yes, it would call for significant countermeasures.”

“As I think you’ll understand by looking at my location history, I was trapped in the same space again yesterday by this psychic power. I was able to return in the end, but I believe we’ll need to be very careful going forward.”

I was trying to use reason to tell him I didn’t want any more dangerous assignments. Any other bureau member would have done the same, and being too calm about this would only make me look suspicious.

“Were you the only one caught in the phenomenon?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Weren’t Ms. Futarishizuka and Miss Hoshizaki nearby at the time?”

“I have questions about that myself.”

If he’d checked Ms. Futarishizuka and Miss Hoshizaki’s location data, that would mean he already knew I was the only one who had suddenly changed locations. The fact that he asked me the question verbally anyway said a lot about his opinion of us. The incident with Lady Elsa was still causing problems.

“I’d like information on what happened inside the space.”

“Like last time, I encountered someone with wings on their back. They attacked me as soon as they saw me. I tried to flee, and eventually the phenomenon came to an end. After that, I met up with Ms. Futarishizuka, and we withdrew for the day.”

I wasn’t lying—just abridging. I’d made sure the middle school’s campus surveillance cameras hadn’t spotted me exiting the isolated space. Between then and when we entered Futarishizuka’s car, which had been waiting right next to the lot, nobody had seen my neighbor or the Abaddon boy. There was zero chance Section Chief Akutsu knew anything about those two. If all of that had taken place close to the front gate, it would’ve been a total mess. It sure is a rough life for employees whose bosses like to spy…

“That must have been difficult for you,” replied the section chief. “I’m glad to have you back here safely.”

“Thank you for your concern,” I answered.

“Sasaki, I’m really curious about that psychic with the wings!”

And there was Miss Hoshizaki with another unnecessary remark.

It was only natural a member of the bureau who worked on-site would have this reaction, but I really wanted to avoid explaining anything verbally in front of the section chief. He was extremely sharp-witted, having graduated from an elite academic institution. If I could, I’d prefer to write down everything I said to him and submit it only after several revisions. I bet he’s been keeping track of every little word and gesture that doesn’t add up.

“We still don’t know whether the winged person was a psychic or if they were the product of a psychic power,” I explained. “I don’t really have any more information I can give you on them, Miss Hoshizaki.”

“…Yeah, I guess there are a lot of different possibilities, huh?”

“There are, indeed.”

Despite being a meathead, Miss Hoshizaki caught on quickly. The sight of her being bullied the day before sprang to mind. I wondered if those rumors among the students about her failing an exam were actually true.

“I want more details on this winged person as soon as possible,” said the chief.

“If you want, sir, I can write up a report.”

“All right. Can you get it to me by the end of the day?”

“Certainly.”

“Also, about future plans. You’ve been out on the job for several days now, so I think I’ll put a different person on the active investigation. Go ahead and focus on that report for today. Starting tomorrow, I want you to shift to your other assignment until otherwise instructed.”

“In that case, Chief, I’d rather head to the scene today,” interrupted Miss Hoshizaki.

“I’m taking command on this matter. I’d like to change how we go about investigating it.”

“…I see.” Great, I thought. That should take care of the whole angel-demon proxy war thing. Soon he’d probably get reports of people wielding strange and fantastic powers unlike those of psychics. But when that happened, I could simply say “Wow, that’s amazing.”

“Oh, and about that other matter. Did you make any progress?”

The other matter he was referring to was the mess with the reptilian who had fallen out of the sky. I couldn’t report anything I had on that, so I’d just left the whole thing alone. “Nothing yet, sir,” I said.

“That’s a pity.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t meet your expectations.”

“Well, you have been keeping an eye on Ms. Futarishizuka—and doing a fine job of it as well. Keep up the good work. We’re getting more and more reports from the related agencies I mentioned before; I’ll send them to your phone later.”

“Thank you, sir.”

And with that, the day’s meeting drew to a close. Miss Hoshizaki had looked unhappy throughout. Personally, though, I was grateful for the section chief’s decision.

Leaving the conference room, I headed back to my own seat before suddenly realizing something and turning to Miss Hoshizaki. “By the way, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?” she said.

“It’s about our discussion from right before the meeting.”

“Right before…?”

“It seemed like you were about to say something, but I interrupted because I wanted to meet with the section chief first. We have time now, so… If you want, we can grab the conference room again.”

“……” Miss Hoshizaki seemed to fall into thought at my question. She was probably trying to remember what, exactly, we’d talked about.

She thought about it for several seconds. Eventually, she appeared to remember and began speaking very quickly. “I-it was nothing! Nothing at all! Forget about it!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! It was just a misunderstanding. Don’t mind me!”

“All right, then.”

That was pretty weird, but then again, Miss Hoshizaki was always weird. Not wanting to pry and run the risk of worsening her mood, I left her alone.

After that, I spent the day writing my report and doing some clerical work that had piled up.

Though I would have loved to have hopped into the otherworld, even for just an hour, I didn’t have any excuse to leave the building, and eventually the work day came to an end before I could seize an opportunity to contact Peeps.

After work at the bureau was done, as always, it was time for a little trip to the otherworld. I used public transportation to get back to my apartment, then got in touch with Peeps before meeting up with Ms. Futarishizuka at the high-class hotel. We then went to the warehouse we were using as a base of operations and did a check of all the goods we’d need for the trip.

I’d decided to bring in three times as much product as before in order make up for the previous night. Despite the shrinking time difference between the two worlds, about a month would still have passed at this point. Our new job as Lady Elsa’s caretakers added yet another layer of tension.

Possibly the most crucial item we were bringing—and this was no exaggeration—was her video letter to Count Müller.

“Let’s be off, then,” said Peeps.

“Thanks again, Peeps,” I replied.

“Can I look forward to my next payment?” asked Ms. Futarishizuka.

“…You have no need to worry. We will bring extra, even, to thank you for your help.”

“Oh! So generous of you,” she said. “I suppose sometimes you just have to complain.”

Leaving Lady Elsa in her care, the two of us set off. Peeps’s spell warped us from the warehouse to the otherworld.

Our general method of bringing over goods was to first get confirmation in the otherworld and then move them into the storehouse provided by the Kepler Trading Company. Before that, we would be visiting the count, getting a rundown of what had occurred in our absence, and informing him of Lady Elsa’s condition.

And so we ended up at Count Müller’s estate in the town of Baytrium. The familiar guard posted outside showed us to the reception room. The count was already there, perhaps having heard tell of our arrival at the estate.

“I’m terribly sorry for our long absence,” I began.

“Our apologies for putting you ill at ease,” continued Peeps. “If you would blame anyone, blame me.”

“No, no, don’t mention it,” replied the count. “I thank you for coming despite how busy you must be.”

It was just the three of us in the room. We could have brought lady Elsa along, but the people here were the only ones who knew the truth behind her death. We didn’t want to run the risk, however small, of someone at the estate spotting her, so we had asked her to stay cooped up in the hotel room for a little while longer. Right about now, she was probably enjoying her dinner with Ms. Futarishizuka.

To be honest, I was a little jealous. Even Peeps had been drooling over that hotel’s delicious food—and that was saying something.

“We come bearing a video letter from Lady Elsa,” I explained. “I don’t mean to rush you, but perhaps you should first confirm your daughter’s safety. Then we can record your reply to her as well.”

“You show more consideration than I deserve,” replied the count. “I’d like that very much.”

I stuck a USB drive into the laptop I’d bought to use in this world and played the video on it. We’d taken it during yesterday’s welcome party. I set the computer down on the low table in front of the sofa and let Count Müller watch the whole thing. As he saw the images and heard the sounds, his expression melted into a smile. He hadn’t shown it, but he’d definitely been anxious.

At one point, he said, “The implements of your world are incredible. I’d say I’m impressed, but it would be an understatement.”

“To me, this world’s magic seems like the work of the gods,” I replied.

“Now that must be an exaggeration.”

“No—I promise you it isn’t, my lord.”

“I, too, have learned that preconceived notions are a force to be reckoned with,” added Peeps.

“…To think, even the great Lord Starsage feels the same,” replied the count.

Neither Peeps nor I was in the video, but you could hear us both from off camera. Lady Elsa’s energetic voice resounded comfortably throughout the reception room.

“My daughter is stubborn—she takes after me—so I truly apologize if she’s made any trouble for you. If you have any concerns, just tell me. A…‘video letter,’ you called this? I’d like to have a chance to caution her.”

“You don’t need to worry about that, my lord,” I assured him. “She’s been getting along very well with the other member of our group as well.”

“Is that so? But when I think about her causing trouble for you, I just…”

“As you can see from the video Pee—er, the Lord Starsage and I took, we’re all getting along great. Oh, and the black-haired woman shown here is looking after her needs over there,” I explained, pointing to Ms. Futarishizuka, who could be seen in the corner of the screen. Maybe it would be best to at least give the count her name—even though they’d never be meeting each other.

“It makes me uncomfortable hearing you call me that,” muttered Peeps.

“I know, I know. It’s only for formal occasions.”

“Might I ask the woman’s name?” said the count.

“Her name is Futarishizuka. We have her taking care of all of Lady Elsa’s needs.”

“Oh! I’m very grateful. Would I be able to send her a gift as thanks? From what I can see, she’s prepared some very expensive lodgings and clothing.”

“Of course. I know she’ll be delighted.”

We continued talking for a little while about Lady Elsa’s life in modern Japan. Though he didn’t complain, the count was very concerned about her. As he gazed at the display, I could read some of the emotions on his face. It made me feel awful, as though I had personally put him through all this. Seeing as it had been some time since our last visit, we made sure he got a full report.

The video lasted for another few minutes before coming to an end. I would have liked to give him the laptop if I could have, but the count declined—being seen in possession of such an object would cause problems. He had such self-control! I felt my respect for him growing. Peeps was amazing of course, but Count Müller was practically superhuman himself.

Once we’d finished talking about Lady Elsa, the count straightened up again and said, “I had something urgent to tell you, by the way.”

“What is it?” I asked, feeling myself tense. Every time we came to this world, there was some sort of problem. And we hadn’t been here for two days in Japan time. My heart pounded as I waited for his report.

“It regards your territory. How should I put this…?” he trailed off.

“Is it difficult to talk about?” I asked. “You don’t need to force yourself.”

“No, it’s nothing like that, I assure you.”

“Then what is it, Julius?” prompted Peeps. “This is unlike you.”

“I… I apologize,” replied the count.

I didn’t want to believe it, but could that dragon Peeps summoned into the hole in the Rectan Plains be wreaking havoc or something? The count did tend to hesitate when it came to the Lord Starsage. Or maybe the Ohgen Empire had attacked. I could think of a number of other potential dicey situations as well. We’d left this place alone for an entire month—a scary prospect.

Eventually, the count said, “It might be faster to show you directly.”

“Then let us head there forthwith.”

“I am terribly sorry to ask this of you two, but I very much appreciate it.”

And so we ended up putting off our business trip to the Kepler Trading company to head to the domain of Baron Sasaki. I would probably be discussing the local situation with Mr. Joseph and Mr. Marc anyway, so I was grateful for the chance to check things ahead of time.

With Peeps’s magic, we could get there and back in the blink of an eye, so we immediately hopped from Count Müller’s estate to the Rectan Plains.

Leaving the reception room, we arrived in midair over the plains, a few hundred meters above the ground. Peeps had told me to use flight magic first so that I would be floating, and then he’d brought us here with his teleportation magic. The sparrow was using more of his magic to hold Count Müller in place. Meanwhile, I used my own spell—one he’d taught me—to keep floating.

The view of the domain was completely different from the last time we’d seen it. Before, it had just been a big, empty plain.

But now, right in the center of that emptiness, stone walls were being built up like a city-state’s fortress. They were far from complete, but enough were there to suggest the general layout of the entire structure. We could see rows upon rows of foundations and partially constructed walls. The ground had been dug up in a very large circle, and workers had pounded stakes and piled stones around the ring.

An absurd number of people were hard at work on the site—you’d need four digits to properly count them all. Many large tents had been set up within the planned walls, doubtless temporary lodgings for the builders. They formed a little settlement unto themselves. I could also see a road leading toward the Kingdom of Herz, with people and horse-drawn carts already traveling on it.

“May I ask you something, my lord?” I said to the count.

“Anything you wish,” he replied.

“How long, exactly, were we away?”

“One month, I would guess? It certainly hasn’t been two.”

It had been two days in my world since our last visit, which meant about one month had passed here. And we hadn’t contacted the parties responsible for construction since the day before that, which meant it had probably been around a month and a half since we’d last spoke with them. In other words, my calculations weren’t much different from the count’s.

“For so little time,” I continued, “things look to be progressing extremely quickly.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “I note even more progress than the last time I checked.”

Even major construction companies would balk at this pace. Personally, I would have been pleased if they’d only gotten as far as collecting personnel and materials. I never dreamed that they would not only have commenced construction, but that I would even be able to see the final product starting to take shape. Another ten days back in Japan, and it seemed like things would be basically finished.

Count Müller had estimated it took about two weeks to ship materials from Baytrium to this spot near the national border. At the time, the route had been perilous and filled with hidden Ohgen Empire soldiers, forcing them to take detours and such. But even without all that, it still took several days.

“Large golems are being employed in major numbers,” commented Peeps.

“It seems a very talented spellcaster is helping with the construction,” the count replied.

“Someone of yours?”

“I know of nobody this skilled with magic—neither individuals nor groups. If I did, we wouldn’t have struggled so much to supply our troops during the dispute with the Ohgen Empire. I doubt Prince Adonis would have ever been in danger, either.”

As Peeps had pointed out, humanoid shapes that looked like golems were visible on the site. Their sizes varied, with the biggest equivalent to a large construction vehicle from modern times. And they seemed to be very versatile. They picked up large boulders, assembled foundations, and pulled carts in place of horses. I was sure their presence was helping the work along by leaps and bounds. Being able to do the same things as a person but at a much larger scale must have been extremely useful. For heavy construction equipment to emulate even simple human actions, you’d probably need several working in tandem. According to the count, these golems could also efficiently ship supplies.

How convenient can this world’s magic get? I thought. It seemed to me that the flower of scientific civilization wouldn’t bloom in this world for a long time.

“Have you been taking the lead on all this, my lord?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, no,” he replied. “I haven’t helped them very much.”

“Then is Mr. Marc the one in command on the ground?”

During my last visit with Mr. Joseph, he’d explained that Mr. Marc was visiting the Kingdom of Herz in order to found a branch of the Marc Trading Company in Baytrium. I wouldn’t be surprised if that had led him here to the Rectan Plains. In that case, I felt sorry for Mr. Joseph.

But when I asked the count about it, he gave me a surprising answer. “Actually, the one leading all this is French.”

“Wait… Mr. French is in charge?” I repeated in spite of myself. That was unexpected. I mean, he’s a cook! An experienced chef who produces incredible meals that even Peeps would beg for. What is he doing on the border with the Empire on a public works project?

“I heard you explained the circumstances around your new title to him.”

“I did, just to make sure I was covering all my bases.”

I’d wanted to tell the Hermann Trading Company about it, too, since I was leaving the work under Mr. Marc’s control. They were well acquainted with Mr. French, so I figured I’d explain it myself, rather than have word trickle down through the grapevine. I never thought it would turn into this.

“After hearing about it, he apparently couldn’t sit still. He talked it over with Lord Marc and is now working on the construction. I was quite surprised myself when I ran into him on-site.”

“His skills as a chef may be unparalleled, but as a builder…?”

“I also hear the regulars at his restaurant are helping out.”

“You can just do that? Ask your customers for help with things?” Wasn’t this the Kingdom of Herz, famous for its corruption and decline? And they were helping me—some new baron they probably had never even heard of. I’d never so much as met any of his regulars.

“Many of his customers are nobles and wealthy merchants who live in or near Baytrium. Our antagonistic relations with the Ohgen Empire certainly play a part as well. The attack has made a lot of people very sensitive to the issue. And since they favor the restaurant’s owner, they found a convenient way to link the two things.”

“…I see.” That solved the matter of where the golems had come from—Mr. French had probably asked for help from someone he knew. You could earn a surprising number of connections through a restaurant; it seemed the same was true in this world.

“And because of your ample donation, they felt sure your feelings toward your territory were true and earnest. Even I was surprised by your consideration when I heard about it from Lord Marc.”

I didn’t remember working all that hard for the money. The economic gap between this kingdom and the Republic of Lunge had basically done the job for me. Thinking about it that way made me feel bad for the Herzian economy. I’d assumed I’d be investing half of my profits from my next deal into the construction as well. But maybe I should hold off. At this point, our plans are going to fail completely—I thought this building effort was going to take years!

“What about the dragons living in the hole?” I asked.

“There haven’t been any reports of them causing damage,” the count replied.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“I’ve dispatched knights from my own estate just to be sure, but they tell me the job has been mostly peacekeeping. None of them have drawn their sword at the dragons, at least, though a few knights probably couldn’t do much to stop them.”

“You’ve even dispatched your own people? I can’t thank you enough.”

“I should be the one thanking you, Lord Sasaki. I am extremely grateful to you for building this bulwark. And I’d like to continue helping with the construction in whatever ways I can. If you need anything, please feel free to discuss it with me.”

“Thank you so much for all the kindness you’ve shown me.”

If I could, I’d have asked him to slow down the pace a little. But this was a product of the kindness of a lot of other organizations—I couldn’t exactly stand up and reject their efforts. Doing so would not only damage my relationship with Baytrium, it would threaten my friendships with Mr. French, Mr. Marc, and Count Müller. They’d wonder what in the world I was even talking about.

“I expect there will be excitement in the court before long…,” murmured Peeps, verbalizing my own fears.

The only future I could envision involved Duke Whats-his-face picking a fight with me. What was his name again? I wondered. I’ve been so busy back in Japan, I’m really starting to lose track.

“…It is as you say,” replied the count.

“Then, despite the remote location, they’re already talking about what has been transpiring here?”

“I heard the border troops sent a swift messenger horse to the royal castle,” Count Müller replied.

“I suppose a display of this level would warrant at least a message…”

“Someone may poke their nose into all this in the future.”

“We’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Worrying about every little thing serves only to tie our hands.”

Peeps’s remark really made him seem like a former titan of the court. He sounded so cool—even though he was now an adorable Java sparrow.

Meanwhile, we spotted a dragon rising in the distance. It ascended straight up out of the giant hole, looking like a monster in some fantasy film. Its golden scales caught the sunlight, sending glittering rays all around it and giving it the air of a king. I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with a terrifying creature like that, even as a joke.

“The dragons I’ve summoned to the hole seem to be faring well,” noted Peeps.

“Huge as usual,” I remarked. “Just looking at it makes my knees start to buckle.”

“Really? It seems to me that in the near future, you will become strong enough to hunt one alone.”

“Wh-why, Lord Sasaki—you have that much power at your disposal?” stammered the count. “How many in this kingdom could claim to have the strength to slay a golden dragon on their own? I heard you were quite skilled, but this is…”

“At the moment, his barrier could not withstand the dragon’s breath. Challenging one to a fair fight would be dangerous. But if he shores up his defenses enough, the spell he just learned recently would cover his offense.”

I’d already told Peeps all about what had happened in the isolated space—including how I’d learned and used that one spell. He wasted no time in warning me, in an uncharacteristically harsh way, not to use it frivolously. It must really be a mega-powerful spell.

“Peeps, I wasn’t planning on fighting them anyway,” I insisted. “More importantly, I want to go say hello to Mr. French. Would you like to come with me to the surface?”

“I would.”

“Lord Sasaki, might I prevail upon you to let me join?” asked the count.

“Certainly, Count Müller.”

I looked down on an area filled with tents probably housing the on-site builders. Using my flight spell, I began to slowly lower my altitude. I hope they’re all doing well, I thought. This seems like a tough environment for construction work.

Thanks to Count Müller, I secured a face-to-face meeting at the construction site right away. There might have been a little more chaos if I had come alone.

We were in an area with a lot of tents set up near the edge of the site—specifically, a slightly larger tent in the center. I sat down at an improvised table set, probably made from leftover materials, and had my reunion with Mr. French.

“I’m so sorry it took me so long to pay you a visit,” I said.

“N-no, please, don’t be!” he insisted. “I didn’t even consult you.”

In work clothes, the tall, muscular man looked the part of a contractor. He was impressive, covered in dust and dirt. The sight of his long red hair boldly bunched up into a bandana wrapped around his head was overflowing with masculine charm.

Apart from the two of us, Peeps and Count Müller were present as well. This tent was apparently serving as a reception room for the site. A mat had been placed on the ground and a few pieces of furniture set around the tent—all of it neat and clean enough for entertaining people of significant repute. Maybe Mr. French had put it together for the count’s previous visit.

“I hadn’t expected the work to be this far along,” I said to Mr. French. “I heard from Count Müller that you’ve been putting in a lot of effort. Thank you for your work and for finding the time to see us.”

“I can’t possibly take all the credit!” he insisted. “It’s been a group effort.”

“I heard your influence has been vital, Mr. French.”

“Oh, but everyone here has been so kind to me…”

I’d gone over the finer details with Count Müller before we arrived, so we were able to spend some time exchanging greetings and small talk. At this rate, there was absolutely no way I could ask him to take it easy.

Then the tent’s front entrance flew open. Several men appeared, all wearing the same work clothes as Mr. French. They all had harsh, rough faces. We hadn’t expected anyone, so we were very surprised. Did the workers use this tent for breaks?

“Hey, French!” one of them said. “Heard Baron Sasaki was gonna be here.”

“Lord of the realm, and all that,” said another. “Gotta show our faces, say hi, y’know?”

“Is that lanky guy the one?” asked a third man.

“Mind introducing us, or what?” chimed in a fourth.

They boldly strode into the tent, making a ruckus. Combined with their uncivilized appearances, their behavior made them seem almost like outlaws.

Mr. French was the first one to panic upon seeing them. “J-just hang on!” he pleaded. “These two are nobles. You could at least be a little more…”

The men didn’t seem to be registering his words, though. Instead, they ignored him and continued speaking, one after another.

“Pretty good work site, huh? Got loads of real talented craftsmen.”

“All of us here are pretty tight, so no need to worry about a thing, Your Lordship.”

“Bunch of Ohgen Empire folks came bumbling in earlier, Baron Sasaki. But we sent ’em packing.”

“Man, was that a good time or what? Real refreshing, you know what I’m saying?”

“Can’t get in here without an introduction from a friend, after all.”

“And if anyone invites some flake, we kick him out and the guy who invited him.”

“The pay’s good, so there’s people lining up to get an invitation.”

“We’re even getting merchants and whores coming in these days.”

As for me—Baron Sasaki—the only thing I could do was answer straightforwardly. After all, they were here out of the kindness of their own hearts. Plus, they were pretty scary looking, so I didn’t want to pick any fights.

“Thank you. I am Sasaki,” I told them, leading with a bow. Count Müller was here with me, so I hoped we could keep things peaceful. “I’ve heard about you all from Mr. French. I take heart in knowing you have expended the time and effort to come all the way to this remote area, and I hope you’ll continue to support the project.”

“H-hey—hey! That’s all you have to say?” asked one of them without skipping a beat—he was standing in front of the rest, with a shaved head and the scariest face of them all.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean, we haven’t paid you any respect, and Count Müller’s right there. I heard you used to be a merchant who did business in Baytrium. Are you fine with us treating you like this right in front your superior?”

“As you can see, I’m a foreigner,” I explained. “This territory originally belonged to the citizens of Herz. The royal family gave it to me as part of my baronship, but I am merely borrowing it from you temporarily.”

“I… Are you being serious?”

To be honest, I didn’t really feel like I was governing this place. In fact, I was passing off all the work to other people. I felt like I should apologize. “Mr. French is also a good friend of mine,” I continued. “If he thinks highly of you, then I must welcome you as guests. As this isn’t a public place, I don’t think there’s much need to stand on ceremony.”

Also, I’d be embarrassed acting all high-and-mighty in front of Peeps. He was essentially the reason I received the title and land to begin with. I couldn’t allow Count Müller to be insulted, but I didn’t mind if they thought lowly of me. In fact, maybe if they didn’t take me seriously, their work would slow down—and that would only benefit us.

“For real?” roared the man with the shaved head. He seemed shocked. “You don’t seem like a noble from Herz, that’s for sure.”

“I… I already told you how magnanimous he is!” cut in Mr. French.

The men in the back shared their leader’s reaction. Was it that surprising? And thanks for the backup, Mr. French.

I decided to turn my own praise toward the count. “Count Müller, too, well understands your goodwill.”

“Indeed,” replied the count. “Baron Sasaki is correct.”

“…!”

At his remark, the men broke out in smiles. But even when happy, scary people were scary. For a moment, I almost thought they were threatening us.

But their surprise only lasted a second or two before they began to get rowdy again.

“Yeah, Mr. French was tellin’ the truth!”

“No kidding. I didn’t think nobles like this even existed.”

“And it’s someone our count trusts, too.”

“Who the hell was it who said he was trying to bring down the count?!”

“I’m ready for another shift!”

“Yeah, I’m pumped!”

The quiet tent was suddenly blazing with energy. How on earth did Mr. French describe us to them? I wondered.

As this band of outlaw look-alikes got more and more excited, I only grew more anxious. Logically, considering my magic powers, they wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on me—but they looked so scary that my fear was instinctual. I felt like I was downtown, being accosted by a band of hooligans.

“Excuse me, everyone, but—,” I began.

“Baron Sasaki, I am truly sorry for our rude behavior,” interrupted the man with the shaved head.

“…Huh?”

“We shouldn’t have tested you. Please, accept our apologies.”

His attitude had done a one-eighty. No sooner had he righted his posture than he offered us a dramatic bow. The men crowded in behind him started lowering their heads one after another, too.

“We were worried you’d deceived Mr. French,” he explained. “But it seems we were wrong. You really are the person he described. Now we can stop worrying and get back to work.”

“…Might I inquire into the details of your relationship with Mr. French?” I ventured.

“I run a construction company in Baytrium, and I’ve been visiting his restaurant regularly for a while,” explained the leader of the men respectfully. “Not as much recently, what with all the nobles showing up, but that’s how we know each other. And that’s why I’m helping out.”

He must be one of the regulars of Mr. French’s Count Müller mentioned, I realized. From how he spoke, he seemed to be a master builder; maybe he was actually a wealthy man, in contrast to his thuggish looks. And if he was, he probably met with nobles on a daily basis. I guess that’s why he wanted to test me. I was sincerely grateful that they cared so much about Mr. French.

“Do all the golems belong to you, then?” I asked.

“No, they’re from the Adventurers Guild.”

“Does the Adventurers Guild also have connections with the restaurant?”

“The guild leader absolutely loves Mr. French’s restaurant, and so adventurers have a leg up getting work here. Real weirdo, that one—loves soup curry beyond belief, always eats the same exact meal, you know,” added the builders’ leader with something of an amused gleam in his eye. He was probably on good terms with said guild leader, whoever they were. Maybe that was why everything on the site seemed so coordinated.

“Ah, I see,” I said. “Thank you for the explanation.”

“If there’s anything we can clear up for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Each of the stern-faced men looked at me with passionate sincerity in their eyes. I found myself unprepared for this; I had no experience being in a position of authority over others. It felt like during homeroom at school or a meeting at work, when I’d be trying to lay low and keep quiet, and then suddenly I’d be called on to contribute. Plus, these people all looked like they could be with the yakuza. I couldn’t help but get nervous.

I went for something safe and inoffensive. “Anyway, it’s amazing this many people were willing to gather so close to a dragon’s nest.”

The man with the shaved head had an immediate reply. “Actually, we were pretty hesitant at first.”

After that, a bunch of the men standing behind him chimed in.

“We were scared out of our minds when we first heard!”

“Working right next to a golden dragon’s nest? Figured the people in charge were insane.”

“But then Mr. French suddenly says he’ll start the work alone if he has to and rushes in.”

“He said the dragons were safe. We thought he’d hit his head or something. We weren’t sure what to do.”

“In the end, we all decided to go rescue him.”

“And when we arrived, amazingly, the dragons didn’t seem to care one bit that we were here.”

“Yeah, so more and more people started believing Mr. French.”

“And now, as you can see, there’s a whole bunch of us!”

Apparently, Mr. French was where it had all begun—he’d taken the lead. I know he said he’d do his best to help when we saw each other last time, but this is something else. I want to apologize to him. I thought we were just exchanging small talk. I never dreamed it would turn out like this.

“You’ve worked yourself to the bone, haven’t you, Mr. French?” I said to the chef. “I’m sincerely grateful.”

“I-it wasn’t all me,” he insisted. “Mr. Marc helped out, too.”

Maybe it’d be better if he had my title instead. Actually, maybe it wasn’t too late. I’d have to start pushing him to the forefront from now on.

I shot a glance at Peeps and made out a tiny nod in response.

“Where is Mr. Marc, by the way?” I asked.

“He headed for the Republic of Lunge not long ago,” came the answer.

“I see…” I had initially hoped to be lucky enough to see him here, but I should have guessed he wouldn’t have time to stick around.

As this world was seriously lacking in communications infrastructure, my only choice was to send him a message through Mr. Joseph. It was then I remembered a certain handy item that existed in modern times. Perhaps the day would soon come when I brought high-powered radio equipment to this world. There were no restrictions here—you could send out waves as strong as you wanted. You wouldn’t even have to encode anything; you could just blast out confidential information as is!

We spoke about the current situation for a little under an hour. Figuring we’d be obstructing their work if we stayed any longer, I suggested we head out. Count Müller couldn’t tag along forever, either—he had plenty of his own business to attend to.

“I’m sorry, but we should probably leave soon…,” I said.

“We’ll do our best to have something to show you the next time we meet!” exclaimed Mr. French enthusiastically.

“No, no, feel free to take it easy. Safety first—I insist. If you need any more funds, I’m sure you can ask Mr. Marc or Count Müller, and you’ll have them in a heartbeat. Take your time if you need to and do a good job with it,” I replied as politely as I could. If he tried to take on too much, it might provoke opposition. I would rather they take their time than burn out.

“Did you hear that, everyone?” called out the master builder. “Baron Sasaki is a valorous man, indeed!” In response, the other men began to cheer loudly enough to shake the tent.

If I stayed any longer, I was afraid they might form a parade, so I left things in Mr. French’s hands and exited the work site.

After our exchange in the Rectan Plains, Peeps and I brought Count Müller back home, then headed for the Republic of Lunge for our now-customary business with Mr. Joseph. To reach the Kepler Trading Company, I prevailed upon the bird’s teleportation magic.

In consideration of the time difference between the two worlds, we brought our goods to the Kepler-provided storehouse in Lunge before the meeting. With Ms. Futarishizuka preparing all the goods in modern Japan, all we had to do was move them from one place to the other.

Finally, we arrived in the company’s reception room for our discussion with Mr. Joseph.

“Oh? Why, if it isn’t Mr. Marc.”

“Mr. Sasaki! It’s good to see you again.”

Mr. Marc was in the room we had been shown to, seated right next to Mr. Joseph. Just like the last time we’d seen him, he was wearing finer clothing than back when he’d been doing business in Baytrium. His clothes weren’t as gaudy as those worn by the Herzian nobility, but judging by the fabric and tailoring, they must have been expensive.

“I heard you were on your way,” I said. “I hadn’t realized you’d returned already.”

“Yes, I just got back today. I’m glad I arrived in time to meet with you.”

This made things convenient—I could speak to them both at once. I quickly launched into an explanation of the products I’d brought. They weren’t much different from last time—sugar and modern manufactured goods. But since it had been two days in the modern world since our last deal, we’d brought double our usual amount and a little extra.

Essentially, we’d tripled our stock. In response, Mr. Joseph offered about the same price per unit as last time. This was what I had expected, so I agreed and sold my whole stock. I then put half of the profits toward the construction project in my domain. I’d leave that part with Count Müller or the Hermann Trading Company, then discuss with Mr. French how much he’d need. That would lessen the burden on Mr. Marc, too.

“Mr. Joseph,” I said, “for our next deal, would you mind if I increased the amount of product?”

“Would that happen to include sugar?”

“Yes, that’s the idea.”

“Then, please do. I’d be happy to oblige.”

And so my exchange with the representative of the Kepler Trading Company came to a close. Afterward, Peeps and I stayed overnight at an inn Mr. Joseph introduced us to. As always, we received excellent service. The lodgings were of a higher quality than last time, too, which I wanted to believe was an expression of his anticipation for our future business deals.

The next day, we returned to the town of Baytrium and headed straight for the Hermann Trading Company. There, we deposited the funds for Mr. French. I asked them to notify him when they had the chance, and they immediately responded that they would. Mr. Marc may have been absent, but those at the company were working as hard as ever, and I felt comfortable trusting them with large sums of money.

As we were preparing to leave, we were informed that Count Müller wanted to see us. Apparently, he’d been searching everywhere and had asked the company to relay the message if they saw me.

What could it be? I wondered. We just saw him yesterday.

As instructed, we headed over to the count’s estate, eventually ending up in the reception room.

“Yellow skin, black hair, dark eyes—he does appear to be the one you described.”

“Count Müller, who might this be?”

“This is Viscount Ohm. He’s come here on an errand for Duke Einhart.”

“I am indeed Viscount Ohm.”

Together in the room with Count Müller was someone I’d never met before. He was about my age and looked to be about 180 centimeters tall. His dull-brown hair reached his shoulders, parted in the middle to expose most of his forehead. His facial hair was a bit long as well, surrounding his mouth. His ostentatious clothing made it very clear that he was the image of a Herzian noble. What caught my eye the most was his collar, which looked like one of those topless caps kids wore to keep shampoo out of their eyes—a ruffled collar, essentially. His outfit used a lot of lace; he looked like gaudiness personified.

Now that I thought about it, even in my world, lace had been a luxury item before the Industrial Revolution had made lace machines commonplace. Handwoven items were very expensive because of the labor required. If I brought them to this world in large quantities, they might prove another effective product for the Marc Trading Company.

But now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. The person in front of me was the reason the count had been searching for us.

“My name is Sasaki. I appreciate you coming all the way here, my lord.”

“I’ve come with a message from Duke Einhart for Baron Sasaki,” announced the viscount, getting up off the sofa before I’d even had a chance to get comfortable. Across the low table from me, Count Müller’s face took on a troubled expression as he watched the other noble.

Without much of a choice, I waited for what the man was about to say. As a baron, I was the lowest-ranking noble in the room.

The words that came next touched on a recent hot topic of ours.

“Regarding Baron Sasaki’s bulwark under construction at the border with the Ohgen Empire, Duke Einhart has acknowledged your efforts. It has been decided that, in his compassion, and as the original proposer, he will be supporting the baron in his endeavors.”

“……”

“As a comrade who believes Prince Adonis worthy of the Herzian throne, Duke Einhart hopes that his support will encourage Baron Sasaki to continue working for the prosperity of our homeland. In addition, I plan on taking direct but temporary control over the site for the time being.”

This was a roundabout way of saying “Hey, we support the second prince, too, so let us have a piece of the pie building the bulwark.” Also, “I came up with the idea first, so make sure everyone knows that.” Actually, since someone close to him was taking over the work site, it might have been more accurate to call it a confiscation.

I’d met people like this at my old job. They would hand all the work from their superior off to their subordinates, and when those subordinates did a good job, they’d talk like they deserved all the credit themselves. And when the boss was of a much higher rank—like in this case—it was particularly unbearable to watch.

How did people handle this in Herz? If I disobeyed, things would probably turn sour.

“…What is it, Baron Sasaki?”

Viscount Ohm probably didn’t think for a moment that I’d refuse. He was all set to take over.

But I couldn’t betray Mr. French’s goodwill. I’d have to decline, even if it meant enduring some harassment.

“I’m terribly sorry, my lord,” I said, “but I must refuse your kind offer.”

“Wh-what?!” As expected, the viscount nearly blew his top. His face twisted in anger, and he raised his voice.

I went on to explain myself. “My lord, this matter involves a very insignificant bulwark being built on the border with the Ohgen Empire. It is not so difficult a job that we require support from Duke Einhart. In fact, I was essentially told as much by the duke himself during our audience with His Majesty.”

“You… You intend to go against the duke’s wishes?” Red crept into the viscount’s face. And he was so composed before, I thought. Now he’s furious. Probably because a noble of lower rank had defied him.

“Or does the duke mean to say that his support would outstrip that of the Kepler Trading Company, my lord?”

“Well, I…”

It was actually Peeps’s and my pocket money, but Mr. Joseph’s name was a good one to use in this situation. Herzian nobles were generally weak to outside pressure. I felt like I was steadily beginning to understand how this world worked. Viscount Ohm was at a loss for words. He probably hadn’t anticipated us turning him down like this.

However, not only had these people tried to assassinate Peeps, they’d expelled him from his own world. I couldn’t afford to be careless around them. I’d prefer not to interact with them at all—and Peeps agreed with me on that.

“As promised, I will not set foot in the capital until the defensive structures are complete,” I said to reassure him. “My lord, could you possibly plead with Duke Einhart on my behalf for him to take a long-term view of our work?”

Even after it was done, I didn’t want to go anywhere near the capital for a while. If we stayed cooped up in our own territory, the duke probably wouldn’t complain. Ideally, the kingship would change hands during that time, and they’d eventually forget about me.

But no sooner did I look up at him than Viscount Ohm roared “Y-you’d better prepare yourself for the consequences of disobeying Duke Einhart!” before storming out of the reception room, leaving the door wide open. The quick clat-clat-clat of his boots down the hallway steadily grew distant.

Once the sound faded, Count Müller said, “Duke Einhart must be serious to send Viscount Ohm all the way out here. There are competing factions even among those supporting the second prince. I suspect the duke has grown impatient after hearing of your vigorous efforts here, Lord Sasaki.”

“I am so sorry to be causing trouble for you, my lord,” I apologized.

“Oh, there’s no need for that. I much prefer your decision. Our relations with Duke Einhart are vital, yes, but that bulwark is just as crucial to the town of Baytrium. I’d like to avoid anything getting in the way.”

“I’m very pleased to hear you say that.”

Had Viscount Ohm taken over at the site, the master builder and his group would have flown into a fury right away. Human relations at the site would be in turmoil—and the project itself would naturally fail. The only response to such a situation I could come up with was to have a dragon wipe the whole thing off the map. Nobody would benefit from that—including the kingdom itself.

The count, who seemed to share my understanding, immediately made a suggestion. “I believe I shall increase the site’s complement of knights for the time being.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

Maybe it would be best to tell those working at the site, Mr. French in particular, about what had just transpired. I really hoped everything would proceed as smoothly as possible.

“By the way,” added the count, “there was something else I wanted to tell you…”

“What is it?”

“May I borrow him for a moment, Lord Starsage?”

“Very well.”

It wasn’t every day Count Müller wanted to talk to me alone. Correctly guessing the man’s intent, Peeps hopped off my shoulder right away, fluttering through the air and out the door Viscount Ohm had left open, before disappearing into the estate’s halls.

After watching him go, the count turned back to me. “As I watched the—what did you call it? Vi-dee-oh letter? Something sparked my curiosity.”

“What is it, my lord?” I asked. “You can speak your mind in front of me.”

Was he worried about Lady Elsa? I was in charge of her care. I felt myself tense up under the weight of my responsibility.

However, his next words went in a very different direction. “Well, how should I put this…? The Lord Starsage does not hold his liquor very well.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Instead of Lady Elsa, the count was commenting on Peeps’s drinking habits. He’d probably noticed the cups and the bottle of sake in the background of the video somewhere. The sparrow had imbibed with Lady Elsa in the living room.

“His behavior changes little even with much drink,” explained the count, “but there are times when he gets very drunk. I’ve even witnessed him forgetting some of what happened, which has led to certain situations in the past.”

“……”

“I’m sorry to ask this of you, but please keep this information in mind.”

“I understand fully, my lord.”

Now it made sense why Peeps had been passed out in the living room. It was worth remembering that everyone had a weakness or two. But since Peeps was always such a perfect super sparrow, I found this weak point of his especially adorable.