Interlude: Beltrum’s Heroes
In the Beltrum Kingdom’s capital, Beltrant, and inside the royal castle...
“Are Kouta and Saiki doing well...? Haruto too...”
The hero that had been summoned to the Beltrum Kingdom, Shigekura Rui, gazed in an east-northeast direction while murmuring to himself. That was the direction of Marquess Rodan’s territory where the Restoration headquarters were located, as well as the Galarc Kingdom.
It’s so frustrating how there’s no way of confirming the safety of people who live far away...
Rui sighed listlessly.
For some reason, I’ve been feeling down lately...
Rui shook his head, knowing there was no point in feeling that way. However, he was driven by the impulse to sigh heavily in spite of that.
This country is eerie...
It was difficult to express in words, but it was like there was a deep, deep darkness swirling around the castle.
I wonder what it is. This uneasiness in my chest isn’t fading at all...
With a slightly stiff expression, Rui looked down at the city around the castle. Just then, a girl appeared behind Rui, calling out to him.
“Rui?”
Rui turned around and replied to the girl—his lover. “Hey, Akane.”
“What’s wrong? Why are you gazing outside?”
“I was just thinking. About Kouta and stuff.”
“I see...” Akane’s face was tinged with a little bit of sorrow and understanding. “Kouta should be doing well. He has Saiki and Haruto. We might be able to go see them one day.”
“Yeah.”
The two of them exchanged gentle words, gazing at the sky that connected to Galarc.
Meanwhile, back in Galtuuk, the capital of the Galarc Kingdom...
Some time had passed since Rio and the others began their tea party in his mansion. Saiki Rei and Murakumo Kouta were walking down a corridor of the castle, following Duke Huguenot.
“I believe you have heard from Princess Christina in advance, but we’re about to head to Sir Hiroaki’s room. I will leave immediately after greeting him, but we’d like the two of you to interact with him more,” Duke Huguenot explained as they walked.
Indeed, the reason why Christina had brought Kouta and Rei to the Galarc Castle was for them to become friends with Hiroaki, if possible.
Hiroaki hadn’t seemed too enthusiastic about making friends with people from his hometown, only talking to them briefly when in large gatherings. But Christina believed it would be better for him to have friends of the same sex—all the more so if they could talk about their hometown together. The two were the perfect candidates for such a role.
“I understand. I’m just a little nervous.” Rei, who now had the status of a baronet, had a slightly stiff expression.
“Ha ha ha. Well, there’s no need to worry. It won’t be a problem if Sir Hiroaki’s mood is soured a little here and there. I’m sure there are things about his hometown only you can talk to him about, so it’d be great if you could take this chance to become friends.”
And so, the party reached Hiroaki’s room while discussing such things. The knight on guard outside the room announced their arrival, and they entered to see Roanna and Hiroaki seated on the sofa inside.
“Oh, long time no see, Duke Huguenot. And Rei and Kouta are here too...?”
Hiroaki remembered their names and faces as they were some of the few people from the same world as him, and members of the same organization.
“It’s been a while,” Rei said. Kouta also bowed his head.
“Yeah. But you look like you’ve been good. So what’s up?”
The fact he immediately wrapped up their reunion and asked for their business showed that they were still merely acquaintances at the present.
It must be thanks to Roanna. He’s in a much better mood than one week ago, Duke Huguenot thought, seeing Hiroaki’s attitude. That being said, one mistake in their actions could upset him again.
“Rei has been given the title of a baronet and officially joined the Restoration. Since he’s from the same hometown as you, I brought him here to greet you formally.”
Christina had warned them that Hiroaki might not be happy to hear that they brought people to be his friends, so Duke Huguenot relayed that explanation instead.
“Oh? So you became a baronet.”
“Yes. I started dating a lady from a baron family with the intention of marriage.”
“Hmm.” Hiroaki showed some interest in that, grinning faintly.
“Rei’s future would be more secure if he could get closer to you, Sir Hiroaki. Since you’ve all gathered already, you should chat among yourselves about your hometown. I will excuse myself in the meantime.”
With those words, Duke Huguenot left the room. He had managed to butter Hiroaki up in a casual way, making him snort in a pleased manner. This left Hiroaki, Roanna, Rei, and Kouta alone in the room.
“Well, have a seat. It might be nice to talk to some people from the same world every once in a while. The other Japanese guys have been kind of jerks, but you two don’t seem like that,” Hiroaki said.
“Then, if you don’t mind. Let’s sit down, Kouta.”
“Right, excuse us.”
Rei and Kouta sat on the open sofa.
“Hiroaki... Wait, perhaps I should call you Sir Hiroaki?” Rei was about to start speaking, then paused to wonder about how to address Hiroaki.
“Oh, I don’t want to be addressed so stiffly by a fellow Japanese person. Just ‘Hiroaki’ is fine.”
“All right. Then, Hiroaki. It’s a little embarrassing facing other Japanese people like this when we’re in another world.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Hiroaki agreed.
“Is that how it’s meant to be?” Kouta didn’t seem to get it.
“It is. It’s like, you’ve finally been brought to a new world to enjoy yourself, so meeting other Japanese people is like suddenly being dragged back to reality,” Rei said.
“Yeah, exactly. Totally relatable.” Hiroaki agreed strongly again with this, pointing at Kouta.
“Kouta actually met Miharu for the first time today. He was so flustered greeting her,” Rei said.
Rei and Kouta had only met Miharu for the first time today, and they had given her a brief greeting on the way to Galarc.
“I-I was not.”
“No, no, you were being really shy in front of her.”
“That’s because...she was cute. Like a celebrity,” Kouta admitted reluctantly, blushing.
“Oh, Miharu’s the one staying with that bastard Haruto, right? Well, I guess she’s one of the prettier ones even for this world, but...” Hiroaki looked like he wanted to object.
“Not your type, Hiroaki?” Rei asked with a grin.
“More like, a pretty Japanese girl just doesn’t have as much impact in a fantasy world. It just doesn’t interest me. If you come to a new world, you want to find a pretty girl from that world, right? It’d be like ordering shoyu ramen at an Italian restaurant.”
“Yeah, good point. We’re in a different world now, so why would you aim there? I totally get it.”
“Well! You might actually be worth talking to, huh?” Hiroaki was extremely pleased.
“I was a pretty avid reader of those isekai web novels that were all the rage. From what it sounds like, you were too?”
“Oh, well, I guess. It’s a little embarrassing, so keep this between us...but I wrote some as well.”
“Whoa, really? I might have read it before! What was your work called?”
“No, I said it’s embarrassing. But I suppose it did get some good reviews.”
And so, the conversation between Hiroaki and Rei grew more lively.
I-I have no idea what they’re talking about... thought Kouta. Even as a fellow Japanese person, Kouta hadn’t dipped his hands into that sub-genre of pop culture.
I’m surprised. I didn’t think Sir Hiroaki would have so much fun talking to a boy his age. Roanna didn’t know what they were talking about either, but she was astonished to see Hiroaki in such a good mood chatting with someone his age.
“So isekai are usually split into the reincarnation type and the transfer type, but which type did you like?” Hiroaki asked Rei.
“I love both of them, but just before I came to this world, I was obsessed with the gourmet genre.”
“Oh...? Ah, the gourmet-type isekai jumped on the bandwagon late and became oversaturated, after all.”
Hiroaki’s brow twitched in interest at something.
“Right. There were works that tried to be original among them, like that one where the isekai heroine wandered into Japan and walked around eating with the main character. I bookmarked it because it was interesting, but I came to this world before I could finish reading it, which was frustrating.”
“Seriously? What was the title?”
“It’s a little embarrassing to say this in front of Roanna— Oh, I can just say this part in Japanese. It’s called The Modern Gourmet Tour with a Loli Hag.” Rei had been speaking the language of this world since they were in front of Roanna, but he gave just the title in Japanese.
“Wha— What’s up with that ridiculous title?!” Kouta choked in surprise.
Roanna tilted her head in confusion.
“I haven’t read all of it, but I heard it’s a masterpiece. The setting switched between Japan and the other world to avoid cliche situations. It was good enough to be published, I reckon,” Rei said passionately.
“Rei... You really do know your stuff. No, you’re actually a genius, aren’t you?” Hiroaki beamed with his whole expression, praising Rei excitedly.
Thus, Hiroaki became friends with Rei and Kouta, exactly as Christina had planned—or perhaps even better than she had planned.
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