Chapter 425 – For Four People
――Honey, I went to all the trouble… Ugh, and yet I can’t show you around! … Ugh, Espie-san, Slayer-san, please take care of Honey. Oh, and whatever you do, keep Honey away from the red-light district, okay?
――Of course!
Shinobu writhed around in utter frustration.
A visit to the Royal Capital of Japone…… Or rather, information gathering?
In any case, Shinobu racked her brain trying to figure out how she could tag along when I went to Japone.
But, Shinobu was precisely the target of the Japone folks, and she seemed to be quite famous too.
Apparently, she tried various disguises and other things to persist, but in the end, she stayed behind.
Amicus was also envious, but with such a big chest…… er, an elf that conspicuous would stand out too much.
Anyway, today’s main focus is reconnaissance and gathering intel.
That’s why we came to the royal capital of Japone……
“Yay! We’re here~, Big brother! Look, Slayer, hold hands…… Even if we can’t see it, make sure Tre’ainar does it properly! Ready, go!”
Espie was excited and held hands with me and Slayer, and I also held hands with Tre’ainar.
The four of us lined up, raised our joined hands, and jumped at the same time.
“””『Japone~』”””
Right at the capital’s entrance, I was made to do something embarrassing.
The people of Japone stared, wondering what was going on…… So embarrassing… And then, for some reason, even Tre’ainar, looking utterly dumbfounded, jumped too!? You’re really into this, huh!
Well, in any case……
“Hehehe~, I’ve only been here a few times myself, but here we are in Japone~. With Big brother~.
“It’s a country with a lot of ongoing problems… but it really is huge.”
『Hmm…… what a remarkable development…… tis been a while since my incognito visit here during my lifetime…』
“Huh? It seems that Tre’ainar has been here before too. So that means I’m the only one who’s never been…”
The four of us stepped into the capital of Japone without any particular trouble.
It’s my first time.
Or rather, although I had traveled a lot since running away from home, this was the first time I had set foot in the royal capital of another country.
“Somehow, we got in pretty easily. I thought they’d be more vigilant……”
“That’s true. Well, it’s a country where the King’s dictatorship is prominent…… To put it another way, if the King’s instructions are sloppy, this might be the result. They’re rather focusing all their efforts on tracking down Koujiro and the others who have fled the country, so the capital’s entrances are just… haphazard?”
“Besides, my Hunter Certificate is the highest-level in the world. With this, I can easily enter any country and access most restricted areas too.”
I thought getting in would be more of a hassle, but it wasn’t.
First of all, the entrance was guarded by Samurai, but when Slayer presented his Hunter ID, we got in without a hitch.
Slayer must have some impressive credentials… but in any case……
“Alright, that’s it for today—I’m going all out!! Hey there, Nii-chan. Nee-chan, step right up, take a look! Here, have some, on the house! C’mon, what’s the matter!? I’m a merchant, sure, but today’s a grand giveaway!”
“Get lost, ya moron! We’re true-blue Japone natives, beat it!”
“How much for this? Really!? Aw, why’s that!”
“Hey there, samurai-san… come on over to my tea shop, please~”
“You there, cute Onii-san, how about a dreamy moment with me? I’d be so happy if you played with me~”
“”No, thank you! It’s too early for something like that for (Big) Brother, so we’ll be going!””
“……?”
There were a lot of unique words flying around, but anyway, a large number of Japonese people came into view.
“Oh, of course, as far as the eye can see, the Japonese…… most have black hair like Shinobu… and a lot of women wear traditional kimonos~. Ah, there are also some guys over there carrying swords at their sides like Koujiro.”
Among the people of the Empire and other countries I have met, the people of Japone were distinctive.
Their black hair, black eyes, and even the clothing they wear are unique to Japone.
“The street is bustling with people…… seems lively too……”
“Un. But you see, Big brother… back when Japone was truly thriving… it was way more than this. People were running around energetically here and there, and the voices of merchants were flying around, and the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing with excitement.”
“Eh… even more than this?”
I thought this was already plenty noisy and lively, but Espie, who was telling me it used to be even more so, gave a slightly wistful, bitter smile.
“Un. I’m sure everyone has a lot on their minds. With the king doing what he’s doing, and even the country’s heroes—Granpa Mikado and Koujiro—getting wrapped up in all that trouble. Oh, and Big brother, if any provocatively dressed women try to chat you up, just ignore them.”
“Suffering under the king’s tyranny, the future looks bleak… How pitiable… Also, Brother, if anyone wearing seductive kimono approaches you, don’t follow them.”
『Hmm……』
Even just at a glance, one could see how developed and powerful Japone was.
But, Espie and Slayer said that it should be even more advanced than this, and Tre’ainar didn’t particularly deny it.
“But it’s a big country after all. Lots of people, and look, there’s a huge building over there too.”
Though built entirely differently from the Empire, large structures lined both sides of the street as people bustled to and fro.
At the very end of the street, a massive castle was visible, surrounded by magnificent towers.
『Indeed, Japone’s architecture is unique…… The pavilions scattered about are quite impressive…… Despite the current king being a fool, one can feel the accumulated history and culture…… It seems to have developed further since the end of the war…… However, whether the four classes are truly equal and live in abundance is another matter.』
“Tre’ainar is also impressed by the development of Japone. But whether it’s prosperous or not is another matter.”
“Heh~. But that’s right. That’s why ninja warriors like Shinobu dear are out of work, right?”
“Certainly…… It might not be obvious on the main streets, but if you go to the back streets, it will be more…….”
If I had set foot in this country without knowing anything, I might have been swept up in the excitement of a large nation developing with a culture different from the Empire.
But, knowing about the King of this country and people like Shinobu, I can’t feel that way.
“Welcome! How about some delicious dango~”
Still, since I’m here, I should look around a bit.
Just then, a pleasant aroma wafts from a shop where a pretty lady is calling out to customers.
In front of the store, an old man with a hand towel wrapped around his head is grilling something skewered on a stick.
『Those are Dango.』
“Dango?”
“Oh, you don’t know it, Big brother? It’s one of Japone’s traditional sweets, and it’s delicious! There’s also Monaka, Manju, Dorayaki, and more!”
“Let’s have some while we’re here. Besides, I want to bring some back as souvenirs for the Amicus and the others.”
When I responded to Tre’ainar’s muttering, Espie, with shining eyes, pulled me towards the store.
Traditional Japonese sweets…… I’m definitely interested.
“Welcome~, what would you like~?”
The smiling kimono-clad lady asked as I scanned the menu posted on the shop wall. Just the dango came in several varieties.
“Wow, that looks delicious. There are so many different kinds… Hey, Espie. What do you recommend?”
“I recommend them all! I’d like one each of Mitarashi, Kinako, Koshi-an, and Shōyu!”
“Same for me.”
Apparently, the two of them were familiar with all this and ordered with ease. On the other hand, I didn’t even understand the terms they used. On the other hand, I don’t even understand the meaning of the terms they just used. Mitarashi? Koshi-an? Is that, like, a sweet paste or something… kosher? 1[SM1]
『Mitarashi is a traditional Japanese liquid seasoning made from fermented grains mixed with sugar. Well, do not overthink it. You should order the same as Espie. Those four are probably the most popular of all the dango on the menu.』
“Oh, if Tre’ainar says so…… then I’ll have the same. I’ll take two of each. Also, please split them onto two plates. And two drinks.”
“”?””
Come to think of it, between the rice balls Shinobu made and this, the food culture of Japone is completely different from that of the Empire.
Everything I’ve seen and tasted so far is new to me. It really makes me realize how much there is to learn.
“Hey, Big brother. You’re eating eight of them by yourself? Are you in a growth spurt or something~?”
“But dango are sweet, so eating that many will make you fat. Well, you run a lot, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
Espie and Slayer seemed surprised by my order.
What is the point of my order?
“Ah, no… well, that’s…….”
『Really…… hence why I said not to waste it…… Hmm, hmm, th, this is troubling…』
When I actually tried to explain the meaning, I felt a little embarrassed.
Tre’ainar also seemed to be looking away for some reason.
“No… well, I’ll end up eating it eventually, but… well, it’s not my share…… It’s for Tre’ainar.”
“”…… Huh?””
“N, no, I know it’s weird, but look, the four of us will be traveling together from now on, and it would be a shame for one of us to be the only one missing out…… It wouldn’t be possible when everyone else is with us in the elf settlement, but when it’s just us…….”
I’ve been doing this occasionally since Honeyborough.
It’s like an offering, or rather, Tre’ainar would be the only one with nothing in front of him, and that bothered me……
“Thank you for waiting~!”
On the table for four, four identical plates and four cups.
In front of me, Espie and Slayer were sitting side by side, and although they couldn’t see it, Tre’ainar was sitting next to me……
“L, look, I told you, right? From now on, we’ll be traveling as a group of four… We’re not three, we’re four……”
“”(Big) Brother…””
The two of them were stunned by my words.
But, as they understood what I meant, their expressions gradually softened……
“Big Brother, you’re such a good boy! Raised by parents like that, in an environment like that, and still growing up to be so kind!”
“How could anyone curse such a well-behaved Brother…… I really can’t forgive the Empire! Ah, Brother is so kind-hearted, and so adorable!”
They jumped over the table, hugging me from both sides at once, rubbing their cheeks against mine and stroking my head.
“Hey, stop it, you guys… that’s embarrassing….”
Their loud embrace drew the attention of the shop staff and other customers.
They were staring like something strange was happening.
But the two of them didn’t care.
“Un! Un un! It’s okay now! There are four of us! Yes! Tre’ainar, be sure to thank Big brother. I’ll even accept a ghost or whatever!”
“To be honest, it was still hard for me to accept it, but Brother feels that strongly about it! So I’ve decided to accept Tre’ainar as one of us too!”
『I, I see……』
“Haha, Tre’ainar’s giving a wry smile too… and he looks a bit embarrassed…”
For now, it seems that both Espie and Slayer accept Tre’ainar. Maybe things will be okay after all.
[SM1]Originally this was translated as [Mitarashi? Womanizer? (Mitara shi?)]. The explanation being 女たらし (Onna tarashi): “Womanizer” – the protagonist mishears “mitarashi” (a sweet soy glaze) as this similar-sounding word, creating a pun. But I opted for something that would work better in English.
Sads Translates 