Volume 9 - CH 18

“A~lright Kotarou, you ready? Sit!”

At the garden of Yuuji’s residence were the figures of Yuuji, Alice, Kotarou and the young elven girl Riese.

As pointed out by the bulletin board last night, they seem to be verifying the fact that Kotarou could grasp the languages of the other world.

First, Yuuji approached Kotarou, who was at the center of the garden, and commanded her in Japanese.

Kotarou had a complicated expression. As if to say geez, it’s a little late for this isn’t it. Kotarou followed Yuuji’s voice and sat down. It appears that she intended to keep them company in their verification.

“Yup, well, it’s natural that saying sit in Japanese would work, isn’t it? Kotarou is so clever”

The squatting Yuuji stroked Kotarou’s head.

Kotarou frowned reluctantly, but her tail did not hide. Her tail was swinging as if to say I’m in such a good mood.

After stroking for a while, Yuuji separated from her and following that, Alice approached Kotarou.

It is finally the crucial moment.

Kotarou quickly stood on four legs, as if she understood what Alice was trying to do.

“Next is Alice’s turn! Kotarou, sit!”

Responding to Alice’s voice, Kotarou sat down with a thump.

“Oooh!” went Yuuji’s voice. Although Alice had begun her Japanese language studies, the command she handed down on to Kotarou was in her local language. Of course she did not show any hand signs.

“Kotarou is so clever, isn’t she!” Alice said with a face full of smiles and stroked her just like Yuuji. She seemed to have noticed the gravity of the matter.

“Are you serious, Kotarou… No wait, it could also be by chance… She’s been hanging around Alice for a long time, so she may have remembered the language too somehow…”

Kotarou looked at the muttering Yuuji with pity. As if to say geez, he really hasn’t realized it.

And then, Alice separated from her.

The next turn is the elven girl, Riese.

‘Kotarou, best regards! Err… Sit!’

For Riese, she gave the command to Kotarou in her usual language.

Kotarou sat down with a thump.

Perhaps happy that she listened to her command, Riese also stroked Kotarou’s head with a smiling face.

“That can’t be true… Then Kotarou can understand the language of the other world too… what is this…”

“No, she may have just tried to sit somehow,” Yuuji noticed unusually, and tried out various commands.

The results.

It appears that just like Yuuji, Kotarou could grasp the language of the other world.

However, Kotarou had been listening and responding to Yuuji and Alice’s conversation until now.

It was a little late for this.

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“Mr Yuuji, are you really fine with this?”

“Yes. I’ve decided that the first one would be with you after all, Mr Kevin”

Perhaps tense, Yuuji answered Kevin in a somewhat trembling voice.

The two middle-aged men holding each other’s hands while facing each other, stared at each other.

It was not that he was trying to do anything indecent with a fellow man.

At last, Yuuji was trying to let people in the grounds of his house.

Kevin seems to have postponed his departure to the city by one day to accompany him in this verification. But then again, Kevin could not deny the feeling that he could not hold back his interest in this.

As per the bulletin board resident’s advice, the house was firmly locked. Kotarou too was on standby inside the land. Kevin accepted that they would be let in one by one and that they would not carry weapons.

And now.

Yuuji took Kevin’s hand and faced him in front of the gates that separated his house and land with the outside.

And then, having finished the conversation, Yuuji turned to the gates and stepped inside. Kevin followed and was pulled by Yuuji.

Kevin’s right leg had passed through the mysterious barrier.

“Oh, ooh…”

Kevin raised his voice without words.

It was roughly two and a half years since Kevin met Yuuji for the first time and had talked about the mysterious barrier which appeared in other places.

At that time, Kevin had told Yuuji. He said that “Once you come to trust me someday Mr Yuuji, please try it out.”

“You really can enter without problems! Then, since we’re already here, I will show you the garden and the garage! I’ve thought about letting everyone take refuge when the time comes, so I was thinking about where we should create a storehouse for preserved food”

Unconcerned to Kevin’s feelings, Yuuji talked with a bright voice.

Kotarou lightly barked “Wan wan” to such Yuuji. Hey Yuuji, read the mood already, is what she seems to be wanting to say.

In any case, thus Yuuji guided the pioneer citizens to the house and plot, one by one. Although they were not let inside the house, the woodworker Thomas and his apprentices were in clamor.

And then.

Seeing the sewing machine that Yuuji took out into the garden, the two seamsters were in clamor.

That they had come to construct a small temporary tent/yataranga in the garden and made it the seamsters’ workplace was yet again another story.

Incidentally.

In order to verify the supposing conditions for crossing the mysterious barrier, which are “the resident lead them by hand”, “does not possess a weapon” and “has no hostility/malice”, Yuuji tried out various conditions after this.

The conditions of “the resident lead them by hand” and “does not possess a weapon” seems to be certain, although they did not know whether or not one could enter while holding hostility/malice due to everyone being let in without objections. 

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The next day after Yuuji verified the languages and the mysterious barrier. Before Kevin’s group departed for the city, Yuuji and Kevin had one last meeting. 

From here on the forest will be covered in snow. It is not impossible, but it will become difficult to come and go. 

The next time Yuuji will see Kevin was planned to be after the snow thaws. 

“Come to think of it Mr Kevin. Aren’t there any sleighs or skis? It’s, like, a long board with a curved tip though. Also snow shoes I guess. Both are things for making it easier to move on snow, but…” 

If they have environments covered in snow in winter, then it would not be strange to have those. Yuuji explained each of their shapes and effects to Kevin. 

Hearing his explanation, Kevin seems to have finally understood what they were. 

“They seem to have different names, but we do have both of them. That is why there is no such thing as being unable to go outside at all. It’s just that, despite saying that, moving for long hours in a snow covered state is still difficult, you see… it would be terrible to look at if the snow blows violently too”

This was a world where one could not do anything but a certain level of road maintenance, unlike the modern days. It was not unusual for carriage wheels to fall into unevenness or for cliffs and slopes to exist immediately next to the road without any signs. Moving on the snow that obscures everything would not be impossible, but it is accompanied by dangers to one’s life.

“I think Mr Thomas, the woodworker, can make those things, so it may be good to have him make them for when something happens” Kevin told Yuuji.

It seems the pioneer land will be in a state of isolation until spring after all.

“That’s true I guess. If we have a sleigh to carry our things, then it would be easy to hunt snow rabbits too. Also Mr Kevin, I have a request… It’s about Ms Riese, but you might get called by the guildmaster or feudal lord as a coordinator for the sake getting in touch with the elf in the royal capital. Please take care of it when that happens”

“Yes, I understand. After I come to the pioneer land once it turns spring, I also intend to head over to the royal capital. I may perhaps take up on getting in touch with the elf”

Kevin lightly undertook Yuuji’s request.

Yes. This man had said from the start that he would go to propose to his beloved in the capital, with the clothes that would be completed this spring in his possession. Yuuji, of course, was acquainted with the feudal lord’s wife, the guildmaster and Riese herself. Both their knowledge on the situation and coordinating ability was qualified in advancing the plans from spring.

“Oh you will, I’m glad” Yuuji said, feeling relieved.

Was it for the relief that a person he was trusting would move for him, or was it a relief that the clothes that Kevin requested would make it in time with the sewing machine and workplace that he offered?

There would seem to be no problems with Kevin’s proposal.

The sewing machine was such a great invention.