Book 4: Chapter 4

If this world we are in is the “Back World”, then it must have the same composition as the “Front World”. That is why, even though Kimidori Gorn-san ends his sentences with “nu” and such, I can still understand the language.

After that, Kimidori Gorn-san taught us some more things about this world.

Although there are skill orbs, the number is very small, and only those in power and those who have made remarkable contributions to the race can be granted this.

Additionally, skill orbs can only be obtained in a dungeon.

Since there was a big battle in the past, there has been no interaction between the races. And although Kimidori Gorn-san knows their locations, he does not know what goes on in those tribes.

The general terrain seems to be the same. The dragonewt people inhabit the land at the southern end of the Saint Knight Kingdom bordering the Kruvan Holy Kingdom in the so to speak “Front World”.

「What’s happening with the other lands? Let’s see… We do scout out the lands around the Dragonewt Town once every few years, but everywhere is just desolate, nu.」

「Desolate… does that mean the land has become too barren for people to live in?」

「Yes, some. But mostly, everywhere is just overrun with monsters. There are fewer monsters the closer you get to Dragonewt Town, but there are cliffs called “Canion” at the northern end. And let me tell you, the monsters in that place is not something any people of any of the races can manage.」

「Canion?」

「Yes. It’s a land of evil monsters that devastate the lands and gobble living things.」Kimidori Gorn said, nodding to himself.

I was quite interested in the “Canion” he mentioned. It means that it is the same as the undeveloped land “Canion” in the “Front World”. The location is also probably the same.

「Thank you, Kimidori Gorn-san. Can I ask one last thing?」

「What is it, nu?」

「Are you familiar with the words “Back World” and “Front World”?」

「Hmm…」

Kimidori Gorn-san put his hand on his chin and sank into his thoughts.

「…I think I’ve heard it somewhere…」

「Really?! Where did you hear it from?!」

「Wait a moment, nu. Mama is coming–」

「…Mama?」

「*C-Cough* *Cough*! N-No! Housekeeper, yes, housekeeper is coming!」

While he was trying to come up with shitty excuse,

「Kimi-chan! I brought you today’s dinner!」

The door swung open vigorously. A dragonewt auntie wearing a pink apron stood there.

Asha and I silently looked at Kimidori Gorn-san.

「I-It’s the housekeeper, nu…」he said, in a feeble voice.

**

Kimidori Gorn’s mother delivers food every day, cleans the house, and also does the laundry it seems. It takes 30 minutes to walk from the town to here.

「…However, it might be time to end my seclusion which has reached about 2 years now. My research has ended, after all.」

He went into seclusion just to come up with a method to distinguish boiled eggs—though, not really sure if it’s “seclusion” since someone brings him food every day. Kimidori Gorn is now considering the idea of moving out of the log house.

「Ara〜 Kimi-chan. Are you finally coming back to the town?」

The auntie was overjoyed.

Well, it must be a hassle to travel here every day.

「But Kimi-chan is doing your best, so mama has to support you.」

It’s a mother’s love… I recalled my previous life’s mother. Whereas Asha’s eyes got warm, as she witnessed a mother’s love which she has never received in her life.

「Kimidori Gorn-san, I’m sure this magic tool will surely come in use for something!」I said.

「Indeed. Being able to devote yourself to this one thing for a whole two years is a talent.」Asha said.

「W-Well! You finally recognise my infinite talent, nura! Fuhahahahahahahahahaha!」Kimidori Gorn-san laughed loudly.

The auntie doesn’t seem to know what’s going on, nevertheless she realized that we were the reason her son decided to return to town.

「Ara ara, if you don’t have a place to stay, then come to my house. This place is a holiday house, but it’s cramped. If we leave now, we can arrive before the sun goes down.」the auntie said.

Oh, this is a holiday house, huh… The auntie exposed the truth of this research facility.

Along the way to the town, I asked the auntie about “Back World”, but she was not familiar with it. Though, she did say that we might find out by asking the elders of the dragonewt tribe. That was very welcome information.

We eventually got out of the forest and came out to a grassland area with hills.

Suddenly, a 1 metre tall rabbit with a long, sharp horn rushed at us. The auntie held me back with her hand as I tried to step forward to finish off the rabbit using magic.

「FUH!」

The auntie broke the rabbit’s neck with a single low kick and sent it flying about 10 meters back.

「Ara ara, how lucky. We got some rabbit meat.」

This auntie… shouldn’t be taken lightly.

「Reiji, you can see the walls over there.」Asha said.

Not lingering on the shock of the auntie’s low kick incident, I immediately turned towards the wall of the Dragonewt Town.

A stone wall of about 2 meters tall which lacked uniformity.

Red evening sunlight illuminated the walls.

Dragonewt hunters carrying prey, just like the auntie, were returning to the town. Their appearance was exactly the same as that of an adventurer in the “Front World”.

There was no inspection at the town gates, so we just entered as is. It seemed like an unorganised town. There were many different food stalls. Delicious food aroma wafted around the place.

The Lev people developed an advanced city using technological innovation by sorcery, so the sight of a suburban town overflowing with dragonewts just seemed very fresh to me.

And also, dragonewts don’t eat mushrooms for staple food.

「Over here, over here! Come, Kimi-chan. Walk properly, nura!」

「I-I know, nu.」

Kimidori Gorn-san eyed the town suspiciously after a long absence, but he looked like no more than a boy who was shy because his mother led him by the arm.

Because the whole town was not so big, many dragonewts lived crowded together, and so the bustle was amazing. But I realized that there were no races other than dragonewts.

(Is there really only 3 races left?)

Asha, who was walking beside me, was also anxious.

「Asha, give me your hand.」

「…Eh!?」

Though there was also the reason to prevent us from getting separated, the real reason was because there were many piercing gazes directed at us. So I wanted to hold her hand in order to protect her.

When I extended my left hand to hold her hand, a fireball emerged around her and disappeared.

「I don’t want us to get separated.」

「O-Oh, yes…」

「Hmm?」

Asha timidly reached for my hand. Perhaps she was nervous.

(After all, her original situation was no different to a house arrest. And now, she is transported to an alien world.)

Feeling slight sympathy for her circumstances, I proceeded through the Dragonewt Town at dusk.