CH 91

Time of separating from one's parents

***---***

When I was watching Takayama decide how to handle it, it seemed that it was time for dinner, and the members of the garrison had gathered.

It's weird to say that by the way, but I decided to treat myself to dinner.

It seems that my classmates who were continuing the discussion decided to stop talking and have dinner.

At the dinner table, I was asked by the chairman.

"Kento, aren't you going to see your parents?"

"Hmm ... isn't it unfair for me to go see them alone?"

"But tell the school that everyone is safe and let the school know ..."

"Hmm ... I think it's better to wait until everyone's letters are ready."

"I don't know ... if Kento says he wants to do it, I won't force you."

To be honest, I feel scared to see my Father and Mother face to face.

Thinking normally, if a child who has been missing for months comes back, it should be a moving reunion.

But I can't think of a scene where I'm happy to see my Father and Mother and hugging each other again.

During the day, Manon looked a little worried, but perhaps because I declared that I was going to live in Volzard, she looked somewhat happy.

Come to think of it, I completely forgot to greet Manon's family.

"Um, Manon, are you living with just your mother?"

"No, I have a younger brother."

"Oh, how old is he?"

"Because Hamill is four years younger than me, he still has a long way to go before he can start looking for a job in the guild."

When she says four years younger, he's probably the same age as Meisa-chan.

"Hamill-kun, is he also aspiring to be an adventurer?"

"Hmm ... Hamill has the same earth attribute as Father, but he wants to become an architect."

"Heh, is that so ... it's amazing, he's thinking about his future properly."

"I don't know ... He doesn't really want to be an architect, but it's just because he doesn't like the combat course ... If I was a boy and had an aptitude for earth attribute, I would definitely be like my father. I was aiming to be an adventurer ..."

But no matter how much armor you wear, it still hurts to be hit with a wooden sword.

If Donovan-san hadn't noticed me, I don't think I would have continued the guild's combat training either.

"Is Hamill-kun a mature person?"

"Rather than saying he's mature, he's rebellious and lazy? He's cheeky and all talk."

Manon gives the feeling of being a natural airhead, so if they quarrel, she's likely to lose.

"Next time ... can you introduce me to Manon's family?"

"Eh, uh, yeah, it's fine, but ..."

"Especially, I have to get permission from Manon's mother to date you."

"Eh ... oh, dating ... eh, eh?"

Manon turned bright red and began to squirm, in this world, do you not give greetings and just start dating?

"Um ... is it not normal to give greetings like that?"

"I, I wonder what it is ... I don't really understand that kind of thing ..."

Ah, somehow Manon's eyes began going in circles.

The chairman, who looked a little envious, also smiled wryly.

"Beatrice has had both of her parents meet Kento, so you should properly introduce him once."

"Well, is that right. If Yuika says so ... yeah, then, is it okay if it's the next rest day of this week?"

"Yeah, if there's no big incident, that day is fine ..."

"Okay, I'll tell my mother."

Manon looks embarrassed, but she still looks happy, and the chairman is smiling, but she looks a little lonely.

"When Yuika is able to return to Japan, please introduce me to your parents."

"Yeah, of course you should greet them properly. 'Please give me your daughter' ..."

"Uh ... I see ..."

Yeah, after all, just thinking about greeting her family makes me feel embarrassed.

I think Yuika's parents will probably object and get angry, but it's the result of the choice I made, so I have to fulfill my responsibility properly.

"Hey, I know that we need the power of Kokubu to return to Japan, but is it okay if I promptly execute you?"

"I don't mind Yagi, I was just thinking the same thing ..."

Even though we are immersed in the sweet atmosphere, we can hear some disturbing voices.

"Stop it for a second, I'll cast a curse on you that will make you unpopular for the rest of your life."

"Acchan, he was already like that from the beginning, so there's no point in cursing him."

"What, I also had a cute girlfriend with cat ears at some point ..."

"Ah ... Let's tell Rikk-kun ..."

"You idiot! Stop it, I really don't know what that dog-eared bastard will do, so don't even joke about it."

"I know, I know, don't tell him ... it was a joke, right?"

"You idiot! Seriously, please stop it, seriously please."

There's a possibility that the dekoboko sisters won't report it, so if I meet Gilik, I'll report it too, let's do that.

When I was looking at Yagi and the others, I caught sight of Katou-sensei walking with a strange look on his face.

Come to think of it, I didn't tell the teachers that I was able to return to Japan.

"Kokubu! Is it true that you were able to return to Japan!"

"Yes, when I tried to do it with shadow movement ... it was surprisingly easy ..."

"What happened, did you see how the school was like?"

"Yes, I'll wait for everyone, so just wait a little ..."

When I tried to talk to Katou-sensei about how the school was like, the other teachers also showed up, so I waited until everyone had gathered before talking.

When I talked about the damaged school building and the flowers on the flower stand, not only the teachers but also the classmates who were listening nearby became saddened.

"We thought we were so unlucky to be suddenly summoned to another world, but compared to the people who were caught up in the sudden collapse of the school building, maybe we were the lucky ones ..."

The impression that Oda-sensei leaked out, was also the thoughts of everyone in the dining room that was involved in the summoning.

The teachers agreed with our idea of sending letters and videos, but they requested me to report our current situation.

"Kokubu, please go home and report the current situation to your parents."

"But will they believe me?"

"If they don't believe you, I'm sorry, but please show them your magic."

"Yes ... um, it's better to go now ... isn't it?"

"Please!"

If Oda-sensei says it so clearly and the other teachers nodded, there was no choice but to go.

"Well, then ... I'll go back home for a while."

Everyone looked at me with expectations, and I dived into the shadows while feeling a little pressured.

To be honest, I feel daunted to go home.

I don't think they won't be happy that I'm back, but I'm really worried whether they'll listen to me and believe me.

My house is on the 3rd floor of an apartment building with an auto-lock, and I lost the key to the house on the first day I was summoned to a goblin, so I decided to go directly to the front entry.

"I, I'm home ... Huh? Huh ...?"

I went out of the shadows at the front entry, but something was wrong.

It's normal to see many pairs of brand-name shoes that my Mother bought, but never wore, overflowing in the shoe cupboard, but there were no shoes at the entrance.

Even when I opened the built-in shoe box, there wasn't a single pair of shoes in it.

"Huh? Huh, I got the wrong room ...?"

I thought it would be awkward to unlock the door on my own, so I hid in the shadows and went out into the hallway.

"Room 303 is Hasegawa-san, and next door it ... Huh? Muzumoto-san is in room 305, and next door is ... Why? Why is there no nameplate for us?"

Once again, I dove into the shadows and entered the house.

The closet next to the entrance, which had been piled up so full of my Mother's brand-name products that there was nowhere to store them, was also empty.

My room was supposed to be on the other side of the short corridor, but when I opened the door, it was an empty room.

Living room, dining room, Mother's bedroom, Father's study ... TV, refrigerator, table, sofa, bed ... everything is gone.

There was nothing left, and in the living room, which felt absurdly large, I sat down and couldn't move.

[ Kent-sama ... ]

"Haha ... I don't know why ... I've lost everything ... I wonder why ... there's no one here ..."

No ... before I was summoned, I was mostly the only one at home, and it wasn't uncommon for days when I didn't see my Father or Mother.

After my Grandmother passed away, my Mother didn't wake up early, so I had breakfast by myself and went to school.

Every few days, when my Father came home, I would receive a lump sum of living expenses, which would cover my own meals.

But even though we didn't see each other, my Mother came home in the middle of the night and I could sense that she still lived there.

Now it's a genuine empty house with no signs of anyone.

"It's still a little over two months. It hasn't even been three months since I was summoned, so why ... you don't need me that much ... Uuu ..."

"Goshujin-sama, cheer up."

"For me, Goshujin-sama is needed."

"Me too, I want to stay with Goshujin-sama."

Mart, Mirt, and Mart came out of the shadows and lick my face.

"Thank you."

[ Kent-sama, this may not be a bad opportunity. Become independent. ]

"Eh ... Independent?"

[ That's right. I don't know how Kent-sama lived in this world. However, looking at Kent-sama's condition, wasn't he under the protection of his parents? ]

"Yeah, that's right. I was financially dependent on my Father, and my house was dependent on my Grandma."

[ From now on, Kent-sama has decided to live in Volzard. In the near future, you will become an S-rank adventurer. Shouldn't you separate from your parents' grasp and become independent? ]

Reinhardt, in an unusually solemn tone, advised me to become independent.

When I was in Japan, I was just a useless kid, but in Volzard, as Reinhardt says, I am recognized as a high-ranked adventurer, and I had enough economic power to feed my classmates.

"But ... can I do it?"

[ You can be independent, you can't exist if you don't. It is a question of the will to be independent. Kent-sama is a person who can give careful consideration to those around him, but on the other hand, he is not good at expressing his will strongly. It is important to negotiate with Resenburg and listen to the teachers' opinions, but first of all, Kent-sama should show what he wants to do and how he wants to proceed. You can't be recognized as an independent man by following the orders of your teachers and schoolmates. ](TN:Thanks Reinhardt, that's the word that would fit better than classmates, but it's a bit late to change it now, just know schoolmates is the word that fits the situation better as a whole.)

Just as Reinhardt said, these days, I tend to think that it's fine to leave the decisions to someone else and just do what I can do.

I should have thought more about what I wanted to do and what I should do without respecting other people's opinions too much.

[ Kent-sama, as an S-rank adventurer, you will be looked upon by envy by those around you. You must become the pillar of your family, supporting three women. Whether you are hit or kicked, show them unwavering strength. ]

"I see ... That's right. It's time to separate from my parents."

To be honest, I'm not sure if I can stand on my own.

However, the desire to be more independent than that welled up from the bottom of my heart.

And maybe because I was conscious of independence, the feeling of being abandoned by my parents has faded.

It was a little different from a normal house, but I was able to live without needing food, clothing, and shelter.

I should thank my parents for that.

"Alright, let's move. Sitting here is a waste of time. I'm going to go to the police now, but since there are no monsters in this world, everyone, please stay in the shadows."

[ Understood. ]

"We understand too."

"It's nice in the shadows."

"I'll do it properly, so please rub my belly later."

"Yes, yes, I understand."

I sent everyone back into the shadows and went back to the front door to put my shoes on.

It's gone now, but this is the house I've been living in since I can remember.

I feel a little lonely when I think that I will never come back.

"Thank you for your care."

With nothing left, I bowed to the empty house and went into the shadows.

The police station is across the Middle School from our apartment.

I went through the world of shadows to the front door of the apartment and decided to walk from there.

I don't know the exact time, but it's already dark and the street lights are shining.

In Volzard, I could see so many stars that they seemed to be falling, but now I can only see a few stars, and I really feel that I am back in Tokyo.

If you go out of the residential area to the main street, there are quite a few people walking, so it doesn't seem like it's late at night yet.

At secondhand bookstores, there are children who are a little older than me.

I was driven by the desire to browse fiercely, but now is not the time to do such a thing.

As I walked along the bus street looking towards the Junior High School, I saw a police car parked.

I didn't notice it because I only looked at the schoolyard during the daytime, but it may be that it stops all the time to keep an eye on the school.

Rather than going to the police station, it might be better to talk to the police officer here.

A young policeman is in the driver's seat of the patrol car, and a middle-aged man is in the passenger's seat.

"ah, um ... this, good evening ..."

"What's wrong?"

When I called out, the middle-aged police officer opened the window glass.

"Um ... Actually, I'm one of the students who disappeared at this Junior High School ..."

Perhaps thinking that I suddenly said something out of the ordinary, the young policeman in the driver's seat leaned forward and the middle-aged policeman restrained him with his hand.

"Well, I'll at least listen to you ... So, where have you been?"

"Y, yes ... that, actually ... we were summoned to another world."

"Oh, what country was it called?"

I was a little scared that I might get scolded if I said something irrelevant, but the police officer tried to proceed without showing any signs of suspicion.

"Eh, yes, I was summoned in the Kingdom of Resenburg, by the Third Princess, Camilla Resenburg."

"Hou, does that mean you were summoned as a Hero?"

"No, she said she summoned us as normal soldiers, not as Heroes."

"Oh, you're just a soldier ... That's rare ... So how did you come back?"

"I am of the dark attribute ..."

"Oh, I see, it's the dark attribute, the dark attribute ... and other people can't use it, right?"

"Yes, I'm the only one who can use the dark attribute ..."

It's kind of strange that a middle-aged police officer would normally use words like 'Hero' or 'dark attribute'.

"What happened to everyone else?"

"Um ... They were treated badly at Resenburg, so I rescued them, and now they're in a temporary dormitory at the city's garrison in a town called Volzard."

"Hohou, Volzard, what kind of city is it?"

"Yes, because it's near the Devil's Forest ... it's a fortified city surrounded by walls, and it's also called the Farthest City."

"Hou, the Devil's Forest ... the Farthest City, no, it's pretty amazing."

"Eh ... yes, Klaus-san, the Lord, is an amazing person..."

"Hohou, did you meet the Lord?"

"Yes ... how can I say it, he's a very friendly person ..."

The middle-aged policeman listens to what I say without denying it, but I feel like he doesn't trust me at all.

The young police officer doesn't even listen to me, they are just looking out the back through the mirror and keeping an eye on the surroundings.

"Well, it seems that the next person is about to arrive, so let's ask for your name."

"Eh ... next person? Ah, my name is Kento Kokubu."

"Yes, yes, Kokubu-kun ... Yes, it was quite a good story. The setting was also well though out. Ah, but the dark attribute as a method of returning was a bit ordinary. Also, give up aiming to be an actor. But, even if you aim to be a screenwriter, it's no good if you don't understand people's pain, you understand, right?"

"Eh ...?"

"You understand!"

"Yes ..."

Pressured by the policeman's sharp words, I answered yes without thinking, but I have no idea what he is talking about.

"Then, the police officers will deal with you over there, so go home quickly ... Hey, get going."

"Understood, it looks like we're going to be busy tonight too ... you should go home quickly."

All of a sudden, the police officers got out of the patrol car and their eyes were on the group approaching from the opposite direction from where I came.

It was an odd bunch.

A high-school or college-age man wearing a Western-style armor made from cardboard and holding a cardboard sword, and three people dressed up like it was Halloween, there were people who were filming it with a smartphone.

When they got close to the middle school, the man in the cardboard armor raised his cardboard sword and shouted.

"I am Kento Kokubu, the Hero who was summoned to another world! I defeated the Maou and returned using Space Magic!"

The three people in costumes around him were laughing loudly.

"Eeeeeh ... Kento Kokubu, why are they using my name ..."

With the collapsed school building behind the fence, the group begins a skit that I don't quite understand, and film it.

Apparently, the group in the costumes seem to be set as the Maou and his subordinates.

At that point, the police officer from earlier began to urge them to disband.

[ Kent-sama, who are they ... ]

[ I don't understand, why are they using my name? ]

While I was talking to the police officer, I felt uncomfortable, but I couldn't keep up with the situation that made no sense.

"Hey hey, my name is Kento Kokubu! I've been summoned by Shine Bright, the kingdom of light, to become a Hero!"

Surprised by the sudden voice behind me, I turned around and saw another group of people in cosplay walking up to me.

Dressed in a white-based costume with gold patterns, the role of a Hero wearing a gold circlet, a person in a robe reminiscent of a mage, an elf-like person holding something like a bow, the several people are imitating anime characters.

And this group also has people in charge of filming, one in front, one in the back, holding a smartphone in front of the queue.

"You there! Are you in trouble? This Hero. Kento Kokubu will help you!"

Unable to have my brain process what's happening and unable to even reply, I was left behind, and the Pseudo-Hero laughed loudly as he headed towards the middle school.

As I stood stunned, the person in charge of photography took pictures without permission.

"I like it, nice reaction!"

I don't even know how to respond when the person in charge of photography gives me a thumbs up.

What are you saying, I haven't given any reaction, but since you're taking videos, do you intend to upload them to the internet?

The young policeman hurries back, noticing the new party.

When they said that this was going to be a busy night, I guess they were referring to this, but ... I didn't think there would be another group like this coming.

[ It's no good ... It's completely an Urashima Tarou feeling ... ]

[ What is Urashima Tarou ...? Is Kent-sama famous in this world too? ]

[ No, my name shouldn't be known, but I think something must have happened while I was gone. Anyway, I don't have enough information right now. Information, information ... Alright, let's go to the library. ]

Since a total stranger is using my name, I can only assume that my name has been picked up on the internet.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that my house was empty.

Since I had no cash on hand, I decided to sneak into the library and rummage through the back issues of newspapers and magazines.