CH 93

First time errand

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"I'm Sudou, who is in charge of the Investigation Headquarters. I know it's sudden, but could you hand me the letters and the report?"

"Before that, may I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Do you believe me that I am the real Kento Kokubu?"

After a moment of silence, Sudou shook his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't believe it 100% at this point."

"Okay, then, could you look at the report first? The report was compiled by the six teachers and the intern teacher Sugiyama-sensei. Please read it and then make a decision."

Sudou-san opened his eyes wide when I took out the report from the shadow storage.

"Is that also magic?"

"Yes, I can put things in the shadow space. Go ahead ..."

"Wait! Let me inspect it first!"

The person who tried to snatch the report from the side was the investigator called Katayama, but I had no intention of handing it over.

"Hey, you, what are you doing!"

"What is it, you've been rude for quite some time."

"What is it ... bastard?"

"Stop it, Katayama ... I don't mind."

When I handed him the report, Suduo-san put on gloves, took it, carefully opened it, and began to read it.

The report mentions that we were summoned to the Kingdom of Resenburg, that we were treated inhumanely at the garrison, that Funayama lost his life during the rigorous training process, and that they have now escaped from the garrison. Things like how they arrived at Volzard were written, and at the end, the signatures and thumbprints of the seven people were stamped.

"Hmm ... It's hard to believe, but judging from your magic and the typeface of the report, there's almost no doubt about it. For the time being, I'll send this report to the forensics for examination, but is it okay?"

"Yes, it doesn't matter, can you please make sure that the information reaches the principal as well?"

"Okay, I'll have a copy delivered."

"Also, I would like you to deliver the letters from my classmates to their families ..."

"Do you mind if I look inside?"

"Hmm ... I think there are some private details written in there, so if possible, I'd like to request you don't open them ..."

After thinking for a moment, Sudou-san nodded.

"Okay, I'll arrange for them to reach their families."

"Then this ..."

From the shadow storage again, I took out the letters packed in a box.

"Oh, so much ... Well, it's natural if there are 200 people ..."

"Yes, it seems that everyone has a lot to say."

"By the way, Kokubu, do you know the story of your family?"

"Yes, actually ..."

Sudou-san nodded when I told him about the process from returning to my empty home to finishing collecting information at the library yesterday.

"Your mother was quite agitated immediately after the arrest, but by the next day she had regained her composure and was obediently responding to the interrogation. It was thought that she committed the crime in a fit of rage, and she reflected and regretted it. It's not like we let our guard down, but maybe we didn't monitor enough. I'm sorry ..."

"Honestly, I haven't felt anything yet, so I don't even know what to say. For now, my first priority is to make it possible for my classmates to come back, so I'll ask about the details at another time."

Rather, if I listen to too much detail, I'm afraid I'll get a real shock and be stunned.

"I understand. By the way, Kokubu-kun, I know you brought the reports and letters from the other world, but can't you bring people back?"

"Yes, living things can't be put in the shadow space where the report etc. were placed. However, I don't really understand how magic works, so I'm going to look for a way to solve it."

"Is that so ... For example, is it possible to take a video camera from here and shoot a video and return?"

"Yes, I think it's possible, but my house has been vacated and I don't have that kind of equipment, much less a penny."

"Since there may be requests from all the families, I wonder if you can keep it in mind that there may be such a thing."

"Yes, I understand."

"Then, excuse me, but could you tell me more about it ... Morita, please tell him the story."

Morita-san, a young detective, has a stout physique, but he has slightly droopy eyes and is a friendly detective.

I changed locations and told the story from the summoning until today.

After listening to the whole story, I was asked the same story again to see if there were any discrepancies.

"Hmm ... there's no discrepancy in the story, and above all, I saw the box containing the letters being taken out in front of me, so I have no choice but to believe it, but if you just look at the contents, it's a complete fantasy."

"I didn't think that people would believe me just by talking about it, so I used magic to directly move here."

"How does it feel to use magic?"

"Hmm ... it's hard to answer when you ask me how it feels, but like this ... it's kind of strange because what I imagine actually happens."

"Are the other kids able to use magic normally?"

"Well, everyone else is chanting to activate it, but everyone should be able to use magic in itself."

"Magic huh ... Honestly, I want to try using it for a bit, but please don't let me be pushed into such a poor environment."

Morita-san frowned as he lightly flicked his finger on the transcript of my story.

"If this were to be tried in Japan, would it be a crime of abduction and confinement?"

"Actually, it would a charge of abduction, confinement, and death, but ... a trial in Japan would be a bit impossible ..."

"Um, I can't bring Camilla with me right now, but if she's brought to Japan, wouldn't she be put on trial?"(TN:So you want to abduct and confine someone to put them on trial for your own laws where they don't apply to the laws of the place where you're abducting and confining from ... Yeah ...)

"Hmm ... I understand how you feel, but it's difficult. There are various problems, but first of all, we can't prove magic exists, so how did she take you away?"

"I can show you how I use magic ... No, that's no good ... Is it useless if we can't prove the summoning technique that Camilla used?"

"That's right, but since the existence of magecraft itself has not been proven in modern society, an arrest warrant will probably not be issued."

In addition, the Kingdom of Resenburg is a foreign country that does not have diplomatic relations with Japan. It seems difficult to judge.

If Camilla can't be judged in the world over there, why don't we go to court in Japan ... I thought such, but my thoughts were too naive.

"To put it simply, think of it as a more complicated situation than the abduction of Japanese people by the same country."

"I see ... it's not going to be an easy solution."

At present, Camilla admits that she summoned us, but when it comes to negotiations between Japan and Resenburg, the story will only get more complicated.

"Kokubu-kun, it's going to be quite difficult from now on."

"It's difficult ... is it about the mass media?"

"Well, currently, only Kokubu-kun can go to the other world, and the others are protected in the city of Volzard."

"Yes, that's right."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet Office, the National Public Safety Commission, etc. will also ask about the situation, and I think they will ask for cooperation."

"Eh ... is it that important?"

"As I said earlier, this is an abduction and destruction activity by another country. In fact, Kokubu-kun and the others see the Kingdom of Resenburg as a negotiating partner. The Japanese government can't just keep silent when the people are suffering so much damage."

Allegedly, when Japanese journalists were captured by armed groups in a country with a civil war, the government did everything in its power to rescue them.

This time, more than 200 people are unable to return to Japan, so it's only natural that the government should act.

And no matter what we do, you're the only one who can go back and forth between Volzard and Japan.

"Ah ... it's somehow becoming terribly heavy."

"I'm sorry. We also have to get a lot of cooperation from Kokubu-kun."

"But it's difficult to go to court in Japan, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's true, but there's no way we can't investigate it. Until the decision is made to stop the investigation, it's our case."

This is the so-called adult affair.

And just as Morita-san said, officials from various ministries and agencies appeared, I felt like when I finished explaining to one person, another person appeared, I was going to explain the current situation endlessly until night.

If it's something like this, it would be easier to gather everyone together and explain it all at once.

During the explanation of the situation, there were also things that were taught.

I thought I would bring back the reparations as pure gold, but I didn't know that gold would be taxed.

However, due to circumstances, it seems that measures such as tax exemption will be considered.

Also, I heard that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will calculate the amount of compensation, including the amount of compensation for those who were sacrificed or injured in Japan, and convert it into the weight of gold at the current gold market price.

The amount of money that Volzard can buy for that weight of gold will be the amount of compensation to claim from Camilla.

It seems that each ministry and agency will respond after taking my story back with them and considering it, so it was decided that I would show up at the Investigation Headquarters once a day so that they could contact me.

It seems that the Investigation Headquarters will also collect the letters from the families of the classmates.

After I finished explaining the situation, I was thinking about going home, when Morita-san invited me to dinner.

"Kokubu-kun, let's go have dinner, I'll be taking care of you from now on, so I'll treat you."

"Is that okay? Thank you very much."

It seems to be a reward for dealing with so-called adult circumstances, so let's be happy.

Morita-san took me to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant a short walk from the police station.

"I'm sorry ... it's not a very high-end restaurant, but it's been a while since I had sushi."

"Yes ... Oh! I forgot ..."

"What's wrong? Is it something important?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Morita-san, can you lend me some money?"

"Did the people over there ask you for something?"

"Yes, all the girls asked me to make sure and buy it for them ..."

Before I left Volzard this morning, I forgot to buy what the chairman whispered into my ear.

I remembered after seeing the drug store on the first floor of the conveyor belt sushi shop.

"I see, there's a shortage of medicines in the other world."

"No, the level of medical care is certainly not as advanced as in Japan, but we have healing magic, so we're not in trouble."

"Is that so? Then what was the shopping you were asked to do?"

"Umm ... they asked me to buy a box for the daytime and the nighttime ..."

"For daytime, for night ...?"

"Yes, I mean, what should I say when I buy it?"

"Kokubu-kun, what are you talking about?"

"Umm ... well ... it's a sanitary product ..."

"Aaah ... I see ... Okay, I'll pay for it, so Kokubu-kun take care of the order for the clerk."

"Uh ... I understand."

I made up my mind to go through the automatic door of the drugstore and stepped into the sanitary products corner, but I was completely taken aback.

When a female customer approached, I involuntarily left the display shelf for a while.

What is this guy doing ... The gaze like that hurts.

What's more, there are too many types, such as slim, long, and with wings, so I don't know which one to buy.

I have no choice but to rely on the store clerk here, but it's useless to ask a male store clerk.

Rather, why is Morita-san watching from so far away?

While I was throwing a resentful look at Morita-san, who was holding his stomach and fainting from laughter, someone called out to me from behind.

"Customer, are you looking for something?"

"Yesh! U, umm ... well ... that is, I, It's not for me, umm ... A female classmate ..."

A young female sales clerk approached me, and I pretended that a classmate living overseas had asked me to send it to her, and asked her to help me choose.

I've been sweating so badly that my throat is parched.

"The manufacturer wasn't specified, so I don't know what to buy ..."

"Then, should I give you a brief idea?"

"E, even if you say a brief idea ..."

"Well, I think it would be fine if you had heavy daily use, normal daily use, and for night, but just in case, it should be fine if you put in a few tampons for daily use and normal use."

"I, is that so, th, then, put it in a box ..."

"A box?"

"Yes, there are a lot of people ..."

"Ah, I see ... I understand. Now then, I will prepare the goods, so please wait a moment."

"Th, thank you very much ... fuuu ..."

Probably, I think that right now I have a complexion like a boiled octopus.

Morita-san took care of the payment for four cardboard boxes of sanitary products.

When Morita-san asked for a receipt in the name of the police station, the clerk gave a dubious look.

"Morita-san, is this going to be covered as an expense?"

"Well, I don't know, but without a receipt, there's no way to claim it."

I pretended to load the four cardboard boxes into the car, and put them away in the shadow storage in the corner of the parking lot to avoid prying eyes.

"That's amazing, even something that big is fine, that's great ... I want to use that magic, too."

"Dark attribute magic is really a cheat. It can store items as big as a large truck."

"Really? No, it's amazing ... but, since they asked Kokubu-kun, I guess it's pretty urgent."

"Yes, really, I was strictly ordered to definitely buy it, so I don't know since I'm a man, but I think it's hard."

"I see, it seems like the girls are indomitable."

"That's right. The boys got into a brawl with other boys of the same age in Volzard and were almost exiled from the city ..."

While eating with Morita-san, I talked about things other than the summoning and rescue operations.

Morita-san listened with great interest when I talked about the various jobs I did in Volzard, the food, the people I got acquainted with, and monsters.

"Well ... The more I hear about it, the more I want to go. If you can come back from the other side, it will be possible to bring people there, right?"

"Hmm ... I won't know until I actually become able to do it."

"Kokubu-kun ... if you create a travel agency and do travel tours to different worlds, you might become a millionaire."

"Hmm ... even at this point, I am earning quite a lot of money in the other world, so I am not really interested in making money, or rather, I am thinking of living in Volzard ..."

"Eh, you aren't coming back to Japan?"

"Yes, the Lord of Volzard has asked me to stay, and above all, if I want to make use of the magic that I have learned to use, I think Volzard is better than Japan ..."

"No, no, if you use magic and show it in Japan, it will become very popular. You'll be in demand on TV every day, and you'll become friends with idols ..."

"Eh, idols ..."

I'm also in the middle of puberty, so it's not that possible that I'm not interested in idols.

If I could use shadow movement or something like that, it would probably have more of an impact than escape magic, and I might be able to become a popular person.

Then I might get a chance to get acquainted with idols who are at the peak of their popularity, a gravure idol onee-san and a Fluffy development ... What am I thinking, also, the chairman will find out, so let's stop it.

With Manon and Beatrice as well as the chairman, there are three pretty girls, but if I want more than that, I will be punished.

"So, how do you feel about coming back?"

"Hmm ... I think I'll stay in Volzard after all."

"Haha ... I see, there's a cute girl over there."

"Eeeeh ... h, h, how do you know that ..."

"No, Kokubu-kun is easy to understand. Besides, I'm good at reading people's expressions because of my business."

"I see ..."

It would be impossible for me to lie to a professional detective.

It was kind of frustrating, so I made a tower of plates to get back at him, but he still got a receipt when he checked out.

Will they pay for entertainment expenses?

"Well then, I'll go back to Volzard."

"Since the policy of each ministry and agency will be decided by noon at the earliest, could you come to the Investigation HQ once by tomorrow evening?"

"Understood, if the situation over there doesn't change significantly, I think I can visit you."

I asked Morita-san to be vigilant about my surroundings, and returned to Volzard from the drugstore parking lot in the shadows.

The destination is the room of the chairman in the temporary garrison.

I want to deliver the requested items as soon as possible.

The chairman seems to be writing a diary at her desk.

Come to think of it, she was also keeping a diary at Lastock, so maybe I should bring that diary too.

"Yuika, is now okay?"

"Ah, Kento, welcome back, anytime is okay."

"Well then, I'll bother you. I brought what you asked for, but is it okay if I put it here?"

"You already bought it for me, as expected of Kento, thank you."

Ofuuu, I was hugged from the front by the chairman.

The room in the temporary dormitory that my classmates were using was bigger than my room at the boarding house, and even with four large cardboard boxes, there was still room to spare.

"I wasn't sure, so I asked the drug store clerk to help me, but is it okay?"

"Yeah, with this much I think it will be fine for a while."

"It was a little embarrassing, but ..."

"I'm sorry, but it was a serious problem for the girls ..."

"Then, I'll go report to the teachers."

"Yes, thank you ..."

I moved from the chairman's room to the teacher's room and reported today's events.

It is necessary to increase the amount of compensation demanded from Resenburg by adding the damage in Japan, but until the assessment is completed, we cannot present an amount that will serve as a starting point for negotiations.

Consolation money for the bereaved families of the deceased, medical expenses for the injured, and the cost of removing the collapsed school building and rebuildings it.

The total amount of reparations will rise at once, and it would not be an amount that Camilla can pay at her discretion.

It seems that the Japanese government will issue an official letter of protest, but it will not be understood in Japanese, so it will be necessary to translate it into Resenburg's language, and it will not be used in official documents in this world. I may also need to format it as required.

In that case, I have no choice but to ask Klaus-san for help.

In any case, I have a feeling that it will take a long time because it is a negotiation between two worlds.

Since the Japanese government is involved, we can no longer move on our own.

"We're on standby until Japan's policy is decided."

"It's not like that, it seems that Kokubu needs to keep working hard from now on, so please take a good rest when you can."

After finishing reporting to the teachers, I decided to return to the boarding house, but before that, there is a place I must stop by.

I dove into the shadows and headed for the Lastock garrison.