CH 111

Cheat Magician (Hazure Hantei) Chapter 111

Letter

***---***

The guild where I went to report the completion of the nomination request was crowded in the evening.

I didn't want to attract attention again, so I was thinking of going directly to Donovan-san's place, but I saw a person coming in from the entrance.

Muell-san, who has pale pink hair and a captivating bust, and Gilik, who is a uselessly large and annoying bug.

If Muell-san was there, I couldn't help but say hello.

I emerged from the shadow of the pillar and called out.

"Good evening, Muell-san. It's been a while. Good evening, Gilik-san."

"Ah, Kent, long time no see!"

"Hey, don't get carried away, Chibisuke."

Muell-san smiled, and Gilik approached with an expression as if he had swallowed a bitter bug.

"Muell-san, have you just returned from gathering?"

"That's right. What about Kent?"

"I was asked to do a job by Donovan-san, so the report ..."

"Hey, was it clinging like a follower and getting sesame oil rubbed on you?"(TN:IDK. Some sort of insult I guess.)

"No, no, it's a job that can't be done by someone with a big body, so I was nominated."

"Eh, did Kent complete a nomination request? Isn't that amazing!"

"Well, well ... it wasn't a big job, but ..."

Fufu, it's okay to be even more surprised, Muell-san.

"Hmph, it's probably just a job to run errands anyway ..."

"It seems that a certain someone with a huge body can't even run errands ..."

"What was that ... you damned Chibi ..."

"What is it? I didn't say a single word about it being Gilik-san, but ..."

"Bastard ..."

"Both of you, every time you see each other, you just quarrel ... Ah, mou!"

Hyahaaa! After a long time, I got scolded by Muell-san.

"Hey, look at that, the 'Maou's next target seems to be Muell

"Oh, what can Gilik do against a 'Monster User'?"

"No, it's impossible ... If they're targeted, it's the end ..."

"Kuuu ... Muell will also be violated ..."

No, no, that kind of thing ... Honestly, I've been thinking about it for a while.

Camilla's no good ... no, no, there's already three of them, so any more than that ... But rather than becoming Gilik's ... good, guwa tto ...(TN:Guwa tto means something like 'with a bang', it has to do with something loud.)

"Kent ... Kent, are you listening?"

"Yes? Guwa tto ..."

"Hmm? Guwa tto ...?" 

"Umm ... I finished the request with a 'guwa tto' and came over ..."

Dangerous. I was indulged in an erotic delusion and didn't listen to the story.

Muell-san is staring at me with reproachful eyes.

"Hmm ... If you're thinking too much about naughty things, I'll report it to Manon."

"Yesh? No, that ... I don't need more extravagant punishments, yes."

"Hey, you lewd brat ... if you get too carried away, I'll gouge out your eyeballs."

"Fufuun, I wonder if you can do it ... Who was the person who passed out with a nosebleed?"

"Kuh ... that, I was just a little careless ..."

"Hmm ... I kindly cast healing magic on you, but I haven't heard a single word of thanks from you ..."

"Gununu ... Bastard ..."

"What is it ..."

While grinding his teeth in anger and biting his molars, Gilik glares at me as he looks down at me, and I return his glare as if to shoot him down.

It's a little pathetic to glare at him from below.

"Both of you already ... Gilik! We have to sell it soon, or we'll be late to go home. Kent also has a nomination request report!"

"Keh, there's no time to mess around with this bastard, the freshness of the medicinal herbs will gradually drop and wither ..."

Gilik left behind an incomprehensible throwaway line, carried the basket of medicinal herbs on his back, and left for the counter.

"Kent, you're overdoing it!"

"Uhii ... But, I have to do that much, the people around you won't come to Gilik-san, will they?"

"Well, if you say so, that's right."

"Come to think of it, the old and new duo ... haven't Tatsuya and Kazuki, or Tomoko and Akemi made an appearance?"

"Ah, Tatsuya and Kazuki are sometimes ... But Tomoko and Akemi, he seems to run away when he sees them."

"Really, even if he's so big, he's still bad at dealing with people."

"Really ... two or three like Kent ... I won't say, but he has to make at least one lover."

"No, for me it just ended up like that, but ... I'm serious about them, with the three of them ..."

"Hey, hey, Kent has a report too, right?"

"Uuh, that's right ... I'm going."

"Yes, yes, see you later, Kent."

Tsk ... at me, I wanted to receive it, but I had to postpone the hug.

When I parted with Muell-san and walked over to the counter, the onee-san opened the door and was waiting for me before I could speak to her.

Hmm ... do you hate talking to me that much.

When I looked into the staff space, Donovan-san urged me to come quickly.

"Damn, how long are you going to play around with Gilik? The tea will get lukewarm."

"I'm sorry, itadakimasu."

The tea that was prepared seems to be different from yesterday's tea leaves, it has a slightly bitter taste, but the flavor is deep.

"Hmm ... it's kind of like an adult's taste."

"Even if you say it, it's not convincing, but it's not a bad analogy."

Donovan-san, who grinned and loosened his mouth, slowly began to taste the tea.

"So, what's your progress?'

"Um ... the tea looks like it's going to taste bad, so it's okay to report after I've finished drinking."

"I don't mind ... Come to think of it, have you met Rodrigo?"

"Yes. He looks so powerful that I was overwhelmed."

"He doesn't look like that at all ..."

Donovan-san sipped his tea, let out a sigh, and then began to speak as if he was spitting it out from his chest.

"That guy was a Young Hope of Volzard. He was a much more useful guy than the current Gilik, but he got carried away and was half-killed by a Gigawolf, and since then he's secluding himself as a dungeon gatekeeper ..."

"But, isn't it difficult to grasp the sense of distance with one eye?"

"Hmph, then do you want to try to fight me with an eyepatch on?"

"I, I'm sorry, I'll respectfully decline."

"It's true that having one eye will be a handicap, but it's not a handicap that's absolute. The direction of the wind will change and monsters will head for Resenburg, but that's not absolute either. Even though there is a danger that Volzard will be attacked by the maximum outbreak, it's not something that can be forgiven for secluding someone who can be of use ..."

While looking down at the hand holding his cup, I felt that something else was reflected in Donovan-san's mind.

"Well, I'm not free enough to mess around forever, please finish the interim report."

"Yes, the cause of the trouble in the dungeon was that a high-ranking species appeared among the Scavengers, led the herd, and attacked those who entered."

"What do you mean, high-ranking Scavengers? Are they attacking living things?"

When Donovan-san raised his voice, the staff members of the guild were shaken.

Maybe they're reacting to the part where Scavengers attack living things.

"Yes, I captured three Goblins alive, drove them into the dungeon, and used them as decoys. When I guided them down the main route to the lower floors, not a single monster appeared until the second floor. And then they were attacked by Scavengers that were waiting in front of the hall in the middle of the 3rd floor."

"An ambush?"

"Yes, they stuck to the high ceiling where the light from the luminous moss didn't reach, waiting for prey to come ..."

Afterwards, when the Goblins were chased by Scavengers, were ambushed further in the hall they rushed into, and were attacked and eaten, the staff frowned and began rubbing their upper arms.

They're probably getting goosebumps just imagining the scene.

Zawazawa, gasagasa, guchuguchu, boribori ... I purposely reported it with sound effects.

When I told him about the size of the three high-ranking species, the total number being over 1,000, and that it was a horde of nearly 2,000, a deep wrinkle appeared between Donovan-san's brows and he crossed his arms.

"Nuu ... I can't believe it, but it doesn't look like you're lying. In such a state, it makes sense that the people who entered the dungeon wouldn't come back."

"Ah, but the Flamehounds seem to be alive. My genus saw them on the 14th floor."

"What. Well, did your genus skip past where the Scavengers were and go deep inside ... But, over 1,000 Scavengers attacking people is troublesome. If we don't get surrounded, it will probably be possible to drive them away, but if you don't let them escape and get rid of them ..."

"Um ... The extermination is over, but ..."

"What! You already dealt with it?"

Donovan-san's eyes widened in surprise when I told him that the extermination had already been completed.

"Yes, I closed the doorways to the hall where the Goblins were ambushed, and all my genus killed them."

"What happened to the corpses?"

"Umm ... I've taken out the magic stones from the high-ranking species, and left the others in the shadow space as they are. I'm thinking of throwing them away after they're inspected ..."

"You didn't take out the magic stones?"

"Yes, how should I say it, it's impossible to see, so I'm thinking of throwing them away."

Visually, it's impossible to split the stomach of a 30cm-class gigantic 'G' and take out the magic stone from inside, and I don't want to imagine all of my genus doing it.

Even the high-ranking magic stones were only slightly larger than a Goblin, so a normal-sized Scavenger would be too small of a magic stone.

Donovan-san looked at my face for a while and seemed to be thinking about something.

"Kent, can you come to the guild first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, as long as there are no other serious incidents, it's fine."

"Okay, we'll buy those corpses, so don't throw them away until tomorrow."

"Eeehhh, you can buy those?"

"What, will you give them to me for free?"

"Hmm ... no, if you can buy them, how much ..."

"Well, it might not be a big amount for you ..."

As for the details, we will talk about it again while they inspect the corpses, so I was released tonight.

I left the counter while thinking that I could continue the conversation with Muell-san, and all eyes were once again directed at me.

Looking for Muell-san and looking through the crowd of people who were looking at me, the people I looked at panicked and averted their gaze, wondering if I was watching them.

Hmm ... it's really uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see Muell-san or Gilik as a landmark, so I decided to give up and go home.

Also, I wanted to avoid scenes like Moses' Ten Commandments, so I decided to take out a shield of darkness on the spot and hide in the shadows to move.

I heard a roaring voice, but I'm not good at being a spectacle, so I'm going back to the boarding house.

"Reinhardt, can Scavengers sell?"

[ The magic stone is small, but it seems that the shell can be processed and used for various things. ]

The Scavenger shell has a moderate thickness, hardness, and elasticity, so it is said that it is used for clothes buttons and combs for combing hair.

There are few people who like to collect them because of their appearance, but they are a source of income for novice adventurers.

"Hee, is that so, well, if the things I thought about throwing away can be used, that's better, isn't it?"

[ That's right. Well, compared to the reward for the nomination request, it's insignificant. ]

I go out behind the boarding house and talk to Amanda-san from the back door.

The store seems to be packed with customers today.

"Amanda-san, I'm back ... Meisa-chan? Fubuu!"

When I called out from the back door, Meisa-chan hugged me like a wild boar before Amanda-san could reply.

"Hey, Meisa-chan, that's dangerous ..."

"Where did you go?"

"Uh, umm ... Consult the guild with Donovan-san ..."

"No way! You went to the dungeon! I told you not to go there!"

I'm not good at deception, and Meisa-chan, who has good intuition from Amanda-san, can't be fooled.

"I'm sorry, Meisa-chan. But if someone doesn't do it, everyone will be in trouble."

"That's why Kent doesn't have to go."

"No, other people can't hide in the shadows and move. Donovan-san also decided that I could investigate safely."

"Uuh ... but, even if it's not Kent ..."

"When I was in trouble, Volzard welcomed me warmly, so this time I wanted to help Volzard. Is that no good?"

"Uuh ... you won't be gone?"

"The town where I live is here in Volzard."

"Really, really, really?"

"Really, really really."

"Uuh ... Then I forgive you ..."

Even though she said she'll forgive me, Meisa-chan is still clinging to me and showing no sign of letting go.

"Hmm, but Meisa-chan, I didn't know you loved me so much ..."

"Wh, what are you talking about, you're just Kent!"

Meisa-chan blushed and moved away from me as if she was repelled.

"Yeah ... but you hugged me and said, Kent, I don't want you to go to the dungeon ..."

"I didn't say that! I'm not going to talk like that!"

"yeah ... but didn't you even try to take a bath with me yesterday?"

"I, I, I don't do that, I don't do that! If Kent isn't here, he won't be able to pay for the boarding house, so my mother will be in trouble ..."

"Yeah ... With so many customers, the shop is booming?"

"No, it's not ... Yes, if Kent is gone, Mofumofu will be gone ..."

"Yeah ... says the one who uses me as a pillow every night ..."

"Kiiiiiiiiii ... It's different, it's different! Cheeky, cheeky, you're just Kent despite being so cheeky!"

After stomping on the ground and raising her voice, she finally feels like the usual Meisa-chan.

"Look, you guys, if you're going to make a fuss, go upstairs! It's a nuisance to the guests."

"I'm not going. I'm helping out at the store, so Kent is in the way, so go upstairs!"

"Yes, yes, I understand ..."

Far from being a nuisance, the customers are watching over Meisa-chan with a lukewarm gaze.

I wonder why they're looking at me with sharp eyes like a knife.

Even though they're so devoted to Meisa-chan ...

Before dinner time, let's show up at the Investigation Headquarters and finish the regular contact.

I didn't want Meisa-chan to come back when she called for me, so I turned on the light above the table and wrote down that I would be write back.

Perhaps because it was getting late, there were no people from other ministries and agencies such as Kajiwaka-san at the Investigation Headquarters, and Sudou-san was just getting ready to go home.

"Good evening, Sudou-san, I'm sorry I'm late."

"Oh, Kokubu-kun, did something happen?"

"I was nominated by someone from the guild, and I was working to solve the dungeon's troubles."

Upon hearing my words, Sudou-san gave a slightly surprised expression and then let out a chuckle.

"Well, listening to you talk about guilds and dungeons, it really feels like a fantasy world."

"Ah, now that you mention it, you're right."

There seems to be no particular movement in Japan, and I was handed a bundle of letters addressed to my classmates.

Oh, come to think of it, class should have been held today, but I completely skipped it.

"Kokubu-kun, this one is addressed to you ..."

"Eh, to me ..."

Separate from the bundle of letters addressed to my classmates was a letter from my father.

The neat handwriting is certainly my father's.

"After you get home, read it slowly. Also, tomorrow is Sunday, so you don't have to show your face here."

"Yes, then excuse me for today."

I have mixed feelings about what is written in the letter, like I don't want to read it as soon as possible.

I sat down for dinner as usual, but Amanda-san quickly saw through the letter.

On top of that, even Meisa-chan is going to sleep in her own room tonight ... They're really taking me into consideration, I'm really useless.

After dinner, I went back to my room and turned on the magic light tool.

I can read the letter without turning on the light, but for some reason I feel like I might miss something important if there is no light.

The pure white envelope has a smooth texture that makes me feel it's definitely from Japan.

The paper in this world is somewhat lacking in whiteness and smoothness, but it is warm, and I feel that the smooth, pure white envelope is cold.

I took out a knife from the shadow storage and carefully cut the seal.

To Kento

First of all, I'd like to apologize. I'm sorry.

I wasn't a good father.

If I write something like this, I think people will look down on me, but I will try to write everything honestly.

I married Mitsuko for work.

Kento may not understand this, but when I got married, people who didn't have a family tended to be socially untrustworthy.

The president of a business partner often asked me if I was married yet, or if there was a good person around ... and I felt that being single would interfere with my work.

Thinking about it now, I think I did something stupid, but I was under the impression that I would be able to date as recommended, get married as recommended, and build a normal family.

At first, I played an ordinary husband in an ordinary family, then Kento was born, and this time I intended to play an ordinary father, but I felt that work was more fun than being home, and eventually I even started to feel alienated from my family.

There was no way that Mitsuko would be able to maintain her affection for me, and the quarrels between us increased, which further pushed me further away from home.

No, that's not true, it's not Mitsuko's fault, I just kept my distance.

Honestly, Kento, I couldn't even feel affection for you.

I thought I knew it in my head that if I worked as a married couple, I could have a child, but when I saw you being born, I was confused.

I didn't know how to approach you.

I lost my father when I was young and my mother was ill, so I spent my childhood in a facility.

After I became an adult, I resumed my life with my mother, but to be honest, I didn't really understand the parent-child relationship.

And yet, without any resolution, I had a child of my own, and I didn't know what to do.

Mitsuko asked me to give you more affection as a father, but it was an impossible request for me, who doesn't even have memories of living with my father.

In the end, I also ran away from raising children, which deepened the rift between me and Mitsuko.

The person I live with now is the woman who supported my work as a secretary when I was away from home.

She understood and supported me as a businessman that Mitsuko didn't.

As I moved away from home and spent more time at work, I naturally spent more time with her, and it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her who understood me.

Yet, far from asking me to divorce, she asked me to fulfill my responsibilities as a husband and a father.

I was told that this was the duty of those who married and had children without caring for their partner.

However, I didn't even understand those words, so I asked Mitsuko for a divorce, and she refused.

Being selfish, I even felt disgust towards Mitsuko, and it spread to that house, Kento, and you.

When you got caught up in the turmoil, I even felt resentment that I was caught up in a lot of trouble.

When I returned home after a long time and met Mitsuko, she vented her anger.

It wasn't until Mitsuko stabbed me that I realized just how selfish and cruel I was.

Up until then, Mitsuko had been a girl who would only put her face down and mutter in a low voice, even when she got into an argument with me.

That's why, on that day, I unilaterally conveyed my request, thinking that I would only give her money and force her to take care of you.

That's why when I was stabbed, I honestly didn't know what had happened.

To be honest, I still don't know what triggered it, but when I saw Mitsuko raging and brandishing a kitchen knife, I finally realized that I had trampled on a person's life.

"It hurts? Doesn't it hurt? You should know the pain of other people! I hate you so much that I want to kill you, but I can't support Kento, so I won't kill you. I won't kill you, but know our pain! Be cut into pieces. Know the pain I'm tormented by, and act a little like a father!"

Mitsuko threw those words at me and cut me with a kitchen knife.

True to her words, there was no danger to my life, but I had a stab wound to my stomach, and while I was in the hospital just in case, I was told Mitsuko ended her life.

And I, who was hit by a weekly magazine, disposed of the house where we lived, and now live in a place a little ways from Tokyo.

When Kento's impostor appeared, I didn't know how to lower my face adn go to see him, so I relied on a lawyer and made the problem worse.

I'm really a pathetic man.

The police came to visit me, and I was really surprised to hear the story of Kento from being summoned to another world until now.

And when I read the letter from Kento, I realized how clouded my eyes were.

You may think it's a really selfish way of saying it, but I"m very proud that you, who shared my blood, grew up to be a solid man.

I'm sorry.

No matter how much I bow my head, I won't be forgiven.

Therefore, I wish from afar that Kento's life with his new family will be filled with happiness.

And this time, in order not to make a mistake, I plan to make my current life with my family shameless.

Mitsuko's burial has already been completed.

When you come back, I want you to go and pray with me.

I heard from the police that Kento has a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

I would like you to do your best while paying attention to your health so as not to damage your body.

From the shadows, I wish Kento good health and success.

From your father

After reading it over a second or third time, I put the letter back into the envelope.

The first thing that came to mind was not resentment towards my father, but anxiety.

Having never received the love of his father, he said in his letter, he didn't know how to treat his children.

If that's the case, will I be able to be a proper father since I've never had fatherly treatment from my father.

Even though I'm not in a position to think about having a child of my own yet, a strange sense of unease rises in my head.

The confession that my father didn't have affection for me was a shock, but somehow I was convinced.

Even on my part, if I compare my father and Klaus-san, I feel closer to Klaus-san, even though the amount of time we have spent together and their appearances are completely different.

I felt that rebuilding the parent-child relationship would be difficult.

[ Are you okay, Kent-sama? ]

"Yeah, I was a little shocked, but I was prepared, so I'm not too upset."

Reinhardt must have been waiting to speak to me until I had finished reading the letter and calmed down.

It's okay, I've spent a lot of time alone at home in Japan, but in Volzard I'm surrounded by so many people I consider family that it's hard to be alone, so it's okay.

"Yeah, I went to the dungeon early in the morning today, so I'm going to sleep a little early."

[ That's right, the busy days will continue, so rest is important. ]

"Yeah. Mart, Mirt, Murt, come on. Let's sleep together."

"Wafu, Goshujin-sama, pat me, pat me."

"Wafuwafu, me too, me too."

"Wafu, me too, rub my belly."

"Yes, yes, understood, understood, come on."

I fell into a happy sleep while being rubbed by Mart-tachi's mofumofu.