CH 123

How to go back to Japan

***---***

On the way back from the Investigation Headquarters, Basten, who was conducting reconnaissance of the Second Prince faction, called out to me.

[ Kent-sama, the group with Celia's mother is leaving Bamata and heading to Lastock. ]

"It's here already, sooner than I expected."

[ Probably, Camilla gave Kent-sama consideration and instructed them to hurry. ]

"I see ... But when they arrive at Lastock, I still have to think about how to get to Volzard."

[ How would you like to do it? ]

"Maybe we should borrow a small carriage from the garrison and get Zae-tachi to pull it back."

[ Is that appropriate? ]

I visited Marianne-san, the commander of the garrison, and asked to borrow a carriage, and then moved to the site of the ramparts construction.

The purpose was to tell Takayama about Celia's mother and to see how my classmates and the teachers were working, but only Takayama could be seen.

Now that I think about it, today was the day the class was held in the garrison's auditorium, but I completely forgot about it.

As I watched from the shadows, Takayama continued working silently among the adults.

I have also participated, but the work of building the ramparts was not easy.

Carrying heavy stones, kneading and carrying soil to fill the gaps.

Work such as hardening was handled by people with an aptitude for the earth-attribute, so people with other attributes simply did heavy lifting.

Of course, if you use magic to strengthen your body, you can lift and carry heavy objects, but you can't use magic all day long, so in the end it's a job that depends on your own strength.

Even in the cold wind, Takayama wore only a short-sleeved shirt and carried the stones with the adults.

Compared to when he was active as the ace of the basketball club, his body is even more solid, and I feel that he is comparable to adults.

His work style was also serious, and it seemed like he returned to work immediately after giving a short reply to the instructions from the adult supervising the site.

"Hmm ... It looks like he's completely changed ..."

[ That's right, when he was called a Hero, he was a young man who had nothing but talent, but if it's like this, it can be said that he has a promising future. ]

"He was strangely praised, and he got carried away ... is that what you mean?"

[ I guess so. It's a classic example of how the environment changes a person. ]

Even from the perspective of Reinhardt, who served as the branch leader of the knights order during his lifetime, Takayama seemed to be in a favorable situation.

In that case, it was worth paying for the compensation.

I've also been promoted to S-rank, but I have to live humbly without taking the situation like this morning at the guild for granted.

In order not to surprise the people working on site, I stepped out of the shadows and called out to the foreman.

"Um ... I'm sorry when you're busy."

"Yeah? Nuo ah, aren't you the 'Monster User' ... Wh, what do you need?"

"It's just, I'd like to say something to my friend ..."

"Friend? Ah, Shuichi, I don't care, just don't get in the way of our work."

"Thank you very much, sorry for bothering you."

While I was waiting at the stone yard to call out to Takayama when the stones were finished being transported, another person who had come to pick up the stones was startled and stopped.

If one person stopped, the person behind them would also stop, creating a traffic jam.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm in the way. Please ..."

"Oh, oh ... is that okay?"

"Go ahead, go ahead ..."

I was treated like an idol by younger children, but adults were wary of me.

Should I do something to improve my image?

For example, parading around town on Nero ... would have the opposite effect, wouldn't it?

While I waited in a place a ways away from the stone storage area and out of the way, Takayama came back to pick up a stone.

"Takayama! Over here, over here."

"Kokubu, what's wrong, did you bring Celia with you?"

When Takayama came running after seeing me, of course he asked about Celia.

"Not yet. By the way, if Celia-san comes now, where are you going to live."

"Uh, yeah, that's right ..."

"Takayama ..."

"What?"

"That's why, find a place to live."

"Eh ... that means."

Takayama's eyes opened wide.

"It looks like Celia-san's mother will be arriving in Lastock soon, so ask the guild to introduce you to a house where the three of you can live together."

"Kokubu ... when, when can you bring Celia?"

"Isn't that up to you, Takayama? Is it okay if I bring her before you've decided where to live? Her mother will be with her, too. Are you going to let her sleep outdoors?"

"Uh, I see, then let's go to the guild now ..."

"No, no, you should finish your work properly."

"Right, that's right ..."

"Something like that, if Celia-san is involved, you really become an idiot Takayama."

"Ugh, it can't be helped. Unlike you, I'm not in a situation where I can meet her right away ..."

"Well, hey ... But this time, her mother will be with her. First of all, you have to get her to acknowledge your relationship with Celia-san, so is it okay to ask her for her daughter?"

"Ugh ... Stop it, don't pressure me ..."

Takayama glared at me with a bitter expression, but it's interesting, so let's play around with him a little more.

"But, Takayama, it's going to be tough from now on. You have to pay rent and living expenses for the three of you, and isn't it difficult if you only work on the ramparts?"

"That's ... I think it's tough, but I'm clumsy ..."

"For the time being, even if the ramparts construction is the main focus, income won't increase unless you use the guild's free courses to acquire skills, get permission to go on a subjugation, find friends and form a party."

"Yes, that's right ... I'm not alone."

Takayama folded his arms and began to think.

"Oh, yeah, and you can't live in a big house without earning money, and you can't enjoy various things without that, can you?"

"Hey, idiot, I can't do that ... well, her mother is coming too ..."

"Besides, won't the number of people to feed increase?"

"Eh ... Is that so?"

"I don't know, there's no way I can ask such a thing."

"Y, yeah, that's right ..."

"Anyway, come visit the guild once and talk about various things."

"Okay, I'll try tomorrow."

If I stay too long, it will get in the way of their work, so I decided to leave it at that.

When I returned to the guild, the trio including the chairman were sitting at a table in the corner of the bar, huddled with their heads together.

No, to be more precise, Manon was lying face down on the table.

"Umm ... Good work, everyone."

When I called out to them, the chairman and Beatrice's bodies shook, while Manon suddenly got up and turned her gaze to me all at once.

Hey, it's like the gaze isn't on my face, but on my stomach ...

"Hauuu ... Impossible! It's impossible ..."

Manon covered her face with both hands and fell down on the table again, and the chairman and Beatrice covered their mouths with both hands and turned away while blushing.

Eeeehhhh ... What exactly did you learn?

"Umm ... What happened?"

"I can't say!"

"Uu ... Don't ask me, Kent-sama."

Beatrice covered her face with both hands and looked down.

"Umm ... I don't want to ask about the details, but was it quite radical?"

The chairman kept her hands over her mouth and nodded.

Uuh ... I'm really curious, but if I force myself to ask, it's going to be sexual harassment, so I'll put up with it.

"For the time being, putting that aside, could you tell me how to bring living people into the shadow space?"

When I asked about the main topic of dark-attribute magic, the chairman let out a big sigh and held her head.

"Yuika, what's wrong? Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, just a little ..."

"But, she taught you the theory, or the method, right?"

"Yeah, she taught us ..."

So why is the chairman so depressed when I might find a way to bring my classmates back to Japan?

"Haa ... What should I do, Kento?"

"No, even if you ask me what to do, anyway, can you tell me the theory or the method?"

After exchanging glances with Beatrice, the chairman reluctantly began to speak.

According to Reese-san, the shadow space is a kind of different space that dark-attribute magicians can access.

However, it seems that each magician has their own uniqueness in how they store their luggage and the routes they use for transportation, so even if they have the aptitude for the dark attribute, other magicians can't access it.

The reason my genus can freely enter and exit the space I use is because they have a magical link with me.

"Well, after hearing the story so far, I feel that it's difficult for other people to enter the shadow space ..."

"Yeah, even so, if it's a dark-attribute magician, you can enter another person's space just by holding hands."

"Is that so? Then, if it's Reese-san, if we hold hands, she can enter the shadow space I'm using."

"Yes, that's how it is, but ..."

"The problem is with people of other attributes, right?"

The chairman nodded silently.

It seems that everyone doesn't want to talk about it, so I thought about it my own way, but I can't come up with a good idea.

No way, I'm not going to have to take their life and make them my genus ...

"Sorry, I don't know, what should I do?"

"That is. Kento takes away the attributes of people he brings into the world of shadows."

"Eh ... Take away attributes? Can I do that?"

Both the chairman and Beatrice nodded.

"What does it mean to take away an attribute?"

"That's exactly what it means. Kento will take away the magical attribute of the person he wants to bring in, and then grant Kento's magical power afterwords. By doing so, it seems they will be able to enter and exit the shadow space."

"Is that so? Or rather, what will happen to those stolen attributes? Can they be returned?"

The chairman and Beatrice shook their heads.

"It seems that once an attribute is taken away, it can never be restored."

"Eeeehhhh ... In other words, if you use my shadow movement, you won't be able to use magic?"

"Yeah, it seems to be like that."

In other words, in order for my classmates to return to Japan, it is a prerequisite that they can no longer use magic.

That must be the reason why the chairman is depressed.

If she lives in Volzard with me, it's a waste if she can't use powerful light magic.

But she wants to go back to Japan and see her parents again ... huh?

"hey, Yuika, in order to enter the shadow space, it's fine to grant my magical power without any attributes, right?"

"Yeah, Reese-san said so."

"Then, wouldn't it be easy to bring someone from Japan?"

"Yeah, maybe ..."

"Okay, let's have Yuika's parents come here. Then Yuika won't have to lose her magic, right?"

"Yeah, that's right, but ..."

Huh? I thought she was worried about not being able to use magic.

Even though I told the chairman I would bring her parents here, her expression remained depressed.

"Hey, what's wrong? It must be a shock that you can't use magic, but if you don't mine, we found a way to return to Japan."

"Yeah ... Reese-san also said that Kento should probably be able to do it."

"Then, what's the problem?"

"Yeah ... The way to take away attributes ..."

The chairman exchanged looks with Beatrice again, and after letting out a big sigh, told me.

"The way to take away another person's attribute is to suck it out of their mouth."

"Hee, sucking it out of their mouth ... Eeeeeehhhhhh!"

In other words, even men have to kiss each other to take away attributes.

In other words, when Yagi says he wants to go home, Yagi ... Ueeeee ...

"You know, Kento. It takes a lot of time for someone with a lot of mana to have their attribute taken."

"Lieeeeeees! Is that the same for men?"

"Yeah, right ..."

"No waaaaay ..."

Instinctively, I held my head and threw myself on the table.

I guess the reason why the chairman and the others looked depressed was because they don't like me kissing girls other than themselves.

Hey, almost half of my classmates are boys, and even the teachers ...

"Aaahhh ... I wonder if I should pretend that I didn't hear about this story ..."

The chairman glanced over at the table, and after a moment's thought, she shook her head.

"Kento ... what are you going to do?"

"Sorry, let me think about it for a moment. As expected, it's a little ..."

"That's right ... Ha, it would have been nice if there was an easier way ..."

"Nakagawa-sensei ... he really wanted to go home ..."

When I glanced at her, the chairman was also holding her head.

As expected, it seems that she doesn't want to imagine a picture of me and Nakagawa-sensei kissing.

However, as a matter of fact, there is no other way to send my classmates back to Japan.

It seems that I have no choice but to make up my mind in order to bring everyone back.

And all of my classmates will also have to decide whether to abandon magic and return to Japan, or abandon Japan and keep their magic.

"What the hell, what are you doing with those wet faces?"

When I turned my face to the side while lying down on the table, I saw Klaus-san grinning.

As if he had already finished his work, Klaus-san waved his order to the bar master, and he sat down at an empty seat at our table.

"So ... what happened?"

As expected, if we were to sit together with the Lord of Volzard, neither I nor Manon would be able to lie down on the table.

After correcting my posture, the four of us exchanged glances, and I decided to answer as the representative.

"Umm ..."

"Ah ... Wait, wait, I'll guess. When I see all four of you depressed ... Well, have you finally decided to break up with my Rise? So, Kent, which one will you choose, Yuika or Manon?"

"Papa, annoying ... Kent-sama is talking, so shut up ..."

"Guhaa ... Rise ..."

Beatrice didn't seem to have enough leeway in her feelings to go along with him as a joke, so she gouged at Klaus-san with an icy gaze and muttered.

"Actually, I received information about returning to Japan from the Guild Master of Headquarters, Reese-san ..."

When I explained how Reese-san taught us how to bring another person into the shadow space, Klaus-san burst into laughter while banging on the table.

"Gyahahahaha ... Then, in order to bring them back, Kent will have to kiss them? Moreover, it takes a long time to suck it out, gyahahahaha ... It's bad, my abdominal muscles are cramping ... Gyahahahaha ..."

I understand that Klaus-san doesn't like Beatrice being taken by me, but it's better to notice that Beatrice is looking at him with a frosty gaze.

"But, it's good, isn't it, the prospect of returning your classmates is set, did you report it to Shuji and the others?"

"No, the contents are just the contents, but ..."

"Kukuku ... But, I guess there's no reason not to report it."

"Um ... I have to send Manon home ..."

"Ah, Manon will be with us halfway through, and we will send her home, so it's okay."

"Haa ... Then, I'll report while sending Yuika home."

"Kukuku, that's right, that's right, while you're at it, 'chu chu' with that rash brat and send him back to the original world."

"Kuh ... I don't know if I'll do it yet."

"Kukuku ... you can't escape."

Wow, how can you accurately point out where I'm going to take damage ... I'm getting mad at the bad old man's smirk.

"It's okay. Even if Kent-sama is harmed by kissing a man, I will comfort him with the method that Reese-san taught me to heal a man."

Beatrice's words froze Klaus-san's laughter.

"Haa? H, h, heal a man?"

"Alongside Kent-sama's question about dark-attribute magic, I was also taught the basics by Reese-san."

"Un, unforgivable! It's too early to heal a man! I won't allow it! Hen, Kent, you ... What are you doing to my Rise!"

Klaus-san's expression, which had been smiling triumphantly, changed completely, and he glared at me with a demonic expression.

"No, Reese-san said it's okay ... I don't think it's such an extreme content ..."

"Well, if it's too extreme ... Rise!"

"Mama told me to make it an established fact quickly ... if possible, have a child, so I learned something very useful for that."

"A, an established fact ... a child? I won't allow it, I won't recognize it!"

"Then, Papa, is it okay for Kent-sama to leave Volzard?"

"Th, that's ... that's no good."

"Papa helped me out at the dinner party, didn't you?"

"Guu ... I, I'm going home, Rise, and Manon's going too! Look, Kent, go and report, too."

I haven't been able to clear my head yet, but there's no point in staying in the guild, so I decided to head to the garrison's quarters with the chairman.

It was frustrating, so when we parted, I kissed Manon and Beatrice in front of the bad old man.

Haa ... Even so, I feel depressed when I think about reporting this.