CH 33

After parting with the heroes, I went down to the castle town to look for Mireina and the others. But the town was too big for me to navigate. There were more people than in Zenimouke, and the people walking around were all adventurers.

There were all kinds of stalls along the streets. There were stalls selling skewers and crepes, and merchants selling jewelry from open display cases.

I guess that’s where Mireina and the others are.

“Stardust… Mireina would probably go there.”

“Location check. Mireina and the others are currently shopping at the Stardust Olesanjo branch.”

Oh, by the way, there’s Tama. It’s safe to get lost …Am I lost in that case? No, I’m not.

I’m heading to Stardust to meet up with Mireina and the others. With Tama’s guidance, I won’t get lost. As I walked along, I could smell the delicious aroma from the stalls. …I was getting hungry, but I couldn’t leave Mireina and the others to eat.

The roads are wide and easy to navigate. I feel like parking the truck somewhere spacious and walking around. In Zenimouke, we were allowed to park behind the Adventurers’ Guild, but I don’t think that will be the case here.

“Tama, what are the highlights of this town?”

“Searching………… Search finished. The highlights are the Tomb of the Heroes and the Underground Shopping Mall. The Tomb of the Heroes is a place where the heroes of the past are enshrined, and it is open to the public. It is said that if you visit there, you will become stronger, and adventurers who stop by this town are sure to visit it.”

“Wow, a tomb of heros… Where’s the shopping mall?”

“The underground shopping mall is a series of restaurants and stores built underground rather than above ground. The reason for this was that restaurants that could not set up store above ground dug underground and opened there as a desperate measure, and they became prosperous because they were mistaken for hidden gems. Since then, it has become popular to set up stores in the underground, and this is how it has developed into what it is today.”

“Sounds interesting. We’ll go there when I meet up with Mireina and the others.”

“Understood. Search for truck parking spaces ……. Search complete. The best place to look for truck parking is in the Makasero area, on 4th Street, where the horsedrawn carriages park. From there you are close to Stardust and the entrance to the underground shopping mall.”

“Okay, then. Please show me the way.”

“Understood.”

Tama is really reliable. I wish I could do something for Tama. Well, I’ll wash the truck when I get back to Zenimouke.

Now, let’s go meet up with Mireina and the others.

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“Oh, there you are……….. Oh.”

What can I say, they’re gorgeous.

Three beautiful girls shopping together. And they’re picking up all kinds of clothes and matching them to each other’s bodies. Shiny is taking a white hat and putting it on Mireina, and Kirie is wrapping a blue scarf around Shiny. Mireina started looking for a pair of shoes that would look good on Kirie.

I don’t know, I feel like I’m going to ruin this scene if I enter. But then my eyes met with Mireina’s.

“Oh, Kota-san!”

“Sorry I kept you waiting.”

“You’re late.”

“But just in time. It’s almost lunch time.”

The three of them had shopping bags in their hands. It seemed that each of them had bought something of their choice.

“Hey, have you ever heard of the underground shopping mall?”

“Underground?”

“Yeah. Let’s have lunch there.”

“Okay, but where is it?”

“Let’s go put your stuff in the truck first, and then I’ll take you there right away.”

“Okay. A very spicy lunch, please.”

I’m sorry, but I reject that idea. Let’s have a normal lunch.

After walking, I saw a gate that looked like an underground entrance, so I went down the stairs. Then we arrived at the underground.

The underground shopping mall looks just like a normal shopping mall except for the ceiling. Well, it is very city-like.

I ordered lunch at a café and strolled around the underground again. Apparently, this is a restaurant area, and there were some fashionable bars and taverns. This is nice.

“Next, let’s go to the Tomb of the Heroes. It seems to be a tomb where the heroes of the past are enshrined.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard that it’s a place where adventurers worship.”

“I have heard that too. I’ve also heard that the heroes of the past will make wishes come true.”

“I heard that there is a sacred shrine where the heroes who became deities are worshipped.”

Hmmm. The information is mixed. I guess I’ll find out once we get there.

It’s not far from here, so we might go for a walk after lunch.

It would probably be boring to see the tombs, though.

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“The heroes of the past, oh….”

“Wow, it’s got a different atmosphere to it.”

“I’ve never seen it before, either…… It’s a strange gate.”

“But it’s sacred….., I feel something indescribable.”

I was surprised. Because, you know, there is a big torii gate at the entrance of the tomb of the heroes. At this point, I was certain that the heroes were Japanese. The building that houses this temple dedicated to the hero is also Japanese-looking.

Can we call it a temple compound? When you go deeper into the temple ….. or rather the entrance of the shrine, there are worshippers ….. or rather adventurers paying their respects. There was even a money-offering box and a bell rattle, which is common in shrines.

“What’s this?”

“Look, you put coins in that box. Put the coins in that box and shake this rattle….”

I took the coins out of the coin purse and threw them into the money box, shook the thick red and white string, and rattled the bell. Then I put my hands together and prayed. Mireina and the others looked at me strangely, but they mimicked me. Well, there are various kinds of etiquette, but I don’t know about them.

“Now, what about the rest….?”

“Hey, Kota-san!”

I heard a young voice calling me. I knew him, or rather, I had just met him a few hours before.

“I knew I was in the right place.”

“Well, for us Japanese, it’s a nostalgic place, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, the previous hero was a man who cared about his hometown, wasn’t he?”

“Hmmm, I don’t really understand.”

Hey, hey, why is there a hero party here? Each of them is carrying a weapon they just received, and their outfits fit in well with this world.

“Hehe, I actually have a favor to ask of you, Kota-san. Well, it’s a request.”

What a cheeky little guy. I think his name was… Taiyo. He’s the type of protagonist that’s full of energy and stupid. He’s not the same type as me, the workaholic company slave.

“Request? I’m sorry, but my work is done. I have to go back to Zenimouke now, so I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find someone else.”

” Don’t say that, we’re both Japanese, right? I’ll pay you and I’ll advertise your shipping company everywhere I go.”

“…”

Why is this guy talking all high and mighty?

I’m older than him, so a little bit of honorifics would be nice. I don’t know how great a hero he is, but I have no intention of accepting a request from someone with this kind of attitude.

“Sorry, Kota-san, but Taiyo has been on a bit of a bender since we arrived in this world…”

“…..Yeah. It seems so.”

“Hey, hey, hey, Tsukiyo, what’s with you all of a sudden?”

“Come on. Kiraboshi, Chris.”

“Yes, yes. Taiyo-san, come here, come here.”

“Taiyo, please come flirt with me.”

Apparently, this girl named Tsukiyo was a decent person.

Mireina and the other girls were listening to the conversation between me and Tsukiyo without saying a word.

“Once again, I apologize. Taiyo has been a little crazy since coming to this world. It seems that he is overjoyed to be called a hero.”

“Well, okay. So, you want me to do something for you?”

” Yes. I need you to transport a shipment.”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, but …. is it something special?”

“Yes. It’s us….”

“Eh?”

Tsukiyo put her hand on her chest and explained the situation.　

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“The truth is, we know the location of one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Demon Kings,” “Genbuou Basartes” but we couldn’t find the all-important means of transportation. So we were wondering if you could transport us there with your truck, Kota-san.”

“Eh? Can’t you use a horse-drawn carriage?”

“The horses are too frightened to move forward properly, and it would take a long time to get there on foot. And when dealing with the Four Heavenly Kings, you don’t want to waste your energy.”

Well, I understood the reason.

But I think I’d be fine in a super dangerous area with an armed truck. And if the heroes were to accompany us, the danger would be even lower.

“We would like to have the truck tow the carriage itself. Of course, we will pay you for your services and we will be responsible for killing the monsters that appear. We will not damage the truck in any way.”

” …. Wait a minute.”

I turned around and talked with Mireina and the others. Mireina looked anxious, Shiny looked amused, and Kirie had the same blank expression on her face as usual.

“You heard that, what do you want?”

“…. The Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King, huh?”

“It sounds interesting. As a former adventurer, I’m interested in strong monsters. Especially if it’s the Four Heavenly Kings.”

“I agree. Even if we were injured, Chris would still be there, and above all, she is my only sister. If it comes to it, I would like to take care of her at least in the end.”

“That’s too ominous!”

“I was joking. But I agree.”

“What about Mireina?”

“…”

Oh, no, Mireina is looking down. Something is wrong.

“I’m against it….”

“Eh.”

It was Mireina’s first rebellion.