CH 263

The reason why I contacted this old scholar who had secretly given me his contact information during the helicopter reconnaissance mission, was that I wanted to confirm the exact value of what I was offering. If I didn’t know this, I would be wasting my <market>.

Yes, since I don’t want to deal with gold or jewels, my biggest product is <otherworldly materials>, and the value of my products will drop rapidly once they reach the market to some extent.

……This means that there’s only a limited amount and type of material that can be used to be considered as something of high value. Therefore, it should not be wasted.

So I wanted to make sure I knew exactly how I was doing in that area……

Wolf Fang has a lot of credibilities, but they’re neither researchers, merchants, nor politicians, so they’re not the right people to ask regarding that stuff.

I heard that they were able to get by with the dragon material because it was a seller’s market and the deal was done at the seller’s behest, but I’m not sure how much it would have been worth if it had been negotiated or dealt with normally in the world of…… academics, business, politics, and so on.

Besides, the only time everyone at Wolf Fang sold them was when they bagged the dragons.

Other than that, I just gift the other materials as an expression of gratitude or as materials for a deal, but I didn’t sell them for money, so I don’t know the market price.

……Should I ask a diplomat or someone from a large corporation who is attending ISECON?

Wa wa wa…….

I can’t trust what they say.

Especially when they discover that we know nothing and are completely <ignorant amateurs>.

That’s why I set up a place to exchange information with this scholar-sensei.

……Can I trust this person, you ask?

Well, If he lies to me now…

And I happen to find out about it later…

I will never ask for help from this person’s country again, nor will I provide otherworldly materials or set up an <information exchange> like I did this time. And I will explain to the government people, the military people, and the other scholars why I did so・・・・・・・ It would be a shame to abruptly cut ties with them without explaining the situation after all.

And, of course, a smart researcher would know <what I would do that in that case>. So for that reason, I’ll believe what he says because he knows that.

Also, I’ll believe what the other researchers say to a certain extent since researchers won’t tell lies because <they wouldn’t want to be exposed>.

……Yes, <believe to some extent>. I’m not stupid enough to believe everything, you know.

[So, I guess it’s our turn now, right?] Old Man

[Oh, yes……] Mitsuha

Yeah, the world is all about give and take. Not only do I have to ask, but I also have to answer their questions. This is a place where we can exchange information on an equal footing……

[So, your world is very similar to Earth in terms of environmental conditions, but not exactly the same……] Old Man

He knows that the gravity, atmospheric composition, and spectral distribution of light from the main star are almost the same as on Earth because this scholar has been to another world and landed on the ground by helicopter. And we also know that the shape of the continents is different from that of Earth……

However, when the biota is so similar to that of the earth, it is natural to imagine many things. No matter how outlandish it may seem, as long as there is a fact confirmed by his own eyes, it is his instinct as a scholar to try to construct a theory that can explain it, and I guess it is also his raison d’etre.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that they look so much alike and yet, have nothing to do with Earth.

But I don’t know the reason why, even if he asks me.

[Yes. We can’t tell what sensei, who is the pinnacle of knowledge in this world, far more advanced than my world, doesn’t understand…

However, the different shapes of the continents suggest that it may be a <parallel world>, and if it were a divergent parallel world, the point of divergence would be a long time ago……] Mitsuha

Yes, long before the shape of the continents was determined, and yet the occurrence of a factor that would cause such a large difference in the shape of the continents.

……But that doesn’t explain the close resemblance in biota.

Would it be possible for so many identical creatures to have diverged so long ago?

Even when it comes to parallel evolution, there are limits.

[Umumu…….As expected, there has been a relatively recent large-scale…… mix-up at a continental level…….] Old Man

What the old scholar meant by <relatively recent> in such cases is tens or even hundreds of thousands of years.

……Where’s the <recent> in that?

Well, there’s no point in thinking about this topic. There’s no way to confirm it anyway.

But if you dig up a sandy beach and come up with the Statue of Liberty, then that’s a different story……

[Then, what about the Anomalocaris-like, Hallucigenia-like, and so on…….] Old Man

Oh, the one I gave them the other day as thanks for the reconnaissance flight……

[They are common seasonal creatures, you know? Although, there are only a few parts that can be eaten, and not a lot of them can be caught at once, so there are no fishermen who specialize in catching them, but if they happen to catch some, they eat those……] Mitsuha

[You eat that!!] Old Man

The old scholar looked shocked and dismayed.

Well, it seems to me that this is a far bigger outrage than the coelacanths that were caught and eaten alive or made into sushi on Earth.

Ah, that’s the equivalent of eating a dragon meat steak.

But over there, they’re treated like shrimp on this side of the world…… Of course, if you can catch them, you can eat them. It’s a valuable source of protein after all……

Then, for a while, we exchanged a lot of various meaningful information…….

[It’s been ages since I’ve had such a meaningful time……. Yeah, I really enjoyed it. Thank you for that……] Old Man

[Don’t mention it, after all, this is also a great help for me, you’ve taught me various things.

Is it safe to tell me so many things?…… In terms of it being against the national interest or something like that…….

Besides, don’t you have to report to your superiors about your meeting with me and the details of this meeting?] Mitsuha

Yeah, I don’t want it to be reported if possible, but it’s not like I said anything unnecessary, I think.

I’m sorry if you get accused of being an unpatriotic person who betrayed his country. So, if you get questioned by the black-clad people in intelligence, you can tell them everything we’ve talked about……

[Oh, no problem. I’m neither a government official nor a civil servant, you know.

I’m just a scholar. The research and study during the recon flight and the collection of materials was just a commissioned job.

Whoever I meet with and whatever research I do in my private time, no one has any right to say something. So of course, I’m not obligated to report anything that happened today.] Old Man

Oh, that’s how it is. But still…….

[I didn’t tell you anything that would make it difficult for you to say, so feel free to <sing> if the need arises!] Mitsuha

[Singing, huh……. That’s also kind of interesting……] Old Man

Are? Is the automatic translation function in my brain translating the words directly? Or is it a literal translation?

Well, that’s a bit ridiculous, it might be rude of me to say that…….

[Even so, if the story gets out, there’s a chance they won’t see you again, or even if they do, they’ll limit what they can say. No matter what the facts are, if I think there’s even the slightest chance of that happening, the possibility of me <singing> will be close to zero!] Old Man

……Indeed…….

What is the top priority for an old scholar with a short time left?

Well, a lot of various things, I’m afraid.