The Hero's Return

After reporting to the guild, he decided to sell all of the magic swords through the guild to pay off his debt.

"—So that's how it is. I appear to have come out of [Flame Cavern]. And here are the magic swords. There are nineteen of them. I had one more of similar quality, but I gave that one to Kantra-san. I'd like to sell the rest through the guild."

"… Understood."

With the magic swords lined up, Wataru's report was exhilarating in a sense.

He had cleared an unexplored area, discovered that [Cave of Desires] was connected to [Flame Cavern]—another dungeon in Tsuia Mountain—at some unknown location, and brought back as many as twenty magic swords.

Every single result was wonderful.

"So, how much will you buy this information for?"

"The market rate would be around twenty silver coins. Would you like to put the magic swords up for auction?"

"… Putting all twenty up at once would crash the price, so let's go with ten. I'll sell nine to the guild at two gold coins each, so please sell them at staggered intervals. Oh, could I get it in cash if possible?"

That would make eighteen gold coins, and adding the auction sales should bring the total close to forty gold coins.

… It might seem small compared to his debt of 2,300 gold coins, but thinking of it in Japanese yen, that was an income of forty million yen. Looking at it that way, it was actually quite something, Wataru thought.

For that night, he would have a drinking bout with Kantra and the others, then return to the empire the next day.

The details of the drinking bout will be omitted. It was good alcohol that left nothing remaining the next day.

"Alright, let me go say goodbye to Rokuko-san and everyone."

He headed to the inn's reception. Sitting there was Nerune, the mage girl he had gotten quite close to over the past few days.

"Ehhhh, you're leaving already?! Uuu, I wanted to hear more about magic～"

"Hahaha, I'll come again. Is Rokuko-san here?"

"Ah, yes～. I'll go get her～"

Nerune went to call Rokuko, and he waited for a while. Then Rokuko arrived in high spirits.

"You're leaving? Say hello to Ane-sama for me, Wataru."

"I will. So, was I able to be of help?"

"Mm, more or less! Thanks to you, I'll probably get a ring from my partner."

Wataru and Rokuko had made a certain promise.

It happened when Wataru had asked Rokuko to become his partner.

 

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"… Would you become my partner?"

"Eh, no way. I already have a partner."

From Rokuko's reaction, Wataru realized that what he said could be taken as a confession.

He hurriedly corrected himself.

"… Ah! No, sorry. I meant as a research partner. Not in the sense of a couple or lovers."

"… Hm? Is that so? Well, alright then."

"Please become my collaborator in researching how to return to Japan! Also, those clothes—I just noticed, but they have nylon in them, don't they?!"

"Nylon? What's that?"

"It's a synthetic fiber made from petroleum! … To think I'd see fabric with nylon in this world…!"

"Oh, this dress? My partner got it from the dungeon. Fufun, isn't it lovely?"

Yes, the Hero Wataru had detected the presence of materials from Japan with his keen eye. His gaze had been drawn there instinctively, but it was only a reaction to the nylon fabric. It was definitely not because he wanted to look at Rokuko's bottom. Her hair was just in the way and her bottom was all he could see.

"Yes, it suits you well… Hmm, so nylon-blend fabric can be found here too. I'd heard rumors, but this is amazing… I'd like Rokuko-san's partner to become my research companion as well. Is he an excellent adventurer?"

"… Ah, well, yes. He's gone the deepest into this dungeon, at least. That massage chair over there was also obtained from the dungeon."

"Ooh, that too…!"

I wonder if I could disassemble it… he thought while looking at it, but Rokuko stopped him with, "No way. It's valuable." He must have said his thoughts out loud.

"Mmm, then could I have your partner teach me some dungeon clearing tips… is there any way I could talk to him?"

"Hmm, let me think. I could arrange a meeting, but I'd want something in return."

"Hmm, then how about I treat you to a meal? The five gold coin one."

"That's my own product. I can eat it whenever I want without being treated."

'Of course,' Wataru thought. He wondered if there was something he could use as a bargaining chip with someone he'd just met. He couldn't find an opening.

"… Then, perhaps I could help resolve some worry of yours, Rokuko-san."

"A worry? Hmm, not really…"

"Um, maybe some trouble with your life with your partner?"

It was something Wataru said in desperation, but Rokuko did have something that came to mind.

"Alright then. I want to get closer to my partner, so be my stalking horse."

"Eh?"

"I'll lure him out to dinner by telling him that Hero-sama confessed to me!"

"Eh, w-what?!"

"Well then, I'm off!"

 

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… And that was the exchange they had.

As a result, Wataru ended up having confessed to Rokuko, and the heartbreak story he told a few days later—along with his roundabout appeal of "I distrust women, so I really can't confess to them"—all went to waste. In the end, he was treated with suspicion and couldn't get any useful information out of Kehma.

"… But now I'm somehow stuck with a debt of 2,300 gold coins."

"Eh? That's not my fault, is it?"

"… You're right."

It was indeed completely unrelated to Rokuko. Even if Narikin had taken notice of him because of his confession to Rokuko, Kehma was supposed to be a different person anyway.

"Oh, about the debt repayment—you could go through Haku-neesama, you know?"

"I want to see Gozoh-san and Nerune-san again, so I'll come back. I can't trouble Haku-sama with that."

'You don't really need to come back,' Rokuko murmured.

"Well then, see you."

"Say hello to Haku-neesama."

And thus, the Hero Wataru returned to the Imperial Capital.

Incidentally, he would honestly report all of these events to Haku and end up being assigned jobs grueling enough to nearly kill even an S-Rank adventurer, but that's another story.