Side Story: The Hero's Perspective

"So this is [Cave of Desires] huh…"

Wataru Nishimi. Written as "西見渉" in Japanese kanji, he was the hero summoned to the String territory of the Raverio Empire three years ago.

For those three years, up until just recently, he had believed he was summoned to defeat the Demon King, and Count Brie String had trained him with that same purpose in mind.

However, Wataru's existence was discovered by the nation. Before he could accomplish any significant feat, no less.

Had he accomplished something major first, there might have been some room for excuses, but… of all things, Count String had conducted the hero summoning without the nation's authorization.

A hero is equivalent to a strategic weapon, and is unconditionally recognized as S-Rank by the Adventurer Guild.

For concealing this and attempting to possess a hero privately, Count Brie String was convicted.

In Japanese terms, it would be like privately developing and arming yourself with a missile. Far beyond a mere weapons violation.

On top of that, since he had been planning to unilaterally invade a neighboring country, a charge of national treason was unavoidable.

… Well, Wataru also agreed that Count String was clearly in the wrong.

In fact, the count had craved power as if to say "I alone am fit to be emperor." His self-introduction to Wataru had been something problematic like: "Pleased to meet you, Hero. I am the future emperor, Brie String. For now, I'm still just a count though."

How exactly was a count family head planning to become emperor anyway? He wasn't even of imperial lineage, so he'd have had no choice but to seize it through a coup.

In the end, the count was convicted by the real emperor, and Wataru was taken into the protection of one Haku Raverio, said to be an ancestor of the emperor.

Of an extremely long-lived species, Haku was rumored to be a high elf thanks to her beauty. She had long since handed over the throne to her descendants and was said to be living a retired life in her detached palace. That said, possessing an unchanged beauty from the founding of the Raverio Empire, her very existence was a mass of authority.

Moreover, she was also an active A-Rank adventurer known as the [White-Winged Goddess]. A truly extraordinary being.

By being taken under Haku's protection, Wataru became an officially recognized hero of the Raverio Empire.

After that, Wataru left the String Chivalric Order where he had been training and officially came under the Raverio Empire's banner. His formal position was still under consideration, so for now he was treated as one of Haku's personal guard knights.

So why had this hero come to [Cave of Desires]?

It was because of an item that a merchant had brought to the imperial capital: playing cards.

Those playing cards used high-quality paper in a class above other paper in this world, and were all cleanly printed.

The moment Wataru saw those playing cards, he couldn't help but remember his previous world that he had been trying to forget: Japan. Moreover, on the box of those playing cards was, of all things… a bar code. Something that shouldn't exist in this world. Something nostalgic, so very nostalgic.

Something completely ordinary for a Japanese person, yet something that would look like nothing more than a pattern to the people of this world. It was a definite link to Japan.

From there, everything fell into place as if it had been laid out for him.

When he requested leave from Haku and explained his reason, Haku herself told him that the place she liked to visit incognito, her "favorite," was likely the source of the playing cards.

Haku apparently had no reason to stop him either. She readily granted permission and even arranged a carriage.

And so, after about half a month's journey by carriage, Wataru finally arrived at this [Cave of Desires].

"… This is the place, right?"

What he found was a shabby Adventurer Guild branch office and an inn. That was all.

(I heard later that there was also a smithy a bit further away, but it wasn't visible from there.)

Wataru immediately headed for the inn… but partway there, he reconsidered and decided he should greet the guild first. He headed to the guild, gave a quick greeting, and ended up being thoroughly detained and served tea.

… Being S-Rank sure is tough. It wasn't like this at all when he was C-Rank not long ago. Wataru grumbled to himself.

Then he headed to the inn once more.

"W-welcome!"

Right as he entered, a girl in a dress was there waiting for him.

Her silky golden hair flowed smoothly as she bowed. Her eyes seemed to be gazing somewhere far off, and then:

"W-welcome to [Dancing Doll's Pavilion] todaaaay, I'm the owner, Rokuko!"

She was incredibly nervous. She even fumbled her words.

… Despite himself, Wataru felt at ease. A smile crept onto his face before he knew it.

However, for some reason, Wataru couldn't take his eyes off Rokuko.

"Guest? I-is something the matter?"

"Eh, ah, sorry. I'm Wataru Nishimi. Um, I heard from Haku-sama that the suite here is recommended. And that the food is really delicious."

"Ehh?! Y-yesh! Please wait a moment! Ah, there's a chair right there!"

Saying that, Rokuko dashed inside. She seemed unaccustomed to polite speech, and her manner of talking was already all over the place, but Wataru decided not to mind.

Stepping inside the inn… faintly, he felt like there was a scent of Japan.

(As I thought… there's something here.)

Looking back, three years. A lot had happened… Were his former comrades from the String Chivalric Order doing well? He started to think back, but stopped partway since trauma threatened to resurface along with it.

Just then, Rokuko came back too… For some reason, he just couldn't help being drawn to Rokuko.

"This way."

Led by Rokuko's half-baked polite speech, he followed.

… Before his eyes, golden hair and a cute behind swayed as she walked.

Even knowing he wasn't being seduced, for some reason, whether it was the allure or the texture or something, he just couldn't take his eyes off her behind. Strange, nothing like this had ever happened before. While feeling somehow nostalgic, his heart pounded in his chest.

(I want to stroke it—wait, what am I thinking?! She's a child!)

"Guest?"

"Ah, no, i-it's nothing!"

"Um, this is the suite. Ah, here's the key."

"… Thank you."

Before he knew it, he had been guided all the way to the suite. Receiving the key from the owner, he looked around the room.

The windowpanes, wallpaper, furniture… these were still fine. The designs felt vaguely familiar somehow, but they could still pass as things that exist in this world.

But what was a massage chair doing in the center of the room? And it apparently starts moving when you put money in the payment box. Obviously strange.

"… It's not plugged into an outlet or anything, is it?"

"Ah, guest. When would you like your meal? At this hour it would be breakfast… oh, but you haven't bought a meal ticket yet… Ah, but since this is the suite, maybe you can just order here?"

She was clearly still unfamiliar with customer service, flustered and fumbling about. But to Wataru, that actually came across as endearing, and he didn't mind at all.

"Hmm, then recommend me something please. I heard the bread here is delicious too."

"A recommendation, huh. Well, the [melon bread] is definitely the most recomm… no it's not. Our inn is famous for its delicious white bread."

Melon bread. Just now, Rokuko clearly made a slip of the tongue, and Wataru heard it perfectly.

"… Rokuko-chan, was it? Just who are you?"

"I-I'm the owner of this inn, you know?"

Rokuko averted her eyes, but Wataru had already formed a rough idea.

Haku's favorite place. The fact that Haku had recommended this inn. And the style of the inn itself. Putting all these factors together and mulling them over, Wataru spoke:

"… Would you be my partner?"

"Eh, no thanks."

An instant refusal.