Dining with the Hero

Proposing to Rokuko? Forget returning him alive—he'd be heading straight to execution the moment he got back. Well, it's not like I'd be troubled, but it would weigh on my conscience to abandon a fellow countryman. My feel-good-doing-good-deeds campaign is still ongoing after all.

"… So, what do you think I should do, Kehma?"

"For now, tell me exactly how he said it."

"Eh? Hmm, um, it was 'please be my partner'."

Rokuko's cheeks were red and she was being bashful, but… is that really a proposal?

"Partner" can mean a lot of things. Sure, it can indicate a male-female partnership in terms of marriage, but it can also mean partners like me and Rokuko are.

I often call Rokuko my "partner" or "other half" too.

… Ah, there's a possibility that Translation-san is replacing it with some outrageous meaning, isn't there…

"Hey Rokuko, I want to ask you something. About 'partner'—"

"Yeah, well I refused on the spot though! Since I have Kehma, I don't need another partner."

"O-oh. Then isn't the problem solved?"

"Wait a minute! Um, well, he's being really persistent about it. He invited me saying he wants to talk, and asked if I'd have a meal with him. You come too, Kehma."

A request from an S-Rank adventurer, huh… Couldn't she just refuse normally?

No, but if we need to talk to him at some point anyway, having a meal together might be a good opportunity.

And letting Rokuko talk to him alone—yeah, I have nothing but bad premonitions about that. There's even a possibility she's already messed up somehow. I mean, what did she do to make him ask her to be his partner in the first place?

"So I think I need to properly show that I have a partner called Kehma."

"Oh? Is… that so?"

"Hey, get it together. Kehma is my partner after all."

"That's right, we're partners, yeah."

Crap. I can't ask what "partner" means in this flow.

… Let's pretend I didn't see this problem. Postponing problems—how very Japanese of me.

Ah, maybe I could just ask the hero directly?

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

In the end, I decided to talk directly with the hero. The invitation to have a meal together was a factor too.

The venue was the suite. Right now, Kinue-san was setting out the A-Rank meal, the [Avarice Set]—also known as the kid's meal.

And I was seated in front of the hero as the mysterious earth mage adventurer, Narikin the Masked. Rokuko was beside me.

By the way, today's mask covers my hair color too, so it's closer to a full-face helmet than a mask. The area around the mouth can pop off for eating. It'll be handy for hiding my hair color in the future too, so let's go with this from now on.

"Pleased to meet you, Hero-dono. I am Narikin. Rokuko's partner. It is my honor to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Wataru Nishimi… Um, Narikin-san. Rokuko-san. I apologize for inviting you, but—I can't focus on talking with this meal in front of me. I'm very sorry."

I'd thought we could talk while eating, but I wondered if the kid's meal might make things awkward. But it seemed the hero had other priorities. He'd been staring intently at the kid's meal and cream soda since they were served.

Maybe serving a kid's meal to the hero was a bad idea after all. The hero would know how much a kid's meal costs in Japan, so I still think five gold coins is a total rip-off.

Then the hero silently and single-mindedly ate the kid's meal. With a completely serious expression the whole time.

… A grown adult silently eating a kid's meal. The atmosphere was pretty heavy.

Rokuko and I couldn't say anything either, getting caught up in the mood. Or rather, when we tried to speak to him, he just said "I'm eating right now" with a slight killing intent that nearly made me wet myself.

Maybe he was angry about the high price after all—I thought, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"—Thank you for the meal."

Hero Wataru, who had drunk down to the last drop of cream soda and eaten every last grain of rice—was shedding tears.

"I'm sorry, it brought back memories of my hometown… the hometown I can never return to."

Three years. Haku-san had mentioned that it had been three years since this hero was summoned.

Three years—the same amount of time it takes to get through high school. In that time, many things must have happened. I don't know what, but from his current state, it wasn't hard to imagine he'd been through harrowing experiences compared to his life in Japan.

"You can never return, you say?"

"Yes. My hometown is in another world, so there's no way to return. I'm still searching for a way, but—even if I find one, I probably wouldn't be able to go back… Since coming to this world, I've killed people with these hands. In my hometown, that's the gravest sin."

I see, so he's killed people since coming to this world. That's why he can't return to Japan, huh.

Even if he returned to Japan, he probably wouldn't be arrested as a criminal for murders in another world, but this kind of thing is a matter of feelings.

"Then why are you searching for a way to return? Even though you can't go back."

"Well, in case I meet someone from another world in the future who wants to return to their hometown—that's part of it, but also… lingering attachment. One's hometown is something you miss after all."

… For my part, I've gotten comfortable with life here and have no intention of returning to Japan, but I wonder if I'll want to go back someday? I'm happy as long as I can sleep though.

"I understand why Haku-sama recommended this inn. As I thought, there seem to be hints about Japan here. There are some things I'd like to ask—may I?"

"… If it's something I can answer, I will."

"Then… [Rice]. Where does this come from?"

Ah, a difficult question right off the bat.

Even if I said "I don't know since Haku-san procures it for us," this hero could directly confirm with Haku-san. If Haku-san then answered "I don't know about that," it would create a contradiction. Getting caught on that could be pretty bad.

"… Well, this is a business, so I'd rather not reveal our supplier."

"Please, I'm begging you. I won't tell anyone else. I absolutely want to obtain some."

"Then I'll accommodate you. We don't have much, but I can sell you some polished rice."

"Please! —Ah, and where does this grow?"

He wouldn't let it go. Well, rice is the Japanese soul food, so it's only natural he'd be curious.

If I don't answer, he'll probably keep pressing with "please, somehow." Let me deflect using some random country name… Um, there was a country name Haku-san mentioned, wasn't it? Wakoku? You could get cherries there? Alright, I'll use that.

Since I appeared to be hesitating over whether to answer, Wataru waited quietly.

"Do you know of a country called Wakoku?"

"Ah, I'm planning to go there. Being called 'Wakoku' in the east, with such an obvious name—it's been on my mind."

… Oh, he's right! I didn't notice!

"Um, things like cherries are brought from there through Haku-san."

"Ooh, so there are cherry trees in Wakoku! I can't wait!"

Ah, right. Cherries mean cherry trees, I suppose.

Then maybe [rice] really exists there too—wait, Haku-san said she didn't know what [rice] was, didn't she? I can't imagine Haku-san would overlook a grain while noticing fruits like cherries. So it probably doesn't exist there.

… Yeah, I never said the [rice] was procured from there, so safe, safe. Even if someone used a lie-detecting magic tool on me, I'd come out clean.

"That's all I can say about the supplier for now."

"Thank you… Next, I'd like you to look at this."

After thanking me, Wataru placed some playing cards on the table.

"I heard these can be obtained from the dungeon [Cave of Desires]."

"Yes, apparently they can be found on the first floor. We buy them for five copper coins here."

"… Narikin-san, please look at this."

The hero pointed to a part of the card box… What? Is there something? It looks like a normal box to me.

"Hmm? … I don't see anything unusual. Are you going to show us a magic trick?"

"Oh, there's a strange pattern on it, isn't there?"

The hero grinned. Upon hearing Rokuko's response, I realized what it was, and chills ran through my body as if all my blood was flowing backward.

… A bar code. There was something like that on it? This is completely out!

"Yes. What's here is called a bar code—it's a special way of writing prices."

"Ah, now that you mention it. I always wondered what that pattern was, but so that's what it is."

I responded immediately… This guy, he definitely suspects I'm Japanese. My reaction just now might have confirmed it for him.

Oh, right. Haku-san must have heard about bar codes too. If she thinks I'm some super-genius with hidden schemes, she'd probably see this bar code as bait I deliberately planted. Even though it was a complete blunder on my part!

"… Well, that's why I believe this dungeon has clues to my hometown."

"I see… Ah, you're welcome to investigate, but this dungeon is basically for beginners… please don't cause too much damage, alright?"

"Yes. I understand. For now, I'll be staying for one week."

Saying that, Hero Wataru bowed deeply… He doesn't seem like a bad person, but well, we'll see.

Ah. Right. I need to ask about the proposal to Rokuko too. Well, nine times out of ten it probably meant a research partner.