The doctor pointed at a scrawled sentence written in the margin of the notebook. It was in ancient Parthenese, so I couldn’t understand it without magical assistance. The doc seemed to realize that, so she read it out loud to me.
“It says ‘The Gears of Time and the Gate of Dimensions, information from the adjacent world.’ The old man was studying how to traverse other worlds, remember? While he was unable to travel there himself... it’s highly possible that he managed to glimpse that other world... Or perhaps he even managed to summon someone over from it.”
Summoned someone over? Was he really capable of that? I mean, I guess it’s possible... but it would’ve taken a hell of a lot... I wondered if he’d been able to muster up enough power to bring someone over.
“Another possibility is that a traveler simply came to this world from another of their own volition.”
“Mhm... That’s definitely possible, yeah.”
There were others out there like Ende, after all.
“It’s possible that he tried to build that Door after meeting an otherworldly visitor and realizing there was a potential escape route.”
It was possible, sure... but I wondered if the armored suit was the person he’d met. Perhaps it wasn’t a human in a suit, but a robot. There was a lot of potential for diversity out there, so a planet of machine lifeforms definitely wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Some part of me hoped there was a world out there filled with robots in disguise that could transform into cars and other cool things... but I had a feeling I’d never encounter anything like that.
Either way... if it was a visitor from another world, then maybe it came from the Reverse World... But would they have had a robotic lifeform five-thousand years ago...? Actually, come to think of it, there was that crab bus thing... I kind of assumed it was a vehicle, but it could be a living creature or robot... I guess things like that are just normal to the people in that world.
Whatever the case, I knew I wasn’t going to get any answers in this world.
“By the way, are you any closer to making your Dimensional Disruptor work?”
“As a matter of fact, it works now. Cesca let me put it in the garden. Your mana tank is there, too. My version of the portal will draw magic from the tank whenever you’re not nearby, so please top it up when you visit. It has incredibly high capacity due to my pioneering magic condenser tech, so don’t worry about it running out too quickly. Plus, it’s being amplified for efficiency thanks to the tower.”
That made sense. The tower did seem to improve other Babylon functions. I was glad to have a tank with enough capacity to keep my magic running if I was away. Not that I really expected to be away very often... Still, having enough to sustain Kohaku and the others was a relief to me. I decided to fill it up with enough magic to last a few decades... Not that I ever wanted to be in a situation where I was stranded elsewhere for that length of time.
“So yes, I’d like you to test its activation and go through it... but I’d really like it if you could bring me as well...”
“That’s out of the question. If I brought you, you’d have no way of getting back. If I manage to construct a similar thing on the other side that safely leads back to this world, then I’ll bring you along. How about that?”
“Tsk... If that’s really how it has to be, I can exercise my patience a tad more.”
It was easy for me to return home by using the divine realm as a stepping stone, but a regular person like the doctor wouldn’t be able to take that path. Only gods or those summoned by God Almighty could travel across worlds like that. Well, not including people like Ende, anyway.
However, if I could acquire a plot of land in that world, gather enough raw materials, and cobble together a version of the portal that leads back to this world, then the two would be more freely connected. That was still a ways off, though. And so, for the time being, I decided to go up to the garden and channel magic into the cylindrical mana tank.
It could definitely hold a hell of a lot. I drained about half my total capacity into the tank, and it still had a bit more space left inside. After that, I connected a pathway to it that would keep Kohaku and the others maintained. I was relieved to have that little problem sorted out.
She wanted me to test the activation, so it’s not like I had to go to the Reverse World or anything... Though, at the same time, I wanted to verify a couple of things like if there was a difference in the way time flowed and stuff. I was in a hurry last time I went, so I didn’t have time to focus on details like that. I didn’t even get much of a grasp of the local area.
Before I went, I decided to call Yumina and the others to make sure they didn’t get worried. I had a habit of just going off on solo adventures without telling them, and I had a feeling it was a little bit irritating. I gathered them all in the garden and Yumina spoke up.
“I don’t mind if you go, but please don’t go over there alone. Could you take Kohaku with you? I think that’d be smarter.”
“What, you don’t trust me over there...?”
Yumina’s gripe was a little frustrating. Although, she had a fair point about Kohaku. Kohaku was a Heavenly Beast, and my summon, so she’d be able to come back to the divine realm with me.
“It’s not a matter of trust, Touya. You tend to go all-out and charge into danger. Having Kohaku with you might help temper things a little.” I couldn’t deny that, but if I didn’t rush headlong into danger I might never have met my fiancees.
“We would like to come with you this time. You often take Kohaku and Luli.”
“Indeed, you should take us this time instead. Sango and Kokuyou are adept at defense, and I can scout from the skies.”
“Mmm... I agree this time. You should take them instead...” Kohaku nodded to what Kougyoku was saying.
Hmm... Those three?
Kokuyou was definitely inconspicuous, but the other two kind of stood out... They were about as obviously noticeable as Luli and Kohaku... but it was already agreed, so I decided to take them.
Thankfully, all my fiancees were fine with me leaving. I was a little surprised they were so willing to just go along with it... Well, it was probably because I’d confirmed to them that I was a god a few days prior. Plus, I promised to bring them all a souvenir.
I’d be staying for a full day. Though because it took some time to actually transfer, it’d be more like a day and a half.
I’d met someone in the other world. It was only one guy, but it was a start. He was a trader, so ideally I’d be able to get a start on making a foothold there with him.
Either way, I was kind of looking forward to investigating the place... Testing the doctor’s door was a convenient excuse. My sisters would be able to contact me if anything really bad happened, too.
I began pouring my magic into the Dimensional Disruptor. It actually took a hell of a lot out of me, especially since I had already dumped a considerable amount into the tank. Still, I knew it wouldn’t take too long to regen, so I wasn’t worried.
The tachometer display hit 100%, and I saw an image appear through the structure’s arch.
Oho? It’s not the forest like last time. Looks like some rocky mountains... Guess it’s because I’m entering from Brunhild instead of Palerius... Ah well, let’s do it.
“Alright, I’m off.”
“Make sure you get something to eat, okay?”
“Don’t talk to any weird women, either!”
Linze and Elze gave me some... parting advice as I passed through to the Reverse World. Just like before, it felt like I was walking through solid, squishy air. It felt extremely unpleasant.
I came out into a rocky area near the coast. There was the loud sound of a rushing tide, and some cicadas chirped in the distance.
As expected, I was in a completely different location.
“The ocean looksss nice. I’m glad to sssee that...”
“Mhm... I’d like to go for a swim...”
Sango and Kokuyou were pleased t
o see salt water, but we weren’t headed for a beach vacation.
“First things first, gotta figure out where the people are... Run Search, Human Beings.”
Oh. Crap.
I hadn’t entered any information about this world into my smartphone. I had no map. I was an idiot... I completely forgot to ask Mr. Sancho if I could use my phone to copy his...
“Should I call my kin to inform us of the local area?”
“No need for that, let’s just walk and take it easy for a while...” I declined Kougyoku’s offer and walked along the coastline. After a short while, we came across a lone fisherman angling near some rocks.
I used translation magic to talk to him and ask if he could give me my current location... I was glad to have met someone so helpful. He looked at Sango and Kokuyou floating in the air beside me and gave a strange look, but he didn’t say anything.
As it turned out, I was a long way from my original landing point... It was probably because of the fact that Brunhild and Palerius were far apart on the map. Either that or the destination was just randomized every time. If I recalled correctly, Mr. Sancho was headed toward the Allent Theocracy’s capital city, so that was where I wanted to go.
The directions kind of threw me off when I looked at the map the guy provided me with, but I was currently located about where Felsen was in the regular world. Allent was located in around the same area as where Roadmare was.
If I used [Fly] it wouldn’t take long to reach it at all.
“Alright, let’s fly.”
I used [Invisible] on myself and the others, just to be safe.
Looking down from the sky, this world looked pretty similar to the regular one. But I was in for a real shock as a massive airship sailed right past me. It looked kind of retro, like a steampunk style airship with a balloon. I wondered what the deal with the robot arms coming out of the sides was...
No, this world was not all that similar at all. There was a lot different here. It seemed like this world’s technology had advanced a lot farther, at least.
Either way, I’d learn more once I made it to the theocracy. And so, I zoomed off, ready to find out more about this brave new world...
◇ ◇ ◇
I arrived at the Allent Theocracy’s capital city, but found myself in a bit of a predicament. Apparently, in order to enter the city, you needed to pay the toll or present identification... There was a long line in front of the city gates.
I wasn’t too surprised that a system like that was in place, but I had a sinking feeling that my guild card wouldn’t cut it in this world. Obviously, I didn’t have any of this world’s currency either. I wondered what to do.
“...We’re invisible, aren’t we? Can’t we just bypass all this?”
“...Good point.”
Kokuyou reminded me of the obvious, and I felt like an idiot. I didn’t actually have to do anything. I was invisible, so I could just saunter on through.
I passed right by the security checkpoint at the gate. To be honest, I could’ve just descended into the city the whole time.
Anyway, once I got in, I quickly stepped into a back alley and undid [Invisible] on myself. Then, I stepped out into the streets and could almost feel the hustle and bustle of the busy town in the atmosphere. The buildings and paved roads didn’t look too different from the ones I’d seen in the regular world... Plus, there were streetlamps dotted around that would be more at home on Earth. People’s clothing seemed pretty standard too, but the most noticeable distinction was that there wasn’t anyone around that I’d really consider a fantasy-style adventurer.
No, hold on a second... That’s a neon store sign over there, right? Yeah, I’d recognize that kind of tubing anywhere.
It wasn’t dark so the sign wasn’t turned on, but it seemed to be a typical electrical sign. Then again, it could’ve been magic-powered.
“Hmm... I guess there are quite a few differences here...”
《My liege, look at that...》 I walked around aimlessly when I suddenly received a telepathic message from Kokuyou.
I stopped to look, and I saw a merchant cross an intersection riding some kind of clunky ostrich-like machine. I had no idea what I was looking at. It was ostrich-like in that it had a long neck, but it didn’t really have much of a torso. It was kind of like a walking pogo stick.
《Over there, too...》
I turned and looked across the road... to see a spider-like machine with eight legs attached to eight wheels glide down the path. The eight legs jutted from a carriage, and I could see a man and woman sitting atop a seat, merrily chatting to each other and enjoying their ride.
It went by as I stared. The culture shock was starting to get to me.
《I guesss magitech ssstuff is common in thisss world, hm?》
《I’m not entirely sure if these devices are magic or artifacts... Everyone seems to be treating it as rather commonplace, however...》
Kougyoku was correct. Everyone seemed pretty much used to the weird and wacky robots roaming around town as if such a thing was the norm here. I wondered if you could buy them somewhere...
“This really is another world...” I honestly felt like I needed to sit down with a cup of tea, but I didn’t have any money.
Still, I knew what I needed to do. Thanks to my encounter with Mr. Sancho, I could use magic to read the local language, Allentese. I looked over the street signs and made my way toward what seemed to be a general store. I thought I could probably sell something to make some cash.
“Howdy there, friend.”
The store I’d wandered into was a little place called Catan General Supplies. There were all kinds of miscellaneous goods lined up here and there. Sewing needles and thread, scissors and cloth. There was an abundance of recognizable stuff, but also some unusual things like glasses filled with liquids I didn’t recognize.
“...Are you after anything in particular?”
The shopkeeper wandered over and offered his assistance. He probably thought I was suspicious. I did have some weird animals with me, after all.
He was a bearded, ginger-haired man who looked to be about thirty.
“Ah, no actually... I’m short on cash, so I was wondering if I’d be able to sell anything to you...”
“Sell to me? Hm...If you have any Rukugy Yarn or Leylightstones, then I’d be interested.”
I had no idea what either of those things were. But given that he mentioned a stone, I thought perhaps he’d be willing to buy gold or silver ore.
“What about silver or gold?”
“What, you mean like ore? That’s no good here. You’d be better off taking that to a jeweler, son. I don’t know the value, so I’d just give you a rate that rips you off.”
He was a surprisingly honest guy. I decided to find a jeweler. That was at least one method of getting some cash. While I was here, I decided to ask about Mr. Sancho.
“Excuse me, but do you know anyone named Pedro Sancho? I believe he lives in this city.”
“You’re a friend of Sancho’s? His shop is a little bit up the street from mine. He’ll probably be able to buy that gold and silver from you. The store’s named Sancho Shipping.”
Apparently Sancho was fairly well-known. I was a little surprised by that fact.
I smiled at the shopkeeper and made my way out. When I stepped outside, I saw a small robot that somewhat resembled an armored knight following after someone who vaguely resembled an adventurer.
None of the citizens really batted an eye at it, suggesting that something like that was just the norm in this world.
Even though there was a technological aesthetic and the presence of sophisticated robotics, the people hadn’t really moved past Victorian-style carriages. I found it a little odd.
It felt like there was a weird technology gap somewhere. But that was probably just the nature of this new, unusual world. I walked up the street, marveling at the mechanical mysteries around me. Eventually, I spotted the sign I was after.
“Ah, this must be Sancho Shipping.”
It was three times as large as the shop I’d been in earlier. There was a space nearby that somewhat resembled a parking lot, and the crab bus was neatly parked right in against the wall. There was no doubt. This was his place.
I climbed up the surprisingly short stairwell and opened up the extremely fancy door. A door chime chirped as I opened it up, and an apron-clad woman in her late twenties turned to look at me.
“Ah, welc— Oh? Oh, ohhh! It’s you! From the other day!”
“Huh?” The woman, who had chestnut hair all clipped together by a fancy decoration, walked right over the moment she saw me. She gently bowed her head to me.
“Thank you so much.”
“For... What, exactly?”
“Ah, forgive my manners. You only spoke with my husband at the time. I’m Mona, Pedro’s wife! I was inside the Gollem Carriage when you saved us.”
“Gollem?”
“Yes, see? The vehicle right outside.”
She pointed out the window toward the crab bus. From the looks of things, the whole area was just being used as a parking garage.
Still, I wondered what a Gollem was. Something like a Golem, maybe?
“I simply must call my husband! Please sit tight!”
“Oh, sure.”
Mona trotted off inside the store and headed down some steps.
I moved aside slightly so I could look out at the parking area without bothering the other customers. There were a lot of things on sale in this store. They all looked pricey, too. It made the place feel a cut above the store I’d been in not too long ago. I had nothing else to do, so I stared out toward the crab bus outside... Or, er, that weird thing they were calling a Gollem.
“There’s a part that kind of looks like a cockpit, but I don’t see anything like a handle or a lever... Is it automated, maybe?”
I took out my smartphone and snapped a picture of it. There were probably stores that sold stuff like it, presuming it was some kind of generally available vehicle. Doc Babylon would go nuts if I brought one back for her, but I had a feeling they’d be pricey.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 12 Page 10
