Stranger's Handbook - WN Chapter 01-76

by Chapter 01-76 (epub)

  No matter how you look at it, it’s uncommon.

  “Err! Would it be ok for me to speak?”

  “You must not! Be silent and move!”

  “……Understood!”

  Hmmm

  I was bluntly and coldly refused without feeling any sort of anger in his voice…

  The incident from some time ago and the interaction just now.

  These knights have high pride and act according to a clear purpose. Or so it seems.

  And as I was thinking, are we by any chance in the middle of a testing or classifying process?

  “By the way, why did you stay in that room until the end?”

  The knight following me inquired.

  How do I answer?

  “Well, since I realized that you, people, have no intention to cause us any harm, I stayed behind to deal with those who might have gone against your indications.”

  “I see. Continue!”

  “With all due respect, you killed two men and held your swords covered in blood for everyone to see. Most certainly, due to the inflicted terror everyone would have obeyed your instructions nonetheless. But there were young women inside that room too.”

  “I see. Fear is likely to create confusion and the possibility to black out.”

  “Yes, it is exactly as you said.”

  “Why did you think that we don’t intend to harm you?”

  “That is because you need us for something. Or, you are looking for a skilled person.”

  The knight halted in his steps.

  “You don’t intend to harm us? That’s slightly different, isn’t it!? You don’t intend to harm us pointlessly! Isn’t that so?”

  I turned my head to the knight while asking the question….

  Ah!

  He was laughing with a dreadful grim face…..

  Did I mess up?

  “Hahahaha…! You come this way. Follow me!”

  You…..?

  It seems that this way I won’t be able to catch up with the others.

  After walking a short while, the knight entered a room.

  The room was about 20-jou (tatami mats).

  Is this a guest room? It has furniture and all.

  Chairs, a table, a bed and the sort…

  It’s a fully furnished room, huh?

  “Put these on first.”

  Hearing this, a pair of trousers and a shirt were handed over to me.

  There’s no underpants!

  There’s no underpants…

  “You’ll wait right here after you finish putting those on.”

  The knight left the room at a quick pace.

  “Fuu….”

  A sigh escaped me.

  Earthquake

  Naked bodies

  Murder

  So many things occurred again and again…

  There’s simply no way not to feel tired.

  What will happen from now on, I wonder……

  Their objective is unclear.

  Their organizational capabilities are also unknown.

  This place is also unidentified.

  I….might die as well, huh….

  Nay, I guess I will die for sure…..

  I see no possibility for me to escape with my life no matter how positively I’m looking at this situation.

  I bet their objective is something dangerous and terrifying as well.

  They even took all the effort to kill someone too.

  It is certain that they’re not some sort of volunteers or part of a peace organization.

  I found myself sighing again while lowering my body on the sofa.

  “Haa….”

  I pray that it maybe won’t hurt too much….

  While thinking that, I examined a water jug.

  After all this time, they won’t be introducing poison in the equation as well, right…..

  Second only to the silver water jug, is a little dirty silver cup.

  By the look of it, it’s ordinary water.

  I’d like to drink some coffee…..I was thinking while sipping some of the warm water.

  I remember the coffee left in my car.

  Cigarettes and coffee alike….I guess I won’t get to savor them anymore.

  Gacha

  The one who opened the door and stepped into the room was an old man dressed in expensive-looking clothes.

  “So you’re the otherworlder hero candidate?!”

  This……

  I’m going to die…….probably……

  * * *

  Translation: Nana

  Jack-of-‘almost’-all-trades: Mockii

  Chapter 3: Proof this is a Different World

  I want spring already :'(

  Anyways, Chapter 3 is ready! (^^)/

  Enjoy…

  * * *

  Chapter 3: Proof this is Another World

  * * *

  Otherworlder? Moreover, another world??

  Just now, this old man said otherworlder, right……?

  But before that.

  “Hello. I humbly introduce myself as Kato Toshiaki.”

  I get up off the couch and bow deeply.

  By the look of things, this person might be of a higher social rank than the knights from before.

  I guess he won’t be displeased that I greeted him with respect.

  At least he doesn’t show hostility.

  If I don’t look like obeying him it might get pretty nasty…..even though my true feelings are nothing like this.

  “Yea. Well, you shall sit. Talking while standing is too much for an old body.”

  Said the old man and sat down across me.

  On both his sides were two knights holding themselves back.

  “Then, excuse me! However, your Excellency. I know nothing about the ways of this world. That is why, if I do or say something that is rude or inappropriate I would kindly beg of you to show tolerance.”

  “Fine. I won’t demand a stranger from another world to suddenly know of our manners. Besides, the ways of this world are not that much different.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  I sit down superficially on the sofa.

  The old man in front of me is a calamity…….

  So this world isn’t very different from the one I know…..

  And then, I can’t deny the existence of his Excellency…..huh?

  This here is the world to which an otherworlder has come to.

  And he understands it to a certain degree.

  The old man who is referred to as his Excellency is none other than his opponent.

  Hmm…I kind of solved the mystery…..Another world, huh?

  However, I can’t easily believe such a thing.

  “Your Excellency, could I humbly ask a question?”

  “You’ll answer his Excellency’s question first!”

  The knights glare at me intensely.

  His Excellency’s question? That one from before?

  The old man was wearing a faint smile seemingly not caring about all this.

  “Knight-dono, by his Excellency’s question, are you referring to whether or not I’m the stranger* who’s a hero candidate? If that is the case, if I don’t confirm to myself that this is indeed another world I might end up lying to his Excellency.”

  “Fine. Certainly, if you don’t understand the situation to a certain degree we can’t have a proper conversation. Kato……was it? Or, do they use first names in that world? Toshiaki?

  The knight was about to say something but he was stopped by the old man’s hand.

  “It is exactly as you said. Toshiaki is my first name. But if you find it difficult to pronounce, you can call me Toshi.”

  The old man nodded his head and started talking.

  “Well then, Toshi. Let’s give you proof that this here is another world!”

  When he said that, one of the knights drew his sword.

  This sword didn’t have the same color as those you often see on TV or in games.

  It w
as such a silver color that the sword appeared to be wet.

  I involuntarily thought that it was beautiful, but then the knight cut his finger off.

  !?

  I frowned reflexively.

  That must really hurt.

  From the spot he used to have his finger blood was overflowing.

  He won’t be able to make promises** anymore.

  The knight’s face was now red due to the pain he self-inflicted and he approached me to show me the wound.

  “I certainly took damage, right?”

  I could only nod to that question.

  The knight picks out a bottle from his waist pouch and drinks its content.

  Right after that, the indeed lost finger started to regenerate very quickly.

  “Wha!? The…the finger grew back!?”

  I cried out instinctively, but that was inevitable……

  His finger grew back just like that, you know? It’s a mild horror movie…….

  “So, what do you say? Do you have similar medicine in your world?”

  The old man, with his usual faint smile on his face, asked me.

  “N…no, your Excellency. It’s impossible. This is the first time I’ve seen medicine like this.”

  “Is that so? Then again, are there people like these in your world?”

  Having said that, he took off the other knight’s helmet.

  He was a man who had dog-like ears.

  He was swaying his tail carefully and his ears were twitching in a hectic manner.

  “This person……if I’m not mistaken…….he’s part of a race referred to as kemonobito***. Is that correct?”

  The old man slowly nodded to my question and continued.

  “Yea. So you did realize this is another world by now, right? Ah, later on I’ll show you some magic too.”

  Magic!? This is turning more and more into a fantasy pattern, huh……..

  Well, since they also have hero candidates, they can’t possibly win against the Demon King without using magic.

  “Y…yes. Thank you for your consideration, your Excellency! I am convinced now that this is another world. However, you said that I’m the hero candidate. What do I possess to make you think so?”

  “Yea, this now is the important part!”

  Knock, knock

  Someone was knocking at the door.

  When the dog knight opened the door, a beautiful woman with dog ears wearing a maid uniform entered the room.

  A beauty with dog ears.

  This is absolutely magnificent.

  She’s a dog-eared beauty with a slender body that can only be compared to that of a model.

  She bows and starts preparing the tea.

  Oh! There’s some for me too…..this scent, is it black tea?

  It is much appreciated, my throat is dried-up.

  Before long, setting up the table was done and, as she stopped in front of the door and turned around to face us, she bowed and saluted.

  “Well then, I shall excuse myself-nya!”

  “So you’re a cat!!!”

  My sudden outburst caused the pretty girl with dog ears to look at me with teary eyes and the dog knight to glare at me, while clenching his teeth.

  The ‘finger cutting’ knight was expressionlessly touching his sword.

  And then…..

  The old man sitting in front of me was not smiling anymore……

  I will probably die……….sooner than expected……

  * * *

  *Mind that this time I used ‘stranger’ instead of ‘otherworlder’ for the Japanese ‘isekaijin‘ (lit. person from a different world). When the Japanese text allows me, I plan on using the term ‘stranger’ from now on…I like it more somehow.

  **yubikiri = lit. to cut off one’s finger

  = linking little fingers to confirm a promise (If you’re a manga/anime fan, you must be familiar with this ;D); pinky promise.

  ***kemonobito = it literary translates as a beast-human. Other terms for it are therianthropy, beastkin. Since these terms are a bit too fancy, I decided to use the Japanese term. Yey!

  * * *

  Translation: Nana

  Supreme Overlord: Mockii

  Chapter 4: This World’s Structure

  I still want spring :'(

  Enjoy…

  Chapter 4: World Structure

  * * *

  This is bad…….This is extremely bad…….

  The black tea’s fragrance made me let my guard down.

  By mistake, the bad habit I had while on Earth…….while I lived in Japan came forth.

  The relaxation effect black tea has is outstanding. I just felt it on myself……..

  “Toshi…….I’ll give you one warning.”

  Said the expressionless old man.

  So this is what they call glassy eyes……I was thinking carelessly, but my feet were trembling like a level 7 earthquake.

  My body came loose.

  “Y…yes, your Excellency.”

  “You’re still not familiar with this world. And I also made a promise in the beginning. I’ll overlook it this time.”

  The old man took a deep breath and my reaction to that was a level 8* trembling.

  “But, you know, you’ve mistaken a race. You must absolutely never say words of discrimination or despise against a race. If you don’t want to die, that is.”

  I stood up and showed the beauty with dog ears my sincerest apology.

  I knelt down on the ground**.

  “This scum who doesn’t even know the customs has offended you greatly! I had no intention to look down upon you or your race. Please, forgive my ignorance!”

  After I prostrated myself to this extent, the dog knight finally seemed to calm down.

  He was trembling severely and breathing heavily until just now.

  “What do you say, Al? This is reconciliation. You’re fine with it, right?

  “Yes, sir. I will obey your decision.”

  So, the dog knight is Al.

  Al, huh?……I’ll remember it.

  “You understood too, right, Suu?”

  “Y…yes. Most certainly, your Excellency.”

  So, the maid is Suu.

  Suu-san, huh? I wonder if she likes fishing.

  “Well, well, that’s because you got that promise from me in the beginning. However, there’s no next time, Toshi. You have to value your life more……”

  ……….Eh? Was I really in a deadly situation just now?…….

  Is it such a taboo, talking about other races!?

  “Yes. I’m very thankful for your special concern!”

  I bow my head to the old man too.

  I have no idea what’s their kill-switch…….

  I have to learn about this world’s common sense really fast, otherwise I’ll be forsaking my life.

  ‘Cause of death: Stabbing’ or something like that would be too embarrassing.

  Suu-san left the room after bowing once again.

  She didn’t seem to have teary eyes anymore.

  “Well now, returning to the hero matter. Don’t worry, the story is really simple.”

  The old man drinks some black tea, returning to his usual faint smile.

  “I won’t ask you something like defeating the demon king or bearing the full brunt of a war. I just want you to be a leader.”

  What, a leader?

  “To begin with, I don’t even know of the existence of a demon king. Magical beasts and demonic beings both exist though. However, the thing you call demon king in your world doesn’t exist here and there’s no record of it in any historical annals up until now. The demons live scattered, without creating a country and do whatever they please. Something like a country or a king is too much trouble for them, it seems.”

  “I….I see. They do whatever they……please?

  “Yea. The demons here are an excellent race known for their mages and they won’t go doing something like controlling the magical beasts or such. They do
whatever they please, but that doesn’t mean they’re outlaws. They’re adventurers, scholars, restaurant owners, inn keepers and so on. You might say they blend in and live freely as simple citizens.”

  I see, there’s no enmity.

  I wonder if they really don’t want a country of their own……

  “This is precisely why discrimination towards races is not allowed.”

  The old man drank some more black tea and then his face became serious.

  “When there’s discrimination against a race, those who did it would be facing the wrath of dragons and demons. The race that did the discrimination would be extinguished and only a handful would be left alive.”

  ………Hm? And the point is……

  “Are they prosecutors……or, more likely, judges……?

  “You can say so……It’s actually quite safe to assume this. It’s this world’s way of doing things, you know.”

  I see, there must have been some serious discrimination in the past.

  And this is a system to prevent that, huh?…….

  “So, about your……about the hero’s duty……..”

  Yes, finally! To some degree, this world’s system is quite complete.

  It’s a system based on the dragons and demons’ surveillance, I can’t see where the hero’s job would fit in.

  “It’s been a long while since the last hero has been summoned. The last records are about the remarkable achievements from 1000 years ago.”

  Ah! I really have a bad feeling!

  “According to the records, in the past a hero was summoned to defeat all those who held discriminating thoughts. I’m not planning of doing something this outrageous and I’ve grown attached to this world in which racial discrimination doesn’t exist. I don’t intend to destroy it.”

  Thank god!…….Thank god they didn’t summon me 1000 years ago.

  Hero-san, whose name I don’t even know, thank you very much!

  “What I want…….what the Grun Empire’s Frontier Count Razatonia wants to accomplish is……”