Chapter 27
the Girl’s Expectation and the Demonic Instructor On the dawn of the day after Valetta had recognized Kazura as human . The surroundings werestill dark, but on the footpath between the fields in Grisea Village, which were still otherwise silent and deserted, Kazura was carrying a travelling bag and heading towards the stone passage that connected to Japan . He was not wearing his usual attire, the clothes sewn by Valetta, but jeans and a T-shirt . His usual reason for returning to Japan before now had been only to get goods or supplies, but the current objective was different .
「Kazura-san, Kazura-san’s country . . . Japan, when we go there, the first thing I want to do is to go to a bookshop!」(Valetta) While walking beside Kazura, Valetta spoke with her face full of expectations . Kazura replied to her words with a simple “yes” . The current objective in returning to Japan was not to procure goods or supplies, but to take Valetta along to see Japan . After the conversation the night before about Kazura’s being a human, Valetta had said, 「Umm . . . . . . If it not that a bother, can Kazura-san also take me along to Kazura-san’s country next time?」(Valetta) Thus was her request and Kazura also approved it --『If it’s Valetta-san, then there will be no problem . 』 Maybe because Valetta was really happy about having received Kazura’s approval to go to Japan, she continued asking Kazura about Japan until late at night . When Kazura’s wristwatch pointed at the 1 during the night, Valetta finally realized that she had been talking for far too long and started to apologize in a hurry before excusing herself to go to sleep, however after noticing Valetta’s expression that said 『I want to go as soon as possible!』, Kazura replied, 「After we take a short nap, do you want to go to my country immediately?」(Kazura) Such was his suggestion . After that, 3 hours had passed before reaching the current situation . By the way, Kazura didn’t know about this, but Valetta was so excited that she didn’t get even a wink of sleep . 「However, we can’t just go in and buy things in the bookshop if we go in those clothes and shoes, since Arcadia’s clothing and Japan’s clothing are really different . 」(Kazura) Valetta current clothing was her usual plain dress and straw-plaited shoes . In this world, her clothing was something completely inconspicuous . However, in Japan, with that clothing being combined with her appearance as a blond-haired beauty, she would surely become the center of attention . Even if they were just sightseeing in Japan, the first thing they needed to do was to get new clothes from somewhere for Valetta . 「A, that’s true . . . . . . For the money, can this be used?」(Valetta) Maybe it was something that Valetta had brought just in case, but she took out several 100 Ar silver coins from a cloth bag fastened around her waist’s string belt . Even hough 100 Ar silver coins that held quite a high value in this world, they would only be treated as antique objects in Japan . 「We can’t use Arcadia’s money . I have Japanese money so you don’t need to be worried about it . 」(Kazura) 「I’m sorry . . . . . . It would be good if I’d only caught some Arcadian Bugs . Since we can sell them in a store in Japan . 」(Valetta) 「Eh? . . . . . . Arcadian Bugs, right? . . . . . . If we were unlucky, even before we could sell it, we could encounter various troubles . . . . . . 」[1](Kazura) While conversing like this, both of them arrived at the tree grove that leads into the stone passage . It was before dawn and furthermore the trees were quite densely, as the result the inside of the tree grove was very dark . In front of the dark tree grove that she’d never stepped into, there was some nervousness in Valetta’s expression . Kazura noticed that Valetta was uneasy and lightly tapped her back . 「It will be fine, so there’s no need to be worried about it . I always travel though this place and it’s only some very normal woods . 」(Kazura) 「Y-Yes . 」(Valetta) Kazura spoke to Valetta with a reassuring smile before he took out a penlight from his pocket to shine at the path and stepped into the tree grove’s interior . Valetta also slowly shifted her feet, following Kazura who had began to walk into the free grove . 「Beyond this path there is a stone passage that connects to Japan . It’s not that far, so we should soon arrive at it . 」(Kazura) 「Is that so . . . . . . The legend said that if someone entered this tree grove, before one knew it they would be sent back to the entrance, but . . . . . . 」(Valetta) While they kept walking in the dim interior of the tree grove, hearing Valetta’s words, Kazura lightly turned his head and smiled at her . 「That’s an interesting legend . But, if that really happens, then wouldn’t I ne unable to return to Japan like I’m always do? Don’t worry, we can go pass through it normally . 」(Kazura) 「That’s . . . . . . true, I guess . It’s a route that Kazura-san always takes . 」(Valetta) Hearing Kazura’s words, Valetta’s expression showed relief as Kazura smiled again and nodded . He then saw a tree that was pointing the direction . 「Also, so I wouldn’t get lost, I put a mark on that tree . If you keep following this sign, you absolutely won’t lose the way . 」(Kazura) 「So there is a mark . Then, it’s impossible to get lost . 」(Valetta) 「Yes . Ah look, the big stone I use as the mark, we just need to walk a little long- . . . . . . Valetta-san?」(Kazura) Kazura approached the tree where the mark was located, he traced the mark with his hand and turned his head to look behind, but Valetta who was supposed to be there was gone . He looked around at the surroundings for her, maybe she was behind some trees? But Kazura couldn’t sense her presence at all . 「What the . . . . . . . We were just talking a moment ago . . . . . . . 」(Kazura) Valetta had suddenly disappeared . Kazura felt cold sweat while he loudly shouted out Valetta’s name . However, only that shouts echoed back in the empty tree grove, there was no reply . Kazura immediately stood stock still in surprise . If by any chance Valetta-san had been spirited away then it would be a big problem . Kazura prayed that Valetta had just only been sent back to the tree grove entrance just like the legend she had said previously as he ran at full speed towards the tree copse entrance . ✦✧✦✧ 「A-Are!? Kazura-san!?」(Valetta) Kazura, who’d been in front of her, was suddenly disappeared, Valetta became very surprised and restlessly scanned her surroundings . Kazura placed his hand on the big mark he put at the tree, and then he turned his head towards her . But at that time, it was as if the space had completely changed and now the scenery around her was entirely different . 「It can’t be . . . . . . He was just in front of me . . . . . . 」(Valetta) The positions of the trees were different from the place where she’d been together with Kazura just a moment ago . She also couldn’t see the tree with the mark that Kazura had touched previously . Valetta’s mind couldn’t comprehend this rapid development, so she was just frozen in shock at that place until a voice that was calling her name reached her ears from behind . It was Kazura’s voice . 「Valetta-san! I-I’m glad, I found you . . . . . . 」(Kazura) 「Eh, Kazura-san, why are you coming from behind me . . . . . . ?」(Valetta) Valetta was utterly confused, while Kazura, who was catching his disordered breath as the result of running in a rush, began to explain . 「No, I also don’t really understand it, but when I turned my head, Valetta-san had suddenly disappeared . . . . . . But then I remembered the legend you told me not long ago and immediately returned to the entrance . Even so, I’m really glad that you weren’t being spirited away . . . . . . 」 In contrast with Kazura who was feeling relieved from the bottom of his heart, the confused Valetta realized that either herself or her surroundings had been teleported . According to the legend, anyone who entered the grove would always be sent back to the entrance near the village, but she never would have thought that even with both of them walking together, she would still end up being sent back against her will . It wasn’t that Valetta didn’t believe in the legend, she just imagined that if she was together with Kazura then she would be able to pass through the tree grove . 「As expected, just like in the legend, I can’t pass through this tree grove, right?」(Valetta) Seeing Valetta murmur with her head hanging down in depression . “If that’sthe case, then . . . ” Kazura said as his left hand grasped Valetta’s right hand . 「Ah . . . . . . 」(Valetta) 「Maybe if we were holding hands like this, it would be possible for Valetta-san to come through this tree grove together with me?」(Kazura) Kazura, at least was able to pass through the tree grove freely . In which case, if they were holding hands together then maybe they could able to exit the tree grove together . Kazura himself thought that this was a bright idea and smiled towards Valetta who looked up to him with an anxious expression . Together, they once more began to walk towards the tree grove’s interior . ✦✧✦✧ They walked silently for about two minutes . When they arrived at the place where Valetta had suddenly disappeared earlier, both of them stopped their feet . 「I’m sure that this was the place the scenery in the surroundings ahead was changed earlier . 」(Valetta) Valetta said that and picked up a stone near her feet and threw it further into the tree grove . The stone that she threw didn’t disappear and tumbled down onto the ground beside the marked tree .
「It seems that the stone is alright . 」 Valetta confirmed that the stone hadn’t disappeared and rejoined her left hand with Kazura’s while her right arm also hugged Kazura’s arm tightly as if to not let it go . Kazura also tightly grasped Valetta’s hand and they slowly walked towards the marked tree . 「Alright, it’s look like we coul- . . . . . . . Wh-!?」(Kazura) At the moment they almost reach the distance where the marked tree was within arm’s length, Valetta, whom he had been holding tightly until now, suddenly disappeared . With the weight that his left hand had supported suddenly gone, his balance was ruined and so he fell down . 「That was so close . . . . . . What in the world is happening here?」(Kazura) He’d seen Valetta, whom he held hands very closely with, suddenly vanish in front of his eyes . Even for Kazura who had seen various surprising things since the day he first arrived in this world, as expected he was at a loss for words about this situation . [2]The impact of seeing someone vanish before his own eyes was tremendous . Honestly, he received a greater shock than the one he felt when he first found the door that led to another world . Kazura stared at his left hand, the one that had just held Valetta’s hand several seconds ago, for a while and then once again began running towards the entrance . ✦✧✦✧ 「Valetta-san」(Kazura) Kazura returned to the place where Valetta had teleported to previously and found Valetta holding her knees with a depressed expression . She sat alone as she watched the fallen leaves that covered the ground . When Kazura was halfway to her side, Valetta raised her eyes towards Kazura while still holding her knees . 「 . . . . . It failed . 」(Valetta) She muttered, before directing her gaze towards the ground again . Tears started to surface in the corner of her eyes; she was extremely disheartened . 「Yes . . . . . . Though I don’t understand why, it’s look like it’s impossible to go to Japan right now . . . . . . . 」(Kazura) Kazura didn’t understand the reason why he could freely travel through the tree grove while Valetta couldn’t . Moreover, not only she just simply not passes through, there was an additional supernatural phenomenon in that she was teleported instantly to this place . When talking about the difference between Kazura and Valetta, it would be either their gender or the world they were born into . If either of those were really the reason for the phenomenon, then it could be said that Valetta going to Japan would be a hopeless endeavor . 「 . . . . . . Japan, I really want to go there . . . . . . 」(Valetta) Valetta muttered lonesomely . Kazura didn’t know what kind of reply he should give to her and became slightly panicked . Valetta let out a big sigh, and then she stood up and patted the dirt from her clothes . 「It’s useless to complain about something being impossible . I’m sorry for being selfish . 」(Valetta) Valetta produced a forced smile on her face while saying this . Seeing this, Kazura not only felt bad inside his heart, it also filled with guilt as well . It never occurred in his thoughts that something like this phenomenon would happen, so he’d easily accepted Valetta’s request to go to Japan . She had so many expectations that when she realized that she couldn’t go, she’d received an enormous mental shock . 「No it’s not, don’t call yourself selfish . . . . . . There still might be another way, so let’s think of something and then try it once more . 」(Kazura) 「 . . . . . . Yes, that’s true . 」(Valetta) It wasn’t like that it was set into the stone that it was something impossible . There might be some other methods to go to Japan . It was still too early to give up, Kazura thought positively, but it seems that Valetta, who was hanging her head without any reply, had already given up . The current situation was just like the legend passed down in the village, it was perhaps somewhat unbearable for her . The two of them stood in silence for a while . But the silence broke when Valetta raised her face and began to speak . 「Kazura-san, I have a single request . . . . . . 」(Valetta) 「Yes, you can request anything . 」(Kazura) Kazura replied with a smile, Valetta became a little shy and averted her eyes as she also started to smile . 「I want to eat canned peaches again . 」(Valetta) 「Eh? Canned peaches?」(Kazura)
I want to eat canned peaches, so was what she requested . Kazura didn’t understand why, eating canned peaches at this time . 「Yes, canned peaches . . . . . . Is it impossible?」(Valetta) However, Valetta raised her face to Kazura with an apologetic expression, so Kazura immediately smiled and nodded . 「I understand, so it’s canned peaches, right? I’ll buy it quickly, so Valetta-san can wait at the house . 」(Kazura) 「Yes, thank you very much . 」(Valetta) Valetta said her thanks as Kazura accepted her request . 「Then, I’ll see you later . 」(Kazura) Kazura replied and quickly ran and vanished into the tree grove’s interior . Valetta waved her hand a bit as she saw Kazura off, before once again let out a big sigh . 「Haaa- . I can’t keep being dejected like this when Kazura returns . Please cheer up, me . 」(Valetta) Valetta made a fist in front of her chest . It was a gesture to help cheer herself up . [3] Then she left the tree grove and walked home . ✦✧✦✧ Several minutes after separating from Valetta . Kazura stood in front of the grave beside the stone passage . With a serious expression, he looked down at it . 「Hey . Greysior who appeared several hundred years ago, it was you right?」(Kazura) According to the legend that he had heard from Valetta last night, after Greysior escaped from the feudal lord’s restraints, it seemed that he disappeared into this tree grove . Kazura was told that the rope that restrained Greysior’s head immediately unfastened, and he completely evaded the feudal lord’s sword that assaulted him, but . . . . . . 「You somehow did unfasten the ropes and escape, but you ouldn’t avoid the sword and got stabbed several times . That’s why you collapsed here -- because of those wounds . I think that’s how it happened right? . . . 」 (Kazura) The crumbled skeleton in the corner of the passage and Greysior in the legend he’d heard last night . No matter how he thought about it, there were connections between them, -- that said, it srill was a story that happened several hundred years ago, so it ould be difficult to check the truth of whether or not this crumbled skeleton was Greysior . However, if the legend was true, then there wouldn’t be any doubt that the white bleached skeleton under this grave was Greysior . Last night, at the same time as he had heard the legend from Valetta, Kazura had already considered it, however he didn’t think it was necessary to mention it to Valetta who believed in the God Greysior in the legend, rather it was something he mustn’t tell her . Even for today, if somehow Valetta could pass through the tree grove together with Kazura, he fully intended to pass by the grave without stopping in front of it . 「If you also came to this world through that house, then are you one of my ancestors?」(Kazura) Kazura’s father –– Shino Shinji[4] –– was the one who recommended the mansion as his shelter, if Kazura remembered correctly at that time his father had said that 『That mansion is something handed down from many generations』 . Even if he said from many generations, he didn’t know since when this mansion had become the property of Shino Family . [5] But he had a hunch that it wasn’t impossible for it to have been Shino Family’s property since several hundred years ago . However, even if he didn’t know whether or not that was true, Kazura was wondering why no one had ever told him about the room in the mansion that connected to this world . It was quite unlikely for him to have forgotten any sort of information given to him about the mansion havings a room that is connected to another world . On the other hand, if his father really knew something about that room then it was impossible for him to have purposely not told Kazura about it, since he had no reason to do so in the first place . Because there was a padlock on the door to the room, maybe there was no one who had broken it and opened the door, so there was no one who knew it connected to the other world . Kazura though that this was the most likely explanation for this . 「But, then that means that there was someone who needed to put the padlock on the door . Which reminds me, after the padlock fell down on the tatami, where did it go? . . . . Ah, let’s stop here, next time I need to ask father about my ancestors . 」(Kazura) No matter how much he thought about it, he wouldn’t found any clear answer, so Kazura brought his thoughts to a halt as he scratched his head . And then just like what he always did, he entered the stone passage to return to Japan . ✦✧✦✧ At the same time as when Kazura was going back to Japan to buy canned peaches . At a training ground that was located inside Isteria City, Isaac was conducting push-up exercises together with his 100 subordinates to augment their physical strength . Calling it a training ground was a bit exaggerated as it was just a lackluster open space enclosed by a 3 meter tall stone wall . The giant wooden gate that connected the open space with the city streets was thrown wide open . There was just one soldier standing guard beside the gate . In front of the gate, a large numbers of townspeople were passing by . Some of them showed their interest in the training that was being conducted in the training ground, the number of people who were conversing with the guard was also not small . Every soldier who participated in the unit was still young, Isaac who was 20 years old this year and his aide were the oldest one at here . 「48, 49, 50! . . . . . Hm? What is this? There’s no one who fell behind?」(Isaac) Isaac who successfully performed the number of push-ups that he counted out, started to rise up from the ground . It seems that every subordinate soldier were able to do push-ups at the same pace as Isaac, each of them also stood up and brushed away their sand covered hands .
For the last several weeks, Isaac had been detached from his unit and undertaking other duties according to Nelson’s instructions . Even though he as the commanding officer wasn’t there, his subordinates didn’t slack even for a little and completely focused all their energies, so much so that even when the push-up pace was quite fast, surprisingly everyone was able to follow it . Isaac had declared that if there was anyone who fell behind in push-ups then the distance on the running, which was scheduled to be performed next, would be doubled, but it seemed that there would be no need for that . While Isaac showed his admiration to his subordinates, the male aide, who’d taken push-ups beside him, brushed the sand on his hand on his trousers and let out a sigh . 「When Captain wasn’t here, for some reason Zirconia-sama sometimes came to check on the unit;s state of affairs . Then she gave out a training regimen that was completely hellish . Compared to that, I believe that Captain’s training regimen was more like a god’s mercy . 」(Aide) 「So Zirconia-sama kindly gave your her guidance . . . . Then I can understand where your guys physical strength comes from . It was really good, right?」(Issac) After Isaac spoke like this, the male aide looked at him with serious tiredness on his face . 「Of course it wasn’t good . For 2 weeks, the training was very harsh and there was a lot people who unconsciously complained, however after that finished everyone needed to practice mock combat with spears, with Zirconia-sama as the opponent . And the result was . . . . . . 」(Aide) 「What!? You had a bout with Zirconia-sama!? How envious . . . . . . So, what’s the result!?」(Isaac) Maybe because he’d really wanted to participate in the combat practice, Isaac showed a vexing expression . Seeing Isaac like this, the male aid was thinking, 「(No matter how much I think about it, I never thought that there would be someone who was really envious for that . . . )」(Aide) He looked at Isaac with displeased eyes, and continued his interrupted explanation . 「We were thoroughly beaten . No one could last more than 20 seconds before ending up tasting the ground and even if we were defeated, we were forced to keep standing until we couldn’t move anymore . Even to me she yelled 『You bastard[6], do you intend to be defeated like this on the battlefield?』 and I got up so many times, but after being hit so much with the spear I ended up embracing the ground surface anyway . My body was so painful that I couldn’t move a muscle the next day . 」(Aide) 「Is that so? As expected of Zirconia-sama . . . . . . 」(Isaac) Isaac showed his admiration from the bottom of his heart . 「(No, I beg you to listen to our side of the story . What’s with that admiration?)」(Aide) The aide was grumbling in his mind without speaking anything with his mouth . 「To even receive personal instruction from Zirconia-sama, it’s evidence that she’s expecting many things from you guys . Six days from now, I will be absent again from this unit to conduct an inspection at Grisea Village . While I’m not here Zirconia-sama might instruct you guys, so please work hard in the training to meet her expectations . Alright, then next is . . . . . . 」(Isaac) 「Eh!? Six days from now, Captain will absent again?! Please spare us from that, we’ll be killed!」(Aide) Towards Isaac’s speech which was lightly saying something serious as he shifted towards the next training program, the male aide had an intense reaction . His subordinate soldiers who were also listening to their conversation also simultaneously rushed up and made their petitions to Isaac . 「It is unfair that only Captain can run away! Do you want to be absconded by Olmasior-sama!?」(Soldier A) 「If Captain is not here, that person will absolutely come to this place again! Please take us along!」(Soldier B) Everyone was showing expressions of being desperate to their wits end . It seemed that Zirconia’s training had left a great trauma on them . His subordinate pleas to take them along overwhelmed Isaac and he took several steps back . 「O-Oi, calm down . Isn’t receiving instruction from Zirconia-sama something to be thankful of? Why do you guys hate it?」(Isaac) 「Unpleasant things are unpleasant . I beg of you, please give some kind of excuse so that the unit can go along together . While going to Grisea Village, you could also hold a marching training on the fields, right?」 (Aide) The aide gave his opinion, so Isaac folded his arms and started to think . Just like what the aide said, it was true that the distance to Grisea Village was ideal for conducting marching training . Although there was impure motivation of wanting to escape from Zirconia, it was also training that was wished by every subordinate, and since their willingness was unusual it would also surely improve their ability . But above all, if he was bluntly refused this then his subordinates’ evaluation of him could deteriorate, so he wanted to avoid that outcome . 「I understand, I’ll take you guys along . However, the Grisea Village inspection was an order from Nelson-sama, so if Nelson-sama doesn’t grant his approval, you guys must give up on this . 」(Isaac) Isaac said this to his subordinates who then showed relief on their expression . 「We understand . We will accept our fate if that happens, however we really beg that you do this . It will be something sad if we died in training before the war . 」(Aide) The aide was saying this with a serious expression . 「What an exaggerative fellow . 」(Isaac) Isaac sighed and then gave instructions for the next training regime to his subordinates .
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