Introductions

The Debt Hero Wataru arrived.

As promised, I decided to introduce Nayuta to Wataru. I set it up with a casual setting. There werent any problems.

P-pleased to meet you! M-my names Nayuta!

Im Setsuna~

Nice to meet you both, Im Wataru Nishimi. The empires Hero.

With that, Nayuta and Setsuna were sitting in front of Wataru at a table for four in the dining room. It wasnt meal time, so there werent any other guests there.

Lets see, I heard a bit about you two from Kehma-san, but you two are from Wakoku, right?

Y-yes. T-thats why, I want to ask Wataru-san, a hero, so many things! Umm, w-well pay for the information, so

Its alright, dont worry about it. Instead, Id like to ask you a few things about Wakoku back.

And Ill be getting information by attending them in the last seat. Information GET Well, its not like I have to be here either way. Im just here in the off chance the topic turns to me and they notice something. Thatd be serious.

Wakuko has cherry blossoms, right?

Yes, it does. There are trees that bloom with pink flowers in the spring.

Ah, so they bloom in the spring after all. Then maybe itd be better to go in the spring well, I dont have enough leisure to put off my work like that until my debts paid off.

Debt?

Yeah, around two thousand gold coins Im paying it back in payments, yeah

By the way, wed shoulder the loan if you became Wakokus Hero

Im indebted to Haku-san even now, shes introducing me to so much work that earns me praises.

Its true that Heroes possess such a strong sense of duty

Nayuta sighed. I dont think Setsuna understood too well, but she was smiling.

Hey hey, wanna have a mock fight later? Im suuuper interested in strong people.

Haha, later sure. By the way, what else is there in Wakoku?

Umm, theres miso and soy sauce.

It was a bit scary eating raw fish, but that sashimi was really good.

Ooh As expected of Wakoku. Is there sake too?

There isnt any ginjo, but theres shochuu. It cant be called Japanese sake since it doesnt use rice, but it could be called Wakoku sake ah, but I heard that rice was discovered recently. Thats why we came to the Raverio Empire, to investigate it. From the looks of it, growing it is easy enough, there just needs to be the rice itself to grow. [1]

Eh? There wasnt any rice in Wakoku?

Ah, crap. Come to think of it, I said there was, didnt I

Hey, wasnt there something more important you wanted to ask the Hero

From what we heard, our employers only gotten a hold of a very small amount of what was discovered in the Raverio Empire. Unfortunately, the Mikado was only presented a preprocessed versionah, the Mikado is the most important person in Wakoku, a descendants of the Hero that founded Wakoku.

I tried to interrupt casually but failed. Nayuta isnt paying any attention to me at all, oi.

Mikado I see, Mikado (Emperor), huh. So Wakoku was a country established by a Japanese so thats why its name is Wakoku

And when the Mikado was shown the rice, it was unmistakably the real thing. Reproducing Japan is Wakokus number one goal. An edict to investigate the area that produced it and obtain seeds came out. Ah, thats a state secret.

Haah, I get it. So, for that rice ah, is it alright for me to ask about it?

Its supposed to be kept a secret but were currently seeking even a trickle of information about it, so spreading its alright.

You sure about doing that with a national secret?

I wanted to tilt my head.

Then about that rice

Hey, Wataru. Wouldnt that former hero that was able to build a country be a clue for your goal of returning to Japan?

I promptly interrupted. By the way, there hasnt been any rice appearing in the set meals recently, not even for the A set meal. We still have a lot of the wheat we bought to last through the winter, so weve been using that. Thanks to that, it looks like Nayuta didnt realize that this inn used to have rice. She wouldve asked about it if she knew.

Eh? Ah, Kehma-san didnt know? Hero summoning crosses through time. The Food God, Hero Ishidaka-san, was a person from about the same time period as me judging by the cuisine he popularized, so the flow of time heres different. [2]

Eh, really? Feels like Im just now hearing about something really important.

Rice is more important than that though, Kehma-san! It looks like theres no rice in Wakoku!? Hey Kehma-san, I need to talk to you about

Alright, hold up. Sorry, but I need to borrow Wataru for a moment. Cmon.

Eh, w-whats wrong, Kehma-san?

I got out of my seat and pulled on Wataru. Ill pretend I didnt see Nayuta glare at me like I got in her way.

Keep quiet about you and I being the ones to bring rice to the empire, alright?

Eh, but dont the people of Wakoku really want rice? Lets share.

Stupid, thats exactly why. Thats why we can sell it for more. Supply and demand, its the common sense for a merchant. Ill add to your debt if I get a loss due to your careless remarks. Be prepared to pay a hundred gold a month until you die if you say anything yeah?

Uuu, the heck man whys my weakness (money) being seized even though Im a Hero but then, Kehma-san, where did you get the rice?

You think Id tell you with that loose mouth of yours? Hmm?

Yeah, I understand. Ill keep quiet.

I returned to my seat after finishing my talk with Wataru. Sitting here with him was the right choice after all.

Even if youre looking for rice, I cant help at all. Maaan, sorry about that.

Village Chief-san? Just what did you

I dont know what youre talking about. Now, didnt you have something you wanted to ask the Hero? Go ahead and ask.

Ummm, well, excuse my discourtesy, but please take a look at this.

With a clank, Nayuta put her handmade revolver on the table. I guess she didnt want to seem threatening like how it was against me since she knew he was a Japanese?

Nn? It looks like a gun but what is this?

Im trying to reproduce a weapon from the world of heroes. Id like to get your opinion on it.

I see, so youre trying to reproduce guns. What for?

My hobby!

Your hobby

Her hobby was a troublesome answer.

So I decided to interrupt.

By the way, Wataru. Concerning the gun, it appears that the only information written about them is their appearance and that they propel bullets through explosions. It seems that the means of the explosion itself isnt understood I wonder why the Hero from that time decided to leave out the rest of the data?

Ahright, he was concerned about the existence of guns destroying the culture, so he only left information about how to defend against them without being able to make them!? Kuh, then considering that, I cant say anything further concerning guns! Sorry, Nayuta-san

Ah, no, umm yeah, oi, Village Chief-san? Could you please leave if youre just going to get in the way?

This blonde dog eared girl just called me a hindrance.

Im doing the introducing, what would you do if I werent here?

Id be getting information from him now wouldnt I!?

Wataru, could you use the backyard to have that mock fight with Setsuna?

Hero-san, lets fight! Fight!

When I brought up the matter of having that mock fight against Wataru as I ignored Nayuta, Setsuna took the bait as planned.

Y-yeah. Its fine with me. I mean, I wasnt able to give much helpful information after all.

Wataru answered while looking at Setsunas swaying breasts.

But that girl, she doesnt just have a top part. She has a bottom thing too.

I didnt say it though.

You look like youre enjoying yourself, huh~?

Nerune violently put her wooden cup down on the table. A little of the water in it spilled onto the table come to think of it, today was Nerunes waitress shift, wasnt it?

Eh, ah, no! Youre wrong, Nerune-san!

Wrong about what~? Fufufu~, you dont need to worry about me though~?

Are you mad? Youre mad at me arent you!

Hero-sama~, do you like them big~?

No, thats not it

Huh? Nerunes reacting like shes jealous over something. When did you guys get into that kind of a relationship?

Nerune diverted her eyes for a moment. Following her gaze, Rei was over there with her thumb up in the air with a triumphant look.

So that was it? Her slamming the cup on the table a second ago was at Reis suggestion. A performance.

Oi, Wataru. Even though you confessed to Rokuko, now youre making a move on our young miss? Thats some nerve you have there, oi.

Eh, no, I was just a bit excited by our magic discussion, Im not guilty of anything yet

Yet? Then you were planning on doing something in the future? Guest-saaan? Thats troubling, we arent that kind of inn though?

T-t-t-t-thats not what I meant! Ive just been talking about magic with Nerune-san!

Yeah, its nothing~. Im only interested in the magic Hero-sama knows~. No more, no less~

Ah, Nerunes true intentions. I can vaguely see them as the Dungeon Master, but thats her honest intentions. This girl is seriously only interested in magic. Shes not a monster called Apprentice Witch for nothing.

And so after various things, it was decided that he would bring her some magic scrolls next time as a present.

Well done.

I held my thumb up towards Rei in praise.

Footnotes:

Ginjo-shu () (at least 40% of rice polished away; with or without alcohol added; if bottle is labeled Ginjo, it means distilled alcohol was added; if labeled Junmai Ginjo, it means no alcohol added). Shch (?) is a Japanese distilled beverage less than 45% alcohol by volume. Shochuu is not a sake. Ginjo is. Return

Note that Ishidaka was summoned a long while before Wataru. Also note that it seems that Keimas question hinted that the ancient hero managed to leave behind something that allowed his descendants to get info from Japan, thus why they were aware of modern Japanese culture, and that could become a clue to sending Wataru back.