The Hero and a Meal

With him proposing to Rokuko, hell probably be executed immediately if he manages to return alive. Well, Im not really worried about him but as expected Id feel sorry for abandoning someone from the same world as me. I feel like doing a good thing so lets just continue on with the campaign.

So, what do you think we should do, Kehma?

For the time being, tell me how he asked.

Eh? Nnn, umm, would you be my partner.

Rokukos face is blushing from embarrassment but is that even a proposal?

Partner can have various meanings after all. Though it could definitely mean a partnership between a man and a woman, it could also mean partners like me and Rokuko.

Even I use [Partner] to describe Rokuko a lot.

Ah, theres a chance that Translation-san is replacing what I mean with that unthinkable meaning isnt there

Heeey, Rokuko, did you answer him about the partner thing?

Yeah, well I refused immediately though! I have Kehma so I dont need another partner.

Y-yeah. Then isnt the problem solved with that?

Wait up! Umm, thats hes really persistent He invited me wanting to talk and I dont want to eat together with him. You come too, Kehma!

An S-Rank adventurers request huh Wouldnt it usually be fine if I just refused?

No, it might turn into a bad situation if we dont talk to him at all, so eating a meal with him might be a good opportunity.

And if Rokuko talked with him by herself, yep, I definitely have a bad feeling about that. Theres the possibility that shes already guilty of something, after all what did she do to make him ask her to become his partner?

So I was thinking about properly requesting you to be there, as my partner!

Yeah? Yeah I guess?

Hey, do it right! Kehma is my partner after all.

Thats right, Im your partner, yeah.

Crap. With this course of events, what kind of meaning is this partner? I cant figure it out.

The problem is that Im trying to not be seen. Postponing my problems, it really is a Japanese thing to do huh.

Ah, maybe I could ask the hero about it directly?

*

In the end, I decided to talk directly with the hero. While eating a meal together.

Were in the suite. Right now, Kinue-san is in the middle of setting up the A-Rank special, the [Avarice Meal], also known as the kids meal.

And as for me, I was sitting in front of the hero with the mysterious earth mage adventurer Narikin disguise. Rokuko was next to me.

Furthermore, in order for todays disguise to conceal my hair color as well, its closer to a full-face helmet than a mask. I made the mouth area able to be detached for the meal. Itll be convenient to hide my hair color in the future as well, so lets go with this from now on.

Good to meet you, Hero-dono. I am Narikin. Rokukos partner. It is my honor to be able to meet you.

Good to meet you. I am Wataru Nishimi umm, Narikin-san. Rokuko-san. It was very impolite for me to invite you, butits impossible to talk with this meal in front of me, Im very sorry.

You could talk while eating though you can be a bit loose with the kids meal~. Well, I thought something like that, but it looked like that was out of the question for the hero. Hes been fixedly staring at the kids meal and cream soda for a while now.

Maybe I shouldnt have served the hero a meal meant for children after all? The hero probably knows how much the kids meal costs in Japan, Im expecting him to call it a rip-off at five gold any time now.

Then, the hero single-mindedly ate the kids meal. Moreover, with a serious face the whole time.

He looks like an adult, but with him silently eating a kids meal, the atmospheres pretty heavy.

In the end, he was angry about the price being too highnot. I thought he might be, but it didnt look like that was the case.

Thank you for the meal. [1]

Drinking the last drop of the cream soda, the hero, Wataru, who hadnt left a single grain of food left on his plateshed tears.

Im sorry, I just recalled my hometown its already impossible to return there.

Three years. Im sure Haku-san said that three years have passed since this hero was summoned.

Entering into high school, that would be the same period of three years it would take to graduate. With that amount of time, various things probably happened. I dont know what happened, but from the way he looks right now, its easy to see that hes gained a grand amount of experience compared with what he would have living in Japan.

You cant return anymore, is it?

Yeah. My hometown is in a different world, so theres no way to return. Im still looking for a way, buteven if I find one, I still wouldnt be able to return there Since coming to this world, my hands have killed many. In my hometown, that is the greatest sin.

I see, so hes killed people since coming to this world. So he cant return to Japan, huh.

Murders in another world probably wouldnt get him arrested as a criminal if he returned to Japan though, but the problem is probably how he feels about it.

So then, why are you looking for a means to return despite not being able to?

Ah, in the future, I might meet a person from the other world that might want to return to their hometownbecause of that; and lingering attachments. Ones hometown is something to be missed

For me, even though I dont feel like leaving my comfortable life here to return to Japan, I wonder if Id want to return some day? Im happy so long as I can sleep though.

I understand the reason Haku-sama recommended this inn. This place really does have a hint of Japan. I have a few questions Id like to ask, is that alright?

If I am able to answer, I will answer.

Then [Rice]. What region is this from?

Aha difficult question right out of the gate.

For example, even if I said, I dont know since we procured it from Haku-san, this hero could go and directly ask Haku-san to confirm it. Then if Haku-san answered with, I dont know where, or something thered be a contradiction. Itd be really bad if that happened huh.

Well, we dont want to leak our supplier since this is a business

Please, somehow. I wont tell anyone else. I absolutely want to acquire it.

If thats the case, I can accommodate you. We dont have so much, but we can sell you the rice that has finished cleaning.

Definitely! Ah, and what kind of soil does it need?

He didnt bite. Well, rice is the Japanese soul food, its natural for him to be anxious about it.

Hell probably keep asking if I dont answer him. Lets go with using that appropriate countrys name and be a bit enigmatic Ummm, what was the name of that country Haku-san definitely mentioned? Wakoku? You could get cherries there right? Alright, lets go with using that.

It looked like Wataru expected me to hesitate and think over responding, he was waiting quietly.

Do you know of the country named Wakoku?

Yeah, Im planning to go there. [Wakoku], its name matches it being to the east, so its been on my mind. [2]

Ah, hes right! I didnt notice!

Well, Haku-san brought us things called cherries from there.

Ooh, so there are cherry trees in Wakuko then! I cant wait!

Ah, is that so? Cherries are cherries, so I guess that means cherry trees too.

So if there really might be [Rice] toowait, Haku-san said she didnt know what [Rice] was didnt she? I dont think Haku-san would overlook a grain while knowing about a fruit like cherries. In that case, it looks like there isnt much of a chance then.

Yep, I didnt say that I got our [Rice] from there, safe, safe. Even those lie detecting magic tools wouldnt catch my white lie.

As for our current supplier, thats all I can say.

Thank you Next, I would like you to have a look at this.

After saying that, Wataru took out some playing cards.

I heard that these could be obtained from the dungeon [Cave of Desires].

Yes, it appears that they are obtained from the first floor. We buy them for five copper coins.

Narikin-san, please look at this.

The hero pointed to the box of cards What? What am I looking at? Its just the normal box.

Yeah? It doesnt look like anythings different, are you trying to show me a magic trick?

Hey, whats that weird pattern?

The hero smiled broadly. I suddenly understood after hearing Rokukos response, and immediately my blood flowed backwards as I was attacked by chills.

Its a bar code. With something like that, its a complete out!

Yes. This here is called a bar code, its a special way of writing a price.

Ahh now that you mention it, this pattern, Ive always thought it was something or another, but it was like that then?

I promptly handed it back This guy, he might suspect me being Japanese. He might have even settled on that with my reaction just now.

Oh right. Haku-sans surely heard about bar codes as well. So with her thinking that I had schemed some super-excellent plan, she probably saw the bar codes as bait. Even though it was really just a complete fail on my part!

Well, this is why I came to this dungeon. Its a clue for returning to my hometown.

Is that so Ah, its fine to examine it, but since this one is more or less for beginners please dont damage it too much, alright?

Yes. I understand. I am planning on staying a week for now.

Hero Wataru said that and bowed deeply he doesnt seem like a bad guy.

Ah. Right. I need to ask about his proposal towards Rokuko too huh. Well, nine times out of ten he probably meant it as a study partner though.

Footnotes:

Itadakimasus lesser-known brother: Gochisousamadeshita.

Wakoku = = Ancient Japan