“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret from Yumina and the others.” Since I was about to leave and return with the girls, I asked him to be sure he’d welcome me as though I was just returning from my journey.
“You took ages! What were you doing?” Using another [Gate], I walked out to the same rooftop I left from, then headed straight for the others. Elze immediately voiced her displeasure. I gave them some half-hearted lies before we went to an empty alley, where I opened yet another [Gate].
Once we entered the living room, Laim welcomed us with a bow.
“Welcome back.” After I accepted his greeting for a second time, the door to the living room opened. Lapis and Cecile walked through, looking like the proper maids they should’ve been all along.
“Welcome back, everyone.”
“Welcome baack!”
“Lapis, Cecile. Nice to see you both again.” We exchanged a natural enough greeting. Everyone walked back to their rooms and then went to take a bath. We were all pretty tired after the trip. I decided to go in after they were done.
It was a good chance to give everyone their souvenirs.
To Laim, I gave a necktie pin and cufflinks, while Lapis and Cecile received different-colored tea cups. They said they couldn’t accept them, but it would’ve been weird if they were the only ones who didn’t get anything from me, so I practically forced them to take the gifts.
Julio and his wife, Crea, got a straw hat and a Mismedian cookbook. I also gave the happy couple two matching bowls. The guards, Tom and Huck, each got a decorated ceremonial knife. Sue would be getting her gift the next day.
I dropped on my bed and stretched myself out. Man, that was exhausting. Not just physically, either. I didn’t expect so much mental strain from traveling into a new country, but it was actually a lot of stress. Then again, I guess this whole world is new to me though, isn’t it...?
All in all, I’m glad I made the trip, though. I came up with a ton of new ideas. I mean, hypothetically, I can send a mirror enchanted with [Gate] to Eashen and go there the moment it arrives. Plus, that new spell opens up a whole new world of things to do. I can [Program] a self-moving carriage or even create an automatic vehicle. The car idea is probably the best one... Wait, no, it’d probably stand out too much. Oh... I can use [Program] to give the map app an auto-targeting function! There’s so much more I can do now... Man, this is all so great!
I thought about the autonomous doll, Paula. I should make something similar, yeah... I’ll use a cat or a penguin plush toy and... uhh... Getting kinda... sleepy.
Huh? Oh, damn. Think I dozed off a bit there. Guess I was more tired than I thought. I didn’t change into my pajamas, so my body felt heavy. I decided to head for the bath, thinking hot water would reinvigorate my spirit.
I took out a fresh pair of underwear and a bath towel from my dresser, then made my way to the bathroom on the first floor.
The bath in the room was large enough to fit five to six adults. It was like a modest public bathhouse. The girls often took baths together, but I always went in alone. The butler and I were the only males who used it, so it always just ended up that way. I had no intention of going in with Laim, after all.
“Well, it’s one of the luxuries in my current life.” My spirits raised, I placed my hand on the doorknob and entered the dressing room.
“...Hm?” All four of them looked up as I entered.
“.........Whoops?” Err... what are Elze, Linze, Yae, and Yumina doing here? All of the girls were in their underwear.
Elze and Linze’s were matching, having the same small ribbons, though they were different colors. Elze’s was pink, Linze’s was blue. Both pastel. The lower garments were tie-side panties. Yae, standing next to them, was wearing a sarashi breast wrap and a fundoshi. That wasn’t too surprising. Guess that was the standard in Eashen. Ah, the whiteness of it’s just blinding. Also, the sarashi’s a bit loose, so it’s clear that she actually has the biggest pair out of all of the girls. Last, but not least, Yumina. She was wearing expensive-looking, but not overly wild, white underwear with frills and laces. Just like the twins’, the lower part was tie-side. I could only assume that it was the panty standard of this world.
Weird, I don’t remember casting [Accel] at all... It’s impressive how much I can process in so little time.
“KYAAHH!” All the girls screamed in unison.
“Gyaaah!!!” I screamed in abject terror. Their sudden screams returned me to my senses, but all I managed to do was respond in kind. Was I actually staring at them more than I should’ve been?! A teary-eyed Elze launched her fist at me. Judging from the vigor of the attack, I could only assume that she had cast [Boost] to amplify it. And with that, my temporal lobe was violently rocked. I lost all consciousness.
“Well, you’re right that we were at fault for not locking the door, but...!” Linze muttered lowly.
“I would like you to be more aware of your surroundings,” Yumina said. I’m on the ground. The girls are surrounding me. How long has it been since they started scolding me? Eons, perhaps?
“I thought you all were already done and out...” From what they told me, I wasn’t the only one who took a short nap after returning to my room. I walked in just after they woke up, headed for the dressing room, and began to undress. Talk about bad timing... Or, well, actually... maybe it was good timing?
“...You do feel guilty, don’t you?”
“Huh? Ah, of course!” Linze glared at me with scornful eyes as I responded to her question. Since she was usually docile, it was a strangely powerful expression.
“I would prefer such events to come after the proper steps have been taken...” Wait, what steps are you talking about, Yumina?! Don’t say weird stuff like that with your cheeks flushed red. You’re really freaking me out here! Well, it was a fact that I could’ve avoided the situation if I was more perceptive. On top of that, I couldn’t deny that I’d spent a long moment staring at them. Honestly, I wasn’t in a situation to talk back...
The scolding continued for a while after that, and when it finally ended, it was already the dead of night. In case it wasn’t obvious, I didn’t get any sleep. After all, that marvelous sight came back to me whenever I closed my eyes... Putting the painful punch aside, it was actually a really great day!
Chapter III: Day-to-day Life II
The day after we returned from Mismede, we made our way to the guild in the capital to receive our rewards.
As I looked at the quest board, which was just as surrounded as the one in Reflet, I gave my card to the receptionist. Since it was a direct request, the royal palace should have already informed the guild that it was completed. The lady at the desk looked over our cards and request papers before pushing that familiar seal against them.
“You’ve all done a great job. Your completion of this quest has increased your Guild Rank. Congratulations!”
I looked over the cards she gave us, and, sure enough, mine, Elze’s, Linze’s, and Yae’s were Blue, while Yumina’s was Green. Since the order was Black, Purple, Green, Blue, Red, Silver, and Gold, we were now in the perfect middle of the chain. Once we got to red, we’d be able to call ourselves proper adventurers.
“And here is your reward. It comes out to ten platinum coins.” The receptionist placed ten white coins on the table.
Still can’t believe just one of these is worth one million yen. I mean, that’s ten million yen in total... Isn’t that a bit much? Then again, it’s a reward for a mission that’ll help decide the fates of two countries, so maybe I shouldn’t feel so bad about it. Plus, the whole plan depended on my rare ability to use [Gate]. If you take that into account, maybe the reward was just inflated because of the special conditions.
Each of us took two coins and turned to leave the guild. But before we had a chance to leave, the receptionist stopped us.
“Ah, could you wait just a minute? We were told by people from the royal palace that a party led by one Mochizuki Touya has killed a black
dragon. Would that be you?”
“Well, yeah. We did defeat one... Can’t help you if you’re asking for proof, though.” I didn’t feel like showing off the guns I made from the dragon’s horn, and the pieces I hadn’t used yet were all back at home. Plus, that stuff no longer resembled a horn, so I doubted they’d have believed me even if they saw it.
“Oh no, it’s enough to just confirm your identity. The validity of your dragonslaying was assured by the royal palace, so there is no problem in that regard. With that in mind, the guild would like you to accept the symbol of your deed — the title of ‘Dragonslayer.’” As she spoke, she took the cards of everyone who participated in the battle and pushed a different seal against them. She handed them back, and I quickly noticed a round symbol in the right corner of my card. It portrayed a sword piercing through a grounded dragon. The proof of a Dragonslayer, huh?
“If you present this card to weaponsmiths, armorers, tool shops, or inns that are partnered with our guild, you’ll receive a 30% discount on all your transactions. I hope you enjoy the benefits.”
Huh? There are bonuses to this? Well, no way I’m refusing something so nice. According to the receptionist, the Dragonslayer title only went to those who had slayed a dragon in a party of five or less. That seemed reasonable enough to me. After all, if a thousand people went and swarmed a dragon to death, it wouldn’t be fair to call those people Dragonslayers.
The receptionist also said that a Blue member killing a dragon was a very rare occurrence. Interestingly enough, the only Gold adventurer in the world was also still Blue when he killed his first dragon. Putting small talk aside, I happily accepted my new title.
We left the guild, and as the girls began talking about buying clothes and other knick-knacks, I decided to head back home. But before I could leave, I remembered there was something I had to take care of. Alright, now, to find a blacksmith...
My shopping left me a tad overburdened, so I used [Gate] to return to my lawn, where I accidentally surprised my gardener, Julio. Whoops, my bad...
“Sir, what might that be?” Curious about what I had with me, Julio stopped his work on the flower bed.
“Steel, rubber, and a bit of leather. I’m about to try making a bicycle.”
“Buy-sickle?”
“A simple vehicle. One that allows you to go really fast.”
“I... see...” He replied, but was clearly oblivious to the idea. Couldn’t exactly blame him for that, though.
As I was getting started on the tires, it hit me that I probably needed an air pump first. Then I remembered that the roads in this world would make them go flat very quickly, so I decided to make them full rubber. Riding on a bike with full rubber tires would probably be a lot less pleasant, though.
While I was using [Modeling] to give the rubber the shape of a bike tire, Laim came to the garden, accompanied by none other than Duke Ortlinde.
“Sir, His Highness Duke Ortlinde has come to visit and... If I may ask, what are you doing?”
“Hey there. What is that thing?”
Their reactions were the same as Julio’s. My reply was exactly the same as well, and, as one would expect, they didn’t understand at all.
“So, what brought you here, Duke?”
“I merely came to thank you for what you did. Oh, also... about those mirrors meant for sending letters... I was wondering if you could give me another one.”
“You want another Gate Mirror? What for?”
“Well actually, this would be for my wife! I was thinking that she’d have such a smile on her face if I gave her the means to frequently talk with her mother. Her mother lives quite far away, you see.”
You’re looking pretty bashful there, Mr. Duke. Heh, how cute. I had Laim go to my room and fetch me a set of mirrors from the drawers in my desk. Then, I used [Enchant] to imbue them with [Gate]. Just to make sure, I put a piece of paper into one of them, and it came out the other just fine.
“I’d be thankful if you kept these a secret. I don’t like the idea of someone shady going after me.” Even if it might’ve been a bit late to stop the gossip, I tried my best to hammer that point home.
“Of course, no need to worry there. Both my wife and her mother always keep such promises.” Since he happened to be there, I decided to also give him the souvenir that I’d bought in Mismede for Sue. It was just a silver hair clip, but I hoped she’d like it.
“By the way, how long will it take you to finish this... bicycle, was it?”
“Hmm, it’s my first time making one, but I guess it’ll be done in about thirty minutes. Though the fine-tuning might add a bit to that.”
“I see... Then I shall take the liberty of observing you until completion, if you don’t mind.”
Duke, you have too much free time. Well, whatever. I have a tire to finish. I took a steel ingot and used [Modeling] to create a bike wheel frame.
“Okay, looks to be about done.”
“Hoh. So this is a bicycle...” Laim, Julio, and the duke looked at the completed bike with great curiosity.
In the end, I opted for a standard city-bike design. Though simple, it was complete with a basket at the front and even had a rear carrier. However, bike locks and lights for night rides seemed like a pain to make, so it didn’t have any of those.
Not wanting to waste any time, I sat down on the leather seat and began pedaling forward. Laim, Julio, and the duke looked on in amazement.
Alright, all good. Well, maybe it’s vibrating a bit too much. I rode a lap around the garden, came back around, then hit the brakes. Good, no problems there either.
“Touya! Can I ride that too?!”
“Anyone can. Where I come from, even children ride these. Though, first-timers usually end up falling over a lot while they practice... Are you willing to go through that?”
“Of course!” Seriously, man? You’ve got more curiosity than you ought to, Duke!
Duke Ortlinde excitedly took the bike from me and imitated what I did by sitting on it and pedaling... only to fall over almost immediately. Well, who didn’t see that one coming? Laim hastily helped him up, but the duke was undeterred. He hopped back up on his bike and... fell over again.
It made me remember back when I went through the same rite of passage. I thoroughly believed that repeated failures were what made the first success so satisfying. Shame I couldn’t remember how long it took me until I could ride properly.
I ran an internet search, found a site on “How to learn to ride a bike in a day” and used it to give him some advice. I could only hope it would help him.
The duke was occupied with falling off the bike, Laim was occupied with helping him up after he fell, and Julio was occupied with watching the whole spectacle unfold. I decided that it was the best opportunity I’d get to make a second bike. After all, it was far too obvious that he’d want one of his own when he learned to ride it.
Once the second bike was done, I figured Sue would want one, too, so I began making a child’s bike with training wheels. I also added a tool to remove the training wheels, just in case.
When I was done with the smaller bike and left with nothing to do, I decided I’d help the duke with his training. But it seems that wasn’t necessary judging from the fact that he whooshed right past me as I turned around. Well I’ll be... he’s actually riding it pretty well!
“I did it! I finally did it! Hahahahahah!!!” The duke laughed uncontrollably as he rode his bike around with ease. His expensive clothing and regal face were covered in mud, but he seemed to be having the time of his life as he did several laps around the garden. It’s weird how people are able to control bikes so easily as soon as they manage to ride them.
“What the heck is that thing?!” Elze exclaimed.
“It has wheels of some sort, it does!”
“Some kind of vehicle...?” Linze muttered, questioningly.
“U-Uncle, what are you doing?!” The four girls returned from their shopping spree, noticed the duke laughing
as he made laps on the bicycle, and looked at him with confused and disturbed expressions on their faces.
Well, it certainly was a disquieting sight.
Soon enough, the duke stopped by me and said exactly what I was expecting him to.
“Touya! Please let me have this bicycle!”
“I knew you’d say that, so I made one for you already. I made one for Sue, too. But you’ll have to pay me for the materials.” I pointed at the two bicycles behind me.
The duke gallantly sat down on his very own bike, singing my praises all the while. I used a [Gate] to get Sue’s bike to the duke’s garden, but the man insisted that he’d ride his own bike home.
Just to be safe, I told him not to ride out into intersections before confirming that it was safe, to watch out for carriages and pedestrians, and to watch where he was going. Honestly, I felt like an elementary school teacher.
With an elated and soothed expression on his face, the duke returned home alongside the carriage he arrived in.
Man, that was tiring... I already know what’s gonna happen now. He’ll show it off to the king the first chance he gets. And then the king’s gonna ask for one too. I should probably just make another one already.
After seeing off the duke and returning to the garden, I saw Elze gracefully falling off the bicycle.
“Owowow... This is harder than it looks.” Elze said as she scratched at her bruises.
“I wish to be next to try it, I do!”
“I-I’d like to try it after Yae.”
“Touya, could you make another one?” Yumina asked. Linze, Yumina... I get that you wanna try the bike, but could you change into something other than a skirt first?
After being finally freed from saving the duke from bicycle failure, Laim and Julio now found themselves having to save Elze and the others from the same fate. While they were at it, I went and made bikes for each of the girls and one for the servants to share as well. As expected, I ran out of materials and had to restock at the shop. As animated as I might’ve seemed about it all, I had absolutely no intention of becoming a bike salesman.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 2 Page 14