We fell asleep to the sound of the wind and chirping insects.
§
I returned to the second-floor hall once again and found Toru right away. He stood alone at the rest area where he could see the lake glistening in the sunlight. The black cat led Marie and me along a walkway, and as we approached, Toru turned his gaze from the scenery to us and waved.
“Welcome back,” he said. “When did you leave, anyway? I didn’t expect you to just leave me here... Wait, is that you, Mariabelle? What’s with those ears?”
“Oh, uh, should I have covered them up? I’m sorry, I forgot about that. But more importantly, are you really the same Toru? You look so different. Now I see what Kaoruko meant,” answered Mariabelle.
I didn’t think she had to hide her ears since he was already facing a far more shocking truth: one could travel to and from this fantasy world. These thoughts ran through my mind while I watched a Lizardman bring us some tea. Toru froze like a deer in the headlights as the massive creature stepped into view, distracting him from asking about Marie’s elf ears.
“Please make yourself at home,” said the Lizardman politely, although Toru obviously didn’t understand the monster’s language. Still, he seemed to recognize that the creature was not hostile. I looked at him, and he had a troubled smile.
“I think I’m starting to understand why Mariabelle has been staying at your house now,” Toru told me, “and also why you’ve been thinking about Japanese citizenship lately. I’m relieved to know she’s not a refugee or something.”
To our surprise, he hadn’t taken in the situation so quickly. The slight trembling of his hand holding the cup showed that he had grasped the gravity of the situation. His reaction was a far cry from how I had been playing around ever since I had come to this world. In my defense, I was a child when I first came here. Had I arrived at this age―actually, I would have probably reacted pretty much the same. I couldn’t think of many things that were more fun than fighting monsters.
We sat next to Toru and enjoyed our tea for some time. The aromatic tea leaves were some of the greatest things you could find in Arilai. Some people might find the scent too strong, as it could overpower food if paired with a meal. Personally, I enjoyed the refreshing sensation after the floral scent passed through my nostrils. You couldn’t find this kind of tea in Japan, and after sipping it for some time, Toru’s expression gradually softened.
“That woman named Wridra taught me how to do the initial registration, and I’ve officially set my name as ‘Toru.’ It’s strange. Other than being much younger and not feeling pain as much, this doesn’t feel much different from reality,” he said, looking down at his body. The navy yukata he wore suited his black hair well.
The cat meowed as if to say, “You’re welcome.”
Toru moved his face closer to mine. Maybe I was just imagining it, but he seemed more intense than before. “Now, I’d like to ask something, if you don’t mind. This bracelet I got earlier displays strange things like my ‘level’ and ‘skills.’ Honestly, I have no idea what they mean... But more importantly, what’s your objective?”
I couldn’t read the intent of his question, and his silent intensity slightly took me aback. But the so-called objectives that came to mind were all pretty trivial. Marie’s purple eyes stared at me, which I took to mean I should answer the question.
“Well, let’s see,” I began. “For now, we’ve been making a mansion here, going fishing, and fighting enemies for fun. We’ve been working on a farm between training sessions, and the pumpkins should be ready for harvest soon. Oh, and clearing the ancient labyrinth is one of our objectives too.”
We had just been going with the flow for the most part. Our group wasn’t on some grand mission since we wandered over to whatever piqued our interest. Even though we had encountered some rough battles, something good usually awaited us in the end.
I glanced at Marie as if to say, “That should about sum it up.”
She nodded to indicate, “Yes, so far.”
Toru considered my words, then his black eyes met mine.
“So, do you have plans to invade Japan?” he asked.
“Huh?! Uh, no, not at all. No way. No one can go to Japan unless they’re with me, and even if they do, it’s just to visit a store or recreational facility nearby,” I explained.
“I see,” replied Toru. “I’ve been doing so much overtime and hoped you’d destroy it.”
That disturbing comment came out of nowhere. I felt a bead of sweat roll down my back. Perhaps Mariabelle noticed my reaction because she leaned in to whisper in my ear, “That’s a terrible thing to say about such a peaceful country.”
“Well, I can’t blame him. It’s a pretty stressful society. I hear people find it satisfying when cities get destroyed in monster movies, and I’ve been enjoying violent battles myself,” I said.
“I can hear you, you know,” interjected Toru. “Hmm. Watching this view, I can’t imagine the people here wanting to invade our world. I’ve been thinking of countermeasures for that scenario, but I’m relieved knowing it wasn’t necessary.”
Another disturbing thought. I knew what those “countermeasures” might have been. Toru could report us to the police. In that case, he would need to bring home some sort of proof that this world exists, which could mean trouble for us. It seemed his question sought to determine whether we would pose a danger to Japan. My reply was totally off the mark, but maybe it wasn’t such a bad answer.
Toru smiled at us, almost like a cloud had been lifted. No matter his age, he always had that amiable smile. “So, what is this bracelet? I noticed you two are wearing one too. Does everyone have one or something?”
“Yes, they’re given out in every country. You can use it to switch out your skills or talk with friends to take down tough monsters. Why don’t you come with me to a nearby training ground? It would be easier to show you,” I said.
After Toru thought about it briefly, he agreed and got to his feet. He chugged down the rest of the tea, and we began to walk along with the black cat. When I told him we put the clear blue lake there to make walks more enjoyable, he laughed as if I were joking.
We soon arrived at the training ground in an open area surrounded by a dense forest. It was about the size of a schoolyard and even had a wooden schoolhouse nearby, similar to a school in Japan. The main difference was that a lodging facility, food storage, and armory were present.
Animals wandered in here from time to time, but they wouldn’t dare get near now. Men were shouting battle cries and holding shields big enough to hide their entire bodies, facing off with a horde of monsters. Blades flashed with the battle cries, sinking deep into the countless monsters they were fighting. Their powerful arms pulled the blades out easily as they marched a step forward.
“Wow, that was impressive. They’re like ancient Roman soldiers,” said Toru, impressed by their flawless movements.
“It’s a shield wall. Unlike with a phalanx formation, they only have about half of their body exposed. But by reducing the density between each fighter, they have increased speed and the flexibility to deal with close combat. Judging from how they pushed back such strong monsters, those men are as powerful as a horse. They also have skills to support them, which explains why they have such superior mobility and firepower compared to Roman soldiers,” I explained.
Toru made a noise that was a mix of surprise and admiration. It clearly impressed him that they were overwhelming monsters that towered over them.
I continued, “They increased their levels by a lot just the other day. By the order of the labyrinth supervisor, Sir Hakam, they’ve been replenishing their ranks, improving their skills, and refining their training as a unit.”
“Wait, you mean to tell me that’s training? You’ve gotta be kidding me. That kind of stuff should be done with CGI,” said Toru, half smiling.
There was a big difference between simply explaining something and having Toru see for himself. The visuals allowed him to take in even more information, so all I had to do was supplement it with a few words. That was why I had brought him here, but it seemed the quality of training had increased since I was here last. This thought was further proved when I heard a loud boom as a cloud of dust flew into the air, and a giant four-legged beast appeared.
The figure leaped in an arc from a distance, and someone shouted a piercing order from the troops. The monster charged toward them with such mass and speed that they would have been trampled to death while screaming in agony, even if they were each armed with modern firearms. Instead, they put up layers upon layers of barriers, which glowed bluish-white as they absorbed the impact of the charge with a deafening clash. Since the collective barrier had deflected the attack at an angle, it sent the giant monster rushing in another direction. This revealed the creature’s flank, and the troops fired crossbows simultaneously from the spaces between the shields.
“Amazing!” exclaimed Toru. “That must’ve been magic.”
“That was the power of miracles. Defensive powers tend to be holy in nature, and Doula’s team, positioned in the rear guard, specializes in it. She leads a giant team called the united front, and Sir Hakam expects a lot out of her in the future.”
Monsters were incredibly formidable opponents, and humans normally stood no chance against them. That was why they banded together in a formation to stand against their inhuman foes. However, it wouldn’t be so easy in the ancient labyrinth. Now that creatures over level 100 were not uncommon, numbers alone would not suffice.