“Personnel wishing to use the gate should proceed whilst remaining in line.”
I heard the announcement as I stood in line for the gate that would take me back to the Hakone base. Today marked three days since the conclusion of the war between races, and I received an email from Mom when I woke up telling me to go back to the Hakone base. I didn’t mind going back. I hadn’t seen Alice and Shingo in so long. But...
“I can’t even see the entrance to the gate...” I mumbled to myself.
“Kon...” Kon replied unhappily from her position on my shoulder.
I was just wondering how long we’d be waiting before we could pass through the gate when I heard the sound of a motorcycle with its throttle fully open. The noise made me turn around.
“Hey, isn’t that Cote?” I said.
That’s good timing. He should be able to take me back to Earth with his priority pass, since he’s using the goods route. He can just carry me as one of his goods.
I wave my hand at him until he noticed, and he came closer with his motorcycle.
“Kouki, you headed back to Earth, too?” he asked.
“Yes. But I don’t know when I’ll get through the gate. Are you allowed to carry me on your motorcycle? I don’t suppose you’d mind carrying me as goods?”
Cote rubbed his jaw with his hand as he thought about it and then replied, “I don’t mind. But have you ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle before? It might be a little dangerous...”
“Don’t worry about that. I know how to ride one.”
Don’t worry, Cote! I can ride behind you no problem. In my past life I died in a motorcycle accident, so riding tandem is nothing compared to that.
“All right, then. Sit behind me.”
I thanked Cote and climbed onto the motorcycle. We started moving slowly.
“Don’t you have work to do, Cote?” I asked. “I thought my dad’s unit was providing security today.”
“I’m acting as their contact in the Hakone base. I’ll be transporting any equipment they need if there’s an emergency.”
That makes sense. I thought that type of job was always given to Clare or Elise, but I guess everyone takes their turn.
“I was thinking it would be nice to give Victoria some sort of present from Earth,” Cote added.
“Victoria? You mean the Victoria?”
“Right. We’re dating.”
“...Oh, okay.”
Cote sounded happy, but I wondered whether she’d really consented to that. I don’t think he’d force her to spend time with him. Though it’s hard to imagine Cote getting a girlfriend without using any tricks when he has the face of a killer.
“Let me guess, you’re another one who thinks that I’m pressuring her into spending time with me?” he asked.
“Th-That’s not what I was thinking! I know you’re a good person. I believe in you.”
“I don’t mind. Even the commander was asking me, ‘You did get her consent, didn’t you?’ so I’m used to it already.”
Wow, even a moron like Macho Man was worried. Well, Cote is so kind that he even takes care of little kittens. I’m sure that’s what drew Victoria to him. But what about the present...? She’s a demon lord who already has pretty much everything she could want, so Cote could have a hard time picking something. I want to help him out, but... I suppose there is one thing.
“Cote, to thank you for letting me ride on your motorcycle, I’ll share some information with you.”
“Hm? What’s that?”
“A while ago, Victoria was asking about the brand of perfume that one of Noa’s female officers was wearing. Cosmetics on Earth should be much higher quality than what she’s used to. I’m sure they’d make her happy.”
“That’s not a bad idea. I’ll try giving her some perfume next time I see her.”
I was still talking about presents with Cote when we passed through the gate and emerged in the Hakone base. To me it felt as though I’d been away from Earth for several months, and it was strange to think that only a few days had passed since I parted with Alice and my friends. I thanked Cote as I climbed off the motorcycle and moved over to the sidewalk.
Cote called after me, “Kouki! I forgot to tell you. The orichalcum sword is finished. It’s in the armory on Noa Island, so go pick it up whenever you have time.”
I forgot about that. I guess I can look at it later. Right now, I just want to see Alice.
I thanked Cote with a smile and began walking quickly toward Alice’s room.
✦ ✦ ✦
I stood outside the room allocated to Alice and briefly made sure that I looked okay before pressing the intercom. I heard movement from inside the room, then the door opened and there was Alice’s face looking out at me.
“Alice, long time no—”
“Konn!”
Before I could even say hello, Kon leapt up from my shoulder and dived into Alice’s chest.
That damn lizard! I should be able to dive into Alice’s chest, too!
“Wah!” she cried, startled. “Kon learned to fly!”
“Kon! Konkon.”
“Ahaha, that’s great. They taught you?”
“Konn. Konkon. Konkonn.”
“Oh? There are more of your kind in the other world?”
I watched as Alice spoke with Kon as if speaking to a small child. This is so nice. I feel like I can forget about the terrible things I’ve seen in the war. Though I hope I get a chance to talk to her, too... Wait... Kon isn’t using text. How can she be talking to Alice?!
“W-Wait a minute,” I burst out. “Alice, how can you understand what Kon is saying?”
“Kon?!” Even Kon herself sounded surprised.
Is there some new sort of translation device? I wondered, but Alice replied with something even more surprising than that.
“Hm? Well I just understand Kon’s gestures. And Kon has such a wide range of facial expressions... Are you saying that you can’t understand Kon?”
How would I? I don’t care how many facial expressions she has, she looks no different from a lizard. If Alice can understand Kon, she’s clearly the weird one here, not me.
I looked at Kon and saw that she was looking back at me with her head tilted in curiosity. Alice must have noticed that both Kon and I felt as though this was a little strange.
“Let’s go inside,” Alice said, sounding flustered. “I want to hear more about this other world.”
She beckoned us into the room, and I entered with a wry smile. We sat in the feminine-looking room drinking tea as I talked about the several months I’d spent in the other world.
I did my best not to mention the war or the ghouls, and Alice listened with sparkling in her eyes as I told her about life in the Ursna Empire and how cool the orders of knights in the Merkava Kingdom were. I’d been talking for about three hours, when I suddenly realized that something was bothering Alice.
“Alice, what is it?”
“It’s just...”
“What?”
“I want to go to the other world, too!” she burst out. “I want to ride on Lirin, the white dragon you mentioned.”
I wasn’t the one who rode on Lirin. That was Kon! You can’t just go up to the queen of the dragon race and say, “Let me on your back!”
I tried to think of a way to make Alice give up on this idea, but then Kon produced some text floating above the table.
“Lirin will let you ride her if I ask her. She’s a very kind dragon.”
“Really?!”
Oh, right... Kon is of a “god-race,” so she ranks above a queen.
“Kon, I hate to say this, but... won’t that bother Lirin?” I asked hesitantly.
“Don’t worry about that. Dragons have more free time than they know what to do with. And there’s something I need to ask Lirin about.”
Well, that’s fine, I suppose. We’ve been back for three hours, so three days have passed on Noa Island. Now should be a good time. If we go through from Earth now, we can get there by hanging onto the manufacturing plant that they’re transporting... It just depends whether it’s a convenient time for Alice.
“If it’s a good time for you, I think we could go there and ask Lirin right now,” I said.
“Really?! I’m ready to leave right now! I was about to go for a walk outside the base when you arrived.”
“Oh. That explains why you’re wearing camouflage gear.”
I thought it was just her loungewear, so I hadn’t asked.
I made sure not to let my misunderstanding about Alice’s interests show on my face as I took her by the hand and opened the room door.