Chapter 30

The moment Isaac heard Colt's words, he felt a burning sensation in his head, as if it were an illusion. If Isaac's memory served him right, there was no one named Kazura living in this village. If such a person really existed, it would mean that the village chief and Barret had been lying.

Isaac forced a smile, struggling to suppress his anger, and nodded in response to Colt's words.

"Yeah, that's right, the name was Kazura. I'd like to talk to that person a bit. Do you know where they are now?"

"Hmm, Mom said around noon that they were going back to the world of the gods, so they're probably not in the village anymore."

"…The world of the gods?"

Hearing the unexpected word "gods," Isaac couldn't help but ask for clarification. He couldn't immediately understand what Colt was saying.

"Yeah. Didn't the village chief tell you?"

"…Where is this world of the gods?"

When Isaac asked, Colt looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"It's in the forest over there… Brother, you've been to this village so many times, and you don't even know that?"

Isaac turned his gaze in the direction Colt was pointing and saw a mixed forest in the distance. He, of course, knew the legend of Gracior associated with that forest. He knew it, but he couldn't understand what the legend had to do with a person named Kazura.

"Ah, no… Isn't that the forest where Gracior appeared?"

"What, you do know. Then let's go to my house quickly."

"Eh? Wait a minute! Is that person, Kazura, in that forest?"

As if the conversation was over, Colt started walking towards his house. Isaac hurriedly stopped him, as Colt's tone made it sound like Kazura was some kind of messenger of the gods.

When Isaac asked, Colt, who was walking ahead, stopped abruptly and turned to face him.

"…Brother, you don't…?"

Colt looked straight up at Isaac, and his expression quickly turned pale. He then turned his back to Isaac again.

"I'm going home."

"Hey, wait!"

Colt said this briefly and ran towards his house without listening to Isaac's plea. Isaac watched Colt's retreating back in a daze, then began to think about what Colt had said.

Meanwhile, around noon, Ichirou, who had returned to Japan from Grisear Village, was digging small holes in the ground with a shovel under the setting sun. This was a 1,000-square-meter field in a certain area of Saitama Prefecture, which Ichirou's father, Masaharu, had borrowed from a local landlord. The reason he was doing this was that immediately after arriving in Japan, he had received a call from Masaharu, who told him to "come home once in a while," and he had to return home urgently.

"Hey, you're digging pretty efficiently. You've already dug this many holes?"

While Ichirou was silently digging holes at equal intervals, Masaharu, who was pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with fertilizer and a spade, approached him. Masaharu, who regularly worked in the fields, was muscular and had almost no excess fat. He was slightly shorter than Ichirou, standing just under 170 cm, but his tanned brown skin and the few strands of white hair in his hair matched well, giving him a rather dashing appearance.

"Recently, I've been helping out with the fields near the mansion every day. I guess that's why I've become more efficient."

As Ichirou said this, he finished digging the remaining holes, stuck the shovel into the ground, and wiped the sweat from his face with a towel around his neck. Compared to the humidity in Grisear Village, the heat in Saitama was much more oppressive, and he was sweating profusely even without doing anything.

"Hmm, you've been helping out with the fields, that's why you've become so strong. Are you getting along well with the neighbors?"

Hearing about the field work, Masaharu nodded, seemingly understanding why Ichirou had become much stronger recently. Ichirou, who had never been particularly athletic, had become somewhat muscular thanks to the farm work over the past month. His diet, centered around rice and canned food he had brought, had also helped him detoxify, and he was feeling quite good. Occasionally, he would overeat at family restaurants when he returned to Japan, but that was just a small indulgence.

"Yeah, everyone is really nice… Oh, by the way, I have a question about the mansion."

"Mansion? Ah, it was surprisingly clean, even though it was old. When I went there in the past, it was also very clean."

While Masaharu was talking about his past visit to the mansion, Ichirou interrupted him.

"No, that's not what I meant."

"There was a room at the back of the mansion sealed with a padlock. Do you know what that room is for?"

"Padlock? …Was there such a room? When I went there in the past, there was no room with a padlock."

Seeing Masaharu's puzzled expression, Ichirou's hopes of getting information about a room that might lead to another world were dashed. If not Masaharu, there might be someone in the family who knew about the mansion, but he had no immediate plans to meet any relatives. Since he didn't urgently need information about the mansion, he decided to put this matter on hold for now.

"By the way, there are almost no houses around the mansion. Is the area safe? Be careful of burglars."

"I haven't heard of any such incidents… I think the countryside is safer than the city, isn't it?"

When Ichirou said this, Masaharu looked at him with a worried expression.

"No, that's not always the case. It's better to be cautious. I've prepared some security items, so take them with you when you leave."

"Security items… I'd rather have running water installed at the mansion first."

While talking, they continued the work of planting asparagus seedlings in the holes Ichirou had dug and mixing the fertilizer and soil. They steadily expanded the asparagus field.

Two hours after they started the transplanting work, they finally finished planting all the asparagus. The sun had set, so they decided to return home. Ichirou's original plan was to look for a book as a gift for Barret in a city in Gunma Prefecture, buy some delicious food as a gift, and return to Grisear Village the next day to check on things. However, his plans were disrupted by Masaharu's call, so he decided to stay at his parents' house for the night and complete the aforementioned tasks by the evening of the next day.

With the windows of the light truck fully open, Ichirou was riding in the passenger seat, feeling the slightly exhaust-laden wind, when Masaharu, who was driving, spoke up.

"By the way, are you using a tiller or any other machinery for the farm work? It can cause serious injuries if you're not careful, so be cautious if you are using it."

"I'm not using any machinery. I only have a spade and a shovel."

"Is that so… Do you have no plans to use the machinery of the family you're helping?"

"Hmm…"

In response to Masaharu's question, Ichirou thought about the future of Grisear Village. Using machinery would allow them to cultivate the vast land quickly and significantly reduce the burden on the villagers. However, the villagers, who had become superhumans due to the food from this world, didn't seem to need the power of machines. Moreover, there was no urgent need to cultivate the land quickly, and the vegetables were growing well. In Grisear Village, at least, further agricultural support was unnecessary. Most importantly, bringing in over-technology like a tiller and having it seen by anyone other than the villagers would be difficult to explain.

"No, I don't have any plans to use machinery. A spade is enough."

When Ichirou said this, Masaharu looked relieved and said, "I see."

Seeing Masaharu's worried expression, Ichirou thought that it was a bit much to worry so much about a 25-year-old son, but that's what parents are like. As an only child, Ichirou's father might be even more concerned.

"Welcome back. The farm work must have been tough."

When Ichirou and Masaharu entered the house, his mother, Mutsumi, greeted them at the entrance. Unlike Masaharu, Mutsumi had no white hair and looked much younger than her actual age of 54, thanks to her careful attention to her diet and skincare.

"I'm back. I drove a long distance from Gunma and then worked in the fields, so I'm quite tired."

While taking off his shoes, Ichirou noticed a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. It seemed that dinner was sukiyaki.

"Oh, you've lost a bit of weight, haven't you? Are you eating properly?"

"I'd like to think I've lost some unnecessary fat and become more toned. I'm eating properly."

While being scrutinized by his mother's gaze, Ichirou entered the house and, along with Masaharu, washed his hands and moved to the living room. The sukiyaki was already simmering in a pot on the table, and three servings of raw eggs were prepared.

After Mutsumi served the rice, they all joined their hands and said, "Itadakimasu," before starting to eat the sukiyaki.

"By the way, you've been in Gunma for over a month now. How long do you plan to stay at the mansion?"

While Ichirou was enthusiastically eating the sukiyaki, enjoying the taste of home, Mutsumi asked, taking more meat from the refrigerator.

"Yeah, I plan to stay at the mansion for a while. Country life is surprisingly enjoyable, and no one has come for the lottery money yet."

Since moving to the mansion in Gunma, the people who had gathered for the lottery money had completely disappeared, and no one had come to the mansion. This was probably because he only returned to Japan once a week and mostly lived in the other world.

In any case, Ichirou, who had adapted to life in Grisear Village and was enjoying the slow life in the other world, wanted to continue living 90% of the time in the other world and 10% in Japan for a while.

"That's good… But, please keep in touch with us occasionally. The area where the mansion is located is so remote that the phone signal often doesn't reach. We managed to connect today only because we called from Masaharu's phone."

"That's right. We get worried if we don't hear from you for a long time. Even once a month would be fine, so please call us."

"Ah… Okay, I'll remember that."

Reflecting on it, he hadn't contacted his parents since he called Masaharu once a month ago. Even when he returned to Japan for supplies, he usually kept his phone off, making it almost impossible for his parents to reach him. Of course, when he was in the other world, there was no signal, so it was natural that his parents couldn't reach him.

"So, how is your first experience living in the countryside? Isn't it inconvenient without electricity at the mansion?"

"No, I've gotten used to it. A lantern is enough for lighting."

"What kind of life are you living…?"

While talking, the family dinner, which had become rare since Ichirou became an adult, slowly came to an end.

The next morning, the clock had just struck 6 AM, and Ichirou was already in the garage of his parents' house, packing a Boston bag with clothes and other items into his car. Masaharu was already up and loading a large travel suitcase into the back seat of Ichirou's car. Mutsumi was still asleep, so only Ichirou and Masaharu were in the garage.

"Leaving so early, huh? Do you have something to do?"

After loading the suitcase into the back seat and grabbing the door handle, Masaharu said.

"Yeah, I have an appointment with the farmer I'm helping… By the way, what's in that suitcase…?"

"Yeah, it's filled with security items and other things that might be useful for country living."

"Filled? That suitcase is way too big…"

While saying this, Ichirou peeked into the car and saw that the suitcase was indeed quite large, probably an L-size.

"Well, it's fine. It's not like they'll go bad. Anyway, I'm going to the fields. I need to plant some daikon today."

Masaharu said this, closed the car door, and got into his own light truck. Watching him, Ichirou sighed and got into his car, starting the engine.

"See you. Say hello to Mom for me."

"Sure, take care."

After exchanging greetings, Ichirou stepped on the gas and headed for Gunma.

Four hours after leaving his parents' house, Ichirou arrived in Gunma Prefecture. He bought canned food, soap, and other daily necessities in the city, and then went to the personal herb shop he had visited before. The shop, which retained the atmosphere of an old house, displayed various types of herbs in acrylic bins. The female clerk, who was reading a book at the register, offered Ichirou a cup of bergamot herbal tea to try.

"Um, nettle and lemon verbena… Oh, this herbal tea is delicious. Can I have 30 grams of the same?"

After taking a sip of the herbal tea, Ichirou said this, and the woman happily agreed, starting to divide the herbs from one of the acrylic bins. Looking around the shop, he noticed that there were some new blends that weren't there before. The one he was trying might be a new product. There were also a few pots with herb seedlings on the floor with price tags.

"Ah, are you selling herb seedlings now?"

"Yes, a customer mentioned that they wanted herb seedlings, so I decided to divide some of the ones I was growing and put them in the shop."

Ichirou hadn't expected that his suggestion would lead to an expansion of the product range, but he was very pleased with the thoughtfulness. The seedlings on display were few but well-grown. They were all varieties that Ichirou hadn't bought before.

"Ah, I'm sorry for rushing you… I'll take one of these wild strawberries and one marigold."

"Thank you. By the way, did the seeds you bought last time sprout? I think the arugula should be sprouting soon."

The woman put the seedlings and the small bag of herbs Ichirou had chosen into a plastic bag and then, as if remembering something, asked. It seemed she had remembered the contents of the items he had bought before.

"Yes, I planted the seeds the same day I bought them. The arugula and basil are sprouting a lot. The others haven't sprouted yet."

It had been exactly two weeks since he planted the herb seeds, but only the two mentioned had sprouted. In contrast, the basil was sprouting abundantly.

"I think the lemon balm should be sprouting soon. Make sure to keep it well-ventilated."

"Yes, I've taken care of that, so I think it should be fine… Ah, essential oils…"

While the woman was putting the items into the bag, Ichirou noticed the essential oils on a nearby shelf. Thinking about it, he had never bought essential oils for Barret, even though he had bought herbs as gifts before. Since he had some knowledge from herb books, he thought she would be happy if he bought some.

"Excuse me, can I also have these essential oils? And an aromatherapy pot set and a pouch."

"Oh, thank you for buying so much."

After buying a few 30 ml bottles of essential oils and a slightly expensive glass pot, Ichirou said, "Thank you. I'll come again," and left the shop