Chapter 32

"Miss Valleta, there's something I want to ask."

About 15 minutes had passed since Ichiyo and the others started walking towards the village of Grisea. Isaac, who had been walking at the front with a thoughtful look, stopped and turned to address Valleta.

"Do the people of Grisea Village... think that this man is Graciel?"

While saying this, Isaac glanced sideways at Ichiyo, his expression serious. There was a slight hesitation in his tone when he referred to "this man," perhaps because he was somewhat concerned about Ichiyo's claim of coming from the "world of the gods."

"Of course. There's no doubt that this person is Graciel."

"What is your basis for thinking so?"

"That is..."

In response to Isaac's question, Valleta glanced at Ichiyo.

("Should I say it...? In this situation, I have to be honest to some extent...")

Ichiyo, understanding the meaning of Valleta's gaze, nodded slightly. After confirming Ichiyo's nod, Valleta paused for a moment before speaking again.

"It's because exactly what was foretold in the village's legend about Graciel happened. About a month ago, when the village was on the brink of starvation, this person suddenly appeared from the depths of the forest with a large amount of food and saved everyone."

At Valleta's words, the two soldiers at the back seemed to hold their breath. In contrast, Isaac's expression didn't change at all.

"You mean everything, including the clothes and the effects of the food, was exactly as described in the legend?"

"...Yes. The clothes were made of a fabric I had never seen before, and the food was a mysterious substance that gave us strength with just a small amount."

"Where are the food and clothes now?"

"That is..."

As Isaac rapidly fired questions, Valleta seemed to be considering how much she should reveal. She was probably guessing the contents of the luggage Ichiyo had brought back from Japan a few hours ago. The large number of books in the mansion had been hidden to some extent, so they might not be discovered, but Ichiyo's room still had a Boston bag and a suitcase left out. Ichiyo hadn't opened the bags or the suitcase since returning from Japan, so Valleta didn't know what was inside. Incidentally, Ichiyo himself hadn't checked the contents of the suitcase yet, so he didn't know what was inside either.

"In a room in the mayor's house. The items brought from the world of the gods are kept there."

"Are all the items you brought in that room?"

Interrupting from the side, Ichiyo asked, and Isaac responded with another question. He probably intended to gather information on the location of the items and order his subordinates to retrieve them.

"...No, some of the food I brought is also in other villagers' houses."

Since starting life in the village, Ichiyo had given food to the villagers several times, and there should still be some stored in each house. There should be some powdered milk left in households with infants, and a fair amount of rice and canned food as well.

"...I see."

Isaac muttered and turned to the soldier standing behind Ichiyo.

"Untie this man's ropes."

"Yes, sir!"

The soldier, ordered by Isaac, replied briefly, handed his spear to the adjacent soldier, and began to untie the ropes that bound Ichiyo's hands behind his back. Isaac, who seemed to know the legend of Graciel, probably thought it would be problematic to return to the village in this state after hearing from Valleta and Ichiyo.

"I'll untie the ropes for now, but don't even think about running. If you make a foolish move, your punishment will only get worse."

"Punishment... um, what crime am I being held for?"

"Your charges are... Root."

When Ichiyo reacted to the word "crime" and asked, Isaac closed his mouth, which he had opened to answer, and called out to the soldier standing behind Valleta.

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me the charges of this man."

The young soldier, apparently named Root, straightened his posture at Isaac's command and began to speak.

"False testimony and illegal entry. However, if his name is listed in the resident registry of Grisea Village in Isteria, the latter does not apply. Additionally, if he is from another village within the country, unauthorized relocation is generally not allowed, and he would be subject to a fine or forced labor."

Listening to Root's smooth answer while rubbing his untied wrists, Ichiyo let out a breath, "Hmm."

It seemed that the laws in this world were more established than Ichiyo had thought. He hadn't expected that the opportunity to learn about them would come in the form of his own arrest.

After listening to Root's explanation, Isaac nodded and turned back to Ichiyo.

"That's the situation. I've temporarily untied the ropes because the villagers believe you are Graciel, but that doesn't mean you're free. You'll have to follow our instructions until the investigation is complete."

"Does that mean you'll take this person to Isteria for questioning?"

With a worried expression, Valleta asked. Isaac nodded in response.

"Given the current situation, we have no choice."

"But..."

"Miss Valleta, it's okay."

To dissuade Valleta, who was about to protest, Ichiyo spoke. So far, Isaac had been polite to Ichiyo and the others, but he was a noble. Ichiyo, who had almost forgotten this due to Isaac's courteous treatment, thought it would be best for Valleta and the villagers to avoid giving a bad impression to Isaac and his men.

"It seems that Isaac is different from the lords I met in the past. If I can prove that I am the Graciel from the legend, I will be acquitted, right?"

"...Yes."

To Ichiyo's question, which was essentially asking if a god could be punished, Isaac answered reluctantly. A person from a country where faith in the gods was strong would have no choice but to answer that way.

"If you truly are Graciel, there's no way you could be charged. However, if you were lying..."

"...If I were lying?"

When Ichiyo asked, Isaac, with a sly smile, continued.

"You would face the punishment of having your tongue pulled out. If it's proven that you lied, the judge would rule that you claimed to be a god and incited the people. There's no other punishment than the equivalent of capital punishment."

"I see, so you pull out the tongue that lies. That's terrifying."

"..."

Ichiyo, who listened with interest, made Isaac look deflated, but after a moment, he regained his composure.

"Anyway, we'll check the room in the mansion when we return to the village. Seeing the items you claim to have brought from the world of the gods will help us make a judgment."

With that, Isaac started walking back to the village.

About 10 minutes later, with Isaac leading the way, they finally arrived at the village entrance. One of the two soldiers on guard at the entrance ran up to Isaac. The soldier was heavily armed with a thick leather cuirass reinforced with bronze, a helmet, a round shield on his back, and a spear in his hand.

"How did it go?"

When Isaac asked, the soldier straightened and began his report.

"All the villagers have been confined to their homes. The mayor's mansion has been secured, and the deputy is currently in command there."

"Good. Are there any injured?"

"No, sir. Neither the soldiers nor the villagers have any injuries. The deputy strictly ordered us not to use excessive force."

Hearing this report, Isaac nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that while Ichiyo and the others were away, the village had been secured by Isaac's troops.

Ichiyo was also relieved that the villagers hadn't seen the current situation. With the villagers confined to their homes, the possibility of a collective uprising to save Ichiyo was low. However, it might be necessary to gather the villagers later and have Ichiyo explain the situation.

"Good work. Return to your post."

"Yes, sir!"

After sending the soldier back to his post, Isaac turned to Ichiyo and the others.

"Let's head to the mayor's mansion now, but please follow quietly. The villagers are all inside their homes, but they might be listening."

After confirming that the two of them nodded, Isaac started walking towards the mansion.

"Ah, Captain!"

"Kazura! Are you all right?"

When they arrived at the mansion, the deputy and the village mayor, Barin, called out from the entrance. The mansion was not only guarded by the deputy but also by several soldiers patrolling around it.

"...Kazura?"

Hearing Barin's words, Isaac turned to Ichiyo, who explained,

"That's my name in the village."

"I told the villagers that I am a traveling merchant named Kazura. ...Well, it seems everyone had already figured out my true identity."

"Wha...!"

Barin, who had been caught off guard by Ichiyo's words, gasped. It was understandable, given that he had thought Ichiyo hadn't noticed his deception, but it turned out Ichiyo had known all along. Seeing Barin's pale face, Ichiyo smiled reassuringly.

"I won't abandon the village just because my true identity was revealed. Please don't worry."

"Graciel... Graciel-sama..."

"...What?"

While listening to the conversation between Ichiyo and Barin, the deputy, who had no idea what was going on, looked puzzled at Barin's words. Isaac, about to explain to the deputy, stepped closer to him and whispered,

"Explain later. Let's go inside the mansion. ...You two, guard the entrance. Don't let anyone in, no matter who it is."

The deputy, who had been asking for an explanation, reluctantly followed Isaac into the mansion. The two soldiers, ordered to guard the entrance, took their positions on either side of the door.

"Which room?"

"It's the room behind the living room."

Inside the mansion, Isaac headed towards the room Ichiyo indicated. As they walked, Valleta, who was walking next to Ichiyo, had a worried look on her face, and Ichiyo was also quite tense. Showing the various items he had brought from Japan would likely force Isaac to recognize Ichiyo as a "visitor from the world of the gods" or Graciel.

However, the problem was what would happen after that.

It was almost certain that Ichiyo would be taken to Isteria. Even if Isaac recognized Ichiyo as Graciel, it didn't mean Ichiyo would be free to go. Even if Isaac didn't harm Ichiyo, others who learned of Ichiyo's existence through Isaac's report would likely try to use Ichiyo for their own purposes. Ichiyo could escape back to Japan, but that would leave the villagers of Grisea in an uncertain situation.

Ichiyo was desperately trying to think of a way to resolve the situation peacefully, but when Isaac reached for the door, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. First, he needed to make them recognize that he was Graciel. Whatever happened next, the conversation would start from there.

"...Is this it?"

Opening the door, Isaac approached the Boston bag and suitcase placed in the middle of the room, crouched down, and touched them, muttering softly. The suitcase was made of resin, a material he had never touched before. The Boston bag was made of polyester, another material he had never seen.

Incidentally, Ichiyo's clothes, folded and placed next to the bags and suitcase, were apparently to be dealt with later.

"Is this made of leather?"

"No, it's made from petroleum."

"Petroleum? ...What is that?"

Hearing the word "petroleum" for the first time, Isaac looked confused. Ichiyo glanced at Valleta, who shook her head slightly. It seemed that the word "petroleum" didn't exist in this world. Ichiyo considered using the word "oil," but decided against it to avoid a complicated explanation.

"It's a burning water from the world of the gods. When processed, it can be used to make these items."

It was a rather vague explanation, but it wasn't a complete lie. Isaac, with a serious expression, muttered,

"Is this water?"

He stroked the Boston bag a few times and then turned to Ichiyo.

"I want to check the contents."

"...Understood."

In response to Isaac's request, Ichiyo knelt by the Boston bag and opened the zipper. Inside were various items Ichiyo had purchased in Japan, such as aromatherapy oils and lipos D.

Ichiyo reached into the bag and pulled out a penlight.

"What is that?"

Ichiyo, holding the penlight, which Isaac looked at with interest, said,

"Just watch."

He pointed the penlight at the wall and pressed the switch on the side.

"Wha!?"

The penlight, which suddenly emitted a bright light, made Isaac gasp. The deputy, standing behind Ichiyo, also looked shocked.

Feeling the impact of their reactions, Ichiyo continued,

"This is a lighting device that contains the power of a light spirit inside the tube. In addition to this..."

Taking advantage of Isaac's and the deputy's inability to speak, Ichiyo added a casual explanation and reached into the bag to decide what to show next.