Chapter 34

"Valletta-san..."

When Valletta offered to accompany Ichirou to Isteria, Ichirou, with a troubled expression, found himself at a loss for words. Valletta, knowing that Ichirou was not a god but an ordinary human, must have been concerned for his safety, but Ichirou wanted to avoid any possible harm to the villagers as much as possible. If Valletta were to accompany him to Isteria, it would inevitably leave an impression on the Isterian leadership, including Nalson, and Ichirou preferred to go alone.

"Lord Gracior, if Valletta and Baron can also accompany us to Isteria, it would make it easier to understand the current situation of the village and organize the events leading up to it. Moreover, the villagers would feel more at ease if you go with the village head and Valletta rather than alone."

As Ichirou was considering how to respond to Valletta, Isaac, still on one knee, spoke up. Indeed, if the village head and Valletta were to accompany Ichirou, the villagers' feelings would likely be different. Additionally, if Ichirou were to go alone, it would be similar to the legend of Gracior, which would make the villagers anxious.

"...Understood. Valletta and Baron will also accompany us."

When Ichirou said this, relief was visible on Valletta's and the village head's faces. Isaac and Havel also exuded a sense of relief.

"Then, let's return to the mansion to gather our belongings. I want to explain to the villagers before we leave, so Baron, please gather everyone in front of the mansion. Valletta, please prepare for the journey, including Baron's things."

"Deputy Leader"

As Ichirou was giving instructions to the village head and Valletta, Isaac stood up and addressed Havel, who was still on one knee.

"Yes."

"Go with Baron and have the soldiers withdraw from the village."

"If the soldiers ask about the person who was in the village, how should we answer?"

"Tell them that a noble from another country was seeking asylum and visited the village. You don't need to mention the country's name. Just say that they were treated with respect and are being escorted to Isteria."

"Understood."

Listening to Isaac and Havel's conversation, Ichirou nodded in approval. Isaac was likely trying to prevent the spread of rumors by keeping the existence of Gracior from the soldiers. Given that no reports had been made to the Isterian leadership, this was a reasonable decision. Ichirou also did not want the news of Gracior's appearance to spread, so their judgment was convenient.

After confirming that Havel had stood up, Ichirou started walking towards the mansion.

"Then, I'll go get our belongings, so please wait here, Isaac. I'll be back soon."

"Understood. If there's anything I can help with, please let me know."

When Ichirou reached the front of the mansion, he instructed Isaac to stay there. Isaac, who received the instruction, bowed respectfully, and the two soldiers guarding the front of the mansion, who were slightly surprised, immediately followed their captain's lead and bowed as well.

Leaving those three behind, Ichirou entered the mansion with Valletta and headed to his room, where his luggage, including a Boston bag, was stored.

"Well, let's see. Repo D and canned food are essential, but... should I take everything?"

"Kazura-san."

Returning to his familiar 8-tatami room, Ichirou sat in front of the Boston bag and suitcase, starting to decide what to take to Isteria. Valletta also sat next to him and began to speak, having not heard the conversation in the forest.

"Kazura-san, you said you're going to Isteria to talk with Lord Nalson. What kind of talk do you plan to have?"

"Well, I talked with Isaac and the others in the forest earlier. As Gracior, I plan to make some adjustments to Isteria. In exchange for my assistance, I will ensure the safety of the village and my freedom."

"Adjustments... like providing food and knowledge about tools?"

"Yeah, I can't bring a lot of food, so I'll mainly teach them how to make things like water wheels."

Saying this casually, Ichirou saw Valletta's face cloud with worry.

"But... won't you be unable to return from Isteria? The techniques you teach won't be limited to water wheels. If I were in Lord Nalson's position, I would find various reasons to keep you around as long as possible. The techniques you have are not just for farming tools."

"Ah, don't worry. No matter what they say, I'll definitely return to the village in a few days using my godly authority. After all, I'm supposed to be Gracior, so Lord Nalson can't strongly oppose my return. At most, they might send some guards to watch over me until I get back to the village."

Thinking about it, Ichirou casually added, "I could ask Isaac or Havel to be my guards."

Valletta, slightly taken aback, continued, "What if Lord Nalson doesn't recognize you as Gracior? You showed me and the others in the forest, but it would be difficult to do the same with Lord Nalson..."

Ichirou, considering this, said, "I thought showing him a lighter or Repo D and getting Isaac and the others to vouch for me would be easy, but if those two are just low-ranking officials, it might take time to convince Lord Nalson... However, from what I've heard from Valletta and Baron, Lord Nalson seems quite flexible. I'm sure it will be fine. If all else fails, I can show him a digital camera. Even if he doesn't trust me, my proposal will benefit him, so he will likely agree."

Listening to Ichirou's confident response, Valletta sighed but decided to ask about a word that caught her attention.

"By the way, a digital camera is a device for taking photos, right? Do you have one now?"

"Yes, I do."

In response to Valletta's question, Ichirou rummaged through his Boston bag and pulled out a silver digital camera. It was a model he had used before winning the lottery, a bit outdated but quite expensive at the time, with good performance. Before moving, Ichirou had organized the contents, so only a few secretly taken photos of the village were left inside.

Valletta, glancing at the digital camera, spoke seriously.

"Kazura-san, I don't think you should show this digital camera to many people. Especially nobles, if they learn how to use it, will do everything to get their hands on it."

"Nobles... yeah, it could be used for dangerous things. I should be careful and avoid showing it to people as much as possible."

By "dangerous things," Ichirou meant that it could be used for assassinations. In this world, the only way to identify a person's features is to see their face or infer from a portrait, and there are no such convenient things as photos. If someone who deals with assassinations learned about a device that can take photos, they would desperately want it. With a digital camera, an assassin could significantly reduce the time needed to identify their target.

"Also, I think it's best to take all the tools in this room to Isteria or bring the unnecessary ones back to Japan. Isaac and Havel have seen the tools in this room, so if you leave them behind, they might send people to get them. I don't think they would do that if they truly believe you are Gracior, but..."

"That's true. There's quite a lot of stuff. ...By the way, I don't know what's in this suitcase. Should we open it?"

Ichirou said this, unlocked the suitcase, and opened it.

"...What is this?"

Instead of Ichirou, who was frozen in place after opening the suitcase, Valletta started examining the contents.

"Well, there are clothes, books, a sword, boots, and leather gloves... Oh, these gloves have metal plates in the knuckles."

When Ichirou received the suitcase from his father, Shinji, Shinji said it contained "security items and things useful for country living." However, upon actually looking inside, Ichirou saw items like a stun gun and a gas mask, which had nothing to do with country living.

Ichirou, taking out what looked like a stab-proof vest from the suitcase, chuckled and muttered,

"Maybe that damn father actually knew about the room in this mansion that connects to this world..."

When Ichirou subtly asked Shinji about the room in the mansion two days ago, Shinji claimed he didn't know about it. However, the contents of the suitcase he gave Ichirou were quite suspicious. Ichirou would need to question Shinji again the next time they met.

"Kazura-san, you haven't told your father that you're in this world, right?"

Surprised by Valletta's question, Ichirou nodded.

"Not only that, I haven't told anyone about the existence of the door that can bring me to this world. When I returned to Japan two days ago, I probed my father, but he seemed completely unaware... However, he might have been pretending. If he believed I was just living in the countryside, he wouldn't have given me such dangerous items."

"That's true. Japan must be a very safe country..."

While Ichirou was pondering, Valletta took out the sword stored diagonally in the suitcase, removed the metal button fastener, and drew the blade. The double-edged blade, well-maintained, showed signs of use upon closer inspection. It was about 80 cm long, with a blade length of about 60 cm. It was a powerful and impressive longsword, similar to a Western knight's sword in appearance.

"It's well-maintained... Is it made of iron?"

In response to Valletta's question, Ichirou, who had been looking down, raised his head and saw Valletta holding the longsword. Taking the sword from Valletta with his right hand, Ichirou examined it. The blade indeed seemed to be made of iron, likely steel. The longer blade made it feel heavier in his hand compared to a dagger.

"Yeah, it seems to be made of iron. There are signs of use... I hope my father didn't use it."

Holding an item that would likely get him arrested for violating the Sword and Firearm Control Law in Japan, Ichirou muttered this. Valletta responded,

"If so, it's an important sword. Take good care of it. ...I'll go prepare for the journey."

With that, Valletta left the room, leaving Ichirou