Chapter 40

When Ichirou sat down in the chair, Barin, prompted by Nelson, sat in the chair next to Ichirou, and then Barret sat in the chair next to Barin. Isaac and Haber stood by the wall, still holding Ichirou's luggage. When Nelson sat across from Ichirou, Ichirou opened his mouth to speak the lines he had practiced in bed before falling asleep the night before.

"Although I believe Mr. Isaac has already told you, I intend to support your country. This is because Isaac and Haber, who came to the village of Grisear, have asked me to save Arcadia, which is in a critical situation due to a great drought."

"If the god of mercy and abundance, Grisior, can provide support, the reconstruction of our country is as good as accomplished. I am grateful for your kind offer."

Nelson answered with a smile as Ichirou stated this matter-of-factly. Despite the friendly impression, it seemed to be a business smile.

"Nelson-sama..."

At that moment, Isaac, who had been standing behind Ichirou, called out to Nelson in a tone that seemed to be reprimanding him. Nelson, who had been called, remained unresponsive as if he hadn't heard Isaac's call.

Ichirou, who was confused by the situation, had no choice but to proceed with the conversation.

"…Although I said I would provide support, I hardly understand the situation of this country. Therefore, I would like you to explain the current situation of this country so that we can decide on the specific support measures. And please call me Kazura."

"Understood. …However, before that, I have one request to make of you, Kazura-sama."

"What is it?"

"Last night, Isaac told me that you have many tools that we have never seen before. I would like to see them here, if possible. Is that all right?"

Nelson, who made this request, maintained the same smile as before, but his eyes had a probing look. However, this was something Ichirou had anticipated.

"Sure. Isaac, Haber, please bring the luggage over here."

"Yes."

In response to Ichirou's call, Isaac and Haber brought the carry-on case and the duffel bag to Ichirou and returned to the wall. Ichirou pulled the chair and brought the luggage to his feet, then opened the zipper of the duffel bag and started searching inside.

As Ichirou started rummaging at his feet, Zirconia, who had been standing behind Nelson without sitting down, crossed her arms around her waist and watched Ichirou with interest. She didn't seem particularly wary, but the hilt of a long sword visible at her waist suggested that she was ready to draw it if Ichirou made any suspicious moves. Ignoring Zirconia, Ichirou selected a few items to show Nelson and the others and started placing them on the table.

"This is..."

Nelson grunted as he looked at the items on the table. Beside him, Zirconia was also staring at the table, frozen in place.

"Now, which one should I explain first?"

The items Ichirou placed on the table were an LED portable lantern, a can of minestrone, a lighter, and the clothes he had worn from Japan. The reason he brought out the clothes was that the legend of Grisior mentioned a man wearing unusual clothes, and he thought that showing Japanese clothes would make him more credible. Incidentally, the clothes Ichirou was currently wearing were the elegant robes provided by Haber's house the night before.

Ichirou started by picking up the portable lantern and pressing the push-button switch on the bottom. As soon as the switch was pressed, the built-in white LED lit up, illuminating the surroundings brightly. When the lantern lit up, Isaac and Haber, who were standing by the wall, exclaimed in amazement.

"This is a lantern infused with the power of the light spirit. As you can see, it doesn't generate much heat, and it continues to shine even if you turn it upside down or swing it around."

"How bright... If it has the power of the light spirit, can this tool be used in the rain?"

"Zil, that's enough. Speak normally."

As Zirconia, with shining eyes, asked a question about the lantern, Nelson said something to her before Ichirou could answer.

"Oh, you're right... Kazura-sama, I apologize for testing you. Please forgive my rudeness."

When Nelson pointed this out, Zirconia, still with a delighted expression, apologized and bowed to Ichirou. However, Ichirou didn't understand why Zirconia was apologizing.

"Testing?"

When Ichirou asked Zirconia, who had raised her head, she nodded with a smile.

"Out of suspicion that you might be a false Grisior, I spoke to you in multiple languages used in regions where Grisior is worshipped, but it turned out to be a groundless worry. Even when Nelson spoke in the language of a southern island nation and I used the extremely specialized dialect of my homeland, you didn't change your expression at all..."

"(...What...?)"

Zirconia, who seemed to believe that Ichirou was Grisior, continued to smile and speak. However, Ichirou was in a state of shock and confusion.

Zirconia had said that she spoke to Ichirou in multiple languages. However, Ichirou had no recollection of being spoken to in such languages. When he talked with Nelson and Zirconia earlier, all the languages he heard were Japanese. He didn't hear any of the foreign languages or specialized dialects that Zirconia mentioned.

Ichirou turned to Barin, wondering if he was being teased. However, Barin only nodded with a satisfied look. Beside Barin, Barret was looking at Ichirou with a puzzled expression.

"(...What is this? What's going on?)"

From the reactions of the two people sitting next to him, it seemed that what Zirconia was saying was not a lie. However, the language Ichirou actually heard was Japanese.

"...I couldn't believe the story that Grisior had appeared because there had never been such a case before. However, I made a very rude move towards Kazura-sama. I am truly sorry."

While Ichirou and Barret were still frozen, Nelson also apologized, bowing deeply. Ichirou, still confused, responded:

"Oh, no, I'm not particularly bothered... Please raise your heads."

He then turned back to Nelson, taking his eyes off Barret. It seemed that some extraordinary phenomenon was happening to him, but he had managed to gain Nelson's trust. He wanted to investigate what was happening, but there were other priorities.

After confirming that the two had raised their heads, Ichirou resumed his explanation of the tools.

"Regarding your question, this lantern can be used in the rain, but if it is submerged in water or too much water gets inside, the power of the spirit will weaken rapidly and it will stop working."

"I see... However, it's truly a remarkable tool that can shine so brightly without generating heat or smoke. And to be able to light it instantly without using fire..."

As Ichirou resumed his explanation, Zirconia placed both hands on the table and started examining the lantern closely. Her delighted expression and enthusiasm were quite evident. In contrast, Nelson seemed to be deep in thought, listening to Ichirou's explanation with a serious expression.

"Hmm... I have never seen such a lighting tool before. May I touch it?"

"Yes, please. The button there can adjust the brightness."

With Ichirou's permission, Nelson took the lantern, pressed the switch several times to turn it on and off, and then tilted it sideways and upside down to test its performance.

"Kazura-sama, what is the transparent material covering the part that emits light?"

After playing with the lantern for a while, Nelson, while stroking the transparent plastic surrounding the LED with his finger, asked Ichirou.

"That's called plastic... um, how should I put it. Simply put, it's a transparent sheet. It's quite sturdy and transparent, so it's used as a protective part in such lighting tools."

While this explanation might seem rather casual and not very informative, explaining that it was a material processed from petroleum would be meaningless, and Ichirou couldn't answer detailed questions about the manufacturing process. Moreover, the word "petroleum" itself wouldn't make sense in this world, so repeating the explanation he had given to Isaac in Grisear village would be pointless.

"Sturdy and transparent... If we could make swords and helmets from this plastic, they would be excellent weapons and armor. A transparent sword would be hard for the enemy to block, and a transparent helmet would allow for clear vision during battle."

"Ah, no, it's not that strong... Oh, by the way, riot shields... Ah, never mind."

Reacting to the word "sturdy," Ichirou smiled wryly and negated Zirconia's suggestion. While negating it, the existence of riot shields, transparent shields used in his former world, flashed through his mind, and he inadvertently mentioned the name. Seeing Zirconia's interested gaze, he quickly tried to cover it up.

Ichirou turned his eyes away from Zirconia, who seemed to want to say something, and reached for the can of minestrone on the table.

"Now, the next tool is this, a can of minestrone."

Hearing the word "can," Isaac, who had been watching Nelson's lantern from the wall, focused on Ichirou's hands. He must have remembered the conversation about cans in Grisear village. While receiving Isaac's gaze, Ichirou pulled the pull-tab on the can, and a bright red vegetable soup appeared. The soup was filled with beans, carrots, and other vegetables, making it a hearty and satisfying meal.

"This is a can, a tool that can preserve food for a long time. Depending on the contents, the food inside can be stored for several years without spoiling."

As Ichirou tilted the can to show the minestrone to Nelson and the others, their expressions changed. Nelson, who had been fiddling with the lantern, stopped and stared at the can. Zirconia, who had been showing a playful expression, also focused on the can.

"...Well, would you like to try it? It's a vegetable soup called minestrone, and it's quite delicious."

Feeling uncomfortable with their gazes, Ichirou took a plastic spoon from the duffel bag and offered the can to Nelson.

"Oh, no... Yes, of course..."

Nelson, looking at the can and Ichirou alternately, reluctantly accepted the can with a hesitant response.

"Nelson, I'll try it first..."

"...Ah, you don't have to force yourself. It's natural to feel uneasy about food that has been in a can for a long time."

Seeing Nelson's clear resistance to eating the can, Zirconia offered to try it first, and Ichirou finally understood their mindset and offered to help. Nelson, who seemed to be considering the possibility of poison in the can, would naturally be hesitant to eat food offered by someone he had only met for a few minutes.

"Oh, yes, that's right... Isaac, what about you? Would you like to try it?"

"I will!"

Isaac, who had been obviously chosen as a human sacrifice by Nelson, responded with a delighted expression and walked over to Nelson, taking the can. Isaac, holding the can, bowed slightly to Ichirou and used the spoon to eat the minestrone.

"...How is it?"

As Isaac chewed the minestrone, Nelson asked. Isaac swallowed the minestrone and smiled.

"I've never tasted anything like this before, but it's quite delicious. The fact that such a dish can be preserved for years without spoiling is remarkable..."

"...I'll go get some plates."

"Zirconia-sama, I'll get them..."

Hearing Isaac's comments, Zirconia, who apparently wanted to try it herself, started to leave the room to get plates. However, Haber, who had been watching everyone from the wall, offered to get the plates and left the room.

"If we could produce and store these cans in large quantities, the people would never starve to death, no matter what famine occurs. Moreover... Kazura-sama, I would like to ask you to teach us how to make these cans."

"Making them...?"

Nelson, who had started to say something, stopped and asked Ichirou to teach the can-making process. Ichirou showed a thoughtful expression.

"I will consider whether to teach you in the future. I apologize, but I cannot simply give away all my knowledge and tools. I showed you these tools to make you believe that I am Grisior, but I am not going to provide them without limits."

"That... is so..."

When Ichirou said this convincingly, Nelson and especially Zirconia showed a rather disappointed expression. However, Ichirou could not simply accept Nelson's request. While the technologies he had already provided to Grisear village, such as water wheels and farming methods, were one thing, he could not lightly agree to provide new technologies that he had not yet brought to this world. He needed to carefully consider the future impact and the methods of technology transfer.

"While Haber is getting the plates, let me explain the remaining tools."

Ichirou said this and picked up the lighter on the table.

"(Is he really the real Grisior... No, at this point, it doesn't matter whether he is a real god or not.)"

As Ichirou instantly produced a flame and explained the tool, Nelson thought to himself.

The tools this man called Kazura possesses are all wonderful things that he has never seen before. Especially the cans he saw earlier. If they could be produced in large quantities, they would eliminate the need to worry about food during famines like the current one, and they would be extremely useful as rations for the army. The fact that they can be stored in a ready-to-eat state is also remarkable, and the sturdy sealed containers would not be a problem even if they were bumped around during marches.

"(He seems to have many other tools, and I need to get as much knowledge and tools from him as possible. How can I do that...?)"

How to get as much support as possible from Ichirou. While nodding in agreement with Ichirou's words, Nelson started to consider his next move.