Chapter 90

After the explanation in the auditorium ended, I was planning to go see how Camilla was doing in Lastock, but I ended up getting caught by my classmates.

Many of my classmates were shocked to hear that there was no way to return to our original world, but the class president seemed to have come to terms with it, and a smile had returned to her face.

After all, she was freed from the ultimate choice of choosing me or her family, so it was only natural for her expression to brighten up.

However, from another perspective, it also meant that I had been chosen, and I felt a sense of responsibility.

I was asked to tell them more about the negotiations with Camilla, so we moved to the cafeteria.

I was seated in the middle of a long table that could seat about ten people, with the class president on my left and Manon on my right.

On the opposite side were the凸凹シスターズ (uneven sisters), Aizawa, Honmi, and other girls, as well as the old and new duo, Gasemegane, Takayama, Kondo, and other boys.

First, I talked about how Lastock was struggling with countermeasures, the internal affairs of the Reisenburg royal family, and how the countermeasures for the Great Occurrence were being delayed because of it.

Naturally, there were criticisms of the king, the first prince, and the second prince.

"Wow, what's that? The royal family is completely corrupt."

"Really, just as Aizawa said, Japanese politicians seem like the good guys."

"Why not just kill them all? Let's do it."

"Camilla won't forgive it, but it would be a pity for the citizens."

The凸凹シスターズ and the old and new duo seemed ready to attack the royal family even now.

Kondo raised his hand and started speaking.

"The corruption of the Reisenburg royal family is undeniable, and I think about just killing them all... but the current balance is maintained between the first prince's faction and the second prince's faction. If we upset that balance and plunge the country into a civil war, the citizens will suffer even more. It would be like the situation in that Middle Eastern country..."

Kondo's words reminded me of the civil war footage that was broadcast on TV every day before we were summoned.

The images of not just soldiers with weapons but also women, children, and the elderly being injured and bleeding were truly tragic.

Just as the atmosphere was about to heat up, Yagi spoke up.

"But, I can't let Camilla off without killing her, for the sake of avenging Funayama."

"No, Camilla is leading the countermeasures in Lastock right now, so we can't kill her at least for now..."

Yagi's opinion was opposed by Takayama, but his intention wasn't to protect Lastock. He didn't say it, though.

"I want to start by making Camilla submit all the information about the summoning that we haven't heard yet. She said the summoning ritual was modified by her, so if it can be modified, there might be a way to find a way back."

"Why didn't you get that information sooner?"

"Well, because I knocked her out with a punch, and I was too angry to make a calm judgment..."

"Really? You really hit Camilla?"

"Hey? With a fist? Did you hit her with a fist?"

"Yeah, I did, hard..."

"Wow! Good job, Kunito!"

Most of the classmates gathered in the cafeteria gave a thumbs up and cheered.

They must have been really frustrated, I guess, but it's true that Camilla is annoying.

"But, even if we get the information about the summoning, will we be able to understand it?"

"Yeah, as Aizawa said, we don't have any knowledge of the ritual. So, I'm thinking of asking Claus and Donovan to introduce us to someone who knows about rituals."

"But, if the summoning ritual spreads, won't more people be summoned besides us?"

"That's true... As Honmi said, it would be bad if more victims appeared besides us."

The Reisenburg royal family sealed the summoning ritual as a forbidden art to prevent the creation of new demons, but we don't want to increase the number of people summoned from other worlds like us.

"But, if the ritual guarantees the granting of cheat abilities, wouldn't being summoned be a good thing?"

"No, that's not good. We're in a situation like ours, and it could get even worse. For example, only women could be summoned and made into slaves..."

When we heard Takayama's response to Kobayashi's opinion, the girls all frowned.

But, such a worst-case scenario is not impossible.

"But, if we don't analyze the ritual, we won't be able to do it anytime soon."

"Let's all study the basics of the ritual and specialize in the summoning ritual."

"Wouldn't that take a lot of time and have no guarantee of success?"

"No, even if we don't know if it will succeed, we have to start with what we can do. Otherwise, we won't make any progress..."

"How about making them pay for our living expenses and letting us focus on research?"

"That's a good idea! If we do it right, we might be able to return without much trouble."

I was just thinking of asking someone who knows about rituals to introduce us, and I never thought of analyzing it ourselves.

It's true that good ideas don't come from thinking alone.

Just as I was thinking that, Yagi said something.

"Hey, Kunito, can't you go back?"

"Huh? Me... why?"

"Well, you're in the shadow world, right? You can move freely to places you've been to, right?"

"Oh... yeah, but..."

"You! You haven't even tried, have you!"

I broke out in a cold sweat.

"Well... I haven't tried..."

"Idiot! Why didn't you try?"

"Yeah, you should have tried first, you moron!"

"Hey, do it now, try it, quickly!"

I was shouted at by all the classmates gathered in the cafeteria.

"Wait! I'll do it, I'll do it, wait!"

I don't know why, but I never thought of using shadow travel to return to our original world.

Maybe I subconsciously wanted to stay in the other world and didn't want to return to Japan.

With the classmates' gazes on me, I summoned the Dark Shield and dove into the shadow world.

*Haa...*

*Are you okay, Kent-sama?*

I let out a big sigh, and Reinhardt, who was worried, spoke to me.

*Yeah, I'm fine... When I dove into the shadow world and thought about where to go... I realized it.*

*Then...*

*Yeah, I can return to our original world.*

The place I was peering into through the shadow world was the back of the middle school gym, overgrown with weeds.

I shouldn't go out in the open, but I should be inconspicuous here.

The Japanese scenery I hadn't seen in a while made me feel nostalgic, but at the same time, I felt that my place had changed even though only three months had passed.

When I moved through the shadows, the school building was surrounded by a metal fence like a construction site, and the demolition work seemed to have stopped halfway.

Outside the fence, there was a flower stand with flowers offered, but no one was around.

I had been so focused on rescuing my classmates that I had completely forgotten that we had been teleported to the third floor of the school building, and the fourth floor had fallen to the second floor.

These flowers were not for us but for the students and teachers who lost their lives at that time.

Seeing Camilla working hard on the Great Occurrence countermeasures in Lastock, I had started to think she was a good royal family member who cared about the citizens, but that was a big mistake.

I have to make her take responsibility not only for Funayama's frustration but also for those who lost their lives in Japan.

However, I can't think of how to truly hold her accountable or make her take responsibility.

This is something I need to take back to Volzard and discuss with the teachers.

*Are you okay, Kent-sama?*

*Yeah, I just remembered something important. I have to think about it again.*

I was also curious about what had happened to my house, but I decided to go back to where my classmates were waiting.

But, how should I tell them? I can return to Japan, but my classmates can't enter the shadow world.

In other words, only I can return to Japan.

I summoned the Dark Shield again and returned to the cafeteria.

"How was it? Could you return?"

I couldn't answer Yagi, who asked me with enthusiasm.

"Why didn't you try before, you idiot! Go buy me a yakisoba bread!"

"What are you talking about? I can't go buy it without money!"

"Hey, did you go back to Japan? No way, really?"

"What happened to the school? Did the media come?"

"Idiot, do you think the media would still be there after months since we came here?"

"Hey, take me back, I want to go back to Japan too."

"Yeah, take me too, then everything will be solved."

The cafeteria was more chaotic than when we learned there was no return ritual.

Until then, everyone had been quietly surrounding me, but now they were all gathered in a frenzy.

"Wait! Just wait! Listen! It's impossible. Only I and my familiars can enter the shadow world."

"Don't be ridiculous, it's you again! You're the only one getting all the good stuff!"

"Stop it, it's not Kunito's fault..."

"Hey! You're not thinking of leaving us behind and going back alone, are you?"

"Stop it, don't push, it's dangerous..."

"Hey, do something. What's the point of having a cheat ability?"

"Wait, don't push! It hurts, it hurts..."

When the classmates who had gathered pushed me, the class president and Manon were also unable to move.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and the classmates who had gathered were all knocked down.

On the table, Reinhardt was standing with his sword Gram in a striking pose.

Reinhardt slowly rotated the tip of his sword, which he had pointed at the classmates, and the classmates who were not blown away by the wind also stepped back.

After clearing the classmates from around me, Reinhardt put away his greatsword and came to stand behind me.

"First of all, I intend to stay in this world, and I have no intention of going back alone. Besides, if I didn't want to help everyone, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. Now that I know I can return to Japan through shadow travel, we just need to find a way to bring everyone into the shadow world. I will do it, of course. But I don't know much about magic, and even if you complain, I can't do it now. Besides, I don't think you have any right to complain."

The class president and Manon were also in danger, and I was getting angry.

In the tense atmosphere, Kondo spoke up.

"Everyone, calm down. It's good that Kunito can return to Japan. We have a hope of returning to Japan, so why are you getting so angry?"

"Yeah, it's wrong to complain to Kunito. We might have died without Kunito."

When Aizawa followed, I felt the hostility towards me ease.

Then the class president made a suggestion.

"Hey, why don't we write letters? Ken can transport objects, right?"

"Yeah, I can transport objects, but living things can't enter the shadow world."

"So, let's all write letters and let our families know we're safe!"

"I agree! I support Yui!"

"I agree too!"

"I also, I also, strongly agree!"

Thanks to the class president's suggestion, the tense atmosphere was dispelled, and Reinhardt dove back into the shadows.

"What should I write? If I write that I can use magic... they won't believe it, right?"

"Yeah, but we still have to write it, we have to!"

"Can they believe that goblins and lizardmen really exist?"

"Hey, why don't we send videos?"

When someone said this, the cafeteria fell silent.

"Yeah, videos. But, smartphones? The batteries must be dead."

"Kunito, go find my smartphone!"

"Mine too!"

"Mine too, please!"

"Wait... I'll go, wait here."

When we were accommodated in Lastock's garrison, all our belongings were taken away.

Of course, our smartphones and cell phones were collected together, and we were told they would be returned when we returned, but since we can't return, it's doubtful they intended to return them.

Besides, everyone was just intimidated by Reinhardt, and now they're using me as a messenger. Isn't that strange?

Well, I can't deny that I'm easy to use...

I dove into the shadows and moved to Lastock, and I called Fred, who was monitoring Camilla.

*Fred, how is Camilla?*

*She's working almost as usual... but she seems quite anxious...*

Camilla, who I had made believe I had turned her into a familiar, is concentrating on the Great Occurrence countermeasures and living as usual, but she seems anxious when she lets her guard down.

*She doesn't have much appetite... which seems to make her even more anxious...*

*Well, she has caused us a lot of pain, and she has caused a lot of trouble to people in our original world. She's not really a familiar, so she should suffer a little...*

*But, there's a risk of her collapsing from overwork...*

*If that happens, I'll heal her with healing magic and make her get back to work.*

After seeing the state of the school in Japan, my hostility towards Camilla has intensified.

*Kent-sama