Chapter 91

Kento handed over his smartphone and mobile phone to Takayama and watched as a method for their return was decided. When it seemed that dinner time had arrived, the guard team members gathered.

Well, it’s a bit strange to say, but I decided to join them for dinner as well.

The classmates who had been continuing their discussion also seemed to have decided to take a break and have dinner.

At the dinner table, I was asked by the class representative:

"Kento, aren’t you going to meet your parents?"

"Hmm… wouldn’t it be unfair if I went alone?"

"But, you could tell them that everyone is safe and get the school to know…"

"Hmm… wouldn’t it be better to wait until everyone’s letters and preparations are ready?"

"I wonder… If you want to do it, I won’t force you, but…"

To be honest, I’m scared to face my father and mother.

If you think about it normally, the reunion of a child who has been missing for months should be a touching one.

But, I can’t imagine a scene where I embrace my father and mother and celebrate the reunion.

Manon, who looked a bit anxious during the day, seemed to be enjoying herself now that I had firmly declared that I would live in Volzard.

By the way, I had completely forgotten to greet Manon’s family.

"Hey, Manon, do you live with just your mother?"

"No, I have a younger brother."

"Really? How much younger is he?"

"Hamil is four years younger, so he still has a long way to go before he starts looking for a job at the guild."

"Four years younger, that’s the same age as Meisa, right?"

"Is Hamil also aspiring to be an adventurer?"

"Hmm… Hamil has the same earth attribute as my father, but he wants to become a builder."

"Wow, that’s great… He’s really thinking about his future."

"I wonder… Maybe he just doesn’t like combat training and isn’t really serious about becoming a builder… If I were a boy with earth attribute aptitude, I would definitely aim to be an adventurer like my father…"

But, even with armor, being hit with a wooden sword still hurts.

If I hadn’t been noticed by Donovan, I probably wouldn’t have continued the guild’s combat training.

"Is Hamil a quiet type?"

"More like a twisted and lazy type? He’s just good at talking and is quite cheeky."

Manon is a bit air-headed, so I’d probably lose in a verbal spat.

"Next time… Can you introduce me to Manon’s family?"

"Ah, u-um, sure, but…"

"Especially, I need to get permission from Manon’s mother."

"Ah… Permission… Ah, ah?"

Manon turned bright red and started to fluster, but do they not do greetings when dating in this world?

"Um… Do you not do such greetings?"

"I-I don’t know… I’m not really familiar with such things…"

Ah, Manon’s eyes started to spin.

The class representative, who had been looking a bit envious, was also smiling wryly.

"Beatrix has already met both of Kento’s parents, so you should introduce her properly."

"S-Sure. If Yuka says so… Yeah, maybe on the next day of rest?"

"Sure, unless something major happens, let’s do it on that day."

"Got it, I’ll tell my mother."

Manon looked a bit embarrassed but also happy, while the class representative was smiling but looked a bit sad.

"Yuka, when you can return to Japan, introduce me to your parents."

"Sure, you should definitely greet them properly. ‘Please give me your daughter…’"

"Ugh… Got it…"

Yeah, greeting parents is embarrassing just to think about it.

Probably, Yuka’s parents will oppose and be angry, but since it’s the result of the choice I made, I need to take responsibility.

"Hey, I know that returning to Japan requires the power of Kunitaka, but can I just execute him quickly?"

"Go ahead, Yagi, I was thinking the same thing…"

While people were enjoying the sweet atmosphere, I heard some ominous voices.

"Stop it, or I’ll put a curse on you so you’ll never get a girlfriend."

"Akchan, you already can’t get one, so the curse is meaningless."

"What? I’ll have a cute cat-eared girlfriend someday…"

"Ah… I’ll tell Rikku…"

"Idiot! Stop it, that dog-eared guy has no sense of limits, don’t even joke about it."

"I know, I know, don’t say it… Is this a setup?"

"Idiot! I’m serious, please stop, I’m really asking you."

Since the凸凹シスターズ (Tōtatsu Sisters) might not be able to report, I should report to Gilik when I meet him, let’s do that.

While looking at Yagi and the others, I noticed Mr. Kato walking towards us with a serious expression.

By the way, I hadn’t reported to the teacher that I could return to Japan.

"Kunitaka! Is it true that you can return to Japan?"

"Yes, I tried shadow travel… surprisingly, it worked…"

"What was the situation at the school?"

"Yes, I only saw a little, but I was waiting for everyone…"

When I tried to tell Mr. Kato about the school, other teachers also appeared, so I waited for everyone to gather before speaking.

When I talked about the damaged school building and the bouquets of flowers placed at the memorial stand, not only the teachers but also the classmates who were listening became solemn.

"We thought we were so unlucky to be suddenly summoned to another world, but compared to those who were caught in the sudden collapse of the school building, we might have been fortunate…"

Mr. Oda’s comment reflected the thoughts of everyone who had been summoned and was in the cafeteria.

The teachers agreed with our idea of sending letters and videos, but in return, they asked us to report our current situation.

"Kunitaka, go home and report the current situation to your parents. If possible, inform the police and the board of education as well."

"But, will they believe me?"

"If they don’t believe you, use magic to show them and make them believe."

"Yes… um, should I go now…?"

"Please do!"

Since Mr. Oda said it firmly and the other teachers nodded, I had no choice but to go.

"Then… I’ll go home for a bit."

I felt a bit pressured by the expectant gazes of everyone and slipped into the shadow.

To be honest, going home is a heavy burden.

I don’t think they will be unhappy to see me return, but I’m very anxious about whether they will believe my story.

My home is on the third floor of an apartment building with an automatic lock. Since I lost my keys on the first day of the summoning when I was attacked by goblins, I decided to go directly to the entrance.

"Back… huh? What? What…?"

When I came out of the shadow to the entrance, something seemed off.

Instead of the usual overflow of brand-name shoes that my mother bought but rarely wore, and the many pairs of boots, there were no shoes at all in the entrance.

When I opened the built-in shoe cabinet, there were no shoes inside either.

"What? Did I go to the wrong room…?"

Thinking it would be rude to open the door without permission, I slipped back into the shadow and came out in the hallway.

"303 is the Hasegawa family, and next to it is… huh? 305 is the Mizumoto family, and next to it is… Why? Why is our nameplate missing?"

I slipped back into the shadow and entered the house.

The closet next to the entrance, which used to be filled with my mother’s brand-name items, was now empty.

On the other side of the short hallway, which should have been my room, the door opened to an empty room.

The living room, dining room, my parents’ bedroom, and my father’s study… everything was gone. The TV, refrigerator, table, sofa, bed… everything was missing.

In the living room, which was now strangely spacious, I sat down and couldn’t move.

"Mr. Kent…"

"Haha… Why… Why is everything gone… No one is here…"

No… Before the summoning, I was almost always alone at home. It was not uncommon for me to not see my father or mother for days.

After my grandmother passed away, my mother didn’t get up, so I ate breakfast alone and went to school. When I came home, my mother was usually out, and no one was there.

My living expenses were given to me in bulk by my father when he came home every few days, and I managed my own meals with that.

However, even though we didn’t see each other, my mother came home in the middle of the night, and I could sense that she was living there.

Now, it’s a genuine empty house with no sign of anyone living there.

"It’s only been a little over two months. It hasn’t even been three months since I was summoned… Why… Am I such an unwanted child… Ugh…"

"My lord, cheer up."

"I don’t want to be without my lord."

"I want to be with my lord too."

Malt, Mirt, and Murt came out of the shadow, rubbed against my cheeks, and licked my face.

"Thank you. I have all of you… Even if I can’t return to Japan, I have a place to return to in Volzard…"

"Mr. Kent, this might be a good opportunity. You should become independent."

"Huh… Independence?"

"Indeed. I do not know how you lived in this world, but from what I see, you were under the protection of your parents, were you not?"

"Yeah, that’s right. Economically, I depended on my father, and for household matters, I depended on my grandmother."

"From now on, you have decided to live in Volzard. You will soon become an S-rank adventurer. Shouldn’t you leave your parents’ arms and become independent?"

Reinhardt, who usually speaks lightly, advised me to become independent in a serious tone.

In Japan, I was just a useless child, but in Volzard, as Reinhardt said, I am recognized as a high-rank adventurer and have the economic power to support my classmates.

"But… Can I do it?"

"Independence is not a matter of whether you can or cannot. It is a matter of will. You are considerate of others, but you are not good at expressing your will strongly. It is important to show what you want and how you want to proceed, not just to follow the opinions of teachers and classmates. You cannot be recognized as an independent man if you are just a puppet of others."

Reinhardt is right. Recently, I have tended to leave decisions to others and just do what I can.

I need to respect others’ opinions but also think more about what I want and what I should do.

"Mr. Kent, as an S-rank adventurer, you will be envied by others. You will be the pillar of a family supporting three women. Show unwavering strength, even if you are criticized or kicked."

"Right… That’s true. It’s time to leave my parents."

To be honest, I am anxious about whether I can become independent.

But, the desire to become independent is rising from the bottom of my heart, surpassing that anxiety.

And, perhaps because I am thinking about independence, the feeling of being abandoned by my parents is fading.

Although it was a bit different from a normal family, I have lived without lacking in food, clothing, and shelter. I should be grateful to my parents for that.

"Alright, let’s move. Sitting here is a waste of time. I’ll go to the police, but since there are no monsters in this world,