Chapter 99

To cut to the chase, it turns out that Reinhardt really went overboard.

When he found out that his former master, Artur, had survived and grown to be called a wise king, I thought his emotions would be heightened.

"Good morning! Sir Kent, the embankment work in Lastock is almost complete, except for the part that needs to be solidified with earth magic. Hahaha, when we put our minds to it, it's a piece of cake. Hahaha, hahaha, hahaha!"

The knights and residents of Lastock had only managed to complete about 30% of the work in three days, but Reinhardt finished about twice as much work in one night.

I kind of want to see how Camilla will explain it to the knights.

"Well, Sir Kent, what should we do next?"

"Hmm... I'll have Camilla make a plan later, so we'll continue from there... By the way, it's not even morning yet, is it?"

"That's right. But I wanted to inform you as soon as possible, so I hurried back."

"Got it. By the way, Reinhardt, you're covered in mud... don't come out of your room until you take a bath."

"Understood. I'll go take a bath. Hahaha, hahaha..."

Yeah, he's way too hyped up before dawn... I can't keep up.

I'm glad Reinhardt couldn't speak.

If he talked in such a high-energy way, even someone like Meisa, who's a morning grump, would wake up.

I'll get a bit more sleep for now.

The day after recording messages from my classmates is a day of rest, so the guild and school are closed.

However, many stores are open to take advantage of the holiday customers and take their day off on the Dark Day instead.

The inn where I'm staying, Amanda's restaurant, is also open as usual today.

"Hey, Meisa! How long are you going to sleep? I'll skip your breakfast!"

"Mmm... No, I want to eat... I'm up already..."

This morning, Meisa was using my pillow to sleep until morning again.

If I were still in Japan, I would have been soft and squishy, but since coming to Volzard, I've lost all my excess fat and I think I'm too hard to be a pillow.

Almost every morning, I wake up to find myself being used as a pillow.

Well, as long as she doesn't drool, it's fine, I guess.

"Good morning, Meisa."

"Mmm... Kent? Good morning..."

She does respond to my greeting, but I doubt she remembers it.

Well, I'll get up, finish breakfast, and work hard for the day.

"Good morning, Amanda."

"Ah, good morning, Kent. You're going to be busy today, right?"

"Yes, I'll deliver the data I filmed yesterday, and then... a bit more."

"Filming? Data? What's that?"

"Ah, right... Well, in my world, there's a device that can record what you see."

"Does it draw pictures on its own?"

"Well... I think I can show you the real thing eventually, but it records moving images more faithfully than drawings."

"Can pictures move? That sounds mysterious..."

It's hard to explain video to someone who hasn't seen TV or movies.

It's probably better to show them the real thing.

I should get a tablet for playback and some batteries.

Before going to the investigation headquarters, I'll film the streets of Volzard.

After filming the castle walls and gates from the side of the Demon Forest, I'll move to the top of the wall.

On the Rest Day, the top of the wall is a dating spot for couples, but it's not yet a pink space because it's still early in the morning.

While walking on the top of the wall, I also filmed the grounds of the guard, the guild building, and the lord's mansion.

Thinking that the prime minister will also see this video, it feels a bit embarrassing to add narration for the explanation.

This time, I filmed a total of eight memory cards.

The footage of the school building and the capital, the messages from everyone, one card per class for a total of six, and the footage of Volzard.

I decided to put them in envelopes with a description of the content and submit them.

In a corner of the investigation headquarters, there was a charger for the video camera's batteries.

After setting the used and drained batteries, I walked to Sato's desk.

"Good morning, Sato. I'm sorry to bother you on your day off."

"Huh? Are you jet-lagged, Kuni? Today is Wednesday."

"Ah, right, the number of days in a week is different between Japan and Volzard."

"From the look of it, it seems to be a holiday in your world."

"Yes, in Volzard, a week has eight days, and today is the Rest Day, which is a holiday."

"Sorry to trouble you on your day off."

"No, I wanted the families to see everyone's lively appearance as soon as possible, so here are the memory cards I filmed."

"Hmm, you've already recorded messages from everyone. I appreciate it. These are the school building, the capital, and Volzard, the city where everyone is staying."

Sato nodded, confirming the writing on the envelope.

"The school building was filmed at dusk, so if you need it, I can film it again during the day."

"Alright, let me take a look."

Sato connected the memory card to the card reader of the computer and opened the recorded file.

I also looked at the computer screen from the side.

"Indeed, it looks like the school building. However, it's a strange sight to see it in the middle of such a wasteland."

"This was filmed from a distance. This area is leveled and has the remains of a magic circle."

"Ah, I see, you're destroying it later."

"Yes, that's right. This blackish substance is the remains of the magic stones used to draw the magic circle."

I was asked to film the school building again during the day.

When the view of the capital came up, Sato was also captivated by the screen.

"Wow... This is an amazing view. It would be a world heritage site on Earth."

"Yes, I thought so while filming."

The capital of Aldaros is magnificent, with a row of houses with red roofs and white walls, all made of the same solidified earth.

The contrast between the neatly divided noble district and government area and the intricate streets of the commercial and industrial district and the commoner's residential area is vivid.

"I think this is intentionally made into a tangled city to make it difficult for enemies to attack."

"Ah, I see..."

I realized this when Sato pointed it out, but there is no straight path to the castle, and you have to turn left or right after hitting a water ditch to reach the center.

"This would cause a big stir among historians. No, this is a good video. You can tell at a glance that such a city does not exist on Earth. After all, there are no utility poles, power lines, or cars in sight."

Sato also confirmed the video of Volzard and seemed to have a similar impression.

"Then, I will send this video to the relevant parties for confirmation and decide on the appropriate response. If you need to take action, Kuni, we'll let you know."

"Then, is it okay if I come by once a day until then?"

"Sure, that would be great."

I also asked for a playback tablet and batteries and returned to Volzard.

I bought cookies at the Hen House and went back to my boarding house to change into my best clothes for the dinner invitation.

Today, I have an appointment to visit Manon's house.

I will meet Manon's mother and younger brother for the first time, and I haven't had much time to talk with Manon recently, so I'm quite nervous.

Manon asked me to come around a little before noon, so I calculated the time and used shadow travel to get near her house, then walked from there.

The area where Manon's house is located has no stores or factories and feels like a typical residential neighborhood.

As Herman, who is rebuilding Marcel's shop, said, the buildings in Volzard have standard heights and widths, and the houses standing in a row are almost the same size.

It reminds me of the row houses that were sold all at once in Tokyo.

Still, each house has differences in the color and shape of the roof, exterior, and window frames, and they seem to enjoy decorating by highlighting these differences.

Manon's house is a two-story detached house, similar to the surrounding houses, but it appears to be about twice the size of a Japanese row house.

The walls are a light beige, and the doors and window frames are a reddish brown.

The house faces south, and there is a balcony on the second floor where laundry and futons are hung.

I stood in front of the door, took a deep breath several times, and just as I was about to knock, a voice came from the balcony.

"Take this!"

Reacting instinctively, I saw water flying towards me from a bucket.

I quickly put up a dark shield to prevent the water from hitting my head, but it splashed around and hit the hem of my pants.

"What... What's this! That's cheating, you damn...!"

After scolding me one-sidedly, the green-haired boy who poured the water disappeared into the depths of the balcony.

He must be Manon's younger brother, Hamil, I guess.

I thought he would be somewhat... but it seems he is not as welcoming as I expected.

However, this has made my resolve stronger.

I may not be accepted at first, but I will work hard to make it clear that I am serious about dating Manon.

With this determination, I knocked on the door, and I heard a bouncing sound.

"Welcome, Kent!"

"Hello, Manon. I'm here to visit."

"Sure, come in."

Today, Manon is wearing a dark green, loose skirt and a wine-colored blouse, a girl-like outfit with an autumn feel.

"Does it... not suit you?"

"No, it suits you. You look very cute."

"Oh, thank you..."

Manon's blushing and smiling cutely made me want to hug her and step closer, but then a woman appeared from the back.

"Oh, welcome. You must be Kent. Oh, Kent, that's such a childish name. I think it's better to call you Kent-san. Well, well, so... you are... well, well..."

"Mom, it's rude to stare like that."

"Hello, I'm Kent. Here, please enjoy these cookies."

"Oh, you didn't have to go to so much trouble... I'm Manon's mother, Noela. Nice to meet you... though it doesn't feel like it's the first time, since Manon always talks about you..."

"Mom! It's rude to talk here like this."

"Oh, you're right. Let's go inside, shall we?"

Manon's mother, Noela, has bright green hair and a plump, petite figure, and at first glance, she looks like a young raccoon.

From my first impression, she seems to be a bright and talkative person.

And a boy who is staring intently from the top of the stairs looks a lot like Noela.

Manon probably takes after her father, and her younger brother Hamil takes after his mother.

"Cookies won't fool me!"

"Hey, Hamil, what are you saying? Come down and greet him."

"Hmph, no way..."

The way he disappeared reminded me of a young raccoon hiding in its den.

"Sorry, Kent, he's really cheeky..."

"It's okay, I think he's probably worried about losing his sister."

"Is that so... Usually, he tells me to get married quickly."

I was led to the living room and sat across the table from Noela.

Manon is sitting next to me.

Noela is smiling now, but if I tell her that I'm dating other girls and want to marry all of them, her expression will surely change.

But since I decided and chose this path, I have to tell her.

"Ah, to be honest, I came today to ask for your permission to date Manon."

"Oh, how polite. I'm all for it."

"Well, the thing is... actually, besides Manon... there are others..."

"I know, Beatrice and Yuka, right? I've seen Beatrice since she was little, and she's a lovely and well-mannered girl. And Yuka is also a wonderful person, as Man