Outbreak Company - Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 1

Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It

Everything in my sight was dyed in the color of the sinking sun.

The slowly darkening scenery looked like an old, faded photo, evoking a strange feeling of nostalgia in me.

Like the feeling one has for something previously lost, something that one’s hands can no longer reach, this sense of deep yearning——this sense of nostalgia that is constricting my chest is welling up inside me. For no reason, in contrast to the impatience that was building up, I was seeing everything in slow motion, making me feel like this moment was going to continue for eternity...... Such ridiculous thoughts were running in some corner inside my head.

“...... I love you.”

This was a usual, regular confession scene.

Inside the school building dyed with madder red, the two of us were facing each other.

There was nobody else around. Standing still, our shadows stretched long on the ground.

The voices and sound of the baseball club members’ practice in the schoolyard sounded......kind of far away. Aside from the two of us, everything else felt unreal, like they were part of the backdrop of a play. Rather, it was as if we were the only ones left behind in this never-ending world of twilight. In this strange atmosphere, I was struggling.

“Please go out with me.”

These were straightforward words of courtship.

They were the embodiment of my determination.

If I did not tell her my feelings and locked them up inside my own chest, then we could continue having the relationship that we’ve always had. It was a familiar relationship with a comfortably ambiguous distance. It would be only natural to leave things as they were for fear of losing everything.

However, that would merely be an endless state of stagnation.

Feelings are alive. If you shut them in for too long, they will eventually die.

“......”

The words that were released with all of my resolve dissolved into the silence.

The girl blinked twice, then thrice.

After that, the girl——

“No way.”

answered thus.

.............................. Eh?

“Just now......what did you say?”

“I said, ‘No way.’”

Towards to my question, which had been delivered in a trembling voice, the girl responded in an indifferent tone.

Then, as if to make doubly sure, she continued to speak, as if to drive home the killing blow.

“I have no intention of going out with Shin-chan.”

“............!”

I moaned while feeling like all the blood in my body was flowing in reverse.

The unimaginable refusal. The unimaginable failure.

I had strongly believed that she would accept my confession.

The two of us were childhood friends. As we lived close to each other, our families were well acquainted with each other, and the two of us knew each other well ever since we were small. I had confessed while thinking that I understood her better than anyone else. It’s a policy of mine to not make bets with poor prospects.

“Eh......but......”

I shamelessly pressed on doggedly.

A different me inside some corner of my head whispered to me that this was unsightly. Even now, I could make it in time. The voice warned me that if I laugh it off like “Ahaha, I know right, that was a joke, just a joke,” then the wound would not get exacerbated. At least, if I settle this as a joke——even tomorrow, I can continue being this childhood friend’s classmate, and everything can be resolved without any awkward feelings.

However, my lingering affection pushed my back.

I tumbled down the path towards the more disastrous ending.

“How come......?”

Was it because I was not hot?

Was it because my grades weren’t exemplary?

Was it because my athletic reflexes were dull?

Was it because——

Worthless conjectures spun inside my head in circles.

“That’s because......”

The girl blinked her eyes in surprise.

She looked completely surprised. Almost as if she wanted to ask “By this time, why would you even need to ask this?”. I was so lovestruck that I even thought that expression on her face was lovely.

Then——

“Shin-chan is an otaku.”

——So she said.

♦♦♦♦

When I opened my eyes, my everyday ended.

And that was without any notification either——in two, three different meanings of the word.

(T/N: The word 断りもなく here can mean ‘nothing notifying him about his dream ending,’ ‘his everyday life being over without any warning’ (ie. cus he got rejected), or simply ‘he got rejected without any warning.’)

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH BEING AN OTAKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!”

I woke up due to my own shout.

“............”

In about the time it took for me to blink three times, I loosened all the muscles in my body, which had gotten stiff.

It wasn’t like today was the only day with a bad dream, but due to having shouted with all my strength......my head somehow hurts. It felt like a large lump of lead had been embedded inside my brain.

“It was a dream, huh......”

Despite the incident having occurred more than a year ago, the recollection dreams were still as vivid as something that had happened yesterday.

On the other hand......it was as if some fragment of the dream was still entwined around my consciousness, causing my mind to be unable to turn. It felt terribly troublesome to think about anything.

Still in a face up position, I absentmindedly looked straight upwards.

What I saw there was——

“......An unfamiliar, ceiling......?”

On the spur of the moment, I plagiarized a line from episode 2 of that famous anime. Even I think I’m a pretty sinful otaku myself, but let’s put that aside for now.

(T/N: He’s referring to Evangelion, btw. The title of ep 2.)

I wasn’t joking though. The ceiling over my head really was an unfamiliar ceiling that I’d never seen before.

More like, it feels strangely close. Or strangely low.

“......Where......is this?”

What was being reflected in my eyes was not the ceiling that I had seen so much of to almost get tired of.

More like, if this was my room, then what I should be seeing is a ceiling graced by a life-sized poster of Madoka, the heroine from the masterpiece magical girl anime『Rental☆Madoka』, towards whom I hold everlasting love for. But on the ceiling that I’m currently staring at, the bright smile of the magical girl who continued working hard without losing sight of hope despite having been hired by a black employment agency was nowhere to be seen.

In its stead, what was being reflected in my eyes were some engravings of strangely elaborate design.

More like......in the first place, this is not the ceiling of my room.

This ceiling was not flat, but rather a sloping depression similar to a hemisphere. Furthermore, all four corners were supported by four fine pillars that rose from the edge of the bed that I was currently lying on.

This must be a bed with a canopy.

Indeed. This is one of those devices used in anime and manga and games and light novels as a symbol to indicate a『rich』character. A commoner like myself who wasn’t part of such a work should not have the opportunity to even set eyes on such an article.

Such a high-class furniture, added to the fact that I was sleeping in it.

How come? Holding such a question in mind, I raised my body.

When I looked around......I saw a strangely spacious Western-styled room.

As for its size, it was roughly three times the size of my own room——around 20 tatami, then. (T/N: About 348.7 square feet.) However, there was almost no furniture. It was almost a waste of space how the large canopy bed was ostentatiously placed right in the center of the room. The room was dim apparently because of the heavy curtains covering the windows. However, there was a crack that allowed some white light to shine through, which prevented the room from being covered in total darkness.

“......Seriously. Where the heck is this?!”

I muttered to myself in a groan.

In contrast to the lack of furniture, the wallpaper was decorated with very detailed patterns, the curtains were embroidered, and detailed craftsmanship could be seen on the window frame and the pillars jutting out slightly from the walls. On the wall were lamps decorated with an incomparable amount of ornamentation.

Every single article were things that I had only ever seen in anime and manga and games and light novels. Everything gave off the feeling of a traditional Western-styled residence. To speak plainly, this was a『Western mansion』.

That’s why......there must be......

Having stood so still as to almost fade into being a part of the scenery inside the room caused me to be late in noticing that existence.

“——?!”

My gaze accidentally swept too far to the side, so I hastily turned my head back.

That humanoid silhouette standing close to the wall.

“M............”

In the instant of realization, fireworks ran through my brain.

That was......

Black one-piece.

White apron decorated with frills.

A headpiece similarly decorated with frills.

In addition, a collar adorned with a dark red ribbon with a jade green clasp.

Ahhhh, that is......that is!

That moe trope that appears again and again in games and anime and manga and light novels that so many people love! That costume that, despite having a relatively low amount of skin exposure, has managed to cause so many people to go crazy with moe that it has been nicknamed the『Wearable Aphrodisiac』!

That was unmistakably——

“MAID-SAN キタ————!!!!!!”

(T/N: キタ is read ‘kita.’ It means ‘it’s here,’ but watch this to fully understand the feelings packed into these two simple characters.)

“......?!”

Reflexively, I tightly gripped my hands into fists and shouted out loud in excitement, but it seems to have caused the maid-san standing next to the wall to start trembling.

More like......I’m getting the feeling that she had been taking refuge against the wall to put distance between the two of us in the first place. Well, if a sleeping person suddenly shouts out loud, then anyone would draw back.

But really, to think that the day would come when I would have the honor of beholding, with my own two eyes, a 3D, real life maid-san!

“Oou......”

I was so very deeply moved.

Those who would say “But there are maid cafés, aren’t there?” are mere amateurs.

The so-called ‘maids’ at maid cafés are mere cosplayers, mere fakes, and mere pretenders. The true meaning of being a maid-san cannot be found in those places. Those girls are mere imitations——inside, they’re normal high school or university students. In other words, of the three elements necessary to reach the highest mysteries of the maid-san way—heart, technique, and physique—the most important one, ‘heart,’ is missing!

However, the maid-san currently in front of my eyes did indeed possess it.

I can tell. There’s no deceiving my eyes......!

More like, when you compare someone who’s wearing the costume as a cosplay against someone who wears the costume as a part of everyday life, the difference is obvious. This girl’s body was completely accustomed to the maid clothes that she was wearing.

Furthermore, when I took a second look, I realized that she was not a Japanese.

I couldn’t see the exact colors because the room was dim, but I was at least sure that she did not have black hair or black eyes.

Her long hair was in twintails, which meant that it was tied up and hanging down from a pretty high position behind her head on both sides. Her large eyes looked like she was perplexed——or rather, like she was scared, and were blinking furiously. Even with the dim lighting, I could see that she had white skin as smooth as porcelain, and that her facial features were prominent without being showy——she was the very image of ‘neat, trim, and sweetly cute.’ Her neat and trim side was further accentuated by her slight plainness, making her a good example of how even plainness could be inverted into a plus.

(T/N: The actual word used to describe her was 清楚可憐, which is read as ‘seiso karen.’ Seiso means ‘neat, clean, tidy, and trim.’ Karen means ‘touchingly lovely, sweet (the way young girls and flowers blooming are sweet), and cute.’ This four-character word embodies the quintessential Japanese idea of a perfect Japanese lady.)

Her age looks to be similar to my own——in other words, somewhere in her late teens.

And from what I can see, her body, which was concealed under her maid clothes, appeared slender and delicate.

‘She looks like she would snap if she was hugged too hard’ is a description often used for slender women, but——this girl truly looked like if I carelessly approached her the wrong way, she would get hurt, as if she was a delicate piece of glasswork.

She was almost perfect. If I was to give a score as a judge that grades maids, I would be fine with giving her 90 points. By the way, I would give her the remaining 10 points on the spot if she was holding a broom. The broom is a definitive item for any maid-san. It’s on the same level as the club is for all oni. Without it, it is as if the critical final touch is missing.

But well, let’s put that aside for now.

The maid girl who was pressed against the wall spoke up in a voice trembling with fear.

“......Re......Retosamu?”

What? What did she say?

“E......Efasu, uoi, era, retosamu?”

Seeing me stare at her in a stupor, the maid girl was repeating her question——I think. Her sentence ended with a rising tone, so I think it was a question. That’s all I understood, though.

It was undoubtedly not Japanese. Based on the pronunciation, it’s not English either. Exactly what language is it? It did not sound like German nor French nor Chinese either.

In any case, I hadn’t the faintest idea what she just said.

“This is problematic......”

I muttered to myself.

I was finally blessed with the opportunity to get closer to a real, living, 3D maid girl, but if it’s like this, then we can’t even make small talk......!

I know, I know.

Some people without dreams might be shouting “Before that, ‘Where am I?’ and other such questions should be your first priority!” at me. However, that is such a boorish and unsophisticated thing to say. This is an encounter where I can become closer to a moe character, a feat only possible in the 3D domain, through the interface called ‘reality.’ When faced with such a situation, which is so rare that it can even be called a miracle, one has to keep in mind the idiom ‘lose a fly to catch a trout.’ Small sacrifice for a great cause.

“Retosamu......”

The maid girl sounded at a loss too.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one feeling bothered about the fact that we can’t understand each other’s words.

“——!”

Abruptly, she looked like she had just realized something and nodded to herself, after which she began to hastily pat her maid clothes all over. For a second, I wondered what she was doing, but......clearly, she was looking for something that was supposed to be in her clothes.

“Sou, tei!”

The maid girl suddenly smiled brightly, then took out some sort of box from one of her pockets.

She timidly made her way towards me, opened the box from the middle like it was a shellfish, then showed me what was inside.

It was a small——silver-colored ring.

“Eh? What’s this?”

From what I can see, the ring was somewhat on the large side, and gave off a ceremonious feeling——there were tiny letters etched onto its surface.

It seemed like a『magical ring』, one of those things that always come up in manga and anime and games.

Again, I wonder what kind of letters were those. It wasn’t the English alphabet, and of course, neither was it kanji nor kana. I’ve also seen the Hebrew alphabet, like aleph and zayin, appear in games and anime of the fantasy genre, but that wasn’t it either.

“Retosamu, regunifu, ruoi, shisu, ete, tsupu.”

So saying, the maid girl held it out to me——then stopped moving, staying in that pose and staring straight at me.

Was she perhaps telling me to put it on.

But from my point of view, it looked like a very questionable item——I couldn’t help but to hesitate. It gave me an uneasy feeling. The moment I put it on, my magical power would be controlled, or something similar happening was a common plot device. Well, I knew that there wasn’t a magical ring like that in real life, though.

At that moment——

“Retosamu.”

The maid girl showed me her own hand.

A ring that looked exactly the same——a ring with the same design, as far as I can determine, was on the ring finger on her left hand. She took off that ring, exchanged it with the one that she had been offering me before, then showed me herself putting it onto the same finger.

What is this.

It was as if it was poison tasting...... She was probably trying to demonstrate to me that it was alright to put on the ring through the exchange.

But like this, now it feels like we’re getting engaged or married, so I feel a little bashful.

I gained another reason to hesitate, out of character though it was.

“......Retosamu?”

An anxious expression appeared on her white face as she called out to me again.

Nuwa......She’s so cute! But her cuteness only makes me feel that much more guilty!

The maid girl looked troubled at the fact that I wasn’t making any move to put on the ring.

“Aah dammit...... Fine.”

I, too, am a man. And furthermore, also an otaku.

When a maid girl that fits my ideals so perfectly is making an appeal with such sad-looking eyes, there was no way I could ever decline. Having had my fill of kyun kyun moe, my heart was urging me to quickly put on that ring.

“Here goes......”

I fearfully put the ring onto my own ring finger. There was no flash of light nor any hair-raising sounds, nor did the ring suddenly change shape and dig into my finger...... It slid on without any resistance and merely settled into place.

“Is this what you wanted?”

When I asked this, the next moment——

“Yes! With this, we can finally understand each other, Danna-sama.”
(Sei, shisu! Moufu, donatosuredonu, uoi, naku, retosamu.)

“Nuwa?!”

I unconsciously shouted in surprise.

It was because I had suddenly become able to understand the maid girl’s words.

Furthermore, it wasn’t because the girl was speaking in Japanese. She herself was still speaking in whatever tongue it is that she’s using, but something like multiplex broadcasting or simultaneous interpretation was occurring, so that inside my head I’m hearing the Japanese meaning of what she’s saying superimposing over her actual words.

(T/N: Multiplex broadcasting means transferring different videos and audio channels simultaneously over the same frequency channel.)

How exactly is this happening?

Actually, never mind. Let’s put that aside for now. More importantly, what did the girl just say?

『Danna-sama』? Who’s that? Me?

(T/N: For those who don’t know, Danna is one way to call ‘Master’ in Japanese. -sama is a suffix added to indicate respect. It is my policy to leave monikers and suffixes untranslated, as different characters use different things and you can tell who is speaking through those differences.)

“Oou......!”

I was so deeply moved that I couldn’t help looking up towards the ceiling and sighing blissfully.

『旦那様』!  だんなさま!  ダンナサマ!  DANNASAMA——! Listen to this sweet sound! When a maid calls her master, the standard is to use『Goshujin-sama』, but being called『Danna-sama』has its own charm and I love it!

(T/N: Yes, he says ‘Danna-sama’ four times. First in kanji, then in hiragana, then in katakana, then finally in English. All four are read the exact same way.)

Ahhh. To think that the day would come when I get to be called『Danna-sama』by a maid girl.

I’m so glad to be alive. More like, if a time machine exists, then I want to go back to the me from a year ago and tell him that “It’s a great thing that you’re alive. As long as you’re alive, the day will come when a maid-san will call you『Danna-sama』!”

......And things like that.

I was thoroughly savoring this happiness, but now that things had progressed to this point, I could no longer ignore the baffling situation in which I had found myself.

Exactly what had happened and how did it happen?

Where was this place, who is this girl, and why am I in such a situation?

“Mumu......”

Due to a dull pain, my brain cells felt very reluctant to begin moving properly, but I mentally rebuked them while trying to trace my memory back.

I believe I had been in Akiba for a job interview.

In the middle of the interview, there had been a small break time. There had been a drink dispensing machine in the interview room, from which I had taken a cup of oolong tea that I had promptly drunk.

As for any memories after that...... my mind was blank.

Hmm? These memories completely don’t match up with my current situation, though.

“............Danna-sama?”

Seeing me freeze up, the maid girl called out to me in a puzzled voice.

I still don’t understand the exact words that she was saying, but even I could tell that the “retosamu” that she had repeated so many times earlier means『Danna-sama』.

“I’m fine. Umm......”

I turned towards the maid girl and spoke to her.

“Sorry, may I ask you something?”

“Of course. Anything you’d like.”

Perhaps due to the fact that we can finally communicate, she nodded with a happy expression that also seemed slightly relieved.

“For starters, who are you? What’s your name?”

“Miusel——My name is Miusel Foalan.”

She answered with a cute bow of her head.

“......Miusel.”

It’s a cute name. It suits her really well.

Mistaking my mutter to myself as me calling her name, she responded with “Yes?”

“Ummm, what is your position here?”

I had been savoring this trance-like happiness for a while, but even I was not a hopeless enough idiot that when I’m suddenly called『Danna-sama』I would go『Oh I see, so I’m a Danna-sama』and be satisfied with that. Without any context, there was no way that I would have a maid girl waiting on me.

“From this day forth, I have been entrusted with taking care of Danna-sama’s everyday life.”

“No, I mean......’Danna-sama’? Who are you referring to?”

“......Eh?”

My question caused her to blink in surprise.

“Ah......Did you perhaps wish to be addressed in some other way?”

Miusel lowered her head, looking very sorry.

“Kanou Shinichi-sama......”

Kanou Shinichi.

Indeed, that is my name.

In other words, the ‘Danna-sama’ that this girl is talking about equals me......!

“I, I am the ‘Danna-sama’......?”

“Yes.”

She tilted her head quizzically, as if to ask, “By this time, why are you asking something like this?”

I don’t get it. What on earth is this situation?!

“Ummm——”

Well alright, let’s put aside the issue of why I’m a Danna-sama for now.

I decided to change the topic of conversation to where this place was instead.

When I traced my memories back, I remember that I was in the middle of job hunting in the sacred land for otakus, Akihabara——and that was where my memory suddenly cuts off. Wherever this place is, if I’m not suffering from memory loss or multiple-personality disorder, then I did not come here by my own will.

“Where......is this place?”

“Inside the Ratatos Forest on the outskirts of Marinos, the capital city of the Holy Eldant Empire.”

So answered Miusel——or not.

“......?”

When I turned towards where the voice had come from, I saw a single lady standing there.

It was a young lady wearing a dark green colored uniform——no, a military uniform.

Well, I say military uniform, but it wasn’t combat gear, and seemed more like what a person would wear normally at a workplace——the JSDF’s so-called『service uniform』. Up above was a jacket, and below was a tight skirt. On her collar were the characteristic rank insignias and medals indicating her occupational category. She also had on a necktie.

However......above anything else, what first drew my eyes was the place with a lot of cloth.

To put it frankly, it was her breasts.

(H......Huge!)

Their overwhelming presence overshadowed her necktie and her medals and her rank insignias.

These two huge, huge mounds......!

Probably F——no, they look to be G. Magnificent. Uniforms are known for being costumes with a high concealing attribute, but in this case, even her uniform could not conceal those ripe, heavily laden white peaches. Despite the efforts at concealment, the sense of volume that could not be concealed struck me down in an instant. To think that such large breasts truly exist! So the photos of idols are not all Photoshopped?! Amazing, Laputa was real after all! (Due to the excessive stimulation, I became a bit incoherent.)

“......Are you alright?”

Towards the me whose gaze was almost strong enough to bore a hole through her breasts——that lady called out to me in a dubious voice.

“Are you listening to me? Kanou Shinichi-kun?”

“Eh? Ah——yes.”

As one could expect, even I would come back to my senses when called by name. I severed my lingering affections and stopped staring——after expending an enormous amount of willpower, I was finally successful in raising my line of vision towards the other person’s face.

Although my eyes had automatically turned towards her breasts, her face also turned out to be quite beautiful.

She appeared to be in her early twenties.

Short hair. Wait, no——guessing by the fact that there were no hair ends around her collar, although a first glance from the front might give the impression that she has short hair, her hair was most likely actually tied up behind her head in a chignon style or something similar.

The presentation of her clothing was very orderly, and she herself seemed to be giving off a faint feeling of having a chink in her guard......a feminine softness could be felt from her facial structure. The fact that she was wearing glasses only served to further mellow her appearance, giving an overall round and gentle impression.

She could be said to be one of those kind, healing-type onee-san characters.

Both her way of speaking and her expressions gave off a relaxed atmosphere.

Despite all that——what she was wearing was a military uniform after all.

By the way, in contrast to Miusel, this lady was properly speaking Japanese, and her looks were clearly East Asian, so most likely, she was a member of the JSDF——more specifically, she probably belonged to the Women’s Army Corps, or WAC for short.

“I understand why you’d feel surprised.”

The lady smiled gently while saying so.

“But before anything else, first calm down. Otherwise, from here onwards——it might be difficult to last.”

(T/N: The last part had no subject. She was saying that he won’t last, but he thought she was saying that her breasts won’t last.)

“Is......Is that so?”

I was so shocked that my expression involuntarily stiffened up.

“I see......Won’t last, huh......I’d heard that it was easy to sag, but......Understood, I’ll calm down. I’ll be calm, you can bet on it. If by calming down, I am able to preserve those treasures of all humanity, then I’ll calm down as much as you need! Leave it to me!”

I gripped both of my hands into fists and spoke with great vigor.

But to think that I can help prevent her breasts from sagging just by calming down, I wonder exactly how does that work? Did I have such a hidden superpower? The name of the superpower would be『The Buster』(T/N: ‘The Buster’ is the provided rubii reading; the kanji itself reads as “The Emergency Savior of Breasts.” It’s ‘Buster’ because ‘bust’ = ‘breasts.’). This superpower enables me to prevent girls’ breasts from sagging when I calm down and concentrate!

“......Errr, Kanou Shinichi-kun?”

A dubious color seemed to be slipping into the WAC’s smile.

“It seems that some sort of misunderstanding might be happening here, but......By “easy to sag”......What are you talking about?”

“Eh? Weren’t we talking about your boobs?”

“............”

The WAC’s smile froze.

As if she had a Stop button that was pressed, she continued looking at me with a smile that remained unwavering to the point of being unnatural——

“First of all, I believe I should introduce myself.”

The lady once again adopted an easy-going smile, forcibly changing the topic of the conversation back to the proper track.

It seems that she was going to act as if the exchange about breasts had never taken place. As expected of a government employee. Her ability to ignore things was first-class indeed.

“My name is Koganuma Minori.”

She placed her white gloved hands onto her abundant breasts.

Just that alone was enough to slightly change the shape of her breasts. Uwah. Looks really soft.

“I’m a Private First Class belonging to the 1st Division of the Ground Self-Defense Force Eastern Army. My mission is to be your escort.”

So said the JSDF lady, or rather, Koganumi Minori-san.

The family name ‘Koganuma’ sounds a bit too stiff, so I’m going to decide here and now to call her ‘Minori-san’ inside my mind............................................................Wait a second.

“ESCORT?!”

A terrifying word was suddenly brought up.

If I was assigned an escort, then there must be a threat to protect me from. In other words, I am in a position where I am being exposed to some sort of threat.

“E-e-e-exactly, what from?!”

I don’t remember having anyone who would come after my life.

I don’t think I do, but——never knowing when you’ve inadvertently earned someone else’s resentment is part of what it means to be human.

Could it be that someone grew to hate me to the point of wanting to kill me after our bidding war over that bishoujo figure on Yahoo Auction?

“That can’t be! ......I admit that I did continuously make some pretty outrageous bids right before the end of the auction closing time, but, but, Kuuko is a such a rare gem that I would even sell my soul to get my hands on her figure and she even has cast-off clothes and the degree of reproduction of her breasts was said to be absolutely perfect and if I didn’t get my hands on her I’d regret it for the rest of my life——”

“I’ll say this again, but calm down! More like, what are you even talking about?”

Minori-san inquired while knitting her eyebrows.

“......Isn’t someone who lost to me in a bidding war for a figure targeting my life?”

“There’s no way the JDSF would be tasked with your protection for something like that!”

“‘Something like that’?! It’s the limited edition Kuuko figure, I’ll have you know! Although it’s true that she’s not the main heroine, and she doesn’t have large breasts like Minori-san does, but she has her own virtues!”

“......Why are my breasts brought up in this conversation?!”

Minori-san replied while grasping her breasts with both hands, as if to cover them up.

Such an action is only serving to emphasize how large her breasts are, but is she not aware of that? This person.

“Anyways. If it’s something related to crime, then it would be the jurisdiction of the police, wouldn’t it.”

“......That’s true. But if that’s the case, then why......?”

In the first place, if one were to talk about what the JSDF fights against, then that’d be foreign troops or calamities or Godzilla.

I can’t really think of any situation that would require the JSDF to protect a single civilian.

“My escort mission is just a precaution, really. If there’s a clear and imminent threat, rather than just a single WAC like me, they’d be sending entire squads of JSDF members decked out in full combat gear to your side, right?”

“I see your point, but......”

The very fact that a JSDF member was suddenly dispatched without providing any explanation was already unnatural.

“We do feel sorry about suddenly bringing you along without providing any explanation. But it was because several things related to highly classified information was involved. That’s why we had to take such high-handed measures. We are truly sorry for that..”

“Classified information?!”

More terrifying words were coming up.

‘Classified information’ is one of those ultra-alarming words that causes people to die left and right like it’s the most natural thing in the word. Furthermore, the fact that the JSDF was involved naturally means that it’s a national secret or something similar. Most likely, it was on a completely different dimension from some mere corporate secret.

No, wait a second. Before any of that, she just said “bringing you along,” didn’t she. In other words, it was the JSDF that had kidnapped me and brought me to this incomprehensible place?

“No way......”

I trembled with fear at the realization of my current position.

“I got infected by a developmental bacteriological weapon and as a result turned into a mutant soldier that had awakened to newfound superpowers, and am therefore being targeted as a living military secret?!”

“......What on earth are you talking about?”

“Or perhaps a spaceship with super-technology fell from space and its control system took the form of a bishoujo and chose me from among all humankind and wishes to form a contract with me?”

“............”

“Or a three thousand-year seal came undone, allowing the resurrection of a demon lord, but the sole tribe capable of resealing it has been long extinct, so the country used all available resources and identified me as the person whose blood that is the closest to what that tribe had?”

“............”

Minori-san remained silent.

Although she was maintaining the warm smile on her face, I feel like her eyes alone are growing colder and colder by the moment, so for now let’s put a lid on my chuunibyou dreams.

“......Are you satisfied?”

“Well, for the time being.”

“Of course, I had intended on fully explaining the situation to you.”

Minori-san spoke while walking over to stand beside the windows.

“But most likely, you wouldn’t be able to understand, no matter how many words I used. Even if you did understand, I don’t think you would believe me. It was so for myself.”

“............?”

The strangely roundabout wording made me knit my eyebrows.

What on earth was this WAC trying to say?

“That’s why, first look with your own eyes. The explanation will come afterwards.”

Minori-san opened the curtains.

At that moment——white light flooded into the room.

Most likely, it was currently morning. It was a cool yet refreshing light.

The sudden increase in the amount of light caused my eyes to squint up. I waited for them to grow accustomed.

And then——

“......Uwah.”

What I saw was an endless scene of greenery.

Trees and shrubs decked with leaves seemed to extend without end, effectively serving as a wall around the estate. I couldn’t grasp an exact number, but there were less than a hundred meters in between. Apparently, this room was on the second floor......our point of view was high up, but the towering trees almost completely blocked our field of vision.

The words previously said by Minori-san,『outskirts of Marinos』and『Ratatos Forest』, resurfaced in my mind.

And also,『Holy Eldant Empire』.

It was a name that I’d never heard of before.

More like, I’d let it slide the first time, but isn’t that clearly a different country altogether?

I was just job hunting in Akiba, but when on earth did I leave the country?!

As expected, it didn’t take much for me to start panicking, but——

“............Eh?”

What I was truly having trouble believing wasn’t that.

“What was that just now......?!”

Abruptly, something crossed by outside the window.

It was something unbelievably huge.

It wasn’t a bird. Birds don’t get that huge. Though it was only for an instant, that something had completely blocked my field of vision——that was how huge it was. In other words, it was at least larger than this window that I’m standing behind.

On top of that, it had bat-like wings.

On top of even that, it also had a ridiculously long tail.

The clincher was the fact that instead of feathers, its entire body was covered with blue scales.

“Dragon......?!”

That flying body composedly flew in an arc, then once again returned to my field of vision.

Above the wall of greenery, that fantastical appearance flew gracefully. No matter how you look at it, that thing had a wingspan of at least ten meters. If I remember correctly......according to paleontologists, the largest species of the pterosaur, the Quetzalcoatlus, is speculated to have had a wingspan of up to twelve meters. In terms of size, what I’m looking at is on the same level as that. Back in middle school, I had seen a replica at a dinosaur exhibition.

“A dragon just......it’s a dragon, isn’t it?!”

“That’s right.”

Minori-san nodded in response to me, who was on the verge of panicking.

“Wha-What on earth is this place?!”

“As I said before, inside the Ratatos Forest on the outskirts of Marinos, the capital city of the Holy Eldant Empire.”

Minori-san repeated herself with a faint smile.

And then——as if to confirm my guess, she added one more line.

“To put it into simpler terms, this is a『parallel world』.”

 

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It

 

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can grab the PDF here.

~~~~~~~~~~​~~~~~~~~~~​~~~~~~~~~~

I, Kanou Shinichi, am a so-called『home security guard』.

If『home security guard』was too hard to understand, then『neet』or『hikikomori』or the blunt『deadbeat』would do. Generally, I’m in a position that can be summarized with those words. But then again, my name is still on my school’s register, so it might be more correct to call me a『truant student』.

Actually, no. If we are to aim for correctness, then we must use past tense and say『I used to be a home security guard』.

My lifestyle of living while holed up inside my room that had lasted a year......was suddenly brought to an end by my parents’ forceful measures.

For slightly over a year, I was a hikikomori......my younger sister, who was much smarter than me, was studying for her high school entrance exams, so my parents focused on supporting her with that and mainly left me be.

But after my younger sister got accepted into her school of choice, as one could expect, even my parents would begin to feel bothered by their oldest son acting like this. With their daughter entering a top-notch local high school after so much effort, their son being a home security guard for an indefinite extent of time undoubtedly did not do wonders for appearances.

And thus.

Unfortunately for me, my parents were pretty extreme people.

Although they’re usually quite happy-go-easy, but when they start something, they are utterly thorough with it.

Furthermore, when they think of something, they put it into motion the very same day——they’re so impatient that if it was a war, they would press the launch button for the nuclear missiles immediately after the war declaration. They’re people who would skip steps that other normal people would take one at a time while accessing the situation, and thrust ultimatums at the other side as an opening move. Husband and wife both had such unreasonable personalities.

As a specific example, the door to my room was suddenly split into two on a certain day.

The door had stayed shut as a symbol of my obstinate decision to reject any and all contact with the outside world——well okay, I did open and close to it go to the toilet and take baths and stuff like that——but of all things, those two used a chainsaw to literally cut open a path.

Please imagine it.

I was in the middle of working hard on leveling up when, without any prior notice, the sound of an engine starting was accompanied by the scene of the door being bisected. Furthermore, my parents were fastidious about the weirdest things. Spouting bullshit like『this is the proper thing to wear when using a chainsaw』, they were even wearing hockey masks. Frankly speaking, I want to be commended for not having pissed in my pants.

As if that wasn’t enough......

“Well then, Shinichi. Here’s a question. What is it that you should do from here on? Please select a choice from the following three options. One, return to school. Two, find a job. Three, leave our family registry.”

“......What is with that impossibly hard game.”

“What’s an impossibly hard game! Because you’re our son, when you said ‘I’m going to be a hikikomori’ after something sensitive happened to you, we decided to wait and see for a while. But just because we went easy on you, you started to get carried away and got on the highway towards being a neet! To make matters worse, you started to use cash on delivery to mail order a stupid amount of manga and games——whose earnings do you think you’re burning, you deadbeat!”

“Adults always use such cruel words to hurt us children.”

“You’re not sensitive, you’re just lazy, right?”

“Even Mom too......More like, it’s freaking scary so for now please take off those hockey masks, please?”

“In any case, both your dad and I are reaching the limits of our patience. For now, either go find a job or go back to school. Choose now. Otherwise, the pictures inside the〈Landscape Images〉folder that you’ve been stockpiling devotedly will start disappearing one by one, OK?”

“Wha-......?! How?! Just in case, I gave it a safe name and buried it under several levels of folders! More like, when the heck did you touch my computer?!”

“It’s not good to underestimate a former ero illustrator. It’s not that rare for someone in a rural small game company to be the scenario writer and the programmer and the graphic artist all at the same time.”

“You HACKED my computer?!”

“In the first place, how many ero images have you hoarded to make the file a whole terabyte! I peeked at the contents of some of the sub-folders, but got pretty turned off by the time I got to the fourth one.”

“GYAAAAA!! You looked inside?!”

“So you follow what I’m saying, Shinichi? The treasured collection of 1 TB that you’d diligently built up while going around the internet, the seven game accounts that you have, and a few other things, will all be erased along with the contents of your HDD. If you don’t want this to happen, either start working or resume your studies. ASAP.”

........................................And well, it was a conversation that pretty much went like that.

My life as a home security guard was forcefully brought to a close in the fifteenth month without any chance for an appeal.

“——Hohou. So that’s why you’re now looking for a job.”

The middle-aged man on the other side of the foldable conference table nodded.

The very next day after my parents carried out the ‘forceful entry into my room’ strategy——I was in Akiba.

Not having been exposed to direct sunlight for so long, I had no choice but to endure the torture of the sun relentlessly burning my eyes and my skin like as if I was a vampire. The reason why after more than a year, I was finally back in the sacred land of otakus......was because out of the options presented by my dad, I had chosen the second one.

In other words, to find a job.

To be frank, by this point in time, I could not bring myself to feel like going back to school. More like, if it had been that easy for me to go back, I wouldn’t have turned truant and holed up inside my room. Just by being an otaku, I was already often made the target of bullying and teasing, but......after not showing up for more than a year, going back now would only make me the laughingstock of the entire school, no doubt about it. My nerves are not stout enough to be capable of withstanding something like that.

In that case, then I might as well go straight into becoming a member of society——is what I thought.

This, too, was not easy either. That’s only natural, though.

In the first place, the world was not so lenient that a high school dropout cum former home security guard could find a job as soon as he thinks of looking for one. It would be a different story if I had a special skill or ability of some sort, but there was no way that I did. If I had to name something that I could be proud of, then it would be the otaku knowledge that I’d accumulated over such a long time——well, it’s not exactly something to be proud of, though.

However, if one were to list workplaces where having otaku knowledge would be an advantage, they would realize that they are very rare and limited in number.

The only two kinds of choices were creator-side jobs like what my parents held, or sales-side jobs like being a store clerk in a store that deals in otaku goods. At least, all I could think of were these two choices.

But then again, being a creator brings with it numerous problems unique to creators. The fact that just by going up to one of those companies and saying “Please let me be a creator” would get me nowhere was only made all the more apparent when I looked at my own parents.

Therefore, there was only one road for me to take——to be a clerk in a bookstore, DVD shop, computer shop, game shop, figure shop, toy store, or some other otaku-related store.

Lately, online job hunting support sites are pretty well-stocked with requests, and many stores also have their own “Job Offers” page. Just by searching “Job Offer” along with some otaku-related words, I could easily find the information that I need.

And thus, while looking for job offers on the internet, I came across that page.

Across the top of the page were the words『Looking for an Otakus』in big letters.

More like, that was the only hiring requirement written on the page.

There was none of the usual numerous qualification requirements, such as relevant work experience, licenses held, degree of education, ‘above 18 and under 30,’ or anything like that. The only requirement was to be someone recognized both by self and by others as an otaku, someone with an abundance of knowledge in that field.

Furthermore......surprisingly, the remuneration was really good.

In this time of recession, the monthly salary was, can you believe it, 300,000 yen. (T/N: USD$26500). And depending on results, that amount could be raised even higher. In addition, the company will provide furnished housing. This was clearly not a request for a part-timer, but a request for a full-time employee.

Near the bottom of the page was written『General Entertainment Company AmuTec』.

Of course, there’s the possibility that this was a black company looking to trick innocent sheep ignorant of the ways of the world——I’m talking about myself, by the way——into becoming a corporate slave, but well, it won’t be too late to start worrying about that after I take the interview.

(T/N: ‘Black company’ is a term used by Japanese to describe companies that exploits employees, such as by demanding unpaid overtime.)

For now, I’ll just click the『Apply Here』button at the bottom of the page.

When I did......a new window with the title『Check Your Otaku Level』popped up. Surprisingly, they were having the employment exam online.

Speaking of which, there used to be some sort of otaku official certification thing in the past. I wonder if this was something like that? When I was thinking such things, a timer suddenly popped up from the side of the page.

Apparently, there is a time limit.

Well......just think about it and you can understand why.

Otaku knowledge is something that you can search up on the internet. If there wasn’t a time limit, anyone could get a full score on this exam. In other words, this time limit was to prevent applicants from looking up each and every question——there’s time to make a few quick searches, but to pass, the applicant has to already have a certain amount of basic knowledge.

Frankly, I was slightly on fire. This might possibly be a chance for me to find out where I rank in my otaku-ness relative to other people.

However......when I actually started, I felt so let down.

So easy. So freaking easy.

Anime. Manga. Games. Novels. Figures. Doujinshi. And a few others.

One way or another, the test covered famous works from each and every genre, and asked how much the applicant knew about the contents of the works, what their selling points were, why they became famous......and other similar questions in detail one by one.

However, the test was in multiple choice format.

During my time as a home security guard, I’ve already seen all the works covered in the exam, I’ve read all the sites talking about each work’s sales strategy, and I’ve also gone to all the bulletin boards where people held heated discussions about the works.

Therefore......I would have felt troubled if asked to write up all that information in an essay, but selecting the correct answer from multiple choices was extremely easy. More like......I understood this from actually taking the test, but most likely, the person who wrote this test was not an otaku himself.

How do I put it......something felt “off,” like an article written by a reporter about a place without having gone there in person.

There were no large mistakes, but somehow, the impression that I got was that of the questions being slightly off the mark, or the examiner not quite understanding what he was asking about. Almost as if——the examiner was not an otaku, but was instead an anthropologist or an economist. And instead of thoroughly reading the work, he read only the outline and instead looked at the number of copies sold and pictures of the lines on the opening date and referred to other『objective data from the outside perspective』. The questions on the exam gave off such an uncomfortable feeling.

I wonder who it was that wrote this test, and for what purpose?

While mulling over such thoughts, I continued to breeze through the exam, answering the last question before even half of the allotted time was up.

At that moment, along with the words『Congratulations. You’ve passed.』, the page refreshed to another one where the time of the interview the next day and a map to the location were displayed.

The interview location was located in Akiba——and it was in a building right next to the Manseibashi Police Station, to boot.

Although this recruitment ad was suspicious as heck, but I really don’t think swindlers or solicitors to new religions would base their operations right beside the police.

When I came to this realization——I decided to show up for the interview to this『General Entertainment Company AmuTec』.

“——I see.”

The middle-aged man in charge of the interview nodded deeply.

The namecard that he had given me earlier named him as『Matoba Jinzaburou』.

In contrast to his weirdly traditional-sounding name, the person himself looked extremely normal.

He was a person who felt like one of those salarymen that you could find anywhere. A few white hairs were mixed in with his hair, which was carefully split into a 7:3 hairstyle. His body was of medium build, and he was wearing a suit the color of dried leaves. His eyes were as thin as a thread, causing him to look like he was permanently smiling——more like, after I got used to that smile, I became unable to imagine any other expression on his face. For starters, he looked like a pretty nice person.

Then again, swindlers all look like nice people at first glance. If this『AmuTec』company was truly a black company, then it would be dangerous to make a judgment based on first impressions.

“By the way, what are your parents’ occupations?”

This was after I’d given him the complete picture of my current circumstances. Without holding anything back, I spoke at length both about the fact that I used to be a home security guard and also that it was my parents who had coerced——err, I mean, convinced me to go job-hunting. I honestly did not expect to get accepted at my first interview at the very start of my job-hunting, so I was more in this for the experience. My attitude towards this interview was that if I failed, then I can just move on to the next one.

“My parents? My father is a ‘lanobe’ writer, and my mother is a full-time housewife. She used to be an ero ‘genga,’ though.”

“‘Lanobe’ writer?”

“It means he writes light novels. Well, light novels are books kind of like mangas.”

“I see, I see.”

Matoba-san was nodding while writing something onto some documents.

What do my parents’ occupations have to do with my own job application? Or perhaps, was this the so-called recruitment discrimination? Doesn’t look like it, though. Not that I know anything about it, though.

“Then——ero ‘genga’?”

“Refers to being the illustrator for eroge.”

“......Eroge. Illustrator.”

Matoba-san knitted his eyebrows while muttering to himself.

It was as if these were foreign words that he’d heard for the first time and he was repeating them to himself to commit them to memory.

Seeing as the ad had said “Looking for Otakus,” I’d clearly thought that this was a company with that sort of people. But wait, maybe it’s because theydon’t have that sort of people that they expressly went to the trouble of posting a recruitment ad like that.

“Ummm. ‘Eroge’ means an adult game for 18 and over. She used to draw the illustrations for those.”

“Ahh! Ahh, I see.”

Matoba-san nodded vigorously with a look like he’d just learned something new.

“I see, I see! So you are an otaku thoroughbred, aren’t you?”

“‘Thoroughbred’......well, I guess that way of putting it, is not exactly wrong.”

I answered with a wry face.

Although it’s true that ever since I can remember, my house has been choke full of manga and anime discs, and that this has undoubtedly been a huge influence on me becoming an otaku, but my younger sister does not have that kind of interest at all, and summing up my otaku interests with the single word of “DNA” feels quite dissatisfying.

“Nevertheless, you almost got a full score on the online test.”

“Those questions were on the level where any otaku worth their salt could answer immediately. They were just numerous.”

I answered thus.

There was a bit of modesty mixed in, but......in actuality, those questions truly weren’t that difficult.

“Fumu......”

Matoba-san quickly flipped through the documents that he had on hand.

“Spendid. To be honest, we had half given up, but——to think that someone who matches our needs so perfectly would show up......!”

“......Excuse me?”

I doubted my ears.

Just now, this ossan, what did he say?

“Your knowledge is more than enough. In addition, you’re a former hikikomori, and you wish to live by yourself......! Truly promising.”

“Eh......? But......”

Although I did indeed breeze through the exam questions, but......

Despite that——I find it extremely hard to believe that the words『promising』and『splendid』would be coming from the side who would be hiring a high school dropout cum home security guard. Perhaps they were completely basing their evaluation on actual results, and any otaku would have fit their bill.

More like, in the first place, this company——exactly what kind of company was『AmuTec』anyway?

At the start, Matoba-san had introduced it as an “general entertainment company,” but that doesn’t really mean anything.『General』and easily be interpreted to mean『anything goes』.

This interview room too......any way you look at it, it gives off the distinct feeling of being a temporarily rented room in a multi-tenant building. There was absolutely nothing here that would tell me anything about the function as well as the corporate culture of the company『AmuTec』. Inside the room, there was literally only a table, some chairs, and a drink machine. There wasn’t even a single poster on the walls.

In other words, this company’s usual functions must be taking place in some other location......

“Alright. I have to confirm a matters in regards to your resume in the room at the back, so please take a seat and wait a white. Oh, do feel free to help yourself to the drink machine.”

So saying, Matoba-san took the documents that he had been writing memos on since a while ago and left the room.

“I wonder what’s up.”

Muttering to myself, I took up Matoba-san’s offer and walked towards the drink machine.

For now, I pressed the button for oolong tea, and set the paper cup.

The cup filled up almost immediately, so I took it and sipped it while taking a second look around the room.

There really was nothing.

Rather than that......it feels like a place that could be packed up and abandoned at any moment.

“Could this company possibly be someplace really dangerous?”

Right outside the window, I could see the Manseibashi Police Station standing imposingly. I can’t imagine any criminal activity happening this close to a police station.

Wiping away my worries by draining the oolong tea, I went back to the chair and sat down again.

How long is it going to take until Matoba-san comes back?

He said that he had something to confirm, so did that mean that he was going to compare what I had said in the interview against what I had written on my resume?

But are normal job applications this strict?

Well, I’ve heard that when applying for a government job, they do a background check on you, but......

“Unexpectedly, could this be a government job?”

Speaking of which, one of the former Prime Ministers did say that he wanted to build a museum for anime, if I remember right. He said something about us being a world leader in the entertainment industry, and wanting to promote anime as a national policy. But well, as always, the oh-so-great government officials were almost indifferent to the actual contents of the works, and in the end came up with a project that completely missed the mark——were they perhaps thinking of making changes to that project, and were therefore trying to hire personnel who knows about this stuff?

“Lol, no way.”

If that was the case, then the recruitment would be happening on a much larger scale.

Smiling wryly at my wild idea, I yawned really widely, then——

“............”

My memories cut off right there.

♦♦♦♦

And thus——end of recollection.

The time is now the present.

In other words——

“Ohh......?!”

I raised my voice in admiration.

Taking a step outside the entranceway and turning around, I beheld a large mansion.

Completely filling up my field of vision, the brickwork building extended both to my left and my right.

This is one of those so-called ‘Western-styled houses.’

However, unlike its usual run-down and antique-looking appearance in games and manga and other such, this one felt strangely brand new. Of course, it was not like a stage prop, where if you look closely you can see the details being fudged over. This mansion was built properly, and therefore gave off an overwhelming sense of presence that weighed down heavily on me.

In other words, this was a real mansion.

And furthermore, it had most likely been completed only recently.

I had grasped the general idea from the bedroom in which I had been sleeping in, but now that I’m seeing the building again up close, I still feel very much overwhelmed. The fact that this place was not Akiba, that it wasn’t even Japan, was impressed upon me very strongly.

However......honestly, what I was surprised about was not the mansion itself.

It was the thing behind it.

“That’s freaking huge!”

It was so gigantic that despite being on the other side of the mansion, it was still so prominent that it could be considered part of the landscape or part of the geography——it was a majestic architecture on the level of a mountain.

“That’s the Holy Eldant Palace.”

Minori-san answered while standing next to me and also looking up at the palace.

As for its shape, it gave off a Middle Age European feeling like the mansion that I was in did. Castle gates huge enough for elephants to pass through in a pack? Check. Sturdy castle walls? Check. Pinnacles that looked like watchtowers? Check. Yep, nothing out of the ordinary.

However......

“It’s a castle with the same name as the country. In other words, it’s where the imperial throne is. They gouged out the mountain that used to be there to build that castle——but well, even I don’t know the exact details.”

That castle was more massive than any other architecture that I’ve ever seen in person.

For comparison, even the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (which looks like a Demon Lord’s castle, by the way) looks tiny in comparison to this. Leaving the height aside, the breadth and thickness was completely different. If placed next to this Eldant Palace, the Government Building would only come across as being thin and flimsy. This Palace wins not only in height, but also in the size of its base. It was larger in all three dimensions.

Naturally, in games and anime and manga and novels and other created works, even more gigantic constructions have been featured——like space strongholds the size of an entire planet——but the sense of presence felt when I see it with my own eyes and feel it with my skin is......profound, if I had to summarize it into one word.

At the foot of the mountain-sized castle were numerous Middle Age European-styled buildings packed densely together, and several roads paved with flagstone ran throughout the entire thing like blood vessels. The mansion that I was at was at the very fringe——in other words, it was located in the suburbs of the castle town. Around the castle was a gentle slope, such that from my current position, I had to look up to see the town.

“This really is a fantasy world, eh......”

“It is indeed.”

Minori-san smiled wryly at my impression.

“May I go visit the town for a bit?”

“You sure are fearless, aren’t you.”

Minori-san responded in a slightly impressed tone of voice.

“I had thought that you’d hole yourself up inside the mansion and refuse to take even a step outside. I’m saying this again, but this is not simply a different country, alright? Parallel world. Another world. This is that kind of place.”

“......I’m not exactly proud of it, but......”

The corner of my lip curled up in a self-deprecating smile.

“To me, this scenery feels very familiar.”

I am a hardcore otaku. For people like me, the fantasy genre in games and anime and manga and light novels is considered an extremely mainstream taste. The only difference here is that 2D has become 3D. Another way of putting it is that the realism has simply gone up a notch. All I feel from this place is a sense of nostalgia, like as if it is my actual hometown.

Hole myself up in the house? Absolutely unthinkable.

“Although I do concede that just now, I did panic a little bit when that dragon popped out in front of me .”

“That’s the normal reaction, though.”

So said Minori-san.

Incidentally, if I squint my eyes, I can see two or three dragon-like shapes flying in the sky above the castle. Apparently, dragons are considered mountable beasts the way horses are......When I took a second look, I realized that the dragon from just now was also wearing a saddle near the base of its neck.

“To be specific, what you just saw was a wyvern. The wild dragons are much larger and much fiercer, apparently.”

“Truly living up to the fantasy genre, isn’t it.”

Dragons and wyverns. At this rate, there might also be sea serpents. It wouldn’t surprise me if people here rode chocobo instead of horses.

(T/N: Thanks, Target Tg, for telling me about chocobos.)

“Anyhow, you might have to put off visiting the town to tomorrow.”

Minori-san was squinting her eyes while looking in the direction of the town.

“Because the person who is going to explain everything in full detail has arrived.”

“......?”

I followed Minori-san’s line of sight and looked toward the town——I stared at the paved road that stretched from the mansion.

When I did, I saw something absurd that was jarringly out of place in this setting.

Colored deep green, same as the skirt that Minori-san was wearing as part of her uniform, the thing was......an automobile.

At first glance, its angular frame clearly identified it as a military vehicle——and I knew this model. Commonly used by the JSDF, this was a Light Armored Vehicle, or LAV for short. It had played an active role even when dispatched overseas, and appears often in works featuring the JSDF.

Inside this Middle Age European fantasy scenery ran the JSDF military vehicle.

Rather than calling it a mere mismatch, this was something that clearly did not fit in this location.

Before long, the LAV came up in front of us then stopped.

The person who opened the back and stepped out was......someone I had recollection of.

With his seven three hair and his dried leaves colored suit, the man had an extremely ordinary appearance.

“——Ah. The interviewer?!”

If I remember correctly, his name was Matoba Jinzaburou, wasn’t it.

I had expected a JSDF member wearing field uniform, or someone with an appearance that shouted ‘fantasy!’, but the reality went above my expectations.

Rather, his figure seemed to be shouting “I’m a salaryman~” instead, and looked as out of place as the LAV that he had arrived in. Well, that’s probably true for Minori-san and myself too, though.

“How are you doing, Kanou Shinichi-kun?”

Matoba-san spoke with a calm-looking smile.

“Welcome to the Holy Eldant Empire. Or rather, to the parallel world.”

He was so easygoing that I almost felt like a tourist who had just arrived at some attraction.

But then again, if I hadn’t seen that dragon, I might have believed it if someone told me that this was a tourist attraction someplace in the West.

“......Exactly what kind of situation is this?”

I knitted my eyebrows while responding.

“Why was I brought to this kind of place from the interview location in Akiba?”

“Un. I was going to talk about that with you. That’s why I quickly wrapped up the talks at the palace and came back here.”

So answered Matoba-san.

“Talks at the palace?”

“No worries, I’ll tell you about that too. For now, let’s head back inside.”

So saying, Matoba-san began walking towards the mansion.

♦♦♦♦

“Alright——”

Matoba-san spoke up while holding a teacup in his hand.

We were inside the mansion——inside the parlor, to be exact.

The room was almost as big as a banquet hall, and had a round table almost three meters in diameter. Matoba-san and I were sitting on the chairs that had been arranged around the table.

Incidentally, Minori-san was sitting on a chair that she had placed in a corner of the room. Clearly, she had no intention of participating in the conversation. Beside her was a service cart with a complete tea set on it, with Miusel standing next to it. The cup that Matoba-san was drinking from, as well as the steaming cup in front of myself, were both filled with tea brewed by Miusel.

“Before the explanation.”

Matoba-san shot a quick glance at Miusel while speaking.

“Kanou-kun. Would you mind taking off your ring first?”

“......Eh?”

Oh right, I was wearing a ring.

I looked at the『magical ring』that was on my finger. The one that I had exchanged with Miusel.

This thing apparently had a translating function, which allows two people who wore it to be able to communicate their own intentions to each other even while speaking different languages.

“Since there are some things that might be easily misunderstood. And there are also some things that we don’t want people on this side to know.”

When I looked again, I realized that Matoba-san had already taken off his own ring. Turning around to glance quickly at Minori-san, I confirmed that she had also done the same. I was pretty sure that she still had it on until just now, though.

“......Hah. Is this fine?”

For now, I took off the ring.

“Good.”

Nodding in response, Matoba-san then placed both his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together.

“Everything began a year ago——a mysterious『hole』was found inside the sea of trees around Mt. Fuji.”

“......『Hole』?”

He had only just brought it up, but by ‘sea of trees around Mt. Fuji,’ didn’t he mean that infamous Aokigahara primeval forest? That place with shady circumstances like being a famous suicide spot and having strange magnetic fields that cause compasses to go haywire?

“To be exact, it is something closer in form to a crevice. It’s just that everyone’s gotten used to calling it a『hole』. The scientists tell us that it’s a ‘hyper dimensional passageway.’”

Hyper dimensional passageway.

All of a sudden, a word completely lacking in any sense of realism was brought up.

“Upon further inspection, we learned something strange about this『hole』. This『hole』apparently penetrates three-dimensional space and connects with a parallel world, but......well......”

“............”

“You don’t look very surprised.”

Matoba-san couldn’t help making a wry smile.

“Well, yea. Or rather, the story couldn’t get more standard than this.”

Worm holes. Warp gates. Shift portals.

A hole that was actually a hyperspace construct that connects to another world......from ancient fairytales to the latest SF fantasies, this plot device has been used so much that it is now a staple of the genre.

“Anyways——when we tried to go through the hole, we discovered land that we had never seen before. Furthermore, in that place, creatures that we’ve only heard of in fairytales and myths were living naturally, and there were even『humans』similar to us who had『civilization』. Their culture turned out to be a bit different from that of our own, though.”

“A different culture......is that because they have magic?”

“......Exactly.”

Half expecting to be repudiated, I said what I did as a joke——but of all things, Matoba-san actually nodded deeply in affirmation.

“............”

I looked at the rings lying on top of the round table.

So that instant translation phenomenon was really because of the rings’ magic?

“That is one of the things brought about due to magic.”

Almost as if he had read my thoughts, Matoba-san spoke up.

“Basically, Japan is suddenly sharing a land border with such an unrealistic world......is what has happened.”

“......Land border.....”

I kind of feel like that’s not exactly the right word to use here......if the only way to go to that other world is by this『hole』that’s floating off the ground
somewhere, then I don’t really think you can call that a land border.

“Our Japanese government put scout parties into organizations and dispatched them. Their mission was to come into contact with the authority that ruled over the area which the『hole』was in......in other words, the closest『nation』. That turned out to be this Holy Eldant Empire. As this『hole』is within their territory, it technically belongs to them.”

“I’m surprised it didn’t turn into a war.”

When two different worlds or two different cultures suddenly meet, there’s a high probability that a war develops——this pattern often happens in mangas and novels. I believe that there are many examples of this in actual history too.

“Even we’re not that stupid. And the other side also had their wise men.”

Matoba-san shrugged his shoulders while answering.

“Both sides moved cautiously while confirming each other’s intentions, then before long, we were able to find a compromise that benefits both parties and signed an agreement to cooperate with each other.”

Well, indeed it’s true that as long as someone knows the『frequently used pattern』and understands that『heedless actions lead to war』, all they have to do is to move cautiously. This was a good example of how the well-used material in mangas and novels could come in handy.

“Are you following me so far?”

“Well......somehow, yes.”

Frankly speaking, I was still having trouble believing that this was all real—the palace, the dragons, and the unnatural state of affairs around me. And currently, the only person who’s been able to explain everything, without leaving any information out, is Matoba-san alone.

However——

“However, how does discovery of this other world relate to myself?”

Even if what he was saying was true.

What does any of it have to do with a former home security guard like me?

A giant discovery like this that could shake the entire world would normally have bigshots in foreign governments moving around and doing various things, but what’s the point of bringing along a normal citizen like myself if they even have to go to the trouble of assigning a JSDF soldier as escort?

“Don’t tell me that I was actually born as a prince from this side who was sent to our world but due to my inescapable fate I’ve been summoned to help this side eradicate a demon lord. Seriously, it’s not a plot device like that, right?”

“Calm down. It’s nothing as cliché as that.”

Matoba-san smiled wryly.

“I’m currently serving as the Bureau Director of the『Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau』, which is under the direct control of the Cabinet Office.”

“Eh? Sorry, what?”

Suddenly, a lot of complicated-sounding words came up.

“Well, the official name aside, the『Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau』is an organization in charge of exploring ways to strengthen the relations between Japan and this other world. As for General Entertainment Company『AmuTec』, it’s a semi-governmental corporation affiliated to this Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau. In other words, it’s a joint venture by Japan and the Holy Eldant Empire, and it’s also the very first corporate entity in this parallel world.”

“......What?”

“And you, you are——”

Matoba-san paused for dramatic effect.

“You are the person who has been hired as the General Manager of『AmuTec』.”

“Wai......?!”

The very first corporate entity of this parallel world?!

General Manager?! ......Me?!

What karma is this?!

“Wasn’t I hired as the odd jobs guy or even as a regular employee?”

“That’s the part you’re surprised at, huh.”

Matoba-san smiled wryly.

(T/N: Matoba is basically just wryly smiling in response to everything Shinichi says. He was described as having a calm smile, but I have only seen him make wry smiles lol.)

“You can call yourself the Director or the CEO or whatever else you like. In any event, the person standing at the top and directing everything will be you.”

So said Matoba-san in a composed manner.

“Your job as the General Manager of『AmuTec』is to export Japan’s anime and manga and games to this country.”

Anime and manga and games are Japan’s prided exports.

Well, any otaku can tell you as much.

It’s indeed true, but......

“It seems that this world’s entertainment culture is lagging far behind our own. Therefore, the plan is to get along with this side by exporting our own entertainment culture to them——we’re hoping that this will be a catalyst to deepen friendly relations between both sides.”

“WHAAATTT?!”

A few steps seem to have been skipped here......seriously, generating international goodwill through anime and manga and games?!

Even someone as stupid as me understood that when government officials say『let’s get along』, they don’t actually mean it. This was a diplomatic issue. Furthermore, the other party was not even a foreign country on the same Earth. The degree of complication here was, frankly speaking, unprecedented.

In that kind of situation, how on earth did they arrive at the conclusion of exporting animanga......?

“Indeed. I understand what you want to say.”

Matoba-san smile wryly.

“Of course, at the very beginning, we thought of using goods related to traditional culture, such as porcelain and cloths. That was what we worked hard on for the first few months. But in the end, they didn’t really seem right.”

So at the very least, they weren’t completely rejected by the people of the Holy Eldant Empire.

However, these differences in culture were based on having different histories and geographic features, so it was hard to say anything about it. Especially, a large part of traditional Japanese culture revolved around the idea of『wabisabi』, which even foreigners on Earth found hard to understand......Perhaps it was the same for the Eldant Empire.

(T/N: Wabisabi is the “aesthetic sense in Japanese art emphasizing quiet simplicity and subdued refinement.” Courtesy of zKanji.)

“Therefore, the talk turned towards the fact that Japanimation was a prided part of Japanese culture too. And also what, TV games? You know, like how the release of a new game causes really long lines or how there are cases of blackmail and extortion for the sake of limited edition goods.”

“That’s——”

“What we want to see is that kind of vigor characteristic of the younger generation that can trigger such a social phenomenon. In actual fact, we showed the Eldant people a few anime series, and the reception was quite good.”

“You never know about that kind of thing though——”

Lately, many anime are being exported overseas. Or rather, some are being made with the premise that it will be exported.

In other words, they plan to completely bypass the differences in culture and national traits by capitalizing instead on the other side’s primitive entertainment industry. However, for things like noh and kabuki, the prerequisite knowledge and taste were too high. In comparison, this『ease of understanding that crosses national borders and ages』that has caused even young boys and girls in other countries to become engrossed could indeed be said to be a characteristic of entertainment works.

“It’s just that when it comes to that sort of art and entertainment......when government officials get involved with that sort of thing, everything somehow seems subtly wrong. You can say that we don’t have the refinement or style, or that our buttons get pressed by the strangest things. You know, like how public building construction projects continuously get shutdown due to breakdowns in management. By thinking of other similar government-spearheaded initiatives to develop cultural affairs, you can understand what I’m saying here, right?”

“......Well, yes.”

The contents of that test came to mind. Though they weren’t wrong, they were indeed subtly missing the point——many questions felt like they had been posed by an outsider who hadn’t taken a direct look at the referenced works.

“Therefore, someone raised the suggestion of placing a『live otaku』, someone who actually knows what’s in and what’s out, into the position of General Manager. In any event, because there is no precedence of any sort, government officials, who have been disciplined into becoming absolutely useless without rules and conventions and operating manuals, are entirely unsuitable for the position.”

Matoba-san was speaking in a self-deprecating tone of voice.

“Be that as it may, why me?”

I do indeed admit to being a pretty hardcore otaku.

However, if they combed the entire country, they would find that otakus number in the tens of thousands.

Out of all of them, why employ me, who was a former home security guard who had only just begun looking for a job? Wasn’t that strange?

“............”

Matoba-san stayed silent.

“............”

With a start like as if he had thought of a good idea, he turned towards Minori-san——but she merely had an ambiguous expression on her face.

Half smiling. Half pitying. Or at least, that’s what I interpreted it as.

........................Wait, pitying?

“Well, that’s......You know.”

Matoba-san started to speak haltingly.

“The existence of this『hole』——and also the cultural exchange with the Eldant Empire——are both confidential matters that will have enormous effects on Japan’s future.”

“I’m following so far.”

“That’s why we were looking for someone who could protect these secrets.”

So said Matoba-san.

“So you guys determined that I am tight-lipped?”

Were some of the questions from the interview actually for the sake of determining how well I can keep a secret?

“Not exactly. Whether your lips are loose or tight is of little consequence.”

Matoba-san seemed to be having more and more trouble with his words.

“After all, you’ll be living in anyways, so it’s not like you will have anyone to blab to.”

“......Eh?”

Living in. Here.

In other words——inside this mansion that stands inside the Holy Eldant Empire. In this parallel world.

That means......

“Wai-Wait a second......”

“That’s, you know. Even if you suddenly disappeared, the people around wouldn’t question it......and that makes everything a lot more convenient, so yea......”

“OOOOIIIIIIII?!”

I raised my voice in what bordered on a shriek.

So, in other words, that was what he was getting at?! Even if a home security guard suddenly went missing, everyone would go “ah, as we thought” and no one would make a fuss?!

I felt a trickle of sweat run uncomfortably down my back.

National secret.

For the sake of such a just cause, many things could be overlooked. In order to steal national secrets, causing human casualties is only considered normal. Especially when it comes to an unprecedented situation like an exchange with a parallel world, it is only natural that other countries would go into a frenzy and desire to meddle however they could——

“Ummm. May I go home?”

In response to my request, Matoba-san smiled wryly and answered with his own question.

“Do you know how?”

“............”

My words clogged up inside my throat.

He had a point. I had no idea where was the『hole』——the hyper dimensional passageway. If I was left alone in a parallel world like this——I’m not proud of it, mind——but I wouldn’t last even three days without collapsing. I could not be more sure of this.

Actually, no. It’s not just that. Now that I knew so much of this national secret——even though I was forced to listen to it, there’s no way that the government would just go『oh, if you don’t want to, then there’s no helping it』and let me safely go back. Worst case scenario, there is also the possibility that they would chase me down to『erase』me even if I did managed to escape.

“Don’t worry......we won’t go to such extremes.”

Almost as if he could read the fears inside my heart——more like, I was probably displaying them on my face——Matoba-san continued speaking.

“If you can bring about a certain amount of results and get『AmuTec』started on track, then we wouldn’t mind letting you go. And of course, we will also be paying you from the national budget——well, the Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau’s budget, to be specific. From the Eldant Empire side, too, you will be receiving treatment befitting a state guest, so overall, I don’t think you’ll be treated badly at all.”

“Ev......Even if you put it that way......”

“Don’t worry. I will take care of all the office work and paperwork.”

Matoba-san lightly struck his own chest.

Let’s leave aside the fact that up to this point, I haven’t felt a single shred of dependability from him. If the Bureau Director himself was going to do the paperwork, then——could it be that this Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau actually doesn’t have anyone on it?

“You can rest assured, all you have to do is popularize different kinds of otaku culture in this Eldant Empire. Ummm, what words do you youngsters use? Akiba? Magical girls, tsundere, moe, that sort of stuff.”

“............”

Even while completely at a loss, all I could think was that this was hopeless.

This was something that had already been decided and set in stone by the various related parties. Even I were to complain and raise a fuss, there’s no longer anything that can be done. This will be forced labor in the true meaning of the word.

“Well then......Is there anything else that you want to ask about?”

So asked Matoba-san, still speaking in a tone of voice as carefree as it had been from the very start.

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 3

Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It

 

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 3

Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can grab the PDF here.

~~~~~~~~~~​~~~~~~~~~~​~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later.

I was moaning while holding my smartphone in one hand.

“U—n......”

Though some might ask why a home security guard like myself would have something like a smartphone, it was something that I’ve had since before my hikikomori days. After all, it is one of my beliefs that as otakus, one of our duties is to be the first in line to buy products like these and be the guinea pigs.

Well, let’s leave that aside for now.

Currently displayed on the liquid crystal screen is a list written by me. Both as a means for me to gain a better grasp on my situation and also as a way for me to sort out my feelings, I had written down everything that has happened to me today into a brief list——in other words, I was thinking of starting a diary.

Frankly speaking, I was a bit leery of using an electronic device in a world that did not seem like it has electricity. However, according to Minori-san, the battery from the LAV is more than sufficient to supply electrical current of that level, so for now I’m using my smartphone as a notebook.

My current location is the room that had been assigned as my office.

This mansion has a uselessly large number of rooms, but the main ones that I will use are my office, which is situated in the central part of the 2nd floor, and its adjacent room, which is my bedroom. There are also other bedrooms and guest rooms, so it became that Minori-san, who is in charge of protecting me, will be staying in one of those rooms.

And thus......

“Danna-sama.”

Following a few knocks on the door, I hear a cute voice like the ringing of a bell.

It is Miusel——that maid girl’s voice.

“Umm......I’ve brought you......some tea.”

“Ah. Thanks.”

So saying, I stand up, with my smartphone still in my hand, and walk towards the entrance to the room and open the door. At that moment——

“Eh......”

“......?”

In the hallway is a service cart with a set of tea utensils on it, and Miusel standing frozen next to it.

“What?”

“Ah......Excuse me. Thank you very much.”

“......? You-You’re welcome.”

I didn’t understand what I was being thanked for, but for now I moved back to make way for Miusel and the cart to enter the room.

“Come on in.”

“Eh? Ah, ummm, p......pardon the intrusion.”

Bowing timidly, Miusel pushes the cart into the room. For some reason, she seems very bewildered, and is sneaking glances at me while casting her eyes down in a manner that is making me really uncomfortable.

(......Ah. So that’s why.)

At that moment, I finally understood.

Thinking about it, I’m her『Goshujin-sama』, so there’s no need for me to go to the trouble of opening the door for her and greeting her like a guest. That’s also why she is not carrying the tea set on a tray, but on a cart. From her point of view, the door that she was supposed to open by herself was arbitrarily opened by my hand instead, so she is bewildered and at a loss as to how to react.

“Is it fine if I place it here?”

“Ah, yes.”

She indicates the top of the office desk, and I nod.

For a while after that, I just zoned out for a bit, and gazed at her readying the tea, but——

“Ah......ummm......is something the matter?”

After finishing with all the preparations, she looks over at me in a frightened manner.

“The matter with what?”

“No, I mean......You’ve been staring at me the entire time, so......”

Miusel spoke with a perplexed expression on her face.

“Oh, no! It was just so strange, I——”

Not counting the instance from this afternoon——if I also don’t count the instances inside games, this is the first time in my life having a maid-san go to the trouble of brewing and pouring tea for me. As it is my first experience, everything about this scene is astonishing to me. That’s why I’m feeling a bit nervous.

“Strange, you said......?”

Is it my imagination?

I kind of feel like Miusel’s face had turned into a deeply terrified expression.

It wouldn’t do if she misunderstood me somehow, so I quickly rephrase my words.

“Because I’ve never had the experience of having a maid-san pour tea for me, I couldn’t help staring.”

“Ah. So that’s why.”

Miusel shows me a relieved smile.

Uwah. This girl is seriously cute......!

As she normally shows a hesitant and timid expression, these smiles of her become all the more conspicuous. Conscious of my quickly beating heart, I formally give her my greetings again.

“So, umm. Miusel Foalan-san, is it?”

“Yes. I’m Miusel Foalan......!”

The maid girl——Miusel——smiles delightedly.

How do I put this? She looks so innocent. Or rather, she looks extremely, extremely moe.

“Well then——once more, formally.”

While speaking, I straighten my back and lower my head a little.

“My name is Kanou Shinichi. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.”

“Y-Yes, from my side too, that’s, I have the honor of taking care of your everyday life......Ummm, I do think that there are many places where I’m still inadequate, but please, yoroshiku onegaishimasu......!”

Speaking in almost a shout, Miusel-san deeply bow towards me.

How do I put this, she looks extremely nervous.

It even feels like she’s slightly scared of me.

I am indeed overjoyed at the chance to get close to such a cute maid-san, but if she continues to be this nervous whenever she interacts with me, it’s very tiring for me. Well, judging from what Minori-san’s side said, I’m being treated as a state guest——as a super important person by this Holy Eldant Empire, so it’s not like I don’t understand this reaction.

“......Huh?”

With a start, I realize something and blink a few times.

It didn’t come to my attention in the afternoon as she had been acting normally and the hair hanging from both sides of her head had been covering them, but——

“Miusel. Those ears......”

“......Ah.”

In a fluster, Miusel press down both sides of her head as her facial expression stiffened.

And then——

“I......I’m terribly sorry......!”

Her voice almost sounds like a shriek.

“——Eh?”

I haven’t the faintest idea what she’s apologizing about.

In response to an expression which can only be called tragic, all I could squeeze out is an incoherent reply.

“I had no intention, at all, umm, of deceiving Danna-sama, I mean, I was hiding them, but, that’s......”

“No wait, calm down. I don’t know what’s made you so terrified, but perhaps, could it be that Miusel is an elf, or some other different race?”

Indeed. When she had taken that deep bow earlier, her ears had become visible.

They are sticking out a little and are pointed at the tips.

“........................Yes, I am.”

Miusel——finally nods despondently.

“I......am a cross between an elf and a human.”

“As I thought!”

Half-elf!

This too, is a standard moe character type from the fantasy genre. Possessing the beauty of an elf combined with the friendliness of a human, they are such high-spec characters that they can almost be called OP.

But seriously, she is a half-elf on top of being a maid-san?

How many traits does this girl have. Is she supposed to moe me to death?

“However....never, ever did I ever intend to deceive Danna-sama......”

“That’s absolutely perfect!”

I clench my fists tightly and yell loudly.

“......What?!”

Looking shocked, Miusel stands frozen in her place.

In contrast, I draw closer towards her and continue speaking.

“Maid-san plus half-elf! Magnificent! I, at this moment, truly believe that it is no exaggeration to say that I have been born for the sole purpose of meeting you!”

“............Eh? Eh?”

“Miusel, Miusel, once more, please allow me to see those ears of yours one more time!”

“Eh? Ah——Un-Understood.”

Giving in to my fierce look, Miusel holds back some of her hair and bares her ears.

They are indeed the elf ears described in fantasy works.

“Uwah~......They’re real elf ears......!”

I am feeling so moved.

But it seems like Miusel cannot understand my joy at all.

“Da......Danna-sama.”

With her cheeks bright red, Miusel struggles to speak up.

“Ah, I’m sorry. And thank you.”

I speak while drawing my body back.

Thinking about it, it’s only obvious that as a girl, having a guy close enough to feel his breath and having a part of her body stared at so ardently would naturally cause her to feel embarrassed.

“Incredible. Thank you for allowing me to pay my respects to something so absolutely wonderful.”

As I continue to thank her profusely, Miusel’s expression grow increasingly confused.

“You......You will not scold me?”

“Eh? Why should I?”

“That’s......I mean, for being a half-elf......and for hiding it......”

“What about it?”

“............”

Miusel’s expression is frozen, as if she is even more puzzled than before.

Seeing that——a lightbulb went off inside my head.

“I don’t know anything about this side, but could it be that half-elves are not well thought of by humans, by elves, or perhaps even by both sides?”

This is a common setting in fantasy works.

“......Yes.”

Miusel nods imperceptibly.

Using the milder expression of ‘not well thought of’ was my way of being tactful. Most likely, the reality is that they are being discriminated against. So severely so that just the fact of being a child of mixed race is reason enough to be persecuted against.

I’ve finally discovered the reason why Miusel had been so strangely timid the entire time.

She must originally have a personal history rife with discrimination and persecution.

“Ummm. Miusel-san?”

“......Eh? Ah.”

For a moment, Miusel had a loose expression on her face and looked out of it, but she quickly responds in a fluster.

“Danna-sama, please call me Miusel without adding the suffix!”

“Eh? But......By the way, how old are you, Miusel-san? You’re not older than me, are you?”

According to fantasy, elves are a long-lived species.

In that case......Even though Miusel looks like she’s in her teens, there’s the possibility that she’s actually older than me.

“My age? It’s......sixteen......I’m sixteen years old.”

Miusel-san looks startled and replied hesitantly.

“Oh. You’re younger than me. In that case, then I’ll take you up on your offer and call you Miusel from now on.”

“Thank you.”

Miusel-san——or rather, Miusel, nods in affirmation.

“With that settled, I will now say this clearly.”

“Ye-Yes?”

“I am not bothered at all by the fact that you’re a half-elf. Rather, for me, ‘What am I getting rewarded for?’ is what I feel about it.”

“......Hah? ......I see......”

“As such, it is something that I’m extremely happy about, so I will never get angry at you or be disappointed with you for being a half-elf. Understood?”

“............”

For the briefest of moments, she stared at me blankly in puzzlement, but then——

“Thank you so very much!”

She gives me another deep bow.

In so doing, her pointed ears become visible again.

“But seriously......it appears that there are a lot of things that I’m going to have to confirm before I do anything else.”

I mutter while crossing my arms.

If I’m to go by SF staples, then there might be silicon-based lifeforms, octopus-like aliens, or other lifeforms that share even fewer common features with humans. I’ve known from the start that it’s only natural for these other lifeforms to have a different value system or common sense, but I do need to be aware that this would be so even with human-looking parties. Due to this place having so many similarities to Middle Age Europe and the fantasy worlds that I know, it seems like it would be very easy for misunderstandings to occur.

“I’ve only come to this side recently, and I’ve finally heard my full circumstances a few hours ago. Miusel, what have you heard about me?”

“That Danna-sama is a very, very important guest of the Empire, that you will be staying here for a while, and that Blük-san and myself will be responsible for taking care of everything in Danna-sama’s everyday life.”

“Blük-san?”

I blinked in response to this name that I’d never heard of before.

“I will make the introductions later. He’s currently out patrolling and cleaning the premises......”

Apparently, there is another servant who has been exclusively assigned to me.

In which case, it means that there will be a total of four people living inside this mansion. There will be me as the Danna-sama, Minori-san as my escort, Miusel the maid, and Blük-san (I still don’t know what kind of person he is, so I’m temporarily affixing a -san to his name).

I feel like this place is way too big for four people to live in, but according to Minori-san, this mansion is already among the smallest in comparison to the mansions of the Eldant Empire’s nobility. You heard that right. Nobility. As a state guest, I am apparently being likened to a noble in the kind of treatment that I’m being given.

“Do you know what I’ve come to do?”

“For the sake of friendship between the Empire and Japan, as well as mutual prosperity and development between the two countries, you have come to do commerce.”

(T/N: The italicized words are words that are supposed to have a kanji, but Miusel is saying them in hiragana, which implies that she’s just memorized the syllables but doesn’t actually understand the words. As the author explains in the following lines.)

All the important parts were in monotone.

In all probability, she does not actually understand what she’s saying, but is just parroting what she had been taught.

“Ah—......’commerce’? Oh, commerce, right.”

I nodded while smiling wryly.

“Danna-sama, you are someone who has come here from a foreign country far away, is that true?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Well, a foreign country is not really incorrect.

“It’s a foreign world too, you see.”

“Foreign——world, is it?”

Miusel tilts her head quizzically.

That gesture is so pure and innocent, just like a little bird that somehow, I just, there’s a moe moe feeling overflowing from deep within my chest and it’s taking everything I have to keep it down.

“It’s not a foreign country?”

“It is a foreign country, but it’s in a foreign world.”

“............?”

Miusel’s expression tells me that she is seriously having trouble understanding.

Ahh. That’s right.

I came to a realization. Minori-san and Matoba-san had said it——that this country’s entertainment industry is almost nonexistent.

Magic aside, if I use the Middle Ages as a standard, then the printing press probably doesn’t exist, so books are most likely considered an extremely expensive luxury good. Nobles are one thing, but for the average citizen, books are completely beyond their reach.

Therefore——the only way for the masses to enjoy『listening to stories』is through『oral tradition』. In other words, the only ways that the stories can be passed on is through unreliable and limited methods such as from parents to children, or from minstrel or court storyteller masters to their disciples.

Actually, I wonder what the literacy rate is in this country?

In any case......in an environment like this, there’s a possibility that the very concept of『parallel worlds』might not exist. Although it’s very familiar to an otaku like me as a staple in stories, it’s entirely unknown territory for her. It is the same way how people in the Middle Ages also could not comprehend the idea of『space』, that there was something beyond the sky that they see.

“I’m terribly sorry.”

Miusel looked quite discouraged——actually, she looked more scared than anything else.

“I’m a stupid person who is lacking in education, so......”

“No, it’s only natural that you don’t understand. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m the one who’s in the wrong, so please don’t apologize!”

Miusel shakes her head in a fluster.

The pointed ears visible in the gaps between her hair, in combination with her quivering figure——it’s like she’s a cat or a dog, and her ears are even moving up and down......omg this girl is just way too cute!!

“It would be great if I could draw something like a conceptual diagram to explain it to you, but——”

I fiddle a bit with my smartphone in search of an appropriate image......then I realized it.

『Connection to the network cannot be established.』

It took me this long to notice, but......this is only natural.

This is a parallel world——there aren’t any network carrier base stations on this side. However, somehow it seems that Aokigahara Sea of Trees is technically connected, so there’s the possibility of getting a signal by being extremely close to that hyper dimensional passageway.

“Ahh, dammit. No internet access for the near future?!”

The information sites that I check regularly, the bulletin boards, and even my many accounts on the net......I won’t be able to access any of that. As I had thought. I need to get a relay antenna set up ASAP as a countermeasure, or else I’m going to choke to death, information-wise.

While I’m thinking such things——

“......?”

Tilting her head in puzzlement, Miusel is peering at the thing in my hand.

“Danna-sama......That’s......?”

“Eh? Aah, this——Well, it’s my, or you could say it’s my country’s, magical tool.”

With a wry smile, I show her the screen with the memo app that I had been fiddling with.

“Those are——words, are they?”

“Yep. In my country’s language.”

“............”

Miusel is staring intently at the smartphone with her eyes wide open.

For some reason, that expression seems so very earnest——

“What?”

“Ah, nothing, I’m sorry.”

Miusel bowed her head in a fluster.

“So Danna-sama is able to use such complicated-looking words......!”

“Eh? Aaahh~, ah, oh right.”

What she is looking at are Japanese characters.

In other words, a combination of kanji and kana. As a Japanese, it’s been with me ever since I was born, so I’m not really aware of it, but there are very few cultures on Earth that handle such a large variety of characters. There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, but in the case of Japanese, there are about 50 sounds. Kana alone is already twice that number, but if you include kanji, then I wonder how many folds that makes.

With a start, I got curious, so I bring up the dictionary on my smartphone. According to the JIS classification system, there are already almost 3,000 characters in Level 1 alone. If you include everything up to Level 4, then there are more than 10,000. The only people capable of using such an enormous number of characters are only those in kanji cultures...... And when you combine kanji with other types of characters, everything becomes even more complicated, as all Japanese and Koreans can attest to.

That’s why......in the eyes of foreigners, it’s all incomprehensible.

“Speaking of which, are there a lot of characters on this side?”

“Ah......I’m very sorry.”

Miusel cast down her eyes while replying.

“I......can’t read or write, so......”

“......Ah.”

Speaking of which, one of Japan’s distinctive characteristics is having an abnormally high literacy rate. I’ve read somewhere on the internet about how foreigners were surprised at seeing even homeless old men reading newspapers.

I see, from the perspective of someone who can’t read nor write, being fluent in kanji and kana together might seem like being a great sage. For us, it might be similar to someone being fluent in 5 different languages, maybe?

“......Oh, by the way, is there paper here?”

I return to my office desk and open the drawers.

Inside——although a bit stiff, there are indeed several sheets of paper. The paper making technology here must not be very developed, as these are quite crude in comparison to the paper that I’m so used to seeing. However, it’s not like I can’t write on these.

Just like the smartphone, I’d also brought a ballpen over to this world, so I take it out and begin to write a list onto a sheet of paper.

A I U E O. Ka Ki Ku Ke Ko. Sa Shi Su Se So. Ta Chi Tsu Te To——

Basically, the 50 sounds from hiragana.

I meticulously write them all out onto the paper, then hand it to Miusel.

“Here you go.”

“......Eh?”

“If I said ‘as a token of our acquaintance’......would this be too cheap?”

“Eh, you’re......giving this......to me......?!”

Miusel’s eyes grow as round as saucers.

“This is a table showing the most fundamental and basic characters of my country, called『hiragana』. As for how to read them, I’ll teach you another time.”

After saying this much......with a start, I turn the paper over, and write『Miusel』on the back.

“This is how it looks when your name is written in our language. You can compare it with the table later on if you like.”

“......Danna-sama......!”

As if it was the first time in her life receiving a certificate of commendation, her voice is thick with emotion and her hands are stiff and clumsy as she reaches out to accept the hiragana table.

For a split second, I think “what an over-reaction,” but......I change my way of thinking immediately.

Because printing technology is still undeveloped, all books in this world are basically hand-written manuscripts. Therefore, as mentioned before, they are extremely high-class luxury goods that only nobles and a portion of rich people can get their hands on. When you add the fact that it’s a table of the characters from『a parallel world』to the equation, then its rarity drives its value even higher.

Though it is only a single sheet of paper, from Miusel’s point of view, she has just『received something incredible』.

“............”

For a while, she just stared at the table in a daze——Eventually, her face grew increasingly loose before ultimately widening into a delighted smile.

Rather than the worth of what she had received, it feels like what she is happy about is the fact of having received something. As if hugging a piece of treasure, she is using both hands to press the table against her chest——Then she speaks up in an almost inaudible voice.

“Tha......Thank you so very much.”

Perhaps due to being so excited, her cheeks are dyed rose-colored, and a bashful smile has stolen onto her face.

Uwah......what the heck, this girl is seriously moe. To be blunt, I had never imagined that there would be a 3D girl who would make me feel moe so clearly. To the degree of making my chest squeeze up, this girl is somehow really, really cute......!

And this is how I received plenty of moe from Miusel.

“——Ah.”

Miusel suddenly turned back towards me, looking as if she’d just noticed something.

“It seems like Blük-san has returned.”

“Is that so?”

It seems that her large ears are not just for show. I didn’t hear anything at all, but she had obviously heard the noises generated by that person coming back.

“I will bring Blük-san here.”

“Ah. Un, thanks.”

At my nod, Miusel begin running in a fluster——

“——Ah.”

She tripped.

“Hyau?!”

She had fallen over in a scene that can only be described by the word ‘splat.’ However, before I can ask “Are you OK?”, she quickly gets back up in a fluster, bobs a quick bow towards me, then runs off again, still in a fluster.

Uumu. So she’s also a dojikko-san. Furthermore, she’s not the calculating type, but the natural type.

(T/N: Dojikko means a clumsy character. Like how maid and twintails and ojou-sama are all character types, dojikko is one too. Thus, I’m leaving it untranslated.)

She’s the maid-san who will be taking care of me......If that’s true, then we’ll at least be seeing each other around during my stay at this mansion. Furthermore, my position is as her『Danna-sama』, so unlike my classmates and my childhood friend, Miusel probably won’t make fun of me or scorn me for being an otaku. Neither would she readily shoot down something like a confession packed with every bit of my resolve with a simple『No way』.

But I’m starting to tear up from remembering that incident, so let’s move on.

Anyhow, because Miusel is here, I think I’ll be able to enjoy this bizarre position at least a little.

“Ufufufufufu.”

Even I think that’s a disgusting laugh, but I’m so happy that I can’t help it.

At that moment——

“Danna-sama.”

I hear a few knocks on my door.

“I have brought Blük-san here.”

“Ah, come on in.”

I tried to make my voice sound as sociable and good-humored as possible.

Speaking of which, I wonder whether Blük-san is also an elf. In the first place, is Holy Eldant Empire a country of elves?

No, wait. This is a parallel world. The common sense from our world might not necessarily apply here.

Therefore, there’s the possibility that Blük-san is actually a bishoujo! Even though Blük-san is a pretty masculine-sounding name, there’s no reason why it can’t be a girl’s name, and if it’s actually a last name then it can totally work——I’m having such thoughts while walking towards the door.

“Excuse me.”

Along with those words, the door is opened.

The person standing there is——

“I’m Blük Darwen, your manservant. I mainly take care of the gardening, but please feel free to leave all the physical labor to me.”

The one giving a self-introduction in a bass voice that sounds like scraping against gravel is a large figure of a person——a person?

I’m assaulted by a feeling like all the blood in my body is curdling up.

It is the same feeling from whenever I got up close to something like a tiger or an wolf while at the zoo. I had thought myself so accustomed after seeing it so many times in videos and images that I wouldn’t be scared. However, now that I’m face to face with the real thing, that realistic largeness, and the intensity of the impression of『a carnivore』emanating from every part of his body is very nearly overwhelming me.

The figure standing next to Miusel is towering over two meters in height.

What he is wearing is a slightly dirtied tunic frayed all over, and a pair of trousers in a similar state.

If that is all, then I wouldn’t be frozen in place.

Problem is——although he is humanoid, he can’t really be called『human』. His face, his neck, his hands, the stomach visible from below the hem of his tunic, the feet visible from below the cuff of his trousers, and generally every part of his bare skin——every place is covered densely by dark blue scales. His head is protruding forward in a manner eerily similar to how a snake raises its head.

Standing right in front of my eyes, at a distance almost close enough for our breaths to overlap, is a living creature conventionally known as a lizardman.

I don’t really know about『gigantic kaiju』like Godzilla and Gamera, but this 2 meter tall body is more than large enough to slam home the intensity of the phrase『I’ll catch you and eat you』.

Speaking bluntly, he is freaking scary. At this moment, I am in a state where I really want to run away with all I have, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. However, even if I really intend to do so, that lizardman is standing in the only entrance to the room.

“Danna-sama?”

Miusel tilts her head in puzzlement.

For her, this lizardman is apparently not surprising nor scary.

“......I’d forgotten.”

This place is a parallel world.

In the first place, my common sense does not apply——it is a world where it wouldn’t be strange for anything to happen.

That’s why it isn’t strange for a lizardman to be a gardener. It’s not strange, but still.

“Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Danna-sama.”

So saying, the lizardman——Blük bends over and peers into my face.

The red, two-pronged tongue that keep flickering in and out of my vision adds to the vividness of the image, making him seem that much scarier.

He’s scary, but——

“Yo......Yoroshiku.”

For some unknown reason, I was able to maintain a smile on my face and respond appropriately.

Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 1Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew ItEverything in my sight was dyed in the color of the sinking sun.The slowly darkening scenery looked like an old, faded photo, evoking a strange feeling of nostalgia in me.Like the feeling one has for something previously lost, something that one's hands can no longer reach, this sense of deep yearningthis sense of nostalgia that is constricting my chest is welling up inside me. For no reason, in contrast to the impatience that was building up, I was seeing everything in slow motion, making me feel like this moment was going to continue for eternity...... Such ridiculous thoughts were running in some corner inside my head....... I love you.This was a usual, regular confession scene.Inside the school building dyed with madder red, the two of us were facing each other.There was nobody else around. Standing still, our shadows stretched long on the ground.The voices and sound of the baseball club members' practice in the schoolyard sounded......kind of far away. Aside from the two of us, everything else felt unreal, like they were part of the backdrop of a play. Rather, it was as if we were the only ones left behind in this never-ending world of twilight. In this strange atmosphere, I was struggling.Please go out with me.These were straightforward words of courtship.They were the embodiment of my determination.If I did not tell her my feelings and locked them up inside my own chest, then we could continue having the relationship that we've always had. It was a familiar relationship with a comfortably ambiguous distance. It would be only natural to leave things as they were for fear of losing everything.However, that would merely be an endless state of stagnation.Feelings are alive. If you shut them in for too long, they will eventually die.......The words that were released with all of my resolve dissolved into the silence.The girl blinked twice, then thrice.After that, the girlNo way.answered thus............................... Eh?Just now......what did you say?I said, No way.'Towards to my question, which had been delivered in a trembling voice, the girl responded in an indifferent tone.Then, as if to make doubly sure, she continued to speak, as if to drive home the killing blow.I have no intention of going out with Shin-chan.............!I moaned while feeling like all the blood in my body was flowing in reverse.The unimaginable refusal. The unimaginable failure.I had strongly believed that she would accept my confession.The two of us were childhood friends. As we lived close to each other, our families were well acquainted with each other, and the two of us knew each other well ever since we were small. I had confessed while thinking that I understood her better than anyone else. It's a policy of mine to not make bets with poor prospects.Eh......but......I shamelessly pressed on doggedly.A different me inside some corner of my head whispered to me that this was unsightly. Even now, I could make it in time. The voice warned me that if I laugh it off like Ahaha, I know right, that was a joke, just a joke, then the wound would not get exacerbated. At least, if I settle this as a jokeeven tomorrow, I can continue being this childhood friend's classmate, and everything can be resolved without any awkward feelings.However, my lingering affection pushed my back.I tumbled down the path towards the more disastrous ending.How come......?Was it because I was not hot?Was it because my grades weren't exemplary?Was it because my athletic reflexes were dull?Was it becauseWorthless conjectures spun inside my head in circles.That's because......The girl blinked her eyes in surprise.She looked completely surprised. Almost as if she wanted to ask By this time, why would you even need to ask this?. I was so lovestruck that I even thought that expression on her face was lovely.ThenShin-chan is an otaku.So she said.When I opened my eyes, my everyday ended.And that was without any notification eitherin two, three different meanings of the word.T/N: The word here can mean nothing notifying him about his dream ending,' his everyday life being over without any warning' ie. cus he got rejected, or simply he got rejected without any warning.'WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING AN OTAKUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!I woke up due to my own shout.............In about the time it took for me to blink three times, I loosened all the muscles in my body, which had gotten stiff.It wasn't like today was the only day with a bad dream, but due to having shouted with all my strength......my head somehow hurts. It felt like a large lump of lead had been embedded inside my brain.It was a dream, huh......Despite the incident having occurred more than a year ago, the recollection dreams were still as vivid as something that had happened yesterday.On the other hand......it was as if some fragment of the dream was still entwined around my consciousness, causing my mind to be unable to turn. It felt terribly troublesome to think about anything.Still in a face up position, I absentmindedly looked straight upwards.What I saw there was......An unfamiliar, ceiling......?On the spur of the moment, I plagiarized a line from episode 2 of that famous anime. Even I think I'm a pretty sinful otaku myself, but let's put that aside for now.T/N: He's referring to Evangelion, btw. The title of ep 2.I wasn't joking though. The ceiling over my head really was an unfamiliar ceiling that I'd never seen before.More like, it feels strangely close. Or strangely low.......Where......is this?What was being reflected in my eyes was not the ceiling that I had seen so much of to almost get tired of.More like, if this was my room, then what I should be seeing is a ceiling graced by a life-sized poster of Madoka, the heroine from the masterpiece magical girl animeRentalMadoka, towards whom I hold everlasting love for. But on the ceiling that I'm currently staring at, the bright smile of the magical girl who continued working hard without losing sight of hope despite having been hired by a black employment agency was nowhere to be seen.In its stead, what was being reflected in my eyes were some engravings of strangely elaborate design.More like......in the first place, this is not the ceiling of my room.This ceiling was not flat, but rather a sloping depression similar to a hemisphere. Furthermore, all four corners were supported by four fine pillars that rose from the edge of the bed that I was currently lying on.This must be a bed with a canopy.Indeed. This is one of those devices used in anime and manga and games and light novels as a symbol to indicate arichcharacter. A commoner like myself who wasn't part of such a work should not have the opportunity to even set eyes on such an article.Such a high-class furniture, added to the fact that I was sleeping in it.How come? Holding such a question in mind, I raised my body.When I looked around......I saw a strangely spacious Western-styled room.As for its size, it was roughly three times the size of my own roomaround 20 tatami, then. T/N: About 348.7 square feet. However, there was almost no furniture. It was almost a waste of space how the large canopy bed was ostentatiously placed right in the center of the room. The room was dim apparently because of the heavy curtains covering the windows. However, there was a crack that allowed some white light to shine through, which prevented the room from being covered in total darkness.......Seriously. Where the heck is this?!I muttered to myself in a groan.In contrast to the lack of furniture, the wallpaper was decorated with very detailed patterns, the curtains were embroidered, and detailed craftsmanship could be seen on the window frame and the pillars jutting out slightly from the walls. On the wall were lamps decorated with an incomparable amount of ornamentation.Every single article were things that I had only ever seen in anime and manga and games and light novels. Everything gave off the feeling of a traditional Western-styled residence. To speak plainly, this was aWestern mansion.That's why......there must be......Having stood so still as to almost fade into being a part of the scenery inside the room caused me to be late in noticing that existence.?!My gaze accidentally swept too far to the side, so I hastily turned my head back.That humanoid silhouette standing close to the wall.M............In the instant of realization, fireworks ran through my brain.That was......Black one-piece.White apron decorated with frills.A headpiece similarly decorated with frills.In addition, a collar adorned with a dark red ribbon with a jade green clasp.Ahhhh, that is......that is!That moe trope that appears again and again in games and anime and manga and light novels that so many people love! That costume that, despite having a relatively low amount of skin exposure, has managed to cause so many people to go crazy with moe that it has been nicknamed theWearable Aphrodisiac!That was unmistakablyMAID-SAN !!!!!!T/N: is read kita.' It means it's here,' but watchthisto fully understand the feelings packed into these two simple characters.......?!Reflexively, I tightly gripped my hands into fists and shouted out loud in excitement, but it seems to have caused the maid-san standing next to the wall to start trembling.More like......I'm getting the feeling that she had been taking refuge against the wall to put distance between the two of us in the first place. Well, if a sleeping person suddenly shouts out loud, then anyone would draw back.But really, to think that the day would come when I would have the honor of beholding, with my own two eyes, a 3D, real life maid-san!Oou......I was so very deeply moved.Those who would say But there are maid cafs, aren't there? are mere amateurs.The so-called maids' at maid cafs are mere cosplayers, mere fakes, and mere pretenders. The true meaning of being a maid-san cannot be found in those places. Those girls are mere imitationsinside, they're normal high school or university students. In other words, of the three elements necessary to reach the highest mysteries of the maid-san wayheart, technique, and physiquethe most important one, heart,' is missing!However, the maid-san currently in front of my eyes did indeed possess it.I can tell. There's no deceiving my eyes......!More like, when you compare someone who's wearing the costume as a cosplay against someone who wears the costume as a part of everyday life, the difference is obvious. This girl's body was completely accustomed to the maid clothes that she was wearing.Furthermore, when I took a second look, I realized that she was not a Japanese.I couldn't see the exact colors because the room was dim, but I was at least sure that she did not have black hair or black eyes.Her long hair was in twintails, which meant that it was tied up and hanging down from a pretty high position behind her head on both sides. Her large eyes looked like she was perplexedor rather, like she was scared, and were blinking furiously. Even with the dim lighting, I could see that she had white skin as smooth as porcelain, and that her facial features were prominent without being showyshe was the very image of neat, trim, and sweetly cute.' Her neat and trim side was further accentuated by her slight plainness, making her a good example of how even plainness could be inverted into a plus.T/N: The actual word used to describe her was , which is read as seiso karen.'Seisomeans neat, clean, tidy, and trim.'Karenmeans touchingly lovely, sweet the way young girls and flowers blooming are sweet, and cute.' This four-character word embodies the quintessential Japanese idea of a perfect Japanese lady.Her age looks to be similar to my ownin other words, somewhere in her late teens.And from what I can see, her body, which was concealed under her maid clothes, appeared slender and delicate.She looks like she would snap if she was hugged too hard' is a description often used for slender women, butthis girl truly looked like if I carelessly approached her the wrong way, she would get hurt, as if she was a delicate piece of glasswork.She was almost perfect. If I was to give a score as a judge that grades maids, I would be fine with giving her 90 points. By the way, I would give her the remaining 10 points on the spot if she was holding a broom. The broom is a definitive item for any maid-san. It's on the same level as the club is for all oni. Without it, it is as if the critical final touch is missing.But well, let's put that aside for now.The maid girl who was pressed against the wall spoke up in a voice trembling with fear.......Re......Retosamu?What? What did she say?E......Efasu,uoi,era,retosamu?Seeing me stare at her in a stupor, the maid girl was repeating her questionI think. Her sentence ended with a rising tone, so I think it was a question. That's all I understood, though.It was undoubtedly not Japanese. Based on the pronunciation, it's not English either. Exactly what language is it? It did not sound like German nor French nor Chinese either.In any case, I hadn't the faintest idea what she just said.This is problematic......I muttered to myself.I was finally blessed with the opportunity to get closer to a real, living, 3D maid girl, but if it's like this, then we can't even make small talk......!I know, I know.Some people without dreams might be shouting Before that, Where am I?' and other such questions should be your first priority! at me. However, that is such a boorish and unsophisticated thing to say. This is an encounter where I can become closer to a moe character, a feat only possible in the 3D domain, through the interface called reality.' When faced with such a situation, which is so rare that it can even be called a miracle, one has to keep in mind the idiom lose a fly to catch a trout.' Small sacrifice for a great cause.Retosamu......The maid girl sounded at a loss too.Apparently, I wasn't the only one feeling bothered about the fact that we can't understand each other's words.!Abruptly, she looked like she had just realized something and nodded to herself, after which she began to hastily pat her maid clothes all over. For a second, I wondered what she was doing, but......clearly, she was looking for something that was supposed to be in her clothes.Sou,tei!The maid girl suddenly smiled brightly, then took out some sort of box from one of her pockets.She timidly made her way towards me, opened the box from the middle like it was a shellfish, then showed me what was inside.It was a smallsilver-colored ring.Eh? What's this?From what I can see, the ring was somewhat on the large side, and gave off a ceremonious feelingthere were tiny letters etched onto its surface.It seemed like amagical ring, one of those things that always come up in manga and anime and games.Again, I wonder what kind of letters were those. It wasn't the English alphabet, and of course, neither was it kanji nor kana. I've also seen the Hebrew alphabet, likealephandzayin, appear in games and anime of the fantasy genre, but that wasn't it either.Retosamu,regunifu,ruoi,shisu,ete,tsupu.So saying, the maid girl held it out to methen stopped moving, staying in that pose and staring straight at me.Was she perhaps telling me to put it on.But from my point of view, it looked like a very questionable itemI couldn't help but to hesitate. It gave me an uneasy feeling. The moment I put it on, my magical power would be controlled, or something similar happening was a common plot device. Well, I knew that there wasn't a magical ring like that in real life, though.At that momentRetosamu.The maid girl showed me her own hand.A ring that looked exactly the samea ring with the same design, as far as I can determine, was on the ring finger on her left hand. She took off that ring, exchanged it with the one that she had been offering me before, then showed me herself putting it onto the same finger.What is this.It was as if it was poison tasting...... She was probably trying to demonstrate to me that it was alright to put on the ring through the exchange.But like this, now it feels like we're getting engaged or married, so I feel a little bashful.I gained another reason to hesitate, out of character though it was.......Retosamu?An anxious expression appeared on her white face as she called out to me again.Nuwa......She's so cute! But her cuteness only makes me feel that much more guilty!The maid girl looked troubled at the fact that I wasn't making any move to put on the ring.Aah dammit...... Fine.I, too, am a man. And furthermore, also an otaku.When a maid girl that fits my ideals so perfectly is making an appeal with such sad-looking eyes, there was no way I could ever decline. Having had my fill of kyun kyun moe, my heart was urging me to quickly put on that ring.Here goes......I fearfully put the ring onto my own ring finger. There was no flash of light nor any hair-raising sounds, nor did the ring suddenly change shape and dig into my finger...... It slid on without any resistance and merely settled into place.Is this what you wanted?When I asked this, the next momentYes! With this, we can finally understand each other, Danna-sama.Sei,shisu!Moufu,donatosuredonu,uoi,naku,retosamu.Nuwa?!I unconsciously shouted in surprise.It was because I had suddenly become able to understand the maid girl's words.Furthermore, it wasn't because the girl was speaking in Japanese. She herself was still speaking in whatever tongue it is that she's using, but something like multiplex broadcasting or simultaneous interpretation was occurring, so that inside my head I'm hearing the Japanese meaning of what she's saying superimposing over her actual words.T/N: Multiplex broadcasting means transferring different videos and audio channels simultaneously over the same frequency channel.How exactly is this happening?Actually, never mind. Let's put that aside for now. More importantly, what did the girl just say?Danna-sama? Who's that? Me?T/N: For those who don't know,Dannais one way to call Master' in Japanese.-samais a suffix added to indicate respect. It is my policy to leave monikers and suffixes untranslated, as different characters use different things and you can tell who is speaking through those differences.Oou......!I was so deeply moved that I couldn't help looking up towards the ceiling and sighing blissfully.! ! ! DANNASAMA! Listen to this sweet sound! When a maid calls her master, the standard is to useGoshujin-sama, but being calledDanna-samahas its own charm and I love it!T/N: Yes, he says Danna-sama' four times. First in kanji, then in hiragana, then in katakana, then finally in English. All four are read the exact same way.Ahhh. To think that the day would come when I get to be calledDanna-samaby a maid girl.I'm so glad to be alive. More like, if a time machine exists, then I want to go back to the me from a year ago and tell him that It's a great thing that you're alive. As long as you're alive, the day will come when a maid-san will call youDanna-sama!......And things like that.I was thoroughly savoring this happiness, but now that things had progressed to this point, I could no longer ignore the baffling situation in which I had found myself.Exactly what had happened and how did it happen?Where was this place, who is this girl, and why am I in such a situation?Mumu......Due to a dull pain, my brain cells felt very reluctant to begin moving properly, but I mentally rebuked them while trying to trace my memory back.I believe I had been in Akiba for a job interview.In the middle of the interview, there had been a small break time. There had been a drink dispensing machine in the interview room, from which I had taken a cup of oolong tea that I had promptly drunk.As for any memories after that...... my mind was blank.Hmm? These memories completely don't match up with my current situation, though.............Danna-sama?Seeing me freeze up, the maid girl called out to me in a puzzled voice.I still don't understand the exact words that she was saying, but even I could tell that the retosamu that she had repeated so many times earlier meansDanna-sama.I'm fine. Umm......I turned towards the maid girl and spoke to her.Sorry, may I ask you something?Of course. Anything you'd like.Perhaps due to the fact that we can finally communicate, she nodded with a happy expression that also seemed slightly relieved.For starters, who are you? What's your name?MiuselMy name is Miusel Foalan.She answered with a cute bow of her head.......Miusel.It's a cute name. It suits her really well.Mistaking my mutter to myself as me calling her name, she responded with Yes?Ummm, what is your position here?I had been savoring this trance-like happiness for a while, but even I was not a hopeless enough idiot that when I'm suddenly calledDanna-samaI would goOh I see, so I'm a Danna-samaand be satisfied with that. Without any context, there was no way that I would have a maid girl waiting on me.From this day forth, I have been entrusted with taking care of Danna-sama's everyday life.No, I mean......'Danna-sama'? Who are you referring to?......Eh?My question caused her to blink in surprise.Ah......Did you perhaps wish to be addressed in some other way?Miusel lowered her head, looking very sorry.Kanou Shinichi-sama......Kanou Shinichi.Indeed, that is my name.In other words, the Danna-sama' that this girl is talking about equals me......!I, I am the Danna-sama'......?Yes.She tilted her head quizzically, as if to ask, By this time, why are you asking something like this?I don't get it. What on earth is this situation?!UmmmWell alright, let's put aside the issue of why I'm a Danna-sama for now.I decided to change the topic of conversation to where this place was instead.When I traced my memories back, I remember that I was in the middle of job hunting in the sacred land for otakus, Akihabaraand that was where my memory suddenly cuts off. Wherever this place is, if I'm not suffering from memory loss or multiple-personality disorder, then I did not come here by my own will.Where......is this place?Inside the Ratatos Forest on the outskirts of Marinos, the capital city of the Holy Eldant Empire.So answered Miuselor not.......?When I turned towards where the voice had come from, I saw a single lady standing there.It was a young lady wearing a dark green colored uniformno, a military uniform.Well, I say military uniform, but it wasn't combat gear, and seemed more like what a person would wear normally at a workplacethe JSDF's so-calledservice uniform. Up above was a jacket, and below was a tight skirt. On her collar were the characteristic rank insignias and medals indicating her occupational category. She also had on a necktie.However......above anything else, what first drew my eyes was the place with a lot of cloth.To put it frankly, it was her breasts.H......Huge!Their overwhelming presence overshadowed her necktie and her medals and her rank insignias.These two huge, huge mounds......!Probably Fno, they look to be G. Magnificent. Uniforms are known for being costumes with a high concealing attribute, but in this case, even her uniform could not conceal those ripe, heavily laden white peaches. Despite the efforts at concealment, the sense of volume that could not be concealed struck me down in an instant. To think that such large breasts truly exist! So the photos of idols are not all Photoshopped?! Amazing, Laputa was real after all! Due to the excessive stimulation, I became a bit incoherent.......Are you alright?Towards the me whose gaze was almost strong enough to bore a hole through her breaststhat lady called out to me in a dubious voice.Are you listening to me? Kanou Shinichi-kun?Eh? Ahyes.As one could expect, even I would come back to my senses when called by name. I severed my lingering affections and stopped staringafter expending an enormous amount of willpower, I was finally successful in raising my line of vision towards the other person's face.Although my eyes had automatically turned towards her breasts, her face also turned out to be quite beautiful.She appeared to be in her early twenties.Short hair. Wait, noguessing by the fact that there were no hair ends around her collar, although a first glance from the front might give the impression that she has short hair, her hair was most likely actually tied up behind her head in a chignon style or something similar.The presentation of her clothing was very orderly, and she herself seemed to be giving off a faint feeling of having a chink in her guard......a feminine softness could be felt from her facial structure. The fact that she was wearing glasses only served to further mellow her appearance, giving an overall round and gentle impression.She could be said to be one of those kind, healing-type onee-san characters.Both her way of speaking and her expressions gave off a relaxed atmosphere.Despite all thatwhat she was wearing was a military uniform after all.By the way, in contrast to Miusel, this lady was properly speaking Japanese, and her looks were clearly East Asian, so most likely, she was a member of the JSDFmore specifically, she probably belonged to the Women's Army Corps, or WAC for short.I understand why you'd feel surprised.The lady smiled gently while saying so.But before anything else, first calm down. Otherwise, from here onwardsit might be difficult to last.T/N: The last part had no subject. She was saying thathewon't last, but he thought she was saying that herbreastswon't last.Is......Is that so?I was so shocked that my expression involuntarily stiffened up.I see......Won't last, huh......I'd heard that it was easy to sag, but......Understood, I'll calm down. I'll be calm, you can bet on it. If by calming down, I am able to preserve those treasures of all humanity, then I'll calm down as much as you need! Leave it to me!I gripped both of my hands into fists and spoke with great vigor.But to think that I can help prevent her breasts from sagging just by calming down, I wonder exactly how does that work? Did I have such a hidden superpower? The name of the superpower would beThe BusterT/N: The Buster' is the provided rubii reading; the kanji itself reads as The Emergency Savior of Breasts. It's Buster' because bust' = breasts.'. This superpower enables me to prevent girls' breasts from sagging when I calm down and concentrate!......Errr, Kanou Shinichi-kun?A dubious color seemed to be slipping into the WAC's smile.It seems that some sort of misunderstanding might be happening here, but......By easy to sag......What are you talking about?Eh? Weren't we talking about your boobs?............The WAC's smile froze.As if she had a Stop button that was pressed, she continued looking at me with a smile that remained unwavering to the point of being unnaturalFirst of all, I believe I should introduce myself.The lady once again adopted an easy-going smile, forcibly changing the topic of the conversation back to the proper track.It seems that she was going to act as if the exchange about breasts had never taken place. As expected of a government employee. Her ability to ignore things was first-class indeed.My name is Koganuma Minori.She placed her white gloved hands onto her abundant breasts.Just that alone was enough to slightly change the shape of her breasts. Uwah. Looks really soft.I'm a Private First Class belonging to the 1st Division of the Ground Self-Defense Force Eastern Army. My mission is to be your escort.So said the JSDF lady, or rather, Koganumi Minori-san.The family name Koganuma' sounds a bit too stiff, so I'm going to decide here and now to call her Minori-san' inside my mind............................................................Wait a second.ESCORT?!A terrifying word was suddenly brought up.If I was assigned an escort, then there must be a threat to protect mefrom. In other words, I am in a position where I am being exposed to some sort of threat.E-e-e-exactly, what from?!I don't remember having anyone who would come after my life.I don't think I do, butnever knowing when you've inadvertently earned someone else's resentment is part of what it means to be human.Could it be that someone grew to hate me to the point of wanting to kill me after our bidding war over that bishoujo figure on Yahoo Auction?That can't be! ......I admit that I did continuously make some pretty outrageous bids right before the end of the auction closing time, but, but, Kuuko is a such a rare gem that I would even sell my soul to get my hands on her figure and she even has cast-off clothes and the degree of reproduction of her breasts was said to be absolutely perfect and if I didn't get my hands on her I'd regret it for the rest of my lifeI'll say this again, but calm down! More like, what are you even talking about?Minori-san inquired while knitting her eyebrows.......Isn't someone who lost to me in a bidding war for a figure targeting my life?There's no way the JDSF would be tasked with your protection for something like that!Something like that'?! It's the limited edition Kuuko figure, I'll have you know! Although it's true that she's not the main heroine, and she doesn't have large breasts like Minori-san does, but she has her own virtues!......Why are my breasts brought up in this conversation?!Minori-san replied while grasping her breasts with both hands, as if to cover them up.Such an action is only serving to emphasize how large her breasts are, but is she not aware of that? This person.Anyways. If it's something related to crime, then it would be the jurisdiction of the police, wouldn't it.......That's true. But if that's the case, then why......?In the first place, if one were to talk about what the JSDF fights against, then that'd be foreign troops or calamities or Godzilla.I can't really think of any situation that would require the JSDF to protect a single civilian.My escort mission is just a precaution, really. If there's a clear and imminent threat, rather than just a single WAC like me, they'd be sending entire squads of JSDF members decked out in full combat gear to your side, right?I see your point, but......The very fact that a JSDF member was suddenly dispatched without providing any explanation was already unnatural.We do feel sorry about suddenly bringing you along without providing any explanation. But it was because several things related to highly classified information was involved. That's why we had to take such high-handed measures. We are truly sorry for that..Classified information?!More terrifying words were coming up.Classified information' is one of those ultra-alarming words that causes people to die left and right like it's the most natural thing in the word. Furthermore, the fact that the JSDF was involved naturally means that it's a national secret or something similar. Most likely, it was on a completely different dimension from some mere corporate secret.No, wait a second. Before any of that, she just said bringing you along, didn't she. In other words, it was the JSDF that had kidnapped me and brought me to this incomprehensible place?No way......I trembled with fear at the realization of my current position.I got infected by a developmental bacteriological weapon and as a result turned into a mutant soldier that had awakened to newfound superpowers, and am therefore being targeted as a living military secret?!......What on earth are you talking about?Or perhaps a spaceship with super-technology fell from space and its control system took the form of a bishoujo and chose me from among all humankind and wishes to form a contract with me?............Or a three thousand-year seal came undone, allowing the resurrection of a demon lord, but the sole tribe capable of resealing it has been long extinct, so the country used all available resources and identified me as the person whose blood that is the closest to what that tribe had?............Minori-san remained silent.Although she was maintaining the warm smile on her face, I feel like her eyes alone are growing colder and colder by the moment, so for now let's put a lid on my chuunibyou dreams.......Are you satisfied?Well, for the time being.Of course, I had intended on fully explaining the situation to you.Minori-san spoke while walking over to stand beside the windows.But most likely, you wouldn't be able to understand, no matter how many words I used. Even if you did understand, I don't think you would believe me. It was so for myself.............?The strangely roundabout wording made me knit my eyebrows.What on earth was this WAC trying to say?That's why, first look with your own eyes. The explanation will come afterwards.Minori-san opened the curtains.At that momentwhite light flooded into the room.Most likely, it was currently morning. It was a cool yet refreshing light.The sudden increase in the amount of light caused my eyes to squint up. I waited for them to grow accustomed.And then......Uwah.What I saw was an endless scene of greenery.Trees and shrubs decked with leaves seemed to extend without end, effectively serving as a wall around the estate. I couldn't grasp an exact number, but there were less than a hundred meters in between. Apparently, this room was on the second floor......our point of view was high up, but the towering trees almost completely blocked our field of vision.The words previously said by Minori-san,outskirts of MarinosandRatatos Forest, resurfaced in my mind.And also,Holy Eldant Empire.It was a name that I'd never heard of before.More like, I'd let it slide the first time, but isn't that clearly a different country altogether?I was just job hunting in Akiba, but when on earth did I leave the country?!As expected, it didn't take much for me to start panicking, but............Eh?What I was truly having trouble believing wasn't that.What was that just now......?!Abruptly, something crossed by outside the window.It was something unbelievably huge.It wasn't a bird. Birds don't get that huge. Though it was only for an instant, that something had completely blocked my field of visionthat was how huge it was. In other words, it was at least larger than this window that I'm standing behind.On top of that, it had bat-like wings.On top of even that, it also had a ridiculously long tail.The clincher was the fact that instead of feathers, its entire body was covered with blue scales.Dragon......?!That flying body composedly flew in an arc, then once again returned to my field of vision.Above the wall of greenery, that fantastical appearance flew gracefully. No matter how you look at it, that thing had a wingspan of at least ten meters. If I remember correctly......according to paleontologists, the largest species of the pterosaur, the Quetzalcoatlus, is speculated to have had a wingspan of up to twelve meters. In terms of size, what I'm looking at is on the same level as that. Back in middle school, I had seen a replica at a dinosaur exhibition.A dragon just......it's a dragon, isn't it?!That's right.Minori-san nodded in response to me, who was on the verge of panicking.Wha-What on earth is this place?!As I said before, inside the Ratatos Forest on the outskirts of Marinos, the capital city of the Holy Eldant Empire.Minori-san repeated herself with a faint smile.And thenas if to confirm my guess, she added one more line.To put it into simpler terms, this is aparallel world.Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 2Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew ItVolume 1 Chapter 1 Part 2Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You can grab the PDFhere.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I, Kanou Shinichi, am a so-calledhome security guard.Ifhome security guardwas too hard to understand, thenneetorhikikomorior the bluntdeadbeatwould do. Generally, I'm in a position that can be summarized with those words. But then again, my name is still on my school's register, so it might be more correct to call me atruant student.Actually, no. If we are to aim for correctness, then we must use past tense and sayIused to bea home security guard.My lifestyle of living while holed up inside my room that had lasted a year......was suddenly brought to an end by my parents' forceful measures.For slightly over a year, I was a hikikomori......my younger sister, who was much smarter than me, was studying for her high school entrance exams, so my parents focused on supporting her with that and mainly left me be.But after my younger sister got accepted into her school of choice, as one could expect, even my parents would begin to feel bothered by their oldest son acting like this. With their daughter entering a top-notch local high school after so much effort, their son being a home security guard for an indefinite extent of time undoubtedly did not do wonders for appearances.And thus.Unfortunately for me, my parents were pretty extreme people.Although they're usually quite happy-go-easy, but when they start something, they are utterly thorough with it.Furthermore, when they think of something, they put it into motion the very same daythey're so impatient that if it was a war, they would press the launch button for the nuclear missiles immediately after the war declaration. They're people who would skip steps that other normal people would take one at a time while accessing the situation, and thrust ultimatums at the other side as an opening move. Husband and wife both had such unreasonable personalities.As a specific example, the door to my room was suddenly split into two on a certain day.The door had stayed shut as a symbol of my obstinate decision to reject any and all contact with the outside worldwell okay, I did open and close to it go to the toilet and take baths and stuff like thatbut of all things, those two used a chainsaw to literally cut open a path.Please imagine it.I was in the middle of working hard on leveling up when, without any prior notice, the sound of an engine starting was accompanied by the scene of the door being bisected. Furthermore, my parents were fastidious about the weirdest things. Spouting bullshit likethis is the proper thing to wear when using a chainsaw, they were even wearing hockey masks. Frankly speaking, I want to be commended for not having pissed in my pants.As if that wasn't enough......Well then, Shinichi. Here's a question. What is it that you should do from here on? Please select a choice from the following three options. One, return to school. Two, find a job. Three, leave our family registry.......What is with that impossibly hard game.What's an impossibly hard game! Because you're our son, when you said I'm going to be a hikikomori' after something sensitive happened to you, we decided to wait and see for a while. But just because we went easy on you, you started to get carried away and got on the highway towards being a neet! To make matters worse, you started to use cash on delivery to mail order a stupid amount of manga and gameswhose earnings do you think you're burning, you deadbeat!Adults always use such cruel words to hurt us children.You're not sensitive, you're just lazy, right?Even Mom too......More like, it's freaking scary so for now please take off those hockey masks, please?In any case, both your dad and I are reaching the limits of our patience. For now, either go find a job or go back to school. Choose now. Otherwise, the pictures inside theLandscape Imagesfolder that you've been stockpiling devotedly will start disappearing one by one, OK?Wha-......?! How?! Just in case, I gave it a safe name and buried it under several levels of folders! More like, when the heck did you touch my computer?!It's not good to underestimate a former ero illustrator. It's not that rare for someone in a rural small game company to be the scenario writer and the programmer and the graphic artist all at the same time.You HACKED my computer?!In the first place, how many ero images have you hoarded to make the file a whole terabyte! I peeked at the contents of some of the sub-folders, but got pretty turned off by the time I got to the fourth one.GYAAAAA!! You looked inside?!So you follow what I'm saying, Shinichi? The treasured collection of 1 TB that you'd diligently built up while going around the internet, the seven game accounts that you have, and a few other things, will all be erased along with the contents of your HDD. If you don't want this to happen, either start working or resume your studies. ASAP.........................................And well, it was a conversation that pretty much went like that.My life as a home security guard was forcefully brought to a close in the fifteenth month without any chance for an appeal.Hohou. So that's why you're now looking for a job.The middle-aged man on the other side of the foldable conference table nodded.The very next day after my parents carried out the forceful entry into my room' strategyI was in Akiba.Not having been exposed to direct sunlight for so long, I had no choice but to endure the torture of the sun relentlessly burning my eyes and my skin like as if I was a vampire. The reason why after more than a year, I was finally back in the sacred land of otakus......was because out of the options presented by my dad, I had chosen the second one.In other words, to find a job.To be frank, by this point in time, I could not bring myself to feel like going back to school. More like, if it had been that easy for me to go back, I wouldn't have turned truant and holed up inside my room. Just by being an otaku, I was already often made the target of bullying and teasing, but......after not showing up for more than a year, going back now would only make me the laughingstock of the entire school, no doubt about it. My nerves are not stout enough to be capable of withstanding something like that.In that case, then I might as well go straight into becoming a member of societyis what I thought.This, too, was not easy either. That's only natural, though.In the first place, the world was not so lenient that a high school dropout cum former home security guard could find a job as soon as he thinks of looking for one. It would be a different story if I had a special skill or ability of some sort, but there was no way that I did. If I had to name something that I could be proud of, then it would be the otaku knowledge that I'd accumulated over such a long timewell, it's not exactly something to be proud of, though.However, if one were to list workplaces where having otaku knowledge would be an advantage, they would realize that they are very rare and limited in number.The only two kinds of choices were creator-side jobs like what my parents held, or sales-side jobs like being a store clerk in a store that deals in otaku goods. At least, all I could think of were these two choices.But then again, being a creator brings with it numerous problems unique to creators. The fact that just by going up to one of those companies and saying Please let me be a creator would get me nowhere was only made all the more apparent when I looked at my own parents.Therefore, there was only one road for me to taketo be a clerk in a bookstore, DVD shop, computer shop, game shop, figure shop, toy store, or some other otaku-related store.Lately, online job hunting support sites are pretty well-stocked with requests, and many stores also have their own Job Offers page. Just by searching Job Offer along with some otaku-related words, I could easily find the information that I need.And thus, while looking for job offers on the internet, I came across that page.Across the top of the page were the wordsLooking for an Otakusin big letters.More like, that was the only hiring requirement written on the page.There was none of the usual numerous qualification requirements, such as relevant work experience, licenses held, degree of education, above 18 and under 30,' or anything like that. The only requirement was to be someone recognized both by self and by others as an otaku, someone with an abundance of knowledge in that field.Furthermore......surprisingly, the remuneration was really good.In this time of recession, the monthly salary was, can you believe it, 300,000 yen. T/N: USD$26500. And depending on results, that amount could be raised even higher. In addition, the company will provide furnished housing. This was clearly not a request for a part-timer, but a request for a full-time employee.Near the bottom of the page was writtenGeneral Entertainment Company AmuTec.Of course, there's the possibility that this was a black company looking to trick innocent sheep ignorant of the ways of the worldI'm talking about myself, by the wayinto becoming a corporate slave, but well, it won't be too late to start worrying about that after I take the interview.T/N: Black company' is a term used by Japanese to describe companies that exploits employees, such as by demanding unpaid overtime.For now, I'll just click theApply Herebutton at the bottom of the page.When I did......a new window with the titleCheck Your Otaku Levelpopped up. Surprisingly, they were having the employment exam online.Speaking of which, there used to be some sort of otaku official certification thing in the past. I wonder if this was something like that? When I was thinking such things, a timer suddenly popped up from the side of the page.Apparently, there is a time limit.Well......just think about it and you can understand why.Otaku knowledge is something that you can search up on the internet. If there wasn't a time limit, anyone could get a full score on this exam. In other words, this time limit was to prevent applicants from looking up each and every questionthere's time to make a few quick searches, but to pass, the applicant has to already have a certain amount of basic knowledge.Frankly, I was slightly on fire. This might possibly be a chance for me to find out where I rank in my otaku-ness relative to other people.However......when I actually started, I felt so let down.So easy. So freaking easy.Anime. Manga. Games. Novels. Figures. Doujinshi. And a few others.One way or another, the test covered famous works from each and every genre, and asked how much the applicant knew about the contents of the works, what their selling points were, why they became famous......and other similar questions in detail one by one.However, the test was in multiple choice format.During my time as a home security guard, I've already seen all the works covered in the exam, I've read all the sites talking about each work's sales strategy, and I've also gone to all the bulletin boards where people held heated discussions about the works.Therefore......I would have felt troubled if asked to write up all that information in an essay, but selecting the correct answer from multiple choices was extremely easy. More like......I understood this from actually taking the test, but most likely, the person who wrote this test was not an otaku himself.How do I put it......something felt off, like an article written by a reporter about a place without having gone there in person.There were no large mistakes, but somehow, the impression that I got was that of the questions being slightly off the mark, or the examiner not quite understanding what he was asking about. Almost as ifthe examiner was not an otaku, but was instead an anthropologist or an economist. And instead of thoroughly reading the work, he read only the outline and instead looked at the number of copies sold and pictures of the lines on the opening date and referred to otherobjective data from the outside perspective. The questions on the exam gave off such an uncomfortable feeling.I wonder who it was that wrote this test, and for what purpose?While mulling over such thoughts, I continued to breeze through the exam, answering the last question before even half of the allotted time was up.At that moment, along with the wordsCongratulations. You've passed., the page refreshed to another one where the time of the interview the next day and a map to the location were displayed.The interview location was located in Akibaand it was in a building right next to the Manseibashi Police Station, to boot.Although this recruitment ad was suspicious as heck, but I really don't think swindlers or solicitors to new religions would base their operations right beside the police.When I came to this realizationI decided to show up for the interview to thisGeneral Entertainment Company AmuTec.I see.The middle-aged man in charge of the interview nodded deeply.The namecard that he had given me earlier named him asMatoba Jinzaburou.In contrast to his weirdly traditional-sounding name, the person himself looked extremely normal.He was a person who felt like one of those salarymen that you could find anywhere. A few white hairs were mixed in with his hair, which was carefully split into a 7:3 hairstyle. His body was of medium build, and he was wearing a suit the color of dried leaves. His eyes were as thin as a thread, causing him to look like he was permanently smilingmore like, after I got used to that smile, I became unable to imagine any other expression on his face. For starters, he looked like a pretty nice person.Then again, swindlers all look like nice people at first glance. If thisAmuTeccompany was truly a black company, then it would be dangerous to make a judgment based on first impressions.By the way, what are your parents' occupations?This was after I'd given him the complete picture of my current circumstances. Without holding anything back, I spoke at length both about the fact that I used to be a home security guard and also that it was my parents who had coercederr, I mean, convinced me to go job-hunting. I honestly did not expect to get accepted at my first interview at the very start of my job-hunting, so I was more in this for the experience. My attitude towards this interview was that if I failed, then I can just move on to the next one.My parents? My father is a lanobe' writer, and my mother is a full-time housewife. She used to be an ero genga,' though.Lanobe' writer?It means he writes light novels. Well, light novels are books kind of like mangas.I see, I see.Matoba-san was nodding while writing something onto some documents.What do my parents' occupations have to do with my own job application? Or perhaps, was this the so-called recruitment discrimination? Doesn't look like it, though. Not that I know anything about it, though.Thenero genga'?Refers to being the illustrator for eroge.......Eroge. Illustrator.Matoba-san knitted his eyebrows while muttering to himself.It was as if these were foreign words that he'd heard for the first time and he was repeating them to himself to commit them to memory.Seeing as the ad had said Looking for Otakus, I'd clearly thought that this was a company with that sort of people. But wait, maybe it's because theydon'thave that sort of people that they expressly went to the trouble of posting a recruitment ad like that.Ummm. Eroge' means an adult game for 18 and over. She used to draw the illustrations for those.Ahh! Ahh, I see.Matoba-san nodded vigorously with a look like he'd just learned something new.I see, I see! So you are an otaku thoroughbred, aren't you?Thoroughbred'......well, I guess that way of putting it, is not exactly wrong.I answered with a wry face.Although it's true that ever since I can remember, my house has been choke full of manga and anime discs, and that this has undoubtedly been a huge influence on me becoming an otaku, but my younger sister does not have that kind of interest at all, and summing up my otaku interests with the single word of DNA feels quite dissatisfying.Nevertheless, you almost got a full score on the online test.Those questions were on the level where any otaku worth their salt could answer immediately. They were just numerous.I answered thus.There was a bit of modesty mixed in, but......in actuality, those questions truly weren't that difficult.Fumu......Matoba-san quickly flipped through the documents that he had on hand.Spendid. To be honest, we had half given up, butto think that someone who matches our needs so perfectly would show up......!......Excuse me?I doubted my ears.Just now, this ossan, what did he say?Your knowledge is more than enough. In addition, you're a former hikikomori, and you wish to live by yourself......! Truly promising.Eh......? But......Although I did indeed breeze through the exam questions, but......Despite thatI find it extremely hard to believe that the wordspromisingandsplendidwould be coming from the side who would be hiring a high school dropout cum home security guard. Perhaps they were completely basing their evaluation on actual results, and any otaku would have fit their bill.More like, in the first place, this companyexactly what kind of company wasAmuTecanyway?At the start, Matoba-san had introduced it as an general entertainment company, but that doesn't really mean anything.Generaland easily be interpreted to meananything goes.This interview room too......any way you look at it, it gives off the distinct feeling of being a temporarily rented room in a multi-tenant building. There was absolutely nothing here that would tell me anything about the function as well as the corporate culture of the companyAmuTec. Inside the room, there was literally only a table, some chairs, and a drink machine. There wasn't even a single poster on the walls.In other words, this company's usual functions must be taking place in some other location......Alright. I have to confirm a matters in regards to your resume in the room at the back, so please take a seat and wait a white. Oh, do feel free to help yourself to the drink machine.So saying, Matoba-san took the documents that he had been writing memos on since a while ago and left the room.I wonder what's up.Muttering to myself, I took up Matoba-san's offer and walked towards the drink machine.For now, I pressed the button for oolong tea, and set the paper cup.The cup filled up almost immediately, so I took it and sipped it while taking a second look around the room.There really was nothing.Rather than that......it feels like a place that could be packed up and abandoned at any moment.Could this company possibly be someplace really dangerous?Right outside the window, I could see the Manseibashi Police Station standing imposingly. I can't imagine any criminal activity happening this close to a police station.Wiping away my worries by draining the oolong tea, I went back to the chair and sat down again.How long is it going to take until Matoba-san comes back?He said that he had something to confirm, so did that mean that he was going to compare what I had said in the interview against what I had written on my resume?But are normal job applications this strict?Well, I've heard that when applying for a government job, they do a background check on you, but......Unexpectedly, could this be a government job?Speaking of which, one of the former Prime Ministers did say that he wanted to build a museum for anime, if I remember right. He said something about us being a world leader in the entertainment industry, and wanting to promote anime as a national policy. But well, as always, the oh-so-great government officials were almost indifferent to the actual contents of the works, and in the end came up with a project that completely missed the markwere they perhaps thinking of making changes to that project, and were therefore trying to hire personnel who knows about this stuff?Lol, no way.If that was the case, then the recruitment would be happening on a much larger scale.Smiling wryly at my wild idea, I yawned really widely, then............My memories cut off right there.And thusend of recollection.The time is now the present.In other wordsOhh......?!I raised my voice in admiration.Taking a step outside the entranceway and turning around, I beheld a large mansion.Completely filling up my field of vision, the brickwork building extended both to my left and my right.This is one of those so-called Western-styled houses.'However, unlike its usual run-down and antique-looking appearance in games and manga and other such, this one felt strangely brand new. Of course, it was not like a stage prop, where if you look closely you can see the details being fudged over. This mansion was built properly, and therefore gave off an overwhelming sense of presence that weighed down heavily on me.In other words, this was a real mansion.And furthermore, it had most likely been completed only recently.I had grasped the general idea from the bedroom in which I had been sleeping in, but now that I'm seeing the building again up close, I still feel very much overwhelmed. The fact that this place was not Akiba, that it wasn't even Japan, was impressed upon me very strongly.However......honestly, what I was surprised about was not the mansion itself.It was the thing behind it.That's freaking huge!It was so gigantic that despite being on the other side of the mansion, it was still so prominent that it could be considered part of the landscape or part of the geographyit was a majestic architecture on the level of a mountain.That's the Holy Eldant Palace.Minori-san answered while standing next to me and also looking up at the palace.As for its shape, it gave off a Middle Age European feeling like the mansion that I was in did. Castle gates huge enough for elephants to pass through in a pack? Check. Sturdy castle walls? Check. Pinnacles that looked like watchtowers? Check. Yep, nothing out of the ordinary.However......It's a castle with the same name as the country. In other words, it's where the imperial throne is. They gouged out the mountain that used to be there to build that castlebut well, even I don't know the exact details.That castle was more massive than any other architecture that I've ever seen in person.For comparison, even the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which looks like a Demon Lord's castle, by the way looks tiny in comparison to this. Leaving the height aside, the breadth and thickness was completely different. If placed next to this Eldant Palace, the Government Building would only come across as being thin and flimsy. This Palace wins not only in height, but also in the size of its base. It was larger in all three dimensions.Naturally, in games and anime and manga and novels and other created works, even more gigantic constructions have been featuredlike space strongholds the size of an entire planetbut the sense of presence felt when I see it with my own eyes and feel it with my skin is......profound, if I had to summarize it into one word.At the foot of the mountain-sized castle were numerous Middle Age European-styled buildings packed densely together, and several roads paved with flagstone ran throughout the entire thing like blood vessels. The mansion that I was at was at the very fringein other words, it was located in the suburbs of the castle town. Around the castle was a gentle slope, such that from my current position, I had to look up to see the town.This really is a fantasy world, eh......It is indeed.Minori-san smiled wryly at my impression.May I go visit the town for a bit?You sure are fearless, aren't you.Minori-san responded in a slightly impressed tone of voice.I had thought that you'd hole yourself up inside the mansion and refuse to take even a step outside. I'm saying this again, but this is not simply a different country, alright? Parallel world. Another world. This is that kind of place.......I'm not exactly proud of it, but......The corner of my lip curled up in a self-deprecating smile.To me, this scenery feels very familiar.I am a hardcore otaku. For people like me, the fantasy genre in games and anime and manga and light novels is considered an extremely mainstream taste. The only difference here is that 2D has become 3D. Another way of putting it is that the realism has simply gone up a notch. All I feel from this place is a sense of nostalgia, like as if it is my actual hometown.Hole myself up in the house? Absolutely unthinkable.Although I do concede that just now, I did panic a little bit when that dragon popped out in front of me .That's the normal reaction, though.So said Minori-san.Incidentally, if I squint my eyes, I can see two or three dragon-like shapes flying in the sky above the castle. Apparently, dragons are considered mountable beasts the way horses are......When I took a second look, I realized that the dragon from just now was also wearing a saddle near the base of its neck.To be specific, what you just saw was a wyvern. The wild dragons are much larger and much fiercer, apparently.Truly living up to the fantasy genre, isn't it.Dragons and wyverns. At this rate, there might also be sea serpents. It wouldn't surprise me if people here rode chocobo instead of horses.T/N: Thanks, Target Tg, for telling me about chocobos.Anyhow, you might have to put off visiting the town to tomorrow.Minori-san was squinting her eyes while looking in the direction of the town.Because the person who is going to explain everything in full detail has arrived.......?I followed Minori-san's line of sight and looked toward the townI stared at the paved road that stretched from the mansion.When I did, I saw something absurd that was jarringly out of place in this setting.Colored deep green, same as the skirt that Minori-san was wearing as part of her uniform, the thing was......an automobile.At first glance, its angular frame clearly identified it as a military vehicleand I knew this model. Commonly used by the JSDF, this was a Light Armored Vehicle, or LAV for short. It had played an active role even when dispatched overseas, and appears often in works featuring the JSDF.Inside this Middle Age European fantasy scenery ran the JSDF military vehicle.Rather than calling it a mere mismatch, this was something that clearly did not fit in this location.Before long, the LAV came up in front of us then stopped.The person who opened the back and stepped out was......someone I had recollection of.With his seven three hair and his dried leaves colored suit, the man had an extremely ordinary appearance.Ah. The interviewer?!If I remember correctly, his name was Matoba Jinzaburou, wasn't it.I had expected a JSDF member wearing field uniform, or someone with an appearance that shouted fantasy!', but the reality went above my expectations.Rather, his figure seemed to be shouting I'm a salaryman~ instead, and looked as out of place as the LAV that he had arrived in. Well, that's probably true for Minori-san and myself too, though.How are you doing, Kanou Shinichi-kun?Matoba-san spoke with a calm-looking smile.Welcome to the Holy Eldant Empire. Or rather, to the parallel world.He was so easygoing that I almost felt like a tourist who had just arrived at some attraction.But then again, if I hadn't seen that dragon, I might have believed it if someone told me that this was a tourist attraction someplace in the West.......Exactly what kind of situation is this?I knitted my eyebrows while responding.Why was I brought to this kind of place from the interview location in Akiba?Un. I was going to talk about that with you. That's why I quickly wrapped up the talks at the palace and came back here.So answered Matoba-san.Talks at the palace?No worries, I'll tell you about that too. For now, let's head back inside.So saying, Matoba-san began walking towards the mansion.AlrightMatoba-san spoke up while holding a teacup in his hand.We were inside the mansioninside the parlor, to be exact.The room was almost as big as a banquet hall, and had a round table almost three meters in diameter. Matoba-san and I were sitting on the chairs that had been arranged around the table.Incidentally, Minori-san was sitting on a chair that she had placed in a corner of the room. Clearly, she had no intention of participating in the conversation. Beside her was a service cart with a complete tea set on it, with Miusel standing next to it. The cup that Matoba-san was drinking from, as well as the steaming cup in front of myself, were both filled with tea brewed by Miusel.Before the explanation.Matoba-san shot a quick glance at Miusel while speaking.Kanou-kun. Would you mind taking off your ring first?......Eh?Oh right, I was wearing a ring.I looked at themagical ringthat was on my finger. The one that I had exchanged with Miusel.This thing apparently had a translating function, which allows two people who wore it to be able to communicate their own intentions to each other even while speaking different languages.Since there are some things that might be easily misunderstood. And there are also some things that we don't want people on this side to know.When I looked again, I realized that Matoba-san had already taken off his own ring. Turning around to glance quickly at Minori-san, I confirmed that she had also done the same. I was pretty sure that she still had it on until just now, though.......Hah. Is this fine?For now, I took off the ring.Good.Nodding in response, Matoba-san then placed both his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together.Everything began a year agoa mysteriousholewas found inside the sea of trees around Mt. Fuji.......Hole?He had only just brought it up, but by sea of trees around Mt. Fuji,' didn't he mean that infamous Aokigahara primeval forest? That place with shady circumstances like being a famous suicide spot and having strange magnetic fields that cause compasses to go haywire?To be exact, it is something closer in form to a crevice. It's just that everyone's gotten used to calling it ahole. The scientists tell us that it's a hyper dimensional passageway.'Hyper dimensional passageway.All of a sudden, a word completely lacking in any sense of realism was brought up.Upon further inspection, we learned something strange about thishole. Thisholeapparently penetrates three-dimensional space and connects with a parallel world, but......well..................You don't look very surprised.Matoba-san couldn't help making a wry smile.Well, yea. Or rather, the story couldn't get more standard than this.Worm holes. Warp gates. Shift portals.A hole that was actually a hyperspace construct that connects to another world......from ancient fairytales to the latest SF fantasies, this plot device has been used so much that it is now a staple of the genre.Anywayswhen we tried to go through the hole, we discovered land that we had never seen before. Furthermore, in that place, creatures that we've only heard of in fairytales and myths were living naturally, and there were evenhumanssimilar to us who hadcivilization. Their culture turned out to be a bit different from that of our own, though.A different culture......is that because they have magic?......Exactly.Half expecting to be repudiated, I said what I did as a jokebut of all things, Matoba-san actually nodded deeply in affirmation.............I looked at the rings lying on top of the round table.So that instant translation phenomenon was really because of the rings' magic?That is one of the things brought about due to magic.Almost as if he had read my thoughts, Matoba-san spoke up.Basically, Japan is suddenly sharing a land border with such an unrealistic world......is what has happened.......Land border.....I kind of feel like that's not exactly the right word to use here......if the only way to go to that other world is by thisholethat's floating off the groundsomewhere, then I don't really think you can call that a land border.Our Japanese government put scout parties into organizations and dispatched them. Their mission was to come into contact with the authority that ruled over the area which theholewas in......in other words, the closestnation. That turned out to be this Holy Eldant Empire. As thisholeis within their territory, it technically belongs to them.I'm surprised it didn't turn into a war.When two different worlds or two different cultures suddenly meet, there's a high probability that a war developsthis pattern often happens in mangas and novels. I believe that there are many examples of this in actual history too.Even we're not that stupid. And the other side also had their wise men.Matoba-san shrugged his shoulders while answering.Both sides moved cautiously while confirming each other's intentions, then before long, we were able to find a compromise that benefits both parties and signed an agreement to cooperate with each other.Well, indeed it's true that as long as someone knows thefrequently used patternand understands thatheedless actions lead to war, all they have to do is to move cautiously. This was a good example of how the well-used material in mangas and novels could come in handy.Are you following me so far?Well......somehow, yes.Frankly speaking, I was still having trouble believing that this was all realthe palace, the dragons, and the unnatural state of affairs around me. And currently, the only person who's been able to explain everything, without leaving any information out, is Matoba-san alone.HoweverHowever, how does discovery of this other world relate to myself?Even if what he was saying was true.What does any of it have to do with a former home security guard like me?A giant discovery like this that could shake the entire world would normally have bigshots in foreign governments moving around and doing various things, but what's the point of bringing along a normal citizen like myself if they even have to go to the trouble of assigning a JSDF soldier as escort?Don't tell me that I was actually born as a prince from this side who was sent to our world but due to my inescapable fate I've been summoned to help this side eradicate a demon lord. Seriously, it's not a plot device like that, right?Calm down. It's nothing as clich as that.Matoba-san smiled wryly.I'm currently serving as the Bureau Director of theFar East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau, which is under the direct control of the Cabinet Office.Eh? Sorry, what?Suddenly, a lot of complicated-sounding words came up.Well, the official name aside, theFar East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureauis an organization in charge of exploring ways to strengthen the relations between Japan and this other world. As for General Entertainment CompanyAmuTec, it's a semi-governmental corporation affiliated to this Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau. In other words, it's a joint venture by Japan and the Holy Eldant Empire, and it's also the very first corporate entity in this parallel world.......What?And you, you areMatoba-san paused for dramatic effect.You are the person who has been hired as the General Manager ofAmuTec.Wai......?!The very first corporate entity of this parallel world?!General Manager?! ......Me?!What karma is this?!Wasn't I hired as the odd jobs guy or even as a regular employee?That's the part you're surprised at, huh.Matoba-san smiled wryly.T/N: Matoba is basically just wryly smiling in response to everything Shinichi says. He was described as having a calm smile, but I have only seen him make wry smiles lol.You can call yourself the Director or the CEO or whatever else you like. In any event, the person standing at the top and directing everything will be you.So said Matoba-san in a composed manner.Your job as the General Manager ofAmuTecis to export Japan's anime and manga and games to this country.Anime and manga and games are Japan's prided exports.Well, any otaku can tell you as much.It's indeed true, but......It seems that this world's entertainment culture is lagging far behind our own. Therefore, the plan is to get along with this side by exporting our own entertainment culture to themwe're hoping that this will be a catalyst to deepen friendly relations between both sides.WHAAATTT?!A few steps seem to have been skipped here......seriously, generating international goodwill through anime and manga and games?!Even someone as stupid as me understood that when government officials saylet's get along, they don't actually mean it. This was a diplomatic issue. Furthermore, the other party was not even a foreign country on the same Earth. The degree of complication here was, frankly speaking, unprecedented.In that kind of situation, how on earth did they arrive at the conclusion of exporting animanga......?Indeed. I understand what you want to say.Matoba-san smile wryly.Of course, at the very beginning, we thought of using goods related to traditional culture, such as porcelain and cloths. That was what we worked hard on for the first few months. But in the end, they didn't really seem right.So at the very least, they weren't completely rejected by the people of the Holy Eldant Empire.However, these differences in culture were based on having different histories and geographic features, so it was hard to say anything about it. Especially, a large part of traditional Japanese culture revolved around the idea ofwabisabi, which even foreigners on Earth found hard to understand......Perhaps it was the same for the Eldant Empire.T/N:Wabisabiis the aesthetic sense in Japanese art emphasizing quiet simplicity and subdued refinement. Courtesy of zKanji.Therefore, the talk turned towards the fact that Japanimation was a prided part of Japanese culture too. And also what, TV games? You know, like how the release of a new game causes really long lines or how there are cases of blackmail and extortion for the sake of limited edition goods.That'sWhat we want to see is that kind of vigor characteristic of the younger generation that can trigger such a social phenomenon. In actual fact, we showed the Eldant people a few anime series, and the reception was quite good.You never know about that kind of thing thoughLately, many anime are being exported overseas. Or rather, some are being made with the premise that it will be exported.In other words, they plan to completely bypass the differences in culture and national traits by capitalizing instead on the other side's primitive entertainment industry. However, for things like noh and kabuki, the prerequisite knowledge and taste were too high. In comparison, thisease of understanding that crosses national borders and agesthat has caused even young boys and girls in other countries to become engrossed could indeed be said to be a characteristic of entertainment works.It's just that when it comes to that sort of art and entertainment......when government officials get involved with that sort of thing, everything somehow seems subtly wrong. You can say that we don't have the refinement or style, or that our buttons get pressed by the strangest things. You know, like how public building construction projects continuously get shutdown due to breakdowns in management. By thinking of other similar government-spearheaded initiatives to develop cultural affairs, you can understand what I'm saying here, right?......Well, yes.The contents of that test came to mind. Though they weren't wrong, they were indeed subtly missing the pointmany questions felt like they had been posed by an outsider who hadn't taken a direct look at the referenced works.Therefore, someone raised the suggestion of placing alive otaku, someone who actually knows what's in and what's out, into the position of General Manager. In any event, because there is no precedence of any sort, government officials, who have been disciplined into becoming absolutely useless without rules and conventions and operating manuals, are entirely unsuitable for the position.Matoba-san was speaking in a self-deprecating tone of voice.Be that as it may, why me?I do indeed admit to being a pretty hardcore otaku.However, if they combed the entire country, they would find that otakus number in the tens of thousands.Out of all of them, why employme, who was a former home security guard who had only just begun looking for a job? Wasn't that strange?............Matoba-san stayed silent.............With a start like as if he had thought of a good idea, he turned towards Minori-sanbut she merely had an ambiguous expression on her face.Half smiling. Half pitying. Or at least, that's what I interpreted it as.........................Wait, pitying?Well, that's......You know.Matoba-san started to speak haltingly.The existence of thisholeand also the cultural exchange with the Eldant Empireare both confidential matters that will have enormous effects on Japan's future.I'm following so far.That's why we were looking for someone who could protect these secrets.So said Matoba-san.So you guys determined that I am tight-lipped?Were some of the questions from the interview actually for the sake of determining how well I can keep a secret?Not exactly. Whether your lips are loose or tight is of little consequence.Matoba-san seemed to be having more and more trouble with his words.After all, you'll be living in anyways, so it's not like you will have anyone to blab to.......Eh?Living in. Here.In other wordsinside this mansion that stands inside the Holy Eldant Empire. In this parallel world.That means......Wai-Wait a second......That's, you know. Even if you suddenly disappeared, the people around wouldn't question it......and that makes everything a lot more convenient, so yea......OOOOIIIIIIII?!I raised my voice in what bordered on a shriek.So, in other words, that was what he was getting at?! Even if a home security guard suddenly went missing, everyone would go ah, as we thought and no one would make a fuss?!I felt a trickle of sweat run uncomfortably down my back.National secret.For the sake of such a just cause, many things could be overlooked. In order to steal national secrets, causing human casualties is only considered normal. Especially when it comes to an unprecedented situation like an exchange with a parallel world, it is only natural that other countries would go into a frenzy and desire to meddle however they couldUmmm. May I go home?In response to my request, Matoba-san smiled wryly and answered with his own question.Do you know how?............My words clogged up inside my throat.He had a point. I had no idea where was theholethe hyper dimensional passageway. If I was left alone in a parallel world like thisI'm not proud of it, mindbut I wouldn't last even three days without collapsing. I could not be more sure of this.Actually, no. It's not just that. Now that I knew so much of this national secreteven though I was forced to listen to it, there's no way that the government would just gooh, if you don't want to, then there's no helping itand let me safely go back. Worst case scenario, there is also the possibility that they would chase me down toeraseme even if I did managed to escape.Don't worry......we won't go to such extremes.Almost as if he could read the fears inside my heartmore like, I was probably displaying them on my faceMatoba-san continued speaking.If you can bring about a certain amount of results and getAmuTecstarted on track, then we wouldn't mind letting you go. And of course, we will also be paying you from the national budgetwell, the Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau's budget, to be specific. From the Eldant Empire side, too, you will be receiving treatment befitting a state guest, so overall, I don't think you'll be treated badly at all.Ev......Even if you put it that way......Don't worry. I will take care of all the office work and paperwork.Matoba-san lightly struck his own chest.Let's leave aside the fact that up to this point, I haven't felt a single shred of dependability from him. If the Bureau Director himself was going to do the paperwork, thencould it be that this Far East Cultural Exchange Promotion Bureau actually doesn't have anyone on it?You can rest assured, all you have to do is popularize different kinds of otaku culture in this Eldant Empire. Ummm, what words do you youngsters use? Akiba? Magical girls, tsundere, moe, that sort of stuff.............Even while completely at a loss, all I could think was that this was hopeless.This was something that had already been decided and set in stone by the various related parties. Even I were to complain and raise a fuss, there's no longer anything that can be done. This will be forced labor in the true meaning of the word.Well then......Is there anything else that you want to ask about?So asked Matoba-san, still speaking in a tone of voice as carefree as it had been from the very start.Volume 1 Chapter 1 Part 3Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew ItVolume 1 Chapter 1 Part 3Chapter 1: A Parallel World Before I Knew It~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You can grab the PDFhere.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A few hours later.I was moaning while holding my smartphone in one hand.Un......Though some might ask why a home security guard like myself would have something like a smartphone, it was something that I've had since before my hikikomori days. After all, it is one of my beliefs that as otakus, one of our duties is to be the first in line to buy products like these and be the guinea pigs.Well, let's leave that aside for now.Currently displayed on the liquid crystal screen is a list written by me. Both as a means for me to gain a better grasp on my situation and also as a way for me to sort out my feelings, I had written down everything that has happened to me today into a brief listin other words, I was thinking of starting a diary.Frankly speaking, I was a bit leery of using an electronic device in a world that did not seem like it has electricity. However, according to Minori-san, the battery from the LAV is more than sufficient to supply electrical current of that level, so for now I'm using my smartphone as a notebook.My current location is the room that had been assigned as my office.This mansion has a uselessly large number of rooms, but the main ones that I will use are my office, which is situated in the central part of the 2nd floor, and its adjacent room, which is my bedroom. There are also other bedrooms and guest rooms, so it became that Minori-san, who is in charge of protecting me, will be staying in one of those rooms.And thus......Danna-sama.Following a few knocks on the door, I hear a cute voice like the ringing of a bell.It is Miuselthat maid girl's voice.Umm......I've brought you......some tea.Ah. Thanks.So saying, I stand up, with my smartphone still in my hand, and walk towards the entrance to the room and open the door. At that momentEh............?In the hallway is a service cart with a set of tea utensils on it, and Miusel standing frozen next to it.What?Ah......Excuse me. Thank you very much.......? You-You're welcome.I didn't understand what I was being thanked for, but for now I moved back to make way for Miusel and the cart to enter the room.Come on in.Eh? Ah, ummm, p......pardon the intrusion.Bowing timidly, Miusel pushes the cart into the room. For some reason, she seems very bewildered, and is sneaking glances at me while casting her eyes down in a manner that is making me really uncomfortable.......Ah. So that's why.At that moment, I finally understood.Thinking about it, I'm herGoshujin-sama, so there's no need for me to go to the trouble of opening the door for her and greeting her like a guest. That's also why she is not carrying the tea set on a tray, but on a cart. From her point of view, the door that she was supposed to open by herself was arbitrarily opened by my hand instead, so she is bewildered and at a loss as to how to react.Is it fine if I place it here?Ah, yes.She indicates the top of the office desk, and I nod.For a while after that, I just zoned out for a bit, and gazed at her readying the tea, butAh......ummm......is something the matter?After finishing with all the preparations, she looks over at me in a frightened manner.The matter with what?No, I mean......You've been staring at me the entire time, so......Miusel spoke with a perplexed expression on her face.Oh, no! It was just so strange, INot counting the instance from this afternoonif I also don't count the instances inside games, this is the first time in my life having a maid-san go to the trouble of brewing and pouring tea for me. As it is my first experience, everything about this scene is astonishing to me. That's why I'm feeling a bit nervous.Strange, you said......?Is it my imagination?I kind of feel like Miusel's face had turned into a deeply terrified expression.It wouldn't do if she misunderstood me somehow, so I quickly rephrase my words.Because I've never had the experience of having a maid-san pour tea for me, I couldn't help staring.Ah. So that's why.Miusel shows me a relieved smile.Uwah. This girl is seriously cute......!As she normally shows a hesitant and timid expression, these smiles of her become all the more conspicuous. Conscious of my quickly beating heart, I formally give her my greetings again.So, umm. Miusel Foalan-san, is it?Yes. I'm Miusel Foalan......!The maid girlMiuselsmiles delightedly.How do I put this? She looks so innocent. Or rather, she looks extremely, extremely moe.Well thenonce more, formally.While speaking, I straighten my back and lower my head a little.My name is Kanou Shinichi.Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Y-Yes, from my side too, that's, I have the honor of taking care of your everyday life......Ummm, I do think that there are many places where I'm still inadequate, but please,yoroshiku onegaishimasu......!Speaking in almost a shout, Miusel-san deeply bow towards me.How do I put this, she looks extremely nervous.It even feels like she's slightly scared of me.I am indeed overjoyed at the chance to get close to such a cute maid-san, but if she continues to be this nervous whenever she interacts with me, it's very tiring for me. Well, judging from what Minori-san's side said, I'm being treated as a state guestas a super important person by this Holy Eldant Empire, so it's not like I don't understand this reaction.......Huh?With a start, I realize something and blink a few times.It didn't come to my attention in the afternoon as she had been acting normally and the hair hanging from both sides of her head had been covering them, butMiusel. Those ears............Ah.In a fluster, Miusel press down both sides of her head as her facial expression stiffened.And thenI......I'm terribly sorry......!Her voice almost sounds like a shriek.Eh?I haven't the faintest idea what she's apologizing about.In response to an expression which can only be called tragic, all I could squeeze out is an incoherent reply.I had no intention, at all, umm, of deceiving Danna-sama, I mean, I was hiding them, but, that's......No wait, calm down. I don't know what's made you so terrified, but perhaps, could it be that Miusel is an elf, or some other different race?Indeed. When she had taken that deep bow earlier, her ears had become visible.They are sticking out a little and are pointed at the tips.........................Yes, I am.Miuselfinally nods despondently.I......am a cross between an elf and a human.As I thought!Half-elf!This too, is a standard moe character type from the fantasy genre. Possessing the beauty of an elf combined with the friendliness of a human, they are such high-spec characters that they can almost be called OP.But seriously, she is a half-elf on top of being a maid-san?How many traits does this girl have. Is she supposed to moe me to death?However....never, ever did I ever intend to deceive Danna-sama......That's absolutely perfect!I clench my fists tightly and yell loudly.......What?!Looking shocked, Miusel stands frozen in her place.In contrast, I draw closer towards her and continue speaking.Maid-san plus half-elf! Magnificent! I, at this moment, truly believe that it is no exaggeration to say that I have been born for the sole purpose of meeting you!............Eh? Eh?Miusel, Miusel, once more, please allow me to see those ears of yours one more time!Eh? AhUn-Understood.Giving in to my fierce look, Miusel holds back some of her hair and bares her ears.They are indeed the elf ears described in fantasy works.Uwah~......They're real elf ears......!I am feeling so moved.But it seems like Miusel cannot understand my joy at all.Da......Danna-sama.With her cheeks bright red, Miusel struggles to speak up.Ah, I'm sorry. And thank you.I speak while drawing my body back.Thinking about it, it's only obvious that as a girl, having a guy close enough to feel his breath and having a part of her body stared at so ardently would naturally cause her to feel embarrassed.Incredible. Thank you for allowing me to pay my respects to something so absolutely wonderful.As I continue to thank her profusely, Miusel's expression grow increasingly confused.You......You will not scold me?Eh? Why should I?That's......I mean, for being a half-elf......and for hiding it......What about it?............Miusel's expression is frozen, as if she is even more puzzled than before.Seeing thata lightbulb went off inside my head.I don't know anything about this side, but could it be that half-elves are not well thought of by humans, by elves, or perhaps even by both sides?This is a common setting in fantasy works.......Yes.Miusel nods imperceptibly.Using the milder expression of not well thought of' was my way of being tactful. Most likely, the reality is that they are being discriminated against. So severely so that just the fact of being a child of mixed race is reason enough to be persecuted against.I've finally discovered the reason why Miusel had been so strangely timid the entire time.She must originally have a personal history rife with discrimination and persecution.Ummm. Miusel-san?......Eh? Ah.For a moment, Miusel had a loose expression on her face and looked out of it, but she quickly responds in a fluster.Danna-sama, please call me Miusel without adding the suffix!Eh? But......By the way, how old are you, Miusel-san? You're not older than me, are you?According to fantasy, elves are a long-lived species.In that case......Even though Miusel looks like she's in her teens, there's the possibility that she's actually older than me.My age? It's......sixteen......I'm sixteen years old.Miusel-san looks startled and replied hesitantly.Oh. You're younger than me. In that case, then I'll take you up on your offer and call you Miusel from now on.Thank you.Miusel-sanor rather, Miusel, nods in affirmation.With that settled, I will now say this clearly.Ye-Yes?I am not bothered at all by the fact that you're a half-elf. Rather, for me, What am I getting rewarded for?' is what I feel about it.......Hah? ......I see......As such, it is something that I'm extremely happy about, so I will never get angry at you or be disappointed with you for being a half-elf. Understood?............For the briefest of moments, she stared at me blankly in puzzlement, but thenThank you so very much!She gives me another deep bow.In so doing, her pointed ears become visible again.But seriously......it appears that there are a lot of things that I'm going to have to confirm before I do anything else.I mutter while crossing my arms.If I'm to go by SF staples, then there might be silicon-based lifeforms, octopus-like aliens, or other lifeforms that share even fewer common features with humans. I've known from the start that it's only natural for these other lifeforms to have a different value system or common sense, but I do need to be aware that this would be so even with human-looking parties. Due to this place having so many similarities to Middle Age Europe and the fantasy worlds that I know, it seems like it would be very easy for misunderstandings to occur.I've only come to this side recently, and I've finally heard my full circumstances a few hours ago. Miusel, what have you heard about me?That Danna-sama is a very, very important guest of the Empire, that you will be staying here for a while, and that Blk-san and myself will be responsible for taking care of everything in Danna-sama's everyday life.Blk-san?I blinked in response to this name that I'd never heard of before.I will make the introductions later. He's currently out patrolling and cleaning the premises......Apparently, there is another servant who has been exclusively assigned to me.In which case, it means that there will be a total of four people living inside this mansion. There will be me as the Danna-sama, Minori-san as my escort, Miusel the maid, and Blk-san I still don't know what kind of person he is, so I'm temporarily affixing a -san to his name.I feel like this place is way too big for four people to live in, but according to Minori-san, this mansion is already among the smallest in comparison to the mansions of the Eldant Empire's nobility. You heard that right. Nobility. As a state guest, I am apparently being likened to a noble in the kind of treatment that I'm being given.Do you know what I've come to do?For the sake offriendshipbetween the Empire and Japan, as well asmutual prosperityanddevelopmentbetween the two countries, you have come to docommerce.T/N: The italicized words are words that are supposed to have a kanji, but Miusel is saying them in hiragana, which implies that she's just memorized the syllables but doesn't actually understand the words. As the author explains in the following lines.All the important parts were in monotone.In all probability, she does not actually understand what she's saying, but is just parroting what she had been taught.Ah......'commerce'? Oh, commerce, right.I nodded while smiling wryly.Danna-sama, you are someone who has come here from a foreign country far away, is that true?Yes, that's true.Well, a foreign country is not really incorrect.It's a foreign world too, you see.Foreignworld, is it?Miusel tilts her head quizzically.That gesture is so pure and innocent, just like a little bird that somehow, I just, there's a moe moe feeling overflowing from deep within my chest and it's taking everything I have to keep it down.It's not a foreign country?Itisa foreign country, but it's in a foreign world.............?Miusel's expression tells me that she is seriously having trouble understanding.Ahh. That's right.I came to a realization. Minori-san and Matoba-san had said itthat this country's entertainment industry is almost nonexistent.Magic aside, if I use the Middle Ages as a standard, then the printing press probably doesn't exist, so books are most likely considered an extremely expensive luxury good. Nobles are one thing, but for the average citizen, books are completely beyond their reach.Thereforethe only way for the masses to enjoylistening to storiesis throughoral tradition. In other words, the only ways that the stories can be passed on is through unreliable and limited methods such as from parents to children, or from minstrel or court storyteller masters to their disciples.Actually, I wonder what the literacy rate is in this country?In any case......in an environment like this, there's a possibility that the very concept ofparallel worldsmight not exist. Although it's very familiar to an otaku like me as a staple in stories, it's entirely unknown territory for her. It is the same way how people in the Middle Ages also could not comprehend the idea ofspace, that there was something beyond the sky that they see.I'm terribly sorry.Miusel looked quite discouragedactually, she looked more scared than anything else.I'm a stupid person who is lacking in education, so......No, it's only natural that you don't understand. I'm sorry.No, I'm the one who's in the wrong, so please don't apologize!Miusel shakes her head in a fluster.The pointed ears visible in the gaps between her hair, in combination with her quivering figureit's like she's a cat or a dog, and her ears are even moving up and down......omg this girl is just way too cute!!It would be great if I could draw something like a conceptual diagram to explain it to you, butI fiddle a bit with my smartphone in search of an appropriate image......then I realized it.Connection to the network cannot be established.It took me this long to notice, but......this is only natural.This is a parallel worldthere aren't any network carrier base stations on this side. However, somehow it seems that Aokigahara Sea of Trees is technically connected, so there's the possibility of getting a signal by being extremely close to that hyper dimensional passageway.Ahh, dammit. No internet access for the near future?!The information sites that I check regularly, the bulletin boards, and even my many accounts on the net......I won't be able to access any of that. As I had thought. I need to get a relay antenna set up ASAP as a countermeasure, or else I'm going to choke to death, information-wise.While I'm thinking such things......?Tilting her head in puzzlement, Miusel is peering at the thing in my hand.Danna-sama......That's......?Eh? Aah, thisWell, it's my, or you could say it's my country's, magical tool.With a wry smile, I show her the screen with the memo app that I had been fiddling with.Those arewords, are they?Yep. In my country's language.............Miusel is staring intently at the smartphone with her eyes wide open.For some reason, that expression seems so very earnestWhat?Ah, nothing, I'm sorry.Miusel bowed her head in a fluster.So Danna-sama is able to use such complicated-looking words......!Eh? Aaahh~, ah, oh right.What she is looking at are Japanese characters.In other words, a combination of kanji and kana. As a Japanese, it's been with me ever since I was born, so I'm not really aware of it, but there are very few cultures on Earth that handle such a large variety of characters. There are only 26 letters in the English alphabet, but in the case of Japanese, there are about 50 sounds. Kana alone is already twice that number, but if you include kanji, then I wonder how many folds that makes.With a start, I got curious, so I bring up the dictionary on my smartphone. According to the JIS classification system, there are already almost 3,000 characters in Level 1 alone. If you include everything up to Level 4, then there are more than 10,000. The only people capable of using such an enormous number of characters are only those in kanji cultures...... And when you combine kanji with other types of characters, everything becomes even more complicated, as all Japanese and Koreans can attest to.That's why......in the eyes of foreigners, it's all incomprehensible.Speaking of which, are there a lot of characters on this side?Ah......I'm very sorry.Miusel cast down her eyes while replying.I......can't read or write, so............Ah.Speaking of which, one of Japan's distinctive characteristics is having an abnormally high literacy rate. I've read somewhere on the internet about how foreigners were surprised at seeing even homeless old men reading newspapers.I see, from the perspective of someone who can't read nor write, being fluent in kanji and kana together might seem like being a great sage. For us, it might be similar to someone being fluent in 5 different languages, maybe?......Oh, by the way, is there paper here?I return to my office desk and open the drawers.Insidealthough a bit stiff, there are indeed several sheets of paper. The paper making technology here must not be very developed, as these are quite crude in comparison to the paper that I'm so used to seeing. However, it's not like I can't write on these.Just like the smartphone, I'd also brought a ballpen over to this world, so I take it out and begin to write a list onto a sheet of paper.A I U E O. Ka Ki Ku Ke Ko. Sa Shi Su Se So. Ta Chi Tsu Te ToBasically, the 50 sounds from hiragana.I meticulously write them all out onto the paper, then hand it to Miusel.Here you go.......Eh?If I said as a token of our acquaintance'......would this be too cheap?Eh, you're......giving this......to me......?!Miusel's eyes grow as round as saucers.This is a table showing the most fundamental and basic characters of my country, calledhiragana. As for how to read them, I'll teach you another time.After saying this much......with a start, I turn the paper over, and writeMiuselon the back.This is how it looks when your name is written in our language. You can compare it with the table later on if you like.......Danna-sama......!As if it was the first time in her life receiving a certificate of commendation, her voice is thick with emotion and her hands are stiff and clumsy as she reaches out to accept the hiragana table.For a split second, I think what an over-reaction, but......I change my way of thinking immediately.Because printing technology is still undeveloped, all books in this world are basically hand-written manuscripts. Therefore, as mentioned before, they are extremely high-class luxury goods that only nobles and a portion of rich people can get their hands on. When you add the fact that it's a table of the characters froma parallel worldto the equation, then its rarity drives its value even higher.Though it is only a single sheet of paper, from Miusel's point of view, she has justreceived something incredible.............For a while, she just stared at the table in a dazeEventually, her face grew increasingly loose before ultimately widening into a delighted smile.Rather than the worth of what she had received, it feels like what she is happy about is the fact of having received something. As if hugging a piece of treasure, she is using both hands to press the table against her chestThen she speaks up in an almost inaudible voice.Tha......Thank you so very much.Perhaps due to being so excited, her cheeks are dyed rose-colored, and a bashful smile has stolen onto her face.Uwah......what the heck, this girl is seriously moe. To be blunt, I had never imagined that there would be a 3D girl who would make me feel moe so clearly. To the degree of making my chest squeeze up, this girl is somehow really, really cute......!And this is how I received plenty of moe from Miusel.Ah.Miusel suddenly turned back towards me, looking as if she'd just noticed something.It seems like Blk-san has returned.Is that so?It seems that her large ears are not just for show. I didn't hear anything at all, but she had obviously heard the noises generated by that person coming back.I will bring Blk-san here.Ah.Un, thanks.At my nod, Miusel begin running in a flusterAh.She tripped.Hyau?!She had fallen over in a scene that can only be described by the word splat.' However, before I can ask Are you OK?, she quickly gets back up in a fluster, bobs a quick bow towards me, then runs off again, still in a fluster.Uumu. So she's also a dojikko-san. Furthermore, she's not the calculating type, but the natural type.T/N: Dojikko means a clumsy character. Like how maid and twintails and ojou-sama are all character types, dojikko is one too. Thus, I'm leaving it untranslated.She's the maid-san who will be taking care of me......If that's true, then we'll at least be seeing each other around during my stay at this mansion. Furthermore, my position is as herDanna-sama, so unlike my classmates and my childhood friend, Miusel probably won't make fun of me or scorn me for being an otaku. Neither would she readily shoot down something like a confession packed with every bit of my resolve with a simpleNo way.But I'm starting to tear up from remembering that incident, so let's move on.Anyhow, because Miusel is here, I think I'll be able to enjoy this bizarre position at least a little.Ufufufufufu.Even I think that's a disgusting laugh, but I'm so happy that I can't help it.At that momentDanna-sama.I hear a few knocks on my door.I have brought Blk-san here.Ah, come on in.I tried to make my voice sound as sociable and good-humored as possible.Speaking of which, I wonder whether Blk-san is also an elf. In the first place, is Holy Eldant Empire a country of elves?No, wait. This is a parallel world. The common sense from our world might not necessarily apply here.Therefore, there's the possibility that Blk-san is actually a bishoujo! Even though Blk-san is a pretty masculine-sounding name, there's no reason why it can't be a girl's name, and if it's actually a last name then it can totally workI'm having such thoughts while walking towards the door.Excuse me.Along with those words, the door is opened.The person standing there isI'm Blk Darwen, your manservant. I mainly take care of the gardening, but please feel free to leave all the physical labor to me.The one giving a self-introduction in a bass voice that sounds like scraping against gravel is a large figure of a persona person?I'm assaulted by a feeling like all the blood in my body is curdling up.It is the same feeling from whenever I got up close to something like a tiger or an wolf while at the zoo. I had thought myself so accustomed after seeing it so many times in videos and images that I wouldn't be scared. However, now that I'm face to face with the real thing, that realistic largeness, and the intensity of the impression ofa carnivoreemanating from every part of his body is very nearly overwhelming me.The figure standing next to Miusel is towering over two meters in height.What he is wearing is a slightly dirtied tunic frayed all over, and a pair of trousers in a similar state.If that is all, then I wouldn't be frozen in place.Problem isalthough he is humanoid, he can't really be calledhuman. His face, his neck, his hands, the stomach visible from below the hem of his tunic, the feet visible from below the cuff of his trousers, and generally every part of his bare skinevery place is covered densely by dark blue scales. His head is protruding forward in a manner eerily similar to how a snake raises its head.Standing right in front of my eyes, at a distance almost close enough for our breaths to overlap, is a living creature conventionally known as a lizardman.I don't really know aboutgigantic kaijulike Godzilla and Gamera, but this 2 meter tall body is more than large enough to slam home the intensity of the phraseI'll catch you and eat you.Speaking bluntly, he is freaking scary. At this moment, I am in a state where I really want to run away with all I have, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. However, even if I really intend to do so, that lizardman is standing in the only entrance to the room.Danna-sama?Miusel tilts her head in puzzlement.For her, this lizardman is apparently not surprising nor scary.......I'd forgotten.This place is a parallel world.In the first place, my common sense does not applyit is a world where it wouldn't be strange for anything to happen.That's why it isn't strange for a lizardman to be a gardener. It's not strange, but still.Yoroshiku onegaishimasu, Danna-sama.So saying, the lizardmanBlk bends over and peers into my face.The red, two-pronged tongue that keep flickering in and out of my vision adds to the vividness of the image, making him seem that much scarier.He's scary, butYo......Yoroshiku.For some unknown reason, I was able to maintain a smile on my face and respond appropriately.