Kays Translations

Chapter 188: Return to Japan

“When Keisuke-san was in the divine realm. During that time, it might have been possible to summon someone… or so I think. There’s no certainty, though.”

(Somehow, things have taken an unexpected turn…)

Come to think of it, there are still many believers in the two gods, and there’s a good chance they gained divine power depending on their faith. With that power, one or both of the goddesses might have acted.

“By the way, can anyone summon the goddesses? Before Lady Nanasia descended, only I could, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. There are two conditions. Receiving the goddess’s blessing or having a special power… what we call a unique skill.”

The goddess’s blessing or a unique skill, huh? As far as I know, there’s only one person currently missing. If they’ve returned to Japan, no matter how much we search, we won’t find them.

As expected, the one who came into contact with the goddess was…

“The other village chief probably returned to Japan. It matches the timing, and it seems like a unique skill, right?”

“I see… the conditions certainly match. Plus, if they had a home there… there should have been a fixed point for the transfer. I’m not sure if it was the refrigerator, though…”

While I was in the divine realm, the goddess and the other village chief made contact. At the appropriate time, they opened a dimensional gate and returned to Japan. That’s probably how it went.

I don’t know if they could transfer as a thought form, but naturally, the goddess must have gone with them. There’s also the possibility that they received her blessing and entered with some kind of power.

“If another goddess is involved, their purpose in going to Japan is the same as Lady Nanasia’s, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. And… perhaps they intend to gain divine power and materialize in Japan.”

“In that case, being the village chief is perfect. They can increase the number of villagers in Japan.”

Unlike this world, Japan’s public order is excellent. It should be possible to lower the loyalty threshold significantly. Even without monsters or churches, there should be plenty of ways to earn faith.

As I overheard that conversation, the others looked anxious.

We had informed them about the other village chief during the investigation, but I guess they hadn’t expected things to turn out like this. “Is Japan okay?” “Maybe it’s already been occupied…” “What if we can’t go back anymore?” They whispered anxiously.

“Everyone, nothing’s confirmed about this matter yet. And the gate to the otherworld is still open. It’s not too late to draw conclusions after investigating.”

“But, Chief, don’t we need to seal the gate? What if the guy who went back to Japan comes to the village through the gate?”

When I spoke up, Natsuki expressed her concern. Well, it’s not strange to think that way, but… it should be fine. To dispel their anxiety, I explained the specifications of the dimensional gate.

“I don’t think that’ll happen. It should require permission to use, and it’s connected to my home in Japan. Right, Lady Nanasia?”

“Yes, it cannot be used without the Chief’s or my permission. And the coordinates are fixed, so there’s nothing to worry about, Natsuki-san.”

“Is that so… But, Lady Nanasia… then why did the village chief’s home disappear? How did they come back to the other world?”

The answer to that question from the goddess was something like this:

First, the reason the home disappeared. It’s probably because they forcibly transferred to another world without following the proper procedures. That’s why they had no choice but to return home.

Normally, the home exists simultaneously in Japan and the other world. This time, it disappeared along with the goddess’s descent because they forcefully transferred without waiting for her.

And about returning to the other world. In this case, they should return just like the first time, along with their home.

However, there’s a barrier I set up there now. They mentioned that without removing that barrier, they can’t return to the other world. An interference exists in the fixed coordinate value. That’s the situation.

Unexpectedly, they’re obstructing the other’s transfer. Well, it’s uncertain whether they need to come back. At least, as long as they’re in this world, there’s nothing to fear.

“Once the investigation team and schedule are determined, I intend to go to Japan once. I’ll report the results immediately, so let’s discuss it again then.”

Thus, preparations for the upcoming day began—

◇◇◇

555th day of life in another world – 240,194pt

Two weeks passed…

Finally, the time to depart for Japan arrived.

I was meeting with the usual members while having breakfast.

“Hey, Village Chief, don’t do anything reckless…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just take a quick look. By the way, Touya, I’ve entrusted the security to you while I’m away.”

“Leave it to me. …Hey, make sure you come back, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

Even though we said our farewells yesterday… Well, I’m planning to come back after just one night in Japan, so it’s not like it’s a final goodbye.

“Sakura-san, please take care of Keisuke-san. I want to go with him, but I’ve been entrusted with the town’s affairs…”

“You’re right. Without Tsubaki-san here, the town won’t be the same. Also, I’ll protect Keisuke-san!”

For this investigation, I’ve entrusted all my abilities to Tsubaki. Even if I were to die, I can rest assured knowing that Tsubaki is still here. Plus, this time, the goddess is also staying behind. We’ve prepared such a thorough system.

“Hey, you guys are getting all emotional over the farewell scene, but… isn’t our departure scheduled for noon? Wouldn’t it be better to rest until then?”

“Aki-chan’s right! He’ll be back by tomorrow anyway, so everyone’s worrying too much, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, of course, we shouldn’t let our guard down. But there’s no way Japan would change drastically in just one or two years. The other village chief returned in about half a year, right?”

Yeah, that’s true. Even if there’s someone who returned from the other world, their capabilities are limited. Japan has the Self-Defense Forces and the police. If the returnee caused trouble, they’d probably be caught quickly.

Even if there were companions… if they were monster-class fighters, it would be different, but judging from the state of their base, they don’t seem particularly sharp. It might be prejudice, but they seemed lazy.

“For now, let’s start packing our bags. Everyone, please help out.”

“We’ll pack the magic stones, food ingredients, and magic tools… We’re going to try out the perks from the goddess over there, right?”

“Yeah, it seems like we can exchange them for items like PCs in Japan. We plan to test them with things like teleportation circles and goddess statues.”

We also plan to set up churches and universal storage spaces, confirm whether the blessings of the earth goddess (village bonuses) apply, and check if we can use magic and appraisal.

I chose Sakura as my partner for this because of that. She can use water, ice, and fire magic, and she has good judgment in emergencies.

“Oh, right. Everyone, are you sure it’s okay not to confirm the safety of your families? If you want someone to protect them, don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”

By the way, I intend to visit my grandpa and nephew. It’s relatively nearby, and with my current physical abilities, I should arrive in about 30 minutes even if I run. I’m not sure if I’ll invite them to the village, but I plan to at least report that I’m alive.

But for some reason, none of the other members have made any requests. Since they’re not hesitating now, there must be some unavoidable circumstances. Come to think of it, I remember that they didn’t talk much about their families before.

(Well, it’s not good to pry any further, so maybe I’ll change the subject.)

“By the way, everyone, what would you do if Japan turned into a fantasy world?”

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