Kays Translations

Chapter 212: Elite Team of Three

“…That’s how it felt. The village chief was really cool, you know? I was nervous the whole time.”

“I thought the same. The captain seemed to see through everything… How could he stay so composed…”

After the captain and the others left, I immediately gathered everyone to explain what had happened.

Though Touya said that, I felt like I was just going with the flow for more than half of it. It went better than expected dealing with government officials, but I feel like that was thanks to Tsubaki’s divine protection.

“In any case, the government’s response was more reasonable than I expected. I thought they’d be more authoritarian.”

“And even the people waiting outside were calm. It was funny to see them all just pulling out their smartphones.”

During the conversation, it seemed Tsubaki and Sakura, who were in another room, had been monitoring the outsiders. They both said there was no sense of tension.

“But that’s exactly why it’s suspicious.”

“Aki-chan…?”

“They’ve been watching us closely, and they’ve thoroughly investigated us. What’s particularly strange is their knowledge about magic stones and traveling to another world. There’s no way they could know that based on the current situation.”

“But that information came from the student village chief…”

“Maybe. But I think it’s too early to trust them. Either way, we need clear boundaries.”

Indeed, Akiho’s opinion made sense. We’re just a group of amateurs; we can’t handle the government. Even if we were to show our strength, there would eventually be a limit.

Well, even if we couldn’t operate in Japan anymore, it wouldn’t matter. We could just retreat to another world. I want to repay the goddess’s kindness, but I don’t intend to risk my life for it. Ultimately, we concluded, “Do what we can. If it doesn’t work out, then goodbye.”

“Well then, let’s talk about tomorrow’s schedule. I’ll share my thoughts first, and then I’ll ask for opinions if there are any issues.”

With that declaration, I began to explain my views on government demands and deals. It seemed like it would take a while, so I started compiling it all first before proceeding.

1. Obtain permission to recruit citizens for the village.

   – This is the most important thing. Whether we need permission in the first place is debatable, but if we’re going to operate in Japan, we want the government’s stamp of approval.

2. Limit magic stone transactions to the government alone.

   – In accordance with current regulations, we won’t involve private companies. It’s not a proposal we need to bring up, but I’ll declare it just in case. It also serves as a warning to foreign powers within the country.

3. Obtain recognition of the village’s autonomy.

   – Not just about streaming, but also to have the village officially recognized by the government. We’ll comply with Japanese laws, but we won’t allow direct intervention by government agencies. Ideally, we’d like to establish the area within the barrier as a special zone for another world.

4. Do not respond to requests from abroad.

   – As I mentioned earlier, there are likely to be strong demands from overseas—political pressure is inevitable. We’ll handle all such matters through the Japanese government.

However, we don’t know how this issue will turn out. It could lead to a terrifying situation once the barrier around Japan disappears. But no matter how much I think about it, there’s no clear answer, so I’ll shelve it until then.

So, it seems like there are a lot of holes like this, but…I guess that’s a good thing.

In the first place, there is no way that an ordinary old man can stand up to a country. It may be possible to solve the problem through force, but doing so will not solve anything. The enemy will only continue to increase, and that will be the end of it.

“So, what do you think?”

“Setting aside whether they’ll all be accepted, isn’t the content itself good? I’m just worried about what happens after the barrier disappears.”

Haruka’s response was followed by unanimous agreement from the others. Some said, “It’s a bit too demanding,” but ultimately, we concluded that “It doesn’t cost anything to say it” and settled the discussion.

“Let’s try to make as many like-minded friends as possible.”

“Let’s collect as much of Japan’s subculture as we can.”

“If it becomes too much to handle, let’s run away.”

It’s a very cliché and irresponsible content… but you could also say it’s a policy that faithfully and clearly reflects our desires… probably.

◇◇◇

The next day, at 9 a.m. as promised, the car from yesterday arrived. However, today there was only one car, and only three people were in it.

(The captain, Masaki-san, and… the other two are new faces.)

Both of them are young women, and there’s no abnormality in their appraisal results, so there’s no need to be overly cautious. Also, for some reason, all three of them were dressed very casually. In fact, they were wearing incredibly light clothing. Even though it’s the middle of winter… they’re going to catch a cold, I’m really worried.

“Good morning, Keisuke-san.”

“Good morning.”

The three of them raised their hands slowly as they spoke. Was this a trendy greeting that had recently become popular in Japan? They remained motionless, not moving from their spot. Their expressions were quite serious.

“Um… Good morning?”

I almost mimicked them but stopped myself at the last moment.

“Please, thorough checks, if you would.”

“Please.”

I see… It seems they’re indicating for a body check. That was close… I narrowly avoided a major embarrassment first thing in the morning.

But could this be considered sexual harassment? Could it be that they brought female staff just for this…? No, that’s ridiculous. While foolish thoughts crossed my mind, I allowed Tsubaki and Sakura to conduct the check without reservation.

After enduring the opening attack, they were guided to the same room as yesterday. We exchanged some light conversation.

“Masaki-san, let’s have a normal interaction from now on. You don’t need to worry about your attire either; warm clothing is fine.”

“My apologies. Considering the surveillance, I wanted to be fully prepared.”

“By the way, these two… I’m meeting them for the first time?”

“Yes. We’ve brought together a select group this time, including myself.”

“A select group… including you…?”

What’s going on? Tailored to my preferences—no way. While the female staff are certainly charming, I’m out of their league.

“Actually, we’re all avid fantasy fans. We pride ourselves on being able to accept most things!”

“Y-yes, that’s right. Masaki-san, you seem completely different from yesterday…”

“Yesterday, I had subordinates with me. That’s why we’ve selected these individuals, they’re elites!”

“Well, aren’t those two also your subordinates…?”

The two beside Keisuke nodded in agreement. Well, I see, so that’s what they meant by a select group. This middle-aged man, with heightened enthusiasm and fervor, was leaning forward assertively. Unexpectedly, his appearance as a comrade raised my affinity towards him.

(Wait a minute, could this also be a trap…?)

Despite being cautious due to his drastic transformation, the discussion about the other world continued endlessly… As a conclusion, it became apparent that this man was the real deal—perhaps even more competent than me. And the two women also proved to be worthy of the elite title.

(Hey, there’s no sign of this ending at all… No, I’m having a lot of fun too. But let’s get to the point already.)

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