Kays Translations

Chapter 111: Takeshi

A group of Japanese slave soldiers known as the "Special Task Force" that we had seen in the city.

One of the Japanese individuals, with whom I had coincidentally made eye contact, started walking towards us.

"Tsubaki, step back."

"Huh? That person might be an acquaintance..."

"Really? Do you recognize him?"

"Probably a coworker..."

While we exchanged thoughts through telepathy, the person continued to approach us.

Eventually, they quickened their pace and arrived in front of us in no time, prompting me to hastily appraise them.

---

Name: Takeshi, Level 33

Occupation: Samurai Warrior

Skills: Swords Art Level 2

- Enhanced proficiency with sword.

- Increased damage when using a sword for attacks.

(Is this the saying, "A name reflects the person"? No, that's not quite it...)

I got a bit distracted by his name, but this should be manageable.

"Um... Tsubaki-san, right?"

"Hello, Takeshi-kun. It's been a while. You're here too?"

"Indeed! But I’m surprised to see you have become even more beautiful, or even younger."

"Can I say that Samurai-san seems to be in good health?"

Tsubaki gave Takeshi a sidelong glance at his neck, but the man himself showed no sign of being bothered.

Takeshi, also known as Samurai, was around 20 years old, quite tall and handsome. His weaknesses were "money and women." Well, his appearance was decent, and he probably attracted a lot of attention, but personally, I didn't like him much.

"I was in a pretty bad situation until a while ago, but it's not so bad now. I've become quite popular in the city. Tsubaki-san, have you heard about our Special Task Force's accomplishments?"

"I've been away from the town recently. Would you mind telling me more about it?"

"Sure, wait a moment. Let me inform my comrades. Let's talk in a nearby tavern!"

(This guy completely ignored me...)

"Keisuke-san, let's use this opportunity to gather information. If we ask the people involved directly, we'll learn a lot."

"May I join as well?"

"Of course. If Keisuke-san isn't with us, I won't go."

(Heh, I won.)

The old man was celebrating his victory alone.

◇◇◇

The three of them moved to a tavern and chatted around a table for about 30 minutes. However, only Tsubaki and Takeshi were engaged in conversation.

Leaving that aside, here's a summary of the information Tsubaki gathered:

1. The "Special Task Force" operates in groups of five. The leader of the group is responsible for planning and reporting their actions. They have an obligation to report daily to the record keeper at the lord's mansion.

2. Rest and rotation of members are at their discretion. However, they need to achieve a certain level of results (such as orc extermination or patrol hours).

3. Leaving the assigned city (or village) or attempting to escape results in collective responsibility for the entire task force. In the worst case, all members face capital punishment.

4. Initially, there were 250 members in the task force in the city. However, two days ago, they received an emergency summons from the parliament, and high-level members were moved to the northern border. Currently, only 50 members remain, all of whom are below level 35.

5. The levels of Japanese slave soldiers range from 20 to 45, with the majority falling in this range. There are about 100 individuals with levels exceeding 50. The highest level is 57, and they can go one-on-one with an orc general.

"Takeshi-kun, how strong is the restraint of those collars? Will you die if you get too far from the city?"

"No, that's not the case, Tsubaki-san. When I was assigned here, the type of collar I wore changed. So now, as long as we don't harm the slave owner, we're okay."

"Why did it change? Some act of kindness?"

"Yeah, that's right. A while ago, there was a Japanese person who became a parliament member... They proposed it."

"Is that person by any chance Ryuunosuke from the Japanese Trading Company?"

"Oh, Tsubaki-san, you know him too? We're all really grateful to Ryuunosuke-san. After that, the treatment of slaves improved drastically!"

(This is quite different from what I heard from Drago. Was there a change in direction?)

"With this change, we can defeat orcs, and the city's residents also welcome us. When we first arrived, the transition was a failure, but now it feels like we're finally starting."

"Are you saying the slaves have no intention of escaping?"

"It's rumored that those who achieve results in orc extermination will be released from slavery. So everyone is motivated."

"I see... Thank you for sharing all this information."

He said that they had been summoned to the border with the human territory, which was a bit concerning. However, their treatment had improved significantly, and Ryuunosuke seemed to be highly regarded.

(At this rate, there might not be a slave rebellion...? Maybe that was the intention.)

While I was thinking about this, Takeshi finally spoke up.

"By the way... is the gentleman next to you Tsubaki-san's boyfriend?"

"Huh? Are you talking about me?"

"Yeah, you always looked so scary... It was hard to approach."

"Oh, really? I must have given you the wrong impression, Takeshi-kun. I'm sorry for misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Well, it's just that after not seeing any acquaintances for a long time, I got a bit excited... Sorry about that."

“Keisuke-san, you haven't answered the question about whether you’re my boyfriend or notI?”

“"Huh?"”

Tsubaki's words made my voice overlap with that of the samurai and we both fell silent...

"Well, I guess I'll answer that. This person is not only my lifesaver but also my boss. And yes, he's my boyfriend."

"Oh, I see, it was like that. Nice to meet you, my name isTakeshi."

"I'm Keisuke. Nice to meet you too."

After that, we talked about our experiences so far and exchanged information about the city. Of course, I made sure to keep our village a secret.

Apparently, shortly after the transfer, Takeshi had caused trouble and got caught. However, he seemed like a decent young man initially. He and Tsubaki had been on good terms, and they parted ways with mutual joy at their reunion.

After bidding farewell to the good-hearted Takeshi, we strolled through the city.

In the open-air markets, vegetables I'd never seen before were on display, and clothing shops showcased what looked like high-quality clothes.

When we stopped by a bakery, I was amazed by its selection. I had expected to find only black bread, but it was entirely different. They had a variety of Japanese-style bread like shokupan (white bread), croissants, and sandwich bread.

Unsurprisingly, all the staff were Japanese. They explained that a few experienced individuals had come together to run the shop. The equipment and ingredients were different, but through trial and error, they had managed to get this far.

Looking around, there were quite a few Japanese people among the passersby. Those who had luckily arrived in the city seemed to be doing reasonably well.

"All right, let's call it a day and head back."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

"The city seems safe too, so it looks like we can relax again tomorrow."

While discussing where to go tomorrow, we returned to the trading company.

However, things were about to take an unexpected turn.

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