Kays Translations

Chapter 144: Takeshi, Once Again

Is this also some form of guidance? Unfortunate events piled up, leading me to return to the guild earlier than planned. As a result, I coincidentally encountered the special forces samurai.

Seemingly liberated from slavery, I invited him to the Merry Trading Company to hear the details. Since something ominous had happened earlier, I wanted to talk in a familiar place. Together with the bewildered samurai, we followed Merimas's guidance to the reception room.

(But, wasn't I being foolish earlier? I'm usually more cautious. Whenever I come to the town... no, that's not it. Somehow, when I leave the village, I end up acting recklessly.)

Why did I think it was a good idea to go out alone? Even I wasn't sure. It might be carelessness, but it felt like something more fundamental.

(Huh? But I think I was normal when I came with Tsubaki before. I was cautious enough...? No, I need to be more careful... I might face consequences someday.)

"Village Chief, I'll bring tea right away. Is there anything the guests would like?"

"Oh, no, anything is fine."

"Understood. Please take your time. —Urgan, I'm counting on you for the rest."

Merimas called out to Urgan, and he quietly exited. The samurai, confirming that, approached me as if saying, "I've been waiting for this."

"Keisuke-san, seriously, who are you? And what's with 'Village Chief'?"

"Oh, about that, I'll explain it properly later. For now, let's continue from where we left off. The matter of slave liberation."

"...Understood. So, first, I was liberated from slavery about two months ago. —By the way, Keisuke-san, do you know about the existence of the Japanese Empire and that many Japanese slaves defected?"

"Yeah, I'm aware of the basics."

"I was liberated shortly after that incident. There were a total of 3,000 of us combat slaves. Of those, 2,500 defected. The remaining 500 were gathered in the capital and immediately released."

(I see, the numbers are as I heard from Merinard before.)

"What about the city's defense during that time?"

"It was replaced by the Allied Forces."

"So, what was the reason for your liberation?"

"Our achievements were recognized. However, there are other rumors as well."

"Oh? Like, keeping you as slaves might lead to you being taken back by the Empire again?"

"Sharp observation. Did you perhaps know about that?"

"No, it's just a guess. I don't know if it's true."

(Still, it wasn't a benevolent liberation. But even so, they gained trust in the end, and it turned out well.)

"So, you're still active as part of the special forces. This time, as regular employees."

"It's a fact that we were liberated, and the pay and treatment are quite good. Probably, almost no one quit."

"I see, I understand now. Thanks for the valuable information."

With that, the conversation reached a pause, and the guild member prepared tea and snacks.

While enjoying them together, we proceeded to talk about the village. Starting from me being the chief of Nanashi Village, I explained the situation in the settlement, the state of the pioneer area, and Tsubaki's contributions.

Since we exchanged information, there was no need to hide much except for crucial details.

"Really... So, Keisuke-san was the one growing sweet potatoes and rice. Nice, I wish I didn't mess up at the beginning."

"If you want, you can try becoming a villager?"

"Oh, right, the loyalty thing. Then, let me ask for reference."

Honestly, I was curious about what it was like. He ignored me when we first met, but talking to him now, he seemed like a good guy. There was no sense of being swindled in today's conversation, and it didn't feel like there was some hidden agenda.

Checking the loyalty is important, and since he seemed willing, I granted him residency and attempted to appraise him—

---

Samurai Level 38

Villager: Loyalty 75

Occupation: Samurai

Skills: Swordsmanship Level 4

- Greatly increased proficiency in handling swords.

- Significantly enhances attack power when using a sword.

kills: Iaijutsu Level 1

- Sends out a slash from a sheathed state.

- Number of slashes: 1

---

"Woah... seriously?"

"Hey? What's up? Just tell me without making it a big deal." 

Unexpectedly high numbers, I let out a strange sound involuntarily. A loyalty of 75 meant 'has a considerably high trust in the village chief.' We've only met twice, so where did he find such elements?

"Sorry, I was surprised because your loyalty is too high. You can easily become a villager."

"Oh, nice! So, does that mean I can live in the village?"

"As long as your loyalty doesn't drop."

"Alright! I can finally enjoy life in another world! Oh, but it's impossible right away... right?"

"Yeah, come whenever you like. Just make sure to clearly state your whereabouts. If you're going on an expedition, inform the Merry Trading Company."

"Roger that!"

(He has a decent personality, but his way of speaking is quite casual...)

Even if he has no ill intentions, it seems like a situation where he might think, "Oops, did I say something bad?" and that's a bit scary.

—After about 30 minutes of chatting, as we were about to part ways, I stopped by the warehouse to confirm whether he could enter the barrier. Since I had also informed him about the teleportation gate, I expected him to show up unexpectedly at some point.

"Well then, I'll be going. It was good to meet you today, even if it was by chance! Please say hello to Tsubaki-san for me."

"Are you really not coming to the village today?"

"Yes, I want to discuss things with my comrades properly. And I'll come after finishing my mission. I don't want to leave things half-done."

"You're quite conscientious in that regard. —Oh, and one more thing. Please keep the teleportation gate a secret, okay?"

"Don't worry! After all, I may not look like it, but I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."

(Man, that sounds suspicious...)

"...Understood. Don't die until you come to the village. Let's meet again."

"Got it!"

And so, another strongly individualistic person became a villager.

◇◇◇

In the evening of that day, when I returned to the village, I headed straight to the blacksmith. My purpose was to place an order for swords for Beritoa and Bears.

The samurai had lamented during our conversation, "Both swordsmanship and iaijutsu only activate with a sword..." I had also commissioned Japanese blacksmiths, but it seemed that the metal's flexibility was insufficient, and even if they could reproduce it, the strength wasn't there.

That's when I remembered 'magic steel,' so I consulted with the two to have them make it.

"I think the image of the sword is probably like this... Can you make it?"

"How about that? We won't know until we try. I think the strength will be okay... What about you, old man?"

"—Compared to a regular sword, the blade is quite thin. I've never seen a pattern on a blade like this, but... Let's give it a try. But it will take some time, okay?"

"There's no rush. I'm asking with the mindset that it's a profit if it works out."

"Understood. Right now, I'm busy making pots, so it will take a while. Once that's done, I'll give it a try."

Still, if they don't know how to forge it, it might be tough. I feel bad for the samurai, but let's not expect too much from him.

—In the end, the conversation at this time will be neatly concluded when the sword is completed, but... I'd like to talk about that exchange another time. For now, I'll just mention that the key player in this was Touya.

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