Kays Translations

Chapter 180: A Major Victory for Master Natsuki?

As they approached the relaxation area, Natsuki’s laughter echoed along with rhythmic sounds. Looking toward the direction of the familiar and nostalgic sounds…

“Hey everyone, how about this? Table tennis, it’s pretty fun, right?”

“Yeah, I think I like it!”

“Me too!”

“When you think of hot springs, you think of table tennis! I think this could become popular!”

Natsuki and several other furniture craftsmen were having such a conversation around a table tennis table. It seemed they had come to showcase their new creation, as several other table tennis tables were set up as well. While the correlation between hot springs and table tennis wasn’t entirely clear, it was still amusing.

“Table tennis, huh? Never thought I’d see it in another world.”

“Oh, it’s the village chief. You came at the perfect time!”

“Hm? What’s so perfect about it? By the way, Natsuki, what material did you use for those tools? They look identical, but how did you manage to make them?”

Natsuki approached with a smile, holding a table tennis racket and ball in hand. The ball bounced well, and the rubber on the racket looked convincing.

“You’re asking the right questions! First, let me explain about this racket—”

She went on to explain in detail, but to keep it concise, they used ‘hardened leather from giant cows’ for the rubber part of the racket. This material was smoother and harder than iron, making it a high-quality material with significant strength and elasticity. However, when infused with magic, its hardness increased, so one needed to be careful; otherwise, the ball speed would become absurd.

As for the ball, it was made by processing ‘scales from a white serpent’ into a spherical shape. As you might know, it was a remarkable item that automatically repaired itself when damaged. However, applying too much force would trigger the repair function, and due to its attempt to return to its original shape, it would increase the ball speed due to the recoil force.

“…Hey, isn’t this dangerous? Did you test it with full magic power?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was hoping for.”

“Oh, so that’s what you meant by ‘perfect timing.'”

It would be bad if children got injured using it. Some children were highly skilled, and those with magic aptitude might cause accidents. With that in mind, she decided to test it with full magic and physical power…

A few minutes later,

“Huh? Village chief, what did you just do?”

Natsuki and the other craftsmen were all taken aback. Even I, who tried it out, couldn’t hide my surprise at its power.

“Wait…wait, wait, wait, isn’t this dangerous? It’s practically like a bullet! You guys, you’ve created something incredible…”

“Haha…in a sense, it’s like a major victory, isn’t it? Like starting a revolution?”

Just to be safe, I tried it on a target with magic iron armor, but it pierced right through it effortlessly. While the force stopped there, it had enough momentum to penetrate even a wall beyond it.

(There was even a faint flash…like a railgun?)

“For now, let’s shelve this. Let’s consult Sakura and decide how to handle it. If we can make a version for leisure, it would be appreciated if you could remake it.”

“Got it, we’ll reconsider the materials and give it another try.”

“If it can be played safely, I think it will become popular. I want to play too, and it would be appreciated if you could make it carefully.”

We couldn’t continue using it in its current state, but it was nice to have a new form of entertainment. As for the projectile from earlier…we’ll have to calmly assess what to do about it, including its usage.

◇◇◇

Later that evening…

In one corner of the bustling cafeteria, there was a lively discussion about the projectile that Natsukii had inadvertently invented.

While its power and range were impeccable, due to issues with accuracy and difficulty in mass production, it was ultimately shelved. Even if it could be mass-produced, there was the risk of it falling into the wrong hands if it leaked externally. It was better to seal it off than take such a risk, and that was the conclusion they reached.

“Although we’re avoiding repurposing it into a long-range weapon, its hardness and recoil force…could have other applications.”

“Yeah, I plan to involve other professions and explore various possibilities. Thanks to everyone, we have plenty of materials!”

“Natsuki, I’m looking forward to your future developments.”

Armor-related applications aside, it seemed possible to apply it to construction materials and tools.

“Keisuke-san, speaking of development…have you received information from other countries?”

“Huh? Hasn’t it been reported to Haruka yet? I sent a letter to the guardhouse this morning.”

“Oh, today was dungeon duty.”

“Is that so? Then, let me give you a brief summary. I’ll make sure to confirm the details later.”

Since there were others who didn’t know, he briefly explained. 

Due to dealing with orcs and vigilance towards neighboring countries, the balance of power among the three countries remained unchanged. While the kingdom continued its alliance with the beastman country, there were no movements such as dispatching troops to the empire.

Meanwhile, in the beastman country, distrust towards the Japanese had spread throughout the country, and there were no longer any regions where Japanese were welcomed. Most Japanese people gathered in cities closer to the empire, and eventually, they flowed into the empire across the border. Of course, the empire supported this, and the population had increased by about 10,000 people.

“So practically, most of them have already moved to the empire? Weren’t there about 10,000 Japanese people in the beastman country?”

“Yeah, as Haruka said. Currently, Japanese people in this world are treated as complete nuisances. That probably includes us too.”

“Then, wouldn’t Ryuunosuke be in trouble too? No matter how much he’s mentally controlling people, he can’t suppress the feelings of the people.”

“It seems like a pretty bad situation. We also have information about that.”

Calls for Ryuunosuke’s resignation had spread throughout the country, to the point where it couldn’t be contained by his feudal lord authority alone. Whether it was because the effect of his skills weakened or individual emotions surpassed it was unclear.

According to the latest information from the information broker, Ryuunosuke hadn’t appeared on the public stage recently. He wasn’t participating in parliament and was apparently scheming behind the scenes.

“… What exactly do you mean by scheming?”

“I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it seems like some people are planning to flee to the Empire. There’s nowhere else to run, so it’s not an impossible story.”

“But, would the Empire allow something like that? It sounds like a minefield to me.”

“Even if they manage to escape there, they’d probably be killed right away. That saint might be willing to accept them to steal their skills.”

If Ryuunosuke’s ability were a unique skill, it would be impossible, but if it weren’t, it should be possible to steal it. In fact, she would definitely try to steal it. If the saint’s disenchantment couldn’t remove it, there might be a twist…

“I see. So, what would you do, Keisuke-san… if that were to happen?”

“What do you mean… if the saint stole the skill? Or if Ryuunosuke reigns at the top?”

“Both. For us, it’s the same either way.”

“…Well, for now, let’s just keep an eye on things. First, we need to appraise the abilities and confirm if they can be blocked with barriers.”

“Isn’t that dangerous…?”

“It’s fine. Even if the barrier doesn’t work, we have Hayato.”

With ‘Immunity to all Status Ailments’ and ‘Radiance of the Hero,’ there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, Hayato knows Ryuunosuke. He must have used his skill on him, but he also has a record of preventing it.

Once we understand their abilities, we can deal with them however we need to. In the worst-case scenario, it may be unavoidable, but… it won’t be too late even if we wait to see how they act.

When I shared my thoughts with everyone, I generally received agreement. At least, there didn’t seem to be anyone with the mindset of “just kill everything,” so that was reassuring.

“Well, if anything… I’d rather see the saint come out on top.”

“If the parliament’s mind control is released, it might get a bit better… maybe?”

“But it doesn’t concern us.”

This will be the last piece of information, but there are 30,000 Japanese people living in the Empire’s capital (formerly the city of Keimos). It seems to be the saint’s preference, as there is an unusually high ratio of middle-aged men. The cities under construction in the north and west are progressing better than expected, and the Sword Saint and former Border Count are each in charge.

Those who fled from the beastman country also follow the Empire’s policies. There’s nowhere else for them to go, and they share the commonality of being Japanese. Some of them hold a grudge against the Empire, but they’ve long since been eliminated.

In addition, in the large grasslands to the south of Keimos, large-scale farms have been completed and rice and wheat production has begun. There seem to be agricultural experts among them, and they’re providing quite thorough guidance. It appears to be a long-term plan based on rotational agriculture.

“Well, that’s roughly it. The Empire is going well, the kingdom and the beastman country are stagnant, and Nanasia is peaceful as always. Let’s hope it stays like this forever.”

“Now we just have to wait for the goddess to descend, huh…”

I’m a little worried about Ryuunosuke and the village chief of the kingdom, but… well, that will be resolved eventually too. Regardless of how things around us change, what we have to do remains the same. Just live each day steadily.

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