Chapter 205: Meeting with Seiria

Following the “Dungeon Arc,” we now proceed to watch the “Nanasia Town Arc.”

The concept revolves around coexistence with people from another world.

The ever-changing cityscape, the lively beastmen living their lives, and the people who appear to be Japanese reflected there. Even to me, who has become accustomed to the otherworld, the imagery seemed quite fantastical.

As for the crucial content—first, it starts with a pan from the central lord’s mansion to the sky, overlooking the city. Of course, the forbidden parts are not shown.

After that, scenes of the blacksmith shop, workshop, and the dining scenes at the grand cafeteria are briefly shown, concluding with a bathing scene. Naturally, skin exposure is kept to a minimum, and any footage that might be subject to regulation has been cut.

(I wonder if that former video, did Takeshi watch it all? It’s truly envy-inducing…)

Setting that aside, the content of the video is truly wonderful. Just scenes of people walking through the town are captivating enough. And, beside me—

Juri’s gaze, seeking my opinion eagerly, was piercing.

“Yeah, I think this video is excellently done too. It felt like watching a high-quality fantasy movie trailer.”

“And moreover, this is a completely live-action version! I think doing this with CGI would be difficult. Some may doubt it, though.”

“I agree with Juri. But, as long as we keep posting, there shouldn’t be any issues, right?”

“That’s right. We plan to make the runtime longer from now on, so I believe people will understand that it’s not fabricated.”

Well, there may still be doubters, but with regular releases, I’m sure the believers will increase. Once it catches on, we can secure viewership riding on that momentum.

According to Natsuki’s plan, once it gains some popularity, she intends to introduce me and the goddess. That part will likely come after we’ve moved the base to Grandpa’s village. Ten months until forced migration. We still have plenty of time, so let’s proceed carefully.

“Now, then. It’s about time for dinner, and everyone will return to Nanasia, right?”

“Yes. Since we’ve scheduled the uploads, we’ll head back.”

“Juri-san, I’m looking forward to it! I wonder how much it’ll grow!”

“Natsuki-chan, if you get your hopes up too much… you’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t do well, you know? But, secretly, I’m also looking forward to it.”

“We really want to make a lot of money with this!”

Even young people these days talk about making “a lot of money.” With such trivial thoughts, we all returned to the otherworld—

“Oh, by the way, I have something to report too. It’s a good time, so I’ll gather everyone and talk about it during dinner.”

(I completely forgot because I was engrossed in the video… I haven’t talked about the dungeon yet. It’s not like it’s an urgent matter, but I should report it anyway.)

After everyone in Japan returned to Nanasia, I told them about the dungeons appearing in Japan.

The monsters in the dungeons might be violent. We’ve left the dungeon that appeared in the park alone. I explained that there’s a possibility of more dungeons appearing in the future.

“So, that’s the situation. The dungeon I found were already making headlines. Currently, the Self-Defense Forces are surrounding it.”

“I see, that’s quite… unexpected.”

“Oh, and Sakura.”

“Yes?”

“It’s about the victim I mentioned earlier, they were the ones who approached me last time.”

“Oh… My condolences. ――More importantly, Keisuke-san, didn’t you enter inside?”

“I didn’t do anything reckless like entering alone. There were plenty of onlookers too. Some were even recording with their smartphones.”

“That’s the right decision. Since it’s now under the government’s control, I think it’s fine to leave it alone for a while.”

“Yeah, I agree. Worst case scenario, we can just surround it with barriers.”

Well, even so, I’m curious about the specifics of Japan’s dungeons.

How many layers are there, what kind of monsters appear, will they overflow onto the surface? I do feel like investigating, but for now, I think I’ll observe. There are probably government-sponsored adventurers, and we’ll eventually find out about it.

◇◇◇

After 3 days of starting video uploads, Tsubaki and I were visiting the Imperial Lord’s mansion.

After considering various things, we decided to inform Seiria about the situation in Japan as well. Of course, we’ve explained this to the key members and gained their consent.

About 10 months from now, an enormous number of Japanese people will come to this world. If we were to leave this unannounced, it would lead to chaos within the Empire.

Naturally, even if that were to happen, I believe it’s possible to suppress it by force. However, the outcome is uncertain. Among those teleported, there may be those who awaken strange abilities. In addition to that, it’s entirely possible that there will be defectors from the Kingdom and the Beastmen Country.

In the extreme, it would suffice to eliminate all those who do not comply with the Empire. In fact, I think there’s a considerable possibility of that happening. However, it’s also a fact that the Empire has grown this large because it continued to rescue Japanese people.

Wouldn’t the majority of Imperial citizens want to protect their compatriots? At the very least, they wouldn’t be convinced with reasons like “because they’re in the way” or “because there are too many.”

—Well, with all that in mind, I decided to confide in Seiria, including creating a favor for her. For Nanashi Village, it would be beneficial if the Empire remains stable.

“Seiria, sorry for interrupting you suddenly.”

“No problem at all. You’re always welcome. …But if I say that, will the lady next door give me a stern look?”

In response to Seiria’s preemptive strike, Tsubaki, who was next to her, alternated between being cautious and delighted, her expression changing rapidly.

“So, what kind of talk do you have for me today?”

“Oh, well, it’s actually a bit complicated.”

“I see, understood.”

With just that, Seiria immediately dismissed the people around. As usual, she’s quite perceptive.

After confirming that there was no one else around and only the three of us, I disclosed the current situation in Japan. Naturally, I also talked about our ability to return to Japan and the existence of the goddess.

“I see. What scale are we talking about here, in terms of the number of people who might make it to the Empire? I’d like to hear your opinion.”

“Huh, you’re not very surprised, are you? I thought I was revealing something quite significant, including the fact that we can return to Japan?”

“Even so, I’m quite shaken inside, you know? Maybe my negotiation skills are kicking in.”

Even as she spoke, her expression hardly changed. There was no malice whatsoever, but… I still couldn’t grasp Seiria’s intentions.

“I’d estimate around 40,000 to 50,000 people.”

“Can you tell me the basis for that estimate?”

“It’s not really based on anything concrete, but… First—”

I explained that those who were teleported to the eastern side of the continent were wiped out by monsters. Even on the western side, I didn’t think people could make it all the way from the Kingdom’s territory to here. Therefore, I speculated that they were either transported to the Empire or some of them drifted from the Beastmen Country.

“Thank you, that’s very valuable information.”

“To be frank, Nanashi Village stands to benefit from this too. So, can I ask how you plan to handle this?”

“Well… regardless of the numbers, we won’t have much choice but to accept them this time.”

“By the way, the existence of the Empire is also well-known in Japan. I think many people will come here seeking refuge.”

“If we start preparing now, we’ll be able to accommodate them adequately. Of course, we don’t intend to protect everyone.”

“You’re free to handle it as you see fit. I’m not in a position to say anything about it.”

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter