Chapter 208: The Visitor Appears

Six days have passed since receiving the land from Grandpa.

Since then, while taking care of procedures in Japan, I’ve been preoccupied with shooting videos.

It’s been almost a month since returning to Japan―― I’ve been going out occasionally, leaving traces at places like the bank. I’ve been expecting some kind of contact from the authorities or the police. According to online information, everyone returning from another world undergoes interrogation without fail. I’m unlikely to be an exception.―― And just when I set up a flag as usual, there was some movement. It’s trivial, but it feels like it’s been a while since a flag was raised successfully without breaking.

It all started when I was about to leave after having breakfast. With Grandpa’s departure scheduled for tomorrow, I was planning to go buy souvenirs with Hayato… 

Just as I reached for the doorknob, the intercom at my house rang.

(Who could it be this early in the morning? I don’t remember ordering any deliveries…)

I went back to check the camera for a moment, and there were men and women in suits standing in front of the gate. I could see five of them on the screen. Obviously, they weren’t neighbors, nor did they look like delivery people.

“Someone you know, Keisuke-san…?”

“Nah, I don’t know them at all. Besides, a group in suits showing up early in the morning isn’t normal for a visit, right?”

“Are they from a government agency?”

“Probably… Well, I’ll handle it alone for now.”

“Understood. Let me know if anything happens. I’ll also keep an eye on things from here.”

They must already know someone is at home since they came at this time. It would be pointless to pretend to be out now, so I headed to the gate for the time being.

“Good morning. We apologize for intruding so early in the morning. We are from the town hall. We belong to the investigation team for the mass disappearance incident. If I may ask, you are Keisuke Kusakabe, correct?”

As the leader-like person said that, they presented their identification. They didn’t fake smiles and were all looking at me with serious expressions. They seemed to have some wariness or fear.

I couldn’t tell if the ID they presented was genuine. But there was no sign of abnormality in their identification. None of the five seemed to have occupations or skills, and their displays weren’t glitching like Grandpa’s.

“Good morning. I’m Kusakabe, but… What business does the town hall have with me?”

They had already identified themselves as an investigation team, and I knew they had come to question me. I wasn’t planning to deny it now, but I decided to create an atmosphere of caution on our side for now.

“I apologize for the intrusion. We are conducting interviews with those who disappeared in the mass disappearance incident—”

After that, they asked me various questions about the circumstances of my disappearance.

It seemed they had a manual. They proceeded according to the data they had, asking about the situation on the day of the transfer, whether I had memories of the other world, etc. They seemed familiar with the procedure. They asked questions politely throughout, and there was no arrogance or coercion.

However, when it came to the next question――

“Thank you for your response. Next, we would like to ask about your occupation and skills…”

“Uh, is that mandatory? Are other returnees answering that question?”

“Of course, it’s not mandatory. However, if you’re unable to answer, there is a rule that requires a certain period of surveillance and visits… If you could cooperate, it would be appreciated.”

What skills the returnees have. This is probably the main point. They became stronger in their questioning at this point.

(I can’t mention the village skill. But lying wouldn’t be good either… What should I say?)

In the end, while showing reluctance, I mentioned that my skill was Appraisal.

It’s true that my current imitation skill is “Appraisal.” And even if they brought someone with the Appraisal skill, they wouldn’t be able to see through my status thanks to the superior Appraisal skill.

“Wow… I-I mean, I apologize. Having the Appraisal skill is wonderful. I was surprised because it’s so rare.”

“I don’t really understand, but is the Appraisal skill that rare?”

“Yes, of course. After all, out of 10,000 skill holders, only a few have it.”

“I see… Is that so?”

“Oh, there’s no need to worry. Just because it’s a rare skill, there’s no compulsory protection or anything. We are simply asking for your voluntary cooperation.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

“In that case, we will register you with the occupation of Appraiser and the skill of Appraisal.”

I hadn’t mentioned my occupation yet, but as long as they make their own assumptions, I don’t mind. 

After that, the questioning continued, asking about my life there and what happened when I died.

– That I was transferred to the forest of the beastmen and lived with the rabbit people.

– That I went to the city a few months later and met the sheep people’s trading company.

– That I don’t remember what happened when I died.

All of these were true. I answered the questions as minimally as possible, and I didn’t tell a single lie.

Finally, all the questioning was over, and I was asked to cooperate with the government agency. The Appraisal skill is very valuable, and I was offered a considerable reward… but I politely declined, saying I would prefer to live normally if possible.

“I understand. We also respect the individual’s wishes. However, it’s a highly valuable skill… Would you be willing to undergo an Appraisal at a later date?”

“An Appraisal? Ah, I see, you still have doubts, then.”

“No, it’s not that… It’s just one of our rules. I apologize if I have offended you.”

“No, not at all. It’s fine to do the Appraisal, but you probably won’t see anything. Appraisal has the ability to inhibit such things.”

“Inhibit ability… I see. Then, there’s nothing else we can do but give up. I apologize for the trouble.”

The other party seemed to back off quite easily, but perhaps this exchange was also according to the manual. The ability to inhibit Appraisal at Level 4. I think they wanted to confirm if I had it. At the same time, it seems they believed I was genuine because I knew about it.

“―― Kusakabe-san, thank you for your cooperation today.”

“Thank you for asking me various questions. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything.”

“Yes, we’ll be waiting. We’ll visit again, so please continue to cooperate with us in the future. Well then—”

Finally, they explained that they would register me on the agency’s list, visit periodically, and would appreciate contact if I had any intention of working with the agency, then left.

(Well then. This visit was probably just to lay the groundwork. They’ve been somewhat concerned about the inside of the house… It seems they’re aware of the existence of the others.)

The subtly hidden barrier on the outer wall. The large tent in the garden with unclear purpose. They were probably monitoring people coming and going. They didn’t touch on any of these things this time. They probably have a good grasp of our current situation. That’s how I should see it.

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