Chapter 211: Visitor, Once Again

After stopping by a bookstore and buying a large number of books, we happily headed back home.

Now wasn’t the time for extravagance, I thought—but as soon as we entered the store, we completely forgot about that. Having been away from Japan for a year, it was only natural that the surroundings would be overflowing with new releases. In this dream-like situation, there was no option but to buy everything.

Honestly, there was no point in being in Japan if we couldn’t buy books. That might be an exaggeration, but it was undoubtedly a significant advantage to have a base here.

Finally, after making excuses for our splurging, the village began to come into view.

“Huh? What’s that… What business could they possibly have in a place like this?”

“Keisuke-san? What’s wrong?”

“Well, there’s some strange cars parked near the village.”

“Yeah, you’re right… Did Tsubaki-san and the others send any messages?”

“No, nothing. Let me try telepathy real quick.”

Although feeling anxious internally, I was relieved when I immediately established telepathic contact. It seemed that Tsubaki and Sakura were at the village chief’s house, while the others were in the broadcasting room. They instructed everyone not to go outside and to wait for further instructions.

“Ah, someone’s getting out! 4, 5, 6… There are still more. Quite a few people.”

“What should we do, Chief? Is it okay to take them down now?”

“No, wait a moment. There’s nothing abnormal in the appraisal results so far. Their levels are low, and there’s only one ability user.”

A total of 10 people got out of the cars. Only one of them was an appraiser by profession… the rest were all unemployed and of low level. It was unclear whether they were carrying any weapons, but it didn’t seem like they would pose a threat.

“Unemployed and low level… Just hearing that sounds harsh.”

“Hayato, now’s not the time for jokes.”

“Ah, sorry. I just got carried away since everyone in the village is safe.”

“Alright, both of you, take out your weapons from the handy bags. I’ll be the only one getting out for now, so you two wait in the car. I’ll leave the decision on what to do in an emergency to you.”

“Understood.”

In the end, we continued driving as if nothing happened, arriving at the village with innocent expressions. Since the other party was also looking at us, I quickly got out of the car and faced them.

“Excuse me, but may I ask what brings you to this village?”

Glancing around, there were roughly equal numbers of men and women, mostly young adults in their 20s to 30s. They were all dressed in sharp suits, with only one man at the front who was about the same age as me.

“Nice to meet you, Keisuke-san. I’m Masaki, head of a government direct organization.”

“Government… I see.”

“Yes. I believe some municipal employees visited here before—this is a separate independent organization.”

The man in a suit, presumably the representative of the organization, introduced himself. His business card stated ‘Special Measures Office for the Other World,’ and oddly enough, only his name was written in the name field.

(Come to think of it, his greeting… he immediately called me by my name, and he introduced himself as Masaki too. I wonder if they’re adjusting to the other world’s customs?)

After apologizing for the sudden visit, they said they had come to arrange for a meeting. By the way, this director was quite a handsome middle-aged man. Moreover, he had a bonus of being slim and muscular.

Subsequently, while exchanging greetings with the others, I attempted to appraise each person thoroughly. Apart from the appraiser, none of them seemed to possess any occupation or skills, and there was nothing suspicious about them.

◇◇◇

Upon realizing that they could be removed at any time, I temporarily lifted the barrier around the house and let the director, the appraiser, and myself in. In response, I had Touya and Hayato accompany me. They were currently sitting across from each other at a table.

“Ah, Appraiser-san. Just as before, it’s not recommended to use skills recklessly.”

“…………”

“If you were to use them on these two, I can’t guarantee your safety. Director-san, I hope you understand as well.”

“Understood. From now on, we won’t use any skills.”

Even though I threatened them, the recipient wouldn’t know whether they were appraised or not. I just wanted to keep them visible. 

“Now, first, please prove that you are government officials.”

“Proof… I see. Then please take a look at this…”

In response to my question, the director himself presented his ID. At the same time, the female staff member next to him opened her own laptop.

Immediately… they accessed a dedicated government website. It was packed with personal information of skill holders. Everything from names and addresses to abilities and even family and friend relationships was meticulously recorded.

“How about this? I think this data serves as the best proof… But if you’re not convinced, we can come back later.”

“No, there’s no need for that… If you don’t mind, could we take a closer look?”

“Of course. Please take your time until you’re satisfied.”

Indeed, regardless of whose information I looked at, it was recorded in great detail. This much information couldn’t be gathered without a massive organization. Unless they had been hacking… but there was no end to suspicion if I started doubting that.

(But to disclose such important information so easily…)

This meant we were somewhat trusted—and at the same time, it meant I had a fairly accurate understanding of their identities. Of course, there was a possibility of false information. If only I could copy Seiria’s True Eye skill… but there’s no point in wishing for something I didn’t have.

Suddenly, they apologized for the sudden disclosure of information and began discussing their intentions and their analysis of our identities. 

As expected, they were aware that we were returnees from another world. Like the other village chief, they hinted at having a barrier skill. Furthermore, they seemed to be considering the possibility of interworld travel. Based on that, they had come to visit today.

It was probably a mistake to set up the teleportation circle in the yard. Even though it was covered, it was strange not to come out of there for several days. Moreover, it inevitably emitted light when activated… What was the cause of the barrier? Was it reasonable to assume that I had been observed when it was set up?

Naturally, they were also aware that we had come to this village and gone shopping. Since there was no means of communication this time, they came to visit at a suitable time.

“I’ll be straightforward with you… We’ve been monitoring you, as well as the situation at Keisuke-san’s residence. We’re already aware of the land transfer.”

“I see, so you know everything—”

“No, your abilities are still unknown, and the idea of interworld travel is just my speculation.”

Aside from the abilities, it seems they’ve also investigated the other members. They probably don’t know the old folks’ secrets… But I thought they would find out eventually, though I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Despite not applying direct pressure, they were still formidable opponents, which I couldn’t overlook.

“Understood. For now, we’ll trust your identity. If you have the time, we’d like to move on to the main topic—”

“Um, about the surveillance…”

“It’s too late for that. We can’t just let monsters like ‘ability users’ roam free, can you?”

“I apologize. Let’s proceed then.”

After that, Director Masaki spoke. He covered various details, but to summarize:

1. The government wants to establish a cooperative relationship with us.

2. If it’s possible to trade magic stones, they want to negotiate exclusive rights.

3. In return, they are willing to meet our requests as much as possible.

4. They want to officially approve the videos we’ve been posting online.

It seems they came to convey these things today. Since I had similar thoughts, it was a welcome proposal from our side. Regardless of how much we could trust them, it was a good start for the initial interaction. At the very least, it seemed we could avoid an immediate confrontation.

(However… I didn’t expect them to know about the magic stones. We haven’t sold a single one yet. Maybe they heard something from the student village chief?)

Anyway, I can’t give an immediate response, so I’ll leave it on hold for today. I’ll show a willingness to compromise from our side. And just to be clear, I also made it known that if they cause any damage or interference, we’ll nullify everything.

I thought they might propose some conditions… but they agreed readily without hesitation.

“We promise to stop all surveillance of you from this point on.”

“That would be helpful.”

“In that case, if you could notify us before taking any action in the future…”

“Understood. From now on, we’ll contact you via the landline here.”

“Yes, thank you for your cooperation.”

After making arrangements to meet again tomorrow morning, the members of the Special Measures Office hurriedly left.

By the way, the appraiser who was with them… apparently earns close to a billion in rewards in a month. With that much money, it’s no wonder they’re willing to cooperate.

(But seriously, close to a billion in a month is insane… I wonder if they’re recruiting for part-time jobs. I’ll try to ask discreetly tomorrow.)

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