Chapter 33: A Sumptuous Feast

As usual, I used my Unique Skill to return to Japan. Wearing the Robe of Nothingness that Aoi had made greatly reduced the chance of anyone seeing me arrive, so instead of appearing in my usual spot in the mountains, I moved to a quiet corner of a nearly deserted park. It seemed to work well, and it also saved me the troublesome journey from the mountains to the station.

After confirming no one was around, I took off the Robe of Nothingness and stored it in my Magic Bag, then headed to the station. Since many of the manga Rain-san wanted were old, and the small bookstore nearby probably wouldn’t have them, I took the train to a large bookstore.

“Yuuka’s email went through. As for Gondo… is new information still coming out…?”

While riding the train, I sent the email Yuuka had written to her family and downloaded their replies. I also sent them a separate thank-you message from Aoi for the delicious onigiri they had made for us.

Of course, I also attached a video of Yuuka and Aoi eating the onigiri appetizingly. I had previously introduced Aoi to the family as Yuuka’s friend, and when they saw her elf-like appearance in the video, Haruka-chan was the most excited. Yeah, seeing a real elf is surprising.

There was also a new interview with a former employee who had quit because of Gondo’s workplace bullying and sexual harassment. With fresh fuel being added to the fire, the internet was still buzzing. …Just how many victims did this guy have?

“Alright, this should do.”

I bought about 5,000 yen worth of books at the bookstore. Famous older series were still in print, but the store no longer carried many of the titles, so I skipped those and worked my way down from the top of the list.

Doing this every time would be a hassle, and many manga weren’t in stock. These days, most manga could be purchased digitally, so I might have to consider that option.

However, without identification, I couldn’t open online accounts or obtain a credit card. It would be inconsiderate to rely on Yuuka’s family yet again, so I would have to consult them first.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back! H-how did it go?”

When I returned to the royal castle, Yuuka and Aoi were on either side of me, just like when I moved to Japan, and Rain-san was in front.

Rain-san pressed in toward me as soon as I returned.

“There were many works I couldn’t buy, but I was able to purchase some. Here you go.”

I took out the purchased manga from my Magic Bag.

Shonen manga volumes that used to cost around 400 yen now cost about 600 to 700 yen. Prices had risen quite a bit, so I could buy only about eight volumes with 5,000 yen. Fortunately, I found the final volume Rain-san wanted most.

“Woooah! This is it, this! How long I have yearned for this final volume…”

“Th-that’s good…”

Raising his voice loudly, Rain-san hugged the manga I handed him to his chest and shed tears.

I thought it was a bit exaggerated, but he had been investigating Blessed Ones for years and had been longing for this manga’s final volume all this time.

“…Yesterday’s inn food was truly delicious, but to think there was something even above that’s surprising.”

“It’s frustrating, but as expected, food made by professionals is delicious. The care put into each dish is different.”

“This is the first time I’ve eaten such delicious food.”

We moved from the room of Rain-san, the fourth prince, to a very spacious room. Even though it was still daytime, magnificent and gorgeous dishes were lined up on the table.

Rain-san had arranged the meal. Yesterday’s food at the high-class inn had been delicious, but I never thought it would be surpassed just one day later. The ingredients in this world were wonderful, but as Yuuka said, the chefs’ skill must have been extraordinary too.

Incidentally, Rain-san himself was so engrossed in reading the manga I purchased that he didn’t even want to take time to eat lunch.

“At this rate, it seems we’ll be staying in the royal capital for several days.”

“That’s right. He doesn’t seem able to leave the royal capital, and even if we use the Magic Bag to transport things from now on, we’ll have to wait for him to prepare things to sell.”

When I returned to Japan earlier, I also made a reservation for tomorrow’s flea market. Most of the manga on the list he prepared are still unpurchased, and it seems I’ll need to earn a bit more Japanese money before returning.

As Yuuka said, Rain-san didn’t seem able to leave the royal capital, so we would probably be sending manga here in a Magic Bag and receiving goods to sell at flea markets in return. If that earned us royal protection and access to the kingdom’s intelligence agency, it was a bargain.

“By the way, Aoi, are you sure you don’t want to buy any of those Sword Star goods? We seem to have some leeway now, so we should be able to afford some entertainment items.”

“It’s true I was obsessed with that game in my previous life, but I’ve switched my favorite now, so I’m fine!”

“Switched your favorite…? Well, let me know if there’s anything you want.”

“Yes!”

I don’t really get it, but it seems she doesn’t need anything for now. Come to think of it, maybe I should buy the continuation of a manga I used to read long ago.

After lunch, I planned to discuss our future arrangements with Rain-san. I hoped we could maintain a good relationship.