Kays Translations

Chapter 51

This time, it's the exchange between Chairman Firmos and Secretary Kalrmis of the Magnel Trading Company.

Several days after the completion of the Great Elasmos transaction, in the office of the Magnel Trading Company's chairman.

Firmos is reviewing documents detailing the sales trends of each department.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

"Excuse me. Here is the investigation report you requested."

Secretary Karmis brought a certain report to the chairman's office.

Firmos accepts the documents and flips through them quickly, expressing surprise at the minimal content—just three pages.

"Is this it?"

"Yes. There's hardly any information on him."

"You asked the usual source, right?"

"Yes. But according to the informant, it seems the situation is the same elsewhere."

Firmos reads through the report with a serious expression.

『Personnel Investigation Report』

Name: Mitarai Mizuki

Country of Origin: Japan (Self-disclosed)

Occupation: Employee at the Tiara Adventurer's Guild, in charge of accounting

Back in their home country, they were a student studying magical tools (Self-disclosed)

Currently, due to certain circumstances, unable to return to their home country. Therefore, employed at Tiara (Self-disclosed)

Visited Tiara about two months ago with a "Report on the Adventurer Party Found Dead in the Forest."

A few days later, he secured a job at Tiara.

He handles accounting and also works on reception and purchasing tasks.

About a month ago, he suffered a severe attack by four adventurers in the city, but thanks to the healing of a cleric, his life was saved.

The four adventurers who carried out the attack were repelled; three died, and one, initially in a critical condition, recovered after healing by a cleric.

Although testimonies suggest the cause was a counterattack using magic, the details remain unclear.

It's worth noting that the magical defense squad denies involvement (details in separate documents).

There are rumors circulating that some adventurers claim it was the work of a "magical tool."

Testimonies from adventurers and staff:

- "I have seen him frequently using small a magical tool."

- "I saw the receptionist happily looking at his magical tool."

- "I saw a small magical tool emitting light." (Details in separate documents)

- "He speaks Catfolk language" and "speaks a dialect from the frontier."

- "He angered an Elf."

- "I saw him making a flying device out of paper."

That's all.

Additional information: There is a high likelihood that he was involved in the subjugation of Great Elasmos. The source is a guard from the East Gate Defense Squad.

Firmos looks over the report and tilts his head.

"Where is Japan?"

"I don't know. It doesn't exist in the vicinity of the Marzen Kingdom."

"――Yet he's quite proficient in Marl."

"That's true."

Firmos squints even more.

"And what's this about speaking Catfolk language? I've never seen or heard of a human doing that!"

"It seems he was meowing like a cat."

"What!?"

He stares in half-disbelief, and Karmis, too, chuckles at the incredulous content of the report.

"Is this... 'Repelled four attackers' true?"

"If we go by the results of the questioning, it seems so."

"He's capable of using magic, but..."

"The mage expressed objections. Apparently, he mentioned things that even a mage couldn't do..."

Firmos furrows his brows, not understanding.

"What couldn't he do?"

"I don't have the details... but if we believe his statement, he claims to be 'better than a mage from the Magic Academy.'"

Firmos sighs involuntarily.

He's completely baffled. 

Firmos has very little experience with magic, and the topic is quite foreign to him.

"Also, there are a lot of testimonies about a magical tool. Is it really that impressive?"

"I don't know if it’s impressive, but it seems he uses it routinely, and it's normal to see him using it at the guild."

"He uses it regularly!"

Firmos widens his eyes involuntarily.

"He uses it for accounting tasks."

"And what about seeing it emit light?"

"I don't know. There's a testimony that after that happened, an adventurer was left in awe."

"You've been saying 'I don't know' a lot!"

"I... I apologize."

The president's irritation makes Karmis shrink back

But Firmos quickly apologizes after noticing.

"Sorry, I'm not mad at you."

"No..."

He's frustrated, not understanding the contents of the report, and he's more annoyed with himself.

"A magical tool...He said he was studying to make magical tools. Magical tools, huh."

Firmos feels an impulse to see the magical tool. Using it for work... emitting light... What on earth could it be!?

Then, he looks at the bottom of the report and furrows his brows again.

"What's this... flying device?"

"It seems to be a tool made by folding paper. Apparently, many kids play with them in front of Tiara."

"Have you seen them?"

"No..."

He didn't see them when he visited the other day. Was it just bad luck?

"Is the last part about being involved in the subjugation true?"

"Well, you see..."

It's certain that he delivered it. However, no one witnessed the adventurers who supposedly defeated it.

The guards speculated that he must have been involved in the subjugation based on this fact... that was the story.

Firmos listens to Karmis's explanation, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Just take a look at the separate document with the testimonies."

Firmos reads through the questioning regarding the attack.

"...No injuries on the three of them!?"

"Yes. According to the questioning, he mentioned it was 'lightning magic.'"

"Lightning... um, excuse me?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know."

He knows that lightning is what causes a flash of light on a rainy day. 

However, he doesn't understand what it is.

In this world, people lack knowledge of electricity, so they don't comprehend lightning before magic.

"However, the Great Elasmos hide brought in from Tiara... that's right... it had absolutely no injuries, right?"

"Ah!"

The hand touching his chin stops, slowly lowering to the desk.

"He defeated it with lightning magic!"

"I don't think he could have defeated the magical beast alone, but he might have led it into a trap and delivered the finishing blow."

"Hmm..."

"Torbis also mentioned not knowing how it was defeated..."

"He did say that."

Firmos doesn't understand what lightning is, but presumably, he defeated it with that magic.

The president felt like he was getting closer to the truth about the Great Elasmos incident.

However, Karmis raises a question.

"But in the first part here... there's an adventurer saying that the attackers were defeated by 'the work of a magical tool.' That's concerning."

"What's that supposed to mean!? Did they see some incredible secret of the magical tool!?"

"It seems the adventurer who mentioned 'seeing it emit light' is related to that testimony."

Firmos glares at the report. Then, the image of lightning flashes through his mind.

"Lightning is 'light.' And that magical tool also 'emits light'—"

"Ah..."

Karmis also understands what the president was implying.

"So, he defeated it with that magical tool?"

"Maybe. The magical defense squad mage objected that it wasn't magic."

"That makes more sense."

The two conclude that they likely defeated the Great Elasmos with a magical tool.

"But he uses a magical tool regularly, right? In his work..."

"Could it be a different magical tool?"

"I see... so he has another magical tool that can kill people!"

"Probably. That might be why they were intimidated and left in awe."

If the story is about being threatened with some kind of magical tool, it all fits together. 

The mention of magical tools repeatedly in the report shifted their focus away from magic.

Firmos throws the report onto the desk and leans back in his chair.

Karmis picks up the report and flips through it.

"There's no doubt that guy is involved in the Great Elasmos incident."

The chairman had been bothered by Taran's constant confirmations with Mizuki.

"Probably a member of the group that defeated them... someone connected to those incidents. I have a feeling that it wasn't a coincidence he got a job at Tiara."

Karmis recalls the conversation when they visited Tiara.

"He often uttered words I couldn't understand."

"Probably Japanese. Maybe that group is composed of people from Japan."

"I see."

Mizuki did mention not being able to return to Japan.

There must be some reason he can't go back, likely connected to that group.

"Come to think of it, he mentioned there's an Elf in that group."

"!"

The chairman sits up abruptly, and Karmis realizes something at the same time.

"So, is that why he got a job at Tiara?"

"To facilitate communication with Japanese Elves, perhaps?"

"Hmm... wouldn't it be easier if the Elf went directly?"

"Maybe they don't want it to be known? The conversation mentioned keeping the meat trade a secret."

"Right."

It wouldn't be good if Japanese Elves were exposed. 

The conclusion is that he might have been employed at Tiara as a liaison for communication between Elves.

"But it also says he 'angered an Elf.'"

The chairman looks at that part.

"I wonder what that's about... Did he get too carried away?"

"Yeah... he had that kind of vibe about him."

"Yeah. Once he started talking, it was hard to stop him."

The two can't help but smile.

"There's no doubt he's involved with the Elves."

"Indeed."

Firmos recalls Taran saying, "He's excellent."

Certainly, he was proficient in Marl. If that's the case, he can also converse with the Elves in Tiara.

There aren't many humans capable of communicating with Elves.

He must have been chosen as a liaison for his exceptional abilities.

"Japanese banknotes and coins were impressive too."

"Yeah. It seems like Japan is a country with incredible technology. I'd like to see other products from there."

"Indeed."

Learning about the excellence of Japan, the chairman becomes highly interested in this individual, Mizuki.

"Anyway, make sure to keep gathering information on him."

"Understood."

They had a good deal with the Great Elasmos incident, and there's no doubt that Mizuki is involved.

By keeping an eye on his actions, they might come across more good opportunities in the future...

Firmos senses this as his merchant instincts whisper to him.

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