Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 107: Case Closed
I gazed absentmindedly at Tiamat’s beautiful corpse, sealed in ice and bobbing on the sea, but the mage squad on the rooftop still hadn’t stood down from combat readiness.
This three-way battle—akin to an adult with a blunt weapon barging into a children’s scuffle—had effectively ended with the elimination of Tiamat. Gazer-kun had crashed into the warehouse district and showed no sign of getting back up anytime soon.
Still, no matter how battered and weakened they become, a Class A-1 monster is still a Class A-1 monster. A single spell from them could slaughter hundreds of people.
They’re intelligent, too—capable of biding their time patiently until the enemy lets their guard down, at which point they bare their fangs and attack. You can never relax until the death is confirmed.
From our location several kilometers away, it was hard to tell what was happening unless something dramatic occurred.
Mamono-kun was negotiating something with the mage squad, borrowing a telescope to observe the scene, but that’s not something I could ever pull off.
More importantly, the occasional sideways glances from the mage squad, as if silently asking “Who the hell is that?”, were stabbing into me like ice picks. It was unbearable.
The arrival of the Blue Witch had been welcomed because she was a strategic asset.
Mamono-kun, as an expert in monster studies expert, also belonged here in light of the appearance of a typical Class A-1 monster.
But me? I was just a passing-by Legendary Staff maker—a regular guy who makes legendary magic staff.
The mage squad probably didn’t even know my name or face, likely just identifying me as “someone the Blue Witch brought along.”
Thankfully, Hiyori must’ve given them some sort of warning, because no one tried to talk to me. Even so, their discreet, silent attention felt like the kind of pressure a store clerk exerts when you’re the only customer in a 24-hour convenience store. My guts were twisting.
I’d already seen the great kaiju battle and the incredible performance of the strongest witch. I wanted to go home. Should I just leave on my own? No… If I bailed solo, Hiyori would definitely blow her top…
While I shrank into myself, trying to disappear, Hiyori returned like a rocket roughly ten minutes later. I waved with relief, and she gave a small smile and returned the wave.
Then, her smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a cold, stern expression. She spoke to Mamono-kun in a flat, composed voice.
“Gazer has calmed down. I used healing magic to restore him, but he shows no signs of going berserk. For now, he seems to be resting due to exhaustion.”
“T-Thank goodness. He’s okay, then.”
“Yes. However, there’s one issue. Listen closely.”
With that, Hiyori and Mamono-kun began whispering.
At one point, Mamono-kun clearly went pale and tensed up, but as the conversation progressed, he gradually relaxed.
Eventually, it seemed they had reached an agreement and nodded to one another before parting.
Hiyori turned to the mage squad, who were watching closely, and declared boldly:
“Tiamat has been slain. Gazer is currently stabilized. This man here is Mamono-kun, a renowned monster expert—many of you may already know him. He has successfully domesticated Gazer, and I deem that this Class A-1 monster is now under human control. —However!”
The mage squad began murmuring at the news that a Class A-1 monster was under control. Hiyori raised her voice to continue:
“The danger of a rampage cannot be ruled out. Even if he’s calm now, should he lose control, the consequences would be catastrophic. Even if Gazer has no intent to harm humans, it doesn’t mean deaths won’t occur. Earlier, I confirmed the corpse of the Illusion Mage. It appears he was trying to retreat from the warehouse district when Gazer, flying through the air, crushed him. He was invisible, yes, but I confirmed his identity through his Magician ID and physical examination. There’s no mistake.”
The disciplined mage squad didn’t shout, but you could feel the rising hostility in the air.
Of course. I didn’t know who the Illusion Mage was, but it seemed he’d been working in coordination with the mage squad and was likely known to them. No one could stay calm after hearing of his death.
Had Hiyori and Mamono-kun already decided what to do with Gazer-kun?
Personally, I’d be fine with whatever they decided—but Mamono-kun, who I expected to object the most, was silently observing the situation.
Then Hiyori took a small, empty vial from her pocket and held it high for all the mages to see.
“Some of you may have already heard the rumors. For the past 80 years, I’ve been researching resurrection magic—and I’ve finally found it. Humanity has transcended death. The Illusion Mage, crushed to death, can be revived. The one fatality caused by Gazer can be reduced to zero. …Stay quiet. I’m not finished yet. Resurrection magic has conditions. Death by magic cannot be undone—agreed? It consumes massive amounts of magic power—but that, a Magician can manage. The final condition is this: the spell requires the consumption of a large Ghost Gremlin. This vial contains two of them. They’re invisible, so you won’t see them, but they’re large. And they can only be harvested from Class A ghost-type monsters. Ghost monsters can’t be embedded with gremlins, and they can’t be farmed. That means Ghost Gremlins can’t be mass-produced. They can only be harvested from naturally occurring ghost-type A-class monsters—making them incredibly rare and precious. And resurrection magic requires them. You understand? Resurrection exists now, but it’s not something we can use freely. Furthermore, Gazer may hold the key to removing this limitation… Mamono-kun, please explain in more detail.”
Hiyori stepped back, and Mamono-kun, who had been silently observing, stepped forward.
Huh. This was getting interesting.
Mamono-kun took a deep breath and began:
“As she said, I am Mamono-kun, Vice President of the Japan Monster Studies Association.
I was responsible for Gazer-kun’s care. We met by chance, but without Gremlin embedding, I was able to form a bond, achieve communication, and stop him from attacking humans.
In other words, I succeeded in controlling a Class A-1 monster. This time too, he chose to side with humanity and risked his life to fight an equal-tier monster. You saw his performance. Gazer-kun is humanity’s ally. Gazer-kun has both male and female sexes, and we have some clues on reproduction. There are many serious challenges, but theoretically, I think it is possible to breed and control Class A-1 monsters. Just like other monsters, they can become humanity’s dear neighbors and walk alongside us. I truly believe that. With Gazer-kun’s successful domestication as a foundation, the Blue Witch has pledged to support my experiments on breeding and caring for ghost-type A-class monsters. We will apply the insights gained from raising Gazer-kun to these ghost-types. It’s still in the planning stage, but if research and development progress and bear fruit, we’ll be able to mass-produce large Ghost Gremlins. That will allow stable use of resurrection magic. Sparing Gazer-kun’s life means gaining knowledge about Class A-1 monsters. That knowledge leads directly to breeding ghost-type A-classes. And their breeding makes stable resurrection possible.”
Mamono-kun carefully delivered his speech, a plea with his friend’s life hanging in the balance. At the end, he bowed deeply and concluded his address.
“I believe everyone here understands the threat posed by Class 1-A monsters much better than anyone. However, I am convinced that the very magnitude of his potential danger is equal to the magnitude of hope he offers for saving humanity. Please… spare his life.”
The Mage Corps stirred again, as if it were their job to be restless. These people have been murmuring nonstop, haven’t they? They should try learning from me—silent, still, and concealing my presence.
Though they had been murmuring and chatting noisily, the older man (the one who had been speaking with Hiyori) raised his hand as a signal, and the room immediately fell silent. Everyone sat or stood perfectly straight, without so much as a twitch.
Hmm. That kind of discipline isn’t ordinary. The unit deployed to handle a Class 1-A monsters really is elite, I guess. They never even got the chance to take action, but I suppose it’s just as well. Defense squads that show up for kaiju battles are usually the ones who get blown away to raise the stakes. Better they didn’t get that chance. Treasure your lives!
“This is not the consensus of the state or the Ministry of Defense, but rather my personal words as the commander overseeing this site. If adequate safety measures are put in place, I believe that choosing not to eliminate the current threat, but instead preparing for and minimizing future threats—that is the true meaning of ‘defense.’”
In response to the commander’s cautious yet bold statement, Hiyori nodded.
“The higher-ups should be fine. We’ve already begun quietly reaching out to the relevant authorities about the discovery and use of resurrection magic.
Once the discovery of resurrection magic is made public, it’s likely to cause a major uproar. Handling that uproar will be your job. Just like dealing with Class-A monsters. If you all believe this is the right course of action, then there should be no issue.”
“What I said just now is nothing more than my personal opinion, based on the current situation and the information available at this moment.
A matter as grave as a Class 1-A monster and resurrection magic is too important to be swayed by only one individual’s words.
Would it be acceptable if I submit a factual report with my opinion attached to the higher-ups?”
“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll make sure to notify them as well.”
The major points were agreed upon. Mamono-kun collapsed weakly, propping himself up with both hands on the table and exhaling a long, deep breath.
“Thank goodness… Oh right, I was the one who issued the rescue request to the Blue Witch this time, but I only learned the true nature of the situation thanks to an urgent report from my younger brother, who works for Kuranom Corp. Without him, the Blue Witch’s deployment would’ve been significantly delayed. As for the person who reported to the Ministry of Defense earlier—I believe their credibility is highly questionable. I’ll instruct my brother to go to the Ministry himself. He may be able to provide a more fair and accurate account of the situation within Kuranom Corp, the company dealing with Tiamat.”
“Your brother? I see. That would be very helpful. I’ll contact the Ministry.
By the way, I’m terribly sorry to trouble you when you’re clearly exhausted, but may I ask you one more thing? It’s about how we should handle the Gazer currently lying dormant in the warehouse district…”
As Mamono-kun and the commander began to discuss complicated matters, Hiyori beckoned to me.
“Let’s go. Your stomach’s about to give out, isn’t it?”
“I know~! Let’s get out of here.”
When I nodded, Hiyori picked me up again, just like when we arrived.
But this time, I struggled and slipped out of her grip.
Hiyori looked puzzled, but really, it shouldn’t be that surprising.
On the way here, we were in a rush. Having Hiyori carry me was the fastest option.
But now? There’s no need to hurry.
I cast a self-enhancement spell and lifted Hiyori in my arms instead.
The so-called princess carry.
“!? Y-Y-You! This—! Wh-Whuaa…!”
“Oh? So you do like this kind of thing.”
I still don’t get what’s so great about it, but judging from how red her face turned—as if steam might start rising from her head—and how tightly she clung to me, it seems she was very pleased.
Thank you, shoujo manga. I’m glad I studied up.
Now then, Princess Hiyori, allow me to escort you home.
I turned my back on the stunned Mage Corps—who looked like their jaws might unhinge—and leapt from the rooftop of the general trading company building, holding Hiyori tightly in my arms.