— (032) Prologue
Chapter: (032) Prologue
Carol Arc
Translator: Tseirp
5 days has passed since Onii left.
The room within the mansion that was changed to be under my name is now an empty shell. Instead of having a lived-in feel, the environment of the room now felt like it is doubtful if people have really lived in it.
That’s because all the memories of the parents that nurtured us thinking that Onii and I were their own children was stowed away within me by spatial magic.
Then, I looked at the photo sticker taken at the game center stuck behind my handphone.
I alone was reflected in it, the figure of Onii who was supposed to be beside me had disappeared, the words that should have read “Miri & Ichi”had became only “Miri”.
It’s extremely unnatural, I glared at my treasure that has been stained.
It’s not only the picture, from Onii’s middle school graduation roster, from the phone book, from the residence registry, and from everybody’s memories apart from mine, Onii has disappeared.
I plopped myself down spread eagled on the flooring with nothing laid out on it.
This world is treating it as Onii, Kusunoki Ichinosuke, never existed from the beginning.
Of course, it was fraught with many contradictions. Making a single person disappear is synonymous with changing the whole world.
However, nobody noticed it. The world did not notice.
Other than myself, Onii lost everything.
To be able to do such a thing, if there is an individual capable of remaking the world, then it is not human. It’s a life form that surpasses the realm of human.
(… Damn Goddess.)
I glared at the ceiling… at the culprit that wasn’t there.
If the Goddess wasn’t there, Onii would have died. That I understand.
However, the crime of stepping on Onii and my memories can never be forgiven.
I can make an educated guess as to where Onii disappeared to.
5 days ago, a traffic accident involving a truck occurred and a large number of horses ran away.
It was reported that thankfully, apart from the truck driver and suspected horse thief suffering from light wounds, nobody else was injured.
I was confident that Onii was there so I began investigating.
I asked to see the feed from the surveillance camera located at the convenience store directly in front in exchange for money and began investigating from there.
I saw a horse make unnatural movements as if it trampled on something invisible.
Onii must have been there.
However, there was no longer any trace of magic at the scene.
The path to the other world “Otherworld”can’t be opened from there.
I took a felt-tip pen and began writing a formula on the floor.
There’s a law to the time and place the door connecting to the other world opens.
These 5 days, I devoted myself to search every angle for the places where the door to the other world opened in the past.
Because it would be easier to decipher the formula if there was more data.
Then, I found out that within 20 years from the day Onii was transferred, a total of 5 transfers occurred. After deriving the law to the transfer, all that was left to do was to go to the place where the next door would open.
It was just data, an easier task than completely understanding the movement of stock prices that can control a person’s emotions.
Then, I continued to intently write the formula on the floor.
In that room that was devoid of any curtains, beds or tables.
In order to meet with Onii once again.
Onii must be suffering in the otherworld for not knowing right from left.
In a world with no gas or electricity.
Which is why I must quickly help him.
※※※
Job: Philanderer 【Commoner Lv30】
This happens when you don’t commence on a job and stay as a Commoner.
A job that can learn slightly unusual skills.
Special experience points acquisition condition: To join bodies with the opposite sex.
… What a ridiculous Job.
Thanks to my Job Appraisal skill becoming 「Job Appraisal II」, I am now able to view the description of Jobs as well as the conditions for acquiring experience points.
I found out that Farmers need to harvest crops, Peddlers need to sell trade goods and etc.
However, trade goods can only be purchased by entering the Merchants Guild so I abandoned that path.
As the carriage was swaying, I was checking on the jobs and skills that I possessed and my eyes stopped at the Job named Philanderer I recently acquired.
Joining bodies with the opposite sex basically mean that right.
I held out my right hand toward Haru.
”… Haru, shake my hand.”
“Yes, master.”
I set my job as Philanderer and held hands.
Naturally, nothing happened. As expected, it’s got to be that.
Hmm, what a wonderful… outrageous job.
We continued riding in the carriage for 12 hours, the sun sank and rose up.
It was morning. The swaying carriage made my butt hurt and I honestly did not feel like I slept.
“We’ll reach the town in about 1 hour later.”
I have a feeling he said the same thing half an hour ago but well, the road is slightly more maintained. The rattling from the mountain path seriously woke me up countless times.
Though, all the passengers (including Haru) apart from me felt like it wasn’t a big deal and there were no indications that they woke up from the somewhat shaking carriage.
I only had the chance to stand up during the time we had a toilet break when we had to exchange the coachman and horse during the journey.
Incidentally, although I say toilet break, the toilet location was only the bushes along the road.
It’s been 5 hours since that toilet break. I was thinking that I would like to go for another toilet break.
“Erm, master, until when should I hold on to your hand?”
Oh, ahh, I was thinking that it might be alright to continue holding on to her hand judging from Haru’s tail that continued to wag endlessly but the surrounding gazes would definitely be painful if I continued like this.
I released my hand in a hurry… it was then.
Haru’s eyes sharpened.
“Master, I smell several people’s blood. I imagine they were attacked by monsters. Judging from the smell of blood, it should be quite a considerably dangerous situation.”
Haru told me.
”… Is it close?”
“About 5 minutes if we ran.”
“Mister coachman! It seems like people were attacked by monsters! Please stop the carriage!”
When I called out to the coachman that was about 50 years old, the man looked over,
“That’s a daily occurrence here. I won’t stop the carriage for such a thing! If I don’t reach in time, I’ll get a salary cut and I won’t be able to afford to eat.”
and replied. The values were completely different from those in Japan.
The other passengers appeared the same. It didn’t look like they would involve themselves.
“Then I’ll alight here! That’s fine right!”
“I won’t be stopping the carriage okay.”
“It doesn’t matter. Haru, let’s go.”
“Yes, master.”
We said that and hopped out from the carriage.
I also thought that I was being nosy, but it’s the long-awaited start of my second life after all.
I’ll live the way I want to live!
After we successfully landed, we left the road and entered the morning forest.