Leave a comment

“Pardon the intrusion.”

Shuu’s parents had come to our house. From what I heard, there’d be 11 people in total here, including the Magarigis. We’d have to tell them in more detail about Anazumu.

Dad, Mom, and Mika’s parents would go to work late, and they all told me to “Don’t leave the house today!” in no uncertain terms.

Well… I’m grateful for their worry, but… how will we go about that explanation? For now, I’ll leave it to Kanata’s smarts, but…
…It will still be hard, won’t it?

No matter how you sliced it, it sounded like some delusion. Indeed, while it was easy to think about it calmly while we weren’t there, that place was a total fantasy world.

“Ah, please excuse me.” Mom brought out tea for everyone.

11 people had gathered in our living room. For some reason, everyone was sitting on the floor and us five kids were wearing our school uniforms.

Will we even be able to talk normally in such an oppressive atmosphere?

“…So, will you give us that explanation of yours?” Shuu’s old man broached the topic, after he saw that Mom had finished giving out tea and sat down next to Dad.

…It can’t be helped.

Even though I was planning to wholeheartedly rely on Kanata for this talk, I was the very first to go to that world, so the beginning of the explanation would focus on me.

They probably won’t believe me, but… fine.

“Uhm… to begin with, back on that day… or rather, today, I-”

__________
_______
___

…We had finished our account for the most part. We left out some details – like leveling up in dungeons – and focused on how the five of us had reunited, how we had been sent there, and what kind of world it was.

It was mostly Kanata who did the talking. The whole story took about an hour. Our parents listened to us with serious expressions, never saying anything.

“Levels, skills, and magic… This Anazumu sounds like a world from a fantasy novel.”
“It does,” Kanata meekly agreed with the observation Shuu’s old man had made.

“…At any rate, you encountered a lot of hardship, didn’t you? You never lived on your own before. Ayumu especially, before he reunited with Mika. Even more so, in a world you were not used to.”
“Well… there were lots of people in the other world who helped me out, so it wasn’t that hard for me,” I replied to the concerns of Mika’s father.

In truth, I had lived in the forest for some time, but after Seinforce found me and brought me to civilization, everyone in Pipi Village, the people from the Medial Merchant Association, and Uruto helped me out a lot.

“Well, it certainly sounds like the perfect place¹ for Ayumu. In any case, to think there really are other worlds. Consider me shocked.”
“Hang on… you believe us? I mean, it was us who told you, but still,” I couldn’t help asking after hearing Dad’s murmur.
“Yes. We are your parents, you know? We can immediately tell whether you’re lying or not.”
“T-That’s true.”

That was how parents were, after all. At some point, when Mika and I had kids, I’d probably be able to tell, too.

“Hrm, it’s wonderful that all of you managed to return home, but… Shuu. According to what you told us, there’s a girl you’re supporting in that Anazumu place, right…? What will happen to her?”
“…Or rather, what is your relationship with her?”

As expected, Shuu’s parents were curious about Rir. They gave off the atmosphere that, depending on his answer, he’d get shouted at. If he told them, “I left her behind”, his old man might start throwing punches…

“Uhm, about my relationship with her… Well… she’s my girlfriend,” Shuu replied while scratching his cheek awkwardly.

Contrasting to his mother’s warm reaction to those words, a vein started throbbing² on his father’s forehead.

“…You… you left behind a woman who loves you?”
“N-No, Pops, there’s a reason for that!”
“I shall explain that,” Kanata cut into their argument.

He was the most reliable at such things.

“…Fine, Kanata. Please do.”
“As a matter of fact, if we wanted to return to that world right now, we could. Or rather, we can freely travel between here and there. For certain reasons, it was impossible to bring Rir with us to Earth, and we also can’t take any people with us to Anazumu, who haven’t been there…”
“Is that so…?”

It looked like our parents understood just how miraculous the ability to freely come and go was.

“…I see. I understand the situation.”
“P-Pops. To be honest, it is possible for inhabitants of the other world to come here. Although the conditions are rather harsh… I’ll introduce her to you soon.”
“…Hmph.”

Although he seemed momentarily taken aback by Shuu’s words, he nodded.

1. The original is あおつらえむき, which I assume is a misspelled あつらえ向き (“perfect (for)”, “ideal”).
2. The original is 怒りのマークを浮かべている (“mark of anger is appearing”). I interpreted this as the standard “angry vein throbbing on forehead”, but it could also mean he simply starts looking angry.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.