Chapter 80: A Quiet Reprieve for Us All?

Kurobane-san led us through the mansion to a room tucked away in the back that looked every bit like a traditional tea house.

Yamato-san was already there waiting for us. The moment he caught sight of our group, he offered a casual wave. "Yo."

"Good morning, Grandpa Yamato," Ayane said.

"Morning," Shiki added.

"It’s been a while, old man. Not since the festival," Laura remarked.

"Good morning, Yamato-san," Saaya followed.

I offered my own greetings after the others had finished. When prompted to take a seat, I dropped onto the tatami, feeling slightly out of place.

I wasn't used to tea rooms, let alone ones with a view like this. I let my gaze drift toward the garden. In the distance, a shishi-odoshi clacked rhythmically—the kind of thing I’d only ever seen in period dramas back in my old world. The grounds were meticulously maintained, pristine to a fault.

"What’s the matter, Reima-lad?"

"…Nothing. Just feeling the pressure all over again," I admitted.

"Kaka! That’s unexpected. Well, don't let it get to you. Try to relax."

That was easier said than done. I wasn't the type to just 'switch off' in a place like this, but I didn't want to make him worry, so I did my best to keep a poker face.

"Anyway, today’s a celebration. I’ve ordered sushi, so eat your fill."

With that, the party began.

The spread was impressive. Some of the toppings were familiar, but the majority were mysteries to me. There was a lot of silver-skinned fish—the kind that usually had a strong taste—but everything was so absurdly delicious that my vocabulary failed me. I simply ate in silence, letting the flavors distract me from my thoughts.

We spent a while indulging in the sushi, a quiet reward for the exhaustion of the recent battle. Once noon had passed, Yamato-san mentioned returning my sword, and we stepped into a separate room.

"Sorry to drag you away," he said.

"It’s fine. Honestly, I’m surprised you kept it."

"Of course I did. You don’t just leave a masterpiece like that lying around… But let's get to the point. That Majin that showed up at the Dungeon Festival? I want to hear what you know about it."

"…About him?"

The question was sudden, though I shouldn't have been surprised. I had a guilty conscience about the whole thing.

Yamato-san had rushed in to save Saaya-san and ended up trading blows with that guy. It was entirely possible he’d overheard our conversation. It was only natural for him to suspect something was off.

I hesitated for a moment. If I talk about her, I have to talk about the other world. I trust Yamato-san’s character, but the truth is usually the last thing people want to believe.

Ayane and the others only believed me because they knew the original Reima. Without that context, I doubted I could make anyone understand.

"I’ve never been one for mind games, so I’ll give it to you straight," Yamato-san said, breaking the silence. "That power belongs to a Hero from the other world… from Mythologia, doesn't it?"

"…Huh?"

"I looked into your history, lad. Before a month ago, you didn't have a lick of magic—just like me. Then you woke up and suddenly had the abilities of a Summoner. Am I warm?"

He was definitely misunderstanding the specifics, but I couldn't ignore the terms he’d just used. "Other world." "Mythologia." My mind ground to a halt. I never expected to hear those words from anyone in this world who wasn't a reincarnator like Laura.

"Your face tells me I hit the mark. So, what? You recognized that enemy through the Hero’s memories—is that it?"

He wore a meaningful smirk, like a man who’d cornered the truth. He was miles off the mark, but I didn't know how to correct him. Realizing he had information I desperately needed, I decided to play it as straight as I could.

"Well… you’re right about the power coming from another world. But for the record, this is my own power."

"I’m going to need the long version."

I couldn't exactly tell him that I’d hijacked Reima’s body. Instead, I gave him a version of the truth peppered with a few necessary lies.

"So, let me get this straight," he said after I finished. "During the five months you were in a coma, your consciousness was actually in Mythologia, where you gained your strength?"

"More or less, yeah."

"Damn. Does that make me look incredibly uncool for trying to lecture you earlier?"

"…I wouldn't know about that. But Yamato-san, how do you even know about Mythologia?"

That was the real kicker. If a native of this world knew about that place, it might be the key to eventually returning this body to its rightful owner.

"First, lad, do you actually know what an Awakened One is?"

"I heard they’re just people who suddenly manifest magic power."

"Right. That’s the gist for most. But there are different types. There’s the basic kind you just mentioned, and then there are those who awaken to the powers of another world."

"…Which means?"

"We’re called the First Awakened. People like me have manifested a 'Source' that existed in the other world of Mythologia. In my case, I’ve got the Source of the Serpent-Slaying Hero."

My heart hammered against my ribs. This was huge. What the hell? Is this world really connected to Mythologia after all?

"I figured you were the same—that you’d tapped into a Source and pulled the power of a Summoner from across the void. I didn't think you’d actually been there. That’s a surprise. Ah, hell, what am I going to do? I was told to investigate this quietly because it's top-secret, but you’re a much bigger bombshell than I anticipated."

"…Is the existence of the other world that dangerous?"

"Think about it. You’ve been there, so you know the difference between the monsters in the Dungeons here and the things over there, right?"

"I do… yeah."

"The threat level, the sheer scale, the density of their souls—they’re monsters of a different breed. It’s a mythological world teeming with the very things our legends call 'evil.' Pure, unadulterated violence. The government wants absolutely nothing to do with it. That’s why the First Awakened who carry those records are kept under 'protection.'"

Great. I’m a walking disaster.

If the government found out I didn't just have records, but actual first-hand experience of that world, I’d be lucky to ever see the sun again. I had to keep this under wraps. Relying on the government was an option, maybe, but I wasn't nearly cynical enough to trust them with my life.

"Yamato-san… can you keep this between us?"

It was a hail-mary. He was a Hero of the state, a man tied to the government. I had no right to ask him to lie for me.

"Sure."

"Wait, just like that?"

"I’m the one who brought it up so casually, aren't I? Besides, I was already planning to file a different report even if you were just a standard First Awakened. This doesn't change much."

"…Thank you. I mean it."

"Don't sweat it. Still… so you really were in Mythologia, huh?"

He seemed to be savoring the thought. He looked at me with the eyes of a true warrior—a battle-hungry veteran.

"Hey, lad. What kind of people were over there? Tell me some stories. I could use the inspiration."

He was a swordsman through and through, so I figured a story about Wakuni would suit him best. As he leaned in with the enthusiasm of a kid, I spent the next ten minutes describing that world to him.