Episode 86: Traces

The sign on the door of the office I was led to inside the [Valsia] headquarters said "gwuild mastur’s office" in a loopy, lazy scrawl that drained the tension right out of me.

Stepping inside, the first thing that hit me was the sheer volume of books. Every inch of the wall was packed with shelves, overflowing with volumes and loose documents. From a quick glance at the spines, I gathered most of it was dungeon-related.

"Well then, Reima. It’s good that you’ve finally come back, but—why didn’t you show your face sooner?"

"…!"

Her tone was a bit stern, yet it carried an underlying loneliness.

That emotion wasn't meant for me. It was for the original 'him'—the guy whose place I’m taking. I felt like a fraud for even hearing it. I tried to think of something to say, but I held back. Better to leave those words for the real Reima, if he ever comes back.

"Ah, Chizuru-chan. It might be better if you didn't press him on that," Senka interjected.

"Mm? What do you mean by that?"

"…I’m sorry," I said, finally finding my voice. "Right now, I have amnesia."

"—It doesn't seem like you are joking."

Chizuru searched my face, and upon realizing the truth, she lowered her eyes. I knew I had to stick to the lie once I’d told it, but every time I saw a reaction like this—every time I realized how much this guy was actually loved—it made my chest tighten.

"If that is the case, then forgive me. Even if you don't remember, I should have introduced myself. Once again, I am Chizuru Yuki. My Job is [Magician], and I serve as the Vice Guild Master here."

"…I’m Reima Kariya. Same here."

"Yes, I look forward to working with you. However… amnesia, is it? It would probably be best not to inform the other guild members of this for now."

"I’d appreciate that. Sorry for the trouble."

"Why are you apologizing? It is not as if this is your fault."

Technically, it wasn't. My immediate goal was to return this body to Reima; the time I was spending in it was borrowed—stolen, really. I didn't know when the switch would happen, or if it even could, but I didn't want to leave a mess of anxious people behind when I left. And honestly? If they knew I was a different person entirely, they’d probably start looking at me with that same old fear again.

"Okay, okay! That’s enough gloom for now, Chizuru-chan," Senka chirped, clapping her hands.

"You're right. For now, let us rejoice that Reima has returned."

"Yeah, yeah, that’s the spirit. So, I have to ask just in case, Reima-kun—do you have any plans for what to do from now on?"

"Erm, for now, I just hope my memories return. That's why I've been diving into [Dungeons]."

I kept the details vague as I told them my tentative goal.

Senka let out a soft "I see" while lost in thought, then nodded. "Okay then, Chizuru-chan. Can we make [Valsia]’s objective 'recovering Reima-kun’s memories' for a while?"

"I don't mind. [Dungeon] conquests have been stagnant lately anyway. In that case, it would be best to inform the executives. They’ll want to help."

"Yeah, yeah. Then let's hold a meeting later. Oh, right—if it's not too painful to talk about, how far does Reima-kun's amnesia go?"

I gave her the same answer I’d given the doctor when I first woke up. I explained that I understood general common sense, but I didn't remember anything regarding [Dungeons] or the people I had known.

"I see, so it's pretty serious… So, the situation now is that you’ve awakened as a [Summoner] and have [Summoned Beasts]?"

"Yes, that's right. Since I woke up, the… well, the [Summoned Beasts] have been dwelling inside me. I’ve picked up some magic, too. That’s about it."

"That part is the same as the other [Awakened One] children. Alright, then we'll finalize the policy later—let's go look for clues!"

"By clues, what exactly are you looking for, Senka?" Ayane asked. She’d been listening restlessly until then, looking just as confused as I felt.

I didn't think "clues" would be that easy to find. I just stood there with a mental question mark over my head, waiting for an explanation.

"Fufufu. Just follow me for now. I have a secret plan!"

"…Sorry," Chizuru sighed. "She’s probably way off base, but just humor her for a bit."

"Yeah, well, that's fine."

"I’m going to stay here and talk with Chizuru. Reima, if Senka starts acting crazy, feel free to run for it."

Senka led me to a room on the far end of the third floor.

The sign on this one was written in characters that were less "relaxed" and more like cute, girly handwriting: Reima-kun’s Room. Just looking at it gave me a dull, throbbing ache in my head. Senka unlocked the door and gestured for me to enter.

"I thought maybe you'd remember something if you came here. What do you think?"

Inside, there were more than twice as many books as there had been in the office.

There were stacks of notebooks and an almost abnormal mountain of documents. Although the room was neatly organized, a thick layer of dust suggested no one had set foot inside for months.

"—This place is?"

"Your private room, I guess? Or to be more precise, it's the room you used for studying."

"I did all of this? By myself?"

I stepped inside and picked up a random notebook. It was full of monster data and [Dungeon] strategy information similar to what I’d seen at the house, but the level of detail was insane. It was laid out so clearly a child could understand it.

"Yeah. This room is the sum of all your hard work since middle school. It’s been a while since I was in here, but it really is impressive. You had everything in here memorized, Reima-kun."

"That… is incredible."

The number of books here exceeded two hundred by my visual estimate; the idea of memorizing all of them seemed impossible. However, looking at Reima’s achievements, his reputation, and the sheer density of those notebooks, I couldn't doubt it.

Considering how he utilized [Blanc] and [Noir], it was clear that this level of knowledge was his foundation. I felt like I was finally starting to understand the guy.

"Since you didn't have mana, you originally wouldn't have been able to go to [Dungeons]. But you studied so hard you were recognized as a special exception and built up a list of achievements… that is the proof of your effort."

"…Hey, Senka-san, is it alright if I explore this room for a bit?"

"Sure, go ahead. It's your room, after all."

She stepped out, leaving me alone in the silence.

I started to look around, and my eyes landed on the desk. Sensing a faint trace of mana, I pulled open the drawer. It was filled with magic stones.

These are probably for that gun.

Driven by curiosity, I reached out to pick one up.

The moment my fingers touched it, my head exploded with pain. A physical wave of revulsion washed over me, and the magic stone in my hand suddenly surged with a violent heat.

"—Gah!"

I reflexively dropped the stone. My head wouldn't stop throbbing; a sense of profound wrongness settled in my gut, leaving me dazed.

"What the hell was that?"

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog. Just as I reached out to touch the stone again—

"Reima-kun! Something's come up, I've gotta run!"

Senka burst through the door, tossed me the key, and vanished down the hall.

Afterword

Thank you for your hard work, everyone. I am Kido Airaku.

I am sorry for the lack of updates lately. To make up for the wait, I have some big news: a manga adaptation has been greenlit! I'll keep the publisher a secret for now, but [Isekai Summoner] is officially becoming a manga!

It’s still a little while away, but I’m going to make sure it’s something the readers will truly enjoy. Please look forward to it!