The rest of the day went quietly.
　The other strongholds were destroyed without a hitch. The number of bandits who managed to escape is unknown.
　All bandits captured were either killed or captured.
　The undead at Dokora's base were neutralized by the clerics led by Maja who came to their aid.
　Although there were many wounded, the death toll of the knights led by Sir Léanor was zero.
　Although he seemed to be a man who was obsessed with his career, he seemed to be reasserting his command with the lives of his subordinates as his top priority.
　It would have been better if he had shown that same consideration to the female Iliad.
　After wiping out Dokora's base, I met up with Maja to purify the area where we had settled with Dokora.
　The magic that had been affected by the necromancy had already dissipated, and there was no harm done. The remaining corpses were removed and the battle was over.
　Docola's corpse was taken away and he would be beheaded later.
　On the way home, I look at the burlap sack filled with Dokora's corpse while being carried in a carriage.

......
"You're not going to say anything?

　Mr. Ilias, sitting on the other side of the corpse, asks me.

Not particularly.
"Docora had information about your world. Didn't you want to know about it?
"He was ready to die right there. That's why he left the will. He probably didn't have any more information than that. If you're asking me if I wanted to hear what he had to say, I did, but I had no choice.
"No choice?　What makes you say that?
Why did you think that? - You thought you had to kill Docola right there, didn't you?　There was no chance that he would escape or resist.
There was no way he could escape with both his legs missing. If he wanted to prevent resistance, dropping his remaining arm would have been enough.
Well, yeah. But I'm not in a position to blame you. You took them by surprise without telling them. There was a good chance Raggedy could have caught up with them, if they had escaped.
"It's not that you didn't trust us enough, it's that you trusted his actions more than you trusted us. And you chose the more reliable option and did it. I'm not happy about it, but it makes sense, and I can't blame him.
"It's the same here. I can't blame them.
"......

　A sigh escapes me. I guess that's what it means to go to the trouble of having this conversation.

"Still, if you can't answer why you cut Docola without being asked, I'll ask you. If it makes you feel better.
"...... I'm sorry, I was terrified.
I'm sorry, I was terrified.
It wasn't the power that frightened me, it was the sight of you.
......
"Fear is an excuse. I should say I was disgusted. Before the attack, I told you that you were like a distorted mirror.
That's what he said to me, too.
"After I got the information about him from Maja, you seemed to be taking on some of the same characteristics. And when you started talking to him, I could feel it getting stronger.
It's not uncommon to unconsciously mimic someone when you think about them.
"Even so. When you were listening to the last conversation, you were becoming more like him. --I couldn't help but swing my ...... sword at you because I felt like you were going to turn into him, like you were going to become an inhabitant of the same world as Docora.

　There's no denying it. You can't deny that you understood Docora then, and Docora understood you now.
　We didn't dislike each other, but had sympathy for each other.
　We could have gotten along. I was even slightly glad to hear such words.
　The other party is a villain who kills people without a second thought and humiliates their souls.

I guess that's okay. Mr. Ilias could not stand to see the person in front of him step into the path of evil. He was disgusted, and he couldn't stay, so he acted. It's admirable.
It's admirable!　If you had the courage to stand up to evil, you would have done so, but you turned your sword against it out of disgust!
It's admirable. Mr. Iliad could move. And you were able to reflect on it. It's too good to be true.
"......
There are many people in this world. There are people who are in your shoes, who feel the same way, but can't move. Some people turn away and separate themselves from the world. It is admirable that Ms. Ilias was able to move for rejection in this situation. It's very admirable that you don't impose your values on them, but rather feel guilty about them.
"......, you sound like you're talking to a child.

　Ilias's expression softened.


　I finally relaxed my shoulders in response.

"Well, you're older.
"What about ......?　

　What, are you making that face right there?　You have a really cute face.

I don't mean to be rude, but how old are you, Ilias?
Eighteen. I'm older than you.
No, you're younger.

　Mr. Ilias froze and I told him my real age.
　He froze even more.
　There are few Japanese faces in the fantasy world.
　Then I remembered. I remembered the custom of Japanese people looking young in foreign countries.
　If you're a little baby-faced, you're mistaken for a child, and my people are short and young.
　Oh, so you thought I was younger than you. I'm sure you'll be fine.

You've got elf blood in your veins?
No, no, no. My parents and ancestors were all human.
No, no, no, my parents and ancestors were all human.
No, that's enough. I don't need you to be so polite now.
No, no, but...
All right, all right. If I act a little older, you won't complain. Is that okay, Ilias?
Yeah, yeah.
Well, knights use sir as a term of endearment, so you're not familiar with it. In the Earth world, it is common for adults to address each other by "sir. Once you become an adult, the difference in age doesn't mean much. It is taught as a minimum courtesy to respect others, whether they are in a higher or lower position.
"No, it's the same here, but ...... addressing someone younger than you as san--
You don't know how old someone is until you ask them, so you should treat them as a human being.
Yeah, I see. That's right.

　Well, it's an evil wind of modern society that we tend to forget that when our position changes.

What do you plan to do now?

　Iliad, pulling out a topic you've been putting off.
　That's right. I've been renting a bunk in the barracks for a while now as a helper in defeating bandits, but I can't keep doing that forever.

Well, I need your permission to stay in the country first.
I don't think that's a problem. ......
Then the first thing we need to do is find a place under a bridge or in an alley where we can sleep and get out of the wind and rain. Let me know if you find a good place.
What about ......?
Then learn the language. I don't know how long this possession thing will last. It would be annoying to have to take care of Maja so often, so I need to learn how to read, write, and speak in general. After that, I'll go around to the stores that don't care about my appearance and earn some money, even if it's just for a day job. When you are able to earn enough money for food to survive, you buy some clothes and get paid at a place where people seem to care a little more about their appearance. By the time you've saved up some money, you'll probably know a few people, so negotiate with them to see if you can sleep in their stable. ......
"Wait, wait, wait!　Wait, wait, wait!　We can't let our benefactor live like that in our own country!
"No!　You want me to leave?　I don't care if I have to live in jail, but I don't want to live in the open!　Yes, that's better!　Put me in jail!
I don't think I can do that!

　No, I don't think living in jail is so bad.
　It's a lot better than living in the wild in the mountains with bugs biting you and animals trying to kill you.
　You may be limited in your daily activities, but you won't be broke and starving.
　As long as it is paid for by the people's taxes, we should avoid using it unnecessarily.
　Nevertheless, the difficulty of living in the modern world, where people begin to feel a longing to live in prison, is hard to live with.
　But we cannot change the danger of life.

"How can I be put in jail?
Please don't do this. Please don't do this. I can't!
I got it.
Which one?　Which one are you talking about?

　I don't think I can live a safe life in jail with this attitude.
　I guess I'll have to seriously consider a course of crawling up from homelessness.

If you have no place to go, come to my house.
Is that okay?
I've moved out of my old house and into a smaller one, but it's still too big for one person. I've got extra room. If you can take care of yourself, I won't complain.

　My thoughts were completely focused on Japanese architecture, but if you think about it calmly, it's a world full of wide open spaces.
　Even if you live alone frugally, you probably have a good amount of space to live.
　If there was a problem, it would be the problem of having a man and a woman under the same roof, but I don't think we have to worry about the Iliad attacking us.
　Oh, the possibility of me attacking him?　There's no way a powerful gorilla would have the guts to crawl in the night.


　He could shake a man's head if he wanted to, you know.

"How much is the rent?
No, I don't want rent. I don't want rent.
Yes!
...... Are you sure you wanted us to make this offer?
No. I'm just happy to save you the trouble.
"Hassle. ......
Considering the process of going from living under a bridge to living in someone's house, I'd say you've saved yourself a lot of trouble.　
Were you serious there ......?

　In this way, the unhappy man who was safely transported to another world penniless ended up securing a roofed residence.
　Although I helped to defeat bandits, to be honest, there was hardly any physical labor.
　I walked a lot, but my muscles didn't ache.
　After returning to the country, I heard that I would be busy with post-processing.
　Treating the injured, taking care of equipment, checking the recovered money and goods, and imprisoning the captured bandits.
　Once that was done, there would be a victory party with the people, the awarding of the king's prize, a meeting to discuss it, and arrangements for a dinner party afterwards.
　If you include the scheduling of the troops in between, there is a considerable amount of work to be done.
　According to Ilias, it's not hard because it's happy work.
　Before we move on to those tasks, he takes me to his house.
　It's a single-family house in a moderate location near the market, more than big enough and two stories high.
　It's more than big enough for one person to live in, but how big was the house before this?
　On the first floor is the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and other living spaces. On the second floor, there are four rooms of the same size.

My room is on the front right, and the one on the left is used for storage. You can use the room on the far right. It hasn't been opened in a long time, so you might want to clean it.
What's the back left?
It's a guest room, but it's also unused.
So these two rooms are completely unused.

　I opened the room that would become my room with trepidation.
　There's a wooden desk and chair in the right corner of the room, a window in the middle wall, and a simple bed in the left corner.
　There is a chest of drawers in the front left corner.
　Well, simple is best.
　I'd like to make at least one rack or a bookshelf, but I'm satisfied with this for now.
　I go inside, look around, and hit the futon on the bed.
　A lot of dust is flying around.
　I open the window. The clean air is replaced by dusty air.

Okay, let's clean up first.
Tools are downstairs in the storage room. Water is--

　I'm going to do a quick check of the house, where the tools are.
　Finally, he gave me a spare house key and a small bag of coins.

I'll be gone for a while. I'll be gone for a while. If you don't waste any money, you should have enough money for food.
You're starting out as a pimp. ......
Pimp?
It's nothing, thanks. I'll try to pay you back as soon as I can.
I'll try to pay you back as soon as I can.

　Nodding, Mr. Ilias left the house.
　The remaining new tenants rolled up their sleeves and started cleaning.

The King of the Targs, Marith.

　The king of the Turze Kingdom, Marito Turze, breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the news of the bandits' defeat.
　Although there was a sudden attack of undead, there were no deaths, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a complete victory.
　Lord Ragdoll, who was standing beside him, narrowed his eyes and rejoiced at the news as well.

"Looks like Lord Ratzel did well.
"It would seem so, sir. I couldn't stop myself from sighing when I heard that Lord Léanor had taken command and been sent to the rear.

　The Iliad has successfully captured the head of Docora, the leader of the Bandit Alliance.
　Ilias successfully captured the head of Dokora, the leader of the bandit alliance, after Lord Léanor had hunted him down and let him go.

"If he was aiming for the head of the bandits from the start, I can only admire his skill. I'm sure Lord Léanor is feeling a bit frustrated.
"Yes, it seems I have found a good ally.
"Hmm?　A collaborator?
Yes, with the help of an unusual young man in his unit, Lord Ratzel became a fish out of water.
Someone who could make use of his bravery. That's quite interesting. I'd like to meet him.
I'll tell them to call the young man at the ceremony to present Lord Ratzel with his medal.
Yes, but it's hard to talk long at a ceremony. Invite him to the reception afterwards.
Of course I will.
Good news and more fun. It's been a long time since I've had a good drink.
You're still young. Take it easy.

　Marito thinks about the young man he doesn't know and hasn't met yet.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　What kind of man is he? I would like to talk to him.
　Encounters are the strokes that color and shape your life.
　What kind of color will he add to this life?


　He chewed on his pleasure and worked hard at his work.

"All right.

"Okay, I'm done.
　Cleaning done. I've also cleaned the other side of the room.
　The rooms on the second floor have been cleaned except for Ilias's room, and the first floor has been cleaned as well.
　The cleaning tools were unfamiliar to me, and I was nostalgic for the convenience of modern cleaning equipment, but fortunately I completed the mission in about five hours.
　Yeah, it's not that I'm a bad cleaner.
　We had rags, but water had to be replenished from a nearby well.
　I was grateful to have a pump, but I wondered whether I should use a lot of water, so I decided to save money by wiping the whole area without using water and then switching to wiping with water.
　This reminds me of my school days, when I used to sweep with a broom and then wipe with a dust cloth.
　I need a mop, I'm going to hurt my back.
　In addition, there were weapons and armor in the storeroom, and I was troubled about how to handle them.
　I couldn't maintain it, so I had to carefully carry it away and put it on the bed.
　Then I cleaned the shed and put it back.
　This is the hardest work of all. Weapons are heavy.
　A bug in my stomach tells me I'm hungry. I'm sure whatever you eat now will taste good.
　But I'm afraid to ask around when the sun is going down, because I might get suspicious.
　So here we are, the church.

"Maja, are you there?
"Hello, little boy. You shouldn't visit a woman this late at night.
Actually...

　I explained briefly that I was going to stay at Ilias' house, that I was busy cleaning the house and had no time to check the town after dark, and that I came to ask her because I didn't know where to eat.

She's really good at keeping men around, isn't she?
"I'll have to teach her to be cautious about that later, but is there anywhere we can get a good meal?
"At this time of night, it's only a tavern, it's too early for the boy.

　I'll tell him how old you are, and he'll have the same reaction as the Iliad.

I wonder if I'm still on the verge.
"I'll keep you in mind. Can you tell me where the tavern is?
You look like you're going to get a lot of flack.

　You got it. It's not that Ilias-san and Maja-san are special.
　From the perspective of this world, most Japanese people look younger than their age.

"How old do you have to be to drink alcohol in this world?
"Eighteen and up, because drinking before your body has become accustomed to its own magic power will make you sick.
Over here, drinking and smoking start at the age of 20, the age at which you are considered an adult, and after that you are on your own.
That's a two-year difference in adult status. That sounds like a long time to smoke.
But if I can't go to an izakaya by myself, I'll be in trouble.
I'll take you out sometime. You'll eat at my place today.
That would be great.

　And so we had dinner.
　Maja's food was healthier than the food I had eaten at the barracks, which was a bit lacking for a meat eater, but it was still delicious, and I could tell that it had been carefully prepared.

"By the way, about this possession technique...
"Cringe.

　What's with the old, over-the-top reaction?

Hey, is there a problem?
No, I was just wondering how long it would last.

　Yes, I'm very grateful for this possession technique.
　Not only can I communicate verbally, but I can also read.
　Unfortunately, I can't write.
　That's why I asked Grandpa Kara to help me when I made documents in the barracks.
　But it won't last indefinitely. When the effect wears off, we'll be back to the time when we couldn't communicate.

I've put my magic in it, so it'll last until it runs out, about a week, so maybe four more days. I'll call you back when it wears off.
Thank you. I wanted to learn the language of this world while I could still read, but I guess I won't have to do that so quickly.
That's very impressive. If you want to learn to read, I can lend you a couple of good books. Do you need parchment and a brush?
I'll start by writing in the sand. It doesn't cost much.
Oh, that's a good idea.

　The blue sky classroom is great.

So, back to the question of possession, what's the problem?
Oh, my God.　What do you mean?
Well, in this church, there are priests who hide the truth and lie about it. I have to tell everyone around me.
I'm kidding, I'm kidding!　Actually, it's been a while since I've used it, so I think I did something wrong.
What's something?
That's what I don't understand. I don't know what it is, but when I was using magic, I felt like I made a mistake!　At any rate, I was able to communicate with her, so I thought it was okay to go to .......


"Not good, not very good.

　I didn't want to know that there was such a dangerous episode behind the convenience I was so impressed with!
　If you don't know, it's a horrible thing to not know!

Let's check it out now.
Will we find out soon?
It'll take a while. It's going to take a while... I was too busy listening to you at the time.

　Maja puts her hand on your forehead and closes her eyes.
　Her hand has a faint glow and her forehead becomes warm.

The hand glows and the forehead warms. "Well, it's like this around here.
　Don't mumble something scary, just check it out.
"Okay, I guess it was a mistake and there was a side effect.
Can't you fix it?
Well, it's possible that your body has become accustomed to the wrong procedure and you'll have side effects the next time.
...... What kind of side effects are those?
I'm sorry, it's more serious than I thought. ......

　I'm getting nervous. I don't think it's a high-risk side effect, like it's going to cut your lifespan or something. .......
　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

What ...... will slow down the onset of muscle pain?
"...... again.

You're going to get sore muscles much later than normal. And it's going to hurt a little more, too.

　Oh, my God. Since I was over 20, I've been getting muscle cramps the day after a workout, and lately they've been coming two days later, but ...... more than that?
　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation. And now you're telling me that the pain will increase?　And don't add more side effects!
　I'm not sure what to do.

I'm sure you've heard of muscle pain.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!

　Wait a minute, that's not funny!　After that, I went to the mountains again, this time to the forest, and today I spent five hours carrying heavy things around and cleaning.

Can't you use healing magic to cure muscle pain?
"Muscle pain is a healing pain. "Muscle pain is a healing pain, so alleviating symptoms that are already healed is beyond our jurisdiction.
"Ughhhh!

　After that, I borrowed a cane from Maja and went home on shaky legs like a newborn foal.
　Biting down on the pain in my whole body, I vowed to master the language of this world as soon as possible.