Chapter 255: The Long-Awaited Return
“Is there anything else you need?”
While I was getting the photos printed, Mr. Jinpei asked me this.
“Well, there are various things I want…”
Clothes, small daily necessities, various food ingredients and seasonings… Oh, and it might be a good idea to get new beds for Ivan and the others. Since Rio’s Magic Power has already recovered, it might be time to gather supplies and head back to search for Kaede-san.
“By the way, when I return to Japan, where should I appear?”
I suddenly remembered the cave where I first arrived and decided to ask. I thought it would be good to remember some coordinates, but I certainly didn’t want to just pop up in the middle of the city.
“Where you should appear… you say?”
It seemed my question didn’t quite get through, as Mr. Jinpei looked puzzled. I explained that while I could remember the coordinates, I had first emerged from a cave beyond the mountains and walked to that convenience store from there.
“I see, I understand now.”
Mr. Jinpei, who had been stroking his chin in thought, suddenly looked up and said something surprising.
“In that case, why not use our company dormitory?”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but exclaim at Mr. Jinpei’s suggestion.
“There’s an entire apartment building we use as a dormitory nearby. I believe there are some vacant rooms, so you don’t need to worry.”
“But, but, I wouldn’t be using a dormitory much, would I?”
After all, my main activities would still be in the Otherworld. I thought I would occasionally come back to Japan to report, but as I pondered this, I suddenly reconsidered.
“Well, if I only stay in a hotel occasionally, wouldn’t the dormitory be cheaper overall?”
“Haha, that depends on the grade of the hotel you stay at. A budget hotel would be cheaper, but… I think it’s better to have a base where you can rest anytime. There might be days when you can’t book a hotel. Since we’re the ones asking for your help, feel free to use it without hesitation.”
“…If that’s the case…”
Nodding under Mr. Jinpei’s encouragement, I received a warm smile in return.
“Good. I think it will be ready by tomorrow, so let’s book another night at the same hotel. We haven’t had any leads until now, so I intend to spare no effort in assisting you.”
“Thank you very much.”
Just as our conversation reached a natural pause, there was a knock at the conference room door. The person who entered was the one who had taken our smartphones earlier.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Mr. Jinpei expressed his gratitude as he accepted the box containing the smartphones and handed it over to us.
“Let’s get started on setting up the smartphones right away. I need to add my contact information as well.”
And so, we spent the time before noon finishing the various settings on the smartphones.
After receiving the printed photos and enjoying a delicious lunch, I parted ways with Mr. Jinpei and rushed off to procure various supplies. When I asked for recommendations, he told me about a warehouse store, so we all headed there together. We gathered clothes, daily necessities, and a decent amount of food ingredients and seasonings. Anything we couldn’t find at the warehouse store, we sourced from a large mall filled with specialty shops. In any case, Nil had stayed behind, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he might be feeling a bit stressed.
“Once we get back, let’s play a lot.”
“Woof-woof!”
As I ruffled his fur, a low voice responded. The next day, after gathering all the necessary supplies…
“Alright, let’s head back.”
“Yeah.”
“Sure.”
“Let’s go home!”
“Woof!”
I had already received the key to the company dormitory from Mr. Jinpei and had recorded the coordinates for our base in this world using Dimensional Magic. Despite being called a dormitory, it was actually a room on the top floor of a ten-story apartment building. It was a spacious 2LDK with a large balcony utilizing the rooftop of the ninth floor.
“I need to make sure we’re not interrupted this time.”
“I really hope we don’t get sent to another world again… but is that even possible?”
Ivan expressed his concern, but I wasn’t sure if we could prevent the Damn Goddess from intervening. After all, they were gods, in name at least.
“I’ll try to apply Barrier Magic for defense… but I can’t guarantee anything.”
“It might be better than doing nothing, at least.”
“Well, it’ll turn out how it turns out.”
After finishing up securing the dormitory, Rio’s Magic Power began to rise. Just like last time, a Dimensional Rift opened up before her, gradually growing larger.
“You can go through now.”
“Got it.”
As soon as it was fully opened, I was the first to step through. If the goddess appeared on the other side this time, I wanted to be ready to unleash Sniping Magic immediately. Following me were Ivan, Phonia, and finally, Rio, who entered the Dimensional Rift last.
—And just as I was on guard, we soon found ourselves on the other side.
“…That was anticlimactic, wasn’t it?”
We emerged in the office of the Fairy Inn located in Fairy Valley. This was the coordinate I had memorized just in case when we left the town. Since it wasn’t a room that was used often, there was no one else around besides us. It seemed that Rio’s MP hadn’t depleted this time either. She sealed the rift and looked around.
“We finally made it back.”
Feeling a bit more relaxed, I sank into the sofa in the room and let out a deep sigh.
“Absolutely.”
“Absolutely!”
Ivan’s voice, filled with relief, was echoed by Phonia, who merely imitated him. When Rio pulled out a PET bottle and asked, “Want some juice?” I was the first to jump at it.
Just as we settled down, hurried footsteps approached the office.