Chapter 282: Progress Report
“I’m sorry for making you come all this way.”
As I entered the usual meeting room, Mr. Jinpei was already waiting for me.
“No, no, I appreciate you contacting me at just the right time,” I replied while taking a seat across from him. However, Mr. Jinpei merely tilted his head in confusion.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean, but if it’s good news, then that’s fine by me.”
Once we confirmed that everyone had taken their seats, my gaze settled on El, who had joined us.
“So, this young lady is the one you mentioned, Shuu-kun? I’m Jinpei Yanagihara, the president of Dragon Corporation. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
With a warm smile, Mr. Jinpei introduced himself, but referring to her as “young lady” made me curious about how El would react. I took a moment to enjoy the anticipation before introducing her.
“This is Elvirinos Jewels. Despite her appearance, she’s a member of the Vampire Clan, and according to her, she’s over two hundred years old.”
“Eh…?”
Mr. Jinpei’s eyes widened in surprise, prompting me to add more information.
“Also, she doesn’t understand our language, so we can’t communicate.”
“I-I see…”
Mr. Jinpei seemed to ponder this for a moment before his expression suddenly shifted.
“Could it be that Kaede was also thrown into a world where she couldn’t understand the language?”
“…It’s hard to say. When we were summoned, we could understand each other, but I can’t completely rule out that possibility.”
If the deity granted us skills upon summoning, then we should be fine. Still, I wondered if anyone would question the existence of a Vampire Clan. With Beastmen like Ivan around, it seemed like such races were accepted. Compared to that, the situation with Kaede was far more pressing.
“Now, about the current situation…”
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry, but could you fill me in?”
Thus, we began to report on our investigation regarding Kaede in the other world.
“I understand the gist of it… but it’s frustrating,” Mr. Jinpei said, sinking deeper into his chair as he gazed absently at the ceiling.
“Yet, even amidst all this, to be in a position to utilize a human wave tactic across the continent… I can only say that it was fortunate for me to meet you, Shuu-kun.”
“That said, I don’t even know if there are other continents out there.”
I’ve seen maps occasionally at the Guild, but only of the local area. I wasn’t even sure if a world map existed. In fact, there was someone knowledgeable about such things right next to me.
“Hey, El.”
“…Hmm? Are you talking to me?”
El turned her face toward me, seemingly surprised by my sudden address.
“In the world we were in, is there another country outside the continent where Fairy Valley is located?”
“I’m not sure, but there are other continents, right? I think ships were leaving from the harbor town south of the Imperial Capital. There’s also a continent to the west.”
“I see…”
Mr. Jinpei looked astonished as we suddenly spoke in unfamiliar terms, scratching his chin in thought. By the way, was that harbor town south of the Imperial Capital the one that was attacked by the Sea Emperor Turtle? Given the damage to the port, it might be uncertain whether ships could set sail again without checking.
“By the way, is that all the continents in that world?”
Rio chimed in, and it was indeed a pertinent question.
“No, I’ve never heard of anyone exploring all the seas,” El shrugged, and a sense of the daunting task ahead for our search for Kaede began to sink in.
“Speaking of which, we were looking for someone, right? Our organization doesn’t have much influence over other continents.”
“Yeah.”
It seemed our organization wasn’t large enough to span the world. I felt a complex mix of relief and disappointment, but for now, disappointment weighed heavier on my heart.
“Ah, excuse me. I just wanted to confirm something with El—”
As I relayed the information we had gathered, Mr. Jinpei’s expression gradually darkened.
“So, there’s a possibility that Kaede… might be on another continent?”
“Well… it’s not impossible, but Kaede’s Smartphone was found on this continent,” I replied.
“That’s true. For now, it would be best to focus our efforts on investigating this continent.”
Rio nodded vigorously in agreement, and a hint of relief began to show on Mr. Jinpei’s face.
“Right… I see. I apologize, but I must ask for your assistance.”
Mr. Jinpei bowed deeply once more, causing me to chuckle lightly.
“Ah… it seems our conversation took longer than expected. Phonia-chan looks like she might be getting bored, so how about we go grab something to eat?”
I glanced toward the corner of the room, where Phonia and Nil were playfully wrestling with each other. Outside the window, the sun painted the sky a fiery red, casting long shadows of the buildings onto the ground.
“Food!?”
Phonia perked up at the mention of food, immediately stopping her play with Nil to turn around.
“Haha, are you hungry? Is there anything in particular you want to eat?”
“Meat!”
“Woof!”
Phonia responded eagerly, but beside her, Nil let out a sad whimper. Perhaps she was reminded of the times she had to wait while we enjoyed dinner without her.
“Ah… yeah, I guess…”
Mr. Jinpei seemed to be moved by Nil’s demeanor, taking a moment to think.
“Then how about we have a barbecue today? Can you wait a little while?”
Taking out his Smartphone, Mr. Jinpei made a call, seemingly reserving a spot at some restaurant.
“Alright, it looks like we got lucky and found an opening. Let’s head out right away.”
“Yay!”
And so, Mr. Jinpei and we set off together toward the barbecue venue.