Chapter 284: First Time on Public Transport
“Wow, I intended to treat you all, but it seems I ended up being treated instead,” Mr. Jinpei said, rubbing his belly with a satisfied expression.
“That’s true. I’ve come to realize that this world is fraught with danger due to the presence of gigantic creatures…” Jushiro added, his serious demeanor hinting that while he understood the dangers were greater than in Japan, he hadn’t truly felt it yet.
“The areas where people live aren’t that dangerous, but in terms of security, it is indeed perilous,” Rio chimed in.
“Indeed… I apologize, but I must ask you to continue looking after Kaede,” Mr. Jinpei said.
“Of course, I understand,” Rio replied.
“Well then, see you later.”
“Good night!”
We stood in front of the barbecue restaurant where we had just finished dinner. After bidding farewell to the Yanagihara family, we decided to return to our base in the apartment building using public transport. They offered to drive us, but I wanted to familiarize myself with the geography of this Japan.
“I never expected the bill to exceed two hundred thousand yen…” I muttered as I glanced back at the barbecue restaurant, and Rio nodded slowly in agreement. Most of the food had been consumed by Nil. Even though he was small and had a light appetite, he still ate the most among us.
“We’ll need to restock on ingredients tomorrow, right? We should probably think of ways to earn money here as well,” I suggested.
“Yeah, I feel a bit bad for Mr. Jinpei…” Rio pondered, but for now, we should prioritize getting back to the apartment.
“Let’s head back for now.”
It was already past nine in the evening. Phonia was energetic, but we didn’t know when her battery might run out.
“I’m going to ride the train home!” Phonia exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It seemed she would be fine for a while.
“We’re riding that?” I asked, pointing to the train.
“A moving iron box… How fascinating!” Jushiro remarked, intrigued.
As I took out my smartphone to check the map for the nearest station, I said, “This way.”
It looked like the station was just a five-minute walk away.
“Um, Master…” El called out, glancing around as we walked through the bustling nightlife.
“Yes?” I replied.
“I see passersby carrying the same smartphone as you, but is it really that widespread?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Yeah, pretty much everyone has one,” I confirmed.
“Seriously?”
“Well, if you’re a noble, you might have one per person…” Ivan chimed in, surprised, but I quickly dismissed that notion.
“No, I’m talking about the general population of Japan.”
“There’s no class system in Japan,” Rio added, further surprising the two of them.
As we approached the station, I called out to Phonia, who seemed to be wandering off. We soon arrived at the station, where a train was running on an elevated track. We climbed the stairs toward the ticket gate.
Standing in front of the ticket vending machine, I was relieved to find that I could purchase tickets without any issues using my smartphone. After confirming our destination, I bought tickets for everyone.
“Four adult tickets and one child ticket, done.”
Just then, I noticed Nil standing nearby.
“…” We locked eyes for a moment, and I suddenly remembered that animals could ride the train, right?
“Excuse me, sir,” a voice interrupted my thoughts. Turning around, I saw a station attendant in uniform. She seemed curious because I was without a collar while having a pet with me. She informed me that if I placed Nil in a cage and paid the adult fare, he could ride.
“Is there really a cage available?” Ivan asked, raising a valid question, but I assured him it wouldn’t be a problem.
“If there isn’t one, we can just make one,” I replied.
“I figured as much…”
Not wanting to draw attention in the busy ticket area, I stepped into a secluded corner and took out some metal, using Earth Magic to shape it.
“Done! Alright, Nil, let’s go!”
“Woof!”
As I opened the front of the newly formed cage, Nil eagerly jumped inside.
“You really are skilled at making things…” Jushiro remarked.
“Big brother, that’s amazing!” Phonia cheered.
With a nonchalant expression, I bought another adult ticket and then explained how to pass through the ticket gate to the otherworldly members before heading to the platform.
“Hmm… I still can’t sense any magic power…” Ivan muttered, bracing himself as the train approached, while El seemed determined to uncover the source of its power. She had been focused on her tablet earlier as well.
Ivan and Phonia were fidgeting nervously, glancing around as they awaited the train’s arrival.
“El,” I called out.
“…What is it, Master? I’m busy analyzing the magic tools of this world,” she replied, still focused.
I needed to bring her back to reality, as her endless efforts were becoming a bit much.
“About that…” I began, but before I could finish, the train arrived, stopping and opening its doors to let passengers out.
“Ugh, even disregarding that tablet, I can’t believe something this large is moving without any magic power…” El exclaimed.
“I told you, in this world, there are no tools or vehicles powered by magic,” I clarified.
Upon hearing this undeniable fact, El froze in place. The train, having finished discharging its passengers, began accepting new ones. I pulled El along as we boarded the train.
I noticed Phonia was unusually quiet and turned to see her staring intently at the floor in front of the doors, seemingly nervous.
“Phonia-chan, you need to get on quickly, or the doors will close!” Rio called from behind, prompting Phonia to snap out of it and board the train. Ivan cautiously followed her inside, and finally, Rio stepped in, causing the doors to close behind us.
“Magic power… is not being used… is it?” El muttered in disbelief, while the two Beastmen inside the train jumped at the announcement of our destination, drawing attention to themselves.