Chapter 452: Brushing Sleeves...

"Going to the bar during the day, huh. How carefree."

"The war is far in the north. I don't know about Gritonia and Limia, but Aion and Lorel's lives are the same as always. Also, I am a temporary teacher. Once my job is done, I have a lot of free time." (Makoto)

"So walking around the town and securing a place to drink booze is right up your alley, huh."

When I entered the establishment, the bartender tried to guide us to a room where we could have a private talk.

When talking about bars I would go to in Rotsgard, it would be this Rabidoll.

The atmosphere and scent of the bar changes every so often.

Today, it is the faint scent of incense smoke which was not unpleasant.

I was going to accept that offer, but Tomoki said straight up that he didn't mind the counter.

Tch, I thought he wasn't used to going to bars. That's why I chose this place, and yet, this guy is actually familiar with it -That's what I was thinking.

In the end, we sat at the counter where there's almost no customers because it was still early in the day.

...I did try to voice out my wishes, you know?

That I would prefer the corner.

"A nice atmosphere, right? I come here every now and then." (Makoto)

"Yeah, it is a place that gives the vibe as if dandy middle-aged men would hang around here. " (Tomoki)

...Is he giving praise here? Or is he implying that this place doesn't match my age?

Since coming to this world, the times I have to pick up the underside of words has increased.

If I knew this would happen, I would have learned more kyoto dialect...!

I do know the famous 'even if it is bubuzuke...' though.

That was apparently an invented story and it wasn't actually used, from what I remember.

"The food here is plenty good." (Makoto)

"Food, you say. Mako—ah, Raidou, was it?" (Tomoki)

"Whichever is fine -while we are talking here." (Makoto)

"Then, I will go with Makoto. This is a bar, right? It would be one thing if we are having expectations of the drink assortment, but talking about the food and all that is an insult to bars, don't you think?" (Tomoki)

"There's dining bars, right? There's no problem. Anyways, you really know a lot about bars." (Makoto)

"I have gone to bars in the Empire too. I had one made in the castle." (Tomoki)

"...That's quite the outlandish thing to do. The empire is on another scale." (Makoto)

Go to a bar with your own legs at the very least. Why are you having the bar come to you?

"If a Hero like me were to walk around the city all the time, it would instead cause trouble. It isn't a matter of scale." (Tomoki)

"I...see." (Makoto)

"...Fuh. Listen here, even entertainers, when they become celebrities, they would enjoy themselves in establishments with a membership system in order to avoid scandals. Even if it comes with a cost, it is safe and gives peace of mind. My standing is a bit more special, but it is similar. If it can be solved with money, that would be for the best." (Tomoki)

"You know a lot." (Makoto)

"That's all you can say?" (Tomoki)

"Well, I have not had any interest at all in entertainers. Did you work in that field on that side?" (Makoto)

It wouldn't be strange even if he had been aiming to become a model or an actor if he was good looking from the very beginning, huh.

"...Not really. You can google that and get such information easily." (Tomoki)

"Is that how it works? And so, it doesn't seem like you used your Charm in the academy, Tomoki. What did you come to the academy for?" (Makoto)

The talk about Japan was completely extra only.

I wasn't really interested in his answers.

This is what I was interested in.

Tomoki met the academy principal for the inspection of the academy, and to disclose everything about the treasuries and the museums.

I doubt he is trying to study about the history of this world at this point in time.

I doubt Tomoki is lacking tools either.

The Gritonia Empire seems to have quite the amount of great quality magic tools. Honestly speaking, I think Tomoki and his group have higher ranked equipment than what Hibiki-senpai and her group have.

Also, there are no signs of him doing what I am most wary of -spreading the Charm around.

This is a mystery.

"You have become quite sensitive to the activation of magic and skills. You think I am going to be using my Charm here?" (Tomoki)

"...Well, you know, that's your number one weapon, and its effects have already been proven after all. Students gather here from all around the world. Of course I will be wary. I am still a teacher, you know." (Makoto)

"...I cooperate on the research of it and would use it on enemies. But, aside from the beginning when I still wasn't able to control it, it is not like I just spread it around willy-nilly." (Tomoki)

"I am not swallowing that. You tried to use your Charm when I went to the Empire. Also, you are using your Charm inside the Empire without any restraints." (Makoto)

Moreover, he threw them at Lorel as assassins.

Do you know how much of a mess you dragged me into thanks to that?

"? Of course I would use the power of a Hero to maintain the ruling stability of the Empire. It is my country after all." (Tomoki)

"Your country, you say. You might be super popular as a Hero, but it is an empire, so the emperor and the imperial family are the ones holding the propriety of it, right?" (Makoto)

"I see, it still hasn't been widely announced. The emperor of the Gritonia Empire has officially announced that he will be conferring the empire to me once I put an end to the war against the demons. I am the next emperor. By the way, the majority of the others agree as well." (Tomoki)

"You serious?" (Makoto)

Aah, I feel like it has been a while since I have said 'you serious?'.

"An oracle of the Goddess came right in time, so it turned into this time's blitz march." (Tomoki)

"By the way, how's the march going? Well, asking here since I am assuming it is doing well, considering you are here and all." (Makoto)

"The cold is softening and the information gathering is going swimmingly, so I would say it is going decently." (Tomoki)

I am impressed that he can say that when he has already occupied Bellgoat.

"And so?" (Makoto)

"Hm?" (Tomoki)

"Don't play dumb here. I can't ignore it if danger is approaching the academy again. What's your objective?" (Makoto)

?

No, wait.

Aside from the objective, I think Tomoki said something that I shouldn't be ignoring...

"I swear that I am not abusing my Charm on anyone aside from the Gritonians and the demons, and I have no intention of using it here. Good grief. And here I was wondering why you were offering to be my guide; you are a bundle of doubt. You and Hibiki are way too on guard against me." (Tomoki)

"That's because what you say and your actions are way too ominous. I am sure Senpai would say the same, you know?" (Makoto)

That person would probably be able to gather up more detailed reasons.

For me, what weighs heavily here is that I found it dangerous he was using people like objects the last time I met him.

Including how he says he isn't doing it and yet he is spreading his Charm all around the world, too!

...About that, I think that, when I was in the empire, I told him something similar to 'feel free to use his Charm', so I am somewhat uneasy here.

"Also, because I wanted Tomoe?" (Tomoki)

"!"

Are you really saying out loud that taboo yourself?

Could it be that, for good or for bad, not being able to learn is the personality of Tomoki?

"Well, that was my bad." (Tomoki)

"Huh?" (Makoto)

"Of course you would get mad hearing my proposal when you haven't made such a good woman your own despite being by her side, right?" (Tomoki)

"..."

"If I had put myself in your position and thought about it a bit, I would have gotten something as simple as that. My bad." (Tomoki)

Did he apologize?

Tomoki apologized just now?

How can this be? He has grown?!

"I didn't expect an apology to come out from your mouth, Tomoki." (Makoto)

"Haha, it has been quite a while since then." (Tomoki)

"Y-Yeah." (Makoto)

"Have you slept with Tomoe already?" (Tomoki)

Pft?!

That was the mother of all straights.

No, this might be how talks work when drinking between men around 20 years old.

You would be a college student or a working person already after all.

I think it is an age where talking about silly stuff is still allowed though.

"..."

"Oi, you listening?" (Tomoki)

"Well, thanks to you, we are getting along well." (Makoto)

"...I see. That's great to hear." (Tomoki)

"What are you asking as if nothing? It is not like you are drunk." (Makoto)

"It is unfair that I am the only one getting questioned here. Also, that's about as much as I am interested in you anyway, so I asked without restraint." (Tomoki)

"At any rate, that woman can also do men, huh. She gave me the impression that she was the very picture of an amazon, so this is unexpected." (Tomoki)

He was drinking and drinking.

Even when drinking strong alcohol, his pace wasn't declining.

Tomoki is a heavy drinker, huh.

Moreover, no matter what he orders, depending on the drink, he would drink it straight or add a bit of water. I feel like it would be tastier if he were to use hot water for the water split though.

"For Tomoe, it is as I have said before. Don't ever think about putting a hand on her again." (Makoto)

That said, I am not getting drunk either.

I will be telling him what I want to tell him.

It would be troublesome if he were to be scheming something here.

"I don't have such time when I am dealing with the demons." (Tomoki)

"That's no answ—" (Makoto)

"I am searching for a stone." (Tomoki)

"?" (Makoto)

"You wanted to know the reason why I went through the trouble of coming here alone, right? I am searching for a stone." (Tomoki)

"A stone?" (Makoto)

"Of course, it is not just any stone. There's apparently a stone just for me." (Tomoki)

"A stone just for you...huh. The type used by Heroes...?" (Makoto)

Searching for a special stone?

A stone for heroes?

Aah, so that's why he was asking for the museums and treasuries of the Rotsgard Academy, huh.

There should be things that are normally not in exhibition after all.

But why now?

"Yeah. This story goes back to a time a bit before the oracle. We can't underestimate the power of the demons. She told me to find the Protection Stone and put it on in case something happens." (Tomoki)

Protection stone.

A word I haven't heard from Hibiki-senpai either.

Oracle, huh.

Meaning that it was a direct message from the Goddess.

It is not the result of some suspicious fortune telling.

...?

Oracle.

Oracle?!

From the Goddess?!

Wait wait wait.

When I met Senpai at Limia, she said that there was barely any communication with the Goddess and she didn't know what she was thinking!

That's why Senpai held suspicions of the Goddess.

I also agree with that.

Wait, that's not it.

What's going on?

Senpai lied to me?

Was the Goddess making contact with them that often?

"Tomoki, uhm...was that oracle from the Godd—" (Makoto)

"Who else would there be? Makoto, if I remember correctly, you are pretty high up in the remote city of Tsige, right? I have heard that your company is pretty influential here as well. I don't mind any stones as long as it has magic power. Please gather them within a few days. Of course I will pay for your troubles, and I will buy the ones I will be taking separately. It is win-win for you." (Tomoki)

Tomoki affirmed the existence of the oracle as if it were obvious.

As if it were a common occurrence.

Is it only Tomoki who is getting the oracles, or was Senpai lying to me?

I don't know yet.

I need to accept Tomoki's request, even if only on the surface.

I have to ask about the oracle in as much detail as possible.

I honestly don't know how to tell what's a Protection Stone, so I have no choice but to just gather stones with magic power and magic tools that apply to this.

"Stones, huh. Got it. I will try to get as many as possible. I will talk to the guild here too. Is it okay to bring out your name as a hero too?" (Makoto)

"I don't mind." (Tomoki)

"I had forgotten. If I am to cooperate with you, in the time when you are here, don't you use your Charm. Okay?" (Makoto)

"Got it, got it." (Tomoki)

"Also..." (Makoto)

"There's still more?!" (Tomoki)

Tomoki shows me his glass as if saying 'let me take my time drinking'.

"I have barely heard about the oracles of the Goddess. How are they normally? What kind of topics does that Goddess talk about?" (Makoto)

"That's what it was? Or more like, the topics are truly thin, you know?" (Tomoki)

Saying that, Tomoki spoke about the oracles of the Goddess.

This is beyond light.

Even though they are oracles.

Is this because it is Tomoki? Or did I underestimate Tomoki a bit too much?

But...

I didn't expect that this would be a night of surprises.

The details of the oracles he was talking about were shocking.

...And I ended up respecting Tomoki a bit.