Volume 6 Chapter 67 Survivor
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The men in work uniforms were careless. They probably never expected any survivors. Their focus was on stripping gear from the mountain of bodies piled up in front of them.
I slipped quietly through the open iron door. No one stood around the stairs leading down to the ground floor.
Is this a relatively large company? The front entrance had a fancy reception area, but the receptionist lady seemed to be waiting just inside another room.
I only needed to open the automatic door and leave. This was Japan—freedom was almost guaranteed.
No, I had to move carefully here. The security cameras were definitely active. They were probably watching everyone coming and going.
My stealth skill could hide me from living eyes, but machines were another story.
Still, thinking too much gave me a headache. The goal was simple—avoid the cameras and get out. Like playing hide-and-seek.
There were cameras by the front entrance, the back door, and the stairs leading to the second floor. Probably inside the elevator too.
No need to go upstairs. I could slip out through the garden and climb over the fence. Easy.
When I tried the bathroom window, all first-floor windows had iron bars.
A large dog roamed the garden—was it a Doberman? Compared to a wolf, it seemed like a puppy.
Wait, a wolf? I remembered riding on its back, feeling its fur, but nothing else came to mind. Were my memories of dreams and reality mixed up?
No matter. If it was a dog, my stealth skill could handle it.
If the window was impossible, I looked around and found a door next to me.
Radar Scan showed I could exit to the garden through the men’s changing room beside the bathroom.
No camera inside the changing room.
The door was locked, but it had a simple lock that could be opened from the inside. With an invisible hand, it slid open easily.
Inside, the air smelled strongly of men. The room was a mess, with cardboard boxes stacked high on top of the lockers.
Using Radar Scan, I checked the contents—ping pong gear, fishing equipment, a Mahjong set, party goods, even toy drones and air guns. A grown man’s toy box?
I hoped to find something more secret, but no confidential files were left here.
Wait—some important-looking cases buried under the clutter. An old computer and a box full of keyboards. Eight-inch floppy disks? What era was this?
Then I found a memory card for a laptop from another world. It was about the size of a trading card, bulky compared to modern storage.
The cards were stuffed carelessly into a rusty cookie tin—forgotten for decades.
Should I take it? Maybe it held secret data.
Since I was here, I decided to change into less noticeable clothes.
There were dirty jerseys and work uniforms lying around, moldy and worn out—too much.
Even clothes from another world, if simple, wouldn’t look out of place here. They were a bit retro and handmade, but could pass as a natural brand.
I wanted to get to the garden, but the room was divided by lockers acting as partitions.
I couldn’t get through to the garden from here.
Climbing over the lockers risked a landslide—the clutter was piled to the ceiling.
Might as well push everything, lockers and all, into a mountain of cardboard boxes.
It reminded me of helping someone move in another world.
Despite everything that happened there, it still felt unreal—like a dream.
No, it wasn’t a dream, because I still had my skills.
Behind the lockers was a pile of fertilizer bags, creating a small garden center atmosphere.
Lawnmowers and tools scattered nearby showed they maintained the garden themselves.
I needed to put the lockers back where they were. The current positions were fine, so it shouldn’t be hard.
The floor was covered in dry mud, so I floated a few millimeters above the ground to avoid leaving footprints.
I opened the door with invisible hands to avoid fingerprints and slipped out into the backyard.
Where were the Dobermans? Their stealth skills must be excellent. They’d become tame, losing their wild instincts.
Three huge Metasequoia trees blocked the security cameras perfectly.
Probably when they were planted, there were no blind spots for the cameras.
I had totally misjudged these garden trees, but since they made escaping easier, I wasn’t complaining.
Using the shade, I reached the concrete wall.
It was over three meters high, topped with barbed wire—like a prison wall.
I looked over carefully before leaping with a shout.
The loud thud surprised me—it was asphalt after all.
Even at level 4, my body was beyond human.
If heroes ever returned alive in large numbers, Earth would go mad.
Maybe that’s why they killed them all. Divine intervention? If they were going to kill, they should haven’t given them cheat abilities from the start.
Anyway, the neighborhood around was neat—single-family homes lined the streets.
Too normal.
No one here could imagine a secret base of otherworlders existed nearby.
Isn’t this supposed to be peaceful Japan now?
An elderly man on a bicycle turned the corner.
I started running like I was out for a jog—just a typical sporty kid. Not suspicious.
Before a kilometer passed, I reached a riverbank.
Young people were having a barbecue.
The open view revealed Mount Fuji.
It was surprisingly close—Japan’s tallest mountain loomed with presence.
So this was near Mount Fuji… but which prefecture was it?
I spotted a bridge upstream and ran toward it along the riverbank.
A convenience store stood nearby.
Somehow, the ordinary scene moved me.
A large map in the parking lot confirmed my location.
Yamanashi Prefecture.
About 120 km from Tokyo—closer than I thought.
If a marathon is 42.195 km and finished in about two hours, 120 km would take about six hours on foot.
I might make it home by evening.
The Bureau’s hideout was marked as Avalon Island JP.
What?! Wasn’t that a famous game company?
Originally American, it produced many hits in the early PC game market.
It was legendary among game fans.
Their RPG release in Japan caused a huge social phenomenon before my birth and influenced later RPGs.
So, that’s it.
It wasn’t that the other world was like a game, but the game was based on the other world, created by its inhabitants.
The goal? Probably publicity.
Through the game, they increased the number of people wanting to be summoned to the other world.
Ms. Shirakaba was quite the gamer herself.
Who was Ms. Shirakaba again?
I remembered her face clearly, the softness of her skin, the scent of her hair.
Ah, in that other world, I even married her.
As I struggled to recall, one name popped up.
”Niimi Yukina-san.”
Yes, Niimi-san.
But the one she truly liked wasn’t me—it was another girl.
A cheeky blonde beauty… I needed to remember her name or she’d get mad.
Right, Tizzy! I remembered her face too.
Lately, she wasn’t as stern with me and was starting to look more like Princess Auroora and Ms. Nina.
Probably because of the bloodline from her mother’s side.
She was actually my cousin.
And Ms. Nina! The Doll Princess, Ms. Nina!
Why did I forget her?
My first love… or was it one-sided?
No, I liked her, but not at first.
Did something happen to spark passionate love? No, it wasn’t like that either.
When I think of Ms. Nina, there’s a sadness—a feeling of something left unfinished.
But why?
I could remember Niimi-san clearly, yet Ms. Nina’s memories blurred more each time.
Another headache.
My memories were being interfered with by those from the other world.
Niimi-san’s face was vivid—maybe because she was Japanese?
But how was my memory of Japan while in the other world?
Fuzzy, but not this bad.
Mr. Kondou once complained his memory of Japan was fading.
Everyone laughed, saying it couldn’t be true, but now I understood.
I was definitely affected by memory interference.
Could it be the work of the Hero Bureau? Or maybe a god?
* * *
The convenience store clerk gave me a suspicious look.
This was still enemy territory—I had to leave quickly.
The road over that bridge was a national highway.
If I jogged along it, I wouldn’t get lost.
”Ms. Nina, Miss Floria, Mr. Zenom…”
I hummed the names of people from the other world as I headed toward Tokyo.
Back when I was into cycling, I rode around the Kanto Plain a lot.
I never went as far as Yamanashi, but maybe I’d find familiar roads.
If I had a proper road bike, 120 km wouldn’t be far.
Now, I could run faster than my bike with my own legs, so I was good.
Still, I couldn’t go too fast or I’d look suspicious.
Before being summoned, I could run 50 meters in about 7 seconds—that’s roughly 7 meters per second, or 420 meters per minute.
Too much math—let’s say 0.5 km per minute, or 30 km per hour.
That’s fast for a high schooler.
If my stamina held, winning Olympic gold wouldn’t be impossible.
I wouldn’t be suspected if I kept a steady pace to reach home in about 4 hours.
Now that I thought about it, I didn’t need to rush today.
I had enough food and water to last years.
I could run all night or camp out if I wanted.
Japan’s security was getting worse lately, but compared to the other world, this was easy mode.
Wild animals here were probably just black bears—though wild boars charging could be scary.
Japan felt humid after so long away.
The early summer sun was intense and muggy.
The seasons were the same as the other world.
Time was running here.
It’d been just over a year since I was summoned.
It felt long, but the year passed in a blink.
There were hardships, but those memories were unforgettable.
I didn’t want to forget—I had to fight it.
* * *
Sweat drained moisture from my body.
Every vending machine I passed made me crave a cold sports drink.
Unfortunately, I had no Japanese money.
I had plenty of gold, but that didn’t help here.
I could use an invisible hand to steal from the vending machine—but that was a crime.
I had stolen a memory card earlier, but that was from an enemy. It was a trophy, a small retaliation for trying to kill me.
With cheat abilities like mine, I needed personal rules.
No stealing from ordinary people.
Maybe that’s why my memory was being erased.
Humans with cheat skills or magic might be considered foreign here.
If that was the case, I could understand it.
But mana was so thin here that MP didn’t regenerate naturally.
I could use meditation skill, so it wasn’t a problem.
I took out a water bottle filled with well water from my magic bag and drank it all at once.
It was cold but not like a vending machine drink.
I wondered if I’d brought bacteria from the other world.
But since travel between worlds was already happening, maybe it was fine.
At first, Japan’s landscape felt nostalgic.
After a while, as I kept running, it just became ordinary.
Oops, that was close. Ms. Nina, Ms. Nina… Yes, I remember her clearly now.
They say memories don’t disappear completely. Even if you forget, a trigger can bring them back. Lost memories are just buried somewhere deep, hard to find. I don’t know if it’s true, but thinking that way makes me feel a little better. I hope one day I can remember everything clearly.
Or maybe some memories are better left forgotten? I heard on a talk show that some spiritual people who remember past lives say forgetting is a kind of salvation. People told them to shut up, but maybe there’s some truth in that.
If you live in another world, maybe resetting your memories once is the best way. That sounds right. But losing my memories… isn’t that like dying? I don’t want to lose even the painful ones. If this is God’s plan, at least let me choose.
* * *
The sun sank low, painting the western sky orange.
I was already in the city now. Buildings taller than any castle rose everywhere.
Cars and people crowded the streets, so I couldn’t run as fast as before. Running around here draws strange looks.
The truck driver I passed earlier shouted, “Good luck!” Maybe he thought I was training for a race.
I should have taken a taxi home and asked Mom to pay, but I’ve come this far. Just a little more. I want to reach home on my own.
I turned into a familiar street. Almost at my house.
Before I knew it, I was running full speed, using my Stealth Skill to avoid being noticed. Cars stopped looking, but I had to dodge carefully. Could the dashcam catch me? It should be fine if I don’t cause any accidents.
I slipped into a quiet alley with less traffic and ran. No, calm down—try to keep my pace steady, like an Olympic runner.
If someone watches the footage, I could probably make an excuse.
My shoes were nearly worn out. They aren’t made for running on asphalt. Should I change to backup shoes? Honestly, I could run barefoot; my soles have gotten tougher than shoe soles.
I ran like chasing the sunset, feeling a strange déjà vu. Can I really run, Melos?
Ms. Nina… Ms. Nina. Now I can see her face clearly. For a moment, I thought of a bearded old man, because the three of us lived together once. That was when we were happy.
I forgot his name, but he was my mentor, Mr. Zenom—the dwarf. Don’t worry, I still remember the important people.
Anyway, sleep is the dangerous part. No matter how much I cram into my head at night, I forget everything after sleeping. So before bed, I write down everything I remember about the other world.
Even if I forget after sleeping, I can recall it from my notes. If I keep doing this, I won’t lose what I learn. Surprisingly, I can even remember difficult subjects that way.
The sun had just set, but I reached the street in front of my house. The sky was still bright, and I could see the entrance clearly. Nothing had changed; it looked exactly as I remembered. Yet somehow, it felt awkward.
The streetlights all turned on at once. Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I’ve seen them light up.
The door was locked, but I knew Mom was inside.
Should I open the door using my invisible hand? No.
I pressed the doorbell.
”Who is it?” Mom’s voice came through.
”It’s me, it’s me.”
”Is this some kind of scam?”
”No, don’t worry. Just open the door quickly.”
I put my face close to the camera on the doorbell so I’d be clearly visible.
”Huh? Saburou! Did you… slim down?”
Why did she say “slim down”? Did she not recognize her own son through the camera? It felt a little disappointing.
Mom hurried to the door and opened it.
”Welcome home. Where have you been all this time?”
”I’m home…”
It was so ordinary. No dramatic reunion like in the dramas.
Of course, it’s embarrassing to hug tightly, but after returning from a life-or-death journey to another world, I thought maybe there’d be more affection. Cultural differences are strange.
A little disappointed but relieved, I headed upstairs.
My room looked just as before, but cleaner. Even the shelves were neatly arranged. A few of my secrets seemed buried in the shadows. Ah.
Maybe this is how it is when people die—ideally, everything is cleaned up before passing away. Not everyone can do that, so the family takes care of it. It’s a bit embarrassing to be seen like this, but it’s family, so I guess it’s okay.
As for my other family… I’m sure I left nothing problematic behind. Was I ready to die? No, I just had that magic bag that’s so convenient. What would happen to its contents if I died?
Sitting on the bed, I almost fell asleep. That was close.
Before sleeping, I had to write down what I’d experienced in the other world.
I pulled out a new notebook from the drawer and started writing smoothly with my Sharp pen. The paper was really good.
Even if I forget everything by tomorrow morning, I could remember it by reading this notebook. I wouldn’t put it in the magic bag; I’d hide it in the drawer.
What should I write on the cover? “Travelogue of Another World,” “Account of Another World”… “Otherworld Diary”? Those sound too obvious and embarrassing.
Maybe “Give Me a Cheat.” Even if Mom sees it, she probably wouldn’t understand. If God is watching, please give me more cheats. The magic bag is already a cheat, but this one is mine.
Oh, right. I should take out some gold bars. The magic bag might stop working after I sleep and wake up. If I have to deal with the Hero Management Bureau, I’ll need funds.
”Brother Sab, it’s time to eat! There’s a feast!”
My younger sister Chiho called me to the dining room. A feast? Maybe she’s worried about me after I disappeared for over a year.
”Wow! Brother Sab looks cooler!”
”Chiho, you’re as rude as always.”
Now that I think about it, maybe I was a bit chubbier before. In Japan, being fat often gets mocked.
Over there, just fetching water uses up your strength. Living felt like a constant diet. I’m starting to remember a lot now.
I’d been so absorbed in writing I didn’t notice the smell of fried food.
Ah, tulip. My favorite.
I always thought “tulip” was a special part of chicken, but it’s actually chicken drumstick meat shaped like flower petals.
Now I could probably make it better than Mom, but that’s a secret.
At the table, not only Dad but also my older brothers Ichirou and Jirou, who have moved out and married, were sitting. It was rare to see them all together. Maybe it’s a celebration? A welcome-home party? That would make me happy, but probably not.
”Did Chiho help with the cooking?”
”No way. I’m just here to eat.”
Jirou and Chiho have always gotten along well. They’re both strong-willed, so maybe that’s why.
Since I’m sitting in the seat of honor, this must be a celebration for my return.
The table is full of tulips that look lucky, classic shrimp tempura, and a variety of vegetables piled with fried potatoes and pumpkin. All of these are my favorites. Well, most kids probably like these dishes.
Only Dad and I like shishito peppers, but there’s also a big heap of delicious Manganji peppers.
”They were really cheap at the supermarket. The best deals come just before closing time,” Dad said.
Now that I think about it, it’s the season for them. I wonder if the jalapeños I was growing in the garden were harvested properly. There weren’t chili peppers in that other world, right? Plants from America never seemed to grow there, if I remember correctly.
”There are so many things I want to ask, but I’m just glad you’re back safe,” Brother Ichiro said softly.
”Brother Ichiro, you’re too soft. Running away from home and causing so much trouble for everyone. If you don’t scold him properly, that idiot will never change,” Brother Jiro grumbled.
”Eh? Are you saying I ran away from home?” I asked, surprised. “What a terrible misunderstanding.”
”I was about to file a missing person report, but your friend Naito told me he saw you in Harajuku,” Brother Ichiro continued.
”He said you were hanging out with some flashy woman, arm in arm. You’re such a troublemaker,” Brother Jiro added with a smirk.
”No, who the heck is Naito?” I asked, confused.
”Isn’t he your friend?” Brother Ichiro asked.
I have no idea. Did I forget all my memories of Japan? No, Naito is a common surname, and if I check all my elementary school classmates, there must be a few with that name. Maybe someone’s messing with the investigation, or maybe I’m just overthinking it.
”If it’s not running away, then what is it?” Brother Ichiro asked seriously.
”That’s the important part. Please don’t tell anyone… though I guess it’s impossible to keep secrets from Chiho,” I said quietly.
”I’m more tight-lipped than Mom,” Chiho said proudly.
”I see. Mom was quite chatty. She doesn’t like to suspect people, so she’s not good at keeping secrets,” I noted.
* * *
After dinner, the men of the family gathered in Dad’s study.
Dad calls himself a minor government official. Brother Ichiro works at a bank, and Brother Jiro is a shady businessman. All three have jobs where secrecy is important, so they should be tight-lipped.
The three of them have good reputations, and then there’s me, treated like a mess. It’s quite a rare combination.
”First, take a look at this,” I said as I spread some common gold coins across the table.
”At first glance, they look like real gold,” Dad said.
”They’re not stamped properly. Poor craftsmanship. Are these old coins?” Brother Ichiro asked.
”Where did you get these?” Brother Jiro added, clearly interested.
Dad didn’t seem very impressed by the coins. Maybe he’s good at hiding his emotions. Or maybe because currency is mostly digital these days, he can’t really appreciate the value of gold coins.
”I’ve got this too,” I said, pulling out a gold ingot with a clink to show them.
If I casually said I came back from another world, no one would believe me. Adults are too tied to common sense. So first, I’ll shatter their expectations with something impossible to ignore.
”It weighs over two kilograms. At today’s market price…”
”Hey, hey, this is serious business. What are you doing, Saburo?” Dad said, half-joking.
”Yeah, we didn’t raise you to be such a troublemaker,” Brother Ichiro said, shaking his head.
They’re still stuck in their old ways, bound by common sense. As I added more ingots, the desk started creaking under the weight. Gold is heavy.
”There’s more, but I’ll stop before the desk breaks,” I said.
”Hahaha… how many billions is this?” Brother Ichiro muttered.
Eh? That’s all he’s thinking about? Sure, billions are a lot for one person, but it’s not enough to change the country. Maybe I could bribe a few politicians with this. Are gold ingots really that cheap? Or is the yen just strong?
”This feels like a smuggling operation,” Brother Jiro commented with a knowing look.
He’s been involved in shady business before. I always suspected he might get mixed up in something like this someday. If he has those connections, maybe he can help me cash out the gold bars. There are shops near the station that buy gold for good prices, but I wonder how many kilograms they’d take without raising suspicion. I’ve also heard banks exchange gold, so maybe asking Brother Ichiro would be smarter.
”Where on earth did you pull that out from? It was like magic!” Dad exclaimed.
Dad’s reaction was the best part—more impressive than the gold itself.
”It’s a magic bag. I was summoned to a different world as a hero, and now I can use magic and all that,” I explained.
Unfortunately, only Brother Jiro understood what I meant. Neither Dad nor Brother Ichiro watch light novels or anime. Given their generation, it’s not surprising they haven’t even tried fantasy RPGs. Were they just studying all the time?
Grandpa in Aizu Wakamatsu was strict, and Dad was mostly forbidden from watching TV or reading manga. What was he thinking? Grandpa was pretty lenient with me, though.
Explaining everything from the beginning to those two is impossible, so I’ll leave it to Brother Jiro.
I plan to take a bath and then go to sleep. I’m a bit scared of sleeping, but I can’t resist the sweet temptation.
After the bath, I chugged down some strawberry milk I found in the fridge. So Japan’s utopia was just a metaphor after all.
Was the blue bird nearby all along? It’s cliché, but maybe that’s just how it is.
Still, I think I’ll go back to that world again. I have a strong feeling about it. Usually, those feelings don’t lie.
Notes:
• Shirakaba – A paladin who seems to be a skilled fighter. He’s introduced as someone with a strong defense and healing abilities.
• Tizzy – Claims to be Duke’s daughter, a noble with advanced magic skills. MC and Ms. Shirakaba lover.
• Ms. Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Miss Floria – Elegant, silver-haired noblewoman in her 40s, referred to as an ‘older sister’. Judge of the Supreme Court and Baroness. Former tutor of Princess Auroora. Initially stern but warms up, showing a playful side. Close with Ms. Nina (Princess Auroora’s doll copy), treating her like a sister. Trustworthy and explains legal matters clearly.
• Mr. Zenom – Tough dwarf blacksmith from Toyoata Village. Repairs weapons, improves accuracy. Charges 100 gold/arrow. Becomes protagonist’s strict master. Assigns hard tasks like pre-dawn cleaning, firewood, water pumping. Owns well-equipped forge. Challenges protagonist to prove ideas.
• Chiho – Female. Saburou’s younger sister. She is described as rude but caring. She has a tough personality, which is similar to Jirou’s, and they get along well. She is supportive of Saburou and is happy about his return.
• Ichirou – Male. Saburou’s older brother. He works at a bank and is described as soft-spoken. He is concerned about Saburou’s well-being and is part of the family gathering to celebrate Saburou’s return.
• Jirou – Male. Saburou’s other older brother. He is a shady businessman with a villainous look. He is more understanding of Saburou’s experiences in another world due to his exposure to light novels and anime. He is also tight-lipped, which makes him a good confidant for Saburou’s secrets.
• Naito – Male. A supposed friend of Saburou, mentioned by Ichirou. Saburou has no memory of him, which adds to the mystery of his disappearance and return. Naito’s claim about seeing Saburou in Harajuku with a flashy woman is a point of contention.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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