Yamada , a 35-year-old single man, wants to build his ideal second home in the village of another world. A life that combines the best of both the other world and reality - Episode 10

After Kirigaya-san left, I waited for him to come back—and when he did, he was holding my bag.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here you go.”
“Thanks.”

I took my business bag and placed it between myself and the back of the folding chair.

“And, excuse me, but what’s this?”

Kirigaya-san pulled a brown envelope from his jacket and placed it on the desk.

“Hm? Oh, that.”

That was the thing I’d found in my mailbox this morning.

“It’s addressed to a Tadashi Yamada?”
“That’s my grandfather. He actually passed away recently. I’m living in his house now. I was planning to call this Timer Association during my lunch break today to let them know he’d died, but I got caught up with a bunch of things and couldn’t. I figured I’d call them tomorrow.”

I’d been running around at lunch because I’d forgotten Miriam’s lunch, after all.

“I see… so Mr. Tadashi has passed away…”

Huh?

“You knew him?”
“Yes, you could say that…”

Kirigaya-san took out a business card holder and placed a card in front of me.
I picked it up and looked at it.

It said “Timer Association” along with the name “Kirigaya Wataru.”

“Uh… Kirigaya from the Timer Association…”
“It’s read ‘Wataru.’”

Huh, I see—wait, what!?

“Um… so, this is the Timer Association?”
“That’s right.”

Wait! So he’s not police?!

“Uh… aren’t you with the police?”
“I said it’s something similar.”

…Yes, you did say that…
But this changes the situation a lot.
If they’re not the police, then wasn’t this basically a kidnapping?

“Uh…”
“It’s hard to explain. But it’s not wrong to say we’re similar to the police. We actually do work with them sometimes.”

I don’t get it at all…

“Huh?”
“Well, explaining everything would take a while, so maybe another time… More importantly, is it true that Mr. Tadashi has passed away?”
“Yes. He was already ninety, and I was told it was old age.”
“I see… I had been wondering why I couldn’t reach him these past few months…”

So they did know each other.

“Um, what was your relationship with my grandfather?”
“Ah… well… Yamada-san, do you have time right now?”

I glanced at the clock—it was already 8:30.

“Ah… sorry. I have work tomorrow, and there’s a little kid waiting for me at home…”

Also, I was hungry.
I wanted to eat simmered fish.

“I understand. In that case, would you be willing to talk more another day?”

We’re still talking about this?
Well, since my grandpa was apparently involved, I guess I should hear him out.

“Sure, that’s fine.”
“Then, would it be alright if I visited this Saturday? I’d like to offer incense for Mr. Tadashi…”

My grandparents’ altar is in my room.

“Of course. I’m sure my grandfather would be happy.”

Even though I don’t know what their relationship was.

“Then I’ll come around noon.”
“You know the address, right?”

After all, they’d sent that envelope.

“Yes. And I’m sorry, but I’ll be taking this with me.”

Kirigaya-san put the brown envelope back into his jacket.

“Of course. It’s addressed to my grandfather anyway.”
“Thank you. That’s all for today. Sorry to have kept you so late. Let me drive you home.”
“No, I’ll just take the train. You must be busy.”
“No, no. I’m heading straight home anyway, so it’s fine.”

Oh… okay then.

Miriam and I got into the car we’d come in, and he drove us home.

“Well then, thank you for today. And see you on Saturday.”

He said that from the driver’s seat, then drove off.
I watched him leave, then went inside.

“I’m home!”

I heard quick footsteps coming from the back.

“Welcome back.”

Ruri greeted me with a smile.

“Sorry I’m late. I got caught up in something weird.”
“Sounds like it, nya.”

We headed to the living room.

“Something weird?”
“I’ll get dinner ready right away, so please wash your hands and change.”

Doing as Ruri said, I washed my hands and changed into loungewear.
When I came back to the living room, dinner was already set on the table.
Miriam, meanwhile, had already eaten something.

Tonight’s dinner was white rice, miso soup, simmered fish, and some kind of spinach dish.

“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Would you like tea, beer, or Strong Zero?”

Hearing “Strong Zero” from a girl’s mouth felt… odd.

“Tea would be nice.”
“Alright!”

She cheerfully poured me some tea and set it in front of me.
I took a sip and started eating.

“The tea’s good, and so is the food.”
“Thank you. So, what happened?”

Ruri asked.

“On the way back, Miriam spotted a demon. We took it down, but then some strange people hauled us off.”

The strangest one was the high school girl.

“Huh? Are you alright?”
“Probably. Turns out the guy who took us knew my grandpa. He said he wants to talk when he comes by to offer incense this Saturday.”
“So he knew Mr. Tadashi… hmm. Was he someone trustworthy?”
“No idea. But since they already know my address, I figured refusing might not be smart. I’ll just hear them out.”

I’d also given him my business card, so he knew where I worked.

“I see… In that case, should we put up a barrier around the house, just in case?”

A barrier, huh?
That thing Monica mentioned.

“Don’t, nya.”

Miriam, who had finished eating, climbed onto my lap to stop her.

“Why not? Wouldn’t it be safer, since there are demons?”

That’s what I thought too.

“No, that Tachibana girl and Kirigaya called themselves mages, right? That building earlier was full of magical presences. I think it’s a gathering place for mages.”

Seriously?

“So the Timer Association is that kind of place?”

I looked at the business card I’d left on the kotatsu table.

“Can I see that?”

Ruri asked, so I handed it over.

“Hmm, no magical residue… let’s see…”

She went over to the computer in the corner of the living room, turned it on, and started typing.

“What are you doing?”
“Just searching online… No results.”

Nothing on the internet? In this day and age?

“They said they have ties to the police, nya.”
“Right, he also said they were ‘something similar.’”
“The police… these people were at the scene with the demon, right?”
“Yeah. I took the demon down in the bathroom, and then that high school girl and Kirigaya showed up almost immediately.”

It really was almost instantly.

“Maybe there’s an organization that deals with demons? You were there before they were, so they questioned you.”

That’s possible.

“Never heard of such a group though…”
“An underground organization, maybe?”

That does sound kind of cool.

“They probably can’t operate openly, nya. Some demons can’t even be seen by normal people.”
“True… so I wonder what they want to talk about.”
“They’ve probably taken an interest in you, nya. Some mages can detect magic, and you’re leaking a little. It’s possible they noticed.”

Magic…

“What about you, Miriam?”
“I’m a high-ranking demon, nya. I don’t get detected.”

Oh, so she’s a high-ranking one…
Guess that explains the fine fur…

“Well, whatever. I’ll just hear them out first. Forget the barrier… Thanks for the meal.”

I put my hands together in thanks.

“I’ve already run the bath, so please go in. I’ll clean up here.”
“I feel bad, let me help.”

She really does spoil me too much.

“It’s fine… Do your best at work tomorrow.”

Ah… a lot happened today, but it’s still only Monday…