Yukitaka and the woman adventurer Iris left the town of Kyogai the next morning and headed for the border.
Since the border area is a Frontier1, there are almost no people, but of course there is a checkpoint, and maybe because relations between the two countries were changing, the checks were strict.
"Next!"
The soldier at the checkpoint checked the ID and luggage of a merchant passing through the border, then it was Yukitaka and Iris's turn.
Yukitaka had already changed his ID, and with a mask his face was someone else's too.
Iris went ahead as herself, as Iris.
"An adventurer of our country? Ilistrana Falorne Steinlancer, eighteen years old... Ah! You're the only Gold Rank Adventurer on the Silver Rank team Platinum Fang, right!" The soldier brightened. "So today you're acting separately from your teammates?"
"Yes. I left the team, so now I'm traveling with him."
Iris grabbed Yukitaka's arm and made it clear they were together.
"I see. Then you too, your ID," The soldier took it and read. "Lance Fais, twenty-five years old, Kingdom of Karlsen, from the outskirts of Kyogai, got it. That's a strange-shaped spear you have."
The soldier stared curiously at the spear Lance Fais, meaning Yukitaka, was holding. It was his umbrella, transformed.
The spear in Lance Fais's hand had a shape that combined a spear with the ribs of an umbrella.
"Yes, I made it myself so it's easy to use."
Lance Fais answered with a smile.
"...Easy to use? Well, I guess everyone has their own preference," The soldier's eyes went back to the weapon. (If his companion is a Gold Rank Adventurer, it should be fine.) "It doesn't seem to be a problem, so please pass."
The soldier was interested in the strange spear, but there was nothing else suspicious and no reason to press further, so he let the two through.
"Phew... That was nerve-wracking..."
Yukitaka still had black hair and black eyes, but he was still in the form of Lance Fais, a gruff older-looking man, and he said something that didn't match that face.
By the way, his voice had also changed to a gruff one.
"Heh," Iris found the gap between him and the original Yukitaka funny. "With that look, not only will you not be suspected, you have a dignity that makes it seem like no one would bother you."
"I chose this face and ID expecting that too, but maybe I overdid it."
Yukitaka seemed to have imagined a gruff adult that he himself would definitely never talk to.
He had also thought up a creepy design for the umbrella when he transformed it, but it stood out.
His voice was also gruff, so he looked older than his age, and that might be a flaw too.
There were things to reflect on, but since he had already passed the checkpoint with this face, he decided not to change it, and to keep this appearance while moving inside the Kingdom of Thordein.
The two moved along the highway and arrived at Tarbus, a border town on the Thordein side.
The gatekeeper of this town also looked at Yukitaka and was interested in the strange spear, but suspected nothing more, and they were able to enter the town.
But this time, on the contrary, the gatekeeper was surprised when he looked at Iris.
"You're alive!? ...Ms. Iris, you should hurry to the adventurer's guild and report that you're alive!"
The gatekeeper told her just that and hurried her, then moved on to check the next person.
Iris already knew a fair amount about her own situation from information, so she tightened her expression and passed through the town gate.
The two went straight to the adventurer's guild.
The adventurer's guild was a pretty big building for a Frontier town, and it was new, too.
The Frontier has a lot of monsters and high demand for adventurers, but the discovery of an unexplored Dungeon was producing even more profit.
The unexplored Dungeon that Iris and the others had entered was officially named the Transfer Dungeon2.
Because the magic transfer circles were random, the difficulty of not knowing where you'd end up meant only higher-ranked adventurers could come and go.
Because of that, information about the Dungeon was valuable, and information nobody knew fetched a high price.
Iris's former teammates had been monopolizing it.
Not only that, but they treated Iris's account as if she were dead and made it their own, which was infuriating.
When the two entered the guild, the room suddenly started buzzing.
It was only natural, since Iris, who was supposed to be dead, had appeared in good health.
The reception staff also noticed Iris and were stunned.
"I-Iris!?"
The woman at the reception saw Iris's face and raised her voice without meaning to.
That set it off, and the other adventurers seemed to confirm that Iris wasn't an illusion, and the commotion grew bigger.
Maybe hearing the commotion, the branch manager, who was the head of the guild, came out from the back.
"What's all this noise!? Calm down!" He pushed through the crowd and then stopped dead. "Hm? ...I-impossible...? Iris Whatshername3!?"
The branch manager could not keep the shock out of his voice, since Iris, whom he thought was dead, was standing right in front of him.
"It's been a while, Branch Manager. I have something to discuss. Is that alright?"
Iris's expression was stiff.
"...U-understood... Let's talk in the back office," The branch manager looked shaken, but motioned for Iris to come with him. "Someone, bring tea!"
At that time, he whispered something to one of his subordinates.
The subordinate nodded and ran out of the guild.
Without even watching him go, the branch manager opened the door to the room and invited Iris in.
Then Yukitaka, also known as Lance Fais, followed.
"Wait, who are you? I have business with Iris. Would you please leave?"
"No, Branch Manager, he is my lifesaver and also a witness, so please let him come with me."
"...Understood. Come in."
Looking reluctant, the branch manager let Yukitaka into the back office as well.
Trivia:
- Iris grabs Yukitaka's arm at the checkpoint not just for show, but because her old team would have reported her dead and she needs a believable reason to be traveling with a stranger.
- The branch manager whispers to a subordinate who runs out of the guild, hinting he is alerting someone about Iris's survival before their private talk even begins.
- Yukitaka's choice of a gruff older face backfires in a small way, since his voice makes him look even older than the twenty-five on his fake ID, which could draw attention later.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A border region with few people and many monsters. Adventurers are in high demand there, and unexplored Dungeons can bring in big profits.
2 ↩ A Dungeon officially named for its magic transfer circles. The circles send people to random places, so only higher-ranked adventurers are allowed to enter.
3 ↩ A vague Japanese term used when the speaker cannot recall or does not care about a person's full name. Here it shows the branch manager's shock and confusion.
Notes:
• Yukitaka - A salaryman caught up in a Hero summoning who now lives in the Kingdom of Karlsen and travels under the alias Lance Fais, using his commuter gear's transformation into exclusive Divine Artifacts to change his appearance and identity, produce valid identification, and store items through Magic Storage, while helping Iris with quests and valuing their friendship.
• Iris - A Gold-Rank Adventurer from the Kingdom of Thordein who possesses the Sage Skill and formerly belonged to Platinum Fang, a Silver-Rank team, before being betrayed by her teammates, presumed dead, and stripped of her account; after Yukitaka saved her from monsters, she began traveling with him, remaining a skilled, sincere, polite, and considerate companion who recently learned Magic Storage and looks out for his safety.