"Hey, what's even going on? Explain it to me!" Shirakawa demanded.
Shirakawa and I left the soldiers' barracks and are sitting side by side under the light shining on the castle's outer wall. It's because of the Item Box2 capacity problem; we can't sit facing each other.
"Anyway, you killed three soldiers and saved me. Would it kill you to at least say thanks?" she added.
"Ah... thank you. You really saved me," I replied.
"I never thought they'd be that trashy," Shirakawa muttered, shaking her head. "Hey, what about the others? Aren't you gonna save them?"
"I can't. Right now, I can only maintain an Item Box this size. I can't hide anyone else," I explained. Earlier I was alone so I could move fast, but with Shirakawa with me, I can't move the same way. "Besides, it's already too late..."
"No way..," Shirakawa gasped.
The ones who decided not to join the Evil Dragon3 hunt were five girls and two guys-seven people in total. They were told they'd get citizen registration so they could walk around town freely, and got separated from the hunting group.
"They gave us a tour of the castle, fed us, and I was starting to totally trust them. Then they said they'd show us to our rooms..," Shirakawa trailed off, her voice trembling. The place they took her was that barracks from before, and the moment she entered the room, she was attacked.
"Why weren't you wearing a collar?" I asked.
"Oh, apparently when you put that on, you literally can't even move, and they said it's no fun if you don't struggle a bit, so..."
"Tch... they're trash to the core," I spat.
"But if I'd been wearing the collar, I seriously might not have been able to escape," Shirakawa1 noted softly.
"Even if you couldn't move, I'd just carry you and run. It would be fine," I assured her.
"Apparently it's a magic tool, and when they give an order..," Shirakawa made a chopping motion at her own neck, imitating cutting her own head off.
"Seriously... alright, once we figure out how to go home, we'll eliminate every last soldier," I declared.
"Wait, we can actually go back to Japan?!" she asked, her eyes lighting up.
"Not right now. Not right now, but there is hope," I replied.
"No way..."
When I told Shirakawa my theory about the Item Box, or more like my vision for the future, she clapped her hands and got all excited.
"Oh my god, amazing! You're seriously a genius! Um..," she paused, tilting her head.
"Kuroi Yoshihito... you didn't remember my name, did you?" I sighed.
"Ugh... sorry! I'm so sorry, but Kuroki, you're just way too invisible..."
"It's Kuroi, ku-ro-i... whatever, I know I'm easy to overlook, and that's exactly why I can move around like this."
If they go around asking for me by name, it could mess with my future plans. Now that I know the people in this country are all trash, it's obviously better if nobody knows I exist.
"Hey, why did you save only me?" Shirakawa asked suddenly.
"It's obvious. I need you, Shirakawa."
"Wait... need me?"
Shirakawa tried to move as far away from me as she could, even inside the cramped Item Box. Sure, she's got a body with some serious ups and downs, but that's not what I'm after.
"Ah, no, don't get the wrong idea. What I need is your Magic," I clarified quickly.
"Huh? My Magic is... Cleaning."
"Yeah. That's the Magic that cleans things, right?"
"Yeah, but... wait, you want me to clean in here?"
"No. What I want purified is water and food."
"Wait, water?" Shirakawa made a totally baffled noise, but what I'm looking for is her role as a water purifier.
"We're weak city kids. If we drink raw water, we'll obviously get sick," I pointed out.
"Wait... I already drank some. Is that, like, super bad?"
"If nothing happens, you're probably fine. Just be careful from now on."
"Right... yeah, you're totally right," She must have drunk a good amount, because Shirakawa is pressing her stomach with a worried look.
"Anyway, try using your Magic."
"Wait, on the water?"
"No. On your body. They did all sorts of terrible things to you, right?"
"Ah..," She must have remembered being stripped naked and licked all over by three soldiers, because Shirakawa's body trembled. "C-Clean!"
The Magic must have activated, wrapping Shirakawa's body in a faint light blue glow. When the light faded, Shirakawa's eyes were wide open.
"This is so crazy! It's like all the junk in my body just slid right out!"
"Seriously! And hey, even your clothes got clean!"
"Whoa, you're right! It's like they're totally brand new..."
"Alright, try it on me next. The more you use Magic, the better you get at it, and your Level goes up too."
"Seriously?! Clean!"
"Whoa... what is this!" My body got wrapped in light blue light, and while still dressed I got instantly washed all over, finished with ultra-premium fabric softener, and instantly dried. "This is insane... those guys mistreated someone who can use Magic this useful? They're completely incompetent."
"I thought it was just Cleaning so I was super disappointed and never used it, but Magic is seriously no joke!"
"Anyway, purifying water should be easy with this, right?"
"Yeah yeah, I think this'll work!"
"Alright, let's head to the Kitchen. We'll secure water and food."
"Got it!"
I tried to head to the Kitchen with Shirakawa, but to make space to step forward, we have to stick really close together. The soldiers tore up all the clothes she was wearing, so all Shirakawa has on is a shirt and pants I swiped. In other words, she's not wearing underwear, and, well, various things are pressing into me.
"H-here, wear my jacket..," I offered awkwardly.
"Wait, why? I'm not even cold though."
"Th-things are pressing against me..."
"Wait... pervert," she giggled teasingly.
"Sh-shut up... wait, you..."
"It's fine, I'll at least let you enjoy the feeling as a service. You totally saved me, after all."
"Don't assume I'll stay a gentleman forever."
"It's fine! I mean, if it's Kuroi..."
"Haah... it's Kuroi, ku-ro-i!"
"Sorry... no wait, I totally did that on purpose! Just kidding, kidding!"
"Tch, let's go..."
"Tehe..."
Damn, walking is such a pain in all kinds of ways...
Trivia:
- Kuroi's insistence on correcting his name from Kuroki to Kuroi shows his insecurity about being forgotten, which ties directly into his survival strategy of staying unnoticed.
- The collar being a magic tool that can execute commands, including decapitation, reveals the depth of cruelty in this world's systems and explains why the soldiers were so confident their victims could not escape.
- Shirakawa's Cleaning Magic working on living bodies and clothes reveals it is far more versatile than she believed, hinting she may have underestimated her own abilities because she dismissed it as unglamorous.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ A Japanese subculture of fashion-forward, outspoken young women. In this story, it signals Shirakawa's casual, blunt speech style and trendy vibe.
2 ↩ A skill that creates a personal storage space. Its limited capacity forces the protagonist and Shirakawa to sit and stand uncomfortably close together.
3 ↩ A high-threat monster. The decision to avoid fighting it split the summoned group, indirectly leading to the girls being separated and captured.
Notes:
• Shirakawa - Family name of Shirakawa Kiyoka, the dark-skinned gyaru and classmate of the protagonist who was summoned alongside him to another world.
• Yoshihito - Narrator and protagonist. Given the Item Box magic during the otherworld summoning. Hides inside it to observe the situation and decide whether the summoning is easy mode or hard mode. Wants to mess around, eat well, and return to Tokyo quickly. Never planned to stand out.
• Kuroi - First-person narrator and Item Box user. Male protagonist summoned to another world. Has killed three people. Pragmatic and self-preserving, prioritizing his own safety and return to Japan over helping strangers. Plans to loot the castle and escape. Possesses an Item Box skill that lets him hide and store things, and keeps it constantly active, which may be why his leveling is faster. Cynical and rational, with a forgettable presence that he uses to his advantage. He knows the people of this world are trash and plans to return to Japan. He is a virgin and gets flustered easily by Shirakawa's teasing, often struggling to stay calm when she presses against him.