Imperial III-1

A cold wind swept through the town, sending shivers through my body.

According to the guild's front desk, snow should arrive in just a few days.

The first winter since arriving in this world is approaching.

In the town, merchants are actively moving back and forth, supplying firewood and magical stones for warmth, and preparing for the New Year.

It's remarkable how energetic they are, even in such bitter cold.

It'll be a year since I arrived in this world in just a few months. Already a year has passed... Time really does fly.

I was thrown into this world, ready to accept death, yet somehow I've survived this far. I still have no idea how to return to my original world.

Am I just going to spend the rest of my life here? Honestly, since my life has become more stable, I don't feel such strong disgust anymore.

Lost in admiration, I made my way toward Emma's laboratory.

Her talent and passion combined had driven the research to astonishing progress.

"Emma, it's been a while. How's the research coming along?"

"Taro, take a look. We've managed to shrink it down to the size of something you could ride in a carriage. Output is still zero, though!"

"Wow! It's much smaller than when I last saw it."

The device was a perfect steam engine—truly an engine powered by steam.

I once touched upon the history of technology during a university lecture.

It looked just like an ancient cart.

"By the way, how are we supposed to attach this to a carriage?"

"I'll have the blacksmith at our house handle it. I never expected you to know my mother, though."

"I didn't mean to hide it—I wasn't trying to keep it secret, really."

"When I received a research request for water demon stones from my family home, listing your name, Tarou, I was truly shocked. It doesn't matter anymore. No matter who you know, I won't give up. Even if you tried to stop me, I wouldn't be able to stop."

"No, I'm not doing it. I'm not really Marie's assistant or anything. I brought this because I finally got the high-purity water crystal you asked for earlier today. You don't want it?!"

"I do! I really do! But you actually got it? I heard mining had just resumed and was barely back on track."

"Still, I do know a few people in the village... I got it directly from a miner myself."

Sending researchers to Akau Village to advance the solution to the strange illness was a significant step. Thanks to their extensive research, a path toward resolving the illness was beginning to emerge.

I took out a few small bottles containing water crystals and degraded water crystals.

"Degraded? Why do you have these as well?"

"I might want to use them. Not as much as Miss Emma, but I'm also researching crystals, you know."

"Old, degraded crystals? That's unusual. I don't think many researchers in the capital are focusing on those. It's more common in the northern kingdom, isn't it? Oh right—this is about the empire's research trends, isn't it?"

Then Emma explained the research trends in the capital. Apparently, military-related research is becoming increasingly active. She mentioned that her lab has even received letters asking whether any of their studies could be applied for military use.

"There's talk among researchers. They're saying the Imperial Capital might be on the verge of war with some country."

"Which country exactly? I thought the Empire had been maintaining a truce with various regions, despite holding tensions in multiple places?"

"Yes, this time it's over disputes regarding mithril trade with the Kingdom. You know, fire mithril? The majority of its sources are located on the Kingdom's side. And when it comes to high purity, most of it is produced in the Kingdom."

"So, we're basically being forced to swallow bitter economic consequences, huh?"

"Yes, my speculation from here is that the Empire made a bold move to make its stance clear. It was essentially telling the Empress, 'If you don't trade normally, we'll go to war. And even though you've changed, the Empire hasn't weakened.' That's why supply is being restricted—seems like that was the point all along."

"I see... This is getting complicated. Countries are such a hassle."

"That's also part of a country's role. Oh, right— I managed to get my hands on something rare. It's quite interesting. It's a book containing fairy tales from the kingdom."

"Are you sure? Even fairy tale books must be expensive, right?"

"Yes, this time I received a lot of magic stones, so it's just a matter of balancing things out."

"I understand. I'll gladly take it."

Night fell. I returned to the lodging facility operated by the guild. Apparently, my standing with the guild had improved, so even though it was a bit pricey, I was allowed to use a private room.

That day, I had nothing else to do, so I read the book I'd been given.

Fairy tales were heard in various places. Most were stories about heroes. There had apparently been a hero in the kingdom as well.

Most of them involved defeating legendary beasts, known as mythical creatures.

It also includes stories that Alex told me.

But this book is fascinating.

Not only does it detail the extermination of monsters, but it also describes the hero’s daily life in great detail. It seems the hero had multiple wives—perhaps he had a taste for heroic romance.

As I continued reading, I learned that the hero was also a master of fire and water magic. At times, he fought by wrapping flames around his massive sword; at other times, he summoned powerful torrents of water to battle his foes.

This feels pretty anime-like.

It even includes things the hero used to talk about.

"The hero suddenly appeared as a lost traveler in the Forest of Beginnings. He claimed he was hit by a truck... or that he was transferred to another world..."

"!?!"

A soundless cry escaped me.

What's going on? Is the original hero Japanese?

Stunned and frozen in place, I carefully reread the book, investigating further into the hero's background.

Most of it is written dramatically about slaying monsters, yet there are plausible clues scattered throughout.

The Forest of Beginnings—that's the forest I entered when I first came to this world.

So the hero really is Japanese, isn't he?

The sheer number of Japanese names in this world. The prevalence of Japanese elements in place names. Most notably, the linguistic similarities... Could there really be a connection?

The mystery deepens, and I'm losing track of what's real and what's not.

In any case, my immediate course of action was settled.

I'd need to investigate the history related to the Hero. This book was made by the kingdom... Perhaps it's worth visiting the kingdom or winter once it ends.

For several days, I gathered information about the Hero throughout the empire.

But all I found were stories about how bravely they fought, and that it happened around 400 years ago....Why is it so long ago?