Nihon 8

Carefully reading through the diary.

The content is written in proper Japanese, continuing exactly where the previous entries left off.

I examine every detail thoroughly, determined not to let go of the thing I've been chasing all along.

What kind of life did they lead in this Nihon? And how has it changed since arriving here?

...In the end, what happened... I will come to despair at the outcome.

He... the hero from 400 years ago arrived in this world several years before I did. And he never returned to his original world, spending his entire life here.

How can there be a 400-year discrepancy?!

My mind reels at the mismatch in dates. Are you seriously saying that a 400-year gap occurred when he came over here?

If that's the case, then even if I were to return to my original world, there would be no world I recognize there anymore!

Even after reading just a small amount of text, my thoughts keep circling endlessly.

I keep reading on and on, yet nothing sticks in my mind.

I think it was written in great detail about the battle with the dragon, but I can't remember.

"Master Taro? You seem unwell."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well. Would it be alright if I took my leave here?"

"Yes, it's quite alright. There's plenty of time. You should rest here at your ease."

Kisai spoke gently, sensing something in the air.

Then, he returned to the lodging to rest. Though he hadn't engaged in strenuous activity, nor was he sleep-deprived.

He couldn't sleep at all. The diary left behind by the hero kept replaying in his mind. Though Rilka and Coil had spoken to him, he had only replied with half-hearted answers.

Even though his thoughts were still scattered, he went to the library the next day, carefully reading the hero's diary in search of anything significant. Still, the only thing that stood out was the sections where temporal discrepancies had occurred.

The reason behind these temporal discrepancies remained completely unknown. Neither the cause nor any clue to a solution was apparent.

Realizing he couldn't continue like this, he gathered his resolve and tried to move forward with the rest of the text. But his concentration was poor, and he kept rereading the same passages over and over.

The majority of the diary consists of records of battles against the dragon-like beast. It seems he traveled across the world in pursuit of that creature.

At first, he fought steadily, steadily improving his skills and growing stronger. It appears he led a fulfilling life. But from a certain point onward, he began facing increasingly difficult beasts, and it became clear that both his mind and body were growing weary.

The battles grew increasingly fierce, wounds multiplied, companions were lost one by one, and in the end, it seemed he had lost someone he deeply cherished.

After paying a heavy price in lives, he finally succeeded in sealing the dragon's monstrous form.

How was the sealing performed? Was such a thing even possible?

What power did the hero use? Who exactly was he?

Again, thoughts without answers raced through his mind, leaving him trapped in the same state day after day.

Yet why was it? Even though the nature of his worries had changed, his heart felt strangely light.

To himself, it seemed like his mood had improved a little, but to others, the difference wasn't noticeable at all.

Seeing his plight, Kisai made a suggestion.

"Taro-sama, for now, it would be best to stop reading the hero's diary. You're clearly unwell. Perhaps take some time to explore the area around town and clear your mind."

I finally realized, upon being pointed out, that I was in a pretty bad state.

The past can't be changed. As the words suggest, I'll take a break and explore the town to clear my mind.

Consciously walking around the town.

The town is mostly made up of tiled-roof houses, with wooden buildings lined up side by side. I walk along poorly maintained roads, kicking up dust. Upon closer inspection, I notice there's no cohesion in the architecture or layout—the houses and the town itself feel disjointed and chaotic.

It's certainly not a familiar sight, yet there's something nostalgic about it—making the sense of temporal dissonance even stronger. Everyone's dressed in traditional kimonos, just like in a historical drama...

"It's less like Edo-era Japan and more like I've wandered into a period drama. Is this really a town built by a hero from just a few years ago? Was he into history or something?"

Lost in thought, I speak aloud without noticing the eyes around me, my mutterings escaping naturally.

I might have been watched without realizing it.

Still, I continued walking slowly, gazing at the unchanged scenery. Eventually, a building came into view.

It was clearly different in design from the surrounding structures.

The Adventurer's Guild.

The very first place I had intended to visit upon entering this town.

Though I had no particular purpose, I decided to go inside.

Inside, unlike adventurer guilds in other towns, the only adventurers present were clad in simple, armor-like gear, wielding swords, spears, and bows—each bearing a look distinctly suggesting they were from this town.

There weren’t many of them.

As I glanced around, I spotted a lively-looking woman calling out from the central counter.

Could she be the receptionist here?

As I drew closer, I was slightly taken aback by the clothes she was wearing. Clearly, she was dressed in a cosplay-style miko outfit.

Then I remembered that the hero from 400 years ago had been quite the ladies' man.

"You don't look like someone we've seen around here. Yet you seem just like a local. What's going on?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm a descendant of the legendary hero."

"There's no way. That person should be a woman living in the castle by now. Even joking about her is inappropriate. I'm glad it's me instead."

"What?!"

"What's wrong? You didn't know? The ruler of this country is descended from the hero. I thought that was common knowledge. Is it not well known in other nations?"

"I've never heard of it before. I had no idea the hero's bloodline continued so strongly..."

"Of course it is. After all, the hero had tons of children—probably just inherited that fondness for heroic types, huh?

Well, it's been a thousand years since the nation began, you know. How about that? Impressive, right? Even though I look like this, I actually graduated from one of the country's top schools... and you can see how my hair color and eyes are almost identical to those of the hero's descendants..."

The young, energetic receptionist spoke calmly in front of me. Yet from a certain point onward, I couldn't recall what she was saying.

A country that's lasted 1,000 years? If it was founded by a hero, it should've only been around for 400 years, right? How is it still around after 1,000 years?

"Hey, are you even listening? I'm talking to you, you know?"

"If this country was founded by a legendary hero, shouldn't it have started 400 years ago?"

"What are you talking about? Sure, it was founded by a hero, but it's been around for about 2,000 years. It's the oldest country in this world."

What?... Sorry, is there a place around here where I can get a view of the whole town?

What’s up? So serious... Hmm, well, other than the lord’s castle, it’s just down south from here, about a hill. It’s a popular spot in spring. It’ll be at its peak soon... It’s disappeared.

I had already started running, without realizing it, toward the hill I'd heard about.