Imperial IX-4

Spits out the water he had in his mouth.

Even William, who had been listening nearby, couldn't hide his surprise.

"Are you even aware of what you're saying!?"

"Of course I am. I'll explain in detail from now on."

You can't possibly be knowledgeable about killing your own master—either easily or thoroughly...

"First of all, I love the keep."

The statement makes even less sense now.

"Mr. Taro, you know about Japan's special technology, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know. The technique of shattering magical stones and using them in weapons, right?"

"Yes, for more advanced personnel, an even more sophisticated method is employed. The material is introduced directly into the body."

I recall Takagane, the one I fought in Japan.

His fist moved at incredible speed, delivering a devastating blow.

"However, this technique is still incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

"Yes, Lord Taro, you must be aware of the phenomenon known as Magical Stone Disease."

Magical Stone Disease.

It's a condition where magical stones appear on the body due to some cause, continuously draining the patient's magical essence until death ensues.

"Essentially, it's the same phenomenon, I believe. All the high-ranking officials in Japan have something akin to magical stones implanted within them, yet many die prematurely—and in every case, magical stones always appeared somewhere on their body."

"In other words, the magical stones implanted as a means of attack absorb the target's magical essence, just like the Stone Disease, ultimately leading to death."

"Yes, that's my understanding."

"I see. I've followed your explanation so far. But why does this lead to the death of the Tenshu?"

"The Tenshu is the one in Japan who handles magical stones most skillfully and wields the strongest power. That means the Tenshu has the most magical stones implanted within their body."

That means, in turn, that their lifespan is the shortest...

"Why would you say something like that... The Tenshu is Japan's king, isn't she?"

"Because she's only a pretend king."

A pretend king?

"The true king of Japan is me. I'm hidden away, just to follow some pointless tradition, while the Tenshu is made to appear as king instead."

This is getting too complicated...

I regret having listened to this, but at the same time, I'm utterly unsure what to do next.

"Lord Taro. I've heard you are not only a powerful sorcerer but also an expert in gemstone sickness. I kindly ask that you treat her for gemstone sickness and grant her a long life."

"Katazane. Listening to your words, it seems the source of the Keep's power and the cause of gemstone sickness are one and the same. Treating her would mean losing her power. Are you truly willing to accept that? And why do you care so deeply about healing the Keep in the first place?"

Is this what you mean by killing the Keep...

"As I said before, it's because I love her. I am a reincarnated soul, but I've lived alongside her since childhood.

As I lived with her, I fell in love with her, and I wanted to be with her forever. I wished to have children with her and become a family. So even if I had to take away all her power... even if I had to kill her as the Keep... I would rescue her and live with her for a long time. That is my wish."

Where should I even begin to argue with that...

I glance at the clock.

It's already quite late at night. I have plans tomorrow.

I'll just ask the one thing I really want to know.

"What does 'reincarnated person' even mean?"

"There's no way around it. I used to live on Earth, in Japan. I was hit by a truck, and then reincarnated in this world, reborn with my memories intact. Since I'd watched anime about reincarnated people, I accepted it right away."

It's completely incomprehensible—trucks, anime, and this word "reincarnated person."

Every word sounded familiar and nostalgic. The man in front of me didn't seem to be lying.

Then, perhaps I was transferred here, but many people who were reincarnated might have come from other worlds.

"Are there many like you who were reincarnated and came to this world? How many people have been transferred here like me?"

There's no record of any reborn individuals, so we can't say how many there are. It's said that transmigrated people are quite numerous. However, many of them are reportedly cast into unknown natural realms and perish.

Just how much information does Japan actually have? There are countless things I'm curious about.

Unfortunately, that's all for today.

"It's already late at night. The story about Tōgen is so shocking that it can't be easily accepted. I need time to think about it."

"If you're willing to accept this story, I'll provide further information and assist you at the world conference as well."

Tōgen smiled warmly.

Isn't this essentially a threat?

With a final, hard-to-ignore parting remark, Tōgen turned and left.

"Nonstop shocks. What should we do, older brother Taro?"

"There's nothing we can do... I'm going to sleep tonight. Let's think about it tomorrow."

"Wha—?"

"You should sleep too. It'll be early tomorrow. And forget about today—don't tell a soul."

Staying up late isn't good.

We've already heard enough to make our heads hurt. We need to get proper rest if we're to think clearly.

Crawling into the futon where Lina was already asleep, I finally managed to drift off peacefully.