Stranger's Handbook

Chapter 4: World Structure

This is bad…….This is extremely bad…….

The black tea’s fragrance made me let my guard down.

By mistake, the bad habit I had while on Earth…….while I lived in Japan came forth.

The relaxation effect black tea has is outstanding. I just felt it on myself……..

“Toshi…….I’ll give you one warning.”

Said the expressionless old man.

So this is what they call glassy eyes……I was thinking carelessly, but my feet were trembling like a level 7 earthquake.

My body came loose.

“Y…yes, your Excellency.”

“You’re still not familiar with this world. And I also made a promise in the beginning. I’ll overlook it this time.”

The old man took a deep breath and my reaction to that was a level 8* trembling.

“But, you know, you’ve mistaken a race. You must absolutely never say words of discrimination or despise against a race. If you don’t want to die, that is.”

I stood up and showed the beauty with dog ears my sincerest apology.

I knelt down on the ground**.

“This scum who doesn’t even know the customs has offended you greatly! I had no intention to look down upon you or your race. Please, forgive my ignorance!”

After I prostrated myself to this extent, the dog knight finally seemed to calm down.

He was trembling severely and breathing heavily until just now.

“What do you say, Al? This is reconciliation. You’re fine with it, right?

“Yes, sir. I will obey your decision.”

So, the dog knight is Al.

Al, huh?……I’ll remember it.

“You understood too, right, Suu?”

“Y…yes. Most certainly, your Excellency.”

So, the maid is Suu.

Suu-san, huh? I wonder if she likes fishing.

“Well, well, that’s because you got that promise from me in the beginning. However, there’s no next time, Toshi. You have to value your life more……”

……….Eh? Was I really in a deadly situation just now?…….

Is it such a taboo, talking about other races!?

“Yes. I’m very thankful for your special concern!”

I bow my head to the old man too.

I have no idea what’s their kill-switch…….

I have to learn about this world’s common sense really fast, otherwise I’ll be forsaking my life.

‘Cause of death: Stabbing’ or something like that would be too embarrassing.

Suu-san left the room after bowing once again.

She didn’t seem to have teary eyes anymore.

“Well now, returning to the hero matter. Don’t worry, the story is really simple.”

The old man drinks some black tea, returning to his usual faint smile.

“I won’t ask you something like defeating the demon king or bearing the full brunt of a war. I just want you to be a leader.”

What, a leader?

“To begin with, I don’t even know of the existence of a demon king. Magical beasts and demonic beings both exist though. However, the thing you call demon king in your world doesn’t exist here and there’s no record of it in any historical annals up until now. The demons live scattered, without creating a country and do whatever they please. Something like a country or a king is too much trouble for them, it seems.”

“I….I see. They do whatever they……please?

“Yea. The demons here are an excellent race known for their mages and they won’t go doing something like controlling the magical beasts or such. They do whatever they please, but that doesn’t mean they’re outlaws. They’re adventurers, scholars, restaurant owners, inn keepers and so on. You might say they blend in and live freely as simple citizens.”

I see, there’s no enmity.

I wonder if they really don’t want a country of their own……

“This is precisely why discrimination towards races is not allowed.”

The old man drank some more black tea and then his face became serious.

“When there’s discrimination against a race, those who did it would be facing the wrath of dragons and demons. The race that did the discrimination would be extinguished and only a handful would be left alive.”

………Hm? And the point is……

“Are they prosecutors……or, more likely, judges……?

“You can say so……It’s actually quite safe to assume this. It’s this world’s way of doing things, you know.”

I see, there must have been some serious discrimination in the past.

And this is a system to prevent that, huh?…….

“So, about your……about the hero’s duty……..”

Yes, finally! To some degree, this world’s system is quite complete.

It’s a system based on the dragons and demons’ surveillance, I can’t see where the hero’s job would fit in.

“It’s been a long while since the last hero has been summoned. The last records are about the remarkable achievements from 1000 years ago.”

Ah! I really have a bad feeling!

“According to the records, in the past a hero was summoned to defeat all those who held discriminating thoughts. I’m not planning of doing something this outrageous and I’ve grown attached to this world in which racial discrimination doesn’t exist. I don’t intend to destroy it.”

Thank god!…….Thank god they didn’t summon me 1000 years ago.

Hero-san, whose name I don’t even know, thank you very much!

“What I want…….what the Grun Empire’s Frontier Count Razatonia wants to accomplish is……”

What, Frontier Count? Aren’t you a big deal noble-sama, who controls this empire’s essential territories, Razatonia-san…….!?

“Royalty usurpation.”

This time for sure, I’m strongly convinced that I’m going to die.

*震度8 = Japanese earthquake scale (level 1: weak to level 7+: devastation). The author often uses this term to express the level of trembling in someone’s body.

**Refers to the Japanese dogeza. (https://www.google.at/search?q=dogeza&espv=2&biw=944&bih=927&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjN8Ie3g7HLAhVI2BoKHbwFC_oQ_AUIBigB)