Returned from Another World, Earth Turned Out to Be Quite the Fantasy Too. Also, Losing Heroines, Stop Looking This Way. - V4 Chapter 69: "Did They Come From Kyoto or Something?" ①

Chapter 69: “Did They Come From Kyoto or Something?” ①

“Not a single bite this afternoon.”

“What a catch, man! Sorry, Natsuki-kun. Looks like I had all the fun today!”

“Gununununu…”

“…That’s the first time I’ve actually heard someone say ‘gununununu’ out loud.”

After hearing the story about Hotei suddenly showing up at Poseidon’s tackle shop, Natsuki had done his best to calm him down and send him on his way.

From the little he heard, it seemed like Hotei had gotten a bit irritated seeing Poseidon being treated like a local mascot—Posei-san—in Mukaijima City. But deep down, what really bothered him was probably the fact that the Seven Lucky Gods hadn’t been getting much attention lately.

So when he found out Poseidon was being adored by people here under the name Posei-san, he thought, “Isn’t he stepping into my territory?” But in the end, it was just jealousy.

After Natsuki listened patiently to his rant, Hotei had cooled down a bit and said,

“I’m heading home for today. Once I’ve calmed down, I’ll have a proper talk with Poseidon. I appreciate it.”

Then he left, looking pretty refreshed.

Natsuki couldn’t help but think—

Even gods have their own problems, huh.

“But still, are you sure it’s okay to treat me to dinner?”

“Kazuto caught the ingredients, so I think it’s totally fine. Plus, my mom was the one who insisted you come.”

During their afternoon fishing session, Natsuki had sent a message to his mom, asking if it was okay to invite Kazuto over for dinner.

She replied, “Of course—he’s more than welcome!”

So the two of them were now walking home together.

As for Poseidon, he said it’d be rude to just show up uninvited out of nowhere.

So they agreed he’d come by another day, bringing a small gift to say hello properly.

“…Still, this cooler box is way too heavy after all that fishing.”

“That’s ‘cause you caught so many you had to put some in mine too.”

Natsuki and Kazuto followed a strict catch-and-eat policy.

They didn’t believe in releasing fish—it felt like a waste.

That said, dumping this entire haul on Natsuki’s mom to clean would’ve been a bit too much.

So they’d borrowed the kitchen at Poseidon’s tackle shop and took care of all the prep work there.

Poseidon even helped out—his knife skills were so good, they nearly brought Natsuki to tears…

But that was a story for another time.

“Let’s go with simmered fish for starters. We’ve got enough to make sashimi too, right?”

“Fried fish sounds good too.”

“That all sounds way too good.”

If it didn’t have any odor, black sea bream made for excellent sashimi.

Freshly caught, the flesh stayed firm and springy—a perfect chewy bite.

If there was a bit of smell, adding olive oil and lemon turned it into a great carpaccio.

Simmered dishes were another solid choice.

Grilled with just salt tended to give off a stronger scent, so Natsuki wasn’t too fond of that one.

“I wanna shovel white rice into my mouth right now!”

“I’m starving too.”

Just as Natsuki and Kazuto’s stomachs growled—

Something, most likely a barrier, suddenly closed in around them.

“Oi, oi… seriously?”

“Something just wrapped around us, right?”

“…Kazuto, looks like your spiritual senses are slowly awakening after getting involved with spirits, gods, and demons. But I’m not sure if that’s actually a good thing.”

Stopping his bike, Natsuki cracked his neck.

“Stay behind me, Kazuto. If anything happens, pedal like your life depends on it and get outta here.”

“But—”

“It’s fine. Hungry Natsuki-kun becomes a force of destruction. No matter who shows up, I’ll finish them off instantly. Besides, just look at this barrier. It’s gotta be some low-level mob.”

“That’s not something you can just brush off, y’know?”

A woman’s voice echoed through the air—

At the same time, several black-haired women in shrine maiden robes appeared.

Then, a group of men in black clothing followed, all gripping swords in their hands.

“Whoa, whoa. This is getting kinda intense, Auntie.”

“…Call me onee-san, would you?”

“Don’t answer that seriously!”

“Ahem. You two must be Natsuki Yura and Kazuto Miyahara, right?”

“…This Auntie just reset the mood like nothing ever happened.”

Given that Natsuki had been trapped in a barrier without noticing it—

It likely meant whoever set it was skilled in stealth.

Or maybe, since Natsuki had just met with some seriously big-name gods,

He simply didn’t notice because their spiritual power was so weak in comparison…

Like tiny insects buzzing around.

“N-Natsuki-kun, who are these people?”

“No idea. They’re weak for sure, but… judging by the vibe, I’d say they’re from Kyoto.

If I had to guess, they’re part of some radical faction that’s all ‘Let’s wipe out Shuten Douji and the oni!’ No clue how they got our names, but they’re probably hoping to use us for something.”

“—Wait, are you psychic or something!?”

Natsuki’s guess must’ve hit the mark, because both the shrine maidens and the men in black started murmuring in surprise.

〜〜Afterword〜〜

We’ve got some assassins from Kyoto now!

A quick announcement—

Volume 2 of the manga “The Reincarnated Mage Who Will Eventually Become the Strongest” is out today!

I’d be thrilled if you gave it a read. Thanks as always for your support!