Isekai Kansha - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Drinking Party

“Yeah, this is good.”

After tasting the white stew simmering in the pot, Jin muttered in satisfaction.

Having finished his meeting with Gantz, Jin had returned home and just wrapped up making dinner for the day. Inside the stew were generously cut vegetables along with plenty of chicken and sausages, making it a hearty dish. Aside from the stew, the only other items prepared for the meal were salad and bread, so there were fewer dishes than usual, but since Jin had separately prepared several items to serve as snacks with alcohol, it more or less balanced out.

“Alright then, Rachel, I’ll leave the rest to you. You just need to reheat the stew before eating. I’ve also got the snacks and alcohol ready, so you all enjoy yourselves—just don’t let it affect tomorrow.”

Since Jin himself would be going out drinking with Greg and the others, he had prepared slightly better alcohol than usual for Rachel and the rest.

Erza still hadn’t come home yet, but she would probably be back soon. And just like the day before, Aria was planning to have dinner here again tonight, so it would be a meal with three women. Jin figured that there were things that might be hard to talk about with a man around, and that having an occasional women-only evening wasn’t a bad idea.

“Yes, thank you very much. Jin-san, please don’t overdo it too much yourself either.”

Rachel said this with a pleasant smile, though the latter half might have sounded just a little awkward. However, there was no way Jin would notice what she meant by it.

“Right. Drink alcohol, but don’t let it drink you. Well then, I’m off.”

With an open, carefree smile, Jin replied and headed out to the meeting place with Greg and the others, arriving a bit earlier than their agreed-upon time.

“Then, to Jin and the others’ safe return. …Cheers.”

With Greg leading the toast, three glasses lightly clinked together. In a private room of the restaurant sat Jin, Greg, and Gantz—the three of them.

Originally, the plan had been for Jin to drink with just Greg, but Jin had invited Gantz as well, turning it into a three-person gathering. Of course, Jin had his reasons for doing so.

However, those reasons were not brought up yet. For a while, the three simply enjoyed their food and drinks, passing the time with light, trivial conversation between men.

As the meal settled and the focus gradually shifted more toward the alcohol, the topic of conversation slowly became more serious.

“…So, as disappointing as it is, we still haven’t found the magical abnormality that’s believed to be the cause of ‘Mana Fever.’ There haven’t been any relapses, but considering that several new children have come down with ‘Mana Fever,’ it’s likely that the mana abnormality still hasn’t subsided.”

Greg twisted his face in frustration and gulped down the alcohol remaining in his glass—nearly a third of it.

From the past cases of ‘Mana Fever’ Jin had heard about from Clark before, it was said that after a certain period of time, outbreaks would naturally subside. But they couldn’t just sit around waiting in such an uncertain situation. Even if there was a treatment for ‘Mana Fever,’ there was no guarantee that the mana abnormality wouldn’t bring about other disasters.

“There’s no point in rushing. Here…”

As he said that, Gantz spoke up and poured more alcohol into Greg’s empty glass.

“I know that, yeah. If I could see the enemy, I could just knock it down and be done with it, but I’m really bad with this kind of invisible situation.”

Greg said that and took a drink, but this time he didn’t gulp it down in one go.

“Has anything unusual happened?”

Jin asked, sliding a plate of snacks toward Greg.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, even while you guys were gone. I haven’t heard any talk about mutant species appearing, and I haven’t heard anything about strange magical beasts showing up either. At least, there haven’t been any abnormalities related to magical beasts.”

“I also kept an ear out to see if any strange rumors were going around in town, but I didn’t hear anything particularly concerning,” Gantz added.

As far as Greg and Gantz knew, it seemed nothing unusual had occurred. Still, considering the current situation where mana levels had increased enough to affect children, it wouldn’t have been strange to see changes like an increase in the number of magical beasts. The fact that there weren’t even signs of that only made the situation feel more unsettling.

After hearing them out, Jin crossed his arms and let out a low groan.

“Hmmm. This doesn’t really sit right with me, but at this point, it might be one of those things you can’t understand until something actually happens. Even with my ‘map (that thing),’ I couldn’t detect the mana abnormality—it seems to be outside its scope. So maybe all we can do is make preparations so we’ll be okay no matter what happens?”

“Yeah. I guess we can at least increase the guild’s stockpiles a bit.”

Jin’s words trailed off at the end, almost like he was talking to himself, but Greg nodded in agreement anyway.

“Why not bring it up at the next meeting?” Gantz suggested here.

By “meeting,” Gantz was referring to the gathering held once a month where representatives from each field—such as the Adventurers’ Guild, the Merchants’ Guild, and the Artisans’ Guild—came together with officials dispatched by the state.

The city of Lientz was run under this kind of council system. While the officials sent from the state handled the finer points of administration, the core decision-making authority lay with the various guilds.

There were other cities where the state governed directly, but Lientz, which operated under this system, could be said to be a city with relatively strong independence.

“You can propose it, but it’s a bit of a gray area. When it comes to the mana abnormality, the grounds are weak.”

Greg grumbled as he scratched his balding head.

At these meetings, it was difficult to ignore the vested interests of the organizations each person belonged to, and to get any proposal approved, you needed clear evidence that could convince everyone involved.

Greg and the others understood that “Mana Fever” was caused by a mana abnormality, but that information had been obtained through Jin’s Appraisal. Since they couldn’t disclose that source, anything regarding the mana abnormality amounted to nothing more than a prediction.

Incidentally, the fact that “the mana abnormality is the cause of ‘Mana Fever’” was announced not as an official position of the temple, but strictly as Clark’s personal view. Of course, this was done to keep Jin’s Appraisal out of the public eye. Jin had heard Clark’s view, come up with a treatment method, and as a result, that treatment had succeeded. So, as a phenomenon, the existence of a mana abnormality was being affirmed, but even so, it was still too weak to be called clear evidence.

After Greg added this explanation, Jin felt a little guilty. It seemed to him that, in order to protect Jin’s secret, Greg was actually making it harder to assert the truth.

He didn’t want trouble to arise from keeping things secret, but Jin wondered if there wasn’t another way he could help.

“This might not be a very good idea, but… could you use my name?”

Greg and Gantz, question marks practically floating over their heads, shifted into a posture to hear Jin out.

“The relationship between the mana abnormality and ‘Mana Fever’ is easy to understand in terms of mechanism, and it’s backed up by facts, right? It’s not definitive evidence, but in addition to those facts, how about submitting some materials that contain an analysis of the mana abnormality under my name? My name has gotten around because of this incident, and to put it bluntly, there are quite a few people who feel indebted to me, so it would be hard to just ignore it, wouldn’t it? And if possible, doing it jointly with Clark-san would add even more credibility, I think…”

Noticing the surprised looks on Greg’s and Gantz’s faces, Jin finished voicing his opinion, lowering his voice slightly toward the end.

“Well, it certainly might be effective, but are you sure about that? You’ll stand out, you know?”

Gantz said this with concern, and Greg felt the same way. They also had an image of Jin as someone straightforward and honest, the type who wouldn’t like using his own name as a tool, so they were genuinely surprised that Jin had offered such a tactic himself.

“I already stand out as it is, and if it’s this kind of standing out, I think it’s still fine.”

Ignoring their worries, Jin replied cheerfully. This approach wouldn’t expose his secret, and it would help Greg and the others as well, so there was no reason for Jin to shy away from it. Though he looked young, Jin was actually an old man by real age and was far removed from the kind of moral fastidiousness that comes from youth.

However, Jin’s expression turned serious, and he voiced the unease that had driven him to go so far to help Greg and the others.

“More than anything, what really bothers me is that the number of magical beasts hasn’t increased. Mana should have increased enough to cause ‘Mana Fever,’ and yet…”

As the sacred beast Pelgrun had explained, magical beasts were supposed to be born from excess mana. Yet even now, when mana should be increasing due to the abnormality, there were no reports of an increase in magical beasts. So, where had the mana that should have been consumed in generating those beasts gone?

“With the current situation where we don’t know what the mana abnormality might cause, I can’t help but think about the worst-case scenario.”

According to the temple records Jin had heard about from Clark, cities where ‘Mana Fever’ had occurred in the past no longer existed.

“…A stampede.”

Greg spoke the worst-case scenario Jin had been hinting at, and Jin nodded.

“I know I’m probably overthinking it. I just really like this city, so I can’t help worrying.”

Jin said this as if to lighten the mood that had turned heavy.

“Yeah, you’re overthinking it. Still, I’ll gladly take you up on that offer—write something up for us. I’ll go ask Chief Priest Clark myself.”

As if brushing away the anxiety, Greg stated this firmly, pouring alcohol into Jin’s glass as he spoke.

They couldn’t realistically make the kind of large-scale preparations needed to brace for a full-blown “stampede,” but if they went along with Jin’s proposal, they should at least be able to take measures like increasing stockpiles of food and medicine. Greg decided to quickly put together materials for the upcoming meeting.

“Yes, gladly.”

Jin replied with a smile, though everyone there—including Jin himself—hoped that all of these preparations would turn out to be unnecessary.

A drinking gathering between men is, of course, fun when it’s full of stupid talk, but for some reason, it often ends up drifting into work-related discussions. The earlier talk about the mana abnormality was one example of that—perhaps, on some unconscious level, they were seeking advice.

After leaving the restaurant, Jin and the others moved on to a quiet bar. The conversation shifted to Jin’s travels, but there was one topic they couldn’t avoid.

“…Do you regret it?”

After listening to Jin’s story, Greg asked him that question. The unavoidable topic was, of course, the fact that Jin had killed Gerd.

“No. At that time, that was the only option available to me. That said, it doesn’t mean I feel nothing about it.”

Jin’s expression as he answered was bitter.

“I see. Then what will you do next time? If you run into a bandit who looks weaker than you, but still attacks people.”

Greg’s voice as he questioned him was stern. He was testing Jin’s resolve as an adventurer.

“I’ll kill them. If they try to take my life, I’ll take theirs in return. I’m not strong enough to afford the option of not killing.”

Jin answered head-on, without dodging the question. That was why he had sworn, together with Erza and the others, to become stronger.

“I see.”

Greg nodded, and a satisfied smile relaxed his expression.

“Don’t forget what you’re feeling right now. Both the pain of having killed someone, and the lives you protected because of it. The moment you forget those, you’ll be unfit to be an adventurer.”

Precisely because adventurers are people who hunt lives—even if they’re magical beasts—they must never forget the lives they are meant to protect.

“Put another way, remembering that is what qualifies you as a full-fledged adventurer.”

Following Greg’s words, Gantz said this as he gave Jin a firm pat on the back.

This was something like a rite of passage for adventurers who had reached a certain rank. It was a road they themselves had walked before, and the way the two men looked at Jin was gentle.

“Yes!”

Jin etched the words of his respected seniors into his heart. There would surely be painful experiences ahead as well, but even so, Jin had decided to keep moving forward.

Seeing Jin’s attitude, the two men nodded with smiles, and at the end, they bowed deeply toward him.

“Thank you for protecting Aria and the others. Truly.”

The lives Jin had protected were precious and irreplaceable to them as well.

The enjoyable and meaningful feast was finally drawing to a close.

There was one last thing Jin needed to say to Greg and Gantz. Straightening his posture, Jin opened his mouth and addressed them.

“Greg-san. Gantz-san. You may have already heard, but Aria-san has left the guild and will be forming an official party with us. We’ll grow together, and all of us will become strong enough to protect one another. Please continue to guide and look after us from here on.”

With those words, Jin bowed deeply. To the two men who could be called Aria’s surrogate parents, Jin wanted to properly offer his greeting. Incidentally, he had already made sure to give a proper greeting earlier today to Hilda from the orphanage, who could be considered another of her parental figures.

Jin carried a strong determination in his heart to protect Aria, Erza, and Rachel no matter what, but what he conveyed to Greg and the others here was the resolve to protect one another. Rather than someone protecting someone else unilaterally, the party Jin envisioned was one where everyone could mutually protect each other.

Jin vowed to become that kind of party before Greg and the others.

“With you, I can entrust Aria without worry.”

Gantz spoke those feelings to Jin from the bottom of his heart.

Thinking back, perhaps he had been waiting for this day ever since Jin first came to his shop after being introduced by Aria. He’d been thoroughly scolded afterward, but even Rosen’s flower prank had ended up being deeply satisfying. From that time, he’d felt something close to certainty, and now, at last, it had become reality. Gantz was happy.

“I agree. As guildmaster, it’s regrettable to lose a capable staff member, but as an individual, I support Aria’s decision.”

Greg, too, was recalling the day Jin first came to the guild. On that very day when Aria met Jin for the first time, she showed a faint smile. Seeing that, Greg had placed his hopes on Jin, wondering if he might become a catalyst for change. Jin would have no way of knowing that, but the more Aria interacted with him, the more she changed. No—rather, he was able to see sides of Aria he had never seen before. That change had taken on vivid color, and to those who knew Aria before she met Jin, it was a dramatic transformation. Greg was genuinely happy about the decision Aria had made.

““Take care of her.””

They spoke in unison, their words filled with trust in Jin.

Even setting Aria aside, to the two of them, Jin was someone who felt almost like an equal, despite his unbelievable age of eighteen. At times, he seemed like a green, inexperienced youth; at others, he felt like a seasoned adult. But what was always consistent was their fondness for his character.

To both Greg and Gantz, Jin was the benefactor who had changed Aria, and also an irreplaceable younger friend.

“Of course!”

Jin’s reply carried both his happiness at their trust and his resolve for the future.

And just as that trust flowed one way, it was unthinkable that Jin would ever betray it.

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