I came back but the world is still a fantasy!? – Garesto Academy – Exam Arc: Chapter II – Those Who Take Advantage of the Test – 04-35: On That Day, the World Came to Know the Devil (1/6)

Teleportation Magic normally require the coordinates to the destination and a Marking to understand the present situation there.

But if the caster is skilled and the rest of the conditions are met, then it’s fine even without.

For example, a place that one is familiar with either because he’s frequented that place or because he’s stayed at it for a long period of time.

To the teleportation magic, such a situation would be no different from having a Marking.

Other situations would include those wherein one could see the destination. In such situations, there’s no need for a Marking.

This is also true for situations wherein one has precise information of the destination.

As for teleporting into a location that one has yet to visit, however, it is highly recommended to avoid doing so due to the excessive number of uncertain factors; but, in times of emergency, teleportation to unvisited locations is indeed possible provided that one has a precise grasp of the present terrain, weather, landscape, latitude, longitude, distance from the current position, and other positional information.

However, it is only possible in theory, and to actually put it into practice is an exceedingly difficult ordeal.

Or at least, that would be the case for Falandia, where communication technology has barely advanced, but with the convenience of the internet, acquiring such information was child’s play.

Indeed, the vastness and brilliance of the network that was Earth’s digital brain has far surpassed that of the otherworld.

And to the man who could search that network ‘by feeling’, the original problem of acquiring information was all too easily solved, and even the fuzzy bits could not escape his grasp.

The implication behind that was all too clear; thus, the world would tremble.

 

The story that would be told now is the story of the mask’s actions after he parted the seas.

What makes this story terrifying is that all of these happened within an hour.

 
 
 


 
 

From the moment the organization known as the volunteer army came to be, and they started working underground, Gaesto’s investigation agencies started investigating the descendants of the Gaen family.

──Jenkins Gaen

Among the descendants of Gaen, he was in the direct line, and he was one of the people most suspicious.

They were a family of soldiers, so just like the others, he enlisted into the army in his youth.

The last rank he achieved was Major General. He was entrusted a section of Qaragal’s defense, where the central government could be found.

In his old age, when he was approaching 70, he retired from military service, and used the wealth left to him by his ancestors to start an arms company that sold and developed weapons, transforming his already commendable wealth into a vast fortune.

Naturally, someone like that would deny any and all accusations of being related to the volunteer army, saying that they were merely using his family’s name on their own.

More than one part about him stuck out suspicious, but without any evidence, no one could investigate him thoroughly.

Moreover, he had strong connections to the army, and his words had a huge influence and couldn’t be denied.

Due to the ever present threat of the raybeasts in Garesto, there was a tendency for them to prioritize military authority and conduct over anything else.

Therefore, he was a big shot that the investigation agency couldn’t touch.

They couldn’t even limit his actions, and as such, he was presently in Earth.

Officially, he was sightseeing, but his real objective was something else altogether.

Jenkins Gaen had come to Earth so he could see up close the chaos his own army(・・・・P) would bring to the worlds, a twisted and terrible hobby.

“Fu fu, this is good liquor… Humans won’t be able to give this up so easily once they’ve tasted it.”

But of course even that was but a means to an end.

In a luxury hotel located somewhere in the American continent, a bald old man enjoyed the nightscape from the highest floor all by himself. As he tilted his glass, he enjoyed that scenery with high-grade liquor.

He was Jenkins Gaen.

Although he was both the founder and sponsor of the volunteer army that sought to destroy their relationship with Earth, he was ambivalent toward Earth’s culture and history.

If anything, it seemed as though he couldn’t separate himself from it anymore now that he’s adopted it.

There was an opportunity there, after all.

If the Ronan couple were fake revolutionaries that couldn’t see reality, then Gaen was a mammonist capitalist who saw the present as nothing more than a means to fatten up his purse.

To him, the volunteer army was nothing more than a giant advertisement for their sponsors, as well as an organization to test his company’s products.

To him, their true objective was to increase his customers and the turnover rate of their weapons through the destruction and chaos that they bring.

Even if the volunteer army eventually reach their goals, and even as the relationship between the two worlds worsen, he believed that it would still end in the favor of his agricultural companies and his food service companies.

Gaen, who greedily accumulated Earth’s technologies and knowledge in those industries, has already been able to produce certain ingredients and dishes even by relying only on Garesto’s own resources. Of course, they were still fairly expensive.

Humans that have tasted the lion’s share won’t be able to give it up so easily. That’s why he believed that when importation stagnates due to the worsening relationship between the two worlds, and the prices increase, then the local-world-made goods would begin to sell.

Even if things don’t work out so well, such industries were essential to Garesto.

It wasn’t that expensive if he just considered it to be an up-front investment.

Money was something that came by using it, that was his personal doctrine.

“…Fuu, the report is taking awhile. They should already be withdrawing according to the schedule, but… They’re not very accommodating, I see…”

Just as the married Ronan couple knew that he only thought of making money, he also knew that the volunteer army was being run by idealists.

Normally, he wouldn’t bother to recall the silly things that the youth say, but the show he was looking forward to today was overtaken by a news flash, so he was in a bad mood.

“A bunch of fools that can’t read the signs of the times. They keep harping on about how they’re doing it for Garesto, and yet look at them! They’re so slow!”

With their sense of values completely opposite each others, he naturally shunned both the leaders and the henchmen, but he did understand that such ideals were necessary to move people.

Yet despite that, this old man was cold enough to immediately cut them off if they failed to produce results.

That’s why his guards left him and were waiting somewhere else.

Although that was partly because this place was safe, it was also because they didn’t want to be fired just because this old man was triggered by something trivial.

“Just thinking about them makes the alcohol taste bad…”

If the results of the battle were bad, then he figured he would have to give them a stern warning once, but that just made him more irritated, so he took a ham from the plate and ate it.

The aroma that spread in his mouth and the umami that assaulted his tongue made all of those unpleasant feelings go away.

“Ah, yes, that’s the stuff… Only fools don’t know this taste.”

But when he reached out for another piece, for some reason, the only thing he caught was air.

For a moment, he wondered if he’d misjudged the distance, so he reached his hand out again, but…

“Nuo!? W-What!?”

The table started floating, and then the side dishes also started floating, and when they fell, they vanished one after another without a trace.

In the face of such a strange sight, Gaen froze up in shock.

『Oh, that was a good meal. I haven’t eaten lunch yet, so I really appreciate it. 』

As the sound of a plate falling and cracking resounded, a black mist appeared and laughed.

Gaen wanted to scream and call for his guards, but before he could, his mouth was covered by the incomprehensible black mist, and fear filled him.

He tried to reach for his weapon terminal, but that was deflected with a powerful force, and he was slammed into the ground.

“Ugu!?”

『 As thanks I’ll tell you something good. All the squads that attacked Kutoria have been apprehended and are safe and sound(・・・・・・・・・・). 』

“Fuguu!?”

What? Gaen seemed to say as his eyes opened wide in shock.

At the same time, he realized that this eerie thing knew about his relationship with the volunteer army.

But the gratuity information of this thing didn’t end there.

『 Also, I just destroyed the volunteer army’s base in Earth. The Ronan couple spilled everything, so I’ve already informed the various investigation agencies. I made sure to send the evidence and locations of the bases in Garesto too. In a few days, I’m sure they’ll round everyone up. Of course, there are things that show your connection to them too. 』

“Fugu, fuga, uuu!!”

The black mist chuckled, and the old man tried to resist.

If the information the black mist had on him was really that thorough, then there was no reason for it to go this far.

Anyhow, he needed to do something about this situation, so he pushed the black mist that was leaning over him.

But unlike its mist-like appearance, it was really heavy, and his B rank Strength couldn’t even so much as budge it.

『 Still, you sure are a predictable miser of a merchant. 』

In fact, the black mist didn’t even seem to feel him trying to push it and just continued to talk casually.

At this moment, Gaen realized that the thing before him was an even worse monster than it appeared, and he cowered.

『 You’re much better than those guys that can’t see reality, but because of that, your influence on the situation is also greater. You’re filthy. Secret accounts, tax evasion, illegal manufacturing, Labor Standards Act violations, and now, large-scale terrorism. I’m not with the authorities, so if it were just a little bit, I’d turn a blind eye to you, but… You went too far. 』

“Nnuu!?!?”

Until now the black mist had been talking to him casually, but the tone in its voice suddenly fell.

Something shattered.

A moment later he realized that was none other than the bones of his two legs.

『 Fragile, aren’t they? Have you been taking your calcium? 』

“Nguuu!!??”

The old man screamed from the shock and the pain, but with his mouth blocked, only a mumble leaked.

His wide-opened eyes caught the eyes beneath the mask that were looking down on him, and unlike the jesting remarks would suggest, those eyes were calm without the slightest hint of hate or hostility.

It was as though something like this was merely a part of this creature’s daily schedule.

──I’m going to be killed.

Although Gaen might be like this now, he was still once a soldier, who has risked his life many times to fight against raybeasts and terrorists.

He has also been threatened many times after he started his business.

And yet what was leaning over him was a cruel and apathetic violence with no equal.

This thing clearly thought nothing of his life.

It was doubtful if it even recognized him as a living creature.

──I’m going to be killed.

『 Fortune doesn’t seem to favor you, I see. Normally, I’d hand you over to the relevant authorities, but I need to make an example right now, so I need you to disappear, Jenkins Gaen. 』

The black mist said in a monotonous voice. That was both a last notice and a death sentence.

It was not out of enmity, nor out of righteous indignation, and not because of losses and profits either, no, he was going to be removed purely because he was in the way.

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it just happened to suit this thing’s convenience, that’s why he would disappear.

That was the truth given by this overwhelmingly strong creature, an absurd and unreasonable truth.

──I’m going to be killed!

There was no doubt about it. Gaen just had to happen into this mad man, and as a powerful blow landed into his stomach, an emotionless laughter resounded like a lullaby, and his consciousness vanished into the darkness.

A few minutes later, the guards dropped by to see how he was doing, but they couldn’t find him, so they looked everywhere in a panic, but not a soul had seen the old man.

Comments

6 responses to “I came back but the world is still a fantasy!? – Garesto Academy – Exam Arc: Chapter II – Those Who Take Advantage of the Test – 04-35: On That Day, the World Came to Know the Devil (1/6)”

  1. Anon999 Avatar
    Anon999

    Good way to send a message . Fun fun fun.

  2. Flubaluju Avatar
    Flubaluju

    The man couldn’t even enjoy his last meal c’mon Shinichi

    1. StellarAgent Avatar
      StellarAgent

      Shin enjoyed it for him. Even said it tasted good.

  3. PurpleTea Avatar
    PurpleTea

    I kinda feel pity to the old man, he was just being a “smart version” of his species.

  4. Mikan Avatar

    wait wait, he is going to make him disappear, but wasn’t he a no kill one?

    1. Dancer Avatar
      Dancer

      Disappear doesn’t always mean death. Transportation to a place beyond communication or return, or simple life confinement in isolation are sufficient to keep the image intact.

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