Chapter 42

In this world, there were none more ignorant than us .

Having been prohibited from reading books, we didn’t know anything about this world .

To begin with, we didn’t know why it was prohibited either .

Money, politics, geography, history, traditions, culture, religion .

Any one of these, was knowledge that we needed in order to live peacefully, and we didn’t know anything about any one of these .

They, did not allow us the knowledge .

We too, did not try to obtain it .

If it was Akira, what would he have done .

I hated Akira, but I acknowledged that guy’s talent and effort .

And yet, I was… .

「…i, …oi, Satou!」

My consciousness that had sunk into my sea of thoughts had, in an instant, resurfaced .

Asahina Kyousuke-kun, who had his pure white katana lowered, was shaking my shoulders .

「Are you ok?」

「Oh, my bad . 」

「Get a hold of yourself . If you become useless, we’re going to die?」

‘How exaggerated,’ I smiled and got up from the huge rock that I was sitting on .

Currently, we have passed through Retice Kingdom, and were going towards the kingdom that loved peace the most within the human territory, ‘Yamato’ .

Right now, we were taking a break in the forest on our way there .

According to the merchants that we met on our journey, Yamato was similar to Japan…or rather, it seemed to be a country that was founded by the nth hero that was summoned from Japan, so it could be said to be the second Japan .

As one would expect, there was no way that there would be things like science and technology, the established time period was the Edo period, and there was, naturally, Japan’s staple food, rice .

It wasn’t because of something like we wanted to go there because it was similar to Japan, we were going there because we were tired of bread and were yearning for rice…something like that .

「Come to think of it, why did Asahina Kyousuke-kun follow me?」

When I asked him something that I had always wanted to ask, Asahina Kyousuke-kun frowned and didn’t say anything .

「If you don’t want to say it, then you don’t have to? I was just curious . 」

「You might get angry though, is it ok?」

Contrary to his huge body, he was a man who cared about the small details .

The complete opposite of Akira who didn’t care about the small details .

「It’s in order to meet up with Akira . You and Akira are, in some ways, similar, so I thought that I would be able to meet Akira if I followed you . 」

This time, it was my turn to nervously ask Asahina Kyousuke-kun who was nervously reading the look on my face .

「Similar you say, where specifically?」

「…where, even if you asked me that…the feeling that you give off, perhaps?」

Asahina Kyousuke-kun tilted his head to the side in confusion .

No, you’re the one who said that .

I got goosebumps .

Don’t tell me, so the hostility that I felt towards Akira up until now was just hate towards those who were similar to me?

…no, there’s no way .

「Could it be that, you hating Akira was just hate towards those who are similar to you?」

「Ughh!!」

Those words, pierced very deeply into my chest like arrows .

Even though I denied it in my heart and that was that, I was done in by the decisive blow from Asahina Kyousuke-kun .

「T, there’s no way that I would hate a classmate because of something like us being similar?」

「Then, is there any other reason?」

For the first time, I felt that Asahina Kyousuke-kun, who innocently asked that simply due to his curiosity, was frightening .

「Who knows . Now then, break’s over! Let’s hurry!」

「Nn? Aah, yeah . 」

I dodged the question and called out to my classmates who were drinking water and lying down nearby .

They all gave a listless reply and stood up .

「Tsukasa-kun, where was Yamato again?」

Hosoyama-san stood next to me and asked that .

Afterwards, Ueno-san also came .

The two girls did not fight, if anything, they were close .

It seems that the two people who I have almost never seen talking together in class, got along well .

「Aah, Yamato is in the easternmost part of the human territory . It’s next to the elven territory . Retice Kingdom is located far away from those of other species, so it’s not that far away . It may be another day or two days?」

When I answered while calling to mind the map that the merchants let me see, Ueno-san pouted and said this .

「Even though it woulda been easier if there was a car, or an airplane, or at the very least, a bike . I didn’t think that going on foot was this tough . 」

「After returning to Japan, everyone will be deeply moved by the science and technology . 」

Certainly, it there were such things, the travel distance would be farther, and to what extent will the traveling time be shortened .

「…returning, huh . This world is also quite enjoyable, but as expected, the place where we live is in Japan . I can only live in Japan . 」

A boy earnestly nodded .

I, looked up at the sky and muttered in my mind .

I want to go back .

I want to go back to Japan, to my family .

For this reason as well, I will defeat the demon king and bring peace to this world .

More than me being the hero, the demon king needed to be defeated .

Not by Akira, but me, the hero .

And, we will return to the castle triumphantly, join up with the remaining classmates who I entrusted Zeal-san with, and return .

The king definitely had a way of going back .

Akira will walk on his path, and I will walk on mine .

However, in the end, I will be the winner .