Stranger’s Handbook Chapter 2

Chapter 2: All alone

h.e.l.lo, this is the old boy who wet himself.

I am all right.
I am all right because it hasn’t been exposed.

It appears that one of the knights was waiting for me in front of the room.

“I’m sorry to have made you wait!”

“Don’t worry about it! It’s over there.”

I go towards the direction he pointed his finger at.

A corridor made of stones.
It really looks and feels like the bas.e.m.e.nt of a medieval European castle.
The smooth walls are neatly refined, it seems.
Is this a carpet on the floor?
This imposing blue-green cloth…

Are these electric lights?
These systematically arranged lights that go off at equal intervals.

Is this j.a.pan? Are there j.a.panese organizations that could construct such a medieval castle bas.e.m.e.nt like place? Or am I in a foreign country?
An organization that can easily take out 10 people or so without using pa.s.sports, huh!?…

No matter how you look at it, it’s uncommon.

“Err! Would it be ok for me to speak?”

“You must not! Be silent and move!”

“……Understood!”

Hmmm
I was bluntly and coldly refused without feeling any sort of anger in his voice…

The incident from some time ago and the interaction just now.
These knights have high pride and act according to a clear purpose. Or so it seems.

And as I was thinking, are we by any chance in the middle of a testing or cla.s.sifying process?

“By the way, why did you stay in that room until the end?”

The knight following me inquired.
How do I answer?

“Well, since I realized that you, people, have no intention to cause us any harm, I stayed behind to deal with those who might have gone against your indications.”

“I see. Continue!”

“With all due respect, you killed two men and held your swords covered in blood for everyone to see. Most certainly, due to the inflicted terror everyone would have obeyed your instructions nonetheless. But there were young women inside that room too.”

“I see. Fear is likely to create confusion and the possibility to black out.”

“Yes, it is exactly as you said.”

“Why did you think that we don’t intend to harm you?”

“That is because you need us for something. Or, you are looking for a skilled person.”

The knight halted in his steps.

“You don’t intend to harm us? That’s slightly different, isn’t it!? You don’t intend to harm us pointlessly! Isn’t that so?”

I turned my head to the knight while asking the question….
Ah!

He was laughing with a dreadful grim face…..
Did I mess up?

“Hahahaha…! You come this way. Follow me!”

You…..?
It seems that this way I won’t be able to catch up with the others.

After walking a short while, the knight entered a room.

The room was about 20-jou (tatami mats).
Is this a guest room? It has furniture and all.
Chairs, a table, a bed and the sort…
It’s a fully furnished room, huh?

“Put these on first.”

Hearing this, a pair of trousers and a s.h.i.+rt were handed over to me.
There’s no underpants!

There’s no underpants…

“You’ll wait right here after you finish putting those on.”

The knight left the room at a quick pace.

“Fuu….”

A sigh escaped me.
Earthquake
Naked bodies
Murder
So many things occurred again and again…

There’s simply no way not to feel tired.

What will happen from now on, I wonder……
Their objective is unclear.
Their organizational capabilities are also unknown.
This place is also unidentified.

I….might die as well, huh….
Nay, I guess I will die for sure…..

I see no possibility for me to escape with my life no matter how positively I’m looking at this situation.
I bet their objective is something dangerous and terrifying as well.

They even took all the trouble to kill someone too.
It is certain that they’re not some sort of volunteers or part of a peace organization.

I found myself sighing again while lowering my body on the sofa.

“Haa….”

I pray that it maybe won’t hurt too much….

While thinking that, I examined a water jug.

After all this time, they won’t be introducing poison in the equation as well, right…..

Second only to the silver water jug, is a little dirty silver cup.
By the look of it, it’s ordinary water.

I’d like to drink some coffee…..I was thinking while sipping some of the tepid water.
I remember the coffee left in my car.
Cigarettes and coffee alike….I guess I won’t get to savor them anymore.

Gacha

The one who opened the door and stepped into the room was an old man dressed in expensive-looking clothes.

“So you’re the otherworlder hero candidate?!”

This……
I’m going to die…….probably……