The Rising of Tanaka in Another World

To the Imperial Capital

One day, a few days after resuming his daily work at the guild. Tanaka headed to the guild in order to accept requests as usual. There he met Echigoya, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, and had a catch up talk with him. Before he knew it, they had borrowed a room in the guild and continued their friendly chat.

「It’s been a long time since I could have a talk with you in a relaxed manner like this, Tanaka-san.」

「Indeed. It’s just, are you sure you can idle around like this? I thought you have a crazy pile of work to do, though, Echigoya-san.」

「No problem. I’ve already requested another personage to take care of this town, after all. I’ve been vaguely taking care of this town, but as a merchant, it’s not good for me to be involved in such matters for too long.」

「Oh, so you’ve found a successor, huh. I may have refused, but they are akin to my replacement, after all. So I hope you’ve chosen a smart and cool guy.」

Tanaka’s expression turned into a crisp one. Looking at Tanaka’s face that looked as though it was drawn with a thick touch, Echigoya couldn’t help but retorted How can you do that? in his mind. You were lucky that you didn’t say it out loud, Echigoya-san.

「Yes, of course. I’ve decided to ask Omoi-shi, who Tanaka-san also greatly admire, to take up the position, after all.」

「Oh, Sensei, huh. Sensei is indeed qualified for it…. B, but did he not get angry about it? Thinking back on it now, it’s not that I don’t feel like I have pushed everything on him. If Sensei gets angry, it’d be real dangerous, you know? Beneath his seemingly listless smile, there seems to lie unbelievable darkness, after all. It’s not impossible for him to really create a world-destroying machine, or something, after all.」

「I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but don’t worry. That personage can do anything flawlessly, after all. I also learned a lot from him in the past.」

Echigoya responded with a hint of reminiscent of the past.

「Leaving that aside, I never expected that you were acquainted with Omoi-shi, Tanaka-san. I was truly surprised when you showed up to the Office accompanied by that personage.」

「So you were also acquainted with him, huh, Echigoya-san. The high class technique of triggering gap moe of an asocial type character by despite possessing the ability to make his visage broad, in the end he decided to conceal it, highlighting his loneliness and otakuness…. As expected of Sensei!」

「I have a feeling that you’ve just inadvertently said something rude, but…. As much as possible, be sure to refrain yourself from saying those things in front of the person in question….」

It was unknown whether he heard it or not. Tanaka-san kept nodding his head with his eyes closed.

「Come to think of it, I’ve heard that you’ve resumed your work. I’ve heard that the guild staff are raising shouts of joy here and there about it, you know.」

「Hmm, well yeah.」

「I heard that you’ve been accepting a lot of miscellaneous work. Such kinds of work have low rewards, so they tend to pile up one after another, after all. When I was taking care of the town, I had a hard time as these requests didn’t seem to decrease at all, you see. But still, why don’t you take on more rewarding work? For as someone as capable as you are, Tanaka-san, there should be better works there to choose.」

「That may be true. But I’m the type of person who works hard and steadily, after all. Moreover, for me, the modest smiles that people give me are a greater reward than money. Phew…. By the way, I don’t mind if you spread these word to all the beautiful women or something you are acquainted with.」

「Haa.」

As usual, he was a man who was walking on his own path. Echigoya could do nothing but offer such a dull response. Perhaps it was because Tanaka-san’s sincerity had left him speechless. The man who in his childhood once called himself ‘Konryuuzen’ in reference to a hero of the past for his intelligence and virtue, had not lost his brilliance even now.

「Moreover, I’d like to refrain from suffering bad experiences due to the temptation of money, after all. I’ve heard that these days there seems to be more and more shallow people who are aiming to hit a jackpot in a single shot without consideration of the risk, so I’d like to clearly tell them this. ‘You’re underestimating the world too much. Look at reality more.’ As such.」

「I don’t think there are any such types of people in this town, but if there are, I’d like to ask you to give them a proper warning, Tanaka-san. If it were your words, I’m sure they will put it to heart, after all.」

Recently, there was a shallow man in this town who schemed to make a killing by mass-producing entertainment products, and lunged straight to bankruptcy, so please clearly tell them so that such a mistake would never occur again in the future.

「By the way, there’s something I honestly want to consult you with, Tanaka-san.」

「Hmm, consultation from Echigoya-san? D, don’t tell me! Could it be that you’re finally inviting me to that? The legendary event where unrewarded men could have an encounter with beautiful women… get-together. I thought for sure that it was nothing more than an urban legend, but to think that it actually existed…. No, it’s nothing, nothing. Phew, but still, as expected of Echigoya-san. For you to invite me to a get-together, not bad. By no means bragging, but it can be said that I’m quite well-versed in get-together, after all.」

As usual, Tanaka-san seemed to be brimming with confidence. Would he finally be able to unleash the power of his legendary class hidden skill ‘staying silent at drinking parties’?

「I’m sorry to say it while you’re arbitrarily getting excited by yourself there, but that’s not what I want to consult about. Well, if you are fond of that sorts of things, I don’t mind arranging one for you, though….」

「Really?! Seriously?! Well, it’s something I’d like to give it a try, you see. Kukuku, it has finally come, huh. My time has–.」

In the face of Tanaka, who was already in a state of euphoria, Echigoya continued the conversation in a reserved manner.

「Umm…, what I want to consult about isn’t get-together, but there’s a work I’d like to commission you, Tanaka-san.」

「What, a work, huh. I’ve been doing nothing but daily work lately, after all. I haven’t accepted any work for the day, so no problem.」

「The work I’m going to ask you this time is a difficult one. And depending on the situation, it may even end up taking quite a lot of time. Please take that into consideration.」

「No problem!」

It was unknown whether he even considered it or not, but Tanaka decided at once. Most likely, everything was trivial in front of a get-together.

「I believe that other than you, there is no one else who can make this work a success. Please, I’m counting on you.」

「What’s with the sudden change of tone? Let’s do it in a jiffy like usual.」

In contrast to Echigoya who was humbly bowing his head, Tanaka was acting as usual. After chatting for a while, Echigoya, who had regained his usual demeanor, moved on to talk about the work.

「Now then, about what I’d like to do first—」

The next day, the merchant group led by Echigoya departed Nanashi town. Several wagons carrying a large amount of food were heading for the Imperial Capital. The wagons carrying the guards were following close after, but there was no sign of Tanaka.

A few more days later. Tanaka departed the town alone, without Suke-san and Kaku-san.

◇ ◇ ◇

In a room of an inn in a certain town–. A girl was lost in thoughts with a document in her hand. What she was pondering about was the future of demons.

The demon tribes that had been living scatteredly all across the barren land had formed a force, and over time, it was expanding to the point where it could affect the fate of the entire demon race. What they wished for was the fertile land that their ancestors once possessed. Many of these hardliner demons were willing to stand up for the revival of the Kingdom of the demon, even if it meant fighting against humans.

If they were to start to move following that line of thinking, there would undoubtedly be countless numbers of casualties on both sides, human and demon alike, whether the revival of the kingdom of demons was achieved or not. The one who deemed that such a future was not a good one was this girl, Torte.

She rallied those who endorsed herself and formed a new faction. It was the so-called moderate faction.

Thus, the hardliners had been striving to accumulate power to fight humanity, while the moderates had been preventing them from expanding their influence.

As a result of repeated scheming and plotting on countless occasions. The expansion of their influence seemed to have reached its limit far before they had the power to wage war. However, recently, the hardliners had begun to show movements unlike how they had been before.

「What in the world are they planning to do…?」

As Torte muttered as such, there was a well-timed knock on the door.

「Come in.」

The one who came in was her most trusted subordinate, the combat maid Eclair.

「We’ve received a report from the lurking Red Demon. The king has begun to show movement.」

「He’s also finally making a move, huh…. I wonder what he’s up to now.」

Torte stood up and gave an order of departure.

「What’s his destination?」

「Probably the Imperial Capital of Haru Empire, Oedo—」

Various thoughts assembled as if being attracted to something. Whether the one lied in there was hope or despair. Or perhaps it might even be a get-together.