[23] Lunchtime Symphony Naps and Vivaldi

"Master, I think it's around lunchtime. Shall I prepare it?" Lisa asked.

"Oh, right."

"It will be ready shortly, so please head to the dining room. Eva, can you help carry the dishes?"

"Yes!" they both replied.

After lunch and tidying up, it was time for our usual disk game.

Today's performance features the *Something* Chamber Orchestra playing Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," alongside a renowned violinist and orchestra presenting Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. The program also includes Smetana's "Moldau" performed by the *Something* Symphony Orchestra, and it concludes with Ravel's "Boléro." The orchestra is from Berlin, conducted by Karoyan—or was it Karajan?

I've heard that experiencing such music at a young age is beneficial for emotional development. "Today is all about music. Feel free to close your eyes and listen," I said.

As the pleasant melodies filled the air, I began to feel drowsy. I noticed the children around me had also succumbed to sleep. It's not exactly prenatal education, but I reasoned that good music, even if it puts you to sleep, must surely be good for the soul.

Only Lisa swayed to the rhythm of the music, clearly enamored with it. She seemed to have a taste for fine restaurants and an air of sophistication suggesting a background of privilege—though it's pointless to speculate about her past.

When a piece ended, I realized we needed to change the disc, but feeling lazy, I decided to instruct Lisa on how to swap it out while I indulged in a proper nap.

---

After passing through the city in a carriage, Sanzenin Hana couldn't shake off the curiosity about the classical music she had heard. The next day, on her way back from training, she was determined to find the estate where the mesmerizing music had echoed. However, to her disappointment, she found that no classical melodies could be heard anywhere that day.

The next day, on the way back from training, the carriage passed through the estate district, and once again, classical music filled the air. The music grew louder, unmistakably the piece was Boléro. This world had Earthlings living in it, leading civilized lives!

Now was the moment to leap from the carriage and seek refuge in that mansion. Anyone living in such a world couldn't be an ordinary person. It might cause trouble, but I refuse to abandon my kind. I want to believe that. Even if they were Westerners, communication in English should be possible. And even if I were captured by the temple guards again, as a sage, I shouldn't suffer too badly.

With these calculations in mind, Mikki Hana steeled herself, cast all the reinforcement spells she knew on herself, opened the door, and jumped from the moving carriage.

Emily Yamada and Kazuha Tahara were taken aback when they saw the door of the carriage swing open and Mikki Hana leap out. Seven temple guards, who had been trailing the carriage, rushed after her while the carriage came to a halt, waiting for her to be caught.

"What's gotten into her?" Emily exclaimed.

"Maybe she thought it was all too dull and decided to escape," Kazuha replied.

"Do you really think you can survive alone in this world as a high school girl?"

"I thought you'd be smarter, but maybe the stress has gotten to you."

"If you had lost it while fighting with us as a team, it would have been a disaster, but maybe it's for the best for both of us."

"Yeah, you might be right."

"Tsukasa, I'll close the door to the carriage."

"Keiko, thanks."

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Miyakaisan Hana dashed towards the mansion she believed would provide refuge, but the gate was shut tight. It wasn't too high, so she figured she could easily climb over it. Thanks to a physical enhancement spell, she scaled the gate without difficulty and sprinted across the well-kept front yard toward the entrance. Oddly, the scent of exhaust fumes lingered in the air, but it oddly emboldened her.

Reaching the entrance, she banged on the door, calling out loudly for help.

"Excuse me! Please open this door. I'm a human from Earth! Help me, please!"

When there was no response, she pounded the door again, raising her voice.

"Excuse me! Open this door! I'm a human from Earth! Help me! Help me!"

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

As I drowsily listened to classical music, I thought I heard a hallucination of someone crying, "I'm a human from Earth! Help me!"

"What's that?"

Along with the sound of knocking at the front door, I heard a clear young woman's voice calling for help: "Excuse me! Please open up! I'm from Earth! Help me!" I preferred to avoid trouble, but I couldn't ignore it as expected.

The children stirred awake, and Lisa stood up to look at me.

"I'll go," I said.

Just to be safe, I grabbed my magical staff from the item box and headed for the door. As I slightly cracked it open, the girl pushed her way inside.

Wait, isn't she one of the members of the Hero's Party?

"Sorry! I escaped from the temple. I know it's an inconvenience, but please help me!"

"Aren't you one of the high school girls who was summoned to the temple with me?" I asked her in Japanese.

It seemed that was when she finally recognized me.

"You're that strange man who was taken away by the temple guards back then. I'm sorry for calling you 'strange'!"

"I know you didn't mean any harm, so it's fine. I'll help you, but you look like you're in a hurry. Are you being pursued?"

"Yes, I think the temple guards will be here soon."

"That's definitely a hassle, but I have my own grievances with those guys. I'll deal with them, so you can relax."

Then, I switched to the local language and said,

"Lisa, please take this girl to the living room and serve her some tea."

"Understood."

"Kids, it's dangerous. Go upstairs."

"Yes."

A high school girl had fled to my mansion, claiming she was being chased by the temple guards. Clutching my staff, I stepped out the front door and headed towards the gate.

From beyond the wooden gate, a voice called out,

"I apologize. A young woman has fled here. May we enter to search for her?"

This mansion is situated in a residential area, and since there's no nameplate, they likely don't know who the owner is. My instincts tell me there are about seven soldiers waiting at the entrance.

"We saw her cross the gate and enter your mansion. Open it quickly!"

I didn't want to start a fight, so I replied as gently as possible,

"No one has entered here. Get lost, you fools!"

"What?! We are the temple guards of Akina! If you think you can act tough, you're mistaken.

I won't be held responsible for what happens next! You all, take down this gate!"

"Captain, it seems impossible to break this gate with our swords."

"In that case, kick it down or do whatever you need to smash it!"

"Hey, don't just kick down people's gates like that!"

"Enough already, guys. Should I deal with you myself?"

"Don't make me laugh. What can a rookie like you do?"

If they were like the assassins from before, I wouldn't hesitate to take them down. However, given that this area seems to be an upscale neighborhood, making a scene wouldn't be wise. Instead, I decided to warm some water inside my alchemy workshop and sprinkle it toward the gate. I made sure to throw it from a height that wouldn't let it cool off too much, dousing each intruder with about a bucketful, aiming at their waist height.

"Yow! It's hot! Aaargh!"

The soldiers shrieked and ran off, complaining as they went.

Really, was it that dramatic? It was only 60-degree water. Is that really scalding hot? Just to test it, I filled a bucket with the same 60-degree water and dipped my fingertip in. I thought I'd burned myself at first, but thankfully that was just a thought—so the soldiers outside probably weren't actually hurt. After all, they were wet, and if left alone, they would eventually cool down.

I easily sent them packing, but just in case they decided to come back at night for revenge, I figured it was better to warn them first.

Before that, though, I should hear the story from the high school girl who had rushed in.

Returning to the living room, I turned to the girl sitting stiffly on the sofa.

"The temple soldiers have been dealt with. What happened?"

"Thank you. My name is Misenin Hana. Please call me Hana."

"Lily, huh? I'm Rockwell Zenjiro. You can call me Zen-chan."

"Sure. From the first day when the temple soldiers took you away, claiming you had no job or skills, I thought something was off. But I couldn't just run away, so I've been training until now."

"What kind of training?"

"According to what we were told at the temple, we've been summoned to retrieve an artifact from the lowest level of a newly discovered dungeon. We've been training in magic and martial arts to navigate through its monsters and traps to reach the bottom."

"So that's why we were summoned. I didn't know that. But did you think it was strange enough to run away when I was taken?"

"That's part of it, but I also find it hard to trust people who would easily kidnap someone into another world. To be honest, the main reason might be that I just couldn't get along with the other two who stayed behind."

"That's pretty common."

"Then, the day before yesterday, on my way back from training, I heard a familiar classical piece. I thought maybe someone from Earth lived around here. Today, when I heard the music again, I finally decided to escape."

"I understand the situation. So, what do you want me to do?"

"It's an audacious request, but could you let me stay here? I'll do any job."

"I can allow you to stay, but you should know that there's a TV, a player, and lights here. You can only watch and listen to what plays on the TV from the player. There's also a generator, of course. Do you know why I have all this?"

"Could it be that you, Mr. Rockwell, can travel between Japan and this world?"

"That's correct. Would you like me to send Lily back to Japan right away?"

"You can actually do that?"

"Well, yes."

"So, that means you have far more abilities than we do."

"Actually, I didn't have those abilities at that time, but I was fortunate to have what's called a skill point, which got me through."

"Skill point?"

"Just as I thought, our summoning bonuses were different. But that doesn't matter now; I saw your missing person photos on the supermarket bulletin board. Your parents must be worried. I can send you back to Japan right now. Where do you want to go? If it's a place I know, I can get you there in one jump."

"To be honest, I don't really want to go back to Japan. But I don't want to be a burden here, so I will return."

Her words meant, "Please let me stay here," right? It seemed there were complicated issues like family troubles and school problems involved. Even if I knew about them, it wouldn't change anything, but I also couldn't just send her back against her will.

"Got it. I'll let you stay here, so don't worry," I said. Still, looking at it from a different angle, hadn't I just essentially kidnapped a high school girl? If I did something like that in Japan, I'd be arrested without question and branded as a national criminal. But then again, as long as I was hiding her here, it shouldn't be a problem.

"Thank you very much," Lily said, bowing her head. Her braided pigtails bounced slightly. I recalled that she used to wear glasses, but perhaps her vision had improved due to her job and skills.