Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Encounter

Well, what should I do now? Mom told me to go to sleep, but I don't feel like sleeping anymore. For now, why don't I explore the house? Seeing things in person is completely different from just remembering them.

Thinking that, I got out of bed and noticed a pair of shoes next to it. It seems like we wear shoes inside the house here.

Trying them on, I realized they were made of some kind of woven grass. It's a little prickly, but I'll endure it for now. There's no way this is the only type of shoes in this world.

I opened the only door in the room I was in and peeked outside, seeing a dead-end to the right with an open window. In front of me was another room, and to the left was a staircase going down.

First, I'll try opening the other door.

"Excuse me."

I said that in a small voice and gently opened the door. Somehow, I felt like I was secretly peeping into someone else's house.

The other room was like a storage room. Even I couldn't understand it well now, so maybe it's better not to go in here.

Let's go downstairs next. Thinking that, I went down the creaky staircase, and there was a straight, short hallway. There was one door at the end of the hallway, two doors on the right side, and one door on the left side.

When I opened the door on the right side, the first door was the toilet, and the second door had a desk and chair, and it looked like a living room.

When I went inside, I could see that there was another door at the back of the living room. It was locked, so I opened it with a key and there was a small garden and a well. It was separated from the neighboring houses and the back houses by a wooden fence, and there was a fence of trees so that you couldn't enter the garden from the road in front of the house, so it felt like a courtyard.

I see buckets and other objects propped up, and a string threaded through them, connecting the house and the wooden fence. It looks like they use this area to do laundry. As far as I remember, they wipe themselves with cloth using these buckets...

I can't even imagine having to resort to that as the only option. Is there no bath in this world? If that's the case, I wonder what I should do...

However, I refuse to believe that there isn't a bath somewhere in this world. Once I become more familiar with my surroundings, I'll make it my mission to find a bath.

I decided to open the door on the left side of the stairs. I can hear some noise coming from behind the door. It could be my mother and the rest of my family.

Feeling a bit nervous, I opened the door on the left side... and there in the kitchen, I saw my parents cooking.

"Leon, what's wrong?"

"Mom, I am all better now, so don't worry."

Looking at her again, she was a beautiful mother. She had blonde hair, amber eyes, and looked like she was still in her twenties. In Leon's memory, she was a kind but scary mother when angry.

"Leon, are you okay? I was worried when you fell down the stairs and hit your head."

"Sorry for making you worry, Dad. I'm totally fine now!"

"I'm relieved. That's great news."

Dad's face relaxed as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and a very kind-looking personality. In reality, he was very family-oriented and kind.

"Jean, if you don't start moving, we won't make it to the store's opening on time!"

"Sorry, Roana. I'll get to it right away." 

As I looked at my parents, I couldn't help but smile wryly. It seems like my mother is the strong one in our family. But I could see that my father loves my mother very much. Even though he's getting scolded, he's still grinning.

"Mom, where's Marie?" I asked. I wanted to meet my younger sister in person. As the eldest child in the Ichigaya Ryosuke family, I always looked up to having younger siblings.

"Marie is cleaning up the cafeteria. If you're feeling better, Leon, come and help too," my mother replied.

"Okay."

"Marie! Leon is going to help out too!" My mother called out towards the cafeteria. The cafeteria and the kitchen are separated by a counter, but they are connected.

"That's great! It would have been tough alone," Marie's voice can be heard. I returned from the kitchen to the hallway and opened the door at the end of the hall, which led to the dining room.

"Big brother, are you okay now? Does it still hurt?"

"I'm okay now. Sorry for worrying you."

"Big brother, you're such a klutz!"

While saying that, Marie puffed up her cheeks. I couldn't help but stare at her as she looked like a doll with her amber eyes and brown hair. She's too cute, I have to be careful not to commit a crime...

Marie is only five years old, but she is already helping out at the store and seems to be becoming the store's leading girl. I vowed in my heart to protect Marie from strange people. I've already become a doting older brother.

"Big brother, big brother! What's wrong with you? Are you still having a headache?"

Oh no, it seems like staring at Marie made me look unwell, and I've worried her.

"I'm completely fine now. So, shall we start working, Marie?"

"Really?"

Marie looked at me with suspicion, but she seemed to understand when I nodded my head.

"Then, big brother, please clean outside the entrance. I'll clean inside."

Saying that, Marie handed me a broom for sweeping outside.

"I got it. Then I'll go clean!" 

I said that and picked up the broom, then opened the door that leads outside the dining room. 

"Wow!" 

I couldn't help but let out a loud voice, then hurriedly covered my mouth with my hand. 

But the excitement hasn't subsided yet. I knew it as knowledge from Leon's memory, but seeing it in person is completely different. It's amazing, it's really a different world! 

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened the door was a main street where carriages could easily pass each other. There were many carriages and people coming and going there. Houses were mostly wooden, and two-story houses were crowded together.

However, can one consider it a time slip from just this scene? It is already proven that this is a different world from the fact that magic exists in Leon's memory.

Still, it is very moving. It's not a very beautiful cityscape, not as developed as Japan and dirty, but the excitement of being in a different world cancels that out.

But I have to live here forever... Thinking that way, the excitement fades and I start to think that I would prefer a prettier place.

Well, there's no point in thinking about that now. To psyche myself up, I slapped my cheeks with both hands and took a step to the right. However, there was someone walking from that side, and I collided with them with great force.

And as a result, I fell flat on my butt.

"I'm sorry...ouch?" 

As I looked up to apologize to the person I had accidentally bumped into while enduring the pain, I was at a loss for words in astonishment.

The person in front of me was a knight. Although he wasn't wearing full plate armor, he had a simple armor on, and a sword at his waist. He was a cool-looking person with red hair and brown eyes.

I wasn't sure if there were nobles in this world, but judging from his attire and demeanor, he was definitely an important person. As I hurriedly tried to apologize by sitting up straight on the spot, the man reached out his hand and said,

"Are you alright? I'm sorry for running into you."

After being told that, for a moment, I couldn't understand what was being said and just stood there confused. But then I quickly stood up and apologized.

"I'm sorry too. Did I bump into you? Are you okay?"

Out of habit from when I was in Japan, I responded politely with honorifics. I wondered if the child's speech sounded strange. When I looked up at the man's face, he was furrowing his brow.

Was using honorifics a bad idea after all?

I panicked and wondered, and the man asked me:

"Where did you learn to speak like that? You're a child of this cafeteria, aren't you? I don't think you have any opportunities to learn..."

Is it possible that using polite language regardless of children is not acceptable? Oh no, what should I do...?

"Um... well, an old man in the neighborhood taught me," I said, trying to cover up, but the man still looked perplexed. As I began to worry about what to do, his expression suddenly softened.

"I see, impressive," he said, patting my head. 

I breathed a sigh of relief from the bottom of my heart.

"My name is Frederick. What's your name? And are you okay from the injury?"

"I'm Leon. I'm okay from the injury. Sorry for bumping into you," I answered carefully this time, trying not to sound too polite.

"Leon, I can't stop by now because I'm short on time, but I'll visit you in the cafeteria next time," the man said, smiling.

"Yes, sir! I'll be waiting," I replied with a smile. Frederick-san patted my head again and left.

"Phew, I managed to bluff my way through that," I thought to myself. I need to be more careful from now on...

But why did I speak in honorifics? I don't think Leon would have been able to do it, at least.

Upon careful consideration, I realized that I could fully understand the words everyone was speaking in Japanese and could speak the same way as I do in Japanese.

As for writing, I wondered if it was possible. So I tried writing on the ground, and to my surprise, I was able to write the language of the other world as if I were writing Japanese, and I could read it too.

What does this mean? At least according to Leon's memory, he couldn't read or write.

I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but it seems that I can speak, read, and write the language of this world just like I do in Japanese. It's convenient, and I'm grateful for it, but I need to be careful not to let anyone find out.

While pondering over these thoughts, Marie came out of the house and asked, "Are you finished, big brother?"

Then, for the first time, I noticed it. I hadn't cleaned yet! I hurriedly began sweeping with a broom.

"It's going to take a little longer," I said.

Marie looked at me with a suspicious expression, and gave a dry laugh.

"You were slacking off, big brother."

"I-I wasn't! I'll finish soon, so go inside the house, Marie."

Marie stared at me silently, but seemed to be convinced as her expression softened a bit.

"Then please hurry up. We're going to open soon," said Marie.

"Okay, okay. I'll be done soon," I replied.

Marie said that and went back into the house.

Oh no! I have to clean quickly! I cleaned desperately.