8 The Chronicles of Shop Manager Kasatsu Kenpuu
TLNOTE: Kasatsu Kenpuu = 火札剣風 = Fire (火) Cards (札) Sword (剣) Wind (風)
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In this world, there are occasionally those with different world views.
The prime example was that samurai the other day.
Others like the Ignition people Daia was battling against were the same.
Frankly, those with different world views tend to get confused in this world too.
Like, “What was that all about…?”
However, we don’t look down on them for that.
Because after all, they are undoubtedly Ignition Fight fighters too.
Most of them have Ignis Boards too.
The problem arises when we get caught up in their world instead.
When their residents stray into our world, we can just go with it.
But for their people, beings like us outsiders must be hard to comprehend.
Anyway, currently Erea and I were –
“Manager, look over there. It’s a samurai!”
In a place like something out of a period drama film.
Not the typical Edo townscape that comes to mind for period dramas, but more like a rural developed town feeling.
Thinking about it, calling it a Japanese fantasy world might be more accurate than a period drama.
In any case, there were samurai in traditional Japanese clothing all over the place.
It was clear this wasn’t the modern provincial city of “Tenka city”.
“Aren’t you reacting like a foreigner who really loves Japanese culture?”
“I’m a different worlder who really loves Japanese culture, as well as social games and yakiudon noodles.”
“Don’t bring up such an oddly specific genre.”
Though a downcast, Erea’s eyes were sparkling.
At this rate, she might start adding “desu” to the ends of her sentences.
“By the way, where is this? Could it be another world?”
“…No, I don’t think so.”
Erea looks around curiously.
As a different worlder, she must feel some empathy.
But I deny that hunch for a certain reason.
“This is probably related to that samurai who came to the shop before. Meaning there’s some travel possible.”
“I see.”
“It’s what’s called a ‘Hidden Realm’.”
A Hidden Realm is a place that exists in this world, but is isolated from modern civilization.
An easy example is the Gensokyo from the Touhou series.
It’s not a card game!
“In any case, there are various such places around the world. If I recall, there was even an agency specializing in maintaining relationships with Hidden Realm.”
“Huh.”
She doesn’t seem very interested.
Seems she lost interest once she found out it wasn’t another world.
This girl…
“Oh right, would it be okay to stream from here?”
“You know streaming is not allowed, right? This is a Hidden Realm, so it’s a place hidden from the general public.”
In addition to being a shopkeeper, Erea is also a streamer.
Or rather, she does streaming work as part of our shop’s publicity efforts.
She live streams our weekend tournaments and such.
This is actually quite popular, and our shop even has a silver button displayed.
Broadcasting shop tournaments online is very common in this world.
The thinking is that fights are wonderful, and wonderful fights should be shared with many people.
It seems to be a common sense.
So no one would object to having their face shown in a tournament stream – it’s just taken for granted.
““The manager, who calls himself an ordinary person, seems well-versed in Hidden Realm, though?”
“I’m not directly involved with Hidden Realm, but for some reason I frequently get involved with people from them.”
I don’t deal with them directly,
but my name seems to be known in Hidden Realm for some reason. People come to challenge me after hearing it.
A few days after that samurai encounter, I obtained a card related to him, leading to us wandering into this Hidden Realm.
There’s no doubt that samurai was involved.
“Well then, let’s start by finding that samu-“
“Manager dono!?”
Erea was interrupted by that voice mid-sentence.
She turned towards the source.
This girl, as soon as the explanation ended she raised a flag to advance the plot, huh?
“Could it be Manager dono? Why are you here!?”
Self-escape?
“Well, I was out shopping and somehow ended up in this place…”
“Hahaa… as expected of Manager dono, with such a strange reason…”
“Is, is that okay?”
It’s fine, it’s like cultural exchange.
Anyway, after that we spoke with that samurai – apparently named Futaro.
For the record, while called a samurai, he didn’t have a topknot but rather had his hair slicked back and tied at the nape of his neck.
Giving off a refreshing handsome vibe, at least on this side.
So this place was called the “Kenpucho”, a Hidden Realm where samurai who risk their lives in ignition fights live, or so he said.
“If you wish to leave, this lowly one can guide you.”
“Oh, I’m grateful.”
“It was a short Hidden Realm trip.”
No, we’re not leaving yet.
There must be some meaning to us coming here.
These kinds of things happen occasionally.
While I don’t get caught up in major incidents, I do tend to get involved at the turning points of smaller ones.
Like guiding someone going through troubles, much like a previous main protagonist…
In other words, this time:
“Before that, Futaro. You came to my shop to test my strength, right?”
“Eh? Yes, that’s right but…”
“Then – let’s fight.”
“……”
The samurai before me.
Fighting him must be the reason I wandered into this place.
“I want to know just how much stronger you’ve become since then.”
However, the answer I got was:
“My apologies, but I do not have that qualification at present…”
A refusal, as expected.
It seems he has fallen into quite the slump.
Futaro then explained the circumstances.
Apparently, Futaro is the heir to the samurai clan that rules over this Hidden Realm.
He had been out in the outside world training to become stronger as the next head.
But as a result, he seems to have lost his way.
“There were many powerful fighters in the outside world. I thought I could defeat even those strong ones. However…the result was”
“Not favorable.”
“I was but a frog in the well…”
I see, I ponder.
There are countless fighters who agonize like this.
In this world where everyone could be called a fighter, there are few who can be called truly strong.
Even I am simply “one of the strong fighters” in this world.
Which is why answering his plight is difficult.
The simplest method would be to insist on fighting him regardless.
It is in fights that one reveals their true nature.
Surely, he could find his answer through fighting…
“Oh, would it be okay if I show you this?”
It was Erea who spoke up then.
She had been searching for something on her smartphone, and it seems she found it.
It was – an archived stream from Erea’s – no, from our shop’s stream channel?
“It’s an archived stream from one of the shop tournaments.”
“Could that be…”
“Yes, it’s from when Futaro fought the manager.”
Futaro seems to eye it with great interest.
“What might this be?”
“Didn’t you see it when you went to the outside world for training? It’s called a smartphone.”
“I had left matters in the outside world to my boundary guide.”
The boundary guides are from that agency that maintains Hidden Realm relations.
Their official name is the Boundary Guide Union.
Erea then showed Futaro the archived footage.
Futaro was surprised and immediately focused on it.
“Oh, is this a ‘video’ of this lowly one and the manager’s fight?”
“You know about videos?”
“The boundary guide showed me some.”
It seems he has quite the long relationship with this guide.
In any case, as the fight began in the footage, his gaze gradually changed.
I see, this solution seems to have been correct.
Futaro at that time was…sparkly, for lack of a better word.
He had something the current Futaro had forgotten.
“So this is how I used to fight…”
Futaro murmured that, then:
“Manager dono, I shall accept your challenge!”
He took out his Ignis Board and made that declaration.
As a side note, even in these old-fashioned Hidden Realm, they use romanized words normally.
Probably influence from the boundary guides, I’d wager.
“Whew, we made it back.”
“Ah, the meal was delicious.”
After our fight with Futaro, we returned to our original world.
Additionally, once the fight concluded, we were invited to dinner and couldn’t refuse such generous hospitality.
The traditional Japanese cuisine was exquisite.
“But Erea being there really helped. Thanks to that archived stream, things proceeded smoothly.”
“Fufufu, so there was meaning in me accompanying you.”
Erea puffs out her chest proudly as she says that.
She did play a big role this time, so I’ll have to indulge her demands somewhat.
“Still…he really got incredibly strong, didn’t he?”
“He grew. I won this time, but…if there’s a next time, I’ll definitely lose.”
By the next time we meet, he’ll undoubtedly have a new ace monster or a completed deck.
Then I’ll certainly lose to him.
I’m weak to the concept of sales promotion above all else in this world.
At least in my lifetime, I’ve never won a fight involving sales promotion matters.
“But…was it okay to give up ?”
Erea brings that up.
Ah yes, the I bought from Yato chan the other day.
I used that card in our fight, then handed it over to Futaro afterwards.
“It’s fine, that card should be used by him.”
“But you paid a high price for it…”
“Don’t bring up the price.”
When she mentions the price, it does make me think twice.
But it’s common to give away expensive cards to others.
Especially if it’s that kind of “destiny”.
More importantly, there’s an even bigger reason.
“Because that card…”
“That card?”
Erea tilts her head quizzically.
“…has poor synergy with my deck.”
I’ll probably never use it again after this time around.
Meanwhile, for Futaro’s “North Wind” deck, it’s quite the welcomed powerup.
Rather than letting it collect dust with me, it’s better passed to him.
“…What a thankless task.”
“You said it…”
We continue on our way home, having that kind of conversation.
TIPS: Other types of Hidden Realm like fantasy worlds and places like the Youkai Realm also exist.
Lately, with the boundary guides around, there are many from Hidden Realm venturing to the outside, and modernization is progressing within too.
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