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TL: ALT
Chapter 24 – The Story of Maurice and the Gate
“Well, well, well. Welcome, Mariel-kun and Wataru-kun.”
“Excuse me for intruding again. I have something I’d like to ask your advice about.”
Maurice, whom Wataru hadn’t seen in several days, seemed friendlier than expected.
They shook hands and were shown into the reception room.
The smile on his face and the curve of his eyes seemed genuine.
He seemed genuinely welcoming.
What kind of change had come over him in such a short time?
Although Wataru felt a little suspicious, he was grateful for the welcome.
He sat down in the offered chair.
Maurice, who was sitting across from him, bowed his head slightly.
“Thank you for the wonderful gift the other day. I was amazed by how delicious the sweets were. Where can I get them? I’d like to order some, if possible.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t meet your expectations. I don’t think anyone else can get them either. As far as I know, no merchant in the royal capital sells them.”
“Oh, so they’re that rare? That’s a shame. Actually, I’ve already eaten everything you gave me. I should have taken more time to savor them.”
“Today, I delivered one of the ingredients to a shop called Vocal. I think they’ll start selling a new product soon. But I don’t think they’ll sell sweets with as much sugar as the ones I gave you.”
“Were those sweets made in a faraway place and transported here using the teleportation circle?”
The topic of teleportation came up casually, and for a moment, Wataru was at a loss for words.
He was unsure how much information he should reveal.
He had, however, consulted with Maurice about them.
Maurice probably knew that Wataru could use them.
There was no need to tell him about another world, but since Wataru needed his cooperation, it would be inappropriate to hide it from him.
Wataru nodded in agreement.
“Yes, it’s a confectionery from a place near my hometown.”
“I have a sweet tooth, so I’d love to visit someday.”
“If you get the chance, please do.”
“Well, before that, I think I’ll try the shop in the capital.”
“Yes, please. It’s a very nice shop even now.”
Wataru decided to prioritize the nearest shop, where he could definitely get the cookies, over a shop in an unknown location that could be reached by teleportation.
Wataru wasn’t stingy, but it would be troublesome to bring cookies to the royal capital for Maurice repeatedly.
Wataru was relieved that he wouldn’t have to find cookies that were exactly the same.
Then, to move the conversation forward, he brought up the main topic of today’s meeting.
“I found the shrine in the capital city. If you hadn’t given me advice, I might not have even looked for it in the first place. Thank you very much.”
“Already? That was much faster than I expected. How did you find it so quickly? Was it a divine revelation?”
“No, I searched thoroughly from the center of the capital city and found it along the way.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be that easy to find. Are you just lucky, or are you being guided by something?”
Maurice asked in a surprised tone.
Wataru and the others had walked around quite a bit, but it wasn’t something that could be found easily.
“You knew where the shrine in the royal capital was, didn’t you?”
“Eh, no, not at all. Why would you think that?”
“My slave, Aire, said that you are a magician.”
“The undefeated gladiator? I’ve heard rumors about you. How careless of me.”
“Hmph, that’s ridiculous. You weren’t even hiding it.”
“It’s not something people would notice, hohoho.”
Aire was quite hostile toward Maurice.
Wataru was nervous about Aire’s rudeness, but Maurice himself didn’t seem to mind.
Was he broad-minded? Did he recognize Aire’s abilities? Or did he simply not care about social status?
He just smiled wryly, showing no particular irritation.
“Why did you lie like that?”
“What? Many people want to investigate the shrine. But it’s not desirable to guide those who are not favored by the gods. If I give them unnecessary help, I might attract the gods’ attention.”
“Attract the attention of the gods?”
“Yes. I originally used magic to deceive the world and take advantage of the shrine. It would be more accurate to say that it was overlooked. If more people used it, my position would become precarious, and I might not be able to use it anymore.”
“So you wanted to make sure they could use the gate?”
“Yes, well, I am a scholar, after all. I have no intention of being a parent bird feeding its fledglings by giving them answers.”
Wataru understands what Maurice is saying, but he feels a little uncomfortable thinking that he is being tested.
However, he understands the necessity of it.
Even if they had paid him and, although they were his former students, he couldn’t treat them lightly.
“So, how many gates appeared in front of you?”
“Six, I think. I’ve already tried moving through three of them.”
“Hmm, so many destinations appeared?”
“Yes. How many can you access?”
“I had three destinations. Very well. Since you’ve proven that you can use the gates without error, I’ll answer your questions to the best of my ability.”
Maurice said with a smile.
Chapter 25 – God’s Intention
Professor Maurice sat back down in his chair and straightened his posture.
He seemed ready to listen seriously.
Although Wataru had already discussed the matter with Mariel, Aire, and Cloche, he still didn’t understand. Perhaps Maurice would be able to explain it to him.
He knew almost nothing about the shrine or the gate, so he had many questions.
“First of all, why are the number of gates you and I can use different?” Wataru asked.
“Hmm. This is deeply related to why the gods created the gates in the first place.”
“Was it originally for the slow-moving race?”
“I’m glad you remember that.”
Maurice nodded in satisfaction at Wataru’s answer.
He had taken time out of his busy schedule to teach Wataru.
It was good that Wataru remembered because forgetting would have been rude.
Wataru had to be careful not to make a mistake.
If all else failed, he would signal to Mariel and the others for help.
Mariel nodded lightly, but Aire seemed unconcerned and unreliable.
Well, he knew she wasn’t interested in such things to begin with.
As for Cloche, she hadn’t been present the last time.
She stood behind him with a puzzled look on her face.
Oh well. It looked like Mariel was the only one he could rely on.
“Such a slow-moving race seems to have traveled to many places. Originally, the same clan split into sub-clans that lived in distant places where they rarely met. In such cases, there’s no reason to make a detour to another place.”
“So, they can only use the nearest points to each other?”
“That’s right. It started as an act of mercy to eliminate inequality, so the gods wouldn’t have wanted faster people to have more freedom of movement.”
“Does that mean I, who can use various places, am considered a slow-moving race?”
“That’s jumping to conclusions. Short-sighted thinking is not good. It’s important to consider various possibilities, question their validity, and then choose the answer closest to the truth.”
“I’m sorry.”
He bowed his head, rebuked by Maurice.
It was indeed a simplistic answer.
Furthermore, according to this logic, everyone except Wataru would also be able to use the gates.
Wataru didn’t notice something obvious if he had thought about it a little, because he wanted to know the answer as soon as possible.
Fortunately, Maurice came to the rescue, guiding the poor student to the correct answer.
“There must be other examples where the use of the gate was permitted. I mentioned it the other day.”
“Teacher, you mean pilgrims and believers, right?”
“You remembered well, Mariel-kun.”
“It was an interesting story, so it left an impression on me.”
Maurice praised Mariel.
If he had kept his cool, he could have answered that himself.
Wataru lost his composure and made a fool of himself.
“Those who act according to the will of a deity, including their followers, can also use the gate. In this case, only gates that align with the deities’ intentions can be used.”
“So, you mean that the gods want me to do something?”
“That’s just a guess. Wataru-kun, I think the gods have some kind of expectation of you.”
“The gods have expectations of me?”
“It’s quite unimaginable that you can use six gates in the royal capital.”
Suddenly, he couldn’t keep up with the rapid developments.
But, upon further thought, it wasn’t entirely implausible.
It had always been a mystery to him.
He wasn’t particularly intelligent or physically gifted. Why, then, did he find himself in such a special situation?
He had gained a fortune and met attractive women like Mariel.
He had also made friends he could trust at the Welcome Trading Company.
Was it just a matter of luck?
Could it be dismissed as a coincidence?
There were days when he felt uneasy about his good fortune.
He was so happy that he thought it would be more natural if something were to happen to him.
But if God had a plan for him, then he could accept it.
“So, do you think I have some kind of mission?”
“It’s just that it would be natural to think so. As I’ve said many times, it’s not good to jump to conclusions.”
“I’m sorry. But it’s my life, and I’m curious. Is there anything else you can think of?”
“For example, it’s possible that your ancestors were blessed by the gods, and you inherited that blessing.”
“My ancestors?”
His grandparents were devout believers who revered the gods and Jizo, but he had never heard of them having any supernatural experiences.
They had lived ordinary lives.
They would probably continue to live ordinary lives in the future.
They were people he loved and cherished.
But when asked if they were favored by the gods, he had his doubts.
As for his parents, he didn’t even want to think about them. They were definitely not the kind of people who would be blessed by the gods.
“It’s hard to imagine,”
“Then the possibility that you have a mission is a little higher.”
“What do the gods want from me?”
Wataru asked Maurice, feeling a mixture of strong interest and anxiety.
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