In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 13 Read online

  I hoped Sue was keeping an eye on her own health, I didn’t want her overdoing it. I leaned over and took Sue by the hand before pouring my magic back into her ring.

  “Don’t train too hard, alright? Leen said you’re in the middle of a growth period right now, so overexerting your magic could have an adverse effect on you when you’re more mature.”

  “I got it, geez... You always worry about me, Touya!”

  “Of course I worry about you. You’re one of my brides-to-be.” It was true that I had a habit of fretting about Sue more often than others, though. She often ran headlong into danger. She wasn’t the kind of person to ruminate on things for a while, she just went for stuff. It wasn’t a bad trait to have, but it did kind of lead to her being a little hardheaded.

  I was glad she was passionate, I just didn’t want that passion to be detrimental to her. It was good to be focused on things, too.

  “You’re always worried about me, Touya... You get worried about the others, too. But don’t you know how much more worried we were when you went to that other world...?”

  “I know... I’m sorry.” I knew it well, they’d all made a point to tell me.

  When I went to the other side and vanished from this world entirely, they must have been extremely nervous. I felt extremely guilty, especially for making a girl as young as Sue be so worried for my wellbeing.

  “That reminds me, Touya... I’ve been talking with my mother.”

  “With your mother?”

  “Mhm. My mother was blind for such a long time, so she couldn’t go outside due to how dangerous things could be. Then she regained her eyesight thanks to you, and the world opened up to her again... But now she has a baby in her tummy, so she can’t really go out and overdo it again. So I was wondering if there was anything we could do for her to cheer her up without her having to leave the house.” Ellen had been rendered bedridden and blind for a long time thanks to her affliction. It must have been liberating to finally be freed from that, but then she went and got pregnant which meant she couldn’t afford to strain her body...

  It was no surprise to hear that would make her a little depressed.

  “What does Ellen like to do?”

  “She likes to watch stage plays! Father tried to call in a theater troupe to our home once, but mother stopped it. She said to call a performance for only one person would deprive another audience of the theater’s splendor.” Man... Calling a private theater performance for your house? Talk about luxury... Pretty amazing of Ellen to refuse it, though.

  If we did a stage production for her at home, that would certainly remove the need for her to go outside... But she wouldn’t want something like that, so it wouldn’t feel enjoyable for her.

  “Hm... Maybe I can fix something for her.”

  “Really?! Amazing, Touya...! Thank you so much!”

  “To be honest it won’t be me sorting this. There’s an artifact Doctor Babylon has that I think we can make use of.” Sue’s eyes were still sparkling with joy as I gave her a wry smile. I felt a little pitiful, though.

  The artifacts in the storehouse were certainly incredible, but they had pretty specific uses. There were many fantastic things in there that just didn’t really have applications in daily life.

  “Alright. I’ll go get things prepared. Would you mind if we did it tonight?”

  “Hmm... I’ll ask father and mother, but I’m sure it’s fine!” Sue smiled before bolting out of the clinic. I needed the kings of Belfast, Refreese, and Regulus to introduce me to the major theater troupes of their countries. The major theaters were basically state-owned, so this wouldn’t be an issue.

  The problem was probably more in the kings themselves... They could be pains at times. Also, the artifact I needed to use to make my plan work was vital. I needed to produce some more at the workshop.

  I used [Teleport] to leap off to Babylon immediately.

  “Now then... Please try putting a little magic power into this crystal ball.”

  “Like this...? Oh!” Ellen reached out toward the small baseball-sized orb in front of her. As she let her magic flow into it, it began to light up and project the image of a stage performance into the air in front of it. The dim room was then filled with the very atmosphere of the theater.

  “Ooh! I can hear them and see them...! It’s like I’m really there!”

  “Amazing... Did you record this on your smartphone, Touya?” Sue and her mother looked on in amazement as the theater began to unfold in their home. Ellen’s eyes lit up as she watched the play unfold.

  “This is different from one of my recordings. It’s a live feed... Or rather, this artifact lets you see the inside of a theater from a far distance away. It works similarly to our Frame Gears’ cameras. The camera faces toward the stage, so I guess you could say it’s like being in a cockpit.” The artifact was called the Overseer’s Eye. Originally they were used for watchtowers and defense. Some were even installed into the underside of Babylon.

  I decided to co-operate with the leaders of each nation in order to visit their respective major theaters. Then I had them install a statue in the best viewing location, and have the monitoring artifacts installed into the eyes.

  Thanks to that, the stage plays could now be viewed on demand from afar.

  There were six different crystal balls that could be swapped out on to the pedestal, allowing a view of six different stages. All you had to do was swap them out, kind of like a TV remote control.

  Ellen sat on the couch and held her hand against her stomach.

  “See, mother...? Now you can watch the theater even at home. I’m so happy...”

  “Sue... Thank you so much for this. And to you, Grand Duke... I can’t put into words how much this means to me.”

  “Nah, please don’t worry about it... I didn’t really do much this time, honest.” Doctor Babylon had already invented the orbs, and I had relied on the kings to grant me permission. I was really just a middleman in facilitating all of it.

  I also decided to give those kings their own Overseer’s Eyes, so they could tune in as well. They’d probably watch the same performances as each other over the next couple of days.

  I smiled and let the mother and daughter talk for a bit before handing a sheet of paper to Duke Ortlinde.

  “What’s this?”

  “This is a schedule for all the major theaters. It’ll tell you what shows are airing, which theater, and at which time. I’ve arranged to have an updated schedule sent to you every month.”

  “I see... We’re truly thankful. For you to go this far for my family, even though you’re a head of state... Forgive us for our demands.”

  “Sue asked for it, so I don’t mind at all.” Besides, I wanted to do something nice for my future mother-in-law. Though I did want her to avoid watching anything too intense, since I didn’t want her or the baby becoming agitated.

  “When you’re born, we’ll all watch the shows together. And I’ll get to hold you, so don’t worry... I can’t wait to see you...” Sue smiled and spoke toward Ellen’s tummy. The child would end up being my brother or sister-in-law. I hoped that they’d grow up to become as wonderful as Sue.

  Ellen got a little queasy now and then, but her pregnancy had been alright. I ended up making some rice porridge for her and gave Duke Ortlinde plenty of citrus fruits to keep her in good health. Morning sickness wasn’t unnatural, so [Recovery] didn’t help to alleviate it.

  Husbands had it rough during pregnancies, but not as rough as their wives. Still, their lack of power to ease sicknesses and aches must have been frustrating. They had to do everything within their power to support their wives, regardless.

  Eventually, I would have to experience the same feeling, too. Though that wouldn’t be for a good while yet. It definitely seemed like raising a child would be difficult, but I also knew in my heart that it would be truly rewarding.

  As I thought of a future yet to come, I left Duke Ortlinde’s estate.

  Af
terword

  Here we are again. I hope all of you enjoyed volume thirteen of In Another World With My Smartphone.

  There was a lot of stuff going on in this volume, so we only included one interlude right at the very start.

  In the webnovel, Aer doesn’t fully settle into Brunhild until a bit later, but the circumstances seemed fair enough to mix up the plot structure here. I didn’t change much of the main story, but I added a small part with Sue toward the end and a few tweaks here and there.

  Actually, while I was working on the manuscript for this volume, I worked myself to physical exhaustion and ended up hospitalized. I need to take better care of my health. Everyone, please don’t forget to take it a little easier in the harsh summer months. I’ve been discharged from the hospital now, but I don’t want to go back in there any time soon.

  The Brunhild Festival was the main attraction of this volume, so I hope you all had a good time there. Have you ever been to a festival before?

  In Sendai, there are a lot of festivals. There’s Tanabata, the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival, the Michinoku YOSAKOI Festival, and a lot of others like that. I’ve lived in Sendai for a long time now, but I haven’t actually gone to any of them...

  Because I live nearby, I always tell myself that I can go any time I want... But I guess I just never did. Then again, the combination of the summer heat and the busy crowds often makes me feel ill. I get a bit light-headed in busy places.

  Little town festivals or smaller events are nice, though. I’ll often drop in for a candy apple or a crêpe.

  I was thinking about going this year, but... the hospitalization kind of messed that up, so it would probably be best if I skipped on it again.

  My health really wanes in summer... That’s actually why my pen name, Patora Fuyuhara, has the ‘冬’ (Fuyu) part in it because I have more of an affinity for winter.

  Anyway, let me get to my special thanks.

  To my illustrator, Eiji Usatsuka, I love the cover illustration for this volume. You really brought it to life. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

  Tomofumi Ogasawara, thanks for handling the mecha designs as usual. I love how you made the purple crown look. I’m looking forward to seeing how your interpretations of the other crowns come out later on.

  As always, K... I’m sorry for causing you any inconveniences, but I’m really happy to work with you. I look forward to hearing from you next.

  And, once again, to everyone at Hobby Japan editorial department involved with this book’s publication, you have my deepest thanks.

  But I can’t forget to thank you, dear reader, and everyone who first stumbled upon my story while browsing Shousetsuka ni Narou.

  Patora Fuyuhara

  Bonus Short Story and Column

  Bonus Story: Chivalrous Thieves in Another World

  “Oh crap, a guard! Hurry, follow me!”

  Five shadowed figures stood on a rooftop and watched the lone guard run toward the voice. The man was unaware he was being lured away on a wild goose chase.

  “Heh, looks like he fell for the decoy...”

  The voice had been nothing but a distraction, and now their obstacle was negated. The leader of the Red Cats, Nia Vermouth, grinned broadly and began to laugh.

  “Nia, don’t let your guard down yet. We aren’t done here,” Est Floatier, the deputy leader, quickly reprimanded her commander. She’d known the girl long enough to know she often got ahead of herself.

  “We managed the job faster than I expected.”

  “Well, we do have this little fella on our side...”

  Euri and Euni, two high-ranking members of the Red Cats, grinned as they gestured toward a little humanoid that stood nearby. It was a small, child-sized Gollem that was clad in red armor. At first glance, it looked like a standard automaton, but this little guy was Blood Rouge, the red crown. The crown series of Gollems were at the apex of Gollem power.

  Rouge was carrying a small safe on his shoulder, one it had pilfered from the mansion. The safe contained some valuables, but it also contained documentation and evidence of illegitimate business transactions, along with embezzling. If they were ever leaked, then the merchant who lived in the mansion would lose the backing of the nobles who supported him, and he’d likely be ruined.

  “Any issues, Rouge?”

  “Negative. All systems nominal.”

  Rouge had been damaged in a clash with another crown and had recently been repaired thanks to the help of a mysterious stranger.

  This mission was also being used to test whether or not Rouge was operating smoothly again.

  “I’m glad that Touya guy managed to fix you... But I really wonder what was up with that guy.”

  “Yeah, he had a ton of valuable metal and could use all kinds of magic... He was definitely a weirdo, but I don’t think he’s bad.”

  There weren’t many in the world that could use magic. Gollems were typically used as magical tools instead. It was a cheaper long-term investment to buy a Gollem than it was to hire the services of a mage.

  “Weird or not, he still helped us. We’ll have to be sure to repay him whenever he comes back.”

  “Yep. So let’s make money while we can.”

  “Let’s get out of here, anyway... Don’t wanna run into the guards.”

  “Roger.”

  At Est’s urging, the five shadowed figures made their escape. And, as they vanished under the starry sky, the Reverse World felt just a little bit more righteous.

  My First Hospitalization

  My body was quite frail when I was born, but I was pretty proud to say that throughout my life, I’d never had to be hospitalized. However, this year... the end of a long streak finally came.

  It was around eight at night. My stomach really hurt, but I figured it was a regular stomachache. And so, I decided to go to bed early and assumed I’d feel better in the morning. Unfortunately, the pain just kept getting worse instead of getting better. I started to sweat profusely, and my entire body began to feel heavy. It hurt so bad I thought I would pass out.

  I thought of calling an ambulance, but I lived in a peaceful residential area and I really didn’t want to inconvenience my neighbors. That was why I called a taxi and, wincing, I headed toward the emergency room.

  By the time I reached the hospital, I couldn’t move. I’d fainted in the taxi and couldn’t even tell which hospital I’d been brought to. They ended up putting me on a wheelchair to get me inside, and then I was transferred to a stretcher.

  The doctor asked me some vague, impossible to remember questions... I ended up getting a CT scan, and my arm was hooked up to an IV drip.

  The pain continued throughout this experience. It wasn’t as bad as it was when it peaked in the taxi, but I still felt terrible. They ended up deciding I needed to be hospitalized.

  I sat in the bed, tossing and turning, as pain ran through my body in dull waves. I couldn’t get to sleep at all, and the aching continued through until morning.

  The next day they used a gastrocamera on me, but it was so uncomfortable that I required a sedative. They injected me, and I was unconscious in moments. I ended up waking up thinking it was about to happen, but it was already finished. Then, I was put through a series of test before being x-rayed and sent back to bed.

  For the next three days, I was in the sickbed, battling with the waves of pain that wracked my body... But gradually the pain did begin to abate. Over the course of those days, I didn’t eat a single thing, but strangely, I didn’t feel hungry either. The pain kind of distracted me from that and the IV drip was keeping me nourished.

  On the fourth day, I was able to eat a light meal, and they said they’d be able to discharge me. I remember savoring that dreary meal and thinking about how tasty it was.

  There was a little pain, but it wasn’t unbearable. I was finally discharged on the fourth night. I ended up losing around 4kg, as well.

  And... according to the examination, they couldn’t determine the
source of the sudden pain. There was nothing particularly wrong with my stomach, apparently. The doctor said that it might’ve been stress-induced, but if anything, the whole hospital stay made me more nervous and stressed than anything else.

  Either way, since that day I’ve tried to be careful with what I eat, and I’ve also tried to be more relaxed in general. It wasn’t exactly an experience I’m keen to repeat.

  The funniest part is that the manuscript for this volume was actually sent out during my hospital stay, so I’m glad I still managed to get it done on time.

  But please, if you’re reading this... take care of your body. Health is absolutely paramount.

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  Copyright

  In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 13

  by Patora Fuyuhara

  Translated by Andrew Hodgson

  Edited by DxS

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 Patora Fuyuhara

  Illustrations Copyright © 2018 Eiji Usatsuka

  Cover illustration by Eiji Usatsuka

  All rights reserved.

  Original Japanese edition published in 2018 by Hobby Japan

  This English edition is published by arrangement with Hobby Japan, Tokyo

  English translation © 2018 J-Novel Club LLC

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.