In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 3 Page 3

  “In all honesty, Tokugawa has no obligation to do so much for Takeda. But at this rate, the masked soldiers under Kansukay’s command will ravage our lands. As pitiful as it might sound, the power to save both Tokugawa and Takeda lies in the hands of these Belfastian guests of mine.” Ieyahsu looked at me. And with that, it became my duty to infiltrate Tsutsujigasaki and do something about Yamamoto Kansukay.

  “What are you going to do, Touya?” Despite knowing the answer, Yumina went out of her way to look up at me and ask me that.

  So I’m the one who gets to decide the fates of two lands... Well, it doesn’t really bother me.

  “Sure, I’ll do it. I’ll infiltrate Tsutsujigasaki. I want to go to the Ruins of Nirya with a clear conscience, after all.”

  “Thank you.” Tsubaki bowed her head to me alongside her words of gratitude.

  “Going in with a large group would be a bad idea, so the only ones to go will be me, Tsubaki, and Leen.” Tsubaki knew the inner workings of Takeda and Leen was a fairy with great magic skill, so it was the best choice for a smooth operation. Sadly, Paula couldn’t tag along this time. Once I told her that, the bear plush stomped on the floor in frustration and made her anger very clear. That [Program] is damn impressive...

  “Alright, let’s get to it and...”

  “Wait, wait! Are you really gonna sneak in there in broad daylight? Shouldn’t you wait for nightfall?” After I stood up and got ready to go, Elze said something extremely reasonable.

  Guess she’s right... There’ll be fewer people at night, and the darkness can help us hide. Even if Leen makes us invisible, night time is the better setting for a stealth mission.

  I decided to take a rest before the new plan. Well, it wasn’t much of a rest. I had to use a [Gate] to inform Yae’s mother that Jubei was fine, then teleport to Belfast and tell Laim that I wouldn’t be back for the night, among other things. I even had to go to Oedo and buy alcohol, food, arrows, oil, and other things to resupply the fortress. With [Storage], it wasn’t tiring in the least, so I didn’t really mind. Ieyahsu even gave me money for doing it. Quite a lot of money, in fact. A delivery service sounded more enticing than ever at that point.

  The day went by quickly while I kept myself busy, and soon it was night time.

  “Alright, Tsubaki, picture a place from which you can see the stronghold at Tsutsujigasaki. I’d be thankful if you picked a place that doesn’t have many people.”

  “Understood.” As Tsubaki closed her eyes, I took both of her hands. Geez, I was tense enough doing this with Yae, but it’s even more unnerving doing it with a stranger... Honestly, holding a girl’s hand is heavy enough... so why are Yumina and the others glaring daggers at me?! I had no idea what I did to deserve such glares, but I decided to get this over with. It felt like the safe thing to do.

  “[Recall].” I focused my magic and pressed my forehead against hers. Tsubaki was about as tall as me, so I didn’t have to lean in like I did with Yae. Soon enough, I saw the faint image of a big, single-story building surrounded by a few moats and a castle town. So that was Takeda’s stronghold, Tsutsujigasaki.

  “[Gate].” I distanced myself from Tsubaki, stood in the middle of the keep, and created a portal of light leading to the enemy stronghold.

  “Okay, we’re off. Kohaku, tell me if anything happens.”

  «Understood.» The tiger replied via telepathy. It was a handy little thing that allowed Kohaku and I to talk privately. If something happened here, Kohaku would tell me about it and I could get back in an instant.

  First one to go through the [Gate] was Leen. She was followed by Tsubaki and then myself.

  Once through, the first thing I noticed was the night sky. There was not a moon visible, but several stars twinkled in the sky. We were surrounded by a dense forest, and I could see some torches burning off in the distance. That was the Tsutsujigasaki stronghold, no doubt about it.

  “So that’s what we’re infiltrating...” First, I decided to examine it using [Long Sense]. I could see some bridges built over the moats and, as I had expected, the gates were closed.

  Guarding the gates stood some brawny fellows, clad in full armor and holding spears.

  I looked beyond the gates and saw a long, white fence built sort of like a maze. Right next to it, there was a well. Not too far from there, in an open space, I saw a garden tree that seemed like a perfect hiding spot. Alright, that’s where we’ll warp to...

  “[Gate].” I quickly opened a portal and tried going through. However... instead of letting me go through it like normal, it pushed me back after taking just one step.

  “Huh?” I tried passing through again. But, just like the first time, I was repelled right after putting my leg in.

  “What’s going on?” I tilted my head in confusion. This had never happened before.

  “A barrier talisman. That’s the most likely thing that could stop you from going through the [Gate].”

  “A barrier?” Leen came to that conclusion after watching me try a few times. I could recall Duke Ortlinde saying something similar, too. Passage through teleportation can be stopped by the simplest of barriers... So that’s how it works...

  “This is probably Kansukay’s doing. I can go inside freely. I’m Kousaka-sama’s subordinate, after all. Wait here while I destroy the talisman.” As Tsubaki got ready to head into the stronghold, Leen folded her arms and stopped her.

  “Don’t. When you break a barrier, there’s a high chance that the one who created it will notice. Even if they don’t know that you were the one who did it, making them alert isn’t a wise idea.”

  “What should we do, then?” There was only one possible answer to that question. Nothing else would work.

  “Leen. Let’s infiltrate the place with the magic that makes your wings disappear. You and I can become invisible, then we’ll accompany Tsubaki as she passes through the gate. That should work, right?”

  “It doesn’t make them disappear, it just affects the vision and... Well, alright. Stand over there, then.” I did as I was told. Leen placed her hand on me and gathered her magic, forming a magic circle beneath us.

  “Bend, O Light. Guiding Curvature: [Invisible]!” After she spoke the spell, the magic circle rose up and surrounded us both. Once it reached the tops of our heads, it dispersed like nothing.

  “You disappeared...” Tsubaki expressed her surprise.

  Oh? It’s working already? But I can still see my arms, and the rest of me too! I can see Leen!

  “Leen. Is my vision unaffected by this spell or something?”

  “Well obviously. Can you imagine how inconvenient it would be if you couldn’t see your own body?”

  “Oh, I can still hear you.” Tsubaki sounded slightly relieved. Wow, guess she really can’t see us.

  Leen grinned, walked behind Tsubaki, and suddenly began fondling her breasts.

  “Fhyaaaaahhh?!”

  “Hey, Touya! Why are you taking advantage of her just because she can’t see you?”

  “T-Touya-san?! Wh-Why...?”

  “It’s not me! That’s Leen! I’m still in front of you!” I moved the foliage around me to indicate my presence. Heck, even if you can’t see her, you should be able to tell based on the feeling on your back!

  “No... Ah, hey, that’s... Ahh!”

  “Hmm... They’re unexpectedly big. Are you the type who looks slender in clothing? These are quite the melons...”

  “Cut it out already!”

  “Ouch!!!” Since she clearly wasn’t going to stop the fondling, I hit her with a karate chop. A 612-year-old has no business being this childish. Please consider the importance of our situation! As Leen clutched her head and crouched down in pain, Tsubaki turned red from the embarrassment and backed away. Her arms were wrapped around her own chest. Good job, Leen. You made our tenuously allied ninja friend wary of us.

  I spoke up, hoping to calm Tsubaki down.

  “It’s okay now, don’t worry. I’ll give her a good smack and make
her stop it if she tries it again.”

  “...You’re going to smack my ass?”

  “Quiet, you!” Leen’s joke made Tsubaki back away even further.

  Can we even succeed if it goes on like this? I became slightly... No, I became very worried.

  ◇　◇　◇

  “I am Kousaka-sama’s subordinate. Let me pass.”

  “I see. Just a moment, then.” The two guards looked at Tsubaki’s permit, nodded, and slowly opened the heavy gate. The place didn’t seem to have a separate entrance for individual people.

  Still invisible, Leen and I quickly slipped through the open gate as well. Tsubaki walked through a moment later and the guards closed the entrance once again. Whew... We made it.

  “Hey, Leen. Shouldn’t the barrier dispel our invisibility?”

  “As a rule of thumb, barriers only repel magic that affect their area of influence. It won’t dispel the spell on us because, instead of affecting the area, it affects only us. That’s also why the barrier shouldn’t prevent you from leaving through a [Gate].” That made sense to me. A [Gate] only affected the destination, after all. I couldn’t enter, but I could leave with no problem. That was also why my [Long Sense] wasn’t dispelled. The target of the spell wasn’t the area, but me.

  Anyway, now that we were inside, we had to go save the three members of the Elite Four who were locked up in the dungeons, then ferry them out with a [Gate]. Though if they were capable of fighting, I’d gladly have them join us. I suggested my idea to Tsubaki, who instantly agreed.

  “The dungeon is this way.” Following Tsubaki, we ran through the moonless night.

  The dungeon was in a building near the west edge of the stronghold.

  Tsubaki said that not even her permit would let her inside. I had Leen make her invisible like us and we all used our collective vanish-ness (according to Leen, that wasn’t the right term, but whatever) to sneak inside.

  We passed the guard room and walked down the stairs. In the dungeons made from stone and wood, I could see an old man. His eyes were closed and he was sitting in quiet meditation. The man was large in build, had long, graying hair and a face with several wrinkles here and there.

  “Who is there?” Still meditating, he suddenly spoke up, surprising all three of us. He could sense our presence despite our invisibility, it seemed.

  “Baba-sama, I’m Tsubaki. Kousaka-sama ordered me to help you. Do you happen to know where I could find Naito-sama and Yamagata-sama?”

  “You’re one of Kousaka’s? Hmph, I had a feeling that he was only pretending to be part of Kansukay’s army. He’s not one to be underestimated.” Clearly amused, one of Takeda’s Elite Four, Baba Nohbuharu, bore a wide grin.

  “Naito and Yamagata are in the cells further down. But don’t you think you should show yourself first?” Leen canceled her spell, making Baba raise his eyebrow and stare at us.

  “Who are these two? I don’t recognize them.”

  “These are guests of Tokugawa-dono. Their names are Mochizuki-dono and Leen-dono. Mochizuki-dono is powerful. He defeated the fifteen thousand masked soldiers that attacked Tokugawa all by himself.”

  “He what?!” Old man Baba’s eyes opened wide. W-Wait... there were fifteen thousand of them?! I didn’t know that! I guess that explains why the map app had so many pins on it...

  The old man was still looking at me in disbelief, but there were more important things to do than be awestruck. I could use magic to blow the cell open, but that would attract too much attention. Thus, I only had one course of action.

  “[Modeling].” I changed the shape of the grating and began creating a space for a person to pass through. It took me about a minute to finish it, after which old man Baba walked out as if he was never locked up.

  “I see that you can do some strange things, squirt.”

  S-Squirt?! Well, I guess I am way younger than you... I chose not to say it, but I could’ve easily brought up that the fairy with me was way older than him.

  The rough old man joined us as we walked through the dungeon and reached two more cells. They were on opposite sides of the room.

  The one on the right held a gentle-looking man who appeared so ordinary that I couldn’t help but compare him to an office worker on the verge of retirement. The one on the left, however, held a middle-aged man with the eyes of a warrior and countless battle scars all over his body.

  “Oh, Baba-dono. Glad to find you in good health.” The office worker turned to us.

  “Looks like things are getting interesting, Baba-dono. Lemme join, in case things get wild.” The scarred man grinned with excitement, stood up, and walked over to the grating. Seeing the way they acted, old man Baba heaved a long sigh.

  “Naito. How about taking this a bit more seriously, eh? The way you’re always smiling like that really gets to me. And you, Yamagata. You should try using that noggin of yours every once in a while. Not all problems can be solved with battles.” Hmm... So the office worker was Naito Masatoyoh, and the scarred one was Yamagata Massakage.

  “Hey squirt, get these two out of their cells, will ya?”

  “Fine by me. But could you stop calling me squirt? I have a name, and it’s Mochizuki Touya.” As I looked at and waited for him to correct himself, Leen joined the exchange.

  “Just so you know, this boy is first in line for the throne of Belfast, so you ought to take care in how you talk to him.” All three of the men were at a loss for words. Well, she’s not wrong, but that description still doesn’t sit right with me... I still haven’t agreed, after all.

  “Really, now? Hmm... But changing the way I call him would make me look pathetic at this point... Well, he’ll just have to deal with being called squirt.” Baba’s response made Leen smile and shrug. Well, shit. Guess he just doesn’t listen to people.

  “I will take the liberty of calling him Touya-dono.”

  “Then he’ll be Touya to me.” Just like Baba, both Naito and Yamagata went with whatever they were comfortable with. Man, Takeda sure is full of people who act however they want. Shame that Schingen’s dead. I would’ve loved to meet the guy who got this group of misfits to listen to him.

  I used [Modeling] to free the two men just like I’d freed old man Baba. Then, I got Leen to make us invisible and we all made our way through the guard post and out of the dungeon.

  “What do we do now, Your Soon-to-be Majesty?” Naito spoke with a smile on his face, clearly making fun of me. I do not approve of this, not at all. I got everyone together and told them my plan.

  “I intended to let you three escape the stronghold and go on to capture Yamamoto Kansukay with my group, but...”

  “Hey now, we can’t have that. Take me with you, Touya. We all have a score to settle with that bastard, you know?” Yamagata cracked his knuckles, a fearless smile spread across his face. With his face being so scarred, that motion was scary in more ways than one.

  “Kansukay is surrounded by the oni mask soldiers, and he himself uses some strange magic. Guy’s inhuman. Think you can really beat him?” Old man Baba said something strange. As my expression became a confused one, Naito continued where Baba left off.

  “Yamamoto Kansukay was once a strategist under Schingen-sama’s command. A capable man with a good head on his shoulders, he was an excellent strategist. But he somehow got his hands on a jewel imbued with demonic power. Ever since he got his hands on that, he seemed to get crazier every day. He began killing cats and dogs, started doing weird experiments... and that soon escalated to the point of him committing actual murder. Since then, he created the corpse-controlling ‘oni masks’ and became more powerful than ever. We couldn’t stop him. The power in that jewel of his was far too great...”

  So, that thing actually made Yamamoto Kansukay go insane? Some kind of demonic power, huh? That was probably the Artifact controlling the corpses.

  “What do you think, Leen?”

  “There’s little doubt that this jewel made him lose his sanity. Artifacts might s
ometimes be so strong that they develop a mind of their own. They could even house such things as the grudges or obsessions of their creators.” Grudges...? That makes it sound like a cursed item. Whatever the case, Leen made it easy to understand. Takeda’s strategist, Yamamoto Kansukay, was being controlled and turned insane by a cursed jewel. Therefore, it was safe to assume that breaking the jewel would take care of the situation.

  “So, where can we find Kansukay?” I turned to Tsubaki.

  “I believe he might be in the building in the central quarter of the stronghold...”

  I took out my smartphone and ran a search for ‘Yamamoto Kansukay,’ but didn’t get any hits. Hmm? Is he somewhere else? No, that can’t be it. To confirm my suspicions, I ran a search for ‘Leen,’ but didn’t get any results either.

  It’s that damn barrier. It’s blocking my [Search] enchantment. Man, what a pain.

  “Tsubaki, where is the central quarter?”

  “Uhm... It’s in this direction.” I used [Long Sense] to move my sight toward where she was pointing. It was a spell that affected me, so the barrier couldn’t do anything about it.

  Once I passed the large garden and was about to take a look inside the building, I saw a man walk out of it.

  A black kimono, a black hakama, swarthy skin, and an eyepatch over the left eye. That’s Kansukay, no doubt about it.

  I took my sight back and asked Leen how to destroy the barrier. Since I already saved the Elite Four, all that was left was to prepare myself for the moment they found out. Then all I had to do was teleport to Kansukay.

  “I believe there should be magic-imbued talismans placed at the four corners of this stronghold. Breaking just one of them should do the trick.”

  “I know where to find one. Follow me.” We all followed after Yamagata. Thanks to our invisible forms, we got there without anyone noticing.

  There was a small stone jizo statue placed in a little hole in the wall. It was about as tall as Paula.

  “No doubt about it. This little jizo is one of the talismans.”

  A statuette? Not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word “talisman.” In this world, “talisman” seemed to share its meaning with “charm” and the like, so they came in many shapes and sizes.