The Super High Schoolers Affording to Live in Another World! - Volume 1 - Chapter Pr3

  Unity and Orders  

With the banquet over, the Seven Prodigies headed back to the house they’d been given, tossed some logs on the hearth, and warmed themselves beside it as they brushed their teeth with salt. Then, once they’d finished their evening routine, Tsukasa made a proposal to the group.

“All right, I think everyone’s stomachs have probably settled by now. It would be prudent to hold a meeting about the peculiar situation we’re in—the fact that we’re stranded in another world—and how best to deal with it.”

Five of the others nodded as one.

“We can move around now, and we’ve got a decent handle on what this world’s like. Seems as good a time as any.”

“I quite agree.”

However, one member of their number declined to join the conversation, instead remaining balled up under his fur bedding. The boy in question was the brilliant magician member of the Prodigies, Prince Akatsuki. Shinobu, never one to miss a beat, yanked the blanket off.

“C’mon out here already, Akatsuki!”

When she did, Akatsuki stood up, unable to bear it anymore, and let loose a flurry of complaints, choking back tears all the while.

“I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna! How are you guys all taking this in stride?! You go to one party, and now everything’s sunshine and rainbows?! This isn’t even Earth, remember?! There’re people with dog ears! Cat ears! There’s even one lady who looks like an elf! A-all that stuff’s impossible!”

“But it clearly is possible. We’re here, aren’t we?” replied Shinobu.

“And besides, it was never even impossible in the first place,” noted Masato. “Nobody’s ever disproven the existence of alternate worlds, y’know.”

Tsukasa was the last to chime in. “I respect that you’re shaken up, but you need to pull it together. If you keep insisting that stuff’s impossible, you’re going to miss what’s right before your eyes. Besides, Akatsuki, you saw that crash site. If anything’s impossible, it’s the fact that we’re even still alive.”

“But…”

“Now is no time to be closing our eyes and plugging our ears. We have to survive in this strange world however we can while searching for a way home. Right?”

“That’s…” After hearing so many logical arguments thrown at him one after another, Akatsuki’s mood deflated. Shinobu patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s gonna be okay, Akatsuki. It’s not like you’re here alone, remember? We’re all in this together. Working together, I’m sure we’ll figure something out!” Perhaps her words cheered him up; he seemed ready to come to terms with their situation at last.

“…Yeah, you’re right.” With that, the boy joined the circle and straightened his posture. With Akatsuki now engaged, Tsukasa reopened the discussion.

“Now, to the main topic… Like Shinobu just said, we’ll need all seven of us if we want to get through this. Given how little we know about this world, working independently would be too inefficient. Furthermore, I propose that we proceed as a team acting more or less under my command. Does anyone have any objections?”

“Thinking isn’t my strong suit, so I have no problem following your lead.”

Keine followed Aoi’s assent with her own. “I have no objections, either.”

“I mean, you’re clearly the right one for the job.” After Masato voiced his approval as well, Tsukasa moved the conversation along.

“I appreciate it. Now, as far as our fundamental approach goes, I suggest we remain in this village for the time being.”

Akatsuki yelped in surprise at the suggestion.

“Wh—? But why?! Shouldn’t we be trying to figure out how to get back as soon as possible?!”

Masato quickly offered a rebuttal. “Nah, Prince, I don’t think that’s the play. First, there’s no guarantee that the people everywhere else’ll be as welcoming as Winona and the others. More importantly, there’s just too much about this world we don’t know. We’d have no destination, no intel, and nowhere to sleep. Wandering aimlessly around a foreign land with nothing but the clothes on our backs is all risk, no reward.”

“Quite right,” agreed Keine. “As far as what we currently know goes…the culture is similar to Earth’s Middle Ages, but that’s just about it.”

“And even if we come up with points of reference from our world, that’s really all they are. There are sure to be loads of differences. I mean, this place has dragons and magic. That’s not a lot to go off.”

“It really isn’t. But hey, at least they have toilets, right?” remarked Shinobu.

“Preach.”

“I second the sentiment.”

“Although, I suppose a warm bath would have been too much to ask for…,” Aoi added wistfully.

“…And there you have it. While I certainly understand your impatience, I think it would be best if we limit our search to Elm Village for now. Do you understand where I’m coming from, Akatsuki?”

“Y-yeah. I’m with you.”

“Good. Now, within that plan, we should lay out our agenda. As I see it, there are three major points:

“The first is gathering information.

“As our favorite merchant just said, there’s too much about this world we don’t know. What kind of country is Freyjagard? What laws does it operate under? What kind of currency does it use, and how much do common goods cost? What religions exist, and what topics are considered taboo among its people? Also…what exactly is this magic Lyrule mentioned earlier? We’re going to start by using Elm Village as our base to gather information on things like that.

“The second major point, of course, is figuring out how to get back to Earth.”

“The only sorta-clue we’ve got on that front is the Seven Heroes story Winona told us about, right?”

“Pretty much. We should be able to look into that as we’re researching the other things from point one. Then, once we’ve learned more about this world, we can start actively prioritizing it.

“Finally…point three—and the most pressing matter of the bunch. Mending the village’s finances.”

Everyone nodded deeply in agreement.

“For sure. We can’t just screw up their lives and then go ‘Thanks for everything, see ya.’”

“Indeed! A meal and a roof beget debt enough, and they’ve given us that many times over! Failing to repay them would be a stain on our collective honor, that it would!”

“Well put. The point of the matter is: All three of these tasks are essential, so I was going to assign each of you a job that fits your skills. Does anyone have objections thus far?” Their resounding silence gave Tsukasa his answer. “In that case, I have individual orders for each of you. First, Aoi.”

“Me?”

“You’re the most skilled in combat out of all of us, so you could accompany the hunters without slowing them down. Could you join the village men and help bolster their stores?”

“Understood. In a stroke of good fortune, my trusty katana—Hoozukimaru—survived the crash. With it at my side, I can hunt even lions and tigers, that I can.”

“Well, I haven’t seen any lions lurking in the grass, but…according to the mayor, there’s a sixteen-foot-tall bear around these parts called the Lord of the Woods.”

“Yikes. What’s that, some kinda monster from an RPG?”

“Well, this world does have dragons. It wouldn’t be odd for it to have a monster or two, as well. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, Aoi, but be careful. Now, Ringo, you’re up next.”

“………”

The next one he addressed was Ringo Oohoshi, the genius inventor. Hearing her name, the girl twitched and stiffened.

“I want you to set us up with a comm system. We all have smartphones, but this world doesn’t have any Wi-Fi or 4G. As things stand, it’ll be hard for us to exchange information when we’re apart, and that won’t do. If possible, I’d like you to modify our existing phones so we can use them here. Can you do it?”

At Tsukasa’s question, Ringo’s gaze wandered hesitantly from one member of their group to another. Even though she’d known everyone there since middle school, Ringo was so shy that the only one she could even talk to was Tsukasa. She’d trusted him completely ever since a certain incident in middle school.

Sensing her trepidation, Tsukasa added, “If you don’t want to talk in front of everyone, you can come whisper your answer in my ear.”

Visibly relieved, she inched her butt right up next to his and brought her petite lips to his earlobe so that only he could hear.

“…Um…I…can do it. My laptop…survived…so if I take some materials from the plane…I should be able to manage…somehow.”

“Are you good for tools?”

Ringo nodded, then clapped her hands together.

In a flash, countless spiderlike manipulator arms extended out from her backpack, which had been lying inert by the wall.

“Wh-wh-whoa! Didn’t see that one coming!”

“Damn, that’s handy. Those arms have all sorts of tools on ’em.”

Masato was right. With just that one backpack, Ringo had access not just to normal tools, like drills and pliers, but also equipment for welding, lathing, laser machining, and pretty much every other type of manufacturing imaginable. She was definitely set when it came to equipment. That said…

“But whatcha gonna do for power? We’re a little short on outlets.”

Ringo responded to Shinobu’s concerns by whispering “That’s…okay” in Tsukasa’s ear. “I checked…the crash site…and I…didn’t detect any radiation.”

“The plane ran off one of your pocket nuclear fission reactors, so if that had been damaged, there would have been a radiation leak. Because there’s no radiation, we can infer that the reactor’s still functioning. Is that what you mean?”

“Yeah… The refined uranium won’t last forever…but we should be fine on power…for now.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Could you go ahead and get started on that tomorrow?”

“…Y—Yeah…”

Hmm?

Ringo had agreed to his request, but she’d hesitated for a moment.

“What’s the matter? It sounds like you have something you want to say.”

“…!” Ringo’s shoulders twitched. Apparently, Tsukasa had hit the nail on the head.

There was something else she wanted to do, too. However, afraid that she’d end up upsetting Tsukasa somehow, she hadn’t been able to bring it up. The boy prime minister, however, was observant enough to pick up on even her subtlest tells. And because he knew she was the type to think too hard about other people’s moods and opinions, he knew just the way to get her to speak her mind.

“If you have an idea, by all means, let me know. I’m the one giving instructions, so it’d be a big help.”

It’d be a big help.

Hearing those words made Ringo relax a little. She leaned into Tsukasa’s ear again and said falteringly, “…Um, well, see? When I went to the crash site…I saw the red valley where the plane’s nose was…and I had a hunch. So I used these…to check.”

When she said “these,” she pointed at the work goggles affixed to her hat. Just like her backpack, they were one of her many inventions. They were equipped with a multitude of features, such as the ability to zoom in when doing precise work, to scan a machine and see its insides through its frame, and to analyze objects and gases to check their chemical compositions. After pointing at the goggles, she told Tsukasa about her surprising discovery.

“Oh, wow. That’s…”

“What’d she say?”

“Apparently, there’s a deposit of bauxite ore at the crash site.”

The unforeseen development caused Masato and Shinobu to ooh and aah as well.

Akatsuki, the only one who didn’t quite follow, turned to Masato and said, “Hey, Masato, could you remind me what bauxite is? It sounds familiar.”

“It’s the base ingredient for aluminum. It forms in warm, humid climates, but it’s not like biomes stay the same way forever. Depending on how far down you go, you can end up excavating it in cold places, too.”

“…I want…to use the bauxite here…and make aluminum. Without easy-to-craft metal…I’m not…very useful.”

“What’s she gonna do for a refinery, though?”

“She said, ‘I’ve got the blueprint for one in my head, so it’ll only take me three days to build.’” Tsukasa recited the words his friend had whispered in his ear.

“…Damn.” Masato was struck speechless.

One would expect nothing less of the genius who’d advanced human civilization by centuries.

“One problem. The pocket nuclear fission reactor will cover her power needs, but apparently, the scrap from the plane won’t be enough to make some ‘reduction pot’ she’ll need to process the aluminum.”

Hearing that last tidbit, Masato said “Heh” and flashed his pearly whites.

“Sounds like a job for me.”

“I’m glad you’re quick on the uptake. I heard that Elch, the treasurer, is going into the city next week to sell handicrafts the village women made. He’s going to use the proceeds to buy food for the winter. Merchant, your mission is to accompany him and figure out how to rake in some cash. Then, once you’ve bought enough to fill the village stores, use what you have left to buy as many of the materials Ringo needs as you can.”

“Sounds like a straightforward enough plan, but ‘rake in some cash’? Really? Couldn’t you have come up with a nicer way of putting it? Like ‘help Elch out of the goodness of your heart’ or something?”

“I have never in my life seen you help someone out of the goodness of your heart.”

“…Dammit, you know me too well. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised since we go back so far,” Masato said as his shoulders swayed gleefully. “As it long as it exists in this world, I’ll get it for ya, whether it’s for sale in that city or not… Although, that asshole kid doesn’t seem to have inherited any of Winona’s cuteness, so getting him to let me tag along is probably gonna be a struggle.”

“As far as that goes, I’ll discuss it with the mayor directly. Leave it to me.”

“Then, hey, it’ll be smooth sailing on my end.”

Tsukasa nodded at Masato’s response, then turned his gaze to Akatsuki and Keine.

“Now then, Akatsuki and Keine. You two are going to stay here in the village with me and lend Lyrule and the other village women a hand. If you don’t know what to do, just ask them. And if they don’t have work for you, you can help Ringo out with her project.”

“Very well.”

“Hey, I like these orders! Safe jobs are the best!”

“I…appreciate the honesty. And finally, Shinobu.”

“That’s me, Cap’n! What should I do nyeow?”

“I want you to go to the city with Merchant and collect as much information as you can on this world.”

“What should I focus on?”

“Everything. History, politics, culture, magic… Anything you can get your hands on. Even better would be if you could get details on the Seven Heroes story Winona mentioned. Just don’t do anything crazy.”

“Sha-sha.   Leave it to me! Why have legs if not to pound pavement, that’s what I say!” As a journalist, there was hardly a better job one could think of for Shinobu. She took on the work with pleasure.

“I’m counting on you… Oh, and one other side mission for everyone except Merchant and Shinobu. Whenever you have downtime, I want you to learn these,” Tsukasa said, pulling a notepad from his breast pocket and handing it to Akatsuki.

When Akatsuki opened it, he was greeted by a script that could only be described as drunk earthworms wriggling about. The text was laid out next to some Japanese.

“Wait, is this the local language?”

“Altan, it’s called. Lyrule helped me put this together while I was recuperating. It’s a textbook on commonly used Altan words and grammar. Merchant and Shinobu are going to be interacting with language a lot, so I already had them learn it, but I want the rest of you to do the same. Being able to read and write will vastly increase our options going forward.”

“Aw, man… I hate studying. It’s weird, though. Why can they understand Japanese even though the writing is so different?”

Akatsuki’s question earned nothing more than a shake of the head from Tsukasa.

“Who knows? Maybe some astronomical coincidence happened and all the pronunciations and definitions just happened to line up. There could also be some supernatural power at work… Either way, we’re unlikely to figure out the answer anytime soon. At this point, throwing another bizarre anomaly or two on the pile isn’t going to make much of a difference.”

“Indeed. We should be thankful for our luck, that we should.”

“Also, even if we knew, it’s not like it’d help us get back home, so honestly, who really cares?”

“…You guys are really good at adjusting to all this,” Akatsuki remarked.

“Nya-ha-ha. We just figure there’s no point worrying about the unknowable, that’s all.”

“Shinobu sums it up succinctly. Now, then… You all have your orders. Any questions?”

Their silence was as good a response as any. Thus, the first course of action for the Seven High School Prodigies was set. Starting the next day, they’d begin working in earnest to get back to Earth. Tsukasa took a look at the group gathered around the hearth…and made one last speech.

“Everyone, I know we’ve been thrust into a thoroughly ridiculous situation with no warning or pretext, and I know you’re all probably worried about whether we’ll even be able to get home. Given that we don’t have any firm leads, I don’t blame you. But we have nothing to fear. Think back. How many countless times have we overcome the impossible, the futile, the unthinkable, the unrealistic? Besides, they call us High School Prodigies for a reason, and there are seven of us here. What obstacle could possibly stop us? In fact, I’d say we have too much to work with.”

“Heh-heh. I daresay you’re right.”

“You said it. Hell, if anything, I’m more worried we’re gonna run the tables on this quaint little place.”

“Right? So let’s try to take things nice and easy. If we go all out, we’re liable to break this world.”

Hearing Tsukasa’s confidence, the other six grinned fearlessly.

“““Yeah!!!!””” The cheer marked their vow to one another—a vow to return to Earth.