The Super High Schoolers Affording to Live in Another World! - Volume 10 - Chapter Ep

Sequel - And Thus, the Road Goes On

In the end, the inaugural world fair concluded as a roaring success.

After the special priority period for imperial citizens ended, people from all across the world crowded into the fair via a railroad system the Seven Luminaries had installed across the continent in preparation for the event, and the venue was positively buzzing day in and day out. As a matter of fact, a tremendous number of people applied to immigrate from nations other than Freyjagard. They’d all found something they desired at the world fair, and they wanted to get their hands on it. For a world without the internet, being able to interact with distant nations’ values and cultures was a concept so sensational it changed the very way they lived their lives.

After seeing the power of man’s greed with his own eyes and admitting defeat, Lindworm did as promised and tossed away his plans to invade other countries. Since he carried unilateral power in Freyjagard, he also immediately reinstituted currency, education, and all the other freedoms he’d stripped.

As for the New World, Lindworm freed the clans and returned the land he’d annexed to the native peoples. It would still exist as a self-governing dominion of Freyjagard, but he made sure that the clans would retain their unique character and ethos. That wasn’t to say that everything went smoothly, of course. Keine hadn’t been able to finish her work in the New World, and the hatred its people harbored for the empire was nothing to scoff at. However, the situation was largely resolved within a single winter due to the dignified way Lindworm faced that anger head-on and help from the High School Prodigies acting as mediators.

Then the snow melted, the springtime vegetation began to emerge, and the day of parting finally came.

It was time for the High School Prodigies to go home.

“Three cheers for the triumphant return of our mountainside rescues!”

“““Hooray!”””

When it came time to choose where to open their gate back to Earth, the seven unanimously decided on Elm Village. That’s where it all started. The Prodigies owed the people there most of all.

On the big day, the villagers threw them a lavish farewell party that started quite early.

“I gotta say, Tsukasa, there’s always something special about your mayo! You must really go the extra distance when making it.”

“It’s even better when you spread it on some dried cod!”

“These Azure spirits are great, too! It’s so handy how the railway lets us buy stuff from all over the place.”

“Hey, if it isn’t the Minister of Mayo!”

Tsukasa gave the drunk villagers a jokingly formal bow. “I am honored to receive such high praise.”

The feast laid out on the tables sported numerous small bowls of mayonnaise here and there. At the villagers’ request, Tsukasa had gathered up the village children and made it with them.

“Eating mayonnaise in Elm like this really takes me back,” Shinobu said as she took a bite. She sounded truly moved. “Now that I think about it, that was the first piece of Earth culture we brought over, huh?”

“That did backfire a bit when it got popular. I couldn’t even stand to look at mayonnaise for a while,” Tsukasa remarked.

“Yeah, but that was two whole years ago…” Suddenly, Akatsuki stiffened. “Wait a minute.”

“What’s the matter, Prince?” Masato asked. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“We’ve been so busy that I never really had time to think about it, but it’s been two years since we came to this world, right?”

Masato cocked an eyebrow. “So?”

“Do high schools even let you repeat two years of classes?”

“““Uh-oh…”””

At that, bemused smiles formed on everyone’s faces as they came to understand.

“Yeah, we’re probably all sorts of expelled,” Masato said.

Shinobu laughed. “‘The High School Prodigies Get Kicked Out of School!’ That’ll be my first big scoop. Ha-ha-ha!”

“Wait, c’mon—this isn’t funny!” Akatsuki cried. “My mom’s gonna kill me!”

“It’ll be fine,” Masato replied. “I’m sure our dear prime minister’ll get it all sorted out for us.”

Tsukasa shook his head. “I’ll see what I can do, but considering the circumstances, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Akatsuki clung to Tsukasa. “Please!” he begged. “You gotta help me!”

As Ringo watched the scene, she noticed something. “Huh? Tsu…kasa. Did you…get taller?”

“Yup. It’s easier fur me to tell bearclaws I’m a machine. Tsukasa’s grown three inches in the last two years.”

“Oh damn, he’s right,” Masato said. “Your eye level’s practically up to mine.”

“We’ve been here for two whole years,” Tsukasa replied. “It’s no wonder our bodies have changed a bit.”

Aoi shot a glance over to Masato’s side, where Roo was cramming her cheeks full of mayonnaise-covered sausage. “Roo has grown far larger than she was when we first met her as well, that she has.”

Just as one would expect from a young girl, Roo had really shot up over the months. At the rate she was going, it wouldn’t be long before she caught up with the admittedly petite Ringo.

After looking at Roo, Akatsuki’s eyes went wide. “Wait, I bet that’s means I’ve grown a bunch t—”

“You’re the exact same height as befur.”

“But that’s not fair!”

“In fact, Ringo’s grown a bit, so you’re the shortest membear of the group now.”

“Noooo!” Akatsuki sobbed and cursed cruel reality.

As most of the Prodigies happily chattered away, someone watched them, slightly removed from the group—prodigy physician Keine Kanzaki.

Winona approached her, concern plain on her face. “Aren’t you going to go join them?”

“Hello, Winona… It’s really not my place to,” Keine said with no small amount of self-deprecation in her voice.

“I heard what happened. ’Bout how you killed my little Lyrule.”

“………”

“That girl’s a daughter to me. I’m happy that she came back, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you. Am I making myself clear?”

“Of course. You have every right to—”

The force of the impact cut Keine off mid-sentence. Winona had slapped Keine across the cheek, and she hadn’t been holding back. Getting hit like that while talking caused Keine’s teeth to cut the inside of her mouth. A bit of blood ran down her lower lip.

“………”

Although the blow came as a shock to Keine, it helped her realize something. This pain was precisely what she’d been looking for.

“That help clear your head some?”

“……!”

“You do a good job acting like you’ve got it all figured out, but same as my Elch, you’re still just a kid. Your problem is nobody ever got mad at you, and it kept you from getting the closure you needed. So? Now that you’ve taken that slap, do you think you’ll be able to get your feelings in order?”

Winona had seen right through Keine. She’d picked up on the fact that Keine couldn’t sort her feelings without outside help and deduced that Keine’s immaturity was keeping her from realizing that.

Keine knew she couldn’t continue as she had been after Winona gave her what she needed. She lifted her head. “…I do. You’re right. I do feel a bit better.”

“Good to hear. You were the only one who coulda saved my old man, and I’m sure plenty more people owe you back in your world. Can’t keep hangin’ your head forever, not when there’s work to do.”

Then, once about half the food on the tables was gone, an auspicious figure arrived at the Elm Village farewell party—Lindworm, Freyjagard’s emperor.

“The gate is ready. If you have any more affairs to get in order, now would be the time.”

The exchange student duo Nio Harvey and Cranberry Diva beckoned everyone over.

“Over here, everyone!”

“C’mon, Head Engineer! Hurry!”

Lindworm had used the knowledge he’d absorbed from the evil dragon to build a space-time gate atop the hill overlooking the site where the Prodigies had originally crash-landed. The gate was a hole in the world, and it emitted a gentle glow not unlike moonlight.

“This is linked up with Japan, right?” Shinobu questioned.

The Seven Prodigies were awash with too many emotions to sort as they beheld the sight. At long last, the path back to Earth was right before their eyes.

“I just ask ’cause, as I recall,” Shinobu continued, “we were flying over the ocean in Ringo’s plane when we got sucked here.”

“Good point,” Masato agreed. “I dunno about you guys, but I’d be pretty pissed if this thing dumped us at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.”

“D-don’t even j-joke about that, Masato,” Akatsuki stammered as he recalled their disastrous arrival. “Remember how bad we got banged up when we got here?”

“Worry not,” Lindworm replied. After addressing Akatsuki’s concerns…

“I used Tsukasa’s blood to fix the coordinates to the nation you hail from, and I already went through myself to ensure the area beyond is populated. I must say, I wasn’t expecting your world to be quite so rocky. Munch, munch.”

…he suddenly began snacking on something. It was small, round, and piping hot.

The Prodigies’ eyes went wide.

“Wait, wait, wait—hold on, are those…? That’s takoyaki! And from the famous chain Gintaco, no less!” Shinobu exclaimed.

“I’m not sure what they’re called,” Nio said, “but His Grace and I had discussed bringing back something that you could verify, and they smelled really good, so we bought some.”

Lindworm nodded. “I was unfamiliar with your currency system, but I left enough gold coins that I doubt they have any complaints. Hmm, yes. These really are tasty.”

“I simply can’t get enough of how uniquely springy they are!” Cranberry blew on hers to cool them down. “Fyoo, fyoo.”

Hearing endorsements from the three test subjects and seeing the Tokyo delicacy they’d brought back was all the proof the Prodigies required.

“So Tokyo really is just on the other side of that light… Oh~~~~~!” Akatsuki was so overcome with joy that his whole body trembled, and he began urging the others on. “Tsukasa, c’mon! Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Hold your horses, Prince.”

“But, but…!” Akatsuki pleaded, unable to wait any longer.

Upon seeing his reaction…

“I guess it’s time to say good-bye, then.”

…Winona walked over as Elm’s representative. She looked to each of the Prodigies with love in her eyes.

“Tsukasa, Masato, Akatsuki, Ringo, Aoi, Keine, Shinobu. You’ve done so much for us since the day we rebelled against our lord. I wish we were a bit cleverer so we wouldn’t have had to bother you for every little thing, but what can you do?”

“C’mon, Winona, don’t get all mopey and formal on us,” Akatsuki said.

“Yeah, seconded,” Shinobu agreed. “We only found Yggdra because of you.”

Winona shook her head. “Be that as it may, thank you for building a world where lunkheads like us can live with dignity.” Her gaze strayed to the girl who was about to leave for Earth alongside the Prodigies. “Make sure you take care of yourself, Lyrule. And if you ever get homesick, you’ll always have a place here. Remember, it’s not like you’re stuck there forever.”

She was right—this farewell was by no means final.

For one thing, that world and Earth were basically neighbors now that Lindworm had built a gate linking them. What’s more, magic represented a brand-new technical framework for the High School Prodigies, and they had no intention of ignoring it. On the contrary, Ringo had already decided to leave Bearabbit behind so they could map out space-time coordinates from both worlds simultaneously and begin the process of making space-time navigable through the power of science. If her research bore fruit, and if their talks with Lindworm went well and Japan established diplomatic ties with Freyjagard, then goods and people would trade back and forth between the two worlds in huge numbers.

However, it was exactly like a parent to worry despite all that. And so…

“I’m going to be okay. Remember what you told me? You said that all that matters is my resolve.”

…Lyrule gave Winona an answer to demonstrate how much she’d grown.

“That’s my girl.”

Knowing they wouldn’t see each other for a while, mother and daughter exchanged a warm hug.

“Keep an eye on things over here, okay, Bearabbit?” Ringo said.

“Leave it to me! If magic’s just another kind of science, then we’ll figure it out! It’ll bearly take three years for us to get our space-time coordinate system up and running and our comms system online!”

“Three years is…a little too long,” Ringo replied. “We’ll do it in one.”

“I’d expect nothing less from you, Head Engineer!” Cranberry cheered.

Once all the farewells had been said, Tsukasa addressed the group. “Shall we be off?” The others nodded, turning from the villagers to face the gate and walking toward it.

The portal was situated right at the edge of the cliff overlooking the crash site, and that inspired a niggling worry the Prodigies might take a nasty fall. Tsukasa strode forward regardless. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t tumble into empty air. The path continued into the shining gate, creating a long, straight tunnel of light. The other six—joined by Lindworm and Nio, who were coming for diplomatic reasons; Cranberry, who Ringo had recruited to work in her lab; and Roo, who’d decided to tag along with Masato—all followed after.

Once they were about thirty feet in, the Prodigies noticed something.

“……!”

The seven Earth natives instantly recognized an old, familiar smell wafting down from the other end of the luminous tunnel. It was practically vile compared to the clear air of the other world, yet it got their hearts racing all the same.

“They say you never forget what the air in your hometown smells like, and I guess they’re right,” Tsukasa remarked.

“~~~!! Mom! Dad!” Akatsuki cried.

“Damn, Prince, you’re really movin’!” Masato said. “Hey, get back here! First place is gonna be mine, just like always!”

“Ha-ha!” Shinobu laughed. “Not if I have anything to say about it!”

“Are you all right, Keine, m’lady?” Aoi asked.

“Yes, thanks to you,” Keine answered. “I’ll be counting on you in the future as well.”

“Come on, Head Engineer, we should get a move on! I want to see your spaceship!”

“A-ack!” Ringo yelped. “D-don’t pull me like that, Cranberry.”

“Let us be on our way, Nio,” Lindworm said. “You have lived in an aristocracy, a democracy, and a dictatorship, yet none have fully tainted you. That affords you an open perspective that I lack. I’ll be relying on your insight to determine if this Japan is truly a nation worth dealing with.”

“I won’t let you down, Your Grace.”

Realizing that the exit was near, everyone hurried ahead in a mad scramble, passing Tsukasa by. He alone stood still and looked back over his shoulder. The gate’s entrance had grown distant, but Winona and the other villagers were still visible on the other end, waving good-bye.

“…”

He wondered if they’d done well. Had they successfully brought about the best possible outcome for the people of the world they’d been abruptly dropped into?

Tsukasa didn’t know.

He always agonized over the results of his decisions, wondering if there wasn’t a better option he could’ve taken. Had there been a single correct solution hidden somewhere? Was there someone who might have done a better job than him? Tsukasa remembered every single person who slipped through his fingers. They were in his thoughts constantly.

However…

“Let’s go, Tsukasa.”

…Lyrule took his hand, and he looked forward again. There ahead of him, he saw people walking in the same era he did. And at his side was the woman who’d agreed to share his path.

Tsukasa smiled at his past worries. Did I think I’d single-handedly shape society or something? The world was formed from countless people’s greed, his included. It would be a flagrant act of arrogance for him to agonize about those results all on his own.

All he could do was figure out the best option for each new challenge.

For the things he wanted.

For the things he desired.

For the people he loved.

That was all anyone could do, and Tsukasa was sure that would be enough to lead the world to somewhere noble and righteous, where none starved or were wronged.

And if that was true…

“Yes, let’s.”

…then it was high time he stopped idling and worrying about the past.

He needed to take the baton and carry it forward as quickly as he possibly could.

In Japan, there were seven high school students whose names were known the world over.

There was a samurai who wielded her blade in war-torn regions to protect the weak.

There was a physician who saved the wounded alongside the samurai.

There was a magician who could mesmerize anyone.

There was an inventor whose intellect had advanced humankind by several centuries.

There was a businessman who was involved in 30 percent of all global trade.

There was a politician who ruled over the world of statecraft at an unprecedentedly young age, having won an astronomic percentage of the vote.

And there was a journalist who used her secret ninja abilities to expose the injustices of the world.

The seven of them had talents so preeminent that none could hope to match them, and people called them the High School Prodigies.

This was a tale of the single chapter they wrote in the long, long history of their world—a tale from the midway point of human greed’s path toward building an ideal society.