A Different World? Trading Between Worlds - Ch 3, Ep 3 - Narrowing Down the Shrine's Location

Narrow Down the Shrine’s Location

After returning the rented costumes and carriage, Watari and the others returned to their lodging. As Mariel had mentioned earlier, the quality of the meal was exceptionally high.

They were served fresh cheese and warm white bread straight from the oven. The salad featured leafy greens from nearby farms, and the soup was made with a broth extracted from dried shellfish. The main course was a bone steak seasoned with fine red salt and herbs.

Ea was thrilled, eagerly asking for seconds.

“Mmm, so delicious! I’m in heaven!”

“See? You’re not quiet at all,” Watari teased.

“Mmph…! B-but! Staying quiet when the food is this good would be an insult to the meal!”

“Watching Ea eat so heartily really makes you want to eat more, doesn’t it?” Mariel added.

“Yeah. I like women who enjoy their food with such enthusiasm,” Watari said with a grin.

“Mmph…!! D-don’t say weird things like that out of nowhere…” Ea turned red and averted her eyes, clearly flustered by the unexpected compliment. Yet, her eating pace didn’t slow down, which was impressive. It was probably essential for her to maintain her strength through proper nutrition.

“Should I be more lively at the table as well?” Mariel asked.

“No, I think your calm and graceful way of eating is lovely. I’ve actually been learning from you since I’ll need to be more mindful of my manners.”

“Is that so? Well then, I can give you strict guidance if needed.”

“Please, no…”

Seeing Mariel in a much better mood, Watari felt relieved. He realized it wasn’t a good idea to only compliment one of the women when both had their own unique charms. He loved them both and didn’t want either of them to feel awkward by overthinking his preferences.

***

Mariel sketched a rough map of the royal capital. To visualize it, think of a city like Osaka or Osaka Castle, surrounded by a large river that forms a natural moat. In ancient times, the city was further from the river, but after multiple expansions, the city walls now stand close to the riverbanks.

The effort required to build walls enclosing an entire city must have been immense, but considering the power of magic and the threat of monster attacks, such fortifications were likely essential. It’s not impossible, given the example of the Great Wall of China.

Somewhere within this vast city, there was a hidden gate that could not be recognized by others. The thought of searching for it was daunting.

“It’s not realistic to walk through every corner of the capital,” Watari said, voicing his concern.

“Should I sprint around and search?” Ea suggested.

“And who will protect Master in the meantime?” Mariel countered.

“Oh… You’re right. Sorry, that won’t work,” Ea said, scratching her head in embarrassment. Her eagerness to help Watari, even at the cost of thorough planning, was evident. Her determination wasn’t lost on Watari, and he didn’t want her efforts to be in vain. He decided to share his thoughts.

“I appreciate the offer, but I think we can narrow down the search area with a bit of thought.”

“That’s possible. What do you have in mind, Master?” Mariel asked.

“The capital has expanded in stages, with the first, second, and now third walls being built, right?”

“Yes, it has been expanded up to the third wall. Further expansion would mean crossing the river, which would be difficult.”

“If the gate was built during the Age of the Gods, wouldn’t it be natural to assume it’s located within the first wall?”

“That makes sense! Whether the gods built the gate to fit the city or the city was built around the gate, it’s hard to imagine it being far away.”

“Wow! That really cuts down the search area!”

Mariel began crossing out areas on the map, eliminating large sections. Roughly 60% of the city was no longer in consideration.

“Given that logic, I’d say the castle itself is a likely location. Wouldn’t the rulers want to monopolize the gate?”

“I don’t think so,” Ea said, shaking her head.

“Indeed, it seems unlikely,” Mariel agreed.

Watari was surprised by Ea’s sudden objection. It was rare for her to voice a differing opinion, but he was eager to hear her reasoning.

“Why do you think it’s not possible?” he asked.

“It’s convenient, but if it were ever used in war, the city could be attacked and defeated in an instant.”

“But didn’t the God of Time and Space forbid that?”

“Even so, if there’s even one person still capable of using it, they’d be on high alert. And if they’re from the same clan as me, no one would agree to such a thing.”

“Hmm, I see. So it’s a matter of security concerns.”

“That means we should rule out the royal castle as well.”

“We’ve narrowed it down quite a bit…”

They had reduced their search area to about one-fifth of the original map. Still, even a fifth of a large city was no small area. The thought of investigating every nook and cranny, from main streets to back alleys, was overwhelming.

(It’s still not a realistic distance to cover. We need more ideas.)

“Does anyone else have any suggestions? Even if it’s just a hunch, feel free to share.”

“In that case, I have one. When I was looking at the shrine in Minamifune Town, I noticed that although it was quite close to the city center, it wasn’t on a main street. That could be significant.”

“Significant how? For example?”

“Well, if we think about a time when there were many users during the Age of the Gods, suddenly having a large number of people emerge from the gate might have caused congestion or accidents.”

“Isn’t that just a coincidence? Back then, everyone could recognize it, right? From a practical standpoint, wouldn’t it be more convenient to have it on a main street?”

“Oh, you’re right. Forget what I said.”

“No, I don’t think we should dismiss it right away. There’s a precedent, and I think it’s a valuable insight.”

It was worth considering, but completely ruling it out could lead to an oversight. They should also check the main streets near the city center.

“Any other ideas?”

“Not from me. I might notice something once we’re actually out there.”

“Same here. This is about as much as we can glean from the map.”

“Alright, then starting tomorrow, we’ll explore the city and search for the shrine at the same time.”

“Yeah!”

“Hehe, so we’re not just searching for the shrine?”

“Since we’re going to be exploring the city, we might as well enjoy it, right?”

After all, they had come all the way to the royal capital. While finding the shrine was an important goal, so was exploring the city and enjoying dates with the two of them. They might even discover some good souvenirs or products while touring the city. Watari grinned.

—But the next day, Watari and the others found themselves caught up in an unexpected commotion.