Epilogue - Otherworld Basic Magic.

Chapter XXXIII

Epilogue

Otherworld Basic Magic.

The night sky over Tokachi, Hokkaido, couldn’t hold a candle to the one over Whitewall, where millions of stars peppered the heavenly sky. With no smog or light pollution, the stars shone the brightest, and when Helam and Rua took center stage, the spectacle was literally out of this world. A magnificent and magical spectacle!

Enji missed all of the people he had befriended in the other world; the year and a half he spent there had engraved their friendship and love deep into his soul.

His eyes drifted from the sky down to the vast agricultural fields in front of him. He had chosen Hokkaido as his return destination because this was the perfect place for his whole family to come together and see him. His uncle would never leave the farm to visit Tokyo.

He heard from his uncle that his father and mother were back together again. There have been so many times that they have gone through the same motion of separating and then reconciling that Enji had lost count. What can be expected of two tech otakus who, in their late thirties, act like kids in matters of love?

They were visiting this weekend with Enji’s grandparents. Also, his two cousins, Akemi with her husband and kids, and Rin, who might bring her boyfriend or not, depending on her mood.

Enji had a surprise for them. He had earned a fortune in gold and jewels by his past contributions to the Kingdom of Whitewall. He had received gifts, rewards, and even found treasures in the labyrinths.

He had brought several gold bars, coins, and jewels to give to his family. It will be their problem to convert it to Japanese yen.

Enji was now eighteen, an adult by Japan’s laws. He had missed most of his second year of high school, and he didn’t feel like repeating it. He will drop out of school.

He didn’t need to find work right away; there were no financial pressures on him. He was rich. Enji was toying with the idea of traveling. Perhaps later, he would enroll in evening high school as an adult. Attending university didn’t appeal to him at the moment; he needed time to figure out what he wanted to do in the future as far as a career was concerned.

Taking his smartphone out of his pocket, he scrolled through the pictures he had taken in the other world. There were many of Popa, Silma, and Nilsei. Skia was a little camera-shy, so she didn’t appear in many pictures. Eithea would cause a sensation if she visited Komiket; she would be the envy of cosplayers and the dream of every hot-blooded male there. And some females, too. Not to mention Oma and Silsil. Even Galakei would attract attention, just by her beauty alone. Enji regretted not taking more photos of Galakei. He closed the photo app when a car entered the road where his uncle’s house was located. Enji, recognizing his mother’s car, crawled from the roof’s edge, where he had been sitting contemplating the night sky, and entered through a window into his room.

There was a lot he had to explain to his parents. A lot.

***

Not even with the pictures he had on his phone, they still didn’t believe him that he had traveled to another world. The four-eared people, goblins, orcs, and places he visited didn’t convince them. They said they were fake, AI-generated, and that he should see a psychiatrist for what they believe were delusions of his. An otherworld, ha!

His parents were glad he had returned and that nothing bad had happened to him, but they were sad that he couldn’t finish school. Enji promised to continue his education at a later date; first, he wanted to travel the world and do things that he had only dreamed of, which he could now achieve with the money he had earned.

Enji’s family accused him of being involved in shady business when he showed them the gold and jewels. In the end, he gave up trying to convince them. Enji just told them that he had found work with an antiquity trader who catered to collectors around the world. He told them that he acquired the jewels and gold coins at an auction of an unopened chest that yielded such riches when it was opened.

They all took the gold offered by Enji without much resistance. Everyone has a little avarice in them. Money talks loudly. Then they wanted to know who his employer was, and Enji fibbed a few tall tales of how he met them.

According to the story he invented, he saved a girl from being assaulted by some thugs, and her wealthy parents rewarded him with many things, and offered Enji a job in one of their companies and the hand of the girl in marriage, because she fell for him. They believed him.

The conversation immediately shifted to the girl. Enji’s mother wanted to know if he was going out with the girl. His cousins asked how she looked and how far he had gone with her. Enji’s grandparents were asking when the wedding was, his aunt wanted to know how many kids they planned to have, and so on.

He provided his family with an idealistic description of the girl from his story. For that, he used the faces and personalities of Silma, Popa, Nilsei, and Skia. If he had resorted to including Galakei, that would have made the girl look like an angel.

They wanted to meet the girl and made Enji promise to bring her. He agreed. He could always later say that they broke apart. They wouldn’t doubt him; his parents were a fine example in the matter.

After everyone seemed to accept Enji’s decisions, the party started. His uncle brought several jars of a peach liquor he was saving for special occasions. Enji’s aunt served snacks and finger food. Soon, the contents of the bottles evaporated, and some of his family members’ faces had acquired a vivid red hue. They began talking loudly and acting funny.

Enji was happy and sad at the same time. His heart yearned.

***

Enji attended seminars, online classes, and bought books in different fields. He wasn’t preparing for an entrance exam to some university; he was acquiring knowledge just for the sake of it.

He didn’t slack on his physical exercises either. Enji wanted to maintain, or even surpass, his past training in the other world, so he took classes in karate, archery, and kendo, while taking time off to visit places and enjoy life.

After several months of doing as he pleased, Enji had decided what to do next; he began to purchase specific things he needed and wanted. Things related to his hobby. They weren’t much, but he considered them essential.

Shortly after arriving from the otherworld, Enji had been living in an apartment in Tokyo, which he was renting. The lease was due to expire the next day, so he had to vacate the apartment before then.

He had packed his things and sent them to his uncle’s house in Hokkaido. So, all that was left in the empty apartment were two large travel luggage, two backpacks, and some loose items.

Enji left the keys and an envelope on the dining table. Turned off the lights and carried all the luggage...

Then... he chanted the teleportation spell that would send him back to his villa in the otherworld.

The End?