Vol.5 Ch.90 - Scooter brothers

“Oh, I guess I converted again.”“Wait, what does that mean? Hold on, weren’t your eyes brown just amoment ago? Am I missing something?”Looks like Issei wasn’t familiar with how Iros worked, which is weird inand of itself. I mean, everyone has eyes, no matter what world they’re from,right? So that means Iros are a constant, no?“Are you not familiar with Iros?”“That being?”“Iros are a physical manifestation of a person’s mental state, belief orphilosophy. Each color of Iro represents what you believe in most, andeveryone has one. I did used to have a Brown Iro, but I guess hearing you sayhow you can help me manufacture my inventions really hyped me up. I got sohyped, in fact, that I converted to a Blue Iro.”“Whoa… Cool! So what’s my Iro?”As if coming to a doctor’s appointment, Issei pointed to his wide-open eyeand asked me about what Iro he Beheld. I thought nothing of it, if he didn’tknow this before, then at least I can teach him something new abouthimself, I thought, but it didn’t even take a quick peek to realize somethingwas amiss.“E-Err, eheh…” I chuckled nervously, “H-Hold on, you’ve got quite the darkcolor of eyes… It’s kind of hard to distinguish. Let me just…”“Yeowch! Maid-san, help! Get Lune off of me! He’s gonna pop my eyes out!”At his cry for help, it didn’t even take Marina a moment to pop back into theroom (now fully clothed) and smack me across the back of my head. This inturn brought me back to my senses, but the anxiety and sudden fear of Isseiwas still prevalent in my heart.“Alright alright, I’m sorry! But Marina, do you know what’s up with Issei’sIro?”“Yeah, Maid-san, what does a Black eye color mean?”At these words, Marina finally understood the complicated feeling I felt justmoments ago, as she too gave Issei a slightly frightened look. From her face,I could immediately tell she was thinking something like Did he say… Blackeye color!?If you’re wondering why this is such a scary topic, well, it’s kinda hard toexplain. Thing is, a Black Iro Beholder doesn’t exist, per se, but there havebeen many stories written about all sorts of different non-existent colors ofIro being present at least once throughout human history. It ranged fromBlack, to Orange, or even Pink, and each one of them had their differentmeanings.Say for example, Orange meant you were sly or something, or Pink meant youreally loved others, but Black was almost always depicted as a sort ofcursed eye color. Don’t know why that is exactly, but I have heard people sayit’s caused a social imbalance between those of fairer skin and those with amore tanned complexion. As we all know, this is what is known as racism,and its roots stem quite far into our history. Even still, I can’t say for certainif racism started because of these Black Iro Stories, but I know for a fact thatsaid stories are nothing more than fiction. At least, that’s how it should’vebeen, but looking at Isssei…“You sure it’s not something like a really dark grey?”“Grey? What do I look like to you, a blind person? No, my natural eye coloris black.”Looks like he didn’t understand what I meant. That, or maybe he’s never seena Grey Iro before. It’s entirely possible, given that he’s never even heard ofIros up until now.“So you went from Green to Black?” Marina asked.“Eh, first Grey now Green? Are you hearing yourself? My mom had blueeyes since she’s American, but I still inherited my dad’s Black eye colorsince birth.”A-American? Never mind. More importantly, did he say he was born with aBlack Iro? That’s impossible, surely someone lied to him! Everyone is bornwith a Green Iro…While I was wracking my brain over what was truly going on, Issei just wentahead and sighed, “Haah, who cares anyway? Let’s just forget about it fornow. I’m from another world, one with different rules as yours, remember?Of course you’d notice something about me that doesn’t match up with yourworld’s logic.”“I guess… But I’m still worried, so I’ll have you answer a few questions justin case!”Issei certainly didn’t give off any sort of threatening aura around him, sothere was really no doubt about him accepting my somewhat paranoidsuggestion of a pop-quiz. We had Marina stay at home, since the evening wasquite chilly outside as a storm was brewing close by, and she just finishedwashing her hair. After that, we put on coats (I gave him my spare) and wentfor a bit of a walk.***“So Issei,” I started off the questioning, “Have you ever had thoughts ondestroying the world?”“What? No!”He got really offended at my first question. Weird, and definitely suspicious.I mean, if I was dead set on destroying the world, I definitely wouldn’t wantto just out myself like that, so he could be lying. I’ll just write down hisanswers in this handy-dandy clipboard I brought out with me.“Hmm, interesting… And have you ever committed a serious crime?”“…Define serious.”Yep, definitely suspicious.“Hey! I was only joking! Don’t write that down!”“Jokes aren’t tolerated here, you know? You might be dangerous, and Iwanna know if I can trust you.”“Is it really that bad to be born with a black eye color?”“Well, it’s not bad, it’s just kind of unheard of. I explained it before, but thereare eight Iros that one can be born with here, and Black certainly isn’t one ofthem. Each Iro represents a person’s philosophy, so I guess you could say Idon’t know what you’re capable of.”“Well, I’ve never gotten into a fight before, and even though we’re around thesame age, you’re a lot more toned than me. If I can’t win against you, thenhow could I ever win against the world?” He reasoned.“Hmm, fair point.”“Anyways, thanks for the spare coat. It’s pretty cool!”He’s changing topics… Eh, I don’t care anymore. I haven’t talked to a personwho’s not Marina since who knows how long. I should probably just enjoyhis company.“Really? I thought so too, but it’s quite banged up. That’s why I bought thisnew one that I’m wearing.”As you can probably guess, the spare coat that I’m referring to is indeed theone I wore back when Marina and I were in Sibirus. This red coat has seensome shit, I’ll tell you that much. When we finally got to an inn back inBoreal, I tried all sorts of ways to repair it (without going to a tailor, since Icouldn’t afford one), but this was the best I could do on my own. I think it’sstill usable, but you’d have to be kind of brave to wear it around, since you’llbe facing the harsh gazes of many onlookers around you.“Nonsense!” Issei spoke up, “It just shows how much fun you had with it!Each loose thread and patch is like a scar that symbolizes the amazingadventures you’ve gone on whilst wearing it!”“Fun? Heh, I certainly didn’t think of it that way. A lot of people died in theparty Marina and I were in back when I wore that coat. The two of us werethe sole survivors.”“So that’s why you’re so close? Whoa, that’s some serious suspension bridgeeffect type stuff…”Oh? Another phrase I’m unfamiliar with, I must inspect it!“Suspension bridge effect?”“Oh, it’s that thing, y’know? The thing where if you and a girl make it througha dangerous and scary predicament, you’ll grow closer romantically. Trustme, many RomComs go for this trope so the readers can see some actionprematurely.”“…?” I turned my head at his explanation, “Marina and I aren’t like that. I’vetold her explicitly that I already have a wife and a kid who I need to get backto. We are in a strictly platonic relationship.”At these words Issei was shocked in disbelief, “You have a wife and a kid at17 years old?!”“W-Well, kind of. It’s not really anything official, but I treat them both assuch. So please don’t go making such jokes around Marina, I don’t want hergetting any ideas.”Ugh, what am I even saying after groping her tits in the middle of the nightthat one time? I’m in no position to be saying what I said with such achivalrous face, but I’m still acting like I did nothing wrong. All I can hopefor is that I remain dedicated to Cecily and Nelly, and that I will someday,somehow be forgiven for stepping out of line that one time…“So then why not just start a harem?” Issei asked.“I said no jokes!”“I’m not joking though. Think about it, it’d solve all your problems. Youcould have both girls for yourself, a big happy family where everyone ishappy.”This guy really is sleazy! That’s a really out there way of thinking, not tomention it’s against Prylos’ teachings! Polygamy is a disgusting act, sinceyou’re just embracing the fact that you’re cheating on one of your wives on adaily basis!“Is this something that’s normal in your world? Because that’s the only way Ican forgive you if you’re being serious right now.”“Well, it’s certainly a thing that exists, but not in any countries that I know ofoff the top of my head. Even still, it’s really popular in Light Novels, so I canimagine that it’d work similarly as well in this world.”“And why’s that?”“Well, when you’ve got adventurer’s guilds, eyes that dictate how a personbehaves, add to that the fact that you’re stuck in the Steampunk Middle Ages,having multiple wives doesn’t really sound that hard to believe, no?”“I can’t believe y- Wait… no no, that’s ridicul- or wait, is it? I just, hold on,you’re confusing me with these weird words! Is it really that simple?”“I’m telling you man.” Issei whispered in my ear, “Imagine having both ofthem in your bed at the same time~”The very moment his words left his mouth, a fittingly timed thunderclapstruck. It was glorious, magnificent even! His logic was out of this world,literally! But it’d only make sense! Cecily might need some time getting usedto it, but I’m pretty sure Marina would be all for it! And Nelly could havetwo moms, which means twice the fun, and Cecily’s workload would behalved! She’s at a young age, which means if she grew up with us as such,she wouldn’t even see the problem in it herself! Genius, this guy’s a genius!“Ugh, the storm got us.” Issei complained right as I was about to thank himfor clearing my worries up, “Did you happen to bring an umbrella? It mightbe weird sharing one with another guy, but could you just bear with me forthe moment?”“Um…brella?”“Ah, you don’t have that in this world, figures… Then could you call a taxiover or something? I didn’t really see any cars around safe from thosecarriage looking things driving around.”“Taxi? Cars? Hold on, do you mean the transport wagons?”“Oh God…”As such, he explained to me the wondrous world of automotive vehicles.Apparently, a ‘car’ is something like a transport wagon, but way faster andeasier to steer, using something called benzene as fuel instead of mechanicalforce (like with transport wagons). But that sounds really hard to believe,like, how would a couple liters of this mysterious fuel make the engine gowithout any winding up? Oh, but then again he is from another world…“Wait, you’re an inventor, right? Couldn’t you just make a scooter orsomething for now? I’ll help explain the gist of how it works, but I’m not anexpert on it, so it might take some trial and error.”“Right, I was meaning to ask you. Since you know so much interesting stufffrom your homeworld, could I perhaps have you give me ideas and help memake the things from your world so that I can afford to come back home? I’llsplit the pay equally between us, and if you don’t have anywhere to stay,you’re always welcome to buy a house nearby ours.”“Whoa, that’s quite the offer, then who am I to refuse! We’ll be scooterbrothers! Come on, Scooter Brother, let’s go! SCOOTER BROTHERRRS!!!”“I-I appreciate the enthusiasm, but why are you screaming it out loud likethat?”“It’s a reference, the readers will understand! Don’t worry about it and joinme! SCOOTERRR…”“Sc-scooterr…”“BROTHERSSSS!!”“BROTHERSSSS!!!!”After coming back home from our delightfully insightful little escapade,Marina scolded us for roaming around in the middle of a storm and told us tojust get in the bath. Keep it together, Lune, just remember what Issei toldyou…***“So Lune,” Issei asked, “what will we be making today?”“I dunno, Issei, what will we be making today?”It’s been about a month since Issei moved in with us, and the days couldn’t behappier! While Marina works at the Grys Estate, we busy ourselves withcreating and selling patents to traveling merchants! Thanks to Issei’sincredible ideas, we’ve amassed a somewhat sizeable fortune, but it’s stillnot nearly enough for us to go back home with. If I were to approximate it inpercentages, I’d say we’re about 10% of the way there. We’ve still got a lotof money to make, since the living expenses take a lot out of the monthlyrevenue.If things don’t start to pick up soon, that means we’ll need almost an entireyear before we make it back home, and that won’t do! I need to convinceCecily about ‘The Plan’ as soon as possible! The longer I dawdle, the lessinclined she’ll be to hear me out!“Well, today’s agenda calls for that pistol you have on you. As I saidpreviously, it’s quite the scary weapon, but it’s attached rather flimsily, andthe most glaring issue – it doesn’t have an easy way to light the fuse!”“What do you mean?”“Well, from what I’ve gathered, you prime the pistol by lighting the fuse atthe back, but then that’d require you to have a fire source nearby at all times.That’s really bad, since you can’t create fire out of thin air. Magic doesn’texist in this world sadl-”“You mean this?” I flicked my right pinkie and ring finger towards the sky,casting Spark at that very moment, “I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘Magic’,but that’s how I’m able to prime the gun at a moment’s notice.”“I-… don’t even know what to say to that. Is that something everyone cando?”“Nah, as far as I know I haven’t met a single other person who could do that.I have heard of one, but I’ve never met her.”Issei just kept his eyes wide open at my remark. Looks like spewing fire andsparks out of your fingers is something that even he’s never heard of. Goes toshow just how abnormal I actually am, I guess.“I see. Well then, if you’re the only person who can use this, we can’t reallysell it, so we’re gonna need to add a lighter to it or something in addition tothe previously mentioned upgrades.”“A lighter?”“Yep. It’s like a little container that houses a highly flammable oil in it.Striking a piece of flint activates it, and the fire stays on for as long as youhave the oil in the lighter.”“That sounds pretty ‘lit’ (did I use that word correctly?)”“Haha, now you’re really starting to sound like you’re from my world!Crappy puns included! Actually, it’s kind of unnerving, so please don’t usethe phrases I use anymore…”“Alright…”Sad as it was, Issei didn’t allow me to use these foreign slang words as oftenas he did. I really wanted to learn more about them, but he refuses to eventeach me their meaning! He says it’s because I don’t look like someonewho’d use such terms, which in my opinion is ‘the shit’!“Even still, a lighter you say? I’d say that sounds incredible, but after amonth of inventing the things you’ve told me about, I’m pretty confident in myunderstanding of these otherworldly inventions. I mean, how does someoneeven think of a Spork, for Gods’ sakes!”“Well then, if you’re so confident, then I’d like to see you try!”After that, we spent the entire afternoon trying out all sorts of things withmaking it until we finally settled for a design both of us were happy with. Ittook a lot of brainstorming, but I was ultimately glad to have him with me,since having someone pulling at their hair with you is way better than doingso alone.“Aaaaand… done!” Issei yelled out, “Now all we need to do is attach it tothe gun and call it a day!”“Oh, about that.” I asked, “Could we perhaps sell the lighter as a standaloneproduct? I mean, it seems quite useful for everyday things. Like, it basicallyallows everyone to use a stronger form of Spark, no?”“Well, sure. Actually, it might be even more profitable than the gun. Ah, whoam I kidding, everyone’s gonna flock to the weapons anyway, so we might aswell just sell ‘em both.”I didn’t quite understand what he meant by that, but he seemed to know whathe was talking about, so I didn’t really bother with questioning it. Right now,Issei is a really dear friend, so I’d like to at least give him my trust. It’s theleast I could do after he helped me out of my slump.