"What the hell is going on?"
His phone displayed a frustrating "No Signal" Icon on top of the screen, accentuating the deep frown on his face.
Roswaal: "Is theeeeeeeeere a problem?"
Tanaka didn't respond to the clown-like figure. His mind was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts as he struggled to make sense of the situation. He murmured under his breath, attempting to calm himself.
Tanaka: "Just stay calm for now."
Panicking would serve no purpose. Losing his composure wouldn't help him understand what was happening. Suddenly, he hit his fist against his forehead, trying to come up with a plausible explanation.
Tanaka: "Maybe the reception here is just terrible."
Ram: "Huh?"
His comment about the reception caught the maid's attention, but Tanaka was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice his surroundings.
Abruptly, Tanaka rose from his seat and lifted his phone toward the ceiling. He looked at Roswaal and Ram, speaking urgently.
Tanaka: "Just wait a second. I need to check something. I'll be right back."
Ram: "Wait a sec..."
Unfazed by her words, Tanaka dashed towards the entrance door. As he swung it open, he paused to glance at the vast expanse before hurrying outside.
He ran in circles, holding his phone high, desperately trying to establish a connection. Each change in location yielded the same result.
"Huff, huff."
Tanaka: "What the heck? Why can't I pick up anything?"
Despite his efforts to change positions, his phone remained devoid of a signal. The weather was fine, and he had already left the building that could have potentially caused reception issues.
Tanaka: "What am I supposed to do now? I can't even make a call."
No, even if he managed to call someone, what would he say to them? Was he even in Japan right now?
The people he had encountered earlier spoke Japanese, but the maid seemed clueless when he mentioned Shizuka, his hometown. Even if they were playing a prank on him, it didn't explain how he had ended up here.
"They mentioned Lugnica or something."
To the best of his knowledge, there was no place by that name in his country.
He glanced back at the mansion and quickly made his way back, gasping for breath.
"Huff, huff."
Tanaka struggled to breathe. It had been a long time since he had exerted himself like this. Though he urged himself to calm down, panic had overtaken him.
He reentered the mansion and returned to the living room, where the maid and the clown-like figure stared at him. He bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
"Huff, huff."
Both of them wanted to say something, but it was Roswaal who was about to interrupt his breathing session.
Roswaal: "Are you..."
"Kazuki, huff, Tanaka."
Roswaal: "Yes?"
Tanaka: "My name is Kazuki Tanaka, huff."
Roswaal was taken aback by his delayed yet sudden introduction.
Tanaka: "This may be sudden, but do you have a map of this continent or country?"
*********************************************************************************************************
Tanaka: "I apologize for my earlier behavior. I'm feeling a bit exhausted."
Roswaal: " No no, pleaaaaaaase don't be. It's just that you surpriiiiiiised us ."
The man reassured him. At Tanaka's request, the maid brought out a large paper map, spreading it across the table.
'I can't recognize these letters,' Tanaka pondered to himself.
Adding to his confusion, he couldn't even identify the country on the map. One thing was certain—it definitely wasn't Japan.
The land depicted on the map appeared large, but Tanaka considered the possibility that it was just scaled differently. Moreover, there were no other lands connected to it; it seemed like an isolated island.
Tanaka collected his thoughts and spoke up.
"So, Roswaal-san, is this..."
Roswaal: "Roswaal is sufficient."
Tanaka was momentarily taken aback by his request to drop the formality.
"So, Roswaal, is this the map of Lugnica?"
Both Roswaal and Ram looked at him with confusion. Roswaal responded.
Roswaal: "Tanaka-kun, this is a world map."
"Huh?"
Tanaka's confusion was palpable. Seeing his troubled expression, Roswaal decided to speak more plainly, setting aside his eccentric manner of speech. He pointed his finger at the map, circling a large area.
Roswaal: "This is the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica."
Tanaka's eyes followed Roswaal's hand, his hand resting on his forehead.
'Dragon kingdom? What fucking dragon?'
His head felt like it was about to burst.
Roswaal: "And this is where the Mathers estate is located. The forest you saw earlier..."
"Augh, my head hurts." Tanaka groaned aloud, his thoughts escaping as words. Roswaal attempted to calm him down.
Roswaal: "First, take a deep breath and calm yourself. Ram, bring Tanaka-Kun some tea."
Tanaka: "Thanks, but I'd prefer an ashtray... Never mind."
He stopped mid-sentence, realizing they probably wouldn't understand what he meant by an ashtray.
He reached into the plastic bag he had placed on the ground and pulled out a can of soda. As he opened it, the sound of the gas escaping made Roswaal and Ram flinch.
Tanaka didn't want to burden them with his smoking habit, nor did he want to drink something that would make him sleepy. He needed a caffeinated beverage to keep himself awake, and the empty can would serve as an impromptu ashtray.
He took out his lighter from his pocket, ready to light up a cigarette. However, as he looked at Roswaal and Ram, he noticed their troubled expressions. Pausing for a moment, he let out an "Ah" and asked,
"Is it alright if I smoke here?"
Roswaal and Ram exchanged uncertain glances. Tanaka then noticed their gaze shifting towards the soda pack on the table.
"Oh, don't worry. I actually prefer drinking beverages like this. It's like juice," he added, trying to put them at ease. "Here, have one as well."
He tossed a can to each of them, but they continued to stare at it with confusion. Realizing their unfamiliarity with opening cans, Tanaka quickly stood up and approached them. Understanding their dilemma, he gently twisted the tab on each can, releasing a satisfying fizzing sound.
Handing the opened cans back to Roswaal and Ram, he said, "Here you go. Just pull the tab back like this, and you can drink."
They hesitated for a moment but then Roswaal took a sip from his can, looking at Tanaka with curiosity.. "This is quite a faaaaaaaascinating beverage. Its effervescence and flavor are unlike anything I've ever encountered."
Tanaka replied, "Yeah, it's definitely an acquired taste. But it can be quite refreshing, especially on a hot day."
Ram, still holding the can with a hint of skepticism, raised an eyebrow as she tasted it. "It's certainly... interesting. Ram has never seen anything like this before. But it's not bad, I suppose."
'Hah, she's talking in the third person,' Tanaka thought to himself, unable to hold back a small chuckle.
He then lit his cigarette, leaned back in his seat, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
*********************************************************************************************************
After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Tanaka explained his stance to Roswaal.
"So, to summarize your situation." Roswaal said, seeking confirmation. "you can't read Drakorian, you have no idea how you got here,, and you are from a country called Japan."
Tanaka nodded and replied, "I know that's kind of hard to believe, but yeah."
Tanaka remained silent, a sense of unease settling over him. Roswaal continued, "Sorry, but it doesn't ring a bell."
In an attempt to provide some evidence of his origin, Tanaka reached into his pocket and pulled out a 100 Yen coin, showing it to Roswaal. However, to his disappointment, Roswaal examined it and shook his head.
Roswaal: "I'm afraid I don't recognize this currency. In Lugunica, we use holy coins, progressing from silver to gold and then sacred gold."
He then stated the obvious, "And to add to that, you also don't have money, and it's safe to assume that you have nowhere to go."
Tanaka painfully nodded, fully aware of the gravity of his situation.
"Yeah."
Sensing Tanaka's desperation, Roswaal made a suggestion. "If you'd like, you can work as a butler in this mansion for the time being," he offered.
Tanaka's head shot up, caught by surprise.