“It’s quite crowded. Is this place really that popular?”

“No, not at all. This is actually one of the most common places you can find.”

The place Ande and Fūsuke entered with me was just an ordinary beef bowl chain restaurant. Of course, Fūsuke couldn’t just waltz in as he was, so he shrank down and perched on my head.

A beef bowl place at lunchtime would normally have this many customers. I didn’t have much of this world’s money, so I hoped they’d settle for a meal here.

“Thanks for waiting! Here’s your regular beef bowl with the miso soup and salad set.”

“Oh, that was quite fast.”

“U-uh…”

“He’s complimenting how quickly the food was served.”

“I see… Thank you very much! Please enjoy your meal!”

It seemed Ande didn’t have a language comprehension skill, so he couldn’t communicate with people in this world or read its writing.

At least, the employee didn’t seem too suspicious of him. It looked like they saw him as just another foreigner.

“Mm, this is delicious! Eating this sauce-covered meat together with this white stuff is quite nice. And this liquid poured over the vegetables has a sharp sourness that makes it taste great. This soup, too—I've never tasted anything like it.”

It looked like even a simple 600-yen beef bowl set was enough to satisfy him. Well, there was probably some bonus appeal from the novelty of trying food from another world. I still remembered the taste of the monster meat I ate for the first time in his world.

“…There are large crowds of people everywhere. And there’s no sign of any conflict at all.”

“Like I said before we came here, this world—especially this country—is peaceful. There used to be a lot of wars between nations, but nowadays, most countries aren’t at war. There’s no slavery, and racial discrimination has mostly disappeared. Plus, there aren’t any dangerous creatures like monsters or dragons, so people can live peacefully.”

“…So much can change when the world itself is different.”

“At the very least, in this world, you’re without a doubt the strongest being. So don’t go picking fights.”

In terms of individual strength, Ande was undeniably at the top. Even world champions in boxing or mixed martial arts wouldn’t stand a chance against him. If they used this world’s weapons, it might be a different story, but that wouldn’t count as personal strength.

“…I’m not that foolish. Of course, it’s better not to have things like conflict, slavery, or discrimination.”

“That’s a relief. But man, it’s really hot today… Let’s grab some ice cream before heading back.”

“Ice cream?”

“…Masayoshi, what is this?”

“This is a frozen sweet called ice cream.”

We went into an ice cream shop and bought two cones. Normally, I’d just grab a 100-yen ice cream from a convenience store, but since we had a cheap lunch, I figured I could splurge a little.

One cone had a double scoop: cookies and cream on top, and a colorful flavor I couldn’t even identify. Cup ice cream was nice too, but if you were going to get it from an ice cream shop, this was the way to go.

“…Cold and sweet.”

“Perfect for a hot day like this, right?”

We sat on a bench, eating our ice cream. …Now that I thought about it, sitting on a bench with another guy was a little awkward. And considering Ande was over a hundred years old, it was even weirder. At least, since he looked like a foreign kid, it probably just seemed like I was taking care of a child.

“This world is peaceful, and since there’s no convenient thing like magic, people must have developed food and technology instead. There are plenty of dishes even better than that beef bowl from earlier. Though, I doubt this world has anything as insanely delicious as dragon meat.”

“…So in a peaceful world, other advancements take place instead. Not a bad way to live.”

“Still, a world with magic is something we envy. I guess we’re both just wishing for what we don’t have.”

With that, I continued showing Ande around the shops nearby. He was especially interested in vehicles like cars and trains. When I told him about airplanes that could carry over a hundred people through the sky without using magic, he was absolutely shocked.

As expected, he was also amazed by the televisions in the stores. If you didn’t know what a TV was, you’d have no idea how a thin screen could display human figures.

“Alright, my mom will be home soon, so sorry, but I need you to head back to your world.”

“I see. May I use that time to read the writings my master left behind?”

“Of course. Honestly, they’re not even mine to begin with. Wouldn’t it make more sense for you, the Great Mage’s disciple, to inherit them?”

“My master’s letter stated that everything should be inherited by whoever read it. That means the house and all the writings belong to you, Masayoshi.”

Now that he mentioned it, the Great Mage’s letter did say something like that. But since I didn’t properly understand the mechanics of magic, all of those writings were wasted on me.

“I don’t understand the theories and mechanics of magic, so I’d rather have you put them to good use. I’m sure the Great Mage would be happier that way.”

“…Very well. I shall take a look at them, then.”

Ande stepped through the door back to the other world, and I made dinner, spending a peaceful evening with my mom. It had only been a short time, but this past week had felt incredibly long. Finally, I was getting back to my normal life.