Part 3 – Chapter 3: Magitec Car Dealer

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After deciding to go and see some magitec cars, which was their purpose for coming to Fangaro, they headed to the east side of the city, following Rokuk’s guidance.

“It feels different from other towns.”

Mailey and Euphie muttered as they looked at all of the rare things on each side of them.
As they could share their thoughts, they could assign roles, and observe their surroundings without having to turn their heads from left to right.
Aside from the magitec lamp posts, which existed in other towns, there were cleaning machines made for the city, as well as accounting machines used in stores. Fangaro seemed like it was a hundred years ahead of other places.

“It has a very magic punk feel, doesn’t it?”

While magitec beasts were animal-type cyborgs, and had that strange magic punk vibe, this world was still well within the norms of a fantasy world in Tor’s mind.
However, Fangaro’s city felt almost modern. Only, they used magic energy instead of electricity.
There were plenty of things that they did not even recognize, and it was quite fun to just look around.

Rokuk watched their awe with amusement and then pointed at the sky.

“Apparently, they are now developing vehicles that can fly in the sky. They are based on the flying magitec beasts. They just need a light alloy metal from a certain type of magitec beast. Only, they are having trouble getting samples, as they are difficult to hunt.”
“A flying vehicle?”
“I would like to ride such a thing.”

Euphie and Mailey looked up at the sky longingly.

After some time, they eventually arrived at the store that sold magitec cars.
As soon as they saw Rokuk, the employee went to the back to call the manager.
The manager rushed out and called to Rokuk with a big smile.

“Mister Rokuk. So you have finally assembled a clan? Will the members include Janz and the others?”
“No, I’m not here to make a purchase. But an old friend is interested.”

Rokuk then glanced over to Tor, and the manager inspected him up and down.

“You don’t seem to have any…over parts.”
“Yes. I’m traveling with those twins over there. And we would like to have a look at some large magitec cars.”
“Certainly. Come this way.”

The manager went through the door in the back, and they came out into a parking lot.

“Mr. Rokuk. I hate to sound meddlesome, but why do you not form a clan? I worry about you, working out there alone.”
“There is no reason for you to worry. Really, why does everyone always…”

Rokuk touched his temples as if he had a headache. Mailey looked puzzled.

“Is it really so much easier to fight alone?”

Rokuk’s eyes shifted from side to side as if he were searching for the right words.

“There is that… But once you form a clan, you have the responsibility of looking after its members. And then I will no longer be able to go out to the frontlines. Over parts are combat magitec, so it completely defeats the purpose.”
“Well, surely earning a living safely is preferable. Or are boys just that obsessed with fighting?”
“…Tor. I haven’t been treated as a boy in a while.”
“It’s hilarious. Don’t worry, boy. Be ambitious.”
“Shut up. You aren’t much older than me, and are constantly fighting as well. Yes, rank 17th, combat freak.”
“Oh, unlike a strapping young lad like yourself, those days are far behind me.”
“You sound confident. Step outside. I’ll show you a real fight to jog your memory!”
“Oh? Feeling ambitious already?”
“You’re all talk.”

Euphie and Mailey shook their heads as the two squabbled.

“How childish.”

The manager looked at Rokuk and Tor with some surprise.

“Mr. Rokuk is usually so indifferent.”
“Indifferent?”

Tor asked, as Rokuk held him in a headlock.
It wasn’t that Tor and Rokuk were especially good friends. Before coming to Fangaro, they barely talked outside of greeting each other.
And considering how they were now unleashing wrestling moves on each other, the idea that Rokuk was usually so curt was hard to believe.

“Uh, it is awkward to say this right in front of him, but… He was a lot more friendly to others about five years ago. But recently, he has seemed very tense. And I thought, if he is feeling so much stress, then one would hope that he would go out and make some friends. You see, Mr. Rokuk is very famous in Fangaro, and so we’re all worried about him.”

Tor looked at Rokuk.
Rokuk looked away, embarrassed. His mouth remained closed.

“What? Do you have the tsundere attribute, Rokuk?”
“…What is that?”

Rokuk asked, not knowing the meaning of the word. And that was when Euphie and Mailey interrupted them.

“That is a good question!”
“A tsundere is someone whose personality makes them act sharply towards a person they actually feel favorably towards.”
“In other words, at first, Mr. Rokuk was guarded about the people around him in Fangaro, and was careful about starting any trouble.”
“However, even though he has now relaxed, he has become so famous and respected, that the embarrassment has caused him to become prickly.”

Upon hearing this explanation, the manager nodded, as if this connected all of the dots.

“In other words, he’s hiding his embarrassment.”
“That’s not it!”
“See?”
“Tor. I won’t forgive you for this!”

They laughed at the glaring Rokuk, as they entered the parking lot in the back.
While they had been imagining a wild field, what they actually saw was a parking lot that had one floor below ground and two floors above. It was surrounded by walls, with the underground floor being for large vehicles, the first floor being for regular vehicles, and the second floor being for small, one passenger vehicles.

“Through the stairs over here. There is another building for option parts, so you can look at them later.”

And so they went down the stairs to the underground floor. While there had been a magitec elevator, it was apparently only used for moving the magitec cars.
There were a number of large cars being displayed underground. Some were very round in design, while others had sharp angles. Some had separate carriers, while others were combined. There was a lot of variation.

“Now, please take your time…”

Next Chapter

On The 10th Year The Transferee Who Gave Up Returning Finally Becomes The Protagonist