While walking through the village, Shoot was being questioned by Sunny about his appearance. For Shoot, it was a closed chapter, but Sunny and the others had witnessed his dramatic transformation overnight, and their confusion was understandable. It took time for everyone in Todd Village to realize that he was the same person.

Shoot was now the bodyguard of Todd Village, a position he’d taken on for a week, restricting his ability to explore far-off places. However, monster attacks weren't frequent. According to Sunny, packs of monsters attacked only once or twice a month. And even then, the mercenaries Shoot had dealt with earlier would usually handle the situation, ensuring relative peace for the village.

“If that’s the case, I don’t really need to be a bodyguard…”

“That’s not true! No one expected yesterday’s monster attack. If you hadn’t been here, we would have all had to flee. And there’s no guarantee that another attack won’t happen within the next week.”

Shoot could only agree. Sunny looked at him curiously.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Oh, um, it’s not just your looks, but… your mannerisms and the way you talk have changed a lot since yesterday.”

“Ah… my body grew so much, I decided to change my personality to match…”

“…Are you sure it’s just a growth spurt? I think something extraordinary is happening.”

Sunny stared intently at Shoot, questioning him again. Uncomfortable with her gaze, Shoot looked away, trying to avoid her.

“Um, I wanted to ask something! What other monsters appear near this village…?”

“I’m asking you! Shoot-kun, you’re hiding something, right? Please… no, I really want to know.”

Annoyed that Shoot avoided eye contact, Sunny tried to get his attention. Shoot looked away again. After patrolling the village (checking for monsters), Shoot went home. However, Sunny followed him, continuing to press him.

Eventually…

“Fine, I understand. I’ll explain everything properly.”

Giving in to her relentless questioning, Shoot told Sunny about his trips to another world.

“Wow! There’s a country called Japan? A village… eh, it’s not a village, it’s a ‘city’? So, Shoot-kun, you really are from a big city!?”

Sunny listened intently, full of interest.

“In my world, there are no monsters, and there’s no such thing as a mercenary. And if you walked around a city carrying a sword or an axe, you’d get arrested.”

“Hee, so there are no warrior-type jobs in your world. What do you do normally, Shoot-kun?”

“I go to middle school. It’s a school for students like me, aged 13-15.”

“Oh, you’re a student. Is it a fun place?”

“…”

Sunny’s casual question struck a nerve. Her last question was something Shoot didn't want to discuss. Seeing his sudden change in demeanor, Sunny looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry, I asked too many questions.”

“No, it’s…”

Unpleasant memories of middle school flooded Shoot’s mind. He realized he hadn't had any good or happy experiences since becoming a middle schooler.

“Honestly, I might as well not go to school. I could probably manage without that place. It seems like you can get by without school in this world too.”

“I see… I’m a little interested! The people in the village don’t have the money or the opportunity to go to such places.”

“Is that so?”

Shoot’s negative attitude towards school made Sunny feel a little awkward, and she quickly changed the subject.

“Oh, right! So, how did you come to this world from your different world?”

“I don’t fully understand, but a black vortex suddenly appeared in my basement, and I can travel to and from the other world through it.”

“So, if you enter that vortex, you can go to your world!”

“Yes. Are you interested? Would you like to visit my world?”

“Eh? Yes, I would, if I could… But would I be able to go?”

As they spoke, Shoot remembered how the monster materials had disappeared on his return journey. He wondered if it applied to people as well.

“I’m not sure… I tried to bring back some materials from this world, but they vanished. I suspect that items from this world can’t be brought back to my world, and perhaps… that applies to people too…?”

“S-so… if I enter that vortex, I might disappear…?”

“M-maybe…”

Sunny’s face turned pale.

“Ahaha… Too bad, but maybe you can’t go to Shoot-kun’s world.”

“Yeah, probably not.”

They spent time teaching each other about their worlds. Sunny was particularly interested in Shoot’s world’s civilization, culture, and values.

“Amazing… Shoot-kun’s country… the world is incredible!

If what you told me spread to the countries in this world, they could advance significantly!”

“Yeah, this world has magic, so if we use it properly, it could become even more amazing than my world.”

“Hey, hey! How much can ‘machines’ do!? Can they transport people over long distances or perform complex calculations instantly!?”

Sunny eagerly absorbed information about the commonplace technology of Shoot's world. After their conversation, Shoot made a suggestion.

“Could I have some time to explore, even a short amount each day?”

“You can return to the village using ‘Spatial Transfer’, right? Okay! I’ll ask Temuji (the village head)! In return, I’ll come with you on your exploration!”

“Eh…? Okay, I guess.”

Sunny was very interested in Shoot.