Konbini Ossan Volume 13 Chapter 3 — The English Journal
“Otogi-sama. How is it? Do you think you can read it?”
“Well... I’m not sure. It wouldn’t be strange if there were someone among the current generation of Heroes who could read it, but as for me, I can’t accurately grasp the meaning.”
I accepted the journal from the elderly woman and opened a few pages to check.
Every single page was densely packed with English, and with only the level of English I’d learned through compulsory education, there was no way I could decipher it.
I had not expected this development.
As I stood there thinking about what to do, the elderly woman made a suggestion.
“If you’d like, please show the journal to one of the current Heroes.”
“Well, if I do that, I’d need to take it somewhere else from here...”
“That’s perfectly fine.”
The elderly woman spoke with a smile.
“An investigation into the Heroes of the past at the royal capital’s request... surely that means the current Heroes need something, doesn’t it? Otherwise, there’d be no reason for anyone to come searching for an old journal like this now.”
At her sharp observation, my eyes widened involuntarily.
“If that’s the case, then by all means, please take it. The Heroes living in the present are far more important than this journal. If it can be of some use to a Hero, then please.”
Faced with such generosity, I hesitated for a moment, then decided to accept it.
“Thank you. I swear I will place this journal in the hands of a Hero who can definitely read it.”
“I’ll be counting on you, Otogi-sama.”
And so, I succeeded in obtaining the Hero’s journal written in English.
While riding the transport vehicle back to the Great Forest Autonomous Region with the journal in hand, I considered who might be able to read it.
If we had a dictionary, perhaps Arisa’s «Calculator» could have helped decipher the meaning.
But the real problem was that I lacked the vocabulary knowledge itself.
Without sufficient input, even «Calculator» couldn’t produce the correct result.
Which meant the most promising option was to ask someone likely to have extensive English knowledge, specifically someone from among the summoned individuals who had been part of the teaching staff.
The first candidate was Ayumi Suzuhara-sensei, the school nurse.
There was a strong possibility that English had been necessary during her studies in medicine and nursing.
The second was Tomoe Kinoshita-sensei, the homeroom teacher.
Depending on what subject she taught, there was every chance she possessed English knowledge as an educator.
After returning to the Great Forest Autonomous Region, I immediately contacted the two candidates.
I asked whether they might be able to translate a text written in English into Japanese.
A reply came quickly.
First, they wanted to see the actual writing.
The three of us gathered alone in an Otogi Trading conference room, where I presented the journal as highly classified information.
“Hello, Otogi-san.”
“So this journal is the one written in English?”
“Yes. So? Do you think it can be translated?”
When I handed it over, Suzuhara-sensei examined the contents first, then shook her head.
“No good. There are a lot of slang-like expressions too, and with my knowledge, I don’t think I could produce an accurate translation.”
Next, Kinoshita-sensei looked through the journal.
“This makes me the better fit! I actually studied abroad for about a year when I was a student! The writing feels very youthful and slang-heavy, so I’ll need a little time, though.”
“If you can translate it, that’s all that matters. Please, I’m counting on you.”
And so, I ended up requesting the translation from Kinoshita-sensei.
After that, I explained the precautions, and especially made sure to stress repeatedly that the contents must not be leaked to anyone.
Then I handed the journal over to Kinoshita-sensei, and the meeting was adjourned.
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E/N:
Parting ways with family relics/heirlooms is difficult but the Manager Old lady showed a lot of compassion! Now, what we gonna find in the Hero's journal?
Stay tuned!
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