Gothic Lady 1 - 7

 

Chapter 1 - I Thought I Went to Germany, But I Was in Another World Instead

T/N Anything with italics in this chapter, will be the protagonist’s attempt to speak English. Though, I’ll also use italics to indicate that the character is speaking in foreign language

Filthy grave keeper.

Dedicated himself to dig grave for the dead, 

And took money from a weeping man.

The humble and hideous, king of worms who ruled over insects swarming all over the graveyard.

Guardian of natural death.

The clothes he wore, the knife he used, and everything he touched, foul traces of death remained.

Oh, how deplorable.

Yet, the last favor he would do after our death, was none other than that.

* * *

A Perfect hairdo, a small silk hat that was tilted to the side, and a beautiful embroidered parasol opened wide below the sky of Leipzig in Germany.

Complemented by a laced stand-up collar that stuffed around the neck, and a tightly fitted bodice.

I was turning twenty eight soon, and I’d say it was a good decision to try the Victorian lady’s bustle dress.

Oh, finally.

Finally this day had come.

The day when I could stand in this place with this dress.

The place that I longed since I was a young girl ten years ago.

The place that I realized, I could go there once I became an adult.

“Yeah!! I am finally here at the hyped goth festival, Wave-Gotik-Treffen!!!”

At Agra Agricultural Park in Germany, in short Agra Park, I thrust my fist up to the sky. Then, I felt a camera flash from someone’s phone, as a German gentleman with a plague mask put his thumbs up, as if to say ‘I was able to take a good shot’.

I was so delighted that someone took a picture of my look with their phone that I repeatedly bowed and bowed again.

“Thank you so much! I’m very happy! I’ve always wanted to come here. Oh, the quality of that plague mask is amazing! Did you make it yourself? Uhh, if only I could ask them in Deutsch. At least I should be more fluent in English!”

Mister Plague Mask walked away, leaving me here with my heartful rambling.

Ohhh…. It was indeed full of goth no matter where I looked.

Was it really okay for such a marvelous place to exist?

I was glad I strained myself to come here. Even if I was alone, I was still glad.

I was anxious and worried since I knew nothing about traveling alone to Germany, but there was no way I could ask someone in my workplace, “I want to go to a goth festival in a black dress, would you like to go with me? I will make the costume for you!”

Of course, there were festivals like this in Japan as well, but the atmosphere was completely different than the one in Germany. How should I put it? The one in Germany was more… authentic.

Here, both men and women had an impressive physique. So I, whose height was 165 cm, felt like a child compared to them.

Since I was being treated as tall in Japan, it was somewhat refreshing to be treated as a shortie here.

Last night, when I tried to buy some liquor to get in the mood, they asked for my passport to confirm my age.

Were they being serious? In Germany, it was okay to drink from the age sixteen, right?

But I was twenty eight.

When I told them my age and showed them my passport, they looked at me like I was some kind of monster.

Well, I didn’t put on make up and was in a t-shirt at that time. It was probably the case with most Asians too.

Right now, I had my makeup and false lashes on to match the dress. But, I still had doubts about how I looked right now.

No, I didn’t care about my baby face.

It was a goth festival anyway.

“Hehehe, I already took commemorative selfies… what’s left is the pictures of the venue. Let’s walk around to take pictures of those high quality costumes! Everyone must have a great concept! Oh no, I am so excited that I’ve been talking to myself! This is the happiest moment of my life!”

It was just like the dazzling high society that I longed for, from a movie with a marchioness protagonist that I saw long ago.

I loved Anna Karenina, not to mention, Marie Antoinette.

From there, I became interested in historical clothing, and started to work at a fashion museum. I was also interested in making those dresses myself, so I started to participate in Gothic Lolita cosplay events.

As my hobby grew, I did some research on medieval Europe’s history, but I was surprised instead. “You’re kidding, right?? Marie Antoinette is from the late modern period?! Not from middle ages?!”

Yes, what I like was late modern European clothing.

Robe à la française, which represented 18th century France, and the very popular Victorian bustle dress from 19th century England.

I also liked medieval Europe’s flare dresses, but after all, fluffy gown-ball dresses with plenty of embroidery and laces were more attractive in my eyes.

Especially goth fashion, which had an overall dark vibe, I loved it.

If a bit of steampunk was added to it, I couldn’t even resist.

My accessories today also had a bit of steampunk feel in it. Of course it would be Industrial Revolution if we were talking about 19th century England! That was very steampunk-like.

I took out the pocket watch that I bought with all I had and smiled a little.

However, I was taken by surprise as I looked up from the watch.

“…..Huh? Where is everyone? Well…? Where is this? A forest?”

Was it because I kept looking at my pocket watch while wandering around? I seemed to leave the goth festival venue before I knew it.

Even so, why there wasn’t a single person here?

“I’m screwed! Overseas! Getting lost! Die!”

I took out my phone and launched the map app… but it was completely useless due to poor signal. I didn’t even know which direction I headed or where I stood.

“First, let’s go back to the way I came….”

But, it was a wood.

There wasn’t any path or anything. I was in the middle of a wood.

Leipzig was a half-rural area. So, even if it wasn’t completely a countryside, there were quite a lot of woods. If one was careless, they could get lost in the woods.

But no way, I was still in the park a while ago and suddenly lost my way in a wood. Just how off was my sense of direction to see such an optical illusion??

Alright. I needed to calm down. I should be able to find a road If I walked for a bit.

Then, I could just mention “Goth festival” and a kind local person would think that I was lost and showed me the way.

Yeah, someone. I just needed to find someone.

It would be a bit embarrassing, but I wouldn’t be able to get out of this place without some sacrifice [1].

“H-Hello..?? Excuse me! Excuse me! Someone??”

I was shouting as I began to walk.

It was May, but the air was awfully cold.

And yet, I was sweating. And my heart was pounding.

Anybody was okay, I just wanted to meet someone.

Wait, no. I wanted to meet someone other than criminals.

What should I do if I met a robber in this wood? What if someone was following me from the venue, to this faraway place?

I suddenly felt scared, and strode faster.

My feet hurt, since I wore high heels to match my dress.

Yet, no matter how far I walked, the wood was endless. Did I walk deeper into the wood instead? Should I turn back?

Or should I try to turn over here?

Ah, I didn’t know anymore.

What should I do? What should I do??

Since I couldn’t find a road, it wasn’t like anyone would help me even if I sat down, right? Would the hotel staff be worried if I didn’t come back?

Why couldn’t my phone work?

Somehow my tears spilled out.

Just a while ago, I was having fun….

“——.———–?”

I heard a voice.

From somewhere.

I quickly stood up.

And started running towards the voice.

“I’m over here! Excuse me!”

I ran and mumbled English phrases continuously. ’Sorry, I am Japanese so I don’t know any Deutsch and I can only speak a little bit English' 

Running while memorizing those, I crashed into something.

Oh, I was gonna fall.

The moment I thought that, a strong arm grabbed me and pulled me forward. I flopped onto someone’s chest, and was held close to that sturdy chest.

I stood still, as I smelled a crude scent of soil.

“—-? ——.—–.”

Upon hearing the language I couldn’t recognize, his words just flew in and out my ears.

Huh? Was it Deutsch? It wasn’t English, right? …..but it didn’t sound like Deutsch either.

I looked up.

What? Though I raised my face up, I couldn’t see his face.

Ah, he was just tall…. too tall, even.

Was his height around 190 cm? He was huge!

I wasn’t able to see his face clearly due to his unkempt facial hair and long bangs. But, he was probably one of participants of the goth festival judging by his attire.

After all, it was pretty obvious since he wore a black hooded robe, dirty cravat, studded boots, and carrying around a huge shovel.

“Ah! Uhmm, I’m lost! Umm, from the goth festival….”

“…….?”

The man tilted his head.

Huh? He didn’t get it. Was it my pronunciation?

“Goth Festival! Goth-fes-ti-val-!”

I tried to make it sound better, but the man just tilted his head in confusion.

When I felt like crying, the man glanced at me from top to bottom and his face suddenly turned rigid.

Before I knew it, he knelt down and kissed my muddy shoes.

“What???”

I unconsciously let out a scream and leapt back.

The man was surprised but he still knelt there without words.

What? What was it? Was it the usual greeting of goth festival?

Wasn’t kissing someone’s shoes meant absolute submission?

I understood. It was definitely goth-like! Right, I was wearing a noble lady’s dress so he was doing role-play!

Despite that, I leapt back in response instead. I felt embarrassed.

The man stood up slowly when I was still flustered.

He turned his back to me and started to walk away. I nervously followed after him…. I would be back to goth festival if I followed him right?

The worst thing could happen, was getting back to a road or the city.

But, wasn’t his pace a little too fast? I wanted him to wait for me, since I got blisters from my heels.

The man turned around and looked at me dubiously.

He returned to me, perhaps noticed that I limped while trying to catch up.

“——-?”

He pointed to my shoes.

Maybe he asked “Are you wounded?” Maybe.

So I nodded.

“——-?————–?—————.”

He continuously asked questions, but I didn’t understand a thing.

When I cast my eyes down and said nothing, he looked up to the sky, as if he was at complete loss.

I really felt sorry…. that I troubled him….

“———?”

The man asked in a strong tone.

Since he knew that his words wouldn’t reach me, he did it with gestures.

'Should I hold you up?’

Hmm….

Something like that?

So he was gonna hold me up? Me? Certainly, for a buff man like him, the 53 kg me wouldn’t be a problem.

However, If I took off my shoes, wasn’t the problem solved?

We just needed to look at it differently!

I clasped my hands together and started undid my shoelaces.

The man stared at me for a while, but when he realized that I was going to take off my shoes, he looked obviously shaken. He said something, but I couldn’t understand him.

Well, that was fine. I should just take it off.

When I finally took off my shoes and tried to put my foot on the ground, he grabbed my ankle firmly. 

Before I knew it, he held me up against his chest, and I clumsily opened my mouth in surprise.

Finally looking at him up close, I noticed that this man’s face was bright red to his ears.

A/N

[1] the original saying is, “you can’t put the belly in the back” almost the same as an english saying “You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.”

Chapter 2 - He Didn’t Think He Would Pick Up a Young Lady While He Was Walking in the Woods

Why did it feel really nice to hold her?

Feeling the heat of the young lady’s body on his arms, Toden was distressed.

She wasn’t complaining or rampaging, so at least she didn’t seem to hate it.

Earlier, he thought the young lady had lost her mind when she started to take off her shoes. He was relieved that he could prevent the young lady’s feet from getting dirty with soil.

However, rather than being touched by an impure existence like himself…

It was probably better for her to be dirty with soil instead.

But no. With such soft feet, she could get injured by pebbles and twigs. She might also contract some disease from it.

Toden sneaked a look at the lady in his arms through his long bangs.

A tight bodice that covered her body until the neck, an unusual skirt that hid her ankle, silk gloves decorated with lace, and high-heeled shoes made with implausible techniques.

What about the small hat that complemented her arranged black hair, and the colorful glowing stuff sewn to it?

From the top of her head until the tips of her toes, she wore a complete noble outfit.

She wore a makeup, but she was probably about fifteen or so. And unlike her appearance, she didn’t act in a haughty manner. Perhaps she was originally a commoner.

Looking closely, her features looked foreign.

She might have been brought here for a political marriage.

Since a while ago, the young lady was muttering words that Toden couldn’t understand, while taking a glance at him.

The smile on her face was probably just her trying not to offend him, since she thought he might bury her alive.

Did she got separated from her attendant? There were wild dogs around here. They might have been attacked and tried to run away. Either way, it was an unavoidable accident.

That was why, in front of an existence like Toden…

She didn’t scream and stayed there even when she met a filthy grave keeper like him.

When he grabbed the young lady’s arm who was about to fall down from bumping into him, he thought she would scream.

Or rather, hit him with the parasol in her hand.

However, the young lady didn’t do that.

When the girl stood there being bewildered, he did the gesture of absolute submission to show her he wouldn’t do any harm. But, only then di she jump back in fear.

Of course she didn’t want to be touched.

So, he kept his distance. But she seemed to injure her feet and walk limply.

It was getting dark.

At night, wild dogs would appear. Also, more dangerous creatures would come out.

With her injured feet, she wouldn’t make it to Toden’s dwelling before the night came.

He was hoping she understood that he carried her since he had no choice.

Feeling a light tug on his cravat, Toden looked to the young lady.

“Eri Himeno”

“…..?”

He couldn’t understand her language, of course.

When he tilted his head in confusion, the young lady tapped on her chest.

“Eri Himeno”

She repeated.

“…….is that your name?

"Na…me?”

Toden tried to point at himself, but he quickly realized he couldn’t do it while holding the young lady in his arms.

Sensing the situation, Eri Himeno tapped her finger to Toden’s chest.

“…..Toden.”

“Toden-san?”

“San? No, just Toden. To-den.”

“Mister Toden?”

Why did she keep adding extra words?

Was that an aristocratic title in Eri Himeno’s home country?

Eri Himeno was taken aback when Toden showed a confused look on his face.

“Deutsch.. in Deutsch, isn’t it ‘mister'….?”

She started to murmur.

And then sighed as if she gave up.

“Toden.”

She called his name properly.

Toden was relieved that they were able communicate, but at the same time, he just realized the devastating truth.

The young lady gave her name to a filthy existence of a grave keeper. Moreover, she gave it before Toden did.

He did something outrageously rude that his face started to turn pale, but Eri Himeno probably didn’t know anything about this country’s custom.

“I swear, tomorrow I will send you to the city and find your guardian.”

Toden spoke to Eri Himeno even though he knew she wouldn’t understand.

A foreign young lady with black hair, black eyes, and black attire. With such an exotic look, it wouldn’t take much time to find her guardian.

“Ah.”

Eri Himeno let out a voice.

On the other side of the landscape that was dyed crimson at dusk, a graveyard where Toden lived could be seen.

“……a graveyard.”

“That’s my house.”

Toden cast his gaze towards the stone-built house, which was built detached from the graveyard.

He was ashamed to bring a young lady like her to a grave keeper’s dwelling. But fortunately, no corpse had arrived today.

If it was the guest room on the upper floor, there should be no problem for her to stay.

Chapter 3 - I Thought He Was Going to Make a Move, But I Was Surprised That He Screamed And Ran Away

[[R-18 Content]]

This was bad.

The situation progressed too fast.

Just when I thought I lost my way during the goth festival, I was carried like a princess by a muscular goth coplayer onii-chan. And when I realized, I was taken to his place (which maybe was an old family hotel).

This was definitely ‘that’.

This was the kind of thing that was often mentioned in travel blogs. Due to the excitement from the festival, things developed into a one night stand in a foreign country.

“Ah……! I’m glad that I am wearing the underwear set that matches my costume. I’m lucky…..”

I tried to hold down my pounding heart. I trembled just by remembering his body and the fierce appearance of Toden-san, who just left the room earlier.

“I heard that Germans like to go to the gym as a hobby, but his body is no joke… That’s a body of someone who goes to the gym five times a week and does a bench press…! Ah, I can’t stop talking to myself…! I want to ramble on social media, but my phone is still dead…!”

Also, this old hotel didn’t seem to have Wi-Fi.

I couldn’t even find an outlet.

I did somehow take a picture of the map of my hotel area with my phone….. when this thing was over, would Toden-san send me there if I showed him the map…?

When…. this thing was over…

This thing…..

It was going to happen…! Abroad! With a stranger!

"Since we are both goth festival participants, would it be better to keep my dress on…?! But, the bustle could collapse and the dress will be wrinkled! Oh and, since he carried a shovel, perhaps Toden-san’s costume is a grave keeper? Or a grave digger? He even stays in an old hotel near a graveyard to set the background, I really am no match to this man! It will be really exciting! I will also behave like a noble lady then.”

But.

In what way should I act like a lady?

A grave digger was the lowest class of all.

And a lady was a privileged class.

If I took my role seriously, I had to look at Toden-san as like he was a rubbish below livestock. Wouldn’t that be extremely rude?

……..or did he want that kind of play?

He kissed my shoes, after all.

I heard that many muscular men were masochist…

That would be a bit hard for me…. on top of that, we couldn’t understand each other’s languages, so I couldn’t role-play like a queen.

Think….! Think, Eri Himeno!

Due to my surname, my nickname during my childhood was 'Hime-chan’. Whenever I wore dresses, I was teased and got called 'Princess’. [1]

I didn’t care anymore about those memories, but now I needed to behave like a lady!

Hearing footsteps coming upstairs, I was startled.

W-what should I do? What to do?!

I quickly undressed, took off my chemise and petticoat, and also took off the bustle which was fastened with velcro. I threw them on the bed.

I was left with a tight corset, (it was really expensive but I bought a real one), underwear, and a garter belt.

Actually, I’ve tried standing in front of a mirror in my underwear a couple of times. But, this stuff was about ten times sexier than my usual underwear. I really liked how I looked in this corset, and it also hid my stomach perfectly.

I stood with my back facing the door as I wore the three sacred treasures of fetishism. Corset, garter belt, and high heels. At the same time, the door opened behind me.

But, I heard the sound of something dropping one after another.

Huh? What? Did something just fall?

When I turned around, I couldn’t see Toden-san, who should have been coming inside a moment ago.

Instead, bread and fruits were scattered on the floor.

Oops. I messed up the order.

He brought me some meals… but I greeted him with such passion.

Oh no. It was so embarrassing.

But, I just wanted to try, "Can you loosen the corset for me?” scenario….! I thought he would be pleased…!

I managed to snag only my chemise, and threw it over my shoulder. I peeped outside the room timidly.

I hoped the other guests wouldn’t see me…

“Excuse me, Toden-san? Toden?”

“——-!”

A gruff voice replied back from downstairs.

No way, was he angry? Did I make him angry? I was screwed. He sounded really scary.

Should I run away? But even if I ran away, I didn’t know the way back…

Didn’t know what to do, I only managed to be flustered inside the room. But then, I heard some footsteps going up the stairs again.

I sat down on the bed, wrapped the the chemise around my body, and greeted the owner of the footsteps with a dejected look.

“——-.———.”

Along with some unknown words, Toden-san came in as foggy steam was filling up the room.

Wondering what it was about, Toden-san apparently brought a wooden tub filled with hot water. I had seen it before. It was used to bathe in medieval Europe.

“Ah…? A bathtub?”

As I was stunned, Toden-san came closer and gestured me to stand up.

I obeyed him and he turned my body around, loosening my corset.

Suddenly breathing became easier, and I sighed in relief.

Right.

I needed to bathe before doing that. I was quite sweaty too.

But, to see that a medieval bathtub actually came out…. what a shameful old hotel.

It was also hard for me to enter the tub, as I was being watched.

“Umm, thank you so much…! I will be alright with the rest….”

I wonder if the atmosphere wasn’t enough to convey my words.

Thinking so, I turned around. But Toden-san already covered his eyes with a black cloth.

It was a blindfold.

That was his way to say that he wouldn’t see my naked body.

And it felt like he was going help me bathe in that state.

“Perhaps, he was going for lady’s attendant role-play…? He is helping me to bathe, but won’t do anything naughty to me…?”

In the first place, I felt that I misunderstood the one night stand thing.

Oh no, it was just too embarrassing.

”——?“

Perhaps he thought it was strange that I froze there, since Toden-san tilted his head in confusion.

I took off my underwear in a hurry, and timidly dipped my body into the tub.

Oh, it was surprisingly deep. I was soaked until my waist. It felt warm… and nice…

"Ah… it’s a paradise…”

I unconsciously let out my voice.

It felt really good. Even my extremely sore legs started to recover.

As I was relaxing in the tub, something slippery touched my back.

Before I knew it,

“Hyaaa!”

I let out a shameful voice.

Turning around, Toden-san was sitting behind me, holding a towel full of lathered soap.

“Ah! Huh? Soap!? Like to wash my body? Thank you so much! But I can wash myself!  ”

I snatched the towel from Toden-san.

But I forgot,

That I shouldn’t do any sudden movements towards someone in a blindfold.

Toden-san lost his balance and fell head first into the tub.

Looking for something to hold on, he firmly grabbed my…. uhhh…. C cup breasts. Somehow, it turned out just like lucky sukebe in shounen mangas [1].

“———-!! —————-!”

Before I could even say anything, Toden-san screamed in an incomprehensible voice and leapt to the wall on the other side of the room. 

And then, as surprised, excited, and confused as I was, I hopped out of the bath and chased after Toden-san without thinking.

“It’s okay! I promise! It was an accident! Unavoidable accident! I won’t be angry just because you touched my breast! You can even touch it again!”

I led Toden-san’s hand towards my breast.

Ah, I did it.

I really became a whore.

Toden-san, whose blindfold had slid off, was staring at me, almost not breathing. And I also froze there from the embarrassment of my lame attempt.

I begged you, at least please push me to the bed.

That way, I wouldn’t be the only whore here. We would be a man and woman who did one night stand due to the momentum of the festival.

But, that wish crumbled down quickly. Toden-san brushed off my hand and rushed out from the room.

I, who was just like a wet rat, was left behind in the swamped room.

“Ahhhhhh………..”

I was at my wit’s end. It was so embarrassing I wanted to die

“I want to ramble on social media….! It’s better to have everyone laugh at this shameful experienceee!”

It was a cry from the bottom of my heart.

T/N

[1] Her surname 姫乃 (Himeno) has the kanji for 'Princess’ (Hime)

[2] ラッキスケベ (Lucky Sukebe) those who read or watch hentai might be familiar with this. A phrase to describe those average looking protagonists in shounen ecchi anime who always lucky enough to touch/see women’s body by chance. (I really hate this type of anime btw)

Though I suffered from second-hand embarrassment, I just love this protagonist and her energy. She is so refreshing ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ

Chapter 4 - He Was Surprised That She Disappeared While He Was Cooling Off His Head

Today, he felt like digging his own grave just by thinking about how many times she had hurt her honor.

If only his acquaintance the executioner could particularly kill him in a cruel way. He had committed a number of unforgivable sins.

First, he saw a lady changing her clothes.

He didn’t knock at that time, so he couldn’t help but curse at his imprudence.

Since she was changing her clothes, of course she wanted to have a warm bath, right? So he prepared a bath, but this time he touched a lady’s body… a part that was only allowed for her beloved husband and children.

Despite that, as if to say that she forgave that despicable sin, she guided Toden to touch her body.

Toden had never seen such extent of mercy and generosity.

Ah…

Yet…

Yet, why?

“Know your place… know your pla….ce.”

Toden rushed out of the room, went to the water well behind the old house, and splashed cold water all over his body to punish himself.

His ugly desire was rampaging, and his body was burning hot.

When he recalled her soft and smooth bare skin that he touched, blood rushed to his painfully hard lower body.

Feeling nauseous from his repulsing self, Toden frantically drew water and splashed it to his head over and over.

Cold water deprived Toden’s fingers from their sense. His lips were pale, showing signs of death, but his burning desire had toned down.

Unable to draw the water properly, Toden was finally able to calm down a bit.

He leaned against the well and held his breath. Finally coming to his senses, he looked up to the darkened sky.

He just suddenly left the room, she must be confused.

He also needed to go fetch the bathtub. If he left the room as it was, she could catch a cold.

Did she eat the prepared fruits?

If he knew it would come to this, he would have memorized how to make at least one dish. He was terribly sorry that he couldn’t give her a warm meal.

She just needed to endure it until tomorrow.

Tomorrow she would return to her guardian and would be treated according to her status. And then, she would forget the time she spent with this grave keeper just like a mere nightmare.

Looking as if he was drenched by the rain, Toden took off his dripping wet clothes, and changed it to the cleanest clothes he had. With that, he once again went up to the upper floor, where Eri Himeno waited.

However, Toden was lost for words.

Eri Himeno disappeared from the room, leaving an unreadable letter to Toden.

Chapter 5 - I Didn’t Know There Were Zombies in the Night Woods

I read the air.

I read it

But, it wasn’t it?

He screamed and fled upon seeing my naked body.

No matter how I looked at it, I just couldn’t find a reason for such a lewd woman like me, who led someone to touch my chest, to remain in such a pure man’s room.

So, just after the lucky sukebe incident, I put on my dress in haste (I wiped my wet body with the bed sheet) and rushed to leave the old hotel before Toden-san came back. 

Farewell overseas one night stand.

Farewell, authentic old hotel.

And goodbye Toden-san.

I would return to my bed with the shame of this trip.

Well, if that graveyard was real, then there must be private houses nearby. And, if I followed the path that extended from the graveyard, I would eventually return to the goth festival venue.

Maybe.

At worst, I could find other private houses.

And, it was probably the time.

The festival might have already ended, and I was worried if no one would open their door for a foreign woman who suddenly rang their bell at night….

Still, it would be better than staying in Toden-san’s room.

But, the path was dark.

Awesome, there weren’t even a single streetlight on this road.

As the moonlight cast my shadow on the path, I started to regret that I left the old hotel without thinking.

After all, I wonder if I should have stayed overnight….. but…. he screamed and fled.…

Oh no, would he spread this matter around tomorrow? saying, “There’s this Japanese bitch trying to make a move on me, so annoying.” like that? [1]

Toden-san didn’t look like someone who would do that kind of thing, but I’d never know what was inside his heart.

“……..oh?”

I could see a faint glow emerging on the other side of the dark path.

It didn’t seem coming from a flashlight, it looked more dim…. and shaped like a human.

Just like when someone covered their whole body with fluorescent paint.

In other word, it was a person.

There were people on the other side of the road

And they must be goth festival participants dressed in a ghost costume with fluorescent paint!

There wasn’t any information regarding the goth festival turning into Halloween at night. But, there was a thin line between gothic and horror. So that must be the case, right?

“Ah… thank god! I am saved!”

Holding down my excitement, I quicken my pace towards them.

And the more I looked at them, the more I could see…. a bunch of skeletons.

Skull, torso and the limbs.

They were a complete skeleton, that I couldn’t imagine human bodies being inside of those costumes.

But, wasn’t the quality just too high? What was going on? Did they paint the bones on a black suit so it felt like the inside was empty?

Feeling somehow excited, I snatched out my phone and took a picture of those glowing skeletons.

There might be many comments if I uploaded this picture on social media. They were really photogenic. I really wanted to return to a hotel with Wi-Fi!

As I was thinking about that, the skeletons suddenly noticed me and came approaching.

Oh no. Was it my bad to take their picture without permission?

“Umm, I’m sorry! Not that, I’m sorry? For taking your picture without permission…”

Was that too crude? That was the limit of my English.

While I was still muddled with my thoughts, the group of skeletons was already right beside me.

And then, I realized.

These guys were hollow.

It wasn’t a painting of bones on top of black suit. They were really hollow.

“…..a puppet?! Is it the newest technology of skeleton robots?! Wow, this is awesome! I wonder if there’s someone controlling them! They use fluorescent paint so that those skeletons won’t be lost. I see!”

This must be a huge project. Like a prank cam to surprise people who were wandering along the night road.

So where was the one who controlled them?

I looked around, but couldn’t find anything like a person nearby.

That made sense.

Of course I couldn’t find them if they hid behind something like dark bushes.

“Ah, my bad…. I forgot to act surprised.”

It supposed to be that, right?

They wouldn’t reveal the trick unless I screamed “Kyaaaaaaa!” Like that?

But I lost my timing to be surprised, and already observed the skeleton closely.

Hmm… I wonder if they would give up and reveal the trick if I stood still like this. I was a Japanese, after all. I wasn’t the type who could overreact like foreigners.

Huh……wait… I felt my leg stuck on some-

“Ahhhhh!”

I tripped. Out of sudden. In a place with nothing.

It was a joke, right? Did I trip on my shoelaces? It was really hurt.

“Rather than that, my dress! It got dirty! Nooo!”

I quickly got up and sat on the ground, checking the dress if it had any damage.

Huh…..?

I still felt that my leg stuck on something.

Just how tangled were my shoelaces were? Maybe it wasn’t even my shoelaces, but a simple trap made by tying the leaves on the ground?

It might be possible in this dark environment.

I rolled up my dress, exposing both my shoes and ankles.

But at that time, I felt my heart shrunk.

It was bones.

A bare skeleton hand was firmly holding on my ankle.

“AHHHHHHH! SKELETON??!!

I unintentionally screamed.

It was a success! I really was surprised.

I shook off the skeleton with all my might, that it went rolling on the ground. Calming down my pounding heart, I raised up.

"Come on, it’s enough! I was so surprised! Isn’t it too much to ambush me like that and make me fall to the ground? My dress is dirty now…”

The surrounding was quiet. Only my voice was resounded.

The skeletons kept making a clinking sound like a children toy, while gradually closing their distance to me.

When I noticed, countless skeletons were already below my feet, creeping closer while reaching their hands towards me.

Only then did I feel horrified.

This didn’t look like a prank. At all.

I was already surprised enough. I screamed and I fell over. However, nobody came out and laughed at me. I had cold sweat all over.

No, there wasn’t such a thing.

I wasn’t that insane to think that those impending skeletons were real ghosts.

However, it was obvious that running away was the better option.

It didn’t matter whether those skeletons were for a prank, for harming someone, or even for a serious crime. It was already beyond the line where I could just stay here and laugh about it.

I needed to go back.

No matter how awkward it was, I needed to stay at Toden-san’s place tonight. In the first place, it was careless of me to walk alone in foreign place at night. I was a foolish and negligent Japanese, please forgive me God, save me.

I turned around and started running.

However, before I could even run for long, I bumped into something that blocked the path.

“Ahh! What? Who-?!”

I raised my face.

And saw its eyes.

Eyeballs were hanging down from their sockets, and its cheeks showed some protruding bones.

On its parched skin, hair sparsely grew.

“AAAAAAAAAHHH! NOOOOO! IT’S A ZOMBIE!!!”

This time, it was a genuine scream.

Even if I myself thought that it was a lame scream, that was what came out when a real zombie appeared in front of my eyes.

I slipped past the zombie that was in my way, and began to run along the path which headed to the old hotel. However, I was caught by the hem of my dress and kissed the ground once again.

Due to the impact, I got a cut on my lips. The fishy taste of iron spread around my mouth, and I crouched on the ground with a numb feeling on my head.

Click clack

The trailing sound of footsteps came closer from behind. As I was overwhelmed with the pain, the clinking noise of those skeletons, which resembled children toys, incited my fear.

I had to get up.

It wasn’t the time to care about the pain.

Rather, I wonder what would happen to me. What if I got caught by zombies? Would I get eaten? If I got bitten, would I turn into a zombie?

I shouldn’t think about that.

“Ahh….it hurts!!! hurts, no…, it hurts!!!”

A burning pain spread around my leg. I writhed and screamed loudly.

Something bit into my leg.

Struggling desperately, I managed to escape from the jaw of a half-skeleton zombie, and stood up.

The warmth of the blood spread around the bitten area. And when I put my weight on my leg, an intense pain pierced through my whole body. I felt like fainting.

I couldn’t walk.  I couldn’t run.  I couldn’t escape. But I would die if I stay. I would be killed.

No.

No. no way.

Why? I was just visiting Germany for a short while. So why should I go through something like this?

I wanted no more of this. I wanted to quickly return to Japan.

“Save me…. save me, please save me….”

I muttered a prayer.

And a light appeared in the distance. I could see the light coming from the old hotel that I left.

That flickering light seemed to come closer.

But I could barely walk properly.

“——-! ———!!”

It wasn’t a voice that I knew well. However, when that familiar voice resounded in the night wood, it brought my consciousness back to reality.

I came to realize that the approaching light was a lantern that Toden-san was holding. I lost strength from my whole body.

But I uttered my last strength just for one step further.

I reached for the light. And then, my hand was strongly gripped. A warm human hand. A big, rough, and strong hand.

In a blink of an eye, I was drawn to Toden-san’s chest, as he firmly wrapped his hand around my waist.

It reassured me, who was completely in a mess, since he was like saying, “I will definitely protect you.”

Meanwhile, the head of the zombie who was after me was violently flown off.

With a shovel.

It was a giant shovel for digging deep holes, the one that he carried around when we first met. Toden-san swung it like an axe to decapitate the zombie.

“——.———-?”

He whispered in my ears with concern in his voice.

“My leg got bitten…! It hurts… really hurts…”

Weeping and crying, the only word I said to Toden-san was just “It hurts.”

Though he was supposed to not understand me, Toden-san took a look at my leg. The light from the lantern illuminated my blood, which dripped down to the ground.

I heard a muffled sound.

And I noticed that it was the sound of Toden-san gritting his teeth together.

And, his face.

I could clearly see the look on his face, which was previously covered with beards and bangs.

I unconsciously let out a small squeal.

It was much scarier than skeletons or the zombie that bit me.

Toden-san didn’t seem to be aware of my fear, as he thrust the giant shovel deeply to the ground.

And then,

“ROOOOOOOAARR!!”

He roared towards the sky.

The air was swaying, as the skeletons and zombies that came approaching ceased to move.

I shut my ears and eyes as it was simply too loud. When I opened my eyes and ears, the wood was silent.

There were only me and Toden-san who stood in the dark, illuminated by the moonlight and a lantern.

It was as if, the tragedy from a moment ago was just a nightmare.

However, my pounding heart and the throbbing at my leg reminded me that it was reality.

What was that?

The thing that happened a moment ago, what was that?

Skeletons and zombies came out, I was bitten, and Toden-san helped me.

Also, it hurt. Really hurt. It became more hurt once I calmed down, and I also felt sick. I felt like puking.

“Eri Himeno.”

He called my name, and I was pulled back into reality.

“Uhhh… Uh… hospital… I got bitten… my leg… injured, in English… Uhhh…”

This wouldn’t do. I didn’t know.

I didn’t know a thing.

In the first place, he didn’t even understand English. Not to mention Japanese.

I could only silently start crying.

My leg hurt.

Really, I was only able to think of that.

T/N

[1] She said Japanese bitch in english, I am wheezing.

I am quite surprised at how slow she realizes that those things are definitely malicious… I bet those skeletons look cute huh.

Chapter 6 - It Was Beyond My Expectation That He Didn’t Know All These Places

When I opened my eyes, I was looking at the ceiling of my home in Japan.

But, there wasn’t such a turn of event.

I wasn’t even at the decent hotel that I booked with all my might, which located in the main street with free Wi-Fi. Instead, I looked up to see the gloomy ceiling of the old hotel, which was eroded by stains.

“……Ahhh…”

I groaned.

My leg hurt.

This pain on my leg wasn’t a dream.

“Ugh-”

I was agitated.

Then, I tossed over.

Please let me wake up from this dream.

Please, please, please.

I opened my eyes.

But what I saw was the gloomy ceiling.

Letting out a lethargic “Ahh-” I spread my limbs all over the bed.

As I turned over, I saw my leg wrapped in a clean bandage.

Perhaps Toden-san took me to the hospital when I fainted?

Thank you so much.

Though, I wanted him to take me to the police if it was possible.

Had he already gone? When I was still unconscious?

But there was nothing they could do since I was attacked by skeletons and zombies right?

Right, skeletons and zombies.

They existed. In a group. I got attacked. And was bitten.

There was nothing I could do. Anyone would faint if they were in my shoes.

“…..did I get drugged?”

But wasn’t it obviously because of a substance?

Skeletons? Zombies?

There weren’t anything like them!

It was certainly the substance doing. I was drugged.

I certainly was given a suspicious drug yesterday, without me noticing. And it caused me to have a strange nightmare about this trip.

Then, my injury was because I was bitten by a dog or something, and right now I ended up laying down in this old hotel.

Rather than that, my plane ticket…

It was a flight for tomorrow morning. I had to go back to my hotel. I wasn’t even kidding.

Why didn’t this hotel have Wi-Fi?

They didn’t even have a front desk.

Actually, I had suspicion that this was Toden-san’s house.

Wait a minute.

Wait, wait, wait?

Putting together all the information up to this point, wasn’t Toden-san a seriously dangerous man?

He took an innocent Japanese woman to his place, fed her some drugs and confined her. Wasn’t that the situation now?

What should I do? I had to escape.

“Eri Himeno.”

This wouldn’t do. I was too late.

Rather, it was too late even from the beginning.

As I got up from the bed, I saw Toden-san with an unexplainable look on his face. He seemed to have been watching me the whole time.  

He should say something if he was there.

Or, made some noise. Was he a ninja?

Toden-san took a step closer.

But I instinctively put my hands out to stop him.

“…..—-?”

“No, I’m sorry for being rude even though you saved me….! But I want to return to Agra Park as soon as possible…. my flight is going to depart soon….”

I knew that he didn’t speak English.

However, if I mentioned ’flight’ and ‘Agra Park’ he would understand, right? [1]

Yet, reality was ruthless. Toden-san tilted his head as if he was confused.

Then he suddenly looked up and pulled something out of the cabinet.

A map.

Was he a genius?

I jumped out of bed and peered to the map that was just opened by Toden-san.

“—–? ——-.”

“Huh? Wait. Is it a world map? Isn’t this map too broad? I mean, where are we now?”

I didn’t understand the writings, but Toden-san pointed to one part of the map.

That was probably our location now, since there was a graveyard mark on it.

Then, where was Agra Park……?

Rather, in what language was this map written….?

It was certainly not English.

However, it wasn’t even Deutsch. It was something completely different.

Russian? No, was it Cyrillic?

Arabic……?  Or was it an extremely ancient language hidden in the African jungle…?

I couldn’t read it anyway.

It was unreadable.

“…..excuse me, where is Agra Park?”

“…..?”

“Agra Park.”

Toden-san tilted his head.

Damn. He also didn’t know such a big park in this neighborhood?

“Then, where is Leipzig? You don’t know? Dresden? Also don’t know? Don’t joke with me! Berlin, then!? There aren’t any Germans who don’t know Berlin!”

Ah, I see. I got it. I quickly realized.

This man was an immigrant.

He was someone who lived in Germany but had no idea about Germany.

What should I do? I was stuck.

Toden-san also seemed to be bewildered.

…….did this man really drugged me?

He didn’t seem like someone who would do that…. I felt sorry for doubting him.

As I blamed myself and dropped my shoulders from the anxiety about my whereabouts, Toden-san suddenly pointed at a certain area on the map.

Not far from the graveyard mark, there was an area surrounded by partition walls… it was probably a town.

In old German towns, old partition walls usually still remained.

Toden-san seemed to suggest me to go there anyway.

I nodded.

It was still better than this old hotel without Wi-Fi.

There should be police in the town, and the police should be able to speak English even if only a little.

When I nodded a couple times, Toden-san folded the map in relief.

He prompted me to leave the hotel and placed a saddle to the black horse that he kept.

He placed a saddle to the black horse that he kept.

He-put-a-saddle-on-a-horse.

“…..huh? Horse? You’re joking right? Just what era do you think we are in?”

“———.”

“No, don’t tell me to ride it. I’ve never even tried to ride a horse before. I mean, isn’t this horse too big? I never knew that horse is such a huge animal!”

Seeing me being flustered in front of the horse, Toden-san showed me his bewildered look again.

Uhhh….. I felt bad for causing him trouble all the time. I felt really sorry.

But I couldn’t ride a horse. It was absolutely impossible. Moreover, I currently wore a skirt. I only had confidence to fall down.

Toden-san pondered a bit, before throwing his gaze on a small wagon near the horse.

Ah, did he think that I should ride on the wagon and let the horse pull it?

That was a good one!

If that was possible, that would be very helpful!

As I nodded to that, Toden-san was pondering again and went back to the hotel to bring a white cloth.

He put it over my face and made a gesture to ‘never show my face’.

Why?

I didn’t really get it, but I nodded anyway.

I was okay with anything, as long as he took me to the town.

After covering my face with the cloth, Toden-san picked me up and placed me into the wagon easily.

Then, he connected the harness to the wagon with metal fittings, and climbed to the driver seat.

Along with the lethargic neigh of the horse, we set out for the town.

T/N

[1] In Japanese, Flight Time (フライトタイム) and Agra Park (アグラパーク) are said in actual English. However, the pronunciation is super Japanese, if you know what I mean. I don’t think Toden would understand even if he knows english lol

Chapter 7 - He Didn’t Have Any Intention to Keep Her

He gave a noble lady a ride in a wagon used for carrying corpses.

Toden felt depressed.

Eri Himeno, who was humming in the wagon behind him was unaware. That the wagon she was sitting at was used to carry the executed headless corpse from the town yesterday.

However, if Eri Himeno couldn’t ride a horse, it couldn’t be helped.

Thinking about it again, it would be impolite and repulsing that a grave keeper like him held Eri Himeno while riding the horse.

It was much better to ride a wagon used for carrying corpses than to ride together in the same horse as a grave keeper.

If she concealed her face with a cloth, rumors wouldn’t spread, right?

Eri Himeno’s appearance was unique.

Ivory skin and dark hair. Anyone who saw her would definitely talk about it.

That a foreigner came to the town in a grave keeper’s wagon.

If such rumor spread around, Eri Himeno’s life would be over.

Anyway, I had to hand her over to a decent person.

Toden quicken the pace of the wagon.

Then, Toden pulled down his black hood right before entering the town.

Pushing through the crowded city with the wagon’s mass, he stopped the horse in front of a stone-built building that stood out in the corner of a row of wooden houses.

He descended from the horse, took Eri Himeno out from the wagon, and quickly entered the building so they couldn’t be seen.

There were some people in the entrance hall.

Some people were looking at the bulletin board and some were submitting books to the receptionist. Behind the reception desk, there stood bookshelves with books lining up to the second floor.

It was a library.

It was also the branch of the government office, and an office for the vigilante corps.

“Get Scutt here. The grave keeper is here.”

Toden said as he stepped closer to the reception desk.

The young man who was looking at the reception list looked up in surprise as he heard those words, and immediately got up the moment he saw Toden.

“Please wait, I will call him immediately. Also, please do not touch anything!”

Raising his voice, the young man ran to the back of the library.

Toden took a look at his hands.

Did he touch something? He didn’t touch anything.

Grave keepers were a filthy being. Therefore, anything that was directly touched by grave keepers were equally filthy.

For that reason, Toden was always wearing gloves.

Of course he removed it at home, but when he came to the town, he tried not to touch anything directly with his skin.

If one didn’t throw away the cloth that the grave keeper touched, it would incur their death, and if one didn’t break the tableware used by the grave keeper, it would incite a plague.

He was a lowly being, there wasn’t a need to be considerate of him.

Toden was the symbol of death. Literal death, it was.

“Don’t come here so sudden, Toden. Give me a prior notice. The staff burst crying, saying that ‘he had a conversation with a grave keeper’.”

Shortly after, a man with gray hair appeared from the back of the library.

He looked around thirty years old. A middle-aged man with baggy eyes and stubble, who looked very unhealthy.

His right leg below the knee wasn’t there, because he was attacked by the dead in the past, and had necrosis on the place where he was bitten.

Toden saved him just when he was about to die. And since then, he told Toden to ‘come to him if Toden needed any help’.

Toden hadn’t told anyone that he had saved Scutt.

The reason was, the moment someone was saved by a grave keeper, they were already a dead person in the while they were still living. They would be the underling of a grave keeper forever.

Toden 'just killed the dead that happened to be in front of him’.

And Scutt had 'escaped from the dead by himself’.

The moment they encountered each other at the night woods, they came to an agreement without exchanging any words.

“Eri Himeno.”

Toden called for Eri Himeno faithfully, who was still wearing a cloth on her face.

Eri Himeno walked down timidly and took off the cloth.

Looking at Eri Himeno’s face, Scutt slightly widened his eyes

“She’s not someone from here?”

“Yeah, I don’t understand her language. Perhaps she lost her attendant since she wandered in the woods alone. I want her to return to her rightful place. If it’s you, you can understand her, right?”

Scutt stared at Eri Himeno presumptuously, looking up and down.

And then asked.

“Are you from Germany?”

Eri Himeno reacted.

Her black eyes were wide open, staring at Scutt without moving an inch.

Scutt was speaking in 'common language’. In other words, it was a language that was 'equally comprehensible to all living beings’ and could only be used by high-ranking librarians.

“——?——-?!——-!”

Eri Himeno began to cry.

She leapt closer to Scutt, and kept on talking at a fast pace.

Toden felt relieved.

Looking at Eri Himeno who was desperately clinging to someone, he felt a little discomposed. However, it was impertinent of him to show such emotion.

Right. Was Eri Himeno’s hometown called Germany?

He never heard of such a place. It might be a far-off land beyond Toden’s knowledge.

Listening to Eri Himeno’s words, Scutt looked at Eri Himeno with a genuine pity.

And then, he said.

“How pitiful, young lady. But unfortunately you can’t go back to Germany. The 'world’ you live in is different in the first place.”

“——–?”

Eri Himeno tilted her head to the side.

Toden felt the same way.

Despite being an outsider to the conversation, Toden couldn’t help but tilted his head too.

“You have crossed to this world through the graveyard. As far as I know, there are six wanderers from another world throughout these thirty years. Two of whom died when they were discovered. The four remaining people brought knowledge and technology from their world and contributed to the development of this country. Aren’t buildings in this country subtly resembling the one in Germany? It’s because wanderers who came to this country are originally from Germany.”

Wanderer. Toden repeated in his mind.

He had heard about it.

Another world wanderer. A person who lived in apparition world where the civilization was far more advanced than here, and sometimes got lost in this world.

Then, Toden was taken aback as he realized what it meant.

“You know what that means, right? Toden.”

“Ah….”

“This young lady is your 'possession’ and 'asset’. You have the freedom to sell her to this country or to keep her. If you decided to sell her to the country, I will take care of the process and give you the reward money.”

Toden looked at Eri Himeno.

Her perplexed face showed that she didn’t get the situation, even after hearing that explanation.

T/N

This will be the last from me :) If you like this story, let’s just hope someone will pick it up. If you want to MTL, here is the raw