"The Great Wall, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, the Sphinx... and countless other wonders created by humanity," Sū ěr said seriously. "Now that we're here, and we don't have to worry about whether to enter a forced slumber until the technological age arrives, why go looking for trouble?"
Skip the boring eons, the endless slaughter and war, the foolish gods and monsters... this era was beautiful.
Sū ěr didn't even want to waste his thoughts on those tedious matters anymore.
"...Are you really planning to settle down?" Think asked, staring into his eyes. She realized that what he'd told the braided girl wasn't just a convenient excuse.
"I just can't find a reason to go back. No matter how we traveled to this time, I don't want to leave," Sū ěr admitted. "Why the rush? Even if we want to figure out the cause, we can study it slowly while enjoying this era. Don't you think?"
"Whatever," Think said, waving a hand. She truly didn't care either way. "But I recall you still owe me a... movie?"
A promise once made now finally had the chance to be fulfilled.
"Ah, no problem," Sū ěr smiled.
"So, how are you going to do it? Like you did before? Robbery? Selling gold?"
"No, no, no~." Meeting Think curious gaze, Sū ěr wagged a finger confidently. "First, we have to do—this."
Traffic flowed behind him. The occasional honk of a car didn't bother Sū ěr... at least not yet. Pedestrians on the sidewalk occasionally cast curious glances at him, wondering why this handsome foreigner was standing still on the street.
He saw girls in school uniforms who clearly should have been in class. Their skirts had been rolled up to a daring height, brazenly exposing their legs. They wore delicate earrings and glittery nail polish, whispering among themselves while hiding their mouths behind their hands. They kept glancing at Sū ěr, nudging each other and debating who should go up and talk to him.
Ignoring the "bold" girls' loud plotting, Sū ěr stared at the entrance before him with unprecedented tension. Even if the country was different, he had never done anything this daring in his first life. Despite his superhuman power, the meaning of this act was entirely different.
Just as the girls were about to "charge," Sū ěr stepped through the doors into a hall paved with healthy green tiles. Aside from the busy staff, there weren't many people inside, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.
The Ward Office. That was the name of the building Sū ěr had entered. Aside from its other functions, Sū ěr target was Window No. 7: "Family Register Notification."
To put it simply, he was here to get a legal family register and a residence book.
"Hello, I'd like to register my residency."
"Certainly. Please show your cert—Of course, please fill out this form."
The black-haired clerk's voice changed instantly without warning. This was because of... magic. Sū ěr had added a little magical "persuasion."
[I cannot fathom the logic behind this. If you truly respected the 'laws' you speak of, you wouldn't do this. So what is this now?]
[Violating the law in order to follow the law?]
The Great Nirvalen offered a scathing critique; she was beginning to lose track of her husband's thought process.
"An ordinary person can't live in a modern city without all these documents. It's the same in every country. Stop complaining; we need to finish here and then open a bank account."
"I don't want to rely on hypnosis or magic for everything... at least not now. I want to experience the life of an ordinary person for a bit. Great Nirvalen, if you use cheats to max out all your stats at the start of a game, you lose the drive to keep playing."
While filling out the form—writing his name in the name column—Sū ěr whispered back. His reward was a sharp pang in his head; as the inevitable result of using that "forbidden" title, Think had hit him with a soul shock.
"Very well. Here is your Certified Copy of the Family Register. Please keep it safe."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Theoretically, a foreigner should only get a Residence Record and a Residence Card. However, under the influence of magic, Sū ěr had walked away with a Certified Copy of the Family Register, something usually reserved for citizens.
After thanking the clerk, Sū ěr turned and left. The bank was nearby; he had to hurry.
First, sufficient funds—donated by "kind individuals."
Next, an identification seal—carved by Sū ěr from a random stone.
"Please take your card."
With a smile from the bank teller, a debit card was pushed through the window.
Perfect. Smooth sailing.
He was immensely grateful to Tsubasa Hanekawa. The information she provided had been crucial. Even though Sū ěr and his friends had once mocked Japan's obsession with paper-based offices and the lack of widespread surveillance cameras in his first life, he was now thanking the Japanese government for making his life so much easier.
Not to mention, this era was set at a point even earlier than when he had first transmigrated.
[...And then?]
Think voice sounded drained for the first time since the process began.
[Next, are you going to find a job? Like those salarymen passing by?]
"Well, that's the final step. Before that, we need a place to live. We can't sleep under a bridge, can we?" Unlike the lethargic Think, Sū ěr was beaming. He was clearly enjoying this.
This was a brand-new game he had never played—a mix of survival and life simulation.
In Sū ěr soul, Think mentally rolled her eyes. Sensing the man's excitement, she knew he wasn't going to get tired of this anytime soon.