Case 6: Monster Author XXX

By Hoko Tsuda

Disclaimer

This story is a complete work of fiction. The research and medical practices detailed are all fictional, and the characters bear no connection to any existing individuals.

Additionally, this is a derivative work of Being X’s Monster Doctor Tsuda Series to which the main character bears no relation to. Disregarding the rights surrounding the name, Tsuda acknowledges that he does not possess the copyright to this property.

Prologue

“‘Authors’ Isekai Course?’” I softly repeat over the counter of our usual bar.

As I reflect on the words, I find a wrinkle set in on my brow. Despite this, the one who brought this idea up in the first place flashes a charming, confident smile like he always does.

“Ya got that right, the Authors’ Isekai Course. So far, we’ve gone n’ done the Authors’ Noodle Course n’ the Authors’ Fried Course. S’about high time we moved onta the next stage, yeah? Whacha think about that?”

That’s Koekawa Touya, droning up a storm with that same old dubious accent. He’s a professional writer who also writes doujins alongside me. While there is another regular member of our little club, he’s currently too busy to keep in touch with us, leaving only the two of us to contemplate our next project at the bar.

“Okay, but so far our ‘adventures’ have been about doing research by eating real food at real shops. I don’t know what you expect me to say about eating some imaginary cuisine.”

“Oh, yeah, right, sure, but the three of us’re always writin’ isekai stories anyway. Shouldn’t be too hard ta mix it up a bit and start tacklin’ the kinda food we’d get in the kindsa restaurants we write about in our own books.”

“I don’t know...”

No, of course I understand what he’s trying to say. But the whole point of our little writers’ group has been and always will be eating food. Nothing more, nothing less.

There’s a limit to the amount of times a man gets to eat in his life. Three meals a day... Maybe five or six if you really push it. From this very moment to the end of one’s life, there is an unseen hard cap on the amount, type, and quality of items that can be consumed.

Then, wouldn’t you agree that the desire to capture in words that glimmer of beauty from the finite, to grant immortality to that brief moment by binding it for eternity within a book, is simply a natural facet of the human condition?

As things stood, we’d been writing doujins together for a while now. Naturally, whenever we stopped by a restaurant for the sake of research, we ordered seconds as many times as needed and never left a scrap behind. There were restaurants that we went so far as to flee editors and deadlines to march upon.

Meaning—the gist of what I’m trying to say—even if the subject matter is based in the isekais we write ourselves, this was such a great deviation from our normal get-togethers that no one could fault me for my bewilderment.

“Well, give it some thought, would ya? There’s still some time before the next Comiket. Aight, gonna hafta ’scuse myself.”

“Ah, wait, I... hah.” I sigh, realizing it’s already too late. Despite his physique, Koekawa is surprisingly nimble on his feet, and he’s gone. I’ve run into him in so many places at so many times, I have to seriously wonder whether he’s an individual or a series of clones running on collective consciousness. Whatever the case, that matter could wait; his identity is not my most pressing concern at the moment.

“Isekai food, huh...?”

A story about food I have no conceivable way of collecting data on. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have minor reservations about the concept.

“Whenever possible, I try to only describe food after I’ve inspected it with my own tongue first. But there’s no way I can go to an isekai... I’ll settle for some ramen.”

I’d already hit up two separate restaurants with Koekawa, but the hours do go by, and it is nearly the right time for my insides to run dry and demand a midnight snack. When you think of midnight snacks, you think of ramen.

I hope to always be honest and upfront when it comes to my stomach. My feet naturally set me on the path towards my usual ramen joint.

“‘On holiday’... Huh.”

So this is what it means to be down on your luck. This ramen bar has up until now been open late every night, as if it’s waiting just for me. Today, of all days, they had to take a day off.

“Nothing I can do about that. Guess I’ll have some cup ramen at ho—mmn?”

I turn towards home, but the moment I’m about to set my foot down to make my first step, an unfamiliar sight catches the corner of my eye.

“Was this stand always here?”

A few years had passed since I moved to this area, and this was the first time I’d ever encountered a food stall of any stripe at this street corner. I’m struck by a slight sense of paranoia. At the same time, I can feel my stomach pleading for food. Paranoia and hunger. It’s pretty obvious which one I should give more priority to.

“Welcome, come on in. I’m sorry, I haven’t finished setting up yet, so all I’ve got to serve is ramen. Oh, but it’s ramen you want, I’ll have it right out in a jiffy.” The maestro turns to me with an apologetic look as I’m practically sucked into his stall.

Oh I see, I think after a cursory glance around. When the store is ready, it will apparently offer oden and the like as well. But, yes, this is once again something beyond my control. Certainly, oden is a fascinating, devilish food. However, as I am always honest to my stomach, if something is immediately available, I must seek it without hesitation. I believe that is the right way to get through life.

“Very well, my good yeoman, then ramen it is. One ramen, extra firm.”

“Coming right up. Here’s your Isekai Ramen.”

“‘Isekai Ramen?’”

I take the expertly prepared bowl, hesitating a moment over the peculiar combination of words. The mastermind behind it gives me a wry smile, clearly accustomed to this reaction. He spares no time in explaining the origin of the name.

“It’s the name of our house special. In that moment of ecstasy when you finish your bowl, it’s like your soul has climbed to heaven and you’ve made your way to a whole new world. That’s why it’s ‘Isekai Ramen.’”

“Oh, I see... hm? This taste, it’s...?!”

Exquisite. Far too exquisite. Amazing, simply amazing. My tongue exudes tears of joy as it sends chimes of approval to my brain at such a rate I feel ashamed that I’d only been half-listening to his sales pitch.

My taste buds are working at full throttle in a desperate bid to catch every last particulate of noodle and soup, but to no avail. While gentle at first taste, it’s not long before this dense and deep flavor exceeds the abilities of my nervous system to process. The sensation overwhelms me. What I can truly call the bountiful taste of God jolts through my tongue before running a lap around my body.

“So what do you think of our house special, bud? How is it?”

“It’s the best. There’s no other word for it! Why, I’ve never had ramen... right, I’ve never...”

My words will no longer come from my mouth. This sheer bliss keeps me from even thinking straight. My brain has already overheated simply from partaking of these blessings of flavor and my... thoughts won’t... come together. No... wait... my thoughts... really aren’t...

“I’m glad you’re satisfied. But don’t be so quick to judge; the real draw of our ramen is the aftertaste. I hope you enjoy your trip.”

His words don’t fully reach me... I can’t focus on the last part of what he says...

What’s this...? The world is suddenly growing distant...

Chapter 1: Hello Isekai

“Dark-tor, Sir Dark-tor?”

I hear an uneasy voice speaking from right in front of me. My consciousness is slowly coming back when the words reach me.

“Hmm... err, where is this?”

“We are in your office, as I’m sure you know... Is something wrong? Are you feeling ill?”

I can see again. A robust young blond man peers into my face with bewilderment. I’ve never seen this guy in my life.

“Who are you?”

“I’m your loyal subordinate Slapperdash, sir... Though my predecessor only just retired the other day, so I understand why you might not remember my name.”

A name I’ve never heard before, talking about events I’ve never heard anything about. More pressingly, where exactly am I? This room clearly isn’t mine. I don’t have “subordinates.” I don’t even have an office.

Confusion. Anxiety. Chaos. I’m suddenly buried with these emotions.

Extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary explanations. In short, this is clearly...

“Ow.”

That’s impossible... That isn’t supposed to hurt in a dream. My pinched cheek sends piercing pain to my brain.

...Calm down. I know this is impossible, but there’s something else I know. I, of all people, should know what to do in this situation. Perhaps everything I’ve done in my daily life has prepared me for this very moment.

I woke up in an unfamiliar place. Which means...

“I’m in another world... aren’t I?” Even as I’m muttering it, I realize how ridiculous this all is. And yet, the man calling himself Slapperdash affirms my suspicions all too easily.

“Yes, of course you are.”

Don’t get me wrong... I’ve definitely thought about it before. I did want to go to another world to learn what it was like. As a matter of fact, it was only a couple of minutes ago that I was thinking that exact thing as I wondered what I was going to do about the Authors’ Isekai Course.

But, I mean... I never would have thought it would actually happen.

An unknown place, unknown person, unknown me. Unknown me?!

“Wait... don’t tell me... I...” It doesn’t hit me until that moment. The body I’m in isn’t the one I’m familiar with.

In retrospect, that ramen seller did say something to that effect: his Isekai Ramen was so good it sent my soul off to another world.

“So my soul’s entered a new vessel?”

“Umm... Are you quite alright?”

The blonde man gives me a questioning look.

Crap. I’ve been so caught up in the moment that I’ve been acting and talking without thinking. I need to calm down and get in control.

Okay, so this is an isekai. How are they going to treat me if I start saying that some unknown person’s soul has suddenly come along and possessed one of their best men? One look around is enough to tell me that the cultural level here is likely to be around that of the Middle Ages of my own world...in which case, they might haul off to this place’s local version of the Inquisition.

Of course, it’s possible that this kind of thing happens all the time here, and they’re used to people from other worlds. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough information to tell at the moment, so...

“Oh, no, it’s nothing at all. I’m just rather fatigued, because I’ve been suffering from insomnia... But, remind me, what were my plans for today?” It comes out a little forced, but I’ll blame that on lack of sleep and change the subject. I need to get as much information out of this guy before me as I can.

“Today will be like any other day. You are to see to the comfort of someone who has taken the longest voyage.”

“I see, yes, of course. A traveler.”

All right, that’s something. Naturally, there’s still a lot I don’t know, but I have to start using deductive reasoning to figure out my situation before I ask too many questions and people get suspicious. Think. Gotta think.

The blond man claims to be my subordinate. What’s more, I seem to be in a position where I must entertain or guide a guest from far-off lands. Putting it all together... the person whose body I took over must be an individual of considerably high status. Worst-case scenario, he might even be some kind of diplomat.

I don’t know the first thing about the laws or customs of this world. Which means... it would be foolish for me to meet this traveler.

“My apologies, it must be my fatigue, but I’m not feeling up to par today. Might I engage with this traveler at a later date?”

“Well, certainly...but doing so would increase the chances of corruption...” Distress crosses the man’s face. Okay, so if I don’t meet with this “traveler,” there could be room for “corruption...” Meaning I will be opening a window for bribery. I’m starting to see it.

The owner of this body definitely works to maintain some sort of country or organization. What’s more, if he’s preventing corruption, he must clearly be a respectful and upright individual. I can’t possibly deal with this envoy as honestly and sincerely as the person I’m inhabiting would. There’s only one option left to me.

“Corruption is definitely something we should avoid. Very well then, I leave this voyager to you. Please, conduct yourself just as you’ve seen me do.”

“Eh?! Y-You want me to do...it?” he gasps, his face turning pale in shock.

Hmm. I took him to be competent, but if it’s that much of a surprise to him, this task must be a difficult one. What sort of traveler would require such virtue and delicacy to interact with...? While this point does intrigue me, I understand that diplomacy is a complicated, mysterious, and stressful field.

It occurs to me that this must be something that all worlds have in common. My respect for the owner of this body increases as I attempt to say something that sounds like what a respectable superior would.

“Yes, I’ll leave it in your capable hands. I’m sure you can get it taken care of without me, but you mustn’t let your guard down. Any unforeseen happenings are best prevented before they can start. It will surely be best for the both of us.”

Diplomacy consists of using your right hand to greet people while pointing a gun with the left. Both parties need to be able to open their hearts in conversation while making sure that the other side knows they aren’t one to be trifled with. Of course, a basic fact like that can’t be anything terribly novel to the man, but entrusting this task to him with no instructions at all would probably give him a reason to worry about me, and I don’t need that. I have to say something that sounds helpful but is ultimately meaningless.

“I see, so that’s how it is. I... understand...” says the man called Slapperdash as he leaves the room, teetering back and forth with the same pale complexion still on his face.

Whew. I breathe a large sigh the moment I’m alone. I can’t help but think I’ve done something bad to the poor man, but at least I managed to get out of the immediate problem.

Still, is this whole bizarre situation even possible? Here I am, and it’s all completely real to me. I can’t just ignore it. I’m going to have to find out as much as I can about this world I find myself in...

“Mn? What’s this?” I murmur. There’s a small memo pad on the seat where the blond man had been sitting. “Is this his? Normally, I wouldn’t go through other peoples’ personal writings, but...”

Privacy and common decency must be respected over all else, but this is an emergency. If a notepad, a treasure trove of information about this place, is practically dropped in my lap, how should I see this as anything other than a gift from the heavens?

That’s definitely it. All my positive karma is finally working for me. Right, that noisy man who keeps going on about diets every time he opens his mouth should reflect on himself from time to time...

“‘Soodah Observation Record...’ What’s this?”

＊＊＊

“We’re in hot water now.”

Minister Slapperdash returned to the auditors’ room, frightfully unsteady on his feet. The moment his colleagues noted his white face, they exchanged looks of unrest.

“Wh-What happened, Slapperdash? I was certain that monster’s heart would dance with glee at the prospect of desecrating the corpse of the great dragon...”

“If that was the case, we would still have had the slightest salvation.” Once he said this, he could no longer contain the great sigh he had been holding back. This reaction prompted one of his coworkers to hesitantly open his mouth.

“I-Is it possible that he’s demanding even more?!”

“How could he?! Just how much danger did our kingdom have to go through to simply obtain the great dragon... You’re saying that venomous serpent can’t even understand that?!”

Bewildered, irritated objections were raised one after another. These men had been met with a choice: either their ethics or their nation. They ultimately opted to follow the whims of that vile fiend who demanded the dismantling, the desecration of every life form in the world. The duties put upon them ate away at their sanity and burned holes in their guts. By this point, a large number of their compatriots had already left the facility due to mental scarring; Slapperdash couldn’t help but sympathize with them. At the same time, he now envied their fortune in having found an escape from such blasphemous deeds.

The reason being, the vile fiend had now thrust a certain definitive task upon him.

“That monster holds no interest in, and no comprehension of, our hardships. Not as long as that unfair agreement exists between us. It was our greatest mistake.”

On that day, when His Majesty had collapsed from illness, they had made their decision. No matter what the risks, they would summon someone who could save their lord. In the end, the King had recovered and regained his former vigor.

Yes... and in exchange, a completely one-sided agreement was formed, one that essentially exempted that monster from all forms of law.

“Do you mean to say he plans to use that contract for his evil schemes?”

“In a certain light, yes, but not exactly. I fear this is only conjecture, but...it seems he has noticed.” Slapperdash curtly replied. His response was so lacking in information it immediately elicited a second question.

“Noticed? What could he have noticed?”

“He has realized our true objectives. That we are only pretending to be his subordinates to keep him under our surveillance. With that in mind, he has ordered us to dissect the dragon ourselves... He must be testing our loyalty.”

Minister Slapperdash broke into a self-deriding laugh. He had been told to cut up the great dragon while remaining wary of that evil man’s watchful eyes. This could only mean one thing: he wished to carry on his research while having it on the record that he himself did not participate in the procedure whatsoever. The blasphemous sin of violating the holy remains would go down in the nation’s history, and his name alone would be spared from it. How... How repulsive could he be?

“To ask that of us...”

“He must take perverse glee in watching us cross the ethical line, one by one. Perhaps he’s only kept us alive for this moment.” And once he had said that, Slapperdash was off to the desk where he kept his belongings. He hurriedly began clearing up everything there.

“Mn... Slapperdash, what’s wrong? Why are you packing up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just got a little letter for the King’s Privy Council.”

“N-Not so fast! You’re handing in your resignation? I’m not letting you get out of this, you sneak! Ah, hey, quit running!” While Minister Slapperdash scrambled to vacate with all due haste, his colleagues were quicker, and they were able to seal off his escape. Their numerical advantage forced him to give up on the idea; his shoulders fell and he sighed again.

“If you won’t allow me to quit and run, then what exactly do you people think we should do?”

“Reinforcements... Yes, let’s call for reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements for what? You want to increase the number of hypocritical hands stained in evil?” Slapperdash defiantly rejected the notion.

However, the man standing directly in his path shook his head, looking back at the minister with a resolute gaze. “No, not at all. The fiend already knows everything. At this point, we should be preparing ourselves to do away with him.”

“B-But that would go against the sacred contract!”

The man had entered into a vile contract, one including fearsome clauses such as “diplomatic immunity” along with “complete and utter nonintervention with the execution of professional duties.” Should it be breached, the distortions of causality would shake the boundaries of reality. There was no telling what terrible fate would befall any who attempted to do so.

Not long ago, Sir Carliss of the Ministry of Justice had tried to lay a hand on the defenseless fiend, only for his life to end before he even had a say in the matter. Alas, even knowing such a fearsome precedent, Slapperdash’s colleagues remained firm.

“What difference does it make now...? Either we violate a sacred contract and be smote, or follow his lead and let our souls fall from the grace of God.”

“You...have a point. I agree, even if it costs my life...we will rid the world of that Dark-tor! Get in touch with the capital at once!”

Chapter 2: Goodbye Isekai

“I don’t even know what to say about this... What a terrible visitor they’ve had to deal with.” I shut the notepad with a heavy sigh. The notes left behind by that “Slapperdash” guy are an investigation report detailing a malign entity named “Soodah of the Dark-tor clan.” This Soodah is an otherworldly entity who made some kind of terribly unequal contract with the people here shortly after being summoned to this world. It essentially gave him the same legal protections as a foreign diplomat in my world; he was immune from arrest and could act with complete disregard of the laws here, and he was taking advantage of this deal to carry out all sorts of unscrupulous deeds. It’s rather hard to believe that anyone would have allowed it.

“Still, ‘Soodah,’ huh...? It’s pretty funny how similar the name is, but this ‘Dark-tor Soodah’ is so terrible that I can’t laugh about it. He said ‘the longest voyage,’ too. Maybe this traveler I’m supposed to meet with is yet another summoned visitor...”

As I’m saying that, something suddenly occurs to me. The fact that this traveler is coming to me for a bribe means that the owner of this body is in a position to observe and properly handle people from other worlds.

“If he lets his guard down for a single moment, another contract like that could be made... I guess it’s only natural that they’d fear corruption,” I mutter to myself. Again, I feel a deep respect for the owner of this body. Whoever he is, he works tirelessly to protect this country from such vile people as Dark-tor Soodah. I’m sure he’s an upright and pious man.

Yes, now that it’s all coming together, it’s only natural that I’d start holding this nameless official in high regard. I’m really rather sorry that I ended up invading his body, of all people. I have to think about what I can do.

“For starters, I’ll have to investigate. I don’t know how much I can do, but the disappearance of this body’s owner will presumably be a tragic loss to the country.”

Of course, I don’t know how well I’ll be able to imitate his character. I have no confidence in my ability to protect the country from maliciously unfair deals like he had been doing before I came along. Even so, I feel the power of justice beating within my heart, and I want to believe that I won’t fall short of the task ahead. Then...

“Let’s start with what I can do. What I need most is information. I should start looking through the nearby rooms. It seems this one here’s a reference room... Wait, what is this?!”

The door I’d stepped through was indeed labeled a “reference room,” but the bizarre hellscape before me stops me in my tracks. Countless... yes, quite literally countless bottles of organs suspended in formalin. I’ve been to a specimen exhibition before to collect material for my writing. But here, there are just an inconceivable number of bottles, each containing some kind of entrails, all of them clearly of different sizes and varieties from anything I’d seen before. The bottles packed every inch of the narrow room.

“Dragon... Orc... Goblin...” The labels on each bottle explain their contents in excruciating detail, specifying exactly what organs come from what lifeforms. What even is all of this? Why is something like this right next to the office of someone so honest and pure... I see!

“These items were all confiscated from Dark-tor Soodah!”

According to the notepad, Dark-tor Soodah sought out the bodies and organs of each and every manner of being, almost as if he was demanding blood sacrifices. Presumably, this is all the evidence the authorities had seized from him.

The owner of this body had taken it upon himself to put them into safekeeping. He’d made sure they didn’t attract the public eye and put them right next to his own room...

“Even if it was in service to the country, what a sad life he must have lived...”

I’m already tearing up. All thanks to a single monster, his sense of responsibility compelled him to manage and keep guard over everything that had been seized. My chest grows tight as I think of how this task must have whittled away at his spirit.

The man in this body must have been a saint. He possessed at least enough devotion to deserve the title. I’m overcome with overflowing emotion. While it feels as if these thoughts might sweep me away, I can’t let myself be taken by a moment of fervor. I have to act in this man’s place, if only for a short while. That means, I should look at this room from a different viewpoint, through the eyes of a scientist. Unfortunately...

“If only that guy was here with me.”

A face flashes into my thoughts: the third member of my writing group. He’s a doctor, with a name similar to that of this vile fiend... If he was here, he might have been able to gather far more information from this room. Unfortunately, he’s been busy with his main job lately, and I haven’t been able to reach him at all for the past few days.

“No, now that my soul’s been isekai’d, establishing contact with my old friends is the least of my worries.”

I sigh, understanding all too well that there is a limit to what information I’ll be able to obtain here, and return right back to the office. I’m greeted there by the blond-haired man who was supposed to have gone off to meet the voyager.

“Oh, I didn’t expect you here. Have you already finished entertaining our guest?” I ask the stiff-faced man with a slight tilt of my head.

He nervously shakes his head.

“No, not yet. There is something I must deal with before that, you see.”

“And what would that be?” I inquire, unable to follow where this is going.

Suddenly, he thrusts out his finger.

“I have to deal...with you!” The sheer conviction in his voice makes up for the strangeness of the statement. As he speaks, a swarm of men floods into the room.

“Wh-What is all this?!” I’m caught off-guard by the unexpected spectacle. Not that it matters, as he completely disregards me as he continues in a voice growing in confidence.

“We... We no longer fear the breach of our contract. We’re finally putting an end to you, here and now!”

Behind his words, I can hear the room filling with with an eerie chanting in some unknown tongue. My confusion only grows deeper. What exactly are they trying to do?

Hang on, think about what he’d just said. Something about a “breach of contract.” Meaning... Meaning he’s disregarding his employment contract to raise a rebellion against his superior officer?! How could it be? Oh... The true evil... Yes, the true evil was this man Slapperdash all along.

I had, without properly discerning his true nature, provided him with the perfect opportunity. And the result...is this.

“Everyone, fire!”

Taking their signal from this villain, a sudden and violent torrent of light closes in from the hands of the men surrounding me.

I...repent my own carelessness. My eyes tear up. For, in the end, I had caused nothing but trouble to the dear justice-loving owner of this body.

＊＊＊

“Wh-What happened? Did we do it?!”

Several dozen court magicians had cast exorcism spells at once. This, the most forbidden of forbidden arts, wiped away the root of one’s very existence: their soul. The result was clear; Minister Slapperdash could sense the soul leaving this world, converting the man before him into no more than a husk of flesh. He knew it had worked. He knew they had come out victorious.

And yet...

“Oh my, what is everyone doing in here?”

His eyes took in the slight tilt of the man’s head. The man, a target of such powerful magics, who looked around as if nothing had happened at all.

It was impossible... Slapperdash couldn’t believe it. He had thrown in the greatest talent the country had to offer, used an art that was said to be forbidden, and yet the monster called Soodah stood nonchalantly without so much as a chip on his soul!

The minister fell to his knees, but he wasn’t alone. All of them, those who had used the greatest, most taboo of spells, collapsed to their knees in fatigue and despair, and together their heavy sighs of failure mingled into a wail of hopelessness.

Meanwhile, the man who stood in the center of their attention raised a hand to his chin in thought before clapping his hands together at a sudden realization.

“I see! Today is the day we research the great dragon. You were all so eager to get started that you rushed in and are all short of breath! How very reassuring; I applaud your strong desire to rid this country of disease. Very well, chop-chop, there’s no time to waste! Let’s get right to the operation!”

Epilogue

“This is...the ramen shop...?”

Once again, I’m washed over by a sensation of being lost at sea. I’m in the middle of the road at the moment. Behind me is the ramen shop that we normally visit, but at the moment it’s closed for holidays. In front of me is a telephone pole.

Right... The stall that had made me smack my lips in delight and lose my soul from pure deliciousness is nowhere to be seen.

“Was it...a dream... Huh?”

I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. A frantic look at the screen heralds a single text.

“Dude’s way 2 busy, Can’t get a single word from him. Authors’ Isekai Course put on hold. We’ll figure out the details next time the 3 of us can get 2gether. —Koekawa Touya”

I have no objection to the contents of the message. Even if it turned out that I hadn’t hallucinated any of what I’d just been through, I’d unfortunately missed out on the opportunity to try any of the food in that other world. So, I didn’t get any inspiration for what I’d have written about anyway.

...What a strange experience, though. It felt like half-dream, half-reality, and if I had to put words to it, the sensation that remained within me put it smack dab in the middle of the two.

“...I might as well write a book about that.”

But if I want to put that experience into a novel, there is one thing I regret: I’d never gotten to see the face of the man whose body I’d entered. That’s my only regret about the whole thing. If there’d only been a mirror somewhere, I’d have been able to base the protagonist for my new story on him.

Well, no point crying over spilled milk. If I don’t know his face and don’t know enough about him, what should I actually do about the protagonist...?

“The name of the monster preying upon the kingdom was...‘Soodah of the Dark-tor clan,’ wasn’t it?” Whenever I hear that name, I just can’t separate it from that friend of mine. That name “Dark-tor” just sounds too similar to the word “doctor.”

Oh, I know! How about I just make my protagonist a doctor like that guy? Let’s write a story about a doctor summoned to another world. To spice it up a bit, I’ll fuse his character with the monster from that world.

Let’s make it a misunderstanding story where the locals see him as a demon, but he’s actually just using our world’s common sense and a medical doctor’s sensibilities.

Hmm, this is going to be good. Now all that’s left is to decide what to call it...

At the end of my mullings, I finally tack a simple title onto that bizarre, comical, and pleasant novel.

Yes, I’ll call it Monster Doctor Tsuda.