Chapter 28: Contact with the chair
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
It was dinner for the four of us that day, along with Meline, who had started helping with her training.
In the time leading up to dinner, I was watching Meisa-chan's studies, but she seems to have trouble with arithmetic, and steam is almost coming out of her head.
'Kiiii.......I hate arithmetic......it's absolutely ridiculous that you're Kent and you solve problems so easily!
"Hahahaha, Meisa-chan has a long way to go if she's struggling with a problem like that... hahahahaha...
'Kiwi ... for Kent, for Kent, for Kent, for Kent, for Kent!
Meisa is about three years younger than me, so she should be in the fifth grade in Japan, but her math problems were much easier to solve.
When I was in Japan, I was a dropout, but it's not surprising that I could solve this level of problems.
If you can't do the math, you'll get the change wrong and you won't be able to do business. You have to stock the best products at the lowest price possible to keep the store open, so study hard.
Ugh I know....
It seems that Meisa-chan still needs to learn more if she wants to take over from Amanda-san and make ends meet in the dining room.
But I didn't expect you to be good at arithmetic...
Of course, your mother would think so too...
''Ugh........If you can't do it better than me, who seems to be so badly made, I'm worried about Meisa's future.......''
True, now that Merine is helping me, I'll have to make sure Meisa learns a lot.
Hmph, I'm not going to lose to Meisa for tonight.
''Well, well, why don't we have some of the jiboula I brought for dessert?
Eat, eat! Hey, isn't it good? Mom,
'Yes, yes, yes, all right, really, Jiboula has no eyes.
As a greeting to be trained, Meline brought me a jiboula, a slightly slender watermelon-like fruit with a purple skin.
The aroma and taste are citrusy and sweet and sour, but the texture is watermelon.
'You don't see this fruit in the country I live in, but it looks like it's picked during the hotter months...'
'You don't have jiboula in Kent, do you?' 'Yes, we get it in the hotter months, but we soak it in water and wait for the bitterness to go out before we eat it.
'Huh........so you can remove the bitterness by soaking it in water.......'
'Oh, and when I say water, I don't mean just water, it has to be water with water-attribute magic multiplied by a healing effect.
According to Amanda, the timing of the jiboula harvest, the quality of the water in which it is soaked, and the timing of the lifting of the jiboula out of the water are very important.
If they are not picked at the right time, they have a bad texture, if the water is not good, they leave a bitter taste, and if they are not soaked enough, they leave a bitter taste and a bad taste.
'This is a good one because it has a nice texture and no bitterness at all, right?
'Oh, this is good work, Merine, isn't it expensive?'
'No, I bought these from a supplier from when my father ran the diner, so they're not expensive.
Well, you'll be in good hands with those connections, and you'll be in good hands again when you reopen the shop.
'Yes, he's always been very good to me and I try to show up when I can.
While we were talking to each other, Meisa was chewing on her jiboula.
She's usually a bit too rowdy, but the way she's so engrossed in eating it is so cute and rabbit-like.
Meisa, you can eat half of mine.
Really? Thank you!
Oh..........................The kobold has turned into an angel.
It seems that Meisa got one from Meline-san and enjoyed Jiboula to her heart's content.
Meline-san went home, and I went back to my room, and now, this is where things get busy.
Tomorrow, we have to use the actual battle in the Demon Forest to rescue our classmates.
We need to make preparations for that.
I asked Fred and Basten to come back as well.
''Well, Fred, tell me what you found out about tomorrow.''
Understood... and five men will be sent to engage in actual combat in the Demon Forest... with three soldiers in tow.
Five is not much, but it's a bit of a hassle to have three people in tow.
"Don't worry ... two of them will only go as far as the forest entrance...
According to Fred's research, two of the three knights in charge of leading the carriage are the carriage's guru and warden.
They will carry the five from the garrison to the entrance of the Demon Forest in a carriage, where the carriage will return to the garrison.
''Wait a minute, then aren't the five of you going to kill them from the beginning to make an example of them in the Demon Forest?''
"Closer to that ... if you don't want to die, you can walk back yourself...
I know there will be demons out there, and I'm not alone, there are five of us, and I'm halfway there, but I've been trained in one way or another.
Compared to me, who was left alone and didn't even know the demons were coming out and was thrown out, the chances of survival are still high, but even so, there's no substitute for being forced to march for your life.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one. With only one knight in tow, we shouldn't expect dangerous demons to attack, in other words, they shouldn't go deep into the forest, so the probability of encountering dangerous demons before the rescue is low.''
''I see, you can't protect yourself from a bunch of rock ogres if you're alone.
"No, Master Kent, I don't think the knight has any intention of protecting you.
''Oh........I see......so all you can think about is getting away safely......''
If you're willing to bring them back alive, you should also leave the knights in the carriage as guards.
''And maybe you're the one who will see how it ends up in the Demon Forest.
The fact that the number of people thrown into the actual battle is as few as five may be a number that wouldn't be hurt if they were wiped out.
If that's the case, we'll take advantage of it, and let's just pretend the five of them are dead and rescue them.
And if there are five of them, it should be easier to escort them to Volzard.
''Master Kent, let's report to Lord Donovan for now and finish contacting the saintly lady.
"Well, well, let's start with Mr. Donovan...
I ducked into the shadows from my room in the boarding house and moved to the guild.
He seems to be reading some material, illuminating his hand with a magic tool of light.
I have a feeling that if he suddenly appeared, he would strike a fatal blow without question, so I decide to go out of the shadows after calling out to him.
'Good evening, Mr. Donovan, it's Kent.
Mm....the real battle is tomorrow?
How did you know about...
If you decide to come out of a place like that at this hour...
Mr. Donovan grinned as he saw me emerge from the shadows of the desk to the front, and he grinned.
''Oh I'm sure you're right. Yes, we should be able to reach Volzard in a couple of days.'
How many?
Yes. She said there were five of them.
Are you really trying to make an example of me?
But I'll get there before you do.
'Yes, get ahead of the enemy, don't fall behind, I'll make myself ready to receive you, don't worry about us.
Yes, thank you.
Kent, can you move with that shadow, regardless of distance?
'Yes, if I've been there once, I can ignore the distance and move on.
Then call me when you're done.
All right, then, let's get ready for the reception.
I shook hands stiffly with Mr. Donovan and went back to the boarding house.
Next, I had to contact the chairman of the committee who is in Rustock.
I was going to use a letter to contact the chairman, but I don't have time to write anymore, so I have no choice but to talk to him in person, aiming for some alone time somehow.
When I went to Rustock's garrison by shadow travel, the chairman of the committee had already finished treating his classmates and returned to his quarters.
The Chairman's room is located in the quarters where those who have been judged to have strong magical powers by the Crystal of the Magic Eye are gathered.
The first floor of the three-story quarters had private rooms for a few classmates on the first floor, the second floor was the floor occupied by the handsome bastards, and the third floor was the floor for the chairman.
It was built with a large living room, a luxurious bedroom, a private bathroom and toilet, and a room for Erna, the caretaker, to stay in.
Security is provided by a female knight stationed at the top of the stairs where you come in.
If there is anything unusual, they sound an alarm to let you know, and there are several knights stationed on the first floor of the quarters.
The chairman of the committee had already finished dinner and bathing and was getting ready for bed.
''Holy Lady, is there anything else you need?''
When Erna, the caretaker, asks, the chairman of the committee won't even look at her, let alone say a word.
There's a chill in the air, not unlike the two people who were once happy to hold hands in the doctor's office.
''Well then, I'll be back to wake you up at the usual time tomorrow morning, good night.
When Erna bowed her head deeply, the chairperson just looked in a different direction and didn't respond.
The room Erna is staying in, you have to pass through the living room to get to the chairperson's room, but it's only one wall away from the position.
Moreover, the bed where the chairperson rests and the bed where Erna sleeps are lined up exactly across the wall.
If you talk to the chairman in this situation, there's a risk that it will go down the tubes through the wall.
According to Fred, Erna will go to report to Camilla after this.
This has been the custom since the relationship between the chairman and Erna cooled after Funayama's death.
In any case, it's good for me.
'Fred, go and ask Erna what kind of report she has for Camilla, and also let me know when you come back over here.
Copy that.
The chairman didn't relax his expression for a little while after Erna left the room, but he huffed and let out a loud sigh, then sat down on the bed and covered his face with his hands.
''Ugh..........''
The chairperson stifled her voice and let the tears flow, which Erna listened to from the other side of the door.
Eventually, Erna left the door without making a sound of footsteps and walked out of the room, through the living room.
Apparently, she was now heading down to Camilla.
''Well then, Fred, take care of things over there.''
Copy that.
I asked Fred to keep an eye on Erna and as I walked back to the bedroom, the chairman wiped away the tears and was about to go to bed.
'Chairman..........'
Who's that?
"Shh, Mr. Chairman, be quiet...
"...who? Where are you...?
The chairman of the committee was startled for a moment and his voice got loud, but he quickly hid his voice and started scurrying around.
''First off, I'm not a ghost,''
'It's not a ghost...? Huh, could it be........Kokubun-kun?
'Yes, yes, I can now use dark magic and travel through the shadow world, I'm going to go out front now, if that's okay?'
Yeah, of course I'm fine.
A slippery figure emerged from the shadows at the moonlit window, visible to the chairman of the committee.
'Good evening Commissioner........Wapu!
'Thank God ... thank God you're okay ... ugh ...'
As soon as I went outside, I was hugged by the chairperson.
I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, but my chest is hitting the ground.......
No, the goblins ate me alive once, but I shouldn't say that.
I was invited to sit down on the bed and talk to the chairperson, who finally calmed down and invited me to sit down on the bed.
That's fine, but the chairman is wearing only a thin nightgown.
''Chairman, you shouldn't catch a cold, so you should put something on........''
'Yeah, well...'
I mean, Mr. Chairman, it's fine to put a blanket on, but why are you trying to wrap me in it too?
You know, if you get that close to me, I'm even more aware of you.
"Ufu, Kokubun-kun, you're warm...
Whoa, I can smell the good scent of soap from the chairman of the committee, and the gesture of tilting my head and coming to stare at me is so cute and badass.
''So, how did Kokubun-kun survive?
'When the goblins attacked me, I unknowingly used dark magic to summon a skeleton and they saved me.
Yeah, and what have you been up to?
Yeah, let me walk you through it.
After being driven into the Demon Forest alone, I explained to the chairman of the committee, step by step, what had happened until today.
I told him that I could use dark attribute magic, that I had trudged through the Demon Forest with powerful skeletons on my side, that the other side of the Demon Forest was another country, that I had entered Volzard, lived in a boarding house and worked for the guild looking for work, and that I had talked to the lord, Klaus-san, and obtained a promise that everyone would be accepted.
''Great........Kokubun-kun alone, you even made all those preparations.......''
No, I didn't do it alone, because Reinhardt and his team helped me.
''But great, I couldn't do anything... if only I had been able to use my magic better, even Funayama-kun...''
'No! It's not the chairman's fault, I couldn't help Funayama either, and that was Camilla and the others' fault to begin with, not the chairman's.
Kokubun-kun... thank you.
"Mr. Chairman, so, about the future...
I told them that the shadow movement of the dark attribute cannot be used for the rescue mission, that we will use the actual battle in the Demon Forest to rescue them, and that I want everyone to be strong enough to traverse the Demon Forest.
''I think it would be more convenient if I was supposed to be dead in order to proceed with the rescue mission.
Well, Camilla and the others don't think Kokubun-kun is planning a rescue mission, do they?
Yes, so act like the rescue mission tomorrow isn't happening either.
'What? What's the rescue mission tomorrow...?
'Huh? Oh, I see, didn't the chairman hear that there will be an actual battle in the Demon Forest tomorrow?
'Eww! Is there going to be a real battle tomorrow?
The chairman of the committee hadn't been told about the actual battle, after all, and he was surprised.
''Shh! Chairman, speak up....
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but a real battle...
Yeah, it's like they're picking five guys to send into battle to make an example out of.
You can't... you can't fight a real battle yet.
The blood drained from the chairman's face and I could feel the trembling in my arms.
'Don't worry, don't worry, I'll be sure to save the five of you and take you to Volzard first.
Really? Are you sure you're okay with this?
''Yeah, the three skeletons that are helping me are insanely strong and can move using shadows just like me, so leave it to me to protect them all safely.
'Kokubun-kun... thank God... I'm so glad you're here, Kokubun-kun...'
The chairperson held me in his arms and put my head on his shoulder.
''Kent-sama........Elena is coming back.......''
"Okay, okay...
What a great time to be back.
"Chairman, it looks like Elena is coming back, so I'll be back. Tomorrow, I'm going to take the five of you with me and make sure you act well so Camilla and the others don't find out.
Yeah, okay, Kokubun, you take care of yourself.
Yeah, I'll come back to you then.
Yeah, I'm waiting...
If you give me a hug like that, I won't want to go home.
"Master Kent please come back...
Uh, yeah well....
Just as Fred pulled me back to the shadow world, there was a knock at the door of the room.
''Saintess, please excuse me from my rest...''
Elena walked into the bedroom without waiting for the chairperson's response.
The chairperson gave Elena a sullen look, pretending that she had been asleep until now.
''I'm sorry to be absent, but I really need to let you know in a hurry...''
No way. Someone else is...
No, no, no, but...
What's the matter with you?
Oh, you're quite the actor, Mr. Chairman.
No, so far, I guess it's without acting.
''To tell the truth........tomorrow, there will be a real battle in the Demon Forest, there will be five of us.
'No! You don't mean to kill five people all of a sudden in a real battle this time?
No, I would never...
'Mostly, what can you do to me if you know that? You're trying to convince me that you can't do anything and make me do your bidding, aren't you? Yes, I can't do anything about it anyway, you can laugh if you want.
'Oh no... I didn't mean to let you know...'
Get out! I'm uncomfortable, so get out!
After the chairperson hit her with a pillow, Elena gently put the pillow back on the edge of the bed and bowed and walked out of the room.
'Why, why do we have to go through this... ugh... ugh...'
Hmm.............Chairman, you are quite the performer. You won't have to worry about this.
Even so, the mental and physical burden on the chairman is great, so we have to rescue him as soon as possible while taking care of him from time to time, right?
To do that, we have to succeed in tomorrow's rescue mission.
I'm going to do my best with my spirit.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
It was dinner for the four of us that day, along with Meline, who had started helping with her training.
In the time leading up to dinner, I was watching Meisa-chan's studies, but she seems to have trouble with arithmetic, and steam is almost coming out of her head.
'Kiiii.......I hate arithmetic......it's absolutely ridiculous that you're Kent and you solve problems so easily!
"Hahahaha, Meisa-chan has a long way to go if she's struggling with a problem like that... hahahahaha...
'Kiwi ... for Kent, for Kent, for Kent, for Kent, for Kent!
Meisa is about three years younger than me, so she should be in the fifth grade in Japan, but her math problems were much easier to solve.
When I was in Japan, I was a dropout, but it's not surprising that I could solve this level of problems.
If you can't do the math, you'll get the change wrong and you won't be able to do business. You have to stock the best products at the lowest price possible to keep the store open, so study hard.
Ugh I know....
It seems that Meisa-chan still needs to learn more if she wants to take over from Amanda-san and make ends meet in the dining room.
But I didn't expect you to be good at arithmetic...
Of course, your mother would think so too...
''Ugh........If you can't do it better than me, who seems to be so badly made, I'm worried about Meisa's future.......''
True, now that Merine is helping me, I'll have to make sure Meisa learns a lot.
Hmph, I'm not going to lose to Meisa for tonight.
''Well, well, why don't we have some of the jiboula I brought for dessert?
Eat, eat! Hey, isn't it good? Mom,
'Yes, yes, yes, all right, really, Jiboula has no eyes.
As a greeting to be trained, Meline brought me a jiboula, a slightly slender watermelon-like fruit with a purple skin.
The aroma and taste are citrusy and sweet and sour, but the texture is watermelon.
'You don't see this fruit in the country I live in, but it looks like it's picked during the hotter months...'
'You don't have jiboula in Kent, do you?' 'Yes, we get it in the hotter months, but we soak it in water and wait for the bitterness to go out before we eat it.
'Huh........so you can remove the bitterness by soaking it in water.......'
'Oh, and when I say water, I don't mean just water, it has to be water with water-attribute magic multiplied by a healing effect.
According to Amanda, the timing of the jiboula harvest, the quality of the water in which it is soaked, and the timing of the lifting of the jiboula out of the water are very important.
If they are not picked at the right time, they have a bad texture, if the water is not good, they leave a bitter taste, and if they are not soaked enough, they leave a bitter taste and a bad taste.
'This is a good one because it has a nice texture and no bitterness at all, right?
'Oh, this is good work, Merine, isn't it expensive?'
'No, I bought these from a supplier from when my father ran the diner, so they're not expensive.
Well, you'll be in good hands with those connections, and you'll be in good hands again when you reopen the shop.
'Yes, he's always been very good to me and I try to show up when I can.
While we were talking to each other, Meisa was chewing on her jiboula.
She's usually a bit too rowdy, but the way she's so engrossed in eating it is so cute and rabbit-like.
Meisa, you can eat half of mine.
Really? Thank you!
Oh..........................The kobold has turned into an angel.
It seems that Meisa got one from Meline-san and enjoyed Jiboula to her heart's content.
Meline-san went home, and I went back to my room, and now, this is where things get busy.
Tomorrow, we have to use the actual battle in the Demon Forest to rescue our classmates.
We need to make preparations for that.
I asked Fred and Basten to come back as well.
''Well, Fred, tell me what you found out about tomorrow.''
Understood... and five men will be sent to engage in actual combat in the Demon Forest... with three soldiers in tow.
Five is not much, but it's a bit of a hassle to have three people in tow.
"Don't worry ... two of them will only go as far as the forest entrance...
According to Fred's research, two of the three knights in charge of leading the carriage are the carriage's guru and warden.
They will carry the five from the garrison to the entrance of the Demon Forest in a carriage, where the carriage will return to the garrison.
''Wait a minute, then aren't the five of you going to kill them from the beginning to make an example of them in the Demon Forest?''
"Closer to that ... if you don't want to die, you can walk back yourself...
I know there will be demons out there, and I'm not alone, there are five of us, and I'm halfway there, but I've been trained in one way or another.
Compared to me, who was left alone and didn't even know the demons were coming out and was thrown out, the chances of survival are still high, but even so, there's no substitute for being forced to march for your life.
It's a good thing that you're not the only one. With only one knight in tow, we shouldn't expect dangerous demons to attack, in other words, they shouldn't go deep into the forest, so the probability of encountering dangerous demons before the rescue is low.''
''I see, you can't protect yourself from a bunch of rock ogres if you're alone.
"No, Master Kent, I don't think the knight has any intention of protecting you.
''Oh........I see......so all you can think about is getting away safely......''
If you're willing to bring them back alive, you should also leave the knights in the carriage as guards.
''And maybe you're the one who will see how it ends up in the Demon Forest.
The fact that the number of people thrown into the actual battle is as few as five may be a number that wouldn't be hurt if they were wiped out.
If that's the case, we'll take advantage of it, and let's just pretend the five of them are dead and rescue them.
And if there are five of them, it should be easier to escort them to Volzard.
''Master Kent, let's report to Lord Donovan for now and finish contacting the saintly lady.
"Well, well, let's start with Mr. Donovan...
I ducked into the shadows from my room in the boarding house and moved to the guild.
He seems to be reading some material, illuminating his hand with a magic tool of light.
I have a feeling that if he suddenly appeared, he would strike a fatal blow without question, so I decide to go out of the shadows after calling out to him.
'Good evening, Mr. Donovan, it's Kent.
Mm....the real battle is tomorrow?
How did you know about...
If you decide to come out of a place like that at this hour...
Mr. Donovan grinned as he saw me emerge from the shadows of the desk to the front, and he grinned.
''Oh I'm sure you're right. Yes, we should be able to reach Volzard in a couple of days.'
How many?
Yes. She said there were five of them.
Are you really trying to make an example of me?
But I'll get there before you do.
'Yes, get ahead of the enemy, don't fall behind, I'll make myself ready to receive you, don't worry about us.
Yes, thank you.
Kent, can you move with that shadow, regardless of distance?
'Yes, if I've been there once, I can ignore the distance and move on.
Then call me when you're done.
All right, then, let's get ready for the reception.
I shook hands stiffly with Mr. Donovan and went back to the boarding house.
Next, I had to contact the chairman of the committee who is in Rustock.
I was going to use a letter to contact the chairman, but I don't have time to write anymore, so I have no choice but to talk to him in person, aiming for some alone time somehow.
When I went to Rustock's garrison by shadow travel, the chairman of the committee had already finished treating his classmates and returned to his quarters.
The Chairman's room is located in the quarters where those who have been judged to have strong magical powers by the Crystal of the Magic Eye are gathered.
The first floor of the three-story quarters had private rooms for a few classmates on the first floor, the second floor was the floor occupied by the handsome bastards, and the third floor was the floor for the chairman.
It was built with a large living room, a luxurious bedroom, a private bathroom and toilet, and a room for Erna, the caretaker, to stay in.
Security is provided by a female knight stationed at the top of the stairs where you come in.
If there is anything unusual, they sound an alarm to let you know, and there are several knights stationed on the first floor of the quarters.
The chairman of the committee had already finished dinner and bathing and was getting ready for bed.
''Holy Lady, is there anything else you need?''
When Erna, the caretaker, asks, the chairman of the committee won't even look at her, let alone say a word.
There's a chill in the air, not unlike the two people who were once happy to hold hands in the doctor's office.
''Well then, I'll be back to wake you up at the usual time tomorrow morning, good night.
When Erna bowed her head deeply, the chairperson just looked in a different direction and didn't respond.
The room Erna is staying in, you have to pass through the living room to get to the chairperson's room, but it's only one wall away from the position.
Moreover, the bed where the chairperson rests and the bed where Erna sleeps are lined up exactly across the wall.
If you talk to the chairman in this situation, there's a risk that it will go down the tubes through the wall.
According to Fred, Erna will go to report to Camilla after this.
This has been the custom since the relationship between the chairman and Erna cooled after Funayama's death.
In any case, it's good for me.
'Fred, go and ask Erna what kind of report she has for Camilla, and also let me know when you come back over here.
Copy that.
The chairman didn't relax his expression for a little while after Erna left the room, but he huffed and let out a loud sigh, then sat down on the bed and covered his face with his hands.
''Ugh..........''
The chairperson stifled her voice and let the tears flow, which Erna listened to from the other side of the door.
Eventually, Erna left the door without making a sound of footsteps and walked out of the room, through the living room.
Apparently, she was now heading down to Camilla.
''Well then, Fred, take care of things over there.''
Copy that.
I asked Fred to keep an eye on Erna and as I walked back to the bedroom, the chairman wiped away the tears and was about to go to bed.
'Chairman..........'
Who's that?
"Shh, Mr. Chairman, be quiet...
"...who? Where are you...?
The chairman of the committee was startled for a moment and his voice got loud, but he quickly hid his voice and started scurrying around.
''First off, I'm not a ghost,''
'It's not a ghost...? Huh, could it be........Kokubun-kun?
'Yes, yes, I can now use dark magic and travel through the shadow world, I'm going to go out front now, if that's okay?'
Yeah, of course I'm fine.
A slippery figure emerged from the shadows at the moonlit window, visible to the chairman of the committee.
'Good evening Commissioner........Wapu!
'Thank God ... thank God you're okay ... ugh ...'
As soon as I went outside, I was hugged by the chairperson.
I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, but my chest is hitting the ground.......
No, the goblins ate me alive once, but I shouldn't say that.
I was invited to sit down on the bed and talk to the chairperson, who finally calmed down and invited me to sit down on the bed.
That's fine, but the chairman is wearing only a thin nightgown.
''Chairman, you shouldn't catch a cold, so you should put something on........''
'Yeah, well...'
I mean, Mr. Chairman, it's fine to put a blanket on, but why are you trying to wrap me in it too?
You know, if you get that close to me, I'm even more aware of you.
"Ufu, Kokubun-kun, you're warm...
Whoa, I can smell the good scent of soap from the chairman of the committee, and the gesture of tilting my head and coming to stare at me is so cute and badass.
''So, how did Kokubun-kun survive?
'When the goblins attacked me, I unknowingly used dark magic to summon a skeleton and they saved me.
Yeah, and what have you been up to?
Yeah, let me walk you through it.
After being driven into the Demon Forest alone, I explained to the chairman of the committee, step by step, what had happened until today.
I told him that I could use dark attribute magic, that I had trudged through the Demon Forest with powerful skeletons on my side, that the other side of the Demon Forest was another country, that I had entered Volzard, lived in a boarding house and worked for the guild looking for work, and that I had talked to the lord, Klaus-san, and obtained a promise that everyone would be accepted.
''Great........Kokubun-kun alone, you even made all those preparations.......''
No, I didn't do it alone, because Reinhardt and his team helped me.
''But great, I couldn't do anything... if only I had been able to use my magic better, even Funayama-kun...''
'No! It's not the chairman's fault, I couldn't help Funayama either, and that was Camilla and the others' fault to begin with, not the chairman's.
Kokubun-kun... thank you.
"Mr. Chairman, so, about the future...
I told them that the shadow movement of the dark attribute cannot be used for the rescue mission, that we will use the actual battle in the Demon Forest to rescue them, and that I want everyone to be strong enough to traverse the Demon Forest.
''I think it would be more convenient if I was supposed to be dead in order to proceed with the rescue mission.
Well, Camilla and the others don't think Kokubun-kun is planning a rescue mission, do they?
Yes, so act like the rescue mission tomorrow isn't happening either.
'What? What's the rescue mission tomorrow...?
'Huh? Oh, I see, didn't the chairman hear that there will be an actual battle in the Demon Forest tomorrow?
'Eww! Is there going to be a real battle tomorrow?
The chairman of the committee hadn't been told about the actual battle, after all, and he was surprised.
''Shh! Chairman, speak up....
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but a real battle...
Yeah, it's like they're picking five guys to send into battle to make an example out of.
You can't... you can't fight a real battle yet.
The blood drained from the chairman's face and I could feel the trembling in my arms.
'Don't worry, don't worry, I'll be sure to save the five of you and take you to Volzard first.
Really? Are you sure you're okay with this?
''Yeah, the three skeletons that are helping me are insanely strong and can move using shadows just like me, so leave it to me to protect them all safely.
'Kokubun-kun... thank God... I'm so glad you're here, Kokubun-kun...'
The chairperson held me in his arms and put my head on his shoulder.
''Kent-sama........Elena is coming back.......''
"Okay, okay...
What a great time to be back.
"Chairman, it looks like Elena is coming back, so I'll be back. Tomorrow, I'm going to take the five of you with me and make sure you act well so Camilla and the others don't find out.
Yeah, okay, Kokubun, you take care of yourself.
Yeah, I'll come back to you then.
Yeah, I'm waiting...
If you give me a hug like that, I won't want to go home.
"Master Kent please come back...
Uh, yeah well....
Just as Fred pulled me back to the shadow world, there was a knock at the door of the room.
''Saintess, please excuse me from my rest...''
Elena walked into the bedroom without waiting for the chairperson's response.
The chairperson gave Elena a sullen look, pretending that she had been asleep until now.
''I'm sorry to be absent, but I really need to let you know in a hurry...''
No way. Someone else is...
No, no, no, but...
What's the matter with you?
Oh, you're quite the actor, Mr. Chairman.
No, so far, I guess it's without acting.
''To tell the truth........tomorrow, there will be a real battle in the Demon Forest, there will be five of us.
'No! You don't mean to kill five people all of a sudden in a real battle this time?
No, I would never...
'Mostly, what can you do to me if you know that? You're trying to convince me that you can't do anything and make me do your bidding, aren't you? Yes, I can't do anything about it anyway, you can laugh if you want.
'Oh no... I didn't mean to let you know...'
Get out! I'm uncomfortable, so get out!
After the chairperson hit her with a pillow, Elena gently put the pillow back on the edge of the bed and bowed and walked out of the room.
'Why, why do we have to go through this... ugh... ugh...'
Hmm.............Chairman, you are quite the performer. You won't have to worry about this.
Even so, the mental and physical burden on the chairman is great, so we have to rescue him as soon as possible while taking care of him from time to time, right?
To do that, we have to succeed in tomorrow's rescue mission.
I'm going to do my best with my spirit.
It was dinner for the four of us that day, along with Meline, who had started helping with her training.In the time leading up to dinner, I was watching Meisa-chan's studies, but she seems to have trouble with arithmetic, and steam is almost coming out of her head.'Kiiii.......I hate arithmetic......it's absolutely ridiculous that you're Kent and you solve problems so easily!"Hahahaha, Meisa-chan has a long way to go if she's struggling with a problem like that... hahahahaha...'Kiwi ... for Kent, for Kent, for Kent, for Kent, for Kent!Meisa is about three years younger than me, so she should be in the fifth grade in Japan, but her math problems were much easier to solve.When I was in Japan, I was a dropout, but it's not surprising that I could solve this level of problems.If you can't do the math, you'll get the change wrong and you won't be able to do business.You have to stock the best products at the lowest price possible to keep the store open, so study hard.Ugh I know....It seems that Meisa-chan still needs to learn more if she wants to take over from Amanda-san and make ends meet in the dining room.But I didn't expect you to be good at arithmetic...Of course, your mother would think so too...''Ugh........If you can't do it better than me, who seems to be so badly made, I'm worried about Meisa's future.......''True, now that Merine is helping me, I'll have to make sure Meisa learns a lot.Hmph, I'm not going to lose to Meisa for tonight.''Well, well, why don't we have some of the jiboula I brought for dessert?Eat, eat! Hey, isn't it good? Mom,'Yes, yes, yes, all right, really, Jiboula has no eyes.As a greeting to be trained, Meline brought me a jiboula, a slightly slender watermelon-like fruit with a purple skin.The aroma and taste are citrusy and sweet and sour, but the texture is watermelon.'You don't see this fruit in the country I live in, but it looks like it's picked during the hotter months...''You don't have jiboula in Kent, do you?' 'Yes, we get it in the hotter months, but we soak it in water and wait for the bitterness to go out before we eat it.'Huh........so you can remove the bitterness by soaking it in water.......''Oh, and when I say water, I don't mean just water, it has to be water with water-attribute magic multiplied by a healing effect.According to Amanda, the timing of the jiboula harvest, the quality of the water in which it is soaked, and the timing of the lifting of the jiboula out of the water are very important.If they are not picked at the right time, they have a bad texture, if the water is not good, they leave a bitter taste, and if they are not soaked enough, they leave a bitter taste and a bad taste.'This is a good one because it has a nice texture and no bitterness at all, right?'Oh, this is good work, Merine, isn't it expensive?''No, I bought these from a supplier from when my father ran the diner, so they're not expensive.Well, you'll be in good hands with those connections, and you'll be in good hands again when you reopen the shop.'Yes, he's always been very good to me and I try to show up when I can.While we were talking to each other, Meisa was chewing on her jiboula.She's usually a bit too rowdy, but the way she's so engrossed in eating it is so cute and rabbit-like.Meisa, you can eat half of mine.Really? Thank you!Oh..........................The kobold has turned into an angel.It seems that Meisa got one from Meline-san and enjoyed Jiboula to her heart's content.Meline-san went home, and I went back to my room, and now, this is where things get busy.Tomorrow, we have to use the actual battle in the Demon Forest to rescue our classmates.We need to make preparations for that.I asked Fred and Basten to come back as well.''Well, Fred, tell me what you found out about tomorrow.''Understood... and five men will be sent to engage in actual combat in the Demon Forest... with three soldiers in tow.Five is not much, but it's a bit of a hassle to have three people in tow."Don't worry ... two of them will only go as far as the forest entrance...According to Fred's research, two of the three knights in charge of leading the carriage are the carriage's guru and warden.They will carry the five from the garrison to the entrance of the Demon Forest in a carriage, where the carriage will return to the garrison.''Wait a minute, then aren't the five of you going to kill them from the beginning to make an example of them in the Demon Forest?''"Closer to that ... if you don't want to die, you can walk back yourself...I know there will be demons out there, and I'm not alone, there are five of us, and I'm halfway there, but I've been trained in one way or another.Compared to me, who was left alone and didn't even know the demons were coming out and was thrown out, the chances of survival are still high, but even so, there's no substitute for being forced to march for your life.It's a good thing that you're not the only one.With only one knight in tow, we shouldn't expect dangerous demons to attack, in other words, they shouldn't go deep into the forest, so the probability of encountering dangerous demons before the rescue is low.''''I see, you can't protect yourself from a bunch of rock ogres if you're alone."No, Master Kent, I don't think the knight has any intention of protecting you.''Oh........I see......so all you can think about is getting away safely......''If you're willing to bring them back alive, you should also leave the knights in the carriage as guards.''And maybe you're the one who will see how it ends up in the Demon Forest.The fact that the number of people thrown into the actual battle is as few as five may be a number that wouldn't be hurt if they were wiped out.If that's the case, we'll take advantage of it, and let's just pretend the five of them are dead and rescue them.And if there are five of them, it should be easier to escort them to Volzard.''Master Kent, let's report to Lord Donovan for now and finish contacting the saintly lady."Well, well, let's start with Mr. Donovan...I ducked into the shadows from my room in the boarding house and moved to the guild.He seems to be reading some material, illuminating his hand with a magic tool of light.I have a feeling that if he suddenly appeared, he would strike a fatal blow without question, so I decide to go out of the shadows after calling out to him.'Good evening, Mr. Donovan, it's Kent.Mm....the real battle is tomorrow?How did you know about...If you decide to come out of a place like that at this hour...Mr. Donovan grinned as he saw me emerge from the shadows of the desk to the front, and he grinned.''Oh I'm sure you're right. Yes, we should be able to reach Volzard in a couple of days.'How many?Yes. She said there were five of them.Are you really trying to make an example of me?But I'll get there before you do.'Yes, get ahead of the enemy, don't fall behind, I'll make myself ready to receive you, don't worry about us.Yes, thank you.Kent, can you move with that shadow, regardless of distance?'Yes, if I've been there once, I can ignore the distance and move on.Then call me when you're done.All right, then, let's get ready for the reception.I shook hands stiffly with Mr. Donovan and went back to the boarding house.Next, I had to contact the chairman of the committee who is in Rustock.I was going to use a letter to contact the chairman, but I don't have time to write anymore, so I have no choice but to talk to him in person, aiming for some alone time somehow.When I went to Rustock's garrison by shadow travel, the chairman of the committee had already finished treating his classmates and returned to his quarters.The Chairman's room is located in the quarters where those who have been judged to have strong magical powers by the Crystal of the Magic Eye are gathered.The first floor of the three-story quarters had private rooms for a few classmates on the first floor, the second floor was the floor occupied by the handsome bastards, and the third floor was the floor for the chairman.It was built with a large living room, a luxurious bedroom, a private bathroom and toilet, and a room for Erna, the caretaker, to stay in.Security is provided by a female knight stationed at the top of the stairs where you come in.If there is anything unusual, they sound an alarm to let you know, and there are several knights stationed on the first floor of the quarters.The chairman of the committee had already finished dinner and bathing and was getting ready for bed.''Holy Lady, is there anything else you need?''When Erna, the caretaker, asks, the chairman of the committee won't even look at her, let alone say a word.There's a chill in the air, not unlike the two people who were once happy to hold hands in the doctor's office.''Well then, I'll be back to wake you up at the usual time tomorrow morning, good night.When Erna bowed her head deeply, the chairperson just looked in a different direction and didn't respond.The room Erna is staying in, you have to pass through the living room to get to the chairperson's room, but it's only one wall away from the position.Moreover, the bed where the chairperson rests and the bed where Erna sleeps are lined up exactly across the wall.If you talk to the chairman in this situation, there's a risk that it will go down the tubes through the wall.According to Fred, Erna will go to report to Camilla after this.This has been the custom since the relationship between the chairman and Erna cooled after Funayama's death.In any case, it's good for me.'Fred, go and ask Erna what kind of report she has for Camilla, and also let me know when you come back over here.Copy that.The chairman didn't relax his expression for a little while after Erna left the room, but he huffed and let out a loud sigh, then sat down on the bed and covered his face with his hands.''Ugh..........''The chairperson stifled her voice and let the tears flow, which Erna listened to from the other side of the door.Eventually, Erna left the door without making a sound of footsteps and walked out of the room, through the living room.Apparently, she was now heading down to Camilla.''Well then, Fred, take care of things over there.''Copy that.I asked Fred to keep an eye on Erna and as I walked back to the bedroom, the chairman wiped away the tears and was about to go to bed.'Chairman..........'Who's that?"Shh, Mr. Chairman, be quiet..."...who? Where are you...?The chairman of the committee was startled for a moment and his voice got loud, but he quickly hid his voice and started scurrying around.''First off, I'm not a ghost,'''It's not a ghost...? Huh, could it be........Kokubun-kun?'Yes, yes, I can now use dark magic and travel through the shadow world, I'm going to go out front now, if that's okay?'Yeah, of course I'm fine.A slippery figure emerged from the shadows at the moonlit window, visible to the chairman of the committee.'Good evening Commissioner........Wapu!'Thank God ... thank God you're okay ... ugh ...'As soon as I went outside, I was hugged by the chairperson.I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, but my chest is hitting the ground.......No, the goblins ate me alive once, but I shouldn't say that.I was invited to sit down on the bed and talk to the chairperson, who finally calmed down and invited me to sit down on the bed.That's fine, but the chairman is wearing only a thin nightgown.''Chairman, you shouldn't catch a cold, so you should put something on........'''Yeah, well...'I mean, Mr. Chairman, it's fine to put a blanket on, but why are you trying to wrap me in it too?You know, if you get that close to me, I'm even more aware of you."Ufu, Kokubun-kun, you're warm...Whoa, I can smell the good scent of soap from the chairman of the committee, and the gesture of tilting my head and coming to stare at me is so cute and badass.''So, how did Kokubun-kun survive?'When the goblins attacked me, I unknowingly used dark magic to summon a skeleton and they saved me.Yeah, and what have you been up to?Yeah, let me walk you through it.After being driven into the Demon Forest alone, I explained to the chairman of the committee, step by step, what had happened until today.I told him that I could use dark attribute magic, that I had trudged through the Demon Forest with powerful skeletons on my side, that the other side of the Demon Forest was another country, that I had entered Volzard, lived in a boarding house and worked for the guild looking for work, and that I had talked to the lord, Klaus-san, and obtained a promise that everyone would be accepted.''Great........Kokubun-kun alone, you even made all those preparations.......''No, I didn't do it alone, because Reinhardt and his team helped me.''But great, I couldn't do anything... if only I had been able to use my magic better, even Funayama-kun...'''No! It's not the chairman's fault, I couldn't help Funayama either, and that was Camilla and the others' fault to begin with, not the chairman's.Kokubun-kun... thank you."Mr. Chairman, so, about the future...I told them that the shadow movement of the dark attribute cannot be used for the rescue mission, that we will use the actual battle in the Demon Forest to rescue them, and that I want everyone to be strong enough to traverse the Demon Forest.''I think it would be more convenient if I was supposed to be dead in order to proceed with the rescue mission.Well, Camilla and the others don't think Kokubun-kun is planning a rescue mission, do they?Yes, so act like the rescue mission tomorrow isn't happening either.'What? What's the rescue mission tomorrow...?'Huh? Oh, I see, didn't the chairman hear that there will be an actual battle in the Demon Forest tomorrow?'Eww! Is there going to be a real battle tomorrow?The chairman of the committee hadn't been told about the actual battle, after all, and he was surprised.''Shh!Chairman, speak up....I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but a real battle...Yeah, it's like they're picking five guys to send into battle to make an example out of.You can't... you can't fight a real battle yet.The blood drained from the chairman's face and I could feel the trembling in my arms.'Don't worry, don't worry, I'll be sure to save the five of you and take you to Volzard first.Really?Are you sure you're okay with this?''Yeah, the three skeletons that are helping me are insanely strong and can move using shadows just like me, so leave it to me to protect them all safely.'Kokubun-kun... thank God... I'm so glad you're here, Kokubun-kun...'The chairperson held me in his arms and put my head on his shoulder.''Kent-sama........Elena is coming back.......''"Okay, okay...What a great time to be back."Chairman, it looks like Elena is coming back, so I'll be back. Tomorrow, I'm going to take the five of you with me and make sure you act well so Camilla and the others don't find out.Yeah, okay, Kokubun, you take care of yourself.Yeah, I'll come back to you then.Yeah, I'm waiting...If you give me a hug like that, I won't want to go home."Master Kent please come back...Uh, yeah well....Just as Fred pulled me back to the shadow world, there was a knock at the door of the room.''Saintess, please excuse me from my rest...''Elena walked into the bedroom without waiting for the chairperson's response.The chairperson gave Elena a sullen look, pretending that she had been asleep until now.''I'm sorry to be absent, but I really need to let you know in a hurry...''No way. Someone else is...No, no, no, but...What's the matter with you?Oh, you're quite the actor, Mr. Chairman.No, so far, I guess it's without acting.''To tell the truth........tomorrow, there will be a real battle in the Demon Forest, there will be five of us.'No! You don't mean to kill five people all of a sudden in a real battle this time?No, I would never...'Mostly, what can you do to me if you know that? You're trying to convince me that you can't do anything and make me do your bidding, aren't you? Yes, I can't do anything about it anyway, you can laugh if you want.'Oh no... I didn't mean to let you know...'Get out! I'm uncomfortable, so get out!After the chairperson hit her with a pillow, Elena gently put the pillow back on the edge of the bed and bowed and walked out of the room.'Why, why do we have to go through this... ugh... ugh...'Hmm.............Chairman, you are quite the performer. You won't have to worry about this.Even so, the mental and physical burden on the chairman is great, so we have to rescue him as soon as possible while taking care of him from time to time, right?To do that, we have to succeed in tomorrow's rescue mission.I'm going to do my best with my spirit.
