Chapter 47: Stalled rain
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The sky, visible through the trees, is beginning to be covered with more and more black clouds.
We choose a spot a little higher than our surroundings, a little further into the forest from the road, and begin to prepare for camping.
As we finished putting up the tent, it started to rain steadily.
The tent was soaked with sap and waterproofed, so no rainwater would seep through, but the sound of rain beating and humidity made it uncomfortable.
Six of the ten tents were for boys and four for girls.
Six people would sleep in a tent for five, but it would be no problem for small girls.
I asked Kondo and Henecho Takayama to be the organizers of the men's tent and Motomiya-san and Sagara-san to be the organizers of the women's tent.
I asked them to gather in one of the tenements and talk to them about what they have done so far so that they can understand what we will do, and to prevent anyone from doing something stupid.
In addition, I also talked to them about the rescue operation in the future and convinced them to cooperate with me.
''Well that's what I've done so far and what I plan to do in the future... do you have any questions?''
The moment I asked the four of them, with the force of a gubernatorial sound, Motomiya-san lowered her head.
''I'm sorry, Kokubun-kun was working so hard for me, and I even slapped you for complaining about something out of line.......''
'Yeah, it was pretty painful, but that's okay, because it was misunderstood that I was working on the mission without telling everyone.
'Oh no that won't make me feel better... slap me too! With all my might! Don't be shy!
'No, no, no, you can't do that...'
I made a little mistake, and I guess I just got flustered, so there's no way I'm going to accept such a ridiculous request.
'Yeah, yeah...........................what? Hey, Motomiya-san, what are you talking about?
'In front of more people, they call me a whore and a b*tc*, and then they put me up and I crawl down in misery and...'
No, no, no, wait, wait, wait, you'll think I'm a prick if I do that.
They just kicked me in the leg and stomped on me...
Ako, come back here!
Um... you, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I rarely show it in front of the boys, but Aoi can go off in a weird way sometimes... well, pretend you didn't see it.
Mr. Sagara finally stopped his outburst when he delivered a strong slap to the back of his head.
My eyes were a bit gone and I was scared.
''And I'm sorry for saying those horrible things too...''
Me too I'm sorry if I didn't know that.
Sagara-san and Kondo both bowed their heads together.
And Takayama, the lazy hero, is........
'I'm sorry I misunderstood you but Kokubun, this plan is too naive, if we can do all this and we're out of the bracelets too, then we should kill all the knights, and Camilla should be captured and tortured or taken hostage to find out how to get back from the other royals. Isn't it?
The other three and the boys who were in the tent nodded in agreement with the opinion of the nephew Takayama.
I guess it's because I've been oppressed in Rastock's garrison, but I feel that my thoughts have become more extreme.
Or maybe Takayama is right and I'm too naive?
'Takayama, the other day, a herd of more than two hundred rock ogres came to Volzard, a city just past the forest.
A rock auger? What kind of demon?
''More than three meters tall, they are demons in hard muscle armor that can't easily pass through a sword, and only skilled adventurers can compete with them. For a group of three young adventurers, it's barely even with three of us. At our level.....
"If there are more than a dozen of them, they'll be kicked to the curb.
'More than a dozen people and they're going to kick your ass...'
As Reinhardt's words are delivered, the four of them look at each other and seem to be imagining what a rock ogre looks like, but they don't seem to be able to pinpoint it.
''Well ... was it Volzard? Were you okay?
Yeah, that's not a problem since Reinhardt and his team eradicated the rock ogre.
Is that skeleton so strong?
Yeah, it's kind of a ... different dimension.
Unlike the last time they killed a bunch of orcs in the blink of an eye, they hadn't seen the actual battle, so the more questions they asked, the more their imaginations couldn't keep up with it, and Hongu and the others seemed to be getting more confused.
''That rock ogre or something like that was defeated, right? That was the skeleton you're using, Kokubun, wasn't it? That makes it even easier to kill them all, don't you think?
'Yeah, I suppose you could if you wanted to, but we're still in the middle of the conversation, so can you hear me out?'
Perhaps it's because I don't readily admit to my claims, but Hennakozan seems to be irritated.
''From what I heard from the people of Volzard, when some of the demons are in large numbers, the Demon Forest is activated for a while.
By "activated," you mean more demons?
''Well, to put it simply, Sagara-san is right, and it also means that the possibility of demons coming to the villages near the Demon Forest will increase.
So, what do you want to say, just say it!
''Takayama, if a demon attacks the city of Rustock, who will defend the city?''
What? It's....
Not only Takayama, but the other three also seemed to realize the intent of the conversation.
After all four of them had thought it over, Takayama was the first to speak.
''That's something they deserve, what's our business?
'Wait a minute, we've never been out of the garrison, so I don't know, but there are women, children and old people in town, right?'
'Of course, it's a normal town outside the garrison, there are normal people living in it.
Hearing my answer, Motomiya-san gives Takayama a glaring look.
''I'm against killing everyone, if we kill all the knights and the people in the city are killed by demons, it would be the same as if we killed them even if we didn't have a direct hand in it.
'Well, that's not... why don't we just let that skeleton defend the city, then we can kill all the knights and it won't matter.
What's that, leave it all up to the skeleton? But if Kokubun-kun is against it, won't the skeleton move?
Yeah, I'm not going to ask Reinhardt and his team to do that.
Whose side are you on? You're not taking their side!
It seems that Motomiya-san and Sagara-san are against killing everyone, Kondo is thinking about it, and Takayama and the other boys seem to be pro-killing.
In this world, medical care is not as advanced as in Japan, so even an appendectomy can kill you. It takes about twenty years of time, effort and money to raise a knight. I don't agree with the idea of killing someone easily.
'What do we do then? Funayama was killed. We're all being treated badly, and you want us to just cry ourselves to sleep?
"I'm not asking you to go to bed in tears. I mean, at least it's not something Takayama would say.......he's lived a pretty good life....
My words changed the color of the eyes of the boys in the room.
They all saw Takayama flirting with Shelia, right?
''Nah........oh, I had a hard time too.......''
'You and Shelia had a bath together...'
How did you know about...
Takayama.........tell me more about that........
You're right, Kokubun is right, you have no right to complain...
After all the shit we've been through, you're in the front.
''Yes, yes, I'll execute Takayama later, I just want to put the knights to sleep anyway. I could kill them at any time, but I dare not kill them I'm thinking of using them as an asset to give the enemy an edge in negotiations. Anyway, I'd like to go home first, and then I'd like to proceed with monetary compensation, okay?
I agree.
I think that's a good idea, too.
'I generally agree with you, but I think you'd better explain the plan to everyone and get them to agree with it before you implement it.
'All right, it's not going to be possible to get them all together and explain it in this rain anyway, so let's wait until we get to Volzard to talk about the details.
Motomiya-san, Sagara-san, and Kondo have come around to agree, so the boys who were there...no, they don't seem to be thinking about anything but how to execute Takayama.
Takayama was taken to a corner of the tent and seems to be interrogated while being pierced in the side with his hands from time to time, but of course he has no intention of helping.
While I was watching Takayama's interrogation with a grimace, Sagara-san asked me a question.
'Hey, how did Kokubun know about Takayama's life style?
''Oh, it's an application of dark magic shadow transfer...''
He was surprised when I told him that I was hiding in the shadow world, scouting out the Rustock garrison and contacting and caring for the chairman of the committee.
'It's pretty cheeky that you can even use the light attribute... but you didn't peek at Yuuka's bath time either, did you?
Well, I mean, I wouldn't do that... you know, not without...
Well, you wouldn't do that, would you?
Sure, of course...
'But there's a decent hot tub in Yuuka's quarters, right? We're just a big tub of water, you know. Don't you think that's too much in the summer, even in these temperatures?
I know, it's just too bad this time of year, isn't it?
Isn't that right? So, Kokubun-kun, how did you know that was so tragic.......?
It's bad, I remembered a situation where there wasn't even a bathtub at a time when the temperature had dropped, and I couldn't help but say something unnecessary.
''Ew...?
'Didn't you say that and really take the time to burn each girl's nudity onto your retinas?
'I wouldn't do that, no matter how much I'm a demon who gets off on seeing a girl crying about wanting to leave...'
Hmmm ... what did I see...?
Ehh... no... what is it...?
"Kokubun-kun, will you come to our tent for a moment... or come!
Yes, yes....
After this, I was taken to the women's tent, and after a more severe interrogation than Takayama, he even made me confess that I spied on the chairman and Camilla during bath time, and my stock crashed to a halt.
''Kokubun, shy........''
Goooooooo....
You'll be reporting this when Yuuka arrives, right?
Hey, that's...
'It's not exactly a waste of a cheat, is it?
Well there's no denying it.
I think it's kind of cool, but how do you want to deal with my feelings?
I'm sorry, I mean, I'm sorry...
'Volzard, was it? I'm sure they'll be spying on you in the city where you took refuge.
No, we didn't, because we didn't do it in Volzard.
Even if I tried desperately to deny it, a cold stare would only pierce me.
''Kent-sama........it's time for dinner.......''
'Oh, yeah, I ordered dinner from the garrison's mess hall this time.
The last time the five of us were luxuriantly impressed with a decent meal, we decided to carry it in a shadow transfer from Volzard's garrison's mess hall so that we could provide a hot meal on the way.
'Oh no, the meat in the stew is tender,'
'The bread ... the bread is fluffy!
I haven't had fruit in a long time. I'm crying...
It seems that the immense support of a hot, delicious meal has helped to halt my stock market crash.
After I finish distributing the food to everyone, I finish my meal in the garrison's cafeteria, reporting on my progress to the five remaining Volzard members, and then I head to Donovan-san to report on my progress.
Donovan-san is in the middle of working overtime tonight, and sweat flows from his eyes when he thinks that this is his future.
'Good evening Mr. Donovan.
Mmm, what's wrong with you, Kent, has something bad happened?
No, it's just ... a piece of garbage in my eye.
Yeah, well, that's good, but is everything all right?
We rescued them all, but...
Heavy rain is beating on the guild's windows as well.
''I see, you're stranded...''
'Yes, we haven't made as much distance as we did last time, and if the weather doesn't improve, tomorrow and beyond...'
'Right, but we don't usually enter the Devil's Forest on a rainy day, so we won't have to worry about our pursuers. If the path is muddy, it will be harder to track by horseback.
Well, then, should we wait for the weather to recover and not be in a hurry?
'At least it'll be better when it stops raining like it's going to be a soggy mess.
Okay, I'll come back tomorrow night to report back to you.
Yes, I understand.
After I finished my report to Mr. Donovan, I now reported to the chairman of the committee.
As I went to the garrison room, I heard the chairman of the committee shout.
'What the hell summoned you as a soldier, don't be silly! Fifty people, fifty friends........what's the real battle for, this isn't just going to get killed by demons!
Erna, the caretaker, seems to be at a loss for words to reply to the chairperson who shakes her hair and shouts at her.
''It seems that this time was unexpected for the knights, and they didn't expect this to happen from the beginning.
This time...? So you're saying that the last time you sent him into a real battle, you intended to kill him from the start? Murderer ... you murderer!
'No this is a figure of speech I'm sure you didn't mean to kill him last time either.
'But they're dead... none of them have come back, if you add in Kokubun and Funayama-kun, that's fifty-seven dead already, was that not the plan? You've got to be kidding me! Murderer!
Really, I didn't mean to...
Shut up! Get out, I don't want to see a murderer's face! Get out of here!
Oh, okay, I'll just...
With the swordplay of the spilled, wide-eyed, screaming chairperson, Erna bowed and walked out of the room.
The chairman knows about the rescue mission, so this is supposed to be an act, but it's so true, it's a little scary.
As he leaves Erna, the chairperson turns off the lights in the room and stares at the wall on the side where the bed is located.
After leaving the chairperson's room, Erna moved from the living room to her own room and peered through the peephole into the chairperson's room and flung her face away.
The next thing she heard was a loud crash from the wall with a bang.
When the chairperson saw the peephole open, he walked over furiously and kicked the wall as hard as he could.
''Don't be sneaking around like a rat!
The chairman's shouting reached my ears even through the walls, and Erna sat down on a chair in her room and held her head up, leaking a loud sigh.
In addition, the chairman's words pierced my mind gingerly.
What would happen if they found out that I peeked at bath time.......what would happen?
Speaking of the chairman on the other hand, he's sitting on the bed with his back to the wall, shaking his shoulders in a prone position.......holding back his laughter.
Yeah, the chairman's acting skills are amazing.
I'm worried that he's acting when he's with me.......
Erna, who was sitting in a chair and holding her head in her hands, once again let out a loud sigh and looked up and turned her eyes to the wall.
She looked at the wall for a few moments, but then shook her head loosely and left the room with the sound of footsteps creeping out of the room and plunging through the living room and out into the hallway.
Perhaps he was going to report to Camilla.
''Well, Fred, can you go check on Camilla too?''
Copy that.
I asked Fred to keep an eye on Erna and I called out to the chairman of the committee.
''Yu, Yuka........''
Kenjin, where are you?
'Shh, you're being very loud. Erna left, but there's a knight at the stairs, so be careful.
I'm sorry...
As I stepped out of the shadows to the front, I turned on the light, and the chairman of the committee walked up to me with a light step and hugged me tightly.
'You all rescued us, didn't you?
Sure, but with all this rain, we're stranded...
It's raining in Rustock, too, pounding against the windows.
'Is everyone getting wet or something?'
Yeah, the tents we borrowed from the warehouse here are pretty good, and they don't leak.
Yeah! Are you taking the equipment out of here?
Yeah, because they cost a lot of money.
Ummmmm... great, Kenjin is amazing after all.
'No, it's not because I'm great, it's because people around me are coming up with ideas.
'But it wouldn't have been possible without Kenjin, would it? Kenjin is still great.
No, no.........it's embarrassing to receive a face-to-face compliment from the committee chairman.
But this might be a good time to do it.
"Well, Tadaka.........
What...?
"I have to apologize to Yuuka for something....
Kenjin? Me? It can't be true, you've been such a great supporter of me...
No, there is, and it hurts my heart to think that I've betrayed this trust.
''Oh, you know ... the other day, Takayama was here.
What, Takayama-kun... you mean when you came to give me some incomprehensible advice?
Yes, that's when I was actually watching from the shadows...
'Oh, yeah but it's for my own good, right?'
''Umm, yes, of course, of course, and so, when Yuuka was talking to Takayama, Erna was looking very grim...''
Is that because I said I was going to be in a real fight?
'Yeah yeah and I was just wondering...'
Concerned?
''Well... what kind of conversations and relationships do Yuuka and Erna have with each other...?''
'I see... but I can't talk to Erna about the rescue mission, so we'll just have to keep up the act, won't we?
Well, yeah, but I'm just curious...
Hmm? What's going on, Kenjin?
Well, I was just curious, and I had to watch what happened afterwards, I guess...
What happened after that... eh!
After Takayama left, the chairman's face exploded red as he remembered what he was doing, and immediately afterwards, he pinched his side as hard as he could.
''Ouch, ouch, I'm sorry, it was just an impulse.''
Kenjin, where was I?
The chairman's voice is an octave lower in tone.
'Well ... almost all ... ouch, ouch, ouch!
Did you look in on the other girls?
Ugh ... just a little ... ouch, it hurts, it hurts.
You don't mean Camilla?
'Ugh ... haha, yes ... ouch, ouch, my sides are shredded ...'
Chairman, you're not using a physical enhancement spell, it hurts like hell.
Underneath the tightly hung, shapely eyebrows, the chairman's eyes glow suspiciously.
''Responsibility........you'll take care of it, right?
'Hii...? Ouch, ouch, responsibility, how can I...
If you ever cheat on me, I'll never forgive you...
The chairman's eyes, smiling, aren't smiling at all.
With a surging sound, the blood drains from my entire body.
''Kent-sama........the caretaker is coming back.......''
Yuh, Yuka........Erna will be back.......well, I'll make sure we get it right after we're all rescued.......
I promise..........
Tonight's parting was not a kiss, but a squeezing of my side as Fred pulled me into the shadows.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The sky, visible through the trees, is beginning to be covered with more and more black clouds.
We choose a spot a little higher than our surroundings, a little further into the forest from the road, and begin to prepare for camping.
As we finished putting up the tent, it started to rain steadily.
The tent was soaked with sap and waterproofed, so no rainwater would seep through, but the sound of rain beating and humidity made it uncomfortable.
Six of the ten tents were for boys and four for girls.
Six people would sleep in a tent for five, but it would be no problem for small girls.
I asked Kondo and Henecho Takayama to be the organizers of the men's tent and Motomiya-san and Sagara-san to be the organizers of the women's tent.
I asked them to gather in one of the tenements and talk to them about what they have done so far so that they can understand what we will do, and to prevent anyone from doing something stupid.
In addition, I also talked to them about the rescue operation in the future and convinced them to cooperate with me.
''Well that's what I've done so far and what I plan to do in the future... do you have any questions?''
The moment I asked the four of them, with the force of a gubernatorial sound, Motomiya-san lowered her head.
''I'm sorry, Kokubun-kun was working so hard for me, and I even slapped you for complaining about something out of line.......''
'Yeah, it was pretty painful, but that's okay, because it was misunderstood that I was working on the mission without telling everyone.
'Oh no that won't make me feel better... slap me too! With all my might! Don't be shy!
'No, no, no, you can't do that...'
I made a little mistake, and I guess I just got flustered, so there's no way I'm going to accept such a ridiculous request.
'Yeah, yeah...........................what? Hey, Motomiya-san, what are you talking about?
'In front of more people, they call me a whore and a b*tc*, and then they put me up and I crawl down in misery and...'
No, no, no, wait, wait, wait, you'll think I'm a prick if I do that.
They just kicked me in the leg and stomped on me...
Ako, come back here!
Um... you, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I rarely show it in front of the boys, but Aoi can go off in a weird way sometimes... well, pretend you didn't see it.
Mr. Sagara finally stopped his outburst when he delivered a strong slap to the back of his head.
My eyes were a bit gone and I was scared.
''And I'm sorry for saying those horrible things too...''
Me too I'm sorry if I didn't know that.
Sagara-san and Kondo both bowed their heads together.
And Takayama, the lazy hero, is........
'I'm sorry I misunderstood you but Kokubun, this plan is too naive, if we can do all this and we're out of the bracelets too, then we should kill all the knights, and Camilla should be captured and tortured or taken hostage to find out how to get back from the other royals. Isn't it?
The other three and the boys who were in the tent nodded in agreement with the opinion of the nephew Takayama.
I guess it's because I've been oppressed in Rastock's garrison, but I feel that my thoughts have become more extreme.
Or maybe Takayama is right and I'm too naive?
'Takayama, the other day, a herd of more than two hundred rock ogres came to Volzard, a city just past the forest.
A rock auger? What kind of demon?
''More than three meters tall, they are demons in hard muscle armor that can't easily pass through a sword, and only skilled adventurers can compete with them. For a group of three young adventurers, it's barely even with three of us. At our level.....
"If there are more than a dozen of them, they'll be kicked to the curb.
'More than a dozen people and they're going to kick your ass...'
As Reinhardt's words are delivered, the four of them look at each other and seem to be imagining what a rock ogre looks like, but they don't seem to be able to pinpoint it.
''Well ... was it Volzard? Were you okay?
Yeah, that's not a problem since Reinhardt and his team eradicated the rock ogre.
Is that skeleton so strong?
Yeah, it's kind of a ... different dimension.
Unlike the last time they killed a bunch of orcs in the blink of an eye, they hadn't seen the actual battle, so the more questions they asked, the more their imaginations couldn't keep up with it, and Hongu and the others seemed to be getting more confused.
''That rock ogre or something like that was defeated, right? That was the skeleton you're using, Kokubun, wasn't it? That makes it even easier to kill them all, don't you think?
'Yeah, I suppose you could if you wanted to, but we're still in the middle of the conversation, so can you hear me out?'
Perhaps it's because I don't readily admit to my claims, but Hennakozan seems to be irritated.
''From what I heard from the people of Volzard, when some of the demons are in large numbers, the Demon Forest is activated for a while.
By "activated," you mean more demons?
''Well, to put it simply, Sagara-san is right, and it also means that the possibility of demons coming to the villages near the Demon Forest will increase.
So, what do you want to say, just say it!
''Takayama, if a demon attacks the city of Rustock, who will defend the city?''
What? It's....
Not only Takayama, but the other three also seemed to realize the intent of the conversation.
After all four of them had thought it over, Takayama was the first to speak.
''That's something they deserve, what's our business?
'Wait a minute, we've never been out of the garrison, so I don't know, but there are women, children and old people in town, right?'
'Of course, it's a normal town outside the garrison, there are normal people living in it.
Hearing my answer, Motomiya-san gives Takayama a glaring look.
''I'm against killing everyone, if we kill all the knights and the people in the city are killed by demons, it would be the same as if we killed them even if we didn't have a direct hand in it.
'Well, that's not... why don't we just let that skeleton defend the city, then we can kill all the knights and it won't matter.
What's that, leave it all up to the skeleton? But if Kokubun-kun is against it, won't the skeleton move?
Yeah, I'm not going to ask Reinhardt and his team to do that.
Whose side are you on? You're not taking their side!
It seems that Motomiya-san and Sagara-san are against killing everyone, Kondo is thinking about it, and Takayama and the other boys seem to be pro-killing.
In this world, medical care is not as advanced as in Japan, so even an appendectomy can kill you. It takes about twenty years of time, effort and money to raise a knight. I don't agree with the idea of killing someone easily.
'What do we do then? Funayama was killed. We're all being treated badly, and you want us to just cry ourselves to sleep?
"I'm not asking you to go to bed in tears. I mean, at least it's not something Takayama would say.......he's lived a pretty good life....
My words changed the color of the eyes of the boys in the room.
They all saw Takayama flirting with Shelia, right?
''Nah........oh, I had a hard time too.......''
'You and Shelia had a bath together...'
How did you know about...
Takayama.........tell me more about that........
You're right, Kokubun is right, you have no right to complain...
After all the shit we've been through, you're in the front.
''Yes, yes, I'll execute Takayama later, I just want to put the knights to sleep anyway. I could kill them at any time, but I dare not kill them I'm thinking of using them as an asset to give the enemy an edge in negotiations. Anyway, I'd like to go home first, and then I'd like to proceed with monetary compensation, okay?
I agree.
I think that's a good idea, too.
'I generally agree with you, but I think you'd better explain the plan to everyone and get them to agree with it before you implement it.
'All right, it's not going to be possible to get them all together and explain it in this rain anyway, so let's wait until we get to Volzard to talk about the details.
Motomiya-san, Sagara-san, and Kondo have come around to agree, so the boys who were there...no, they don't seem to be thinking about anything but how to execute Takayama.
Takayama was taken to a corner of the tent and seems to be interrogated while being pierced in the side with his hands from time to time, but of course he has no intention of helping.
While I was watching Takayama's interrogation with a grimace, Sagara-san asked me a question.
'Hey, how did Kokubun know about Takayama's life style?
''Oh, it's an application of dark magic shadow transfer...''
He was surprised when I told him that I was hiding in the shadow world, scouting out the Rustock garrison and contacting and caring for the chairman of the committee.
'It's pretty cheeky that you can even use the light attribute... but you didn't peek at Yuuka's bath time either, did you?
Well, I mean, I wouldn't do that... you know, not without...
Well, you wouldn't do that, would you?
Sure, of course...
'But there's a decent hot tub in Yuuka's quarters, right? We're just a big tub of water, you know. Don't you think that's too much in the summer, even in these temperatures?
I know, it's just too bad this time of year, isn't it?
Isn't that right? So, Kokubun-kun, how did you know that was so tragic.......?
It's bad, I remembered a situation where there wasn't even a bathtub at a time when the temperature had dropped, and I couldn't help but say something unnecessary.
''Ew...?
'Didn't you say that and really take the time to burn each girl's nudity onto your retinas?
'I wouldn't do that, no matter how much I'm a demon who gets off on seeing a girl crying about wanting to leave...'
Hmmm ... what did I see...?
Ehh... no... what is it...?
"Kokubun-kun, will you come to our tent for a moment... or come!
Yes, yes....
After this, I was taken to the women's tent, and after a more severe interrogation than Takayama, he even made me confess that I spied on the chairman and Camilla during bath time, and my stock crashed to a halt.
''Kokubun, shy........''
Goooooooo....
You'll be reporting this when Yuuka arrives, right?
Hey, that's...
'It's not exactly a waste of a cheat, is it?
Well there's no denying it.
I think it's kind of cool, but how do you want to deal with my feelings?
I'm sorry, I mean, I'm sorry...
'Volzard, was it? I'm sure they'll be spying on you in the city where you took refuge.
No, we didn't, because we didn't do it in Volzard.
Even if I tried desperately to deny it, a cold stare would only pierce me.
''Kent-sama........it's time for dinner.......''
'Oh, yeah, I ordered dinner from the garrison's mess hall this time.
The last time the five of us were luxuriantly impressed with a decent meal, we decided to carry it in a shadow transfer from Volzard's garrison's mess hall so that we could provide a hot meal on the way.
'Oh no, the meat in the stew is tender,'
'The bread ... the bread is fluffy!
I haven't had fruit in a long time. I'm crying...
It seems that the immense support of a hot, delicious meal has helped to halt my stock market crash.
After I finish distributing the food to everyone, I finish my meal in the garrison's cafeteria, reporting on my progress to the five remaining Volzard members, and then I head to Donovan-san to report on my progress.
Donovan-san is in the middle of working overtime tonight, and sweat flows from his eyes when he thinks that this is his future.
'Good evening Mr. Donovan.
Mmm, what's wrong with you, Kent, has something bad happened?
No, it's just ... a piece of garbage in my eye.
Yeah, well, that's good, but is everything all right?
We rescued them all, but...
Heavy rain is beating on the guild's windows as well.
''I see, you're stranded...''
'Yes, we haven't made as much distance as we did last time, and if the weather doesn't improve, tomorrow and beyond...'
'Right, but we don't usually enter the Devil's Forest on a rainy day, so we won't have to worry about our pursuers. If the path is muddy, it will be harder to track by horseback.
Well, then, should we wait for the weather to recover and not be in a hurry?
'At least it'll be better when it stops raining like it's going to be a soggy mess.
Okay, I'll come back tomorrow night to report back to you.
Yes, I understand.
After I finished my report to Mr. Donovan, I now reported to the chairman of the committee.
As I went to the garrison room, I heard the chairman of the committee shout.
'What the hell summoned you as a soldier, don't be silly! Fifty people, fifty friends........what's the real battle for, this isn't just going to get killed by demons!
Erna, the caretaker, seems to be at a loss for words to reply to the chairperson who shakes her hair and shouts at her.
''It seems that this time was unexpected for the knights, and they didn't expect this to happen from the beginning.
This time...? So you're saying that the last time you sent him into a real battle, you intended to kill him from the start? Murderer ... you murderer!
'No this is a figure of speech I'm sure you didn't mean to kill him last time either.
'But they're dead... none of them have come back, if you add in Kokubun and Funayama-kun, that's fifty-seven dead already, was that not the plan? You've got to be kidding me! Murderer!
Really, I didn't mean to...
Shut up! Get out, I don't want to see a murderer's face! Get out of here!
Oh, okay, I'll just...
With the swordplay of the spilled, wide-eyed, screaming chairperson, Erna bowed and walked out of the room.
The chairman knows about the rescue mission, so this is supposed to be an act, but it's so true, it's a little scary.
As he leaves Erna, the chairperson turns off the lights in the room and stares at the wall on the side where the bed is located.
After leaving the chairperson's room, Erna moved from the living room to her own room and peered through the peephole into the chairperson's room and flung her face away.
The next thing she heard was a loud crash from the wall with a bang.
When the chairperson saw the peephole open, he walked over furiously and kicked the wall as hard as he could.
''Don't be sneaking around like a rat!
The chairman's shouting reached my ears even through the walls, and Erna sat down on a chair in her room and held her head up, leaking a loud sigh.
In addition, the chairman's words pierced my mind gingerly.
What would happen if they found out that I peeked at bath time.......what would happen?
Speaking of the chairman on the other hand, he's sitting on the bed with his back to the wall, shaking his shoulders in a prone position.......holding back his laughter.
Yeah, the chairman's acting skills are amazing.
I'm worried that he's acting when he's with me.......
Erna, who was sitting in a chair and holding her head in her hands, once again let out a loud sigh and looked up and turned her eyes to the wall.
She looked at the wall for a few moments, but then shook her head loosely and left the room with the sound of footsteps creeping out of the room and plunging through the living room and out into the hallway.
Perhaps he was going to report to Camilla.
''Well, Fred, can you go check on Camilla too?''
Copy that.
I asked Fred to keep an eye on Erna and I called out to the chairman of the committee.
''Yu, Yuka........''
Kenjin, where are you?
'Shh, you're being very loud. Erna left, but there's a knight at the stairs, so be careful.
I'm sorry...
As I stepped out of the shadows to the front, I turned on the light, and the chairman of the committee walked up to me with a light step and hugged me tightly.
'You all rescued us, didn't you?
Sure, but with all this rain, we're stranded...
It's raining in Rustock, too, pounding against the windows.
'Is everyone getting wet or something?'
Yeah, the tents we borrowed from the warehouse here are pretty good, and they don't leak.
Yeah! Are you taking the equipment out of here?
Yeah, because they cost a lot of money.
Ummmmm... great, Kenjin is amazing after all.
'No, it's not because I'm great, it's because people around me are coming up with ideas.
'But it wouldn't have been possible without Kenjin, would it? Kenjin is still great.
No, no.........it's embarrassing to receive a face-to-face compliment from the committee chairman.
But this might be a good time to do it.
"Well, Tadaka.........
What...?
"I have to apologize to Yuuka for something....
Kenjin? Me? It can't be true, you've been such a great supporter of me...
No, there is, and it hurts my heart to think that I've betrayed this trust.
''Oh, you know ... the other day, Takayama was here.
What, Takayama-kun... you mean when you came to give me some incomprehensible advice?
Yes, that's when I was actually watching from the shadows...
'Oh, yeah but it's for my own good, right?'
''Umm, yes, of course, of course, and so, when Yuuka was talking to Takayama, Erna was looking very grim...''
Is that because I said I was going to be in a real fight?
'Yeah yeah and I was just wondering...'
Concerned?
''Well... what kind of conversations and relationships do Yuuka and Erna have with each other...?''
'I see... but I can't talk to Erna about the rescue mission, so we'll just have to keep up the act, won't we?
Well, yeah, but I'm just curious...
Hmm? What's going on, Kenjin?
Well, I was just curious, and I had to watch what happened afterwards, I guess...
What happened after that... eh!
After Takayama left, the chairman's face exploded red as he remembered what he was doing, and immediately afterwards, he pinched his side as hard as he could.
''Ouch, ouch, I'm sorry, it was just an impulse.''
Kenjin, where was I?
The chairman's voice is an octave lower in tone.
'Well ... almost all ... ouch, ouch, ouch!
Did you look in on the other girls?
Ugh ... just a little ... ouch, it hurts, it hurts.
You don't mean Camilla?
'Ugh ... haha, yes ... ouch, ouch, my sides are shredded ...'
Chairman, you're not using a physical enhancement spell, it hurts like hell.
Underneath the tightly hung, shapely eyebrows, the chairman's eyes glow suspiciously.
''Responsibility........you'll take care of it, right?
'Hii...? Ouch, ouch, responsibility, how can I...
If you ever cheat on me, I'll never forgive you...
The chairman's eyes, smiling, aren't smiling at all.
With a surging sound, the blood drains from my entire body.
''Kent-sama........the caretaker is coming back.......''
Yuh, Yuka........Erna will be back.......well, I'll make sure we get it right after we're all rescued.......
I promise..........
Tonight's parting was not a kiss, but a squeezing of my side as Fred pulled me into the shadows.
The sky, visible through the trees, is beginning to be covered with more and more black clouds.We choose a spot a little higher than our surroundings, a little further into the forest from the road, and begin to prepare for camping.As we finished putting up the tent, it started to rain steadily.The tent was soaked with sap and waterproofed, so no rainwater would seep through, but the sound of rain beating and humidity made it uncomfortable.Six of the ten tents were for boys and four for girls.Six people would sleep in a tent for five, but it would be no problem for small girls.I asked Kondo and Henecho Takayama to be the organizers of the men's tent and Motomiya-san and Sagara-san to be the organizers of the women's tent.I asked them to gather in one of the tenements and talk to them about what they have done so far so that they can understand what we will do, and to prevent anyone from doing something stupid.In addition, I also talked to them about the rescue operation in the future and convinced them to cooperate with me.''Well that's what I've done so far and what I plan to do in the future... do you have any questions?''The moment I asked the four of them, with the force of a gubernatorial sound, Motomiya-san lowered her head.''I'm sorry, Kokubun-kun was working so hard for me, and I even slapped you for complaining about something out of line.......'''Yeah, it was pretty painful, but that's okay, because it was misunderstood that I was working on the mission without telling everyone.'Oh no that won't make me feel better... slap me too! With all my might! Don't be shy!'No, no, no, you can't do that...'I made a little mistake, and I guess I just got flustered, so there's no way I'm going to accept such a ridiculous request.'Yeah, yeah...........................what? Hey, Motomiya-san, what are you talking about?'In front of more people, they call me a whore and a b*tc*, and then they put me up and I crawl down in misery and...'No, no, no, wait, wait, wait, you'll think I'm a prick if I do that.They just kicked me in the leg and stomped on me...Ako, come back here!Um... you, I'm sorry.I'm sorry, I rarely show it in front of the boys, but Aoi can go off in a weird way sometimes... well, pretend you didn't see it.Mr. Sagara finally stopped his outburst when he delivered a strong slap to the back of his head.My eyes were a bit gone and I was scared.''And I'm sorry for saying those horrible things too...''Me too I'm sorry if I didn't know that.Sagara-san and Kondo both bowed their heads together.And Takayama, the lazy hero, is........'I'm sorry I misunderstood you but Kokubun, this plan is too naive, if we can do all this and we're out of the bracelets too, then we should kill all the knights, and Camilla should be captured and tortured or taken hostage to find out how to get back from the other royals. Isn't it?The other three and the boys who were in the tent nodded in agreement with the opinion of the nephew Takayama.I guess it's because I've been oppressed in Rastock's garrison, but I feel that my thoughts have become more extreme.Or maybe Takayama is right and I'm too naive?'Takayama, the other day, a herd of more than two hundred rock ogres came to Volzard, a city just past the forest.A rock auger? What kind of demon?''More than three meters tall, they are demons in hard muscle armor that can't easily pass through a sword, and only skilled adventurers can compete with them. For a group of three young adventurers, it's barely even with three of us. At our level....."If there are more than a dozen of them, they'll be kicked to the curb.'More than a dozen people and they're going to kick your ass...'As Reinhardt's words are delivered, the four of them look at each other and seem to be imagining what a rock ogre looks like, but they don't seem to be able to pinpoint it.''Well ... was it Volzard? Were you okay?Yeah, that's not a problem since Reinhardt and his team eradicated the rock ogre.Is that skeleton so strong?Yeah, it's kind of a ... different dimension.Unlike the last time they killed a bunch of orcs in the blink of an eye, they hadn't seen the actual battle, so the more questions they asked, the more their imaginations couldn't keep up with it, and Hongu and the others seemed to be getting more confused.''That rock ogre or something like that was defeated, right? That was the skeleton you're using, Kokubun, wasn't it? That makes it even easier to kill them all, don't you think?'Yeah, I suppose you could if you wanted to, but we're still in the middle of the conversation, so can you hear me out?'Perhaps it's because I don't readily admit to my claims, but Hennakozan seems to be irritated.''From what I heard from the people of Volzard, when some of the demons are in large numbers, the Demon Forest is activated for a while.By "activated," you mean more demons?''Well, to put it simply, Sagara-san is right, and it also means that the possibility of demons coming to the villages near the Demon Forest will increase.So, what do you want to say, just say it!''Takayama, if a demon attacks the city of Rustock, who will defend the city?''What? It's....Not only Takayama, but the other three also seemed to realize the intent of the conversation.After all four of them had thought it over, Takayama was the first to speak.''That's something they deserve, what's our business?'Wait a minute, we've never been out of the garrison, so I don't know, but there are women, children and old people in town, right?''Of course, it's a normal town outside the garrison, there are normal people living in it.Hearing my answer, Motomiya-san gives Takayama a glaring look.''I'm against killing everyone, if we kill all the knights and the people in the city are killed by demons, it would be the same as if we killed them even if we didn't have a direct hand in it.'Well, that's not... why don't we just let that skeleton defend the city, then we can kill all the knights and it won't matter.What's that, leave it all up to the skeleton? But if Kokubun-kun is against it, won't the skeleton move?Yeah, I'm not going to ask Reinhardt and his team to do that.Whose side are you on? You're not taking their side!It seems that Motomiya-san and Sagara-san are against killing everyone, Kondo is thinking about it, and Takayama and the other boys seem to be pro-killing.In this world, medical care is not as advanced as in Japan, so even an appendectomy can kill you. It takes about twenty years of time, effort and money to raise a knight. I don't agree with the idea of killing someone easily.'What do we do then? Funayama was killed. We're all being treated badly, and you want us to just cry ourselves to sleep?"I'm not asking you to go to bed in tears. I mean, at least it's not something Takayama would say.......he's lived a pretty good life....My words changed the color of the eyes of the boys in the room.They all saw Takayama flirting with Shelia, right?''Nah........oh, I had a hard time too.......'''You and Shelia had a bath together...'How did you know about...Takayama.........tell me more about that........You're right, Kokubun is right, you have no right to complain...After all the shit we've been through, you're in the front.''Yes, yes, I'll execute Takayama later, I just want to put the knights to sleep anyway. I could kill them at any time, but I dare not kill them I'm thinking of using them as an asset to give the enemy an edge in negotiations. Anyway, I'd like to go home first, and then I'd like to proceed with monetary compensation, okay?I agree.I think that's a good idea, too.'I generally agree with you, but I think you'd better explain the plan to everyone and get them to agree with it before you implement it.'All right, it's not going to be possible to get them all together and explain it in this rain anyway, so let's wait until we get to Volzard to talk about the details.Motomiya-san, Sagara-san, and Kondo have come around to agree, so the boys who were there...no, they don't seem to be thinking about anything but how to execute Takayama.Takayama was taken to a corner of the tent and seems to be interrogated while being pierced in the side with his hands from time to time, but of course he has no intention of helping.While I was watching Takayama's interrogation with a grimace, Sagara-san asked me a question.'Hey, how did Kokubun know about Takayama's life style?''Oh, it's an application of dark magic shadow transfer...''He was surprised when I told him that I was hiding in the shadow world, scouting out the Rustock garrison and contacting and caring for the chairman of the committee.'It's pretty cheeky that you can even use the light attribute... but you didn't peek at Yuuka's bath time either, did you?Well, I mean, I wouldn't do that... you know, not without...Well, you wouldn't do that, would you?Sure, of course...'But there's a decent hot tub in Yuuka's quarters, right? We're just a big tub of water, you know. Don't you think that's too much in the summer, even in these temperatures?I know, it's just too bad this time of year, isn't it?Isn't that right? So, Kokubun-kun, how did you know that was so tragic.......?It's bad, I remembered a situation where there wasn't even a bathtub at a time when the temperature had dropped, and I couldn't help but say something unnecessary.''Ew...?'Didn't you say that and really take the time to burn each girl's nudity onto your retinas?'I wouldn't do that, no matter how much I'm a demon who gets off on seeing a girl crying about wanting to leave...'Hmmm ... what did I see...?Ehh... no... what is it...?"Kokubun-kun, will you come to our tent for a moment... or come!Yes, yes....After this, I was taken to the women's tent, and after a more severe interrogation than Takayama, he even made me confess that I spied on the chairman and Camilla during bath time, and my stock crashed to a halt.''Kokubun, shy........''Goooooooo....You'll be reporting this when Yuuka arrives, right?Hey, that's...'It's not exactly a waste of a cheat, is it?Well there's no denying it.I think it's kind of cool, but how do you want to deal with my feelings?I'm sorry, I mean, I'm sorry...'Volzard, was it? I'm sure they'll be spying on you in the city where you took refuge.No, we didn't, because we didn't do it in Volzard.Even if I tried desperately to deny it, a cold stare would only pierce me.''Kent-sama........it's time for dinner.......'''Oh, yeah, I ordered dinner from the garrison's mess hall this time.The last time the five of us were luxuriantly impressed with a decent meal, we decided to carry it in a shadow transfer from Volzard's garrison's mess hall so that we could provide a hot meal on the way.'Oh no, the meat in the stew is tender,''The bread ... the bread is fluffy!I haven't had fruit in a long time. I'm crying...It seems that the immense support of a hot, delicious meal has helped to halt my stock market crash.After I finish distributing the food to everyone, I finish my meal in the garrison's cafeteria, reporting on my progress to the five remaining Volzard members, and then I head to Donovan-san to report on my progress.Donovan-san is in the middle of working overtime tonight, and sweat flows from his eyes when he thinks that this is his future.'Good evening Mr. Donovan.Mmm, what's wrong with you, Kent, has something bad happened?No, it's just ... a piece of garbage in my eye.Yeah, well, that's good, but is everything all right?We rescued them all, but...Heavy rain is beating on the guild's windows as well.''I see, you're stranded...'''Yes, we haven't made as much distance as we did last time, and if the weather doesn't improve, tomorrow and beyond...''Right, but we don't usually enter the Devil's Forest on a rainy day, so we won't have to worry about our pursuers. If the path is muddy, it will be harder to track by horseback.Well, then, should we wait for the weather to recover and not be in a hurry?'At least it'll be better when it stops raining like it's going to be a soggy mess.Okay, I'll come back tomorrow night to report back to you.Yes, I understand.After I finished my report to Mr. Donovan, I now reported to the chairman of the committee.As I went to the garrison room, I heard the chairman of the committee shout.'What the hell summoned you as a soldier, don't be silly! Fifty people, fifty friends........what's the real battle for, this isn't just going to get killed by demons!Erna, the caretaker, seems to be at a loss for words to reply to the chairperson who shakes her hair and shouts at her.''It seems that this time was unexpected for the knights, and they didn't expect this to happen from the beginning.This time...? So you're saying that the last time you sent him into a real battle, you intended to kill him from the start? Murderer ... you murderer!'No this is a figure of speech I'm sure you didn't mean to kill him last time either.'But they're dead... none of them have come back, if you add in Kokubun and Funayama-kun, that's fifty-seven dead already, was that not the plan? You've got to be kidding me! Murderer!Really, I didn't mean to...Shut up! Get out, I don't want to see a murderer's face! Get out of here!Oh, okay, I'll just...With the swordplay of the spilled, wide-eyed, screaming chairperson, Erna bowed and walked out of the room.The chairman knows about the rescue mission, so this is supposed to be an act, but it's so true, it's a little scary.As he leaves Erna, the chairperson turns off the lights in the room and stares at the wall on the side where the bed is located.After leaving the chairperson's room, Erna moved from the living room to her own room and peered through the peephole into the chairperson's room and flung her face away.The next thing she heard was a loud crash from the wall with a bang.When the chairperson saw the peephole open, he walked over furiously and kicked the wall as hard as he could.''Don't be sneaking around like a rat!The chairman's shouting reached my ears even through the walls, and Erna sat down on a chair in her room and held her head up, leaking a loud sigh.In addition, the chairman's words pierced my mind gingerly.What would happen if they found out that I peeked at bath time.......what would happen?Speaking of the chairman on the other hand, he's sitting on the bed with his back to the wall, shaking his shoulders in a prone position.......holding back his laughter.Yeah, the chairman's acting skills are amazing.I'm worried that he's acting when he's with me.......Erna, who was sitting in a chair and holding her head in her hands, once again let out a loud sigh and looked up and turned her eyes to the wall.She looked at the wall for a few moments, but then shook her head loosely and left the room with the sound of footsteps creeping out of the room and plunging through the living room and out into the hallway.Perhaps he was going to report to Camilla.''Well, Fred, can you go check on Camilla too?''Copy that.I asked Fred to keep an eye on Erna and I called out to the chairman of the committee.''Yu, Yuka........''Kenjin, where are you?'Shh, you're being very loud. Erna left, but there's a knight at the stairs, so be careful.I'm sorry...As I stepped out of the shadows to the front, I turned on the light, and the chairman of the committee walked up to me with a light step and hugged me tightly.'You all rescued us, didn't you?Sure, but with all this rain, we're stranded...It's raining in Rustock, too, pounding against the windows.'Is everyone getting wet or something?'Yeah, the tents we borrowed from the warehouse here are pretty good, and they don't leak.Yeah! Are you taking the equipment out of here?Yeah, because they cost a lot of money.Ummmmm... great, Kenjin is amazing after all.'No, it's not because I'm great, it's because people around me are coming up with ideas.'But it wouldn't have been possible without Kenjin, would it? Kenjin is still great.No, no.........it's embarrassing to receive a face-to-face compliment from the committee chairman.But this might be a good time to do it."Well, Tadaka.........What...?"I have to apologize to Yuuka for something....Kenjin? Me? It can't be true, you've been such a great supporter of me...No, there is, and it hurts my heart to think that I've betrayed this trust.''Oh, you know ... the other day, Takayama was here.What, Takayama-kun... you mean when you came to give me some incomprehensible advice?Yes, that's when I was actually watching from the shadows...'Oh, yeah but it's for my own good, right?'''Umm, yes, of course, of course, and so, when Yuuka was talking to Takayama, Erna was looking very grim...''Is that because I said I was going to be in a real fight?'Yeah yeah and I was just wondering...'Concerned?''Well... what kind of conversations and relationships do Yuuka and Erna have with each other...?'''I see... but I can't talk to Erna about the rescue mission, so we'll just have to keep up the act, won't we?Well, yeah, but I'm just curious...Hmm? What's going on, Kenjin?Well, I was just curious, and I had to watch what happened afterwards, I guess...What happened after that... eh!After Takayama left, the chairman's face exploded red as he remembered what he was doing, and immediately afterwards, he pinched his side as hard as he could.''Ouch, ouch, I'm sorry, it was just an impulse.''Kenjin, where was I?The chairman's voice is an octave lower in tone.'Well ... almost all ... ouch, ouch, ouch!Did you look in on the other girls?Ugh ... just a little ... ouch, it hurts, it hurts.You don't mean Camilla?'Ugh ... haha, yes ... ouch, ouch, my sides are shredded ...'Chairman, you're not using a physical enhancement spell, it hurts like hell.Underneath the tightly hung, shapely eyebrows, the chairman's eyes glow suspiciously.''Responsibility........you'll take care of it, right?'Hii...? Ouch, ouch, responsibility, how can I...If you ever cheat on me, I'll never forgive you...The chairman's eyes, smiling, aren't smiling at all.With a surging sound, the blood drains from my entire body.''Kent-sama........the caretaker is coming back.......''Yuh, Yuka........Erna will be back.......well, I'll make sure we get it right after we're all rescued.......I promise..........Tonight's parting was not a kiss, but a squeezing of my side as Fred pulled me into the shadows.
