I Don’t Want to Die as a Mob in My Second Life! ～A Story Where I Kept Training from Inside the Womb and Ended Up Being Mistaken for a Monster～ - Chapter 49: Let’s Have a Chat with Supreme Commander Ouma! / The Sorrow of an Old Butler / Rouga’s Mental Breakdown Countdown (Extra Edition)

Chapter 49: Let’s Have a Chat with Supreme Commander Ouma! / The Sorrow of an Old Butler / Rouga’s Mental Breakdown Countdown (Extra Edition)

I had proposed a dinner gathering to Ouma.

Since it was such a special occasion, I decided to borrow Dad’s phone and make the call myself.

“Hello, Supreme Commander Ouma?”

“You… Kanata Soranaki, is that you…?!”

Reporting in! Woof-Woof! It’s the loyal dog calling!

“Actually, the thing is—blah blah, long story short—”

“…That tells me nothing.”

His reply was blunt and gruff.

Wow. Someone doesn’t like me.

But—

“Just kidding. I did that on purpose. I wanted to talk to you a little longer, Commander.”

You see, there’s this thing called the Zajonc Effect.

The more you interact with someone, the more likely they are to view you positively.

And I definitely want Supreme Commander Ouma to like me.

Especially since my second-life body has had its vocal tones modified on an acoustic level by [Blank Shot].

According to Setsuna, my voice has this “…kind of dizzying effect.”

“No need to be scared. Let’s just enjoy a nice, long chat, okay?”

“…You intend to brainwash even me, Ouma Shiranui?!”

What?! How did we get here?!

“No, no, that’s not it. It’s actually about that little mess your subordinates caused…”

“…!”

“As a proposal for atonement regarding the trouble caused to the Soranaki family, I have come with an extremely peaceful suggestion.”

And so, I told him—

“Let’s have a dinner party. You, me, and all of Yatagarasu.”

And then—

“…Very well. I’ll prepare the banquet for tonight…!”

Ohh~! He agreed!

Wow, he’s even setting it up on the same day. That’s pretty nice of him.

“So, are you the type to eat your favorite side dishes first?”

“I will kill you.”

Why though!?

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t turn me down. You must get invited to dinner a lot, right? You’re super popular, after all.”

“…Yeah. Especially by two particular people. I kept turning them down, and now look where that got me.”

“Hm?”

What does that even mean?

Also, who are these two people?

I really wish he wouldn’t be so vague.

When it comes to schemes or threats to my life, my instincts kick in immediately.

But if someone talks in riddles, I have no idea what they’re trying to say.

“You know exactly what I mean. You’re mocking me between the lines, aren’t you?”

“Who’s to say~ (Nope. Still clueless.)”

I decided to stay vague, too.

Ouma snorted, then muttered something under his breath—

“Of all people… why is it you…?”

Huh?

“What was that?”

“Nothing. I’ll have my butler handle the preparations.”

“Make sure there’s a lot of delicious food, okay?”

“Hmph. Fine.” 

“Oh, and a buffet-style setup would be great. I’d like to walk around and chat with Yatagarasu while we eat.”

“Tch… You’d openly converse with them right in front of me? While Libertaria sharpens its covert blades, you make every move as if you want the world to see.”

“I don’t really get what you’re saying (because I really don’t).”

Like I have some grand plan—get real!

“Oh, and one last thing.”

“What is it…?”

It was kind of embarrassing, but I had to tell Ouma.

“I’m not even 140cm tall, so if the chairs are too high, I’ll have trouble sitting. Do you have any kid-sized chairs?”

“!?”

Crack

I swear I just heard the sound of his phone being squeezed to death.

Was he trying to hold back laughter after hearing my height confession?

“…There’s an old chair that was meant for Riru before it was marked for disposal. Use that.”

Ohh, nice! Thanks for the hand-me-down!

◆　◇　◆

“Ahhh… my lord…”

At the Ouma Shiranui mansion, the elderly butler, Tanaka, was walking down the hallway carrying a silver tray with a tea set.

“To have the master home all morning… I should be happy about this, but…”

On this particular day, Ouma had taken a day off. 

It had sent shockwaves throughout the entire Spirit Conductor Agency.

After all, in over twenty years since becoming a Reisoushi, he had never taken a single day off.

…In the first timeline, he had worked nonstop for twenty-three years, even when his limbs were torn off.

“My lord, excuse me.”

Tanaka arrived at Ouma’s private study. 

With the utmost caution—as if handling fragile glassware—he gently knocked on the door.

“I’ve brought your tea… May I enter?”

He spoke in a gentle, concerned voice.

The reason for his worry was clear.

Ouma hadn’t taken a day off for any personal reason—

He had been forced to take leave due to the criminal charges against his adopted children, Rouga and Riru.

As their legal guardian, he had to handle all the necessary paperwork.

The demi-human siblings—

Their human rights had been revoked.

It was a punishment just below the death penalty.

Under the Five-Tier Criminal Law system, they had been stripped of all status and condemned to the lowest rank—criminal slaves.

Rouga had been thrown into Yatagarasu, a death-row squad where tomorrow was never guaranteed.

Riru had been sentenced to be sold at a slave auction.

“My lord… perhaps you should take more than just a day off…”

Tanaka’s concern was genuine.

But—

“That won’t be necessary. Enter.”

Ouma’s response was calm and unwavering.

Yet… something about his voice felt different.

Is it just me… or does his voice sound clearer than it did yesterday? Tanaka wondered.

“What’s wrong, Tanaka? The tea will get cold.”

“A-Ah! My apologies, sir!”

Tanaka stepped inside. 

The morning sunlight poured into the bare room, void of any personal belongings.

Near the window, dressed casually in a loose shirt, Ouma roughly shoved his phone into his pocket.

…Unusual. Was something bothering him?

But—

“What? Why are you staring?”

“Ah, well… My lord, you seem… strangely refreshed today…?”

—Tanaka couldn’t comprehend it.

Ever since the incident with his adopted children, Ouma had been radiating pure fury.

The ignorant masses praised him as always—

“As expected of Lord Ouma! The embodiment of absolute justice! Not even his own kids are spared!”

But Tanaka knew better.

He knew that Ouma despised himself—so much so that if he could, he’d strangle the man in the mirror for his failure to educate them properly.

That was why Tanaka had been so careful around him.

And yet—

“Kanata Soranaki…”

“What about him?”

“He ridiculed me.” 

“—What?!”

“After taunting me endlessly, he ordered me to host a dinner with him and Yatagarasu.“

“HAAAH?!?”

Tanaka couldn’t stop himself from shouting.

“T-That’s utterly monstrous…! Your personal death-row squad—Yatagarasu! Every single one of them hates you! Who knows what could happen?!”

“Yes. I’ve never had a dinner quite like this before.”

“And now Master Rouga is among them! Do you realize what will happen if you face each other?!”

This was cruel.

Far too cruel.

Ouma Shiranui was ruthless, but he was still human.

Of course, he felt pain and grief.

And yet—Kanata Soranaki had mocked him at his lowest and forced this onto him?

“How… how utterly evil…”

Why would he twist the knife like that? 

Wouldn’t any normal person show compassion instead?

…For a brief moment, the old butler had been on the verge of thanking Kanata Soranaki.

But that moment was gone.

That thing was a monster.

The absolute worst kind of existence.

And yet—

“Heh. To think he would tear into me that mercilessly…”

“!?!”

Ouma Shiranui… actually smiled.

Even if he did so once every six months, it was rare.

And now, for the second time, it was because of Kanata.

“My lord…?”

“Tanaka. Your concern is appreciated. But what I truly needed—was punishment.”

“!?!!?!”

“Kanata Soranaki is infuriating… but right now, his wickedness feels comforting.“

This can’t be happening.

Tanaka nearly dropped the silver tray in his hands.

“Had I… misjudged everything…?”

Once, he had been sold into slavery— 

And a young Ouma Shiranui had bought him.

For nearly thirty years, he had devoted himself to serving him.

He had believed that he, more than anyone, knew exactly what the Young Master Ouma needed most.

But now—

“Ha… haha… I see. Of course. My lord… you are an adult now, after all.”

What Ouma Shiranui needed was not comfort—but rebuke.

Not someone to soothe his wounds, but someone to brand him with fire so that he would never forget his failures.

“Had I been no different from the blind followers…?”

A small part of the darkness clouding Ouma’s heart had cleared.

That should have been a good thing—yet it was infuriating.

Kanata Soranaki should have been making his master’s life worse.

And yet—somehow, he kept pushing him forward.

He kept understanding him on a level no one else did.

“Hmph… Once again, I’ve been a fool. All that brooding and regret I carried around… in the end, it was just me playing pretend.”

Ouma turned toward the direction of Saitama.

For the first time in a while—his expression was lighter.

“If I truly wished to atone, then I needed to face the consequences of my sins—Rouga, the living proof of what I allowed to happen. To think it would be Kanata Soranaki who would force that moment upon me…”

“…”

To Tanaka, Kanata Soranaki was pure evil.

This entire dinner plan—

It had to be a scheme meant to torment Ouma.

Tanaka was willing to bet on it.

If that brat genuinely thought, “I just want everyone to eat together happily!”—

Then Tanaka would crossdress and ride a tricycle around Tokyo.

Kanata Soranaki was evil.

But—

“Tanaka. Prepare plenty of meat. I must eat well… if I am to keep up with that damned brat.“

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Yes. Kanata Soranaki was supposed to be evil.

And yet—

Ouma Shiranui needed true malice far more than he needed Tanaka’s half-hearted kindness.

“Fufu… Haha…”

Before he realized it, Tanaka was laughing.

Was he happy that his master seemed at peace?

Or was he saddened by it?

He didn’t know.

The strange laughter simply escaped him.

“Lord Ouma.”

“What is it?”

“I think… I finally understand how a mother-in-law feels when she bullies her son’s wife.”

“…Is that so. (Has he gone senile…?)”

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[Tips]

Zajonc Effect: A psychological strategy Kanata Soranaki (under 140cm tall) used to get closer to Ouma.

It’s the idea that repeated exposure increases familiarity, which can improve one’s impression and interest in a person.

This concept is correct.

However—Kanata, being his usual airheaded self, used it carelessly.

He had completely overlooked the negative side of it—

If the initial impression is bad, then repeated exposure only makes the other person hate you even more.

Ouma Shiranui (Height: Over 180cm):

As expected, Kanata is pure evil and must eventually be eliminated.

Ouma’s fighting spirit was blazing—“No way I’m losing to that brat!”

That said, the verbal beatdown Kanata gave him had been so intense, it actually left him feeling weirdly refreshed.

His followers tried to comfort him, sure.

But when people from the Empire or even the Yatagarasu tried to criticize him, his response was always:

“Shut your damn mouths, you filthy criminals—I’ll kill you.”

…So, no thanks.

But Kanata Soranaki?

He’s clearly evil, but technically hasn’t committed any crimes.

So he weaponizes this strange, legal form of wickedness in the most unexpected ways—

And honestly, in Ouma’s current emotional state, it felt kinda good.

He was starting to think… “This might actually be a nice day off.”

Old Butler Tanaka:

Once became a slave for complicated reasons.

After getting completely outplayed by Kanata Soranaki, he now has the mindset of “My one and only son… I entrust him to you…”

Most people think he’s gone senile.

Rouga Shiranui:

Stripped of human rights, now known as “Criminal No. Ro-58,” currently part of the Yatagarasu squad.

Nicknamed “Goya-kun.”

After hearing about Kanata’s Evil Dinner Party™, the rest of the Yatagarasu are fired up and ready to grill Ouma alive.

And Rouga, full of misplaced loyalty, proudly declares:

“Stop it! Don’t blame him! I will protect Father…!”

…Unaware that said father is totally enjoying being tormented by Kanata. 

—Only 12 hours left

Until he experiences that “My dad’s been emotionally stolen again” feeling.

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