Volume 6 Chapter 3 – Hero’s Special Skill: Rainy Sunday 3

| Todou Kyosuke

The rain continued to drizzle softly. I waited for the delivery. The “chief” (tentative title) had been unusually cooperative. Together, we delicately decorated the wall with flowers—or rather, since I’m a guy, maybe they’re just stains.
Hmm.
…It didn’t feel elegant at all. It wasn’t what I envisioned. I thought adding more people, like forming a human pyramid, would naturally make it livelier…
But nope. This just wasn’t my thing.

◆

The last order consisted of five people.
The “chief” (tentative title) was being grilled quite thoroughly. According to him, these five were a well-known group of seniors notorious for their influence around here.
Each of them was built like a tank, loud-voiced, and clearly trained enough that their muscles showed through their clothes—though it was probably just for show. They must have been pretty confident in their strength.
After all, they challenged me to a duel without even being asked.
At best, they were like newly initiated temple knight trainees. Level 1, maybe?
Yep, just your average treasure chest with herbs.

◆

It happened when I took down the second guy.
Though I was aware of them through my search magic, two friends of the earlier family restaurant worker were peeking in from a distance. They must have followed out of concern for me.
But the remaining three guys quickly dashed over and caught the girls in an instant. They must have anticipated their presence when coming here.
“Mm, mm—!”
“Mmmph—mmph!”
They gagged them and restrained their joints without causing pain. It was an experienced move. These guys must be regulars at this kind of thing…
“Haha! You’re good, aren’t you? Took down Kashima and Ono in seconds. Impressive.”
“Hey, don’t move, or we’ll break their bones.”
“You’re a justice-loving hero, aren’t you?”
No, I’m a hero, actually.
But more importantly… This must be…a rescue mission quest.

◆

A rescue mission quest.
When you save someone from their sorrow, you’re met with new sorrow. Save that sorrow, and yet another appears.
It’s like going down a rabbit hole on some encyclopedia site, with no end in sight. One day, Croix yelled at me, exasperated, “Stop with the rescue missions already!”
Since then, the nickname “Rescue Guy” stuck.
It probably stemmed from my knowledge as an apprentice merchant and my attempts to calculate losses. “Your goal is to move forward!” or “You just can’t stand to lose, can you?”—she used to say things like that a lot.
In the end, though, she’d grumble but still stay with me until the very end. She was a kind girl.

◆

Hostages, huh. Some things don’t change, no matter the world. I glanced upward briefly. Oh, we were under an overpass. That ruined the dramatic effect.
During that motion, I channeled my magic into the stone in my pocket. I’d more or less expected this and had picked it up just in case.
Hostages worked well against heroes. That was the rumor over there, and it was true—there were times kids died because of me…
That’s why I won’t hesitate.
It’s okay. I’ll save you. That’s not arrogance—it’s a fact. I told myself this firmly as I met the eyes of the girls. Their gazes were filled with anxiety and regret. I smiled reassuringly.
That flickering fear and regret in their eyes fed my magic, allowing it to respond perfectly to my intent.
Especially here, where, unlike before, no one could truly kill. That applied to me too, but it’s okay. Trust me.
Even if the black pieces in reversi dominate, flipping the board usually turns it white anyway.

◆

“………”

“What’s this? A ‘silent treatment, like a mere corpse’ kind of thing?”

“Please… forgive me…”

“Oh, is that so? What about the people you’ve made miserable up until now?”

“………”

“I see. Then, who among you has committed crimes?”

“………”

“I see. Shall we all take a trip to your house, then? You have a car, don’t you? That’s good—a car. Dragon carriages were a dead end as vehicles. Ah, sorry, sorry. Just talking to myself. Well, would you like to tell me everything honestly and wipe the slate clean, become pure white, hmm?”

“I… I want to… but!”

“Lying isn’t good, you know. Do you know why I left you alone? Good people, just like bad people, spread their influence. Like in Reversi. So, if these people here start doing bad things… you’ll stop them, won’t you? Now, let’s go. We’re busy today!”

I like Reversi because it’s simple and easy to understand.

◆

And so, I asked the newly appointed “chief” and the “chief” (temporary) to take care of the unconscious band of thieves.

I had them prepare a car and threw the four burly guys into a black minivan. Just in case, I used magic to interfere with the car so they couldn’t escape.

To the “chief” (temporary), I said, “If you happen to come around here again, let’s meet up. There’s no death or external injuries to worry about, so don’t fret. If I see you, I’ll proactively call out to you.”

Trembling slightly, he promised that he’d turn white—figuratively speaking, of course. That trembling must be him shaking off the black. Yes, yes.

So this is science.

However, when I added, “It’s no good if only you turn white,” he started frantically smacking the black stains on the wall in confusion.

It must be his way of communicating with his comrades. Yes, yes.

So this is what they call passionate guidance.

Moreover, it’s much cuter and more heartwarming than back in Alefgard. I can feel completely at ease. Maybe this isn’t such a “Mad Max” world after all! I’m starting to feel hopeful.

After all, when you get punched, people go flying through the air—and they’re still alive, coming back swinging.

And so, peace returned to the entire area.

◆

Meanwhile, the blonde girl and the black-haired girl I had rescued stood frozen in silence. I had been shielding them with my back, but I wonder if I scared them.

Come to think of it, I wonder how people here react. I don’t have the title of “Hero” in this world. If I think about it normally… no, I don’t know what’s normal. Then, if I think generally… no, I don’t know what’s general either. In Alefgard, “normal” and “general” were so brutal.

Is this the disparity between different worlds?

Well, I’ll just go with the flow. Sorry to Alefgard, but I’m still a primitive guy adjusting to the modern world. Actually, you two could’ve gone back already. Oh, you were waiting for me? How polite. Maybe I should say something.

“It’s all okay now.”

“Yes…”

“Ah, um! Thank you very much! I couldn’t move and ended up as a hostage…”

“No, it’s good that you’re safe. Don’t worry about it. I’m just here to… take care of a few quests, I mean, make sure you don’t have to be scared around here anymore. You should probably go back to the family restaurant. I’m sure that waiter is worried about you. See you.”

Sorry for the quick wrap-up. I only have one day.

I’m the type who can’t help but pop all the bubble wrap.