The Chronicles of a Man Who Aspired to Be an Unparalleled Character with Hidden Weapons - The Explorer Who Conceals His Power Becomes the Strongest When He Wields a Sword

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Chapter 14: Uniquely Protective

“Good morning, Tokioka-kun.”

“Hey, good morning.”

Several days had passed since I had a mock battle with Sumeragi, and there had been significant changes since then.

This was because Sumeragi had started talking to me at school, and thus, morning greetings like this had become the norm.

“What’s with that look? You always seem so surprised.”

“Well, it’s different now, isn’t it? I never used to exchange words with Sumeragi like this.”

“Yes, that’s true. But now, in this school… no, among the Explorers, you are the one who intrigues me the most. So, it’s not strange for me to strike up a conversation with you.”

This… surely doesn’t mean what I think it does.

Could it be? Holding onto that faint hope unique to high school students, I parted ways with Sumeragi and took my seat… and then.

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

I turned around immediately after being addressed, finding myself faced with Oogara from my class and his entourage.

Ryuuki Oogara—previously known for scaring regular students and taking pleasure in it. I had hardly ever spoken to him before, but I could guess why he was approaching me now.

“What are you trying to do by talking to Sumeragi?”

“…Sigh.”

“What are you sighing for, huh!”

As expected, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of exasperation.

S-Rank Sumeragi is strong and beautiful; her absolute presence evokes the image of some kind of idol.

(No, she’s more like an idol herself.)

Not only students from the Explorer course, but even those from the regular courses seem to confess to her, so this notion isn’t far off.

So, is this interaction with Oogara because I’ve recently become friendly with Sumeragi?

“What’s my intention, you ask? We’re friends, so we talk.”

“Don’t you dare talk to her, leaving us aside. Someone like you, a nobody, shouldn’t even speak to her.”

His followers echoed his sentiment.

I’m not particularly susceptible to provocation. Rather, I don’t really care what others say about me.

However, if they were to bring my sister or mother into it, my family, I would get angry. But for something like this, it’s bearable.

[Listen to the chirping of birds but hear only the words that truly matter. In doing so, you will never lose sight of yourself.]

These are words from the Legion Knight, and indeed, they carry weight.

However, Oogara seems already heated, and ignoring him would only cause more commotion.

“What do you want?”

“Can’t you get it? Don’t you dare speak to Sumeragi.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“…Huh?”

Sumeragi appeared behind them, almost seamlessly.

We had just parted, but it’s natural for her to hear the commotion in the same classroom.

She had approached silently from behind Oogara and his group, but somehow, I noticed her presence. This, too, must be a result of my constant training.

“Why shouldn’t he and I talk?”

“…Uh…”

Confronted by Sumeragi, Oogara, despite his large frame, seemed to shrink… and no, this isn’t intended as a pun.

As I’ve said before, Oogara has a big attitude towards those he perceives as weaker or of the same rank as himself, but becomes speechless in front of someone of a higher rank, especially a girl like Sumeragi.

“My friendships are for me to decide. Moreover, I’ve been listening to your conversation, and it seems you have a bit of a misunderstanding. Mostly, I am the one initiating the conversations.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Please be quiet for a moment, Tokioka-kun.”

“Yes.”

Her sharp words made me close my mouth, and I decided to just watch how things unfolded.

“First of all, I have something on him.”

“…Huh?”

What?

“I saw him in an embarrassing situation. I’ve been talking to him on the condition that I won’t mention it. So, in a way, I’m the bad one here, and he’s the victim.”

Umm… Sumeragi-san?

“So, blaming him is misplaced. If you want to ‘save’ Tokioka-kun from me, you’d have to defeat me. Now, Oogara-kun, do you have the courage for that?”

“…”

Is this some kind of comedy sketch?

This bewildering, seemingly fabricated story by Sumeragi left Oogara speechless, and he eventually retreated.

By the way, this exchange was overheard by other students, and some of them stared at Sumeragi, mouths agape, not quite understanding what just happened.

“Sorry, Tokioka-kun. I should have considered how others would view us. I did think about the possibility of people like him existing, but I still wish to choose my own friends freely.”

“That’s… well, true. But don’t worry, I never intended to avoid you, even as a joke.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. After all, we do share a secret now, and we’ve even joined forces in a battle.”

“…Okay.”

That “okay” had a bit of an impact, though…

After that, thanks to Sumeragi’s approach, I wasn’t bothered anymore, but unexpectedly, those close to me started worrying if I was alright.

“Hey Sena, are you really okay?”

“I’m fine. Really, don’t worry.”

After school, today I’m exploring a dungeon with Shinichi.

It wasn’t a planned meeting, but we ended up joining forces while wandering around, and then decided to head to the dungeon together.

“Well, but for someone like Sumeragi, that’s unlikely. Not many people of her caliber around. I’m curious since you’ve been talking a lot lately.”

“Well, a lot has happened.”