Shaky Future
This chapter is from Hero's POV
The after battle party continued on.
Man, can't believe I get to drink cola in this world.
Heck, he even got a fa*ta-like stuff and soda ready, I'm in awe.
Frankly, his zeal for foodstuff seems more impressive to me than his high Attributes or battle prowess. Not like his prowess isn't a mystery in itself though...
"Neora-kun, care for seconds?"
"Hm, yessire....?"
A floating bottle is pouring cola into my cup.
...I ain't gonna quip no more. There's no end to it if I play along every time.
Hyumlassa is looking at us dubiously. The scene probably looks like a fever dream in her drunk eyes.
"...I remember a familiar sight on the ship. During that dartball game, yours moved super slowly in the air. So, that wasn't actually a trick item huh?"
"I'm sorry. This matter is a bit of a top secret."
"Then don't show it off willy nilly..."
"I chose who I showed of course. At least, I want to believe everybody present here is not the sort of people who blabber."
"Honored to hear that. But wait, you already know me but you just met Ganan and Hero's party today, ain't you."
"I can assess someone's character to a degree by watching their fight."
And here I am struggling to wrap my head around the gap between your battle persona and this one!
There's no way I can take the fact that the berserker who fought off that white demon and this mom-like gentle man are the one and the same.
Just which one is his true self anyway.
Is it the fierce deity-like face behind that mask that can even send shivers down my spine.
...Or is it the gentle smiling face he turns toward Alma and Reinamiure.
He's like a kind school teacher who usually never gets mad but gets really scary when he does.
<<Um, I'm not sure about that analogy...>>
"But boy oh boy, still hard to believe nobody died with that white demon showing up. Thought I'd have kicked the bucket thrice today."
"For sure. My great axe and Ganan's greatsword didn't even put a dent on that guy. Ah, I'm getting frustrated just remembering that, darn."
"By the way one of those three deaths was from that time Kajikawa-kun almost punched me. Never saw my life flashing before me so clearly hahahaha."
"...I can never apologize enough..."
"Ah, I'm joking, it's a joke... Hey, stop prostrating so hard your head is caving in the floor already, I'm begging here."
And whose fault is that. That's a bad joke, Aina-san.
...Well, I admit I'm more scared of Kajikawa-san than that white demon though.
"Ha... Here I thought I'd gotten stronger thanks to Aina-san's training. Turns out, I've still got a long ways to go."
"But if Neora-kun was strong enough to defeat that white demon, he might have been the one getting brainwashed instead. That'd be the birth of an eternal human slaying weapon that keeps getting revived no matter what. That's a scary thought."
"Don't you know? Brainwashing and Seal-type Skills don't work on heroes. The Title of [Hero] has a passive that nullifies that sort of Skills or something."
"Uwaa, that's one unfair and plot convenient ability. Goddess is pretty cruel in a way. You can't kill him, you can't mind control or seal him either. Demons have no chance at all."
"But there's no point if the hero takes it too slow and gets everybody but their party killed in the end."
And that's why I gotta get strong enough to defeat demon king as soon as possible but these demons have been far more invasive than ever.
I mean one out of five continents is already in ruin even though it hasn't even been six months since I got summoned.
Even the royal capital here was almost destroyed earlier. Which might extend to the whole continent in the worst case scenario.
<<That's true. The rate in which the demons encroached is a bit abnormal. I'm not saying there's no precedent of a whole continent being destroyed in the past, but it took them many years to barely manage the feat. Doing that in a few months is just too quick...>>
...Things seem bad.
We might have gotten much stronger rapidly thanks to Aina-san's training yet we still can't match up to demons.
Also, I've got to get ready to do a Job Change soon considering my level.
'Hero' Job has a Level Cap.
Up to Lv49, the rate of my Attribute and Skill Level Growth is equal to Advanced Job but my Base Level won't rise to Lv50 and beyond until I Job Changed.
There are some conditions to do the Job Change.
For example, I have to learn five or more Master Skills. I'm only short one so this one's not an issue.
Next up, I need to obtain several specific Titles. Like 'Foolhardy' or that Title Kajikawa-san has 'Brave Preemptive Stopper of Final Catastrophe'... This sounds super hard. How do you even get it?
Lastly, I need to overcome a 'Trial' exclusive for Heroes. Apparently I gotta arrive at the deepest reach of certain ruins or something.
...It's all a pain in the ass. Can't Goddess loose those requirements up. We're in the middle of a world's crisis right now.
"Speaking of which, how did you get that 'Brave Preemptive Stopper of Final Catastrophe' Title you have, Kajikawa-san?"
"Eh? Ah, you need that Title to Job Change as a Hero or something huh. In my case, I got it after dealing the finishing blow to a 'Minimum Jormungandr', a snake magic beast our party worked hard together to defeat."
"Buffoa!?"
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
Aina-san spat out the booze she was drinking when she heard 'Minimum Jormungandr' name.
Eh, minimum what? That name makes it sound pretty weak.
"Cough, coough! ...That's the thing that could destroy the world if left alone, am I right?"
"Yes. It was so gigantic I questioned why it was called minimum, but apparently it'd get 30 times bigger and keep spewing powerful toxin around or something if it grew up."
"Ah, knew it. Jormungandr is infamous on this continent as a legendary calamity. Defeating a larval form of that thing, no wonder you snatched the Title."
"Not only was it super big, it got the serpent-exclusive Piercing Fang Skill and even Dragon Skill. I would have had a tough time if I had to beat one by myself."
Even Kajikawa-san thinks it's difficult for him, does that mean I gotta defeat that kinda monstrosity before Job Change...
I wanna hit myself for even thinking it'll be easy.
"Ah, the future looks shaky..."
"Oh it's all gonna be just fine. Ivran-chan already made the plan after my training regime. She's got my successors in tow and the programme for your Job Change planned ahead of time."
Oh, as expected of Aina-san's little sister. What a capable sister.
Kinda wonder who these successors gonna be tho'.
"Well then, anybody fancy a dessert?"
"Ooh, hiding a trump card after prepping all that food, truly a mark of a capable man...!"
"...Vinfitt's guildmaster said something along that line too when I unveiled the dessert back then."
Guess little sister is a bird of a feather. Wonder what she's like.
Oh, it's crepes. I haven't had one ever since I got here either.
Whoa it's so good. There's a mix of fresh cream and red bean paste-like cream inside, it takes me back. This man sure can cook.
"Fuhohoho, it's so good I can't stop myself from laughing weirdly."
"Aina-san, you're gross.... Ah, but it is good."
"Rude! Levia-chan how about you learn to pick your word carefully? I mean, look at your slack jawed self in the mirror."
"Ah, so yummy. Do you mind teaching me how to make this?"
"Not at all. Actually, Menu can analyze and create the recipe for anything you've eaten. You should be able to do it too, Neora-kun."
Eh, no kidding? That handy function exists?
<<It sure does! I'm done analyzing already, easy peasy.>>
Does this work for karaage, pork cutlets and stuff too?
<<But of course~.>>
Kajikawa-san, thank you. Much obliged.
"Wanna have a look at the recipes in my phone? Let Menu record them and you can recreate earth food here."
"Eh, you brought a phone with you!?"
"Yup. There's no internet though, so I only have recipes already written down on it."
Is he a god!? I can make all those dishes from Japan again.
Thank you, seriously thank you Kajikawa-san.
<<Well, it ultimately hinges on Neora-san's ability to actually cook them. Like say that omelet rice, did you know how hard it is to cook the egg to perfection? It's easier with a magic stove though.>>
...Well, I just gotta keep practicing.
Worst comes to worst, I can always choose Cooking Skill as my Gift Skill.
<<Um how about no, you can cook decent food even without a Skill, let's not waste that opportunity...>>
Once all the plates and liquor bottles have been emptied, the party is finally ending.
"Thank you for the treat. That was the best~."
"You wolfed down so much, Aina-san..."
"I could say the same to you Olivie-chan. You usually don't have much appetite too."
"That curry had a different flavor to Neora's."
"Ganan, get up. Sheesh, don't brag you coulda drink me under the table if yer a light drinker."
"I-it ain't me that's, weird, way you guzzled those bottles... urp...!"
"...Guga... Uu... Stupid aniki..."
"Ufuhihihi... The world is going round and round..."
Everybody cleared their seats.
Some are downed, we're leaving them alone out of pity.
"I wanted to drink till morning, but tomorrow is gonna be a busy day. Bear with it, bear."
"We had a plan tomorrow?"
"We're off to the royal palace to get our reward and for me to transfer you guys over to your next instructors."
A-another training...
Well, I guess this event took me down a peg about my lack of strength. I understand the need to.
"Kajikawa and you girls, why don't you go see these instructors as well? It'll be a surprise."
"Err, who could they be?"
"Nfufu, just you wait for it~"
...Oh no. It's never good when Aina-san puts that face on.
Who are they anyway. Ah man, the future looks real shaky...
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