Bath Before War - Men's Side
Splash
Hi hello. All male training members plus the old man, Alma Papa and even commander chief are currently washing up in the royal capital inn's bathhouse.
...So many super VIPs around me I'm gonna get a heartburn. How'd it come to this.
"Haa... This stuff goes straight into these old bones."
"Didja go on another rampage, geezer? Think of yer' age for a sec will ya."
"Right back atcha, all whipped up just from a day training. You hatchling got no backbones, Alan."
"Get off my back darnit, that old man's training just on a whole 'ther level. Ain't no way anybody still got energy left after that..."
"Hohou, pray tell what kind of training is that?"
"You get electrocuted through your hands in order to get stronger."
"What in the blaze..."
Aizawa-kun and the old man are having a heartwarming conversation like that of a grandfather and his grandson. Their tone might be a bit off though.
He looks the age when he's like this, but the gap between this and his usual antics is a bit...
"Ah, the water temp hits the spot. How many months since the last time I got in hot water I wonder."
"Kicking back like this is pretty nice every once in a while. I can feel my fatigue melting away."
"Alright. Baredo, let's go for another swim!"
"I ain't gonna! Haven't ya had enough already!?"
Radia-kun can't contain his excitement in this large bath. You're troubling other guests if you swim here, don't do it.
Apparently, he was down in the dump for a while after his run-in with his older brother (trash). I see that he's doing fine now.
I'm told He learned Mana and Energy Control the fastest among all training members. Sounds right considering he's the youngest with the lowest level.
"The sheer aura of two Sword Kings together is overwhelming..."
"Halved cause we're baring it all here."
"Look who's talking, haven't you just got Job Changed to Sword King the other day. Congrats."
"Ah, thanks. But y'know, I'm just a fledgling compared to you two. Still got nothing to back calling myself Sword King."
"Eh ye'll be fine. Keep swinging your sword for 50 years and you'll get there. I'm gonna get even stronger by then tho'. Fahaha!"
"...How long yer' plannin' to stick around anyway, geezer."
"Hm? I'm just starting up, what 'bout it?"
"Uh nah, forget 'bout it... I can picture ya actually pullin' that off, geezer."
Ganan-san and Alan-san had an animated conversation mixed with wry smiles with their forerunners. These guys really hit it off.
Alan-kun is actually quite the people's man surprisingly enough. His speech includes words you don't see people blurt out by mistake in professional world though.
Everybody is making merry, and then there's me and Hero-kun just existing quietly.
...I guess we're both bad in social settings. I don't think I can join in their conversation.
Or so I thought before Hero-kun spoke to me.
I must look like I'm taking a bath with a girl from the sidelines. But nope.
"Kajikawa-san, tomorrow we're going to war with demons."
"Hm, sure are."
"But y'know, why were 'Demons' and 'Demon King' even born anyway."
"Hm, they might be the accumulated forms of longstanding negative emotions of humans, or maybe..."
"Maybe?"
"The god let them come to be in order to cull out humanity, or something."
"...Figured."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
The total population in this world is at most 500 million even at the very height.
Each continent only has around a hundred million people. It's not even a tenth of earth's population.
Considering this planet has similar environment and surface areas as earth, and the amount of years human lived in this world, it's clearly unnatural relative to earth.
It's as if someone has been deliberately regulating population number so it won't ever exceed a certain threshold and eat up all resource.
The main cause of that is the existence of demons and demon king.
They come to be once population reaches around 500 million, and start slaughtering humans left and right.
By the time they're defeated by the hero, the population has already decreased to a certain amount, and humanity is free to multiply until the time another demon king is born again.
The history of people on this planet is a constant repeat of such.
Human never proliferate too much nor they go extinct.
This solution is quite violent yet it might be a necessary evil in order to maintain the world.
In fact, earth only has a few hundreds years left of natural resource due to overpopulation.
Wonder if earth lacks a deity that rules over this kind adjustment. Or maybe we've been left to our own devices cause it's a bother to this deity?
"That goddess leaves the impression of a serious and kind onee-san when I talked to her too. But this revelation makes me second guess myself."
"I mean she made that hero exclusive skill work like that and all. She might be the scheming type in reality."
"...You said it. Why'd she go and make the gender change by majority rule..."
"Cause she prefers it that way?"
"Yeah, that sounds the most plausible..."
Hero-kun soaked his face in the bath water and started making bubbles. That's bad manner, quit it.
What kind of goddess is she I wonder. I know she's a shotacon judging from Hero-kun's physique at least.
...No point mulling over this stuff, let's save it for later.
I ask Hero-kun who came out of the bath water.
"You've got the plan on continent 3 recapture and the subsequent demon king slaying mission down pat right?"
"Yea. But man, the last part of the plan is way too random, or more like kinda roundabout."
"I can't give the detail yet. But it's a necessary step. I understand that it sounds dubious, but please believe in me."
"...What if the people you added as allies turn out to be hyper baddies."
"Ah, according to Menu, Heroes can arbitrarily kick anyone out of their party."
"Well yeah, I guess we'd hit a dead end if not for that kinda safety measures."
"This is the best course of action my Menu and I came up after poring over all the information we have. Does your Menu have anything to add?"
A blue display window showed up in front of me.
The font it's using makes me think it's in a bad mood.
<<...Aren't you hiding something?>>
<<Affirmative. Divulging more than necessary may impede the stratagem. Therefore it is imperative to lock out a portion of intel.>>
<<Shouldn't you say you're not hiding anything even if it's a lie...?>>
<<Telling the truth in this juncture is deemed necessary to gain trust.>>
<<Sure... Just so you know, I won't forgive you if you prioritize Kajikawa-san's group you sacrifice Neora-san's group for your goal.>>
<<Hero Neora-kun has been acknowledged as an ally of Kajikawa Hikaru, therefore he is included in protective custody. Despite his revival ability, this recommended plan also contains consideration for his safety.>>
<<That means you could have acknowledged 'Those Two' as allies too from the start. Why delay it...?>>
The strategy I proposed to Hero-kun has Hero-kun, Leviara, Olivier as well as Alma and Reina in the final battle against Demon King.
With Heavenly Heroic Fusion and all kinds of powerful abilities like Energy Control and blade-related Skills, this plan has a good chance of working. It's absolutely not a kamikaze attack.
Reina would create an opening with Shadow Dive and Body-out-Body no Jutsu, Alma's Magic Sword would charge buffed Hero-kun's Dimensional Blade. Something like that should work well enough.
In short, we're gonna get Demon King's first form over and done with quickly by way of ambush.
I really hate the idea of leaving Alma and Reina with Hero-kun but there's no other way around if we wanna save the world.
It's only temporary until Demon King is defeated. I've made damn sure he understood that I'd personally pluck it off with my hands if he made a move on them.
Well, there's no way it'll go without a hitch though.
The actual plan is a bit more complex.
...I would love to avoid resorting to that if possible, but our hands are tied. Haa...
"Welp, I'm about done here. Neora-kun, which one you prefer, coffee milk or fruit milk?"
"Nn, fruit... You even made that stuff? You really love cooking don't you."
"Nah, I bought 'em."
"Where can you even buy those? Never seen those drinks here..."
"In Japan."
"...Eh."
"I found a door connected to Japan on Floor 21 the other day. Used the opportunity to buy all kinda stuff. I even got cup noodles and snacks."
"No frickin' waaaay!? Y, y, you're not kidding right? You, really went back to Japan!?"
"Yup. And I can always Fast Travel back now that I've gone there once."
"...Mind letting me go back and shop around too?"
"Not now. I'll take you there once Demon King is dead. Do your best."
"Hell, yeah! You promised! You're taking me back no matter what! You can't just die on me now, no seriously!"
...It kinda sounds like he's worried about me from the way he phrased it but this kid is probably entirely motivated by his desire.
Well, I get him. Even as someone who don't have a lot of lingering attachments to Japan, I still think about going back and make up for things I lacked. Chiefly foodstuff that is.
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