Imagine having time management. Anyways, my internals are almost all over, so I asked my mum to get instant ramen while she was out shopping, and she made tonkotsu ramen! I guess this is the benefits of being a student that worked hard(?) and finished his tests lol. Thanks for reading~

I've seen adults reeking of alcohol before, but this is my first time seeing a town reeking of alcohol.

Taking a bath and refres.h.i.+ng yourself during those times is the best.

"Uhhoo~, the hot spring feels, so gooood!" (Hunter)

"Gehahahahaha, this hot spring is ours from today!" (Hunter)

"Our income will be erupting like a hot spring!" (Hunter)

"Rather than that, I think we don’t need this wall that separates the male and female hot spring." (Hunter)

"Yeah! We're in the middle of mother nature, so we should liberalize our naked bodies!" (Hunter)

"Whaaat are you saying! Our skin isn't for free!" (Kuri)

"That's right! Besiiides, even if you try~, crossing over the wall and peeking~, Ura-chan and~, Musas.h.i.+-chan will beat you up, you know~?" (Risu)

"Oi, I'll kill you if you try to peek! I will not show my body to any man other than Velt in my life!" (Ura)

"Of course, I will not forgive you either!" (Musas.h.i.+)

A simply made open air bath. I can hear their noisy voices through the top of the wall.

Like, they sure are energetic.

Going past the walls of races, they drank alcohol together, ate good food together, and finally, they're having naked socializing.

Well, how do I put it, they're loud but seem like they're having fun.

"It would be great if they could just sweep it away like water, no, hot water under the bridge." (Velt)

"There's obviously no way it would go so d.a.m.n simply like that." (Farga)

"But, well, isn't it fine~? Considering it was otouto-kun, he did a good job." (Cleran)

"Friends.h.i.+p sure is nice! I, I'm moved!" (Dorauemon)

While hearing the happy voices from the open air bath, we're leisurely resting in our inn room.

Only Farga, Cleran, Dora and I are in this room right now.

We let Musas.h.i.+ and Ura go in the bath with those guys while sitting here watching over them.

No, rather than watching over them, for me, it's just that my injuries are just too bad to go in the bath since I completely dealt the finis.h.i.+ng blow to myself by making ramen.

Considering Ura and Musas.h.i.+ said they would follow me into the men's bath when I said that, although it was troublesome, I'm glad they seem to be having fun.

And about me that's been waiting here……

"But man, your ability really is useful. I didn't think you had a monster's ability that can heal injuries, Cleran." (Velt)

With her monster ability, she made her arm into jellyfish tentacles and coiled them all over my body.

I thought it was gross and disgusting at a glance, but after a while, the pain alleviated and I felt better.

"It's the『Holy Jellyfish』that only inhabits the Demi-human Continent's ocean area. Its tentacles have the effect of healing living things' injuries, and other races all overfished it to use it in during wars long ago, so it became an endangered species. You know~, five years ago, when I found it after hiding in the ocean for three months, I was so excited." (Cleran)

"Hmm. A story from after we split up after hunting the dragon, huh." (Farga)

"Man~, that sure is a convenient ability~, as long as you have this, you should be fine as long as nothing that great happens." (Dorauemon)

The injuries that were said to take half a year to fully recover, is recovering before my eyes.

That reminds me, since I've never gotten such a big injury like this before, no one has used recovery magic on me, so it's quite an important experience.

"This really helps me out. I actually thought I would become a bedridden old man for a while." (Velt)

"Well, these are injuries I gave you, and above all, you're otouto-kun after all. As long as it's a visible injury, even I can do something about it." (Cleran)

A visible injury, huh.

Well, there certainly isn't anything more troubling than an invisible injury.

"Hey, Farga. It really didn't strike home with me." (Velt)

"Ahh?" (Farga)

"Musas.h.i.+ and Ura's feelings were too heavy, like their resentment and feelings of guilt." (Velt)

That's why I 'suggested' for them to leave it indefinite.

It's because I didn't want these loud, laughing voices to change into an awkward silence or serious grudging words.

However, the great majority of humans would probably say my opinion is wrong.

"Stupid younger brother, certainly, it's hard to say your thoughts are correct. But you know, although that’s hard to say, your feelings aren't wrong. Living things can't live with just the correct answers." (Farga)

Yeah, I know. It’s just as he says. As long as I can maintain the current situation, it's fine.

I just didn't want Ura and Musas.h.i.+ to think of something weird and destroy everything that was going well until now.

To be honest, it really didn't matter whether I was right or wrong.

Then, probably thinking that it doesn't suit me to think about admirable things, Cleran lightly poked my head.

"Even though you act unserious and irresponsible, you unexpectedly think about troublesome things, huh, otouto-kun." (Cleran)

", not really, since it would end if I just say it's fine like that. But since it's someone who I can't say that to, I'm troubled." (Velt)

"Fufu, isn't it fine? Isn't it fine if you seem like a human but somehow seem the least human?" (Cleran)

"Haa? I seem like a human and also not human? What's up with that." (Velt)

I don't get it. When I make that face, Cleran started talking.

"Otouto-kun, you saw it, right? The ma.s.sive killing in s.h.i.+romu. If the standpoint changes, you can see that humans, demons and demi-humans all repeat the same thing. That's the common sense of this world." (Cleran)

", yeah." (Velt)

"But even so, every race says that just s.h.i.+romu was in its closing years together. They treated other races like things less than livestock, and for the sake of pleasure and desire, they mercilessly sold them, cut them up, raped them, and like, there were even people that called the people of s.h.i.+romu, fiends instead of humans." (Cleran)

Fiends, huh. Well, that's probably why Miyamoto and Esamu were determined.

They had to destroy s.h.i.+romu, even if they would get a bad reputation and dirty their pride.

"What, do you want to say that humans are villains with the ugliest hearts?" (Velt)

This conversation is a bit unpleasant.

However, Cleran suddenly started laughing.

"Ufufufu, hey, otouto-kun, do you know about the lion people race?" (Cleran)

"The lion people race? Ahh, that's the race that's even called the king of the gra.s.sland, right?" (Velt)

And thinking about it now, Esamu of the Four Heavenly Beast Demi-humans is probably from that race.

That's right, a lion-human.

I know about it, but so what?

"The lion people race has an amazing trait. First of all, they make harems. Most demi-humans get a terrific amount of s.e.xual desire when they get the urge to breed, but the lion people race is outstanding, even among them. Just one person isn't quite enough to handle that s.e.xual desire, so they make a countless amount of women serve them and make them have their children." (Cleran)

That reminds me, Esamu said something about having around six hundred brides, but was that really true?

When it comes to that much, I don't feel jealous in the slightest, and rather, wouldn't he die?

"But the thing is, the lion people race's harems aren't necessarily there forever. That's because although their s.e.xual desire is amazing, their strife instinct is also extraordinary. Even if it's someone of the same race, they would kill each other if they think of them as enemies. And then, the one that kills the other thoroughly s.n.a.t.c.hes their harem. That's a terrible stolen love, right? They're in a different league to humans." (Cleran)

"I guess. But like, why are you telling me that story? Is it just another one of your specialty monster lectures?" (Velt)

"Ufufu, well, just wait. What I'm about to say now is the amazing part. So, what do you think the lion person that took the other's harem does first? Apparently, they kill all the children of the stolen harem. Well, they're just strangers from their own perspective and they need to cut off all the unnecessary roots of revenge, and above all, to leave behind strong genes, the children of the lion that lost are probably just hindrances." (Cleran)

Ahh, is that so. I've heard about it before in Asakura Ryuuma's age.

A story that could only exist in the world of beasts, characteristic to the law of the jungle; the child killing of lions.

"And theeen, what do you think the women whose children were killed do? Can you believe it? The lion people race's women whose children were killed, crave for s.e.x and end up copulating. Hey, what do you think about that? What do you think about women who get s.e.xually excited with the person that killed their husband and children?" (Cleran)

Cleran was smiling, but I felt that her eyes were intense and terrifying.

It's a smile that seems like it'll freeze my spine.

"Humans, demi-humans and of course demons, all do things that may seem obvious to them but seem eccentric to other races. Do you get me? Ura-chan and Musas.h.i.+-chan are the unusual ones." (Cleran)

Maybe.

When I was Asakura Ryuuma, even I, whose behaviour was bad, saw guys who did disgusting crimes, soldiers that warred against terrorists who performed inhumane actions, regardless of the past and present, in the news and on TV.

However, in this world, it's not just humans doing that.

There are such disgusting guys among the demons and demi-humans, and there's even behaviours and cultures that are incomprehensible.

So, I was somewhat able to agree with Cleran's words that people like Ura and Musas.h.i.+ who're at a loss for what to do, are unusual.

"Yeah, although it's just vaguely, I think I understand the reason why." (Velt)

"What do you mean?" (Cleran)

"The families that raised them were those kinds of guys too." (Velt)

A demon king and a demi-human. Even though they were reincarnated into those races, that demon king and demi-human still had their memories and feelings of being a 'normal human in a peaceful world'.

Samejima and Miyamoto. Even after reincarnating into their races, those two probably couldn't acquire the mad behaviour of their races, so Ura and Musas.h.i.+ didn't either.

"Problems with races are pretty difficult~, aren't they~. I don't really get it." (Dorauemon)

And then, the strangest existence here summarized the conclusion with a few words.

To be honest, it’s just as he says

“I agree, Dora. I honestly don't want to think about this confusing stuff from now on. I want this to be the last time I do." (Velt)

"Yeah~. After all, it just gets darker the more you think about it. It's just~, dumb." (Dorauemon) (TL Note: 'Stupid' is what I guessed from the context to be 'ぽんぽこぴー', but I don't even know what 'ぽんぽこぴー' means…)

"Yeah, it really is. Rather, the problem with races is just………… meaning poof." (Velt) (TL Note: Again. '意味プー' means '意味不明', which means 'ambigous' or 'doesn't make sense', but…)

"! Yeah! It's meaning poof! Rather, how do you know goshujinsamanese!" (Dorauemon)

"Kuhahahahaha, I see, goshujinsamanese huh. That's great!" (Velt)

I don't know whether she changed or not. However, Dora said things that the Kamino I knew would've said instead.

So, I just left this conversation aside.

"Otouto-kun, you really are good at mutually understanding Dora-chan. Even I, a monster master, can't understand Dora-chan's words~." (Cleran)

"Hmm, well, thinking about confusing things isn't like you, stupid younger brother." (Farga)

And then, because I wanted to leave this conversation aside, I started to want to meet Kamino even more.

That stupid woman would probably break the dark atmosphere, amaze me, and then make me feel that thinking about difficult things is stupid.

"Alright, Cleran. If you continue treating me at this rate, how long will it take me to completely recover?" (Velt)

"Eh? Hmm~, if you don't do some stupid thing, I guess it would take until tomorrow? Some pain will still remain, but your bones would probably have healed. That's just how amazing the Holy Jellyfish is." (Cleran)

"Hmm, shortening a full recovery that would've taken half a year, in one day, huh. As expected of fantasy. It sure is a world that makes doctors cry. Great. Then, if I stay lying down for a day, I can say goodbye to this village by evening. Although there were some changes of plan…… I'll start moving seriously now." (Velt)

"Waaao. Otouto-kun is so dreamy when he doesn't think about oneesan's labour~." (Cleran)

That's right, even though we were supposed to head straight to my destination, we kept making deep detours.

From now on, I'm going to aim to go where I want to go.

"Stupid younger brother. By moving seriously, do you mean going to the empire?" (Farga)

The empire. Yeah, that was my first destination.

However, there isn't much meaning to go there for me anymore.

"I'm going to search for Dora's goshujinsama." (Velt)

"What?" (Farga)

"Ara?" (Cleran)

"Ehh, bro, you serious!?" (Dorauemon)

As long as I have this hint called Dora, there's no point gathering information at the empire.

So, my destination is already decided.

"Are you sane? From what I heard from this thing's story, its d.a.m.n goshujinsama is in the Divine Being Continent. You said you wouldn't get involved with war, but do you understand what that means?" (Farga)

"Farga. I only said that I don't want to go there if I don't have to, but it's a different story if that place is my destination." (Velt)

I don't like war, and I don't want to get involved with it.

But if she's there, I have no choice but to go, right?

"You sure are an idiot~, otouto-kun. Do you understand the current society~?" (Cleran)

"Hah?" (Velt)

"Here, this is today's morning newspaper. Have a look." (Cleran)

While making a shocked face, she threw the newspaper at me.

I open it and see a big article about war covering the whole page.

"What? A large army of a hundred and fifty thousand soldiers of humanity's great allied forces led by six people of the Ten Heroes of Light, departed to the Divine Being Continent? Hu, hundred and fifty thousand!" (Velt)

"That's right. Currently, one of the Seven Great Demon Kings' country, the oni demon race's country, the『Jigouku Demon Kingdom』and humanity are having an all-out war. This is already a great war that the whole world has its attention on. In other words, it's basically impossible if you try to go to the Divine Being Continent right now." (Cleran) (TL Note: Jigouku is the stretched out version of Jigoku, which means h.e.l.l.)

………… Yeah…… it really is impossible….. it's impossible…… that was the moment my determination was easily broken.