Watarus Side of Things

The mock fight ended in Watarus complete victory.

Well, if you can get me out of this circle, itll be your win. If you win, Ill tell you something good in secret behind Kehma-sans back.

Oi, Wataru?

Ahaha, its alright. I wont lose.

Having five matches, as he said, he never stepped out of the ring of approximately one meter in radius.

In the first match, Setsuna got hit head-on and rolled backwards on the ground.

In the second match, she was thrown high into the sky and got caught in a princess carry.

In the third match, without even a slight movement, she was tripped up and was sent rolling away.

In the fourth match, he easily avoided Setsunas fierce assault in the circle and placed his sword against her neck at some point.

In the fifth match, he suddenly seized Setsunas head with his arm unable to move, she surrendered.

It looks like the Hero got that strong in the four years of serious training he did. And hes still improving.

I wondered if he might be a good reference for the golems, but theres no way. Their levels are just way too different.

Ah, would Kehma-san like to have a mock fight as well?

Haha, do you even think I could win?

Youve gotten strong right? I can tell. How should I say this you have a something trying to hide about you!

The heck do you mean something? At least say something with a feeling like atmosphere or aura.

In truth, I have [Super Transformation Lv3] on me so I probably have gotten stronger as a hero, but as expected of Wataru to see through that. Ah, it might also be because of the clothes golems enhancement.

Nkyuu! I want to see Village Chief-san and Hero-sama fight!

Right, Id like to see Village Chief-san get kicked a few times.

See? Setsuna-san and Nayuta-san said so too. We can even go with the same rules.

Alright, then could I use a weapon?

Sure, go for it.

And so I went to prepare my weapon.

I brought my futon. Laying out a cloth, I placed my futon on top of it.

Um. Your weapon?

Alright then, lets start this mock fight, shall we?

Eh, the heck are you doing!? Hey!

Dont worry. Well, good night then.

Eh

I crawled into my futon Yep, this mock fight has a fatal loophole.

Theres no defeat conditions for me at all.

In other words, I can go to sleep right next to Wataru, ignore him and even go back home. So long as I dont acknowledge my defeat, its not my defeat.

Its alright. Feel free to let me know whenever you cant take it anymore and need to use the bathroom. But itll be your loss the moment you take a step out of that circle. You know what? Im good to keep this mock battle going till you starve.

Its not a mock fight at this point! Aaah mou, I get it, rule change!

Nn? Whatre you saying. The rules will stay. Whyre you trying to change them on your own? You accepting your loss?

Its my loss! Kehma-sans mean!

With that, I won the mock battle against Wataru.

But even though he admitted defeat, Wataru was laughing. Did he hit his funny bone or something?

Village Chief-san, I dont think thats what you shouldve done.

My opinion of you has raised a little.

Setsuna was obviously unsatisfied by it since she was expecting an intense fight, but it got surprisingly good results from Nayuta. I was probably raised from being scrap, though.

Theres no way Id win against you if we went head on. Id be a joke.

It really looked like you just intended on sleeping.

Me laying out my futon right in front of him was to get him to give up quickly. If I did it seriously, I wouldve went back to sleep and wait for you to leave the circle.

I see so then could you start over and do the mock fight normally?

Dont wanna.

Im a mage in the first place. Im not recognized much as one since I dont use magic in front of people though. I dont even go out in public much after all.

Then how about you attack with magic? I wont attack back. If you can put me out of the ring in a minute, itll be your win. How about it?

Refused. Ill be taking my win and leaving.

Wataru persistently tried to change the rules, by magic is a mages trump card. Its not like Id easily expose my hand to adventurers who arent even my party members.

And even if I used [Create Golem] to flip him over like I did with Misha, Wataru could just take advantage of the rules that allowed him to move within the circle and trample the golem. Rather, this Hero can he fly?

Eh? Arent we bonding? I want us to get closer, thats why Im reducing my debt.

Then how about I double the debt amount as interest? Maybe I will. I mean, that way, our relationship will double.

Sorry, please spare me from that

Wataru bowed spontaneously.

It was mostly a joke to start with, so lets forgive him.

Seeing us talk to each other like that, Nayuta was frowning like shed eaten something bitter.

Even though Heroes are existences that should inspire fear and awe no, maybe this Hero-sama is a special case? Or perhaps Village Chief-san is.. un, Village Chief-san is suspicious. Setting everything else aside, Village Chief-san is beyond suspicious.

Hey, thats not something you should say right in front of someone.

Its alright. Im saying it so that youll hear it.

Tentatively, Im the most famous person in the village. The village chief.

Youre a figurehead, right? I know Rokuko-samas background. As well as how Village Sub-Chief Wozuma-san handles everything himself.

Rokukos background as a Dungeon Core? No, its gotta be about her being the empires heads (Haku-sans) little sister.

So Rokuko is the most famous person in the village. I see.

Id heard that beastkin were fussy about pecking order, but its like that? Im at a pretty low spot in Nayutas mind? So thats why shes been talking to me with that sort of attitude.

She reported that I was strong to the point of being a good match against Setsuna, so although I shouldve beenwhat was it, [Promising]? Well, although I should be that, what kind of evaluation criteria did Nayuta have for me to be so low in her books? Maybe its more about ingenuity than battle prowess?

Maybe its because it looks like I just sleep everyday and eat delicious food without doing anything? I even recently refused Gozohs invitation for preparing for an emergency after all. I was sleeping though. [1]

Well, I decided to leave Nayuta alone and ask Wataru something.

By the way, Wataru. Why Nerune? You could get anyone you want as a Hero.

Thats just it. Im a Hero. Women either draw close to me because of my title or stay away like Im some monster. Then it turns into stuff like marriage fraud by some countrys spy

Wataru had a distant look to him. Heroes have it pretty tough, huh.

As he said the word spy, Setsunas tail twitched. Anyone other than me wouldve missed it.

And with her having Wakokus confidential information so its like that? Looks like her identity suddenly offered itself up on a silver platter.

Hmm? But thinking about it more, didnt she practically say she was a spy? She even said that her employer was Wakokus Daimyo. Is it alright for her to actually say that?

On that point, this inn is nice! Im not treated any differently and its comfortable like when I was in Japan! Kehma-san even looks Japanese-ish, so I practically want to just live here.

What, youre an M? [2]

Im not! But you, Rokuko-sama and Nerune-san all just talk to me, not caring about my title

Y-yeah.

Seeing his lonely expression, its pretty hard for me to say anything in response.

This guy so he had a lonely attribute to him? Maybe I should go a bit easier on him

Also, Kehma-sans the first person to beat me in a mock fight since I debuted as a hero!

Oi cut it out. Dont go off saying that I beat a Hero or anything.

I knew youd find it troublesome, Kehma-san, thats just like you. I wont say anything. Ah, but in exchange, about my debt

I wont be reducing it at all. Thats the compensation for wagering Kuro.

I understand. I will pay it off with everything I have.

Right then, he bowed and gave a true apology.

It might be a bit late to think about it, but he even sent his dignity as a Hero to the wind, huh.

Or did he not have it from the start?

Footnotes:

I dont recall ever seeing that invitation something off screen perhaps?Return

M -> Masochist Return