I hate being wed in a fantasy world!

Chapter 2 – Enjoy Goldbrunn, the City of Love

Morning, in an almost empty alleyway two blocks away from the Bronco's Bucket.

“uhuuu...”

“Stand up, Kyou.”

I'm currently lying on my back, tears are coming from my eyes, but I still stand up. I lift the knife in my hand and thrust it at Rine-chan.

She casually grabs me by the wrist, steps in, and sweeps me off my feet. It's half of a throw and my back hits the ground hard again. “ahhh...” It hurts. It hurts so much.

“Again!”

Despite the pain I get up again.

A few days ago I asked Rine-chan to train me. I want to unlock the [Knife]-ability and get better in fighting overall.

While Rine-chan shows me how to use a knife, she's currently concentrating on something else. She calls it 'getting used to pain.' According to her it's a vital part of fighting and, to be honest, I don't do well there.

Before coming to this world, I had never considered violence a solution. I'm afraid of pain, but I want to become stronger.

Something like a fire is burning inside of me, the helplessness I felt back when facing the oni, I don't want to feel again. I also want to protect Rine-chan and Arako, and maybe Ken as well. If he asks politely, I may consider it.

Although the first part to becoming stronger is to get beat up every morning. Of course, I want to keep it a secret from Ken, that's why I asked Rine-chan to go easy on my face so that he won't notice.

As long it's not a real bruise, magic can easily heal it. So Rine-chan skillfully hits my face with enough force to only leave red marks. Still, it hurts like hell.

“Ara, don't slack off.”

Rine-chan, I think she lost consciousness. Ara joined our training to unlock [Knife] in her [Acrobat]-class, but she might be even less used to pain than me. She also spends more SP than me, maybe because she's an alfr, or maybe because I'm human? I mean, could it be that humans are actually quite sturdy if you compare them to most other races?

Whatever it is, Arako recently got a kick to her stomach, fell over and hasn’t moved since then.

“[Heal]!” Rine-chan casts a spell on Arako, who starts twitching. That's not good because then Rine-chan kicks her. 'When you're on the ground, you'll get kicked' is what she told us.

Arako whimpers, but tries to stand up again. She knows that Rine-chan is so brutal to us because she takes it seriously.

I try to stab Rine-chan again, this time from behind. The princess sidesteps without even turning around and catches my arm with hers. Then she twists her body, and I feel a sharp pain in my arm as I'm pulled toward her.

Then Rine-chan turns around and headbutts my nose. “Oww!” It's not a strong blow, but my vision is blurry because of the tears. Then I feel three strikes: shoulder, breast, and stomach. Now I can hardly breathe.

“I think that's enough.” Rine-chan looks at Arako and I, whom she easily beat up. “Kyou, you have to work on your stance. You put too much weight on the front foot, try to put only around three-quarters of your weight there. Ara, your breathing is off. So try to breathe out when attacking or defending. Breathing out releases power, while breathing in makes your body soft.” It clearly sounds like she's mimicking someone, most likely her own instructor, who she sometimes talks about. “Now show me your knife drills.”

Rine-chan taught us some exercises so that we can make our bodies remember how to actually use a knife. Swing, swing, stab. Stab low, stab high, swing. Many variations of the same attacks at different target zones.

“A knife is a dangerous weapon. It's easy to get, easy to conceal, and easy to use. But that doesn't mean that you can't use it better if you know how. Ara, make every attack as if you mean it. Kyou, your stance.”

Because Ken is typically somewhere else in the morning, looking for tracks, trying to get some alone-time, or for other reasons, we train in the morning. Today, Ken was still sleeping, and he didn't wake up when we tried to wake him despite his [Dormurnal]-skill. Perfect conditions for some training in secret. Especially considering how amused he would be to see us fail.

After the drills, Rine-chan makes us do some physical exercises as well. Push-ups, sit-ups, running, it changes daily. Arako told her that this wouldn't do anything for us because we're heroes, but Rine-chan argued that we need to get used to moving our bodies in any state as well. That's why this comes after beating us up and the drills, when we're exhausted.

Finally, it's over.

“ha...ha...” Arako and I are heavily panting. Rine-chan did the exercises with us, but she seems to be fine. She also used much less SP than I did.

“Arako? What do you think? Why does Rine-chan spend less SP than I do?”

“From what I believe, *pant* it’s because she has the better technique.”

“What does that mean?”

“She makes less unnecessary movements and doesn't waste as much energy. *pant* Something that I could observe while *pant* studying the other heroes. I made them all do the same actions, and the SP they spent was different. *pant* It didn't look like it collated with their [Vitality]-values, thus my conclusion.”

“So that means there are more than stats to it?”

“Of course. There is technique, there is the approach, there is knowledge. *pant* Maybe even species.”

“What does that mean?”

“For some reason, my SP-expenditure is the highest of us all. *pant* So maybe you humans are more energy-efficient.” Arako takes some deep breaths to get her breathing under control. “I have only a few actual numbers regarding non-alfr heroes and even less experimental data. But observing you three, I concluded that the consumption of SP and MP doesn't only differ because of external circumstances and the different [Vitality]-values, but also because of our biological differences. Even under the best conditions, Kenta-kun uses up more MP when using [Spirit Magic] than me while, even with basic physical exercises, I spend more SP than you, Momo. We shouldn't be that different in our general fitness.”

Arako, I'm sure that I'm way more fit than you. My lifestyle isn't even half as unhealthy as yours. Without me, you would have trouble getting up, or eating meals regularly, and you'd neglect your general hygiene.

Instead of saying this to her, I put on a smile. “I see. So for some reason, the whole hero-system is a rather complex one, which makes me wonder why it's there in the first place.”

“Yes. The more I look into it, the less I understand it. At first glance, it looks like it's there to make us normal people be able to fight, and that's what it does. We become much stronger in only a short amount of time. However, why do we see these numbers? What do they even mean? Values without any context look arbitrary. Also, why are there so many rules to the system?”

I think I pushed the wrong button. Arako is ardently speaking about the hero-system, while I only want to...

...go home?

...rid myself of the curse?

...mend my friendship with Masahiko-kun, Eri-chan, and Teru-chan?

...become stronger?

...make my long-lost dream finally come true?

Somehow it's not so simple anymore.

“...and how exactly are the gods involved? There is literally no heroic story where no gods are involved, and while people summoned us, there is always a single deity visiting us in our respective worlds,...”

...I lost her. So I look at the person, who couldn't follow Arako from the beginning. Rine-chan is kneeing and doesn't even listen to us. Her eyes are closed, her lips are moving silently. She's praying. It's custom in Feuerberg to pray in the morning to their four guardian deities. The funny thing is that there are no names mentioned. Instead they go by titles: The Fire, the Freedom Fighter, the Foundation, and the Fleeting.

What do the individual gods do? Where can you find them? What benefits do you have in worshiping them? I don't know. It's the church's secret, only the innermost circle knows everything.

Talk about dubious.

Before meeting Muaotef, the god of the ss'rak, I just thought of the church as some kind of fraud. Then, that dragon-like deity shattered all my preconceptions. Gods are real. Either that or entities that refer themselves as gods and have powers that make it believable are.

“...Therefore, I believe that unlocking the secrets of the hero-system will give us an explanation to everything.”

Arako's blue-green eyes look at me. “I'm sure you're right.” Her ears are lifting up a bit. She's feeling happy, I think. For some reason, Ken is much better at reading her expressions than I am, but I think I’ll get the hang of it soon.

For better or worse, I’ll be with these two girls for a while.

―○●○―

“*yawn*” When I woke up, none of the girls were in the room anymore. Well, I noticed them going, but I was too exhausted to muster the will to wake up then. I tried to get some sleep afterward, but it didn't go well.

So now I'm eating breakfast alone in the common room.

A bit of fatty bacon, a slice of bread, some cheese and mettwurst, and two kinds of soups. There is some variety here, but of course, there is no rice, miso or anything else reminding of a Japanese breakfast. It's not that it tastes bad, but somehow I miss Japanese cuisine. Maybe that's what you go through when you’ve lived in a foreign country for months.

Well, it still beats alfr cuisine. Did you know, that alfar have eight meals that mostly consist of bark, and that two of them are poisonous to humans?

Even though I won't ever say it to her face, having Kyou-san around is a real lifesaver, since she's vital for mundane things, like food, especially food, or to be more precise, for food only. She can cook and discern what works for a human's digestion, and her seasoning fits my tastes better than this grub.

Maybe I should pick up the [Cook]-class after we get rid of the curse. Nah, not worth it. As long as it's just about survival, I can count on [Survival]'s [Foraging]-skill. Food quality is nice, but not worth wasting a class-slot.

“Good morning.” Someone approaches me. A young man, maybe around my age or a bit older? Brown hair, blue eyes, a bit of a beard. “May I take a seat?”

For some reason, that guy took my 'Drop dead'-glance as an affirmation. So he put his tray right next to mine and starts eating a bit.

“You're the brother of that black haired girl, right?”

“What did she do?” It's only logical to assume that a girl like Kyou-san would cause some kind of disaster. Maybe she crushed some more balls.

“Huh? Nothing.”

“...then why are you asking?”

“Well... I was just wondering... if she is seeing someone.”

“...what are you talking about?”

“I mean, she has this strange, foreign charm to her, and when she laughs, I ask myself 'What is she doing?', and I was too nervous to talk to her and-”

“Wait a minute. So you’re asking me if she's dating someone?”

“Yes?”

I facepalm.

Now that I think about it, that's what 'seeing someone' is. Even though paraphrasing it like this seems pointless.

Is Kyou-san going out with someone? Maybe she was dating some sempai when we were still in Japan, using him as a status symbol or something like that. Nah, if she would have a boyfriend, I'm confident that I'd know after being with her for so long.

Plus, I even got her first kiss. It was salty, sudden, and not very pleasant, but I got it. I don't think about it much, but somehow I feel strangely proud.

This guy here acknowledges that Kyou-san is a beauty, but I'm the one who got her first kiss.

If she wouldn't be such a bitch most of the time, it'd be even better. Wait, isn't it better because she's a bitch?

“Dude? Are you alright?” The guy looks at me worryingly. I guess I made some noises there, something between laughing and sobbing.

“I'm fine. What was your question again?”

“Erm... is your sister dating someone?”

“No.” She's just kinda married to me.

“Ah. Erm... hard to ask that now, but your sister is called... Kio?”

“Kyou.” Should I add the surname? Wait, wouldn't we have the same surname, if we're siblings in this setting? “Katsuragi Kyou.” Sounds surprisingly legit.

“Kyou... My name is Marten. What's yours?”

“Did I ask for your name? Phew... if you need to know, it's Kenta.”

“Kenta, could you introduce me to your sister?”

“For what?”

“For... you know. I mean so that I can talk to her. And stuff.”

…Is he fucking serious?

I mean, when I think about it, the whole set-up should have told me, that he wants to hit on Kyou-san. I just wasn't thinking that there will be an actual person, who would try to get close to that poisonous snake.

I look at that Maruto-guy again. Before coming to this world, I would have called him unique, with his light brown hair, his ice blue eyes, and the fact, that he grows a beard despite being my age. Seriously though, in this world 'unremarkable' would be the best word to describe him. So there is no way that Kyou-san would do anything with this guy other than breaking his heart after extorting him in various ways.

I kinda want to see that, but we have more important stuff to do. “I don't want to waste my time introducing you, just so you get rejected.” Maybe it's the more humane thing to do. “My sister has high standards and unless you're surprisingly rich, which I doubt since you hang around this inn, you won't meet them. But you can try on your own if you die for it.”

Well, so much for this conversation.

But surprisingly: “You really got a hotty as a girlfriend!” An older guy with reddish brown hair fills the chair that Maru-guy vacated before. “What a nice ass.”

I know that Rine's ass is attractive, thank you. “And you're telling me that because?”

“That girl’s got fire in her eyes. But what about her arm?”

“She broke it a month ago in the field. Should be fine soon.” I really don't like that guy.

“I see, I see. By the way, your sister also looks quite gorgeous.”

...seriously? Are you trying to hit on Kyou-san through me as well, asshole?

“If you say any more, I'll break your jaw.”

“...dude, I just mean...”

Without missing a beat, I grab his face and put some strength into my grip. “Just one more fucking word...”

The moment I loosen my grip is the moment that guy runs away.

As I'm about to take another bite, a third one joins my meal. His skin color is less pinkish, maybe a bit more bronze? He also has black hair and light brown eyes. Reminds me a bit of Correo, which makes me want to hit that guy in the face.

“Sorry to interrupt your meal. I'm just curious about something.”

Oh, here we go again. Another one who doesn't have the guts to speak to Kyou-san directly. “Make it quick.”

“Where are you from?”

“Hah?”

“You look different. At first, I thought you might not even be human.”

Ah, because I'm the first Asian these people have met for sure. “I'm from Feuerberg. But I don't know exactly where my ancestors are from. Heard it's some faraway island nation.”

“Maybe the Northern Islands?”

Isn't that the place where Muaotef comes from? Are humans even living there? “Don't know, don't care.”

“I see.”

“But you're a Southerner, right?”

“Almost. Déjumian.”

“Oh, that's...” I try to remember the maps I'd seen in Aroahenn: “...actually pretty close, right? Straight south for a week or so.” One neighbor of Daemonicus, the country of demons.

“Yes. Currently not the best place to be.”

“The demons?”

“Worse. You know that there were talks about marrying off the third prince to the crown princess of Feuerberg?”

...maybe I should ask Rine about that. I didn't care before, but thinking about that I might get another country on my back isn't very pleasant. “Aha. So what?”

“The rumors of the princess' disappearance seems to be true. A great blow to the countries' relationships.”

“And how does it make your country suck?”

“You don't know Déjumians, right? We get pissed off easily and we let off steam at each other. Now that our dear Prince Alejandro won't ever marry Princess Katarine, everyone back at home will jump at anyone who visited Feuerberg in the last two years to squeeze out any bit of information out of them. Even if it's just a small-fry guard.”

“...how red-necked are you people?”

“Shut up!”

“Then don't bring up nonsense.”

“...as I was trying to say, Déjumians can act a bit over the top at times. So for now, I'm waiting for the dust to settle... and get a new employer.”

“I didn't exactly ask for any of this, but thanks?” At least that's the first one today, who actually talks to me. Maybe I should ask his name.

“By the way, where is your sister?” There it goes, my whole delight of having a normal conversation for a change.

“Fuck off!”

Seriously, three guys already? Look at Kyou-san, she's Asian! I mean, of course, there might be some guys attracted to her, but shouldn't it be common sense, that most people want to screw someone of their own nation?

I mean, all Japanese wanting to screw westerner girls is just the imagination of some virgin otaku. It's not like many Japanese even consider that. Seriously! At least I never did before coming here!

I’d better not think about me having that wet dream this morning, right after the three girls left, consisting of three girls, including one blonde girl and an alfr. The moment I could finally relax after confirming that the three of them are finally away, I just happened to jump right into it!

But to be honest, who wouldn't have!?

It's the only time I don't need to consider any consequences or their actual personalities!

…

… …

Just kill me already.

“Hey there!”

A group of three guys approaches my table.

“Let me warn you,” I begin in a cold voice: “If any of you want to talk about my sister, my girlfriend, or my alfr companion, I'll stab you. In the front, the side, and three times in the back!”

After that declaration, I can eat peacefully. But even I can't tell how serious about my declaration I am.

“You look bad. Or rather worse.” With a voice like a chiming bell, someone just takes the chair across me, it's Momokawa Kyou-san, my former class rep, my current companion, and my fake little sister.

For some reason, she had just cleaned herself. Not that it's that obvious, but the tiny change of shade of her damp hair made me realize it immediately. Well, I most likely would've missed it, if it weren't for my [Perception]-ability.

“Does that taste good?” Kyou-san points at my breakfast.

“...”

“You can stop glaring at me. Seriously, don't vent your bad mood on me.”

“...where are the others?”

“Arako wanted to retrieve something from our room.” Well, walking around the inn with a backpack on your person is pretty suspicious, so we keep them in our room. “I asked Rine-chan to go with her.”

“...phew.” Kyou-san made a good call because I also worry that some idiot might try to harm Ara-san to protect themselves.

“Good morning!” That's neither Ara-san nor Rine, but some dirty blonde dude. “May I have second with you, Kyou?”

“No need. I have no interest, sorry.” Just some words, half of a look at the person, a sorry manner, everything masterfully fused into a rejection that preempts the actual confession!

The guy barely realizes what just happened, but the expression on his face is glorious!

Kyou-san raises an eyebrow. “Could you please not enjoy it? It's inconsiderate.”

“W...Wait!” The dirty blonde dude grabs Kyou-san's shoulder.

“Could you please let me go?”

“Just give me a chance.” He's really full of himself.

“But if you won't let me go, my brother will hurt you.”

What? Don't drag me into this.

'Play your part.'

'Why?'

“My brother might not look like it, but he can be very violent. There is no chance that I'll ever be with a man, as long as he's not stronger than him.”

You damn bitch!

“I see.” Dirtblonde let go of Kyou-san and builds himself up in front of me, cracking his knuckles.

How can it be, that when I'm with this girl, my mood goes from initially bad to amused to seriously pissed?

I stand up. Of course, that guy is taller than me. More than a head. However, most adult men here are at least half a head taller than me, so I shouldn't mind. It pisses me off nonetheless.

Dirtblonde looks down on me, in a literal and figurative way. Guess he has some muscles as well. My [Ranger]-class grants me some, but he doesn't need to be shy about what he has. “Let's go outside,” he demands.

“No need.” I know that we shouldn't fight in here, but the time I'll need to take that one out is less than the time I'd need to go out. That's too much of an annoyance for a guy like this. “I just need to make sure, that I won't break anything other than you.”

He tries to hit me, but I'm a [Ranger], so because of [Perception], or more precisely [Focus], I can see his shoulder move and get an idea of what he will do. So evading his straight punch is not a problem, but not only that, I catch his arm at his wrist using my left hand.

With my right, I hit his fist from the side as strong as I can. “Uah!” He most likely feels a sharp pain, but that doesn't stop me from hitting it again. And again. I think I just broke his pinky.

Then I kick in his knee area. It's not about precision, just brute force.

I pull his arm in my direction and with it comes the whole guy, who can't keep up with what I'm doing to him. I punch him in the face. During moments like this, I regret not taking a class that has the [Brawl]-ability, since it's actually kinda fun to punch people in the face.

Hah, just got half of his nose and a bit of his eye.

Finally, the guy starts to build up some resistance. He swings his right arm, the one I'm still holding and broke it free, then he tries to get some distance, while clenching his fist. Ah, his face full of pain. Don't clench your fist, if you got a broken finger. It leaves enough of a time-window to punch you in the stomach. Seriously.

"AAAAARGH!!!” That isn't him. This comes from upstairs.

Well, not my business.

Ah dammit. Dirtblonde flails around like some kid throwing a tantrum, and I got hit by a glancing blow.

I could easily end the fight if I were to use more [Skills], but most of them would be flashy, and signal people that they are [Skills]. Being able to use them at my age would be a giveaway that I'm a hero. Well, I guess by now some might already conclude that I'm one. Is there a point in holding back?

"PLEEEASEEE STOOOP! I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! I'M SORRY, PLEASE!”

That is a bit distracting.

Have others noticed those screams? I didn't exactly take my time looking at other people than dirtblonde.

Just what's going on up there?

Dirtblonde is assuming a battle stance, his upper body a bit leaned forward, his arms raised. This is definitely taking too long. Full power and maybe breaking something, or just accept that the battle will be prolonged?

Nah, not my style. I rush forward, dirtblonde throws a punch right into my face, but I take it. It hurts, but I grab his arm again. This time not with my hand, but by clenching it with my whole left arm. I raise my elbow, dirtblonde's left arm protects his face, but I just throw two hooks on his right biceps. “Uh... uh...” This seems to hurt.

Good.

I rip his left arm away with brute force and headbutt that bastard. Again. And again.

It hurts, but I don't care at that point. Not like it's the first time I got hurt. I feel how dirtblonde loses the strength in his legs. So I drag him to the floor and kick him twice. “More?”

“...uh...” He shakes his head.

“Get lost!” And he does. The stuff upstairs seems also to be finished, I can't hear anything anymore.

You gain 1 WP.

You blocked the advances of a rather violent fellow. Showing your strength sometimes shows your wife, that she's safe with you. Try to be more elegant next time though.

There will be no fucking next time if I have a choice. It's not like I fought for her, but because of her!

Wait, Kyou-san? What's that strange look that you’re giving me? “You can really fight.”

“Hah?”

“I mean, you take hits like it's nothing.”

“You get used to it.”

She looks at me quietly for a second, then turns to the small audience we had, giving them a slight bow. “Please don't mind us.” Then back to me. “...sit down, let me take a look.” She points at the chair next to her.

Well, she got me into this, so she can repent a bit by treating me.

I feel her fingers on my face. “Hm... everything looks fine.” She speaks these words clearly, emphasizing them a bit. What she wants to say is 'The message I see shows nothing to be concerned about.'

“Phew...” When I look at her face like this, I could almost believe that she's kind. I'm sure she is at times, just never to me. Because there is nothing in it for her.

“And thank you.”

…

… …

I snap my finger near my ear to check my hearing. Did Kyou-san just thank me? Without a hint of sarcasm?

Hey, after facing all kind of monsters, teaching you in the hero-system, and all the other stuff, this might be the first time you’ve actually thanked me.

I just beat someone up after you forced me to!

What's wrong with you, girl!?

“Ken,” Kyou-san sighs quietly: “I know it's something you'll never experience, but having guys hitting on you is annoying. Here, in this world, I actually have to fear that someone might try to drag me into a corner. So while the beating you gave was as ugly as you, it'll make it much easier for me. I already rejected some guys who tried to hit on Rine-chan and me. With a bit of luck the guys might leave us alone from now on, seeing how they will end up if you catch them.”

“I'll just generously overlook the insult thrown into that, and ask you how you can make it sound scarier to be asked out by guys than in facing ss'rak, monkey spiders, or the oni.”

“Not exactly scary... back in Japan I got used to it at some point.” Oh, she so threw an 'obviously, because I'm pretty' into that. “Just an inconvenience.”

“...how many?”

“What?”

“How many asked you out?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I wanna know how many idiots thought that it'd be a good idea to go out with you.”

“Jerk.”

“How many.”

“I didn't count.”

“Poor guys, they're not even a number.”

“That's how it is.”

Ouch! If they weren't idiots in the first place, I would feel sorry for these guys. Kyou-san has already dismissed them.

Though, somehow it's still strange: “Wouldn't there be one or two shit-faced popular guys among them, statistically?”

“Like Itou-sempai?”

“Who's that?”

“The captain of the baseball club.”

“...can't remember a face.”

“What about Minami-sempai? Student council's treasurer, most likely next president.”

“Well, those kinds of guys.”

“You don't remember him either... seriously, you should work on that. But you want to know why I rejected them as well, right?”

I nod.

“I have high standards.” She pauses there for a moment. “And regardless of what you think of me, I-”

You gain 2 WP.

Your lovely wives have defended your honor, be sure that you shower them with love soon.

...what?

Wives, so Rine and Ara-san? What exactly did they do?

… Oh. “Kyou-san, we should go upstairs.”

If my prediction is correct...

The moment we arrive at the stairs, three people come down. Each of them has hairstyles like a three-year-old girl tried to give her father a haircut. They had actual cuts into the skin of their heads!

One of them might have been handsome, but it's hard to see under the blood and bruises, another one is limping, and the last one is barely able to walk, he has to lean on the mesh-face, I think I just saw them today...

The moment they see me: “““Good Morning, Katsuragi-dono!””” They all saluted me in unison.

…

… … …

… … … … …

“Ken, get a grip on yourself!”

“...?” Kyou-san is shaking me. I think, I just experienced a brainfart. Really, it was just like someone farted into my head, blowing all the thoughts and emotions out of it in one warm and moist wind.

Now the three of them bow to me and hurry away.

I have the feeling that I should feel or think something about that, but I can't. I really can't. Currently, it's impossible to think or feel anything. Muaotef himself could descend, and I would say 'Oh, hi.' to him in an indifferent voice.

“Ken, upstairs?”

“Ah... ah, yes.”

I walk up the steps and see Ara-san with a broom and Rine holding a dustpan. Both of them are sweeping up hair.

Seeing how I'm still out of it, Kyou-san takes over. “Care to explain?”

““What?”” Both of them don't understand.

“The WP-message and those three guys.”