ALL NOVEL Chapter 11: They are off in the head. Those that did the same are also off in the head. (6)
「In which world! Would a person! Skewer every monster around! Just because they are bored?!」
「Well, this is another world, The Impaling Count might've gotten transported as well?」
「He isn't here! We didn't have The Impaler Count among our classmates!」
「As expected of the class president, you remember the name of every classmate?」
「Normally, you would notice if someone with the name like Dracula-san was in a Japanese school!」
「No, if their name was something like Dora A, you might miss it?」
「There is no person with such a name! Or actually, Dora A? Just how many Draculas are out there?! And what if it actually ends in emon?!?[1. TL Note: Cat Robot from the future. Doraemon]」
Yeah, the conversation is going well. I might be a loner, but I'm doing my best. Though the president looks tired for some reason? Did crying wear her out?
The bitches and Vice Presidents are in the rear guard.
「Ah, turn left around this corner.」
「Which corner? Why are there corners in the forest? Don't tell me that you even made intersections in the forest?! Maybe that corner also has a convenience store?」
A fervent retort to a light joke. Is she mad? Did I make her mad?
Well, we arrived.
「Welcome. It must've been a long journey～」 「Haruka-kun, you came with us!」 「……Ehm, I'm just trying to give you a warm reception?」
I lead everyone inside. To think I'd have 20 guests, astonishing surprise for a loner. I'm glad that I worked on expanding the cave.
「「「「「WHAT IS THIS PLACE!?」」」」」
「My home? Welcome?」
Hmm, so the cave is no good? Or maybe it's using wooden clubs as a part of the interior? Or maybe they didn’t approve of the combination of modern organic architecture with mid-century furniture?!
「Eehm, Haruka-kun? What is this hidden underground mansion that looks like someone asked Frank Lloyd[2. TL Note: An American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. One of the most influential architects of XX century.] to design them Mediterranian style resort?」
「As I said, my home? Bonjo~ur?」
「JUST! WHAT! THE HELL! WERE! YOU DOING IN THIS WORLD UNTIL NOW! Also, Frank Lloyd was an American, so it should be WELCOME!」
Hmm, to think I'd finally see the president scream in my house, how moving, so I finally came this far.
「Well, I was pretty bored, being alone, so it just happened? Like, oops?」
「「「「「…………」」」」」
Silent flat gaze, 20 people serving. And high school girls on top of that!! My, I even feel sorry.
No, I just tried to expand a bit and struck a crystal vein. Tweaking it a bit with earth magic and packing, I got a pretty glass-like look from it, so I ended up with a skylight and glass table. I also found limestone, so if tampering with it a bit I ended up with something like white plaster walls, it can't be helped? Right?
Since their silent stares were scary I used wood magic to make 4 huge round beds. No, they can't rotate. Now, 20 people have a place to lie down. As if running away, I head to the kitchen and use my skills polished from mushroom cooking, make a massive amount of it, setting it up on the table. Then, pour hot water into the newly installed jacuzzi.
「Then, having a man around might be unsettling, so feel free to use this place by yourself. See ya.」
「Wait, where are you going? If we chase you out of your own house it would mean that we didn't progress at all. And you even provided us with everything, from food and bath to beds…」
「Well, it's my home after all, so isn't it only natural what I will provide these?」
「But……」
「As I said, no need to do what you can't. And you got attacked by the boys just a short while ago? Also, monsters can't enter here, so you don't need to post guards. You should be pretty tired, so take some rest.」
Okay, I managed to escape, finally, alone again! No, it's just impossible, staying with 20 high school girls, okay? That incredibly heavy and awkward atmosphere is too much for me.
The pressure when I left, I felt all 40 eyes from 20 people stinging into me. It's absolutely impossible.
In the first place, I am a high-school boy. It's just impossible for me.
I hurriedly set up a tent and lay down there. Alone. This feeling of freedom, isolation. This happiness can be known only by a loner. Ah, by now, I'm completely fine with being one. Though as a hikikomori, I ended up escaping from my own home……
・ ・ ・
But this Villager A-san is such a mystery, I know that it's to be expected, since I never met them, but their belongings are way too strange. Even this tent, it can change the size, from a normal tent to an air dome for a whole crowd. I should have done that.
The president came to my small tent. She's way too close.
「Haruka-kun, thank you. Looks like everyone finally calmed down. Or rather, it seems their mood improved thanks to a gorgeous room, cooking, and a jacuzzi. Really, thank you.」
「Eeh, you are welcome.」
「And sorry for occupying the room by ourselves. Haruka-kun, you didn't get to bathe, right? Everyone already undressed to underwear and went to sleep. Ehm, well, sorry. 」
Looks like my resting room turned into a paradise for them. High school girls Paradise, sounds like the name of some suspicious establishment. I wonder how much the entry fee is? I almost felt like paying for it, even though it is my own room.
「It's fine, I already splashed with water. And trying to blend in with 20 girls as a lone man is way more tiring.」
「Right, sorry about that, and thank you.」
「President, you are turning into a parrot, for a while, all of your lines are nothing but sorry and thank you.」
「But what can I do if it's true. In the end, we couldn't do anything and got saved once again. I couldn't do a thing. We are doing the same thing as with Oda-kun and others.」
Aah, as I thought, she is misunderstanding. Her standards are off.
「You are doing fine. You were doing fine earlier. Didn't you organize and protect 14 girls? While we were coming here, you also acted as their leader. You have been trying to organize them since the very moment you came here, right? Talking to everyone, listening to them, checking the situation, communicating on it, you managed to prevent everyone from scattering and dying. Normally, in such a situation one would be barely able to handle themselves, but you managed to look out for everyone, it can't be helped that you couldn't unify everyone. Some followed you, and you managed to protect them, isn't that enough?」
「Uuuuh, but I couldn't do it like Oda-kun and others……」
「It's fine that way, the geeks are crazy. Would a normal person do survival training in case they get summoned to another world? Did you know? They actually carried swiss knives on them, at all times. With LED’s attached. They even carried out regular meetings, so they would be ready to be summoned to any world. They are off in the head. Those that did the same are also off in the head. It's fine if you can't do the same, it actually would be a problem if you could.」
「Isn't that cruel towards Oda-kun and others? They were doing their best?」
「Using those geeks as a standard will make you weird as well. Were they working that hard at school? They began taking things seriously only after coming to a different world, they were doing their best all in preparations for this. At this point one could say that they came because they had to, normally one cannot do the same as them, and it's fine if one can't. They are insane. It isn't cruel to say this at all.」
What they were doing is no different than making preparations for the time you win big in a lottery. That's not normal. They appear amazing just because they actually hit that jackpot, but it's not something one should use as a reference. If we are going to actually do that, then we would need special drills at every school, preparing kids for the time they get summoned to a different world.
「Haruka-kun, thank you, I calmed down a bit…… Really, really, thank you. You are really amazing, Haruka-kun.」
「I'm just doing what I can, I didn't do anything. I was just doing as I please.」
Acting in a group has a lot of benefits, but also comes with many problems, for that, thus restrictions are needed. On the other hand, there isn't much one person can do, but there are also no restrictions. This time, they couldn't set group restrictions, in other words, rules, and thus were unable to act as one. They didn't even have a distribution of roles. As a result, they had only demerits. And the geeks just happened to act in a way that was beneficial. They actually didn't follow any rules and were just doing as they please. No conversation on rules ever happened.
Unable to do anything because they are reading the mood, unable to do anything because they are too busy wagging their tails before those that are stronger. A very unconstructive way for a group to act. The geeks haven't acted as a group since the very beginning. They can't even read the situation, to begin with. That's why the geeks alone could take action. The president worried since she couldn't do the same, but for that one needs a great talent in ignoring the group. And it isn't something particularly nice to have.
「But you have a lot of food, a splendid home and can even defeat a horde of monsters, you can do just about anything? Wait? Aren't you even weirder than the geeks?」
Saying that she pressed one finger to her cheeks and tilted the head. Kuh, how cunning, that gesture is just too cute. But the contents of her words are too cruel. Who the hell is weirder than the geeks?
「I have mountains of food, but all I have are mushrooms, the house turned like this because I had too much free time on my hands, and I could deal with the monsters because they are weaker than those around this area, okay? I'm completely ordinary, please don't lump me in the same group as the geeks. I'm normal.」
Hmm, the dirty and covered in blood president, now was clean and warm, just from the bath. She is too close, but nothing can be done since the tent is so small.
「If this was normal…… Everyone could live happily.」
「It's just the basics of life? Having fun, living an ordinary life.」
In the end, the president repeated her thanks many times and left. Since she is going back to the cave just outside the tent I don't think I have to escort her. Even though it's deep in the night.
Aaah, I wanted to make an underground room in the cave… Using circles.
11th Day – Over.