So I’m a Fish, So What?

“Let me give it to you directly, Class Rep. No matter how much you lament or struggle, keeping both your life and freedom together was impossible from the moment you reincarnated into this world.”

Kicking off our ‘negotiation’, I went ahead and stated the simple but cruel truth.

Ms Oka is way too dedicated, overprotective, and paranoid to let any of us live freely after glimpsing the supposed cause of our deaths.

This woman went as far as to sacrifice her social life in a country like Japan just to become the perfect teacher and friend for her students.

This isn’t something a normal person can do.

No matter how peaceful and friendly Japan seems on the surface, it is a fact that its societal and cultural norms are brutal.

The nail that sticks out is hammered… hard and without an ounce of mercy.

For her to go as far as to base her entire personality around anime and manga– even going as far as to adopt that weird verbal tic speaks volumes about her personality.

As shown in the anime, she is the kind of person to go above and beyond as long as she believes it would lead to the result she desires.

In this case, that result is to guarantee the lives and safety of her students– regardless of their own will.

This is actually a common issue when it comes to overprotective adults.

They can quite literally destroy your entire life and future just because ‘it’s better for you’.

If Oka hadn’t acquired the Student Roster skill, maybe things could go differently.

But my butterfly effect wasn’t enough to change her personality to the point where she was spared of that, regrettably.

So here we are.

Whether it’s her unchangeable fate or just one of D’s many sick jokes, Oka remains an enemy for the time being.

More specifically, the true enemy is her father, the elf chief Potimas Harrifenas.

“As I said before, someone has vital information about all reincarnations. And considering the timing of our deaths, the timing of that soul connection, and the information itself, that someone is most likely Ms Oka.”

Sachi’s response was to stare me down with a thoughtful look on her face.

She doesn’t know how she should react, especially since I just demonstrated the consequences of blindly trusting others.

“Isn’t that good for us?”

Unable to make a decision, she decided to bluntly voice her doubts instead.

“I mean, going along with your words, Ms Oka was just born into this world, meaning she’s still our homeroom teacher and hasn’t changed much.”

“If it’s just her, then it’d be fine. But how do you suppose Ms Oka would act after discovering that her beloved students were also reincarnated into this dangerous world?” I retorted with a scoff.

“Oh….. I guess I can see your point.” She confessed.

“Right? I guarantee her first thought would be to collect us somewhere under the guise of protection– which is just another form of imprisonment in my opinion. Now how do you suppose she would go about that as a newborn?” I lead her on.

“By exposing us and asking for foreign aid.” She answered almost instantly, her voice laced with a tinge of disappointment.

That’s why I chose Sachi over the others.

Dealing with smart, rational people is obviously better than dealing with naïve, sentimental idiots.

This isn’t some kid’s anime where friendship and love can beat everything.

Sadly, not many of our classmates would share that notion at present.

They would only come to their senses after they realize their lives aren’t in their hands.

A few of them refused to open their eyes and give up those naïve, optimistic, and bluntly selfish fantasies till the very end.

Ehm –Shun– Ehmmm –Hugo– Cough.

“Maybe she can trust the one she can confides in, but can you? I for one would either flee or kill them since they know of my secret. You just can’t trust anyone— especially with how attractive our overpowered reincarnation skills are to anyone.” I pointed out expressionlessly.

“Yeah, I get what you mean.” She nodded, apprehension evident in her voice.

Well, it will take all reincarnations a while to get over the hurdle of murder.

Nothing I can do about that.

If anything, Kumoko’s the champ for not flinching or even changing her face after her first kill.

What about me, you ask?

I’m an inhuman freak on the inside, so I never had this problem.

“But why are you so sure it’s her? Couldn’t it just be one of our other classmates?” Sachi doubted in a hopeful tone.

“No shot.” I promptly dashed her hopes. “If the information I got was just a bunch of letters and numbers, I might doubt it a bit. But it was all organized in a table format that is oddly reminiscent of a class roster. The type a teacher would carry.” I added.

“That is suspicious, isn’t it? She was standing on the podium in the last memory I have on Earth.” She affirmed my thoughts. “Well, let’s just hope whatever adult she finds doesn't turn out to be a villain then.” She sighed weakly.

“That is the most we can do.” I helplessly echoed her. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing we can do. Preparing for expected emergencies is survival 101, y’know?” I grinned confidently.

“What can we– no, what can YOU do though? I’m just a powerless baby right now. Or can I come with you? You said Ms Oka knows our birthplaces, not our current locations, right? Wouldn't it be safe if we just left?” She suggested with a hopeful tone.

“You wish.” I refused with an amused smile. “The situation on my side is very erratic and dangerous. Your safety would at least be guaranteed if Oka takes you under her wings, but I can’t guarantee the same.”

I proceeded to exaggerate the dangers she might encounter if she joined me while conveniently leaving out the fact that I can easily resolve them.

“Ya see, I’m almost always traveling around the world just like I did before. And trust me, Earth is considered safe when compared to this word. This is coming from someone who walked almost every inch of land on Earth” I carelessly shrugged my shoulders.

Truth be told, Earth is an incredibly dangerous place.

There are a plethora of grave situations you could experience on Earth if you’re unlucky enough.

Natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are fairly common in select countries.

Wild life crises like food poisoning, beast attacks, and venomous insect bites occur daily all over the world.

Then you have man-made hazards like human trafficking, wars, etc… which are much more common than you’d think.

But Earth is just an amateur when compared to this planet.

From a macro perspective, the planet itself is near collapse, which would cause total annihilation to anything and everything inhabiting it.

You might be happily going about your day the way you usually do when a passing by legendary monster happens to sneeze, wiping your entire town off the map.

A slave trader gang might take a fancy to your child and send a dozen bandits after you, killing you and kidnapping the child.

Maybe the noble lord of your province or whatever takes a fancy to your daughter or wife’s beauty and takes them away by force.

The latter two offer the quick relief of death if you’re a man, but open up a whole new hell if you’re a woman– ‘cause you are most likely the victim.

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg.

It’s simply impossible to survive without having enough strength or a strong backing.

Who knows what else is possible in this unknown world.

It’s a hell-level difficulty world.

So unless it’s Aiko, Segawa, or Katia, I certainly won’t go out of my way to take care of any reincarnation.

Frankly, –and I’m not sorry– that’d be troublesome as fuck.

“I sadly am unable to spare the effort to take care of you, but I also can’t just leave you to fend for yourself.” I continued before she had the chance to reply.

How could I let the free labor I painstakingly searched for slip through my hands?!

“Judging by how poor your parents are and how bad their quality of life is– it probably won’t be long before they sell you.” I revealed indifferently.

“Huh?! Sell?!!” Sachi exclaimed in shock.

I didn’t expand on the issue though.

She should’ve already understood what I meant the moment I said it, and her question is just a subconscious one out of astonishment.

“Whether Oka can find you after that is questionable, but I personally believe she should be able to. That woman’s way too determined to give up.” I faked a shiver.  “What happens in the period between you getting sold and retrieved, however, is a mystery.”

Ignoring her increasingly paling face, I began laying out my temptations like the whispers of the devil.

“You can delete that risk by signing a soul contract with me. You’ll get my protection and support in exchange for giving me a teeny tiny bit of help when needed.” I offered seductively. “I dare not declare myself the strongest in this world, but I can confidently say I’m the hardest to catch and therefore, the safest to entrust your life to.” I boasted proudly.

Shame?

What’s that? Does it taste good?

It’s not food? Then why would I give a fuck about it??

Sachi just stared at me in utter confusion, as if saying is that really something you should be proud about?

But as a seasoned professional, I just kept my flawless smile without giving any reaction.

“.... Let’s suppose I agreed, what will you do about the slave traders you spoke of?” She probed cautiously.

“I will let them take you but keep contact with you through the contract. In case you encounter any life-threatening trouble, I can promptly teleport to your location. If I can solve it, I’ll solve it. If I can’t, I’ll at least save your life.” I answered without much thought.

In other words: I will kill the source of the problem if possible, otherwise I will just take you and run away.

You can’t blame me for taking such a disgraceful approach.

If this gal somehow pisses off Potimas or Ariel, the most I could do is remotely teleport her away.

The former is armed with a whole freaking army of large scale destruction robots and a set of 50+ thousand stat cyborg bodies, not to mention his deadly cunning and mad determination.

I’d rather not become enemies with him before the time is ripe.

The latter is strong as fuck, not to mention a potential ally considering the prideful Kumoko will willing work under her in the future.

I could ask a favor from D when that happens, but I’d really rather not.

Sachi is nowhere near worthy of a favor from the almighty Goddess of Destruction herself.

“Last question. Why should I trust you?” She sharply questioned me.

“Because I’m your best choice– and the only one for that matter. The others don’t give a fuck about your opinion” I coldly answered with a half-smile.

I’ve already said everything.

And despite her not having any choice in the first place, I let her be in control of this confrontation to give her the illusion of free choice.

As long as she believes the choice was her own, the chances of her rebelling down the line will be reduced to the minimum.

This is especially so for a straightforward girl like Sachi

We were locked in a staring contest for over five minutes before she looked away first.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

Her tone was plain, but her words expressed her determination.

The fish was hooked and now it’s time for the hunter to reel it in.

“It was a pleasure to deal with you, Sachi-chan.” I smiled slyly.

Finally, this stupid fiasco is over.

I swear to D, if I ever decide to take another reincarnation under me, I will just force them into it regardless of their will.

Sachi’s is and will always be the only exception.

Her reincarnation skill is very valuable, so it’s best if she joins my side willingly.

I already analyzed and acquired it during our conversation though, so I’m the ultimate winner no matter what happens in the future.

Pulling up a special system window, I carefully drafted the contents of the contract before offering them to her through the W system.

The terms are fairly lax and I didn’t intentionally hide a bunch of loopholes inside for once.

On my side, I offer her protection, guarantee her well-being, and help increase her strength from time to time.

On her side, she is to cooperate with me whenever needed unless said cooperation is judged will result in her getting harmed.

A two-way term was added at the end which states that both of us are forbidden from purposefully hurting each other in any way unless it was previously discussed and agreed on.

It’s a very basic contract if you ask me.

Let’s just not mention the fact that I can brute force my way through its binding and turn it into a master-slave contract whenever I want, by the way.

This tiny little detail is irrelevant if you want my opinion.

After all was said and done, I returned all the items I moved back to their place, disposed of my empty soda can, cured Sachi’s parents of the sleeping medicine, said my goodbyes, and left through the front door.

The sun has already climbed halfway over the horizon and I wanna be back at Alleius before it takes its right position as the master of the skies.

My cute little Neo might be scared out of her mind if she wakes up and discovers my absence, after all.

 

---