**Day 15: In Front of the Cave – Tent**
Alright, today is orc day again. Sounds like they want revenge.
Yesterday after we got back they held a meeting and even did mock battles. They're really putting in the effort.
Once this is over they can head to town, so of course they're motivated.
Kobolds—the fastest monsters in the forest—are no longer a threat. They can even handle groups of goblins. So the only thing left is the orc, the strongest monster in this forest.
Once they reach town they'll be able to get proper weapons, and they might even learn better ways to fight. Unlike me, their levels will keep rising steadily.
If they can defeat orcs, there won't be anything left for them to learn in this forest.
"Today might be the end, huh?"
Well, I promised to escort them at least as far as town. I want to see the town too, and I have no idea what might be between here and there.
Monsters are one thing, but I don't know if the class rep and the others can fight thieves or other humans.
There might even be monsters we've never seen before.
I wonder if the otaku made it to town. The bitches have been living just for the chance to apologize to them.
But… I get the feeling the otaku might get kicked out of town?
Breakfast wasn't called yet, so I decided to do some light practice.
I took my staff and swung it while walking, walked while swinging.
I can't stop moving.
My power is weak.
I'm fragile when hit.
So I have to be fast.
Increase the number of strikes.
Increase the techniques.
Extend the staff.
Hold the center with both hands, thrust and sweep with both ends.
Switch grip and swing through.
Switch again and thrust.
Never stop stepping forward.
Swing with the momentum of each step.
Thrust with the momentum of stepping sideways.
If I stop, I'll be killed.
If I lose momentum, I can't finish them.
Never stop.
Sharper.
Keep moving.
・
・
・
"""Ooooh~, clap clap clap!"""
Apparently I was being watched? I got a little too focused… Wait, I didn't strike any poses, right? I didn't, right?
"Haruka-kun, did you train in some kind of martial art?"
It looked like martial arts to them. Probably because I was imagining Shaolin or Journey to the West while practicing with an extending staff.
"No, I didn't train in anything. Self-taught?"
"Really? It looked pretty polished though."
The secret that I sometimes practice cool-looking fight scenes alone in front of a mirror is still safe. Obviously the signature poses are also secret. Seriously!
"Breakfast? What's for breakfast?"
"Of course it's fish!"
Today is also a good day. The fish is delicious.
・
・
We advanced through the forest while hunting goblins and kobolds. Today's mushroom harvest was also huge.
"I think the mushrooms are food for the monsters. Since there's someone exterminating the monsters, that's why there are so many mushrooms, right?"
Makes sense. That would explain why there are so many monsters, and why the mushrooms around the cave restore HP and MP—so the monsters here are strong. It lines up.
"So lots of mushrooms mean lots of monsters, and lots of monsters mean fewer animals~? Total massacre. I want meat."
We kept hunting while chatting and headed deeper.
Everyone's level has already passed 30. The area around the cave seems great for leveling up. Too bad I'm the only one who can't level here.
・
・
・
We finally found an orc at Lv16. A bit too strong?
"There it is. Can I take the first one?"
"Yeah… be ca…reful?"
For some reason she sent me off with a question mark.
I walked normally and stepped out in front of the orc. No sneak attack, no sudden charge.
I swept the downward club swing outward with the right end of my extended staff—then rotated and struck with the left end using the momentum.
I spun my whole body and swept at its legs with centrifugal force.
It didn't fall but staggered. I drew its attention downward, then thrust at its eyes. When it guarded with the club I slashed at the now-open legs—scattering strikes up, down, left, and right to pressure it and force it to keep defending.
I pushed in to stop its feet, then circled around and thrust at the hand holding the club.
Continuous strikes—moving the whole time, simply repeating, simply attacking without pause.
My targets were the eyes, legs, and weapon. I attacked from my side and forced the orc to defend.
The class rep and the others had been worrying about lacking a finishing move. If there's no finishing move, then use dirty tricks.
I just need to eliminate the orc's options one by one.
When it doesn't come at me, I use feints to break its stance.
I threw fire at its face, and when it flinched I struck.
・
・
・
The orc already had its eyes crushed, had lost its club, both arms could barely move, and it was dragging one leg.
"I'll leave the finishing blow to you. Want to try your big move?"
"Thanks, Haruka-kun. Today's fight was actually useful."
With that, they ran to surround the orc. Yeah, I got bored so I handed it off. That part is top secret.
But "today's" — yesterday's wasn't my fault, right?
No, because the otaku's info and… even the class rep said… and so on as I grumbled endlessly.
"Get back~ Ei!" "Now's the chance!" "Eeeeei!"
Looks like the magic team unleashed their big move. A simultaneous barrage of stored-up attack magic. Total overkill.
"Good work~"
I served everyone juice made from forest berries. As expected of girls, they're fast. Their reaction to sweet things is completely different… Wait, did one of them just seriously use Shrinking Ground?
・
・
The second orc was Lv10. Just right. Reasonable price.
The girls surrounded and fought it without any danger.
Their coordination was solid, and more importantly, unlike yesterday they understood each other's roles. Their attacks linked together cleanly without any wasteful moves.
The archers and mages targeted its eyes. When it protected its eyes, its legs were stabbed repeatedly.
When it tried to protect its legs and swung its club, its eyes got hit. In the meantime its arms were shredded.
This is a win— No one said "aah~" but it's definitely a win.
Then it's time for lunch! Right, yesterday I did BBQ and got yelled at. So today let's do salted fish and mushroom soup.
Yesterday I got yelled at for decorating with flowers. But a high school boy doesn't make the same mistake twice. Unlike the otaku, I can read the room.
That's right, it's not about flashiness. For Japanese people, it's wabi-sabi!
I gathered dead branches, bundled them, and smoked them. Then I washed them cleanly and completely dried them with Temperature Magic.
I carved bowls and plates from logs and used Packing Magic to straighten thin branches before sharpening the tips into chopsticks.
I also made a table and chairs from logs.
Looks like it's done—this rustic driftwood-style atmosphere using dead wood, simple yet thoughtful hospitality.
"Welcome back~ Dinner's ready~"
I prepared water so they could wash their hands.
""""We're back— Wait, why does there always have to be a delicious smell while we're fighting!!"""""
I got yelled at? So in the end, high school girls can't understand wabi-sabi hospitality. Ei, call the head chef! Wait, that's me!?
Why do I get yelled at every single day?
Is it the effect of Useless Blockhead?
Even though they're complaining, everyone is asking for seconds. At this rate I might get the "Bullied Kid" title too.
We defeated Lv8 and Lv11 orcs in succession, and today's final orc was a big Lv13 with Insatiable at Lv5.
"Wait… why do its eyes look so lewd?"
"Is this thing targeting the girls with bigger chests?"
"Kyaaa— Don't come this way! What does that mean!!"
"Fufufufu… Ignored. I'm definitely killing it…"
"Eh~? Why is it only coming toward me~?"
""""Heh~, I see~, that must be tough~!"""""
"Kuh… Traitors!"
"Fufufufufufu— I'm seriously going to kill it…"
"Why… is it… ignoring me…?"
No good. They're turning on each other.
The orc collapsed, but the girls' friendship also collapsed.
Needless to say, the culprit behind the destruction was Vice Class Rep B.
・
・
・
It's already pretty dark, so let's head back quickly… It's kind of scary?
"Seriously, whether it's that guy or the orc earlier, if you like them that big then just transfer to Boob Planet already!"
"Ignored… Again… Even by the orc…"
"Eh~? Why am I~ the only one being ignored~? Ehh~?"
""""Heh~, I see~, that must be tough~!"""""
As expected, girls' friendships are fragile. But between the forest and Boob Planet, I'd rather transfer to the latter. Seriously, please!
・
・
Dinner ended, and while everyone took turns bathing we held a meeting. A girls' meeting of 20 + 1 loner.
"Um, tomorrow we'll head downstream along the river in the morning. If we're still in the forest by early afternoon, we'll come back here once… Is that okay?"
"Yeah, we don't know if we'll suddenly find the town, so half a day of searching. If we find the town or a road, we'll keep going."
"Then let's go out fully equipped. We'll put the luggage in the item bag, so pack it up."
""""Okay~"""""
Well, I can just stuff all twenty girls into a villager A's magic tent and sleep in a sleeping bag or normal tent. That should be plenty.
I also made plenty of dried fish. Mushrooms are more than enough. Even if all twenty-one of us got stranded for a long time, we'd have more than enough mushrooms. It's basically Item Bag capacity vs mushrooms at this point.
If we leave this place for several days it'll probably be overrun with mushrooms… and goblins too.
**Day 15 – Midnight – In Front of the Cave – Tent**
I went outside in the middle of the night and headed toward the forest.
If I headed toward the cave at midnight someone would probably report me.
I headed into the forest. A midnight stroll.
"Yo~ Long time no see?"
"Haruka~ I know you noticed us, so stop already. It's pitch black. Going back will be scary."
"No, why are you following me instead of coming out? Are you idiots? Ah, right, you are idiots. Yeah yeah."
"Yeah yeah my ass! Why are you instantly confirming we're idiots!"
Ah, noisy. Loud voices. Sweaty. Gross.
"You… following high school girls through the forest and then appearing in the middle of the night? That's already extremely suspicious. You could win an idiot contest at this point, right?"
"I'm not following the girls! I was following you!"
"…Homo-san?"
"No—! Don't call me homo! At least say BL… Wait, I don't want that either!"
Ah, noisy. Loud voices. Sweaty face. Gross existence.
"No, why didn't you show yourselves in front of the girls?"
"…I can't trust them."
"You heard about the otaku getting abandoned, right? And how they ignored the girls when they were being attacked? So which side is harder to trust?"
"…Yeah, you're right. But… I just couldn't trust them. I couldn't."
He's unusually deep in thought for an idiot. It's probably still an idiotic thought. Worse than resting.
"What idiotic reason made you suspicious? I mean, you're an idiot, right?"
"Idiotic reason… You heard about the whole Puppet and Charm uproar with the scum, right?"
"I heard. I even met the otaku who ran away."
"After that incident, I completely stopped being able to trust anyone."
"I don't get it. Then why are you suspicious of the girls and otaku instead of the scum?"
"You'd understand, right?"
"Ah~, I'm thinking. Even though it's pointless, I'm thinking. If even you idiots can figure it out, even goblins could. Just go ask the goblins. You'd get along. Because you're all idiots."
"Harsh. The fact that it's the usual level of harsh is annoying!"
Surprisingly, there seems to be a tiny fragment of intelligence inside one of these muscle-brain sports club guys' brains.
"…It's Plunder, right?"
"Yeah… Why is it that the guys who were smart enough to make a huge fuss about Puppet and Charm and stay on guard never said a single word about Plunder, which even we know is dangerous? In fact, they were the ones who taught everyone how to hide their skills, saying it was better to keep them secret! That's weird, right? Definitely!"
"You're an idiot~ You went that far, stayed super cautious—and what if I had it? There'd be no point hiding it."
"If you had it, that'd be fine. No one else would say anything. Wait… do you have it?"
"I don't, but I did learn Servitude. Wouldn't that be more dangerous for you guys?"
Yeah, these guys are definitely more suited for Servitude than Puppet. No matter how you look at it, they're on the same level as goblins, otaku, and bitches—monster category.
"Why do I feel like that one's even more dangerous!? Why?"
They instinctively sensed danger. As expected, they're the same species as goblins.
"Well, whether it's Plunder, Puppet, Charm, or Servitude… as long as you have it, it's fine. If it's you, I'll lower my head and join up. But… I can't trust the others."
Looks like the conversation is going to get long, so I let them into the tent and fed them.
They eat a lot. Well, it's mushrooms so it's fine.
"I don't know why you're only trusting me, but if you're going to trust me, I'll say this. It's fine."
"…Yeah, got it."
"Eh, that's all? You don't need reasons or explanations?"
"No, even if you explain I probably won't understand? If Haruka says it's fine, then it's fine, right? Probably?"
It's fine, apparently. They don't seem to understand what's fine, but it's fine. Their heads definitely aren't fine.
Is this the effect of feeding them? It feels like I could actually use Servitude on them… but I won't. Because they're noisy when they're around, their faces are sweaty, and their very existence is gross.
"Thanks for the meal. Phew, then I'll head back and tell everyone it's fine. Apologize to Oda and the others for us. We'll come lower our heads again properly."
He left. Is that okay? Really?
I stuffed his bag full of mushrooms, so the bribery operation is perfect. Persuasion should go well. Chain feeding. I refuse to use Servitude! Because they're noisy when they're around, their faces are sweaty, and their very existence is gross.