Episode 1: Whaaat?! You’ve Gone and Done It Now!
After drawing lots and finishing their first shrine visit of the New Year, Kazuma made a certain suggestion.
“How about we do some mochi pounding after this?”
“Oh! That sounds great! Definitely!”
Led by an enthusiastic King, the others were of the same opinion.
Kazuma called Honoka and asked if it was okay to pound mochi at Ivy.
She said she would allow it if they also prepared some for the children, so Kazuma readily agreed.
Having received permission, Kazuma had the women return to Ivy and prepare for the mochi pounding according to Honoka’s instructions, while the men went to buy the ingredients.
Kazuma and King carried large bags, while Stephen walked with a few small ones.
Since those two were the strong ones, it was a natural consideration, but they had completely forgotten that Stephen was the owner of an Item Box.
“By the way, can I ask something?”
On the way back to Ivy, King asked Kazuma in a solemn voice.
Stephen, hearing a tone from King he’d never heard before, gulped, and sweat began to form from nervousness.
Right now, he was walking with America’s strongest man and the world’s strongest man.
If these two started fighting, just how much damage would result?
Stephen imagined the worst possible future, and a cold sweat wouldn’t stop.
“What is it?”
“Well, can I call you Kazuma too?”
“That’s incredibly late to ask! But sure, it’s totally fine.”
“Thanks! You can call me by my name too, Kazuma!”
“Isn’t ‘King’ better? It’s kinda hard to start calling you Edward now.”
“Hmm! Now that you mention it, you’re right! Call me whatever you like!”
“Alright, King it is then. That settles it!”
Kazuma decided to keep calling him King, as it would be a hassle to start calling him by his name, Edward, at this point.
Of course, he remembered that his name was Edward.
However, he concluded that since he had always called him King, there was no need to change it.
“Ah, right.”
On the way back to Ivy, Kazuma, as if suddenly remembering something, took out his phone and made a call.
The contact was his classmate, Kosuke.
Kazuma sent Kosuke an email asking if he wanted to come to Ivy for mochi pounding.
After walking for a while, he received a reply from Kosuke, and Kazuma looked down at his phone screen.
It said that he was back at his parents’ house and couldn’t participate.
It was unfortunate, but not mandatory, so Kazuma sent a reply and made the same suggestion to others.
Then, he received a favorable reply from Shunsuke, a classmate from the Combat Course.
Kazuma, reflecting on how he had caused trouble by not reporting Alicia and the others’ participation at the Christmas party last time, told Shunsuke this time that King and the others were participating.
‘About the participants, King, the Witch, and the Holy Maiden will be there, is that okay?’
‘Looks like you properly reflected on last time. But I think it’s a bit much to tell me that after I said I’d participate.’
‘Sorry ’bout that. So, what will you do?’
‘Well, no problem. Besides, it’s a hot topic online right now, isn’t it? You being with King and the others.’
‘Ah, it’s because we went to the first shrine visit together. King was doing some fan service on the way, so it’s probably up on social media.’
‘Exactly. Also, there’s talk that they came to scout you.’
‘Scout me? Why?’
‘You don’t know? You’re a super hot topic student right now. They’re calling you ‘The Strongest Civilian’ who overwhelmed Kenzaki Souji, the guy who was said to be the strongest student.’
”The Strongest Civilian,’ huh…”
‘It’s because your Gift is Transposition. Since you don’t have a combat-type Gift, you’re no different from a civilian, right? That’s why, The Strongest Civilian.’
‘I see. Understood. But back to the topic, are you good to join the mochi pounding?’
‘Yeah. Is anyone else coming?’
‘I contacted everyone I know, just in case. Of course, I made sure to tell them King and the others are here too!’
‘Got it. Just tell me the place and time.’
‘Okay.’
Kazuma told Shunsuke the time and place and put his phone away.
Then, he informed the friends who had replied that they would participate about the time and place, and Kazuma returned to Ivy.
When he returned to Ivy, tools like a mortar and pestle were prepared in the plaza that served as a playground for the children.
It seemed the children had also helped, as they came to greet Kazuma and the others, greatly excited.
And then, Honoka came out from inside Ivy.
“Welcome back. The preparations are ready.”
“Thanks. I invited some friends, is that okay?”
“No problem. However, if they do anything outrageous, I’ll be hitting you then.”
“That’s one hell of a lecture…”
“Isn’t it obvious? I can’t very well strike someone else’s child, so you’ll take responsibility for that much.”
“Okaasama, you also care about public appearance, don’t you?”
“It’s a parent’s role to discipline. It’s a teacher’s role to teach. Therefore, I will give warnings, but I won’t get angry.”
“I see… Well, I guess I’ll have a word with them.”
“Well, you’re the one most likely to get carried away and cause me trouble, though.”
“It pains me that I can’t deny that…!”
He was a high school student, just a little short of adulthood.
He should be capable of proper discernment.
In that respect, Kazuma, being a big child, was the biggest problem child.
If anyone were to trouble Honoka, it would likely be Kazuma.
After that, Kazuma carried the luggage to the kitchen and proceeded with the mochi pounding preparations.
Despite everything, Kazuma had been strictly disciplined by Honoka.
He accelerated time-consuming tasks with magic and finished the preparations efficiently.
Having finished the preparations, Kazuma headed to the plaza and began preparing the steamer.
He was supposed to burn firewood using a fire starter, but since Kazuma was a magician, he used magic to do it without any hassle.
As the mochi rice was steaming, the friends Kazuma had invited began to arrive at Ivy.
A large group, starting with Shunsuke, came to Ivy.
There were at least a dozen people.
Moreover, most of them were from the Combat Course, not his own Support Course, making it unclear whether Kazuma belonged to the Support Course or the Combat Course.
“Whoa, everyone! Happy New Year~”
“””Happy New Year~”””
“””Happy New Year.”””
Kazuma, who had left King in charge of the fire, welcomed Shunsuke and the others.
Taking the drinks, snacks, and other items Shunsuke and the others had brought, Kazuma guided them inside.
Guided to the plaza, Shunsuke and the others saw King, dressed in hakama, tending the fire, and their eyes widened.
Furthermore, seeing Alicia and Charlotte nearby in kimonos, they almost felt like this wasn’t really Japan.
However, since Kazuma had told them beforehand, they weren’t too flustered.
Still, the impact of the three was significant.
“Sorry~. Can you guys help me prepare the chairs and tables~?”
Kazuma, having placed the luggage from Shunsuke and the others in the kitchen, started pulling out chairs and tables from inside to create an eating and drinking space.
However, since there was a limit to what he could do alone, he called out to his friends gathered in the plaza.
Hearing Kazuma’s request, his friends followed his instructions and carried out the chairs and tables.
“Thanks!”
“Is this all of it?”
“Yeah. It should be enough, right?”
“Well… probably?”
Including the children of Ivy, the staff, and Kazuma’s group, it was quite a number of people.
“Hmm… Worst case, we can just eat standing up, I guess.”
“Yeah. I think that’s a good idea.”
It was decided that chairs and tables would be prioritized for children and women, and Kazuma and the other men would eat standing up.
“Hey, Kazuma~. Isn’t it about ready~?”
King, who was tending the fire, waved a hand and called out to Kazuma.
Called over, Kazuma rushed to King’s side and transferred the mochi rice that had been set in the steamer to the mortar.
“Alright! Let’s start the mochi pounding~!”
“Yeahhh!”
King and Kazuma were holding the mallets.
They had clearly picked the wrong people.
Anyone who knew the situation would understand, but there was no one to flip the mochi.
“Alright, let’s get started right away!”
“Wait, King!”
King, holding a mallet, swung it back 크게 and was about to strike the mochi but was stopped by Kazuma.
Not understanding why he was stopped, King tilted his head, mallet still raised.
“First, you start by kneading it like this. Pounding the mochi comes after that.”
“Oooh! Is that so!”
Kazuma demonstrated for King.
Kazuma and King kneaded the steamed mochi rice with their mallets.
Shunsuke and the others, watching this, were dumbfounded, their mouths hanging open.
“What’s his relationship with King?”
“No idea. But it doesn’t seem like a bad one, at least.”
“As usual, Kazuma’s pretty out there~”
“He’s really something, dealing with King like that.”
“Fearless, or just an idiot…”
It was a terrible way to put it, but as an evaluation of Kazuma, it was accurate, so it couldn’t be helped.
Kazuma was already treated as a rare beast, an eccentric, or a pervert by his friends.
No matter how he tried to smooth things over now, their evaluation of him likely wouldn’t change.
“Alright, King! I’ll flip the mochi, so you pound it at high speed!”
“Leave it to me! Ah! Hey, you there!”
Shunsuke, who had been watching them, was pointed at by King and became greatly flustered.
He looked at Shinya and Tsuyoshi beside him, but they shook their heads, indicating it wasn’t them.
Resigning himself to the fact that he had to go, Shunsuke approached the two.
“U-um… Yes? What is it?”
“This is my mobile. Could you take a video? It’d be a waste not to show the whole world my mochi-pounding skills!”
Just as you’d expect from a man known as the epitome of validation-seeking.
Even if it was just pounding mochi, the option of not publicizing it simply didn’t exist for him.
Shunsuke took the mobile from King and began recording the two of them pounding mochi.
“King! Hurry up before the mochi gets cold!”
“OK! Keep up with me, Kazuma!”
“You too!”
A mochi-pounding session like none ever seen before began.
This was mochi pounding by a duo formed of America’s strongest, King, and the world’s strongest, Kazuma.
It was guaranteed to be a spectacle.
The two were perfectly in sync, but the camera couldn’t keep up with their incredible speed.
“A-amazing…”
“For that pestle and mortar not to break even under King’s power… what in the world are they made of?”
“More importantly, isn’t Kazuma insane? How is that guy keeping up with King’s speed?”
“Maybe King is matching his timing for him?”
“Either way, both of them are just unreal…”
The crowd was wildly excited by the duo’s overwhelming performance, one that looked like it could become a new fixture of New Year’s celebrations.