Chapter 70: Objection!
Kazuma, having done a complete one-eighty, threw a friendly arm around Issei’s shoulder and started walking with a cheerful rhythm.
A rose-colored future awaited him.
Kazuma was about to leave the room, dreaming of the ideal woman he had yet to meet, but there were those who blocked his path.
“Ka-zu-ma.”
Alicia and Charlotte, smiling sweetly, stood blocking Kazuma’s way.
It was a very lovely smile, but the dark aura they were emitting made Kazuma break out in a cold sweat. He put on a sweet smile just like Alicia’s, then turned around and tried to flee.
“Where are you going?”
When he turned back, Kaede and the others were standing there imposingly.
This was truly a case of being caught between a tiger at the front gate and a wolf at the back.
Cornered, Kazuma resorted to his last option.
“Please! Spare my life!!!”
Yes, he was begging for his life.
He dropped to his knees, clasped his hands as if praying to a god, and began to beg the girls for his life.
Kazuma begged shamelessly, his face contorted in tears, but the girls looked as if they still couldn’t forgive him.
After all, they had already confessed their feelings to Kazuma and were waiting for his reply.
And yet, Kazuma hadn’t given them an answer, merely evading the issue, showing no sign of considering it seriously.
And to top it off, he was trying to get Issei to introduce him to someone because he still wanted a girlfriend, so it was no wonder the girls were angry.
“Well then, we will now hold a trial!”
The girls nodded at Alicia’s declaration, and a trial to determine Kazuma’s crimes began.
“A lawyer! Get me a lawyer!”
As a last-ditch effort of resistance, Kazuma demanded a lawyer.
It was a farce, but as a spectacle, it was highly entertaining, so Souji volunteered to be Kazuma’s defense attorney.
“In that case, I’ll be your lawyer.”
“Oh…! Souji-senpai!”
“Then, we’ll be the prosecutors.”
Saying that, Shiori and Aoi stepped forward to stand opposite Souji.
They were Hayato’s and Souji’s girlfriends, but right now, they were on Alicia and the others’ side.
The two of them were also angry at Kazuma for toying with women’s hearts with his ambiguous attitude.
Of course, Kazuma had no intention of toying with them, but his attitude was unacceptable.
“…Sorry, Kazuma. Worst case, it might even be the death penalty.”
“N-No way!? Isn’t there anything you can do!”
“Impossible. You have no chance of winning this trial.”
“B-But I was the key player in the Old and New Student Council Battle Royale…”
“That alone won’t get your sentence reduced…”
“Wh-What should I do…?”
“Resign yourself and apologize by committing seppuku.”
“Doesn’t that mean you want me to die! No way!”
From the very beginning, the death penalty was already decided.
This farce was to make Kazuma keenly aware of the girls’ anger once again.
Kazuma, who sometimes couldn’t read the room or was dense in strange ways, seemed to be aware that he was in the wrong, as he didn’t try to run away anymore.
“It seems you’ve prepared yourself…”
“We haven’t even had the trial, but are you already carrying out the death sentence…?”
“YES!!!”
“It would inconvenience the others here, so let’s go somewhere else.”
Charlotte grabbed Kazuma by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.
The girls who adored Kazuma left, and the remaining students returned to their respective rooms, praying for his safety.
◇◇◇◇
The sun had set, and under a night sky glittering with stars, an exceptionally loud cry echoed.
“Waaaaaaaaah! Sob sob! Uwaaaaaaaah! Sob sob!”
Wrapped tightly in a futon, his face swollen and red like a boxer after a match, Kazuma, shedding copious tears, was hanging from the top floor of the hotel.
He had become a sort of art object, a very amusing sight, but it didn’t suit the hotel’s scenery.
Therefore, normally hotel staff would have quickly helped him, but Alicia had stopped them, so his friends Souji and the others rescued him.
“Thank you…”
“It was somewhat better than being buried in the sand last time.”
“I don’t think either is much different, though.”
“Well, it’s my fault, so I’ll humbly accept it.”
“You’re aware of it…?”
“That makes it even worse. In that case, why don’t you reply to their confessions?”
“Hayato’s right. If you’re always saying you want a girlfriend, you should just accept their confessions. Why are you hesitating? Could it be… you’re getting cold feet?”
“…”
Silence was his answer.
Unable to retort to their words, Kazuma just stared intently at the night sky.
Witnessing this, the two of them widened their eyes in utter shock.
“Seriously…?”
“This might be the biggest shock of the century…”
“Th-That’s a terrible thing to say. I mean, it can’t be helped, right? Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.”
He had always had close female friends.
But he had never once been confessed to.
It was the same in the other world; he had never experienced it before.
That’s why he didn’t know.
What should he do? How should he answer?
What was the right answer, and what was the wrong one?
Kazuma, who had been trained as a Hero and defeated thousands, tens of thousands of enemies, was terribly flustered by his first confession.
“You’ve never been confessed to before?”
“Never. I had close female friends, but somehow it always ended up with us just staying friends.”
“Kazuma-kun, have you always been like that?”
“Well, I don’t feel like I’ve changed much. If I had to say, it’s just that I inherited the Satsuki-ryu and got stronger.”
“Setting aside the Satsuki-ryu, which is passed down to a single child, I never thought you’d be ‘your age and still no girlfriend,’ Kazuma. You get along pretty well with girls, don’t you? You have a face that seems popular with women, and your personality isn’t bad.”
“Besides, your academics are low, but you have outstanding reflexes, maxed-out housekeeping skills, and good communication abilities. It’s almost strange that you don’t have a girlfriend with all that.”
“I’m happy to receive that much praise!”
Kazuma also smiled shyly and looked pleased by their assessment.
“Well, it’s not really our place as outsiders to say much, but you should face them properly.”
“That’s right. I’m not going to tell you to live without regrets. Whether you date them or not, a time for regret will surely come. So, make up your mind. Whatever end you meet, that’s the path you chose yourself.”
“That sounds just like you, senpai!”
“”We are your senpais!””
It seemed he had completely forgotten, but the two of them were indeed his senpais.
They were already graduates and rising stars who were set to join the National Defense Force this year.
However, unfortunately for them, their assignment was under Kazuma’s amusing companions.
Naturally, the two of them had no way of knowing this and were filled with anticipation for their upcoming enlistment day.
“More importantly, let’s hurry to the hall. The banquet has probably already started.”
“You’re right. This isn’t the time to be standing around talking nonsense.”
“I’m starving to death. Let’s get going quickly!”
His face, which had been swollen bright red, had completely returned to normal before they knew it. The two of them looked at Kazuma curiously, wondering what kind of constitution he had, but decided it was pointless to think about it now and chased after Kazuma, who was walking ahead.
When they arrived at the hall, a banquet was underway, and students dressed up were enjoying their meal cheerfully.
As Kazuma tilted his head in confusion at the students’ elaborate attire, several hotel staff appeared and, without giving him a chance to speak, escorted him away.
Seeing where he was taken, Kazuma understood.
The students were dressed up thanks to the hotel’s thoughtful gesture.
“How do I look!”
“You’re full of energy~”
“Yeah. It suits you!”
“Hehehe~!”
Kazuma was wearing an orthodox black tuxedo.
Hayato and Souji, who were praising Kazuma, were also wearing suits that had been prepared for them, showing a different kind of charm than usual.
“Still, this is quite luxurious.”
“Well, yeah. This is also thanks to the Crimson Knight.”
“That’s right. I was surprised that Kazuma-kun is his friend, but I’m just grateful to be able to participate in such a wonderful event like this.”
“So, it’s thanks to me!”
“”Yes, yes, that’s right.””
“Put more gratitude into it!”
In reality, Kazuma and the Crimson Knight were the same person, so what he was saying was correct.
However, only a few people knew that Kazuma was the Crimson Knight, so Hayato’s and Souji’s reactions were understandable.
“Well, anyway. Shall we enjoy the banquet!”
“Good point. Let’s not just stand here talking, let’s get some food too.”
“My stomach’s at its limit, so I agree. Let’s go quickly.”
The three of them amicably went to get food together.