Episode 42: This is a story about something I experienced in another world, but…
The morning of the second day of the school festival was beyond bustling; it was utter chaos, but with a lot of help, we somehow managed to get through it safely. However, it wasn’t over yet. The afternoon still remained.
The peak times for a café are usually in the morning and around three in the afternoon. But today was different. After all, we had four big stars: Knights of the Round Table, the Holy Maiden, and the Witch. Naturally, there was no way we could rest.
“I-I’m gonna die…”
“…”
Kosuke was trembling, and Kazuma had become a living corpse. After garnishing the pancakes he received from Kosuke, he immediately used Transposition to swap the numbered ticket with the plate of pancakes.
Just then, the class representative, Kureha, entered the kitchen and offered refreshments to Kosuke and Kazuma.
“Here. You two, keep up the good work with this!”
The two were handed a famous jelly drink that could replenish energy just by drinking it. As they looked at her with dark eyes, wondering if there would be a break, Kureha hit them with cruel words.
“Ibuki-kun, take a thirty-minute break! Satsuki-kun, drink that and keep going! It’s okay! You’re Satsuki-kun, who could run that much during the sports festival! It’s a piece of cake for you, right!”
His own abundance of stamina having backfired on him at this point, Kazuma wore a dry smile. Blaming himself for getting carried away, Kazuma mocked himself and continued working with the jelly drink in his mouth.
While Kazuma struggled alone in the kitchen, Bedivere, Tristan, Charlotte, and Alicia were having a field day out in the hall.
They dealt with the endless stream of customers, persuaded overly persistent ones with conversation, repelled those who tried to overstay by ordering too many cups of coffee, and steadily increased the café’s sales.
“Ahahaha! This is fun, isn’t it, Charl!”
“It is fun, but I’m starting to get tired~”
“You’re right. Now that you mention it, we’ve been working non-stop since morning without a break. Besides, I can’t go on a school festival date with Kazuma.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“Let’s go ask Miss Hyodo if we can take a break!”
Once that was decided, Alicia immediately went to Kureha and asked if they could take a break.
“Hey! Miss Hyodo!”
“Y-Yesh! What can I do for you!?”
“When’s our break?”
“Eh, ah, right. When would be good for you?”
“Anytime is fine? In that case, could we take it right away? I want to go on a date with Kazuma.”
“With Satsuki-kun…”
Kureha paused to consider the loss if Alicia and Kazuma were to leave. Kazuma, needless to say, was a food-serving robot, an indispensable presence. This was especially true today, with an unusual number of customers.
And Alicia was a crowd-puller. While Kureha wanted her to stay, she wasn’t that crucial. With Charlotte and the Knights of the Round Table still there, it wouldn’t be a problem if Alicia alone left.
Having considered all that, Kureha judged that it would still be profitable enough and approved Alicia’s break.
“Okay!”
“Thank you! Charl, we’re taking Kazuma and going on a school festival date!”
“Eh? Me too?”
“That’s right. With those two around, there shouldn’t be any problems for a while.”
“Understood!”
“Eh, um… eh?”
Kureha, who hadn’t expected the Holy Maiden to be taken along as well, was simply bewildered. However, there was no way she could say “no break” now. In the first place, she was dealing with the Witch. A mere student couldn’t possibly talk back to her.
Without changing, Alicia and Charlotte barged into the kitchen in their current outfits, abducted Kazuma, and left the classroom. The Holy Maiden’s escorts tried to follow them, but by Charlotte’s order, they were to continue their part-time job at the café. Besides, with Alicia by her side, there was no greater reassurance.
“But, this should reduce the number of customers a little…!”
True to her words, the number of male customers who came for the Holy Maiden and the Witch decreased. In their place, the number of customers aiming for the Knights of the Round Table doubled. In the end, the amount of work didn’t decrease, and they continued to work tirelessly.
Kazuma, dragged out of the kitchen, was walking through the academy grounds flanked by Alicia in her cat-ear maid outfit and Charlotte in her bunny-ear maid outfit. Naturally, he was the center of attention.
“I can feel so many stares…”
“Really? It’s no different from usual for me, so I can’t tell.”
“Me neither.”
“Well, of course, for you two! As for me… well… never mind.”
At this, he recalled his time in the other world. As a Hero, Kazuma was used to being the center of attention. In fact, when he returned to the royal capital after defeating the Demon Lord, they even held a triumphal parade for him. That said, it had been a while since he’d felt gazes filled with killing intent, and he found himself reminiscing about the old days.
“(Two world-famous beautiful Gifted. And on top of that, I’m walking around with them in cat-ear and bunny-ear maid outfits. Of course, I’d be the target of jealousy…)”
Many of the stares were filled with jealousy. Just walking around with the Witch and the Holy Maiden was unforgivable enough, but he even had them cosplaying. It wouldn’t be strange if fans and believers harbored killing intent towards him.
“(But still, no one’s attacking.)”
Kazuma had forgotten, but the Witch Alicia was right next to him. No matter how much radical fans plotted to kill Kazuma, as long as Alicia was by his side, they would absolutely not make a move.
“Hey, Kazuma! They’re doing a play, right! Want to go see it?”
In the gymnasium, a Combat Course class was performing a play using Gifts. The acting itself was at an ordinary student level, but its impact rivaled that of a movie. The production, utilizing Gifts, thrilled the audience.
“Hmm. But I wonder if Alicia will be satisfied watching it~”
“The atmosphere is what’s important! I’ve never participated in events like this, so everything feels fresh and new to me! That’s why it’s so fun to look around the school festival with friends like this!”
“A-Alicia…”
Kazuma found himself tearing up. It was easy to imagine that Alicia, due to her powerful Gift, had lived a life different from ordinary people. Thinking about that, Kazuma decided he should grant Alicia’s wish.
“Alright. Then, shall we go see it? Is that okay with you too, Charlotte?”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to it too.”
“Then, let’s go!”
And with that, Alicia, for some reason, linked arms with Kazuma. Seeing this, Charlotte, after flustering about whether she should do the same, grabbed Kazuma’s other arm just like Alicia, pressing her ample bosom against him. Flanked on both sides, Kazuma was bewildered.
“(What in the world is happening?)”
Kazuma was on the verge of elation, wondering if this was the rumored “popular phase,” but he quickly calmed himself.
“(No, no. I was tricked like this in the other world too, wasn’t I? Fell for a Honey Trap. That was close. But Alicia doesn’t seem like the type to do that, and Charlotte is a mystery… I don’t get it.)”
In the other world, Kazuma had been deceived by Honey Traps many times and had fallen victim to them. Even knowing it was a trap, it was a man’s nature, so Kazuma had shed tears many times, thinking it was fine even if it was a trap.
“(Hehe, how nostalgic~)”
They certainly weren’t good memories, but once past, they became amusing stories. The day he could talk about this with someone else would probably never come, but even so, the day would surely come when he could proudly say that the days he spent in that world were definitely not a waste.
However, the memories of readily following a beautiful woman’s invitation, even knowing it was a Honey Trap, were just tales of foolishness.
◆◆◆◆
This is a story from when Kazuma was in the other world.
Summoned to a typical, classic fantasy world, Kazuma had been invited to a party for defeating one of the Demon Lord’s generals. Although he was a minor, that didn’t matter in the other world, so Kazuma drank alcohol and his spirits were high.
Right then, a Honey Trap was set for him. A beautiful woman approached the drunk Kazuma, tempted him with sweet words, and led him out of the party venue to a deserted place.
“No one will come here, Hero-sama.”
“O-Oh, ooooh~!”
“Here, please have this.”
“O-Oh!”
Kazuma, now a chimpanzee who had lost the ability to speak, drank the alcohol he received from the woman, unaware it was a trap, and his body became paralyzed.
“Th-This is!?”
“Fufufu! You foolish Hero! Dieee!”
“Aaaaaaaaah!?”
The woman swung a hidden dagger down towards Kazuma. Unable to resist, all Kazuma could do was scream.
Just when it seemed all was over, a female warrior companion appeared gallantly, like a hero. The female warrior deflected the dagger that was swung down at Kazuma and glanced at the paralyzed Kazuma, who couldn’t move due to the paralysis poison.
“How many times do I have to tell you before you get it! I warned you to be careful of a woman’s sweet words, didn’t I!”
“Ababababa.”
“Tch! Paralysis poison, huh! You bastard, who put you up to this— No, never mind. You poisoned the Hero. Die!”
The female warrior didn’t even allow the woman any last words and cut her in two without any mercy whatsoever.
“Good grief… How many times do you have to fall into a trap before you’re satisfied, you?”
“Sowwy…”
“Huh? Is the paralysis poison wearing off?”
“Probably… just a little more.”
“…You, don’t go acquiring poison resistance over something this ridiculous.”
The female warrior, sighing in exasperation, had dragged Kazuma—still paralyzed and unable to move—and regrouped with their companions.
◆◆◆◆
“(Yeah! That’s hardly what I’d call a fond memory!)”
Kazuma, finally snapping back to the present, resolved to quickly put it out of his mind and went on to enjoy his school festival date with Alicia and Charlotte.