I'm sitting on the gravel.


I've seen this before.

'...... is how it happened.'
'Thanks Magda. I understand.'

Magda seems to have finished telling Estella the story.
Hmm?Tripod strings?
It's already been undone. As soon as I'm on my feet. ...... d*mn.

The deliberations that began with Barbara's declaration that she would be my wife were concluded in a matter of minutes.
The jury was made up of members of the boob patrol, with Estella also serving as a judge. ...... What a biased trial. There's not a shred of fairness.
The defense was Bertina, who saw the whole thing, and Ginette, who listened to Bertina and trusted me.

And for some reason, Magda is the prosecutor.
You saw the whole thing, didn't you?

'So, Yashiro is guilty.
'Wait a minute, you flatulent judge!

Isn't your 'judge' the 'most board'?

'Yes, guilty. No probation.'
'What's the charge, you bastard?
'Insulting the lord, right?That sounds too familiar, doesn't it?
'Where's the story about Barbara's delusions?

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Estella brushed back her red hair.

'I thought you'd said something unthinking and thought-provoking again, but it looks like Barbara just took a little too big a leap.
'What do you mean, 'again'? When have I ever said a thoughtless, suggestive line?
'Conversation records.
'You don't have to be so serious about finding it, you know.

I grabbed the transparent board that appeared and slammed it to the ground. I was going to ......, but it disappeared before I could. Can't you break it?

'So that's what this is all about. I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I'm here.
'Oh, yes. Imelda's right.
'Oh, I didn't know that. I've been told that a few times myself. To the girls in the church.
'You'll be popular, Delia. Someone should get her.'
'I don't want a wife. Norma, if you can't get a wife, why don't you get one?
'No, I can't!It's none of your business!

Why are you staring at me, Norma?
You're having a problem with Delia. You can have all the fun you want where I don't matter.

'All girls say things like that when they're little, don't they?
'Did Jeannette say something like that to anyone?'
'Oh, I might be interested in ......, or in Ginette's case, her grandfather.'

Paula and Nepheli squealed at Ginette, but it was Bertina who denied them.

'Ginette said she would be my wife,' she said.

Ginette admires and loves Bertina.
It's a very funny story. ...... If only Bertina wasn't drooling.

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I've seen it before.
'My sister's petty boasting...'
'It's not trivial!It's a surprisingly happy thing!Besides, Hammaro said it too, when he was little!'I'm going to be my grandmother's wet nurse!
'Loretta, sister-in-law. Can you please give me the right to do so?
''Don't be so afraid all of a sudden, Lucia!I'm so serious that I'm quite taken aback right now!

Loretta is running away from the kneeling Lucia as fast as she can.
She's carrying Hammaro and evacuating.

It's not something to make a big deal about.

So, can we stop sitting on the floor now?

'It happens all the time, right?Cheryl told me that too. Hey, Cheryl?
'Yeah!Cheryl, I'm going to be Yachiro's wife!
'Is that true, Hero-sama?
'You mean, Hero-sama is going to be our son-in-law ......?


'Wuerer!Now go home and boil all the corn you can find!We're celebrating today!'
'Yes, sir!
'Hold on, you couple of idiots!

I'm talking about the kid's nonsense!
I mean, just because Cheryl told me to, doesn't mean I approve!

'Ka-chan. Would you be happy if a hero became your son?'
'Of course I would!It would be an honor, even though I would be afraid.'
'I see. ......'

Oh, you're thinking of something stupid again.
All right, let's get this over with.

'So, that's the end of this story!I'm not going to marry anyone yet, so let's resume the competition.

With my declaration, this conversation is over.
All the people around me thought so.

Except for one person.

Estella messes with that 'only one'.

'Well, Barbara, please refrain from speaking too carelessly. It's a good thing that the Judgment of the Spirits is banned today.
'I don't care if it's not banned, my lord.

In the event that you've got a lot more than one, you'll be able to take a look at a lot more.
Barbara bends her eyebrows in a slightly unhappy manner and declares clearly.

'Aashi will be the hero's wife!I've already decided.'
'No, no...... Barbara, you know......'
'What, my lord?What's the problem if Aashi becomes a hero's wife?
'This is not a problem,......, it's just common sense!
'I don't know anything about common sense!I've already decided!

Stupid people are stubborn in strange ways.
Are they stubborn because they are stupid, or are they stupid because they are stubborn?

He's just saying what he feels like saying.
He's not thinking about it.
'That's better, right?It's definitely better, right?Of course it's good!Okay, decided! That's how short-sighted they are.

And yet, they're so stupid and stubborn that they're a pain in the ...... ass to deal with.

It's a pain in the ass. If Aashi marries Hero, Hero can't marry Teresa, right?
'You don't have to do that, Yashiro won't touch Teresa. ......'
'But the hero can have anything as long as it has tits, right?
'No, not to that extent,..................'

'No', say it!
Say it out loud!
Be confident, be proud!

'But Teresa misses the heroes and laughs a lot when she's with them.
'There it is, the ......, the child killer.

Estella gave me an unwarranted rebuke.
I haven't killed a single child.

'If Arshi marries a hero, Teresa can be with a hero, right?Dad and Dad say they'd be happy to have Hero as a son. Aashi, I've finally found a way to repay you!

Barbara clenched her fists and made a powerful speech.
There's no one who can stop her. I, too, am in a state of 'What am I supposed to do, you stupid b*tc*?
What are you getting up to all by yourself, you stupid monkey? ......

Wait, monkey girl.

The mountain moved slowly.
It's Medora.
There was a look of quiet anger on her face.

'If you'd just shut up and listen, you'd say whatever you want.
'It's Aashi's life. I'm not going to let other people tell me what to do.'
'If you're going to talk about your life, you should keep it to yourself. I can't let my darling's life be sacrificed to your trivial self-indulgence.'
'What, you want to be a hero's wife too?
'Yes, I want to be a wife, ...... a wife, ...... a wife, ...... a wife, ...... a wife.

Are you embarrassed to be here?
I don't know, it's really too late for that!

'If you're not ready, get out of here, you big old b*tc*!
'Preparedness ......?

The fearless Barbara made a grand gesture against Medora.
Medora clenches her fists as the people around her look on in horror. ...... May no one die.

'I've been living in a world where death is a constant companion. I never let my guard down, not even for a blink of an eye. I'm always prepared for anything!



Medora, who's been through more death lines than any of us, howls.
There's no one who can argue with that. A line full of persuasive power.

'I'm ready!I'm ...... ready!

Medora's face turned toward me.
I thought I was going to freak out.

I'm going to ask my darling for an exchange diary if I win this field day!

Preparedness, weak!
You can say something like that over dinner!
Well, I'll definitely refuse!

'So, you're my rival, .......'

Barbara snaps her fingers together.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!No, no, no!
I don't care how much of a Medora you are, if you hit me unreasonably, I'll get angry!
There will be a catastrophe no one can stop!

'Maybe Aashi can't beat you. I can tell by looking at you, you're strong.'

You're not strong enough, Medora!
You're stronger than Delia!Even stronger than Delia, whom you defeated so miserably!

'But ...... Aarushi is willing to die for Teresa and you and you and you and Tot and Cheryl!I'm not sure what to make of it.

Barbara is spreading a tremendous fighting spirit that could be called battle mode.
Perhaps it's because she's been eating well and living a regular life and farming every day, but she's even more powerful than when she fought Delia.
The air is shivering, and just looking at him makes me feel suffocatingly oppressed.

It's impossible to stop this without someone getting hurt,......!

I'm not sure what to make of that.

Barbara jumped up in the face of Medora.
But the next moment Barbara was out of sight.

Up!I thought, but it was down there.

'...... You should know your place.

Magda grabbed Barbara by the scruff of the neck and pinned her to the ground.
There was no "red blur".
And yet Barbara is unable to resist at all.

I'm not sure what to make of that.I'm not sure what to make of it.I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure what to do.
'...... Yashiro is a valued employee of the Sunlit Pavilion.
'It's okay. Even if you get married, you can still work at the Sun Goddess Pavilion. ......'

Magda's fingers tightened and Barbara let out a short 'gulp'.

'...... I'm sure the manager will miss you. Magda will not allow you to make her cry.'

Barbara's bones creak as she sobs.

'...... Besides, Yashiro is an important family member of the manager and Magda.'

Magda's words were spun in a quiet voice, unhurriedly.
Jeannette is holding her mouth and staring at Magda.
She seems surprised. Magda's true feelings are revealed.

'...... Making Magda's loved ones the object of a 'bet' is an outrageous ...... act that cannot be forgiven.'

Magda raises her chin a few millimeters as she says this.

'............And by the way, Loretta misses you, too, and Loretta is important. Yeah. Important.
'You're full of forgetfulness, Magda!

It's Magda's way of hiding her embarrassment.
Don't get so worked up, Loretta.

'...... Yashiro is not a thing, and there are many people around who care about him. It's not a problem that can be solved by Barbara's selfishness alone.

With that said, Magda releases Barbara.

Barbara jumps up and distances herself from him like a wild animal would.
Her eyes widen in astonishment and she stares at Magda, not caring that her face and clothes are dirty. No, she is on guard.

Magda looks at Barbara with her usual blank expression, and tilts her head.

'...... Do you understand?
'Yeah, but you know what?

Just as Barbara was about to retort, Magda's figure disappeared and she instantly appeared in front of Barbara, hitting her on the cheek with her tail. and struck her on the cheek.
Magda spins around and asks again with a graceful gesture.

'Did you understand ......?
'............ Yes.'

Magda ...... you're strong.

'Ke, but Aashi is serious about ......'.

You're still arguing with me, Barbara.
Give it up already. You don't even like me.

'I mean, do you like Yashiro, Barbara?



Paula asked me exactly what I was thinking, straight out.
Paula is a little puffy.
Her tail is also puffed up.

'Do you like ......?
'So, liking is ...... something that makes you throb ......, isn't it?Neffery?'
'What?Why are you dumping on me?
'Tell Barbara what it's like to like someone!You're good at it!'
'I'm not good at it!
'Forget it!
'I'm already ...... Paula is ......'.

Mumbling, Nephrite stands in front of Barbara, who has been thrown to the ground.
He glances at her once, then quickly turns away.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the chickens at the elementary school also used to scurry around a lot.

'I like ...... is a very happy feeling .......'
'No, I know what 'like' is.'
'Then don't make me explain it to you, d*mn it!

Nefari turns red and returns to Paula.
The line between 'tosaka' and 'tosaka' becomes vague. Don't get too hot. Don't get too hot, I'm afraid you'll smell bad.

'Arshi likes Teresa, and Mom and Dad, and Tot and Cheryl.

I know that all too well.

'So, well, maybe you'll like them when they become family.'
'Barbara, you don't like Yashiro and you want to marry him?
'Yes, but is it bad?
''Is it bad?'' ......

Paula opens her mouth wide.

''Teresa, you and Cheryl like the heroes. So why don't they get married?
'Hey, Barbara. Marriage is not for the sake of the family, you know.

I've heard people say that marriage isn't just for the family in traditional Japanese families. ...... I didn't think there was anyone who would disrespect the family. It's a political marriage. I don't have any connections in any part of the world.

I don't have any connections anywhere. I have Yashiro's feelings. Hey, Yashiro?

Nefari suddenly asks me a question.
If you're talking about my feelings, there's no way marriage is an option.

'Hero!Don't you like Aashi?'
'You, have you done even one thing to make me like you?'
'No. I like Aashi a lot. Let's see, what's your name, ...... you're as good as this raccoon ...... guy.''

If you're on par with someone whose name you can't even remember, you don't even like them anymore.
And it's probably Omero, right?
My pride won't allow me to be on the same level as him. Then I'd rather be unranked.

Well, I don't want a woman who talks about marriage on that level.
That's how I was going to break this story,......, but he dropped the bomb first.


'Then who do you like, hero?


The hall, shine!

It's true that silence hurts my ears.
It's so uncomfortably quiet!

I can feel people's eyes on me!
Don't talk to me like that!
I'm a scammer, and I'm in the process of laying the groundwork to resume my day job here, and I'm not sure if I'm going to be that special thing with anyone in particular or not, so that means, in essence, ............


'...... apart'.


When I turned my head away, I heard sighs from all over the hall.
Sighs of disdain, like 'ugh ......'.

That's so annoying!
So, whoever you are, take over!
If there's anyone in this situation who can say, 'My favorite onninoko is Kimisa,' then come forward!

I mean, I don't even know who I like, but that's it!

'Then just call me Aashi.
'Huh!Tell me when you're over F-cups!

That's right, that's right.
You can always just dodge them like this.
...... Well, there were a few people who said, 'So, anything under E is worthless? ......In the event that you have any kind of questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at .......

'Sure, Aashi's tits are small......'
You know what?So, well, give up ......'.
'But if you're okay with this, you can rub them as much as you want.'

............
............
............ What an idiotic thing to say. It's a good idea.



'I just heard a sound from inside my brother's heart. I heard that sound from inside your heart!
'...... wavered plainly.'
'Yashiro-san ......, please repent already.'
'Yashiro ...... you, please think about the time and occasion .......'
'You really are a helpless man, aren't you?
'Wait, wait, wait!You haven't said anything yet!
I'm saying that the fact that you can't say anything anymore really speaks volumes about your true intentions, doesn't it?

Natalia.
Can you please stop trying to break the argument with a theory that doesn't have a single crack?
I'm not wavering.
I was just thinking of the old phrase '24/7' that I used to hear so often in Japan!

'Barbara-san. Don't talk like that.
'But, Sister.
'No, you mustn't. Miss Barbara is a pretty girl.'
'............ is not pretty.'
'She looks very pretty to me, doesn't she?
'............Hmm.'
'You promise?
'...... Yeah. Okay.'
'Yes. Good girl.'

In the bleak atmosphere, Bertina gave Barbara a lesson.
Not with a whip, but with candy.

Yes, yes.
It's Barbara's fault for saying strange things in the first place.
Barbara's fault. That's right.

"Mr. Yashiro.

Bertina is beckoning to you.

'Let's do penance, shall we?
'...... later, can we do it all at once?'

I'm sure I'll be asked to do several penances before this topic is settled.
...... You're teaching me to be a whip, Bertina.

But what is wrong with this atmosphere?
I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of people who'll be able to help you out.

Here, Ginette--


24 hours a day, 7 days a week!


--If only she'd said something like that, the rest of us would have given up and said, 'I can't compete with that.
...... Okay, I'll make a suggestion.

'Jeannette, just try it.
'Please repent.'
'I haven't said anything yet!
'You're giving me that look you get when you're thinking about something naughty. Oh.'

Oh, ......, did I make that face too?
I wonder how many different types of "usual faces" Jeannette often refers to. ...... I mean, isn't it terrible to make assumptions based on faces?

I'm not sure what to say, but I think it's a good idea.
I'm sure you'll have a lot of questions.

You could say something nice with an ugly face!
I'll always be with you.


I'll always be there for you.


...... Oh, no.
It's the kind of thing that can get you cheered or screamed at. You could get arrested for this.

'...... Anyway, Barbara should know 'love' properly before she talks about marriage.

Magda says something decent in an atmosphere that's starting to get out of hand.
That's right.
It's strange that we can't do such a natural thing.
You don't have to do anything special.
You just have to do the 'normal' things normally first.

'Loretta. Tell her to be normal like me.'
I refuse to be 'like me'!

What if you, the rightful owner of normalcy, don't set an example?
There's no one more normal than you!

'Hey, what is 'love'?

Barbara says something strange again.

'Is it different from liking?

Is there really a difference between 'love' and 'like'?
Well, I guess not.

'It's not the same as the 'like' you're talking about.

The kind of love Barbara is talking about is for family, for Delia, for a place where you feel comfortable.
That's not love.

'Then what is 'love'?
'What is ......?

Don't ask me, it's not.


I don't know what to say.
Ask someone who's good at that kind of thing.

'Ask Neffely.
'Why are you dumping on me, all of you?

No, because...
You seem to like love.
She knows fortune telling and spells and all that girlie stuff.

'So, let's see, ...... love means ............ wanting to spend more time together, wanting to talk more, and so on. ...... But I'm shy to look at your face, I want you to know me better, but I'm afraid to let you know too much. ...... I want to touch your hand, I want to feel your warmth... I'm not sure what to do.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to say.
It's a hell of a question, isn't it, to ask someone to talk about love?

'So next is Paula'.
'Yashiro, you're amusing me, aren't you?

No, no, no.
I was just wondering if there was any demand for it?

'This, "love" is ...... a very happy feeling, but it also makes you feel insecure at the slightest ...... thing, and you may be surprised that you don't want anyone to take it. I was surprised that I didn't want to be taken away by anyone. ...... It was really a series of surprises, and I felt like I was changing more and more. ...... It was scary, but also exciting. ...... ...... There are hard times ......, but even so, she has such great power that all your worries will disappear with just one look at her face....
'Paula. ...... I know!
'Nephrite!

Paula and Nephrite hugged each other.
A few of the girls around us nodded their heads in sympathy.

I wonder if that's how it is for girls.

For boys, it's something like, 'Ooooh, I want to rub it! I think something like that is 'love'. ......

'What?Umaro'.
'I don't know, but I can't relate to that!

d*mn.
He's getting defensive in life, isn't he?

'I don't get it at all. ....... Loretta, do you understand?
'Heeey!What kind of questions are you asking in front of your brothers and sisters?
'Isn't it?You don't get it, do you?
'I'm not saying I don't understand!I'm not saying you don't understand!

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm sure you'll understand.
I don't know what it is, but I'm getting this itchy feeling. ...... Don't look at me.

'You don't even know what love is. ......'

The little pioneer comes in, his long ears flicking.

'He's a child.

She is Rebeka, the winner of her first love, who is now engaged to be married.

'It's impossible to have a true marriage without knowing 'love'. Don't say anything bad, just do your best to fall in love first.
'...... Rebekah is right. Barbara is not ready for marriage.'
'That's right!It's time for serious love before marriage!

The girls surrounding Barbara nodded their heads in agreement.
In the face of this, Barbara finally relented, albeit reluctantly.

'...... I understand.'

And as soon as he came through the crowd of girls to my front door, he raised his finger and declared war on me.

'If Aashi falls in love with you before the field day is over, I'll have you as my wife!Prepare yourself, hero!''
'...... haha'

I could only laugh dryly, but I was relieved.
We'll be fine.

There was no way that Barbara would suddenly wake up in love like she was struck by lightning.

'Well, good luck with that.
'Yeah!

With a manly smile on his face, Barbara raised her fist.
Then, with his fist still up in the air--

'Hero, you can fall in love with Aashi if you want!'

--Such a manly statement.
This time I didn't even get a dry laugh out of him.

'Yashiro-san.

He tapped me on the shoulder, and I wondered what was going on. ......

'Now that our conversation is over...'

Bertina and Ginette smiled. They took me to a simple confessional by Umaro and forced me to do penance.

The unreasonableness of the world will never go away. ...... d*mn.