*

　A thunking sound was heard and Mako opened her eyes thinly.
　Fene was standing at the entrance of the room with a frying pan and a spatula.
　To say she was cute in her apron would be an understatement.

'Brother, it's morning.'
...Oh, dear.

　Mako sat up, biting off a lack of stretching.
　He'd gone to bed early last night, but he didn't feel well-rested.
　He got out of bed and turned his head.

'I knew I wasn't going to sleep with my armor on,'
Yeah.

　When Makoto blurted out, Fene agreed.
　Wary of the human-faced rabbit's re-attack, I wore my equipment - I took off my basket hand and leg armor, as it were - and went to bed, but it may have been a mistake.
　Not only did I not feel sufficiently rested, but my shoulders were strangely stiff.

'Why are my shoulders so stiff when I have the power to bludgeon a monster to death?
That's why there aren't any more innkeepers.
That too, I suppose.

　That was an off-target answer, but if you're going to level up and be able to camp out in the field with impunity, the destination is homelessness.
　No matter how strong they become, humans cannot live alone.

''Brother, your breakfast is getting cold.''
Yeah, okay.

　Makoto left the room, shaking his head from side to side.
　He left the room and found himself in the living room.
　Or perhaps I should call it the living room, dining room, and kitchen because there is also a cooking stove.
　By the way, there are three rooms in the house, which are connected to the living room.
　The rooms are occupied by Makoto, Yuka and Faene, and Liv and Laura.
　You can find a lot of people who have been in the same boat for a long time.

''...Good morning.''
Oh!
Good morning.
....

　Mako sits down in the empty seat while joki, joki and snapping her neck.
　Liv and Laura return the greetings, but Yuka is silent.
　She has an uninteresting look on her face.
　I have a bad feeling, or rather, I only have a bad feeling.

''It's bothersome.''
What?

　Makoto muttered, and Yuka's voice broke out.

'I thought you were going to pounce on me, so I made the first move.
That really pisses me off!
You two are in such good spirits this morning.

　Fene walked over to the pot and poured the soup onto a small plate.
　She put her mouth on the small plate and raised her eyebrows with difficulty.
　Apparently, it's not finished yet.

'So what's going on?'
'Ask me what's going on before you start picking fights!
Liv?

　Deciding that they can't have a constructive discussion, he turns his attention to Liv.

'Yuka doesn't want Mako to be taken.
You're not the only one.
It's not!

　Before I could say that there was a cute part of me, Yuka interrupted me before I could say anything else.

'You think you're going to be chipper today, but you feel like you're not funny because you keep asking me about me?
You know what I mean.
I've known him a long time.

　I mean, I can't think of anything else to say.

''Kucsho, after all the chirping you did yesterday those guys really suck.
I think you're about the same.

　Makoto clenched his temples and grunted half-eyed.
　It's a brilliant flip-flop after he said something like he wanted to leave the team yesterday.

''A ... corkscrew coaster?''
What's that?

　Only to find out that she wasn't praising him, Yuka looked miffed.

'Your character,'
Why am I on a Corkscrew coaster?
No, I've only been on a few of them myself.

　When was the last time I went to an amusement park?
　I think it was probably the first year of junior high school.

"You know how roller coasters fall from high places?
You think I'm a moody person?
You need a twist.
Yeah, yeah, you're saying I'm a moody, twisted person.

　Yuka shouted in frustration and turned away.

'Mako, don't start talking about breaking up the team.
You....

　How dare you say that about yourself?

"They only see your strength. I know what they're capable of.
You're an old lady?

　Fortunately, I've never seen it in real life, but it's the kind of line that sounds like something an aunt who claims to know who gets ahead would say.

'Who are you, auntie!'
You're the only one.

　I feel like I'm getting more tired.
　I've heard that lactic acid, a fatigue substance, is produced when you're told boring stories, so maybe that's it.

'If I'm an auntie, what about Laura!
Hey!
Oh.

　Yuka stared at Laura awkwardly as she let her voice falter.

'Wow, I'm a little over twenty years old,'
I'm sorry.
Don't apologize.

　Ugh, Laura hung her head helplessly.
　He may be past the marriageable age by other world standards, but from a makoto perspective, it's not a problem.
　If I said that, it might be thought that I was taking words, so I'm keeping my mouth shut--''

'Don't worry, I won't say I'm going to break up the team. You need to make more money, and I don't see any reason to break up the team to help them.
I believe in you.
I know.

　'You don't trust me,' he adds in his mind.

'Watch out for the honey trap. Old guys like you, who are a bit of a punk like you, get all smitten by a high school girl and then immediately fall for it.
That's awfully prejudiced.

　Where is the word "believe"?

''Wait, honey trap... your classmate is an intelligence officer?
'People will do anything and everything when they're cornered!　So I'd at least sleep with an old man ala old man!
That's an awful lot of nonsense to say.

　By that logic, it would be strange if he didn't have a physical relationship with Yuka - but--
　Does this mean that he had the luxury of time while experiencing that much shura?

''Hmm~, but isn't it possible to pull out?
Pulling?

　Yuka frowned at Liv's words.

''It wouldn't be surprising if someone wanted to join our team, would it?
I don't like it.

　Liv giggled.

'So what about Mako?'
I'd really like to have someone who can do recovery magic.
No!　I absolutely hate this!　If anyone can use recovery magic, it's Kirara, not Fujika!

　Kirara - I think I was calling her Hossino-san until yesterday, but I think the hand-wringing has made her less likeable.

'What, there's only two of you?'
And I don't want to!
I'm not looking to be an active participant.

　We need to make sure he's willing to do this and let the conversation go through.

'Laura!　Classify me as a holy knight!
Oh, I don't think jobs are so easy to change classes with--
Mako, go!

　Yuka yelled, pointing at Laura.

'What's the go?'
What?　That's so dull. Fane kissed Anta and powered up, so Laura should be able to power up too, right?　And by the way, I don't want to!　I'm not going to kiss you when I die!
"You're not afraid to sacrifice others.

　When I looked at her, Laura had an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.
　The fact that she was glancing at me with a flickering gaze probably meant that she was not full of it.

''What if........you don't power up?''

　Fene asks as she sets the food on the table.

'I don't do that,'
"Isn't it bad that a nobleman kisses someone so lightly?
A schoolboy's sense of virtue. You don't diminish your virtue, so why don't you just let him kiss you?
Miss ....

　Fene gave him a subtle look.

*

.........hmmm....

　Mako walked out of the house and gave a big miss.

'You look sleepy, don't you?'
I'm not sleepy, I'm sleepy. His shoulders are very stiff.

　I answer Laura, rubbing my eyes.

'Is Laura okay?'

　She's the most heavily armed of the group.
　She must be pretty worn out--''

'I'm used to it, I'm fine.
Is it a matter of habit?
Yes!

　Laura replied with enthusiasm and made a cute little power bump.

'You can sleep soundly standing up,'
Get used to it?
I'm used to it!

　Being able to sleep soundly while standing up is a realm of special skills, but Laura insisted that it's something she's used to.
　It seems that he has been trained as a knight since he was a child, so it's possible that he has acquired the skill without even knowing it.
　The possibility that the job includes a skill that allows you to sleep soundly while standing is also undeniable.

''Other than Laura, is there anyone else who can sleep soundly while standing up?
Of course!
Okay.

　Mako heads to the church used as a command center.
　After a while, Laura opened her mouth as if remembering.

'Oh, no, no, I don't know anyone else who can sleep soundly standing up except myself.
Okay.
I guess that's one of the few things I'm good at.


　Before I say anything else, I'll give you one of the missing pieces.

'Why don't you wash your face?'
Yeah.

　I'm going to meet Luke - I'm going to meet my superiors, so I have to keep up appearances.
　Makoto touched his pocket and frowned.
　He seemed to have forgotten his handkerchief.
　As I was thinking about whether I should go back for it, Laura held out her handkerchief to me.

'Mako-sama, if it's a handkerchief, you can use mine.'
Thank you. Where's the well?
The well is in front of the church.

　Laura chuckled.
　The world is a strange place to be when you're this beautiful and you miss the right age for marriage.

'There it is,'
I didn't notice.

　There was indeed a pulley well in front of the church.
　Makoto drew up the well water and dipped his hands in it.
　It was surprisingly cold.
　He scooped up the water with both hands and washed his face.
　He repeated the process several times and wiped his face with a handkerchief he'd borrowed from Laura.

I'm sorry I got you soaked.
No, it dries quickly.

　He carefully folds the wet handkerchief and hands it over.

　--!

　Suddenly, Makoto heard a voice and looked around.

'What's wrong?'
Yeah, I heard voices.
A human rabbit?
No, no.

　The human-faced rabbit was impulsive, but now it's emotional.
　If I had to say it was more like sadness.

'Whose son--'
Oh!

　I looked at the direction the voice came from and saw Fujica standing there with her pouch.
　She was wearing makeup last night, but now she's sober.

'Good morning,'
Good morning, sir.

　Wary, Fujica approached slowly.

'Don't be in awe, man.
If that's the case.

　Makoto sits down on the well girder - the bricks that surround the edge of the well.
　Fujika throws the tub into the well and pulls it up with a rope.

'Have you just woken up?'
Why would you ask me that?
He's not wearing any makeup.
Well, sort of. I didn't have time to put on my makeup, getting ready for breakfast or anything.

　Fujica scratched her head and puckered her lips in a way that didn't seem amused.
　I thought I might have stepped on a land mine, but the cause seemed to be the preparation of breakfast, or some other incident related to it.

'I don't think I'd be better off without my makeup on, though.
I mean, it's a weapon.
Armed?
'Sometimes it's easier for people to shy away from you when you're wearing makeup and people think you're a b*tc*. Well, I don't think you'd understand if you told a kid like Makoto.
Kid.

　I muttered to myself and Laura let out a sneaky laugh.

'I'm not old enough to be called a kid.
Is that an insult?
I'm Alafore, Alafore.
I'm not that stupid.

　It was true, but Fujika looked miffed.
　She slapped the water on her face as if to take out her frustration and wiped her face with a face towel.

'I knew you were going to wear makeup.
I told you I wanted to be armed.

　Makoto muttered, and Fujica stopped reaching for her pouch.

'So, you don't want me to wear makeup that badly?
It's enough to make you think you don't have to. I'm 40 years old, so having a gal around makes me nervous.
I'm still talking.

　Fujica laughed in disgust.

'I mean, it's a virgin to brace yourself with a gal so close to you.
He's just too frail.

　Whether you're a virgin or an old man, you're going to get defensive when someone who obviously has different values than you approaches you.

'You don't seem to be defensive, do you?
I'm getting some life experience.
Is that a problem?
'It's not like ... well, maybe not quite. You're easier to talk to.

　It doesn't matter if you've learned to socialize, or if you've got life experience, if they won't talk to you, that's it.
　The bottom line is that you can't talk to someone who is insane.

'I've never heard anyone say that to me before.
Well, you may be a bit of a gal, but at heart you're a little girl.
Hey, sweetheart.

　Fujika blatantly frowned.

'You go to Okawa Academy, right?'
It's a useless brand right now.
The brand is, you know.
Being a little girl doesn't help either.
Indeed.
It won't do you any good.
It's a different world.

　Mako muttered sincerely.

'How about that one?'
Maybe I didn't have the skills to be useful.

　I don't think the skills I acquired in my former world are of much use in this world.
　Even the kempo I learned in high school, I almost died many times before I was able to use it in a real fight.

'I suppose my working experience, or rather my ability to think about arrangements, might have helped.
I'm a junior high school graduate and I'm working.
He's a high school graduate.

　Fujika muttered with a mysterious look on her face, and Makoto corrected her.

'You don't have to be so vain,'
It's not about looking good.
Mako is having a hard time.
That's what I do.
'I knew I'd have to work hard, didn't I?
How can you say no to that?

　Hard work or no work, those who have ability will rise to the top.

When I was young, I was told a lot of things, but I'm doing the same thing, so I'm sure Fujika can do the same thing, right?
What do you mean by "a lot"?
That's not how it works in society and all that.
I've been told that.
"Don't worry about it, that's a common phrase of people who want to give you seniority. Unless you're extremely low on ability, you can get by.
Is that how it works?
That's about it.

　In Makoto's experience, there are only a handful of people in the company who are really good at their jobs - less than 10% of the people he's met.
　The company I worked for was a black company with a high turnover rate, so the percentage of people who can do the job is probably a little higher for society as a whole.
　If 20% of society is made up of able-bodied people, the remaining 80% are ordinary people.

'Well, then, if I ask to be on the team, you'll be on the team.
Was Job a monk?
'Yeah, well, just so long as I can heal my wounds and restore my condition.

　Fujica looked down unsurely.

''I don't have any objections.
'Seriously?　But.....

　Fujika looked up happily, but quickly looked down.

'Satou would disagree,'
You look like you have a point of view.

　I have a feeling that if I tell them I'm going to raise the bottom line of the war, they'll complain and accept it.

'I know you're listening, but I left Satou in the dungeon. In hindsight, I think Satou was right, but there was an air of punishing him at the time...''

　Why did I do that, Fujica muttered.

'Was it peer pressure?'
Synchronization?

　Fujica parroted the question back to me.

'What do you call it, the kind of guy who has a tacit understanding that he has to do this or that and then excludes anyone who deviates from it?
Like bullies?
That could be the cause.
Maybe I do.
Is that why you want to be on my team?
'Umm, yeah, the air is so cryptic I feel like I'm going to be the next target.
Okay. I'll make a move to get you on my team.
'Really?　But what are we going to do?
'Since Fujica wants to come to me, it's like laying the groundwork for Lord Luke.

　Kouki won't allow Fujica to leave the team because he will lose his own handlers.
　That means the person to negotiate with is Luke.

Except ... you know what I mean?
Oh, yeah, I'll do anything.

　Fujica turned over and glanced at Laura.

'You don't have to do anything s*xual, you know.
Oh, yeah.
What I wanted to say was to get your mind right. If Fujica were to quit, I'm sure there would be people who would say things like, "Let's say Fujica decides to quit, and you might get threatened, but don't listen to them.
....

　Fujika had a dumbfounded look on her face.

'You're the only one who can put you first. What you think is best for you is what's best for you.'
I think I know something about that.
So it's settled then.

　Mako stood up slowly.

*

　Luke stood up quietly as Mako and Laura entered the church.
　The church hall was deserted and there was no one there but Luke.

'Lord Mako, we have a few more minutes until the meeting?'
'I just thought I'd add my apologies for last night's incident.
"Apology?

　Mako bowed her head to Luke, who muttered suspiciously.

'I'm sorry for acting on my own last night,'
No need to apologize. That was my instruction.
Thank you.

　Mako raised her head and bailed lightly.

''Well there's no one here to tell you, is that okay?''
'I was able to make a loan to Lord Luke, and I was able to fulfill Christine's request. It wasn't a loss.
Ha, that's a funny thing to say.

　Luke smiles wildly and Mako laughs too.

'What are your plans for today?'
That's what we're going to talk about, the search for a human face bunny base. I'm going to leave this to Kouki and his team.
Are you okay?
It's like there's a huge difference in ability between the two, even though they're called "guests". It's hard to say.

　Luke said with a snarl.
　From the way he spoke, he himself didn't want to leave Kouki and the others to find the base.

'Can we join you?
I don't mind.

　Luke gave me a probing look.

'What do you want?'
I can't stand to see my countrymen die. And I've got a girl I want to pull off.
You're the real deal. Which one?
Fujika is a monk.
Yeah, there you are.

　If it took him a while to remember, he's probably never had any notable success before.

'Why?'
It's what he wants, and it's what he wants.
....

　Luke shushed him thoughtfully.

'I'll pay the transfer fee if I have to,'
No.

　Luke said, miffed, as if he had mistaken the transfer fee for a bribe.
　I thought he was more of a mundane type, but he seems to have a hard-nosed personality.

'It hurts to let go of a guest, but if it's what he wants, it's what he wants.
That's surprising.
Did you think I'd say no?
No, he's not on good terms with Kouki, so I thought there was a chance of success.
Honest.

　Then Luke chuckled.

'But I said I had no choice, not because of the separation, but because a knight has the freedom to leave.
Is that so?
Well yeah, just in case.

　When I looked at her, Laura answered after quite a pause.
　Even in her former world, she was labeled as a lousy guy if she was changing jobs, so it's no wonder she has a disadvantage.

''But it's not good to be able to quit out of nowhere.
I don't know if you're going to be very convincing, but since we don't have enough firepower, what do you think about lending Fujica to us?
Well it's certainly not very convincing.

　Luke raised his eyebrows with difficulty.

'It makes sense in theory, right?'
'I'm sure the dog won't eat it either, but we'll push through with that logic. But I don't owe you anything now.
You'll owe me again.

　Mako cowered lightly.

'Looks like they're here. Take a seat.
Yeah, thanks.

　When I sat down at the seat I sat in last time, Kouki came over a moment later.
　He turned his hostile gaze towards us.
　You didn't have to make so many enemies, Makoto scratched his head.



　After the meeting was over, Makoto and Laura left the church.

I knew meetings were a pain in the ass.
I'm sorry to say that I've been chilled out today.

　Hmmm, Laura let out a deep sigh.

'The meeting, or was it the one before that?'
Both!
I didn't say much. Well, but I think we've made our point.
Ugh, my stomach hurts.

　It was decided to join the human-faced rabbit's search for a base, and even though it wasn't a done deal, I was able to pull Fujika out of it.

'For now, let's go back home and get ready. But first, we have to go pick up Fujika.
Ugh, my stomach, my stomach.

　Makoto and the others went to the house they had been sent to.

　--!

Hmm?
Is that the voice again?
Yeah, it's that feeling of being human.

　Makoto stops and touches his temples.
　This doesn't make him more accurate, but it's like a habit.

'Something's messed up.
What do you want to do?
I'm gonna go check it out just in case.

　It would be a bad aftertaste to leave it alone and become important.
　I walked through the narrow alleyway and headed toward the voice.
　Then--

"Hey, you know what I'm saying?
....

　Takeshi, Kirara and five others were crowding around Fujika.
　Makoto hid behind a building and looked at them.

'We're working hard together to get back to the world we came from. So don't do anything to disrupt the harmony.''
I don't think I've ever done anything like that before.

　Takeshi said accusingly, and Fujika turned away in a huff.

'Hey, listen to me properly!'
Don't yell at me because I can hear you!　I mean, we just talked for a minute, right?　That's why I'm so annoyed with your goofing around and that's why I'm ahead of you, Kouki.
Don't change the subject. I'm talking about you, okay?　I'm telling you not to break the peace.
I didn't make a mess.

　Fujica said disgustedly.

'Someone saw you with that guy called Makoto.
What?　Who is that guy?
I don't have to tell you.

　Fujika glared at him, but Takeshi and the others didn't even turn their heads away.

'You're not going to betray me, are you?'
Yeah?
You're admitting betrayal.
Why are you being so selfish?
You don't want to disturb the harmony when you can't do much magic, do you?

　Takeshi said as he spat, and they followed suit.

'Ladies and gentlemen, don't be too accusatory...'

　Kirara tries to stop her, but it's a stone's throw away.

''You know, a number of people have died because they followed you guys, so it's not surprising that they're trying to figure out how to behave.
It was our decision!
Guys?　You three are the only ones who get to decide!　And at least I've never been approached for advice!　You guys are all wearing the same shitty gear.　If you'd just turned the money around a little bit more, no one would be dead--
Hey!

　Takeshi shouted out and pushed Fujika away.

'We're always on the front lines, putting our bodies on the line!　You can't even use magic properly, and I have no right to complain about you using the color on a man!
Is that what you want?
I'm telling the truth.
You've got to be kidding me.

　Fujika spat softly.

'Takeshi-san, I don't think Ayane-san had any ill intentions either.
Apologize to everyone here. Apologize and I'll forgive you.

　Kirara interrupted and Takeshi pointed to the ground.
　'Get down on your knees,' he wondered.

'What?　And there's no reason to apologize.
Well, get out!　Let me tell you something, don't think a b*tc* like you can live away from us!
.....

　Fujika grunted huskily.

'I think I'm going to get down on my knees if I keep this up.
Master Makoto, I think it's time to stop.
Yeah.

　Thanks to Takeshi telling me to leave, it was easier to pull out.

'Hey, Fujika,'
"-Oh!

　I called out in an interminable tone, and Takeshi and the others turned around in unison.
　Scratching their heads, they headed down to Fujika.
　Then Takeshi and his team gave way to Makoto.

'I don't mind if Luke-dono joins our team,'
Seriously?
Seriously.

　Mako chuckled.

'Let's go.'
Okay.

　As Makoto turned on his heel, Fujica followed him.

'Hey, wait!'
What?

　Mako looked back in disgust as Takeshi stopped her.

'That's our classmate.
I got Luke's permission. You said you wanted out before that. What's the problem?
Fujica, are you okay with that?
I've decided to go with you, Makoto.

　Takeshi said in a threatening tone, but that didn't change Fujika's mind.

'Let's go,'

　Mako turned her back to Takeshi and the others and began to walk away.

*

　When Makoto and the others returned to the house after collecting Fujica's belongings, Yuka, Fene and Liv were sitting around the table.

'Newcomers!'
All right, let's just take it easy, huh?
....

　Fene and Liv are in a welcoming mood, but Yuka is so bitter that biting down on a dozen bitter worms won't do this to her.
　He's not going to wear the cat anymore.

'Why, that guy--'
Wait, Fujica has something to tell you.

　As Makoto moved to the side, Fujika stepped out and looked at Yuka.
　Then he bowed his head deeply.

''Well I'm sorry for leaving you in the dungeon.
What?　It's not something that can be apologized for.
I'm sorry.
You can say all you want.
I'm sorry.

　Fujica keeps her head down without making any excuses.

'Do you have any idea how badly I've been treated?　It's murder if you're not careful, murder.
I'm sorry.

　I didn't feel terrible for just being left behind, but I'm not going to act like I'm defending Fujika.
　I know that doing so would make me even more unhappy.
　Even if there was sympathetic pressure or something like that, the fact is that Fujica left Yuka in the dungeon.
　I have to admit fault.
　Furthermore, Yuka continued to complain about goofing around, but the bottom line is shallow because she didn't suffer too badly.
　After enough time has passed, he interrupts.

'Oh well, since Fujika is sorry for what she's done, why don't we give her one chance?
Chance?

　Yuka stared at Makoto and fell silent as she thought about it.

''Okay?　I don't trust you. If you want me to trust you, you need to have a good enough track record to be trusted.
Yes, I understand.

　I don't have to wonder how high up they are, but it's quite a concession for the side that was left behind in the dungeon.

''For now, let's get this done.
A slap?
It's a slap in the face.
All right.

　Yuka turned away.

'Fujika, you can raise your head.
Yes.

　It seems that Fujika is completely devastated, wondering where her bravado when she argued with Takeshi had gone.

It's just the beginning.

　Mako tapped Fujika lightly on the shoulder.