Chapter 17: Student Council President and the Gourmet (Side Story)

Student Council President and the Gourmet (Side Story)

My name is Kudo Masaki. I was a typical high school boy, but I’m a hero now.

But I’m not the only hero. I don’t know the reason, but everyone in the school was summoned to this world as a hero. Well, except two people…

This is the third day after we were summoned to this world. We were taught about this world’s common sense on the first and second days.

I did a monster extermination around the royal capital to acquire the experience that I have now. At first, I was surprised by monsters when they first appeared, but I’ve gotten used to it by now.

Nevertheless, I, the person who was the student council president, have been chosen to chase after monsters with an edge tool. I fell short. Well, it wasn’t just my position… But as hero, too.

[The hunting is done here!]

[This way, too.]

[…]

[Then, we have to withdraw for today.]

We formed a group of four people, after considering the compatibility of the gifts we received from the goddess and earned combat experience as a unit.

A soldier escorted us in the morning, but our adaptation was high enough to allow us to go out for the hunt with just the four of us in the afternoon.

By the way, this cheerful girl is Mizuhara Saki. The boy with polite tone is Orihara Akihito. And the taciturn girl is Kino Aichi. Mizuhara and Orihara have been acquaintances since they went to the same elementary and junior high schools. Kino is a taciturn, but she is reliable.

Our gifts are different from each other, depending on the individual. In my case, it is <Mastery Experience>, which allows me to get a lot of skill easier. It might be because I’ve had a good memory since I was young.

Mizuhara and Kino each have the usual fantasy gift, but Orihara has an unusual one. Its name is <Gourmet Festival>. I’ve heard that the more one eats, the more powerful one will become. So, they just eat whenever they have a few minutes of free time.

Our physical strength has been improving since we came to this world instead from our gift, We could fight against a group of monsters without trouble. Weapons have been prepared for each of us to choose from. It’s strange that we can handle all type of weapons. Of course, we haven’t touch any weapons in our own world.

Actually, I haven’t talked about it with anybody, but I have an idea. In my way of thinking, the gifts of <Experience Mastery> and <Gourmet Festival> allow us to acquire skill, status and level in this world. That’s what I thought when I was able to use weapons that I couldn’t before. This fantasy world is totally game-like.

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However, I hesitate talking about this with anybody. If I said it’s like a game, they might [Do anything that they want to do in the game], and [Gift] could allow us to do anything we want.

After the fight ended, I hear Mizuhara muttering something on the way to the royal capital.

[Jin-kun…]

[You should go after him if you’re worried.]

Orihara calls out to Mizuhara because Jin is the name of Mizuhara and Orihara’s childhood friend.

We’ve committed one crime. When we came to this world, the two students who didn’t have gifts were driven out of royal palace immediately.

I don’t know why we didn’t do something about that. I think that was unusual behavior. Shindo Jin is the common friend of both Mizuhara and Orihara. Also, I just remembered that Kinoshita Sakura was bullied in another class. They were the people that princess threw out silently.

It is strange that no one tried to stop it, even if those two were their friends. And that includes me, too. It was really unnatural when I think about it calmly.

[From the soldier’s story, they’ve already left this city, so it will be hard to run after them.]

[You are right… What should we do when we meet him the next time?] Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

Well, it will be hard to meet someone who was deserted. However, Orihara doesn’t think about it, at all. Is he heartless?

[Oh, sorry. It seems like we forgot something.]

Orihara said.

[What is it? Should we return together?]

[No, please return before me. Because there aren’t many monsters in this area, I can escape if something happens.]

This is reasonable for Orihara, who was strengthened after eating various things, but I heard a rumor about two soldiers who died during a battle with the monsters. Because I feel a little worried, I decide to return earlier as our fatigue piles up, but Orihara is unusually strong. By the way, Orihara can recover his fatigue by eating, so a lengthy combat is easy for him as long as he has food.

After parting with Orihara, I talk with Mizuhara about something that troubles me.

[Mizuhara, don’t you need to go with Orihara. especially if you are worried about Shindo that much?]

[Oh, uh…]

I have a feeling they’ve been treated differently, even if they are both childhood friends. Are there any other reasons?

[Err… I don’t want you to think that I’m bad-mouthing him… but Jin-kun told me to avoid approaching Orihara-kun as much as possible.]

This wasn’t something that a friend would say to a friend.

[According to Jin-kun, he is quite arrogant, and he has no concern nor regret. So…]

Arrogant… This conversation gives me a bad taste when I consider Orihara’s ability. Well, that was what Shindo had said when we were in Japan. His character is unexpected because of his polite speech. Oh well, I have to be careful if something goes wrong.

Orihara catches up to us a few minutes later. I return to my room after we arrived at the royal capital. Rooms that were prepared for all eight hundred people from our school are luxurious. All meals are really grand, too. Even if there is a threat of the demon king, they still treat heroes well.

I see Orihara at dinner, so I call to him.

[Orihara, thanks for your hard work. We had a good fight today. Let’s do it again tomorrow.]

[Ah, Kudo-san. Thanks for your efforts. No, I’m really happy I could help you.]

I can’t imagine that the fighting style of Orihara is considerably violent based on his appearance. Starting with his weapon… it is different from other people’s weapons. It is a trident with three pointed tips, and it has a wide-edged katana. In short, a fork and knife. It is funny that it fits the image of his gift.

However, he makes full use of those two and defeats enemies without mercy. It is natural because we are getting used to both a knife and a fork, both of which were invented to cut meat more effectively than a sword and a spear.

[Mizuhara was talking about Shindo on the way back. What kind of relationship do you have with him?]

The story I heard from Mizuhara about Orihara is troubling me, so I need to hear about the relationship between Orihara and Shindo from Orihara himself.

[A usual friend. We played together a lot starting in elementary school… But that kind of relationship is nothing in this different world.]

Orihara doesn’t care about it, after all. I feel more disgusted just from hearing his story.

[Ahh, I wondered why I felt disgusted with Shindou and the other one at that time…]

[That’s right. It was strange when everybody looked at Jin and the other one like that.]

Huh? His current expression. It feels different, and I want to say something about it…

[Was Orihara feeling disgusted, too?]

[Yeah, I felt disgusted for sure. But it is just to a negligible degree, so I ignored it…]

A feeling of disgust isn’t something easy to ignore, but to say it easily… No, apart from that…

[Then, didn’t you hate Shindo at that time? And yet… Why did you just look at Shindo when he was exiled?]

[Ehh, It would’ve been useless to be only person who said anything at that moment…]

I…I can’t deny that. The atmosphere of that place was strange. The burden might be bigger than normal. It couldn’t have been helped for Orihara to remain silent.

[And I want to see how Shindo makes his comeback.]

The feeling that I thought I was going to understand disappeared again after Orihara’s remark.

[His comeback? Why?]

Orihara answers my question with smile.

[Shindo is like a protagonist. That misfortune is only to spice him up and let him rise. The bigger Shindo’s enemy is, the stronger he will be. That exile seems to make his story become more interesting. Then, can you not disturb him?]

[I don’t really understand what you want to say… Shindo is at a disadvantage for making his comeback, and you like seeing that. So you pretended not to see your friend suffering, right?]

As I speak, Orihara shakes his head.

[That is generally correct, but the essential spot is different. I didn’t pretend not to see it. Having to pinch is the real pleasure of the story. I have to see it with my own eyes.]

It seems he wants to see his friend suffer. Is it okay to alter the conversation like that?

[After that, I had no intention of just watching. I have to take it into my hands, too. It is wasteful to be just an onlooker. The interesting story should become even more so when do it by myself.]

[You? What did you do to Shindo?]

It is serious enough just to be driven out of the royal palace. Did you add something on top of this?

[That’s right. When I did some training, I first sent a soldier out to patrol the villages near the castle.]

[And anything else?]

[Who knows? It may or may not change anything. That’s all right because most of prop man’s work will become useless.]

I honestly don’t understand this person. What does this guy want to do with Shindo?

[You talk about Shindo’s story like that. Won’t it be hard to meet him because he was driven out?]

Orihara twisted his mouth when I asked that.

[The problem is there. Too bad I can’t observe him all the time, but I have to do something I need to do.]

[Like defeating the demon king?]

[No, that isn’t it. I don’t care about that bullshit.]

He regards what we are doing to return to our former world as “bullshit”.

[Well, it’s still the same thing because I need to become stronger first.]

[What are you going to do with that strength?]

What are you going to do with that kind of strength if you don’t use it to defeat demon king?

[I will block Shindo’s way.]

He said something I don’t understand again…

[How will you do that?]

[I will fight him. But it will be boring if I remain weak. There are a lot of stories that have childhood friends as powerful enemies…]

[Are you…going to fight Shindo? Isn’t he your childhood friend?]

Are you going to turn him into enemy after deserting him? Seriously?

[Because of the fact that he is my childhood friend, I will fight. Childhood friends can’t become a mob. I might get a chance to fight him somewhere.]

[I don’t know what you mean… About the reason you fight.]

[You will understand when that time comes. I might injure the important person who is Shindou, have a complete misunderstanding, or I might be brainwashed. There are plenty of reasons.]

If you decide to fight, is any reason fine for it? As if his head is filled with stories from manga or something. I gave up on understanding his thoughts.

[Okay. I know I don’t understand your thoughts.]

[Is that so? That is too bad.]

Orihara said it like nothing. I should stop associating with him. Unintentionally, I have a same thought about Shindo.

Let’s finish eating quickly and leave this place. I feel sympathy for Shindo in my mind somehow. I want to apologize to him, if I have a chance. And I will bring Shindo and Kinoshita back to our own world after defeating the demon king.

I carry out the battle training in the name of hunting around the capital the next day. I didn’t speak with Orihara after that. However, the battle itself isn’t different from yesterday, so that is good enough.

[I’m sorry. I left something behind again. Please return ahead of me.]

[Understood.]

Orihara is left alone like yesterday, so only the three of us return. I suddenly have a bad feeling. What is the thing Orihara left behind? Did he forget something?

I’m really worried about Orihara. I feel bad for the girls, but I leave them and run after Orihara.

[Be careful.]

[…]

[Yeah, you guys have to be careful, too.]

I run after Orihara. Again, I find him in the area where we fought the goblin.

[Hey, Oriha…ra.]

I gasp because I see that Orihara has an appearance which I didn’t imagine, at all.

[What’s wrong with you? Did you see something strange?]

[What are you eating!?]

Orihara’s face has been dyed red… by goblin’s blood!

[Goblin. Oh, Kudo-san doesn’t do well with blood, either. I make sure I don’t eat it in the place where those girls can see… Sorry. I was insensitive.]

[No, it wasn’t like that! Why did you eat the goblin? It is humanoid! It is unpleasant! And it is raw, too!]

I don’t want to give a detailed description, but , suffice it to say that the goblin’s body was completely eaten.

[Oh… When I say “I left something behind,” it’s like a secret code for picking a flower, so they won’t come and look at me.]

There is no way I could know that. Other members might not notice, either.

[Won’t everyone acknowledge my ability? I will become stronger as much as I eat. I will become stronger when what I eat is strong, too. Like or dislike doesn’t matter because it prevents me from being left behind by Jin. Isn’t a monster suitable as food? Goblin is unexpectedly delicious. Its eyeballs are soft, and the meat is chewy. Their internal organs are…]

[Stop!]

I don’t want to hear impressions from the person who eats it.

[Why? Didn’t you listen to what they said in the castle? Monster’s meat can be eaten, too…]

[But goblin wasn’t among them!]

Goblin’s meat isn’t treated as food. Hygiene aside, eating humanoid-type monsters is a high hurdle. It is cannibalism, and the person who does it isn’t normal.

That’s right. This guy isn’t normal. He deserted his friend on purpose because he wanted to see him struggle. He ate a raw, humanoid monster’s meat to become strong. How could the person like this have a proper life in former world? This might be the reason Shindo advised Mizuhara to stay away from him.

[Are you done yet? If it is done, let’s return quickly.]

I want to leave this place as fast as I can.

[No. Please go on ahead, I will eat more.]

[Then, take care.]

I return to the city in a hurry. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head. If this guy doesn’t hesitate to eat humanoid monsters, is there any guarantee that he won’t hesitate to eat a human? The words “He is arrogant.” from Shindo suddenly flash in my mind.

Should I avoid Orihara as Shindou advised? Is this guy really our friend? An indescribable anxiety fills my head.