Chapter 22.2
Episode 22 — Surarin Storm Warning～ Part 2 ～
Already, it seemed that the departure of Kyousuke group had already been notified to the cla.s.s. Not only Sugiura, but other students also cooperated in preparing for the trip. It was strangely fresh for Kyousuke to exchange greetings when coming and going to the hallway. If anything, it was always just being a little cozy in a corner until now.
Since the ident.i.ty of Full Cross was revealed as Kyousuke group, there was no students who became wary, if anything, many reactions were positive. Well, it was better than being alienated. Rin cheerfully high-fived the students coming and going, even after becoming a slime, she was having fun talking with her communication power, for Akira who truly had communication disorder, the place didn’t seem anything but painful.
“Utsurogi, please escort Selena-san safely…. I’m counting on you…!”
Grabbing both of Kyousuke’s shoulders, the living mushroom (Matango) spoke with serious look, it was Kinogasa. From his enthusiasm regarding Selena, he seemed to be quite serious, so Kyousuke decided to nod without saying anything. If stimulated poorly it seemed that strange spores would be flying and that would be quite terrifying.
“Himemizu, don’t be unreasonable.”
“Take care~, Surarin.”
Uozumi brother and sister, who belonged to the same team as Kinogasa, were enjoying a fun conversation with Rin.
They had already finished their preparation and were about to leave. It wouldn’t take as long as 2 weeks if things went smoothly, and the renovation of the heavy cruiser would be about half completed around the time they came back. The only concern was that there was a possibility of a second attack by the red winged devil in the meantime, but it was no use even if they worried about it.
In particular, it wouldn’t be a long goodbye. There was nothing like an exaggerated send-off. Most students were already heading toward the renovation work of the heavy cruiser.
When they got out of the labyrinth, Hakuba was already there waiting.
“Yo, Hakuba. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“Ah, o–ou. Utsurogi…”
When he gave a greeting with one hand raised, Hakuba answered with swimming eyes.
“We will be traveling together for a week or so from now, so please treat me well.”
“Ah, yeah. I see, yeah…”
He seems somewhat nervous. Is his stomach condition bad, as he thought so, Hakuba spoke.
“No, that, Utsurogi…. That is, I’m sorry.”
“Hmm?”
“It was about the time when I vented my anger on you. Somehow, I was in a bad mood.”
“I don’t particularly mind.”
Without especially lying about his feelings, Kyousuke easily said it, Hakuba seemed to be staring unblinkingly at his face just like that.
“I–is that so…?”
“Ahh.”
“Hakuba, Kyousuke is that kind of guy.”
From the back of Kyousuke, while floating ∗fuyo fuyo∗ Akira entered the conversation.
“It also isn’t that he tries to smooth things over in particular, he seriously doesn’t mind. So it’s fine to take it at face value without worrying too much. However, I have not forgotten the behavior that you and Was.h.i.+o had toward Kyousuke.”
“Why does Hino worry so much about Utsurogi…”
“You see, Hino-kun is a h.o.m.o.”
There is something strangely nostalgic about this exchange. Selena nodded interestedly with her arms folded 『I see, he is h.o.m.os.e.xual』.&nb
sp;Even though I’ve said it’s different.
“Well, Hakuba-san. Thank you in advance.”
Selena smiled ∗nikori∗ and walked up to Hakuba. Hakuba gulped, he lightly bowed.
A mood full of tension drifted among everyone.
Hakuba was a unicorn. They have the nature to hate unclean things, and in the distorted legends, they are said to be 『only giving their hearts to virgins』. This isn’t limited to Kyousuke and the others’ world, but it seems to be similar on this side as well. Hakuba also came to this world and tried to put a girl on his back, but he carried a sorrowful past that his body rejected and caused a shock making him fall asleep for three days and three nights.
Who was the girl that could not get on, it would be kept hidden to protect her honor.
If Selena could not get on Hakuba here, not only Hakuba but Kyousuke also would be slightly shocked. No, apart from that, if she was about that age then it might be normal. But it was Selena after all so it might not be overreacting.
Selena pierced her spear that was brought with her when she came to the dungeon to the ground and using it as a foothold jumped on Hakuba’s back. ∗Bikun∗, Hakuba’s body trembled, then without anything special happened, she straddled the unicorn’s back.
“O–ohhh—…”
Kyousuke and Rin applauded for the time being. Hakuba also gave a big sigh of relief.
“Ehhh!? What is that reaction! Somehow, whichever meaning it has, is still very shocking!”
“No, yeah, there wasn’t any deep meaning. Even though everyone looks like this we’re still in the spring of youth.”
Rin while bouncing ∗tappon tappon∗ gave a mysterious follow-up.
Selena seemed to be reasonably accustomed to handling horses. Hakuba had an impromptu saddle and paddle, but there was no danger in her way of gripping the reins. Did she say she is a knight apprentice? Combat wasn’t quite there yet, but equestrian might be reasonable. However, the long spear as a weapon was hard to swing on a horse.
While they were checking the baggage loaded on Hakuba’s wagon, another student came out from the base.
“Ah, uh, Utsurogi-kun.”
“Oh~, it’s Satchan.”
Kyousuke also raised his face at Rin’s voice. It was Sak.u.ma indeed. Today she had taken off her usual coat and there were many skin color components after a long time. The nose on Hakuba’s horse face grew further.
“Ah, Sak.u.ma. Have you come to see us off?”
“Yup…. Umm, u~umm…. Do your best!”
Suddenly Sak.u.ma took a guts pose and her chest shook ∗purun∗.
“Ahh, yeah. I’ll try my best. Thank you.”
“Also, um…”
“This, she thought she should say something in the meantime, but nothing in particular came to mind and she’s stuck for words…”
Rin while watching Sak.u.ma desperate wandering line of sight, gave a calm commentary.
“She had a blessed position before the transference and a blessed appearance after the transference. I began to feel a sense of crisis in the existence of Selena-chan and myself, and even Akai-san has been catching up mysteriously, but in particular, would Satchan be able to have an intimate relations.h.i.+p with Utsurogi-kun in the near future?”
“Well I guess in the race that you talked about, the one leading at the top would be Hino…”
“You’re right. Because I’m just a triangular corner after all…”
Rin kept talking with Hakuba as it was, while Selena alone was tilting her head as she truly didn’t understand what they were talking about. Akira was floating gently next to Kyousuke.
“Umm, Utsurogi-kun…, d–do your best!”
“Ahh, yeah. I’ll try my best. Thank you.”
“Well, well then I…. I will go exploring with Asuka-chan and everyone!”
“Dive to the bottom level today, give it your all!”
“Yes~, thank you!”
Sak.u.ma went back to the base again as she waved her hand.
“Hey, Utsurogi…”
Hakuba muttered a few words.
“Although I just apologized, can I kick you away?”
“Please stop.”
All of them departed for the East.
As they went on for a while, they got to the heavy cruiser under renovation. It seemed that negotiations with the boss of the goblins had already been done, and already led by Kuremori, many students were engaged in renovation work. According to Selena, although the tribe named goblin cannot tinker with machinery, it seems that their hands are dexterous enough to make primitive weapons, and they also helped out the repair with Gofunkawahara working as the interpreter.
“Furthermore, goblins may have a habit of seeking smarter ones as their leaders, so perhaps Gofunkawahara-san may be recognized as a leader.”
Selena looked back to the students waving from the s.h.i.+p under repair and said such a thing.
“Did you say that ogre’s ranking is determined by strength?”
Rin asked such a thing in a state of combining with Kyousuke. Selena nodded.
“Ogre is muscle strength. However, it is not a society-rich tribe. When females, food and territory compete, they have a fistfight to decide whose strength is better.”
“Going so far just to get themselves killed.”
“Until 20 years ago it was a militant tribe, but it has not been such a ferocious tribe since the existence that could control the ogres ceased to exist.”
Well, even then, they would still attack humans and eat them, then she finally added a ridiculous thing at the end.
Beyond the place of the heavy cruiser, going further to the East, from there onward was already unknown territory to them. In contrast with the men who were originally not the talkative type, there was absolutely no sign that Rin and Selena’s chattering was going to end anytime soon.
“Ne~e ne~e Selena-chan, what do you think is my unique ability?”
“Rin-san’s unique ability? We~ll…. Because Rin-san has already draw out most of your racial abilities…”
According to Selena’s speech, Rin had almost perfectly mastered actions that a common slime could do, such as deformation, density and weight control. Because it was not even possible to use magic, she was told honestly that the image of unique ability didn’t come out immediately.
“How about a convenient solution dissolving only clothes and armor?”
Hakuba interposed.
“Eh–ehhh…. Stop it with that sort of erotic manga stuff…”
“No, wait Himemizu. If you melt the st.u.r.dy armor of that red winged devil, that might be all right.”
“Utsurogi-kun too!?”
To say half of the reason why Full Cross was defeated by the red winged devil being that armor isn’t an exaggeration.If it is possible to melt that armor with a convenient solution that melt only clothes or armor, it may be powerful indeed. While Kyousuke was thinking seriously, Rin’s impatient voice was heard.
“Eh, uh, Utsurogi-kun…. You said that seriously? I am a slime but a girl? You’re going to make a girl launch such a questionable liquid…?”
“I think it won’t be questionable if you don’t use it for shady stuff in particular…. If you melt only the armor, you can neutralize without injuring your opponent, so it’s easier to get information.”
“Eh–ehhh…. Something like that, I…”
The spirit in Rin’s voice was obviously dropping.
For a while, as they advanced through the wasteland, the sky was strangely dark. Looking up at the sky, clouds had started to appear in the sky that was clear blue.
“Look like it’s going to rain, isn’t it?”
Selena muttered.
“Rain…”
Kyousuke also said.
It was not an uncommon thing, but it was a weather that they had never encountered since coming to this world. Thinking of this dry wasteland, one could see that it was not a region where rain was prosperous, but still it seemed awfully bad that they went on a journey and suddenly encountered rain.
“I mean, isn’t this bad?”
Rin said.
“Hino-kun, won’t you disappear?”
“Certainly, I did not think much about rain.”
In a calm voice, Akira also said.
“Ah, for the time being, there was a lantern among the tools. Akira-san can get in this.”
“All right. I’ll take you up on your offer.”
In the lantern which Selena opened, Akira fit in perfectly.
Nevertheless, as they went further, the black clouds grew thicker and thicker and water droplets soon began to wet the dry ground.
“Atcha~…. It’s raining.”
Hakuba muttered. Akira also nodded in the lantern.
“Although a little early, it may be better to stop our feet and rest. Even if we go through the rain, we are likely to just consume our strength.”
“We should take shelter from the rain somewhere, is there any suitable place?”
“A bit back, but there was a rocky place a while ago. Let’s set a tent over there and take some rest.”
When Kyousuke group moved to the rocky place with a little running, they spread a canopy along one big rock. Although not so wide, there was still just enough s.p.a.ce for Hakuba and Selena to endure the wind and rain. Unlike Kyousuke and Rin, these two people were sitting inside because they had a chance to catch a cold if their bodies got wet poorly.
Akira ejected fire from the lantern and burn the firewood which was loaded in the wagon. While warming up, they ate smoked meat and dried potatoes, and they gathered together for a while.
“The rain looks like it will continue for a while longer.”
Kyousuke muttered and all of them gazed out of the canopy.
“For now, let’s take lookout in turn and rest. First of all, Himemizu, then Kyousuke. Myself, Hakuba, Selena-san.”
“All right! Well then, I will keep a close watch so it’s fine for everyone to have a good night’s rest!”
Rin ∗pyokonto∗ jumped out of Kyousuke’s body and said in a cheerful voice.
“Ahh, I’m leaving it to you, Himemizu.”
“Somehow, I don’t seem to be able to take a rest even if you told me to rest…”
“We’re living like this for the coming week. It will be tough if you don’t get used to it.”
“Leave it to me! Sleeping outdoor is my forte!”
Noisily arguing with each other for a while, somehow it reminds me of the outdoor school camp a little.
Kyousuke group lied in the crowded rain shelter that was by no means wide, and then took a nap for a while until the time for changing s.h.i.+ft.
Several hours later, what Kyousuke, who fell asleep better than he thought, saw when he woke up was the figure of Himemizu Rin who had sucked in plenty of rainwater and expanded enough to cover his sight.
Will Surarin become able to release a convenient solution dissolving just the clothes!?