Stupid Heroes ~We Draft Candidates~ (WN): Chapter 58

 

Chapter 58: Atoning for One's Sin

 The environment surrounding Shizuru does not appear to be improving at all. On the contrary, it is getting worse.

 Jin was one of the main culprits, and Mei was not coming to school at all. In this situation, the only person Shizuru could rely on was Yuya. And if it was Yuya, he would have the power to fix the situation.

 It was supposed to be that way, but Yuya's reaction seemed very cold to Shizuru. No matter how much they talked about it, the words that Shizuru had expected did not come out of Yuya's mouth. Still, she persisted, and as a result of talking with him so persistently that Shizuru was aware of her persistence.

"Why don't you lie low for a while and wait for things to cool down? The tournament is getting close."

 These were the words that Yuya spoke. She was thrown away. That is how Shizuru took Yuya's words.

 Unable to bear the cold laughter of those around her as she stood there stunned, Shizuru left the training hall.

 Even after returning to the classroom, the stares from those around her remained the same. Wandering around the school building with nowhere to go, Shizuru found herself in the backyard, a place where she did not have to worry about being seen. In that place, Shizuru just stood there in a daze for a while.

 After a while, Shizuru began to walk slowly. Yuya was right, she had no choice but to refrain from going to school for a while. She decided to go home.

 Then someone approached Shizuru and called out.

"Tojo-san, are you okay?"

"...Kariya-kun"

 It was Kariya Yoichi, a hero candidate in Class A. Behind him were Nagayama Manabu and Hata Shinji, who were on the same team as Kariya. To be honest, Shizuru didn't really want to face them right now.

"What's the matter, you don't look well."

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

"Are you worried perhaps?"

"That's……"

"I feel sorry for Tojo-san. The truth is we are to blame."

"…………"

 Shizuru couldn't find the words to reply. She believes that Kariya is right. They were the ones who had toyed with Kazuki and sent her to her death.

"And it's a little awkward to speak ill of a dead person, but that was something she agreed to. Is it something to be blamed for in the first place?"

"...That's right"

 These are the kind of words Shizuru wants to hear right now. It is not her fault. She was looking for someone who would tell her that.

"That’s part of the reason why Tojo-san looks so cute. Pretty harsh things have been said, right?"

"Yes. I'm thinking of stopping coming to the academy."

"Eh? Are you being pushed that hard?"

"I'm not that strong"

 In fact, she must be quite brazen, but it is true that she has no tolerance for the malice of others.

"That's right. I have one suggestion."

"What is it?"

"If it's okay with Tojo-san, why don't you join our team?"

"Eh?"

"Actually, I heard you and Kisaragi talking."

"……I see."

 Remembering Yuya's cold attitude, Shizuru becomes depressed again.

"I thought it was terrible. And when I thought we were partly to blame, we couldn't leave it at that, so we went after you."

"I see."

"What do you think? We would never look at Tojo-san in a strange way. It's the same with the rest of our companions. If you stay with us, we won't make you feel bad."

"...Thank you. But I..."

 Working with Kariya and the others makes her feel like she got downgraded. Even in this kind of situation, Shizuru, who thinks about such things, has a thick nerve.

"I won't say forever. It's already decided that we'll be separated by the time we graduate. Tojo-san, please think of it as a stopgap until you feel at peace."

"......I guess so. In that case."

 Being alone makes her feel lonely. Shizuru thought that if they could really protect her from the slanderous words around her, that would be a blessing.

"That's right. Let's have fun until graduation."

"Okay"

"Alright, it's decided. Then, let's have fun right away."

 As soon as he heard Shizuru's approval, Kariya's tone changed. That's not all. He even hugged Shizuru's shoulder in a familiar manner.

"Eh? What?"

"What, just like I said. Let's have fun."

"What do you mean by having fun?"

"I don't understand. Tojo-san is really nice. We're very interested in what happens when a classy woman like you gets disturbed."

"…………"

 With those words, even Shizuru knew what Kariya was thinking. He is trying to put her in the same position as Kazuki.

"I have to thank that guy. Thanks to that guy, Tojo-san, who was on a high horse, has fallen."

"No..."

 With a trembling voice, Shizuru uttered the words of refusal.

"No one will help you. You've fallen to the bottom. We will treat you as the one who has fallen deserves to be treated."

"No... no, h-help me! Someone!"

"Shut up! Be quiet! I'll kill you!"

"…………"

 Shizuru froze in fear at the unfamiliar rage. When Shizuru's head was violently pulled in, Kariya pushes her further with his drug-like voice in her ear.

"If you make a fuss, I will kill you. No, I'll strip you naked right here and now."

"N-no..."

"If you don't like it, atone for your sins obediently. Reflect on what happened to that woman. We'll help you."

"…………"

"Okay. Then let's go."

 Looking at Shizuru who seemed to have given up, Kariya called out to the two behind him. However, the answer was another voice.

"Where?"

"...You ...what are you doing?"

 Kariya turned around and saw Ren with a bitter look on his face.

"Amazing. No remorse at all."

"What are you talking about?"

"You guys can't get a woman if you don't threaten them? If so, I feel sorry for you."

 With a smile on his face, Ren provokes Kariya.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Oh, did I hit the nail on the head?"

"You're gonna get it if you keep on acting like this!"

 Kariya is taken in by Ren's provocation. He threatens Ren, but there's no way this kind of thing will work for Ren.

"You learned that phrase when you came here, didn't you? It's so obvious that you're trying too hard that it's embarrassing to listen to you."

"…………"

 Ren didn't seem to move at all and continued to provoke him. The sense of leeway felt eerie, and Kariya fell silent.

"Well, this time it was good."

 From here on, Ren got serious.

"……It was good?"

 Kariya was puzzled by Ren's unexpected words and returned the question.

"Because it's a clear threat, isn't it? No consent from the other party."

"What about it? A little threat won't help."

"You mean to say that committing a few crimes will be forgiven if you are an excellent hero candidate?"

"That's right"

 This is what made them grow conceited. They think the church can't do anything. But they forget one important thing.

"That's the same for the saint-sama. The church doesn't care what the saint-sama did."

"Ah……"

 When they noticed this, turmoil spread across Kariya's face. The other two are the same way.

"Did you finally understand? No matter what you guys think, saint-sama is still a higher-ranked hero candidate than you. Do you think that you can get away with it for free?"

"Can't get away with it for free...?"

"The church will decide what to do with you guys. Speaking of which, do you guys remember Takagi-sensei?"

"Of course I do."

 He was their homeroom teacher in their original world. Of course, Kariya knows this. They know, of course.

"Then, what is he doing now?"

"……I don't know"

 They had not thought about what had happened to Takagi.

"He was disposed of. That man is a useless baggage to the church. And that's just what the church does."

"That's a lie..."

"It can't be helped even if I lie. You know what kind of treatment they were treated in Class C, right? If it's to protect you guys, they will die. That's how they were treated."

"…………"

 How harsh the church is on the incompetent. Kariya was made to understand that by Ren.

"Well, as a former classmate, I'll give you a little bit of kindness. I'll wait until tomorrow to report it. I have a grudge against you guys, but as expected, I don't want to see the decapitated heads of people from the same world."

"...I have the option of killing you."

"Saint-sama too? The saint-sama who heard my words knew how to save herself, right?"

"…………"

 Kariya is thinking about whether he can kill Shizuru too or not. Considering Shizuru's fighting ability, it is possible. Kariya concluded that he could do it.

"Uwaaaaa!"

"What!?"

 It was Ren who took the initiative. Ren, who had somehow gotten behind Hata, was thrusting his sword at him mercilessly from behind.

 The tip of the sword protruded from Hata's belly, and it was slowly pulled out.

"Look, if you don't chant magic quickly, you'll die you know?"

 Hata is a fist healer. He can use recovery magic.

"Ah, it hurts! It hurts! Someone help me!"

 The pain of being pierced by a sword is making it impossible for him to chant. Their actual combat experience is, in the end, one-sided against magical beasts. They have never been seriously injured.

"Y-you bastard!"

 Nagayama came to his senses and rushed to attack Ren, but there was no way Ren would allow such an opening.

"……Ah"

 Before Nagayama could even prepare his sword, Ren's dagger was thrust into Nagayama's stomach.

"Ngh, guaaaahhh!"

"Look, your friend is hurt too. You have to use magic quickly."

"Gaaaaaahhh!"

 Ren urges Hata, who is lying on the floor in agony, to hurry up and use his recovery magic. 

"S-stop!"

 Kariya shouts at Ren. But Ren, without regard, kicks Hata and Nagayama with his foot and thrusts the tip of his sword into their wounds.

"Stop! Stop!"

"Because you didn't cast magic fast enough. Come on, you'll die if you don't hurry!"

"You!"

 If you have time to shout something like that, you should attack Ren immediately. That slight delay gives Ren a chance to jump into him.

"...Guh, ah."

 A dagger stuck in his stomach. Dropping his sword, Kariya collapsed to the floor.

"No way, is this the end? You guys are Class A heroes, right? Look, you have to stand up! Come on, come on!"

 When they tried to stand up, they were kicked in the wound, and when they tried to cast magic, they were stopped by a kick in the face. Kariya and the others were being unilaterally hurt by Ren without being given a chance to counterattack.

"What's wrong? Is it really the end?"

"...H-help."

 Kariya murmured while turning his face stained with blood and tears toward Ren. In the meantime, Ren didn't stop hurting Hata. It's to prevent him from using recovery magic.

"Do you want me to help you? Well, I can't kill you."

"Help……"

"...Then, I'll help you, so get naked here. Get naked and make each other happy. You like it, right? That kind of thing."

"…………"

 Ren says this with a smile on his face. Kariya knew that Ren's motive for his actions was to take revenge on Kazuki.

"R-Ren... more than this..."

 Shizuru intervened to stop the miserable situation.

".........Then, you heal them. You can heal them and enjoy yourself with the four of you. I'm sure these guys will be more than happy to do that once they get better."

 Ren said coldly to Shizuru.

"…………"

 Shizuru fell silent.

"Hypocrisy as usual. Well, I don't care about you. Now, you guys lost to a Class C dropout. You understand, don't you? You are no longer worthy of the church's protection."

"…………"

"You guys who tried to threaten Saint-sama and being violent, were completely beaten by me who happened to be passing by and wasn’t even a hero candidate. Naturally, you will be punished. You already know what the punishment will be, don't you?"

 What kind of attitude would the church take toward the worthless? Ren has already told what the church will do to those who are worthless, using their former homeroom teacher, Takagi, as an example. They were not sure if that would actually happen, but they were led to believe that it would.

"...H-help."

"I'll keep my promise. I'll wait one day to report. By the way, the nearest other country is straight down the road to the west."

 Ren's words made Kariya and the others think they knew what they had to do.

"Why don't you heal them?"

 Ren told Shizuru to heal their injuries.

"Eh, but..."

 Shizuru hesitated. Just like Ren said, the words just now were just hypocrisy. She cares about herself. Not everyone can be blamed for that, but it does clearly show Ren the difference between her and Kazuki.

"You already know, don't you? If you report it to the church, these guys are finished. If they think anything funny, just run to the teacher's office right away."

"...I understand."

 Shizuru slowly chants magic. Grains of light floating in the air rain down on Kariya and the others. Magic is casually used, but its effect is the simultaneous recovery of several people. It is an advanced magic in its own right.

"……Let's go."

 Kariya, who was healed from his injuries, chose to run away even though he glared at Ren in anger.

"Y-yeah" "You're lying... we'll become fugitives..."

 With wild footsteps, the three run down the hallway. A smile appeared on Ren's face as he watched them go.

"I thought it would be a little more difficult, but it was an easy victory."

"……Thank you."

 Shizuru speaks words of thanks.

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't help you. I just wanted to drive them out of the capital."

 As a result, he ended up helping Shizuru, but Ren has a different purpose.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't need to know that"

"...Ren. Do you have a grudge against me?"

"Not really."

"It's a misunderstanding. I... no, excuses are useless. I'm sorry, forgive me."

"...There's nothing to forgive."

 Ren replies with a dubious look on his face. He really doesn't remember why Shizuru would ask for his forgiveness.

"Don't say that. I really regret it."

"So? It's nothing to do with me."

 Ren also knows that Shizuru is apologizing for her actions towards Kazuki. However, he thinks that her apology should be made to Kazuki, and not to him.

"Then what should I do?"

 However, Ren's thoughts were not conveyed to Shizuru at all.

"You're as persistent as ever. Speaking of which, Rin said to someone before. If you want to be forgiven, you have to give your body and soul."

"…………"

"You can't do it, can you? Because it's the same thing they asked for. And I don't want it either. Can you understand now? To me, you're just one of the many people out there. Luna, Rin and Kazuki are different."

"…………"

 For Shizuru, there was nothing more cruel than this. She's always the center of attention. She couldn't be an ordinary person who kept being looked up to by admiring eyes.

 Shizuru's face turned bright red with humiliation.

"It looks like you finally stopped apologizing."

"Eh?"

 Ren had said these words with the feeling that he would no longer have to deal with them, but these words were superfluous.

"Now then, we should probably get going, we might not be able to catch up. Let's hurry."

 Ren muttered as he took his mind off Shizuru. He just turned his back and he left. Because of that.

"...Making me angry on purpose"

 Ren could not deny this big misunderstanding.

◇◇◇

 The capital has four gates: east, west, south, and north.

 From there, roads led to the four corners of the continent. The capital, located near the center of the continent, is a strategic point for continental traffic.

 Because of its location, even though its territory is small, the Church Country can have a large military force, and because it is such a strategic point, it is necessary to have a large military force to protect it.

 This is both an advantage and a disadvantage, but it is more of an advantage because it puts the Church in a position equivalent to that of the four major powers.

 At the West Gate, one of the four gates, Ren was staring down the road.

"Here they come."

 He muttered to himself as he saw a figure coming toward the capital, and started walking toward it. A figure approaching. It is right in front of him, but it remains small.

"Ren!"

 The one who called out to him was one of the orphaned children that Ren was taking care of.

"How is it? Did it go well?"

"Yes!"

"It was fun!"

"Perfect."

 The children in the place were taking turns telling him how well it went.

"Right?"

"They thought we were just kids, so they were taking it easy."

"Yeah, that's the way it is. Now you understand, don't you? It's stupid to throw your life away to kill a hero."

"Yeah" "I understand" "Me too"

 Ren is having a rather disturbing conversation with the children. The children just killed the hero candidates, Kariya and the others who tormented Kazuki. 

"You can kill them without throwing away your life. If you devise a method."

"But I want to do the next one with a lot of determination."

"I see. But it will take time to be able to do that. You have to work hundreds of times harder than you are doing now."

"Yeah, I'll do my best!"

 They replied cheerfully, but this was a declaration that they would do their best in training to be a murderer.

"Is Rin okay?"

 After finishing the conversation with the children, Ren called out to Rin. In order to make Kariya and the others even more careless, and in case of emergency, Rin was also acting together with the children.

"It's nothing"

"Did they do anything strange to you?"

"…………"

"No way?"

 Rin's role is to seduce and lure Kariya and the others to a place off the road. Using her vampire abilities, it's easy to hook them. Kariya and the others do not have strong self-control like Ren.

"No, it's all right. I didn't let them touch my body."

"I see, that was good."

"Then..."

"What?"

"It's nothing"

 If you care that much, you should make me your own soon. Rin didn't have the courage to say this now.

"Maybe you're mad at me for making you do that?"

"No. I'm not angry about that."

"I see... so what about the aftermath?"

 Rin was clearly angry, but Ren stopped asking any more questions.

“In the forest off the road. We cleaned up the scene, so I think we're good for a while."

"Then let's go home."

"Yes"

 With the children between them, Ren and Rin begin to walk. It's a little tough to be seen as parents and children, but no one would guess that they were returning from killing someone.

 Three hero candidates have gone missing. It was two days after this day that it became public.

◇◇◇

 The fact that three hero candidates went missing astonished people.

 The first thing that came to mind for those who knew the situation was the attack by the Anti-Hero Alliance. However, as the situation became better known, the surprise faded and only questions remained.

 There were many reports of sightings of the three men, all of which indicated that they had left the capital on their own.

 Finally, it was even discovered that something of value had been stolen from their place of residence, and it was concluded that they were on the run. The question was why they needed to flee.

 An investigation was conducted by the church, but it remained inconclusive. This means that Shizuru did not tell them anything. Even if she did, it would only reveal the reason for their escape.

 Soon, this topic was no longer on the lips of the hero candidates. They were more concerned about what was coming up.

 But even if the candidates were not, those around them could not help but be concerned.

"So there are nine of them now."

 Heinz muttered to himself at the usual meeting of the three countries.

"The number of people who died."

 Princess Milianea knew immediately what the number was.

"Thirty-six people were summoned, and nine died in two years. That's a quarter."

"Three were killed by magical beasts, three by the anti-hero alliance, and now three, the cause of their deaths unknown. Are they really dead?"

"The church says so. The status board shows it."

 The status board shows the person's status. Of course, there is also the state of death.

"Is this not an excuse to cover up their own inadequacies?"

"I can't completely deny it, but it's unlikely. The church hasn't made it public. The scene is still under intense search."

 Heinz believes that the church should actively release information if it intends to use it as an excuse.

"As for the direction, it's the Luine Kingdom."

"If they went south on the way there, they'll be in the Izrim Magic Kingdom."

 Princess Milianea and Princess Grace each spoke of the possibility of heading to the other country.

"... Let's stop. There's no point in doubting each other. That's not true."

"Yes. Our country will not be so cowardly as to do this before the bidding."

 Doing so would only cause problems later on. Moreover, it is not they who have gone missing that the two countries want as heroes.

"We should still assume they are dead."

"And if so, to whom?"

"It could be an accident."

"But there is no such danger on the western road. What if they had strayed from the road?"

 It is clear from eyewitness reports that the three of them left the west gate.

"Denying it would be a big problem."

"The remnants of the Anti-Hero Alliance? But that's not likely to be the case."

"Why?"

"How do they know they will leave the capital?"

 Even if they were attacked by the Anti-Hero Alliance, it would be outside the capital. It is a strange place to attack a hero candidate who is not allowed to leave the capital.

"It's possible that the Anti-Hero Alliance invited them. It seems like they'll get caught by seducing them."

"Is seduction a word a princess would use?

"I'm vulgar anyway."

"I don't think so at all"

 After being together for such a long time, a sense of familiarity develops between the two of them. Even if it is only on the basis of having drawn a line.

"You don't have to worry about it anymore, do you?"

"Why do you think so, Princess Grace?"

"It has no effect on our country in the least. I think it is the same for both of you."

 Luine Kingdom's target is Yuya or Mei. Princess Grace thinks that it doesn't matter what happens to the other hero candidates.

"Not entirely."

"Is that so?"

"What about their team?"

"Do you know?"

"Has the composition changed?"

"……I don't know"

 Knowing that she fell behind in obtaining information again, Princess Grace's expression distorted with frustration.

"It's not that much of a change. It's just that the three core members of the team have disappeared, and the remaining three have moved to another team."

"How was it?"

"Two people join Yuya's team. And one person is at Jin's team. The one who went to Jin's was sent by Yuya forcibly."

"Why did he do that?"

 Princess Grace cannot understand the meaning of purposely increasing the strength of his competitors.

"It's a number match. Six people in one group, that's what it seems."

“So, there are two at Yuya Kisaragi’s place?”

 Originally there were five people, but if two people were added, there would be seven people. It shouldn't match.

"Actually. Shizuru is not counted."

"It seems so."

"Isn't that too much?"

 Heinz turned his question to Princess Milianea. He knew that Shizuru's current situation was influenced by the operation of the Izrim Magic Kingdom.

"It wasn't something our country did. It was the hero candidates themselves who did it."

"...That's right. Why are they so extreme? Shizuru was close to the top. To think that she would be driven out by Class C hero candidates at once."

 This change in Shizuru's position was something that Heinz could not understand.

"I've come up with a hypothesis about it."

"Hmm. I'd like to hear it."

"It's okay. It's nothing to hide. They say the status system in the other world was ambiguous. They seem to be saying there is no class system."

"Yeah, I heard that too."

"But it's actually there. It's not just a status, but there are various things that create hierarchical relationships. That's what's causing the situation."

"Why?"

 In this world with a strict status system, the hierarchy of status is absolute. Any attempt to disrupt that hierarchy is condemned by those around you. At least that's what those at the top of the hierarchy think.

"It’s hard to give an example, isn’t it… If you compare an old, prominent family with an upstart aristocrat, the prominent family is more respected."

"Of course."

"But it's not unusual for the most prestigious family to be in debt to the upstart aristocrat. Once they have a weakness, the hierarchy is already reversed."

 This is also in this world. However, it is a story about two families, and the people around them treat the prominent family as superior, no matter what their debts are. Unless there is something wrong with the family.

"That kind of thing happens in various ways in another world?"

"Yes. I guess you could say that it can happen."

"I see. It happened this time, too."

"While they say that a world without a class system is wonderful, they want to be ranked. Naturally, they want to be ranked higher."

"If there was a chance to turn it over, they wouldn't have missed it, would they? So it's Shizuru who has the problem."

"It's not personal. It probably happens to everyone. There is another habit of theirs."

 The Izrim Magic Kingdom has analyzed this matter in considerable detail. This aspect is unique to the Izrim Magic Kingdom, where magic is thriving and there are many researchers.

"What is it?"

"The inability to leave a group. The inability to stay without belonging to something."

 Affiliation and discrimination. They like to form groups, and they always try to establish a pecking order within the group. This is common in the animal world, but it is an intolerable habit for those who are relegated to the lower ranks or who are rejected from the group.

"......You've done a lot of research on such things."

"I just asked one of the hero candidates."

"Hoh. Who would that be?"

"One of the few hero candidates who doesn't have that habit."

 Princess Milianea said in a roundabout way, but he can only think of one such hero candidate.

"Ren? Now you know what he is doing, right?"

"I don't need to tell you that much."

"...To that extent?"

 Heinz never thought that the Izrim Magic Kingdom was so obsessed with Ren. But this is just a misunderstanding.

"No. The trouble is, there are those who show an unusual obsession to him. That one acted independently of my instructions. Well, that one is a valuable source of information. I'm not going to stop them."

"You have excellent subordinate."

 Her subordinate had grasped Ren's movements that his own country had failed to grasp. Heinz was frustrated, but he had to admit that they were excellent.

"I'd like to see that effort put to use elsewhere though."

"For example?"

“About Mei Katsuragi, and Jin Takamiya. Ren is not the only one who we can't see much action."

"...Sure. But we've already seen Jin."

"Swordsmanship tournament."

"Yeah. How far did he improve his ability? How far is he approaching Yuya? I'm looking forward to it."

"Yes"

 The date for the academy's swordsmanship tournament is almost here. It will soon be a time of fun not only for the hero candidates, but also for the countries that want to see how good they are.