Because of Günther-san’s announcement, a buzz broke out among the men. It made sense-whether or not you made the Hero’s party was the kind of thing that changed the trajectory of your entire life.
Me? After being mocked that much, there was zero chance I’d be a candidate. In a way, it was a relief. The girls were in bystander mode, too. They’d basically been told the party should be all-male for now.
Now, let’s review the Classes of the guys besides the Hero and me.
Vanguard: Sword Saint, Holy Knight, Heavy Warrior
Mid-guard: Ninja, Magic Swordsman
Rearguard: Saint, Fantasy Summoner, Sage
Other: Blacksmith
Since Blacksmith is a production class, he’s probably out. If I were picking based on Class alone, I’d go with the Sword Saint and Holy Knight for the vanguard, the Ninja in the mid-guard, and the Saint and Sage for the rearguard.
So, what’s your move, Hero-kun?
”…I’ll take Sword Saint Shouta, Holy Knight Takumi, Ninja Takuya-san, Saint Ren, and Sage Osamu-san.”
”Naturally,” Shouta replied.
”It’s only right that I’m chosen! Let’s do this!” Takumi shouted.
”Sigh. I’ll do my best,” Ren said.
”Choosing me shows you actually have an eye for talent!” Osamu boasted.
I figured as much.
Still, since the Sage is Osamu, I wouldn’t have picked him in a million years if personality was a factor. Come to think of it, the Sword Saint and Holy Knight were the same guys who’d been ragging on me for being an Onanist. Is this party actually going to function?
”Wait just a moment-degozaru. I have no intention of going to slay the Demon King-degozaru,” Takuya-san said.
Oh? Takuya-shi the Ninja is actually turning it down?
”And why is that?” Shouta asked.
”You are likely expecting me to scout and disarm traps from the mid-guard, but Ninjas do not have such aptitudes-degozaru. The Ninjas of this world are a Class specialized in intelligence and assassination-degozaru,” Takuya-san explained.
”Even so, if you have assassination skills, you can still contribute to the fight, right? It’s not like you’re incapable of learning trap-disarming or scouting,” Shouta countered.
”That is true-degozaru, but in that case, any other Class would serve just as well-degozaru,” Takuya-san replied.
”That might be true, but…”
”Now, now, that’s enough, Hero-kun. If he’s not feeling it, we’re better off with five people who actually want to be there, right?” Günther-san interrupted.
”…I guess you’re right. I can’t exactly force him. Also, my name is Shouta,” the Hero muttered.
”Much obliged,” Takuya-san said.
Looks like this generation’s Hero party is a five-man cell. They’ve got the high-tier Classes, so ability-wise, they should be fine. Ability-wise.
”Excuse me! A moment!?” a voice called out.
”Huh? Ina? No, Otto, right? What is it?” Günther-san asked.
Whoa, here comes Otto with the “wait a minute” call!
”If you’re short on people, please, let me go with you!”
Otto bowed deeply and held out his hand. It was the confession of a lifetime!
”…Well, it’s not like having an extra tank would hurt. What do you think, Shouta-kun? He’s my former subordinate and he’s obedient. I think it’s fine to take him,” Osamu-san suggested.
”…True. You can never have too many shields. Let’s have him join us. Is everyone else cool with that?” Shouta asked.
”Yeah,” Takumi said.
”Sure, why not?” Shouta replied.
”I don’t see any reason to object. I’m down,” Ren said.
”Then it’s settled. We’re counting on you, Otto-san,” Shouta said.
”Thank you so much!!” Otto cried.
Shouta-kun took Otto’s hand and shook it. A match made in heaven! The room erupted in a storm of applause. Congratulations! I’m sure two guys will face plenty of “hardships” together, but I really hope they make it work!
…Alright, enough joking. Otto-or Ina, since he doesn’t even deserve a title-was always a powerless elitist. He was obviously just lured in by the promise of noble status after the Demon King is dead. Talk about predictable.
”Hmm. It’s a bit of a lopsided party, but if everyone’s happy, then I suppose it’s fine,” Günther-san said.
”Right. If there’s a problem, we can just swap someone out later,” Martina-san added.
Neither Günther-san nor Martina-san seemed inclined to argue.
”Now that the Hero’s party is settled, let me give you a quick rundown of what’s next. For the Hero’s party, we’ve prepared rooms in the castle. I want you living there for the time being. You’ll train with the knights for a while, and then you’ll set out on your journey with them. By the three-year mark, we should have more intel on the Demon King, so I expect you back then. Don’t be late-but above all, make sure you come back alive,” Günther-san commanded.
So that’s the roadmap for the VIPs. I’m a little jealous of the castle rooms, honestly. Finding an inn is a pain, and it’s not exactly cheap…
”We’re arranging a pool of candidates to act as ‘attendants’ for your rooms. You can pick whichever one you like later. Oh, but if you already have a partner, you’re free to decline an attendant,” Günther-san added.
Wait. That was a weird way to put it. “Pick whichever one you like”? And you can turn them down if you’re already taken?
”Hey, Günther-san. What exactly does an ‘attendant’ take care of?” I asked.
”Everything in their daily lives,” he replied.
”And by everything, do you mean… the s*xual stuff too?”
”Of course. The girls have already consented. In fact, being able to form a connection with the Hero’s party is a great honor. We had no shortage of volunteers,” Günther-san said matter-of-factly.
I knew it. It’s a honey-trap to keep them tied to the country. I wonder if these high school kids even realize what’s happening? And if they do, can they actually resist? (Later on, I heard they’d even prepped male attendants in case the Hero was a girl.) I glanced sideways and saw the reincarnated girls looking on with expressions that were absolute zero. Terrifying.
”I don’t have a partner, but I’ll pass on that,” Shouta-kun said.
”Me too… I’m good,” Ren added.
Hero Shouta-kun and Ren the Saint both declined. So pure. Or maybe they just flinched under the girls’ death-stares? Good luck surviving with a spine that soft.
”I’ll take one,” Osamu said.
”Hehe, me too, please!” Otto added.
Osamu and Otto both opted in. Big surprise.
Yumiko-san looked absolutely speechless, but in Osamu’s mind, that divorce was probably finalized the second he got his Class. He’s always been cold to anyone he thinks is beneath him. Not exactly news to me.
”I’ve already got a partner. Hey, Sakura, you’re coming with me,” Shouta said.
”Huh? What are you talking about, Shouta? Sakura’s my girlfriend,” Takumi snapped.
”What? Sakura’s my girlfriend… wait, no way! Sakura, what the hell is going on!?” Shouta yelled.
”Sakura, tell Shouta the truth. Tell him you’re with me,” Takumi demanded.
”Uhh… well… about that…” Sakura stammered.
Holy crap, a wild shuraba appears! This is getting good. I’m practically vibrating here! It wasn’t just a love triangle-it looks like Sakura-shi was double-timing them!
”So, you were seeing both of us?” Shouta asked, his voice low.
”I mean… yeah, I guess so?” Sakura muttered.
”Are you serious, Sakura!? I thought what we had was real!” Takumi shouted.
”I’m sorry, Takumi,” Sakura said.
”Don’t give me ‘sorry’! Seriously. I’m done with you,” Shouta added.
”Sorry to you too, Shouta,” Sakura sighed.
And that is the moment Sakura-shi got outed as a cheater in another world.
”…Change of plans. I want an attendant too,” Shouta barked.
”Dammit. Put me down for one, too,” Takumi added.
”Wait! Both of you, that’s horrible!” Sakura cried.
””You’re the last person who should be saying that!”” they both shot back.
And that is the moment Sakura-shi got dumped in another world. Incidentally, everyone else in the room was just staring blankly, completely unable to keep up with the sudden soap opera.
”Ahem. Right. Well. …That makes four requests. You can make your selections later. I was hoping Hero Shouta-dono would take one, but I suppose there’s no rush,” Günther-san said, completely ignoring the drama. The guy’s a pro.
”We’ll also let the Hero’s party into the treasury later. There should be some gear you can use. Before that, you need an audience with His Majesty, so go get yourselves cleaned up,” Martina-san instructed.
The royal treasury. I bet there are all sorts of legendary swords in there. I kind of wanted a peek, but I clearly wasn’t invited. An audience with the King was also a VIP-only event. Well, it’s not like I’m dying to meet him anyway.
”Now then, sorry to keep you waiting. As for the rest of you…”
Summary:
The Hero party is officially formed, but not without friction as Takuya rejects his spot. Amidst the logistics of state-provided ‘attendants,’ a scandalous revelation breaks: Sakura was cheating on the Hero Shouta with the Holy Knight Takumi. The resulting drama leaves the Hero party in a state of emotional turmoil while the protagonist watches with amusement.
Trivia:
- The world’s Ninja class is specifically for assassination and intel, not trap disarming.
- The ‘attendant’ system is a state-sponsored honey trap meant to bind the Heroes to the kingdom via s*xual favors.
- Osamu immediatey abandoned his ‘partner’ Yumiko as soon as he gained a high-tier class.
- The kingdom pre-selected attendants for both male and female Heroes
Character Insight:
The Hero Shouta shows a mix of tactical pragmatism and emotional vulnerability. Meanwhile, the protagonist remains a detached observer, revelling in the ‘messiness’ of his classmates’ social dynamics.
Behind the Scenes:
The author subverts the typical ‘hero party gathering’ by introducing realistic relationship drama and political manipulation early on.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Ninja: In this setting, the class focuses on intelligence and assassination rather than traditional RPG utility like scouting.
2 ↩ Sewa-gakari: Lit. ‘Caretaker’ or ‘Attendant’. Here, it carries a heavy implication of s*xual services and political monitoring.
3 ↩ Honey-trap (Hani-tora): A political tactic involving s*xual entrapment to gain leverage or ensure loyalty.
4 ↩ Shuraba: A chaotic, messy scene, usually involving a relationship conflict or betrayal.