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Daniela and I were now enjoying a meal at the bar as we waited for this Hero’s arrival. It was only a guess, but I felt that this was a likely spot for him to visit. And just as Daniela started on her third plate of broiled fish, the doors of the guild swung open.

 

“Oi! The Hero will be here any minute!”

“What!? Already!”

“No. I need to fix my makeup…”

“Oh, I wonder what kind of handsome man he will be…”

“He must be strong to be a Hero, right?”

“I think there’ll be a huge difference in strength…”

 

Different voices buzzed as the guild was filled with excitement. Daniela paid it no mind as she was absorbed with her food. Ah, really. Look how much you’re getting on your mouth.

 

“Mm, mm. What is it Asagi? Stop bothering me.”

“You’re not a child anymore. Don’t make such a mess when you eat.”

“Hm? Are you making fun of me? This fish is nothing. Why, I could eat the whole thing, bones and all if I wanted!”

“Bones will get stuck in your throat and are not for eating!”

 

Though, I did like those fishbone crackers they used to have.

 

And then Presence Detection caught something with ridiculous magic levels. It was this Hero without a doubt. He was coming right here. I was becoming a little nervous.

 

“Daniela. The Hero is coming.”

“Mm, gg, mmm… You did want to meet with him.”

“Yeah, this is exciting…”

 

Just what kind of person would this Yasushi Matsumoto be? I moved my eyes towards the door with expectation.

 

And then, along with the incredible levels of magic, came the Hero, as the doors opened.

 

“Helllooo.”

 

The guild went from rowdy to quiet in an instant. It was so quiet that my ears almost hurt.

 

“Uh, can I come in?…”

 

Hero Matsumoto mumbled awkwardly. As far as I could tell, he seemed Japanese. The black hair. The face. The way he carried himself. It’s that same strange feeling of seeing someone from the same country when you are abroad. Actually, I’ve never been abroad.

 

“Hmm? He has black hair just like you, this Hero.”

 

It was Daniela’s voice that broke the silence. That’s my partner for you. Look, now he was looking at us. Oh, damn, I was getting nervous again.

 

“A-are you Silvergreen!?”

“W-welcome!”

“Uh…”

“Oh…”

 

It was a greeting that had been carved into my soul after so many night shifts. But I knew everyone would forgive me.

 

In any case, this was my first meeting with the Hero.

 

□　　　□　　　□　　　□

 

“…well, that happened.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“I’m reminiscing.”

 

Matsumoto and I were now drinking at the Fang and Claw tavern. This was the same place that we had visited with Rex and the others. Daniela wasn’t with us today. It was just a little drink between guys. It was bound to get long-winded, so she didn’t come.

 

Matsumoto was apparently a high school student. He had been on his way home from school when a truck tipped over, slipped and crushed him out of this life and unleashed him into this one. It was while he died…or perhaps immediately after, which was the same as me. And like me, he was teleported here. He had not started again as a baby.

It seemed that he was really living the typical protagonist life here. Amazing stats and skills allowed him to reach the position of Hero. He was unbeatable in combat. Women would throw themselves at him every time he walked. Harems developed like a natural phenomenon. It was all very protagonist-like. In fact, the moment he came to the guild, he was soon followed by an interesting group of women…

 

“No, but really. I don’t have the resources to manage a harem! I’m just a normal Japanese guy! Not an oil tycoon!”

“Yes, you’ve said that a hundred times…”

 

He did have a tendency to get into trouble. But with every solution he brought to a case, the number of women who followed him would increase. He went on about the troubles surrounding his nighttime schedule. And yet he couldn’t throw them out, as they were good people. He even began to feel a fondness for a few of them. And so here he was, completely bound to them. Or so he said.

 

“This old man is scandalized.”

“I envy you, Asagi. You’re all alone.”

“You’re an idiot. Aren’t you living the dream?”

“You can say that because you don’t know what it’s like to have a harem!”

 

Well, perhaps. But really, I was fine with those things staying in the realm of imagination. All I wanted was for Daniela to be with me. It was more than enough.

 

“Looking at you, I’m quite thankful I wasn’t a protagonist.”

“What! You don’t need to say it like that! You know what? I’m going to tell miss Daniela that you were jealous of my harem, okay!?”

“Hey, hey now. We’re friends, aren’t we? Matsumoto Yasushi!”

“Don’t say my name like that! It makes it sound like a drug store!”

 

Ah, it was night talking to someone from home again. At least they got your jokes.

We talked like this until morning, and then the Fang and Claw had to close, and so we left it behind us. We had skewers of meat in our hands by the time we got through the food district, and they were completely bare by the time we arrived at the Silver Wind inn. I had introduced it to him, and so he was staying here. And if he was here, then of course, so was his harem. In fact, they were all waiting for him at the entrance. One of them asked:

 

“Are you joining the harem then?”

 

Heh. Don’t be absurd.

Next Chapter

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1. Oh, no. A harem.
2. Chapters keep getting longer… 🙁