Chapter 86 Owlbear Explanation
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I walked with Higurashi, Maekawa-san, and Satou-san (the scout), heading north through the corridor, passing through the courtyard on the west side between the B and C school buildings, and making our way to the Student Council’s exclusive building.
On the way through the courtyard, I saw a student wearing an “Discipline Committee” armband, posting a new notice on the “Don’t Litter in the Courtyard!” signboard that read “No Javelin Throwing in the Courtyard!”.
Oh man, this is crazy. Are there really people like that around?
I couldn’t help but look around, tilting my head.
Then, I noticed that there were other students besides us hurrying to the exclusive building.
”It’s gonna be a close call, I think.”
”6 o’clock is way too early.”
”Those who went to the special zone didn’t get caught, huh?”
”We’re lucky we made it in time. Let’s share info later, yeah.”
I overheard nearby students talking. Now’s the time when people are returning from the dungeon, and it’s time for reflection, shopping, dinner, and all that.
Floor boss information is crucial for players. Even if someone find the boss room, many people would hesitate to challenge it without any information. But once they get that info, they’ll definitely go for it.
The door to the exclusive building was open, and several students were waiting at the entrance, greeting the supporters who were arriving. Among them, I saw a short male student I recognized.
”Tsuchimiya-kun!”
Secretary Tsukuba, who had spotted me, came running over with a huge smile on his face.
”Ah, great job, you guys.”
”Tsuchimiya-kun, thank you… And who’s with you?”
Secretary Tsukuba noticed Maekawa-san and the others, and his gaze shifted towards them.
”My classmates, Maekawa-san and Satou-san, who are diving together, are coming with me. Today, we’re going to explain things to the supporters together. Maekawa-san, Satou-san, this is Tsukuba-kun, the Student Council officer.”
”Maekawa here. Nice to meet you, Tsukuba-kun.”
”Satou here. Nice to meet you.”
”I’m Secretary Tsukuba of the Student Council. Nice to meet you too.”
Secretary Tsukuba bows his head slightly. He’s being very polite, even though we’re classmates. I still remember how I tried to punch him when we first met, and I’m grateful I reflected on that and forgot about it.
”Everyone’s already gathered in the meeting room, so let’s go!”
I follow Secretary Tsukuba, who leads the way, to the second-floor meeting room.
The meeting room is buzzing with noise, but there are only about 20 people, half the number from yesterday.
Maekawa-san and Satou-san take seats in the empty chairs in the middle.
”T-Tsuchimiya-kun!? Thanks for coming!”
Amahara-senpai, sitting at the front desk, stands up energetically, and Sogahara-senpai the vice president beside her also gets up to greet us.
Hmm? Amahara-senpai looks really cute.
She’s usually stern-faced in places like this, but her face is red, and she looks flustered. Did something happen?
”H-Higurashi-kun… Did you go to call Tsuchimiya-kun to get ready? If you’d just told me, I would’ve welcomed him.”
Amahara-senpai looks at Higurashi with a sulky face. It’s clear she’s not in her usual work mode.
”Tsuchimiya-senpai might not make it on time, so I thought it would be bad to get your hopes up. It’s a little surprise, though.”
”……”
A surprise? I think Higurashi could’ve explained it just fine. But since it’s Higurashi, Amahara-senpai might be overpraising me to make things difficult.
”If senpai welcomes me, I’ll be too scared. It’s better if you just ignore me.”
Right now, I’m like a customer-attracting panda for the Student Freedom Alliance, and from a distance, I might seem like an important person. But in reality, I’m leaving all the work to Higurashi and Akiyama (the popular guy) and planning to fade out. So, I want to avoid getting special treatment as much as possible.
”Hehe. If you guys turn your backs on me now, the Student Council would collapse. I wouldn’t even complain if you acted more arrogant. Tsuchimiya-kun really is a big deal, after all.”
”What? That’s impossible!”
”Well, it’s not about being human, but Tsuchimiya-senpai’s ‘stuff’ is definitely huge.”
Hey, Higurashi! What are you saying to Amahara-senpai with that serious face?!
”Ah, that’s right. We’ve all become so used to having great power that we’ve lost our composure. If each of us could remember to stay humble like Tsuchimiya-kun, we wouldn’t have any conflicts. I’ve gotten really good at putting on a facade, but inside, I’m still immature. I wish I could have a big heart like Tsuchimiya-kun’s.”
It seems Amahara-senpai didn’t catch the hidden meaning behind Higurashi’s words. And for some reason, my evaluation has become ridiculously high.
”It’s just the right time, isn’t it? Tsuchimiya-kun, I want to ask for permission to take pictures――.”
Sogahara-senpai, the vice president, who must have caught the hidden meaning, called out to me with a refreshing smile.
* * *
”As I explained earlier, Owl Bear’s strong points are its wide field of vision due to its rotating head and its long arms that allow for wide-range attacks, plus its ability to fly for a short time. What we need to be cautious about is the distance between vanguard and rearguard becoming too great, which could lead to the vanguard’s head being jumped over and the rearguard being attacked directly.”
As I explained, pointing to the cute Owl Bear doodle on the whiteboard that Higurashi drew, the Supporters listened intently with serious faces.
The ridiculously cute Owl Bear drawings, with multiple patterns, had no sense of tension whatsoever, but its characteristics were accurately captured, and the level of artistry was unnecessarily high, making me feel frustrated. Even now, Higurashi is quickly drawing an Owl Bear swooping down to attack the rearguard with incredible speed. This guy’s a talent bundle.
The video camera set up on a tripod in the aisle between the long tables in front of me is recording the proceedings for the supporters who couldn’t make it to the explanation meeting.
I’m a bit nervous, but since I’m focused on talking to Maekawa-san and Satou-san, my mind’s not going completely blank. I’m getting used to the situation little by little.
Then, Sogahara-senpai, seated at the long table to my right, turned to face me and spoke up.
”That’s incredible, Tsuchimiya-kun. With high attack power, high durability, and speed to boot, it’s like there’s no weakness to be found. So, Tsuchimiya-kun, how did you take it down?”
”I worked with Higurashi to attack it from both sides. We did the same thing the second time, with Higurashi and Asagiri pinching it from both sides. Even with a wide field of vision, it can’t see both front and back at the same time, and it can only attack what’s right in front of it. If you can’t take it down quickly, it’s easier to crush its wings, which are connected to its body.”
The wings are large, so it’s not that hard to target them. The mutated species was quick and annoying to fight, but once we cut off its wings, its mobility dropped and it became less threatening.
The one we fought was an Owl Bear mutated species. The normal species was instantly killed by Himeno, so I’m not really sure how strong a normal Owl Bear is.
One of the supporters raised their hand and asked a question.
”If its arms are long, wouldn’t it be safe to dodge inside and avoid its attacks?”
”No way, it attacks with its beak. And with its arms turned into wings, it’s like being hugged and bitten at the same time, so it’s pretty dangerous. I managed to escape by dodging between its legs at the last second. Its claws are also huge and sharp, so it might use them if it gets close. It’s better to fight it from behind, and if you’re confident in your defense, you can take it down with ranged attacks.”
”I see. So you’re saying that Tsuchimiya-kun and Higurashi-san were able to defeat it with just the two of you, but do you think we can do it too?”
”That’s hard to say. It’s not something I can generalize. The outcome depends on the compatibility of your magic, skills, and gifts. I recommend trying it with a party of 2 or more at first.”
If a party that’s strong enough to clear the 3rd floor on their own tries, they might be able to do it. But I can’t make any guarantees. They can’t just wing it and expect to win. From now on, many students will be challenging the 3rd floor boss, and each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses. If I had to give advice to everyone, I’d say that the most reliable way is to rely on sheer numbers.
”You taught us effective fighting strategies, so now it’s up to us. It’s every person for themselves, and as Tsuchimiya-kun said, we should prepare a sufficient fighting force and challenge it.”
Sogahara-senpai speaks up, addressing the gathering.
”The Student Council also recommends that when challenging the floor boss for the first time, it’s better to do it with multiple parties. I’ll try challenging it as soon as my injuries heal, and if we’re successful, I’ll ask for volunteers to help with the subjugation.”
As Sogahara-senpai’s words spread, a sense of relief began to spread among the Supporters. Having one of the strongest students in the school lend a hand would certainly be a huge morale boost for them.
Noticing the puzzled gazes of the Supporters, I turned back to the whiteboard, where Higurashi was intensely drawing an owl bear devouring a male student’s throat with a dramatic touch.
The explanatory meeting ended in about an hour. The committee announced that they would hold a screening of the filmed footage tomorrow afternoon, and they would make sure to inform the Supporters who couldn’t attend today.
The Supporters got up from their seats and began to leave. After meeting up with Maekawa-san and the others, the Student Council members gathered again to express their gratitude.
Of course, Togamine was also there, but she didn’t even try to make eye contact with me. Considering how ruthless she was during Doi’s public punishment, I didn’t want to get too involved with her either. It was best to keep a safe distance.
”Sorry for troubling you all on a busy day. Thanks to this, we were able to provide valuable information to the Supporters. This should help reduce unnecessary sacrifices significantly.”
Amahara-senpai bowed her head to express her gratitude to us.
”If it’s okay with you, feel free to call on us anytime.”
”And… would it be okay to share this information with the general student body? I was thinking of providing it to the school newspaper club to get it published in the school gazette.”
”Yeah, no problem. If you have valuable information, we’ll keep you covered.”
Right now, it seems like we’re the ones who have gone the furthest, but it’s not like we’ll be in trouble if someone surpasses us. As our level goes up and we get more skills and magic for exploration, it’s likely that we’ll catch up with other parties soon. But instead of competing with them, we should prioritize the safety of our fellow students.
I find it a hassle to deliberately spread information for the sake of others, but if Amahara-senpai is willing to do it, I have no objections.
”Thanks! That’s so like you, Tsuchimiya-kun!”
Amahara-senpai, who looked a bit tense, suddenly broke into a bright smile and shook my hand with both of hers, beaming with excitement.
”We’re grateful for the valuable information! We can’t do much, but if there’s anything we can do, please don’t hesitate to tell us!”
”No need to thank me, really. The information will spread soon anyway, and if it can just reduce the number of victims by a little, that’s good enough for me.”
This person is genuinely happy, but still prioritizes the well-being of everyone in the school. I don’t have that kind of noble spirit, but if helping out Amahara-senpai can help everyone, I don’t mind providing information every now and then.
What’s more, Amahara-senpai won’t let go of my hand. I try to pull it back, but she doesn’t budge. Togamine is silently staring at the hand, which is pretty intimidating.
”It’s not like I’m inviting you to a tea party or anything, but when you have the time, would you tell me about your adventures? Just, you know, personally… I’ve been too busy since I got here, and I haven’t had a chance to relax…”
”Yeah, even Karen-chan needs to take a break sometimes! What do you think, Tsuchimiya-kun?”
”Huh? Uh…”
Ukita-senpai the treasurer (Amahara’s best friend) jumped on that idea like it was a great plan. As the Student Council President, Amahara-senpai is always busy, and I kinda get it. But is it really okay to waste that precious break time on me? And why is Togamine’s forehead getting all scrunched up, giving me a bad vibe?
”Ah, it’s no big deal. We’ll just adjust Tsuchimiya-senpai’s schedule right away from our side.”
Hey, Higurashi! Don’t go ahead and decide things on your own!
”Amahara-kun is here almost all day, except for when she’s diving. If she could just skip a few general classes in the morning, that’d be fine.”
Sogahara-senpai is also getting on board with this for some reason. Maybe Amahara-senpai’s break is really that urgent? But can’t we just get it over with in one go?
”Tsuchimiya-senpai has a PE class in the third period and physics in the 4th period tomorrow. He can squeeze in some time between the third period and lunch.”
How does Higurashi know my class schedule?! I’m not even interested, so I don’t know it myself!
”R-really, are you coming tomorrow? I-I’ll try to make some time too…”
Amahara-senpai, who brought up the topic, is now looking around confused, her eyes darting back and forth.
”That much time can be spared, right? Karen starts doing miscellaneous tasks as soon as she gets a free hand, and if she doesn’t take a break every now and then, she get all worked up. So, Tsuchimiya-kun, let’s make a promise!”
Ukita-senpai grasped my other hand tightly.
”Y-yes, I understand…”
It’s not like I can refuse. To be honest, I don’t mind being Amahara-senpai’s conversation partner――she’s a beauty, and for some reason, Higurashi is also backing her up, so I don’t have a reason to decline. But the role, is it really okay for me to take it on? It feels like Higurashi’s scheme, and I’m starting to get suspicious.
”Karen-chan, you’ve only been to the special zone’s main street once, right? Why don’t you and Tsuchimiya-kun go around together and explore?”
”!! E-e-exactly! I’ve been thinking I should go on a reconnaissance mission too! Tsuchimiya-kun, I want you to accompany me on a reconnaissance mission to the special zone! What do you say?”
”Ah, yes. It’s okay.”
Getting pressed by Amahara-senpai is really intimidating. She’s taller than me, and on top of that, I’m overwhelmed by her beauty and aura.
Just then, Togamine cut in.
”You-can’t-do-that! Letting Student Council President Amahara-senpai walk around the special zone alone with an outsider like Tsuchimiya-kun is unacceptable! What if Demiurge attacks her?”
Yeah, that’s a really reasonable opinion, I think.
”There are few people walking around outside of the main street in the morning, and if Tsuchimiya-kun is with her, we won’t have to worry.”
Ukita-senpai is trying to push through an unreasonable argument. What’s with “Don’t worry, I’ve got this” when I’m the only one who’s actually fought?
In reality, only Amahara-senpai has seen me fight, and that was during the First Dive, when most students hadn’t even leveled up yet. Objectively speaking, it’s hard to trust someone they’ve only met a few times.
”That’s exactly why I’m saying we can’t trust Tsuchimiya Takeru that much! If you insist, I’ll come along with my team as escorts!”
Hmm…I think that’s a reasonable condition, but with Togamine watching over me, I don’t feel at ease. It’s like having a thorn in my side.
But then Sogahara-senpai intervened.
”If that’s the case, I’ll come along with Shiori. We can’t forget that Togamine-kun is still on probation. What do you think, Shiori?”
”Yeah, of course!”
Kijima-senpai replied with a smile. These 2 are better than Togamine, at least.
Probably because Sogahara-senpai is Kijima-senpai’s boyfriend and also Amahara-senpai’s partner. There’s no one else who can balance them out, so Amahara-senpai should feel at ease too. It’s a pretty safe bet. But then, I wonder why I’m even part of this group…
”No choice, I guess…alright.”
Togamine reluctantly agreed. Being on probation means yesterday’s penalty, I suppose. Togamine can’t complain about that.
”By the way, Tsuchimiya-kun, you sleep through most of your classes, don’t you?”
Suddenly, Maekawa-san said something unexpected.
”Huh? I’m paying attention to the interesting parts, and I even take notes sometimes.”
I had only taken a few notes during the first class back after the break.
”Your notes will be fine, so can we use your morning to our heart’s content? And for the afternoon dive, it’s okay if it’s just the 6 of us, right? We can level up on the 3rd floor.”
”Eh~…”
What’s going on, anyway?
”It’s perfect. Then, Karen-chan, why don’t you take the whole day off tomorrow?”
Wait, what’s perfect, Ukita-senpai?
Kijima-senpai then confirms with me and Amahara-senpai.
”Alright. Tsuchimiya-kun will take care of Karen’s from the morning, and the 4 of us will head to the special zone after the store opens, right?”
”Of course, I’m fine with that, but is Tsuchimiya-kun okay with it?”
”Ah, it’s no problem at all. We’ll drop our Tsuchimiya-senpai off here on our way to school tomorrow.”
So, why are you deciding everything?! Higurashi!
”Thanks, Tsuchimiya-kun! I’m sorry to take up your precious time!”
Amahara-senpai’s face lit up with joy as he shook my hand firmly.
”N, no, don’t mind it. It’s really okay.”
If I had refused, it would be like saying, “Spending time with Amahara-senpai is less important than sleeping in.” That’s not a gentlemanly attitude.
I felt the pressure of Togamine’s expressionless face, but I didn’t have any choices.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.