Chapter 31 Narumi Honoka ⑱
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”What?! They ran away?!” the receptionist squawked.
Her voice hit a ridiculous, high-pitched note that made the entire hall go still for a second before the whispering started.
By that point, we – currently disguised as Shin – had looped back toward the town of Rubia, taking a bit of a detour to avoid our original trail, and stopped in at the Hunter Guild Monster ¹. Everything had gone fine up until I showed them the heads of the Flare Wyvern and Frost Wyvern as proof of the kill. But then they noticed Akiyama and his group were missing. The interrogation started immediately.
And that led to the receptionist’s outburst.
I obviously couldn’t tell them I’d killed them. So, I went with the story that they’d lost their nerve and bolted the second the wyverns started breathing fire and ice.
I made sure to say Oshiro had run off, too. On the way back, I’d swung by the Forest of the Greedy Fool ² (the Forest Labyrinth) and dumped him there. It was a massive detour since it’s nowhere near the Wyvern Valley route. I wonder how he’s doing. If he’s lucky, he’s still alive. Not that he’ll be having a good time regardless.
”So, you teamed up with Ms. Honoka after she was left behind and somehow managed to take them down?” the receptionist asked, sighing.
”Yeah, something like that,” I replied.
The receptionist let out a long breath. Narumi Honoka kept her head down, looking for all the world like she was stewing in frustration. In reality, she was just pent up. I’d ordered her to m**urbate during our camp-out the night before we hit town, so she was likely feeling pretty desperate by now.
”Fine, I get it. I’ll pass this along to the branch manager and the Church. Anyway, good work out there,” the receptionist said.
We took the reward and left the guild behind.
* * *
We finally made it back to the Blue Bird Inn. It had been seven full days. We could have been back sooner if we hadn’t detoured, but the Wyvern Valley and the Forest of the Greedy Fool are in opposite directions, so it couldn’t be helped. Plus, dealing with Oshiro’s struggling was a pain.
He was so loud I had to gag him, wrap him in a mat, and stuff him into a large sack. He still thrashed around inside the bag like a fish out of water.
Anyway, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The sun was setting, so the dining area was starting to get crowded.
”Welcome – wait, Shin?! Shin, where have you been?!” Mary shouted.
Mary had been busy waitressing, but she dropped everything and ran over to us. Actually, she basically tackled me with a hug.
”Shin, you just left without saying a word! I was so worried! I thought you were never coming back, just like Luck!” Mary cried.
She buried her face in my chest. I could hear her sniffing; she was definitely crying.
”Yeah… sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. You were so depressed back then that I didn’t know how to bring it up. My bad,” I said.
”As long as you’re back safe, it’s okay. But Shin… you aren’t going anywhere else, are you? You aren’t going to disappear like Luck did, right?!” Mary asked.
I couldn’t find the words. I’m already dead. And I still have things I have to finish.
”…I’m sorry,” I muttered.
”What? What do you mean? Are you leaving too, Shin? Tell me!” Mary demanded.
”…”
”No way… You’re going somewhere with this Lil, aren’t you? Yeah, that’s it, I knew it!” Mary yelled.
”Wait a second! How did you get that idea?!” I asked.
Mary glared at me through her tears.
Mary was just letting her imagination run wild, but the fact that she wasn’t entirely wrong made it sting.
”Lil is a total beauty, after all! Fine, you two should just go wherever you want! Hmph!” Mary snapped.
Before I could stop her, Mary turned and ran toward her room. “I’m taking the night off!” she screamed at the innkeeper. The poor guy looked completely baffled.
”Man, what am I supposed to do…” I groaned.
I looked over at Lil for help.
”Um, I’m a wolf, so I don’t really get how this works…” Lil said apologetically.
It made sense. The gap between human and wolf values is just too wide. Next, I looked at Narumi Honoka. She let out a small sigh.
”Shin, I think you should just tell her the truth,” Honoka said.
”I don’t know… maybe, but…” I started.
”If you don’t, she’s going to keep misunderstanding you. Besides…” Honoka trailed off.
”Besides what?” I asked.
”I don’t think you can move forward until you do. Did you see Mary’s face? She looked like she was on the verge of breaking,” Honoka said.
I’d noticed it too. It was like the light had vanished from her eyes. But if I told her the truth, would she end up following me into death? That was what worried me.
”Look, even if you don’t tell her, she’s in a bad way now. If she’s left alone, it wouldn’t be surprising if she killed herself anyway,” Honoka pointed out.
”That would be a disaster…” I said.
If she died, I’d never be able to live with myself. I’d regret it forever. But how do I…
”Well, if it’s like that, why doesn’t Master just stay in Shin’s form and take Mary along with us?” Lil suggested.
”That would cause way too many problems,” I replied.
”I guess so. Then what do we do?” Honoka asked.
The three of us stood there racking our brains. I never expected to get stuck on something like this.
”Um, if that’s the case, what about this?” Lil asked.
She made a suggestion that hadn’t even occurred to the rest of us.
* * *
”Mary,” I said, knocking on her door.
I knew she was in there, but there wasn’t a sound.
”Mary, please. I need you to listen to me. Open up,” I said.
I knocked again. The door stayed shut, but I heard a dull thud against the wood from the inside. She’d probably thrown a pillow.
”Shut up! I don’t want to hear it! Just go away!” Mary shouted.
Mary is the type to let her emotions run wild. Usually, I’d wait for her to calm down, but I couldn’t afford to wait this time.
”…Alright. Then just listen through the door. Mary… I’m already dead,” I said.
”…”
”The day we met, the day Luck died… I was killed too,” I said.
”What are you talking about?” Mary asked quietly.
I told her the whole story. How Akiyama and his group had abandoned me, how I’d taken a fatal hit from the Minotaur, and how I’d sworn vengeance with my dying breath. I explained the contract with Natsumi and how I’d become a substitute for myself. I told her my revenge was done, but there were others who still had to pay.
”I feel bad for lying to you, Mary. I really am sorry,” I said.
I stood in front of the door and bowed my head.
I don’t know how long I stayed like that. Finally, the latch clicked.
”…………Come in,” Mary said.
”Is it okay?” I asked.
”Just get in here,” Mary replied.
I wasn’t sure if she’d actually forgiven me, but I stepped into the room. It looked just like the one we were staying in, but it had a faint, nice scent to it.
”Sit here,” Mary said.
She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. I sat down as told.
”…Is what you said just now really true?” Mary asked.
”It is,” I answered.
”So the real Shin is dead? And the Shin in front of me is a fake?” Mary asked.
”Yeah. Technically, that’s what it comes down to,” I said.
”I don’t understand,” Mary whispered.
Explaining this was going to be hard. Talking about genes or DNA wouldn’t mean anything to her.
”It’s hard to put into words… Look, let me ask you something. What do you see when you look at me?” I asked.
”What do I see? I see Shin. Your habits, the way you talk… and this might sound weird, but… your smell, too,” Mary said.
Yeah, that was a little weird. Does Mary have a scent fetish or something?
”Hey! It’s not anything perverted! I just… ugh! Anyway, you’re Shin to me! I’d never have known you were a fake! Is that enough?!” Mary snapped.
I’d set her off again. She was being a bit blunt, but that was fine.
”Don’t get mad. But that’s the point. I recognize myself as Shin, too. I have all his memories. Like, I even remember how you used to wet the b—” I started.
”LALALA! Don’t say it! Don’t you dare!! Why do you even remember that?!” Mary screamed, covering my mouth.
Yeah, definitely picked the wrong memory. It just happened to be a very vivid one.
”Anyway! You’re a fake, but you’re still Shin, right?” Mary asked.
”That’s the gist of it. The original Shin died. I’m just a lingering soul or something that borrowed his body. But I’m still Shin. In heart and in body,” I said.
”I see… Hey, can I lean on you for a bit?” Mary asked.
”Sure, I don’t mind,” I replied.
”Thanks… hic… Shin… Shin…” Mary sobbed.
She cried into my chest. All I could do was hold her gently until she finally ran out of tears.
* * *
”Hey, Mary,” I said.
”Yeah?” Mary asked.
”Do you remember that promise I made when I became a hunter?” I asked.
”Yeah… You said once you became the best hunter in town, you’d marry me,” Mary whispered.
”That’s it. I’m sorry, Mary… I couldn’t keep our promise,” I said.
”…”
I talked to Mary as she remained crouched on the ground. We spoke of our childhood, of Luck, and that promise.
”…It can’t be helped,” Mary whispered.
”…I’m sorry,” I replied.
”Don’t apologize. But, with this, I’m all alone… Maybe I should go to where Shin and Luck are, too,” Mary said.
As I thought, she was planning to die. For my part, I wanted her to live. Both as Natsumi, and as Shin.
”…Hey, Mary,” I said.
”What?” she asked.
”I’ve fulfilled my Vengeance³, but you see, I have one more regret,” I told her.
”…”
”I want to become one with you, Mary. I want you to bear my child,” I said.
”…Huh!? What’s that!?” Mary cried out.
Startled, Mary reflexively sat up. Her face was a mask of pure shock.
”Do you hate it because I’m a fake?” I asked.
”…U, ah, um, it’s not that. But, um, if that child were to be born… would that baby really be Shin’s child?” Mary asked.
”I don’t fully understand the mechanics myself, but genetically… it seems I will be the father of Shin’s child,” I explained.
”Genetics? I don’t know what that is, but… it would be Shin’s child, right?” she asked.
”It would,” I said.
”…That’s so unfair. You don’t want me to die that much. But… okay,” Mary said.
I knew I was being a coward.
”Still, that’s the world’s worst proposal, isn’t it?” she said.
”Haha, certainly,” I laughed.
”But, will one really be born?” she asked.
”I’ll knock you up in one shot,” I said.
”Geez, you’re so vulgar,” Mary muttered.
The two of us laughed together. As Shin, I wished this moment would last forever, but it wouldn’t. Mary likely felt the same.
”Yeah, I understand. But, since it’s my first time… please be gentle,” Mary said softly.
That day, Mary and I became one.
* * *
The next morning, when I woke up, Shin was nowhere to be found.
Was that a dream? I wondered. But a dull throb pulsed between my legs, and the scent of Shin filled the room. I knew then it wasn’t a dream.
”Geez… and I told him to be gentle,” I muttered to the empty room.
That act with Shin had been gentle at first, but midway through, he had turned feral. And the worst part was… I was the one who had begged for it.
Well, whatever. It felt good, so I suppose it’s fine.
I wrapped my body in the sheets and climbed out of bed. I still felt a lingering fullness, like a foreign object was inside me, making it a bit hard to walk. On the table, a letter had been placed. It read:
’Thank you. Goodbye.’
Looking at those words, tears began to overflow, dripping steadily onto the paper.
”Ugh… hng… Shin… waah… waaaaaaaaaah! Shin! Shinnn! I wanted to be with you longer! Uwaaaaaaaaaah!”
Realizing I would never meet Shin again, I pulled the letter to my chest and wailed.
* * *
We left Rubia-san’s town early in the morning.
What should be done so as not to let Mary die? The answer was to have her conceive Shin’s child. I have the Forced Pregnancy⁴ skill that I stole-or rather, obtained through Predation⁵-from an Orc. I simply activated it while I held her. She will surely carry Shin’s child now.
They say a child is the bond that anchors a home. With this, Mary should be fine.
”So, Natsumi-san, where are we going now?” Lil-san asked.
”Yeah, I’m thinking of going to Greedia⁶,” I said.
”Greedia… that’s the merchant country hostile to Plaudix, right, Master?” she asked.
”Yeah. I want to build a foothold somewhere. Besides, I’m tired of being a rootless weed. Above all…”
Above all, I have no weapons or armor. Especially weapons. I didn’t think the Magic Sword-the Black Flame Sword-would carbonize after a single use. I have the sword Tatei forged, but I don’t know if it can withstand my power either. I have to find a blade that can endure this. For that, Greedia-where merchants, smiths, and hunters gather and information flies-is the perfect place.
”Then let’s go, to Greedia,” I said.
”Yes, Natsumi-san,” Lil-san replied.
”You got it, Master!” she chirped.
We began walking toward Greedia. At the time, I had no way of knowing I would soon encounter someone I never expected to see again.
—
Author:
With this, Honoka’s chapter comes to an end. It ran longer than expected, but how was it? If you thought it was interesting, got off to it, or just enjoyed seeing Akiyama and his goons get what they deserved (lol), then I’m happy.
By the way, I cut the erotic scene with Mary. She’s a sub-character, and I don’t think she’ll be appearing again.
—
Summary:
Shin returns to the town of Rubia after his mission in the Wyvern Valley. He lies to the Guild about Akiyama’s group to cover his tracks and returns to the Blue Bird Inn. There, he faces an emotional confrontation with Mary and ultimately reveals the truth about his death and current existence.
After their encounter, Natsumi leaves her with a goodbye note, heading toward the merchant city of Greedia with Lil-san. He reveals he used a ‘Forced Pregnancy’ skill to ensure she conceives, justifying it as a way to save her.
—
Trivia:
- Shin is currently using a ‘substitute’ body or mimicking his original form.
- Oshiro was abandoned in a dangerous labyrinth far from the main path.
- The receptionist suspects something because Akiyama’s party is missing.
- Honoka is under a specific command from Shin that affects her behavior.
- Mary recognizes Shin not just by looks, but by scent.
- The Black Flame Sword was destroyed (carbonized) after just one use.
- Greedia is specifically mentioned as being hostile to Plaudix.
- Natsumi used a skill stolen from an Orc to guarantee conception.
—
Character Insight:
Shin struggles with his humanity, feeling guilt for Mary’s suffering despite his focus on vengeance. Mary shows extreme attachment, her identity deeply tied to Shin and the trauma of losing Luck. Honoka acts as a pragmatist, pushing Shin toward honesty to prevent Mary’s total breakdown.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The ‘Hunter Guild Monster’ follows a specific localization naming convention. The emotional weight of the scene is amplified by the contrast between Shin’s cold inner thoughts and Mary’s raw desperation.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Shin – A level 18 greatsword user and Hunter from Rubia. Jade rank.
• Honoka – A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki.
• Narumi – Narumi Honoka. A member of the relief team with healing magic. Despite her cute, short, ‘transistor glamour’ appearance, she is cold-hearted and mocks Sasaki. Black hair, black eyes.
• Luck – Shin’s partner and a wind magic user. Hunter from Rubia. Deceased.
• Lil – One of the heroines. Height 166 cm, B-W-H: 90-56-90. She is a top-tier beauty with long indigo hair down to her waist, a large scar on her abdomen and sharp golden eyes. She has wolf ears and a tail.
• Natsumi – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Tatei – Tatei Kozoo. Height 186 cm, weight 52 kg. Natsumi’s otaku friend. Originally a tall and sturdy man, but he became skin and bones due to anorexia. Possesses the skill ‘Materialization Alchemy’. Created equipment for the class.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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