As usual, I had no idea what Chiba was talking about. Or what his point was, I mean. Usually as I listened I actually would lose track of what he was going on about, which made me anxious, but today I felt somehow at ease. And I felt the same way he did about the cake.
Speaking of food impressions, Kiyori was really good at those—although she only ever praised Sumo’s cooking. I wonder what you’re doing now. Are you safe?
I bet you didn’t tell Chiba you were going into the forest. Before, you used to say what a strong adventurer he was. You even asked me for training because until not that long ago, you were planning on having him take you.
But you stopped expecting so much of him, huh? Because Chiba wasn’t interested. He’s interested in getting stronger, but he says defeating the demon lord is impossible, so he won’t bother trying.
I don’t know much about that kind of stuff, so I just listened to what he said and figured that’s how it was. I’m a little envious—of how he can give himself the okay to not go for all he’s worth.
Is it confidence? Or something less great, like putting up a brave front or being a sore loser? I’m envious either way. I guess all of that is confidence, really.
I have to bend over backwards just to survive. I don’t even know how I’m going to run the shop from tonight on. Remembering that ruined the flavor of the cake for me. Dangit.
“Chiba.” I wanted to ask if he was seeing Kizuha, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t go there. I was scared of making her angry.
“Hm? What is it? If you want to know something about me, you can ask anything.”
I would really hate it if they talked about me, I thought. While they did obscene things. When I imagined them doing blood and getting wasted, it made me sick to my stomach.
“...It’s nothing.” I felt guilty for hiding my question.
But while he could have picked up on my minor failure there, of glossing things over, he instead leaned forward enthusiastically and said, “What, what? Now you have to tell me what it was!”
This must be what annoys Haru.
The reason I like Chiba is that he’s like my little brother. But the memories I have of my little brother are from when he wasn’t much more than a baby, and Chiba is the same age as Haru—already an adult. And his face is totally different. If someone asked if they were really that similar, I’m not sure what I would say. I don’t know.
If he doesn’t want to sleep with me, then why does he meet me one-on-one? Even though he says stuff that must be come-ons, he’s never gotten aggressive.
This guy does things that seem to have no purpose at all, as if they’re totally normal. Is he bored? I’m envious if he has that much time on his hands. He probably never feels anxious.
Chiba stared at me, ignoring the smudge of cake next to his lip. He looked so funny I ended up laughing.
Ohh, I get it. He thinks he’s still a kid. That’s why he can live his life like it’s a hobby. He just thinks differently.
I figured it out. Basically, when he calls me, “Mama,” he means it. He doesn’t sleep with me because I’m not “a girl to replace his mother”—I am his mother. That was it.
Ohhhhhh.
“Really, what is it?”
“Mmm, I thought of a question. Can I ask you?”
“Huh? Sure. Of course, ask away.”
“What kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?”
I asked him as if I were asking my little brother. Chiba’s eyes twinkled. He really seemed like a child. It cracked me up.
I assumed he would say he wanted to be a hero, or that he wanted to end up in the bards’ songs, but I was wrong.
It was so unexpected, I didn’t realize what he said at first.
“I want to punch God.”
That really is what he said.
I glanced around to make sure there weren’t any people from the Church in the area. Phew, I’m glad Kiyori didn’t come running back from the forest.
“I’m gonna be the man who punches God’s lights out.”
He said it again without even realizing how tense I was.
I couldn’t even picture it when I tried. It was the first time I had ever heard anyone say something like that. I had never imagined it before.
What kind of situation would that be? Why would God suddenly be on the receiving end of violence from Chiba? How would they meet? It’s not as if God’s a customer at the brothel.
“...What’s the point of hitting him?”
“Hmm.” He looked up—and to the right. “Honestly, I don’t have that many complaints. To be frank, I like this other world. It’s all romance, adventures, and fantasy. Any boy would like it. But you know,” he said, cocking his head, “I’ve started to think a little differently lately—that for the people here it’s not like that. And the level cap thing really came out of left field. But still, I understand the system, so I have it better than most. Most people don’t even realize there’s a ceiling and only have skills they can’t use for anything. Well, my cheat skills are the same way. It would be different if there was no limit, but like this, defeating the demon lord is impossible. The design is messed up. Who could beat this game? Or is this the slow-life type? If so, then there should be a proper tutorial.”
Yeah, I had no idea what he was talking about, so I just smiled vaguely. So it’s just the same old Chiba, huh? I was stupid for listening seriously.
But he must have realized my reaction was superficial, because he said, “Sorry.” That was the first time he had ever read my expression. I was astounded. Chiba paid attention!
“Basically, there’s too much misery. I think it’s weird that people like you can’t attain more happiness. Well, I get that in human society and whatever if you make some changes at the lower levels, things improve a bit. But I know the guy at the top. If he doesn’t change things for us, they won’t change on a fundamental level, so I’m gonna pop him one and make him fix the world. I’m gonna make him cough up all the skills and evolve the entire species! Defeating the demon lord won’t be accomplished by a single hero, but by systemic reform that raises up those at the bottom. And I think that’s the hero’s job. In other words, it’s something only I can do. So I’m going to do it.”
I was still shaken, and I still had no idea what he was talking about. But I was really excited. I was attracted even though I didn’t understand. Chiba seemed like a totally different person—like someone from another world.
I didn’t know what to do, so I laughed like usual, except I messed up. I laughed so hard tears came out.
But Chiba was laughing, too.
“...Are you really...?”
“Hm?”
“Are you really going to hit him?”
“You bet. With a closed fist.”
Imagining it made me laugh even harder. God’ll be caught off guard. Chiba’ll surprise everyone. That’s so cool.
He folded his hands around mine as if he were making a vow. I was happy.
But the world wasn’t going to change so quickly. That night I was running around the shop making apologies with an ingratiating smile.
I had to rely on the regulars more, and they rolled their eyes at me, so I flattered them. And for some reason there were lots of customers making impossible requests—people I had never seen before.
“Hey, this isn’t the drink I ordered! I already drank it, but...”
“Don’t run away, c’mon! You can at least drink with me! Huh? Talking Time fee? What kind of idiot pays that? Just sit down!”
Ohh, is this because...?
Maybe it’s that angry customer’s doing. I see. I should have asked his attendant for his address and had some flowers sent around. I just didn’t get that far...
There were people starting fights, too. The commotion spread little by little. Maybe they were used to harassing people. Some regulars refused to break it up when I asked them. People were starting to dislike me.
I asked one of the older girls to see if the guildmaster would send some guys over. If we didn’t do something soon, the shop’s atmosphere would be completely ruined. We would probably owe them an extra-big cut, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
“Hey, lady, are you the madam here?”
Someone called me, so I greeted him. “I’m filling in.” It was the man who was trying to get a girl to sit with him without paying. He started pressuring me with complaints about the shop and backed me up against a wall until I was alone. Then someone came from the opposite direction.
“Uh, umm...?”
Before I knew it, I was surrounded. Three rough-looking customers. There were other trouble spots that needed my immediate attention, but I was stuck.