Unlucky!! 2
"Th-there's no such thing! Using kids who are still in school for a war against the Demon King!? As their teacher, I absolutely cannot allow it!!"
Despite her looks, the homeroom teacher stepped forward with a sense of duty toward her profession and spoke up—something she hadn't done until now. Her eyes were filled with genuine worry for the students.
Well, she was too scared of the chairman—who's blood-related to the principal and superintendent—to even open her mouth when I was getting bullied, but aside from that, she's a pretty decent teacher.
According to the chairman (who'd basically forced the info on me), she had the skills to teach the elite gold-spoon A class or at least the solid B class, but she'd chosen F class to help regular kids who'd barely scraped into the school. She was a good teacher, aside from being timid and treating me like I didn't exist because of the chairman and student council president.
But why'd she have to go after me like that? Suddenly pissing me off.
"R-right! We don't know how to fight or anything!!"
"Send us back!!"
"A war!? I hate that kind of stuff!!"
Starting with the teacher's words, the other students began raising their voices too.
"My classmates are right. We're just powerless students. A war... that's way too much for us."
With public opinion on his side, Seigen stepped forward and said that.
War? Yeah, definitely too much for these greenhouse flowers who've never gotten their hands dirty.
Of course, excluding me—and generously counting that student council president's bodyguard Natsuji—they were all just a ragtag bunch.
"Don't worry about that... The Goddess has already bestowed her blessing upon you all. That power has already taken root in your bodies, Heroes."
Matthias spoke as if he understood our concerns.
"You probably didn't notice because it felt so natural, but the knowledge of how to use that power should be in your minds. Some of you with exceptional talent have likely already realized it."
Don't think I have anything like that?
I rummaged through my head and focused on my body's sensations, but I couldn't feel any change.
Then—
—Fwoosh!!
A sudden burst of heat and light flared up right next to me.
"Whoa!! Is this magic!? It's insanely awesome, imda!! Wooohoooo!!!"
I looked over to see Erika bouncing a fireball the size of a human head on her palm.
"Eek!?"
"Erika, don't make fire out of nowhere. You're gonna singe your hair. And Kanami's scared too."
"Ack!! Sorry imda!! Aniki!!"
—Hiss.
At my warning, Erika immediately extinguished the fireball in her hand. The whole process felt so natural that it really seemed like she'd gained some power.
"Ooooh!! It looks like you've awakened a magic-talented class!! Magic classes are incredibly rare!! And to cast a silver-rank spell like Fireball right after getting your power... What amazing talent!!"
"Psh~ Like I said, no reward for compliments."
Erika waved it off shyly at Matthias's praise.
"Indeed... It seems we've been granted power beyond common sense..."
—Rustle.
A talisman appeared in Seigen's hand. His face showed surprise and wonder.
"But even so, we're just ignorant students when it comes to fighting. Gaining power doesn't change that fact. Please, I beg you—send us back to our original world."
"Yeah!!"
"A war!! We might die!!"
The students in the back echoed Seigen again.
"We're truly sorry!!"
Matthias bowed at a perfect ninety degrees in response.
—Thud!!
The other priests followed suit, bowing just like him.
"We deeply regret dragging you—all people with no connection to us—into the war against the Demon King. But sending you back to your original world is impossible..."
"Is that true?"
At Seigen's question, Matthias opened his mouth again.
"The Goddess was able to summon you to this world only because the Demon King never imagined it, allowing us to exploit that gap."
In other words—
"The Demon King has already recognized your existence and sealed off passage to and from the outside world to prevent any more Hero summons."
"That means..."
"Yes, it's impossible to send you Heroes back until the Demon King is defeated."
"What!? That's insane!! Dragging us here on a whim, shoving us into a fight on a whim, and now refusing to let us go home on a whim too!? You're no better than kidnappers!!"
The teacher, who'd been listening, exploded and shouted that.
"We're truly sorry!! Even a thousand mouths couldn't excuse it. You're completely right!! But!! Please, I beg you!! Without you, every life in this world will face the end!! Please take pity on us and help!!"
—Thud!!
This time, Matthias dropped to his knees and slammed his forehead to the ground.
Gulp.
Even the teacher swallowed hard and stepped back a bit at his desperate—almost fanatical—resolve.
"... "
Even student council president Seigen, facing a situation like this for the first time, seemed deeply troubled over what to do.
Should I step in?
As I thought that—
"Everyone, listen up."
Yukihime stepped forward.
"I'm going to fight."
She declared it boldly.
"Yuki... but..."
"Enough, brother. I've already decided."
She cut off Seigen's worried words and continued.
"If someone's in trouble, it's the right thing to lend a hand. They said people will die if we don't step up. We can't just sit by."
And—
"We can't go home without beating the Demon King. So we have no choice but to beat him. Arguing more is pointless. That's what I think."
Yukihime looked straight at everyone with unwavering eyes. Her words and expression carried a charisma that captivated people.
"And I think our arrival in this other world might be fate. So I'm going to fight."
—Vwoooong!!!
Suddenly, a sacred yet mystical golden aura began to rise from her body. The students stared at it, entranced.
"Ooh... that is...!!!"
Matthias's eyes widened in shock and touched.
"I knew you'd say that. As your brother, I'll follow you."
"Thank you, brother."
"If that's the president and chairman's will..."
Seigen and his two lackeys immediately agreed with Yukihime.
"Ugh... damn it!! No choice, huh!? We'll do it!!"
"Yeah!! We'll smash that Demon King!!"
"Can't let just the chairman fight!!"
Whether due to Yukihime's charisma or that mystical light from before, the students who'd been panicking now seemed resolved to fight.
"Hold on."
And then I opened my mouth, breaking the mood.
"What is it, Haku? You aren't thinking of running away like a coward, are you? As Wind Discipline Committee chair, I can't allow—"
"Matthias, right? You're not expecting us to work for free, are you?"
I ignored Yukihime. Back then, I'd held back to avoid her tantrums, but if this really was another world, I didn't need to anymore.
"... "
Yukihime glared at me sharply. But I sweetly ignored her. Once I learned about this world and adapted, we'd settle things—it'd be fun without holding back.
"What do you mean by that...?"
"I've got a few lessons from life. Never work for free if you're good at something."
A lesson from my previous life.
"So, what do we get for killing that Demon King or whatever? Spill it."
"Ah, I see..."
Matthias nodded as if he understood.
"The Goddess has already issued an oracle on that. If you defeat the Demon King, she will grant all you Heroes' wishes, as long as it's possible and doesn't strain the world's causality."
"Good. Anything else?"
"Anything else...?"
"The Goddess granting wishes is just a future promise, right? What if she shuts her mouth later and doesn't deliver?"
Exactly. It was just a promise.
"N-no way!! The Goddess Luminus would never—!!"
"Maybe from your side, but I know nothing about this high-and-mighty Goddess. So tell me. What support will you provide while we do this job, and what guarantees?"
Another lesson. Always get some advance payment as a deposit. In my past life, a client had us wipe out a rebel group as requested, then clammed up on payment. Naturally, I put a hole in the client's head in return, but not getting paid soured the experience.
"Haku!! Enough!!"
"Shut it, rookie."
—Chill!!
"!?!"
Yukihime tried to yell in anger, but I hit her with killing intent to shut her down. Her face went pale, eyes wide—it was her first time feeling it.
Serves you right.
Not explaining the contract properly and trying to shove the deal down our throats. And dragging not just me but other students into it. If it was war, we were betting our lives—the rewards had to be solid.
"I don't work at a loss. At least give us an advance."
"I don't know what you want, but the Roman Empire and all nations of Mundus will do their utmost to support whatever we can."
The Demon King issue was a task for all Mundus nations united. So if we wanted and proved results, they could support anything feasible with national power. That was Matthias's answer.
"Good."
I nodded.
"Oh, and some can't fight. Can you pull those back to the rear?"
I glanced at Kanami, trembling beside me at the word "war." Too timid to speak up.
"Of course. We'd never send someone who can't fight into the front lines."
"Good. Then put that all in a contract later."
"Understood. We'll prepare it as soon as possible."
Matthias murmured to a nearby priest, who dashed off.
"With those terms, you're hired."
War, huh? Aside from no guns, it wasn't much different from my past life gigs.
I stepped back again.
"Grrraaah!! Aniki!! So cool!! You shut that hag down!! As expected of Aniki imda!!"
"Th-thank you... f-for my sake..."
Erika's eyes sparkled at my actions, and Kanami seemed grateful, knowing the last clause was for her.
"No biggie. What're thanks between us?"
"... "
Tears welled up in Kanami's eyes, touched. Then I saw Yukihime glaring daggers again, seemingly recovered from my killing intent.
Soon, the priest who'd run off came hurrying back with a contract. The format was unlike anything from my past or current life, but it looked legit. The signature section had "Guaranteed by Roman Empire Emperor Marcus Caesar" in handwriting, stamped with what seemed like an imperial seal.
Mysteriously, I could read this world's language—probably some translation effect.
The contents matched what we'd discussed.
"Aniki, something feels off about this seal imda."
Erika, now able to use magic, said she sensed something from the seal. Probably a security measure verifying the emperor's own signature.
Anyway—
"Then, Heroes!! First, we'll measure your classes and issue ID cards!! Please follow me!!"
We followed Matthias's lead.
First goal: get home fast.
Mom's gotta be worried sick at home. She'd fall apart without me. So, prioritize returning quickly.
"By the way..."
As we moved, I spoke softly so only Erika and Kanami right next to me could hear.
"The rookie's playing a dangerous game."
War never changes, no matter the era or world.