The Loner Who Conquers the Other World

Chapter 171: As I thought, Halloween doesn’t suit the other world.

Day 52 – Daytime, Picnic.

Everyone is extremely energetic when Haruka-kun is around. But seem lonely when he leaves. Having friends around, we are fine, but everyone is hard-pressed. Haruka-kun is the only one with whom they can act spoiled, so they can’t help but act spoiled with that Haruka-kun, who all on his own managed to survive, all on his own he fought his way through everything, all on his own he came to our rescue. That power makes them yearn, depending on it.

Separated from the parents and families that were spoiling them from childhood, they ended up overlapping those feelings on Haruka-kun.

「He went and left? Even though it’s a day off? 」

「Yeah. And he said that he also finished with the excavation.」

「Since he handed stockings to us in the morning, he was also working at night?」

「Or rather, he went there to dig more mithril because he is busy with upgrading equipment too?」

「Aaa~h. Today it’s my robe’s turn for a mithril upgrade~? It was too tight in the chest area~, so maybe I should ask to fix that as well~?」

「「「Oh, really, what, a, nightmare.」」」

Haruka-kun left to set new traps in the Fake Dungeon. Getting a day off he is off to do even more work, trying to take care of him we end up getting taken care of, and he isn’t sleeping at all. All this time.

He is claiming that it is the effect of his titles, and that is probably true. But he stopped sleeping a long time ago.

Tonight he is probably going to spend the whole night working again, while grumbling how busy or sleepy he is. And when we are feeling down, and about to cry, he is going to say『New products? Come, my profits!』, again, cheering us up.

And apparently, he barely ever sleeps.

Ever since he killed Tanaka-kun.

Ever since those two villages were destroyed.

He acts cheerful when everyone is smiling.

He also seems to be having fun fooling around with Oda-kun, Kakizaki-kun, and others.

Angelica-san and Slime-san are always staying by his side.

Time might be able to solve this.

But as time goes, the number of things Haruka-kun wants to protect is also growing. By now he is trying to protect even the frontier itself.

Haruka-kun, who lost one family member after another since he was just a child, can’t endure someone else dying.

It’s painful for him unless everyone is smiling, so he chose not to make friends at all.

These days he seems to be happy, surrounded by everyone, but because of that, he works extra hard to make everyone smile.

Unable to endure others dying, he ended up having to kill someone, and as a result, he reverted to the way he was when he lost the entire family.

He is torturing himself with reckless abandon, just like back then, trying to save everybody and solve everything.

It’s good that Haruka-kun, who was all alone until now, managed to find something to protect, but he is willing to do anything to accomplish that, so he has no hesitation about throwing away his own life.

Even if it is something that can be fixed with time, there is not enough of that time. This world has too many things that can cost one their life.

The girls, who act spoiled with him as they did with their family, and Haruka-kun, for whom that overlaps with his own lost family, is driven too far to protect them.

There is probably no other way to resolve this but to become stronger and protect Haruka-kun, but there is too little time. Too much happened in just two months.

Most likely, when he returns to the inn, he again will go『It’s dinner time~』, trying to make everyone happy, while pretending that it’s nothing but a bother.

And to avoid being thanked, he will try to paint himself as a bad guy, acting as if he is making a great profit from that.

He is adamantly against being thanked. He simply wouldn’t permit that, telling himself that he is not deserving of gratitude, probably, still unable to forgive himself for his powerlessness.

So that must be why. He was able to prevail over everything despite his weak stats and skill. He is using all means necessary to protect what he wants, using every method available to continue struggling. He absolutely wouldn’t forgive his own powerlessness.

It might be best not to allow him to fight any further, but if someone loses their life as a result, Haruka-kun will break.

But if Haruka-kun loses his life, then the girls will break, I will break.

「When he comes back we must pass a resolution to increase the amount of sweets. I wonder what’s for the dinner?」

「I wonder what’s the next new product? Let’s ask Angelica-san to investigate!」

「「「Why is he fine with making stocking but can’t make underwear?」」」

I have to be able to protect them. That’s why I have to get stronger, as Haruka-kun showed us. Being weaker than everyone, he still managed to save anything and everything.

「I’m sorry to say, but for a while, equipment is going to take precedence. Mifrilification of everyone’s equipment is the number one priority, got it? 」

「「「Eeeeeh~? How cruel!」」」

Slowly, but everyone is recovering. They aren’t resigning to fate, they are beginning to resolve themselves.

Little by little they gain the resolution to live in this world. Because Haruka-kun managed to protect us, this time, we will protect him.

But I don’t think this spoiledness will go away any time soon? These sweets and clothes are way too tempting!

「I’m baack. Sort of? Or rather, I’m back for dinner? I found pumpkins in the village on the way back, so it’s pumpkin festival? Trick or Trident!」

「「「Welcome back. What are you going to make with these pumpkins?」」」

Why is the choice between getting pranked or stabbed? Being stabbed would make it just a combat? And also, if you go around distributing sweets while asking if it’s alright to play a trick on them, you might get reported? Everything is just wrong, as always. In the first place, why 『I’m back』is followed by 『Sort of?』with a question mark? Couldn’t you apply that question mark to 『Trident!』and answer it yourself? He just can’t wait to stab someone.

He is back. Everyone is in a huge uproar again, teased by the girls Haruka-kun is running around the place. He is the same Haruka-kun as always.

With the picnic over everyone is returning to the inn, walking through the town noisily and clamorously.

The pumpkin festival started when we got to the inn. Looks like he bought a whole load of them for mushrooms. Which means he spent all of the allowance. A lecture is in order.

「「「Pumpkin pie~! A Pumpkin Festival~!」」」

He must’ve heard everything from Angelica-san and is trying to cheer us up. After all, pumpkins are Vice President C-san’s favorite.

Today we had fun shopping, as usual, Vice President C-san also was enjoying it, humming a song as she was going through clothes. Yes, humming a song.

A song about loved ones far away, she ended up humming it to herself. That’s why I remembered them as well, I couldn’t stop myself.

Others who heard it sobbed, enduring, holding the smiles as best as they could.

That’s why this pumpkin festival happened, although he is trying to pass it as a coincidence,『One slice 500 Ere, ooh, my profits!』, is what he is saying.

He must’ve heard everything from Angelica-san, and went to search for pumpkins. Though he will never admit that in his stubborn pretense of evil. But this is certain, he is always the culprit, and always does it with full knowledge.

「There is also boiled pumpkin? I sort of think it doesn’t go well with pumpkin pie, but I have it? Well, I was the one who made it, but don’t blame me? I don’t know anything about the complex antagonism of pumpkin pie and boiled pumpkin, okay? So I’m innocent.」

It was delicious, but we were unable to resolve the complex antagonism of pumpkin pie and boiled pumpkin. However, pumpkin chips were a huge hit! Pumpkin soup and pumpkin cake also were very popular and completely sold out. But according to Haruka, without cheese, cream, or mirin, or red wine, he is troubled with the menu. Even though everything is so delicious?

Vice President C-san was eating boiled pumpkin with tears in her eyes.