Volume 1 - CH 3.1

Inherent Ability

Translated by Omkar

Edited by Omkar

The first night at the school has dawned.

Today is the second day of school and regular classes are finally starting. IWhat kind of classes will be held at the academy that gathers cheat heroes ? ….. As a follower of the Demon King, I was scared thinking about it.

But what I fear more than anything else is ……

“ ‘Look them in the eye and communicate clearly’ ‘Look them in the eye and communicate clearly’ …… Good …… It’s okay, I can go……”

“Kyouya, what have you been mumbling about all this time ? You’re giving me the creeps, you know that ?”

On the way to class, Felice peeks out of the bag

I held up the book I was reading at the end of my nose.

“Heh, you wanna know ? This is my strategy book for the school !”

“What what…… [100 Best-Kept Secrets of Communication] …… What’s this Nya ?”

“We need to blend into the academy. Then making friends is a must, right ?”

Well, the beginning of school life would mean the beginning of interaction with my classmates. I’ve always been a little awkward at communicating with others, and besides I have a 30,000-year gap between my first and second contacts. I must take all possible measures for the first contact.

And so, I decided to go for it.

“Now ―― oh, good morning !”

As the book says, loudly and briskly. I cheerfully opened the classroom door. My voice was a little hoarse, but I was happy to hear it. This should…… be…… the perfect first impression.

“….. Huh ?”

The classroom remains silent. Or rather, no one was there in the first place.

As I was looking around, I heard Felice’s exasperated voice again.

“It’s only natural. Do you know what time it is ?”

It is now 7:00 in the morning. There is still more than an hour before classes start. I came early as part of my precautionary measures but…… it seems there is a limit to how early I can arrive.

“Good grief, You sure are a petty little fellow. In this kind of situation, it’s better to be late in order to make yourself look like a big shot.”

“Is that how it’s supposed to be ?”

Anyway, it was no use if no one was around. I sat down on a seat and decided that I would do some preparation (for making friends) and wait for them.

“―― Hmmm, that was quick. It is Lala, though, first and foremost.”

The voice of a young girl filled the classroom. However, the owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. I quickly assumed a battle stance. Could it be stealth ? Or is it from another dimension ? Either way, it’s a terribly advanced seclusion technique. Perhaps she’s quite skilled……

I was on the lookout for something, when I suddenly realized that there was a small presence nearby. I peeked behind the table where the presence was coming from. Then I saw――

“Hmmm, What are you staring at ?”

A little girl was standing there. Her innocent eyes and pouty cheeks suggest that she is a little girl. …… I believe I have heard that the age range to be selected as a transferee is between 12 and 18 years old. But no matter how I look at this girl, she appears to be between 6 and 7 years old. There is no way she is a transferee. Which means……

“…… Lost child ?”

“I’m not-desu ! How rude-desu.”

The young girl, whose lips puckered up in a bad mood, then puffed out her chest.

“Lala is a goddess-desu. She’s extremely good-desu.”

“Go- Goddess…… ?”

The young girl, who called herself Lala, turned out to be a goddess.

“Hoh~, that’s amazing~……. By the way, where is your house ?”

“Hmph, You don’t believe me ?”

And Lala puffed out her cheeks with jittery eyes.

“It can’t be helped. I’ll show you the special power of the goddess.”

As soon as she declares, Hmmm, Lala begins to concentrate. ――As soon as that happens, her body begins to float away. Then, she slowly and leisurely increased her altitude one centimeter at a time……  and after a few seconds, she sat down on the teaching table.

…… Huh ? That’s it ?

“…… Let’s take a break.”

“Oh, Is that so……”

Apparently, she is not just a little girl, but the line is very doubtful if she can be called a Goddess. So I decided to ask the referee.

(Hey Felice, is this girl real ?) 

(Yes, her power is rather weak, but she is unmistakably…… a goddess)

I see. If that’s the case, my bad.

“Oh no, sorry, sorry, it’s the first time I’ve seen a goddess…..”

Aside from the Goddess, it’s bad enough to upset the little girl-sama. I honestly apologized…… But that is where I made a big mistake.

“….. Hm ? You have never seen the Goddess Tribe-desu….. ?”

“Ugh, Oh no…..”

The transferees are usually summoned by the goddess. If one is a hero, he or she must have met the goddess at least once.

(That was a bad idea. Look, fake it, fake it.)

“Oh, no, I mean that I haven’t seen so many excellent goddesses who can be goddesses at such a young age as you are……”

But it was already too late.

“…… Suspicious”

“…..!”

“You are hiding something, aren’t you ? Lala is a clever goddess and she will not be tricked. Especially that bag. It gives off.. hmph.. a very fishy smell.”

This little girl is perceptive ! What is hiding, rather than ‘something,’ is the Abandoned Demon King. But if I reject her now, it would be like confessing to the truth. While I was still trying to decide what to do, the little girl came toward me. And then she put her small hand on the bag.

I had no choice in the matter. I didn’t want to do it, but it’s a…… last resort.

(Felice, pretend to be a cat !)

(Wh- Why do I ……)

(Just do it !)

The moment the bag was opened, Felice let out her best neko-nyan.

“Nya, Nya~n (Giggles)”

(You can do better than that !)

(It can’t be helped !)

While they were quarreling over the telepathic conversation, the young girl was staring at Felice. She looks at me as if she can see through my eyes to the truth that lies deep within, and even Felice seems flabbergasted. I braced myself for the worst. And the next thing the goddess said was……

“F……. Fluffy-desu !!”

“Squishy ?!”

Lala hugs Felice tightly with a delighted cry. She even rubbed her cheeks like a little girl who received a stuffed animal for her birthday. Apparently, this is the first time she has touched a real (big lie) cat.

(…… Okay, we’ve managed somehow !)

(Damn it…… remember that…….)

As I watched the young girl and the cat play (?), the students gradually began to gather. I had thought that the free-spirited former heroes would be more likely to skip school, but as expected, they were not rebellious from the very first day.

However, only the students gathered. The teacher, who was the most important person in the room, did not arrive anytime soon. I thought to myself, “Perhaps” and asked Lala.

“Co-Could it be that you are a teacher……?”

“Hehehe, You have good eyes. But no. Lala is actually a much higher-ranking person than your teacher.

“Oh, I see……”

I’m not sure, but at any rate, it seems that I won’t have to be subjected to the lectures by a little girl.

But then where the hell is the teacher……?

“―― Oh, are they gathered properly~ ? Mmm Mmm Well done Well done !”

A familiar voice with a Kansai dialect burst through the door that opened abruptly. The next person to appear was yesterday’s executive committee member — Kuzuha.

“Hmm, What’s wrong with you ? Don’t kids these days even greet their instructors ?”

We new students all greeted the teacher in a sparse manner. However, the appearance of a student who is not a teacher left everyone in a state of blank amazement. Seeing our expressions, Kuzuha smiled.

“What’s with that face ? You didn’t expect a regular school teacher to show up, did you ? Hahaha, there’s nothing you guys can learn from ordinary adults, is there~ ?”

Certainly everyone here has cheat abilities. If anyone can train them, it’s those same students.

But as soon as I was convinced, I began to wonder about the content of the lessons. Even if we talk about “heroes,” there are different types of fighting styles, such as magic-user type and close-quarters physical type. Even the weapons and techniques they use may vary from person to person. The actual ability at this stage is not uniform, so how in the world can they teach us……?

“Well, then, let’s get on with the lesson……. But to tell you the truth, I don’t know anything about you guys~…….. Oh, right. Then let’s do this ! Let’s show me what you can do !”

Kuzuha clapped her hands as if she had just thought of it.

I see, so the first session is a performance test, and the results will be used to plan the next and subsequent classes. That’s a surprisingly decent method. I was impressed, but not for long…… The problem lay in the way the test was conducted.

“So, for now, here’s my advice……. Cherish your life.”

With a meaningful murmur, Kuzuha snaps her fingers.

The moment that this happened, the scenery around us became distorted, and before we knew it, we were standing on a wide open plain. ――It was a different space created by advanced spatial magic.

And then, one after another, a swarm of demons appeared, emitting an ominous evil energy――.

“Well, just try not to die, all right~”

While summoning the ferocious monsters, Kuzuha waves her hand leisurely in the sky far above the plain. Kuzuha, with Lala on her lap, is in complete slacking off mode. Then we finally understood.

She has no intention of teaching us properly from the very beginning.

But we had no time to complain. The monsters that had been created attacked all at once.

A tidal wave of horrifying monsters, including a huge fortress-like dragon covered in jet-black scales, an ugly troll with a physique that could easily be mistaken for a small mountain, and a strong acid slime that instantly melts anything it touches…… swept in like a tidal wave. Battles have already started here and there. And of course, I can’t stand by and watch.

“Roarrrrrrrrrrr…… !!”

In front of me, baring its fangs, is a ten-meter-tall dragon. Its sharp thorns and fangs are frightening.

Facing such a magical beast….. I was completely bewildered.

(Oh no, what should I do……)

Between the two of us, I have a very, very fatal weakness. ――That is, [Insufficient experience].

Although I have been training for 30,000 years, it was only for the battle with Felice. After all, today was the first time I had ever fought a normal demon. I have no idea what this dragon in front of me is called, what it does, how strong it is among demons, or anything else.

Moreover, I have a tricky restriction: I must not stand out. If I win too much or struggle too much, it will look unnatural, so I have to fight with just the right amount of skill. It is a very challenging task.

But still, all for the sake of having a peaceful everyday life ! I resolved to do it.

“Waaahhh ! Let’s go, something dragon !”

I passed through a sharp claw, almost avoided a blow from a tail, and dodged a strong bite by sidestepping. The dragon responded with a powerful fire breath. It is truly a back-and-forth, paper-thin attack and defense……. How about that, do you think I’m putting up a good fight ?!

Then, the surrounding students cheered.

“Hey look, he’s fighting the Black Dragon !”

“He’s fighting pretty well, isn’t he ?”

“Well, he seems to be doing reasonably well”

Judging from their reaction, it looks like I’m doing just fine. I heaved a sigh of relief……. But the wind soon changed direction.