Chapter 4 – Compensation

Chapter 4 – Compensation

I climbed the stairs of my apartment while generating a rhythmic sound. I was living alone in this place. I got around ￥100,000 each month from my part-time job, so it was a pretty tough life. With ￥30,000 I received from my parents monthly, I managed to live my current life.

Yeah, that was my allowance. It’s embarrassing, but I still receive assistance from my parents, even though I’m supposed to be 33 this year.

I said that I would like to be independent as soon as I returned to Japan, so they offered their support.

From my parents’ point of view, their son who was a shut-in for 17 years suddenly decided to return to society. No wonder they were so motivated to support me.

I felt grateful but I also felt miserable at the same time. I wished I could be economically self-reliant soon, but I didn’t even have enough energy to live.

(It can’t be helped. I want to die. I don’t want to think about anything.)

Scraps. Less than human. Loser.

I turned the key of my apartment while repeating various verbal abuses inside my head.

This is my home.

A ragged apartment built 27 years ago, with nothing good about it except its cheap rent. To make it worse, there was a commotion about ghost appearances in the neighborhood recently.

If anything else, even this kind of ragged apartment was still better than me. Twenty-seven years old. You could still call it young if you were talking about a human. I even felt jealous towards an inanimate object. I entered the room while ridiculing myself.

Then, from the veranda, dressed in a see-through gown, a girl with blond hair and blue eyes walked over.

“Welcome home, Hero-sama!”

I was hugged. There was a soft sensation….. and my head stopped working for a moment. I came back to my senses and frantically left the room.

“Just now, what was that?”

1. A ghost?

2. A foreigner thief?

3. A hallucination?

Well, it must be number 2. I heard lot of foreigners came to Japan while I was away. These days, you would see that almost all the convenience store clerks were Chinese.

“No, wait a second…..”

My head cooled down after some time.

“That girl, did she just call me Hero? Then, is she related to that world?”

I entered the room in a hurry and found that the girl was sitting on her knees.

“Congratulations, Hero-sama! You received compensation, that is, me!”

I turned my attention towards a self-proclaimed compensation-girl while locking the door behind me. She was a girl who looked to be between the ages of fifteen and seventeen.

Her age alone had made me feel uneasy, and in addition to it, she was also sporting a face of superior beauty. I couldn’t say a lot because it was too dark, but her facial features were too distinct compared to the Japanese.

I often saw similar people in that world, that looked like a combination of Westerners and Asians, or perhaps similar to Eastern Europeans. The overall skin color was still lighter than a pure blood Caucasian, though.

The girl had shoulder-length golden hair and emerald green eyes. Her radiant white skin made her look like a celestial being.

The last and the most important thing. Because she wore clothes made from a thin fabric, I could see many things. Like her underwear and so on. Thanks to her body line, something was made clear. How should I explain this, she was a well-developed girl.

Even though she had a rather delicate figure, a certain part was bulging wonderfully. Her height was probably a little over 150 centimeters, what an unbalanced way of growing up.

Unbalanced economic development.

Developing countries that had put an emphasis on only two domes.

A dairy exporters’ powerhouse.

The phrases whose meanings were unknown came to me one after another. I wondered what I was thinking?

Puzzled upon seeing me take off my shoes inside the room, the blonde girl quickly stood up. Then, she put her hands on her big bust and loudly declared.

“I’m Angelica, a Sacred Shrine Maiden. I believe you know about this position at least.” (Angelica)

I’d heard of it. In that world, they were the so-called Goddess’ officials. However, they were not simply priestesses. The severity of their commandments were a little, or rather, excessive, to a considerable degree.

Single for life. Growing up while completely cut off from all men. The baby chosen as the Sacred Shrine Maiden would be separated immediately from her parents after being born, and be confined in a temple where only women reside. Both her clothes and her food could only be made by women’s hands. Conversation with a man was forbidden. They would maintain their purity until their life span came to end, and it was believed that they would serve as a maid of God after death.

The ultimate virgin devoted to God only. That was the figure called a Sacred Shrine Maiden.

That kind of famous person was talking fluently with me (who’s a man), while clinging to me with a happy face that seemed to be almost drooling. It could be said that it was an abnormal situation. Well, since I returned to Japan, various thing went wrong.

“Yeah, I know. I understand what Hero-sama is thinking. This is the first time I’ve ever talked to a man.”

“Really?”

“Men really have a low voice. It feels like the air is trembling and it’s somewhat fun.”

While saying it was fun, Angelica, who was supposed to be famous as the ultimate virgin, touched my abdomen and my chest repeatedly.

“It’s stiff. It’s totally different from girls.” (Angelica)

I felt like I was just taught an unnecessary piece of knowledge from a girl of high school age.

“……….please give me an explanation first. I don’t really understand this situation.”

“You are right. I shall tell you step by step.”

She entangled her arms with mine in one deft movement, like a girl working in a night shop.

“Chief, how about a cup with me? Don’t worry, it’s cheap.” —the atmosphere seemed to be telling me.

She lets her guard down too much. I wondered if it was because she grew up inside an environment where her safety was guaranteed.

“Even though Hero-sama has saved our world, you were sent back to your own world without receiving compensation. The King and Chief Priest were very concerned about this matter, and were discussing how to thank you every single day.” (Angelica)

“How does that relate to you?” (Nakamoto)

“There is a relation, and it’s a big one. After plenty of discussion, it seems that they had come to the conclusion of giving me, a nice and healthy girl, as compensation.”

With both of her hands on her waist, Angelica straightened her back, which made her two hills bounce.

I didn’t know where to look so I tried to discern the situation while looking away.

(In other words, you are a living offering? Are you fine with that? You don’t mind being treated like an object!?)

“…..it’s been a year and they finally decided to give me compensation?” (Keisuke)

“There was that incident in the process of Hero-sama defeating the demon king, remember? If I may speak, it was quite a special case. Because of that, it seems that you couldn’t be recognized as the Hero of Salvation immediately.” (Angelica)

“Certainly, there was that incident…..” (Keisuke)

“Many sacrifices also occurred…. How about we execute the hero? —there were also people who voived that.” (Angelica)

“Those ungrateful people.” (Keisuke)

So, in the end, the apology was sent to me in the form of Angelica.

I didn’t know what to do with her who kept clinging to me. I mean, as someone who had no experience interacting with men, she was strangely over-familiar with me.

Oh, I got it! Those who have a little opportunity to get in contact with the opposite sex, would be either curious or afraid when meet one, and she seemed to be the former case.

“Let’s assume that you’re a gift for me….. So, in what kind of meaning were you sent here?” (Keisuke)

“Excuse me?” (Agelica)

“I mean, are you here to be my servant? Or are you here for a different purpose?” (Keisuke)

“Oh…..” (Angelica)

Immediately, Angelica came approaching me with a mischievous smile on her face. Two people fell, creating a thumping sound.

“Of course, for that kind of meaning, Keisuke-sama.” (Angelica)

“Like I said, what kind of meaning is that? Also, why did you suddenly call me by my name?” (Keisuke)

“Because I wanted to try it.” (Angelica)

A sweet smell peculiar to young girls tickled my nostrils. The kind of fragrance that you couldn’t tell if it was body odor, perfume, or shampoo. No, there was no shampoo in that world. So, soap?

(What I am thinking? I couldn’t care less about the identity of the smell. There must be a reason for her to act this way. That’s right, I shouldn’t think of useless things. I must not get distracted by her.)

Angelica sighed while I was mumbling alone. Her feverish breath hit my face.

“From today on, I’m your wife, Hero-sama.” (Angelica)

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