第２４８掘：ＴＨＥ ＨＥＲＯ (Part2)
Eris sidled up to me, whispering under her breath.
"You changed the subject back there, but Yuki-san, the only way forward with Samantha-san is to bring her into the fold."
"...Can't I just leave it to Taiki-kun?"
"Eh? What are you saying?" Taiki chimed in. "You’re the one who triggered her flags, Yuki-san. Count me out. That look on her face—she’s a maiden in love. Even I can see that. Trying to overturn that now would just be cruel."
"Taiki-san is right," Eris added. "Leaving her hanging like this would be questionable behavior for a human being. Samantha-san’s backing and connections are invaluable in our current situation, and her personality is quite likable. Personally, I’m okay with it. Though, we’ll need to discuss it with everyone else later."
"What do you mean, 'discuss' it? I’m actually afraid to ask."
I looked at Eris, trembling slightly, and she let out a deep sigh.
"Haaah. Well, we haven't even started the discussion yet, and who knows what might happen next, so let’s leave it at that for now. But if you do bring her in, absolutely do not neglect her like you did with Jessica, okay?"
"...Yes, ma'am."
I couldn't help it with Jessica! She was radiating an aura that said she was 100% committed to her knightly duties! It’s not my fault I didn't notice!
But Eris was right. Bringing Samantha in just to use her and then tossing her aside once the job was done would be a low move... I just hoped she might find someone else to fall for while we were here.
I already have sixteen wives. If this were a light novel, the readers would definitely be telling me to go jump off a bridge. And yet, here I am, considering adding more. I’m a total harem bastard!
As I was spiraling into self-reflection, it happened.
Samantha was walking ahead of us, acting as our guide. The surroundings were ordinary—a path with school buildings in the distance. Aside from the fact that this was another world, it was a perfectly normal school scene. Students were enjoying conversations on their way to class; the atmosphere was peaceful.
Because the scene was so mundane, devoid of any hostility or malice, I didn't notice it until it was too late.
"You bastard—!!"
"I-I'm sorry! It was an accident! An accident! I’m sorry, okay?!"
A boy and a girl dashed past us. They were wearing the academy uniform, so they were clearly students, but one thing was bizarre. The girl was brandishing a mop.
Yes, a mop.
For some reason, the girl was chasing the boy with a cleaning tool meant for the hallways.
"If you're sorry, then stop!"
"No way! You’re definitely going to hit me! Besides, that’s a toilet mop!"
*I wouldn't want to be hit with that either,* I thought as I watched the farce unfold. But then, as if drawn by some invisible force, the boy veered straight toward Samantha.
"Of course I am! How many times do you have to 'accidentally' peek into my room before you learn?! You pervert—!!"
The girl screamed and hurled the toilet mop. It scored a clean hit right on the back of the boy’s head. His momentum carried him forward, and he crashed right into Samantha.
"My, it’s certainly noisy this morn—kyah?!"
She was caught right in the middle of it.
*Clatter, clatter...*
The sound of the mop hitting the stone path echoed with startling clarity. Everyone, including us, stood there in stunned silence.
The scene before us was a classic: the boy, having been struck by the mop, had his face buried directly in Samantha’s ample chest, while Samantha had been knocked flat on her back, her skirt flipped up to reveal her underwear.
Black. The design was a bit plain, honestly. Well, I suppose comparing it to modern Earth lingerie is unfair.
"Honestly... what is the meaning of—wait, Eoid again?! Enough is enough!"
"S-Samantha-san, this is a misunderstanding! It was an accident!"
The idiot tried to push himself up by planting his hands on the ground—or so he intended. But in their tangled state, his hands didn't find the floor. Instead, he ended up firmly grabbing Samantha’s breasts.
"Kyah?! Y-you...! Where do you think you’re touching?!"
"Ah, no, this is, uh—!?"
What is this, a template?
"What is this, a template?"
Apparently, Taiki-kun was thinking the exact same thing.
"Ah, Yuki-san, that male student..."
"Yeah, now that you mention it, he’s that 'protagonist' we saw on our way back after being turned away at the gate."
"Right, right. Back then, he also knocked over that girl who just threw the mop..."
Taiki didn't get to finish his sentence. Because...
"GET LOST!!"
"Guh!?"
Samantha delivered a clean uppercut that sent him flying into the air.
"Yeah, just like that. He went flying exactly like that last time too," Taiki noted.
"Right. I didn't know humans could fly like that. We saw something impressive today."
"Definitely. I never thought I’d see a 'Lucky Pervert' trope happen right in front of my eyes."
"Well, technically, she infused her fist with wind magic to launch him."
"No, Yuki-san, don't bring scientific or magical logic into a scene like this."
"Ah, sorry."
He was right. That just ruins the mood.
The boy eventually hit the ground and proceeded to get a dual lecture from both the mop-throwing girl and Samantha. Though, considering one of them was a Duke’s daughter, I wondered if a mere lecture would be the end of it.
"So, Yuki-san. No matter how you look at it, he’s a textbook school protagonist, right?"
"Seems like it. You couldn't pull off a miracle like that even if you tried."
"Does that mean Samantha-san is one of his heroines?"
"I wonder. If that’s the case, it makes things easier for us since we can just stay friends."
"Ehh, come on. We should have a showdown between the template protagonist and you for Samantha-san! It’ll be an NTR plot!"
"It wouldn't be NTR. She doesn't have feelings for him anyway."
"Then let’s go for the girl who threw the mop!"
"Calm down. Nobody is doing any NTR or 'stealing' here. That’s not our goal. If you’re so interested, you do it, Taiki-kun."
"No thanks."
"That was fast."
Despite the banter, having witnessed a "Lucky Pervert" moment in the flesh, we both spoke in unison.
""Man, that was a good show.""
As long as you aren't the one involved, watching the chaos is actually pretty fun.
And so, he appeared! The quintessential Academy Protagonist! How will Yuki and Taiki deal with this boy? Will there be an NTR plot?!
***
*On a different note, I received my book royalties, so I bought a new PC. Thanks to everyone’s support, my life has become more convenient, and I was able to treat my parents to a delicious meal. Thank you so much. I also bought a PC specifically for writing, but since I only have one body, my writing speed won't actually change, so please don't get your hopes up. Until next time!*