Chapter 49

"Why are we just the four of us?"

"Indeed, the monster this time is a bit troublesome."

"Is it a monster? I'm still a minor, you know."

"It is categorized as a monster, but this 'Pink Hippo' does not live in the monster realm."

A few months have passed since the order from His Majesty to start the apprentice adventurer training in the capital. I was happy thinking that today, without the usual strict training with Master Armstrong, it would be a day off.

But for some reason, I have to go all the way to the forest on the outskirts of the capital.

The members are Brantark and El, who were also forcibly recruited, making a total of four of us.

Eina, as usual, was practicing spear techniques, and Louise looked disappointed as she was ordered to stay for extra training by Master Armstrong.

But please rest assured.

We are not here to play, neither I nor Master Armstrong.

Moreover, even though I am a minor, I am involved in a job related to monsters.

"'Pink Hippo'? Can I go home?"

Even a former veteran adventurer like Brantark seems to want nothing to do with this 'Pink Hippo.' From its name, it gives the impression of a fancy hippo, but perhaps it has some incredible special move?

And why does it have 'san' in its official name?

I really want to question the person who named it.

"All the members of the Adventurer's Guild refused, so the task fell to us."

Why would such a request be given to apprentice adventurers like me and El?

As if reading my thoughts, Master Armstrong began to explain.

"This is not a request to slay, but a request to protect."

"Protect?"

The explanation continued.

This 'Pink Hippo' lives not in the monster realm but in a beautiful spring in a normal forest. It is about the size of a pony and is entirely pink.

It is all female and reproduces by laying eggs alone.

It is recorded to have a lifespan comparable to a dragon, meaning it lives for an incredibly long time.

Naturally, it rarely lays eggs.

Its population is very small, and it is now designated as a protected animal in the kingdom.

"Is it a protected animal? Not a protected monster?"

"Either way, it's troublesome."

I never thought the concept of animal protection existed in this world.

Moreover, that the protection is such a troublesome job.

If even someone like Brantark dislikes it, it must be quite a hassle.

"The shell of the egg is a very valuable ingredient for medicine!"

"Medicine?"

"A special medicine for incurable diseases!"

Therefore, the nobility is trying to protect, or rather, secure the 'Pink Hippo.'

To get the eggs laid and the shells after hatching.

"This time, the individual we are supposed to protect laid an egg earlier than expected."

"After laying the egg? Is it okay?"

"Is it dangerous?"

"It's the only dangerous time."

The 'Pink Hippo' is usually a very gentle monster.

Although it is categorized as a monster, it is much gentler than a wild boar.

It lives in a beautiful spring in the forest and eats only the grass that grows nearby.

It will not attack unless provoked.

However, after laying an egg, it becomes aggressive to protect the egg.

I remember hearing that hippos in my previous life were actually quite aggressive.

"It's not like it will charge at us."

"Is it just a warning?"

"If that were the case, no one would refuse the request."

The hint is that the eggshell is a valuable ingredient for medicine.

"The 'Pink Hippo' uses a special technique on enemies that try to harm it or its eggs."

It seems to use a mental attack, a combination of hypnosis and illusion.

"Mental attack?"

"It's a type of magic that even the most powerful mages can't defend against..."

The effects are extremely dire.

That's why the female members were asked not to participate.

"Is it okay for men to be affected?"

"Maybe the boy can defend against it with magic."

"I failed to defend against it with magic before and had a very hard time. I didn't want to participate, but I'm betting on the boy, Alfred's disciple!"

"... (I have a really bad feeling...)"

The target 'Pink Hippo' was by a spring deep in the forest, making a nest with collected grass to protect the egg.

"Is protection about moving it to another location?"

"Yes, to a special protected area prepared by the kingdom. Now..."

But it was a bad move for Master Armstrong, the muscular master, to step forward.

Did it think we were trying to steal the egg?

The 'Pink Hippo' came forward to hide the egg from us and started to stare at us with its small eyes.

"Huh? No warning?"

But that was my mistake.

While it was staring, we unconsciously started to meet its small eyes.

"Uh... This is..."

It seems we fell into a trap.

Gradually, we couldn't look away from the 'Pink Hippo,' our heads became fuzzy, and eventually, a pink mist appeared at the edge of our vision.

"Even a monk can't handle it!"

Despite the defensive magic we cast to protect against sleep spells, it had no effect.

Gradually, we lost control of our bodies.

"Damn, I can't move!"

"There's nothing we can do. We must accept our fate and pray for the best."

"Is that even a way to say it!"

While Brantark was complaining to the master,

The amount of pink in our vision increased, and we eventually lost consciousness.

"Hey, Shingo."

"Huh? Where am I?"

When I opened my eyes, I was not in the forest.

It was a classroom in Heisei Japan, which I thought I would never see again.

Checking my appearance, I was in my high school uniform, and my face and appearance matched that of a high school student.

I had black hair, a middle part, a medium build, and an ordinary face with glasses. This was my high school self.

"Are you okay, Shingo?"

Looking at the woman in the same uniform who woke me up, she was very familiar.

She was the woman I liked in high school.

The idol of Seika High School, Ijyuin Shizuka.

She was the student council president, excelling in both academics and sports.

She had a good personality and was well-liked by her peers and juniors.

Many men sent love letters or confessed to her, only to be rejected.

As for me, I could only watch her, unable to even confess.

Of course, I had hardly ever spoken to her, yet she was talking to me.

"No, it's nothing. Uh, shall we go home? Ijyuin-san."

"Shingo, call me Shizuka."

"Really?"

Now, I was acting as Ichijo Shingo, not Vendelin, with no sense of strangeness.

Even though I was supposed to be in the forest with El, Brantark, and the muscular master, I didn't find the current situation odd.

"Uh... Shizuka."

"Yes, Shingo."

In high school, I hardly ever spoke to her, my idol.

Now, I was calling her by her first name.

I could feel my face getting hot.

"Shingo."

"Yes."

"Everyone has already gone home."

It was 6:30 PM, and only the sports club members were still on the field.

There were only two of us left in the classroom.

"So..."

She turned to me and closed her eyes.

"(This! This might be it!)"

She wanted me to kiss her.

Or maybe she had something in her eye, as I was non-popular.

Kissing in an after-school classroom was something I thought only happened in stories or urban legends.

"(But, panicking now would lead to unexpected mistakes! Let's take a deep breath...)"

As expected of a non-popular person like me.

My mind was already in a state of chaos, like the eve of a world war.

But with a woman, the only thing left to do was to kiss her.

"(I'm glad to be alive!)"

Thinking this, I closed my eyes and kissed her.

We wrapped our arms around each other's backs.

It was not my first kiss, but it was still wonderful.

The good smell of a high school girl, the softness of her lips.

The softness of her body made my heart race.

I wanted to stay like this forever.

"(This is the best feeling ever!)"

But then, a very unsightly person shook my shoulder.

Interrupting such a wonderful moment, even a gentle person like me could snap.

Let's see how he fares against a high-level spell.

I opened my eyes, trembling with anger.

And there, in front of me, was a hellish scene.

Instead of the idol Shizuka, who I was supposed to be kissing in the classroom,

I saw the face of the muscular master, with a square, rock-like face, pineapple hair, and a prominent Kaiser mustache, up close.

"Finally, you're awake!"

"Uh, Master?"

I was supposed to be kissing my high school crush, but when I woke up, the muscular master's face was in front of me.

Moreover, I had my arms around the master's back, and he had his arms around mine, hugging each other.

"I don't want to accept this!"

It was the best feeling, but a lie is not a lie if it's not exposed.

Even with the master's strong grip, my back and shoulders were creaking, and the force was so strong it felt like my bones were cracking.

If I could just stay asleep, I could have been happy.

"Understandable, but let's face reality."

The person shaking my shoulder was El, who was behind me.

Moreover, he was avoiding eye contact with Brantark.

The reason was obvious.

"The 'Pink Hippo' uses an illusion that tempts people with the color of desire! Now you understand why we didn't bring the women?"

Indeed, it would be bad if El, the master, and Brantark were seen kissing Elyse, Eina, and Louise.

It could lead to rumors, and other nobles might say, "Such promiscuous girls are not suitable to be the fiancées of the Baron Vaymystre. How about my daughter instead?"

That's why the master didn't explain the situation to Brantark and brought us here.

"Okay... Master?"

"What is it?"

"Excuse me!"

I forcibly broke away from the muscular master, who was still hugging me, and moved to a nearby grassy area.

And then...

"Ugh! This is a lifelong trauma!"

"I like women normally, but..."

The trauma of kissing the muscular master made me continue to groan in the grass.

"But this hippo, acting all high and mighty because it's a protected animal..."

"Vell, hippos don't act high and mighty..."

In the end, we tried to protect the hippo several times, but all attempts failed.

In total, it implanted three major traumas in my mind.

The next time, it was in the baseball club room of my middle school.

I was supposed to be kissing a cute manager I liked, but instead, I was being glared at by a grumpy Brantark.

"Thanks for the passionate kiss."

"Brantark, try to use your experience to defend against the hippo's technique!"

"I can't, I didn't want to!"

I see, that's why no one accepted the request.

Even Brantark couldn't handle it.

"Let's try again."

"But we know it will fail... This isn't like the usual Brantark."

"It's a contract, so there's no choice."

As expected, the third attempt also failed.

The stage moved to the changing room of the soccer club I attended as a child, where I was supposed to be kissing a cute girl I liked who was also good at soccer.

Why did I always like difficult girls?

It was because I had no choice but to face reality, which is why I was non-popular.

"El..."

"Vell..."

"Hey..."

"Don't say it..."

The first kiss with the muscular master was the ultimate trauma.

Compared to the second kiss with Brantark, who smelled like alcohol and age, El was still better.

He wasn't that bad-looking.

But thinking that made me feel like I had lost.

El probably thought the same and told me not to say anything.

"So, what about the fourth attempt?"

"We've done the minimum. Let's go home."

Brantark started to prepare to leave, as if he had fulfilled his duty.

"But what about leaving the hippo alone?"

"Besides, it's impossible to harm it."

Moreover, I didn't understand why it was necessary to move the hippo to the protected area.

No poacher could harm it with that illusion.

"Actually, when the guard checks in the morning..."

It's not uncommon for poachers to be found hugging trees and kissing, or doing even more outrageous things if there are two or more.

Regardless of gender.

"Many adventurers have been involved in tragic incidents during protection missions."

Some ended up getting married after realizing they were in a relationship and taking responsibility.

Others discovered they were gay.

"Elyse can't be brought along."

"Right."

For church officials, homosexuality is a heretical sin.

It is unproductive and morally inferior.

If discovered, severe punishment is the norm.

"Seeing Vell and the master kiss would make Elyse faint."

"El and Brantark too."

In the end, the temporary mission failed, but since all other adventurers refused, no penalty was imposed.

The 'Pink Hippo' apparently moved to the protected area with its offspring after the egg hatched.

It was a completely wasted day.

"Going home and getting a kiss from Elyse, Louise, and Eina might balance it out."

"But considering the impact of the master..."

Still, I would get a kiss from Elyse and the others.

And it was a day where I could think, "Maybe I don't need to go back to being Ichijo Shingo."