Classmate wa Isekai de Yuusha ni Natta kedo, Ore dake Gendai Nihon ni Okizari ni Narimashita - Chapter 41

Chapter 41 – The School Camping Trip Begins (2)

"Sorry for the sudden message. May I call you tonight? There's something I want to discuss about the camping trip."

The message from Kuon came just as I was heading home after school.

From the wording, it was clear she wanted to talk privately.

I had chores today, but the workload was light. No reason to turn her down.

['Sure. Just make it after 8 PM if you can.']
['Understood. I’ll call around 8:30 then.']

After finishing up the chores, I flopped onto my bed, lazily petting the cat curled up beside me. Sure enough, just past 8:30, my phone lit up with her name.

"Hello?"

"Good evening. Sorry for calling so late—this is Kuon. Is now a good time?"

"Yeah, no problem. So, what did you want to talk about?"

She paused for a brief moment before answering, her voice a little more serious than usual.

"Osamu-kun, are you familiar with any legends tied to this camping trip?"

"…Legends? Oh, you mean the one where if you watch the campfire with someone you like on the last night, your wish comes true?"

"T-There’s a story like that!?"

Her sudden shout practically burst through the speaker, making me yank the phone away from my ear.

…Whoa. I’ve never heard Kuon raise her voice like that.

"M-My apologies. I lost my composure..."

"Nah, it’s fine. But judging from your reaction, I’m guessing that’s not the legend you meant?"

"…Correct. To be precise, it’s a legend connected to the area we’ll be staying in."

What she told me next was a tale that had been passed down in that region for centuries.

Apparently, the mountain we’d be hiking had once sheltered a samurai and a princess who fled there during the Warring States period. The reason for their flight varied—some said it was a forbidden love, others claimed political betrayal—but all versions ended the same: they were hunted down and killed.

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

The samurai’s spirit, unable to rest, is said to have possessed the blade he wielded in life. The sword moved on its own, cutting down every one of their pursuers in a blind rage.

After that, the blade would supposedly kill anyone who approached the ruins where the two had died.

Thus was born the Cursed Sword Legend.

"…That’s a hell of a grim story."

Compared to the sweet little campfire romance rumor, this was full-on horror.

"So... how much of that’s true?"

"…Honestly? It’s likely just folklore. I couldn’t find any records of exorcists ever being dispatched to that area."

If there was no historical backing, then it probably was just an old ghost story.

…So why tell me all this?

As if reading my thoughts, Kuon continued.

"The reason I brought this up is because the legend might become real."

"…Become real?"

"Right now, the spiritual balance across Japan is unstable—so much so that entirely new supernatural entities could manifest under the right conditions."

Supernatural entities.
A few months ago, I’d have laughed it off as occult nonsense.

But after everything I’d seen—meeting Kuon, the battle with the Ox-Demon, facing a fragment of the Nine-Tails—I couldn’t pretend this was fiction anymore.

"Most youkai are born from belief or fear. And if enough people believe in the legend of the cursed sword..."

"It might actually materialize. Oh—wait. Is that why you volunteered to help set up the test of courage?"

"Yes. I wanted to make sure the rumor wasn’t spreading. And to assess if the mountain’s conditions might allow for a supernatural manifestation."

Everything clicked.

No wonder she’d signed up for that pain-in-the-ass job. Hauling supplies and prepping trails wasn’t just grunt work—it was reconnaissance.

"So Osamu-kun, I’d like you to keep your ears open during your own duties. Listen for any rumors or unusual talk. Of course, I’ll pay you."

"Wait, seriously? You’re paying me just for that?"

"We have to be prepared for the worst. Besides, most exorcists earn money doing minor investigations like this."

I didn’t really get how exorcist freelance work operated, but if that was standard… well, I wasn’t about to turn down easy money.

"Alright. But if something dangerous does show up, I’ll need to—"

"Absolutely do not engage on your own. Promise me that, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I got it. So I just need to keep watch for weird rumors or legends being passed around, right?"

"Exactly. Thank you for your time. Sorry again for the late call."

"No worries. See you tomorrow at school."

"Yes. See you then."

With that, the call ended.

…Talk about a surprisingly well-paying side job.

I set my phone down and looked to the cat I'd been petting—who, now that the call was over, quietly dissolved back into a shimmer of floating moisture.

"Guess I’d better finish my research and training before the trip."

With a sigh and a stretch, I turned back to my notes and resumed my experiments on water magic and its advanced applications.

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🧭 Chapter Highlights

• Kuon’s Panic Button: Her reaction to the campfire rumor? Completely unexpected. (She's clearly not ready for what Rentarou has planned…)

• The Cursed Sword Legend: Classic ghost story setup… but spiritual instability means it might not stay fiction.

• Osamu the Rumor Watcher: He just scored an exorcist gig without even applying. Let’s hope he sticks to “no solo missions”.

• Magic Cat Reveal: That wasn’t a real cat—it was a water construct the whole time. What else can he create?

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Up Next:

• Rentarou’s Doomed Confession™ → Love is in the air (for the wrong person).

• Test of Courage, Now Featuring Actual Danger → That sword legend? Yeah, it's not just a bedtime story anymore.

• Alicia’s Mysterious Agenda → She didn’t come just for the marshmallows…

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